Urban American Culture & You

Bangalore Hip Hop Photo, Culture Picture – National Geographic Photo of the Day

I'm moved by a lot of what I see on National Geographic's website. People and their cultures are shown in vivid detail. The Your Shot feature allows readers to submit photos of their own for display on the website. National Geographic's efforts to study, showcase and savor humanity in its diversity can only be applauded.

I look for representation of my own culture, though. I've been seeking photos of the beautiful things in Urban American culture. So far, no luck! Maine...Nevada...Wyoming...even Alabama are all on photographs. Bombed out buildings in Afghanistan are even featured in shots of surprising complexity. But, Urban America? I've found one photo of some women in New York.

Hip Hop? NatGeo went to Bangalore to get a shot of hip hop. C'mon, son! Know what, though? That's not all National Geographic's fault. Those of us in & from urban environments need to photograph those things that we find inspiring & beautiful. There's no evidence that beauty even exists in the 'hood, yet NatGeo manages to find beauty in all other parts of the world. Step up, y'all. Don't just record shenanigans and dumbassededness for YouTube & WorldStarHipHop. Show some depth & sophistication by taking some stills of those moments that we know are there.

Priorities

Mbukushu Mother and Child Photo, Botswana Picture - National Geographic Photo of the Day

This photo just got me to thinking how much we take for granted here in the United States. People complain SO much about what they don't have and how unfair life is. Yet this woman is crossing a river ON FOOT and wearing a smile.

I'm taking a moment here to be thankful for what I do have.

Mr. Nigga

The whole N-word controversy really only stems from the innate belief that Black folks are too ignorant to formulate language and to know what they mean when they speak. No language anywhere is static. If people use a language and their geography changes, their economy changes, their circumstances change, then that language is GOING to be affected. New words are formed as new ideas occur.

This is one of the basic ideas behind anthropology. Anthropologists ideally want to study a culture, including its language, without any outside influence to avoid what they consider contamination. African cultures after the diaspora that spread its people all over this planet underwent a change. They could not stay the same. The languages of the people snatched from their homes and taken to The New World underwent all sorts of change. Cultures clashed violently and like any oppressed people, those who were and who had been slaves took their small victories where they could get them.

Now, consider this: I'm from Detroit. Detroit's first Black mayor was elected in 1970, the year of my birth. My entire existence has been in an environment where the descendants of slaves who are my people were self-aware and self-governing. In that environment, the word 'nigga', as it was used, was & is different than the word "nigger".

Now, this is the part where you start squirming in your chair and declare that, based on your experience, this is semantics. You cannot wrap your mind around this. Even though, you call your female friend your "friendgirl" rather than your "girlfriend" to avoid confusion, you can't see it. Even though you can call your best male friend "ya boy", but would be insulted with him if a White man called him 'boy', you don't comprehend.

So, let me just make it clear to you and to those knucklehead White folks who are clamoring to use the word because we can. I can say 'nigga'. I'm not saying 'the N-word". Fuck that. I know what I mean when I say it. My boy knows what I mean when I say it. That is the essence of communication in this changed English language, Urban American dialect. Until you understand the proper usage, context and differentiation between 'nigga' and 'nigger', you can't use the word. It's one of those things like the "'i' before 'e', except after 'c' rule". It doesn't have to make sense. It can even not apply sometimes. Just roll with it.

Online Therapy: $1

This is a crazy world we live in. All these self-help books, websites and relationship gurus got you folks bonkers, f'real. Before you do some of the shіt you do, consider whether its some ol' weird shіt only customary in America or whether it's something more commonplace with the rest of humanity. Because, people pay lip service to this fact, but they don't truly acknowledge it: American political correctness is out of fucking control.

Those who fail to heed history's lessons are doomed to repeat its failures.

The lapdogs are determining the way things are done, nowadays. They sneer at the curs and mutts for their coarseness. The lapdogs believe in the big, bad wolf…but, they think they'll never deal with him or his like. Look at some of the simple things. Microsoft Word corrects gender-specific wording like mailman or policeman if you don't turn off the setting. Apparently, enough people think using "postman" is wrong to elicit the effort to program word-processing software to slap your hand for using it.

Meanwhile, the biggest economy in the world is the one where, not all that long ago, they used to kill their girl children because boy children were preferable.




Women like to confront me about being divorced. They say this: "You still love your ex-wife." Or, "You and your ex-wife are going to get back together again." Then, they stare into my eyes, furiously searching for some dramatic realization and revelation where I say some shіt like, "Y-y-you're right! *sigh* I didn't realize it. But, I do still love my ex-wife."

*Cue sunset*
*Fade*
*Credits*

Bіtch, just cuz YOU got pregnant by your ex after y'all broke up…

You can't be me. OK? Stop watching Oprah! At 4:00, just turn your TV the fuсk off and go sit on the porch. How 'bout that?

Ugh! That's why I'm really not giving a fuсk about dating right now. I'm just really not. I mean: my eyes are open. But, I'm real cool sittin' at home watchin' Netflix. BY. MY. FUCKING. SELF.

'Honey do' List, my black ass!

Oh, lord! I forgot about what happened the last time I thought about this shіt! OK, look! Don't call me mad & cussing cuz I had this soliloquy on tap, ok? This ain't about YOU, per se.

Irritable

Personal success does not mean that you're not a fucked up individual.

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How many times have you seen a MAINSTREAM commercial that had five black guys and one white guy and it wasn't about a basketball team? But watch a beer commercial and they always include ONE black dude! So, if you have ONE black dude in your clique, then you must be doing ok, right? Consider, though, that you have never seen the ratio inverted in a commercial for something enjoyable. Folks will immediately roll their eyes and figure, "Oh, lord! Here we go! Another rant about racism! GET OVER IT!!! Your people are not slaves, now!" That reaction proves my point, though.

I was looking at MSNBC perforce, today. One of the plasma displays in the lobby is set to play that channel. I'm looking at how Black folks are represented in the mainstream media. It is all conditioning for the simpleminded and reinforces the stratification and status quo of our society. MSNBC is considered "liberal" media. If so, they're a worse offender even than FOX News. Fox is, at least, blatant about their bigotry. MSNBC discusses money and politics. The imagery they present is subtle. The authorities, sources and personalities they present on what is viewed as important are overwhelmingly White. The advertising for financial information is represented by an overwhelming White base of actors. Diversity is filled by a minority woman, killing two birds with one stone.

But, when something viewed as NEGATIVE is addressed, the imagery that you see is accompanied by Black Male faces.

'Jobless claims rose 2.43% last quarter. *Videos of Black men filling out paperwork in the unemployment office play*'

'The President's Healthcare Initiative hit another snag today! *A Black representative is interviewed who dutifully mentions marching with Martan Loofa Kang*'

...and, you dumb muthafukkaz fall for the okey doke, too.

You're being managed and conditioned by the things you're shown. And, you think this is the 'natural' order of things.

Original thought remains at a premium. Ugh!

Does this mean that minority people are some paragons of virtue and intellect? Hell, naw! What it means is: you need to start learning to think for yourself, you lemming! You might even want to consider NOT patronizing these media outlets who perpetuate these stereotypes.

To be fair, I can't speak a lick of Spanish that isn't profane, so I don't know how reputable Spanish news sources are. But, Black News is ass! Two bomb threats in a week in New York and the headlines on BlackPlanet are:

• Is Toyota Mocking Hip-Hop's "Swagger"?
• LisaRaye's 3 Tips For Single Mothers
• Caption This: What Is Rick Ross Trying To Say In This Photo?
• 5 Reasons J Lo Is Going From GIANT To Medium

Way down the page, you see:

Hot News

• Paper Depicts Obama As Character From "Sanford And Son"
• Police Shoot Man's Dogs In Marijuana Raid With Children Present
• Black Tea Partier Says "Uncle Tom Was A Hero"
• Jon Stewart Pokes Fun At Roland Martin's Ascot
• Man Says Woman Stabbed Him With Scissors Over Bad Sex
• School District Defends Blacks Only Field Trip
• P. Diddy's Sean John Gets Exclusive Deal With Macy's
• Europe Faces Pressure To Pay Slavery Reparations
• Swift Arrest Of Bombing Suspect A Rare Win For Embattled Holder
• Evidence Mounts For Taliban Involvement In Times Square Bombing
• President Of Nigeria Dies After Long Illness
• Higher Percentage Of Blacks Than Whites On Twitter
• Washington Times Times Says Term "Teabagger" Is Like N-Word
• Why Is The Jamaican Prime Minister Protecting A Reputed Criminal?
• Black Leaders Urge Indictments Of Police In Teen's Alleged Beating
• Sharpton And Phoenix Mayor To Lead March Against Immigration Law

*smh* I don't even know who I should kick into a stupor to stop that shit, either.

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They found a suspicious package in a cooler in front of a hotel in Times Square. Somebody's lunch is about to get detonated.

Oh...and the Times Square terrorist is about as much of a terrorist as The Shoe Bomber. Some weirdo goes looking for Al Qaeda training and Al Qaeda giggles behind its hand. "You want to blow up what? Ok, my friend, here's how you make a bomb! Yes, yes! 72 virgins! Remember connect the red wire here! A salaam alaikum! You know, we have this new underwear bomb! Go and show The Great Shaitan the power of Jihad!!!" Then, they send the idiot on his merry way. They've lost nothing but the time it takes to show that moron the basics.

That fool is in there singing like a canary, too...and ain't sayin' shit. They let him pee on himself once and made him sit in it. Now, he done gave them every bit of information he's learned since he was eight years old. *smh* Terrorist, my ass!