Cool Colin

Popular radio host turned talk show diva Wendy Williams often refers to her preferred celebrities as imaginary relatives. For the first time in my life I’m feeling this imaginary exercise. I hereby appoint Colin Powell as my imaginary Daddy. No disrespect to my real father. He was a wise intelligent, funny and thoughtful man, I couldn’t ask for a better father. Yet if I were able to have a pretend Daddy he would be a mixture of my father and Colin Powell. I’m choosing Mr. Powell because he embodies a man who is with fault and readily admits error but also takes the time to teach others and understand as well as explain his error. Of course I’m talking about his post as Secretary of State and his debacle with the UN and the now fictitious weapons of mass destruction. Any other politician’s career would have been over after this sham. Colin took some time off, regrouped, admitted his errors, taught us why and went on.

During the recent presidential election he supported President Obama although his own party was portraying the candidate as a terrorist and Colin as a traitor. He stood his principles and was able to convey his support for the candidate in a way that was eloquent and meaningful. Once again “Daddy Powell” made me realize how undetected or better yet how unpopular he’s perceived when it comes to black issues, all because we think he may not understand when the irony is Colin understands much more than we give him credit for.

Colin more than many of us have fought many battle grounds both abroad and domestically. Yet he carries a superb air of humanity, dignity and never once have I ever heard condescension. Recently he was asked by Larry King about the “racial” incident surrounding Henry Louis Gates. His remark was mesmerizing and just well dare I say touching. While all the black elite pundits roar about the injustice imposed on Skip; Colin so eloquently “put it down” and truly revealed the real heart of both Skip’s and the officer’s error. As they say in Hollywood, “Roll the tape”.

Colin Powell interview with Larry King

Skipping Through the Battle Gates

The term pick your battles usually is referenced to choosing your causes wisely rather than involving yourself in senseless issues whose maturation will only manifest into infantile results. In laments terms pick your issues wisely, not everything is a battle, sometimes it is what it is! Henry Louis Gates aka Skip Gates (btw – what black man you know is named Skip?, ok let me not digress on this one I could take this to a whole other level ). Personally I’m tired of all the Skip Gates media; one may think that I would be enthralled with all that’s going on, but actually I’m really upset but not for the reasons most would think.

According to Skip and most of the media this is a classic case of white man picking on black man and what makes it worst is this is not your average black man, oh no, it’s a Harvard law professor. On paper and with the quickness it seems like just another case of racist police brutality sprinkled with no matter how successful a black man is he can’t get a break. It’s get no better than this, except it’s not all THIS!!

This particular scenario differs greatly from your normal police brutality. As the story goes Skip Gates came home from a long trip and could not get into his home apparently there was something amiss with the door. He proceeded along with an assistant, man servant whoever it was to pry his door open using his body, not smart for a Harvard professor if you ask me…..I most likely would of called a locksmith or as some reports say the house was previously burglarized, at this point he probably could of called campus police; after-all he is Henry “Skip” Gates, I’m sure they would of came running. While watching this prying door act a concerned citizen exercised her American duty and called the police and reported what she saw as a robbery in progress. An officer responded to the call, however while en-route Skip was able to pry his door open and as well all know was in his residence. This is where it gets interesting. The police officer is under the impression that someone was burglarizing a residence, so when he gets there and see someone there it is rightly his duty to ask for identification to make sure that duh the robber didn’t get in. Skip on the other hand is upset, how dare someone ask him for his ID in his own home. OK, I can feel you on that, but when the officer explained about the door prying etc. Skip should of complied and said OK here it is. Instead Mr. Harvard went on a tangent and started yelling “Racial Profiling” I won’t go into the rest of the story because we all know by now what happened. Skip kept going on, the officer said calm down, Skip didn’t and was arrested. According to the officer it was about disorderly conduct according to Skip it was about racial profiling, hmmmmm…… I have issues with the coupled opinions of this story but I have say I am deeply troubled with Skip’s version.

Racial profiling where do I begin?? To my understanding racial profiling is when law enforcement unfairly targets minorities particularly blacks and hispanics. Perfect examples of racial profiling are:

- DWB (Driving While Black)
- Being followed by a security guard in a department, while your white counterpart is stealing Gucci scarves.
- Police brutality – can someone way Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo and the most famous of them all Rodney King.

I’m sure there are many more examples of profiling but for now these three above will have to do. Getting back to Skip, how in the hell is an officer asking you for ID in your home who he thought was being robbed is a case of racial profiling? As a collective of people who have fought for equality we have no room for anyone nevertheless a scholar like Gates to inappropriately define an action as racial profiling when it clearly was not! Gates and the media are trying to act as if he’s the poster child for racial profiling. Jena 6 now that was racial profiling. Gates that’s just an (and yes I’m going there) an uppity negro who looked at this officer and felt I’m Skip I know your boss and hell no you can’t ask nothing of me. Skip thought his Ivy League world-renowned hanging out with Oprah and the Obamas earned him untouchable status, basically he’s the HNIC. Unfortunately for Gates he learned the hard way that you can’t defy law enforcement. Despite what many of us think most law enforcement officials are here to protect and serve. They honor their badge and some have even given their life for citizens. Disorderly conduct means disrespecting an officer, there has never been room in America for this act, just look at what happens to cop killers. Some critics have suggested that the officer could of let Gates rant and just leave him alone. I question the critics with this, if this had been me or you yelling at an officer and he arrested us for disorderly conduct and disregarded Gates’s act would that have been discrimination, not in the black or white sense but of the elitist kind?? Like Arsenio use to say things that make you go hmmm……….

Sgt. Crowley in my opinion acted in the most appropriate manner. I can only say this from my experience of dealing with a similar situation in my home. Not to along my husband and I were at the local mall and received a call from our alarm company. We immediately went home and actually beat the cops there. The cops arrived shortly after and the first thing they asked us was for our ID. We never once felt threatened, discriminated or violated. It was their job to make sure our premises was secure. He didn’t know us from a hole in the wall and had every right in my home to make sure I was who I said I was. This is called securing the premises. There was nothing racial or unjust with this officer’s actions. And I’m assuming Sgt. Crowley was behaving in the same manner. Unlike my officer, Sgt. Crowley encountered a disrespectful, belligerent human being and for that Gates was arrested not because he was BLACK!

My core issue with this whole Gates racial profiling saga, is that it’s NOT racial profiling; it’s an ivy league African American man who is misinterpreting the term racial profiling for an elitist who just didn’t get his way. To quote the great literary title from Carter G. Woodson, Gates is acting like a “Mis-educated Negro”. For generations our people fought for equality and challenged discriminative practices. We’ve fought many battles and are nowhere near ending the war. We do not have time to baby-sit a fraudulent act of racial profiling. This whole scenario doesn’t deserve media attention; black pundits going off, Roland Martin, Tom Joyner even Barack Obama, come on people pick and choose your battles wisely. Skip may be your boy but I think you all know the differences of racial profiling vs. disorderly conduct. This should NOT be viewed as the new black cause poster child for racial profiling. Talking about media and black pundits I find it ironic that Sharpton and Jesse have barely mumbled a word. These are two activists that give me that love hate feeling, yet they always seem to appear and jump on the Black Attack train. Notice their kind of silent. There aren’t any protests at the Cambridge police dept, no demands for public apologies, pretty quiet and I’m sure it’s not because the Jacksons are keeping them busy. Al and Jesse know real racial profiling and they’re smart enough to know this ain’t it! It’s time the rest of us smarten up and realize not every black and white issue is discrimination. The term race relations means working on both sides, it’s time we as people of color also honor the true meaning. Sometimes a spade is just a spade and nothing more!

Michael

Like everyone in the entire world I was overwhelmed with great sadness on the passing of Michael Jackson. Phone calls came through, text messages, my Mom was crying, my husband was crying, it was insane. You would of thought we lost a family member, but in a way we did…. Although I didn’t know Mike personally, I personally know his music. He is actually the real first indication of music that I can remember.

As early as 5 years old I recall my parents playing the ABC album I think that’s what it was called. The album cover was a two fold and I distinctly remember Bill Cosby doing some voice over work. I remember how my brother, cousin and I would create dance steps to Dance Machine. Oh and let’s not forget the famous Christmas album. 30 plus years later I’m still playing that album something now my 11 year old daughter is accustomed too. I remember when Mike and his brothers were growing up and left Motown to join CBS Records and produced the album with the hit single “Enjoy Yourself”. Michael Jackson and his brothers gave me my first rhythm to music. I was saddened not because I’m a deranged fan but because Mike was my definition of music. I grew up with him; regardless of blood ties he was a family member. He was like my distant impactful “music” brother. He was there for the good times, the bad times and the growing up times. Mike has been everywhere in my life and that I believe is a space usually reserve for family members, which is what Mike is to me.

Over the years as with any family member I did have my issues with Mike, dare I say I did abandon him for a period of time. Once Thriller came out I knew my brother when a bit astray. Although I loved some of the records on the album namely Lady in my Life, PYT and You Got to be Starting Something, I was not “thrilled” with Billy Jean, Beat it or the title track Thriller, these were the records that really catapulted and set Michael off into another world. A world of acceptance by everyone in which I felt my brother had no time for me or those like me who lived in the inner city. As much as everyone in the ghetto who grew up with Mike is upset, there’s no denying that Thriller or the Bad album were not “our” kind of music. As much as I loved Mike I just knew my brother had changed. He no longer was just a part of my family but a part of a universal family. Now looking back I think I was being selfish about his endeavors to globally branch off musically. These are the times I found myself angry with Mike. I was particularly displeased at his own self-hatred of his image. It’s one thing to get weaves or do some minor cosmetic surgery but when you bleach your skin and totally alter your appearance it’s just sickening.

Being a living legendary pop icon I don’t think Mike realized the powerful message he conveyed when he turned white on purpose. Yes I know there were the vertiligo reports but damm if that were true Mike should be famous for being the first man to naturally turn white. Most vertiligo cases involve blotches of white skin and not your average Caucasian tone. It usually resembles an open wound that’s in the process of healing after the scab has eroded. Mike’s complexion was an unnatural white. Regardless of what some people think if you have enough money you can do anything and Mike proved that is so true! Diana Ross had also bleached her skin but she stopped somewhere in the middle. I know the reports of Joe Jackson calling him ugly as well as the dreadful transition years from cute child star to adolescent can be daunting, just ask Gary Coleman. I remember when the Enjoy Yourself single came out and my cousins saying he wasn’t cute anymore. I’m sure all these factors played a role in Michael’s transition but damm I think personally he could of stopped at the very least when we can clearly see the most drastic change during the Bad album. But as we all know he didn’t. I thought it ironic for him to make a song called Black and White and the lyrics stated it didn’t matter when it was clear that it did matter to Mike. In his view it was apparent that “White” is right. Those actions were so powerful. As a woman of color I was down right pisst off with Mike. I felt he abandoned us and he sent a message to the world how Black was so horrid! But as a typical family member when trouble looms they come back and we forgive.

During Mike’s first molestation trial, he was on all the Black TV. This was the first time in my life I had seen Mike on the NAACP awards not to mention his appearance on the Soul Train music awards. Mike hadn’t been on Soul Train since he danced with his brothers. Oh, and the album out at the time was Dangerous. Finally my brother was coming back to his senses. Remember the Time was the hit single along with a number of other singles that grooved throughout our households. Mike was back, he was jamming and he had our full support. You knew how Black works we always got your Back!! After all this was over, my brother went away again. He married Lisa Marie Presley then divorced her and then married the most homeliest white woman in the world, Debbie Rowe. Again I thought to myself there goes Mike wanting to be white again. I was not prepared for what was next, the children.

Mike’s children look nothing like him pre-surgery which is a clear indication these aren’t his biological children, but perhaps children conceived by two white parents and then claimed by Mike. Most bi-racial children have some visible trait of both races. Even if one child came out looking all white the other may not. Mike’s kids are blond, blue-eyed and as white as the ivory snow. And then he goes to make a 3rd child by a surrogate who is obviously white, though he denied it. As I loved my brother I hated his attack on our self-image. As much as we claim him to be a black man as the best entertainer of all time, the truth is Michael did not want to be black, doesn’t mean he did not want to be my brother, but he just didn’t like the color. It’s as simple as that!

Mike, I Love You and forgive you. You were a conflicted, complicated genius. No matter what issues you had you were the BEST at what you did and that was entertain. Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, etc. can’t touch you. You will go in history as the Beethoven of our time. I am sorry that you had to battle any demons and never had a chance to know someone who truly really loved you and knew you, how could they, when you never had the chance to know who you really were? Rest in Peace for the world and their horrors can’t touch you now.

Love,
Blacktina

King and Obama – Photoshop of the Day

Barack Obama and Martin Luther King