Livin' in a Zoo:
CNN's Black in America II
Paul Scott
"I'm kickin' cold facts so true
Feels like I'm livin' in a zoo"
Public Enemy
Step Right up! In this cage we have the tame, "Negro-intellectualus." Notice his freshly pressed shirt and creased pants. Go ahead and pet him. He won't bite...However, watch out for this next animal, "Thug-ignoramus." Beware of his gold teeth and if he starts reaching for his waist band, call security, immediately!
On July 22 CNN will air Black America Part II, their second attempt to paint a pretty picture of black America for their audience. I don't know about y'all but I'm kinda tired of being poked, prodded and examined by TV network execs on a life long mission to find out what makes dudes like me tick.
No disrespect to Soledad O'Brien and the rest of the crew who produced the program but I don't think these types of shows are meant to enlighten black folks, especially the boyz in the hood.
As my lil homie Jae would say,
" How many times are you gonna describe my kitchen to me when we're livin' in the same house?"
We all have members of our families that run the gamut from "Left out Lamont," who can't keep a steady job to Buford "lil Boo Boo" Jenkins who got his degree, became a stock broker and never looked back at the 'hood.
So, we have our own "Black in America" reality series every family reunion complete with ribs and Marvin Gaye CD's.
Shows like Black in America are definitely for the Caucasian persuasion as they have always been curious about black folks.
Scholars like Dr. George GM James and William Leo Hansberry have said that the ancient Greeks were fascinated by the Egyptians and Ethiopians. The early explorers of Africa were also intrigued by the riches of the continent, so much so, that they stayed for hundreds of years.
However, after the Trans Atlantic slave trade, Africans stopped being objects of adoration and became oddities.
There are tales of Africans being held as exhibits in zoos in New York and during the early 1800's the voluptuous Saartjie Baartman aka "Hottentot Venus" was paraded around Europe so white men could gaze at her "donk."
During the late 1960's, white America's curiosity about black folks became a matter of national security because of the various "riots" that were spreading like wildfires .
In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson created the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders to find out why black folks were so angry.
The Commission released what was known as the Kerner Report which pointed to the media as partial causes of the "riots."
According to the report,
"Important segments of the media failed to report adequately on the causes and consequences of civil disorders and on the underlying problems of race relations. They have not communicated to the majority of their audience-which is white-a sense of the degradation , misery and hopelessness of life in the ghetto." The report also complained that the media was guilty of giving " disproportionate amounts of time to emotional events and militant leaders."
As far as solutions, one of the things that the report suggested was that the media needed to:
"...publish newspapers and produce programs that recognize the existence and activities of Negroes as a group within the community and as a part of the larger community."
So, the networks have followed this method of operation since then , only deviating, briefly ,during the LA Rebellion of 1992 because of their underestimation of the political potential of Hip Hop.
It must be noted that these programs also try to convey the idea that black assimilation into white culture is the ultimate manifestation of black achievement and the benchmark as to whether one has "made it" or not.
While many have quoted from WEB Dubois' , "The Souls of Black Folk," few have had the courage to pose the fundamental question that he raised in his essay "The Souls of White Folk,"
"But what on earth is whiteness that one should so desire it?"
He goes on to say that "Europe has never produced and never will in our day bring forth a single soul who cannot be matched and over matched in every line of human endeavor by Asia and Africa."
However, millions of Americans will spend hours this week watching CNN give complex answers to simple questions such as "why inner city black kids are killing each other" when black psychologist Dr. Bobby Wright gave us the answer over 25 years ago in his work "The Psychopathic Racial Personality"
"Blacks kill Blacks because they have never been trained to kill Whites, therefore it is outside their experience."
End of series.
Just once, I would like to see a network do a six hour series on what produces the white male superiority complex in men like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Or who controls the economic system that keeps the hood in perpetual poverty ?
But I guess the worn out topics of black pathologies and the salvation of assimilation are better for ratings.
Oh, well. As Blue Magic once sang,
"Let the side show begin...can't afford to pass it by...guaranteed to make you cry..."
Paul Scott's blog is No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283
Showing posts with label Fox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fox. Show all posts
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
NWSF News 7/14: Judge Sotomayor's Supreme Court Hearing
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott: Are Latinos smarter than white men?
It depends on which Latino and which white man. "...Even Slow Poke Rodriguez is smarter than Rush Limbaugh..."
It depends on which Latino and which white man. "...Even Slow Poke Rodriguez is smarter than Rush Limbaugh..."
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/
Saturday, April 18, 2009
NWSF Bullet: Did Obama Sell Us Out?
According to news reports, the United States has officially boycotted the World Conference Against Racism (Durban Review Conference.)
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/18/U.S.racism.conference/
While members of the Jewish community are applauding the decision, the question that African Americans should be asking is:
Did President Obama sell us out?
I can't help but to think about the millions of African Americans who voted for Obama, last November.
Personally, I wish I could take my vote back.
This was the Prez's first real test to see if he would do the right thing by the black community.
Unfortunately, he failed with flying colors.
I predicted this would happen in a post written last February.
http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2009/02/nwsf-bullet-rappin-about-reparations.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/18/U.S.racism.conference/
While members of the Jewish community are applauding the decision, the question that African Americans should be asking is:
Did President Obama sell us out?
I can't help but to think about the millions of African Americans who voted for Obama, last November.
Personally, I wish I could take my vote back.
This was the Prez's first real test to see if he would do the right thing by the black community.
Unfortunately, he failed with flying colors.
I predicted this would happen in a post written last February.
http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2009/02/nwsf-bullet-rappin-about-reparations.html
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Why the Right Be Hatin' on Hip Hop
Why the Right be Hatin’ on Hip Hop:
Race, Rap and Republicans
Min. Paul Scott
The crowd sat glued to their seats as Dr. Theodore R.
Poindexter, head of the Moral Maniacs conservative
group, stood before them banging his fist on the
podium. “They are the biggest threat to America since
the Cuban Missile Crisis; destroying America from the
inside out,” he yelled while sweat beads rolled down
his now crimson face. No , he wasn’t talking about
some terrorist cell of anti-American foreign
nationalists. He was referring to the new rap group,
“Hip Hop Strike Force....
Although Hip Hop has put billions of dollars into the
American economy over the last two decades, it is
perhaps the most “hated on” form of entertainment ever
created.
For the hood, Hip Hop at its best has served as the
voice of the voiceless or as rapper Chuck D said the
“the black CNN.” But for the Conservatives Hip Hop
has been the epitome of evil, proof that Armageddon
was near at hand.
Now, the fear of offensive lyrics can be understood.
Sen. Robert Wentworth’s worst fear is to be summoned
to his son’s principal’s office because Lil Bobby
threatened to bust a cap in his 3rd grade gym teacher
for “dissing” him in front of the class.
But “gangsta rap” is not Hip Hop in its totality. Like
most issues concerning black people, the Right takes
Hip Hop at face value without putting it in a
historical nor social context. So their “well
informed” talking heads give the American people an
overly simplistic analysis.
“Tonight on Fox News Hip Hop is bad...Now for our
next story....”
Quiet as it is kept...Conservative America’s fear of
“gangsta rap” is not because of the over abundance of
four letter words; but that these same words could be
used to incite a riot or at the least start young
people thinking critically about making fundamental
changes in society.
They understand that the only difference between the
radical militant Black Power leader of 1967 and the
gangsta rapper of 2007, is content and misdirection of
rage. In other words, the degrees of separation
between Malcolm X and 50 Cent are not as much as one
might think.
The threat of black voices of dissension has always
been a major concern for the “powers that be” in this
country. One of the first things that the slave
traders did to the enslaved Africans was to take the
drum. They found out the hard way that the drums of
war that they heard beatin’ in the distance weren’t
calling the Africans to dance but to rebel.
During the Civil Rights Era the power structure began
to turn its attention to “urban youth violence” and
FBI Chief J Edgar Hoover put his COINTELPRO Program in
overdrive with the purpose of preventing the rise of a
black messiah that could energize the youth.
During the early 70's, the fading Black Power
Movement left as its legacy militant music like the
Isley Brothers’ “Fight the Power” and the OJ’s “Give
the People What they Want” until it was replaced by
the mindless, apolitical Disco music. Despite the
militant overtone of the Tramp’s song “Disco Inferno”
and its challenge to “burn tha mother down” it was
simply a call for drugged up disco freaks to hit the
dance floor.
It was the Hip Hop music of the late 80's and early
90's that brought the content back to black music.
The music of groups like Public Enemy resurrected the
rebellious spirit of a generation.
But that rebirth was not without consequence. America
has always had a beef with those entertainers who have
dared to bite the hand that has allowed them to gain
wealth and popularity.
One can look at the careers of Paul Robeson, who was
blackballed for being a “Commie”, Billie Holiday who
was banned for singing about that “strange fruit”
hanging from southern trees or Chicago Bulls player
Craig Hodges who was blacklisted by the NBA for
wearing a dashiki to the White House.
Although, Hip Hop was still in its commercial infancy,
Professor Griff, Sister Souljah, Ice T, Tupac Shakur
and others felt the wrath of an America scorned at the
hand of the Conservatives and those who courted the
Conservative vote.
Now in 2007 we see a renewed attack on Hip Hop
from a post Michael Richards/Don Imus America aching
for a scapegoat upon which to blame all of this
nation’s problems.
So a few of the homies have gotten together and
recorded a “diss” record aimed at those Right Wing
talking heads who have been guilty of “dissing” Hip
Hop. (And frankly, a few were thrown in just cuz we
don’t like ‘em.) The track, “Drums of War” featuring
Big Swagg, Mr. Cox and yours truly can be found at
http://www.hiphopstrikesback.com
Let this be the song that sparks the revolution! The
Left’s new anthem that makes the Right shake in their
boots! The song that will bring about a wave of
social equality that....
OK, I’ll settle for making Bill O’Reilly have
nightmares about a bunch of “gangsta rappers” bum
rushin’ the No Spin Zone, tying him up and forcing him
to watch 48 uninterrupted hours of Black
Entertainment Television...
Min. Paul Scott is a “gangsta journalist” based in
Durham NC. His blog is
http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached
at (919) 451-8283
info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Race, Rap and Republicans
Min. Paul Scott
The crowd sat glued to their seats as Dr. Theodore R.
Poindexter, head of the Moral Maniacs conservative
group, stood before them banging his fist on the
podium. “They are the biggest threat to America since
the Cuban Missile Crisis; destroying America from the
inside out,” he yelled while sweat beads rolled down
his now crimson face. No , he wasn’t talking about
some terrorist cell of anti-American foreign
nationalists. He was referring to the new rap group,
“Hip Hop Strike Force....
Although Hip Hop has put billions of dollars into the
American economy over the last two decades, it is
perhaps the most “hated on” form of entertainment ever
created.
For the hood, Hip Hop at its best has served as the
voice of the voiceless or as rapper Chuck D said the
“the black CNN.” But for the Conservatives Hip Hop
has been the epitome of evil, proof that Armageddon
was near at hand.
Now, the fear of offensive lyrics can be understood.
Sen. Robert Wentworth’s worst fear is to be summoned
to his son’s principal’s office because Lil Bobby
threatened to bust a cap in his 3rd grade gym teacher
for “dissing” him in front of the class.
But “gangsta rap” is not Hip Hop in its totality. Like
most issues concerning black people, the Right takes
Hip Hop at face value without putting it in a
historical nor social context. So their “well
informed” talking heads give the American people an
overly simplistic analysis.
“Tonight on Fox News Hip Hop is bad...Now for our
next story....”
Quiet as it is kept...Conservative America’s fear of
“gangsta rap” is not because of the over abundance of
four letter words; but that these same words could be
used to incite a riot or at the least start young
people thinking critically about making fundamental
changes in society.
They understand that the only difference between the
radical militant Black Power leader of 1967 and the
gangsta rapper of 2007, is content and misdirection of
rage. In other words, the degrees of separation
between Malcolm X and 50 Cent are not as much as one
might think.
The threat of black voices of dissension has always
been a major concern for the “powers that be” in this
country. One of the first things that the slave
traders did to the enslaved Africans was to take the
drum. They found out the hard way that the drums of
war that they heard beatin’ in the distance weren’t
calling the Africans to dance but to rebel.
During the Civil Rights Era the power structure began
to turn its attention to “urban youth violence” and
FBI Chief J Edgar Hoover put his COINTELPRO Program in
overdrive with the purpose of preventing the rise of a
black messiah that could energize the youth.
During the early 70's, the fading Black Power
Movement left as its legacy militant music like the
Isley Brothers’ “Fight the Power” and the OJ’s “Give
the People What they Want” until it was replaced by
the mindless, apolitical Disco music. Despite the
militant overtone of the Tramp’s song “Disco Inferno”
and its challenge to “burn tha mother down” it was
simply a call for drugged up disco freaks to hit the
dance floor.
It was the Hip Hop music of the late 80's and early
90's that brought the content back to black music.
The music of groups like Public Enemy resurrected the
rebellious spirit of a generation.
But that rebirth was not without consequence. America
has always had a beef with those entertainers who have
dared to bite the hand that has allowed them to gain
wealth and popularity.
One can look at the careers of Paul Robeson, who was
blackballed for being a “Commie”, Billie Holiday who
was banned for singing about that “strange fruit”
hanging from southern trees or Chicago Bulls player
Craig Hodges who was blacklisted by the NBA for
wearing a dashiki to the White House.
Although, Hip Hop was still in its commercial infancy,
Professor Griff, Sister Souljah, Ice T, Tupac Shakur
and others felt the wrath of an America scorned at the
hand of the Conservatives and those who courted the
Conservative vote.
Now in 2007 we see a renewed attack on Hip Hop
from a post Michael Richards/Don Imus America aching
for a scapegoat upon which to blame all of this
nation’s problems.
So a few of the homies have gotten together and
recorded a “diss” record aimed at those Right Wing
talking heads who have been guilty of “dissing” Hip
Hop. (And frankly, a few were thrown in just cuz we
don’t like ‘em.) The track, “Drums of War” featuring
Big Swagg, Mr. Cox and yours truly can be found at
http://www.hiphopstrikesback.com
Let this be the song that sparks the revolution! The
Left’s new anthem that makes the Right shake in their
boots! The song that will bring about a wave of
social equality that....
OK, I’ll settle for making Bill O’Reilly have
nightmares about a bunch of “gangsta rappers” bum
rushin’ the No Spin Zone, tying him up and forcing him
to watch 48 uninterrupted hours of Black
Entertainment Television...
Min. Paul Scott is a “gangsta journalist” based in
Durham NC. His blog is
http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached
at (919) 451-8283
info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
NWSF Bullet: Bill O'Reilly vs Nas
Bill O’Reilly of the infamous Hip Hophobic , No "Spine" Zone has a new target, the rapper Nas.
According to news reports over the past few weeks, Nas is scheduled to perform at Virginia Tech on Sept 6 in a concert for the victims of last semester’s massacre,; a decision that is being opposed by some of the family members of the victims.
Last night, O’Reilly started a campaign to put pressure on not only the president of VA Tech , Charles Steger but the governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine ,as well , to remove Nas from the line up that includes the Dave Mathews Band and John Mayer.
http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/
Yep, old Billy Boy is pullin’ out the big guns for this one.
O’Reilly even pulled out an editorial from the Va Tech student newspaper that he claimed represented the feelings of "all" of the students at VA Tech, as exhibit A.
Now Bill, you know that any editorial really only represents the views of the person who wrote it.
Also, according to the retraction at the beginning of the same editorial over which O’Reilly gloated, the writer originally accused the Black Student Alliance for selecting Nas, when it was actually the Dave Matthews Band.
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/2/ARTICLE/9228/2007-08-09.html
But why confuse the matter with facts, right.
Now, I ain’t gonna defend Nas because he does have the habit of flippin’ from intellectual to thug at the drop of a hat. You never know if Nas is gonna be naughty or nice. Also, I feel the pain of the families...I wouldn’t want to hear Nas’s diss track about "gettin’ yourself a gun" either if my son or daughter had been killed.
However, this is clearly, just another O’Reilly power play. Ever since he got Ludacris canned by Pepsi back in 2002 he has become Fox’s Hip Hop Cop.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,61546,00.html
Does Nas have some violent lyrics?
No doubt...
But is he the "gangsta rapper with lyrics as violent as they come" as O’Reilly claimed?
Nope.
I can give Bill a whole list of lyrics by rappers that make Nas sound like Pat Boone.
And besides that period when he was a little miffed at Jay Z for sayin’ that he slept with Nas's baby's mama and left a condom on the car seat, (which would have made any man wanna pull out a can of whup...) Nas really isn’t known in Hip Hop circles for promoting violence but articulating what goes on in Queens, everyday.
The problem with "High and Mighty" O’Reilly and folks like him is they like to use their platforms to diss Hip Hop instead of having principled, informative discussions..
So, note to Wild Bill...
Listen Ringo O'Reilly...If you're really hankerin' for a good ole fashion, rootin tootin Hip Hop Showdown at the No Spin Zone Corral. ..
I'm your Huckleberry...
To borrow from a Nas lyric ...
To shut O’Reilly up about Hip Hop once and for all:
"All I need is one mic"
Min. Paul Scott http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ (919) 451-8283
According to news reports over the past few weeks, Nas is scheduled to perform at Virginia Tech on Sept 6 in a concert for the victims of last semester’s massacre,; a decision that is being opposed by some of the family members of the victims.
Last night, O’Reilly started a campaign to put pressure on not only the president of VA Tech , Charles Steger but the governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine ,as well , to remove Nas from the line up that includes the Dave Mathews Band and John Mayer.
http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/
Yep, old Billy Boy is pullin’ out the big guns for this one.
O’Reilly even pulled out an editorial from the Va Tech student newspaper that he claimed represented the feelings of "all" of the students at VA Tech, as exhibit A.
Now Bill, you know that any editorial really only represents the views of the person who wrote it.
Also, according to the retraction at the beginning of the same editorial over which O’Reilly gloated, the writer originally accused the Black Student Alliance for selecting Nas, when it was actually the Dave Matthews Band.
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/2/ARTICLE/9228/2007-08-09.html
But why confuse the matter with facts, right.
Now, I ain’t gonna defend Nas because he does have the habit of flippin’ from intellectual to thug at the drop of a hat. You never know if Nas is gonna be naughty or nice. Also, I feel the pain of the families...I wouldn’t want to hear Nas’s diss track about "gettin’ yourself a gun" either if my son or daughter had been killed.
However, this is clearly, just another O’Reilly power play. Ever since he got Ludacris canned by Pepsi back in 2002 he has become Fox’s Hip Hop Cop.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,61546,00.html
Does Nas have some violent lyrics?
No doubt...
But is he the "gangsta rapper with lyrics as violent as they come" as O’Reilly claimed?
Nope.
I can give Bill a whole list of lyrics by rappers that make Nas sound like Pat Boone.
And besides that period when he was a little miffed at Jay Z for sayin’ that he slept with Nas's baby's mama and left a condom on the car seat, (which would have made any man wanna pull out a can of whup...) Nas really isn’t known in Hip Hop circles for promoting violence but articulating what goes on in Queens, everyday.
The problem with "High and Mighty" O’Reilly and folks like him is they like to use their platforms to diss Hip Hop instead of having principled, informative discussions..
So, note to Wild Bill...
Listen Ringo O'Reilly...If you're really hankerin' for a good ole fashion, rootin tootin Hip Hop Showdown at the No Spin Zone Corral. ..
I'm your Huckleberry...
To borrow from a Nas lyric ...
To shut O’Reilly up about Hip Hop once and for all:
"All I need is one mic"
Min. Paul Scott http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ (919) 451-8283
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