Why Black History Month is in February

This is a question that I'm sure some think about come this time of year. Of course, the general consensus is because it is the shortest month of the year. Though this makes since, I have yet to find true evidence from credible sources backing this assumption. However, after having a conversation with one of my friends about this matter, we came to a conclusion that not only is Black History Month celebrated in February because it is the shortest month, but because it also has other occasions that take away from learning and appreciating Black achievement.

Distraction #1 Super Bowl - Every since the league gave teams two weeks to prepare for the Super Bowl, most of the games have been played in the first couple of days of February. Though this game only takes away a few days of Black History celebration, the problem lies in the commercials. The Super Bowl is a great platform for airing a commercial or 4 on Black History yet you rarely see one commercial that does so. Why?
Distraction #2 Valentines Day - The first half of the month is usually spent by people making or finding something to give their significant other for this day. This one day potentially overshadows two whole weeks of learning, realizing, and/or appreciating African-American achievement.
Distraction #3 Presidents Day - If you can recall your younger days in school, it was around this time that you were learning about the Presidents (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson...) and/or getting ready to perform a play about them. So this day took up another week that could have been used for celebrating Black achievement.

This leaves you with one week left in February. Ironically, Black History Month started out as Negro History Week...guess now you know why!

Seems like year after year this month goes by without any celebration or recognition of African-American achievement. A solution is to make people aware of this and do something about it. Bring up facts to co-workers, classmates, family members or anyone else you might have a casual conversation. "They're" only giving us [African-Americans] 28/29 days to celebrate so lets make the most of it and spread the knowledge so that it doesn't go to waste. Learn about a black achievement that occurred each and every day this month. Black History...365!

"I Make Black History Everyday, I don't Need a Month!" - K. West

Noose on Cover of Magazine

What is the US coming too? As Martin Luther King, Jr Day approaches, a golf magazine has decided to celebrate it by posting a noose on the cover of its' magazine. YES A NOOSE! This appalling image has to deal with the Kelly Tilgham comment she made about Tiger Woods (said the only way to beat Tiger is to "lynch him [Tiger Woods] in a back alley") and is an effort by the editor to bring attention to the lack of diversity in golf (Read the article).


I applaud the magazine (Golfweek) for discussing the issue, but putting a noose on the cover of your magazine to "draw attention" to this issue is highly offensive and shows a lack of creativity, critical thinking and diversity amongst the staff. My question: If it wasn't OK for Tilgham to make that comment about the noose, what make you think it's OK to put that image on your cover? I like how they make the effort to discuss the lack of diversity in golf, but the image of a noose on the cover only shows ignorance on Golfweek's behalf and instead of promoting "intellectual dialogue," it increases controversy and anger towards the subject and the magazine from people of many different races.

Happy Martin Luther King Day

Let's Just Blame Hip-Hop

Hip-hop, the scapegoat for violence, mistreatment of women and a host of other negative events, is once again coming under attack. This time, the blame is from law enforcement officials in Colorado Springs. Police there believe hip-hop music is the cause for the rise in murders in that area (Click here for the article).

Personally, I think this is BS and I am sick of hearing about people blaming hip-hop for the world's problems. A couple of people get shot outside of a club or after an altercation at a club, and one points the finger at the music they were listening to. You mean to tell me the fact that the guy was (or could have been) intoxicated, high, had a short temper, mad because every girl he tried to talk to basically played him off, has a criminal record, and/or is CRAZY has nothing to do with him killing someone? And how can you blame hip-hop for increased violence when it played no role in any of the violent killing sprees that happened at schools or in other certain areas?

This is BS!! How is an individual no longer held accountable for their actions but instead an entire culture is to blame? You want to put the blame on something how bout the news. All you hear/see on that is 10 mins of violence or other criminal acts, 6 mins of weather, 6 mins of sports, 2 mins of good news, and then commercials. Or how bout movies, you never hear anything about how violent movies are. But I guess I can see how law enforcement is looking at this situation...why blame one black person when you can blame thousands?

But that's enough about my opinion what do y'all think?

No thanks, I don't drink!

"No thanks, I don't drink!" This was the phrase I used everyday during my summer in the DC metro area. Yet, instead of just being left alone, I usually received a puzzling look and then was either bombarded by a lot of questions about my non-drinking habits or urged to drink. The questions I don't really mind, but the look...come on now. Don't give me no dumb look when I tell you I don't drink, like I just committed a crime or something. Last time I checked, drinking isn't good for your body and me not doing that should be a good thing, but i guess to some it isn't. After telling someone this, the main question they always asked was "Why don't you drink?" I'm no stranger to this question so I already have a prepared response for that, "I don't have a need to, why do you?" I have a harsher response, but that's only for those future alcoholics.

For all my non-drinkers out there, this is very important. If your ever asked the question, "Why?" answer it, but always end with why do you? They never have a good response for it. I no I no, its hard to find other non-drinkers out there and hard to find fun places to meet new people. It's a shame. It seems like there's nothing that people can do without involving alcohol. Companies have sponsored happy hours on and off the job, social groups have sponsored bar nights, can't go to a party without there being alcohol or drunk people, can't even go to a restaurant with friends without people buying drinks. Seems like the only place to possibly find non-drinkers is church. But we're out there. We're just very...very hard to find.

Now I don't knock anyone that drinks, about 95% of my friends drink, and I got mad love for my friends. But that's cool, do what you do I'm not gonna judge you, but please if I say I don't drink, don't look at me dumb, respect it and let's move on. But if you can give me a great reason on why to drink, I would love to hear it.

You Don't Bring Me Flowers

Ok ladies, what is the big deal with receiving flowers? They die! Why would you want a gift that dies? These things were cute back in elementary and middle school when your "sweetheart" would give you some flowers that he picked from the ground during recess, but now, flowers are just pointless! Every gift has a meaning, and I would be very skeptical about receiving a gift that is going to die in a week or two. Maybe it's just me. If I give a female some flowers, that's like giving her a 2 week notice. I'm basically saying that we're going to have 2 weeks of romance and then...it's over. I mean, flowers are supposed to symbolize love or something like that right? So what does that say about your love...its only going to last a couple of weeks? I mean, if someone is sick and at a hospital, flowers have got to be the worst thing to give them. What are you trying to say "Here, I brought you some flowers that are going to die just like you!" They're just pointless. Men, give a gift that will last for longer than two weeks, not something that is going to give her an instant rush of joy, but then a few days later when they start to wilt, she ain't thinking bout them no more. Ladies, please don't make it a big deal if a guy refuses to buy you flowers. They may look pretty and make your friends envious, but they die...quickly!

Need a Hot 16? Pick One of These Guys

This year, a lot of artist have been killing tracks with their hot 16 bars on a song they were featured on our a remix. But who's the best artist delivering the illest bars...glad u asked! Here's my top 5.

*NOTE: This is not a list of my favorite artist, but a list of the artist that have spit the hottest 16 bars consistently on a track and/or are killing remixes for the year of 2007.*

1. R. Kelly - It's Me Snitches Remix, Make It Rain Remix...and a host of others too long to list

• Need someone that will always deliver, add smooth R&B, but street, vocals and a grimey track, and make the tack successful with R&B listeners and ladies, you can only call one man...The R! Kelz has steadily delivered on every track, and can turn the worst song into a club banga with him on the remix! I mean come on now, the R stands for Re..Remix!

2. T- Pain - I'm a Flirt Remix, Same Girl Remix, Pop Lock and Drop it Remix, 2 Step Remix

• "When I pull up to the club all the shawty's be like...." yea you can finish that lyric yourself! Let's face, dude has been killing the '07 remixes. You can't go in a club without hearing a track featuring "Teddy Pend Her A** Down." Though overall, he is very weak lyrically, something bout them synthesized vocals just gets the party started!

3. Andre 3000 - Walk it Out Remix, International Player's Anthem

• "Walk it out like Usher, if ya say real talk I probably won't trust ya..." He murdered that first verse to DJ Unk's "Walk it Out Remix." Andre is know for doing his thing with Outkast but this year he's delivered some of the hottest 16 bars heard on a track. And his feature on UGK's International Players Anthem, two words...BA NANAS! This is definitely a go to guy if you want someone with great wordplay and vocabulary on your hip-hop track, but if you want to keep it gangsta on your record, then this next guy is who you want!

4. Lil Wayne - It's Me Snitches Remix, We're Taking Over, Make It Rain Remix...to name a few

• Personally, I don't like his albums (not talking about the mixtapes) and don't know what all the fuss is about with this guy, but he has been killing remixes and other tracks with hot 16's. '07 was Weezy F Baby's year, as you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing his voice, and he was crushing every track he was featured on. Now I would put Weezy higher, but the other guy's ahead of him killed it this year.
  

5. T.I. - I'm A Flirt Remix, We're Taking Over

• Now, I really don't think TIP is deserving of this list because on the real, he hasn't been spitting hot 16's. I mean, Weezy murdered him on "We're Taking Over", and T-Pain's verse was better than his on "I'm a Flirt." However, he is the self proclaimed Kind of the South, so it's kinda hard not to put him on the list.
  

Michael Vick: Innocent Until Proven Guilty...right?

On last Thursday, Mike Vick pleaded "not guilty" to the crime of dog fighting. He then issued a statement, through his lawyer that mentioned how he knows the crimes against him are "serious" and how he hopes to "clear his good name." Unfortunately, the way the media, companies, certain groups, and people are judging him, you would think the man has already been sentenced when in actuality, his court proceedings are months away. His endorsement deals have been frozen, the NFL has suspended him from training camp, his merchandise has been pulled from stores, and a vast majority of people have already tried him in their minds, and this all stems from allegations. Allegations! Allegations?! We're talking about allegations! Not the trial, not convictions...allegations!

This is an o to familiar thing for people (in general) to judge before one has been convicted of anything. Even Jesus Christ went through this. He was persecuted and judged by all types of people, and he NEVER committed a sin, EVER! Come on people. But, this is why I’m not surprised that Vick is receiving all this negative publicity and judgment. The sad thing is, is that you don't hear anything about how giving he is especially to his old Hampton Roads community. No, they don't want to publicize that. They might want to put that on local news for 5 secs, but that's about it. But that's ok, because on the real...MIKE VICK WILL WALK!

As of the time of this blog, there is no credible evidence against him besides the fact that he purchased the home. As of now, there is no video evidence against him, no pictures, just a document that speaks of his involvement. Of course this information came from his friends that turned their backs against Vick and accused him of involvement (probably thinking to get a lesser sentence). Then, the feds were able to get one of Vicks co-defendants to plead guilty so they can use him to testify against Vick. But that won't work. The only way Vick can lose is if there is visual evidence of him at the scene of the dogfights with the money (since they claim he funded it) AND a paper trial that leads to Vick financing everything. As of now, all they have against him is that he purchased the home, which does make him guilty of negligence. Even if they thought that this man was guilty and had great evidence against him, why is he free without even having a bail set? And why hasn’t his mug shot picture been released, since the media is so quick to put information like that out there?

INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY...right?