We're Sick and Tired of the Apologies

We, as black people, don't need to hear another "Karen" apologize for throwing a racial temper tantrum when we all know she said what was in her heart at the time.  We have heard apology after apology from "entitled" white  women who are forced into doing so after being publicly shamed on social media.  

Certainly you remember Amy Cooper, who threatened to call the police on a black male avid bird watcher in NY Central Park because he kindly asked her to put her dog on a leash.  She made it perfectly clear in the video (he recorded) that she would tell the cops she was being threatened by an African-American male.  The next day, after being fired from her job and blasted all over the TV, she issued this apology:  

"I reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions when, in fact, I was the one who was acting inappropriately by not having my dog on a leash." ~Amy Cooper

Now she is facing charges of making a false police report.

Then we have Amber Rocco of Oregon, who said she regretted using the N-word after going on a tirade against a black couple in a Strip Mall parking lot.  In addition, she threatened them with a knife and spit on one of them. After being convicted of a hate crime, she was sentenced to 30 days in jail and anger management counseling.  She said:

"I regret using that word.  I love everybody equally."  

The husband of Arizona's Tamara Harrian stepped in and offered a tearful apology for his wife after she was caught on video using her "privilege" to demand to be waited on ahead of a Native American woman and telling her to go back to Mexico.  Her husband said:

"I'm so sorry this has happened.  I'm so sorry for what she said.  It was very hateful...But I just have to tell you this:  It's her mental illness."

Next comes Sonya Holt of Tennessee, who was caught on video yelling "white lives matter" and "white lives are better" and referring to protesters as "monkeys"at a Black Lives Matter protest rally in her community.  

In Williamston, NC a white Hampton Inn employee was fired after she called the police on a black woman because she didn't believe the woman and her children (who were in the pool at the time) were guests of the hotel.

In Grand Rapids, MI Shelly Hueckel ended up pleading guilty to assault and battery after attacking a black car salesman at the dealership where he worked.  She reportedly struck the victim repeatedly while yelling racial slurs.  Before being sentenced to two years probation, the suspect apologized, 

"Nothing excuses my actions, but I am deeply sorry for the pain I have caused in his life."   

But then you have one bad ass white woman who just said "Hell no, I ain't apologizing!"  Nancy Goodman was caught on video in a Raleigh, NC restaurant last year calling two black women seated near her the N-word.  When interviewed about the incident, Goodman called the women rude, loud, and obnoxious and said "I'm not going to say I'm sorry to them...I would say it to them again!" 

Thank you Nancy!  At least we know how you REALLY feel.

Let's Have a Little Talk ABOUT Jesus

When I was a child, there was a song the old folks used to sing in church:  

Now let us have a little talk with Jesus

Let us tell Him all about our troubles....

You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right...

I am now proposing that we have a little talk ABOUT Jesus, but, first let me issue a disclaimer.  I am NOT a Biblical Scholar.  I have done NO in depth studies on Jesus, beyond my normal Bible study,  prayers and meditations. 

With that being said, I can recall hearing that old negro spiritual (written in 1937 by Rev. Cleavant Derricks) sung repeatedly as members of the congregation praised the image of a blue-eyed, blond-haired Jesus hanging on the church wall.  I remember always questioning that "image."  I was even more curious after taking a genetics class in college.  As I recall, the Instructor said the only way a white couple could conceive a black child is if there was a mixing of the races somewhere down the line so, it's conceivable that a great-great grandparent (or great-great-great grandparent) could've interacted with a person of color and it show up in their genetic make-up as time goes on (it was something to that effect).  SO........if that is in fact the case, how it is even possible that Jesus would be a blue-eyed, blond-haired European looking white man?  (The idea that Mary had an immaculate conception is a totally different discussion).

Furthermore, the King James version of the Bible clearly describes Jesus this way:  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; ¹⁵ And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.  (Revelation 1:14)

So let me ask you:  How many white men do you know who have hair like "wool"  That's what we call KINKY in the black community.  And if his feet look like they could have been burned in a furnace---that's clearly a DARKER skin tone.

Now we have many so-called white Christians in an outrage because people like Shaun King are calling for the blond-haired, blue-eyed images of Jesus to be removed. The question is why the anger?  If Jesus is supposed to be Lord and Savior of ALL, what difference does his color make? Why go to the extreme to portray an image that fits what you, as white America, want the World to buy into?  When you discover Jesus was not a blue-eyed, blond-haired European looking male, will you feel you can no longer serve the One who died for your sins?

White america needs a serious wake up call and it starts with having a little talk ABOUT Jesus and the systemic racism that infests their perception of "Christianity."  

Please Stop Apologizing White America

If you've noticed, there's a wave sweeping across the U.S.  I call it racial correctness.  It's like political correctness which is a term used to describe "language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offending, insulting or marginalizing people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against."  Since the televised murder of George Floyd, many (not ALL) whites are apologizing for "not understanding" "not seeing" or "turning a blind eye" to the injustices and suffering black people have experienced for more than 400 years.  Now, all of a sudden, they want to LISTEN.

Within days after Floyd's murder, I had white friends and acquaintances call, text or email me to see how I was doing and to ask what they could do to try to make a difference in bringing about change and ending racism.  (Perhaps you had the same experience if you are black).  The sad thing here is we have been begging and screaming for change for so long and it always seems to fall on deaf ears---until now.  Perhaps it took three very publicized murders (Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd) for whites to finally get the fact that police brutality against blacks is a very real thing and there is not such thing as "equal justice under the law" and white supremacists can gun down a black man while jogging on a public street and almost get away with murder.

Needless to say, emotions have been are raw on both sides. Social media platforms have been inundated with post after post and video after video of  hateful rhetoric, protesting, police brutalities that aren't covered on the news and apologies from people who finally woke up and understood what their white privilege really means.  Krista Vernoff, Grey's Anatomy Showrunner, told her Twitter fans that her white privilege kept her from having a criminal record:

"Between the ages of 11-22, my friends and I were chased and/or admonished by police on several occasions for drinking or doing illegal drugs on private property or in public.  I have no criminal record.  When I was 15, I was given 6 months probation for stealing thousand of dollars of merchandise from a Mall and was chased by police."

A number of companies, who count on the mighty black dollar, have been issuing public apologies:

Christene Barberich of Refinery29 posted this on Instagram:  I’d like to start by saying that I’ve read and taken in the raw and personal accounts of Black women and women of color regarding their experiences inside our company at Refinery29. And, what's clear from these experiences, is that R29 has to change. We have to do better, and that starts with making room. And, so I will be stepping aside in my role at R29 to help diversify our leadership in editorial and ensure this brand and the people it touches can spark a new defining chapter. 

Dolls Kill:  We fucked up. We should have been quicker + louder and this is what we r doing about it.

We all remember the apology Drew Brees was forced to make after he said he would never respect anyone who didn't stand for the flag or the national anthem and NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell went on ESPN and apologized for not listening to the players earlier on the subject of racism and Colin Kaepernick's peaceful protest back in 2016 that got him black balled by the league.

Here's my advice:  Just stop apologizing white america and start taking action.  As Mahatma Ghandi so eloquently put it:  Be the change you want to see in the world.

One more thing:  Why in the hell did it take Quaker Oats 131 years to have a wake-up call that the  the "Aunt Jemima" brand was purely RACIST?

Carolina Panthers and CPI Security End Partnership

BREAKING NEWS:  The Carolina Panthers have cut ties with longtime sponsor CPI Security after a racially insensitive email surfaced that was sent from the company's CEO

The Carolina Panthers have become the latest Organization to sever its ties with a Company who doesn't quite get the impact of George Floyd's murder at the hands of  white police officers and what the Black Lives Matter Movement is all about.

According to a published report by the Charlotte News and Observer, a community organizer in Charlotte, NC sent out a mass email to local groups and organizations calling for action after Floyd's death.  The CEO, Ken Gill decided to respond this way:

Please spend your time in a more productive way,” Gill said in an email, via the Observer. “A better use of time, would be to focus on the black on black crime and senseless killing of our young men by other young men.

“Have a great day, Ken Gill.”

Well, as I've heard many, many times before, good ol' boy Ken should've re-read that email or asked for a second opinion before he hit SEND.  After the email went viral, you know what happened next.  He issued the "Forgive me for being a misinformed white person" apology:

“Let me say that CPI, and I personally, stand against racism and discrimination of any kind, and we are actively supporting solutions like the new CMPD de-escalation training facility that will bring positive change to our community. I fully support the call for racial equality and justice in our community and our country,” Gill said. “We (at CPI) take a great deal of pride in our inclusive culture and in protecting the families and diverse communities we serve. I apologize if my comments did not reflect those values.”

His apology didn't help much because the Panthers decided to cut ties with the NC security company, along with Michael Jordan's Charlotte Hornets Basketball Team, the Charlotte Knights and Durham Bulls baseball teams and NC State.

I guess Mr. White Privilege will think twice before he decides to share his thoughts on racial injustice in this country.  But, obviously from his remarks, he doesn't see any.

Saturday Night Live Made History with Eddie Murphy

On December 22, 2019, Saturday Night Live made history!  That's right.  For the first time, the comedy TV show had more people of color in ONE EPISODE than its had since making its debut in 1975! Those of us who remember the early days of SNL only recall Garrett Morris as the "token" black and he wasn't really that funny (in my opinion). Then in comes Eddie Murphy, who showed us all what funny looked like from a talented young black man.  He introduced us to Mr. Robinson, Velvet Jones, Black Gumby, James Brown in a hot tub, Buckwheat, etc.  He also gave us great impressions of Stevie Wonder, (Little) Richard Simmons and Michael Jackson.

I was just starting my career as a radio journalist when Eddie made is debut. He always gave the morning DJ and me something to banter about after the news and he stayed true to form right from the beginning of his opening monologue on Saturday.  He had the audience rolling with his take on the state of the show since his departure.  He said, “This is the last episode of 2019, but if you're black, this is the first episode since I left in 1984.” And that was pretty much on point.  When Eddie left the show, it fell flat for me.  Several years later, they did bring in Chris Rock but the cast around him was lackluster (with the exception of Adam Sandler in my opinion) so I lost interest, as I'm sure many other blacks did too.

Perhaps the SNL executives knew they were making history when they featured Eddie standing alongside Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Tracey Morgan and Kenan Thompson.  (That's 5 black folks already!)  Then when you add Maya Rudolph, Michael Che, Ego Nwoodim, Chris Redd and if you count Bowen Yang, the first Chinese-American to appear on the show, you might've thought you were watching In Living Color (which by the way, was where the overwhelming number of black viewers migrated to when it made its debut in 1990).

So let me give you some facts you may not have known about the black cast of SNL:

Eddie Murphy was 19 years old when he joined the cast in 1980.  He was also one of the writers for the show.  His last episode as a regular was April 14, 1984.  

Garrett Morris was the only black person to be a part of the original Not Ready for Prime Time SNL cast from 1975-1980.  He reportedly complained that he had been typecast in stereotypical roles. 

The average age of the original 10 cast members was around 29.  Garrett Morris was 38.

On October 25, 2014 Leslie Jones became the oldest person to join the show as a cast member at the age of 47.  She auditioned for a role after criticizing the show for not having relatable black characters.

Tracy Morgan was a cast member from 1996 to 2003.

Danitra Vance became the first black woman to be hired as a repertory player in 1985---10 years after the show was already on the air!!!  She lasted one year.  Biggest complaint:  being stereotyped.  She died of cancer in 1994 at the age of 40.

Dan Aykroyd was a Canadian comedian who joined the Not Ready for Prime Time Players on SNL when it first aired in 1975.  He was also one of the writers, along with his brother, Peter, who joined the team in 1979.  But he only lasted one season.  

These days staying up much past 10:00 pm is a challenge (even on the weekends) but I was determined not to miss the return of Comedian/Actor Eddie Murphy as Host of Saturday Night Live's Christmas show.  When Murphy first appeared as a cast member on SNL, I was fresh out of college and just starting my career as a journalist.  It was exciting to see other young up and coming black professionals doing their thing in their respective fields.Saturday Night Live was MUST SEE TV back in the day because of Murphy. 

So now in my Boomer years I can say I got to see the first Black President AND TRUE DIVERSITY on Saturday Night Live.  That's History for me!

Why Go to an HBCU?

Let me start off by saying I DID NOT attend a Historically Black College/University (HBCU).  Howard was my first choice but I wasn't accepted so I went to the school that offered me the most scholarship money (Ohio University).

This blog post is inspired by a recent conversation I had with the Founder of Students2Scholars.  This program is designed to help minority students in public schools apply to and, hopefully, get accepted into private schools in our area. (I am a part of her academic advising team). This article isn't written to criticize the Founder but rather to show how her thinking is a good example of what well-meaning white folks really don't know about us and how, even with their good hearts, they can get things twisted.

During a telephone conversation we somehow got on the subject of her volunteering to register students to vote at an HBCU----North Carolina Central University (NCCU), where I presently work as a Professional Writing Consultant.

Founder:  You know I always wondered why anyone would go to an HBCU.  I mean if you're going to spend $20K or more on tuition, wouldn't you think they would want to spend it on a big name college or university. There's better opportunities for networking and connecting for jobs after graduation.  (We call them PWI's:  Predominately White Institutions).

Me:  If you knew the history of HBCU's you would know they were created because blacks weren't allowed to go to the other schools.  In order to further our education, that was the only choice we had.

Founder:  Oh, I understand that.  But I have to tell you I changed my opinion when I went onto the campus.  I got such a feeling of camaraderie amongst the students.  There was a true sense of activism and community and not like anything I ever experienced at my own alma mater.

Me:  I totally agree.  In hindsight I wish I had gone to an HBCU. But would I have been afforded the same opportunities to advance my journalism career as I had by going to OU?  Probably not because back in the day getting a journalism degree from Ohio University carried a lot more weight in the professional world than a degree in broadcast journalism from any HBCU in the country.  I got my first job because the  Program Director of the radio station where I applied was willing to take a chance on me because he knew of the school's reputation for producing quality candidates and I was the first black to work there.

After a few more exchanges we ended the conversation but I hung up thinking how this woman was trying to do her part in making a difference in the lives of others but she really had no clue of our struggle and the hurdles we have to jump over constantly just to prove we are worthy of an opportunity. But she's not alone.  As she has shared with me, a number of her friends see what they are doing as a "charitable cause" to help us advance in an unfair system but at the end of the day she, and many like her, remain blind to the challenges we are always facing professionally AND socially.

This is the same woman who told me she thought racism had ended when Barack Obama became President.  I kid you not!

Here are some other HBCU Facts she probably doesn't know:

60 percent of all Engineering degrees are earned by black students

70 percent of black dentists and physicians earned degrees from an HBCU

40 percent of blacks in Congress come from HBCU's

HBCU's  only have 1/8 of the average size of endowments that PWI's have

Cheyney University of PA was the first HBCU founded in 1837.

Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State), Samuel L. Jackson (Morehouse College), Taraji P. Henson (NC A&T/Howard University) and CHADWICK BOSEMAN, who graduated from Howard University in 1995 and went on to star in the Black Panther, which went on to become the top grossing superhero movie of all time!  (RIH)

These are just a few examples of what makes going to an HBCU so special.

New Survey Says Millennials are Feeling the Pressure of Adulthood

It's been awhile since I came across a survey that caught my attention but I just found one that was commissioned and released by by Farm Rich .  No surprise that there was a generational divide when it comes to exactly what it means to be an "adult."    

The new national survey indicates millennials put more pressure on themselves to reach adulthood as compared to baby boomers and GenX.  After the age of 26, millennials believe it becomes embarrassing if they aren't classified as full-fledged adults.  

So exactly what does it mean to reach that level  of "maturity"?   The top 10 signs according to the survey are:

1. Having a budget (55 percent)
2. Buying a house (54 percent)
3. Filing your own taxes (52 percent)
4. Understanding and monitoring your credit score (48 percent)
5. Investing in your 401(k) (46 percent)
6. Doing your own laundry (43 percent)
7. Scheduling regular doctors' appointments (38 percent)
8. Making a list to take when going to the grocery store (35 percent)
9. Cooking dinner most of Monday through Friday (33 percent)
10. Watching the nightly news (31 percent)

I wasn't a part of this survey but, for the record, I only do four of the above consistently.  How about you?

A couple of other interesting notes:

1:  When asked what's considered to be the "favorite" age in life, the average millennial said they'd like to be 23 for the rest of their lives, while baby boomers said 32.  

2:  Millennials believe frozen foods are a staple in the kitchen of adults and having vegetables, fruits and coffee are the top foods you need if you want to call yourself an adult.

So what is your reaction to this survey?  Do you agree with its findings?