Now I had no grand delusions about being mayor of Durham. Mayor Bell winning, especially after gettin' props from Obama, was a no brainer for everybody. (Except for maybe Councilman Stith.)
Even if I would, by some miracle, have won the election, ya'll know that I would have been impeached before the next council meeting.
(Holding up the Black Power Fist at the inauguration wouldn't have set to well with some folks)
But what I hoped to do was raise the issues and maybe put all of that "get tough on crime" talk into a proper perspective.
I wonder do the citizens of Durham know how close they had come to living in a police state?
Although there has been a lot of talk about gangs in Durham, in reality, there are really only two gangs that run America, the Democrats and the Republicans and they ain't sharin' power with "nobody."
What is unfortunate is that black youth and the less affluent are still pretty much in the same boat they were in before the election.
The poor will still be poor and the voices that aren't heard, still won't be heard.
Yeah, I was able to raise some issues in the media and on a couple of debates but for the most part I was the victim of a media black out.
As usual, as far as the News and Observer, Independent, News 14 and WRAL go, I am the invisible dude.
"Maybe if we ignore him, he'll just go away"
But it's not really about me, it's about what I represent:
The Black man who is not afraid to point out the obvious: In 2007 Black folks still ain't free.
My hope is that maybe I inspired some young black brother or sister to get involved in this community and not accept second class citizenship. Maybe I inspired somebody to speak out against injustice and things that they see are wrong in Durham.
No, I didn't win but at the end of the day is Durham a better place because of people like me who raise the tough issues?
You're darn right!
So I conclude the 2007 Cut the Bull Campaign with my new rap...
"In Durham they say we gang bang
Herald Sun/Observer it's the same thang
'less we're shootin' they don't know our names
Guess that's the only way we gain fame"
Word to tha mother.....
The Hip Hop Howard Beale has left the building....
