Hey Everybody,
It’s Matt Jones, Who? No, but seriously as I reflect on everything we have done this year, I take away an in-depth understanding of a unique culture that I really had not been too familiar with before this class. I want to talk about some of the topics that I did not get a chance to really voice my opinion in our class.
Firstly, the other month in class we were discussing the subject of how modern rappers were destroying hip-hop by only spitting about killing and misogyny. I believe that this point is a very true aspect of some of hip-hop, but no one in our class mentioned that there were rappers out there that are changing how they spit and how they display their image to the public through their rhymes. One of these rappers, the famous rapper out of Houston, Texas is your main mayne, Chamillionaire. Chamillionaire is one of the forerunners in the web mixtape wave, with millions of his albums and tracks being released for free on wedsites such as youtube and datpiff.com. One quote from Chamillionaire off his website states that, "I won't do anything just for a dollar. Money will make people do crazy things and I’m not one of those people." He also sold a platinum plus record in a time when record sales were slumming and has several other business ventures. One of the main reasons I enjoy Chamillionaire so much is simple, because he spits the truth and doesn’t BS anything. The Mixtape Messiah as Chamillionaire is known as online has decided to stop cursing and degrading women in all of his new music that he has released. He also has stop using the dreaded N word that many rappers sling around way, way too much sometimes. Chamillionaire also stated that, "Behind the scenes, a lot of artists talk about everything that they think is wrong with the world, but when it comes time to address the issues through their music, they don't," he explains. "I decided I couldn't sit back and needed to be the one to say something." I believe this makes him a rapper with a future in preserving the endangered culture that is hip-hop. The hit song that really spoke to me was Hip Hop Police, I will let you be the judge.

Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If8e1x-6Uds

Secondly, I want to discuss the subject of, yes, I’m going there, lil Weezy F. Baby Baby. What do you guys and girls think about his new Rebirth album? In the interview taken by Rolling Stone Magazine Lil Wayne said that he would have over 50 tracks to choose from to put on his new album. I personally love the guy and everything he puts out just seems to be gold, even though I didn’t really think the Carter III was all that great when I first bought it. But of course the new tracks featuring auto-tune wore on me like everything else the guy makes. So my question to you class is, do you think this new Rebirth rock album will sell one trillion copies like all his other records did? The answer is a tough one, but I do have some leakage to inform some of that haven’t already heard the second new rock song that Lil Weezy has come out with called Hot Revolver.
Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4bODGNIwcI&feature=related
Finally, I want to talk about a subject that was brought up about the African American films stars that were mentioned in the presentation during class today. It was stated in the video that no-one was really even close to Will Smith in and that he was the only face of African-American acting in general. I may have taken this out of context because it was stated that the group was mainly focusing on the most financially successful African American actors. And Will Smith is the most successful because he earned over 80 million dollars not just making him the highest paid African American actor but, the highest paid actor. But this does not overshadow the fact that some other actors/actresses were left out of the picture that well deservingly need to make the film. To start, I’m going to say that one of my favorite actors is Denzel Washington because of his role in films such as Man on Fire and Training Day which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001. The funny thing about that stat is that one of the actors that Denzel beat out for the award was actually Will Smith for his role in Ali. Another actress that got left out was Halley Berry who was one of the highest paid African American actresses in the movie business. Halley also won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her role in Monster’s Ball. These actors were just the start of the list, I mean I could go Jamie Foxx, who won Best Actor two years after Denzel, or Samuel L. Jackson, Forrest Whittaker, Wesley Snipes, and Chris Rock all deserved to make that film in some kind of way.
I had a great time this year and enjoyed everything that I have learned about the African American culture along the way. I come out of this class with a new outlook on many of the ways that different groups of people perceive certain aspects of life. Thanks for some great times. I’m out! Everybody good luck on exams.
Word of mouth,
Matthew Felker

Black Families Post

When I started looking for controversial topics in the newspaper, I found out that it didn’t take long for a heartbreaking act of authoritative abuse by a police officer came up in a couple of days. Racism is still alive today, and it sucks to think that we still live in a world where when you run a red light, just because of the color of your skin, you are automatically stereotyped and assumed to have a gun. The terrible act that I’m referring to was committed by an Officer Powell of the Dallas Police Department in a suburb of Dallas, Plano, on March 26, 2009. This event is particularly significant to me because my house in Dallas is nearly two blocks from the incident. I think the whole incident got twisted when the news stated it was at a Plano Hospital so millions of people think the Plano police were at fault, when really if you watched the video on Sportcenter that night, the Plano officer tries to help the NFL player Ryan Moats to get inside the hospital he was speeding to get to. You might ask why a man would ever run a red light to get to a hospital??? Not! The reason is simple that even a man with low social intelligence I think could handle. But obviously in this case, the officer did not show his best judgment when approaching this situation. Personally, I find that police often abuse their power and at the frequency of these occurrences it is perplexing that not too many are made public. But on this chilly night in Dallas, Ryan Moats was speeding furiously to get his wife to her mother who had seconds to live. And when I try to put myself in this woman’s situation, I can’t think of anything that would stop me from seeing my mother right before she left me on this earth. And even if there was a gun pointed at me, similar to the actions of Officer Robert Powell toward the Moats family, I would not let it stop me from getting to her before she passed. This officer was patrolling the corner of George Bush and Preston, and when Ryan Moats ran this red light, this routine traffic violation turned to national news when the officer drew his weapon on the young family. And the act of pulling your weapon out and pointing it towards a weaponless black AMERICAN woman trying to see her dying mother, it is RACISM. But all my ranting aside, let me and you seriously consider the facts of the case. This white officer was on duty with my family’s tax dollars paying his salary. He represents the city of Dallas and all the actions portrayed by him reflect on the entire city. That’s a pretty powerful statement if you think about it; the entire city of Dallas is represented by this one man’s actions. IT IS SAD. Let me give you some quotes so you too can form your own opinions about this officer.

Powell: “I turned my red and blues on as you went over the bridge, and you are legally required to stop, what you are doing does not matter, I can charge you with fleeing right now.

“Shut your mouth and listen… I can screw you over and your attitude can dictate what happens.”

Even after the officer realizes that he made a mistake and probably should have showed some discretion, he continues to tell Moats to shut his mouth and threatens the young running back with all the things he could charge him with, my favorite of those was fleeing. After watching the unedited police video, I became furious when I hear Officer Powell bragging to other officers about one police chase he had, rather than feeling bad for the African American family whatsoever. I would have liked to see the officer be more apologetic to the family for what he had done. But, there is a sad truth that comes with this certain scenario, and that is that police lack sympathy towards a majority of the public. And not just African Americans citizens , but all Americans.
You might ask yourself what this article has to do with black families in America, and I am happy to say that I have an answer for that question. The answer is simple, the woman. Tamishia Collinsworth was faced with a life changing moment and it dealt with her mother. And even after this incident, she was asked if she thought the incident involved race. And she was quoted as saying, "We're not the kind of people who play the racial card. We're not those people. We have been brought up in a very diverse society."

Her forgiveness is the true meaning of family values and I bet Tamisha’s mother would be proud of her daughter.

Tamisha's mother died before Ryan could get into the hospital.

Thursday
March 26, 2009
Sportcenter – channel 721 (Cox Cable)
Television
African American Family – Wife, Aunt, Uncle, and Husband
Positive Image

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-jJsFdnckU

Civil Rights

When I soak in the lecture in class about the Harlem Renaissance, I take away from that a new perspective on African American progression through art. The Harlem Renaissance was originally known as the New Negro Movement, and it was sparked by the huge migration of slaves into northern cities in early 1920’s. The outcome of this massive wave of people was culminated into a beautiful artistic movement that consisted of writings that redefined the African American perspective, and music that lifted the African American culture to new heights.
The basic idea or definition of the Civil Rights Movement was more of a fight than a movement if you think about it. But this fight did not consist of fisticuffs and broken pool sticks. This fight was one of civil disobedience, and the fight happened every day. When Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, and when Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to thousands on Capitol Hill, and when Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the one fist solute to the rights of all African Americans, the fight was present. And this slow struggle to gain full freedom in a country that was not one of choice for this people, but force. And to think that this struggle of freedom and basic rights still plagues some African Americans today. The struggle was the opponent in the other side of the ring. And we can only hope that the fight will at least slow down, as we saw in the class video with Tom Wise, racial prejudice is still very present in our everyday lives, and racial violence still kills millions of people to date.
The SNCC refers to the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee, and the group was originally founded by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. It started primarily as a civil rights activist group and at end of the life of the company it was directed in a different but equally important issue, feminism. With the new feminism movement came the same traditions from the civil rights movement of sit-ins and various protest activities.
The Shaman in the old eastern mythology was a man that was not granted the right of high priest, but he was ordained to become Shaman through his experiences of a higher bliss, it was as if he was meant to lead and preach his message. I think this is true of both Martin and Malcolm, in that by some miracle and invisible force lived inside them that told them to stand up against prejudice and hate. The difference between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X is a simple product of environment. Experience is what shapes all human beings personalities and beliefs. Martin Luther obviously grew up in a different environment with different philosophies taught to him during his youth. Martin’s father was a reverend and might have taught Martin the stories of Gandhi and non-violent civil disobedience. The difference between them is their own personal journey to follow their dream.
I believe in a certain way that the civil rights movement did accomplish many of the goals it set out in order to gain to freedom in America. Now to say that the problem is completely fixed just because the President of the U.S. is an African American is a complete overstatement. A struggle to survive and live ideal life is process and we get closer to bliss everyday. Or do we.

Privilege

I can call any member of my family in a time of chaos and they will be there for me.

I can be pretty sure that

 there will be food on the table every day.

I can go run around and be active in the physical aspect of life and not have to worry about aches or pains.

I can always go down the street and McDonalds will be there.

I have the ability to function cognitively and participate in college courses.

I can be sure that when I make money, my parents will help me keep it safe.

I can be sure that all my favorite sports teams will play their hearts out to win the game.

I do not have to work everyday.

I can come home and go to sleep in the afternoon if I want to.

I can always call up my friends and they will be there for support and activities.

I am very privileged to own an xbox 360.

I can turn on my TV and get lost in regular programming for hours.

I do not have to go to the hospital every day and check on my health.  I have been very healthy throughout life.

I am very privileged to have my mother who is my inspiration and would be there for me even if I committed murder. 

I can come home from a long day to my best friend my dog named bernie.

I can go to a great church on sunday and worship.

If I should fail a task, my friends and family will be there to pick me back up again.

I can go on itunes and download my favorite music whenever I want.

I think that we as a people are much more privileged than we think, and this exercise has helped me realize that.  I am happy and privileged to be in African American Studies.    

NAACP

Throughout the history of African American presence in America, the most influential organization hands down has been the (NAACP) or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Historically, the NAACP has been instrumental in working for African American people, by fulfilling their goals in the American legal system and also working for full suffrage and other civil rights.. Prominent figures such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Fredrick Douglas, and Booker T. Washington have all been members of the NAACP and helped to essentially put an end to segregation, and racial violence.

The Oklahoma section of the NAACP has also been very influential in African American society. Most of the influence came through the American legal system, and the winning of cases based on civil rights. One case was Allen v. Oklahoma City (1935), in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Oklahoma's attempt to create what was called a "segregation zone" in the city.

My feelings after listening to the two speakers are mixed and filled with emotion. On the one hand, I am extremely proud of all the accomplishments of the African American people. To have such tremendous opposition from a majority of the people in the United States, and still come together to form organizations in the pursuit of equality is amazing. But on the other hand, I am ashamed that my ethnic group was responsible for all the suffering and racial injustice. I will never forget the first time I heard about the Emmitt Till case. Emmitt Till was an African American boy probably fifteen years old, and while walking into a store he said, "Hey baby!" to a Caucasian girl. Now Emmitt was from the north and at this time in the fifties, it might have been acceptable to greet white women, but in Mississippi where Emmitt was visiting it most defiantly was not. Emmitt was lynched and killed that same afternoon, the police found his body in the river, beaten beyond recognition and tied to a cotton wheel. The men that had committed the crime went to trial and of course like many other cases in the south, were found innocent. This incident has always hurt my heart and it shows the true nature of southern hatred towards African Americans.

African American Presence

The African American culture has had a huge impact on mainstream American Society, and their culture’s presence in this nation is a key factor to this nation’s success. To think that just fifty years ago our President, John F. Kennedy was making civil rights speeches on television, and now our first black President, Barack H. Obama was just sworn in on national television on Jan. 20, 2009. The impact of the African American culture is very inspirational when you look at all the accomplishments of African American prominent figures throughout history. Most of them were associated in one form or fashion with civil rights, and JFK makes a quote from a speech during the civil rights movement, and the video as seen on youtube at, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWX_pjyIq-g, the quote states, “In this nation, for all its hopes, will not be fully free until all of its citizens are free” (John F. Kennedy).
I believe that due to all of the social changes that occurred in the last fifty years, is the proof that the Constitution of America is true and all humans are created equal under the eyes of God, and now that Barack was sworn in this nation can finally take another step toward feeling fully free. This is why I want to enroll in African American Studies, because I think it is necessary for every student to learn about the important culture that helped shaped America, and still has a major influence on mainstream society.
One of the most prominent historical African American figures was Mohamed Ali. His most famous quote was, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” He would have to be my favorite historical figure because of all the things he did for Civil rights as well as his boxing accomplishments. His picture can be seen at http://bacdr78.free.fr/Mohammed%20ali%202.jpg.