DANOMI

Have you seen the latest report which came out yesterday about the murder rate amongst Black youth being on the rise? (the USAToday article, the NYTimes article)

It’s not really surprising news though is it? We’ve all been reading headlines and statistics like these for over 20 years now which has produced a certain numbing effect. Are we making progress? Sure we’ve just elected our first ever Black President of the United States of America, but are we making progress?

This trend can and must be reversed. This problem has to be solved if we are to truly make progress in this country. There is no one solution or approach to solving this problem. However, there is one thing that we can all do today to help begin the reversal of this disturbing trend. And that my friend is to begin caring.

We have to start caring in the broadest sense of the word. We have to care deeply about the young Black lives which are being wasted in the streets of America. We have to care about ourselves more. If we cared about ourselves more then we would pay attention to how we feel deep down inside every time we learn that a young Black man has killed another young Black man.

We have to care about our sons and daughters more. If we cared about our sons and daughters more we would take an interest in the things that they are interested in. If we cared about our sons and daughters more we would pay attention to what they consume mentally and spiritually. It’s a fact that they care more about what their friends think about them more than what their parents think about them. Teenagers also rely on one another for most of what they learn. We should care enough about them to find new and engaging ways to feed them the knowledge that they need to survive in a hostile environment.

If we cared more about our youth as a community then we should all be bothered by how this makes us look as a community and commit ourselves to improve our image. These are the youth that we produced acting like they’ve lost their minds. I remember growing up I couldn’t just walk out of my Mother’s house looking any kind of way. OH NO! She wasn’t going to let me embarrass her and she meant that. With the eyes of the world on the Black Family now that the First Family is Black we have to care enough about our community that we don’t allow these young Black men to embarrass our community. It’s not their fault, it’s ours. It’s also our responsibility to do a better job of caring about them.

If we cared more about our youth as a nation we would care how this barbaric behavior is perceived around the world. We have made tremendous strides technologically as a country and we don’t care enough about the least of our citizens to teach them better. Our young Black brothers are products of a hopeless environment which could be changed easily if we cared enough to bail them out. If we cared about them the same way we care about the financial and auto industries we would put together a comprehensive bailout plan. How much do we really care about the rising murder rate among young Black males?

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Jasiri X is holding it down with The Real CNN

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We as a country stand in very unfamiliar territory. We have entered an era in which major changes are taking place in every field of human endeavor. We have to embrace this change and understand that the changes that are taking place are necessary for our collective growth and development. The thought leaders of today are desperately trying to hold onto their position as thought leaders but have outlived their current usefulness. This change has been coming for some time now even though those who were in positions of power have been reluctant to acknowledge the need for real change. They have been extremely concerned with maintaining the status quo which is a recipe for disaster.

Every industry is in real trouble now and we have more problems than solutions. Big media is in trouble and the business model that has worked for them in the past has been broken for some years now but they have finally warmed to the idea of developing a new model.

“We had to figure out a way to create a competitive media company without any of the pre-existing resources. Our lack of a legacy was both an obstacle and a boon. On the one hand, we had no infrastructure, no team of reporters, no brand. On the other hand, we had no baggage - unlike a television network, or a print newspaper, or a magazine that has to reconfigure and translate itself into a new online medium. We were under no burden of a long-standing business model - we were free to create a brand new one… So while we had to overcome the fact that we were starting from nothing, we also had the benefit of starting from nothing.” - Kenneth Lerer from the foreword of The Huffington Post Complete Guide To Blogging.

The auto industry is on life support and the only answers they have lie in their ability to re-finance their reluctance to embrace change. The American government’s main answer is to print money it doesn’t have in the hope that it can buy itself enough time to figure out how to maintain its dominance in a changing world.

“Of much greater practical importance, the Fed bluntly announced that it would print as much money as necessary to revive the frozen credit markets and fight what is shaping up as the nation’s worst economic downturn since World War II.”

I know that Obama won the election and ushered us into a post-racial environment. Like Dr. Cornell West pointed out a couple of days ago Black people have pushed past racism a long time ago and what Obama’s election marks is a milestone for whites in regards to racism. As Black people we have to embrace the “Audacity of Hope” and recognize that there are a lot of opportunities available if you are willing to recognize that the playing field is level. Your opposition is real enough but all you have to do is step onto the playing field.

You have an advantage by not having much to lose. Whatever you want to do today can be accomplished if only you have the desire and will to accomplish it. All of the tools to accomplish what you will are available and at your disposal. You may not know where to look for them but with a little persistence you can locate someone who is more than willing to help you to accomplish your goals. The only thing missing is you and your desire to accomplish what you will.

I’m more than certain that most of your goals have nothing to do with spending the rest of your life in a jail cell. I’m sure you aren’t looking forward to being riddled with gunshots and being laid to rest before you get a chance to live your life. Unless these are your goals you should re-examine the choices you’ve made thus far and take a second look at the activities you are involved in. You already know the two most probable routes your life will lead you as a Blackman in this country: dead or in jail. You’ve heard it over and over. You have an opportunity to re-write your future. You already are equipped with most of what you need to exceed in this life naturally. You just have to decide that you want more out of your life.

Anything you want to do can be done today. You have no excuse for contributing to the destruction of Black lives in America. You also do not have to volunteer to work for the Prison Industrial Complex. If you are determined to volunteer your time then the least you could do is join the Peace Corp and see something new. The Block and the jail cell are played. You’ve been there and done that.

You can do exactly what you want to do with your life. It’s your choice.

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I think I just solved my current dilemma in regards to which computer I’ll be investing in next. Of course I need to grab my own Mac for creative projects but the question has been do I really need to cop the MacBook Pro. It would certainly be a great move once my digital concerns begin producing some type of ROI. In the meantime I can have the best of both worlds for about the same price I’d drop on a MacBook Pro by grabbing an iMac & one of the new netbooks instead.

Without getting into all of the specs b/c there are a ton of reviews out there for you to check out so do the legwork, son. Netbooks can also bridge the poverty gap in terms of access to the internet. This will be a hood favorite. This is the fast forward button for the technology late catch up withthe rest of us. Hey, let’s all help to put a computer into every household.

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We all have a greater responsibility today. We have to be able to establish wealth amongst ourselves in order to obtain true justice as a people. It is something that we must do and that no other people can give to us. We must be able to declare our will as a people to illustrate that we are self-determined to accomplish whatever we envision. The fact that we can all lay claim to one of the most significant moments in Africans in American History doesn’t absolve us from the hard work of improving the lives of the least of ours. No one man can rise above the suffering of his people. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It’s a wonderful time to be alive despite the many challenges which we face as a people. Play your part and let’s advance this struggle to the next level.

I shift gears a lot, but don’t mind me. There are some layers or currents of air – real cold and warm, and some very swift and changeable.

State of the Black World: Accepting our Responsibility

Reporting by: Brother Jesse & Brother Ashahed

DaveyD, Jasiri X & NYOIL were all in attendance sharing their insight and knowledge of the Hip Hop industry and what our roles should be moving forward.

Another example of the future. Green Son. No fumes or emissions.
Rodrigo, TX

Usain Bolt is the fastest man alive so its only fitting
that he drive one of the fastest cars on the planet.

Here is another example of why I should update blog more
often. I leave a lot of incomplete thoughts on the
table.

Why Digital Is Only Way To Go

We should promote our greatness every chance we get.
Stevie Williams

Get involved digitally b/c you may be sitting on what’s next.

Who The F#*k Is B.o.B?!

Do you play by the rules?

Did I mention that I happen to be an info-junkie. I can’t help it.
Check out Somethin Foul by Nas

Is your blog an Underdog Blog?

Immortal Technique sums up this scattered post best.

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