Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- The mainstream corporate-controlled media is heralding Angelina Jolie's decision to have her perfectly healthy breasts and ovaries removed as an act of women's liberation and the hopeful prevention of her supposed high risk of getting breast cancer in the future. Angelina was bamboozled, just like other high-profile celebrities Sharon Osbourne and Miss America contestant Allyn Rose, who took the same measures.

You do not have to be a rocket scientist to see where this insane medical advice could ultimately lead: At risk for kidney cancer?...Remove your kidneys. Risk of colon cancer?...Take out your colon. Lung cancer?...Remove lungs, just in case. That is the logic of the cancer industry and doctors who have deceived Jolie and countless other sheeple (including the legions that follow the "Think Pink" people) into maiming their bodies based on FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real) and medical quackery. For that matter of ill advice, hell, why not just gut your whole body, to be on the "safe" side?!

Sadly, the cancer industry raises billions of dollars yearly based on irrational fears spread by doctors and the media, yet there is still NO cure in sight. The fact of the matter is that cancer is a systemic metabolic condition, not some "gene" passed down from the family tree. From my observation, the ONLY hereditary disease is ignorance. Even if cancer is diagnosed in breast tissue, that is not the only place it is growing. Therefore, the idea that someone can prevent cancer by just removing their breasts is absurd. If the conditions for cancer are present in the body [due to nutritional deficiencies, exposure to chemicals, fluoride toothpaste, aluminum deodorants, fungi, estrogen from soy & chicken, processed foods, pork, uncontrolled stress, radiation (mammograms), etc.], cancer will develop in ANY area of the body, not just in breast tissue.

Yet, now that the media and mainstream medicine are pushing Ms. JoIie's decision to remove her breasts and ovaries, I can almost read the next headline. It would quote Good Morning America's anchor Robin Roberts stating something like: "I wish that I had a preventative mastectomy too. Then I wouldn't be in the shape I'm in now" (sick, bald caused by chemotherapy, or in need of blood transfusions). It is shameful how the media and cancer industry parade this once beautiful African-American woman around like a side show in a circus to promote their agenda. It is especially shameful considering the fact that a woman's risk of breast cancer can be reduced by 80% by simply adding Vitamin D (sunshine).

Living a healthy, anti-cancer lifestyle-based on smart nutrition, exercise, sensible sunlight exposure, a spiritual connection with the Creator, and avoidance of cancer-causing chemicals-are the most effective things people can do to PREVENT cancer. Being bamboozled and breast-less is not the answer; it only continues to promote more suffering and 'medisin'. For that matter, imagine how it would be if all men starting getting their testicles removed to prevent possible testicular cancer? That would make about as much sense as: 'hey, let's all remove the wheels from our cars so we do not get a flat tire!' Mindless!

Dr. Scott Whitaker is a Naturopathic Doctor and author of the nationwide best seller "Medisin," with over 25 years of experience helping people eradicate their health conditions through detoxification, smart nutrition, and healing through education.

Editor's note: Paul Butler is a law professor at Georgetown University. He is the author of "Let's Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice."
(CNN) -- "My brothers."
That is how President Obama should begin one of the most significant speeches of his presidency: the commencement address at Morehouse College this Sunday. Addressing the historically black all male institution gives Obama an opportunity to rectify his strategic neglect of African-Americans. In this high-profile talk to his own demographic, the president has some explaining to do.
Obama's identity as a black man is usually communicated subliminally, with the swag in his walk, the basketball court on the East Lawn, the sexy glances at the first lady, his overall cool. Now, however, comes the time to be explicit: to speak out loud his affiliation, his fraternal pride and concern. That's the good work that calling us "brothers" would do.

Paul Butler
In appearances before African-American audiences, the president sometimes sounds like he's saying the wrong thing. He told the Congressional Black Caucus to "stop grumbling, stop complaining, stop crying." In a Father's Day talk at a black church in Chicago, he criticized "too many fathers" for "acting like boys not men."
African-American men certainly could use an intervention from the most successful African-American man in history. They are on the bottom of many indicators of achievement. They suffer the highest level of incarceration, and the largest homicide rates, of any Americans. In urban areas, fewer than half graduate from high school. Their unemployment is among the highest in the country.
"I'm sorry I haven't done more."
The president has not spoken out forcefully against racial profiling and mass incarceration. He has not memorialized the mainly African-American victims of gun violence in Chicago the way he has memorialized the mainly white victims of gun violence in Newtown and Columbine. Asked why he hadn't done more to remedy the catastrophic rate of African-American unemployment, Obama said, "I can't pass laws that say I'm just helping black folks. I'm president of the entire United States."
"Thank you for your support."
Nobody understands, like this audience will, the contortions a successful African-American man has to make to fit in but stand out, to be strong but not intimidate or frighten, to be black enough but not too black.
But in some ways the African-American community has been too understanding. Emanuel Cleaver, while chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said "the president knows we are going to act in deference to him in a way we wouldn't to someone white." Politically it was not the smartest thing to say (the LGBT community didn't turn Obama into the most gay friendly president in U.S. history by going easy on him) but any black man could understand the sentiment. That's why the African-American turnout for the president's re-election was higher than the white turnout.
Now blacks who supported the president are doing exactly what other groups responsible for his victory are doing: waiting for him to return the favor.
"We've all got to do better."
The president isn't the only black man who needs to step up support of his brothers. My friend runs a mentoring organization for black boys in Prince George's County, Maryland, the nation's most affluent black community. There is a long waiting list of boys, mostly without dads in the home, and only about 10 active African-American male mentors.
President Obama provides, for Morehouse men and everyone else, a 21st century model of African-American masculinity. His oft stated support for women's rights is a crucial component. The casual misogyny of some black popular culture, especially hip-hop music and videos, is a disgrace. It's OK for the president to note that not every aspect of black male culture is praiseworthy.
"That includes me."
The government's primary intervention for black men is to lock them up. President Obama cannot, on his own, reverse this course, but he can do much more than he has to disrupt the flow of the one in three young black men who are headed to prison. One example would be to speak in favor of decriminalizing marijuana, as have other politicians like New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Black men are selectively arrested for marijuana crimes, and these arrests have a stigmatizing effect on future employment and earnings that redounds to the detriment of African-American families. Barack Obama was once a young black man who smoked pot, and it would be surprising if he actually believes that it's fair for other young black men to be selectively prosecuted for that.
"I am the most powerful man in the world, and I've got your back."
Those are words profound enough to make a black man cry. I believe them to be true, but hearing them proclaimed out loud would be incredibly meaningful. African-American men feel a special kinship with this president. How inspiring it would be for the president to acknowledge this connection, in his words and in his actions. What a difference it might make for the millions of black boys who now are headed to destinies very different from graduating from Morehouse College or becoming president of the United States.
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By CNN Health staff

Editor's note: "What you're saying" is a regular series examining our pick of the best comments from readers on some of CNN Health's biggest stories from the past week.
(CNN) -- Welcome to our new look at what you're saying over the past week.
'The system isn't really encouraging'
Our weekend piece on why youths aren't being tested for HIV got more than 1,000 comments. Commenter Bradgina said they've found that just getting an HIV test from some doctors can be a hassle, and they go to the clinic under an assumed name:
"It's still like pulling teeth getting doctors to test for HIV," they write. "One doctor actually asked me, 'Do you know how hard it is to get HIV from a woman?' To which I replied, 'I don't think I ever said anything about being involved with a woman. ...' And he then offered me a test. Wow. I had to pretend to be gay to get an HIV test."
Bradgina later added that "the system isn't really encouraging of getting tested on a regular basis anyway."
'That will never happen, and you're all nuts'
Another weekend piece, on fitness tips from swimsuit model Kate Upton's trainer, sparked a lively debate on Upton's body and curves.
"I get a little annoyed when people whine and scream about this model or that model 'being fat,' wrote commenter dragonfire77. "They're in a physical condition that is orders of magnitude better than the 'average' American, and infinitely healthier than those twig-like, death-warmed-over models you see walking the catwalk at your average fashion show."
Commenter Deanna weighed in, "I have a feeling that every single person who is criticizing this woman is a troll, with body hair and belly fat. Let's see you look this hot in a bathing suit. That will NEVER happen, and you're all nuts."
'Don't blame guns at all'
Another debate, with more than 1,100 comments, followed a story on Chicago's homicide rate and the lack of a Level I trauma center on the city's violence-plagued South Side.
"Don't blame guns at all," wrote commenter LMT556 in the highest-voted comment on the story. "Poverty and single parent households are raising a violent culture."
But "not all who are single parents or live in poverty raise violent kids," replied commenter JoAnn Smith. "My mom raised 11 kids, 9 boys (and) 2 girls, and guess what only one of my brothers decided to do what he wanted to do and now he is dead because of his actions. ... You cannot solely blame the poverty and single parenting on violence. I know people that grew up with two parents and they are just as hardheaded as those who lived in a single parent household. These parents need to stop acting like they are their kids' friends and discipline a child when needed."
'Hurry up and find a way to grow organs'
More than 300 commenters also shared their thoughts on the story of Molly Pearce, a California woman who needs four organs transplanted in order to survive. Some shared messages of support for Pearce, while others discussed organ donation and the meaning of "brain dead."
"Articles like this make me wish they would hurry up and find a way to grow organs for people who need them," said commenter DS. "I know they're working on it but I still wish we had the technology already so the poor folks waiting for someone to die wouldn't have to anymore."

From Black Enterprise by Janell Hazelwood
I’ve always been a fan of author F. Scott Fitzgerald, and one of my favorite classics by the writer is The Great Gatsby. As a child with what many people would describe as an “old soul,” I always loved colorful stories set in the past, whether it was the Bible days, Medieval times, the Roaring ’20s, liberated ’60s or the psychedelic ’70s— especially if they were true or based on what was really going on at the time.

Since the movie is set to premiere today, I felt inclined to revisit an old favorite of mine. In doing my research, I found that Fitgerald, in the way that great innovators of communication and story-telling do, included timeless themes that are still relevant decades later and can fuel the imaginations and critical thinking processes of generations to come.

(Wait, I promise you, no spoilers here. I haven’t even seen the movie to spoil it, but the book, well, that’s been in existence for decades.)

Here are a few career-related lessons from the classic that can help you avoid career ruin:

Your network is your net worth, and it’s a small world, especially among the wealthy and the powerful. Hey, this might seem like an overused cliche, but two of the main characters in the book, narrator Nicholas “Nick” Carraway, and Tom Buchanan, attended the same school, Yale. Tom, a man from an old-money family, later becomes Nick’s cousin via marriage, opening the war vet’s network up to world of wealth and extravagance. (This world would eventually lead to major demise, but in real life, one can often leverage relationships based on doors open to them via newfound friendships and connections built on common experiences.)

Reinvention and positioning is the name of the game. Jay Gatsby came from a poor family in the Midwest and was able to reinvent himself—or his brand, as we’d call it today— into a self-made millionaire, all in an effort to win the heart of a woman he loved but was separated from via bad circumstances. Though how he did this was quite shady, professionals can take a page out of Gatsby’s book of determination, knowing that in this life, your current circumstances don’t have to be the end-all, be-all to who you are or what you can achieve, and with the right motivation, you can basically get that dream career and professional life you want—along with many other things.

Visibility and likeability is key if you want to broaden your network and advance your career. Gatsby was known to throw extravagant parties, with some leading to more-than-interesting escapades. Of course you don’t want to take the path Gatsby took—his was quite messy and filled with treacherous drama—but a key takeaway is you have to be in the game to win it. If you can’t throw the party, attend events where you know the who’s who of your industry — or any industry— will be there. If people can see you, meet you and connect with you on a personal basis that does not include an email or tweet, it takes networking to the next level.

Do your homework on the people you choose to associate with or do business with. Gatsby was able to gain his wealth through unscrupulous means, was manipulative and untruthful about his background—even his name was fake—and he basically had obsessive tendencies in his plight to get the attention of a woman he loved. He’s the epitome of what I call “stunts and shows,” opportunists who create facades to get ahead in life. As you network—and in your climb to success— you’ll meet various characters, all who may be vying for a way to work with you or benefit from what you offer the world or your connections. Be careful and practice discernment. It’s good to Google people and really check their credentials to ensure they are who they say they are and you’re not opening a Pandora’s Box of career ruin.

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- Just 100 miles from where Trayvon Martin was killed, the slaying of an unarmed black teenager that unleashed intense racial anger and antagonism, there is a new example of the racism and racial insensitivities that continue to punctuate our society.

With Martin's death still a bitter memory, a Port Canaveral Police Department firearms instructor did the unthinkable - Sgt. Ron King offered paper targets resembling Martin to fellow officers for shooting practice in the Florida town. King claims the targets were teaching tools for what not to shoot at, but his supervisors deemed his action inappropriate and he was fired last weekend.

Throughout each day, newspapers, the airwaves and Internet routinely crackle with stories like this one, stories demonstrating that racism and the centuries-old racial hierarchy still exists. This destructive belief that skin color makes one group of people superior to another has dominated American culture, our institutions and our narratives consciously or unconsciously for centuries.

When Roland Martin says race played a role in his firing from CNN, when racial incidents erupt at a high school in Grand Haven, Mich. or when there are a series of hate messages at Oberlin College, all these events are widely reported in the media. Not much adverse news about racial bias is missed with the 24/7 news cycle, abundant talk radio, social media channels and the ever-expanding blogosphere.

But do these stories represent the real story about our communities?

Not long ago, reporting on acts of racism was considered progress: after these media reports, it becomes less likely that incidents can be covered-up. Once hostilities are out in the open, frank and honest discussions can occur and perhaps lead to solutions that address the root causes of racism.

Yet those committed to positive change and healing the wounds of racism, both past and present, recognize there is also a changing America out there. This is also a nation of people with positive stories to tell about our communities, to tell about families of all different races and ethnicities -- the neighbors that we love and respect regardless of the narratives dividing us. Americans are working together, finding common ground in diverse neighborhoods and bridging their differences to sustain racial harmony in their communities, in their schools and in an array of public and private institutions, including the criminal justice system. But these are the stories that aren't reported in the media and aren't reflected enough in narratives regarding race.

In Michigan, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services is healing divisions between Arab and non-Arab Americans. The center engages communities to document and share personal narratives and collective histories of the national Arab American community's experience after 9/11. It includes an exhibit, a series of public programs, educator's workshops and community dialogues.

In New Orleans, the Ashé Cultural Center is utilizing art and culture to create a safe and healing space for all who come through its doors, especially young people in the community. Its Truth Be Told project includes commissioning and producing original art works that are made available to other groups, gatherings, and events to stimulate thinking and dialogue in the community. The center is expanding interracial participation in their commemorations and producing a series of film screenings, panel discussions, roundtables, and lectures to upgrade knowledge, thinking on race and the impact and influence of racism.

And in Chicago, the Collateral Damage Project conducts interactive research on gun violence, racial discrimination and gang participation in urban communities. It has resulted in a traveling exhibition, multi-media documentary and the development of a social networking website for youth. Their work explores the lives of 46 youths who lost their lives to gun violence and examines the destructive role that violence, discrimination and residential segregation play in urban communities.

These stories belong in the narrative and must be shared and leveraged for meaningful change to take place.

In Asheville, NC from April 22 to 25, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will hold its 2013 America Healing Convening. The theme for this year is Reclaiming the Narrative. We want to raise awareness of the diverse stories that are omitted from our nation's collective history and examine that impact. More than 500 national and community-level leaders, community-based organizations and civil rights groups will gather to share stories, and create a richer and more reflective narrative of our collective human experiences. We will share stories of successes, challenges and hopes for healing communities and creating better life outcomes, especially for vulnerable children. Our gathering will not only present a pathway to overcome racism and divisiveness, through healing, but showcases how it is happening today in communities across the country.

The first full day, Tuesday, April 23, will facilitate small group conversations about the stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of our work. The second day is committed to sharing stories of barriers and demonstrated outcomes in law, justice and racial equity, while using a narrative for structural change through interactive plenaries and concurrent sessions. On the final day, we will explore the catalytic power of a reframed narrative, while exploring the neuroscience and psychological power of narratives.

Reclaiming the narrative is vitally important to our nation's future. Most of the children born in our country today are children of color; we must eliminate the barriers to their opportunities if America is to flourish in the future.

Our stories will spur conversations about the legacy of racism in America. The past must be acknowledged and understood before we can heal the wounds caused by racial bias that limits opportunities for families and communities. Any progress towards achieving equitable outcomes for disadvantaged families, people of color and vulnerable children will require a collective commitment to taking actions that will bring urgently needed change.

It's the narratives that can create momentum for this societal change, building unwavering confidence that a new a day is indeed possible.

Working with the Southwest Georgia Project (SWGAP), high school students in Wilcox County, Ga. are organizing their high school's first ever integrated prom. In the past, black and white students held separate proms. The integrated prom is not supported by the school system and has drawn opposition from some students. But students, some of whom have been friends for years, are embracing diversity, and an opportunity to bring change to a community stubbornly bound by segregation.

By telling this story to the public, these students are revealing that racial bias remains rooted in their community, and they are doing something about it. Their story, which has received international attention, is the type of narrative that will inspire others, the type of courageous action that exemplifies the racial healing that is occurring in other communities.

The Kellogg Foundation, through its America Healing initiative, supports SWGAP, as well as the programs cited in Michigan, New Orleans and Chicago that are promoting healing in communities today, so we can all have a brighter tomorrow.By Dr. Gail C. Christopher
America's Wire Writers Group
Dr. Gail C. Christopher is vice president - program strategy for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and leads the foundation's America Healing initiative that is committed to addressing structural racism in America on behalf of vulnerable children. America's Wire is an independent, nonprofit news service run by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Their stories can be republished free of charge by newspapers, websites and other media sources. For more information, visit www.americaswire.org or contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.com.

German writer and novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spoke volumes 200 years ago when he said, “There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”  The scenario worsens when money, popularity or chance land an ignoramus in a public situation where he doesn’t have enough common sense, class, or couth to know how to conduct himself appropriately.

Last Friday, Justin Bieber and his entourage visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam during his European concert tour. Frank died as a teen in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, and the diary she left behind made her one of the most enduring figures of the Jewish Holocaust. Bieber wrote in the museum’s guestbook: “Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber.” The last word is a term used to describe the pop star’s most ardent fans.

The flippant comment suggested that Bieber missed the point of the museum experience. While it would be harsh to dismiss him as an obnoxious punk with an over-inflated ego, his behavior increasingly underscores the egregious and unapologetic ignorance of so many young American pop stars. In fact, Bieber has cultivated a pattern of embarrassing himself when he really didn’t have to.

Last November, he traveled to his native country, Canada, to receive the prestigious Diamond Jubilee Medal from Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper wore a suit and tie for the ceremony. In contrast, Bieber caused a stir by accepting the award in overalls unfastened at one shoulder, a T-shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a baseball cap worn backwards. He looked as if he had just returned from some yonder fishing hole. The only thing missing was a tackle box.

The rhetoric of Bieber’s attire sent a message of disrespect that he probably did not intend. Later, he said he had come directly from an autograph-signing at a hockey venue.  Even assuming that there was no time for a wardrobe change between the appointments – although celebs are notorious for changing clothes behind the tinted windows of their vehicles – the question is why Bieber and his handlers didn’t craft a look appropriate for both events. If such decisions feel too much like rocket science, keep Phillip Bloch or Robert Verdi on speed dial.

Bieber is young and immature – he’s 19. Unfortunately, he apparently has not surrounded himself with people who can help him be conscientious and considerate – at least in public. Perhaps decorum is irrelevant to someone with 50 million Facebook friends, 3 billion YouTube video views, 30 million Twitter followers and untold millions in the bank – the most important measures of success for an increasing number of young Americans.

When you're a rich and famous kid and people are constantly telling you how cute and talented you are, your ego is bound to inflate. Unchecked, you eventually become an aggressively self-indulgent narcissist who finds himself or herself on the road to self-destruction. Routinely flipping out on everyone from photographers to neighbors might keep your name in the headlines, but it isn’t cute or funny. And there’s no time for excuse-making. Hopefully, Bieber will learn to exceed rather than believe his own publicity and get some humility before he becomes the next Chris Brown or Lindsay Lohan. American pop culture doesn’t need another ticking time bomb.

LaMont Jones  lamont@urbanmediatoday.com

By Rebecca Campbell, Special to CNN
Editor's note: Rebecca Campbell is professor of psychology at Michigan State University.
(CNN) -- Fifteen-year-old Audrie Pott got drunk at a party and passed out. What happened next, according to her family, was that she was sexually assaulted by multiple young men, who took photos and circulated them in their high school of more than 1,000 students. Not long afterward, Audrie, devastated and hopeless, committed suicide.
In Canada, Rehtaeh Parsons, then 15, was sexually assaulted by multiple perpetrators, according to her family, and photographs were also posted online for the world to see. She was tormented and bullied for more than a year with no legal action taken by the authorities, who stated there was "insufficient evidence" to file charges. Rehtaeh also committed suicide.
Why did these tragedies happen?

Rebecca Campbell
The rate of sexual assaults is alarmingly high among adolescents. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Justice finds that 30% to 35% of female sexual assault survivors were first raped between the ages of 11 to 17. Many of these assaults occur when victims are under the influence of alcohol, and a surprising number of adolescent rapes involve multiple perpetrators. A recent study found that 12.4% of sexual assaults committed against 13- to 17-year-old teens were gang rapes.
When evidence goes viral
Rape is a crime of power and dominance, and social media provide new ways of asserting that power to hurt victims over and over again. Gang rape takes on a whole new meaning when images and slurs are posted and forwarded and spread endlessly. Adolescent sexual assaults are particularly likely to go viral (more so than instances of adult rape) because of the "everyone knows everything about everyone" culture of middle and high school. The ubiquity of cell phones with cameras and the power of the Internet make for faster, farther-reaching gossip, name-calling, character assassination and ultimately despair for the victim.
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What was once a horrible incident that the victim remembers and suffers in private agony has now become an all-you-can-watch public humiliation event.
There's ample evidence that bullying has grown widespread, but the crime of rape has always been around. We live in a culture in which victims are blamed for the assault and made to feel like they are the ones who are criminal and dirty and shameful. Many rape victims are afraid to report the assault to police because they believe the criminal system will not help them. And they're right.
A recent National Institute of Justice study found that among adolescent sexual assault victims who did the brave the system -- they filed a police report, they met with investigators, they endured a medical forensic exam and rape kit -- 60% of these cases were not prosecuted by the criminal justice system. These rates are even worse for adult victims: On average, 86% of sexual assaults that are reported to the police are never passed along to prosecutors even to be considered for prosecution. That's 86% that go nowhere.
The cases weren't forwarded to prosecutors because police said there was "insufficient evidence," or because they thought the victim was "making a false report," or because the victim "wasn't credible" -- despite the fact that all of these victims had a sexual assault medical forensic exam and forensic evidence collection kit ("rape kit"). These cases were closed with either no investigation at all, or minimal investigational effort. A recent report from Human Rights Watch suggests this is an alarmingly common practice.
When the criminal justice system doesn't listen, doesn't investigate, doesn't seem to care, it sends the message to rapists: You will not be held accountable for your crimes.
Perhaps it is not surprising that several studies have found most rapists are serial rapists. To victims, this inaction sends the message: Your suffering is not our concern. You don't matter.
Rehtaeh's case went nowhere. Only now, after her death, will it be reopened.
How can this be changed?
One, reform the criminal justice system. Train legal personnel on best practices for the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. Challenge law enforcement agencies to start by believing and to investigate, not shelve, these crimes. Demand that police see these images on social media for what they are: not pornographic exploits but evidence of a crime.
Two, we must get survivors to the services that can help them. The despair that victims experience can all too quickly consume them and destroy their lives. The federal Violence Against Women Act and the Victims of Crime Act provide funding to all states and territories for rape crisis hotlines, crisis counseling and victim advocacy programs. These services are provided free of charge. Friends, family, teachers, everyone can help let survivors know that help is available.
And finally, we have to do more to prevent cyberbullying. The important truth not to lose sight of is that most teens do not commit sexual assaults and most do not bully. We need to support and empower these youth to speak out and intervene with their peers. The CDC has resources for schools and communities to develop "bystander prevention programs," which teach effective strategies youth can use to prevent violence among their peers. Widespread adoption of these programs is critical.
For girls such as Audrie Potts, Rehtaeh Parsons and many untold others, their agony had become too much, and the only solution they saw was suicide. We will never again hear their words, their stories, their voices.
But our voices can still be heard, and we must demand solutions to this seemingly intractable problem. We owe all victims justice and compassion.
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(CNN) -- I saw Brad Pitt in "Se7en" and saw Fellini's "8½." I saw Daniel Day-Lewis do "Nine" and why Bo Derek was a "10." I saw the 1919 White Sox sell out baseball in "Eight Men Out" and the 1961 Yankees belt out baseballs in "61*.
The one movie I wrote in my mind a hundred times and on paper nine or 10 times, though, was "42." Of course, it wasn't called that 20-odd years ago when I was under contract to be the Jackie Robinson biopic's screenwriter.
And I have zero to do with the "42" -- named for Robinson's uniform number -- that will slide into a theater somewhere near you on Friday.

Rachel Robinson, 90, Jackie Robinson's widow, attends an event at the White House to celebrate the movie '42,' a biopic about her late husband.
It nonetheless will leave me a little choked up.
Dorothy Parker once described Hollywood as the one place where you can "die from encouragement." Well, once upon a time, I was encouraged to bring Robinson's life story to the screen, only to be discouraged by the way reel life turns out.
The buzz on "42" is strong. Jackie's widow, Rachel Robinson, 90, was guest of honor at a recent White House showing where Michelle Robinson Obama said, "We think everybody in this country needs to watch this movie."

I spent many hours with Rachel Robinson cramming to learn details of the life they shared. I went to her family's foundation in New York to pore over documents and correspondence. I tapped away on the West Coast on a clunky early '90s computer, not knowing that this cinematic masterpiece I was eager to deliver was doomed.
Who was I to do Jackie's story (and hers) justice? Oh, no one. I so wanted to hit it out of the park for her. When I failed, well, don't we all?
It began in the late '80s. It had occurred to me that a mighty figure of American sport and African-American culture had been insufficiently immortalized on film.
The man I mean is, naturally -- well, not Jackie Robinson, but an equally monumental gent. Joe Louis.
Apart from being a heavyweight champ, Louis was a model citizen, a military vet and a true difference-maker when too many men and women were still struggling to become color-blind.
A script called "Brown Bomber" was born. It was co-written by myself and a Detroit journalist friend, Jon Pepper, as a specific look at a 1930s span when Louis lost to the popular Max Schmeling to whites' delight, only to transform into a red-white-and-blue hero in their eyes, triumphing in the rematch against a German example of so-called white supremacy.
We fought to get it made.
Producers and options came and went. Notes given. Rewrites written. During which time we discover what quite a few of Hollywood's movers and shakers want more and more of, beyond all else.
They want more Max.
To them, it isn't the story of a man. It is the story of two men. A black man and, hey, guess what, a white man. Think of who we could cast!
"Wouldn't it be great," a producer babbled at one point, "if we could get Arnold Schwarzenegger for this?"
"For what?" I ask.
"For Max."
"I have a couple of questions," I reply. "Why would a movie star play a guy who ends the movie by getting his ass kicked? And how do we explain why Max is built like Mr. Universe?"
With logic that makes me laugh to this day, he says: "Hey, if you can get Schwarzenegger, you get Schwarzenegger. The other stuff will work itself out."
A good thing does happen, though. Someone familiar with our script slips a copy to Rachel Robinson, in the hope she will give her blessings to Pepper and me taking a crack at Mr. and Mrs. Robinson's remarkable tale.
We are told who the producer will be -- he has a few noteworthy credits -- and a deal is cut. Lorimar is backing the movie, ostensibly to air on HBO.
A meeting is held in a packed HBO conference room. Rachel expresses reservations -- it does not escape her eye that there is no non-Caucasian in the room -- but life is short and she is willing to give it a shot.
"The Jackie Robinson Story" is under way. At first, we keep the title of the 1950 film, in which the title role was played by the man himself. In 1990, TNT airs one called "The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson," based on an experience in the U.S. Army. I remember Rachel being pleased by Andre Braugher's portrayal of Jack.
(Note: I have never heard Rachel call her husband by any name but "Jack.")
It is 1991. I have a full-time job -- L.A. sportswriter -- which I have made clear must come first. I spend all morning and afternoon in New York at the Jackie Robinson Foundation, conferring with Rachel and doing research. I catch a 5 p.m. flight to Pittsburgh for a baseball playoff game, cover it, catch a dawn plane to New York, repeat the previous day. I nearly collapse at 5 as I run to grab a cab. I hear my producer tell my partner: "He's not putting in enough time on this!"
Nothing is ever enough. The writers are never right. No draft is acceptable. The producer wants it one way. Rachel wants it a different way. He wants the baseball years. She wants the life beyond baseball. We write it both ways. Both hate it both ways.
We are fired. My co-writer tells me. No one else -- not the producer, not Rachel, not anyone from the studio, not our agent -- ever speaks to me again.
Worse, the film is killed.
Cut to 1994.
I read in Bill Rhoden's column in The New York Times that director Spike Lee is teaming up with Rachel Robinson to do a Jackie movie. Hey, who better? I had long thought Lee to be the right man to do the right thing by 42.
Rhoden writes that documentarian Ken Burns was to do a film, but neglected to consult Rachel first. She is quoted: "I really felt, and I still feel, that a black man can understand another black man and all the nuances of his life better than anyone else can." I do not disagree.
Cut to 1997.
I read a story on how Spike Lee's option has expired. A quote from Rachel: "He couldn't put all the pieces together -- the studios, the funds, the star, the script. It's not the first time the project has been aborted. I've been trying to get a movie done for the past 15 years and haven't succeeded. But I won't give up."
Cut to 2013.
That's right, that's how long it took.
Rachel, you made it. I know writer-director Brian Helgeland made it and Chadwick Boseman made it and Harrison Ford made it, but you made it. You persevered. You endured. You have your whole life. So did Jack.
I give it thumbs-up and, hey, I haven't even seen it.

Mike Downey
A long overdue film, "42" features an up-and-comer, Chadwick Boseman, as the infielder who changed the face of baseball, and Harrison Ford, of all people, as the insider who held open the door to the big leagues. Indiana Jones found a few fake treasures in his day, but Branch Rickey's unveiling of Jackie Robinson was a true discovery for the ages.
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.Editor's note: Mike Downey is a former columnist for the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.

We have moved so far away from a time of unity, love, anger and passion that we appear to be lost in a fight for equality that will never cease to exist. After the civil rights movement we became excited and grew comfortable.  We allowed the overt mistreatment to be replaced by covert oppression. It is that same covert oppression that allows a country to “forget” to ratify the constitution and allow slavery to still be legal in Mississippi. It is also covert racism that allows North Carolina to still have Jim Crow laws present in their state constitution.

The fight for equality has been so diluted with individual accomplishments that people tend to forget that this is a process not just a single moment in time. We should feel proud but also continue to unite on the basis of equality. It is great to be proud of history, but we can’t let the accomplishments change the effort. We cannot allow the fight for justice to be paused and celebrated every time something powerful happens. Progress has to stop being measured on individual accomplishments and token progress. Equality should be across the board. It has to change in schools, politics, public safety (police), economic growth and community development.

December 1st, 1995 was an incredible day in history but it was a moment in the fight for justice. The 50’s and 60’s should be embraced not broken up into isolated moments. It was not about a speech, supreme court ruling or marches. It was a time when unity was stable and intelligent fighting was at the forefront and embraced as a whole. We are still not free and are not treated equally in America. We are imprisoned at higher rates and we continue to be victims of budget cuts that destroy predominately black communities. Education is failing in our communities and we are forced to keep affirmative action on the books just to feel equal.

If we continue to allow each generation to stay in a cycle of inequality we will never achieve freedom and equality. We will continue to hear that it is a step in the right direction, which is an outdated statement that should not impress anyone. A step in the right direction is not blanket equality, but rather a sheet given to some while the rest suffer in the cold.

Malcolm X once said, “This is why I say it’s the ballot or the bullet. It’s liberty or it’s death. It’s freedom for everybody or freedom for nobody.”

I want freedom for all my brothers and sisters, Gay or Straight, Black or Brown, we need justice and equality!

For Kimani Gray and Trayvon Martin: May you Rest in Peace and may the fight, tears and anger over your deaths not just be a single moment in history but instead a movement to make change.  And to the countless other past, present and future, you are not just a moment for me but instead the very reason I press on and do what I do.
Thank you again for the support. 

Sharif Rasheed <mrsharifrasheed@bethe1change.com>;  Read More on Kimani Gray @cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/.

Kids are dying everyday in many of the communities that are predominately Black, which is a failure that Americans faces everyday. It is a failure because the problem has never been properly addressed and these kids are being born into a system of status quo ideology that enslaves more than it saves and preaches more than it practices. The ideology is detrimental not only to the individuals who reside in these areas, but it paints a picture to the world that we don’t care how are citizens are being affected. The image of America cannot be positive if we continue to ignore the problem that has been here since Africans were kidnapped and forced to work.

People who study this epidemic of hardship that Black Americans face everyday are telling us the same story and pointing the same fingers. There is a blatant refusal to tell the truth and understand that the black family structure was destroyed since Africans arrived in this country. Fathers forced to abandon their kids and wives so that they would not be murdered. Fathers forced to watch their wives and daughters be raped is the true reality. It was a psychological beating that broke the black family structure long before a man put a blue or red flag in his pocket and started gang banging. We have to stop blaming absent fathers for problems because no other ethnic group tries to make the comparison. An absent father does not give a kid a gun and force him to take a life. There are kids everyday who kill people and they have both parents in the house. We, as a society, refuse to put truth in our history books. As a society, WE have criminalized Black Americans and historically made laws that would place barriers on self-achievement in Black America.

Slavery has been discussed but never fully recognized as a tool to destroy Black Americans. When I was younger, I heard many theories in school about the purpose of slavery, but the one that stuck with me the most is, “A business venture that got out of hand.” I understand the thinking behind the statement with free labor that helped build a powerful empire known as America, but if that was the purpose then what is the justification behind de-humanizing and de-civilizing? A question that will never be answered with truth and ownership!

This problem can cease to exist if we start being honest in our approach to help end the violence or break the chains that continue to enslave many individuals, especially the younger generation who have moved away from learning history and focus more on the immediate gratification of money and fame. It has to come to a point where we begin holding schools accountable and not allowing them to miss-educate and guide them down the wrong path. We have to stop allowing people to blame the victims of psychological enslavement. We have to finally stop blaming the ‘destruction’ of the black family on Black Americans and instead learn the history of the making of a slave. The future is bright if we take off the blinders and turn the lights on. The future can be successful if we start addressing the history and not the outcome.

Mr. Sharif Rasheed
www.mrsharifrasheed.wordpress.com
Twitter: @MrSharifRasheedE-mail: MrSharifRasheed@bethe1change.com
Phone: 513.293.4308

I grew up listening to Biggie and Tupac, who are legends in the Hip-Hop genre. They were so honest and not afraid to tell people what they needed to hear. From “Keep Ya Head Up” to “Everyday Struggle,” the music reflected a world that many feared. A world that people wanted to ignore and sweep under the rug. They brought that truth to America’s doorstep with the help of others, but the feeling of arrival felt good. Today, however, is not the case. The music today is pure oppression mixed with ignorance and seasoned with Bull S**T. The major problem is that these young minds are eating it up and living it on a daily basis. We all understand this, but continue to support it, which says a lot about the society we live in. The complaining behind closed doors, in the meetings and on the blogs, but never out in the open where you can be criticized and held accountable for your words. If we want anything to change then our own fear has to be overcome because the path we are on with this music is only going to get worse. The question I ask today is, When will Hip-Hop stop with the Bull S**T?

The music is what these young minds are turning to when they are frustrated, angry, lost or in fear. These artists have become street therapists, which has become harmful to society. These artists today are more concerned about making a club banger or catchy song rather than being completely honest about what is going on. They understand they have power, but abuse it on a daily basis when they talk about women, money, drugs and catching bodies (Drake could not be serious), but we allow these artists to be placed on a pedestal.

Ask yourself if you would go to a therapist that told you to sleep with everyone, sell drugs to make money or talk themselves up by lying to you about their qualifications. If the answer is no then why would you allow your kids to listen to current hip-hop because in many cases, these kids listen to these artists more than you. You are allowing the streets to raise them when they listen to this music. Breaking them down psychologically and building them back up with that street love. A love that in most cases is more powerful than the love of a parent. These artists are talking about destroying ones neighborhood in order to make a profit and in return creating more statistics than ever before.

We all understand at this point that Hip-Hop reflects the streets or vice-versa, but the message in the music is glorification, money, disrespect and ignorance. This is not in all the music because I will recommend some great music that has commercial success at the end of this piece. Imagine if every artist was required to make a song like Tupac’s “Brenda’s Got A Baby” or “Everyday Struggle” in order to get a record deal. Imagine if you made a song like “All Gold Everything” and you were banned from ever getting a record deal. Wishful thinking, but the point is the music needs to bring honesty back on a massive level because this drug dealing, ignorant rap is dropping the ball. The question I ask today is, When will Hip-Hop stop with the Bull S**T?

Mr. Sharif Rasheed
www.mrsharifrasheed.wordpress.com
Twitter: @MrSharifRasheedE-mail: MrSharifRasheed@bethe1change.com

Portland, OR (BlackNews.com) -- As America re-elected President Obama, it sent a comforting and positive message about our society, a message of progress in racial healing. A majority of voters were willing to give the first African American President of the United States a second term, a second chance to complete his mission of bringing change to this country.

What's most striking is that this seems like a normal course of action. President George W. Bush was sharply criticized, but he won two terms. President Bill Clinton faced impeachment, but stayed in the White House for two complete terms. It is this concept of normalcy that interests me: is this nation reaching a maturing stage where people of color can be treated just as everyone else?

To be sure, more progress must be made. Even the election results tell us that, as one party relied on votes almost exclusively from whites, the other, the majority, was a multi-racial collage that looked much more like America. How can America take the next step, ensuring a level playing field and equal opportunities for everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference?

I've always believed that our cultural indulgences, such as the entertainment we seek, play a critical role in shaping our faith, perceptions and values. The evolution and transformation of our souls is impacted by environment, including the television and movies and art we watch as well as the museums we visit, the music we listen to and books we read.

For decades, civil rights and social justice advocates have attacked Hollywood and the entertainment industry for negative stereotypes of people of color repeatedly seen in movies, video games and television, especially African Americans and Latinos. The negative portrayals can shape the perceptions of the people who watch them.

While this appears to be changing at a global level, in America the sense of normalcy is often absent in art and entertainment choices. The black or Latino character is rarely portrayed as the hardworking accountant or the local business owner, but frequently is unemployed, the drug dealer or the perpetrator of crimes, which feeds into the myth of the genetic criminality of color.

In my spiritual works of fiction, whether my characters are white, black or brown, they are normal in the sense that the roles they play have nothing to do with the color of their skin. It's the color of their souls that's important. What are their values? What guides the choices they make in life? What is their relationship with God? Are they lead down a spiritual path towards confronting the complexities of life?

My novels aren't overtly about race; they are about the people who inhibit the earth. They portray this concept of normalcy, acknowledging the inner souls of all people, demonstrating that we all accept or reject spiritual guidance in our daily lives. In my first book, The Shack, God the Father is an African American woman. It sold more than 18 million copies worldwide not because God is black but because people are moved by the questions of faith and spirituality raised by Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit.

In my new book, Cross Roads, just released this month, an African American woman, Maggie Saunders, is a Portland nurse whose inner soul is visited by Tony Spencer, a white man on a spiritual journey caught somewhere between life and death, who is attempting to right the wrongs in his life. While this novel is centered in growing in our humanity and faith, that growth is exemplified in a deep friendship that develops between Saunders and Spencer, two characters from different ethnicities who bond and help each other with the complexities of life, faith and relationships. They grow to love each other like family.

Is this relationship normal?

The reality is that we live in a world where 'normal' may not truly exist except as an idea or concept held by each of us. The environment that we each absorb plays a foundational role in shaping our individual sense of 'normal.' Oftentimes it is only when we begin to experience the 'bigness and diversity' of the world do our hearts and minds open and allow us to reject the stereotypes about other races and follow a more human and therefore more spiritual path.

Clearly, my 'not so normal' journey on this earth opened my own heart and eyes, helping me understand the prejudices that exit across the globe and build my faith and my deep sense of relationship with God. In 1955, I was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, but the majority of my first decade I lived in Indonesia with my missionary parents in the highlands of Netherlands New Guinea (West Papua), among the Dani, a technologically stone age tribal people. They became my family and as the first white child and outsider who ever spoke their language in that corner of the world, I was granted unusual access into their culture and community.

Although at times a fierce warring people, steeped in the worship of spirits, they also provided a deep sense of identity that remains an indelible element of my character and person. These experiences shaped me, and are transformed my writings. Cross Roads is a unique and deeply moving human story, complete with humor and suffering, beauty and brokenness, and grace filling up the spaces in-between.

It is a story of normal people moved by spiritual events inside the ordinary.

Paul Young is the author of the bestselling book, The Shack, which sold a record 18 million copies worldwide. Hachette Book Group published his second book, Cross Roads, on November 13, 2012 in hardcover by the FaithWords imprint. America's Wire is an independent, nonprofit news service run by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Their stories can be republished free of charge by newspapers, websites and other media sources. For more information, visit www.americaswire.org or contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.com.

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- This is The Urban Prophet's translation of II Chronicles 7:14 for America today as we ponder our present state of affairs.

"If my people which are called by My Name, will stop worrying about government providing for them and taking thought about provision, I have already promised them and begin to walk in and stand for righteousness, I have already given them, then, I will forgive them of their insecurity, I will repair their broken economy, I will restore their prosperity, and heal their land." God appoints leaders based on the proper response from His people to His charge in II Chronicles 7:14, the emphasis being on "if." It's the church's mandate and responsibility to be properly positioned to invoke the favor and blessing from the Father in the land where they dwell. What's going in the White House reflects what's going on in God's House. If you don't like what's going on in the White House, there must be a serious problem in God's House and that's where you have to first look to solve the problem.

God has done everything possible to get the Church to respond to the II Chronicles 7:14 mandate and to discern the times and seasons. This present administration just doesn't only support, but aggressively advocates the systematic child killing Abortion Industry, which has resulted in a genocidal effect on the Black Community. Over 21 million African-Americans have been mutilated and killed in the wombs of their mothers since Roe vs. Wade. As well, this same administration has determined that clergy, such as myself, are bigots for not performing same-sex marriages and recommends we should renounce our allegiance and loyalty to the Judeo-Christian Ethic bowing to a central government.

Then there is the insidious healthcare plan which declares the state now trumps faith and conscience. This legislation demands that religion must come under its regulation or else face the wrath of the state. Refusing to kill a child in the womb is no longer your prerogative; you must capitulate and assist in the process. One can hear the Angels in Heaven saying, "Surely there will be an outcry from the Church now." But this was not so... Only a few of its members, mostly Catholic, were moved to protest this outrageous legislation. And if that wasn't enough, the president of the United States approved a platform that would take the name of God out of the Democrat's National Convention Platform and denounce Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel. With such blatant disregard for the Almighty, and the obvious pandering to the Muslim Brotherhood, you would think there would be an alarm sounded of such magnitude that every Protestant Denomination, the Catholic Church, and Jewish Synagogue would flee from this madness and withdraw their blind allegiance. But no... Most still went to the polls and pulled the lever voting for the very platform that booed God and Jerusalem as Israel's Capitol completely ignoring God.

As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King prophetically spoke at the Second Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan on February 28th, 1954, in a Sermon he entitled, "Rediscovering Lost Values," "America must rediscover lost values and remember there is a God in the process." I beg of you, read this message in its entirety, but to whet your appetite, here are a few excerpts from the prophet which timelessly speak so clearly to us today.

"We've left a lot of precious values behind; we've lost a lot of precious values. And if we are to go Forward, if we are to make this a better world in which to live, we've got to go back. We've got to rediscover these precious values that we've left behind." "The first is this - the first principle of value that we need to rediscover is this: that all reality hinges on moral foundations. In other words, that this is a moral universe, and that there are moral laws of the universe, just as abiding as the physical laws." "The thing that we need in the world today, is a group of men and women who will stand up for right and be opposed to wrong, wherever it is. All I'm trying to say is, (Have mercy, my God) our world hinges on moral foundations. God has made it so! God has made the universe to be based on a moral law. (Lord help him) So long as man disobeys it he is revolting against God. That's what we need in the world today - people who will stand for right and goodness."

"All reality hinges on moral foundations..." The Democrat Party is trying to take the 'door off the hinges' and sadly enough there are still not enough individuals awake in the church to prevent our fall down the slippery slope of destruction. We as a nation are rebelling against God. When there is as much divorce in the church as in the world; when 52% of African American pregnancies end in abortion (genocide); when homosexuality is as prevalent in the pews as the pulpit; when we refuse to address what's going on within our own house - for all judgment begins at the House of the Lord - we will not influence the White House, for our House reflects the White House. Yes, we have left the sanctity of life behind. We have left the sanctity of marriage - one man and one woman - behind. We have left the urban children in the hands of a corrupt education system controlled by thugs called the Teachers Union, and by not implementing change, have left them behind. These are all precious values, and as it was wisely said, 'In order to go forward we must go back.'

Once again the wrong crowd got its way, for when voters were offered the sanctity of life, they instead chose Barabbas. Why? To each his own... It was whom they deserved... Sadly, it's what we deserved. We have not rediscovered our lost values, and until we do, Barabbas will always be at the helm. It is interesting with Barabbas, that after the "vote" when their rationale was questioned in light of the comparison of the records of the candidates - Mathew 27:25 - it was recorded they said, "Then answered all the people, and said, 'His blood be on us, and on our children.'" Who does abortion, marriage, and a failing school system hurt most? Children! We are not only being robbed by taxes, but more importantly, the future of our children, conscience, faith, and right standing with God.

"Righteousness exalts a nation; sin is a reproach to any people." -- Proverbs 14:34

Rev. Dr. Clenard H. Childress, Jr. is the founder of www.BlackGenocide.org - a website designed to reach the Afro-American community with the truth about abortion.

Has Hip-Hop Created a Cultural Relapse?

We have moved so far backwards in action and state of mind that it saddens me to ask this. The goal of slavery was to keep the body strong and the mind weak. The goal of Hip-Hop (now) is to keep your body moving and mind oppressed. The artist is not the only one to blame because it is the record label executives and A&R’s who make the final say on the music that is being released to the public. These business/money minded people in charge are allowing these artists to not only embrace psychological enslavement, but also promote it to the youth. I recently asked if slavery was the new slave master and I received an overwhelming yes. The fact that so many people have said yes and the music continues to come at an alarming rate shows how we have not moved passed self-oppression and self-hatred. The lyrical failures that are demonstrated in song after song sadly represents black culture. Now I am not advocating this, but society attaches Hip-Hop Culture to black culture. That is a fact, whether one chooses to embrace it or not. The days when Public Enemy talked about fighting the power, or Tupac poetically talked about keeping your head up during harsh times is now replaced with “Pop that” and “Niggas holding you back,” as Rick Ross put it in his poverty glorifying video. I just want to make it clear that Rick Ross is not from that neighborhood. Hip-Hop has created something I like to call Cultural Relapse. It has prevented a generation from moving past the ideology of wanting to be free and equal, to regress back to 1619 when blacks were seen as ignorant, freighting, inarticulate individuals by a Racist power structure. Not thinking free or equal in our actions or thoughts. The question I ask today is, Has Hip-Hop created a Cultural Relapse?

There is no doubt that music impacts the culture. When the L.A. riots happened look at the music that came about during that time. It was frustration built up in America and people and musicians reacted. Now you have artists who talk about the deaths in Chicago and atrocities that have taken the lives of far too many individuals over the last 10 years. These same artists will turn around and promote drug dealing, aggression and killing ones own. How have we taken such a huge step backwards to the point that we look at slavery as outdated? I recently had a talk with a kid about stereotypes and slavery and how it has affected his life today and he simply said, “The only thing I learned about slavery was that Niggas let white people hold em’ back.” The sad part is not that this kid is uneducated on slavery, but instead that he argues his point by quoting Rick Ross. Racism is far too powerful for us to ignore it and allow it to continue. If this is what Hip-Hop has become then we have to hold the Labels accountable for allowing this music to be on the radio. The rappers have demonstrated that they are going to say whatever they need to in order to promote a fantasy life of wealth because they are not as wealthy as they want you to believe. They do not control their image, voice or music. They are just the faces of oppression we see on television thanks to B.E.T.

This version of Hip-Hop is not what I envisioned listening to when I was younger. The direction music was headed in gave me hope for the future of music and for myself. This version is a problem because of the lyrical misguiding transcribed in a sixteen bar struggle. It has taught kids how to glorify street culture like Sesame Street taught me how to count to 3. The direction it’s heading is down hill, fast and turning intelligence into future statistics. The Trayvon Martin story was embraced by hundreds of thousands of people when it was popular, for a few short weeks, but now people would rather talk and tweet about fights at the B.E.T Hip-Hop awards.

A relapse can be defined as this:  to fall or slip back into a former state, practice.  Now if we look at the culture Hip-Hop has created we can see that we are in a relapse state, but it is up to you to recognize it and make some changes. Buy into the lyrics of today and “Pop a molly smoke a blunt/That mean I’m a high roller” or move away from the ignorance and start helping these individuals get sober from the deadly drug of oppression. You tell me, Has Hip-Hop created a Cultural Relapse?

Mr. Sharif Rasheed
 
www.bethe1change.com
www.bethe1changeblog.wordpress.com  
MrSharifRasheed@bethe1change.com
412.251.1694       Photo:dallassound.net

Slavery is taught in schools as something that occurred many years ago and is irrelevant in today’s society. In school, youth are never taught about the making of a slave or the goal of slavery. Last week I wrote a blog entitled, “Why Do We Keep Willie Lynching Ourselves,” and it was about embracing false realities. Yes, Willie Lynch is a fictional character, but the actions that were mentioned in this fictional letter are real and a legitimate problem that exists today. Slave masters made Blacks embrace being a slave with numerous actions that included murder, rape, forced incest, forced abortions, lies, lynching and the list goes on. Now this is not to take anything away from the strong individuals that rebelled against slavery like Nat Turner and Harriet Tubman but for far too many this was the reality of their life until their death.  It is the same atrocity I see today when I look at the Hip-Hop culture. It has become a culture that openly promotes murder, rape, womanizing, lying, self-hatred, and internalized oppression. The message that is being promoted is slavery 2.0 because it has enslaved millions of the youth today. Look at Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and the amount of deaths this year. The message that these so-called artists are promoting is sickening and devastating.

If the goal of slavery was to oppress the mind in order to get the work done then Hip-Hop artists promoting ignorance to the youth in order to sell records is no different.

You tell me, is hip-hop the new slave master?

This is not about Chief Keef because he is a product of the hip-hop world. He is a reflection of what hip-hop has become. And as it stands, hip-hop is a lost culture filled with ignorance and injustice. The House slave was a product of the slave master and Chief Keef is a product of hip-hop. When I look at the youth today, direct and indirect, they have become enslaved to the culture.  Rick Ross who worked as a correctional officer is considered a fraud because he had an actual job. Not selling drugs or making money legally brings about no respect in hip-hop today. Credibility comes with ignorance and criminal thinking/behavior. Having one woman is no longer respectable because you must have many women who you disrespect openly to get noticed. Dropping out of high school to get money is what you hear in the lyrics today even though many of todays artist are college educated.  Kanye West said in his new song:

“You know white people get money don’t spend it/
Or maybe they get money, buy a business/
I rather buy 80 gold chains and go ig’nant/I know Spike Lee gon kill me…”

Watch how many kids hear that line and go out and embrace being “ig’nant,” as he said, and buy chains. The slave master was always smarter than the slave. The 48 laws of power said it best, “Never outshine the master.”

The Slave master is not just one person, but a role that was embraced by white supremacy and racism. They made a lot of slaves feel and believe this is all they would ever be, that they would die a slave because they were not equipped or educated enough for freedom. The goals for many are to make a rap album or be on television, tour the country and tell their story to the world. The story has become so repetitive because we have failed to break the vicious cycle that Malcolm X spoke about in the 50’s & 60’s.

We carry street credibility like a badge of honor even though it only extends a few blocks.

Hip-Hop was bought a long time ago and the culture that once inspired many to do better ceases to exist. Harriet Tubman and Nat Turner got up and brought about change but Lupe speaking out and then turning around and embracing the same ignorance is a failure. If the message changes the culture will follow suit. It takes a person who does not mind standing alone to bring about change they want to see. It is either be the change or embrace the ignorance. You tell me today, “Is Hip-Hop the New Slave Master?”

Thank you again for the continued support. 

Mr. Sharif Rasheed
 
www.bethe1change.com
www.bethe1changeblog.wordpress.com  
MrSharifRasheed@bethe1change.com

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.  disagreed on numerous issues, but agreed on the fact that people need to unite, especially black people. It was about fighting for a common goal that oppressed people with darker skin. Malcolm X worked with many organizations and not once did he do it for profit. Martin Luther King worked with many people and organizations to bring about equality for all, not for himself and not just to hold the spotlight. These are two individuals who laid down their lives so that people could speak out and fight against white supremacy and I pay my respect. Today unity has moved out of inner-city communities and never looked back. The days where somebody could call for a rally to stop violence or end injustice and thousands of people would follow in support has come and gone. The problem has not gone anywhere, but the coming together and ending oppression has vanished. Police continue to beat and kill young innocent people, but there is no massive outcry for police brutality. There are a handful of people screaming, writing, posting or tweeting, but on a massive level there is no unity.  Today I ask you what happened to UNITY?

Imagine if every person that became a success helped another individual we could clean up the streets and embrace a freed mentality. The mentality that continues to fight against unity has taken the lives of too many individuals. The mentality that allows you to kill somebody that is going through the same struggle as you has to change. I went to a play this past year called,”Through the Night,” by Daniel Beaty. He had me feeling multiple emotions at once, needless to say, it was powerful. He had a poem entitled, “Run Black Man Run,”  which still stands out to me today  because of the line, “And when you make it through, reach back and help another black man do what we all know must be done. Run black man, run.” This inspiring message  needs to be preached because nobody is reaching back. The mentality is not changing because the situation is not changing. We have many organizations out here claiming they want to stop the violence. The only thing they are doing is isolating the violence and keeping it from spreading into suburban communities. The guns, drugs, and inequalities are not leaving these neighborhoods, so how is the violence supposed to stop? If we unite and find a common solution we can save those who are lost.

This is not to say that people do not unite, but it cannot be part-time. When Trayvon Martin was shot everyone put on hoodies and united on the basis that it was blatant racism that took the life of a teen. There was an outcry for justice. It lasted for a few weeks and the unity that appeared to be a step in the right direction ended and the mentality that keeps blacks fighting and killing one another came back. People stopped talking about racism and injustice on social media outlets and other teens were murdered and not a tweet was recorded. The history that has been told to many black people is that we used to be united, but when they killed our leaders it disappeared. If it is a leader that is needed to unite people so we can stop this racism, violence or any other injustice, then I will gladly nominate myself and move us forward.

I have become fed up with the lack of unity and the problems that it brings. We know what happens when we unite, but we do nothing. We know what happens when all scream no justice no peace. We have seen or read about it. Today I will stand as the leader and work with any organization that is about Freedom and speaking for oppressed people. Uniting and fighting for justice can stop future Trayvon Martins, Rodney Kings (r.i.p), Chavis Carter and many others. You tell me, what happened to the UNITY?

Thank you for the continued support!

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Mr. Sharif Rasheed www.bethe1change.comwww.bethe1changeblog.wordpress.com  MrSharifRasheed@bethe1change.com
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