I am scheduled to be on WLTH 1370AM in Gary IN 6/30 at 9PM EST. We will be discussing "Should Black Folks Celebrate July 4th?"
To listen live:
http://www.wlth1370am.com/index.html
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Fakin' the Funk for the 4th
Fakin' the Funk for the 4th:
Should Black Folks Celebrate?
Paul Scott
"We wear the mask that grins and lies."
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Back in '92, Hip Hop group, Main Source recorded "Fakin' the Funk." Although the intent of the song was to diss wack rappers who weren't "keepin' it real," it could also apply to the millions of black folks who will be celebrating "Independence Day" this July 4th.
Every year, black folks, drink more beer, eat more barbecue and fire off more fireworks than everybody else in honor of a holiday that isn't even about them. Many have not stopped once to ask themselves, why we celebrate holidays that have nothing even remotely to do with the African experience.
Historians trace the genesis of the problem back to slavery times when the enslaved Africans were not required to work on some holidays. So as one writer put it, even in 2009, for black folks, psychologically, we reenact Emancipation Day every weekend and holiday. However, we must never confuse a day off work with historical accuracy.
This may come as a shock for some but black folks weren't free in 1776. Matter of fact, it wasn't until four score and five years later that Abe Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation.
Also, it must be noted that black folks gained nothing from the America's victory over the British. Matter of fact, Lerone Bennet writes in his book "Before the Mayflower" that a Lord Dunmore, former governor of colonial Virginia, issued a proclamation on November 5, 1775 promising freedom to all male slaves willing to fight for England. This was 86 years before Lincoln "freed" the slaves in states that were rebelling against the Union.
Not to mention that Britain abolished slavery in 1833 and it was not until 30 years later that slavery was abolished in America.
While some may argue that Independence Day is not about slavery but the higher ideals of Freedom, Justice and the Pursuit of Happiness that is another lie that has been repeated so much that people accept it as religious dogma.
In Eric Williams' book "Capitalism and Slavery" he states very clearly that the Revolutionary War was based on economics; American sovereignty versus British imperialism. According to Williams, the main source of the conflict was the control of the West Indian sugar and molasses trade. Dr. Ishakamusa Barashango in his work "Afrikan People and European Holidays: A Mental Genocide Vol II" writes that the American colonists needed the molasses to make rum that was used to exchange for slaves on the West African coast.
So, why in 2009, will even the most educated African Americans so vehemently defend their compulsions to celebrate a false holiday?
Part of the problem is the belief that in order to "make it" in American society, we have to "go along to get along." Unfortunately, many of us do not have the courage exhibited by the children in the Emperor's New Clothes fable to tell his royal highness that not only was he butt naked but a slave owner as well, figuratively speaking.
So every year, they put on Dunbar's "mask that grins and lies" and sit down at 4th of July picnic tables, gobbling down as many hot dogs as they can stomach.
What WEB DuBois referred to as a "double consciousness" having to be both African and American, psychologists would call schizophrenic behavior.
White folks also have a psychological disorder when dealing with black people as James Baldwin expressed in his writings.
When we wanted to be down with their program they wouldn't let us but when we rejected their program they called us "divisive" and "reverse racists." So the implied threat behind bumper stickers that read "America: Love it or Leave it" is enough to beat most black folks into psychological submission.
So, beyond the historical contradictions, the celebration of the 4th of July is problematic on several different levels.
From an economic standpoint, it is amazing how, in the midst of this country's economic woes, black folks will still find the funds to throw a 4th of July bash for the homies. The same father who can't afford to buy his child a black history book that may benefit him for the rest of his life will, quickly, fork over 50 bucks for firecrackers that go up in smoke in seconds.
What is most disturbing is the hypocrisy that Independence Day revelers exhibit when addressing the younger generation.
I find it ironic that the same black folks who will berate the youth for their justification of using the dreaded "N" word by saying that they are "redefining the meaning to stand for something positive" have no problem redefining history so they can justify getting their party on July 4th.
Also, although the old heads will criticize rappers for coming up with outlandish hood tales just to sell cds they will rewrite history to give black folks Independence when they were still picking cotton.
Now, some will argue that the fact that we have a black president is reason to celebrate this year, in and of itself.
However, based on the way Obamas are constantly being dissed by the right wing conservatives you would think that they were just a foot off the plantation, themselves.
We must realize that true Freedom is independence of mind, body and spirit.
How many racist anti-Obama emails do black folks have to get in their email boxes before they admit that the road to their Freedom and Independence is still under construction ?
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/
He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Should Black Folks Celebrate?
Paul Scott
"We wear the mask that grins and lies."
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Back in '92, Hip Hop group, Main Source recorded "Fakin' the Funk." Although the intent of the song was to diss wack rappers who weren't "keepin' it real," it could also apply to the millions of black folks who will be celebrating "Independence Day" this July 4th.
Every year, black folks, drink more beer, eat more barbecue and fire off more fireworks than everybody else in honor of a holiday that isn't even about them. Many have not stopped once to ask themselves, why we celebrate holidays that have nothing even remotely to do with the African experience.
Historians trace the genesis of the problem back to slavery times when the enslaved Africans were not required to work on some holidays. So as one writer put it, even in 2009, for black folks, psychologically, we reenact Emancipation Day every weekend and holiday. However, we must never confuse a day off work with historical accuracy.
This may come as a shock for some but black folks weren't free in 1776. Matter of fact, it wasn't until four score and five years later that Abe Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation.
Also, it must be noted that black folks gained nothing from the America's victory over the British. Matter of fact, Lerone Bennet writes in his book "Before the Mayflower" that a Lord Dunmore, former governor of colonial Virginia, issued a proclamation on November 5, 1775 promising freedom to all male slaves willing to fight for England. This was 86 years before Lincoln "freed" the slaves in states that were rebelling against the Union.
Not to mention that Britain abolished slavery in 1833 and it was not until 30 years later that slavery was abolished in America.
While some may argue that Independence Day is not about slavery but the higher ideals of Freedom, Justice and the Pursuit of Happiness that is another lie that has been repeated so much that people accept it as religious dogma.
In Eric Williams' book "Capitalism and Slavery" he states very clearly that the Revolutionary War was based on economics; American sovereignty versus British imperialism. According to Williams, the main source of the conflict was the control of the West Indian sugar and molasses trade. Dr. Ishakamusa Barashango in his work "Afrikan People and European Holidays: A Mental Genocide Vol II" writes that the American colonists needed the molasses to make rum that was used to exchange for slaves on the West African coast.
So, why in 2009, will even the most educated African Americans so vehemently defend their compulsions to celebrate a false holiday?
Part of the problem is the belief that in order to "make it" in American society, we have to "go along to get along." Unfortunately, many of us do not have the courage exhibited by the children in the Emperor's New Clothes fable to tell his royal highness that not only was he butt naked but a slave owner as well, figuratively speaking.
So every year, they put on Dunbar's "mask that grins and lies" and sit down at 4th of July picnic tables, gobbling down as many hot dogs as they can stomach.
What WEB DuBois referred to as a "double consciousness" having to be both African and American, psychologists would call schizophrenic behavior.
White folks also have a psychological disorder when dealing with black people as James Baldwin expressed in his writings.
When we wanted to be down with their program they wouldn't let us but when we rejected their program they called us "divisive" and "reverse racists." So the implied threat behind bumper stickers that read "America: Love it or Leave it" is enough to beat most black folks into psychological submission.
So, beyond the historical contradictions, the celebration of the 4th of July is problematic on several different levels.
From an economic standpoint, it is amazing how, in the midst of this country's economic woes, black folks will still find the funds to throw a 4th of July bash for the homies. The same father who can't afford to buy his child a black history book that may benefit him for the rest of his life will, quickly, fork over 50 bucks for firecrackers that go up in smoke in seconds.
What is most disturbing is the hypocrisy that Independence Day revelers exhibit when addressing the younger generation.
I find it ironic that the same black folks who will berate the youth for their justification of using the dreaded "N" word by saying that they are "redefining the meaning to stand for something positive" have no problem redefining history so they can justify getting their party on July 4th.
Also, although the old heads will criticize rappers for coming up with outlandish hood tales just to sell cds they will rewrite history to give black folks Independence when they were still picking cotton.
Now, some will argue that the fact that we have a black president is reason to celebrate this year, in and of itself.
However, based on the way Obamas are constantly being dissed by the right wing conservatives you would think that they were just a foot off the plantation, themselves.
We must realize that true Freedom is independence of mind, body and spirit.
How many racist anti-Obama emails do black folks have to get in their email boxes before they admit that the road to their Freedom and Independence is still under construction ?
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/
He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Facing the Fallacy of the Fourth
Facing the Fallacy of the Fourth:
Why Should Blacks Celebrate ?
Paul Scott
Call me an iconoclastic, hater but I don't celebrate Independence Day. When the kids next door set off firecrackers late into the night, I'm the dude who calls 911 to report a noise ordinance violation.
It's not that I have a problem with folks getting the day off from work, heading to the beach and stuffing themselves with hot dogs. But as a black, African American, person of color or however you want to describe a decedent of enslaved Africans, I think that the whole shebang is highly overrated.
Sure, white folks can sing songs about bombs bursting in air but at the time when said bombs were exploding, my ancestors were picking cotton in the hot Carolina sun.
As a matter of full disclosure, I've never prided myself as the all American boy type. I hate baseball and even the thought of apple pie makes me nauseous. So my view of American history may be cynical at best. Black folks were not free in 1776, did not have full citizenship in 1876, were still fighting for equal rights in 1976 and if the right wing conservatives have their way, 2076 ain't looking too promising.
My disdain for the Fourth of July is not based on a mere political ideology but historical accuracy. It was not until four score and five years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence that Abe Lincoln delivered his Emancipation Proclamation and a century later Dr. Martin Luther King was still dreaming of equal rights for African Americans.
The real truth that should be self evident is, although all men may have been created equal, the United States did not even begin to embrace this concept until the late 1960's.
Historically speaking, not until slavery became less economically viable did the "peculiar institution" end in America.
Black folks gained nothing from the Revolutionary War. Since England abolished slavery in 1833, it is reasonable to assume that if the British would have won the war slavery would have ended 30 years earlier.
Some will argue that the election of Barack Obama as this country's first black president is reason, in and of itself, for black folks to celebrate the 4th. After all, isn't this a sign that we are finally one nation?
Well, somebody needs to tell that to Right Wing talking heads .
With the way that Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the rest of that bunch have treated both Barack and Michelle Obama since the election, it seems that the First Family are just one foot off the plantation, themselves.
But yet, you can bet on July 4th you will have a bunch of drunk black folks stumbling around in red, white and blue top hats slurring the words to "My Country Tis of Thee."
How many racist anti-Obama emails do black folks have to get in their email in boxes before they realize that even in 2009, the road to Freedom is still under construction ?
The saddest part of the whole ordeal is the message that we are sending young black children when we encourage them to celebrate Independence Day. Instead of teaching our children to think critically, we are forcing them to accept a blatantly false version of history without examining the facts. How can we teach them to value education when the foundation of the United State's educational system is based on a 200 year old lie that had a holiday formed around it. To teach young black children to celebrate Independence Day is intellectually, criminal.
So, go ahead white America, enjoy your day in the sun. But as an African American, I close with the immortal words that the great abolitionist Frederick Douglas delivered to a predominately white audience in 1852:
"This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn."
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Why Should Blacks Celebrate ?
Paul Scott
Call me an iconoclastic, hater but I don't celebrate Independence Day. When the kids next door set off firecrackers late into the night, I'm the dude who calls 911 to report a noise ordinance violation.
It's not that I have a problem with folks getting the day off from work, heading to the beach and stuffing themselves with hot dogs. But as a black, African American, person of color or however you want to describe a decedent of enslaved Africans, I think that the whole shebang is highly overrated.
Sure, white folks can sing songs about bombs bursting in air but at the time when said bombs were exploding, my ancestors were picking cotton in the hot Carolina sun.
As a matter of full disclosure, I've never prided myself as the all American boy type. I hate baseball and even the thought of apple pie makes me nauseous. So my view of American history may be cynical at best. Black folks were not free in 1776, did not have full citizenship in 1876, were still fighting for equal rights in 1976 and if the right wing conservatives have their way, 2076 ain't looking too promising.
My disdain for the Fourth of July is not based on a mere political ideology but historical accuracy. It was not until four score and five years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence that Abe Lincoln delivered his Emancipation Proclamation and a century later Dr. Martin Luther King was still dreaming of equal rights for African Americans.
The real truth that should be self evident is, although all men may have been created equal, the United States did not even begin to embrace this concept until the late 1960's.
Historically speaking, not until slavery became less economically viable did the "peculiar institution" end in America.
Black folks gained nothing from the Revolutionary War. Since England abolished slavery in 1833, it is reasonable to assume that if the British would have won the war slavery would have ended 30 years earlier.
Some will argue that the election of Barack Obama as this country's first black president is reason, in and of itself, for black folks to celebrate the 4th. After all, isn't this a sign that we are finally one nation?
Well, somebody needs to tell that to Right Wing talking heads .
With the way that Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the rest of that bunch have treated both Barack and Michelle Obama since the election, it seems that the First Family are just one foot off the plantation, themselves.
But yet, you can bet on July 4th you will have a bunch of drunk black folks stumbling around in red, white and blue top hats slurring the words to "My Country Tis of Thee."
How many racist anti-Obama emails do black folks have to get in their email in boxes before they realize that even in 2009, the road to Freedom is still under construction ?
The saddest part of the whole ordeal is the message that we are sending young black children when we encourage them to celebrate Independence Day. Instead of teaching our children to think critically, we are forcing them to accept a blatantly false version of history without examining the facts. How can we teach them to value education when the foundation of the United State's educational system is based on a 200 year old lie that had a holiday formed around it. To teach young black children to celebrate Independence Day is intellectually, criminal.
So, go ahead white America, enjoy your day in the sun. But as an African American, I close with the immortal words that the great abolitionist Frederick Douglas delivered to a predominately white audience in 1852:
"This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn."
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Rest in Uhuru: Wallace Hotada Frances
A good friend and mentor of mine, Bro. Hotada passed last week. He was known across the country for helping members of the younger generation think critically about black history.
Bro. Hotada was my mentor for the last 17 years and much of my writing style is a direct result of his teachings.
May the Creator bless his family and his memory.
Bro. Hotada was my mentor for the last 17 years and much of my writing style is a direct result of his teachings.
May the Creator bless his family and his memory.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Natural Born Killaz
Natural Born Killaz:
Hip Hop and the Gangsta Gene
Min. Paul Scott
"I am a nightmare walking, psychopath talking
King of my jungle just a gangster stalking"
Colors- Ice T
Back in '94 Dr. Dre and Ice Cube did a video for "Natural Born Killaz" that gave the viewer a glimpse into the mind of a psychopath. While Hip Hop fans were bobbing their heads to the beat, little did they know that the homicidal rantings were mirroring scientific research.
Earlier this month, news reports surfaced that scientists are suggesting that gangsta-ism is not solely based on socio-eceonomic conditions but genetic abnormalities.
According to a study conducted at Florida State University's College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, "Boys who carry a particular variation of the gene Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), sometimes called the "warrior gene," are more likely not only to join gangs but also to be among the most violent members and to use weapons."
http://www.fsu.edu/news/2009/06/05/warrior.gene/
I can just imagine the scientists chillin' in the lab with the Geto Boys' "Mind of a Lunatic" pumpin' over the intercom while they wrote their research papers.
The data for the report was gathered from the The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, that gathered the information from "a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7-12 in the United States during the 1994-95 school year," according to the organization's website.
http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/addhealth
And all this time we thought the fascination with gangsta-ism started when Snoop Dog first did the Crip Walk at the Source Awards.
Although, the linking of genetics with gang bangin' may be new, the efforts of white folks to try to use science to justify things such as racial superiority go back more than a century.
There are many who have used Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution as proof of the Caucasian's superiority over other races.
In his book "The Ice Man Inheritance," Michael Bradley argues that while Darwin's work may have been published too close to the end of slavery to have made an impact he writes ,"I have always considered it a sobering thought that had Darwin's "Origins of Species" been published a decade earlier, the US might still be afflicted with slavery today."
There have also been studies trying to link genetics with criminal behavior dating back decades. As far back as 1968 there was an article in Time Magazine, "Chromosomes and Crime," that discussed the issue of criminal behavior and genetic abnormalities.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,841254,00.html
Harriet Washington, author of the book "Medical Apartheid" explores an earlier study to link XYY syndrome with criminal behavior. While she discounts the theory of the criminal gene, she writes that even if there is such a thing as a XYY chromosome indicator for criminal behavior it is "a white one; not a black one found more commonly in white men then blacks."
But we must be very clear, the current discussion of the warrior gene is not about what makes white men sell other races into slavery nor what makes some of them put on white sheets and terrorize black people, this study is about a gangsta culture that has been mostly attributed to black and Latino youth.
So we are not talking about scientific facts but a public perception and its link to popular culture and life in the hood.
It has already been discussed, at length, how violence and misogyny in Hip Hop may contribute to methods of social control such as the disproportionate incarceration of black and Latino males but when you throw genetics into the mix, you venture into the ugly world of eugenics.
As Washington writes in Medical Apartheid, "eugenicists promulgated the weeding out of undesirable elements by discouraging or preventing the birth of children with bad genetic profiles."
In a time when cities across the country are, desperately, trying to find ways to stop "gang violence," this could easily lead to calls for genocide for the common good of the community. Desperate people do desperate things.
But this may already be happening.
Could the easy access to firearms, the crack epidemic and the brainwashing of black youth by commercialized Hip Hop all be part of plot to remove undesirables from the planet?
History has recorded plots just as evil.
If there is such a thing as a "warrior gene", could not that gene have been present in those who joined "gangs" to fight against slavery and injustice from Nat Turner and Toussaint L'overture to Malcolm X and Huey P Newton? So, the study could be killing two birds with one stone.
We must realize that Foundations do not donate millions of dollars without rhyme or reason. They do it to supply information that will be used to develop public policy. These policy makers are not trying to analyze the minds of white men who tie black men to the back of pickup trucks and drag them down the back roads of Texas, they are trying to come to a scientific conclusion as to why "O Dog" blasted the Korean grocers in Menace II Society and how to prevent it from ever happening again.
If innocent "inner city" babies perish in the effort to stop gangs; so be it
Even as you read this there are those who are meeting to discover ways to get rid of gangsta fetuses before they become OG's.
Min. Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Hip Hop and the Gangsta Gene
Min. Paul Scott
"I am a nightmare walking, psychopath talking
King of my jungle just a gangster stalking"
Colors- Ice T
Back in '94 Dr. Dre and Ice Cube did a video for "Natural Born Killaz" that gave the viewer a glimpse into the mind of a psychopath. While Hip Hop fans were bobbing their heads to the beat, little did they know that the homicidal rantings were mirroring scientific research.
Earlier this month, news reports surfaced that scientists are suggesting that gangsta-ism is not solely based on socio-eceonomic conditions but genetic abnormalities.
According to a study conducted at Florida State University's College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, "Boys who carry a particular variation of the gene Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), sometimes called the "warrior gene," are more likely not only to join gangs but also to be among the most violent members and to use weapons."
http://www.fsu.edu/news/2009/06/05/warrior.gene/
I can just imagine the scientists chillin' in the lab with the Geto Boys' "Mind of a Lunatic" pumpin' over the intercom while they wrote their research papers.
The data for the report was gathered from the The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, that gathered the information from "a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7-12 in the United States during the 1994-95 school year," according to the organization's website.
http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/addhealth
And all this time we thought the fascination with gangsta-ism started when Snoop Dog first did the Crip Walk at the Source Awards.
Although, the linking of genetics with gang bangin' may be new, the efforts of white folks to try to use science to justify things such as racial superiority go back more than a century.
There are many who have used Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution as proof of the Caucasian's superiority over other races.
In his book "The Ice Man Inheritance," Michael Bradley argues that while Darwin's work may have been published too close to the end of slavery to have made an impact he writes ,"I have always considered it a sobering thought that had Darwin's "Origins of Species" been published a decade earlier, the US might still be afflicted with slavery today."
There have also been studies trying to link genetics with criminal behavior dating back decades. As far back as 1968 there was an article in Time Magazine, "Chromosomes and Crime," that discussed the issue of criminal behavior and genetic abnormalities.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,841254,00.html
Harriet Washington, author of the book "Medical Apartheid" explores an earlier study to link XYY syndrome with criminal behavior. While she discounts the theory of the criminal gene, she writes that even if there is such a thing as a XYY chromosome indicator for criminal behavior it is "a white one; not a black one found more commonly in white men then blacks."
But we must be very clear, the current discussion of the warrior gene is not about what makes white men sell other races into slavery nor what makes some of them put on white sheets and terrorize black people, this study is about a gangsta culture that has been mostly attributed to black and Latino youth.
So we are not talking about scientific facts but a public perception and its link to popular culture and life in the hood.
It has already been discussed, at length, how violence and misogyny in Hip Hop may contribute to methods of social control such as the disproportionate incarceration of black and Latino males but when you throw genetics into the mix, you venture into the ugly world of eugenics.
As Washington writes in Medical Apartheid, "eugenicists promulgated the weeding out of undesirable elements by discouraging or preventing the birth of children with bad genetic profiles."
In a time when cities across the country are, desperately, trying to find ways to stop "gang violence," this could easily lead to calls for genocide for the common good of the community. Desperate people do desperate things.
But this may already be happening.
Could the easy access to firearms, the crack epidemic and the brainwashing of black youth by commercialized Hip Hop all be part of plot to remove undesirables from the planet?
History has recorded plots just as evil.
If there is such a thing as a "warrior gene", could not that gene have been present in those who joined "gangs" to fight against slavery and injustice from Nat Turner and Toussaint L'overture to Malcolm X and Huey P Newton? So, the study could be killing two birds with one stone.
We must realize that Foundations do not donate millions of dollars without rhyme or reason. They do it to supply information that will be used to develop public policy. These policy makers are not trying to analyze the minds of white men who tie black men to the back of pickup trucks and drag them down the back roads of Texas, they are trying to come to a scientific conclusion as to why "O Dog" blasted the Korean grocers in Menace II Society and how to prevent it from ever happening again.
If innocent "inner city" babies perish in the effort to stop gangs; so be it
Even as you read this there are those who are meeting to discover ways to get rid of gangsta fetuses before they become OG's.
Min. Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com
TRUTH Minista on in Boston
I am scheduled to be on Drumbeat (WRBB 104.9FM) with Bro Sile Sunday 6/21 to discuss
"The Gangsta Gene." The program starts at 10AM EST but my segment is set for 10:30AM .
To listen live:
http://wrbbradio.org/index.php?n=listen
"The Gangsta Gene." The program starts at 10AM EST but my segment is set for 10:30AM .
To listen live:
http://wrbbradio.org/index.php?n=listen
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Audio For TRUTH Minista Kansas City Interview
To hear the 96.5 interview regarding Juneteenth: Emancipate the Airwaves, click on the link below under the third archived story from 6/16:
http://blogs.965thebuzz.com/lazlo/2009/06/16/tuesday-june-16th-2009/
http://blogs.965thebuzz.com/lazlo/2009/06/16/tuesday-june-16th-2009/
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
TRUTH Minista on in Kansas City
I am scheduled to be on 96.5 FM in Kansas City,KS at 6/16 at 5:30 EST to discuss the Emancipation of the Airwaves Campaign.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Time to Emancipate the Airwaves:
Time to Emancipate the Airwaves:
The Airwave Abolition Movement
Paul Scott
Back in 1865, two years and some change after Abe Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, the slaves in Texas finally got the memo that chattel slavery had been abolished. Better late than never I suppose. However, if the right wing talking heads had their way, black folks would still be picking cotton in 2009.
Next week , marks the beginning of Juneteenth week (June 15-19th) a time when African Americans celebrate the end of the last vestiges of that peculiar institution. It is a time to celebrate the freedoms of this country that were so long denied African Americans.
But some things are still in bondage; the airwaves.
While this country prides itself as being a diverse melting pot of ideals and a plethora of differing opinions, the airwaves have long been dominated by a right wing conspiracy to control all conversations concerning race, class and all things political.
There is not a city in America where you can't hear the melodramatic, melodious voice of Rush Limbaugh taking shots at the Left or Sean Hannity's arrogant whine espousing the doctrine of Conservative white world domination.
What is rarely discussed is the amount of political power that comes with the privilege of having unlimited access to the airwaves.
So when Rush Limbaugh says that he hopes President Obama fails, he ain't just whistlin' Dixie. He has the ability to galvanize millions of Rush-o-holics to do his evil biddings and make his anti-Obama dream turn into reality.
Despite the Right's wolf crying of victimization since the last election, make no mistake about it, the hand that controls the golden microphone rules the world.
It is past time that we seize control of the airwaves and I cannot think of a better time to do it than Juneteenth (the Black Independence Day.)
Although the Conservatives have had their panties in a bunch over the possible reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine (or similar legislation) that will allow folks like me to verbally pimp slap the smirk off of Bill O'Reilly's face every time he disses Hip Hop, this has not been a major topic in the African American community.
Also, many African Americans are totally in the dark when it comes to understanding the possible impact of a FCC Diversity Advisory Committee that could have Shaka Zulu's "Black Power Hour" going head to head with Mike Savage's "Savage Nation."
While this lack of information may be dismissed by the Right Wing as evidence that black folks would rather listen to Lil Wayne songs instead of the news, in reality, the ultra Conservative media have abused their powers to control the dissemination of information.
But no more!
Black folks need some Affirmative Action airtime.
We have to teach members of the Right a lesson that they should have learned back in kindergarten. Sometimes you have to share your toys.
This Juneteenth , the black community will start an underground railroad to get the information out about the various initiatives to insure African American access to the airwaves. The word will spread from city to city that there are new initiatives available under the Obama administration that could level the media playing field.
It is imperative that members of the African American community use the week of June 15th to contact their Congress folks and demand that the Fairness Doctrine be re-energized and make phone calls and send letters and emails to the FCC throwing our total support behind the Diversity Advisory Committee.
While more access to the media may not guarantee our making it to the Promised Land it will ,at least, supply us with the GPS navigation system to help us get there.
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com
The Airwave Abolition Movement
Paul Scott
Back in 1865, two years and some change after Abe Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, the slaves in Texas finally got the memo that chattel slavery had been abolished. Better late than never I suppose. However, if the right wing talking heads had their way, black folks would still be picking cotton in 2009.
Next week , marks the beginning of Juneteenth week (June 15-19th) a time when African Americans celebrate the end of the last vestiges of that peculiar institution. It is a time to celebrate the freedoms of this country that were so long denied African Americans.
But some things are still in bondage; the airwaves.
While this country prides itself as being a diverse melting pot of ideals and a plethora of differing opinions, the airwaves have long been dominated by a right wing conspiracy to control all conversations concerning race, class and all things political.
There is not a city in America where you can't hear the melodramatic, melodious voice of Rush Limbaugh taking shots at the Left or Sean Hannity's arrogant whine espousing the doctrine of Conservative white world domination.
What is rarely discussed is the amount of political power that comes with the privilege of having unlimited access to the airwaves.
So when Rush Limbaugh says that he hopes President Obama fails, he ain't just whistlin' Dixie. He has the ability to galvanize millions of Rush-o-holics to do his evil biddings and make his anti-Obama dream turn into reality.
Despite the Right's wolf crying of victimization since the last election, make no mistake about it, the hand that controls the golden microphone rules the world.
It is past time that we seize control of the airwaves and I cannot think of a better time to do it than Juneteenth (the Black Independence Day.)
Although the Conservatives have had their panties in a bunch over the possible reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine (or similar legislation) that will allow folks like me to verbally pimp slap the smirk off of Bill O'Reilly's face every time he disses Hip Hop, this has not been a major topic in the African American community.
Also, many African Americans are totally in the dark when it comes to understanding the possible impact of a FCC Diversity Advisory Committee that could have Shaka Zulu's "Black Power Hour" going head to head with Mike Savage's "Savage Nation."
While this lack of information may be dismissed by the Right Wing as evidence that black folks would rather listen to Lil Wayne songs instead of the news, in reality, the ultra Conservative media have abused their powers to control the dissemination of information.
But no more!
Black folks need some Affirmative Action airtime.
We have to teach members of the Right a lesson that they should have learned back in kindergarten. Sometimes you have to share your toys.
This Juneteenth , the black community will start an underground railroad to get the information out about the various initiatives to insure African American access to the airwaves. The word will spread from city to city that there are new initiatives available under the Obama administration that could level the media playing field.
It is imperative that members of the African American community use the week of June 15th to contact their Congress folks and demand that the Fairness Doctrine be re-energized and make phone calls and send letters and emails to the FCC throwing our total support behind the Diversity Advisory Committee.
While more access to the media may not guarantee our making it to the Promised Land it will ,at least, supply us with the GPS navigation system to help us get there.
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Black Militants Take Over Conservative Station
Black Militants Take Over Conservative Station
Paul Scott
(NWSF News) Today a band of black militants calling themselves The Frighten Conservatives Crew (FCC for short) took over local Fox affiliate, WWYT in Des Moines, Iowa. The local authorities were tipped off by a listener who became suspicious when The Sean Hannity Show was interrupted by Public Enemy's "Fight the Power."
OK, I made that up.
But with the current Right Wing paranoia over the Federal Communication Committee's Diversity Committee and the rise of the dreaded Fairness Doctrine, this scenario is the Right's worst nightmare.
The FCC has set up a special group to put some color in talk radio and television much to the chagrin of those who want to keep the airwaves as white as Wonder Bread.Come on guys. What's wrong with a little bit of soul during your morning commute ?
While there are hundreds of white talk show hosts and other media personalities across the country, there only a relative handful of African American opinion makers and yet fewer who comment from an Afrocentric perspective.In every market you will find at least one white conservative talk show host.
The trend really kicked off in the mid 90's as a reaction to Bill Clinton's Democratic Administration when Rush Limbaugh, G Gordon Liddy and others became overnight celebrities. Not to mention the increased popularity of Right Wing journalists that espoused the values of and spoke apologetically for white conservative Americans.
But who speaks for Black folks?
While there are a few nationally syndicated talk shows courtesy of Radio One’s Syndication One and a few other companies, it is safe to say that Bill O’Reilly reaches more homes than all the black commentators combined.What is especially disturbing is the disappearance of local black talk programing.
During the 70's, it wasn’t uncommon to have Bro. Righteous Raymond on WBLK giving the 411 on all the issues facing Black America. Even mainstream television stations in urban areas aired the obligatory Saturday night "Soul Sister Sheena’s Soul Sensation."
It must be noted , however, that this was not the result of benevolence on the part of white corporations but a necessary evil in an America that was not even a decade removed from the urban rebellions of the Black Power Era. White America needed someone to interpret the meaning of the sounds the African war drums still reverberating through the hoods. They just figured it was better to have black folks express their rage over the airwaves where it could be monitored and regulated by advertising dollars instead of having Black folks hold clandestine meeting in the back of barbershops orchestrating ways to "get whitey." But as the white paranoia of some great bloody uprising subsided, so did their need for black programming.
During the 90's, the post LA Rebellion multi cultural movement gave rise to a "universalism" that made all racial issues colorless.
Also, one cannot forget the impact of FCC deregulation that allowed corporations to monopolize media markets and allowed public affairs programing to be almost totally eradicated.Perhaps the main cause of the demise of black public affairs programming was the fear of the infinite possibilities of black talk by those in power (ie rich white folks) to the change social and political landscape of America.
This is best exemplified by the Right's hatred of Hip Hop.
Contrary to popular belief, the first attacks on Hip Hop were not leveled against the "gangsta rappers" but the overtly political rap of Public Enemy and Sister Souljah and during that period, full time gangsta's and part time revolutionaries Tupac Shakur, Ice T and Ice Cube. If given a choice most Right Wingers would choose the nonpolitical rap of 50 Cent instead of the problack politics of Dead Prez, anyday.
What has scared the pants off of white America is the potential for black talk to galvanize the masses of black people toward social action whether deliberate or accidental as was the case when the Magnificent Montague catch phrase "Burn Baby Burn," unintentionally, became the battle cry of the 1965 Watts Rebellion.It is past time that we begin to see more black faces on Fox News and heard more black voices on talk radio.
It must be emphasized here that we don't just want "any" black person on the air but one who speaks from an authentically "black" perspective.So, don't try to pull a fast one and hire a Ward Connerly wanna be just to fill a quota.Dogonit! We want the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Power Hour everyday, at noon !
A new day is coming Conservatives., so be afraid, be very afraid.
So, the next time that you are riding merrily along and hear Malcolm X's "Ballot or the Bullet" speech instead of Mike Savage's Savage Nation realize that the revolution is at your front gate.
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Paul Scott
(NWSF News) Today a band of black militants calling themselves The Frighten Conservatives Crew (FCC for short) took over local Fox affiliate, WWYT in Des Moines, Iowa. The local authorities were tipped off by a listener who became suspicious when The Sean Hannity Show was interrupted by Public Enemy's "Fight the Power."
OK, I made that up.
But with the current Right Wing paranoia over the Federal Communication Committee's Diversity Committee and the rise of the dreaded Fairness Doctrine, this scenario is the Right's worst nightmare.
The FCC has set up a special group to put some color in talk radio and television much to the chagrin of those who want to keep the airwaves as white as Wonder Bread.Come on guys. What's wrong with a little bit of soul during your morning commute ?
While there are hundreds of white talk show hosts and other media personalities across the country, there only a relative handful of African American opinion makers and yet fewer who comment from an Afrocentric perspective.In every market you will find at least one white conservative talk show host.
The trend really kicked off in the mid 90's as a reaction to Bill Clinton's Democratic Administration when Rush Limbaugh, G Gordon Liddy and others became overnight celebrities. Not to mention the increased popularity of Right Wing journalists that espoused the values of and spoke apologetically for white conservative Americans.
But who speaks for Black folks?
While there are a few nationally syndicated talk shows courtesy of Radio One’s Syndication One and a few other companies, it is safe to say that Bill O’Reilly reaches more homes than all the black commentators combined.What is especially disturbing is the disappearance of local black talk programing.
During the 70's, it wasn’t uncommon to have Bro. Righteous Raymond on WBLK giving the 411 on all the issues facing Black America. Even mainstream television stations in urban areas aired the obligatory Saturday night "Soul Sister Sheena’s Soul Sensation."
It must be noted , however, that this was not the result of benevolence on the part of white corporations but a necessary evil in an America that was not even a decade removed from the urban rebellions of the Black Power Era. White America needed someone to interpret the meaning of the sounds the African war drums still reverberating through the hoods. They just figured it was better to have black folks express their rage over the airwaves where it could be monitored and regulated by advertising dollars instead of having Black folks hold clandestine meeting in the back of barbershops orchestrating ways to "get whitey." But as the white paranoia of some great bloody uprising subsided, so did their need for black programming.
During the 90's, the post LA Rebellion multi cultural movement gave rise to a "universalism" that made all racial issues colorless.
Also, one cannot forget the impact of FCC deregulation that allowed corporations to monopolize media markets and allowed public affairs programing to be almost totally eradicated.Perhaps the main cause of the demise of black public affairs programming was the fear of the infinite possibilities of black talk by those in power (ie rich white folks) to the change social and political landscape of America.
This is best exemplified by the Right's hatred of Hip Hop.
Contrary to popular belief, the first attacks on Hip Hop were not leveled against the "gangsta rappers" but the overtly political rap of Public Enemy and Sister Souljah and during that period, full time gangsta's and part time revolutionaries Tupac Shakur, Ice T and Ice Cube. If given a choice most Right Wingers would choose the nonpolitical rap of 50 Cent instead of the problack politics of Dead Prez, anyday.
What has scared the pants off of white America is the potential for black talk to galvanize the masses of black people toward social action whether deliberate or accidental as was the case when the Magnificent Montague catch phrase "Burn Baby Burn," unintentionally, became the battle cry of the 1965 Watts Rebellion.It is past time that we begin to see more black faces on Fox News and heard more black voices on talk radio.
It must be emphasized here that we don't just want "any" black person on the air but one who speaks from an authentically "black" perspective.So, don't try to pull a fast one and hire a Ward Connerly wanna be just to fill a quota.Dogonit! We want the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Power Hour everyday, at noon !
A new day is coming Conservatives., so be afraid, be very afraid.
So, the next time that you are riding merrily along and hear Malcolm X's "Ballot or the Bullet" speech instead of Mike Savage's Savage Nation realize that the revolution is at your front gate.
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Saturday, June 6, 2009
TRUTH Minista on Digital Underground 6/7
I am scheduled to be on The Digital Underground, hosted by Junious Ricardo Stanton, this Sunday 6/7 at 12 PM EST. We will be discussing The Termination of Black Culture and Black radio.
To listen go to:
http://www.harambeeradio.com
To listen go to:
http://www.harambeeradio.com
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
NWSF Bullet: The Motown Throwdown
They say there are three sides to every story: your side, my side and the truth. For the most part, the conversation surrounding HR 848 has been dominated by high level radio execs who control the airwaves.
Well, Rep. John Conyers held a townhall meeting in Detroit, yesterday, to give the other side of the story.
Below Paul Porter of Industry Ears gives us a ring side view of what really went down:
http://www.industryears.com/presshead.php?subaction=showfull&id=1244046770&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&
The Detroit News put out this piece:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090603/ENT04/906030323/Radio-execs--artists-face-off-over-royalties
So, as that dude Paul Harvey used to say:
"Now you know the rest of the story."
Well, Rep. John Conyers held a townhall meeting in Detroit, yesterday, to give the other side of the story.
Below Paul Porter of Industry Ears gives us a ring side view of what really went down:
http://www.industryears.com/presshead.php?subaction=showfull&id=1244046770&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&
The Detroit News put out this piece:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090603/ENT04/906030323/Radio-execs--artists-face-off-over-royalties
So, as that dude Paul Harvey used to say:
"Now you know the rest of the story."
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