Rules To Live By in Post-Obama World

This was an interesting ditty written by NewsOne on rules for the Black community to live by now that we have a Black president, and a dwindling number of racism-based excuses for our less than “First Family” behavior. In an effort to put a new spin on traditional values and courtesies, the writer uses popular hip hop and R&B songs as his guide:

New Rules for Blacks in the Obama Era
By Casey Gane-McCalla, NewsOne

It is a new day in America. An African American has risen to the highest position a person can have in the United States. As a people we must follow the example set by Michelle and Barack in order to restore our greatness. That said, here are The New Rules For Blacks in The Obama Era.

1. Leave the Guns and the Knives Alone – MC Lyte, Self Destruction

Black on black crime has been a problem for some time. In some ways, we can blame the government for allowing so many guns in the community and creating the social factors that create drug dealing and gangs. We must pressure the government to stop the the gun trade that stems from Virginia and the poverty that breeds violence, but also pressure our young people to stop turning to guns and violence. We must value the lives our fellow African Americans so they can not be taken away. We can no long glorify people who kill or are involved in violence. The word gangsta should be replaced by murderer, the word hustler should be changed to community poisoner. We should no longer glorify criminals who harm our community.

2. Time to Heal Our Women, Be Real to Our Women – Tupac, Keep Your Head Up

Misogyny is a problem in the black community and the Hip Hop community in particular. We should not refer to our women as words that mean prostitutes or female dogs. Women should not be valued simply as sex objects. We have seen the the accomplishments and shining light that Michelle Obama has presented and should realize that any African American women can reach those same heights. Women should longer be valued as strippers, video girls and jump offs but as partners, mothers and sisters.

3. Put a Ring On It  – Beyonce
Way to many black men are judged by the amount of women they fornicate with. Men are glorified as pimps or pimpin when they get a lot of girls. A pimp is someone who demeans and demoralizes women to use them as commerce.

“Pimpin ain’t easy it’s sleazy, grimy, slimy, slouchy sleazy.” Intelligent Hoodlum, Arrest the President.

Men should be judged by how they take care of their women and children. Barack and Michelle were stronger as a team of equals then any man could be by themselves. In order for black people to move on the black family must be the core unit. We should have wives and partners not babymothers and wifies.

4. Don’t Be a Fool Like Those Who Don’t Go to School.  – Slick Rick, Hey Young World

No longer can we say the only way for black people to succeed is slinging crackrock or having a wicked jumpshot. Education and knowledge is the key to success in life. We must fight to make sure our children have the best education possible and make sure they are willing and driven to accept that education. John McCain said one thing I agreed with during the campaign, that education is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. We must fight for our education as hard as we fought for our right to vote. The high school drop out rates in the black community is hovering around 50%. This is unacceptable. If were are to change this, we must fight on two sides. We must fight so to make sure our children our provided with the education they deserve and we must fight to make sure our children our ready and willing to try their hardest to take advantage of it.

5. Give Something Back to the Place Where You Made it  – From Ice Cube, True to the Game

Many in the black bourgeoisie attribute African American problems to the lower class. Still the black upper-class is partly responsible for the state of black america. To many of our talented bright African American professionals abandon any choices of working to develop the black community to get high paying jobs in the corporate world and integrate themselves into white society.

The African Americans lucky enough to get an education, should follow in Barack Obama’s footsteps and work to make the black community better. After graduating from Columbia, Barack Obama bypassed a chance to make six figures on Wall St. to make $12,000 dollars as a community organizer. WEB DuBois had the idea of the Talented 10th that would uplift the black community. Unfortunately, many of the Talented 10th have used their privilege to line their own pockets and not help out their fellow African Americans. If we are to succeed as people, those who have become educated help bring up those who aren’t. If we had more qualified teachers, community organizers mentors to help out underprivileged African Americans, we would create many Michelles and Barack’s to lead our people.

6. Stop Being Greedy, DMX

Materialism is big problem in the black community. People feel they are defined by their chain, car and clothes rather than what they do as human beings. To many parents make sure their kids are dipped out in Jordans and Prada without investing in a college fund for their kids. To many men have rims on their car but do not pay their child support. We need to value education, property and our children’s future more than we do name brand name clothes, jewelry and cars.

New Rules for Blacks in the Obama Era
By Casey Gane-McCalla, NewsOne

From Goddess to Gangstress: The Devaluation of the Diva

Paul Scott writes from his No Warning Shots Fired blog about the devaluation of women in music and in life: My friend, Jae told me about an incident that she recently had on her way home from work. These two teenagers were having a loud public/ private discussion in the back of the bus, tellin’ the interested and uninterested, alike, about everything from the graphic details of their sexual escapades to the best way to roll a blunt. What really concerned Jae was that these were not guys but teenage girls who turned her, otherwise, quiet and uneventful ride home into a combination of the Jerry Springer Show and Def Comedy Jam. She could only sink down in her seat and think about how her generation had failed these two girls and wonder what will happen to these black women of the future.

I used to be clear about the definition of a diva. In the 60’s, it was all about Diana Ross and the Supremes with the big wigs and expensive gowns. During the 70’s the epitome of diva-ness was Patti Labelle or the Three Degrees. During the 80’s and 90’s you had Kylmaxx, En Vogue and Whitney Houston (before Bobby Brown).

But according to Beyonce’s alter ago “Sasha Fierce” the 21st century definition of a diva is “a female version of a hustler.”

Forget Jennifer Hudson, the new Dream Girl is a sista that will stick you for your jewelry and slit your throat while you sleep. Yeah, that’s what I call a lady.  Continue Reading.

Stanley Crouch: Obama and the Future of Hip Hop

It continues to appear that the cool and highly intelligent Barack Obama is going to have a powerful impact on debilitating black popular culture, particularly hip hop. The signs are everywhere.

In the wake of Byron Hurt’s searing documentary “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes,” hip-hop fans have questioned the retarding effect that hip hop has had on young black men through encouraging thuggish violence, misogyny, clownish behavior and crude materialism.

Hurt’s documentary is most powerful because the filmmaker himself is a fan of the idiom but, as a grown and responsible man, he felt it was necessary to call out hip hop’s many shortcomings because the idiom had moved from clever rhymes and dance beats to advocating personal, social and criminal corruption.

Those who pretend that they do not know what Hurt is investigating because “that is not ALL of hip hop” need to take note of the fact that Russell Simmons, the godfather of hip hop, recently blamed the deep vulgarization of the genre on producers who would do anything for a buck. “Some producers have found that dirt sells,” says the godfather. How now, brown cow?

Simmons is nothing if not clever and senses that the arrival of Barack and Michelle Obama could mean things are going to change. One would not at all be smart to defend the “authenticity” of pimps, supposed whores (all women, actually), misogyny, thuggery and the rest. Pimps up, ho’s down, as they say.  Read More.