2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys - GAMECHANGER BLOG

2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys - GAMECHANGER BLOG

Black Marriage Crisis: Part One The Assault on Black Love

How do we define ourselves? How do we define success? These are two essential questions that we must ask ourselves as Black people, especially when it comes to the realm of relationships and marriage. On December 22, 2009 my mother and I happened to watch ABC’s latest piece on Black male and female relationships and since that time this clip has been making the rounds on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. The expose follows Nicole Marshond a beautiful sister from the state of Georgia who is the epitome of the modern day female professional. Ms. Marshond is a Prosecutor, drives a Mercedes Benz and even does some side work as an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader. Sadly at the time of this report, Ms. Marshond is unmarried with no foreseeable change in sight for herself or her circle of friends who are also featured in this broadcast. When Brother Cheo asked me to write a response to this story I jumped at the opportunity.

It should be no secret that there are more women (forget about race for a second) than men on the planet. Human genetics and social factors (like war) have made it so that women have a higher likelihood of being born and living longer, even across racial and ethnic lines. Most Black Americans are not under any illusion and realize that life, as a Black male in this country can be tough. Gangs, premature death and certainly prison are all social factors that Black men have to overcome if they live in inner city environments. Nobody can deny the grossly negative and devastating factors that face our people today but now I will attempt to flip the script and “change the game” on this conversation and hopefully if I am right maybe a few readers will fine Mr. Right.

This short news story has gained a lot of popularity recently because it cites a non-cited statistic stating that out of 100 Black men, 21% do not have a high school diploma, 17% do not have a job (never mind the fact that the nation as a whole is facing an economic recession and job loss at record rates) and that 8% of those between the ages of the 25 and 34 are incarcerated. That would leave only 54% of Black men eligible to be married. I will pause for a moment and note that not only was this statistics source not cited but that it also did not give any age ranges for any of the categories except for the one about incarceration.

There is an old saying that “figures don’t lie, but liars can figure” and that is what has been happening in our community when it comes to this issue. Oftentimes people cite statistics that are incomplete or misleading. Filmmaker Janks Morton’s work “What Black Men Think” documents how oftentimes age is not factored into many of the statistics that are shown with regards to Blacks and that it must be in order to understand the truth of the condition of the Black community. 21% of Black men don’t have a diploma, in which age brackets? On this the ABC news story is silent.

There is a propaganda campaign that exists to tear Black men and Black women away from one another and is manifested in much of the media that is being produced in modern America. I cannot however deny the fact that there are many wonderful women in America today who have trouble finding that special someone and even more who never get to walk down the isle. Even my own mother didn’t get married until she was well into her forties, to a man more than ten years younger than herself I might add. My father married my stepmother in 2002, the same year as my mothers wedding and despite my parents having children together this was both of their first time getting married. Why do so many sisters have difficulty getting married? ABC brought in Steve Harvey, author of the popular Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man who actually brought up an interesting point about the requirements Black women have of potential mates. Mr. Harvey says: “If you are a corporate executive, does he have to be a corporate executive? If you make $150,000 a year, does he have to make the $150,000 a year or above?” I believe it is these stringent requirements that have lowered Black women’s prospects.

There is nothing wrong with having standards but in having a conversation with my own girlfriend Kristie George she had some choice words for her fellow Black women. “The problem is that a lot of other black women do not want to be women but define themselves as career women. I make more money than James does but I still cook for him and support James in what he does, not because I am old school but because I understand that a relationship needs more than just money in order to exist. Many of us need to stop allowing ourselves to be defined by our job titles and sometimes we need to just be people.” To Be Continued…

The Politics of Princess Tiana

I will start this post off by saying that I have not seen Disney's new animated feature film The Princess and the Frog and therefore must also say that this writing is not meant in any way to be a review of the film because obviously at the time of this writing I am in no way qualified to review it. Instead what I would like to discuss in this article is the political, social, and racial discussion surrounding this film even prior to its release and hopefully bring some clarity to the discourse at hand. If one simply sat down and read a portion of the thousands of different bogs and thread discussions on the internet or if one simply googled the films title one would find a wide variety of opinions most of which along the line of "finally Disney has created a Black Princess". My question is "Why is the Black community waiting for Disney to do something we should do ourselves?" Time and time again I have read comments from people claiming to be African American parents (mothers in particular) who say that although they have some quarrels with the film still feel that racial progress is being made and that Disney's latest animated feature is a sign of that. As a matter of fact the comment that prompted me to write this article was one that stated "Finally I can tell my daughter that she is a Princess, just as good as any white one, and she will have an image to connect to." Upon reading this comment and the many others like it I became perplexed, but not at all surprised, as this discussion has been going on, even in my classes at Howard University’s John H. Johnson School of Communications.

The African race were the first to establish royal titles and positions, why then must we wait for a fictional account from Disney in order to make ourselves feel validated? There is a small but growing contingency of filmmakers and artists who are creating cartoons targeted at children of African descent but can be enjoyed by a child of any racial background. This year I became a fan of Kirikou, originally a Francophone animated film that has made it's way stateside via DVD release and Youtube. All over the world Africans are re-inscribing cultural ways of meaning and our own historiographies without any interpreters nor are we waiting on Walt Disney's estate to do it. Why then has this films gained so much of a following, even before it has been released? I understand that Disney films have a certain cultural value in the United States, however the true use of symbology that is used in the film, even based off of what little bit I have seen is enough to make at least one eyebrow raise, even if that eyebrow has to be my own. A topic, which has been less talked about with regards to this film, is the fact that Princess Tiana's suitor in this film, Prince Naveen, is not Black like she is. Granted the film is mainly set in New Orleans which has a high concentration of people who don't racially identify along the lines the rest of the United States would recognize, (Creoles for instance) however according to a recent article entitled Parents: Disney's 'Princess' is a hop toward progress from CNN's website by Breeanna Hare notes Ms. Kimberly Coleman, a blogger who runs the Mom In the City Blog (http://mominthecity.com/wp/) asked an unnamed Disney executive about Prince Naveen's racial makeup who responded in a very generic way but never exactly answered the question of the Prince's racial identity. This is part of where the real discussion should begin I feel

Even if Prince Naveen were meant be a Black man he is still very much lighter than his love interest is in the film, which in the racially tense environment this film has been produced has raised some eyebrows. In 2009 one would have difficulty identifying feature length, major motion pictures that showed a Black love story, be it animated or other wise. Why is it that in the era of Barack Obama and the supposed racial paradise that America is allegedly in, does Disney decide to create not only it's first Black princess but also decide that they will pair her with a racially ambiguous Prince when part of the draw of the film is it's portrayal of the African American woman? I admittedly do not know the answer; I will leave that question to be answered by my readers and those who see the film.

I Just Graduated... Now What?!

For the recent college graduate and the graduating class of 2010, its apparent that life may not be as our parents told us. The United States faces an economic crisis and an unemployment fiasco the likes of which have not been seen in America since the great depression of the 1930s. The question I and many other college age people are asking at this point in time is "How am I going to be able to sustain myself and make my degree work for me?"

With the nation's unemployment rate hitting 10.2% in October of this year its hard to believe that as a young person there will be a preferred position in a preferred firm upon graduating from an institution of higher learning. In a November 30th New York Times Article, In Job Hunt, College Degree Can't Close Racial Gap, the author Michael Luo points out that the unemployment rate of Black men with college degrees is actually twice that of their white counterparts (8.4% and 4.4% respectively). I decided to sit down with Mr. Runako Galstone an employee of Harlem Children's Zone and a recent 2009 graduate of Howard University to discuss this trend.

Mr. Galstone stated that while he initially struggled to find employment he did indeed find a position. "The key is to be creative in your approach when seeking employment but to also understand the political and economic situation this country is in right now." Mr. Galstone believes being a Howard University alumni gave him a leg up on his competition. "The institution that I came from was a definite help, it not only prepared me for what was to come but also helped nurture me even after graduation". When asked what was his biggest concern he stated "The fiscal security of this country and a lot of big companies is uncertain at this time, I would like to make sure that I am able to provide for myself and my family no matter what is to come". There is a definite universality to Mr. Galstone's statement. Despite the current economic outlook, it is my hope as I am sure it is yours that we are all able to finance our own security and that of those we care about. What happens after graduation? Life. And for me, and many Black men like me, life is about finding a way to reach your goals no matter what.

God and the Divine?!: A Redefinition for African People and Humanity

Earlier this week I was listening to the newest digital release by 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) entitled "Forever King". On his track " Michael Jackson Freestyle" 50 says a verse that to some could sound disrespectful, to others a reality and still to those who have what I view as a higher and more scholarly understanding of the African relationship with history and the divine, a true work of of the dormant Pan-African genius of practitioners of the hip hop lifestyle. In the song he says "They act like they know God better than me, I know God-Allah, he used to pump crack up the street." Some who read this may be confused by the scholarly title of this article and the usage of one of the biggest capitalists our community has produced in the introduction, but I ask you to hear me out and then decide for yourself. It is no secret that African people all over the world are a very spiritual/religious people. We gave the world spirituality and its first vocabulary to describe the divine source of existence. Sadly thanks to an almost 1,000 year philosophical and political campaign many inside and outside of our community are conveniently choosing to neglect or ignore this fact. This is the reason for this documents creation.

In the above alluded to verse to the unfamiliar reader there exists a pseudo-pro Islamic identity that could be mistakenly construed as being rebellious against Americas seemingly default Christian identity. However to those who are true students of history, they recognize that Mr. Jackson is in fact alluding to the 5% movement also known as the Nation of Gods and Earths which is a very popular movement with young inner city Blacks, especially those who like myself are from the North Eastern Coast of the United States. When looked at with the scholarly lens of Black Liberation, one can recognize this verse as an example of the modern worldwide African need and attempts to redefine the concept of the divine which I (not being an atheist) believe is essential to the forward movement of African people and the broader humanity. To quote the famous fictional Jedi Master, Yoda "You must unlearn what you have learned" This is essentially what The Honorable Marcus Garvey meant when he stated that Blacks should "Look to the Gods of Ethiopia" and what the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was echoing when he taught members of the Nation of Islam that "There is no mystery god".

On an intellectual, spiritual and in many instances physical level both men and movements are declaring all out warfare on Western European concepts of the divine, which I as taught by my teachers believe is needed in order to liberate our people. One of the biggest historical errors ever fabricated in the many houses of worship in the Western hemisphere and the so-called middle east is that Africans needed to have God and his religion (be it Judaism, Christianity or Islam) brought to them because we had no concept of theology and philosophy in any way shape or form. Bigger historical errors may exist but they are indeed few and far between. Those who are truly students of history working toward liberation do not have to be followers of Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam but I do believe must still recognize that for African people there has never existed a "Mystery God" nor a mystery to God as was decreed at the birth of the Catholic Church and is likewise taught in so-called "mainstream" versions of Western religious thought dating back to the Greeks.

In his written response to Dr. Henry Louis Gates' "Black Demagogues and Pseudo-Scholars", Dr. John Henrik Clarke notes, as the historical record shows that whatever religion African people choose to or are forced to practice we bring practicality to it because after all, if God is real than God really works. Dr. Clarke notes that on American slave plantations, our ancestors would sing songs showing an identity with the Hebrews in the Biblical book of Exodus. Although this was certainly not the intention of European monks when they introduced or reintroduced Christianity to the Africans held in bondage it was a phenomenon that they had absolutely zero control over. Although admittedly there have existed many Africans who chose (and still choose) the Bible or Quran over our true ancient home land there are yet and still Africans who have chosen to step outside of the Abrahamic paradigm or use it to further the cause of African liberation. In either of the two latter cases I believe that those individuals and institutions should be supported as long as the unwavering cause is as mentioned above, and the party in question is willing to practice 100% historical scholastic accuracy.

How do we begin to redefine the concept known to us in the English language as divinity? We must start by redefining the concept central to divinity "God" or more broadly "The Creator". If the Creator or even more abstractly "A Creator" exists than what is the nature of that Creator? As we know Africa being the birthplace of humanity, I believe it is best we start at the beginning and move forward. In prehistoric Africa (prehistoric meaning prewritten record) as well as when Africans began to write the Divine way of life, what the Ancient Kushites (Nubians/Ethiopians) and there later offspring the Kemites (Egyptians) called Ma'at and the Creative being or force that brought existence into being were one of the most written and talked about things, and the historical record shows this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Although these beings/forces were viewed as having external and natural manifestations they were also viewed as having manifestation existing in part or in the whole existence of human beings. This is an undeniable historical fact. Therefore when Dr. Wesley Muhammad (aka True Islam) titles his book "The Book of God: An Encyclopedia of Proof That the Black Man is God" he is historically accurate in most cases.

The issue that I believe has risen with the advent of the Abrahamic Faiths is the issue of language. The vast majority of those in the Academy and the Houses of Worship do not have the vocabulary to understand what our ancestors were teaching in ancient times and in our contemporary cycle of history. The signs and symbols of these primordial African people offers to us the blueprint and framework from which all other theological and philosophical ideologies emerged be they positive or negative. I admittedly hesitate to even use the term "God" because of its historical origins and the misrepresentation of it. Before we can begin to discuss theologically with ourselves or others we must define this essential concept for ourselves and stop looking externally for the definition. The historical record shows that whenever a religion was imported into the African mind that although some good has been done, confusion surely follows.

White Sex=Good, Black Sex= Bad? Sexual Double standards in American Media

Normally when I wake up in the morning after I have groomed myself and had my breakfast I check some of my favorite internet sites to get updated on the newest events in the world like most people these days. For me this regiment includes checking out CNN, the New York Times, the Final Call, my Facebook inbox and All Hip hop.com. One of my favorite sections of All Hip Hop.com is the Illseed rumor section in here I find some of the latest rumors and gossip in the Hip Hop industry that even if the information is not 100% accurate it will always make me have a morning chuckle. However today I saw something that to me was no laughing matter and I believe that you will agree.

This morning I noticed a video that was posted from an interview of Karrine "Superhead" Steffans in which she was promoting her newest book "The Vixen Manual". Anyone familiar with the hip hop world over the past four or five years is undoubtedly familiar with Ms. Steffans reputation as she has written about her past sexual encounters in her two previous books and many others may have even watched some of the adult videos that have been put out with her in some precarious positions (no pun intended). To my knowledge although she has not lived what some may call the most sexually moral of lives, she has utilized her new found fame and fortune to try and warn younger women about the dangers of the entertainment industry for young women who don't recognize their true value and worth in society.

What offended me most about this particular interview is the initial naivete of the interviewers. The anchors on "Good Day Sacramento" were initially a little naive as to what the book is actually about and although I admittedly have not read the book either I would make it a point to read at least a section of it before I interviewed the author on television in front of potentially the entire world. After the initial question was asked I believe the entire interview went down from there. The issue I have is not just that the anchors had very little journalistic integrity but that they began to judge her. Marianne McClary noticed the band that comes with the book to prevent people from reading it before purchasing, mocking Ms. Steffans all along. After the former video vixen gave the interviewers a piece of her mind Co-Anchor Nick Toma cut the interview and afterwords he proceeded to say "she was a rump shaker in a bunch of videos, enough said". This poor excuse for a journalist failed to mention the fact that she is also a New York Times Best Selling Author. The whole incident lasted less than four minutes.

I posted the video below so that my readers can watch it and call me on any inconsistency in this article. When it comes to sexuality it is no secret that America and this interview operate on racial double standards. In the interview Ms. McClary states the book should be in the adult section of book stores but fails to acknowledge that as Karrine maintained that it is a book intended for women in their twenties, committed couples and married people. The book may have some sexually explicit depictions and information in it, and some material may not be suitable for readers under a certain age but again the book was not intended for everyone to read.

This leads me to why I decided to write about this topic in the first place and the title of this blog post. I believe there is a sexual double standard when it comes to Black women. The anchors indicted her for her book and failed to mention that Cosmopolitan Magazine and many other publications aimed at women has an entire section of its website dedicated to sexual wellness, positions, and intimate relationship advice. The fact is no matter what your racial or political background sex is in some way a factor in your life.

While writing this post I made my first ever visit to Women's Health Mag.com where on the sex in relationships section one of the headlines read "Get it on outside". One could construe this as the magazine encouraging readers to break the law and partake in lewd acts in public places, but is there an outcry from those with power in the media? Of course not. The fact is that in the eyes of the American media it is acceptable for white (so-called) mainstream women and men to express and share information about sex and relationships but for a Black woman to step out and do the same is worthy of her being degraded to a "rump shaker in a bunch of videos". In some odd way I believe as Dr. Frances Cress Welsing teaches this is the so-called mainstream white american sick fascination with Black sexuality and fear of genetic annihilation. While I do not believe that Karrine Steffans sexual past and deeds make her worthy of her being compared to Harriet Tubman, I do believe that she has something very important and powerful to say when it comes to Black male/female relationships and wealth in America. It is sad that CW31 is too dumb to see it.

To Kill a Lion, Become the Lion: The Need for Rites of Passage Programs

As I continue on my journey from young adulthood into full maturity, there is one experience that I have that I think about almost everyday, in a seemingly religious manner, participating in an African Centered Rites of Passage Program. Often times the elders in our community, educators, and politicians ask the question "What is wrong with the youth today?". I believe that through my own experience and learning I might have identified one of the problems plaguing the Black youth of America today. The question that should be asked is "What does it mean to be a man/woman and how do we bring our youth to that point?".

In Kenya and Tanzania exists a group known as the Maasai. They have gained a lot of notoriety for many different reasons one of which being there elaborate and well organized rites of passage ceremonies. In this and many other traditional African cultures we find that there are certain rituals, and personal character traits that identify one is on the path to complete adulthood, after which point they are identified as an active mature member of the society entitled to all of the benefits but also inheriting the responsibility. In a recent conversation I had with a friend of mine we got into a debate over what it means to be a child and an adult due that I refer to my 16 year old younger brother as a man. I was explaining to my friend that there are certain things that I and my family expect from him now that he is entering manhood and her perspective was "he is only 16" he doesn't need those responsibilities. My question throughout this whole ordeal was "When will he be a man in your eyes?" at which point I got a collage of answers that to me seemed symptomatic of the overall African experience in America.

When a rapper like 50 Cent says he is a man he is putting a definition on it that is attached in large part to the material wealth he has amassed and the amount of women he has gone to bed with. Is this Black manhood? I believe not, and I also believe that the time has come for us to redefine what it means for one to be on the path from childhood to maturity and that markers should be established to let the individual and the community know that the individual is on the path to reaching adulthood.

The above statements in the mind of this writer are proof positive that African centered rites of passage programs are gravely needed in our community. As a product of New Jersey's S.T.E.P (Striving Together Equals Progress) organization I have witnessed firsthand the wonders such programs can do for our youth. Dr. Kmt Shockley of George Mason University points out in his research essay "Africentric Education Leadership:Theory and Practice" that all throughout the United States and the broader world other cultures and religious groups have educational institutions that use that particular groups principles, history and culture as a foundation and ongoing framework for learning. As I am also a product of a Catholic High School, I am also a witness to how such an education can empower people to be more confident and knowledgeable about the history of whichever group to which they belong. Why then should people of African descent not use a culturally based methodology for the education of out children, especially when such a diverse group of scholars such as Dr. Asa Hilliard, James Lowen, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima and others have proven time and again that the American education system is actually miseducating students?

This is my challenge to myself, my peers and our community, we must save our youth from the many challenges they face. I believe that one way that this can be done as part of a multi-pronged solution is by utilizing culturally relevant rites of passage programs so that our young men and women realize that they have a mission to better themselves as human beings and to contribute to the advancement of the community. I would like to add an addendum to the old African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child", and say that "A child who is raised properly can raise the village". It is my hope that we begin and, continue this task. Our ancestors would have it no other way.