10 Brothers Who Didn’t Do Us Any Favors In 2010

From Left to Right:  Ron Christie, Bishop Eddie Long, LeBron James and Michael Steele

As the year 2010 comes to an end, we decided to take a quick look backwards to see what lessons we learned from 2010.  As a result, we stumbled on 10 brother who did not do the community any favors.  Some of these brothers continued to portray black men in a negative fashion, while others put their foot in their mouth and made excuses for their objectionable behavior.  And still there were others who simply exercised poor judgment.
All of these brothers made what many would consider to be more than a decent living last year in terms of their income.  So on one hand, we’re not mad at them.  On the other hand, some of these guys are making a living and perpetuating negative stereotypes of blacks men.  Hey, it’s just a list.  It’s our opinion.
Take a look and tell us what you think?  Anyone you would add?  Anyone you would remove?

1. Michael Steele – Dude wants to be loved by the Republicans, who can’t stand him.  He consistently puts his foot in his mouth.
2. Jesse Jackson, Jr. – Dude got caught up in an inappropriate relationship with a woman who was NOT his wife.  Jackson, Jr. has trouble “manning up” to the truth in this area, even after you get busted.  Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
3. Flava Flav -This founding member of the legendary hip-hop group Public Enemy continues to keep negative stereotypes alive about black men.  Flav is set to release his autobiography, Icon, in March 2011.  In the memoir Flav will reflect on his rap career, his struggle with drug abuse, and his reality TV success.  (Yawn)
4. Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. –  Can you say ignorant ass N#$ga?  No amount of money can buy you class and manners.  Mayweather is facing a felony coercion, grand larceny and robbery case stemming from a September 2010 dispute with his children and their mother at her home.  Mayweather goes to trial in January 2011 and could face up to 34 years in prison if convicted.  On top of all that he refuses to fight Manny Pacquio.  He says he’s not scared, but we think otherwise.
5. Bishop Eddie Long – Preacher man was accused by several young men in his church of coercing them into sex.  Did you get a look at the Bishop with his Spandex pants posing in the bathroom mirror?  That not only gets you on our list, you get to merge into the “fast lane” to Hell.
6. Alvin Greene – Alvin Greene’s candidacy in the South Carolina Senate race was an embarrassment and a disgrace. Yes it was his right to run, however, he was not prepared and often appeared to be out of touch on the main issues and incoherent.
7. Antoine Dodson – The YouTube sensation let his 15 minutes of fame go to his head.  Mr. Dodson needs to go away somewhere.  Just go away.
8. LeBron James – For his ESPN televised special “The Decision.”  We don’t fault him for leaving Cleveland, but how he left Cleveland.
9. Jermaine Jackson – In September 2010, Jackson filed child support papers in L.A. County Superior Court claiming he cannot afford $3,000 a month payments for sons Jermajesty and Jaafar.  Jackson claims he is broke and is asking the judge to reduce his monthly child support payments to $215 a month.  The kids were living with his mother while Jackson and his wife lived in a rented mansion that is about to go into foreclosure.  Jackson recently filed a police report claiming that over $150,000 in clothing and jewelry was stolen from his home.  Jackson probably spends more than $215 a month on hair grease, spray and gel.  Men must make an effective effort to take care of their children and spend time quality with them.
10. Ron Christie – We’re all for diverse opinions, but this dude is off the rails like a runaway train.  This political commentator is constantly on national television often defending and supporting Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Michael Steele, Dick Cheney, the Tea Party Movement and more.  Dude will say just about anything to defend the GOP even if it goes against the “community.”  Christie is smart, smug, arrogant, petty and a whiner.  We give the brother credit.  He’s probably the most consistent of this bunch.

Honorable Mention – Tavis Smiley (for being Tavis), Cornel West (for being out there), Tom Joyner and J. Anthony Brown (for “clowning” on syndicated radio when discussing serious topics) and Jesse Jackson, Sr., who despite his good deeds has enough baggage to make this list.

If you’ve never heard of or seen Antione Dodson, you can watch the video that made him an Internet personality.

NEW YEAR WISHES 2011

By Harold Bell

I wish comedian Bill Cosby would call out some of these black ministers, politicians, pro athletes and so-called community leaders who are stealing us blind and leading us down a path that is anything but Godly.

I wish for President Barack Obama in 2012, with legacy intact, that he says to the American people “Take this job and shove it.”

I wish Congressman James Clyburn a job with White House security being the shadow for President Sara Palin.

I wish a jail cell filled with crying towels for Congressman Charlie Rangel and his colleagues who think they are above the law and no longer work for the people who voted them into office.

I wish new DC Mayor Vincent Gray a long memory of Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson and former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. Hopefully, he does not forget that “Big Brother” is watching him and the “usual suspects” on his staff and on the City Council.

I wish DC City Councilman Harry Thomas, Jr. a visit from the IRS for stealing monies in the name of children and a somber 2011.

I wish for former Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson to meet my Pen Pal convict “Big Dick Willie” in the shower.

I wish black folks in the Prince George’s section of Mitchellville would get over calling themselves the most affluent and richest black county in America!  They are not even the most affluent and richest county in Maryland it is Accokeek and Fort Washington.  Let’s keep it real!

I wish former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty has a similar encounter with “Big Dick Willie’s” brother in the same shower.

I wish Jack Johnson’s crooked colleagues a knock at their doors from the FBI with papers saying “Happy New Year.”

I wish that former Prince George’s County States Attorneys Alex Williams, Jack Johnson, Glenn Ivey and retired Judge William Missouri’s children and grandchildren have encounters with Prince George’s County Police while driving black.

I wish for “Mayor for Life” and author of the famous last words “The bitch set me up” Marion Barry a recovery of his loss of memory.  He seems to have forgotten the welfare check he has been receiving since his arrival from Mississippi.  He owes thanks to the loyal but misguided black voters in NE and SE DC for his political success!  He also seems to have forgotten there are more whites on welfare than there are blacks!

I wish new Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker to wake up every morning with a mirror with Jack Johnson’s face in it.  He needs to discard the one with the image of Wayne Curry.

I wish pimps in the pulpits in black churches across America, like Bishop Eddie Long of Atlanta, Georgia, will wake up congregations that will send them to the dung heap of society where they belong.

I wish for new DC City Councilman Chairman Kwame Brown to switch places with his NBA name sake and washout Kwame Brown.  I will guarantee that you would never know the difference both are in over their heads.

I wish Tiger Woods re-discovers his golf game and a “sister” to help with him recover his identity.

I wish and hope for QB Donovan McNabb to find the balls to stand up to Mike and Kyle Shanahan and say “I am somebody and I want out of this fiasco.”

I wish for Washington Redskin owner Dan Snyder to confess that he is George Preston Marshall in disguise.

I wish against all odds QB Michael Vick the 2010 NFL MVP despite the media naysayers and dog lover’s barks of discontent.

I wish to read the columns of Washington Post sports columnists Tracee Hamilton and Sally Jenkins apologizing to former Redskin QB Jayson Campbell for making him the 2009 scapegoat—-wishful thinking again.

I wish credentialed members of the sports media some “Game” and insight into the columns they write covering sports and hopefully they remember it takes more than a valid driver’s license to qualify as a sportswriter.

I wish former NFL San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Mike Singletary another head coaching job where the players can appreciate his emotional temperament and compassion for winning.

I wish some judge will grant an injunction barring all women in sports media from the Men’s locker rooms, ditto for the men–no access to the Women’s locker rooms.

I wish Washington Caps and new Wizard’s owner Ted Leonis another Gilbert Arenas without the excess baggage and a winning streak for both franchises.

I wish Wizards cornerstone rookies John Wall an injury free career and JaVale McGee an out of body encounter with the late great Wilt Chamberlain for a lesson on how to stay out of foul trouble.

I wish NBA Hall of Fame player Adrian Dantley the balls to warn other black athletes about how sports agent David Falk and his kind misuse millions of dollars while managing their pro careers.

I wish L. A. Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson an assignment on the front lines of the Afghanistan war next Christmas day.  I am willing to bet his line of thinking against NBA players playing on Christmas day changes.  He needs to thank our troops for making it safe and possible for them to play on Christmas Day.

I wish the Washington Nationals would re-hire the greatest baseball mind in the history of the franchise–Frank Robinson.

I wish for boxing promoter Don King a job working for boxing promoter Bob Arum and Mike Tyson.  Kings first assignment, sign NBA heavyweights JaVale McGee and Andre Blatche to boxing contracts.

I wish the hypocrites that run the plantation component of the NCAA a visit from the mafia.  The Godfather will be asking for his fair share of the millions of tax free dollars they take in every year as a result of free slave labor.

I wish the black brothers working for ESPN remind Mike Greenberg of the “Mike & Mike” radio show the correct spelling and pronunciation of Rev. Martin Luther King’s name.  His name is spelled K-I-N-G and not C-O-O-N.

I wish Bob Schieffer CBS moderator for “Face the Nation” better luck this year in picking his alma mater TCU in a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin.

I wish a cure of early Alzheimer’s disease (lost of memory) for John Thompson (ESPN), James Brown (CBS), Sugar Ray Leonard (ESPN), Adrian Branch (ESPN), Adrian Dantley (NBA), Cathy Hughes and Alfred Liggins (Radio & TV One), Kevin Blackistone and his mom (ESPN), Jair Lynch (Olympic Gymnast), Omar Tyree (author), Jamie Foster Brown (Sister 2 Sister Magazine), Glen Harris (TV 8 Sports), Earl Lloyd (NBA) and Howard White (Nike).

Hopefully, the cure will remind them that they came through Kids In Trouble and Inside Sports before their 15 minutes of fame.

I wish the best for those who remembered to keep reaching back to help others and keep making children first.

I wish the hijackers of INSIDE SPORTS the Washington Post and News Week Magazine (own copyrights) and co-conspirators John Walsh (ESPN VP) and former Sports Editor George Solomon their own bylines in hell.

I wish for myself the gift of forgiveness in 2011.  Happy New Year!

Harold Bell is the Godfather of Sports Talk radio and television. Throughout the mid-sixties, seventies and eighties, Harold embarked upon a relatively new medium–sports talk radio with classic interviews with athletes and sports celebrities.  The show and format became wildly popular. Who better than Harold Bell to put together classic interviews with his legendary celebrity friends.

The Bridge: The Black Top Ten—Christmas Gifts

By Darryl James

What did Santa bring YOU?

Now that you have spent next month’s earnings of gifts that will last a few weeks, it’s time to focus on gifts that will keep on giving.

There are a few things that Blacks can give to themselves, which will continue to give throughout the year, making us a stronger, more unified and powerful people.

In another Black Top Ten List, I’d like to propose some things that Black people can give themselves for Christmas or for Kwanzaa. Some of these gifts are reflective of the Nguzo Saba—the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Top Ten Christmas Gifts Blacks Can Give Themselves:

1                 A Black Women’s Rights Movement.  My sisters, the women’s rights movement duped you into thinking that it was for you, but it was not.  It was for white women and you were pimped. If you want a real revolution, create a Black Women’s Rights Movement and many of your brothers will be first in line.  Black women have been speaking about their rights and talking about Black men as their oppressors, which is ridiculous. Oppression is a product of power, and quite frankly, Black people in this nation have not exercised power in any intrinsic manner since the 1960’s.  Let’s exercise our creativity (Kuumba) and create something that will benefit us all.

2                 A Million Man Investment Club.  Following the lead of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan I propose we bring one million Black men together to invest ten dollars each in one company.  It’s too easy to do.  That’s ten million dollars and that is empowerment and reflective of Ujamaa (cooperative economics).

3                 Black Love.  We hear the song “Give Love On Christmas Day,” and we like it, so why not give that love to ourselves as a people?  Tell someone you love them and then turn around and show someone that you love them.  Finally, look for ways each day to demonstrate your love for yourself as a Black person.  For a list of things to love about us, refer to my column called “Thanks For Being Black,” which lists the Top Ten Things To Love About Being Black (www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com).

4                 Black Pride.  There are a plethora of things to be proud of as a member of the most oppressed race in the world, and we need to focus on those things every day to spread the feeling of pride that will allow us to move forward in the new millennium with faith in ourselves, reflective of Imani (Faith).

5                 Black Unity.  How can any of us progress and feel good about it, when so many of us are not progressing?  Our gift to ourselves should be to care for the least of us, so that we can all move onward and upward together.  This is reflective of Umoja (Unity).

6                 Peace in the streets.  There are many brothers in the streets working for peace among the warring gang factions across the nation and they need the support of the entire community.  You can talk about how bad it is in the streets, or you can find out what you need to do to make it better.  I don’t want to talk about peace in the Middle East until there is peace in the Black community. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

7                 Self-Awareness.  My gift to my people would be to make them aware of the most critical issues facing us, and then to focus on those things without being confused by politics of religion, class, sex or political parties.  I would also give them the gift of history, so that we could remain mindful of whence we came. If you know where you came from, you can more easily determine where you are going.  This is reflective of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination).

8                 Mutual Support.  As a people, we have everything we need to manufacture, distribute, buy and sell the goods and services we seek from others.  If each of us supports another of us, we can begin to recycle Black dollars and resources more productively.

9                 A good conversation.  Many of us just need someone to talk to who will listen and understand.  Let’s stop talking at or about each other and start talking to each other.

10              A collective consciousness.  Today, many of us scoff at the idea of most of us coming together for common purposes (Nia), but no matter what the socio-economic differences, we are still all the same people with the same challenges and the same work lying before us. This is also reflective of Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility.

So, this holiday season, instead of wishing for expensive material items, let’s all wish for and give gifts that will continue to keep giving long after these current lives are over.

Happy Holidays!

Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” Now, listen to Darryl live on BlogTalkRadio.com/DarrylJames relaunching Sundays from 6-8pm, PST. View previous installments of this column at http://www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.

Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History

Dr. Julianne Malveaux New Book Reveals The Achievements of Black Business Leaders

Book Review by Kam Williams

“In her poem, ‘And Still I Rise,’ Dr. Maya Angelou wrote, ‘You can write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, you can trod me in the very dirt and still, like dust, I rise.’ More than a century before she penned her words, Richard R. Wright, Sr., a man born into slavery… asked [Union] General Oliver Otis Howard to ‘Tell them we are rising.’ Wright’s 19th C. vision… has currency today. …Tell anyone who will listen that, while the playing field is not yet level, African-American people can play the game, win it, and even change the rules to make them fairer. 

Tell them we are rising, surviving and thriving.”

— Excerpted from the Introduction (pg. xliii)

The accomplishments of African-Americans have generally been omitted from the history books, when it comes to the field of economics. Consequently, most black kids grow up unaware that despite the obstacles the nation deliberately placed in the path of their ancestors during the days of slavery and the repressive era of Jim Crow segregation, many miraculously managed to flourish financially anyway.

While many accounts of the exploits of the heroes of the Emancipation and Civil Rights Movements have been published for posterity, the achievements of black business leaders have rarely been the subject of scrutiny. For this reason, a debt of gratitude is owed to Dr. Julianne Malveaux, author of Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History.

Her informative text might be best thought of as a bound version of one of those page-a-day theme calendars, except that instead of serving up jokes, words or spiritual reflections, this features a year’s worth of entries about African-American companies and captains of industry. A few of her subjects are familiar household names, such as BET founder Bob Johnson and hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons. However, most of the bios here are apt to be eye-opening intros to someone you’ve never heard of.

For example, there’s Sarah Gammon Bickford, a former slave-turned-public utility owner who moved to Virginia City, Montana where she came to supply the town’s water after acquiring a natural spring. Then, there’s seamstress Elizabeth Keckley, a sister who owned the largest custom dressmaking business in ante bellum Washington, DC. Before the outbreak of the Civil War, she designed outfits for both First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and the wives of eventual Confederates President Jefferson Davis and his General Robert E. Lee.

In sum, an inspirational tome design to serve as a daily reminder of the role that African-American entrepreneurs have played and continue to play on the path to freedom and equality.

Black Republicans And The Color Line

By Raynard Jackson

Once again race has reared its ugly head with a Republican elected official.  But, this time in a more subtle way.

Incoming Republican congressman, Tim Scott has decided not to join the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in January.  While I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, I am viscerally embarrassed by his rationale for not joining.

Scott is the first Black Republican elected to the House from South Carolina since Reconstruction.  His district is over 80% white and overwhelmingly Republican.  Since every congressman claims to represent the people in his district, one can make the argument that his decision reflects the sentiments of his constituents!

According to Scott’s emailed statement on his decision, “…I will not be joining [CBC]at this time…My campaign was never about race… My campaign has been about themes that unite all Americans­ restoring the American dream by reducing the tax burden, decreasing government interference in the private sector, and restoring fiscal responsibility, and I don¹t think those ideals are advanced by focusing on one group of people.

I believe that by promoting our conservative values we will grow the economy, which will make everything else possible. The black community, like all communities, will benefit when businesses can use their profits to hire more workers instead of paying higher taxes; when companies decide to locate in America instead of overseas; and when our government no longer saddles our children¹s futures with ever-increasing debt.”

Let’s dissect Mr. Scott’s own words.  He indicates that his campaign was never about race.  Oh really?  Here is an excerpt that his congressional campaign sent to the media calling him a “pioneer.”  “Tim Scott is commonly called a “pioneer” because he was the first and only black Republican elected to the South Carolina House since Reconstruction, and

before that, back in 1995, he was the first black elected to a county-wide office in

Charleston, SC (http://www.votetimscott.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Media-Kit-pioneer.pdf).  But, he said his campaign was not about race!

Well, Mr. Scott, you can’t have it both ways.  You were not elected to the U.S. House because you were Black, but your race is part of your narrative.  You should be proud of that narrative.  You did not ask people to vote for you because you were Black, but they did vote for you with the knowledge that you were Black.  This is the essence of the American dream.

It’s not a zero sum game.  You can be Black, Republican, and conservative simultaneously.  They are not mutually exclusive.  All too frequently, Black Republicans spend too much time ignoring their Blackness, thinking this is going to ingratiate them more with whites.  Well it won’t!  It’s a false choice.

Mr. Scott is obviously a proponent of a “color blind” society.  I would be curious to find out if he had any Blacks on his paid campaign staff in any of the “power positions?”  Those positions are: campaign manager, finance manager, press secretary, or campaign chairman?  I would also be curious to find out if Mr. Scott will have any Blacks in power positions on his congressional staff?  Those positions include:  chief of staff, legislative director, press secretary, or state director.

I would be surprised, no totally shocked if the answer to the above questions were yes.  I hope, no, I pray that I will be proven wrong.  It’s not so much that Black Republicans are color blind, but rather they are blind to people of color, especially their own.  This is a major reason Blacks refuse to vote or associate with the Republican Party; though on many issues Blacks are in sync with the party.

So, Mr. Scott, you don’t have to be about race, neither do you have to be blind to your race.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com) & U.S. Africa Magazine (www.usafricaonline.com).

The Bridge: Jumping The Fence

By Darryl James

I’m really sick of hearing about it.

At this stage, if Black women are going to do it, I’d like for them to do it and be quiet about it.

I’m talking about their threats to “jump the fence,” so to speak—to date outside of the race.

In addition to talking about how they “need” to date outside of the race, I’m also sick to hell of hearing the reasons why.

One of those “reasons” is that “most” Black men are beneath the level of “most” Black women.

Really?

Well, according to a study in the Post-Gazette, while the median wealth of white single women between the ages of 36-49 is $42,600, the median wealth of Black single women in the same age range is a whopping $5.

What was that about “levels?”

I’m also tired of hearing about the 41% of Black women who are single, when they act like it doesn’t matter that 49% of Black men are single. Hell, let’s run down the numbers for everyone:  51% of Hispanic women, 45% of white women and 41% of Asian women are unmarried.

My point? Dating and marriage in America has become difficult for everyone and the Black women who keep whining and bitching and blaming Black men are only unique in their whining, bitching and blaming. I wish they would shut up.

Today’s dating world is perhaps more difficult than it has ever been.  A plethora of changes in society, particularly our transitory yet insular lifestyles, have made it difficult to find someone to have and to hold.

In the Black community, many dating issues are blamed on interracial dating, despite the low numbers of men and women who actually date and/or marry outside of the race.

For example, while some Black men choose to date outside of the race, their numbers are blown out of proportion. But now, some Black women are “retaliating,” by dating outside of the race, and even going as far as to call it a “revolution.”

One website for Black people promotes excursions to Italy for Black women, with the goal of establishing a competing version of the Black man’s escape to Brazil for sexual escapades with foreign women. The owner has made it her personal goal to encourage Black women to date outside of the race. Yeah, that’ll show us!

To my sisters who think that turning away from Black men to seek out mates in the white world is a revolution, I can only say: “Good luck.”  I hope you find the happiness that every human deserves.  If you are dating outside of the race because that is where you have found the love of your life, then no one should ever say an unkind word about you or what you do in your private life.

But if you are dating outside of the race because you have essential problems with Black men, then I feel sorry for you. And I also want you to shut up. Do it. And leave other Black women alone. Stop trying to get them to do what you are doing—especially if all you are getting is a roll in the sack.

Realize that white men have their own set of difficulties just as any other human beings do.  And, white marriage rates are also declining, which means that you may date, but purposefully dating outside of the race won’t guarantee success with marriage.

The propaganda machine that has people believing that Black men can’t wait to get their hands on white women, now has many Black women duped who can’t wait to open themselves to white men, instead of waiting for the good Black man who they believe is now nearly “extinct.”

People date other humans, and some people are less concerned with race than with the love and compatibility they find.  There is no proof that either Black men or Black women are dating outside of the race in numbers that should concern any of us.

But the public discussions have to be countered.

There is no shortage of Black men. The lies about prison and the down low boogeymen are as overhyped as the Black man’s fabled love for white women.

There are very few Black men running around talking about how much they love white women more than Black women.  Yet, we can tune into radio and television shows, and read books, newspapers and magazine articles with Black women telling the world how much Black men love white women and that they need more Black women to join the “revolution” of dating outside of the race.

I’d like to see more Black women admit to the silliness of dating outside of the race as a “revolution,” before that propaganda goes too far.

There is no “revolution” to be found in Black women dating outside of the race.  If that is your choice, do so, but don’t call it anything except that–a personal choice.

Why not deal with the real issues?

Everyone is having difficulty in dating, so why not stop pretending that it’s only us?

And, before heading for other races, how about we put in a little work with each other first?

I don’t have a problem with anyone dating whatever race they choose.

I do have a problem with Black women claiming that they are being forced to date outside of the race and that it is a revolution.

I believe that many of these women making such proclamations need to believe these things. Otherwise, they would have to focus on the mistakes they may have made or the changes they need to make.

In my personal experience, the women I’ve come across who spew these things are not marriage material. For anyone. Some of these women may be successful, some may be physically attractive, but typically, they are broken inside—selfish, angry, bitter women, who need to paint themselves as victims so that they don’t have to face their own shortcomings or their own bad behavior which contributed to their single station in life.

Without the ignorant propaganda about interracial dating, they would have to do some actual work instead of blaming other people as they jump in and out of relationships.

It’s easier to just jump the fence.

Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” View previous installments of this column at http://www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.

How Many African Americans Participate In Outdoors Activities?

By Candice Price

One very perplexing question today would be how many black people actually engage in some sort of outdoor activity.  These outdoor sports would include hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, scuba diving, kayaking, camping, etc. The question is very pertinent because of the millions of dollars that is used to purchase these expenditures that go along with theses sports that are not being talked about it. Everyday reports go out about what is being spent and by whom, but when it comes to black people and outdoors nobody says a word because after all the prevailing thought is that black folks don’t do the outdoors thing.

So today we would like to ask the question just how many people do you know does or have done some sort of activity in outdoors? Just think about it for a second. Did you or do you have a friend or relative that is involved in outdoors? The majority of people are going to smile and answer the question by saying; I do know somebody directly that does this. It may even bring back happy memories about this particular person. You may say things like I remember granddaddy Big Jim would bring home all that wild stuff and throw it up on the kitchen counter and Mother Dear would sometimes holler a little but we would end up having a good hot meal. Or it could be Uncle Buddy stays out on that water all day. You might even talk about your crazy cousin that has that real good job and he has that big old RV that he sleeps in, in front of his perfectly good house. The bottom line is that most of us know somebody who does the outdoors or belongs to a group that engages in some form it.

We really want to know who is out there because it is important to represent. We believe that the numbers are in the millions and we also believe we are spending multimillions of dollars in this arena. If we can find out and substantiate our true numbers, this can help us create new jobs in an industry that says we don’t exist.  The market will eventually have to respond to the realities. Outdoors world is a very important component to our everyday life because it deals underneath the surface with all of our Natural Resources, meaning the land, the water that we drink and the air that we breathe. All the basics to our very survival, so the outdoor sports are on the outer realm but underneath is our life source so becoming engaged is essential for all of our future.

So the question is,”Do you know someone who engages or has engaged in the outdoor sports?” Let us know by email at uaotv27@yahoo.com or Facebook Urban American Outdoors. We are very interested in the outcome and we will keep you abreast of our findings, we are quite sure that the numbers will be huge.

Candice Price is the Executive Producer “Urban American Outdoors” located at www.uaotv.com, the first multicultural reality sports adventures show.  Over the past several years under the tutelage of Wayne Hubbard, Candice is becoming an authentic urban outdoors woman, who now has knowledge and lives the urban outdoors lifestyle.

COURTLAND MILLOY FOULS OUT PRESIDENT OBAMA!

By Harold Bell

Courtland Milloy’s column in the Washington Post on December 1, 2010 hit black men without balls right between the eyes.  The column titled “The Great Placator Needs To Throw Some Elbows.”

These were his thoughts on President Barack Obama after he was hit in the mouth during a pick-up basketball game and needed 12 stitches to close the cut.  It happened on the grounds of the White House.  These are some of the same thoughts that have been whispered in the black community for the past year!

There is no true black man in America that I know who wants to see President Obama fail but they are wondering when does he say, “Enough is enough?”

President Obama for some reason does not see that black folks are the only ones who are playing fair in this Game Called Life or at least trying to play fair!

Despite the acts of recently exposed thieves and liars, like Bishop Eddie Long, censured Congressman Charlie “Cry Baby”  Rangle, PG County Executive Jack Johnson, DC City Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. (Ward 5), former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and the list goes on and on and will be growing and growing.

The New Game in America now defines ‘Right as being Wrong, a Lie is now the Truth and Heroes are slighted while Thieves are honored and pitied.

A black writer for the Washington Post was seen and heard on television after the arrest of Jack Johnson saying “His arrest was like a death in the family.”  Whose family?  I am still trying to figure that one out!

In the meantime, Santa Claus will be coming to town (PG & DC) and he will be dressed as the FBI!  It has been a rat race and it looks like some rats are no longer winning.

The FBI and the Department of Justice have not forgotten Ronnie White!

Several weeks ago another black leader took the same kind of hit from the man on the streets and in newspapers columns and radio talk shows around the country.  The man being hit was Washington Redskin quarterback Donovan McNabb.

McNabb has been a top flight quarterback in the NFL for 12 years.  He won 5 NFC Conference Championships in Philadelphia and took his team to one Super Bowl as an Eagle player.

It was a surprise when he was traded to the Redskins in the off season.  In a game with two minutes left on the clock and still winnable, his new coach Mike Shanahan benched him and replaced him with a player who had not taken a snap from center all year!

Shanahan was asked to explain his actions after the game. He said the replacement QB gave them a better chance to win!

The coach was then asked to explain himself further.  He said “McNabb had not grasped the two minute offense and his cardio-vascular conditioning was in doubt!”

The more he tried to explain this major blunder, the more he sounded more like a dam fool and racist than a winning Super Bowl Coach.

There are many in the black community who think the column written by Courtland Milloy could easily have been written about Donovan McNabb.

Milloy thought that President Obama should have shown some type of anger by now because of the disrespect he has had to tolerate from members of his own party, Republicans and Tea Party wannabees!

President Obama’s rescuing, banks, the auto industry, big business and signing off on a cost of living increase for senior citizens and recently approved a pay freeze for federal employees.  This did not endear him with hard working Americans both black and white.

There has been no freeze put on gas prices, the cost of food, rents raised, medicare and prescription medicine have all gone through the roof but who cares—not our President!

What ever happen to loyalty to the people who had your back and swept you into the office?

Loyalty has become a lost art in the black community.

For example; former DC Mayor, drug abuser, jailbird, “The Bitch Sit Me Up” and Mayor for life Marion Barry has proposed a bill to eliminate all blacks off of welfare in 5 years!

This is the same Marion Barry that black folks in the poorest part of the city  (Anacostia) gave him a ticker tape parade and welcome home party on his return from jail.  They voted him back into office as the Mayor and now City Councilman.  Is this his way of saying thanks to folks who had your back and now you tell them to kiss your jackass?

There are more white folks on welfare than there are blacks.  Barry sounds like he needs to pee-pee into a bottle to me!

Disrespect comes in all colors, shapes and sizes.  The members of the sports media has showered the same type of disrespect on McNabb, for example; Sally Jenkins a sports columnist for the Washington Post took the liberty to lay the blame for losing at the doorsteps of the quarterback.

I will bet she wrote the same type of column blaming former Redskin quarterback Jason Campbell.

My question, how and when did Ms. Jenkins and her kind become an expert on what it takes to win a game in the NFL on any given Sunday?  Has she ever taken a snap from center, ran a down and out or dropped back into pass protection?

I find it amazing how these talking and writing heads are experts and have never played the game!  I would bet if McNabb asked Ms. Jenkins to run a post pattern she would run to 15^th L Street NW to the Washington Post.

I remember when one of his players asked baseball manager Lou Pinella, after a series of dumb questions by reporters following a tough lost “what are the requirements to be a sports reporter in America?  Pinella smiled and said “A valid driver’s license.”  Meet Sally Jenkins and 90 percent of her colleagues.

For some reason black men in American are under the impression that it is not a good thing to show anger.  It is believed that anger shows weakness and anger derails the thought process in so-called leadership.

If you show anger you are than faced with the designated tag “Trouble Maker.”

The sad part of Courtland’s column was when he had to write “It’s bad enough that there are so few black men in public life who can be thought of as feared and respected-except for athletes such as, LeBron James.”

Its the truth and at the same time a low-blow to those black men that Ebony Magazine picks among their 100 most important blacks in America every year.  It is really nothing more than a “Dog & Pony Show.”

But according to the December issue of GQ Magazine U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder is as big and bad as they come.  He stands for something and does not fall for anything.  Holder’s run ins with Chief of Staff Raul Emanuel are made for supermarket tabloids.

Rapper Kanye West will kick himself when he reads Eric Holder’s take on the George Bush White House.

West called Bush a racist and said he didn’t care about blacks after his slow re-actions to hurricane Katrina. .  He recently apologized.

Holder’s recollections of Bush’s dismantling of the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice was criminal.  Bush does have a serious problem with black folks.

There are blacks in the sports media who are scare of their own shadows.  They see and hear wrong and say nothing.

When radio bad boy Don Imus called the Rutgers women’s basketball team a bunch of nappy headed hoes several years ago everybody was up in arms.  This was a “safe issue” to be black, loud and proud because there were even white folks calling Imus out.

In February 2010 “The Good Old Boy” Mike Greenberg co-host of ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the morning called the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, ‘Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Coon King.’  The silence by blacks in sports media was deafening.

This was done during Black History Month 2010.  The only one to call him out in public was one of the biggest frauds in sports media—John Thompson.

Bill Rhoden is a sports columnist for the New York Times and the author of a book titled “Million Dollar Slaves.”  The book chronicled the play for pay high price black athletes in professional sports.

In his book Rhoden was the kettle calling the pot black, the biggest plantation in America is a newsroom at deadline!

When former NFL QBs Doug Williams and Shack Harris asked Rhoden to be a member of their Board of Directors for their new Hall of Fame, his editor said “No way.”

I must have missed Rhoden’s column condemning Greenberg for calling Dr. King out of his name!  If I missed it I would appreciate someone e-mailing it to me so that I can apologize to Bill Rhoden.

I am looking forward to Black History Month 2011 to hear if Mike Greenberg got Dr. King’s name right!

Dr. Laura Schlessinger a national radio talk show host resigned under pressure recently after using the word nigger repeatedly.  This was done while discussing a problem with a black woman who called her for advice.

Just like Imus there was another talk show waiting for her on XM Satilite Radio.  Now she says, “It is great to be somewhere where I am free to say whatever I want.”  As my “Good Friend” Don King would say, ‘Only in America.’

When I hear that someone in our community is called an “Angry black man” I think back to the interview on 60 Minutes with the CEO and Founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

When the interviewer Morley Safer questioned him about his response about black folks not supporting each other, Safer said, you sound like you are angry.”

The CEO looked him straight in his eyes and said “You show me a black man or woman in America who is not angry and I will show you a black man and woman who both need to see a psychiatrist.”

I could not have said it better myself!

I remember a caller dialing into my sports talk show back in the day and complaining about me mixing sports and politics, I told him then as is now they are one of the same!

Below is the link to the column written by Courtland Milloy

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/30/AR2010113006410.html?referrer=emailarticle

HB Program Notes: A Christmas present for the followers of “The Original Inside Sports.” The show will be seen and heard on WWW/WPGR.TV World Wide Web via the Internet the day after Christmas (Monday December 26^th) 7 pm.

Harold Bell is the Godfather of Sports Talk radio and television. Throughout the mid-sixties, seventies and eighties, Harold embarked upon a relatively new medium–sports talk radio with classic interviews with athletes and sports celebrities.  The show and format became wildly popular. Who better than Harold Bell to put together classic interviews with his legendary celebrity friends.

Michael Vick-From Vick-tim to Vick-tory

By Raynard Jackson

Am I the only one who is sick and tired of the media coverage of NFL quarterback Michael Vick—post incarceration?  Last July I wrote a column titled, “Michael Is A Vick-tim.” I discussed Vick’s going to jail for nearly two years for killing a couple of dogs.

He has served his time and is now playing football again in the NFL. He has had a stellar season as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.  Since leaving jail earlier this year, he has done all the right things and continues to speak out against animal cruelty on behalf of the Humane Society.

So, you ask, what am I angry about?

Why is it that every time Vick is interviewed on radio, TV, or newspaper, there has to be some mention of him serving jail time for killing dogs?  ENOUGH!  Vick has served his time and owes no one anything and he should be free to live his life beyond the shadow of his past.

As I reflected on Vick’s situation, the first thought I had was that this was because Vick was Black.  But, then I thought further and realized that it wasn’t about race.

Ray Lewis, future Hall of Fame linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, was jailed on murder charges in 2000, but was later acquitted.  You rarely if ever hear this being mentioned when Lewis is interviewed.  He is also Black.

You never hear the name Monica Lewinsky when Bill Clinton is interviewed (mind you that Bill Clinton was impeached as a result of the Lewinsky affair).

You never hear about Donald Trump’s many bankruptcies when he is interviewed.

Allow me to continue.

Diana Taurasi, an all-star guard of the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, was convicted of DUI in the summer of 2009.  I have never heard this mentioned during any of their games on TV.

Marv Albert, famed NBA TV announcer, plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges (the more serious charge of rape was dropped).   He was fired from announcing the games on NBC.  But, less than 2 years later, NBC rehired him and you have not heard one word about his conviction since.

Even Tiger Woods messy divorce is no longer discussed when talking about Woods and it’s only been barely over a year since his private life exploded onto the national scene.

So, what can we conclude about all this?

Well, it seem to me that if you are a celebrity and you commit a crime or violent act against another person—no problem.  If you cheat your bankers or file for bankruptcy, no problem.  You still will be considered a financial guru by the Wall Street Journal (i.e. Donald Trump).

But, God forbid you kill or torture a few animals!  You will never be forgiven, nor allowed to move beyond your past; even if your life shows a total change.

How can a sportscaster laud Michael Vick throwing an acrobatic touchdown pass, but yet somehow find a way to mention that Vick served time in jail?

How can Vick have arguably one of the best games in football history (3 weeks ago against the Washington Redskins) and the conversation turns to him abusing animals?

Vick has paid his dues to society and no longer owes anyone anything!  His life has been the model of redemption.  That should be the only relevance of Vick’s past.

But, because Vick’s crime centered around animals, it seems like people are less willing to forgive and let go.  Ray Lewis was implicated in the murder of a human, but it seems like he had an easier time moving beyond his transgression than Vick is having.

Donte Stallworth (receiver for the Baltimore Ravens) was convicted of manslaughter.  He killed a man while driving drunk.  Yet, he is shown more forgiveness than Vick.

So, Michael, let me offer you my advice as one who works in public relations.  First, Michael, stop apologizing.  You no longer owe society anything.  Second, tell the media you will no longer talk about your past.  When you were a child, you spoke as a child, but now that you are a man, you have put those childish things behind you.  Finally, Michael, when the media insists that you answer their questions about your past, simply say my life is the only voice that I am now speaking with.

I am very proud of Michael Vick and the distance he has traveled.  I hope he will win a Super Bowl ring before his career is over.  What an exclamation point that would add to his life.  We all are one bad decision away from doing something stupid.  If Vick continues to live his life the way he has since getting out of prison, he will have transformed his life from one of being a “Vick-tim to one of “Vick-tory.”

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com) & U.S. Africa Magazine (www.usafricaonline.com).

 

The Bridge: In Cash We Trust, Part 2: How We Came To Worship the Cash God

By Darryl James

On a human level, people’s lives and hearts have been broken by social circumstances.

Initially, it was by design, when crack cocaine was inserted into poor communities, but the worship of Cash found the crack epidemic affecting all levels who then became the new rich and the new poor.

Crack did what heroin could not do, because when heroin came along, the nation still believed in God. By the time crack came around, America had embraced Money as God.

Crack cocaine created fake commerce in the urban communities across the nation, and even changed the pimp game. Where pimps previously preyed on the broken humans who had fallen, crack cocaine broke women and men, turning them into hoes without pimps who began to use their bodies as commerce in exchange for the addictive substance or a few dollars to make the purchase.

And since we have seen that anyone can fall, we celebrate those at the top, simply because they are at the top.

No matter how they come to it, people with money are taught that they are special. They are taught that their success is all about them, not about the backs of people they stand on in order to become what they become. They begin to believe that they have garnered whatever success they’ve achieved as special individuals and that those without success are lesser human beings.

And most of us—with or without cash—believe that garbage as well.

We know that anything is possible in this society, so when someone poor rises, they no longer think about where they came from, they are taught to hate whoever they left behind.

Where we once aspired to become wealthy without changing, we now aspire to change even before we become wealthy, and/or even if we never become wealthy.

This is why we see poor people pretending to be of means. The goal is not really to work hard to get there anymore, if you can fake being there. Instead of “Fake it ‘til you make it,” the motto is now “Fake it.” Period. Even if you aren’t really trying to make it.

That’s also why now we have more people crashing financially and going absolutely buck nutty. It’s one thing to crash and still have something to rely on, but when you crash and everything you have had has been empty, you crash and know that there is nothing left and nowhere to turn to. You lose touch with reality and freak completely out.

And that’s why we now have more Blacks who have become things we never thought we could become—mass murderers, hateful idiots, gangsters without conscience, criminals for nothing and hoes for free. We were once traditionally conservative, but now we’re all over the place depending on what we think we can get.

What was once a community that sought to rise itself has splintered into groups of people who use each other for what they are worth and then blame each other for what they cannot have.

That’s why we see Black women blaming Black men for conditions they have inherited from people who did not care, including Black women who began to believe in money more than self esteem and self respect.

“Exotic Dancer” (Stripper) has become a career for women to pimp a bunch of horny idiots and then portray themselves simultaneously as victims of sexual stereotypes and as strong independent women who are making bank, baby.

“Video Ho” has become a fake career for women who degrade themselves, often for nothing and then blame the powerless morons in the front of the videos.

But those powerless morons are also looking for someone to blame, claiming that conditions of their childhood environment, or the white man, or lack of opportunities or some other lame excuse “forced” them to sell their souls for a bad record deal.

These same powerless morons use the same excuses when choosing to sell drugs or participate in gang activity.

The bottom line is that too many of us would rather do anything than work hard and risk facing broken dreams.

Broken dreams are the legacy that many Americans from two and three generations ago have bequeathed to their children, having mortgaged the future of those children for their own selfish guilt-free pleasures and Money.

Parents fail to plan for the future of their children, because they are too interested in planning for their own present. In the present, they want to look good and live happily, even though at any given moment, the house of cards they lived in may fall apart and leave their children with no house or home, no real family ties and no future to speak of, because they have been handed a bill for the follies of their parents.

In the age of Money as God, family, friends and anything else previously held near and dear comes secondary to keeping up with the appearances of the Joneses who are faking themselves.

For more than twenty years, Americans have been witnessing the mayhem, destruction and social decay that occur when God and love are supplanted by greed and Money, which are now the American way.

We don’t trust family or friends. “In God We Trust” are mere words on the back of something we truly praise.

Our trust is now in Cash.

Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” Now, listen to Darryl live on BlogTalkRadio.com/DarrylJames every Sunday from 6-8pm, PST. View previous installments of this column at http://www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.