Dirty Dancing With the Developers

Dirty Dancing with the Developers:

Makin’ Dollars or Manifest Destiny ?

                                              Paul Scott

Dirty Dancing with the Developers:

Makin’ Dollars or Manifest Destiny ?

                             Paul Scott



“If you dance with the devil, the devil don't change. The devil changes you..."
                        Joaquin Phoenix from 8mm       



When the owner of Dick Dastardly Development first came to town  he was met with hisses and boos by politicians and their constituents who cried foul at the mere thought of citizens in their
city being displaced. But when he promised to build a much needed, affordable combination golf course and ski lodge in the hood, the boos quickly turned to cheers and he was awarded the key to the city….


One of the most difficult issues facing the Bull City in 2018 is gentrification. After all, who doesn’t want their modest southern town transformed into a more ritzy area like downtown Manhattan. Well, it depends on who you ask, those who stand to make a load of money from the transformation or those who may lose their be- ever -so -humble homes.


The well off and the poor see gentrification through different lenses. As the old saying goes “whether the glass is half empty or half full depends on who’s a-drinkin’ and who’s a-pourin’.”


Even those who, vehemently,  oppose the process have different rationales for doing so. If you are middle class ,displacement means the old oak tree with your childhood sweetheart’s name carved in it might get chopped down. But for the poor, it is the uncertainty of not knowing where your family may end up.


The perception of neighborhood renewal is, also,  packed with historical baggage.


There was a time in this country when the powerful  could “ buy” Manhattan for 24 dollars worth of beads. Or in some cases just outright take whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it in the name of progress. As much as we hate to admit it, terms like “eminent domain”  and “manifest destiny” are as American as apple pie.


If you come from a wealthy family who have prospered from the American dream , urban renewal just comes with the territory.  But what about the descendant of Africans who had their land stolen by colonizers. Or Native Americans  and Mexican Americans whose ancestors were removed from their soil ? Not to mention that poor white American of Appalachia who’s great grandfather's farm is now a coal mine.

So, whether you see someone as a shrewd  business tycoon or a neo-colonizer is a matter of opinion.

Right now, many Durham citizens, at least in theory, oppose gentrification. Nobody wants to go on record cosigning  somebody’s grandma getting kicked out on the street.  But people are fickle and public outrage is a fleeting moment soon forgotten. Especially, when it’s so easy to catch amnesia when you get hit upside the head with a stack of dollar bills. Or when  some tough guys in dark Ray-Bans  drag  you in a back room and make you an offer you can’t refuse.


Let’s keep it really real.  In a capitalist society, money talks and there is a $6,000 degree of separation between anger and acquiescence.


The guys who come struttin’ in to City Hall meetings with Brooks Brothers suits and penny loafers sleep good at night after donating a couple of grand to an affordable housing fund or to the local schools system.


So, even though I may see developers as ruthless Snidely Whiplash-type villains with black top hats and stringy mustaches who kick puppies when nobody’s  looking, the general public is easily swayed by even the cheesiest PR campaign.


Personally. I’ve always rooted for the underdog and patterned myself after the patron saint of the lost cause,  so excuse me for being more skeptical than the, eternally,  optimistic who believe that all's well that ends well.


Even some Durham leaders seem to believe that ,perhaps, there is a silver lining in this rapidly expanding cloud of doom and despair.


I hate to be a Debbie Downer but there are no happy ending here. Compassionate Capitalism is an oxymoron and someone is gonna be left out in the cold come next winter.


Sometimes there is no middle ground. It’s just the rich once again stickin’ it to the poor.

But you will still have some who are lost  in Dave Mason’s 70’s AM playlist purgatory where “there ain’t no good guys.  There ain’t no bad guys. There’s just you and me and we just disagree.”

If only it was that simple…

So...Marvel Made Ya'll Love Africa ?

So... Marvel Finally Made Ya’ll Love Africa ?


Min. Paul Scott



You could talk about Nigeria/people used to laugh at ya


Now I take a look/I see USA for Africa ?


Stop the Violence-Boogie Down Productions





Shanequa Jenkins never wanted nothin’ to do with Africa. When her roommates would demand that she turn off Love and Hip Hop so they could watch Hidden Colors, she would just storm out the room calling them “Hotep Hoes” under her breath. So, it shocked her roomies when two hours before the Black Panther premier she was waiting at the front door in a brand new dashiki with matching Red Bottoms and Coach Bag yellin’ “Ya’ll aint ready to go, yet !?”



Not long ago, if you wore a dashiki or African medallion you had to wade through a sea of hecklers sayin’ stuff like , “ Yo ! You tryin’ to join X-Clan or somethin’ ? VAN-GLORIOUS !” Or any time you dared speak about something Afrocentric, cats would roll their eyes and mumble “there he goes with that black stuff again…” But now with the coming of the new Marvel movie, The Black Panther, even the worst Africa haters have caught a severe case of Jungle Fever.



Historically, many African Americans have had a problem with the Motherland. During the days of slavery, many free black folk ,vehemently, opposed the repatriation movement. While some did see it for what it was, a way to rid America of the riff raff, most felt that they did not want to leave a country that they helped build.



During the early 20th Century, although up to 10 million people supported The Honorable Marcus Garvey’s Back to Africa Movement, many people opposed his efforts as they saw his movement as a threat to their vested interests in the American Dream.



Hollywood didn’t help matters much ,either, during this period as the image propagated of the continent was either taken straight outta a Tarzan movie or a Looney Tunes cartoon with a bunch of cannibals circling a big black pot chantin’ “yum, yum eat ‘em up.”



During the late 60’s , there was a beef between members of the Black Panther Party who embraced a Marxist ideology and Dr. Maulana Karenga's Us Organization who practiced cultural nationalism. This ideological disagreement was intensified by the efforts of J. Edgar Hoover and his COINTELPRO program, preventing any fusion of the two ideologies that could have hastened our journey towards Freedom.



Even though some Hip Hop headz praise the “conscious” era of the late 80’s for bringing African awareness to rap and championing the fight against South Africa’s Apartheid regime, truth is, the era barely lasted four years and by 1992 most Hip Hoppers had traded in their dashikis and sandals for West Coast Khakis and Chuck Taylors.



The best dynamic of that period is perhaps captured in Spike Lee’s classic film School Daze , during the scene when Julian aka “Big Brother Almighty” tells Dap, the Pro Black Brotha that he wasn’t from Africa. He was “from Detroit.”





Sadly, that was pretty much the attitude of many African Americans until the last couple of years. Before the commercialized Black Lives Matter Era, in order to find a decent dashiki you would have had to hit the road and head to a city with predominantly black neighborhoods and hunt down an African clothing store in the middle of the ‘hood. But now even white and Asian owned shops have dashikis and African necklaces hanging in their windows.



What is unfortunate is despite all the master teachers that have gone on to the ancestors; Dr. Chancellor Williams , Dr. John Henrik Clarke , Dr. Yosef ben Jochannan and a host of others who sacrificed their lives to try to teach us about our heritage, it took an old white dude who made his fortune courtesy of a white kid in a red and blue onesie swingin; through NYC to finally make us embrace who we are.


Or perhaps it has something to do with the changing times. Maybe Black Panther Mania is not just a fad and will awaken the African genius that lies dormant deep inside of us.




Malcolm X once said that we left “our minds in Africa.” Maybe the hype over the Black Panther movie is an indication that we are finally getting our minds back?





Min. Paul Scott is based in NC. Phone (919) 972-8305  His website is NoWarningShotsFired.com   Follow on Twitter  @NWSF

Lean Back

Lean Back !
Fightin’ the Biochemical Attack on the ‘hood

                                Min. Paul Scott

“How we stop the Black Panthers/Ronald Reagan cooked up an answer”

                             Crack Music-Kanye West

It was the eve of the revolution that their grandparents had always dreamed and the Black Lives Liberation Army was gonna  set it off  bright and early at dawn against the evil forces that were destroying the hood. But during the nightly strategy session, somebody passed out a purple drink in double styrofoam cups and suggested they do a battle toast. So when they finally woke up at noon the next day, the revolution was over...they lost.

This current generation of millennials is , arguably, the most “woke” group of African Americans since the conscious Hip Hop Era of the late 80’s and some would say, with their skills at social media, since the Black Power Era.  Since the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012, there has been an awakening of the masses and the high profile police involved shootings of Michael Brown, Sandra Bland and many others have fast tracked us on the road to the revolution that Malcolm X talked about 50 years ago.

But as in science, for every action there is an opposite reaction. So, for everything that wakes us up, there is always something to put us back to sleep.

Drug use has always been glorified in Hip Hop to a certain degree. After all, when the early rappers said “ski” they weren’t talkin’ about a vacation in the Aspens .

But this new generation is on a whole ‘notha level.

Thanks to mainstream Hip Hop,  getting high off of prescription medicines seems to be just what the doctor ordered.

The past decade has seen a rapid increase of rappers being self medicated via prescription drugs. You can hardly listen to the radio without hearing artists like Future rappin’ about pills like they just raided Grandma’s medicine cabinet.

Much of this madness originally came out of the Dirty South as rappers from Texas to Tennessee bragged  about sippin’ on that Sizzurp aka Lean and some have died from takin’ too many sips of that Purple Drank. For the less hip, Lean is a deadly combination of soft drink, Kool Aid, codeine. cough medicine, Jolly Ranchers and anything else somebody feels like throwin’ in a cup.

Now enter something called “Legal Lean.”

Either some mad scientist  or some  hipster with a determined idea and too much time on his hands has come up with a way to  push that potion in the hood, legally, by substituting codeine

with natural stuff. The ingredients are different but the effects are supposed to be the same.

Now, while legal lean may be available near some college campuses so some wealthy white coeds can vicariously live out their Lil Wayne fantasies, most of the stores that sell this are in the hood.

Of course, the makers of Legal Lean think they are providing a service by giving cough syrup junkies an alternative.  To hear them tell it, Legal Lean is to Purple Drank  what Methadone is to Heroin.

After all it is 100% natural. But so are psychedelic mushrooms and if you really want to get funky with it, cocaine contains a 100% natural ingredient, as well.

So, once again the Black community is under a biochemical attack at a time when we need to be in our collective best state of mind to survive the Trump Era.

Fortunately, some groups around the country are not giving up the hood without a fight.

In Wisconsin, the Original Black Panthers of Milwaukee have staged successful campaigns against stores selling Legal Lean.

https://www.facebook.com/kila414/videos/1636093903084894/

Also, in Durham NC, activists have started Operation #LeanBack to have the product permanently  shut down, nationwide.

Every community activist should be fighting to get Lean up outta here, whether legal or illegal.

As always, you are gonna have some to defend destruction to the grave. But those of us who aren’t “gone off that Lean” have a responsibility to raise our voices in protest.

As Kendrick Lamar said on Be Humble

“I let my soul speak, you let the meds talk…”

Min. Paul Scott can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

Open Letter to Bow Wow

Dear Mr. Moss aka Bow Wow

Recently, you made a comment on a clip for the new BET series "Music Moguls" that premiers June 28th, dissin' my city of Durham, North Carolina.  In the promo clip with Jermaine Dupri (So So Def Records) you said, "ain't nothin' crackin' in Durham." I am so tired of people disrespecting my city and for you to do it on a national platform is outrageous.

http://www.bet.com/video/music-moguls/season-1/exclusives/music-moguls-coming-in-june.html

Granted, like many cities, Durham has its share of problems. But kickin' dirt in the face of town already known as "Dirty Durham" ain't helping. Now, it is true that in some hoods you can hear gun shots ringing through the air almost every night. And the self hatred that some of our young people feel does result in teenage kids being shot down in the street. However, Durham has a rich historical legacy and since you seem to be ig'nant of that history, allow me to hit you with some #FACTS.

Durham NC was once known as "Black Wall Street,"  the Mecca of Black economic empowerment.  Although many people believe that Tulsa Oklahoma was America's only Black Wall Street, history teaches us that Durham also held that prestigious title.  Durham is also the home of North Carolina Central University and Duke University. Not to mention, Research Triangle Park, one of the largest high tech development centers in the country, lies with the boundaries of Durham County.  Furthermore, many famous people have roots here, including Ernie Barnes, the artist who created the paintings featured on the 70's sitcom Good Times and Loretta Lynch, the Attorney General of the United States.

Most importantly, there are many people in Durham who are working, tirelessly, to make this city one of which our children and our children's children will be proud. Recently, we launched the Black Durham Is Beautiful Campaign to show the world that Durham is more than  just murder and mayhem and is one of the greatest places to live on the planet.

Instead of of making negative statements about this city, why don't you use your platform to make things better for the youth?

So, "Mr. 106 and Park,"  you owe each of the 250,000 residents of Durham an apology. (Or at least a heartfelt "my bad.") And until we receive an apology we will not support Music Moguls or any other project even loosely associated with the name "Bow Wow" nor "Shad Moss."

To borrow from the infamous words of  Birdman, who is also featured on Music Moguls, "you are gonna learn to RESPECK my city!"

                      Peace,

                      Min. Paul Scott

                      Messianic Afrikan Nation

                      Durham NC

Min. Paul Scott aka "TRUTH Minista" can be reached at (919) 972-8305 email info@nowarningshotsfired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

Prelude to a Race War

Prelude to a Race War

Min. Paul Scott

Durham may have its problems but the one thing that we really don't have to worry about is being shot because of the color of our skin.

The color of our baseball caps, maybe. But not the color of skin.

Not yet anyway...

For the last few weeks, the Durham Herald Sun has been on overdrive promoting the idea that black folks are targeting Latinos for robbery because of race.

While anyone, with any knowledge of Durham's history or a fair amount of plain old common sense, would immediately write this off as hogwash, as it is said, if you tell a lie long enough....

First, it is problematic to insinuate that black people can be "racist."

To quote writer Neely Fuller, author of "The United Independent Compensatory Code/System/Concept,"

"The only form of functional racism that exists anywhere in the known universe is white supremacy."

To suggest that African Americans have the social, economic or political ability to be "racist" is just evidence of those who have the power to define reality though their media organs to spread false propaganda.

In recent weeks, the Durham Herald Sun has published two articles in which members of the Latino community have been quoted as saying that they are being targeted for robbery because of "racism" via "blacks."

In the 1/22 issue under the caption "Hispanics fear rash of crimes is racism: String of robberies committed mostly by black men", it was reported by Dan Way (metro editor of the Herald Sun) that several Hispanic Durham residents were raising the question whether the 30 robberies of against Hispanics during the first two weeks of January were "racist hate crimes."

A few weeks later in an article written, again, by Dan Way, a Mexican woman is quoted as saying,

"The problem in this neighborhood is with the blacks."

Also a "Honduran national" is quoted as saying,

"The "gringo's" don't bother you The Hispanics don't bother you. It's the blacks."

He later says that while his sandwich truck serves black customers, both attempts to break into his vehicle were by black men.

The article ends with the quote,

"How are we going to defend ourselves ? We don't have any help."

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-922593.cfm

Now, there are several things that are very problematic about these two articles.

The first being that both of these articles were not written by some college intern or some kid fresh out of journalism school. These articles were written by the metro editor of the Herald Sun who should know better than to spread these accusations.

Secondly, the terms being used. As stated earlier "racism" would not be the proper term here nor would "hate crimes." When you use these terms you are alleging that those black men who are robbing Latinos are doing it strictly to deny Latinos of their rights. You also assume that these thieves only rob Latinos and have no prior histories robbing any other race, including other African Americans.

The term "gringo" is also used. In the article there is no attempt to define the Spanish term "gringo." Even, when researching the word via other sources the term is hard to define. Taken out of the context of the story, one can assume that the interviewee is using the the term to differentiate European Americans from African Americans, which is disturbing in and of itself. Since most English speaking people, including African Americans, do not use the term "gringo" it can be rightly stated that the article was only meant for a community that understands the lingo or code word.

Also, one cannot help but notice that no African Americans were interviewed in either article to refute the charges of racism. It must be noted that the way the stories are written, it is not a condemnation of a few black thieves but an indictment of the entire black community.

Not only does the Herald Sun's coverage defy logic, the assertion of black racism against Latinos goes against studies such as the one started a few years ago by Duke professor Paula McClain.

In her study "Racial Distancing in a Southern City: Latino Immigrants Views of African Americans" it is said that Latinos have a more negative view of blacks than blacks have of Latinos. According to news reports her study said that 59% of Latino immigrants felt that few or almost no blacks are hard working, one third said that blacks are hard to get along with and 57% said that few or no blacks could be trusted."

http://www.diversityinc.com/public/2967.cfm

Yet, this local study by a local professor was not used in either Herald Sun story.

One must, of course, question the motives for promoting brown on black violence.

A strong argument could be made that Durham is experiencing a strong surge in gentrification. What better way to rid the community of "undesirables" than to have them kill each other off. The out of town business developers could then come in and buy what is left of the neighborhoods dirt cheap and put up high dollar developments. Also, there has been a lot of attention in the national media lately over the political divide between African Americans and Latinos.

This is not the first time that a local newspaper has been accused of inciting violence against African Americans. Josephus Daniels, former owner of the News and Observer has been accused of using the paper to encourage violence against African Americans and he was, also, accused of helping to incite the Wilmington Race Riots of 1898.

http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/1898-wrrc/report/report.htm

It could also be argued that the Herald Sun played a major role in the popularization of local street gangs because of the extensive coverage which it has given the issue over the last decade.

http://www.heraldsun.com/hottopics/topicpage.cfm?topicID=21

Durham does not have a major brown on black race problem yet, that is still a problem that plagues West Coast cities such as Los Angeles. One cannot help but wonder what role the LA media played in promoting the tensions and if the same could happen in Durham, NC.

Columnists like the LA Time's Gregory Rodriguez bemoaned the media's exploitation on the black vs brown conflict. His 10/7 column, "The Fantasy of LA's Race War " ends with the chilling words:

"I can't help thinking that there is some sort of wish fulfillment in the black-versus-brown fixation."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rodriguez1oct01,0,1767378.column

The Durham community must rise up and stop the spread of this false propaganda before it escalates into a conflict that will neither benefit the black nor Latino community.

We must heed the words of the late great Malcolm X when he said :

"The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make a criminal look like he’s the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal…. If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”

Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

The Death of Public Affairs

If you are from the ol' School, you can remember the now extinct creature called public affairs programming. Thanks to the Black Power era, radio and television stations used to have shows that catered to the black community serving as forums to discuss issues. Even the white owned stations used to give up at least 30 minutes every weekend to discuss so called "minority issues." Part of that was public service, part was marketing and part was just a way to see what black folks were talking about, just in case they were planning a riot, the power structure would have a heads up.

But that was then, this is now. FCC regulations that once required a certain amount of public programming began to fade, as well as rules against mega corporations owning multiple stations in a single market. Also, since the '70's, the black community began to become less angry and after the '92 LA rebellion, public outrage became almost nonexistant. So the demand for public affairs programming began to fade.

Fast forward to 2008, an election year which is, auguably , one of the most important times in a post Katrina, post Imus, post Jena 6, black America.

In North Carolina, the major "urban "radio stations are owned by Radio One out of DC/Maryland; WQOK and WFXC. WFXC similcasts on frequencies 104.3 and 107.1 FM which gives them the ability to reach almost every black person in darn near the entire state.
Yet, between the two stations, they only have two "public affairs" programs for one hour, "Talk Back" and "Connections," which alternate between Sundays on 104.3 and 107.1 Out of the two, only Talk Back actually takes call ins and talks about what is happenin' in tha 'hood.

"Connections" is a different story.

The program, which consists of one or two hosts, mostly , talking about what's good with the Democrats and what's bad with the Republicans, stopped taking call ins about a year ago. Now it is just an hour long monologue, every other Sunday.

Who wants to hear someone give their opinions on politics for a solid hour, no matter how valid or invalid they may be?

If I just want to hear someone's opinion, I'll just go down to the corner and rap to Mr. Willie, the wino.

In a way, to, I guess, appease the haters, the host did announce on the air, today, that they will have a book signing at a resturant in Raleigh where listeners can come and discuss the issues that they have been monologuing about.

Here's the kicker....

They "may" just tape your comments and play them back on a future show...

Big whoop...

So, let's get this straight. In order for me to take an active part in the so called public affairs program, I have to get in my car, drive 20 miles to the next city, go to a resturant and listen to Mister Monologue radio host hawk his book ?

Call it what you want...But that ain't public affairs. The reason that it is allowed to pose as "public affairs" is that we, as a community, have not raised the issue, especially when it gets close to FCC license renewal time.

We will never get better, until we demand better...

Until then as Jay Z said ,

I guess we can't "knock tha hustle."

Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283

Black Racism???

For the second time in less than a month, the Durham Herald Sun is promoting the idea that black people are robbing Latinos because of "racism."

Now, I'm gonna say this one mo' time for people who are a little slow....

Black folks, cannot be racist!!!

Bigots, yes...

Prejudiced, yes...

But racists, heck to tha naw!!!

Racism means that you have the ability to deprive someone of their rights to Life, Liberty and all that other stuff that black folks have never had... We do not, collectively, have the economic-political power to deny "nobody nuthin'."

We, as a community, should be concerned that the Herald Sun is quoting members of the Latino community as saying that black racists are targetting them for crimes.

I doubt if the Spanish equivilant of that word "racism" has the same connotations that it has as the way the word is used in America with her history of lynchings, discrimination, etc

So, I can see the reporter rollin' up on Pedro Gomez....

"So, I hear you folks are being targeted by the neg...I mean, colore..I mean African Americans..."

"Que?"

"You know the black people..."

"Oh, si, el negros !!!"

"So would you say that they are dispoportionately targeting people of the mexi..., I mean, Hispanic persuation because of your economic vulnerability, based on color? "

"Que ?"

"I mean, they are being racist right ?...'

"Um, si ???"

It is dangerous that the Heald Sun is promoting this in the community..I guess they must be runnin' out of good Crip and Blood stories...

Shouldn't the city council, human relations commission, boys in the barbershop or somebody be addressing this issue before it gets outta hand ?

So far, Durham has been spared the Black and Brown tensions of, say, Los Angeles...

But give the Herald Sun a few more weeks to hype this misinformation...

To borrow from that great Hip Hop philosopher, Jay Z....

"Black folk's got 99 problems but a Mexican ain't one."

Yet, anyway....

Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ (919) 451-8283

Puttin' Black History on the Auction Block

Puttin' Black History on the Auction Block


Min. Paul Scott


"The only someone we are shown in history is mygrandfather was picking cotton Picking cotton don’t move me" -Malcolm X


The crowd gathered around as Massa Charlie paraded the slave's around the auction block. Seems like that day they were having a special sale on the most talented slaves. Some of them buck danced for the crowd some told jokes, the slaves that got the biggest laughs sold for the highest price. The only one that wasn't sold that day was the rebellious one, Cinque, who escaped while the crowd was busy enjoying Uncle Remus play hambone on his knee. No, we aren't talkin'about Jamestown VA in the 1600's, we are talking about Harlem 2007...

Black History Month used to be a time for Black folks to shine. A time to flip tha finger at white America and tell them "If it wasn't for a BLACK MAN inventing the traffic light, just think of how high your car insurance would be..YEAH!!!" It was a time to show white folks that the so called "savages" that they kidnaped from Africa were, indeed worthy of using the same toilet as them. But now instead of looking up to the accomplishments of Garret Morgan, in 2007, we are more interested inTyrone 'T-Boogie" Johnson, the first Black man to put florescent spinnin' rims on a 74 Cutless Supreme.

Back in tha day, Black culture, itself used to besomething to be admired and celebrated, as Deacon JohnSmith could not wait to see his Lil Aisha perform her African dance at the annual church Black history program but every since Sis. Anna Mae's son told his Sunday School class that he saw Lil Aisha aka MissThixxx in the Playa Pimp video "Strippers Make My Toes Curl", the good Deacon is ashamed to show his face in church...

While the younger generation does bare someresponsibility for the current condition of Blackculture, the lion's share of the blame must fall onthe older generation.Many of our young people just don't know because no one has taught them their true history. And I'm not talking about that "jump down pick a bale of cotton"type history that is taught in school. Is it really Lil Rasheed's fault that he and his rap group "The Tar Babies" recorded a funky remix of"Zip-a -dee- do- da" when the old folks were too busy trying to catch up with the Van Morrison's to tell him.."Now, that is just wrong!" Or is it really Tanitia's fault for taking a role in the Hip Hop version ofGone With the Wind when the only version of Black History she was given came courtesy of a value meal bag from Mickey Dee's?"

The problem is the lack of value we have placed on Black History and the historical disrespect of BlackCulture. To most white folks African people had no real history until they were brought to America. Never mind all that "hogwash" about the pyramid builders, rulers of ancient empires, true people of the Bible etc. All of that was just written off by European scholars as nonsense and this philosophy is still reflected in the American public educational system, today. Before segregation you had Black teachers who may not have been experts on ancient African history but they were dedicated to instilling African values in young Black children. However, after integration you had white teachers who would not know Hannibal from Carthage from Hannibal from "Silence of the Lambs" teaching Black children/ future Black educators Black history. So even with our higher level of education in the 21st century, our knowledge of history has not advanced beyond the plantation. And yet we wonder why Black children drop out of school at alarming rates.

The Black preachers have not been much help either,as they have been more interested in producing"sanctified slaves" then giving their congregations an Afrocentric Theology that would prepare them to live in a European dominated society that would never fail to remind them that they were divinely cursed to be their flunkies.

Perhaps most dangerous, if not most relevant, today has been the white exploitation/commercialization ofBlack culture. While Hip Hop as a pseudo culture may have come out of an authentically Black experience, Hip Hop as a "business" has mostly been the brainchild of white entertainment lawyers, accountants and marketing executives. So, while many Black youth feel that they are "reppin' the 'hood" when they embrace commercial Hip Hop and transform themselves into niggaz and bitches , they are really the victim ofwhite corporate marketing schemes.

Also, disturbing are the nonBlack companies who use Black History Month as a marketing tool to getBlack folks to get off of some of their hard earned dollars every February. So Black History does not come courtesy of our Black scholars but courtesy of some white, pimply faced entry level marketing intern at Denny’s who needed a project for college credit.

So, today Black culture is basically worthless and Black Culture is just a hollow shell of what it is supposed to be . No matter what Black History Month issupposed to be in theory, in practice, it has yet to even convince thousands of Black children that they ain't niggaz. That is why I have launched a hostile take over of Black History Month called the Books or Bullets Campaign.

http://www.booksorbullets.com/

Now I know the haters are going to come with their slings and arrows, frying pans and whatever yellin"How Dare You!"But if this causes one Black child to change their perception of who he or she is; so be it!

To borrow that line from line "The Lion King, "You are much more than you have become."
It's time that someone let's them know....

Min. Paul Scott Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached a t(919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Myth of the Hip Hop Generation

Yesterday, before the "10" Black Men gathering, I had the pleasure of being the keynote speaker at the "It Takes a Commuity for this Community Affair" community forum sponsored by the Durham County Women's Commision. The audience was made up of some very bright young folks from North Carolina Central University and Hillside High School.

I was there to to kick off my Books or Bullets Black History month campaign with a lecture on Hip Hop's fall from the intellectualism of the late 80's-early 90's.

Hip Hop topics usually go over real big with the younger crowd, especially when it comes to the question and answer period where some young B-Boy hot shot usually shoots the speaker down by bringing out Hip Hop historical points that you don't find out by watching some Ivy Leage, PH.D havin' dude tryin' to hawk his latest book on C-Span's Book Notes...

But it was during the question and answer period that I discovered young Black America's dirty little secret...

They ain't no darn "Hip Hop Generation..."

I heard a Civil Rights person say that the folks in the 60's never referred to what they were doing as a "Civil Rights Movement." That was just a name that the white News directors GAVE them. This sentiment was echoed last week when Dr. Howard Fuller, a noted Durham NC activist of tHE 60's and 70's who founded Malcolm X University and later went on to become the superintendent of the Milwaukee school district. Dr. Fuller said that although the activists in Durham were referred to as "civil rights activists" they were really Black Power activists.

This is not much different than what has happened to young Black America over the last 20 years. Hip Hop started in the 70's, got put on record in very late 79 into 1980 and began to become commercialized around 87 with the crossover popularity of Run DMC and the Beastie Boys. So, what the media call the Hip Hop generation can be anyone who brought a Hip hop record/CD from 1980 through the present.

Only when labeling Black folks would they put a 12 year old child and a 45 year old man in the same category. So when the media use "Hip Hop" they are not referring to an age range but a mentality. A mentality that is more rooted in BET than in political and social events. The term "Hip Hop Generation" is not rooted in reality but just a marketing term that mega corporations use to sell CD's and over priced T-Shirts and "Hip Hop intellectuals" use to sell books and get speaking engagements.

This generation is not the brain dead group of ring tone buyin' Hip Hoppers that the media would have you to believe. This generation is alot brighter than many of us realize but because we don't expect better, we don't get better...

So, I learned alot yesterday from the young folks. For too long we have let the media define us. It's time that we define ourselves.

Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Durham's "10" Black Men

A few weeks ago Cimerron Bandele, head of the African Diasporin Nationalist Society, made a call to the community for a "No Excuse Day", to have 10 Black men show up to aid the Durham NC community.

Despite chilly weather, on January 26, they did just that.

Yesterday, in front of the Know Bookstore on Fayetteville Street, more than 20 men lined the sidewalk holding red, black and green flags and banners with a common theme.

"It's time for Black men to stand up!

The reason for the name "10" Black men is because the group feels that if only 10 strong, dedicated Black men would just get off the couch and turn off the football game, they could make positive changes in Durham,

For those who are not from the "Bull City," for more than a decade, Durham has been given a bad rap. Although, the city was once known as "Black Wall Street," Durham is mostly known, nationally, today for gang bangin'.

While Durham, like many cities, does have its share of youth violence, much of what you see and hear about the city has more to do with the media hype of news producers who have watched "Boys in the Hood" too many times than what is really going on in the streets.

The problem of "Dirty Durham" is more like a self fulfilling prophecy courtesy of national news documentaries that try to portray the city as the Compton of the South.

While some may point to Hip Hop as the reason for the rapid spread of "gangsta-ism" throughout smaller cities, in Durham, the "culture was spread more by newspaper headlines featuring black males throwin' up gang signs than rapper, Ice Cube.

But whatever the cause, we now have a problem; one that needs to be corrected. A correction that will come by way of intervention and education instead of "pointing the finger" and incarceration.

Enter the 10 Black Men.

The group was well received by the Durham community as many of those who rode by either honked their horns in support or raised the Black Power Fist out of their windows.

The "10" made it known that this is just the beginning and other events are soon coming, including a town meeting scheduled for February 9th.

I guess the feelings of the residents of the Fayetteville St. neighborhood to the sight of a group of strong Black men standing up to take control of their city can be summed up by the words of one elderly sister touched by the sight who could only smile and say repeatedly...

"To God be the glory."

Amen, Sister..Amen

Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ For more info contact (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Cut the Bull: The Man Who Would Be Mayor

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....

Cut the Bull: Response to Barry Saunder's Column

Just read News and Observer's star columnist, Barry Saunders, piece about the NAACP forum last Monday. Yeah, he referred to me as a "no shot" candidate.

Councilman Thomas Stith has raised over $100,000 and with today's Mayor Bill Bell/Barak Obama connection. I definately am the underdog, to put it mildly.

But the kick in the teeth is that Saunder's story is my first "real" mention in the metro News and Observer in about two years. Not to mention the virtual "blackout" of my campaign by the paper. Not that the N@O is known for covering too much in Durham that doesn't include dead bodies and bloodshed...If I put on a red and blue bandana, pull my pants down and start callin' myself Killa P-Dog, maybe I would at least get an honorable mention...

However, that ain't as bad as WRAL virtually yankin' my mic out of the speaker at the NAACP debate. While Bell and Stith were able to wax poetic about their visions for Durham, WRAL just briefly showed me moving my mouth. (Guess the camera man couldn't find a way to block me out of the shot since I was sitting in the middle so he did the next best thing; cut the sound.

But it ain't over 'till it's over..Never under estimate the "none of the above vote."

But back to Saunders...Ya know, I ain't really a politician, I'm a writer...

And Saunders strikes me as a gamblin' man, so let's do this...

We have an old fashion rap....I mean writer's battle...Saunder's column vs No Warning Shots Fired.com ...Old School vs New School...Corporate vs Underground...and if I win I get his spot at the News and Observer...

It'll be fun. Kinda like Kanye West versus Wonder Mike from the Sugarhill Gang....

OK , I'll kick it off with a KRS One lyric:

Ya know what ya need to learn
Ol' school writers don't always burn
You're just another writer who's had his turn
Now it's my turn!

Cut the Bull: TRUTH Minista Paul Scott in Mayoral Debate

There will be a forum involving the Durham mayoral candidates at the downtown Durham Co. Public Library this Monday Oct.29th at 7PM. TRUTH Minista Paul Scott will make a rare appearence, along with the other candidates Mayor Bill Bell and Councilman Thomas Stith.
Please come out and show your support.

Cut the Bull: Durham's Mayoral Wrestlemania

As the "candidate non grata" in Durham's mayoral
election I have a few quick observations based on the
Wrestlemania-like performances of Mayor Bell and Councilman
Stith.

There is an old African proverb that says "when two
elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers." In
Durham, the elephants are Bell and Stith and the grass
is the citizens of Durham, especially the children.

I sit back and observe this fighting and I ask myself,
"Weren't these guys playing on the same team?"
It's like Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith getting in a
slugfest on the field after losing a game while the
fans are screaming that we need a new team.

Maybe, tomorrow's headline should be " Bell and Stith
Clobber Each Other with Fiddles, while Durham Burns."

Alas, in the end, this election fued is just like professional
"wrasslin.'" As much as Nature Boy Ric Flair and the American
Dream Dusty Rhodes would yell at each other and smash each
others heads with chairs, at the end of the day it was just a
show to dupe the gullible fans into buying more wrestling tickets
or in this case, getting the people of Durham to vote for them...

When Mayberry Goes Gangsta

When Mayberry Goes Gangsta:
Justice Southern Style

Min. Paul Scott



Don't trust your soul to no back street southern lawyer
Cause the judge in town's got blood stains on his hands

The Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia-Viki Lawrence



Summer time in Mayberry. Usually you can find Sherif Andy and Deputy Barney unarmed in the jailhouse playin' cards and just chillin'. Meanwhile, Aunt B and Opie sit on the front porch sippin' home made lemonade. But that was before "they" rode into town. Now Andy and Barney wear bulletproof vests. Aunt B carries a 45 in her Sunday purse, locked and loaded. And Opie is now "O dog" Main St assassin...

When most folks think of North Carolina, they think of apple pie, warm summer nights and college basketball. But like most places, the Ole North State has its share of crime. Some folks will warn you that if you see a kid dressed from head to toe in Carolina blue, he probably doesn't play for the UNC Tarheels. Especially in my city, Durham, as for the past few years the so called gang problem has received national attention thanks to the media and documentaries.

Durham hasn't always had the reputation of being the New Jack City of the South. But a few years back the local media began to do cover stories with gangsta's throwin' up gang signs and well, the kids that weren't quite smart enough to get on the A honor roll or couldn't catch a pass for a hundred yards every Friday night found that one way to get noticed was to go to the Dollar store and get a bandana, white T shirt and mimic BET videos.

To add to that, as in many cities, there is also the practice of gentrification. For those not hip to the term. When you find a poor neighborhood, label it run down, drive the people out, sell property dirt cheap and then rebuild the area...That's gentrification.

What you have a self fulfilling prophecy..Tell the people they live in a "gang infested" area long enough and well...You know the rest.

So how do my southern friends and neighbors deal with the plague of gang violence?

Like folks in any other town below the Mason Dixon when they feel that their traditional way of life is threatened...

They panic.

For the past few years, some NC politicians have been trying to pass tougher legislation to deal with gang violence. In 2003, to capitalize off of post 9/11 paranoia they tried to pass a Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act but since public anxiety had begun to die down, it didn't work. In 2007, they are trying to sneak it under the public radar in the form of the Street Gang Prevention Act courtesy of House Bill 274 and Senate Bill 1358.

But the obvious question is, if it is such a darn good idea, then why hasn't it become law, yet?

Now, I like to take an afternoon walk to the mailbox without worrying about becoming the victim of a drive by as much as the next guy but using draconian methods to deter crime just doesn’t strike me right.

The main controversies surrounding the bills are how do you determine who is in a gang and is being in a gang illegal?

The intro to House Bill 274 says that:

"The General Assembly, however, further finds that the State of North Carolina is in a state of crisis that has been caused by violent street gangs whose members threaten, terrorize, and commit a multitude of crimes against the peaceful citizens of their neighborhoods. These activities, both individually and collectively, present a clear and present danger to public order and safety and are not constitutionally protected "

******Note to Gang members "clear and present danger" is the ultimate diss because once you get that label on you. You have no rights and mama can’t save you*******
According to the bill a "criminal street gang" is defined as:

"any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, which engages in a pattern of criminal gang activity as defined in subdivision (2) of this section. The existence of the organization, association, or group of individuals associated in fact may be established by evidence of a common name or common identifying signs, symbols, tattoos, graffiti, or attire or other distinguishing characteristics"

Translation: Anyone who dresses like the rapper lil Wayne.

I think that it is safe to say that most middle class white folks don't know how it feels to be stereotyped. I still have a not so fond memory of while attending a summer high school honors program, standing at a bus stop dressed in my freshest 1984 Hip Hop gear only to have a Winston Salem bus driver decide that his half full vehicle suddenly ran out of room and slam the door in my face.

Also according to the bill "criminal street gang activity" is a:

"Pattern of criminal gang activity" means the commission, attempted commission, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation, coercion, or intimidation of another person to commit at least two of " a whole bunch of offences. "

I'm not quite sure how you enforce "attempt and conspiracy to commit a crime."
Maybe I should turn myself in now for that cup of coffee I was thinking about swiping from the counter at EZ Mart last week.

Lastly, the bill calls for the heavy prosecution of 12 year olds. I've met some rotten little brats in my day but I wouldn't really consider a 6th grader another Al Capone.

The companion bill Senate Bill 1358 is only slightly more politically correct.

Yes Virginia, there are real gangs in the Bull City and it is not a utopia. But Durham ain't Compton either with its generations of gangsterism. This isn’t an overly crowded city and the same kid who is P-Rock on Saturday night is Lil Pookie who sings in the youth choir on Sunday morning.

In other words..It aint' that deep.

We have not reached the point yet when we should consider performing social retro abortions on twelve year old kids.

Already they are developing projected budgets based on the new residents that will be headed to Hotel Hoodlum. The prison industry is big business and who am I to knock the hustle. So if your no good, lazy cousin in Alabama is looking for a good paying job, he might want to hop the next Greyhound to North Carolina.

The bottom line is in 2007, we should be able to come together and think of more innovative solutions to saving our children than the usual lock em up and throw away the key.

And that ain't just whistlin' Dixie...

Min. Paul Scott is a writer and activist based in Durham NC. His blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com
For reach him contact (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com