Hampton Waves Goodbye to the ‘Corporate Thug’
February 13, 2006
Hampton University has officially banned cornrows and dreadlocks for their Business School students. I know that Black people in general are pretty conservative, but as I would like to think that conservative does not equal dumb [in most cases]. Unfortunately, this might be such a case.
I’m sure there are plenty of people that think this is no big deal. They think that this is simply readying these students for the future realities of corporate citizenry in this country. They say that such styles are immature and make you look less intelligent and/or presentable to your potential employers. The story states Business School Dean Sid Credle’s (pictured here) motivation: “When we look at the top 75 African Americans in corporate America, we don’t see any of them with extreme hairdos.” Pardon me, but what is an extreme hairdo?!?!?!?! Who defines that? Black people? White people? Rich people? Poor people? Employers? I guess this guy would have thought that Madame C.J. Walker’s improvements to the metal straightening comb were bad because at that time “straight” hair was an extreme hairdo for black women.
You know where their notion of an extreme hairdo comes from? It is the result of staring at today through the lens of the supremacist, “Good Ol’ Boys” network that dominates american corporate culture. I am led to believe that because of the following statement from the article:
–
“Afros are OK but cornrows and flowing dreadlocks are not…’We don’t have problems with Afros,’ business Dean Sid Credle said Friday. ‘A nicely tapered Afro - that’s fine.’”
–
I’m not that old, but I’m sure there was a time not-so-long ago when the “nicely tapered Afro” was considered extreme. What is different from yesterday’s afro and today’s cornrow? Why is this formerly extreme hairdo now mainstream? Because white people think it’s cool. Period. Why do they think it’s cool? We will save that question for another day. Anyone who knows anything about hair knows that a caesar with a bad line up looks 1 billion times worse than newly braided cornrows. So why doesn’t the Hampton B School just take a look at EVERYBODY’S hair when they enter the building, and give them the go or no-go. It would go something like “If you don’t have waves homeboy, go get a brush before entering my school,” or “I’m sorry ma’am but you perm has not made your hair straight enough.” What’s their policy on facial hair I wonder? That wasn’t all that acceptable a short while a go in contemporary corporate america either, but I digress.
What kills me about these sorts of stupid policies are their selective nature. There have been lawsuits filed against other educational institutions for similar policies. I know that somebody in the Dean’s Office had to have known that there was some precedence with these sorts of policies. So either they disregarded that knowledge, or they felt that their policy was different. Maybe it was “different” because this is a policy at an HBCU. You know the theory: it’s not racist or culturally insensitive or prejudiced if it is done/said by a Black person or institution.
Maybe I wouldn’t have a problem with this policy if [it actually made sense, or if] the B School at Hampton took a multi-pronged approach to addressing the problem it is trying to “solve.” In addition to suggesting non-extreme hairstyles why not educate their corporate partners on what is and is not extreme and begin to change their ignorant perspective? I guess this can’t happen because the administration is too afraid of biting the hands that feed them.
Hmmmm…
That sounds familiar…Black folks not speaking up because they are afraid of being reprimanded, rejected, or punished…I think that that is an image we need to try to destroy and not repeat.
Finding our roots in Africa
February 9, 2006
Yesterday I finished watching the second half of the PBS special, African American Lives, hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. I highly recommend you find a way to see this series either by catching a re-run or actually buying the series. In the special, Gates utilized DNA analysis and history to pinpoint which countries in Africa (or outside of Africa) with a high degree of statistical reliablity. I was simply amazed at the prospects this new technology may hold for Black folks all over the Diaspora.
Growing up, I always had a longing to know which country in Africa I was from but after awhile I gave up that dream and instead chose to keep abreast of African culture and history. I have taken classes on Africa, done extensive research on my own, and regularly keep up with current events across the continent. But it wasn’t enough. I felt like I was looking for a specific needle in a pile of needles.
And it wasn’t until the PBS special that my childhood desire ignited in a fury of questions and imagination. I might be able to find out which country I was from. Just writing the aforementioned sentence sends tingles down my back. And as I reflected on the possibilities of telling my children stories of their ancestors during and before slavery, I was reminded of how disconnected Africans and Black people in America are. But if we could learn to respect and honor each other like the brothers and sisters we are, then the problems we face might not seem so daunting.
So I have a series of questions I would like to throw out there just to get a sense of the effects of a widespread program to help Black people in America trace their ancestry.
1) If you could, would you like to able to learn about your ancestry going back to and before slavery? And if so, what do you think are the possible benefits or drawbacks?
2) Is it important for you to have a working knowledge of current events in Africa or its history? And if so, what books/articles/internet sources have been particularly useful?
3) Have you ever heard family members or friends say disparaging comments about African people? How did you respond?
4) Do you view Africans with the same kinship that you show towards Blacks in America?
5) How far can you trace your lineage?
6) Do you think there could ever be true unity/appreciation between Blacks in America and Africa?
7) If you could trace your family tree back to slavery, what questions would you like the answers to the most? Please be forthcoming with your comments about this topic.
Stay up fam, Brandon.
The Weekly Dream: Examining the Possibilities
February 8, 2006
“Love is about the possibility of a thing. So when people say that the
love is gone…naw. What they really sayin’ is that they have exhausted
the possibilities.”
-Larenz Tate as Darius Lovehall in Love Jones
Well, well, well. Welcome to the second installation of the love
month. This week, we will be exploring arguably the most interesting
facet of love, romantic love between the sexes. Please bear with me.
These are just my reflections of what I have seen or experienced, so
do not take it as Gospel. Instead, think of them as talking points. If
you agree, weigh in, if not, say so also.
Now, in my simple mind, finding someone should not be that difficult. Love the one you’re with Let me distinguish something here. There is a difference in dating After the Love Is Gone… So let’s say you have someone and you have been together for a while. Closing thoughts… This has been a difficult piece, because it is so expansive. Just Make every day a day of love. Unleash the power of love, and unlock the power of truth. Truth and Peace, Steven M DeVougas Question of the week: How do you know when you are in love? –
Yet, my empirical data instructs me to the contrary. With the
commonality of cohabitation and divorce, relationships in this era
have taken on the flavor of a business transaction. As a result, there
is more of an arm’s-length approach to love. This especially is
noticeable during Valentine’s Day. The week leading up to Cupid’s
fiesta is marked by conflicting emotions. I have encountered three
women who said they were sending themselves flowers, three more who
said their Valentine was their mothers, and a general consensus that
men on a whole “don’t be actin’ right.” This no doubt is a sad state
of affairs, at least in my corner of the world (and I hope other
places are more cheerful than this). The guys on the other hand, have
a more diverse response. But most of the time, no matter what the
plans, it involves the word “budget”.
These interactions and sharp gender politics started me to thinking:
what is the problem? I am fortunate to know a lot of wonderful women,
and nearly all of them have consistent relationship issues. On the
level that I interact with them, I would think that they would be
great catches. So, I have come to two conclusions: 1. I really do not
know them all that well, or 2. it’s the people they are
attracted/dealing with.
As to point one, that could be true, but some of them I know very
well, so that is kind of moot. The second point has a little more
meat. Individuals will entertain those who they know they cannot
have a future with because of boredom or in hopes they can change them
or they are holding on to what was. These are the same people who will
tell me that they are looking for a “serious commitment” but they know
that whoever they with now is not who they are going to end up with. I
call this “dead-end dating.” Boredom or insecurity normally lies at
the bottom of this stack. You also have people who just take what
comes along with no direction or purpose. They say they are looking
for love, but every one of their actions is inconsistent with that
aim, they do not know what they are in the game for.
I believe that a large part of the problem is that few of us have
taken the time out to assess what it is we truly value, in ourselves
and in others. What types of people are we attracted to and why? What
does love look like for us? Love is a lot like barbeque sauce,
everyone has their own particular blend. We need to define it for
ourselves. After we define what we are looking for, be true to that.
Set your boundaries and expectations. Then, be patient. When you
find it, you can tell it is real when the other person makes you want
to be a better person and vice versa. The power of love is that it
allows you to catch a glimpse of your highest self and that is a
revelation of the truth.
My experience has refined what love looks like for me, and it is
still being refined. However, it is astounding how we make such an
important decision based purely on a gut level reaction. Initial
attraction is just the beginning. You need to know what it is going to
take to be successful and paint that perfect picture. It needs to be
colored not just with love, but patience, understanding, kindness and
communication. Highlight that with time and experience, the bedrock of
every relationship and you have created a masterpiece.
for fun and dating for commitment. If you are just out there having
fun, then do what you do. But it is another thing all together to
complain and state that you are ready for love and your
actions/personnel do not match up. I had to learn a long time ago that
there is a distinction between wanting something and being ready for
it. Just because you want something does not mean that you are
necessarily ready for it. And if you do not have what you want, then
most likely, you have preparation to do. It is a hard truth, but
repeatedly in my life, when I have been truly ready, everything fell
into place.
After sometime the passion cools. That newness wears off, you stop
doing the extra things, and start taking things for granted. I have
seen this time and time again. These couples that love each other, but
have not been madly in love with one another in sometime. It
is–unfortunate. There is a thin line between comfort and complacency.
The good news is and what a lot of people do not realize is that
passionate love is an emotion. And emotions can be created at will.
All you have to do is get back to basics. Think about how things were
at the beginning and go back to that. Create new possibilities and
experiences. Day-to-day life is already mundane enough; your
relationship should be an adventure. To get there, it is going to take
some honesty, communication, selflessness, and creativity. Every
relationship has its ebb and flow. As long as both parties are working
toward the same aim, then anything is surmountable. But it takes two
individuals working together, you cannot be in love with yourself. Be
willing to hold yourself and your relationship to the light.
know this, it begins with you. You have to know what you are in it
for, on what levels you are going to deal with people and be true to
that. I know it is not as cookie cutter as I have made it sound, but
it is a learning experience. If you have that special someone, make
sure you make time to enjoy life together. Do something different and
exciting. Your relationship is what you make it.
For those of you who have not had the best luck in this area, do not
lose hope. When you finally find what you are looking for, it will
definitely be worth it. Make sure you are prepared when it does.
GDG II
http://www.TheSuperSpade.com
Can I die?$?
February 8, 2006
In the Washington Post today, there was an article that discussed Bush federal budget proposal that included a cut in the $255 Social Security funeral benefit. How did our priorities get so mixed up where you can’t afford to die?.
I don’t have the immediate answer right now but I am working on it. The funeral benefit program was started in 1939 and was designed to help families deal with funeral expenses. The amount was set at $255 in 1952 and, until 1981, the payment was made directly to funeral homes, they said.
You might wonder how in the world this affects you, right? Well, if you have family members whose only income is derived from Social Security and they pass away, then your family will have to work together to pay for the funeral. In 1999, the average cost of funerals was nearly $6,000 so if your family is low-income, then I am sure $6,000 is not readily available and you will have to bring it down a couple thousand dollars. So let’s say you can get a funeral for $2,000, your family will still be looking for any assistance it can. And if you could get $255 from Social Security, it won’t do much, but it will do something.
The article went on to say “Congressional aides said Jo Anne Barnhart, the Social Security Commissioner, had told them during a closed-door briefing on Monday that the $255 one-time death benefit has become an administrative burden, since it is not paid in all cases.” That’s like saying we shouldn’t give out tax refunds since not everyone gets their check. Whatever influence I can muster through my voice, I will speak up for the people whose concerns often fall on deaf ears. It amazes me how helping the poor is described as administrative burdens but tax cuts for the rich are touted as the remedy for everything from curing AIDS to cutting the deficit.
If you do nothing else, speak truth to power when you see injustice. Start a blog, email your Congressman, talk to your family, because it may not do much ($6,000)in and of itself, but it will do something ($255).
Stay up fam,
Brandon
.
Black grad students file suit against U of Michigan
February 7, 2006
Recently, a group of Black graduate students at the University of Michigan filed a lawsuit against the University claiming the University aggressively recruits black students, but then discourages them from completing Ph.D. programs.
What complicates this situation is that the University of Michigan has been a fierce supporter of affirmative action programs in admissions and ranks among the best for the number of Ph.D.s granted to doctoral students. But does this record let the University off the hook if the said charges are potent and systemic?
Some say that this lawsuit proves that if you have race-based admissions then you must have race-based graduation while others say that this lawsuit is an example of a bait and switch and the University should be called to task. How would you handle this situation? What do you think are the potential far-reaching implications of this lawsuit?
Please stay tuned to Superspade as we work to bring you exclusive access to the people and ideas that inspired this lawsuit.
I told you so
February 6, 2006
Do you remember when we told you about that powers that be just don’t get it in regards to the Muhammad editorial cartoons? Well, I hate to say I told you so.
This weekend, I read about protestors in Syria who torched the Norwegian Embassy and the building that houses Denmark’s embassy. Muslims all over the world are protesting these cartoons from Iraq to Indonesia. In related news, four people died in Afghanistan when Muslim protestors clashed with the police. I could go on and on but my point is that we just don’t get it. You can’t talk about winning the hearts and minds of Muslims while blaspheming their religion.
The power of the pen is mightier than the sword.
Stay up fam,
Brandon
What the Super Bowl means to the City of Detroit
February 5, 2006
Happy Super Bowl Bowl Sunday SuperSpade supporters!
No, this is NOT a sports story. However, it is a story about what a sporting event can do for the city I love: Detroit. This week Detroit has had more visitors from out of town than it has hosted since Detroit’s last Super Bowl in 1981. People had both positive and negative takeaways from that event. Let’s talk about the positive things people should have in their minds as they leave the city and the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl is the single biggest night in sports, in television, in the year. It is the most watched, most listened to, event every year. Many are the benefits experienced by the game’s host city. Aside from being on TV that particular [January or] February night, the city gets boatloads of money from the NFL and its partners to be used for event preparation. Add to these monies work by local investors and contractors to prepare their city, focusing their efforts on construction and cleanup. When all of the visitors are gone, there are hree things I’d like them to take back to their respective residences besides their 1. Detroit is an attractive investment Those visiting the city of Detroit will see three things: development, 2. Detroit is a nice place to visit 3. Detroit is a great city May the City of Detroit build on its momentum and Super Bowl success. –
belongings and souvenirs.
development, and more development. The entire Downtown Detroit area is in the midst of massive redevelopment of both commercial and residential properties. Even with all of that activity, even the naked eye will still see tremendous opportunities for investment Downtown and in surrounding areas, such as those near Wayne State University or areas on the east side near City Airport. Real estate is relatively inexpensive in and around the city, and tax incentives are in place for individuals to open restaurants, nightclubs, and other businesses in Detroit. Opportunities for people from other places to invest themselves or partner with local investment groups
are open and available, and should be strongly considered.
People from Detroit and those visiting Detroit have been having a great time in and around the city for the past week-and-a-half. As with any Super Bowl or large event, celebrities from the worlds of sports and entertainment are having parties and charity events. What is important to note in all of this is the different venues being showcased. Clubs and restaurants throughout the city are taking advantage of this time to show off their facilities to a vast audience. Seeing how beautiful these places are will encourage people to come back into Downtown when they are looking to enjoy themselves. People can also experience the fruits of the beautification efforts all around the city. Campus Martius, Harmony Park, Hart Plaza, The Riverfront. All of these areas have received recent facelifts and are
on display during these times. The outdoor venues are presenting themselves and showing people why they will be great, fun places to experience when the weather turns. Detroit residents, suburban residents, and out-of-towners alike are all seeing that they can and will have a good time in the City of Detroit.
People will leave this peaceful and enjoyable Detroit Super Bowl experience with a better perception of the city. Even people within the City Limits think that Detroit is a bad and dangerous place. The media has not been kind to neither Detroit nor its leadership for the past 20 years. None of that matters. People will now see the Detroit of today and the Detroit of the future. They will see a city that has survived trying times and has not laid down. This is a town
redefining itself and re-committing itself to success and excellence. Challenges persist, but persistent planning and optimism will always
overcome all adversity.
GDG II
http://www.TheSuperSpade.com
The Military’s New Recruits
February 3, 2006
The ‘long war‘ is really an ironic concept. The irony comes in the fact that America’s “battle-hardened, unmatched military dominance” cannot defeat this “whimsical, cowardly” antagonist called “terror.” Well actually, that’s not the military (read: the soldiers) fault. That is the fault of the leadership of the military. Unfortunately, there is zero accountability on the part of the leadership of the military for their failures. Instead, they are breaking the army. Well, broken stuff has to be fixed right? Salon.com is showing us how it’s being fixed. I’ll tell you why their solution is just plain evil.
From the article:
–
Facing an enlistment crisis, the Army is granting “waivers” to an increasingly high percentage of recruits with criminal records — and trying to hide it.
–
Where do we begin? What comes first: the chicken, or the egg? What’s worse: the fact that they are hiring criminals, or the fact that they don’t want you to know about it?
Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows how I feel about the lack of focus on criminal rehabilitation and prison re-entry programs that exist today.
I think this “Army Internship for the Previously Disenfranchised” is a ridiculous and underhanded attempt to subvert integrious recruitment tactics and keep the numbers of minorities in the armed forces nice and disproportionate. Think about it. We know that there are disproportionate numbers of black and Latin males in prison today. We also know that many lower-income urban communities are populated by black and Latin people. If I was stupid, which I may be, I could look at that and say, “if I want to find a bunch of black and Latin men, let me go to a population that has an abnormal proportion of these individuals and look.” That would leave me with two “legitimate” options. The first is to recruit from the hood, the second is to recruit from jail. I mean besides, these are already societies outcasts anyway (the poor and the imprisoned) in some people’s eyes, right? That is why they think it’s OK to throw the into the fire of war. If they lose their lives, at least it wasn’t someone “valuable.”
Why try to hide it? The military already does this! The numbers are clear and support that something fishy must be going on. People can’t think that Black people overwhelmingly want to join the military more so than others, can they? Maybe I’m the stupid one who fails to see that as reality, but I digress. Why not say “we are doing this because we fear we may not hit our numbers and must therefore re-evaluate how/where we recruit” out loud? Because they know that the program is sinister and racist, and don’t want this to be any more obvious, thus marking the difference in today’s struggle against covert racism with the yesterdays struggle against overt racism.
So what do we do about this? BE INFORMED! Spread the word and let people know about these underhanded tactics to take members away from our community and use them as pawns of oppression. Tell your friends and relatives and acquaintances and neighbors to be wary of recruiters using such carrot and stick tactics as higher bonuses (the carrot) to entice enlistment and possible execution by foreign adversaries (the stick).
The long war ahead…
February 3, 2006
In a recent speech, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said “the United States is engaged in what could be a generational conflict akin to the Cold War, the kind of struggle that might last decades as allies work to root out terrorists across the globe and battle extremists who want to rule the world.”.
I am so surprised that after the coalition launched its attack on Iraq, the predictions of a quick victory and no plans for an occupation have faltered. The implications of Rumsfeld’s speech are profound because it seems odd that Presidents get credit for starting wars and once that machine is in motion, it takes monumental circumstances for the political elite to actually end the war. But at least the characters are set up with Rumsfeld comparing al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin. Which makes me wonder why we would want to catch Osama when it is his being elusive that provided much of the impetus for invading Iraq? Just imagine how future historians will look back on this war; Bush vs. Bin Laden. It is so simplistic it is nauseating.
And with the Bush administration doggedly resisting all forms of a timetable, they are just waiting to pass on the real mess of this war to future Presidents. This will in turn allow Bush Jr. to enjoy fishing with his father saying “Dad, I really wanted to finish that war but those dang old term limits nipped me in the bud.” But on a more serious note, Rumsfeld and others have noted the war on terrorism could take years. Do you really think the neo-conservatives thought the US would invade Iraq and bring the troops home? Just think about the timing of the US media sudden infatuation with Iran and how it coincided with the ‘major’ elections in Iraq. The boys are already overseas, so we might as well keep them busy right?
All of this war-mongering is set against the backdrop of the Pentagon’s report stating the US Army is “in a race against time to adjust to the demands of war ‘or risk ‘breaking’ the force in the form of a catastrophic decline’ in recruitment and re-enlistment.” But who needs to really worry about troops when our troop levels revolve around our Star-Wars type weapons systems as confirmed by the “relatively minor adjustments in key weapons systems, with the biggest programs such as the Joint Strike Fighter and the Army’s Future Combat Systems escaping virtually unscathed.”
No matter how much we spend on our military, the million dollar question is how are we defining success, because surely you can’t end terrorism right? And in the words of my good friend Garlin, “when the “clear plan” is made “clear” by not “clearly” defining success, then is it really that “clear?”
It will be interesting to see how future historians analyze this war. That is if they ever get a chance to study the war that never ends.
Stay up fam,
Brandon
They still don’t get it…
February 2, 2006
How much more can you convince moderate Muslims that you don’t respect their culture any more than by printing caricatures of Muhammad wearing a headdress shaped like a bomb, while another shows him saying that paradise was running short of virgins for suicide bombers. Ask the Danish paper, Jyllands-Posten.
I wrote about a similar situation involving the media salivated over reporting about Bin Laden’s niece posing for GQ Magazine. What I failed to mention in my earlier piece is that the so-called war on terror is not happening in the abstract. The terrorists and their would-be supporters respond to stimuli, which hearken back to the Bush administration’s often cited claim that we are in a fight to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. And while I am all for free speech, is printing articles disrespecting Islam and the prophet Muhammad really helping the cause for freedom and democracy?
Furthermore, Denmark has troops in Iraq (about 500 give or take) and they have already been exposed for torturing Iraqi prisoners, so what in the world was the Danish paper, Jyllands-Posten thinking? Maybe they were thought they were supporting the troops. But let’s keep it real, the terrorists are not easily dissuaded from their aims but the terrorists do not represent the majority of the Muslim population. Therefore, it is probably not wise to disrespect Islam because this will only encourage more people to join terrorist organizations.
This is what really gets me heated though; these caricatures were first published in Denmark on September 30, 2005. Muslim ambassadors in Denmark complained to the Danish PM on October 20th. So someone tell me why between January and February, reprints of the cartoons appeared in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Norway? That is a three month window!! So this clearly means that the papers in these countries had no respect for the fallout these cartoons raised and wanted to throw gas on the fire.
And to top it off, “Reporters Without Borders said the reaction in the Arab world ‘betrays a lack of understanding’ of press freedom as an ‘essential accomplishment of democracy’.” A lack of understanding!! Are you serious? Now let’s flip the script and have publications in Muslim countries print cartoons that have Jesus and the Virgin Mary having sex. Now I could be wrong, but I don’t think Western countries, or any country for that matter, would look at the cartoons and say, “Thank goodness for free speech!” There is a line that has been crossed repeatedly during this war that makes winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people and Muslims-at large unreasonably difficult.
But apparently, the powers that be don’t get it yet.
.
