What a time to be alive.

There’s a change in the air, yet the sensation can’t be felt physically, but rather metaphorically. The same way that we are currently witnessing a literal shift from winter to spring, we are also experiencing another transition; perhaps it’s a shift that even the sharpest minds of Black Society have yet to pinpoint. It is a slow death of what many of us have perceived to be the “conscious community”.

Before you, the knowledgeable reader of Melanoid Nation reaches an untimely conclusion about the context of this particular story, please be mindful of the fact that there can never be a true death of tried and true information, hard scientific data, and the efforts brought about by Melanoid people to evoke genuine change in our own respective ways. However, We’d be remiss to take note of the fact that there is a steady growing wave of frustration that is sweeping across Black Society. What is this frustration, you ask? The frustration that we speak of at the present moment is our collective “fed up” approach to many of the semantics, over promising/under delivering, and a vomit-inducing disgust with the overall theatrical production that has billed itself as the “conscious community”.

It was Yours Truly who, in 2014, wrote about essentially the same movement–with a much more heightened sense of optimism with this “conscious renaissance” that would surely shake Melanoid people worldwide at our cores to rally us to a call to action. While the same optimism and love for my people never waned, it has simply been re-channeled into more constructive outlets…but my outlook on the concept of the “conscious community” definitely has.

I am quite confident that the frustrations I have suffered with this once-promising movement are also shared with a substantial number of other progressive-minded individuals throughout Black Society, who at this point, want nothing more than just a tangible solution for remedying the ills brought upon African people worldwide by the lingering effects of racism/white supremacy. In spite of all of the vivid concerns expressed to this point, all hope is not lost on Melanoid people’s salvation. Certain individuals have stood the test of time, and used their God-given talents and resources to contribute to the repairing and uplifting of Black Society. Whether these people are business owners, activists, educators, or filmmakers, they have exemplified what it takes to bring about authentic change (for the better) for our people.

If I appear to be overly skeptical of the “conscious community”, then don’t take my word for it. For instance, just take a look at some of the recent dialogues occurring on your social media timelines. Black folks are asking questions, and demanding legitimate answers from (not all) the key figures associated with the “conscious community”, even using their platforms to openly express their own concerns with this ‘movement’ that was slated to bring about something that we haven’t seen in our lifetimes as Melanoid people.

The perpetual bickering among some of our most beloved Brother and Sisters in the “conscious community” would prompt many a person new to the information to feel as if they were better off ‘unwoke’. The “conscious community” has produced religious/spiritual sects that clique up and take sides as if both sides were preparing for an actual knockdown/drag out fight — all because of minor ideological differences. You might come across another person affiliated with the “conscious community” who will seek to shame the rest of Black Society through excessive dogmatic commentary and/or passive-aggressive preaching that would be fit for soapboxes everywhere. The foul stench of the “holier-than-thou” aroma has permeated its way throughout the “conscious community”, which has only hastened its demise.

Perhaps the most unfortunate–and downright terrifying–thing to consider as we witness the “conscious community” crumble to pieces is that all of this dysfunction is occurring in a time in which we can least afford to entertain such behavior. The current political and racial climate in this country has made no bones about its anti-Black agenda.

The so-called “conscious community” is even being denounced by some of the greatest minds that Black Society has ever produced. This is food for thought, and they aren’t the only ones escaping a burning building known as…the “conscious community”.

From this point on, here’s to a more practical and sustainable approach to Melanoid Empowerment.

What a time to be alive, indeed.

Ethel Easter, a Black woman who resides in Houston, went recently under the knife because of intestinal issues. Prior to her procedure, Easter decided to place a small audio recording device in her hair to catch anything that her surgeons possibly could have said about her while she was rendered unconscious. Her reasoning for doing this was because of skepticism from the less-than-professional treatment she received during her consultations with her doctor, who demanded the following:

Who do you think you are? You’re gonna wait like everyone else.

Ms. Easter recalled the doctor telling her this in response to her sense of urgency and concern in regards to her wanting to prevent further damage to her internal organs. She was ordered to wait two months, as opposed to a much shorter time frame. What was to take place during her surgery was extremely cruel. The surgeons would make snide remarks about Easters physique, with one of them at one point even referring to her as “Precious” (the movie character portrayed by actress Gabby Sidibe).

For more on what was said about Ethel Easter during her surgery, watch the following video.

B. Clark

            The first and most insidious white lie is that white supremacy does not exist. Many in the dominant society would like Melanated people to eschews over 500 years of American history and codified law in what the great documentary filmmaker, Mr. Tariq Nasheed, refers to as the “500 Year Long Coincidence.” This is the notion that blatant incidences of racial discrimination by suspected white supremacists toward Melanated individuals are merely by happenstance and does not indicate a larger structural flaw in society. The acknowledgment of the existence of white supremacy is important because it affects every part of the Melanated individual’s life. Without the acknowledgement of the existence of white supremacy, esteemed social scientist, Mr. Neeley Fuller Jr. says nothing in the areas of economics, labor, religion, education, law, sex, entertainment, politics, or war will make sense to the Melanated individual. The non-acknowledgement of white supremacy will eventually lead the Melanated person into making unyielding compromises to the dominant society and down a lonely road chasing after the elusive “American Dream.”

“Meritorious manumission” is the second white lie the dominant society uses to subjugate Melanated people and is the assertion that if a Melanated person is “exceptional” enough, he or she may be granted a full pass into white society; thereby avoiding all laws and pitfalls that have been set to ensnare Melanoid people. This white lie leads Melanoid people into courses of actions that are harmful on both the micro and macro level. Melanoid people seeking meritorious manumission will often couch their actions in religious terms; placing allegiance of their faith above the well-being of their race. This is contrast to those in the dominant society that places the well-being of the system of white supremacy above any religious differences. Meritorious manumission is a white lie that is intended to cause confusion and force Melanated people to appeal to the morality in white supremacist. However, if white supremacists had morals, there would not be a system of white supremacy. This fact leads the Melanated individual to three equally important conclusions.

First, Melanated individuals must cease any form of financial patronage with non-Melanoid people. This means that Melanated individuals should not spend their money with those who do not look like them. Boycotting works, as study of the Montgomery bus boycotts shows, and is an act of ethnic and economic solidarity. Along with boycotting non-Melanated businesses, Melanoid individuals need to build their own businesses and do for self.

The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey has shown that Melanated people can practice cooperative economics and build businesses that both empower and unite the entire African Diaspora. White supremacy was created with mechanisms in place to keep Melanated people economically subservient to the dominant society. Melanated people cannot and must not wait for wealth and resources to be given from white supremacist. Melanated people must take what is rightfully theirs.

In a system that is continually being refined, Melanated people have no choice but to practice cooperative economics and protect their families and communities by any means necessary. With the proliferation of violence against Melanated people by white supremacists and race soldier police officers, Melanated people must be fully aware of current laws and actively practice their 2^nd Amendment privilege. Also, Melanated people need to protect their own communities, instead of seeking assistance from the police, because white supremacy has been created to withhold justice from Melanoid people.

In the grand view, integration has come at the detriment of Melanoid people by making them economically reliant upon White supremacy for jobs and welfare. To become completely free, Melnaoid people must move to cities that have a large percentage of Melanated individuals, in order to effectively practice cooperative economics. The less interaction that Melanoid people have with white supremacists, the less white lies matter. In the words of the immortal Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, “Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will.”

J. Ali

Dontrell Stephens is a 22-year-old who, like most other people who ride their bicycles around town, never expect to be shot by a race soldier cop. However, this is exactly what happened to Mr. Stephens in September of 2013.

Mr. Stephens was stopped by an officer by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Sgt. Adams Lin on that fateful September date, and accused Stephens of reaching for a weapon in his waistband. As it turns out, Stephens was unarmed, and the only “dark object” that was in his hands at the time of his being stopped was a cellphone. Stephens explains that Adams Lin had already began to shoot him despite the fact that his hands were raised after being chased down and stopped.

Adams Lin, who’s Asian, was cleared of any criminal charges involving the shooting, and was promoted to sergeant after the incident. What’s alarming about Adams Lin shooting Dontrell Stephens was that he is a 12-year veteran of the sheriff’s office–ample time for an officer to gain the experience and proper judgement on how to deal with citizens–which makes his claims of innocence very suspicious at best.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Sergeant Adams Lin

Mr. Stephens’s attorneys say that their client will have more than $6 million worth of medical expenses in his lifetime because of the paralysis he suffered after being shot, and $18 million for his pain and suffering. A federal jury has awarded Mr. Stephens $23.1 million.

For more on this story, follow this link.

B. Clark

Last month (January 11), the body of Sarah Reed was found lifeless in a jail cell in the confines of Holloway prison, a facility located in North London. Ms. Reed was a 32-year-old Black woman who had a history of mental illness due to untreated trauma that she experienced years prior to her incarceration.

It has been learned that in 2003, Ms. Reed lost an infant child of hers. Unfortunately for Reed, she never quite recouped from such an emotionally devastating occurrence, and she was eventually admitted into various mental health facilities as a result of this mental and emotional distress.

In spite of her mental condition, she was brutally assaulted by police officers in a UNIQLO retail store in 2012 on accusations of her being a shoplifter at that particular store. In the link to this story, footage can be seen of Sarah Reed on the receiving end of the violent attack.

Unfortunately, Ms. Reed’s pain and suffering were far from over. She was taken into custody after being charged with allegedly retaliating against the officer in the store in 2012, and not long after being incarcerated, she sent her family a handwritten letter which stated that she had been raped while in custody.

Upon her untimely demise in January, the prison’s officials have opted to remain silent on the matter, as expected.

Here is another link to the story.

B. Clark

]]> https://www.melanoidnation.org/another-melanoid-woman-has-been-found-dead-in-her-prison-cell-this-time-in-the-uk/feed/ 88 https://www.melanoidnation.org/black-man-his-son-were-treated-rudely-by-owner-of-dry-cleaning-business/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/black-man-his-son-were-treated-rudely-by-owner-of-dry-cleaning-business/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2016 19:55:25 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3185 ATLANTA, GA — For well over a year now, we here at Melanoid Nation have gone to great lengths to provide you with information on a plethora of Black businesses, regardless of whether they’re small business, mid-size business, or large businesses. We have constantly ‘beat the drum’ by informing  (and encouraging) you on how and where to patronize Black-owned businesses, and the following story is yet another example of why we in Black Society don’t have a choice but to support those who support us.

Ben Hill Custom Cleaners is a dry cleaning service located in the Metro Atlanta area, and it is owned by a non-Melanoid person. A Black man and his son pulled up to the drive-thru to pick up his dry cleaned clothes, and was met with an extremely rude reception by the business’s owner. Check out the video below to see the the whole scenario unfold for yourself.

There is an old saying that goes, “Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated”. In this case, the owner of Ben Hill Custom Cleaners did not even display the slightest inkling of tolerance for his Black customer(s). Black Society, are THESE the types of people who you trust to give you exemplary customer service?

B. Clark

Last week, The Philadelphia Tribune reported that a group of American-born Melanoid people met with The UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (a U.N.-sanctioned panel) to discuss recommendations on how to compensate Black Society with the long overdue reparations.

The current–and longstanding–climate in which Melanoid people have dwelt since the onset of slavery has become cause for alarm among U.N. officials, prompting Mireille Fanon Mendes-France of France (a U.N. chairperson) to express “extremely concern about the human rights situation of African-Americans”, as it was stated in a report that was discussed in the aforementioned meeting.

 The irony of the story yet again exposes the U.S.’s blatant denial of the gruesome history of slavery/racism that has crept into every nook and cranny of its 50 states. It also illustrates how this nation has gone to great lengths to deny Melanoid people the resources we deserve.

B. Clark

]]> https://www.melanoidnation.org/the-united-nations-is-in-favor-of-reparations-for-black-people-in-u-s/feed/ 233 https://www.melanoidnation.org/black-woman-wins-in-court-after-experiencing-racial-discrimination-by-sports-bar/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/black-woman-wins-in-court-after-experiencing-racial-discrimination-by-sports-bar/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2016 22:20:18 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3179 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Back in December of 2010, Briggitta Hardin was an employee of Redline sports bar in the nation’s capital, and was fired for…being Black.

Her firing took place after Mick Dadlani, owner of the sports bar, brushed off Ms. Hardin upon meeting her. Within an hour of their first encounter, Ms. Hardin discovered she was fired. As it turned out later, it was discovered that Dadlani expressed a desire to hire ‘white blonde chicks or girls’, as it was stated by Megan Cacace, the lead attorney for Hardin’s racial discrimination lawsuit.

Mick Dadlani’s suspected white supremacist views didn’t just stop at his encounter with Briggitta Hardin. Cacace also goes on to reveal that back in 2011, Dadlani closed Redline earlier on one particular night because a few Black men showed up at the establishment wearing baggy clothing and allegedly displayed a “ganglike” appearance. The next day, Dadlani was spotted singling out Black customers at the door, and turning them away.

As a result of her pain and suffering, Ms. Hardin has been awarded $175,000 in compensatory damages and $510,000 in punitive damages, plus an additional $2,000 in punitive damages.

Here is a link to the story.

B. Clark

Mr. Allen has filed a lawsuit against two entities that have a stronghold in the media world: Charter Communications and the Federal Communications Commission. 

The lawsuit has been filed because of accounts of the media giants’ racial discrimination against various Black media platforms. The lawsuit referred to Civil Rights Act of 1866, 42 U.S.C. section 1981 which has been violated on the grounds of Black media outlets being disparaged. The $10 billion lawsuit was filed earlier this week by the Founder & CEO of Entertainment Studios.

B. Clark

]]> https://www.melanoidnation.org/media-mogul-byron-allen-is-suing-two-major-media-related-entities/feed/ 48 https://www.melanoidnation.org/random-black-men-in-memphis-can-now-be-arrested-because-of-gang-injunctions/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/random-black-men-in-memphis-can-now-be-arrested-because-of-gang-injunctions/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2016 20:46:44 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=3171 Law enforcement officials in Memphis, TN are now resorting to more aggressive measures to incarcerate Melanoid men.

Earlier this week, an article was published on WREG (an NBC affiliate in Memphis)’s website, which reported the Memphis police’s alleged crackdown on crime in the Binghampton area of Memphis.

Tuesday (January 26), court injunctions were placed on two gangs, the Vicelords and the Grape Street Crips.

To the uninformed masses, this would appear to be a noble deed committed by the Memphis police. On the contrary, gang injunctions have had a notorious history of singling out innocent Black males (just because they randomly knew of a gang member, for example), and often gives municipalities in urban areas across the U.S. reason to gentrify traditionally Black neighborhoods.

We will continue to keep you informed of further developments as it pertains to this story.

B. Clark