Winter 2020 Part 4

Popular Culture Part 20

So many developments have existed throughout the first 20 years of the 21st century. This era of time has shown popular culture dominated by technology, superhero themed movies, and more spaces where societies' minorities can express themselves. We have witnessed the rise of superstars, and we have seen scandals that make us aware that we have to always oppose any form of abuse or harassment (as shown by the MeToo and Times Up movements). In this time alone in 20 years, we saw Beyonce grown from a popular musician (in the group Destiny's Child) to being an international musical icon. Time is going so fast that I remember the years 1996 and 2000 like they were yesterday. In this new generation, wee the rise of sound cloud artists, clout chasers, and a new generation of musical artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Normani (who is an American singer from Atlanta, Georgia. She was in Dancing with the Stars. She is 23 years old), Camila Cabello, Ellie Goulding, and Ella Mai. Other established artists continue to release new albums from Celine Dion to Nas. Many musicians tour globally in places like New York City, Nigeria, London, etc. Promoting excellent, sacrosanct principles is the way to go indeed. These precepts relate to honor, racial justice, moral integrity, and righteousness in general. We don't need to act like Trump, who has disparage war veterans, black people, women, and other human beings who disagree with him. We should always be humble regardless of the situation that we have in our own lives. We ought to never give up.

There are numerous people, who are blind and exist with various situations, in the world who have create magnanimous achievements form making inventions to forming great institutions for social change. Culture is diverse, and popular culture in the mainstream level has caused numerous multinational corporations to earn billions of dollars yearly. Culture is not just about music. It can encompass family customs, art, language, dance, theater, movies, spirituality, and other facets of human living. That is why it is true that hip hop is more than a musical artform. It is a culture that deals with Djing, graffiti, dance, sound systems, and rhythm revolving around lyricism. We know of the scandals and the distractions found in popular culture. We know how much of popular culture has been infiltrated by the military industrial complex as proven by even mainstream books. The point is that we must always show the light of truth in this time always. This work is not just about exposing evil people, and we know who they are. Legends like Diahann Carroll, Nina Simone, Ruby Dee, Ossie David, Paul Robeson, and others will be honored here as well. A lot of anniversaries are coming up in 2020, and the same inspiration (for justice and tranquility) is still found in my heart. The struggle continues, but right is in our side. Bravery is important in this time. Some people are afraid of speaking the truth, because they don't want to lose popularity. Yet, showing the truth is more important than popularity. Therefore, we are all in this journey of life to help people, inspire change, and to stand up for justice.

The Godfather of Harlem

The Godfather of Harlem TV series is historic in many ways. It is like a prequel to the movie of American Gangster from 2007. It premiered on September 29, 2019 on Epix. The series follows the life of Bumpy Johnson during the early 1960’s New York City. Back then, the Cold War was in its peak. The economic situation in America dealt with a dual reality. While many people were rich and had financial growth, poorer Americans were struggling to survive. Many African Americans saw Jim Crow in the South and the Midwest. In the North including the West, where Jim Crow was mostly gone, black Americans still faced discrimination, redlining, economic exploitation, urban renewal, and police brutality. By this time, Malcolm X was a leader of the black freedom struggle. Malcolm X was a member of the Black Nationalist group of the Nation of Islam, which appealed to poorer and working class black people mostly. Also, Malcolm X and Bumpy Johnson were friends. Later, when many people threatened Malcolm X after him leaving the Nation of Islam, Bumpy Johnson offered Malcolm X protection. Malcolm X refused, because he didn’t want black people killing black people. Bumpy Johnson is the sole reason why many people (who threatened Malcolm X) are alive today.  Forest Whitaker stars as Bumpy Johnson. The series has a prominent cast with Ifenesh Hadera playing Mayme Johnson (Bumpy’s wife), Antoinette Crowe-Legacy as Elise Johnson (or Bumpy’s daughter), Nigel Thatch (playing Malcolm X), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (as Teddy Greene, a musician and Stella’s boyfriend), Rafi Gavron (Ernie Nunzi or a violent associate of Vincent’s), Lucy Fry (as Stella Gigante, Vincent’s daughter and Teddy’s girlfriend), Vincent D’Onofrio (as Vincent Gigante), and Giancario Esposito (playing Adam Clayton Powell Jr.), other characters like Muhammad Ali is played by Deric Augustine and Clifton Davis plays Elijah Muhammad. The Nation of Islam back then wanted black separation from white society. Their structure was very conservative in clothing and their dogmas. Jazmine Sullivan plays Mary Wells and Aloe Blacc plays Leonard or a friend of Stella’s. The show was written by Paul Eckstein and Moise Verneaux. The series also deals with the relationship of Bumpy Johnson and the Mafia. The Mafia has worked in gambling for generations, and Bumpy Johnson wants his piece of the action. Bumpy Johnson wants power while not being totally intimidated by outside influences.

By the early 1960’s, Harlem was in a unique space. There was the dual society of crime and the political atmosphere of a fight against racial injustice. Malcolm X had a huge legacy for black Americans and humanity. By 1963, Malcolm X was one of the prominent leaders in the Nation of Islam. Yet, Malcolm X was different than other NOI leaders. Malcolm X not only trained FOI members in self-defense. He was increasingly becoming political. He fought police brutality in NYC (in defending NOI member Johnson Hinton) and Los Angeles (in opposing the unjust murder of Robert Stokes). He participated in rights for renters.  Malcolm X’s strength was that he didn’t sugarcoat the hypocrisies of American society when that society was claiming to be for democracy but treating black Americans as second class citizens. That inspired a new generation of black people to express in public what many of us were thinking in private. Malcolm X promoted the beauty of Blackness. Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the NOI during the 1960’s. Malcolm X wanted to go more in the political world in trying to solve problems, while Elijah Muhammad was mostly apolitical. This along with the FBI infiltrating people caused the rift by the end of 1963 between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X wanted the Third World revolutions overseas to be a catalyst to confront the Western international forces oppressing people in the world. Malcolm X was critical of not only white racists but of the moderate faction of the civil rights movement (made up heavily of the black bourgeoisie that seek no revolutionary change in the eyes of Malcolm X. Many of these black bourgeoisie people are members of the Boule) for the following reasons: Malcolm X believed in self-defense, he viewed them as being infiltrated by Democrats which included segregationists back then, and he wanted black independence instead of integration back in 1963. Malcolm X criticized the 1963 March on Washington as stifling black revolution.

Just before his hajj, Malcolm X gave the following words in an interview with jazz critic A.B. Spellman on March 19, 1964 in favor of self-defense:

"...In Birmingham, since the government has proven itself either unable or unwilling to step in and find those who are guilty and bring them to justice, it becomes necessary for the so-called Negro who was the victim to do this himself, and he would be upholding his constitutional rights by so doing, and Article 2 of the constitution—it says concerning the right to bear arms in the Bill of Rights: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Negroes don’t realize this, that they are within their constitutional rights to own a rifle, to own a shotgun, and when the bigoted white supremacists realize that they are dealing with Negroes who are ready to give their lives in defense of life and property, then these bigoted whites will change their whole strategy and their whole attitude..."

"...I mean just that. Whatever is necessary. This does not mean that we should go out and initiate acts of aggression indiscriminately in the white community. But it does mean that, if we are going to be respected as human beings, we should reserve the right to defend ourselves by whatever means necessary. This is recognized and accepted in any civilized society...."

-Malcolm X in 1965. 

Malcolm X appealed to heavily Northern black people who wanted an end to housing discrimination, police terrorism, troubling schools, and other issues. By the end of 1963, Malcolm X was suspended from the Nation of Islam (after he made a comment about President John F. Kennedy), he left it in 1964, and he was assassinated in 1965. From 1964 to 1965, Malcolm X became more revolutionary, he criticized capitalism, he promoted Pan-African unity, and he wanted the U.S. government to be brought up on charges of violations to the rights of African Americans via the United Nations. He wanted a more international approach in ending injustices. Malcolm X criticized imperialism. So, the Godfather of Harlem TV series should motivate anyone to learn, to listen to the voices of the past, to be inspired, and to make great,comprehensive changes that are still needed in our generation.

Just Mercy

Just Mercy is a 2019 film that deals with the criminal justice system. It stars many people like Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Lawson, Rob Morgan, Rafe Spall, and other people.  The story is about the true story of Walter McMillian, who was once falsely convicted for murder of a white woman. The defense attorney Bryan Stevenson appeals his murder conviction and helps to free Walter McMillian. The film is based on the memoir of the same name, which was written by Bryan Stevenson. Destin Daniel Cretton directed the movie. Michael B. Jordan, Gil Netter, and Asher Goldstein produced the movie. The screenplay was created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Lanham. The film had its first world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2019. It was released theatrically on December 25, 2019 by Warner Brothers Pictures. Many critics positively reviewed the film, and Jamie Foxx has a nomination at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.  The film has already won two African American Film Critics Association awards and an Award from the National Board of Review. The movie shows Bryan Stevenson and his allies sacrificing their time and in many cases their lives to fight for an innocent man to be finally released from prison. Bryan immediately finds tons of evidence that proves that Walter is innocent of any murder. The movie is very emotional, because there are many innocent black men and black women in prison now. The film has the lawyer talking to Walter's family.

Also, Bryan Stevenson continues to be an activist to fight for justice involving criminal justice issues. He is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. The EJI said that one out of every 10 men on death row is innocent. That is why the death penalty is so controversial, and many nations already ban it. America has never banned the death penalty nationwide in decades. The black community, for years and decades, has told the world about many of the unfairness found in the legal system. Not too many people have heard us. It is only recently when more and more people, from across the political spectrum, do acknowledge how unfair the criminal justice is and want something done about it. Brie Lawson plays Stevenson’s ally Eva Ansley. The movie talks place in the rural South of 1980. Karan Kendrick plays Walter’s wife named Minnie McMillian. Bryan Stevenson wanted the movie to be used as a call to action. This action is what most Americans want and what most people in the world desire. We don’t want innocent people to be murdered. We don’t want the War on Drugs ruining the lives of so many black and brown people in the States. We certainly don’t want the status quo. The system doesn’t just need some changes. It needs a complete overhaul in order for justice for all to ring true for real. This is a serious deal, and the movie Just Mercy makes that point very clear.

Disney Plus

Disney Plus is a recent American subscription video on demand streaming service. It is owned by the Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced by The Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Television, with the service advertising content from Disney's Marvel, National Geographic, Pixar, and Star Wars brands in particular. Original films and television series are also distributed on Disney+, with ten films and seven series having been produced for the platform as of November 2019. Serving adjacent to Disney's other streaming platforms – the general programming-oriented Hulu and the sports-oriented ESPN+ – Disney+ focuses on "family-oriented entertainment", and does not feature R-rated films or TV-MA-rated programming. It serves America, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and Puerto Rico. It will come into European nations by March of 2020. It will expand into Latin America by late 2020 and early 2021. Alterations made to The Simpsons and Gravity Falls also attracted media attention. Within its first day of operation, Disney+ earned 10 million subscribers. Such a plan has been proposed since 2016. Disney acquired much of 21st Century FOX. Disney Plus is mainly about family friendly programming. There will be original scripted content too based on Marvel properties and Star Wars.  Disney+ is available for streaming via web browsers on PCs, as well as apps on Apple iOS devices and Apple TV, Android mobile devices and Android TV, Amazon devices such as Fire TV and Fire HD, Chromecast, Chromebook, Samsung smart TVs, LG smart TVs, Roku devices, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows 10. Content available on Disney+ is also listed in the Apple TV app.

 

Harriet

Harriet Tubman was one of the greatest black heroes in history. She rescued tons of black enslaved people and caused many to experience a much better life. She traveled to Philadelphia and Canada to organize the movement for freedom. She was not only an abolitionist leader. She led a group of Union soldiers to fight the Confederate enemy during the U.S. Civil War. Therefore, as an African American, the real story of Harriet Tubman is very personal to me. The Harriet movie has sparked debates and discussions. Many people have praised the movie, and some have abhorred it for various reasons. You already know my views of this movie. Regardless, I will show what the movie got right, what it got wrong, and my view of the film overall. First, the actress who portrayed Harriet is a young Afro-British woman named Cynthia Erivo. She is a gorgeous Sister, and she works in fitness, theater, and other forms of acting. She has extensive acting experience. The problem isn’t her qualifications for acting or her nationality. I have no issues with Afro-British people (of Nigerian descent) portraying African American icons. I also reject the views of the ADOS movement, because it promotes xenophobia against non-African American black people, it uses generalizations, and many of their leaders advance lies (and some of them are funded by white nationalist, anti-immigrant organizations). The problem is that Cynthia Erivo made inappropriate, problematic statements about African Americans that she hasn’t apologized for. Erivo made a tweet that she claimed that she repeated a song in which she mocked African American accents as “ghetto.” Her tweet mocked the words of black African Americans. If a white man used that tweet, he would rightfully be condemned as racist.  Cynthia allied with Luvvie (who is a woman who is known to disparage African Americans constantly. Luvvie made the bigoted comment that: “…Adele sings like she composed all Negro spirituals that led slaves to freedom. She was Harriet Tubman’s producer in a past life. For real...”). It is one thing to make bad statements and issue a sincere apology for them. It is quite another that she hasn’t apologized for them. If she made similar statements about Latino people, LBGTQ people, or Jewish people, there is no way that she would gotten away with them without an explicit apology. Cynthia Erivo just needs to apologize to African American people and especially repudiate the views of Luvvie. The movie was directed by Kasi Lemmons. It was produced by Debra Chase, Daniela Lundberg, and Gregory Allen Howard. Gregory Howard and Kasi Lemmons made the screenplay. Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwayn, Janelle Monae, and other actors plus actresses were in the film. The film accurately showed the journey of freedom fighters helping people.

It outlined the diversity of the abolitionist movement. Many parts of the film are inspirational. The movie showed the courage of escaping slaves, the black Union soldiers, and the abolitionist leaders. It has accurately shown how black ship workers have worked to free people from bondage. The issue is that the Harriet movie in many cases downplays Harriet Tubman’s militancy, and it showed overly inaccurate statements. This is beyond artistic license. This is straight up made up slander against the life of Harriet Tubman. The movie invents the character called Bigger Long (which never existed in history) that kills one black woman and brutally assaults Harriet Tubman. Bigger Long perpetrates the black male brute stereotype that is about a black male being profane, angry, and lusting after white women. Bigger Long is killed by the slave owner. There is controversy on whether the slave owner is portrayed as a white savior or not. Kasi Lemmons denies this. Regardless, the slave owner is shown as equivalent morally to the character Bigger Long. That is clear irrespective of the spin from Harriet film proponents. The truth is that there is no evidence that there were thousands of black slave catchers running around in America during the 19th century. There is no evidence of a slave catcher being black trying to kidnap Harriet Tubman. Many slave states banned black people from owning guns. Also, the slave owner wants a phony friendship with Harriet in the film which never existed historically at all. These parts of the film made many people not want to watch it with their money.

"I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”

-Harriet Tubman at a suffrage convention, in NY on 1896.

It sends the wrong message of anti-historical narrative, false stereotypes, and tensions between men and women. Some folks get the lie first before the they witness the real truth. It is not shocking that Roland Martin (who uses profanity against those with critiques of the movie), Michael Eric Dyson, and others support that historically inaccurate movie. Many of the people who support the film are part of the liberal establishment, some Boule members, some Links members, and those of the corporate establishment. Therefore, the Harriet Tubman movie is a sophisticated propaganda film that lies on Harriet Tubman’s life, unfairly made up a character that vilifies black men, sugarcoats the viciousness of white slave owners, and slams the militancy of the black freedom movement in general. Harriet Tubman deserves much better than this. The real story of Harriet Tubman is clear. She was a political activist. She saved dozens of lives. She worked with John Brown on his raid on Harpers Ferry. She fought Confederates. She believed in women’s suffrage. She was a victim of assault on her head. She followed the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. She helped elderly black people. Harriet Tubman loved black men, black women, and black people. She married Nelson Charles Davis (who was a black man) in a loving marriage. These things aren’t shown in that movie Harriet, because the power of Black Love and black revolutionary activism are too taboo for some in that industry to embrace. Like always, Black Love is Beautiful, and Black Love is a Revolutionary Act. A black man and a black woman loving each other and loving their black children is glorious indeed.

Rest in Power Sister Harriet Tubman.

The Irishman

The movie The Irishman has been released in 2019. It has been given praise and controversy over its history. One positive thing about the movie is that it should give more people to take the time to research the events of Cold War era involving the mid to early late 20th century. The movie was directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, who used his merit to be one of the greatest directors of all time. It was written by Steven Zaillian. The film was based on the book from 2004 entitled, “I Head You Paint Houses,” by Charles Brandt. The movie goes into the theory on how one named Frank Sheeran killed the labor leader Jimmy Hoffa.  It stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, with Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jesse Plemons, and Harvey Keitel in supporting roles. The film follows Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a truck driver who becomes a hitman and gets involved with mobster Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and his crime family, including his time working for the powerful Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). The film’s composition stretches decades of American history. Critics have praised its storyline, character development, and many of its scenes. First, it is important to give a summary of what the film is all about and then give historical analysis of that time period second. The Irishman had its world premiere at the 57th New York Film Festival on September 27, 2019, and began a limited theatrical release on November 1, 2019, to be followed by digital streaming on Netflix on November 27, 2019. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with major praise drawn towards Scorsese's direction and the performances of De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci. The Irishman started with an elderly Frank Sheeran (a World War II veteran) in a nursing home. He sits on a wheelchair. He tells his story about being a mafia hitman. Sheeran drove meat packing delivery trucks during the 1950’s at Pennsylvania. He sold some of the local product to a local gangster. He was accused of theft, and the lawyer Bill Bufalino gets him off. Bufalino introduces Sheeran to his cousin Russell, the head of the northeast Pennsylvania crime family. Sheeran begins to do jobs for Russell, including murders. Soon, Russell introduces Sheeran to Jimmy Hoffa, the head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who has financial ties with the Bufalino crime family and is struggling to deal with fellow rising Teamster Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano, as well as mounting pressure from the federal government.

Sheeran become Hoffa’s main bodyguard when he’s on the road. Sheeran is close to Hoffa’s family including his daughter Peggy. The movie showed the 1960 election of John F. Kennedy. Bufalino is happy while Hoffa is angry. The reason was that Robert Kennedy was Attorney General, and RFK tries to get Hoffa on many charges. Hoffa was arrested in 1964 for jury tampering. While in prison, his replacement atop the Teamsters Frank Fitzsimmons begins overspending the groups' funds and making loans out to the mafia. Hoffa's relationship with Provenzano, who was himself arrested for extortion, also deteriorates beyond repair. Hoffa is eventually released via a Presidential pardon from Richard Nixon in 1971, although he is forbidden from taking part in any Teamsters activities until 1980. Hoffa still wants to head the Teamsters as soon as possible after being released from prison. Hoffa's growing disrespect for other Teamster leaders and related crime family interests begins to worry Bufalino. During a testimonial dinner in Sheeran's honor, Bufalino tells Sheeran to confront Hoffa and warn him that the heads of the crime families are not pleased with his behavior. Hoffa then discloses to Sheeran that he "knows things" that Bufalino and the other dons don't know, and further claims that he is untouchable because if anything ever happened to him, they would all end up in prison. Russell tells Sheeran in the movie that Hoffa’s death has been sanctioned.

This was in 1975 when they were on their way to the wedding of Bill Bufalino’s daughter. Sheeran goes to Detroit. He tells Hoffa that he will be in town early in the day. He only arrives late in the afternoon. Hoffa has a scheduled meeting at a local diner with Provenzano and Anthony Giacalone, is surprised to see Sheeran arriving in a car with Hoffa's foster son Chuckie O'Brien and Sal Briguglio, another gangster. They advise Hoffa that the meeting was moved to a house where Provenzano and Bufalino are waiting for them. Sheeran assures Hoffa that everything is fine and joins them in the car. Upon entering the house, Hoffa is surprised to realize that no one else is there and that he is being set up. Hoffa turns to caution Sheeran, who then shoots him twice at point-blank range before leaving the gun and the body at the entrance. After Sheeran leaves, two younger gangsters arrive to take Hoffa's body to a crematorium to eliminate all traces of him.

Sheeran, Russell, Provenzano and others are eventually convicted on various charges unrelated to Hoffa's murder as promised by Hoffa, and one by one they begin to die in prison. Sheeran is eventually released and placed in a retirement home. He tries to make peace with his alienated daughters, but Peggy never forgives him for Hoffa's disappearance. Sheeran prepares for his eventual death, well aware that few if any of his family will be left to mourn him. The film project started as early as the 2000’s. The filming took place in New York City and Long Island. CGI was used to make characters look younger. The Irishman has tons of acclaim by journalists, actors, actresses, and the film industry in general. It has already won the Chicago International Film Festival’s Founder’s Awards on October 25, 2019 and the Hollywood Film Awards in 2019, etc. The film isn’t perfect historically. There is no evidence that Sheeran was involved in the murder of Jimmy Hoffa and there is no evidence that he was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy (as Sheeran has claimed in Charles Brandt’s book). It is true that RFK and Hoffa didn’t like each other as RFK accused Hoffa of being Mafia infiltrated. It is also true that Hoffa was friendly with many members of Organized Crime. He worked with Mafia leader Tony Provenzano to lead some local unions. Hoffa allowed the Mafia to borrow money form the Teamster pension fund to build gambling casinos in Las Vegas. So, the book and movie implies that the Mafia had a leadership role in the death of JFK. There has been no conclusive evidence that the Knight of Malta Joseph Kennedy was a bootlegger with the Mafia and made a deal with them in trying to get JFK elected President in 1960.

It is true that Robert Kennedy was on a serious mission to attack Cosa Nostra legally. The actual movie is three and a half hours, so it’s very long. In real life, Hoffa did try to ally with Nixon, and Nixon later pardoned him. Nixon tricked Hoffa in pardoning him by not making him run for the head of the Teamsters until 1980. While much of the film has been debated on its accuracy, it is true that organized crime did infiltrate much of the labor movement (and the Mafia worked with many people in government during the 20th century from fighting Nazis to other events). Back then, Hoffa was one of the most powerful men in the labor movement. He was the President of the Teamsters in 1957. Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, 1/3 of all American workers were in a union. Russell Bufalino in real life was born in Sicily in 1902. He later became a powerful mafia figure in America. RFK didn’t like Hoffa and said the following words about him: “On my way home I thought of how often Hoffa had said he was tough; that he destroyed employers, hated policemen, and broke those who stood in his way…When a grown man sat for an evening and talked continuously about his toughness, I could only conclude that he was a bully hiding behind a facade.” Jimmy Hoffa’s death reminds a mystery, but the film The Irishman serves as a way for people to research, to inquire, and to recognize that life is about you doing the right thing in helping people (not allying with the evil found in organized crime). People have to learns lesson in life.

Tekashi and Opposing Evil

December 18, 2019 was a day when the degenerate Tekashi was sentenced to only 2 years in prison for racketeering (including firearms and drug trafficking charges) after flipping on gang associates. He and his Blood gang nine Trey member associates have reaped terror in our communities, mostly against black people in New York City, and throughout America. That crew have assaulted people and caused a lot of evil. Many people criticize Tekashi for snitching, but that isn't the total issue. The real issue is that this person is a grown man, and people are treating him with kid gloves like he is a child. If a black person did one third of what he or Tekashi did, he or she would face life in prison. This person Tekashi make it his business to call black people the n word with a at the end of it (when he's a non-black person. Any black person who tolerates a non-black person calling him or her the n word is a traitor), he made it his duty to allow the abuse of a minor in front of his face, and he made it his duty to work with other criminals (like Anthony Ellison and Ajermiah Mack, Kifano Jordan, and others) to harm others. Therefore, this story is a lesson that harm to innocent people has no place in the world. Hip hop culture is part of black people. It came from the griots in West Africa, from the toasters of Jamaica, from funk, from disco, and from spoken word poets like the Last Poets. This is our music and our culture, and I have no fear of anything but the Most High.

When you have corporate sponsors monopolizing music and allow trash music from Tekashi and others to flourish until something real goes down, it shows that these multinational corporations don't give a single care (I can use other language here, and we know what that language is) about the people. They care about profit even if people die unfortunately. This piece of work Tekashi (whose real name is Daniel Hernandez) only gets 2 years, 300 hours of community service, and he could be released in November of 2020. He worked with a vicious gang in NYC who has done massive evils which is not representative of all people in hip hop. Many people in hip hop (who are in many colors and backgrounds) are positive and have progressive insights on issues. Tekashi worked with the feds and cooperated to allow others to go into prison. Today, we will choose to promote life and reject wickedness.

I decided to do this, because truth matters. Some people (even some of my own people) just worship this male. It's time to set the record straight. For years, Eminem has been praised as a genius and even the GOAT (which is very false and silly. Black Thought, Rakim, Canibus, K-rino etc. are better lyricists and hip hop artists than Em). We should never let many people guilt us into not critiquing Eminem. No one is immune from legitimate critique from time to time. Many black artists are paid to praise Eminem in order to maintain industry contacts and money. I dedicate these words to excellent black artists who stood the test of time like Paul Robeson, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Tammi Terrell, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Jam Master Jay, and others. In Em's song Lose It, he mocked MC Hammer and Michael Jackson. There is no way that a white artist would make a video where he or she would vomit on the Beatles or Elvis Presley in a skit. Eminem lied about Lauryn Hill in 1999 and falsely accused her to be racist. He never apologized for that. Ironically, he made the song Foolish Pride where he disrespected black women.

Also, he made other records where Eminem made old school racist slurs about black people. Lauryn Hill said that she made music for young black youth and her music is universal. She said nothing about white people and records. Many of Eminem's greatest supporters are ironically hypocrites like 50 Cent who claim to be tough but when Chelsea talked to him like a dog, he didn't doing anything about it (but 50 Cent makes it his business to target mostly black people from Oprah to Taraji Henson). Rapper Choas Kid (or James Deal) said that Eminem tried to cover up other racist records. This is a guy (Eminem) who is celebrated by many for making records (during the 1990's and into the 21st century) about fantasies about doing evil things to his ex-girlfriend, his mother, and in Columbine. That has nothing to do with real hip hop or real righteousness at all. When you show this truth, some folks act like what Gabrielle Union called the "happy Negro" and say like "we can't go against the Master." Sorry, we're grown here. Mariah Carey has always denied having any romantic relations with Eminem, but Em made a vulgar song disrespecting her. I don't agree with Nick's contradictions (I don't agree with Nick Cannon saying that black men should lust after white women), but at least Nick was man enough to defend his then wife. Isn't it ironic that Nick Cannon has more courage to stand up to Eminem when other artists are afraid. We can criticize Nick Cannon's problematic statements about black people and Eminem's actions at the same time. Eminem has targeted pop stars, rappers under investigation by the feds, and other targets that he has deemed safe. He even admitted that he is like Elvis in using black music to make himself wealthy. Real men don't beef with women in calling women in vulgar terms (that goes to any musician not just Eminem).

Real men don't rap about fantasizing raping women or denigrating women. Interscope finances Eminem too. He isn't from Detroit. He is from Missouri. He moved into Warren, Michigan. He calls himself a rap God when no white man is God. I believe we are in a time of discernment. You can't ignore the truth. We have discernment, and we will use it. This person had insecurities as a youth who wanted to be accepted by folks. Later, he choose to go into hip hop as a means for him to gain some notoriety. Character matters. A person with messed up character is a person who is wrong. This is the person who promotes total degeneracy, and we have the right to oppose such evils. Some black people have to get over their fears of this false white god and speak truth to power. Another vulture is Post Malone. We have to call it as we see it.

The SYSBM (or the Save yourself Black man) movement is not only an anti-black woman movement. It's a nefarious movement. Any black male who makes it his duty to bash black women constantly and demonizes black people has reprehensible character. I love a black woman's personality,  talk,  physical appearance, and a black woman's total being. I am a black man. Oshay and others don't shock me being part of this movement. There are tons of Sisters with great character, great wisdom, and exceptional social skills. That pro-MGOTW agenda is anti-black, and it perpetrates the contrived gender war nonsense. No one respects a traitor. How are trying trying to save themselves when you can't save yourself without the unity of a black woman?

How can they claim to honor black men when they don't want their descendants to be filled with black men and black women? Their contradictions and anti-woman generalizations are evil. Non-BW (who date such males) see their desperation and have no respect for them, but they view them as objects. Tommy Sotomayor is just an overt traitor and wicked person. That type of sick movement ignores health matters, Fukishima, building, and other important issues. Passports don't mean that someone is free as anti-black racism is global in scope. The whole MGOTW clique are filled with suspect people who try to mimic the degeneracy, the selfishness, and the hatred of women that white racists have. These cowards target their most important ally (the black women) instead of their real enemy (white racists and their allies).

Snoop apologizing was an important moment. He should have apologized, because no one should call a black woman out of her name or any woman. We can disagree with Gayle's comments as adults without that language. Snoop needs to realize that the gatekeepers, the establishment, and members of the black bourgeoisie don't care about the masses of black people collectively. They are funded by corporate power. They are backed by the elites. Therefore, they want to exploit any controversy in order to try to divide the black community on complexion as colorism is evil, on sex, on class, on nationality (as the bigoted ADOS & FBA movements disgracefully do), etc. Also, I think that Susan Rice should apologize for saying that she has an army and Snoop will lose badly. Gayle is wrong, because she interviewed Lisa Leslie, and she has nothing to do with the scandal. Lisa Leslie disagreed with Gayle. Also, Gayle showed a lack of empathy to the grieving Bryant family by interviewing Leslie. Lisa Leslie was a victim of a biased campaign, and Lisa Leslie didn't take the bait. Some people want Gayle to apologize to the Bryant family, and I'm not mad at them. Gayle wanted to attack Kobe's legacy, because she believes that he committed the evil crime of rape. That is the issue. Snoop responded in the wrong way, but Gayle had an agenda in the first place. Roland should apologize for him cursing Vicki Dilliard out over this issue.

Gayle also supports Charlie Rose when over 20 women have accused him of sexual misconduct. Gayle King has never interviewed Leslie Moonves, Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, or Bill O'Reilly (on their scandals, and these are all living males) because of the obvious reason. So, some of these journalists embrace hypocrisy. In this controversy, we shouldn't take the bait. We shouldn't made idols out of celebrities or mainstream journalists since they aren't infallible. We have to call out evil, do good, and advance real Black Unity. The vast majority of the black people I know don't agree with Gayle King's tactics. America has treated black men and black women harshly for over four centuries. Joe Scarborough (who doesn't like progressive views like that. He is silent on Sandra Bland, Aiyana Jones, and other people who were murdered by the police or died in mysterious circumstances. Joe didn't have the same energy to his MSNBC co-worker Allison Morris when she called the Lakers a derogatory word) is a hypocrite, because he is a Reagan conservative masquerading as he cares about us. I'm not apologizing for being pro-Black or pro-Black Love.

Queen and Slim

Queen and Slim is a very powerful film in many ways. It talks about life, black love, crime, police brutality, and other issues. It also refutes colorism when both of the leading characters are dark skinned black people who have unconditional love for each other in a passionate, unapologetic way. This film was directed by Melina Matsoukas in her feature directional debut. The screenplay was created by Lena Waithe from a story by Waithe and James Frey. The leading actor and actress in the movie are Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith. Other people in the film include Chloe Seigny, Flea, Bokeem Woodbine, and Indya Moore. It is more than a Bonne and Clyde vibe. It is about two people struggling to survive in an imperfect world. The film starts when the couple goes on a first date. Slim is totally not taken seriously at first by Queen. In fact, Queen acts more as a leader than Slim. At times, Slim is disrespected by Queen in the movie. A police officer pulls them over for a minor traffic violation. Later, Slim takes the officer’s gun and shoots him in self-defense. Soon, the couple is labeled as “cop killers” by the media. Slim and Queen feel that they have no choice but to leave and go on the run. They try to evade the law. One video is released of the incident, and the couple represents the trauma, terror, and pain plus grief of people nationwide. We know pain first hand. The movie is a metaphor for all oppressed people. Oppressed people are readily treated as guilty until proven innocent by mainstream society. That is why legal and health disparities are real not only in America but worldwide. We know of the statistics. Black lives always matter. The lesson of the movie is that life will be complex and filled with nuisance. That is why you have to do what is right, but we have to know what people are coming from in dealing with complex life circumstances too.

Jeffrey Epstein

The life of Jeffrey Epstein refutes the lie that there is no network of super rich pedophiles and abusers who are around in the world. He is the living representation of how oligarchical power is ever real. Evil must always be condemned and opposed. The victims of Epstein’s abuse have courageously stood up to speak their truths and to defend honor. Right now, Epstein died in prison and is physically gone from this Earth. His wicked life is known by many people. Yet, we have to evaluate his life in order to be aware about abuse of innocent people. Abuse must always be resisted at every turn. Jeffrey Epstein died mysteriously in a maximum security prison. We know that 2 prison guards are taking the blame for it, but there is a dispute on how he died.  Some believe that Jeffrey Epstein died as result of him committing suicide, while others believed that others killed him (and a subsequent cover up transpired). We know many facts now. We know that the two cameras filming the jail cell of Jeffrey Epstein at the time of his death were broken. The recordings were deemed “unusable” by authorities. Two guards have been accused of sleeping through scheduled checks on Epstein and falsified records. The French person Jean-Luc Brunel disappeared when she was suspected to be Epstein’s sex trafficking pipeline in Paris. The Epstein Island location has been shown by a drone device. The island of Little Saint James was a site of the actions of many powerful people. Before his death, the FBI raided many locations in trying to find evidence. The strange temple at the Epstein Island had a golden dome and cockatrice in 2017. These items on the Temple are now gone. The Temple has the initials of JE on it meaning Jeffery Epstein. The same initials are found on the door of Epstein’s NYC mansion. There were found many mattresses and scaffolding in the Temple. There is a bookshelf, an ornamental column, and some wring. Pillars are found in Masonic symbolism. The column is twisted. Such columns are found in Renaissance art and the story of the Solomon Temple (with the pillars of Jachin and Boaz). August 12th, 2019 was the time when the FBI raided Epstein's Island location. When a drone was film FBI agents, they covered up the window.  Epstein was in the strictest prison in America called the Metropolitan Correction Center in Manhattan, NYC. He was also on suicide watch. The death of Epstein keeps more of the crimes of the political and social elites withdrawn from the public. Ghislaine Maxwell worked with Epstein, and she has denied any allegation of wrongdoing. Epstein was a convicted sex offender.

He worked at Bear Stearns before creating his own firm. Jeffrey Epstein abused women and underaged girls. Many of his contacts abused people too. His death was on August 10, 2019. Epstein had many cameras on his properties to allegedly record sexual activity with underage girls by many super rich people for criminal purposes like blackmail. Maxwell admitted that Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Islands was wired for video. Police officers found 2 hidden cameras in his Palm Beach home. Epstein admitted that he had dirt on powerful people about their sexual actions and recreational drug use to a New York Times reporter in 2018. Epstein was a friend to Prince Andrew (who has been accused by many women of abuse. Prince Andrew has denied all allegations of sexual abuse) and Tom Barrrack. Jeffrey Epstein has attended parties with people like Bill Clinton, George Stephanopoulos, Donald Trump, Katie Couric, Woody Allen, and Harvey Weinstein. He contacted the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds, Ehud Barack, Alex Baldwin, and other people. His nicknamed Lolita Express plane had many rich people on board. Lolita is a name referring to a movie about an adult pedophile exploiting a young girl. Clinton is innocent of any allegation of sex trafficking, but Trump has been accused of rape, harassment, and sexual abuse by women for years. Trump has known Epstein for years. We know that it is much more than one man who was involved in the crimes of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other evils. Yet, many of Epstein’s victims are fighting for justice continuously. We always express empathy and sympathy to any victim of abuse.

Joker

The 2019 Joker film has many meanings. It didn’t portray the Joker as a villain, but a more sympathetic anti-hero character. The Joker is played by Joaquin Phoenix. The film gives the origin of the Joker and outlines why he acted the way he acted. The film is set in 1981. It was directed and produced by Todd Phillips. The screenplay was written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver. This is part of the DC Comics entity. The movie is about the life of Arthur Fleck. He fails as a stand-up comedian. Later, he develops severe mental illness and inspires a violent counter-cultural revolution against the wealthy. The whole scene is based on Gotham City. The actors and actresses in the film include Robert DeNiro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Controy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron. It has been controversial as some believe the film glamorizes terrorism. The movie mixes truth with error. It shows the truth about the immorality of capitalist exploitation, human dehumanization, and the status quo harming the lives of so many people including those who are deemed "the outcasts" of society. I disagree with parts of the movie outlining the view that nihilistic violence (instead of nonviolence and self-defense) is a legitimate way to solve problems. Nihilistic violence doesn’t work, because the state will just use that as a justification to ironically pass more draconian, anti-liberty laws. Also, it is morally wrong to destroy innocent human life. Phillips was inspired by the characters found in the King of Comedy film and Taxi Driver. The graphic novel: Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) was the basis for the film too. The film was shot in NYC, Jersey City, and Newark. Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and was released in the United States on October 4, 2019. The movie is emotional. The movie describes Arthur Fleck as living with his mother and struggling in Gotham’s City. The community is poor and crime is abundant. Class oppression is real. Arthur is harmed by people. He gets a gun for protection. The single mother Sophie (played by Zazie Beetz) dates him. He is fired for having a gun. He defends a woman being harassed by three businessmen from Wayne Enterprises. People support Arthur. Arthur passionately said that society abandons the disenfranchised.

He shot Murray (who is a talk show host), and riots take place in Gotham. Rioters in an ambulance crash into the police car and free Arthur. He smears blood on his face in the form of a smile and dances to the cheers of the crowd. At Arkham, Arthur laughs to himself about a joke and tells his psychiatrist she would not understand it. He runs from orderlies, leaving a trail of bloodied footprints. As of December 13, 2019, Joker has grossed $332.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $724.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.057 billion. It is the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2019 and the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, as well as the first R-rated film to pass the billion-dollar mark. In terms of budget-to-gross ratio, Joker is also the most profitable film based on a comic book, due to its small budget and little decline in week-to-week grosses during its theatrical run.

The Joker film is popular in part, because it is a reflection of the complex issues in America plus the world that we have to deal with. There are mental health issues, abuse, crime, economic exploitation, bullying, and other realities. I don’t think that the film glamorizes mass shootings. We can take the Joker as a means to deal with society’s ills, so people won’t act like The Joker character to begin with.  In other words, mental health programs, charities, job programs, and treating people right make sense in helping those who feel neglected by society. The movie does make an accurate point that American austerity and lack of respect for those with mental health issues is completely wrong. I don’t agree with nearly sympathizing with a nihilistic person though. I don’t believe that the movie will promote copycat murderers either. Some in the mass media don’t like the film, but you have to analyze information critically. We should oppose oligarchy, injustice, and corporate media propaganda. The Joker is a mirror to how modern society is. We can take the Joker for what it is. It’s a cautionary tale and a lesson about how the Golden Rule can save lives literally.

The Report

The Report is movie that exposes the CIA torture program during the war on terror. The movie was directed by Scott Z. Burns. The U.S. Senate Intelligence Community investigated corruption and wrote a report on widespread CIA torture under the Bush administration. The report involved dealing with millions of pages of reports. It involved cables and other evidence. It was completed in three years. July 2012 was the time when it was finished. The CIA used actions to obstruct the release of the report. It was on April 2014 when the Intelligence Committee voted to publish a version of the executive summary and findings. It was made to the public on December 2014 after eight more months of efforts to suppress or sugarcoat the findings of the report. The original 5,700 page report remains unpublished to this day. Much of the report is blocked by the CIA and the U.S. political establishment for so-called, “national security” reasons. Even the public got to see the evil, sadistic methods of the CIA via American imperialism to harm human lives. Both parties are complicit in many policies of the war on terror not just the Republicans. The movie showed Dan Jones (played by Adam Driver) as the principal author of the report. He worked for the Intelligence Community, and he just left the FBI. Dianne Feinstein (played by Annette Being) task him with leading an investigation into the CIA’s use of torture after the 9/11 attacks. The research will last six years into the initial report come by 2009. Jones and his team find that at least 119 people would be abused by enhanced interrogation techniques via the CIA.

This is contrary to the CIA’s claims that a number of individuals involved in EIT were less than 100. The CIA uses 2 outside contractors. These victims of torture deal with sleep deprivation, shackled above the head, cold showers, mock executions, vulgar feedings, etc. One of the operatives is known as Bernadette played by Maura Tierney. Some believe this is based on now CIA Director Gina Haspel. The Report movies showed intensive torture. John Yoo is played by Pun Bandhu. John Yoo wrote the torture memos that justify ETIs. Jones said that the CIA tortured them. Ted Levine played the notorious John Brennan. Brennan oversaw and defended the CIA’s actions. Barack Obama made Brennan his chief counterterrorism advisor during his first term. He was the CIA Director during Obama’s second term of office. The film is very powerful in many items. The depiction of Feinstein as an anti-torture crusader is not completely accurate. She was a Senator. She defended the National Security Agency spying programs. She criticized whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Chelsea Manning as criminals and traitors. The movie shows her denouncing Snowden. Feinstein praised Brennan even after the release of the Intelligence Committee report on December of 2014. No one was prosecuted for the CIA torture program. The illegal Iraq War cost lives too. The military industrial complex and the political establishment are complicit in policies that violate the rights of the American people and the rights of people abroad. The war on terror continued under Obama with drone strikes, kill lists, and new wars in Libya plus Syria. The crimes and oppression of the American capitalist social order is a bipartisan affair. Today, we witness the racism and extremism from Donald Trump. Trump is notorious for his overt corruption. That is why Trump has been impeached recently. The Report film tells the truth about the CIA torture program being unjust and evil.

More Symbolism in the Industry

One of the easiest ways to prove that symbolism is part of the mainstream music industry is to witness it in award shows. The 2019 American Music Awards had tons of symbolism. Many of the performers showed the themes of literal hellfire. Selena Gomez had a panic attack before her AMA performance. Kesha performed in a church scene that melted into rainbow colors. She performed the song “Raising Hell.” She started by saying “Welcome to our Sunday service” which seen to be a shot at Kanye West’s church services. Obviously, the song isn’t about promoting church themes. It mocks Christians in its lyrics. If she mocked Islam or other religions like that in a musical performance, she wouldn’t get away with that. Her lyrics mentioned the following words, “Hands up, witness, Solo cup full of holy spirits, Something wicked (ooh), Speaking in tongues in my blood red lipstick.” So, she is blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Billie Eilish’s “All good girls go to hell” song is something else. In the performance, Kesha’s backup dancers do devil horns when she sings, “I Don’t wanna go to Heaven without raising hell.” How self-explanatory can you get that many in that industry hate Christianity and want New Age doctrines to dominate world society. Other performances from Ozzy Osbourne, Post Malone, Travis Scott, and Camila Caebello show many artists being under corporate control. Corporations tell these artists where to go, what to see, and how to perform. That is why industry contracts are very detailed in their components. Therefore, the truth is not mocked. People reap what they have sown. What is strange yet not surprising is the admission of Christopher Lee. Back in 1975, the actor admitted that black magic and satanic rituals exist, and more people have an increased interest in occultism. He has a long career in the film industry. He played Saruman in The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies. He has been on over 200 TV shows. He has been in movies with occult and satanic themes since the 1970’s. Also, Will Ferrell’s comedy skit about child trafficking is disgusting too. The modern entertainment industry promotes agendas, oligarchical control, and other things beyond just music.

Black and Blue


There has always been the tensions between the African American community and the police for over 100 years. Black and Blue is a movie that fully expounds on that tension in a multifaceted, complex fashion. It is a 2019 American action thriller being directed by Deon Taylor. The film starts Naomie Harris and Tyrese Gibson who has promoted the film across the globe. Other people in the film include Frank Grillo, Nafessa Williams, Mike Colter, Reid Scott, and Beau Knapp. The movie is about a rookie police officer who goes on the run after she witnessed a murder. A black man helps her out to clear her name. Naomie Harris plays U.S. Army veteran Alicia West. She comes back to her hometown in New Orleans where she was recruited into the city’s police force. Her new partner is Kevin Jennings (played by Reid Scott). Alicia West talks about the issues in her community and the police department. Alicia found gunfire from a building. She has a Glock pistol and a vest fitted with a body camera. Alicia sees Deacon and two more police officers murdered an unarmed drug dealer. When one of the officers, Terry Malone (Frank Grillo), attempts to assume the situation to her, the other officer, Smitty (Beau Knapp), panics upon seeing Alicia's body cam and shoots at her, causing Alicia to fall onto the ground below. Alicia escapes wounded. Many in the community shun her for being a police officer. When a fellow police officer arrives, Alicia realizes the department has been blackmailed by Terry, forcing her to hide out in the home of Milo Jackson (Tyrese Gibson), a member of the community who is reluctant to hide her. Terry also blackmails criminal kingpin Darius into putting out an open bounty on Alicia.

While recovering in Milo's home, Alicia learns that Deacon, Terry, and Smitty are corrupt cops while researching footage of the murder captured on her body cam including police cam footage on a laptop. Alicia also discovers that if she does not upload the footage exposing the murder within twelve hours, it will be erased by the corrupt officers. To gain Milo's trust, he requests for Alicia to hide her identity as a policewoman so she won't be killed. Alicia makes a plan to save her life form Terry and those working for Darius. She sends the footage to Milo while she lures Terry and Smitty to a vacant apartment. Alicia stops Smitty. She engages with Terry. Terry is shot in the chest by Jennings. Milo released the film online which exposes corrupt officers. Terry is arrested. Alicia has cleared her name. The community has respected her. The essence of the film makes us aware that we still have crooked cops in the world. The system of oppression is multifaceted. Also, it is right to make sure that accountability is made against those who abuse others under the guise of the badge.

When They See Us

“When They See Us” is one of the most important television miniseries of our generation. It is a 2019 American drama web television miniseries. It was created, co-written, and directed by Ava Duvernay. Ava Duvernay is the same woman who was involved in the movie Selma and the documentary 13 (in reference to the 13th Amendment. The documentary completely exposes the corruption and imperfections found in the prison industrial complex). Netflix has displayed the series "When They See Us" too.   Netflix premiered it in four parts on May 31, 2019. It deals with the events of the 1989 Central Park Five situation. This was when one jogger was assaulted and raped by one person. The rape victim was Trisha Melli, and she was 28 years old back in 1989. The series does into detail about the lives and families of the five male suspects (4 of them are black and one is Latino). These suspects were falsely accused and then prosecuted on charges related to the rape and assault of a woman in Central Park, New York City. One person later admitted to the crime against the woman. The ensemble cast includes tons of people. Many of their names ae Jharrel Jerome, Asante Blackk, Jovan Adepo, Michael K. Williams, Logan Marshall-Green, Joshua Jackson, Blair Underwood, Vera Farmiga, John Leguizamo, Felicity Huffman, Niecy Nash, Aunjaune Ellis, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and Kylie Bunbury. The miniseries has received acclaim for its casting and acting performances. At the Primetime Emmy Awards, it received 11 nominations. The event of April 19, 1989 was about the Central Park jogger case.  The Central Park Five are Kevin Richardson (played by Asante Blackk), Antron McCray (played by Caleel Harris), Yusef Salaam (played by Ethan Herisse), Korey Wise (played by Jharrel Jerome), and Raymond Santana (played by Marquis Rodriguez). These human beings are divided by the prosecutor into two groups for trial. Each youth was convicted by juries of various charges related to the assault. Four of them were convicted of rape. They were to maximum terms for juveniles except for Korey Wise, who was 16 at the time of the crime and treated as an adult by the legal system. He had been held in adult facilities and served his time in adult prison.



The five men filed a suit against the city in 2003 for wrongful conviction and were awarded a settlement in 2014. Back then, New York City was divided heavily. There were racial, economic, and police tensions in America and at New York City too. Linda McCray or Antron’s mother was played by Marshal Stephanie Blake. Angie Richardson of the older sister of Kevin was played by Kylie Bunbury. Sharonne Salaam or Yusef Salaam’s mother was played by Aunjanue Ellis. Elizabeth Lederer was played by Vera Famiga. Linda Fairstein was played by a Felicity Huffman. Raymond Santana Sr. or Raymond’s father was played by John Leguizamo. Delores Wise of Korey’s mother was played by Niecy Nash. Bobby McCray or Antron’s father was played by Michael K. Williams. Elombe Bath was played by Omar Dorsey. Bath was the community organizer and activist. Suzzane Douglas played Grace Cuffee. Adepero Oduye played Nomsa Brath, a community organizer and activist who takes on her husband Elombe's cause after his death. Part 4 of the series documented how four of the five people left NYC to move on with their lives. They continue to work on social activism work. The real criminal is found to have matched the DNA found. Later, by June of 2019, Oprah Winfrey interviewed the main cast and executive producers of When They See Us. She also interviewed the exonerated five.

The strength of Ava Duvernay’s series is that it didn’t sugarcoat the historical environment of that time period. It showed the atmosphere of New York City at the time with emotional subject matter. It goes deep into the human emotions and personalities of the people in the story. It accurately showed the truth that systematic racism is not just about slurs and evil comments. It is about the structural harm done to black people and people of color in terms of jobs, false allegations, poverty, and lives being ruined. The series showed the fear among then boys who could have been in prison for life for something that they didn’t do. Far too often, many black people do find themselves in poverty, lacking resources to defend themselves in court, and experiencing false negative stereotypes. You know that Linda Faristein didn’t like the docuseries, because she was the original New York prosecutor of the case. She wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal (which is known conservative newspaper). She said that the movie series had distortions and falsehoods about her. She said that she agreed with the exoneration of the rape charges against the five, but not the other charges for crimes against other victims. The truth is that the Central Park Five are innocent of rape. They had much of their lives ruined by a corrupt judicial system. It is not shocking that the racist Donald Trump wanted the death penalty for the Central Park Five when they are not guilty. Trump has never apologized for his evil statements too. Also, we are still fighting against injustice in our generation in 2020 too. Back in the late 1980’s, New York had a huge increase of financial wealth along with social inequality (plus the poverty and unemployment were in existence with crime. Police brutality was real). Housing and schools was decaying and underfunded involving working class people. Back then, many in the media demonized black people and Latino people with evil slurs as “wolfpack,” “savages,” and “animals. The Central Park Five were victims of injustice, and they were made to say forced confessions. On June 25, 2019, Netflix announced that the miniseries had been streamed by over 23 million viewers within its first month of release. The injustices against the Central Park Five don't mean that injustice is over today. Today, we have police brutality, immigrant children in cages, racial discrimination, and other people denied of their basic human rights. The story of the Central Park Five is known worldwide. Ava Duvernay did great work in showing the world that the life of a black person or a person of color is as valuable as anyone else. Black freedom and black lives must always be respected.



Black Lives Matter.

An Ode to Sister Diahann Carroll

The passing away of Diahann Carroll at the age of 84 years old makes us aware that life is precious. She made history as the first black woman to lead in a non-stereotypical TV show called Julia in 1968. When I was a child, I watched her on Carmen Jones. That movie was about African Americans living during the World War II era. It came out in 1954. Diahann Carroll lived from July 17, 1935 to October 4, 2019. She was born in the Bronx, New York City. Carroll was modeling for Ebony at the age of 15 years old. She was in the Broadway musical House of Flowers in 1954. Later, she had the role of Clara in the 1959 film Porgy and Bess. The movie also starred Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, and other talented human beings. Diahann Carroll had a love of acting, and she loved her family. She has one daughter named Suzanne Kay. In 1969, Diahann Carroll won the Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star for the show Julia.

Trailblazer is a word that accurately describes her life, because she was unapologetic in making the world fully witness her contributions. She was fearless. Back then especially, black folks were fearless (from Ella Baker to Muhammad Ali) to achieve so much in the midst of glaring oppression. She was an icon for decades who not only talked about civil rights. She was a mentor to so many young actors and actresses (like the young cast of the A Different World show) who desired to find their own ways of expression. From theater to movies, she never skipped a beat. She has studied acting from the greats and worked with Dorothy Dandridge, Sidney Poitier, Patti Labelle, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, and other artists. She was in the movie Paris Blues. From being on the Hollywood Palace in 1968 with Sammy Davis Jr. to the role found in Claudine (back in 1974), she was gifted with exceptional range. By 2006, she played Jane Burke or the mother of Dr. Preston Burke on the show Grey's Anatomy in 2006. She received many awards. Carroll was a founding member of the Celebrity Action Council, which helps women in dealing with many issues. Shining bright in films or shows like Dynasty to The Five Heartbeats represents her whole glorious repertoire. She not only belongs to the ages. Diahann Carroll represents the essence of what Black Excellence is all about.

Rest in Power Sister Diahann Carroll.

Conclusion

Terry Gilliam’s criticism of the Black Panther movie is not a product of legitimate criticism. Gilliam has shown hatred, racial stereotyping, and outright falsehoods. I will give examples of what this view is correct. This comes underneath the backdrop of the backlash against animated movies. Many directors and critics don’t like these types of films, because they view them as not filled with real acting or real storylines. The truth is that you have to judge any animated film based on its character, and not every animated movie is monolithic. Many comic book style films have great acting, coherent plots, and interesting character dynamics. The attacks on MCU or the Marvel Cinematic Universe have grown by directors. Terry Gilliam ironically was the former Monty Python animator. Gilliam made the racist remark that Black Panther makes young black kids the idea that this is something to believe in. He also said that the people who made it never been to Africa and made up African fabrics. Gilliam is wrong. The director Ryan Coogler did go into Africa to research information for his film. He came into Lesotho. He came into Kenya (where Lupita N’yongo’s relatives are from) and in South Africa. In South Africa, Coogler learned the Xhosa language which was used in the film. Ruth E. Carter was the stylist in the film. She worked with Spike Lee and Steven Spielberg. Ruth actually researched many African tribes and created distinctive and authentic looks for the various tribes of Wakanda. That is why she won her Oscar. Gilliam forgets that Wakanda is a fantasy. It isn’t real. Many black kids see Wakanda as inspiring them to love their own Blackness, to love Africa, and to aspire to do great things in life. That is perfectly fine with me. Gilliam’s lie that Black Panther is only popular because of “identity politics” is silly. Black Panther is popular because of its storyline, actions, complex messages, talented actors plus actresses, and the breadth of its content. Many people use identity politics as code for trying to make people ignore their Blackness or their identity instead of embracing their diverse identities. Gilliam is wrong to make up the lie about MeToo movement turning people in to victims when MeToo is about ending sexual abuse (and sexual harassment). There are valid critiques of certain aspects of Black Panther, but Gilliam’s words are not some legitimate critiques. They are part of the agenda to downplay the importance to address racism, imperialism, and injustice.

Now, you know the truth. The evidence is clear, the words are real, and the question is what are you going to do about it? What we should do is to enact positive, meaningful action. There is no question that nihilism or unjust violence must always be rejected. They aren't answers to any problem. That is why I will always advance solutions. One solution is to establish programs to help the poor, working class people and to confront the racist, classist, sexist, and patriarchal power structure harming the lives of billions of human beings worldwide. It is important to abhor bigotry as all people are created equal. Champions of fighting imperialism like Paul Robeson, real life social activists (like Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee), genius singers like Nina Simone, and musical pioneers like Mary Wells stir up our imaginations. This new decade of the 2020s will be exciting and interesting. A lot of changes will undoubtedly occur. Although, the same goal of freedom will always remain in our souls. Love without justice is not true love. We believe in love and a structural transformation of society whereby human rights for all is made real. I believe in black liberation too being a grown black human being.

By Timothy