Young people turned out in force for a political rally at the Quicken Loans Arena on October 29th, 2008. LeBron James, Jay-Z, the Obama Campaign and the Democratic Party held a large rally in downtown Cleveland that was well staged and attended.
News media from around the world were represented, including a Kenyan paper called "The Nation," "Al-Jazeera English," and all the major U.S. news outlets.
The event was significant in that it drew a large crowd of young people during the middle of the week. The program opened up with prayer by a local preacher and continued with appeals to the youth to vote early and in massive numbers. Chris Redfern the head of the Ohio Democratic Party and field organizers within the Obama organization urged the youth to go to the polls enmasse and cast their ballot no matter what the difficulties involved.
They were warned about long lines, lack of food and water. Event host LeBron James and recording artist/entrepreneur Jay-Z implored them to go to the polls and stay there until they had cast their ballot. These were not exactly prophetic words, since long lines have already been noted in Atlanta, GA and other swing states, as well. Some of these lines have people waiting in line for up to 8 hours or more. It's been noted that the majority of these voters are new, young voters supporting Obama. It's a testament to their tenacity and the seriousness of the times that they continue to spend this much time waiting in line to cast their ballots. The much maligned youth have been cast as apathetic and unreliable, however it's this reporters' opinion that they are about to destroy this particular myth.
Senator and Mrs. Obama will be in Cleveland this Sunday at the "Change We Need Rally," Lakeside Malls A, B and C on Lakeside Avenue. The doors open at 2pm and the program begins at 3:45pm on November 2nd. Now we all love Barack, Michelle and the children, but this rally will feature the "real" BOSS! That's right Bruce Springsteen himself will be on the stage with the man we want to be the "BOSS" of the U.S. government. Wow!!! Does it get any better than this?
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is strongly encouraged. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you can't make it to the rally remember this, "power concedes nothing without a fight." We've all got to do our part. Don't wait for the last minute to go to the polls. The earlier you go the more likely you are to successfully cast your ballot and be one in 100 million to begin to turn this country around. Your children's posterity and your posterior hang in the balance. Do your duty.
Today Senator Barack Obama wrapped up the presidential campaign that began "on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, "with his "closing argument," delivered to a full house at the Canton Memorial Civic Center in Canton, Ohio. His closing argument summed up the current state of the campaign and, I'm sure, inspired many residents of Northeast Ohio to continue to work even harder to put him in the White House, on November 4th, 2008.
Even as the diverse crowd basked in the words of the presidential candidate, plans to implement the "final solution" for African Americans, Barack Obama in particular, were being foiled by federal agents in Jackson, Tennessee. This makes the 4th assassination attempt on Baracks life, that's been publicized, since he began his campaign on the steps of the Old State Capitol.
The first incident was the sabotage of his plane by deploying one of the emergency ramps while the plane was in flight, creating a situation where the plane was very difficult to control. Luckily, the pilots were seasoned enough to land the plane without further incident. Aviation authorities said they'd never had an incident like this occur.
The second incident occurred just before the Democratic Convention in Denver, when a conspiracy was uncovered amongst a well armed group of young, White, methamphetamine users in Denver, CO. For those of you unfamiliar with methamphetamines, people who use them become extremely violent and prone to uncontrollable fits of violence.
The third incident was particularly perplexing because it had nothing to do with a White supremacy philosophy or organization. In fact, it involved the grandson of the publisher of one of the oldest African American newspapers in the country, who already had a felony rap sheet. Therefore, he should be doing some hard time.
But, this latest incident, which happened today, involved some White supremacists. In all of these cases, with the exception of the very first incident, heavy firearms and protective gear was involved. However, from the commentary that aired on MSNBC on the "Countdown with Keith Olberman" it appears that this too will be swept under the rug.
Each of these incidents, with the exception of the first one, was serious enough to illicit conspiracy charges and lengthy jail time for the perpetrators. However, we've yet to hear of even one of these cases resulting in a trial, and or jail time. In fact, what we have heard is that the conspirators have been sent home as if to say "boys will be boys." This is not gonna fly, not today, not tomorrow, not ever!
As if all that wasn't enough we also had another incident occur earlier this week involving a young woman who claimed that a "big Black man robbed, assaulted and disfigured her" in part, because she was a supporter of John McCain. This was a ridiculous claim, which was not investigated by the McCain staff, but was instead taken at face value, as evidenced by the calls of support from McCain and his running mate. Even after the young lady confessed to having made a fraudulent claim, which could have led to violent attacks being perpetrated on innocent people McCain has yet to address the issue.
This is a pattern that we've taken note of over the course of the campaign. In fact, the whole tenor of the McCain campaign is having the effect of enabling or endorsing this type of activity. The calls for "Obama's head," the crys of "kill him" when his name is mentioned at McCain rallies have not been addressed by the McCain campaign.
Black folks take these threats seriously. The response of White people is not that these are serious incidents but, rather just some "young knuckleheads." For Black folks these threats are much more serious than White people can even imagine because, many of us have had members of our families discriminated against, threatened with physical violence, murdered and lynched. In many instances we've experienced these things ourselves.
Our wealth, celebrity, educational background, etc. do not usually come into play when these incidents occur. It's the rare exception when our social status comes to our aid. In the case of O.J. Simpson we saw a good example of social status and wealth coming to his aid. Everything about the way he was dealt with was atypical, from the "slow speed" chase to his arrest following the chase. The whole thing was tightly choreographed, all according to the book. It was nothing like the Rodney King incident where he was in a high speed chase and was mercilessly beaten by some of L.A.'s finest.
If his beating hadn't been caught on tape by an amateur videographer he would have just been another number in the system. So, when these kinds of threats are issued, no matter how amateurish they may seem Black people take them very seriously. The federal authorities need to take these incidents just as seriously, because there have been too many nameless African Americans that have been murdered by "amateur" White supremacists. These, so-called amateurs, oftentimes are trying to make a name for themselves and, in fact, could care less whether or not they are killed in the process. Either way, they figure they're going into the history books as die-hard patriots who went down for the count.
Everyone who's interested in seeing Obama actually occupy the White House needs to write a letter to their state representatives and the local newspapers effectively putting them on notice. We should not delay, not even one day in carrying out this task, Obama's life could hang in the balance.
This is an issue that has not and will not be dealt with in any significant way by the media, unless we call them on the carpet. They've shown us this repeatedly, by how they've dealt with all of the incidents mentioned above (I'm getting reports of more incidents as we speak). They'd like to just sweep it under the rug and continue to talk about the issue of "race," without dealing with the reality of race that we're dealing with down here on the ground every day and that Barack and his family is dealing with every day.
All of us have been praying for them since this campaign started. So far, our prayers have been answered. But, prayer without works are futile and works without prayers are empty. We've got to combine positive action with affirmative prayers.
The end of this election season is coming to an abrupt close. There are 12 days left to cast your vote. Will you wait until the last moment and then rush to cast your vote in a furious flurry, or will you cast a vote early and free up a space in line for someone who cannot get enough time off from work to go to the polls? Now’s the time to make your decision and take action. It’s such a simple thing that has been complicated by the need to automate every aspect of society.
Voting machine technology, which was supposed to simplify the whole process has come up short of the hype. What was supposed to streamline the process, improve accuracy and reliability is now causing interminably long lines at the polls and in the end is not necessarily accurate. We now know that our “state of the art” electronic voting equipment is unreliable at best (see EVEREST report), prone to tampering at worst. So, here are a few tips to help you successfully cast your ballot in a timely manner.
Request a paper ballot instead of using a machine, at least that way you’ve begun to leave a paper trail that you can see has the correct boxes checked. The paper ballots are also easier to correct if you make an error.
By voting early you can avoid having to show I.D. and meet the exact match requirements you would be required to meet when voting on election day. Since you’re using an absentee ballot all you’ll need is the last 4 digits on your Social Security card. So, if you’re able to get to your Board of Elections office and cast a ballot before 11/4/08 please do so, it may help you avoid a lot of frustration on voting day, as well as long lines.
Make sure to pick up a voting recommendation card for guidance on who to vote for and how to vote on the issues and judges, from your local party branch. You’re allowed to have one of these cards in the voting booth with you as you make your choices. This is especially helpful in selecting judges, since their party affiliations are not listed like the other candidates.
If you anticipate you will be unable to make it to the polls for any reason, or you just want to avoid the hassle, you can request an absentee ballot through the mail. Your ballot will be sent to you, so you can fill it out at your leisure and even ask questions or use the internet to research an issue or judge, etc. before casting the ballot. When you’ve completed it you can send it in the mail or deliver it to the polls on or before election day.
Another thing to consider is that each county produces the ballots for their county. Therefore, the ballots in each county may have a different appearance. In fact, some voters have been having problems already with their ballots, because of the format used to lay out the ballot. So, having the time to go over it carefully, where you’re not in a hurry to finish it and turn it in is advantageous for this reason also. Here’s an example of a sample ballot used in one of Ohio’s 88 counties that has caused some confusion because of the 2 columns with presidential nominees.
This link will give you all the information you need on Early Voting Locations in Ohio, while also acting as a gateway into the Secretary of State’s website, which has all the current information on successfully casting your ballot in Ohio, as well as information on ballot issues, judges, etc.
Ohio has one of the most informative and interactive websites for voters, instituted by the Secretary of State’s office, so make sure to put it to good use. After you have cast your ballot you can go to the site and tell your voting day story, be it good or bad. I’m sure they won’t mind hearing some of the good, as well as the bad and the ugly. You can use the link to The Voting Rights Institute
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has been working diligently to correct the transgressions of her predecessor, the infamous former Secretary of State Blackwell. I have to give her an “A” grade. So far, so good. The system seems to be working. She’s had to fight off a number of lawsuits initiated by the Republicans that were initiated even before this years’ primaries. Some of them, like the latest attempt to disenfranchise approximately 200,000 new registrants have gone all the way to the US Supreme Court, who decided in favor of the Secretary of State.
Ohio has had more than its share of problems with the voting process. But, this year that big yellow sun on the Seal of the Great State of Ohio is shining brightly over a new day in politics for the citizens of Ohio.
And the winner is . . . kicks off the "We The People Fest," this evening at Kent State's Center of Pan-African Culture. The movie is a satirical look at electoral politics, where the election boils down to a real bonafide beauty pageant. Check out this trailer for a preview of tonight's movie:
The film features Jerry Springer as the master of ceremonies and will be screening in the newly renovated Oscar Ritchie Hall on the campus of Kent State University at 8pm.
A total of approximately 30 films, including some by local directors will be screened beginning this evening and running all the way through Sunday night. Highlights will include a presentation and book signing by Chuck Norris on Sunday afternoon and the screening of "Swing Vote," starring Kevin Costner and Kelsey Grammar, directed by Joshua Stern, who will be speaking prior to the screening at 7:30pm Saturday night. This screening will be held at the University Theater on the South side of Kent. Tickets for all screenings are $5 for students, $7 for general admission, or you can purchase a weekend pass for $50. Christina Groznik and Paul Shaia will speak prior to the film at 8pm.
For those of you who are closely following the presidential election and may be concerned about missing tonight's debate, it will be shown in its entirety on Sunday at 3pm Eastern Standard time. So, have no fear you can come to the show and still see the debate.
Last night I was channel surfing and came across the 1959 version of "Imitation of Life," a classic depiction of the "tragic mulatto." I hadn't seen it before and was drawn in out of curiosity. This version stars Lana Turner and Mahalia Jackson. The other actors, including the African American actress who should have been a central character never became a star in her own right.
Not knowing the name of the movie, nor having read the book I had no preconceived notions about the movie. Certainly, it was an emotional tear jerker. But, I had unanswered questions at the end of the movie.
Lana Turner played the role of a struggling actress who would do anything to succeed in the business. She's portrayed as a widow with a young daughter, as is Louise Beavers. The two of them are drawn together when Turner's daughter is found and cared for by Beavers. They hit it off and Beavers agrees to temporarily take care of Turner's daughter, while her and her daughter are living with them.
Beavers' daughter is a light-skinned girl who could pass for white in the book and both movies, hence the title "Imitation of Life." Throughout the story she attempts to pass for white. She's thwarted at every turn, however when her mother appears at school, on her job, etc. and eventually moves across country to Los Angeles to reinvent herself as a white person and seek her fortune.
The story is based on the book of the same name, written by a white author of the 1930's, which bears little if any resemblance to the movie I just described. The 1959 version with Lana Turner, which was written for her, excluded a lot of very objectionable shuffling and "nigger speak." In fact, the book and the 1934 version of the movie portrayed the beneficent white woman as a shrewd entrepreneur who took "Aunt Delilah's" pancake recipe, packaged and sold it, becoming the "pancake queen."
As the story goes Aunt Delilah wants nothing for this "secret recipe." She even goes so far as to beg the woman not to pay her anything for the recipe and to just let her keep on taking care of her and her daughter. Neither movie can stand up to modern standards, but the original version of the movie portrays the Black woman in a role that goes beyond subservient to downright ludicrous. The thought that she would not want a car, house and life of her own, but instead opts to let the white woman keep all of her money, while she continues living with her and playing nurse maid to her daughter goes beyond reason. Her fondest wish it turns out is to have a big funeral with 4 white horses to take her to the "pearly gates" of heaven.
The daughter plays a key role in the story, as she tries time and time again to pass for white always thwarted by her mother's dark complexion. In the end she not only rejects her race, but her mother too. She even goes so far as to tell her to walk on by without speaking if she sees her on the street, which in fact some Black people have done and continue to do.
Most recently, I've been conducting research on 5 Black presidents of the USA and it turns out some of them were passing. This knowledge has been passed down for generations by their relatives who made an agreement not to expose them. Warren G. Harding is a good example of this type of occurrence. One of his Black relatives has just published a book about him with photos of his Black relatives.
Ms. Hurst, was a noted Harlem Renaissance writer, although she was not an African American. Her work received some harsh criticism by Sterling Brown and other members of the community which she felt was undeserved. Her felling was that we should be grateful that she gave our story some attention.
We can forgive Ms. Hurst, for she was a product of her era. But, can we forgive the purveyors of this garbage for continuing to broadcast these stereotyped images of Black people on into the 21st century and beyond. I think not!
The whole notion of the "tragic mulatto" is a racist concept and speaks to the psychopathic racial personality of white Americans, which has in turn led to the exhibition of some psychopathic behavior on our part. Dr. Bobby Wright speaks of this in his book "The Psychopathic Racial Personality."
The "one-drop" rule, which states it only takes "one-drop" of Black blood to make you Black, while "one-drop" of white blood makes you conflicted is alive and well in modern-day America; because you'll never be accepted as being equal to white folks, despite the fact that you can pass for white.
In the final analysis the theme of passing, in the Black community is not unique. What was objectionable was the unrealistic portrayal of this unique phenomenon in the Black community.
Aunt Jemima, as she was in the early days (as depicted by A.B. Frost).
She was not only one of the greatest advertising icons of all time, but Aunt Jemima was also the advertising world's first living trademark. And, as with any such icon, she's had her fair share of controversy. But did you know who the real Aunt Jemima was?
Born into slavery in 1834, the woman who would become known to millions as Aunt Jemima was really named Nancy Green. She was a warm, friendly woman who also happened to be an excellent cook (though, interestingly enough, the famous Aunt Jemima pancake recipe wasn't hers. It belonged to a company called the Pearl Milling Company). And it was in 1893 that she was discovered in Chicago, at the age of 59, by one R.T. Davis.
Head of the R.T. Davis Milling Company, Davis bought the pancake formula from Chris Rutt and Charles Underwood when the Pearl Milling Company went bankrupt. And though it was Rutt and Underwood who came up with the name "Aunt Jemima," it was Davis who decided to use a living person to endorse it.
History was made that year at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the very first time Nancy Green went public. It was there that she, with her charming and animated personality, engaged the crowds and supplied them with thousands of pancakes. In fact, she was such a sensation that police had to be assigned to keep the crowds moving!
The rest of the story made marketing history. Soon, Nancy Green signed a lifetime contract with Davis, and her image was on billboards and advertisements all over the world. Davis was up to his eyeballs in pancake orders, and flour sales skyrocketed. Even after the Davis Company had to sell years later, Nancy Green remained the "pancake queen." It wasn't until 1923 when her legacy as a living trademark ended - when she was tragically struck and killed by a car in downtown Chicago. Two years later, the Aunt Jemima Mills were purchased by the Quaker Oats Company.
The famous image of Aunt Jemima was based on the real image of Nancy Green, an original painting of which recently sold for $9,030 at MastroNet. This painting was rendered by A.B. Frost, now regarded as one of the great illustrators of the Golden Age of American Illustration.
Aunt Jemima's image, however, has been modified since the days of Nancy Green and A.B. Frost. As social climates started to change and the 20th century wore on, many became offended by Aunt Jemima's image and felt that it was an outdated and negative portrayal of an African-American woman. If you take a look at today's Aunt Jemima, you'll notice that her kerchief is gone and her hair is styled. She wears earrings, and appears slimmer and younger. She does, however, have the same warm and inviting smile that she's always had.
Apparently, word is leaking out that the vetting process of the Republican Party Vice Presidential candidate was not as thorough as it should have been. Documentation giving rise to this opinion have been made available on Youtube.(See the embedded clips)
"This next clip is the 1st of 2 parts from the convention itself. About half way through the speech(at 6:00), the Vice Chairman of the AIP, Dexter Clark, says this of Palin: 'Our current governor who I mentioned at the last conference, the one we were hoping would get elected, Sarah Palin, did get elected . . . .and there was a lot of talk about her moving up. She was an AIP member before she got the job as mayor . . . '"
Sarah Palin was a card carrying member of the Alaskan Independence Party who went so far as to welcome their organization to the capital city via videotape from the governor's office. This leaves no doubt that they were far from outcasts, or radicals in her mind.
As you'll note in "Part 1 of Sarah Palin Secessionist," the organization is a self-described secessionists movement. Admittedly, they have some valid arguments, in my estimation. But, I wonder if Americans in general are ready to loose Alaska, a strategically significant state; and its oil revenue due to an oversight on the part of John McCain and his party hacks.
As you listen to the video pay close attention to the fate of former leaders of this party. It appears that the Arkansas Sudden Death Syndrome may have come into play again, because the wife died suddenly and the husband was assassinated soon after a government official had promised to look into some their allegations as to the illegal nature of Alaska's statehood vote.
This alone should make voters think long and hard about voting for a ticket with her on it, because the possibility of a retaliatory strike would be imminent leaving us with her in charge. America in the hands of the "anti-Lincoln," can you believe it?
The Republicans have really screwed up this time and placed the entire country in jeopardy, in order to win an election.
I can't believe this one myself. I heard it from Chris Matthews on MSNBC and had to go and check it out for myself, only to find that he was right on target.
She is not "Sarah Plain and Tall," but rather Sarah Palin "the anti-Lincoln." Next time McCain says something about Obama's judgment, or "lack of it" someone needs to bring up Sarah Palin and her questionable background. It didn't take more than 5 minutes on Youtube to come up with these two clips, which speak to her friendly relationship with the secessionists.
