Smoking Guns, Incest, Precious and the Black Community

When I heard this song, "Smoking Gun" by Jada Kiss featuring Jazzmine Sullivan, I loved the sound of the collaboration, but when I listened to the lyrics today, I have been bumping this non-stop.



The song is about love and how to love someone who is deeply scarred after childhood trauma.

It is very, very rare for a mainstream artist, and an R&B artist who is trying hard to put her foot in the "mainstream" genre to make a song that is Bold and Courageous. I totally applaud this work. In the age where a hip-hop song on the radio usually talks about the top three categories of drugs, sex, money, and senseless violence, we have a little fresh air.

This song explores how a black couple deals with one of them being a survivor of incest. In "Smoking Gun" Jada Kiss works through how he can protect and love a woman who has been sexually and emotionally abused by her step-father and the act condoned by her mother.

Jada ensures the young lady that if anyone ever touches her again, he would surely put them thangs on'em.

Now, some people would say, Oh Ecosoul, you are promoting violence and this is such a wrong message. The proper thing is to call the authorities and let them handle it.

Oh hell naw.

If this ever happened to me or mine, before the police car tire tracks head out to my house, I got a personal authority called Smith, last named Wesson, middle name Roscoe who handles and settles sick sh*t like this. Self-defense.

And, if black men would openly check other black men in their treatment of women, all females, and even those who are not physically capable to defend themselves like boys, then the caliber of black men and black manhood would be collectively elevated.

My father once requested that I pass along this message to the man in my life. He said, "Tell'em if he messes with you, I got a one way ticket for him...to God."

Now, this is a perfect example of brothers holding up other brothers to a caliber of manhood that is needed in our communities.

It is about time a song like "Smoking Gun" came out because black women are some of the most vulnerable species in the US, especially in the areas of abuse, and in particular, incest.

Incest in the black community is hardly addressed openly or in the home; therefore, there are millions of black men and women walking around with wide open, unhealed wounds.

"Smoking Gun" inspired me to check on the movie, Precious, that deals with abuse in a black home. Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, this movie stars Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey.

I don't know how closely the book follows the movie, but the book is about a teen mother who is in a forced sexually relationship with her father (or stepfather) and produces two children that are special needs. Her mother knows about the abuse, but abuses the daughter as well. The book was so grotesque and explicit I had to put it down quite a few times, but it is a needed read.

I found the trailer to Precious so you can check it out. This is a go-see for the subject alone, but reports have said that it absolutely blew Sundance Film Fest out of the water.

Click the movie's still photo of Mo'Nique (or click onto her name here) to check out the trailer. Blog on, EcoSci.

The Ugly Secret Under a Weave

Never in the history of black hair care have so many women taken hair growth pills, squirted on drops of solution, or poured on jars of gourmet mayonnaise to promote hair growth. The epic proportions of the state of black women's hair health is similar to what is described in Madame CJ Walker's biography by Tananarive Due titled, The Black Rose (a definite read).

During slavery, black women were removed of their indigenous hair maintenance regimens and the herbs and natural products that were used for their various hairstyles. While in enslavement, black women had to adopt quick and often unhealthy hair care techniques. Many wore pieces of cloth over their heads with small plaits or cornrows underneath. Some wore short hair, while others just did not care for much of it at all.

After centuries of not being able to properly take care of their hair black women’s hair culture became de-cultured. Black women used axle grease and lard to moisturize their hair. And some tried the new fad of a "heated fork" to straighten their hair, but it always resulted in bad breakage. CJ Walker, who was a washer woman had severe scalp itches such as bald patches, and what can possibly seen as eczema that often led her to scratch her head until it bled.

(Madame CJ Walker Advertisement of her hair care system)

Though CJ Walker, the first American woman millionaire and black millionaire, created an empire by developing a healthier hair care system (not the hot comb since it already existed), the hair care industry today in no way reflects her intentions. An old proverb would say, “She would be turning in her grave” if she saw the amount of damage of black women’s hair. And this is not just in the United States. Walker travelled throughout the Caribbean and Central America, training sales agents and hair stylists to sale and use her products.

Some years back, I spoke to a couple who were in the process of writing a book on hair that I guess they never published because I did not see it. The husband, whose name I cannot think of, told me that black women’s hair a century ago, was 6 inches longer than today! That’s hella shrinkage.

A while ago I blogged about synthetic hair and wanted to follow up with some of the ugly secrets that women who have them will never tell their friends, in particular, their boyfriends; and in the case of black women, especially, their non-black intimate partners, the headache, heartache, and expense of wearing synthetic hair for too long and/or too tight.

(Naomi Campbell's hairline is gone, a case of too much pulling of the hair from the roots due to glue-in weaves over the natural hairline, and probably sew-in weaves. )

The focus of this blog are weaves. I will talk about the predecssor of weaves, which are wigs, on another day.

From what I've researched (and know personally) it does not matter if you have a $5,000 weave/wig or a $5o piece, it is a damaging process in the long run.

I have heard people criticize those who wear locks with an oft quoted saying, "You just didn't want to comb your hair." Ha! Anyone who has locks and is conscious about maintaining them, knows that it is the most intensive hair choice and a spiritual experience that does not compare to any other hairstyle. I applaud the network of sister-lockers who understand the locks is a lifestyle the involves a reawakening and a community of support.

Anywho, let us get down to the weaves and wigs.

The more obvious effects of weaves/wigs is the stunting of hair growth, and in many cases the loss of hair due to the suffocation of the scalp. What makes the situation worse with a weave/wig is the scalp is not only smothered for long periods of time, but it is also slathered in synthetic products such as glue, dye, hair spray, cream, wax, gel, mousse, and all the other hair products that are used for "maintenance".

(Rihanna's short crop cannot hide the fact that her hairline has suffered from prolong usage of weaves.)

In actuality, while the synthetic hair is being "maintained" the real hair is dying a quick death.

To add injury to choking roots, many women get "addicted" to the way they look with long "luxurious" manes, and go for months, and sometimes years without giving their scalp and hair a break so it can breathe. This addiction eventually turns into a necessity because their hair is left in chunks of hair breakage, receding hairline, and in many cases, bald patches that seem irreversible.

Another issue is the pull that weaves do once applied to real hair. Be it a glue in or a sew-in, there is an element of a constant pull that gradually thins the hair. Similar to braids that are cornrowed too tight, weaves and wigs that pull on the hairline and the scalp damage the roots and thin the hair. And if you have a sew -in weave in which the cornrows underneath are extremely tight, followed by the pull of the thread of the weave, your hair will recede faster.

(Lala Vasquez's bold side-shave shows visible baldness from weaves.)

Lastly, women who process their hair then apply weaves increase the chances of loss exponentially than those who have natural hair underneath.

To give you an idea of the damage of weaves, I selected some "notables" in this blog to show you that the price of a weave does not matter.

As you can see, over time, if worn too long, weaves cause your real hair, a tragic death.

Please note: This is just a quick entry on weaves and not an in-depth article. There is much that I was not able to fit in this blog, but I encourage everyone else to do their research and find their own facts to add to the pot.

***Added footage! Our white brother in the struggle, Aron, did a documentary on synthetic hair. He focuses on the African-American hair, but this is a worldwide business of black hair. This is very informative. Please, check it out!***

Wooosaaaahhhhhhhhhh and Breathe

(the Global Goddess aka Travel Diva searches for bargains at the Hollywood Farmer's Market)

Every now and again, you gotta unwind and let go. In the midst of all your battles, a simple pampering is needed for women and men. I indulge in baths, butters, scrubs, and anything I can make or get my hands on.

Tip and big hint for the brothers. A well kept and freshly scented body goes a long way. I only like onions and garlic smells in my food and not in the pits of someone I'm snuggling. Hey, my father was a truck driver for over 30 years, and he stays fresh, even in his overalls.

I am posting a quick snippet of a travel writer who I adore and is doing her thing. Her name is Global Goddes and she has a blog called Travel Divas Destinations. We are damn near twins in spirit, in looks, and locks! We met in LA and have been inseparable; However, her pen is a little softer and savvier than mine...well, some days.

Here is a video of her interviewing, Sabrina Burrell of Face Your Body in Los Angeles. She loves her stuff and I do to! If you are ever at the farmer's market on Sunset and Ivar, YOU MUST check her out. She sells out of her body butters almost every Sunday. She is reasonable, her product is good, and she is very knowledgable in all things natural for the body. She is so good Whole Foods got her on speed dial to do presentations and road shows.

Someone needs to give Sabrina a show. Like NOW.

Please suck her D*@!

In era of post-race (bwa-ha-ha), we still have the looming prejudices around sexuality, in particular, a post-Victorian, Puritanical society that judges women and men by skewed conceptions called femininity and masculinity.

Currently, South-African teenager and recent track gold metalist, Caster Semenya, is under a gender test to see if she really is "female". Sports officials expressed "concern" due to her muscular build, deep voice, and reports of vastly improving in her running times.

Out of all the things, the accusation is that the "chick has a dick".

There are several issues that I see.

One, from a European perspective, black women's femininity and body aesthetics has been historically linked to animalistic, primitive, and "masculine" traits.

Two, the fallacy that women cannot achieve physical feats as men.

Three, the idea of physical charateristics of "masculine" and "feminine". Also, the whole idea of "masculine" being a "man's thing" and the same for feminine. To me, this is what has a lot of folk messed up. Just because a female has a deep voice, does not situate her as a "man" or trying to be a "man," but it still can be considered a masculine trait.

What do I mean? In America, there have been these strict boxes of what a man should do and what is masculine. As well as women. The whole term "gender" is socially constructed, meaning that someone placed parameters, behaviors, and perspectives on what a gender is and how one fits into it. Therefore, anything outside of that is an outcast, an abnormality.

So if a guy who looks like Ving Rhames is seen with a hot pink apron, cooking dinner for a group of men, then he is termed as a gay male, automatically. But what is wrong with pink on chocolate skin, and a man with culinary skills who cooks for his brothers?

Just a rant, but a valid one. ecoSi blog on...

She cute...to be that black! Candid Words on Color Wars in Black Communities

I have ample respect to Tameka Foster Raymond, wife of R&B singer Usher for writing a candid essay on her difficulties of dealing with colorism in the African-American community.

For those of you who do not understand the term "colorism," it is a practice and worldview based on the bias of color tones. As a result of whiteness and the European aesthetic being propogated as the standard of beauty, many cultures and peoples perpetuate generations of bodily and psychological damage of attempting to obtain these phenotypes as much as possible.

In particular, European features such as pale skin, blond hair, blue or light-colored eyes, and a-line, slender facial and body features are preferred. In the African-American community and really in America, there is a social phenomena in which favortism in many different designs, is expressed by those who have these features.

It is exhibited most blatantly in film, television, videos, and all forms of media. Mrs. Foster-Raymond’s essay talks about her sordid experiences with this issue in the following writing…

I am a dark-skinned African American woman with features that reflect my ancestry. Debates regarding Light vs. Dark and other biases have plagued our race for years and continues to impact millions of Black women. The deeply rooted intra-racial contempt that lies beneath this inane "compliment" is the reason I've chosen to spark dialogue surrounding the topic of self-hatred in our culture. It saturates every aspect of our lives, dominating the perspectives of our generation as a whole. We culturally are so influential, at times inadvertently, that we affect all with the words we utter and the images we portray. It lends to the theory of systemic racism. I'm authoring this piece because I'm miffed by this reality and would like to share my views on these subjects.

It is a fact that many African-Americans are often mixed with an array of other ethnicities (as am I), which allows for the spectrum of our features to be as distinctive and special as we are diverse. Why is it felt that the more diluted our traditionally African features become the more aesthetically acceptable we are considered? It was said in the 1960s and the sentiment seems to be forgotten, "Black is Beautiful." Wow, nearly 50 years later and is that now only meant for a specific shade? Nonetheless, I believe the beauty of our people and splendor of every individual is reflected in our varying features and hues.

Click here for more of Tameka's thoughts

I absolutely love this poem....

Black and Latino: The Unspoken Tale of Race Wars in California

One early morning in 1999, I got a message on my pager from someone who was a relative Chris Darden, the once famous member of the prosecution team in the OJ Simpson case of the mid 90s. I was told that his nephew was found unconsciousness in a dormitory cell in Pritchess Detention Center. The locals still called the prison by its former name, Wayside.

I was also told that there had been violent race riots between the Latinos and blacks for several days and the blacks, who were outnumbered by 15 to 1, were getting shanked, beaten unconscious, raped, and literally fighting for their lives, as the guards looked on. These riots would go on for months.

That call sparked about a two-month long string of stories regarding the race riots. I found out that the mostly Latino prison guards were supplying shanks and other weapons to Latino inmates in exchange for a piece of the drug money that the gangs profitted from outside of the prison walls.

There was also a program implemented a gang program called "Amer-I-Can" by former NFL hall-of-famer Jim Brown, to cease the racial rifts.

During my coverage of the riots, I spoke to dozens of black inmates and their relatives about what was going on. I began to hear that riots had already trickled down from the prisons to the county jails.

One story a relative of mine who went to jail told me that he was alerted by a fellow black inmate to get ready to rock and roll once they were in the holding tank. As soon as they were placed in the holding tank, fighting began.

In the end, we had learned that much of the reason was not race, but rather territory over drug selling and transporting. For years, the black gangs dominated in the sell of crack cocaine, but with the surge of Mexican immigrants and the flow of drugs through their home country, not only were Latinos of Southern California were more in numbers, but had a supply route that the now disorganized black gangs lost control of a long time ago.

What made the race riots racial, in my opinion, was the push by the Aaryan Brotherhood, the white supremacist group in the jails who sided with the Latino gangs. Their alliance and long-held agenda of ethnic cleansing prompted an all out war against all blacks who were locked up, be they gang affiliated or not, just like the Darden relative. Ironically, Aaryan's used a former enemy, Latinos to carry out what they could not do.

In California, the Mexican mafia forced an edict of an all-Latino alliance. And let me be clear, this is talking about Mexicans and Central Americans, not Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Columbians who have very different cultural and ethnic identifiers, especially because Boriquas, Cubanos and Columbians have significant African/black populations. However, there is discrimination in those places as well.

In all of my interviews, the prison inmates warned me over and over again, that the conflict would spill out into the streets. And it did.

For several summers there have been rumors of edicts of ethnic cleansings by Latino gang members to kill hundreds of black men during the summer. There are several communities in the harbor area of Los Angeles, where black folk, who are hard working, family-oriented people that are getting picked off by Latino gang members. In some communities, there are black residents that are scared to go outside in fear of getting killed.

In the high schools, years of race riots have changed the climates of many schools and student-teacher relationships.

I must emphasize in all of this, that this is not a one-sided issue of Latinos being the bully. For years, blacks and black gang members held contempt toward migrating Latinos whose numbers grew so rapidly that over half of the population resides in either California or Texas. This increase causes instantaneously conflict for those who are at the bottom.

In particular in the job and housing markets. Cheap Latino labor by mostly undocumented workers undercut the level of treatment for much of a black working class that was already struggling due to industries leaving cities like Compton and Watts. At the same time, slum lords rented out rundown houses and apartments to Latinos who were vulnerable to any type of abuse due to their undocumented status.

Many black people were extremely hostile to these streams of Latinos, but pointed their fingers in the wrong direction. The real culprit, Ronald Reagan, the former Governor of California and then President of the US who created a climate that allowed cheap, exploitable labor to flood into the state.

As a result, the antagony that some blacks projected onto Latinos created a clashing relationship between the two groups that have been passed onto other generations.

Another thing, many people don’t know about is the serious colorism and cultural war in Mexico itself. For years, majority of the immigrants were lighter-skinned or very fare Mexicans. However, within the last 15 years, the population has gotten darker. Those Mexicans in the rural south and in indigenous villages have started to migrate as well. These darker, and some, very dark or black skinned peoples are discriminated against in Mexico and are the subject to the worst forms of brutality. Moreso, some of these indigenous people don’t even speak Spanish, and often suffer under dominant Mexican ideology and culture.

Another thing I must add is that the conflict between Latinos and blacks is more prominent in Southern California than the north, but trust me it still exists. For much of Californias development, blacks and Latinos were inextricably linked to all civil rights causes. Communities were formed and alliances were forged. These have held tighter in the Bay Area, where activism such as the Black Panthers, the Brown Berets, and the Chicano Movement recognized the importance of unity.

Needless to say, the race war between Latinos and blacks is very complicated, but at the heart of the issue is that you have two of most powerful groups in the state of California bickering over crumbs, while both are being locked up disproportionately, and the communities are totally neglected and underserved.

Blog on EcoSi

My theme for the day...World is a Hustle by Lauryn Hill

So as I am here typing and pecking, I pull one of my favorite Lauryn Hill songs. It is an unreleased cut that I know would not make it on the mainstream because it is so true. The "World is a Hustle."

Sometimes when I board the train from work or school, I look at all the people coming from NYC, going to their respective abodes looking dead-beat tired. Somewhere the fire of their existence is blazing like mine. But for now, on that train, some of us, including me, is too tired to strike a match.

And I, am one of them. Grabbing my purse that probably has $10 or less, and falling into an instant slumber for a quick rest in the rat race.

This song is a dedication not for just America, but for those of the world with first world dreams and surviving with 4th world wages.

This one here is for the people who are working in a fog and tunnell, trying to find purpose and reconcile with their flaws and disappointments.

This one is for those who want to get out, but are scared to.

And this one is for me. I feel it in my bones and I know that there is something much so bigger than the facade that we are presented.

BEWARE! Armed and Dangerous, so says the Whitehall Police Force

(It seems like grandmothers are being profiled by the police these days. This photo is not related to the story, but gives you an idea of what two cops in Columbus, Ohio see as threatening)

I really do hope citizens begin to use the new age of surveillance to check and observe the disgusting actions of police enforcement across the world. Now you will not see this on CNN or MSNBC, or BBC, but you need to see this and know that the new face of American criminals are elderly people of color.

It seems like members of the Columbus, Ohio police force of Whitehall fear 84-year-old black grandmothers shopping at Walmart. In a youtube video posted on August 2, 2009, a white female police officer slams an elder to the ground after asking her for a small pocket knife (that later said) she was holding. As you can see, the older woman seems somewhat disoriented when the younger punk piglet bit*h takes unneccesary force that causes head trauma as the elder is bleeding from the head. The elderly woman's daughter runs to her mother's aide and is subdued by the police, and possibly arrested.

Now listen to the street reporter's (Stan Brown) blow-by-blow account of the event then leaves when the police get too thick. At the end, he exchanges a conversation with an idiot who justifies the polices use of force. Of course it was later validated in a news report.

If you noticed in the video as well, when the police come by the carloads, this is typical protocol for when the police force expect a riot to occur and are scared the ones at the scene will get beat up for doing stupid shit.

Later reports said that the elderly woman found a steak knife in the car as she was sitting and waiting for her daughter and cut herself free from the seat belt, got out and was looking for her child.

Is this the first incident of black elderly women getting slammed by pussy-ass cops? If you don't know about an Atlanta case in November 2006, where undercover cops shot a 92-year-old black woman multiple times and kill her. Kathryn Johnston did not have a chance to explain that he stupid f*ckers were at the wrong house as they raided in the wee hours of the morning. To make the story more disgusting, the shooters, oops, I mean officers, lie to investigators saying that she exchanged fire with them, only for recant their story and admit that the cops that were shot were shot by their own officers. (above photo is of Kathyrn Johnston)

If ignorant ass, war-stupored people are trained in Gestapo-like tactics in the US, Obama's mother-in-law better watch out if she is carrying a bobby-pin.

But now that I think about, Ida B. Wells-Barnet was on the FBI's list of most dangerous blacks to watch for her fierce anti-lynching campaigns. I can't put anything past some of these people.

If the Whitehall police officer came across this sister below, she would be pissing in her pants.

(Who is this woman? This is "Stagecoach" Mary Fields, the first African-American woman to carry mail for the United States Postal Services. She was revered for her excellent work ethic and her stellar record of never losing any pieces of mail and protecting her cargo. At 6 foot, 200 pounds, she smoked her pipes and cigars, and took no shit. She always carried her revolvers and rifles and became employed by the US postal service at 60 years old. Her area was some of the toughest terrain, the midwest, specifically, Montana. She lived ironically, not far from Columbus, Oh, in Toledo in the early 20th Century after she was emancipated from slavery then she trekked to Montana.

Coon Reality TV Roll Call

Since reality television hit the airwaves there has been a formula that all shows follow from the days of MTV’s “The Real World.” The recipe is that the producers select and place people on the show they know will clash. In the United States, most of the social conflict revolves around race and sexuality.

If you have ever seen “The Real World,” there will always be an ignorant white person from the country, or a suburban white who has never been around anybody, but white folk. Then you have the savvy white liberal from a city that is so culturally diverse to represent the “real” America. Also, there is a sexually confused person and a gay or lesbian soul that usually acts out-of-the-box and ends up in a confrontation with an ultra-Right wing Christian from Texas. Finally, you have the urban, angry black man, and the ghetto fabulous chick that often clashes with white rural housemate. In the end, usually the white liberal saves the day and they all walk away singing “We Shall Overcome.”

In recent years, cable television stations such as VH1 saw the profits of using a controversial black person, or a mostly black cast that totally acts like the most ignorant set of coons you’d ever met. Before the ultimate black set-back, “Flavor of Love,” came on, VH1’s reality shows were experiencing low ratings, but the former rapper turned TV phenomenon, Flavor Flav, took advantage of the short-lived fame of displaying some of the most historically negative stereotypical black behavior across the world.

Flavor Flav opened up the floodgates of a downpour of ig’nant black reality TV shows. There is only one show that attempts to capture a “normal” black family and that is “Run’s House” a series around the family of former hip-hop pioneer “Run” of Run DMC.

Now of course the normalcy that is supposedly depicted is quite interesting, especially when you have a family living in one of the richest counties in New Jersey and flipping their family enterprises into a slew of businesses (ie Pastry shoes and Brown Sugar Jewelry) due to daddy’s and his brother’s (Russell Simmons) long list of industry connections.

But with that said, I see folk eating this show up, especially black youth who marvel at how Rev. Run gives his children whatever their hearts desire and has this calm and level-headed approach toward discipline—even after his oldest son was busted for buying marijuana. It is like the “Cosby Show” with a hip-hop twist. Can I throw up? However, in France the show is titled something like “Ghetto Pastor”.

But you and I know, in most houses, that would not be the case. Not only would JoJo have gotten a beat-down by his mother and father, but he would’ve been shamed by being dragged to testify in front of Rev. Run’s church. Oh, but you know what? I don’t think Run has a church at all.

In spite of “Run’s House,” today there is a list of reality TV shows or RTV characters that put the late 19th Century and early 20th Century Black Face minstrel shows and Stepin’ Fetchit performers to shame.

American TV is doing the same thing that the music industry did to mainstream, black hip-hop artists. It monopolizes the genre and creates a caricature of black folk that has the rest of the world thinking that all African-Americans, especially those of the urban areas, think, act, and behave the same trifling way. Oh, except for Barack Obama, and my best buddy, Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Another issue I have with RTV, and this is for all people that participate, the participants are recycled like Hollywood celebs recycle old puss and nuts, swapping the same spit and herpes with each other.

This proves my theory that Hollywood finds a pool of “actors” to exploit, uses them up then throws them away. They are usually the cheap former porn stars that would do anything to get in front of the camera, agree to any contract term, and are paid peanuts to display buffoonery.

Anyway, I’ve put together my Top 10 List of Coon Black Reality TV that kills black media representation anyway you see it. And if you look, these shows are all owned by the same network, Viacom, a media multi-mega-corporation that owns MTV, VH1, BET, and a host of other media outlets.

10. College Hill
This show is taped by the now white owned (Viacom), Black Entertainment Television who has had a notorious history for choosing programming that dumbs-down black viewers and black TV representation. Since the founder and former CEO, Robert Johnson (who I might add is from Mississippi) arrogantly told a group of black journalists that BET would stay good and ignorant it has been consistent. Well, he quite did not put it that way, but about 10 years back he responded to a group of black journalists who were questioning about the quality of BET’s shows that he consciously eliminated shows that made one think for shit like “BET Uncut” because it was an entertainment channel.

Anyway, this RTV show follows the day-to-day lives of black college students who attend historically black universities. It is similar to the “Real World,” but with a supposedly African-American angle. Between the smack downs and failed relationships that usually depict a young black woman who is twisted her neck and a bi-curious Atlanta male acting about as straight as RuPaul not in drag they all speak, they never show them in class. This show puts “Different World” on its back and encourages enrollment drops at HBCUs. I heard from somewhere, one of the participants was selling body oils on a NY subway. So sad.

9. Terrell Owens Show
This show is based on former NFLer (who I personally think is trying to get back into the league) living life after a “high-profile” professional athletic career. The cover of the advertisements in the U.S. has Terrell Owens, aka T.O, photographed nude in a pose made famous by “The Thinker” statue by Auguste Rodin. Ironically, he does anything but think, he says the stupidest shit, plus he has two African-American females that supplement the dumb comments. His agent and publicist (Monique and Kita) are the head bobbling, neck-snapping divas who must school Terrell Owens on black womanhood since exclusively dates white women.
I looked at this dud-for-a-show for about 3 minutes and laughed when one of ladies were telling them about a black woman’s hair. Now, you’ve seen Terrell’s complexion, uhm, he came straight from a black woman and man, so he knows about a black woman. And he’s from Alabama or Arkansas, so not only does he know a black woman. This “I’m not familiar with black women” is so Charles Barkley. Between T.O.’s crazy antics for an audience and stupid comments, this is such a waste of precious airtime. Of course this is on none other than, VH1.

8. Tiny and Toya The levees done came and washed away the sense of Toya, and her "best friend," Tiny, who got jacked up by plastic surgery. I hope someone told her she looks like a deformed creature.

This show centers former R&B group singer, Tameka “Tiny” Coddles and the teen ex-wife of Lil Wayne, Antonia “Toya” Carter who might I say got pregnant at 12-years-old. These two women try to find their sense of purpose (I guess this is the plot) as they maneuver through life facing challenges.

“Tiny” whose plastic surgery makes her look like a mutated pig-dog mixture (check out her lips, they look like a character from that old puppet show “The PJs”), is trying to get her umpf back once her baby-daddy, rapper T.I.P goes to jail for a year on gun charges. And “Toya” a pre-teen mother, who never had a childhood, is still trying to cope with her failed marriage to rapper Lil’ Wayne (Wayne Carter) as she chases her drug-addicted mother back-and-forth from New Orleans and Atlanta.

I have so much to say about these two that I know others can say more eloquently, but let me just ask you guys out there in virtual world, WTF do these chicks do? When I see these women, I just shake my head and say, “My sisters, my sisters.” Oh yes, this is a BET show.

7. Charm School 1
This show of a mostly black cast was designed to take the most uncouth characters from “Flavor of Love 1” and turn them into cultured and respectable women. NOT. I’m not gonna lie, I saw it from beginning to end, and I was really pushing for the winner, Saaphyri who is currently serving a sentence of fraud and lying about her identity.

6. Real Chance at Love
Losers and down-low gentlemen, Chance and Real were once dueling brothers who were contenders in the “I Love New York” show but did not get picked. Now they are seeking their true love with strippers, porn stars, broke down video chicks and low-budget escorts.

5. Real Housewives of Atlanta, 1 & 2
Now this show I have a true beef. How the hell you supposedly are featuring a show of wealthy, married women who have nothing to do all day, but spend their husbands money, but half of them are married? Plus, I do not think one of them, "NeNe" is in a fake marriage.

This show perpetuates the gold-digger caricature and the lonely and undesirable black woman. On top of that, you never see as much back-biting between black women that is really perpetuates the myth that black women do not have healthy and genuine sisterhood. Plus, what’s up with many of the men in here being eyeball rolling queens. It stereotypes gay, black males horribly as well.

4. Frankie and Neffe Show
A spinoff of the “Keisha Cole” show, Frankie and Neffe are trying to live their lives without being supported by are their daughter/ sister, R&B singer Keisha Cole. Damn, they sure do make Oakland look bad. First of all, Frankie is still an addict, and Neffe keep having baby-daddies and cursing out everyone, this is the shit that pulls my hair out. People, we are all not like that. Trust me when I say that. Well, it has been reported that Keisha Cole has become so embarrassed by the previous RTV show, that she refused to do another season, and “Frankie and Neffe” in need a paycheck to support their hood Atlanta status are getting it in, in front of the camera. BET does it again.

3. The Keisha Cole Show 1 & 2
OMG, when I saw this show I was almost in tears. From Keisha Cole trying to figure out who her father is, to her sister Neffe cursing out her ex-husband and baby-daddy, to Frankie acting like the crack-head character in Mo’ Betta Blues, this show is a black American tragedy from beginning to end. Oh yeah, this is a BET classic.

2. I Love New York 1 & 2
What can I say? I am still not convinced that Tiffany “New York” Pollard is from New York, nor do I believe she is biologically a female. This show was about a woman who was turned down in a previous dating competition by the eligible bachelor “Flavor” of rap group Public Enemy. Her outta control behavior and drama-filled, ghetto-fabulous ways won her a show that got the highest ratings for any premier show on VH1. By the second season, I was vomiting in my mouth.

1. Flavor of Love 1, 2. 3
This show re-introduced the world to Black Face at its best, along with the 2¢ pole dancers and white trailor trash who all got better boob jobs from their paychecks. VH1’s gold mine.

Honorable Mentions: Harlem Heights, Baldwin Hills, For the Love of Ray J---yuck, yuck, and more yuck.

We got the bible, now they got our land: The African land grab continues

On my way to rural Yoruba land in 2001, I stood as the only black person in the line designated for foreigners. Everyone else was a white male, and the line had about 300 people. My jaw dropped because when I told people in the US, even Nigerians, where I was going, they looked at me as if I just smoked crack. Some declared that no one visited Nigeria and asked me why the hell did I want to go.

Though they were not satisfied with my answer, and frankly I didn't care, I challenged them on the first part of their declaration about people not travelling to the most populous African nation. People did come to Nigeria, and I found out while there, the people that came were mostly foreigners with plots (and in cahoots with some Nigerians) to pilfer the natural resources of an already neglected country. Sounds familiar my Caribbean and South American people.

The blood that runs thick in Nigeria is oil. It oozes through the Delta Region that has been in turmoil since multinational companies like Shell, Chevron, British Petroleum, and Mobile swooped in and took control of the oil reserves after the Nigerian oil boom that ended in the late 60s, early 70s.

Now, reports show that the next land grab is farmland in Africa. How ironic is that. A place that has been depicted by Western media as a continent of skinny, big-bellied, bulging eyed, dirty and naked babies running around with flies contentedly dancing at their mouths, is selling farmland!

Now of course there are people still scratching their heads in bewilderment when they find out that there are contemporary cities and 21st century things like the Internet in Africa, let alone there is any interest for people to buy land they thought was sterile.

What many don't know is the thriving plantation system in Africa that continues as a result of colonialism in the 17th century. The neo-colonialism is covered up by bullshit missionaries and fake fair trade claims.

As people lather themselves with the new emolient of shea butter or eat Godiva chocolates they don't know that these products are harvested in an inequitable trade agreement with Western powers.

When I was in Africa, I had a great contact working in a pan-African organization called NEPAD or the New Partnership for Africa's Development. This institution was designed to promote better trade between Africa and major trading partners in US, Europe, and some Asian countries. She told me that most of the goals were not accomplished because of the political BS, the sexism, the intra-black conflict, and the tribalism.

From what I was told, greedy people in key places would let their grandmothers pick up the shit in villages and towns with no sewage systems, for a couple of bucks to prevent development so foreign investors in collaboration with local leeches could profit on the misery and disempowerment of Africans. As result, countries are giving up prime property that leads to natives building cities they will never occupy. Hmm, kind of like, gentrification.

It is also very interesting that the world was blasting Mugabe of Zimbabwe, but many did not know that Zimbabwe supplies most of Africa with produce. How coincidental is that? It is not. Now am I agreeing with Mugabe. I never care for anyone who engages in abuses of power, but I cannot demonize him any further than leaders of the West who justify invasions and bombs, or look the other way at Sudanese atrocities to maintain certain advantages.

You know there is a saying in Africa that Dead Prez often says, "First, we had the land and they had the bible, now we have the bible and they have the land." That is so very true.

thanks Ayankha for the lead

PS. Just a fact, over half of ALL products made in the WORLD have something from AFRICA in it.

New Orleans Culture 101: Dialect and Food

(top photo: pralines like my mama be making, oh yeah and Ayankha's recipe)

I am the daughter of a Louisiana woman, and grew up with much of the culture. Growing up in Los Angeles, I was ridiculed because of my mother's accent and the fact that we could not cut our hair, or sometimes wore tigons (colorful headscarves) to cover our heads; but now, everyone is intrigued. Funny how times change, but I am glad that they did.

Louisiana is very culturally distinct (just like all areas of the country), and is known mostly for it being the trading hub of the United States for many years. New Orleans being at the opening of the Mississippi river, hosted many peoples and nations. As a result, good music, good food, and other rich aspects of a profound cultural milieu resulted.

Though many people trek to NOLA during the Essence Festival, there are so many other things that happen during the year that one might consider attending when hotels are not that expensive and when it is not a sweltering 100 degree weather.

Great times to visit are in the Fall and during Christmas holiday. It does not get cold until January/February, so the time there is perfect for you not only to explore New Orleans, but the surrounding parishes that are as rich in culture.

For those of you who are stuck on NO, let me give you some New Orleans 101 lessons. Three of the most profound cultural wonderments that visitors adore about NO is the food, music, and the dialect. Since I am not too keen on the music, I will write about the dialect and food to give you some understanding of its complexities.

Now, for those of you who watch reality television and are fans of "Tiny and Toya" show, the speech from Toya is a representation of New Orleans speech structure, but it is only a small sample of the dialogue. Personally, I think she and Tiny, who hails from Atlanta (a place I have lived), just put too much extras on their accents for TV drama emphasis.

Anyway, that's my bone to pick. However, today's tips are is mostly on food, but there are some language tidbits that might be helpful. Oh yeah, and for all the people who come from cities where they look at you funny if you say "Hello" please note that, that greeting someone is a social staple in New Orleans, so be nice...for once.

Dialect Lesson
#1. "Hey Baby" (pronounced BayB): A usual greeting that is a term of endearment.

#2. How ya doin' Chez (pronounced Sheah): This is an old, school term of endearment that many use who live in smaller towns outside of Louisiana, but it is still used.

#3. Lagniappe (pronounced LAEN-yap): This means "something extra," that usually pertains to an extra helping of something like food, liquor, or an extra item when purchasing. You will often get lagniappe in a restaurant or a gracious vendor.

#4. The Causeway (KAWZ-wey): Refers in particular to the bridge running from Metairie to Mandeville across Lake Pontchartrain. This was actually the longest bridge in the world up until a few years ago, at 24 miles.

#5. Canjun (Cay-juhn): Refers to French whites who were foreced to relocate from Nova Scotia and Acadia Canada back in the day by the British and resettled in Southwestern Louisiana. NOTE: Black people are NOT Cajun, they are CREOLE (look at next definition).

#6. Creole (Kree-ole): This term started out as the racial, ethnic, and cultural mixture that occured first when French and Spanish and other European ethnicities would mix in New Orleans. This term became the mainstay description for Africans were brought to the Louisiana region as enslaved Africans and intermingled with the other populations (most by force, some by consensus). The mixture is mostly African, French, Spanish, Italian (some Irish) and Native American racial and culture mixes, though there is also West Indian. Mind you, there were black Frenchmen and Spaniards in the 1700s, so a Creole with a French/Spanish mix most likely had an African bloodline.

Anyway, this culture melange was a survival strategy which helped Africans retain their homeland identity in the New World. As well, in the rural and smaller towns of Louisiana, Creole was a demarcation from who was black and who was white (Cajun). As time went one, the political term of Creole meant very-fair or light-bright, near white colored communities who deemed themselves "not black," but something different and better. This was especially emphasized in New Orleans.

Foods
Southern Louisiana food is a saucy, spicy, and flavorful experience; but let me note, everyone down there does not know how to cook. I gotta warn you, there are a lot of nasty perpetrators, so I suggest you go to the New Orleans Visitors Bureau African-American Guide to start your venture. Let me stress, the key word is "start" because there is so much to do, you gotta ask and you gotta look.

Gumbo: The soup or stew of all soups. It comes in different flavors and colors. Gumbo can be meat heavy, all seafood, or a combination of meat, pork and seafood. In New Orleans the emphasis is seafood since they sit right on the Gulf of Mexico. The seafood that is put in there is usually crustacean like crawfish, shrimp, crab. If you have food specifities or allergic ask in detail what the ingredients are, because baby, they will leave out some things. Sometimes it is because what you consider as being in there they don't. For example, I only eat seafood and when I asked someone about the ingredients they said it was all seafood with no other meat, but did not tell me they put a sausage in there to give it flavor. As well, the color of gumbo ranges from dark brown, to various shades of red, to light brown. It all depends on the roux, or base that is put in there. The brown colors are from the cooking of the roux (flour, oil, onions & garlic)to a deep or almost black color. Red is a result of tomatoes.

Jambalaya: This dish is like a gumbo, but dry. It is mixed in a large pot with sausage, fish, celery, bell peppers and other goods. What makes it dry is that it is cooked like the Cuban dish paella, with the rice. However, do not get it twisted, Jambalaya has its own swagger.

Crawfish Boil: Crawfish is the main local seafood. It looks like a large shrimp or prawn, but has a very dank taste. Traditionally, in group gathering crawfish is boiled in a large cast iron pot with seasoning and corn-on-the cob. You put your helpings on a paper bag and go to work. Crawfish is also good in etouffe.

Etouffe (Crawfish or Shrimp): This scrumptious sauce is made with butter, celery, and usually crawfish, shrimp, crab, and/or chicken. It is a spicy mixture that is put over rice. It is either a light/dark brown or red color.

Boudin: When I ate pork, I could not stay away from this delicious sausage. This is local delicacy that is made with pork, ground beef, rice, onions, garlic and a host of seasonings. Boudin is boiled or grilled. You can get it at the local bakery, but it is also served in the local sandwich called, Po'Boys.

Po'Boys: A gutbusting sandwich that puts Subways out of business. It is a long flatbread that is cut in half, then stuffed with your favorite meats such as sausage, shrimp, crawfish, and then topped with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, special creole sauces, mayo, you name it.

Red Beans & Rice: OMG, this is a poor family's staple that has turned into a great gourmet cuisine on a cold, lonely night. Mixed with local spices, this dish usually has sausage. Think of Popeye's beans and rice, but knocked outta de park.

Fried Alligator Tail: The thought of eating alligator scares the hell outta people. But don't trip, you are not entering into a "Bizarre Foods" episode. If seasoned well, it tastes like a more tender version of chicken.



Beignet: My grandma would make these fried donuts when we would visit her in Lafayette. These donuts are sweet dough that are fried then sprinkled with powdered sugar. Most eat with coffee or hot chocolate.

Snoballs: It gets hot as Hades in NOLA, so a snow cone with diabetic sweet flavors is a great way to cool off.

Popcorn Balls: This is a local sleeper that many do not know about. It is popcorn that is meshed in a ball using the local molasses. Since Louisiana had many sugar cane plantations, molasses is a regular commodity.

Pecan Pie: If you can find the right person to flip a pecan pie and put a rum sauce over it, I swear you would be two steps from heaven.

Praline: This ain't the hard, nasty peanut stuff you get in other parts. This praline is cooked to perfection with condensed sweet milk and butter. It is usually soft to a medium-firm texture and is laced with Louisiana pecans. Oh, I miss my grandma's pecan tree.

Hurricane Drinks: For all the sassy drinkers, you cannot leave without this sweet, rum-inspired concoction that will get you drunk in about 10 minutes. The syrupy taste fools drinkers, but this mixed beverage packs a punch.

*This is something I submitted to another blogger that I wanted to share with y'all.