Maya Angelou

There are very few writers I love as much as I love this woman. Her words touch millions of people worldwide. Who among us hasn't picked up one of her works? The most famous of which is I know why the caged bird sings. Inshallah this May I will get a chance to hear her speak and hopefully meet her. She will be at the O'Shaughnessy theater- St Catherine University (St Paul). Its an evening of poetry and I already got tickets for my friend and also my beloved aunt. I can't wait to hear her live recite some of my favorite poems

Still I Rise- Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Are you a snitch?

If you saw a crime being committed would you tell the authority? Would you tell the authority even if you know the person is of your race/qabil/clan/family? Would you tell the authority even if you know that you are placing your life in danger?

I have heard of so many crimes that happen within our community and there are witnesses who can identify the perps but they keep their mouths shut. This is not a spectacle found only in Somalis but also in the African American, Latino, African, Pakistani, basically most immigrant communities.

I have always wondered why we bundle up the perps and send them somewhere else to evade the authorities. Don't we ever put ourselves in the victim's family shoes? How would you feel if you loved one was hurt and there were plenty of people who saw it but no one came forward. You are left wondering if there is any justice in this world.

We should stop this STOP SNITCHING campaign. Seriously, its our own people we are hurting by protecting these thugs and killers. Trust me you are doing them a disservice by protecting them from the consequences of their crimes. I am sure its really hard to see someone you love being incarcerated especially if you are the tool behind that but please think of the victim's family and SNITCH!

Madness that trancendes Self

Collecting information for the tunnel of oppression was a stark eye opener to me. I realized there are many things that are sometimes beyond our scope of empathy. Read on.

"White people are running around trying to save everything including stupid, useless niggers....We need ethnic cleansing on a massive scales in this country. Fcuk sending them back to Africa, we should just sweep them into the sea. Sharks gotta eat too," wrote one white supremacist on VNN about Hurricane Katrina black victims.

On Dec 7th, 1995: Two African American residents of Fayetteville, North Carolina, were brutally and senselessly murdered by three soldiers who apparently identified themselves as Neo-Nazi skin heads. Police said the soldiers were looking for black people to harass and shot the victims as they were walking down the street. Micheal James, 36 and Jackie Burden, 27, were shot down in a city street in the early morning hours.

On Mar 29th, 1996: An African American woman, Bridget Ward and her two daughters, Jamila, 9 and Jasmine, 3 moved into a rented home in the virtually all-white Philly neighbourhood of Bridesburg. Late that night, she heard young people marching down the street, chanting, "Burn, motherfcuker burn." The next morning, Ward, who works as a nurse's aide, found racial slurs smeared on her house, ketchup spilled on the front side walk and back porch, and an oily liquid was splattered in the rear.

1993: In Fairfax County, Virginia, an affluent community near Washington, DC, A 41 year old black woman heard the doorbell ring at the home where she was house-sitting. When she looked out the window, she saw a cross burning 10 feet from the front door.

1994: In Los Angeles suburb of South Gate, the white neighbours of a black woman burned a cross on her lawn, kicked her children, hanged and gassed her puppies and placed "White Power" signs on her property.

Wedowee became the focus of national attention in 1994 when the high school principal threatened to cancel the prom if inter-racial couples planned to attend. He announced to the school that a young woman of mixed race had been a "mistake". The final result of racial tensions provoked by the divided community was a school that was burned to the ground.

A crossburning took place outside a black student's dormitory at LSU in January 1992, and in February, a cross was burned at a black family's home in frisco.In april 1993, the only person of color in a group of youths in New Orleans was struck and dragged by a car occupied by white men who yelled racial slurs at the black college student.

Three inmates of the Picayune jail were visited in July 1990 by men wearing Klan masks. The men placed a knife to the throat of one inmate and threatened to kill him. A police officer and jailer were implicated by an FBI investigation.

Approximately 250 marchers turned out in Meridian and Philly on April 27, 1991, for a march sponsored by the Confederate Knights of America. About 30 skinheads acted as security for the march and later that evening , a triple crossburning was held near Decatur.

The most gruesome of all was the story of Byrd, 49, who accepted a ride from suspects as he walked home from a niece's bridal shower. Police believed that instead of taking him home, the men drove Byrd to a wooded area, beat him, chained him behind Berry's truck and sped down a bumpy road east of town. Allegedly Brewer said that the victim's throat was cut before they dragged him. Byrd's severed head, neck and right arm were discovered about a mile from where his shredded torso was dumped. A trial of blood, body parts and personal effects stretched for two miles, police said. This happened in Texas.

I can understand that these atrocities are far surpassed by the ones commited in our own continent of Africa, but what I fail to see is the logic. USA claims to be a haven of democracy and equal rights. 130 years after the abolishment of slavery and there are still incidences of oppression. How can you be an advocate for human rights when it is not even followed within your borders nor believed by some of your citizens?

Spring Swing & Being Black

My roommate had this brain storm last summer to organize a swing dance. First day of uni she rushes to welcome me back to the apartment by telling me her ideas while her hands were full with my baggage. Finally last Saturday she saw her work bear fruits. We actually pulled off a swing dance in our little town and it was a success. There was a live jazz band playing all night with a canary chirping some tunes in between. Actually there were three jazz bands and they would take turns playing. We also had a non-alcoholic bar. In between dancing you could go request a kiss on the beach (Just to be PC), a virgin Shirley temple , a virgin pina colada among other things. More than that though was seeing all the students, faculty and community turn up dressed to the nines. I mean I am talking a dead ringer for the 1920-40's era. So we swung the night away. I had to sell tickets cause I was using any excuse not to be on the dance floor. As the night progressed I breathed easy. In walked all the basketball players and off course they wanted in for free. Since they were in our organization I let them slide in. Nico came outside to hang out with me and said we have to go dance at least once. I laughed the suggestion off and continued selling tickets. Ochieng walked in. I had seen him at the swing dance practice we had conducted and he was wearing a shirt with a kenyan logo. I didn't have time to talk to him then but here was a perfect opportunity. As I stamped the back his hands I casually asked him if he was from Kenya. He replied in the affirmative and we talked in kiswahili for a few minutes. Knowing he was with his date I didn't want to interrupt his evening I was just happy to have someone to talk to in Kiswahili. I ushered him into the ballroom but as he walked away he gave me his card, asking me to call him sometimes.

Nico was true to his word, he had gone to get my roommate to sell the tickets while we danced. Nico was a Californian with a Latino ancestry so he could move very well on the dance floor. We danced three songs in succession and I was dizzy for all the spins we were doing. I begged off and went to get a pina colada. The evening went well. I got to dance with Nico again after dancing with Dee and Chicago (Joe). It was a success in my book but my roommate the perfectionist thought we could have done better. So all hyped up we packed the drinks into my trunk and decided to get an early breakfast. Climbing into my car was a couple of other friends and we set out. Maintaining my speed limit we drove to the other side of town. I can't drive without the music blasting and since we were all hype the other guys joined in the merriment. Suddenly the red and blue light flashed in my rear view mirror. I turned the volume knob down and pulled over wondering why I was pulled over.

The cop swaggered to my side as his friend flashed his flashlight at my car occupants. I handed over my license and registration to him when asked. He asked me to sit tight while he ran my license. While we were waiting my friends asked if I was speeding and I said No. I was going within limits. So we started questioning why we got stopped and inevitably we came to the race card. We were all of dark complexion in the car and driving around in the wee hours of the morning with music blasting. My blood boiled as my face started burning at the indignation of being pulled over. I heard a tap at my window and the cop handed me back my documents. He explained he stopped me because my front tag was outdated but the back one was current. WHAT? He took away 20 mins of our lives for something that if he looked at my registration would have seen it was current. I shut my mouth as an outburst was forthcoming. Smiling sweetly I said no worries and pulled away. During our whole breakfast we ranted and berated the American system. Hey I thought we have tunnel of oppression program coming up in a couple weeks that we have to prepare for. How about doing a piece on oppression disguised in the 21st century. This weekend we get to work on it and hopefully I will have plenty of pics to share as we set up our tunnel.

Sensitivity issues?

I hate to be one who said I told you so but yesterday I couldn't help but to. Previous post in my blog I talked about an issue in school and this time I will provide the entire story i.e Verbatim what exactly was said and to whom it was addressed. Bare with me.


Columnist opinion:
"When I write a column about something that people disagree with I expect to hear about it. This never bothers me. After all, I wouldn't write this column if I wasn't afraid of some banter. This happened last week when my angry rant against Halo 2 somehow ended up linked to a pretty highly visited Halo 2 website. Needless to say my popularity dropped pretty quickly. Anyway I had a couple random guys from different states add me to MSN messenger so they could do a little arguing with me. Thats all fine and dandy, until one of the pretentious bastards decided to basically tell me I know nothing because I'm from **insert my beloved hick town**. Hey, wait a minute. You can bash me all you want for my views on Halo 2, but you are playing with fire when you call me stupid and then link it to where I grew up. The problem is, this know-it-all is not alone. The citizens of State XYZ end up getting this ignorant hick stigma against them, simply from being from the Midwest.
What angers me the most is that its a form of widely accepted discrimination. Now, if I had said to that genius from Seattle (the pretentious bastard) that I thought all black people were "worthless piles of crap" that only commit crime, he would have let me have it. Off course I don't think that way, but I am sure I could find you some example to fit that description..............(written by R)

Rebuke from the black students:

" I agree it is incorrect to judge a persons intelligence based on where they're from. But to compare this to saying that all black people are "worthless piles of crap" who only commit crime just doesn't make sense at all. Then, to make matters worse, you say "Of course I don't think that way, but I'm sure I could find you some examples to fit that description." So, you're trying to tell me that you personally know some "worthless piles of crap" who only commit crime, but you don't believe that's all they do? Well when you come up with a good list, you let me know. What does insulting where a person grew up have to do with insulting an entire race? Nothing. It's a false analogy! In case you don't know what that is, I'll tell you. False analogies are comparisons between two situations that are not alike in most, or important, respects. I hope you see the point I'm trying to make." (Written by V)

"For R to "hypothetically stereotype" all black people is ignorant. For the editor of the **Name of Paper** to let her publish such a thing is equally ignorant. The statement in the column was inappropriate and unprofessional in the least bit. Undoubtedly, the individual in Seattle was bias towards small towns, but to match his ignorance reflects a lot about your own character. For you to lash out at black people as a whole and try to use race as if you were trying to prove a point is absolutely inappropriate. I was hurt by your statement "Now, if I had said that I thought all black people were worthless piles of crap that only commit crime." There isn't an "if" about it. YOU JUST SAID IT! According to you, black people have no worth and we are big piles of manure who do nothing but commit crimes. So all black people, including Rosa Parks, are criminals? But you didn't stop there. You could've been political about the situation. You could have used your journalistic instincts and rose above your own ignorance and shown some intelligence. But you said, "Of course, I don't think that way, but I'm sure I could find you some examples." YOU JUST CONTRADICTED YOURSELF IN ONE SENTENCE. "I really do think like that, but if I say that I don't, then it seems as if I don't." That is how it came across. Then you say, "I'm sure I can find someone if I look hard enough." So that means that you would have to go out a find someone that fits the bill, and it wouldn't be hard to do................................
Nevertheless, the article was very unprofessional, unfair and untrue. In my opinion, no discretion or common sense was used in the article. The comment you made was very disrespectful and without tact. If I may ask, what did writing such a derogatory statement toward African Americans accomplish? It further led me to agree with the man from Seattle. You absolutely have no clue what is going on in the world and not because you are from State XYZ, but because you are who you are. And yes, sorry to burst your bubble, but you might be the biggest hick in ..." (Written by M)


Apologies:

"I just want to clarify something before anybody kills me. In my last column, when I made the derogatory reference to black people, I did not mean it to be taken literally. The only thing I was trying to prove is how stupid it is to assume things like that. I wanted to use such an extreme example that nobody could possibly think I would believe that way. Evidently, I failed. When I said I could find an example of a black person that fit that description, I was just trying to prove that there are bad apples in ANY race and people should not judge the rest of the people in that group using the worst example. Much like calling all people from State XYZ dumb hicks because of meeting one hick from here. That's all I was trying to prove. I have no problem with any race, nor would I ever write anything that could be so purposely offensive and stupid. I apologize if I offended anyone. I just want to make very clear that my intentions with my column were not racist, but were to point out how mindless discrimination actually is." (Written by R)

"When running a paper, the editor has to choose what should be printed and how things should be worded. There is a fine line between freedom of speech and printing a column that is more than offensive. It was my job to decide if the column should be run. At the time, my impression of the article was that it made very direct accusations. However, at the same time, I believe strongly in freedom of speech and being able to say what you truly feel. However, I failed to edit the story for its derogatory remarks. I belive a point can be made without using certain words that were chosen.I personally am apologizing for letting the article go to print as written. Working on the **Name of paper** staff is a learning experience for all of us. My staff doesn't only put out a paper each week, they learn how to design pages, how to make things look better, what makes a good article and what can be printed." (Written by Editor)

Reaction from a student to Apologies:

" I think M was too harsh on you, overreacted, and missed the big picture. Even though I may not like it, I fully acknowledge that hicks exist in State XYZ, but that doesn't mean everyone living in State XYZ is a hick. M, if you don't think R or anyone else couldn't find a couple of black people in the United States who are detriments to society, you are simply in denial, as I would be if I tried to claim no one in State XYZ was a hick. In saying this, I am in no way trying to declare that all black people are that way. If you missed the point made by R's comparison, here it is: no matter how people are discriminated (by race, sex, creed or national origin) it's hurtful and disrespectful. My "XYZ-ness" can be disrespected the same as your "Blackness." (Written by a Senior)

I beg for your indulgence once more because I had to paste this reply in its fullness.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." This quote by Mahatma Gandhi is pretty self explanatory: practice what you preach.In reference to the letter to the editor by M, before you criticize one for being a racist or ignorant, take a look at your own actions. I looked up your Facebook profile and found it littered with the very language you criticize. Using racial slurs like "nigga" are not only disrespectful to the people who fought against that, it makes you look more ignorant than the person you wrote your letter to the editor about. How would Rosa Parks feel about that? In regards to your "there's no 'if', you just said it" argument, there IS an 'if.' This makes it a hypothetical situation as you stated. An educated person should be able to recognize this situation as an extreme example towards the argument at hand: that stereotypes are ignorant. Had the sentence been, "I told him that I think all black people are worthless piles of crap who do nothing but commit crime," you would have been justified in your argument. As for writing professionally, next time you want to seem credible in your letter to the editor, don't include a personal ad. Being educated, intelligent, tall, dark and handsome has nothing to do with your argument.
Moving on to V's letter to the editor. She has a false analogies argument, in which she states that racism has nothing to do with making fun of where someone grew up. This can be answered in one sentence: "We don't tolerate racism, so why is OK to make fun of XYZs?" Here is where the previous examples in the article tie in. It's not about race, as most people have viewed it. Rather, it is about prejudice. In case you don't know, prejudice is the unjustified bias against someone based on his or her race, culture or region. As for the editors of the **Name of Paper**, apparently you hadn't found the comment derogatory until someone else made a fit about it. If you are going to print a column, you should stand by the author of that article. The words not only reflect on the author, but on your own opinions as the editors. I feel that your spineless actions have not only sided with the R-bashing, but have also made you look as if R is a little kid who cursed and you have to apologize for it because she doesn't know any better. Why do you feel that you would have to explain the situation when R has already addressed it with a follow up column? By apologizing, you make it appear that you have something to apologize about-- which you don't. If anyone had actually read the article and taken it for the message it was trying to convey, nobody would have any reason to be mad ... except for maybe that guy from Seattle." (Written by a Sophomore)

You be the judge of this mountain out of a mole-hill situation.

Dissension in the ranks

Funny thing happened to me yesterday. I was attending our Black Student Alliance meeting in my usual capacity of an officer. The meeting was short and sweet due to the weather and so we all ended up chit chatting after official business got dealt with. A previous conversation emerged from our chat. The vice president was remarking about the fact that I didn't write a letter to the college rag/newspaper and disappointing the group as a whole. Maybe I should start from the beginning.

A few weeks back in the opinion page at school a university student's views were met with anger especially from the minority black students. She had written that people view residents from the midwest/heartland of America as being dumb, slow not to mention uninformed. She made an analogy in her piece. She said this view is almost comparable to someone saying that black people are lazy people who love handouts. Distasteful as the analogy was, it was an analogy nonetheless. Needless to say the black students in the school reacted when they saw the piece in the Rag. When approached I said I didn't think the girl was wrong . Why? She was being a writer and not to mention the fact that her piece was published in an opinion page of a university paper. She tackled the piece like she was having a one on one conversation with a friend. She was in no means a professional and articulate writer. Her piece was filled with kinda and gonna to illustrate my judgement. So why would you attack the girl on those grounds?

I took a stand. I said the people who should be held accountable should be the editors of the paper. They are the ones who proof read the pieces submitted before they hit the press. It is therefore their task and duty to make sure that articles published in the papers met journalism standards. I am sorry but I thought they were overeacting to something that was due to someone's laxity in the duties. They were crucifying the wrong person and I wasn't going to join in holding her legs as they hammered the nail home.

A young lady in the room taking interviews from the outspoken blacks slid next to me and the VP. She asked me if I would be like to air my views on the school TV channel. I said NO. I didn't think I needed to present a different view to a united front. I didn't think I needed to spotlight dissension in the minority group. I would keep my opinions about their oversight solely to our circle. I will win them over with my aptitude for social justice. Racism is a touchy subject especially in US. It is said that discrimination is on the downswing but in reality it is just being whispered between knowns and rarely aired. I choose to also whisper mine between knowns and not air ours.