Faith in Action

Teen Summit is back on BET! Well, not really, but that’s what it looked like last night. Rapper T.I.P., the self proclaimed “King of the South”, was on a real humble tip - introspective deep thinking and all that as he talked to Toure’ about his recent troubles with the law and upcoming 1 year jail time for having unregistered machine guns and being a felon in the possession of firearms. Before he hits the jail cell though he has to spend 1,000 hours talking to youth about the “pitfalls of guns, gangs, and drugs.” T.I. copped a plea deal because he was about to do some MAJOR time. Rappers are going to jail these days. Ya’ll betta clean it up. Those corporations will back you as long as you pimp your people with your lyrical poison, but the minute you slip up - those commercial deals are gone! T.I. rounded out the “public service announcement” by giving a shout out to God and sharing how this whole experience I.E. - hitting rock bottom, doing jail time, and not seeing his wife and 5 children for a year has brought him closer to The Almighty. Let’s pray that his music reflects his revelation upon his release.

Not only did T.I. do some community service with the interview, but I’m sure it was an attempt by BET to get some positive imaging as well. “Black Evil Television” is reeling as people across the nation are saying “Enough is Enough!” [DID YOU CALL Proctor & Gamble YET?] Bloggers are having a field day with CEO of BET, Debra Lee, and President of Entertainment, Reggie Hudlin as a report by the Parents Television Council confirmed what many of us already knew. BET broadcasts instances of sex, violence, profanity, and/or obscenities every 38 seconds! Debbie & Reggie -these two “leading Blacks” are still attempting to justify the objectification of women, glorifying of violence, and debasing of Black Culture by basically saying, “We just play the videos, we don’t make them” which is the equivalent of drug dealers on North Avenue saying, “We just sell crack, we don’t fly it over here.” We ain’t buying it, Debra. You and all the other capitalistic opportunists who work for you are culpable in the destruction of your own people, but at least ya’ll keep us on beat as we dance to the tune of our own demise.

BY THE WAY - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FOLKS…WATCH THE TWO BANNED EPISODES OF THE BOONDOCKS CARTOON ABOUT BET! Episode 1 and Episode 2 are here. Watch it fast before “they” pull it. Youtube has already banned it. In the words of The Joker, “THEY CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” Thanks Common Sense.

Next - and this will be very quick because I’m sure they’re watching me too….

I have a sneaky suspicion that the so-called “DC Madam,” Deborah Palfrey did NOT commit suicide. I do not think it is ironic that early last year, one of the female escorts who worked for Palfrey’s escort service was also found dead by hanging and the official report was that she committed suicide. Now Palfrey commits suicide by hanging as well! When she gave indications to those around her that she was being followed and that there was a contract out on her life! Sorry - in the words of Jay-Z: “I don’t believe you. You need more people!” Palfrey must have had some major dirt on some politicos in Washington. They needed her to enter the bright white light quick.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

I have to speak at a Baltimore City High School today and I don’t feel like giving the white-washed, prepackaged, nicely manufactured speech. I’m tired. They need the truth. The “Sunday School” speech I.E. stay in school, don’t you be no fool, learn the golden rule, just say no and don’t have sex just isn’t working. About 100 students will be packed in a room for about 45 minutes to listen to me. The least I can do is tell them the truth.

THE TRUTH:

I’m sure other things will come out as well. I may get kicked out of the school, but hey - they need an adult to confirm what they already feel and know deep down on the inside. They may not be able to articulate it, but they know it.

In case “they” read this too and their worry prompts them to make plans for me, let me give my DC Madam Disclaimer:

I HAVE NO SUICIDAL THOUGHTS - NO REASON TO COMMIT SUICIDE - I AM LOVING MY JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE WITH MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS - PASTOR SANDERS TOLD ME WHEN I WAS LITTLE THAT IF PEOPLE COMMIT SUICIDE THEY GO STRAIGHT TO HELL AND I DON’T WANT TO GO TO HELL - I HAVE PLANS FOR TOMORROW AND THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT - I GET PAID NEXT WEEK - TOO MANY OF MY PEOPLE WERE HANGED I WOULD NEVER END MY LIFE WITH A NOOSE, A BULLET, A KNIFE, AN OVERDOSE, OR A JUMP OFF OF A BRIDGE!

Now if something happens and I’m not around anymore and the official report says I committed suicide - ya’ll betta raise all kinds of trouble to find the truth. Don’t let me go out like that. Make ‘em pay or they’ll come for you next!

SOURCE: PRISON RADIO

SYMBOLS VS. SUBSTANCE
(Click here to listen to Mumia Abu-Jamal recite this powerful essay himself.)
[col. writ 4/12/08] (c) ‘08 Mumia Abu-Jamal

Our national politics is largely the stuff of illusion.

It is the stuff of spin. It is the manipulation of images to pluck the heartstrings, or to stoke the furnaces of emotion.

Any emotion will do: love, hate, fear, all are but instruments upon which politicians will play to move people to the polls, to get them either to vote for them, or against their opponents.

What all of this really means in the day-to-day lives of many of the voters, is actually quite minimal, for politicians don’t really care about what voters want; they care about those who can afford them — those who pay them well for their services.

In essence, politics is a business, and voters are merely bare necessities.

We see this in the vast, obscene amounts of money raised for virtually all political offices.

At bottom, politics is the elevation of symbol over substance, for it seeks to create the illusion of change, while leaving unchanged the essential power relations at the lower levels of society.

Politics is great for changing forms, but it stumbles at changing essentials.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information:
Farajii Muhammad
Office:(410) 494-1588
E-mail:farajii@nllc.org

Youth Empowerment Movement says, “Enough is Enough” to Youth Violence

BALTIMORE, MD—The Youth Empowerment Movement (YEM) is hosting The State of the Youth Forum: Your Life, Your Choices on Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 9:30AM-3:00 PM at the University of Baltimore, to address the issue of the rising youth violence rate.

The State of the Youth Forum: Your Life, Your Choices is designed for middle school students, high school students, college students, and young people that are out of school, between the ages of 14 to 21, to come out and make a difference.

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The T. in Turner Station stands for TOXIC

Click here for more information

Hat Tip: Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Three detectives were acquitted of all charges Friday in the 50-shot killing of an unarmed groom-to-be on his wedding day, a case that put the NYPD at the center of another dispute involving allegations of excessive firepower.

Justice Arthur Cooperman delivered the verdict in a Queens courtroom packed with spectators, including victim Sean Bell’s fiancee and parents, and at least 200 people gathered outside the building.

The verdict provoked an outpouring of emotions: Bell’s fiancee immediately walked out of the room. His mother cried.

Outside the courthouse, which was surrounded by scores of police officers, many in the crowd began weeping as news of the verdict said. Others were enraged, swearing and screaming “Murderers! Murderers!” or “KKK!”

Bell, a 23-year-old black man, was killed in a hail of gunfire outside a seedy strip club in Queens on Nov. 25, 2006 — his wedding day — as he was leaving his bachelor party with two friends.

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Yesterday I was on assignment to cover the Pennsylvania Primary for My Urban Report.com. I have to tell you that I am an Obama supporter, but I had our team out getting un-biased coverage of all candidates—we even reached out to the Republicans and interviewed a McCain supporter.

Our reporter, Adrienne Hall asked four questions:
1. Who do you support and why?

2. What issues are important to you in your decision to support the candidate?

3. Do you think the (mainstream)media has been doing a good (fair) job in covering the candidates and the issues?

4. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I thought these questions were fair and gave each side to present their case. The interesting thing that came across is that a majority of Hillary Clinton supporters wanted to know the questions in advance and where was this going to air and why where we there? Of course, you know where I am going—the race card. Yes, our crew was all black and one of our workers had a Barack shirt on at first, but I intentionally asked him to wear another one so people wouldn’t feel the bias. Does every African-America support Obama? No—we have evidence here when we interviewed Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones of Ohio. (see photo)

The interesting part was that most of the Obama supporters both white and black didn’t ask for the details of questions at all. Is there really a racial divide in our Democratic party and we are just too scared to talk about it—that is another blog post in itself, so I digress.

For those of you who are skeptical, I am looking to partner with a another production company out of Charlotte, North Carolina (who happens to have an all white crew) and they will ask the same questions and represent myurbanreport.com during the May 6 primary in North Carolina.

Chip Dizárd is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Absolute Presence, a web site development firm that began in 2002. He has worked on many diverse projects and clients which include church and ministry web sites, political campaign, business and most recently in May of 2007 his firm designed and implemented the official web site of the City of Baltimore. Visit Absolute Presence today! (He’s also a blogger.)

The room was packed. On one side residents and supporters from Park Heights ready to tell why they didn’t want liquor stores in their community anymore. On the other side, many Korean merchants and a curious rowful of residents who were coming to defend their business.

The hearing started with a disappointment. We who had come to challenge Slaters Market (the grocery market that sells alcohol next to ketchup) were shocked when we learned during the hearing that the attorney from Community Law Center, Inc. (Michelle Pierce, Esq) had made a “gentleman’s agreement” with the attorney representing Slaters. The agreement was that they would take the liquor bottles off of the shelves that had condiments on them and in exchange there would be no protest of their license. What?!

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Sponsored by Citizens for Change, Inc.
www.EnoughisEnoughCampaign.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 7, 2008 Contact: Julia Pollard - 301 238-4826

Joint Study On BET & MTV Video Content Complete

Washington, DC - The Enough Is Enough Campaign and the Parents Television Council will hold a Press Conference this Thursday, April 10, 2008 to release the results of a joint study analyzing the music video content on select BET & MTV music video programs. The Press Conference will be held at the National Press Club - 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

For the past eight months, the Enough is Enough campaign has been protesting the corporate sponsorship of lyrics and images that degrade women, glorify violence and criminal activity, and negatively stereotype black and Latino men as “pimps”, “gangsters”, and “thugs” in the entertainment industry. Since September 2007, the campaign has been holding weekly rallies outside the DC residence of Debra Lee, CEO Black Entertainment Television (BET) and the New York residence of Philippe Dauman, CEO of Viacom. After receiving national attention, the campaign is now expanding to engage advertisers whose commercials sponsor offensive and adult-themed programs that are marketed to youth.

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Friday was a long day, but I did get a chance to drop in on the King Commemorative March and Rally in West Baltimore. The event was put on my Wayland Baptist Church’s Community Development Corporation. Dick Gregory was the keynote speaker and he was….Dick Gregory. LOL

It was so funny watching the faces of the dignified pastors as Gregory said some off the wall stuff! You know how he mixes comedy with political commentary. One minute he’s talking about manganese and the next minute he’s talking about wishing he was back in school since all these teachers now are having sex with the students! Crazy. I got some video from the event and I’ll try to have it up later this week. In addition to speeches there was dancing, singing, and great music. An all around great event. Good job to all involved!

Hat Tip: Baltimore Examiner

Len Lazarick, The Examiner

Annapolis -
Wider collection of DNA samples from anyone charged with a violent crime tentatively passed the Maryland Senate on Tuesday.

But seven of the 10 African-American senators voted against the measure despite concessions they won from Gov. Martin O’Malley on a key component of his anti-crime agenda. Many black lawmakers said O’Malley’s proposal had potential to create another kind of racial profiling, with little knowledge of how genetic information could be used in the future.

Despite misgivings, Sen. Verna Jones, chairwoman of the General Assembly’s Legislative Black Caucus, voted for the bill initially — “a vote that’s very difficult for me” — then switched her vote after the measure passed on a preliminary 36-to-11 vote. She asked to have her name removed as a co-sponsor.

“I do have a problem with this bill, but I wanted to be supportive,” Jones told The Examiner. “I don’t think it’s as tight as it should be.”

The Senate amended the bill to make it similar to the one passed by the House last Wednesday. DNA samples would only be collected after a person was charged with a crime of violence, not after arrest, as O’Malley originally proposed.

The DNA would be tested after conviction, and it would be automatically expunged if the suspect was acquitted. In an important difference with the House, the Senate version “sunsets” the law — automatically repeals it — in five years.

“I had worked very diligently with the governor’s bill,” said Sen. Lisa Gladden, vice chairwoman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee and a public defender in Baltimore. “I still think it’s a bad bill.”

“I know who’s going to be in the database,” Gladden said — “poor people, African-American people.”

Sen. Delores Kelley, D-Baltimore County, said the bill was “premature” since O’Malley has neither provided the funding, created a commission of experts nor set up the regulations to be make sure the laboratories doing the testing were credentialed.

Four conservative Republicans joined in the opposition. “These are innocent people” from whom the DNA will be collected, said Sen. Alex Mooney. “We don’t know what they can do with DNA yet.”

Both sides expect the measure to be sent to a conference committee to work out differences between the two houses.

HERE IS HOW THE SENATE VOTED:

Nays (11):

Joan Carter Conway, D, Baltimore City
Ulysses Currie, D, Prince George’s County
Nathaniel Exum, D, Prince George’s County
Lisa A. Gladden, D, Baltimore City
Janet Greenip, R, Anne Arundel County
David C. Harrington, D, Prince George’s County
Andrew P. Harris, R, Baltimore County & Harford County
Delores G. Kelley, D, Baltimore County
Allan H. Kittleman, R, Carroll & Howard Counties
Alex X. Mooney, R, Frederick & Washington Counties
C. Anthony Muse, D, Prince George’s County
E.J. Pipkin, R, Caroline, Cecil, Kent & Queen Anne’s Counties

Yeas (36):

John C. Astle, D, Anne Arundel County
David R. Brinkley, R, Frederick & Carroll Counties
James Brochin, D, Baltimore County
Richard F. Colburn, R, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot & Wicomico Counties
James E. DeGrange, Sr., D, Anne Arundel County
George W. Della, Jr., D, Baltimore City
Roy P. Dyson, D, Calvert, Charles & St. Mary’s Counties
George C. Edwards, R, Allegany, Garrett & Washington Counties
Jennie M. Forehand, D, Montgomery County
Brian E. Frosh, D, Montgomery County
Robert J. Garagiola, D, Montgomery County
Barry Glassman, R, Harford County
Larry E. Haines, R, Baltimore County & Carroll Counties
Nancy Jacobs, R, Cecil & Harford Counties
Verna L. Jones, D, Baltimore City
Edward J. Kasemeyer, D, Baltimore County & Howard County
Nancy J. King, D, Montgomery County
Katherine A. Klausmeier, D, Baltimore County
Rona E. Kramer, D, Montgomery County
Mike Lennett, D, Montgomery County
Richard S. Madaleno, Jr., D, Montgomery County
Nathaniel J. McFadden, D, Baltimore City
Thomas M. Middleton, D, Charles County
Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., D, Calvert & Prince George’s Counties
Donald F. Munson, R, Washington County
Douglas J.J. Peters, D, Prince George’s County
Paul G. Pinsky, D, Prince George’s County
Catherine E. Pugh, D, Baltimore City
Jamie Raskin, D, Montgomery County
James N. Robey, D, Howard County
Jim Rosapepe, D, Anne Arundel & Prince George’s Counties
Bryan W. Simonaire, R, Anne Arundel County
J. Lowell Stoltzfus, R, Somerset, Wicomico & Worcester Counties
Norman R. Stone, Jr., D, Baltimore County
Bobby A. Zirkin, D, Baltimore County