Friday Information in late January 2017

 


Anita Baker had her Birthday yesterday. First, she is a legend. For decades, she innovated music, lyrics, performances, and other aspects of human expression. Anita Baker's powerful voice has blessed lives. She is a great mother and a monumental contributor to music in general. Her songs deal with powerful messages about love, about sacrifice, and about human resilient power. She is one of the greatest singers of all time without question. She was born in Toledo, Ohio and she was raised in Detroit. Every time I listen to her music, I always get inspired and my creative energy goes into the next level. Anita Baker joined the group Chapter 8 in 1975. Later, she was involved in her soloist career. He voice is sultry and beautiful. She is a soulful Sister and she has impacted not just R&B, but jazz, the quiet storm, and other genres. Her debut album came about in 1983 called Songstress. Her second album named Rapture was another classic. It came about in 1986. It won much praise. Her album caused her to win 2 Grammy awards. She has inspired other musicians who came after her. Baker currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan (which is near Detroit, Michigan). Her grace, her passion for music, and her wisdom stands the test of time. She's a gorgeous black woman too. We all appreciate her light and her immeasurable talent as a great artist. Sister Angela Davis' Birthday was yesterday. She is 73 years old. I learned so much about politics, socialism, Black Power, and other subjects from Angela Davis. She is an elder and a woman who inspires so many women and men worldwide. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She and her relatives experienced Jim Crow apartheid first hand. She was a professor in UCLA. Back in the day (during the 1960's and the early 1970's), it was taboo for a person to be a Communist overtly in public in America, especially in an educational role. People have the right to agree or disagree with Communism in a truly free society. Therefore, Angela Davis stood up for her free speech rights in being a Communist and educating students. She later won that fight. Angela Davis has stood up for human rights for more than 50 years. Today, her Sister is a freedom fighter too. Part of Angela's great legacy involves her continued opposition to the prison industrial complex, which has exploited and harmed so many lives. She believes in justice and human equality wholeheartedly.




This political issue is complex and I will delve into many facets of the situation in Chicago. First, Chicago is made of many diverse people and it had a strong industrial base for decades. The Chicago Freedom Movement (of the 1960's) had courageous Brothers and Sisters who fought for justice. Fred Hampton worked hard in Chicago to fight against police brutality and he believed in socialism by his own words. In Chicago today, there are strong black men and strong black women continuously fighting to stop the violence. Still, we have a crisis problem of poverty, crime, police brutality, and other issues in that great Midwestern city. We know activists who are working daily to try to combat gun violence. There is no solution in Chicago without addressing poverty &; guns since so many murders in Chicago are caused by guns. There should be no deification of guns, but some Americans make an idol of guns at the expense of human justice. First, there should be a crackdown on illegal gun trafficking in Chicago. A lot of guns in Chicago are imported from the suburbs and other places. Second, state, local, and federal government agencies should enact an emergency rebuilding program of schools, recreational centers, and other jobs.

There ought to be a rebuilding of infrastructure in this nation in general. This requires billions of dollars from all levels of government as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has called for when he was advocating his Poor Peoples Campaign. Also, self-determination is in order as well. We want resources to determine our own destinies as human beings. Trump is inaccurate to say that Chicago's death rate is in record levels. Chicago’s highest death toll was in 1974, and its deadliest year per capita was in 1994. Likewise, crime is a serious problem not only in Chicago, but nationwide. The problem with Trump is that he doesn't go into detail on how he would use the feds in addressing problems in Chicago. Trump is an authoritarian, so it isn't shocking for him to possibly use martial law in Chicago. Trump is not serious on solutions, because he doesn't address police brutality, poverty, gentrification, closing schools, and other real issues. In the final analysis, a comprehensive approach is needed in a diversity of solutions like job programs, ending gentrification, fighting illegal gun trafficking, helping families who are in tumult, and rebuilding struggling communities (which requires funds & concrete resources not anti-poor scapegoating). People want solutions not reactionary slogans and extremist rhetoric.



I moved on too. I don't believe in disrespecting Chrisette Michele or calling her out of her name. Yet, I disagree with her, because a male megalomaniac should not be entertained. He's not God. This male Trump is out of control. He supports waterboarding, which is torture. He wants to expand black sites. He believes in banning people from coming into America based on nationality. His allies ( two members of the Trump transition team — Russ Vought and John Gray) proposed a budget that cuts investments in minority businesses, which refutes the myth that Donald Trump has a soft spot for black people in America (along with the fact that he wants the death penalty for the Central Park Five). This has been reported in an article from TIME and from the Hill. Those sources say that Trump's allies want to cut funding for the NEA which promotes the arts nationwide. Therefore, Trump is no freedom fighter. He is a right wing nationalist who makes it his business to attack human rights and our liberties. Our eyes must be on the prize. One Trump strategist said that the media should "keep its mouth shut." What kind of stuff is that. Trump is a fascist and I don't use that term lightly. He's a liar. Ultimately, Chrisette Michele is not my enemy. My real enemy is Donald Trump's repugnant agenda. A male who has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women, a male who uses vulgarity to promote sexual assault, and a male who has said very disrespectful words about a disabled reporter has no respect form me period. We're the only ethnic group (in my opinion) in America that is constantly patronized and constantly admonished to just love everyone without preconditions, without respect, and without reciprocity.

The days of compromising are over. We are black people. We have the right to have our independent thinking and just because we dissent, doesn't mean that we don't love or we don't desire true unity among humanity. We are tired of being lectured about love when we love a huge amount in our history period. Many people talk about love. We know what love isn't. Love is not compromise. Love is not tolerating injustice. Love is not condoning xenophobia and racism. Love is strong. Love is powerful and love is the realization that to make right in the word, we must fight with due diligence. Love is about going out in public and in private to stand up and speak up for the oppressed, for the sick, for the minorities, and for those who are suffering. That's love and love is not cow towing to some right wing demagogue who doesn't care for true social justice. That is the point. We resist. We dissent. Dissent is not about tearing down Chrisette Michele. She shouldn't be slandered or maligned. Dissent is about speaking truth to power and inspiring people to resist the evil agenda of Donald Trump. We speak, we dissent, and we will win in the end for the truth is always real. That's real talk.

By Timothy