Entertainment – Melanoid Nation Foundation https://www.melanoidnation.org Sun, 15 Oct 2017 13:02:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.20 Prince’s Unreleased Master Tapes Allegedly Stolen From Home By Finance Company https://www.melanoidnation.org/princes-unreleased-multi-million-dollar-master-tapes-taken-from-home-by-finance-company/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/princes-unreleased-multi-million-dollar-master-tapes-taken-from-home-by-finance-company/#comments Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:04:50 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=5016

Prince’s sisters have told the company to immediately return the unpublished work taken from his secret vault

By Kenny Anthony

 

According to reports, Comerica Bank & Trust hired a firm to “collect” Prince’s unreleased material from his Paisley Park private complex, and the music is said to be worth $200 million (£169m). The tapes were taken without the permission of Sharon and Norrine Nelson, Prince’s half-sisters and two of the six heirs to his estate.

The sisters told reporters that they were not consulted when the decision was being made.

Sharon and Norrine were also in contact with the Associated Press, and this is what Sharon had to say on the issue: “We want the music back home in Paisley Park where it belongs.

Norrine stated: “It’s extraordinary and unconscionable that the music has been moved from a place that it had been safe at for over 40 years.”

A Paisley Park official told the sisters that a considerable amount of content was seized from Prince’s vault sometime in September.

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Prince’s Paisley Park Private Estate and Production Complex

Comerica Bank & Trust released this statement: “In an effort to ensure the preservation of Prince’s audio and visual content, Comerica selected the premier entertainment storage and archive company, Iron Mountain Entertainment Services, on four separate occasions, Comerica discussed the process with the heirs and any suggestion otherwise is not accurate.

Comerica also added: After reviewing the storage conditions at Paisley Park and out of concern regarding the consequences of a fire or other loss at the facility, Comerica determined that it was necessary to transfer the audio and visual content to a secure location where all of the original content could be securely stored and digitized as a safeguard against the destruction or loss of any original content.”

Norrine clearly stated that the unreleased songs have been safe and in the same vault for over 40 years. Moving his work to “protect it from potentially being destroyed in a fire” is a deceptive & nonsense fabrication. In reality, they’ve used this as an opportunity to copy his work by digitizing the content.

In addition, towards the end of Prince’s music career, he was often seen with the word “slave” written on the side of his face.

Prince_slave-1200x720

 

This was during the back and forth conflict with his former record label; Warner Bros. Records. Prince then became independent once he realized that his contractual deal was daylight robbery, and went on to finance himself while producing his own music. Unfortunately, he did not have ownership of his past catalog.

In April 2014, Warner Bros. had a sit down with Prince to “rekindle their broken relationship” and negotiate future music ventures. They offered Prince the opportunity to own all of his previous music, but in return, they asked him to re-master his Purple Rain album just before the 30th anniversary.

Many speculate that this deal was allegedly a conniving ploy by Warner Bros. in order to gain control of his entire catalog, specifically his unreleased material, which is knowingly worth hundreds of millions.

Prince is said to have so much unheard music, he would’ve been able to release an album once a month for a decade.

This situation is somewhat similar to what Michael Jackson experienced with Sony Music. Michael owned the publishing rights to the Beatles catalog, which led to his fallout with Paul McCartney and Sony. After Michael’s death, Sony Corp. managed to own 50% of his shares in Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which is the largest music publishing company in the world. Sony/ATV Music Publishing owns the rights to songs from music artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and The Beatles. The Sony Corp. now have full control of the company, which was formed in partnership with Michael Jackson in 1995.

This is a common theme with legendary Black artists in the entertainment business, especially when they become conscious and attempt to practice sole proprietorship. People may not be familiar with Prince’s pro-Black activism, and along with his activism, he was a big fan of Tariq Nasheed’s best-selling Black history documentary filmseries, Hidden Colors.

Prince’s unreleased content has allegedly been “moved” from his Paisley Park private complex in Minnesota, to an unknown site in Los Angeles. The sisters argue that they should have been given a notice period of 14 business days, and plan to take legal action against the company.

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Is The Terrorist Website Daily Stormer Being Hosted In Russia? https://www.melanoidnation.org/is-the-terrorist-website-daily-stormer-being-hosted-in-russia/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/is-the-terrorist-website-daily-stormer-being-hosted-in-russia/#comments Thu, 17 Aug 2017 01:22:46 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=4359 Written by Tiffany Tubman

August 16, 2017

 

Russia (Putin) and Trump have many weird connections that have yet to be conclusively proved. We have heard Putin wanted to help Trump win to have control over the US. We know about money, emails, and the collusion with Russia involving many members of the Trump Cabinet and Crime Family. They have been named as being involved with these Russian meetings and events.

 

We have since learned that Trump and every person he has on his cabinet and surrounds himself with is a white supremacist with strong KKK/alt-right or tokenized Black collaborator. Why and how does this impact the Daily Stormer?

 

Despite current violent racially charged attacks, Trumps allegiance to the Alt-right group have stopped Trump from standing up to the Alt-Right and white supremacy during their most recent attempt to start a Race War. Trump refuses to stand up to Putin and Russia despite how much they harm the US citizens and democracy. Trump also refuses to cast blame or negative light on the activities and behavior of the alt-right terrorist activity, although they have resulted in assault, vehicular manslaughter, death and violence as recently as Charlottesville, VA incident August 11 and 12.

 

This lead to a complete uproar in all US Citizens that were not members of the Alt-right group. An online social media campaign was started to eliminate the online propaganda and presence of the DailyStormer, operated by Andrew Anglin.

DS2

 

Prior to this initiative to shut down the DailyStormer, the website was hosted by GoDaddy and Google. However, due to many contacts to both service providers, the domains were shut down. The Alt-Right gets their American Website banned and Russia saves the day. Daily Stormer, the Neo-Nazi website that was kicked off GoDaddy and Google, had found a new home in Russia: dailystormer.ru

 

But hours later, the site was shut down by an Antifa, an antifascism group that vehemently opposes hatred and the views of the Alt-right.

 

In the image below, Andrew Auernheimer (German name) represents the Alt-right and Jester Actual, represents the Antifa computer expert working to bring down the DailyStormer from any internet safe haven it may find.

DS3 DS4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The groups essentially played cat and mouse all day. As of now, they are still at chasing each other.

Let’s just say, the Daily Stormer had a rough day. Our thoughts and prayers should be with them that they get their site back up because they are so incredibly stupid, we gain a wealth of knowledge from the online leaks. After all, we did discover the wild sex ring disguised as book club and so much more.

 

 

Understand that country names and organizations have changed, but Continents have not. Russia contains most of Western Europe, which was under Hitler Nazi Germany control. Nazis are Russians. Facts.

DS5

 

Background.

 

November 9, 1938 under the control of Hitler, Germany Nazi forces took control of government and initiated the beginning of the comprehensive program to eliminate Jews and Melanoid people. This night is called “Crystal Night” where all Jews and non-white people were arrested and all synagogues were burned.

 

September 1, 1939 World War 2 starts with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany to control Poland and exterminate every human essentially without blonde hair and blue eyes. Initially, all “genetically inferior” people were placed in ghettos. This would include Jews and Melanoid people.

 

However, due to the low number of Melanoid People present, the focus of the Holocaust became the Jews. The belief was that certain genetics would lead to a master race. Nazi Germany was successful in defeating Poland and as history records the story (accounts from Wannsee Conference) by June of 1941 Nazi Germany was in control of Germany, Poland, various parts of  Europe (including Russia), Netherlands, and Amsterdam.

In fact, an entire Russian generation (of Jews and non-white people), villages, families, all wiped from the face of the Earth, buried in mass graves all around the former Soviet Union. Most of the Jews killed by Adolf Hitler were killed in the USSR. Because Europe is not a legitimate Continent like Asia and Africa, many historians and Nazi soldiers who later testified in the Wannsee Conference documentary struggled with exact places and locations for certain events.

 

Now the other details are not important for this story but I will close by saying other countries going involved due to humanity, financial, and political reasons and defeat Nazi Germany. The war ended September 2, 1945 lasting 6 years and 1 day.

 

We may never know all the real reasons, but a sane person can surmise that the Nazis were never able to extinguish as many non-white people as they wanted for geographical reasons. However, today we have the same white supremacist plot in motion with the same feelings and goals of  those white supremacist Nazis from Germany. They suffer from the incorrect notion that  they are genetically superior and cannot get any good jobs or opportunities because of  the Jews and non-white people. Because of this delusion, they lack the total ability to accept responsibility for their actions.

 

Their response? Ban the immigrants, deport the illegals, contain the ghettos, wrongfully imprison non-white people and start a race war. Very original I know.

 

We might not have all the details but there is enough there to know, we have way more than a Nothing Burger and we must now find out conclusively why Russia is aiding and abetting the alt-right to continue to circulate hateful propaganda and enact domestic terrorism on US citizens.

 

We will also monitor whether Russia continues to host the site for the Alt-right. As the cat mouse game progressed, all future sightings were via Russian domain but none of them lasted long enough to report.

 

For these reasons alone, white supremacy is governed by many principles including the need to be ahistorical. White supremacist will immediately tell you to get over, deny, or ignore the past. The distractions are endless so you are unable to put any pieces together. But this is certainly a story worth following. Melanoid Nation stay tuned.

 

We must stay ready, stay woke and on Code.

DS6

 

Keep that second amendment game strong and protect the children. Let them know how to be safe and who to trust.

 

#Ogun

Tiffany Tubman

@montswife16

Tubmanfights@gmail.com

Article updated 8/17/17 to correct Andrew Anglin and Russia’s location in Europe.

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How White Supremacists Use Trolling And Racialized Jokes As Weapons https://www.melanoidnation.org/how-white-supremacists-use-trolling-and-racialized-jokes-as-weapons/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/how-white-supremacists-use-trolling-and-racialized-jokes-as-weapons/#comments Wed, 14 Jun 2017 07:09:23 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=4082 In a system of white supremacy, the people who want to maintain the status quo understand that they have to weaponize everything in order to use it against the victims of white supremacy. This includes the use of  racialized jokes and trolling.

It is very difficult for a person who believes in white supremacy to have an honest, open and intellectual conversation about race. Because the contradictions and hypocrisy of white supremacy can be easily pointed out. And once those discrepancies are acknowledged, any refusal to rectify the injustices will make a person appear to be actively complicit in the non-justice of racism.

So most white supremacists (and suspected white supremacists) will utilize the tactic of deflecting away from a serious dialog about race by engaging in jokes and trolling behavior. This tactic will excuse them from acknowledging the injustices of systematic white supremacy, and assist them in the maintenance of that system without admitting any wrongdoing.

 

Also the white supremacists use  racialized jokes as a way to lower the defenses of their victims. When the white supremacists pass off their behavior as just “jokes” and “clowning around”, this causes people to dismiss their behavior and not take it as seriously as they should. This has proven to be a major mistake on behalf of the victims of white supremacy. Because most white supremacist policies and institutions started off a “jokes” at first.

The Ku Klux Klan started off as a joke and a prank. A few former Confederate officers in Pulaski, TN. thought it would be a funny prank to dress up as ghosts and scare the Black people in town.  In 1907, author Albert Stevens wrote this about the Ku Klux Klan: “ludicrous initiations, the baffling of public curiosity, and the amusement for members were the only objects of the Klan”.  And now the KKK is one of the mosts dangerous terroristic organizations in the United States.

In the 1800’s a white actor named Thomas D. Rice used to perform a derogatory African American caricature in blackface. He would perform around the country doing the Jim Crow dance in this comedy routine. His Jim Crow character was a “joke” at first. And then states all over the country started to create Jim Crow laws that terrorized the lives of Black Americans openly until the 1960’s.

 

Recently the website Vox did an interview with author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, who explained how people searching for  racists jokes on google, helped some experts predict the election of Trump. The article states:

As a barometer of our national consciousness, Google is as accurate (and predictive) as it gets. In 2016, when the Republican primaries were just beginning, most pundits and pollsters did not believe Trump could win. After all, he had insulted veterans, women, minorities, and countless other constituencies.

But Stephens-Davidowitz saw clues in his Google research that suggested Trump was far more serious than many supposed. Searches containing racist epithets and jokes were spiking across the country during Trump’s primary run, and not merely in the South but in upstate New York, Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, rural Illinois, West Virginia, and industrial Michigan.

Stephens-Davidowitz is the author the best-selling book “Everybody Lies”, an inside look at how mining data from the internet can give a better understanding on the public psyche. According to Stephens-Davidowitz:

“People tell Google things that they don’t tell to possibly anybody else, things they might not tell to family members, friends, anonymous surveys, doctors. People feel very comfortable confessing things to Google. In general, Google tells us that people are different than they present themselves. One way they’re different, I have to say, is that they’re nastier and meaner than they often present themselves.

I’ve done a lot of research on racism, for example, and I was shocked by how frequently people make racist searches, particularly for jokes mocking African Americans. This concealed ugliness can predict a lot of behaviors, particularly in the political realm.”

 

So Melanoid people must understand, no matter how much the white supremacists try to get you to lower your defenses and dismiss them when they pass off their dangerous rhetoric as “jokes”, you must always take them seriously. Because white supremacists will joke and troll one day, and then commit cold blooded murder the next.

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Suspected White Supremacist Philip DeFranco Tries To Tokenize Black Women https://www.melanoidnation.org/suspected-white-supremacist-philip-defranco-tries-to-tokenize-black-women/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/suspected-white-supremacist-philip-defranco-tries-to-tokenize-black-women/#comments Thu, 08 Jun 2017 03:18:40 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=4073 A popular youtube personality named Philip DeFranco recently raised a few eyebrows when he made a tweet attempting to tokenize Black women in regards to the Bill Cosby trial.

Many people have called out the racially motivated Bill Cosby rape accusations, including members of Cosby’s family. In fact that racial jury selection process that took place in the recent Cosby trial has made headlines.

When some people pointed out New York Magazine’s June 2015 cover that had dozens of Bill Cosby’s white female accusers (many of whom have been debunked and exposed as flat out liars) and the long tradition of white supremacist females making false rape allegations against Black men, suspected racists online verbally attacked them.

One of these antagonist was Philip DeFranco. DeFranco tried to point to a couple of Bill Cosby accusers who happen to be Black women who were placed on the very bottom of the New York magazine cover, as some type of anti-white conspiracy to hide the truth. It is clearly understood that the white supremacist run media will strategically place Black people in racially motivated scenarios as a way to not seem racist. Early in the Bill Cosby scandal, many mainstream media outlets tried to pin the exposé on Black comedian Hannibal Buress.

And the same media who ignored (or condoned) the violent, brutalization of Black women at the hands of suspected white supremacist males (like Sandra Bland, Rekia Boyd, Korryn Gaines) now want to prop up a few of Black female Cosby accusers in an attempt to hide the fact that case is completely motivated by race.

DeFranco, who has made excuses for other open white supremacists like youtuber “PewdiePie”, who was kicked off of youtube for posting blatant racist rhetoric and nazi imagery, put up the tweet below in an attempt to tokenize Black women.

Screen Shot 2017-06-07 at 8.08.59 PM

 

 

DeFranco tries to hide his suspected white supremacist rhetoric behind an “everyone is racist” narrative. This is a common tactic with white supremacist suspects. They often try to shield themselves with other white people. And this tokenization of Black women by the dominant society is something that victims of white supremacy must not fall for. These people care nothing about the plight of Black women, and the only time they pretend to care, is when they are using Black woman, and Black people in general, as pawns for their own white supremacist agenda.

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Why Did It Take So Long To Shun Suspected White Supremacist Milo? https://www.melanoidnation.org/why-did-it-take-so-long-to-shun-suspected-white-supremacist-milo/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/why-did-it-take-so-long-to-shun-suspected-white-supremacist-milo/#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2017 04:27:35 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3933 The boring and unfunny self proclaimed gay “troll” Milo Yiannopoulos, whose comments on race has gained him popularity among white supremacists worldwide, resigned Tuesday from his senior editor position at Breitbart News.

Milo has repeatedly spread hateful, and dangerous anti-Black rhetoric (usually under the guise of criticizing “Black Lives Matter”, which is a code that white supremacists use to mean all Black people).

This anti-Black rhetoric secured a base audience for Milo, and he received college lecture bookings, television appearances, and a book deal from Simon & Schuster as a reward for this rhetoric.

Milo was also banned from twitter after he and his alt-right supporters spearheaded a horrific racial online attack on Black female SNL cast member Leslie Jones.

As long as Milo spewed racist vitriol, the mainstream media was fine with Milo. But white supremacy is a cancer. And once you allow one form of cancer to fester, that cancer will spread and grow.

 

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This week, several videos surfaced of Milo in which he condones sexual relations with boys as young as 13 and laughs off the seriousness of pedophilia by Roman Catholic priests. Milo’s comments, which quickly created an uproar online, put many white supremacists who pretend to be conservatives in a deeply uncomfortable position. They have long defended Mr. Yiannopoulos’s attention-seeking stunts and racially charged antics on the grounds that the left had tried to hypocritically censor his right to free speech.

But the pedophilia enabling rhetoric from Milo was considered to be over the line by so-called conservatives, liberals, and the media alike. Organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference rescinded their invitation for him to speak at their event. Milo was given the boot from his editor position at the alt-right associated blog Breitbart. And Simon & Schuster canceled Milo’s book deal.

So the question we must ask is, why was Milo’s filth and vitriol perfectly fine when it was primarily directed at Black society?

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Unknown Black Singer Manipulates White Supremacists To Boost Album Sales https://www.melanoidnation.org/unknown-black-singer-manipulates-white-supremacists-to-boost-album-sales/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/unknown-black-singer-manipulates-white-supremacists-to-boost-album-sales/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2017 16:35:42 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3847 Before yesterday Joy Villa was not a name that was circulating on the music scene.

Today is a different story.

Villa, had everyone talking with the dress she wore that said “Make America Great Again.” The back of the dress had the word “Trump” on the bottom in big bold letters.

The 25 year old singer’s Instagram profile says she’s “Grammy Considered.”

Since then the sales for her album, which was an obscure recording initially released in 2014,  have skyrocketed.

Her song, “I Make the Static” jumped to the top of Amazon’s top digital paid albums and reached number seven on the iTunes top album chart after her red carpet publicity stunt.

 

joy-villa-back-

 

 

One must ask, is the increase in sales due to talent or the dress? Or something else?

Andre Soriano, the designer of Villa’s dress said on Instagram the gown is a “tribute [to] OUR President Of The United States Of America” adding the hashtag #MAGA

Villa is being supported online by many suspected white supremacist Trump supporters. Many of them are trying to hold Villa up as a proof that not all Trump supporters are advocates of white supremacist views and some Blacks like Trump too.

There are many feelings on the dress worn by Villa. Many are saying she was seeking  attention and publicity to boost her stagnant recording career. Others contend that she is a Trump supporter that wishes to ‘Make America Great Again’ and this was a show of her support.

It appears that  Joy Villa is fully aware that the fastest way for a Black person to get massive support by many in the dominant society, is to act as a “colored shield” for white supremacy.

 

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Identifying Members Of Shea Butter Twitter https://www.melanoidnation.org/identifying-members-of-shea-butter-twitter/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/identifying-members-of-shea-butter-twitter/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2016 05:24:51 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3748 Shea Butter Twitter is a term that has been floating around “Black twitter” and other Black social media circles for the past couple of years. But there has never been clear and concise explanation of who and what Shea Butter Twitter (SBT) is.

Shea Butter Twitter is basically a loose network of pretend Black “feminists” and sexually confused Black male nerds who troll and gossip on twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And they all try to disguise their trolling behind a false veil of political or social activism.

Many people in Shea Butter Twitter are struggling freelance “writers” who etch out a living by begging for odd jobs writing freelance articles for white run companies. Many of these white run media companies will sometimes prop up members of Shea Butter Twitter to act as the voice of Black society. They do this because they know that SBT will not do anything to seriously challenge white supremacy. As a matter of fact, Shea Butter Twitter will actually attack other Black people who do challenge systematic white supremacy.

The common denominator with most members of Shea Butter Twitter, is they will never talk about independent empowerment specifically for Black society. These people are the main proponents of non-reciprocal “intersectionality” with other groups who generally places white supremacy first.

The only thing “Black” that SBT supports is the use of Black hair care products for many of their natural hairstyles, and their use of Jojoba oil and shea butter. Hence the name, Shea Butter Twitter.

But other than the use (and sometimes they will actually sell shea butter themselves) of shea butter and African hair products, SBT has zero interest in uplifting Black society as a collective. In fact most of SBT has a secret disdain for Black society. And there is particularly an anti-Black male sentiment among members of SBT.

Many members of SBT will try to pretend their natural hairstyles are forms of African affinity. But the only reason many of them wear natural hair is because their white male and oftentimes white lesbian sexual partners think it’s more exotic to them.

 

shea-tag-big

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though there are several people who represent SBT, some of the central figures of Shea Butter Twitter are: Luvvie Ajayi, Damon Young, Jamilah Lemieux and Feminista Jones.

The holy trinity of Shea Butter Twitter:Luvvie Ajayi, Damon Young and Jamilah Lemieux

The holy trinity of Shea Butter Twitter:Luvvie Ajayi, Damon Young and Jamilah Lemieux

 

 

 

Lets focus on these four key people. We will start with:

Jamilah Lemieux

jamilah-lemieux

 

 

Jamilah Lemieux is one of the head editors at Ebony magazine, and many people have attributed the decline of that publication to the antics of Lemieux. Lemieux has allowed all types of anti- Black male propaganda to sully the reputation of Ebony mag. Jamilah also gives a platform to other Shea Butters to write freelance articles on Ebony to further promote their “intersectional” agendas. Jamilah was recently on The Breakfast Club radio show where she and another “feminist” promoted their anti-Black male rhetoric by telling the vicious lie that “the number 2 cause of death for Black women was Black men.” After her appearance on that broadcast, many people thoroughly debunked her lies citing numerous sources.

 

 

 

Luvvie Ajayi

luvvie

 

 

Luvvie Ajayi is a blogger and “intersectional” pretend feminist, and this image of Luvvie here should explain everything you need to know about her.

 

 

 

 

Damon Young

damon

 

 

 

Damon Young is a Gay Lives Matter advocate and a writer for Ebony and GQ magazine. His whole schtick is being the nerdy-non-threatening-negro who whites can be comfortable around. He writes a “relationship” blog for other Black nerds called “Very Smart Brothas”, where he basically gossips about Black celebrities.

 

 

 

Feminista Jones

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Feminista Jones is one of the most active trolls who make up Shea Butter Twitter. Jones pretends to be a “Black feminist”, but the only thing “feminist” about her is her nickname. Jones could care less about the plight of Black women (based on the lack of tangible things she has done or produced to help Black women), and she has shown utter contempt for Black males. Jones has actively worked with suspected white supremacists who have tried to implement public policies to harm Black society.

 

 

So the next time you see SBT spreading their usual rhetoric, you will now have an understanding of what their real agenda is.

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The Black Feminist Discourse…And Its Dilemmas https://www.melanoidnation.org/the-black-feminist-discourse-and-its-dilemmas/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/the-black-feminist-discourse-and-its-dilemmas/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2016 19:12:33 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3664

By Nasir Parker

 

At the outset, let’s first recognize that I, the writer, have no intention of engaging in the sort of back and forth mudslinging that is all too common in today’s opinion media landscape. Further, let’s be clear that I not only consider free speech the cornerstone of any true democracy, but that such a freedom, if it is that, must by definition of the term “free”, include the license to offend. If one disagrees or even dislikes the said perceived “verbal offense” it would be imperative that the offended be able not only to deconstruct such an argument, but be able to do so based upon fact and not ad hominem attacks or typecasting of the other. As with all critical thinking, analysis, dialogue, and writing the point essentially, is to determine what are those parts of discourse worthy of critique and praise respectfully, based not on emotions alone, but logic and facts. This piece of writing is such an attempt to do so.

In a recent article entitled “All Films Matter: The Birth of a Nation and the Vilification of Black Feminism” brought to us (the public) by w ww.theroot.com, contributing writer Michael Harriot harps on how Black men (particularly) h ave “blamed” BOAN’s failure at the box office on Black women, more specifically Black feminism. This according to Harriot is largely due to the schism that currently exist between Black women and men regarding the films producer and director Nate Parker. Not long before the release of the film Parker, 36, found himself in the middle of a rape allegation scandal from his past. As it has been frequently reported for some time now, the alleged incident occurred on the morning of August 21, 1999 when Parker was a 19 year old student at Penn State University, there on a wrestling scholarship. According to the accuser Parker and his friend (and BOAN co-writer) Jean Celestin had non-consensual sex with her while she unconscious after a night of drinking. According to the accuser’s own statement, she met with Parker two days prior to the incident in which occurred a sexual encounter at between the two at her apartment, with the accuser admitting that she engaged in oral sex with Parker. On the following day August 20, 1999 the two met for a “date” at a bar in which Parker didn’t show up until midnight. In the time in between the accuser’s arrival and Parker’s arrival she by her own admission had been accepting drinks from a 40 year unidentified male. Citing to Parker that she was “pretty drunk”, she insisted on going to a friend’s apartment so that she could get sleep. Upon reaching the apartment she was offered more drinks, according to the accuser it was rum, specifically. As she described the scene;

“ I mean I knew I was intoxicated. Just blurry vision. I don’t remember conversation. I don’t remember who was in the room. I don’t remember how many people were in the room. I just knew I was there.”

There she told Parker that she was “too drunk” and insisted then on going back to his apartment for fear that she would get in trouble for being drunk on campus. When they arrived, the accuser testified to having seen two other people sitting on a bed watching TV. She was given a shirt by them and went to sleep. According to her testimony, when she opened her eyes, she found Nate Parker having intercourse with her.

“ It was just a split second. And then awake again and another gentleman with his penis in my mouth and somebody on top of me and then, again, somebody just on top of me other than Nate and as far as that, that’s all I remember.”

According to the accuser, when she awoke she wasn’t able to find either Parker nor the alleged co-conspirator(s), at which point she left, departing for her dorm.

“I’m completely naked and I’m like, oh, shit, I’ve just been raped and I get up to go home and then the next thing I know is I’m in the bathroom and there is red everywhere and I’m having cold water splashed on my face.”

For the sake of brevity, respect for the accuser (who is now deceased, sadly having taken her own life back in 2012 at the age of 30), and not relitigating the whole entire case, just know that on October 5, 2001 Nate Parker was acquitted of all charges due to lack of sufficient evidence. His friend Jean Celestin however, was charged with sexual assault (a lesser charge than rape) and sentenced to six to twelve months in prison. However soon after, Celestin had his conviction overturned due to inefficient counsel.

Needless to say that because of the very serious and sensitive nature of sexual assault and rape culture in the U.S., this incident has seen barbs thrown by and at opposing sides as to the nature and timing of this case. On one hand some consider the timing rather odd given Parker’s previous string of prominent roles in films such as ‘The Great Debaters’, ‘Red Tails’, ‘Secret Life of Bees’, and ‘Beyond The Lights’, just to name a few.

Those on this side of the issue inquire how someone who was already in the public eye was able to have this charge firmly placed behind him, only up until the time he decided not only to create an independent film, but one on Black history’s most revered and revolutionary figures. On the other hand there are those who find the allegations of Parker’s past actions so abhorrent as to not only be publicly critical of him, but unsupportive of his film.

Considering the history of this nation and its opposition to Black male assertion of any sort, expressed in both the extreme and violently overt and the deviously covert, those in former group stand on justified suspicion. Nevertheless, those of the latter group who are protesting Parker’s film on the ground of women’s rights, have a democratic right to do so.

Further, as the father of a daughter myself and one who has spent the entirety of his life around Black women, I find nothing more disgusting than the violation of any woman, let their be no mistakes about that. As for what side I’m on (for I’m sure that in such a polarized society as the U.S., with its endless democratic or republican narrative, Black vs white, gay vs straight, etc) it’s the reader’s next logical question, to that I say I am on the side of what’s known.

What’s known is that a rather vague but nonetheless disappointing incident happened in the life of Nate Parker back in 1999. It involved the sort of detestable charge that is not to be taken lightly. He was acquitted of the charge in 2001, and his friend Celestin while convicted of a lesser crime, eventually had it overturned.

The alleged victim, sadly, has taken her life and is no longer here to speak for herself. All this in a country that has been notorious for locking up and even killing Black men for a whole lot less, in a country still has innocent Black men behind bars for decades if not life for similar convictions with n o evidence, and in a country that has seen innocent men on lethal injection tables, in a country where the history of the perceived taboo of Black male white female relations has been at the center of lynchings and other extralegal horrors. Does all of this mean that we can be assured that what was alleged to happen didn’t happen? Quite frankly, it does not. However, per the trial system which is (or should) be based on sufficient evidence, Nate Parker was found innocent, on all charges. That means he isn’t guilty of rape, and the court of public opinion, doesn’t matter in the grand scheme.

This however does bring me back to a third group. One in which to me appears neither to be on Parker’s side in the matter nor even particularly against him, well….per se. For in the recent weeks and months after the details of his case were revealed publicly, Parker himself made it a point to make media rounds being as open about the case as possible.

In many of these interviews he was consistent about that fact he was not only apologetic for the incident (though he made it clear that it was consensual), he also made it clear that he was found innocent. Not only this, but Parker reflectively and I feel, maturely admitted that he was at a rather immature time in his development and made it clear that he see’s “with wiser eyes” now the “arrogant” ways of his past. This to me suggest, that while he maintains his innocence of rape (as he should because he was found as such) that he indeed is still regretful for the sort of sexual objectification of women that is regretfully common in American culture, more particularly college culture.

This third group appears to only be concerned with ad hominem attacks on not only Parker’s character but even more so, his movie’s failure at the box office. Michael Harriot, contributing writer at www.theroot.com appears to be a member of such a group, that one on the fringes of feminism known as Black feminism. To be fair, I do not have a problem with the concept of economic, political, and social equality between the genders, that which is the definition of feminism. Nor do I take issue to the striving for this as it specifically pertains to Black women, in fact I think it necessary.

However, I do take issue with sloppy rhetoric disguised as journalism, and even more, that which is cloaked in the costume of Black feminist (female or male) “outrage”. To be sure, Harriot’s rather casual rhetorical barbs throughout the piece are neither original nor unique to him. This sort of self righteous indignation is an attitude that has for many within the Black feminist movement (particularly its neophytes) served as a sort of supplement, employed to fill a rather gaping void in a movement that for all of its fire and swell sounding intentions has yet in its 50 year officially titled history to move past theoretics into data based actionable programs specific to Black women.

Programs that could potentially lead to tangible results for the Black women they so claim to support, in the areas that negatively affect our women the most, such as as poverty and child care for instance. As a result, a large portion of the Black feminist movement and its pundits have been limited to lamentations on continually being marginalized by “mainstream” (white) feminist movements and organizations, or bantering on about their issues with Black men (and sometimes white men). Oft times, these diatribes are in the form of journal commentaries such as op-eds or columns, other times they occur in panels on and off air in the form of pop culture and social commentary.

In all fairness, this is not to say that all Black men come from obsidian heaven. Indeed some of the commentary is well intentioned if not deserved, but this is particularly when the critique is based on a fair and balanced assessment on the whole of an issue, not an emotionally charged rant. Michael Harriot’s piece in The Root appears to have been such a commentary. Let us examine, if we will, the article in question.

At the outset Harriot states two points;

  1. “ I paid to see The Birth of a Nation. I reviewed it. I liked it. I wish more people had seen

    it.” And….

  2. “ I believe Nate Parker is a despicable human being.”

    From the get, it is rather interesting to see Mr. Harriot feign balance by first

complementing the work of Parker’s ‘ The Birth Of A Nation’ then in one fell swoop, disrespecting him by stating the he believe’s that Mr. Parker is “despicable”. While Mr. Harriot is indeed within his right to whatever opinion he wants to have of Parker, it should be duly noted that this is the also the sort of opinion veiled double talk that is the cornerstone of a typical ad passiones argument, something not all that uncommon among pseudo Black feminist types. Acutely aware of the fact that emotion can often cloud the reader’s or listener’s ability to reason this device is employed recklessly.

Harriot goes on by saying:
“ I don’t believe those two facts negate each other. Intelligent people understand that two things can be true at the same time. A sexual abuser can make a beautiful movie, just as a serial rapist could be one of the funniest men who ever lived, just as a pedophile could write “I Believe I Can Fly” or “Ignition (Remix).”

Here, Harriot plays an insidious shell and pea game. First, with attempting to lull the reader into his point without reason by essentially stating that if you don’t “understand” or even agree with his contention that you are by proxy “ unintelligent”. Second, he essentially commits what amounts to a libelous but rather veiled statement by alluding to Parker as a sexual abuser.

The fact that he doesn’t mention Parker explicitly is the o nly reason it can’t legally be considered as such, and his craftiness exposes the intention of the statement. Not only that, he draws false equivalency to not only Bill Cosby’s case but also to R&B singer R. Kelly’s case. Both attempts at a comparison fail quite miserably because in both instances there is or was, rather damning evidence.

The difference in Cosby’s case being that he on “trial” if you will 30 or 40 years after the fact, nonetheless there has been enough evidence to at least established a rather provable pattern of behavior. Beyond the testimony of the accuser, there is no such proof as was found to be sufficient in a court of law. Yet, in a the sort of commonly contradictory manner he goes on to say it “it’s useless to relitigate a decade-old rape case”…he clearly doesn’t know where he wants to go with this beyond evoking some sort of raw emotion. Harriot rambles on;

“ There is a contingent of people (largely black men) who believe that the film is too important to be ignored or boycotted. Many of them have gone so far as to lay the blame for the film’s box-office failure squarely at the feet of black feminism. For these men, the women who have loudly refused to support Parker’s opus are traitors. The subtext of their argument, however, extends far beyond the narrative of a Nat Turner biopic. It goes to the heart of many black men’s attitude toward black feminism itself.”

Ah ha! Yes, this is the point in Harriot’s piece where he begins to build a case against none other than Black feminism’s favorite target, Black men. He first says that the largest contingent of the film’s supporters are Black men, but I would be interested in knowing whether or not he has verifiable proof of that in the form of data, and if so what is his source? I personally, assume that he doesn’t, for if he were really concerned with any kind of objective commentating he would have included such information. Further, he assumes that many have gone on to “blame Black feminism for the film’s box-office failure”. It would be comical if it were not such a sad display of how often pseudo Black feminist and the Black feminism p seudo movement, attempts to inject itself in anyway that will garner it a ny sort of attention, however vain or short lived. In a since, I think it could be attributed to the fact that in many ways Black feminists, (both its real and fake types) recognize that it is quite frankly, a movement without a country. Except during its inception in the 60’ and 70’s when it was of superficial use to the largely white feminist movement, Black feminism has been all but ignored by white feminism since then.

As stated above, the bemoaning on this fact has taken up a great many page spaces in Black feminists commentary (ironically so, as this attitude contradicts their so championed and often underscored “independent” affront). Secondly, within the Black community Black feminism has yet, as an organized and unified movement, to yield any results for Black women based on provable facts about what ails Black specifically. Could this be due to the fact that Black feminism (as specific as that title is) has defined itself as a largely multi-intersectional movement? Sure, intersectionality makes since to some degree, given that we are talking about Black people who are women. I even get that there are sisters who are Black, women, and members of the LGBTQ community. I even understand the temptation to draw parallels to the struggle of Hispanic/Latina women.

But in actuality, the LGBTQ movement quite honestly is a mostly white, mostly male movement that has all but achieved admirable gains in two of its most signature platforms in record time (when compared with Black movements in general, let alone Black feminism) ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ and marriage equality in all states. As for the Hispanic/Latino/Latina community, it’s platform has largely been based around immigration reform, amnesty, and to some extent police profiling largely, (strides for the former two which are being continually being made in Washington D.C.) and as for their women they tend to identify themselves with “mainstream” (white) feminism.

Then there is Black feminism, a movement which continues to propagate its “intersectionality” apparently in the hopes that by attempting to attach itself to the victories and movements of others it will achieve some sort of notoriety. But, this has the opposite effect, it caters to so broad and general of a base that it caters to no one, particularly those Black women and issues specifically, who could use some of the movement’s most useful theoretics, academics, business leaders, etc., to actually create a real program of change for Black women.

Instead however Black women are cheated, being given instead the opioid of rhetorical caterwauling that has at its center non provable vanity commentary, by people such as Harriot who quips that Black women who didn’t support Nate Parker’s film are considered by Black men to be “traitors”. And that Black men have a “negative attitude toward Black feminism itself”.

“ For them, progressive-thinking women of color have become too vocal, and too militant. These black feministas’ uncompromising stance toward The Birth of a Nation, their unwillingness to support a project created by a rapist and an accused rapist (let us not forget that Parker’s writing partner, Jean McGianni Celestin, was actually convicted by a jury of his peers of rape), is problematic for these men. The men who are upset with the women boycotting BOAN do not care about the merits of the argument at its root. They don’t care about feminism or equality or even the movie. They just want these women to shut the f–k up.”

This particular portion of the piece is rather interesting. Harriot himself takes on the illustrious role of mind reader by deciding (in his own “infinite wisdom”) what Black men think about progressive-thinking “women of color” (there goes intersectionality again). He speaks of Nate Parker being an accused rapist, which of course we know is not the same as actually being a rapist, and Jean Celestin who, to the writer’s dis-credit was convicted of sexual assault a lesser charge than rape, only to have that conviction overturned.

The circumstances under which the conviction was overturned can indeed be debated, but the fact that it was cannot. So in this instance Harriot has finally achieved the libelous label that he’s all but bordering on throughout the piece anyway. Then he goes on to say that the Black men who are upset with with Black women boycotting BOAN, “don’t care about equality” or “don’t care about feminism” and that “they just want these women to shut the f**k up”. Because Harriot somehow “knows” this, he is indeed a “leading authority figure on what Black men think” right? Wrong, Harriot appears to be a below average debater, who for a living seems to write pieces that cater to emotions and not logic.

“ It is the same premise as “All Lives Matter.” Black men who accuse feminists of being anti-male man-haters for affirming their rights as women are the mirror images of the conservative whites who accuse black people of being anti-cop racists for simply affirming that their existence matters. The subjective merits of the movie don’t matter. It’s like being upset with civil rights activists sitting in at lunch counters because you like that particular restaurant’s sandwiches.”

“ Perhaps the most frequent rebuttal to black women’s refusal to accept Parker’s arrogant belligerence is the refrain that “he was found not guilty.” I want to show those people pictures of George Zimmerman eating juicy steaks in fancy restaurants. I want them to see Darren Wilson’s vacation videos. I want them to see the six-figure salary of the policeman who choked the life out of Eric Garner. I want to remind those people that “not guilty” does not mean “innocent.”

Shall I continue? I believe that I should. Because one must now point out how Harriot casually attempts to change the subject from Black men being “against” the protest of Black women, to Black men being “against” Black feminism, to Black men labeling Black feminist as, in his words “anti-male”. Again, Michael Harriot, contributing writer for w ww.theroot.com, has placed himself in the role of seer. He just knows that Black men find Black women as “anti-male” but what is such a clairvoyant statement based on? He draws a similarity to the “All Lives Matter” movement by essentially saying that Black men are essentially comparable to whites who say that Blacks are “anti-cop” racist for affirming their right to exist.

The parallel is that Black men who view women as “anti-male” for affirming their rights are no different. On this point I actually agree. However, he has no proof that Black men on the whole “view Black women as anti-male” therefore he has no right what so ever, to make such an ill comparison. In fact, it’s making trivial two rather serious subjects, a possible sign into what his true motives may be in writing this piece…doesn’t seem like solutions nor elevating the discourse. He then speaks of what he considers to be Parker’s “belligerence” given the interviews in which the actor/producer informs openly that he was found not guilty.

A true statement indeed, but seemingly not one that Harriot is interested in, given his aversion to the truth (as seen in many parts of this article). Would it be better for Harriot if Nate Parker where to just steal away to a monastery and there, proceed by starving himself and chanting for the rest of his days? This is a rather interesting trait of these Black feminist writers (both male and female) that they are quite concerned with being the humility police when it comes to Black men. But, the virtue of such a thing largely depends on what you consider “lack of humility” to be.

Parker as stated above, has shown remorse and an understanding of his past immature ways. Do I feel it is a genuine remorse? I do in fact feel that way. However, can always debate how genuine? Certainly, because technically no one really k nows but Parker and that also means that Harriot doesn’t know. So when he compares what he perceives as Parker’s “belligerence” or what he seems to be alluding to as his arrogance to “George Zimmerman eating juicy steaks at restaurants” or “Darren Wilson’s vacation videos” or “the six figure salary of a policeman who choked the life out of Eric Garner”, he draws one of the most disgusting false equivalencies of the piece. One which reveals not only his remedial level of analysis on this subject, but his seemingly insidious motivations to rally people in general (Black women in particular) against Parker, based on his own biases.

After a short diatribe in which he appeared to be championing the movie and singing it’s praises, Harriot goes into acknowledging the privilege that he has as a male of ignoring the issues of women including but not limited to, sexual abuse. To this point, I agree that many times men do take for granted the difficulties of womanhood. In fact it’s not uncommon in the circles of some men to show a certain callousness as it pertains to this. However, where we disagree could be best summed up in my nonbelief in a “Black male patriarchal structure”. This has nothing to do with my male privilege, but rather historical and present truths of Black familial and communal structures. Historically speaking African American communities have largely been ones based on a matriarchal structure and emphasis on the maintenance of extended family relationships. If one looks at this with any degree of historical clarity, it is an extension of slavery in which Black males, mistakenly having been considered more of a rebellious threat than Black women, were often kept away from or their roles limited within the family nucleus.

This was done in numerous ways from overwork, to selling off Black men perceived as a “threat”, lashings, or worse. As a result, Black households and communities have more often than not been spearheaded by Black women. Further, pre-enslavement African women were considered equally involved in the maintenance, development, and upkeep of tribal societies in many cases. Which is why many Black women were considered “as prepared for work” as men, given that Black women and men have always shared laborious burdens. In essence this makes the Black community something of a d i-archal society if not outright matriarchal. Does this mean that there aren’t some Black men who in many cases insist on using patriarchal or gender assigning frames of reference? No. In fact, there are many Black women who do the same. It’s not that these instances are good, bad, right, or wrong, we could debate the merits of that all day. It’s just that as African Americans our point of reference is America. Which is something of a racial and cultural amalgam but nonetheless underlined by an extension of western (white/European) values, a part of which is the practice of patriarchy.

As for my opinions on the roles of Black men and women, those are my own. But, I do believe that men should practice leadership skills, as well as women. Not unlike any union, I believe each party should work according to their strengths. I believe, that a man should protect and provide for his woman and rear his children, but that this doesn’t not make the woman weak, vulnerable, or incapable of providing for herself. It’s doesn’t make a Black woman less of a leader, it’s just that we lead in different areas according to arrangements that are specific to our own private relationships.

I must continue, because after all of the incoherent caterwauling of Mr. Harriot in the piece, we finally get to the root (no pun intended) of what so drew his ire:

“ The elephant in the room is that a few days ago, journalist Roland Martin, an outspoken supporter of The Birth of a Nation, called out The Root’s Senior Editor Yesha Callahan’s

reporting as inaccurate when she referred to the movie as “a flop.” In the interest of transparency, I must admit that I have a professional relationship with Callahan. I also have personally witnessed her clapback powers, and trust me, Martin don’t want none. They don’t make ascots thick enough to protect his neck. While Callahan’s article did dance on BOAN’s grave, journalists far smarter and better than I have found no factual fault with the article. The movie failed to meet the distributors’, the media’s and the general public’s box-office expectations. That is how you define “flop.”

“ Although Martin’s subsequent rants (after he reported Callahan’s clapbacks to her boss) focused on black media’s responsibility, professionalism and the need of black people to support the artistic endeavors of other black people, his argument was too transparent. It was the same pivot as when Fox host Bill O’Reilly condemns Black Lives Matter and then starts a dialogue about black-on-black crime. It was the same as when police release mug shots and arrest histories of dead, unarmed black boys. Martin did not want a collective of black support for black movies. He did not want Callahan to “do better.” He wanted her to shut the f–k up.”

As one can see from the above excerpts of these particular portions of Harriot’s article, this was really nothing more than a “clapback” on behalf of his friend, professional colleague, and fellow Black feminist Yesha Callahan (who also writes for The Root). Harriot took issue with “shots” that he felt were fired by News One host Roland Martin when he described Callahan’s article on ‘ Birth Of A Nation’s’ box office failure as inaccurate. To play the devil’s advocate, it is true that BOAN did underperform at the box office, those are facts. However, to Mr. Martin’s credit (and he has much credibility given his intelligence and illustrious career) what he may have been attempting to say is that despite these allegations, for which again Nate Parker was found not guilty in a court of law we need to support the work of not only Parker, but other Black filmmakers. I personally believe this opinion, is based on the assumption as shared by many that this allegation came at quite a unique time considering Parker had already been in the spotlight for years and that maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to withdraw our support for him based on a rush to judgement that couldn’t even be founded in court.

Nevertheless and in usual Black “feminista” fashion, Harriot took this as an attack on the whole of Black feminism and it harps back to what was pointed out earlier, that the Black feminist movement has among its ranks, “pseudos”. These are folks who attempt to wear an activism on their sleeve through ill formed arguments, and emotionally laced diatribes injected into any subject that will gain page views. He then goes on to compare Roland Martin’s opinion to that of Bill O’Reilly when he “condemns Black Lives Matter and then starts a dialogue about Black on Black crime”. This is yet another one of those disgustingly erroneous false equivalencies. Because this assumes that Roland Martin is blaming the victim, which is indeed an egregious charge to make especially without any real proof. He goes on to say that; “ Martin did not want a collective of black support for black movies. He did not want Callahan to “do better.” He wanted her to shut the f–k up.”

Per this statement by Harriot and it’s use of provocative language, I assume that this is what he wants the public to believe Black men are. Callous individuals who do not see the value in the opinions of Black women, right? Of course this is what he is attempting to do and he’s doing so by attempting to paint Roland Martin as a microcosm of that attitude. Both are attempts misrepresentation and this is the rather juvenile nature of Black feminist commentary as it oft times exist. He ends the piece on much the same ridiculous accord as he started by stating:

“Ultimately, to blame black feminism for The Birth of a Nation’s failures is stupid. Black women did not create Nate Parker’s sordid sexual past. Black feminists did not look back on the incident years later and still refuse to acknowledge that having sex with a drunk 19-year-old and then deciding to invite your friend to join in was regretful, not even in hindsight. Black women did not make up tworape stories out of thin air and shoehorn them into a historical account. Black feminists did not hopscotch through media outlets flaunting their belligerent, unrepentant attitude and expecting people of color to support them because … black people.”

“Ultimately, the reason for the backlash against black feminism is simple: It is for the same reason butt-hurt wyt pee-pull use the term “reverse racism.” It is why they call Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organization.” It all boils down to the same sentiment. Whether it is white people standing over dead black bodies on Ferguson, Mo., sidewalks, black men upset because their pet project died in theaters or rotund neckerchief wearers berating a fellow journalist in public,

on the time-honored stage of accusation and attacks, victim-blaming is still No. 1 at the box office.”

In the closing “argument” (if one can call it that) Harriot asserts that Black men “blaming Black feminism” for ‘ Birth Of A Nation’s” box office failures is “stupid”. And goes on to say that essentially Black women aren’t responsible for Nate Parker’s “sordid” sexual past, his lack of admittance to the incident, the fact that these allegations exists, or his “belligerent” flaunting of his innocence throughout media outlets. He again makes the false comparison of this to right wing white media attacks of Black Lives Matter and essentially ends the piece with yet one more ad hominem attack on Roland Martin by calling him a “rotund neckerchief wearer” who “berated a fellow journalist in public”. This as if Ms. Callahan or himself should be immune to criticism on the grounds that they are “fellow journalist”.

Mr. Harriot talks about victim blaming (something by the way that no thinking person really supports when there is a victim) but it seems to me that he himself and on behalf of Ms. Callahan are all too content with victimizing themselves. Unsurprising however, as this has been the (to use Mr. Harriot’s term) sordid state of Black feminist discourse for sometime now. Paint any critique of its methods or theories as “attacks” and any such Black critique as a “woman hater” or “victim blamer”.

Lump Black men together as one large group of unsupportive “patriarchal” half-wits whose only purpose in life is to keep Black women from expressing themselves. So much for that thing call Black male female unity right? Luckily for us, Mr. Harriot and others like him are fringe pseudo Black feminists who while utterly annoying, don’t represent, I believe all those things which can be great about a t rue movement for Black women. They’ll for the most part be marginalized to the rhetorical sloppiness that stems from the imaginary world that exists in their minds…and thank God for that.

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Cause And Effect: The Dilemma Of The Black Athlete https://www.melanoidnation.org/cause-and-effect-the-dilemma-of-the-black-athlete/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/cause-and-effect-the-dilemma-of-the-black-athlete/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2016 17:28:16 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3527 Cause and Effect: The Dilemma Of The Black Athlete

The answers have been shown to be one that is not absolutely clear, according to Kenny Smith. Former NBA player Kenny Smith declared that this week, he would conduct a call to action for NBA players to do something about the problems that has persisted in the United States that effect Black Americans, in particular murders conducted by police. He appeared on an ESPN Radio hosted by Dan Le Batard to speak about what he plans to do with NBA players. During the interview, he was asked repeatedly what he plans to do, but his answers were either vague or non-tangible–which has come to be expected with Black figures that have something to lose. Murders committed by race soldiers pretending to be police officers—by committing acts of genocide–in the United States against black people have been going on for over 100 years. However, in today’s climate, you can Facebook live stream these crimes, while justice remains to be unserved.

There is no consequence for the actions of race soldiers pretending to be police who murder citizens of the United States. Kenny Smith claimed that what he plans to do could be done in six months. The NBA in particular has a high rate of players who have no interest in doing anything tangible. We are bombarded with players engaging in less than delightful behavior. After the NBA finals, it was discovered that Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving had a party on a yacht that seemed to feature women in bikinis, but none of the women in attendance were Melanoid women. It has been labeled the “white girl only” party on social media. Over the weekend, a few power players in the NBA made Facebook post and tweets about what should be done (in response to the police killings of innocent Black people). While they gained a lot of retweets and likes, there have been no solutions that would pose a direct strike to the system of white supremacy and how that system is affecting the African American community. Also, the vast majority of these tweets and Facebook post showed they were quick to apologize for actions that have nothing to do with the empowerment of Black Americans collectively.

Why are they called “race soldiers? The term “race soldier” was a term coined by Neely Fuller Jr to describe white supremacists who are ALLOWED to get jobs as police officers. These race soldiers’ main objectives are to harm people of color, and most importantly, Black people. To further solidify the case that these are race soldiers, in 2006 the FBI sent out a memo warning city officials that their police departments have been infiltrated by white nationalists around the country.

One has to wonder how were these white supremacist allowed to become police officers? And how far down the line does this exist. If white supremacists are allowed to become police officers and they are allowed to get away with these crimes against humanity, then that means the police unions, the mayor, and other elected officials support them. This fact is blatantly obvious when race soldiers such as Daniel Pantaleo, Darren Wilson, and Asian police officer Peter Liang (who murdered Akai Gurley in New York City) are not charged. For professional athletes who want to do something, I would not suggest they boycott the NBA by not playing. I would not suggest they become shadow investors for empowering causes throughout Black Society. Find someone they can trust and help that person infiltrate the system to change the current conditions. We have enough basketball camps for kids; we have enough non-tangible ideas to last a lifetime. If professional athletes would like to do something, creating a mechanism of protection for Black people would help a lot. They could connect with grass roots organizations that are PRO BLACK, and collaborate with organizations in the inner cities who are trying to help Black people become economically sustainable with employment options and educational opportunities. The Black economy needs to be boosted as far as the access to sufficient employment opportunities. I do not believe in giving away money, I believe creating an option of access, which is something that the Black community needs.

If this becomes a circular instance of nothing being done, I would suggest that the general population of Black Americans end their support of the NBA or any other league dominated by black athletes. The black male professional athlete is 6% of the population, but makes almost 40% of the wealth in the United States collectively. If players are afraid that speaking out will get them black balled from the NBA or any other league, then it’s a safe bet to conclude that they are more than willing to work for white supremacists. No human being should be angry or worried about the loss of finances for helping other human beings who are in need. The idea that Black athletes supporting the communities from which they came is a bad thing gives credence to the notion that they are part of a slave system that has been created to ALLOW a small group of Black people enjoy wealth and empowerment but are not allowed to let that wealth and empowerment trickle down to the communities that brought them up. That is not something that is promoted or discussed with any other race of people’s wealthy class. Being that these things are not being persuaded in other communities shows you that there is a system of technical oppression that is being infiltrated amongst the African, Black American, and throughout the African Diaspora as a whole.

The Black Consigliere

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Former U.S. President Slated To Give Eulogy At Muhammad Ali’s Memorial Service https://www.melanoidnation.org/former-u-s-president-slated-to-give-eulogy-at-muhammad-alis-memorial-service/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/former-u-s-president-slated-to-give-eulogy-at-muhammad-alis-memorial-service/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2016 08:55:11 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3481 As the world celebrates the life of one of the most famous men to ever walk the face of the earth, one unlikely individual has been chosen to give the eulogy at the memorial service of the Late, Great Muhammad Ali. That speaker is none other than former U.S. president Bill Clinton, whose wife Hillary is currently on the campaign trail as a Democratic Party  candidate to become the nation’s first female president, if she is selected later this fall in the election.

Bill Clinton, who has come under much-deserved scrutiny as of late because of the heinous crime bill he signed into law back in 1994 during his first term as president, has seen his long-time good standing with many Melanoid people take hits because of the disproportionately discriminatory (towards Black people) provisions of the crime bill–railroading many Black men and young teenage boys through the prison system like cattle led to slaughter. Given such a notorious track record with countless innocent Melanoid people (along with everything Ali stood for), Clinton’s eulogy speech at this weekend’s service will certainly come as a surprise to many in Black Society.

Muhammad Ali on the other hand, created a legacy that is a stark contrast from Clinton’s. Ali’s legacy was built on the premise of righteousness and an unapologetic embrace of his Blackness–even if it cost him a large fortune to do so. Because of his bold stance against the evils of systematic white supremacy, Ali sacrificed many opportunities to be ‘bought and paid for’ via the guise of substantial monetary gain, which in many instances left his estate up for grabs when a white businessman by the name of Robert F.X. Sillerman purchased a staggering 80 percent of Ali’s name and likeness over a decade ago.

The 42nd president of the United States isn’t alone in delivering the eulogy for the People’s Champ. Comedian Billy Crystal and television host Bryant Gumbel will also contribute parting words at the memorial service held for the public, which will be held in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky this upcoming Friday.

B. Clark

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