Ever since the March 2015 Department of Justice report about the Ferguson Police Department, tons of developments has existed in Ferguson, Missouri. By March 11, 2015, Jackson resigned effective on March 19, 2015. He was the police chief being the sixth employee to resign or be fired after the Justice Department report. He is replaced on an interim basis by his top commander, Lt. Col. Al Eickhoff. On March 12, 2015, two St. Louis area police officers were shot in front of the Ferguson Police Department during a demonstration by protesters. Three days later, a 20 year old man is charged with first degree assualt in the shootings. By April 7, 2015, there was Ferguson's first municipal election since Brown's death. Two of the three City Council members elected are black Americans. Black people back then held three of the six seats, compared with one seat prior to the election. By May 20, 2015, a permanent plaque in Michael Brown's memory is made to replace a large makeshift memorial at the site in the middle of Canfield Drive for months. That was the same spot where Brown's body was located. By June 9, 2015, Ferguson hired a new municipal judge and interim city manager, both being African American human beings. On July 10, 2015, Governor Nixon signed into law legislation limiting cities' ability to profit from traffic tickets and court fines. This was the first significant step taken by state lawmakers to address concerns raised after Brown's death. The law lowers the percentage of revenue most cities can collect form traffic fines and fees form 30 percent to 20 percent. The interim police chief was Andre Anderson (who was a black police administrator in suburban Phoenix) on July 22, 2015. The Ferguson Commission on September 14, 2015 released its report addressing the economic and racial factors that contributed to the unrest after Brown's death. By January 27, 2015, Ferguson announced a tentative deal with the Justice Department to reform the city’s policing and municipal court. The recommended overhaul follows seven months of negotiations. On February 9, 2016, Ferguson’s City Council unanimously voted to revise the agreement with the Justice Department, proposing seven amendments that the mayor says were formulated after an analysis showed the deal was so expensive it could lead to the dissolution of Ferguson. The Justice Department responded by suing Ferguson.
Former Miami police officer Delrish Moss, who is black, is appointed Ferguson police chief following a nationwide search by March 2016. On April 19, 2016, Ferguson and the Justice Department reach an agreement that ends the lawsuit and requires sweeping reforms of the city’s police and court systems. Incumbent Mayor James Knowles III, who is white, was re-elected to a third three-year term, overcoming opposition from Ella Jones, a black city councilwoman. This was on April 4, 2017. July 26, 2017 was when The Ferguson Community Empowerment Center opens at the site where the QuikTrip convenience store burned the day after Brown’s death. The center houses the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Salvation Army and other offices. September 15, 2017 was when Former St. Louis city police officer Jason Stockley, who is white, was acquitted in the 2011 death of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith, who was black. Smith was suspected of making a drug transaction and killed after a car chase with police. The massive protests that follow Stockley’s acquittal are the largest in the St. Louis region since the immediate aftermath of Brown’s death. August 7, 2018 was when there was a stunning upset, Ferguson City Councilman Wesley Bell defeated 28-year incumbent McCulloch in the Democratic primary for St. Louis County prosecutor. Bell, who is black, was unopposed in the November election and took office in January 2019. McCulloch, who is white, was seen as an old-school, law-and-order prosecutor who drew criticism for his handling of the Wilson investigation. Bell ran on a platform of reforms, saying he would work to reduce incarcerations and start a unit to investigate shootings involving officers. Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, lost her bid for a Ferguson City Council seat. She finishes third in a three-way race in Ferguson’s 3rd Ward. She vowed to stay active in the community on April 2, 2019. On July 23, 2019, the New Police Chief Jason Armstrong was sworn in. Counting interim chiefs, Armstrong, who is black, becomes Ferguson’s fifth chief since Jackson resigned in 2015. There has been massive protests in Ferguson and worldwide in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota. The memorial of Michael Brown remains. The Ferguson Mayor now is Ella Jones (who is a pastor in the African Methodist Church and has a daughter. Her late husband Tim Jones passed away in 2013). Ella Jones is the first African American woman to be elected mayor of Ferguson. Today, Ferguson, Missouri remains a large part of the overall black freedom struggle.
There are two common lies promoted about video game culture. You have one deception promoted by many people who believe that anyone who plays video games regularly are incels, lacks emotional intelligence, and are threats to society. This lie is very commonly embraced, even in 2024. The truth is that people of every background and color own, play, and watch people play video games with sobermindedness, great emotional intelligence, and a sense of purpose in life. The reality is that all people aren't meant to act, think, and behave the same. Everyone looking and acting the same make a very dull soceity. Our differences make us strong and diversity. People ought to respect our differences in a free and open society. People have the right to embrace gaming in a progressive fashion if he or she desires too. Some of the greatest people in the world are known for embracing and participating in gaming culture. The other lie is that some want to make video games part of their whole personalities. There is such a thing as an unhealthy obsession. Therefore, we should have balance in life which means have time for gaming, working, other leisure activities, visiting relatives, reading, exercising, and diverse activities. We are human beings, and our interests are multifacted from being involved in listening to music and voting during election times. We live in a new generation where truth is readily avaliable. We know what works. If you want to live a longer, healthier life (decreasing the risks of dementia, heart disease, and other illness), any human being must read more, exercise, eat healthy foods, establish social connections with human beings, stimulate your minds with diverse activities (like art, drawing, writing, swimming, traveling, etc.), enjoy your leisure time with hobbies that you desire to do, and reduce stress.
Native Americans lived in the Las Vegas Valley over 10,000 years ago. Archaelogists have found baskets, petroglyphs, pictographs, and other evidence in many locations like Gypsum Cave and Tule Springs. Paiutes moved into the area by 700 A.D., migrating between nearby mountains in the summer and spending winter in the valley, near Big Springs. A trade caravan of 60 men led by the Spanish merchant Antonio Armijo was charged with establishing a trade route to Los Angeles. By following the Pike and Smith routes through a tributary of Colorado River they came upon the Las Vegas Valley, described by Smith as the best point to re-supply before going onto California. The travelers named the area Las Vegas, which is Spanish for the meadows or 'fertile plains.' John C. Fremont came into the Las Valley on May 3, 1844 while it was still part of Mexico. He was appointed by President John Tyler to lead a group of scientists, scouts, and spies for the United States Army Corps of Engineers, which was preparing for a possible war with Mexico. Upon arriving in the valley, they made camp at the Las Vegas Springs, establishing a clandestine fort there. A war with Mexico did occur, resulting in the region becoming United States territory. The fort was used in later years by travelers, mountain men, hunters, and traders seeking shelter, but was never permanently inhabited.
In 1855, William Bringhurst led a group of 29 Mormon missionaries from Utah to the Las Vegas Valley. The missionaries built a 150 foot square (46 m) adobe fort near a creek and used flood irrigation to water their crops. However, because of tensions rising among leaders of the small Mormon community, the summer heat and difficulty growing crops, the missionaries returned to Utah in 1857, abandoning the fort (The remains of the fort are preserved in the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park).
For the next few years, the area remained unoccupied by Americans except for travelers and traders. Then the U.S. Army, in an attempt to deceive Confederate spies active in southern California in 1864, falsely publicized that it reclaimed the fort and had renamed it Fort Baker, briefly recalling the area to national attention. After the end of the war in 1865, Octavius Gass, with a commission from the federal government, re-occupied the fort. The Paiute nation had declined in numbers and negotiated a new treaty with the United States, ceding the area around the fort to the United States in return for relocation and supplies of food and farming equipment. Consequently, Gass started irrigating the old fields and renamed the area Las Vegas Rancho. Gass made wine at his ranch, and Las Vegas became known as the best stop on the Old Spanish Trail. In 1881, because of mismanagement and intrigue with a Mormon syndicate, Gass lost his ranch to Archibald Stewart to pay off a lien Stewart had on the property. In 1884, Archibald's wife Helen J. Stewart became the Las Vegas postmaster.
The property (increased to 1,800 acres (730 ha)), stayed with the family (despite Archibald Stewart's murder in July 1884) until it was purchased in 1902 by the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad, then being built across southern Nevada. The railroad was a project of Montana Senator William Andrews Clark. Clark enlisted Utah's U.S. Senator and mining magnate Thomas Kearns to ensure the line's completion through Utah to Las Vegas. The State Land Act of 1885 offered land at $1.25 per acre ($3.09/hectare). Clark and Kearns promoted the area to American farmers who quickly expanded the farming plots of the areas. Not until 1895 did the first large-scale migration of Mormons begin in the area, at long last fulfilling Brigham Young's early dream. Through wells and arid irrigation, agriculture became the primary industry for the next 20 years and in return for his development, the farmers named the area Clark County in honor of the railroad tycoon and Senator.
By the early 20th century, wells piped water into the town of Las Vegas. That gave people a reliable source of fresh water and a means to develop additional growth. The more availability of water in the area allowed Las Vegas to be a water stop, first for wagon trains, and later railroads, on the trail between Los Angeles and points east such as Albuquerque, New Mexico. By 1905, there was the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. That linked Salt Lake City to southern California. U.S. Senator William Andrews Clark was the majority owner of the railroad, which was a corporation based in Utah. Among its original incorporators were Utah's U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns and his business partner David Keith. Kearns, one of the richer and more powerful men in Utah, and Keith were the owners of Utah's Silver King Coalition Mine, several mines in Nevada and The Salt Lake Tribune. Kearns and Keith helped Clark ensure the success of the new railroad across Utah and into Nevada to California. Curiously, for a time there were two towns named Las Vegas. The east-side of Las Vegas (which encompassed the modern Main Street and Las Vegas Boulevard) was owned by Clark, and the west-side of Las Vegas (which encompassed the area north of modern-day Bonanza Road) was owned by J.T. McWilliams, who was hired by the Stewart family during the sale of the Las Vegas Rancho and bought available land west of the ranch. It was from their property that Las Vegas took form.
Clark built another railroad branching off from Las Vegas to the boom town of Bullfrog called the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad. With the revenue coming down both railways that intersected there, the area of Las Vegas was quickly growing. On May 15, 1905, Las Vegas officially was founded as a city when 110 acres (45 ha), in what later became downtown, were auctioned to ready buyers. Las Vegas was the driving force in the creation of Clark County, Nevada in 1909, and the city was incorporated in 1911 as a part of the county. The first mayor of Las Vegas was Peter Buol, who served from 1911 to 1913. Shortly after the city's incorporation, the State of Nevada reluctantly became the last western state to outlaw gambling. This occurred at midnight, October 1, 1910, when a strict anti-gambling law became effective in Nevada. It even forbade the western custom of flipping a coin for the price of a drink. Nonetheless, Las Vegas had a diversified economy and a stable and prosperous business community, and therefore continued to grow until 1917. In that year, a combination of economic influences and the redirection of resources by the federal government in support of the war effort forced the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad to declare bankruptcy. Although William Clark sold the remains of the company to the Union Pacific Railroad, a nationwide strike in 1922 left Las Vegas in a desperate state.
The John Brown raid on Harpers' Ferry started on Sunday night on October 16, 1859 at 11 pm. Brown left three of his men behind as a rear guard, in charge of the cache of weapons; his son Owen Brown, Barclay Coppock, and Francis Jackson Meriam. He led the rest across the bridge and into the town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown detached a party under John Cook, Jr., to capture Colonel Lewis Washington, great-grandnephew of George Washington, at his nearby Beall-Air estate, free his slaves, and seize two relics of George Washington: a sword Lewis Washington said had been presented to George Washington by Frederick the Great, and two pistols given by Marquis de Lafayette, which Brown considered talismans. The party carried out its mission and returned via the Allstadt House, where they took more hostages and freed more slaves. John Brown and his allies wanted to capture Armory and then escaped before word could be sent to Washington, D.C. The raid started good for Brown and other men. They cut the telegraph line twice to prevent communication in either direction. They wanted to stop communication on the Maryland side of the bridge; slightly later on the far side of the station, preventing communication with Virginia. One of the leaders of the raid, Osborne Anderson mentioned that many slaves were enthuaisatic about their plan to free them from bondage and tyranny. By Monday, October 17th, more events happened. A free black man was the first fatality to result from the raid: Heyward Shepherd, a baggage handler at the Harpers Ferry train station, who had ventured out onto the bridge to look for a watchman who had been driven off by Brown's raiders. He was shot from behind when he by chance encountered the raiders, refused to freeze, and headed back to the station. That a black man was the first casualty of an insurrection whose purpose was to aid black people. Heyward Shepherd should not have died, and he thought that the men were robbers. He died over mistaken identity.
The shot and a cry of distress were heard by physician John Starry, who lived across the street from the bridge and walked over to see what was happening. After he saw it was Shepherd and that he could not be saved, Brown let him leave. Instead of going home he started the alarm, having the bell on the Lutheran church rung, sending a messenger to summon help from Charles Town, and then going there himself, after having notified such local men as could be contacted quickly. John Brown and his men boarded the train. At about 7 AM it arrived at the first station with a working telegraph, Monocacy, near Frederick, Maryland, about 23 miles (37 km) east of Harpers Ferry. The conductor sent a telegram to W. P. Smith, Master of Transportation at B&O headquarters in Baltimore. Smith's reply to the conductor rejected his report as "exaggerated", but by 10:30 AM he had received confirmation from Martinsburg, Virginia, the next station west of Harpers Ferry. No westbound trains were arriving and three eastbound trains were backed up on the Virginia side of the bridge; because of the cut telegraph line the message had to take a long, roundabout route via the other end of the line in Wheeling, and from there back east via Pittsburgh, causing delay. At that point Smith informed the railroad president, John W. Garrett, who sent telegrams to Major General George H. Steuart of the First Light Division, Maryland Volunteers, Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise, U.S. Secretary of War John B. Floyd, and U.S. President James Buchanan.
At the Armory, employees began arriving to work. Later, they were taken as hostages by John Brown's party. Reports differ on how many there were, but there were many more than would fit in the small engine house. Brown divided them into two groups, keeping only the ten most important in the engine house the others were held in a different Armory building. According to the report form Robert E. Lee, some of the hostages are Colonel L. W. Washington of Jefferson County, Virginia, Mr. George D. Shope of Frederick, Maryland, etc. As it became known that citizens had been taken hostage by an armed group, men of Harpers Ferry found themselves without arms other than fowling-pieces, which were useless at a distance. Military companies from neighboring towns began to arrive late Monday morning. Among them was Captain John Avis, who would soon be Brown's jailor, who arrived with a company of militia from Charles Town. John Brown stayed too long in Harpers Ferry. It was on a narrow peninsula, almost an island. Many militia people came.
The militia companies, under the direction of Colonels R. W. Baylor and John T. Gibson, forced the insurgents to abandon their positions and, since escape was impossible, fortify themselves in "a sturdy stone building", the most defensible in the Armory, the fire engine house, which would be known later as John Brown's Fort. (There were two fire engines; which Greene described as old-fashioned and heavy, plus a hose cart.) They blocked the few windows, used the engines and hose cart to block the heavy doors, and reinforced the doors with rope, making small holes on the walls and through them trading sporadic gunfire with the surrounding militia. Between 2 and 3 there was "a great deal of firing." During the day four townspeople were killed, including the mayor, who managed the Harpers Ferry station and was a former county sheriff. Eight militiamen were wounded. But the militia, besides the poor quality of their weapons, were disorderly and unreliable. "Most of them [militiamen] got roaring drunk." "A substantial proportion of the militia (along with many of the townspeople) had become a disorganized, drunken, and cowering mob by the time that Colonel Robert E. Lee and the U.S. Marines captured Brown on Tuesday, October 18." The Charleston Mercury called it a "broad and pathetic farce." According to several reports, Governor Wise was outraged at the poor performance of the local militia.
At one point Brown sent out his son Watson and Aaron Dwight Stevens with a white flag, but Watson was mortally wounded by a shot from a town man, expiring after more than 24 hours of agony, and Stevens was shot and taken prisoner. The raid was clearly failing. One of Brown's men, William H. Leeman, panicked and made an attempt to flee by swimming across the Potomac River, but he was shot and killed while doing so. During the intermittent shooting, another son of Brown, Oliver, was also hit; he died, next to his father, after a brief period. Brown's third participating son, Owen, escaped (with great difficulty) via Pennsylvania to the relative safety of his brother John Jr.'s house in Ashtabula County in northeast Ohio, but he was not part of the Harpers Ferry action; he was guarding the weapons at their base, the Kennedy Farm, just across the river in Maryland.
President James Buchanan called out a detachment of U.S. Marines from the Washington Navy Yard, the only federal troops in the immediate area: 81 privates, 11 sergeants, 13 corporals, and 1 bugler, armed with seven howitzers. The Marines left for Harper's Ferry on the regular 3:30 train, arriving about 10 PM. Israel Greene was in charge.
To command them Buchanan ordered Brevet Colonel Robert E. Lee, conveniently on leave at his home, just across the Potomac in Arlington, Virginia, to "repair" to Harpers Ferry, where he arrived about 10 PM, on a special train. Lee had no uniform readily available, and wore civilian clothes.
The university protests involving pro-Palestinian activists represent one of the most important events in American history. The conflict in Israel, Gaza, and the West is known by many people of the world. Debate is strident, but the truth is clear. The truth is that Hamas unjustly raped, murdered, and kidnapped innocent Israelis on October 7, 2023, and the Netanyahu regime used excessive force to the point of war crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza too. More than 2,100 protesters in over 60 colleges in America have been arrested. The vast majority of protesters have been peaceful and desire a ceasefire and liberation for the Palestinian people. Likewise, we condemn the minority of protesters using slurs, using objects to destroy windows and tables in Columbia, and who seek destruction instead of freedom for people in the Middle East. We strongly disagree with Jewish people on campuses to be harassed or harmed. Those who commit destruction against innocent property have nothing to do with the freedom of speech and the right to protest. People have the right to protest injustice, but no one has the right to destroy innocent property or threaten people based on race or creed. Criticizing Zionism and criticizing Israeli governmental policy isn't anti-Semitism, but some folks are anti-Semitic and use coded language in trying to spread hate. The terrorism of Hamas and the epidemic of anti-Semitism in America should not be minimized. Recently, a Jewish student was blocked from going to a class in UCLA. To be clear, most college protesters aren't anti-Semitic, but we have to be on the side of opposing bigotry. Also, we should condemn the excessive police response against some protesters that is blatantly police brutality, and we have tons of evidence showing that reality (from assaults to tear gas being used against protesting human beings). The only solution is a two-state solution with no occupation, a ceasefire, freeing all Israeli hostages, reparations for Gaza and the West Bank to rebuild Palestinian lands, and full human rights for Israelis and Palestinians.
The historic protests in college campuses in America has been part of a movement. It has spread from Columbia University in New York City to Virginia, Georgia, California, etc. What is truth behind the protests? The vast majority of the protesters are not anti-Semitic. They sincerely feel that they want to protest the war in Gaza. They oppose the occupation of Gaza plus the West Bank and other aspects of the Middle Eastern crisis. There is no question that Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed the murder of innocent Israelis, and the far-right regime of Netanyahu is indeed complicit of war crimes in Gaza (like killing aid workers, harming civilian locations in Gaza, and other actions). This is a nuisance issue. There should be a promotion of the freedom of speech, and some officers have used excessive force against protesters proven by video evidence and witness testimony. Fights break out between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA. This has been going on for decades like police repression of anti-Vietnam War protests and the protests during the anti-apartheid movement era. Many campus people were suspended at Columbia University. Also, we are clear to oppose anti-Semitism, and many of the protesters are Jewish people. So, these Columbia students demand the school to divest from Israel and have a ceasefire. We shall see what the future holds.
Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested at university campuses across America over the past 24 hours. By Tuesday night, about 300 protesters were arrested at Columbia University and City College of New York. More people were arrested at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was law enforcement moved to disassemble an encampment. Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters clashed on Tuesday night again at UCLA. The protesters used fireworks, poles, and other weapons attacking each other. There were 15 people injured and one hospitalized at UCLA. Classes were canceled on Wednesday to promote safety. Columbia has turned into remote learning for the rest of the semester. Most of the protesters are peaceful people who desire divestment from companies that support Israel, an end to the war in Gaza, and Palestinian liberation.
President Biden has talked about the recent protests. He said that dissent must not lead to disorder. He has support for Israel. Biden wants to balance the right to free speech and his desire for "law and order." Biden is right to condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I agree with Biden that people have the right to protest, but some of the police crackdowns on the protesters are blatantly part of police brutality. Criticism of the Israeli government is not anti-Semitism, and the Netanyahu regime is a far-right, pro-Trump regime who seeks to invade Rafah. Even Biden opposes Netanyahu invading Rafah. Many encampments remain in America. The police ended the encampment at UCLA recently. There are over 2,100 arrests during the university protests in total so far. Brown students celebrate after reaching a deal for a vote to have divestment with Israel. There are negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The fundamental truth is that protests have the right to exist, the police must not use brutality, protests shouldn't use unjust violence against innocent life and innocent property, and there must be an immediate ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza (along with the Netanyahu regime held accountable for overt war crimes, Israeli hostages released, and a two-state solution).
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. The hip-hop competition between Kendrick Lamar and Drake deals with race, sex, lyrics, flow, allegations, personal family information, and drama. We can't allow this hip hop conflict supersede our intention to have justice for humanity. There are more important issues of the world, but this situation is a microcosm of so many issues that must be analyzed thoroughly. Kendrick Lamar and Drake are two of the most popular hip hop artists of our generation. For over 15 years, they have been major faces of hip-hop culture and music. Their hip-hop beef deals with both of them having disagreements about each other's character and motivation as artists and as men. Kendrick Lamar is easily more talented than Drake lyrically, and Drake has proven to not be afraid of hip-hop competition. Once upon a time, both men worked together. For example, Drake's 2nd album of Take Care featured Kendrick in the Buried Alive Interlude. In February of 2012, Kendrick opened for Drake on the Club Paradise Tour alongside A$AP Rocky. When Drake first started in hip hop, he was a much more humble person. Even Lil Wayne gave him advice on what to do with his career in the following terms, "Man please be yourself, don’t ever get any tattoos. You don’t have to dress any different. Don’t stop smiling either, don’t try to get mean or aggressive. Just rap about life, and women, and family. Just be you, be the guy that I could never be..." Lil Wayne's words prove to be correct and poignant. Today, Drake is a different person claiming to be the 6 God, loving hedonism, and glorifying percs. Kendrick Lamar was on Big Sean's song of Control in August 2013 that basically called out the hip-hop community in the spirit of competition calling himself the King of New York. Later, Kendrick and Drake would take shots at each other on many songs. By October 2024, Drake and J. Cole teamed up for First Person Shooter taking shots at Kendrick Lamar. J. Cole later left the beef. By March of 2024, Kendrick targeted Drake and J. Cole in Like That with Future and Metro Boomin.
Now, they are sending massive allegations. By April 2024, Drake released Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle to targe Kendrick Lamar released Euphoria which was a powerfully personal song criticizing Drake's hip-hop credibility, his loyalty to black people, and his appearance. Kendrick Lamar released 6:16 in LA criticizing Drake and the record label of OVO (saying that a mole is in Drake's camp). Drake released Family Matters on May 3, 2024, accusing Kendrick of cheating, domestic violence, and having contradictions (while calling black people supporting Kendrick "slaves" which is offensive in my eyes). In the music video of Family Matters, Drake is shown talking to Andrew Curnew with the red bandanna on. Curnew used to sell T-Shirts and other clothing products licensed by the Hells Angels organizaiton. Drake is accused of having ties to the Hells Angels group, which is a motorcycle gang filled with murderers, abusers, rapists, racists, and terrorists. Kendrick Lamar released Meet the Grahams (saying that Drake lied about his religious views, lied about his ghostwriters, lied about his son, and lied about his accents) and Not Like Us doubling down on accusations that Drake is a complete fraud, even having a fake sit down to Drake's family. Kendrick Lamar accuses Drake of being a colonizer (Lamar isn't criticizing Drake being biracial per se. He is criticizing how in his mind Drake exploits black people for profit and "street credibility" for an insincere motivation) a pedophile, using ghostwriters to make records, hiding a daughter, being a hedonist, an enabler of pedophiles, and a total fraud. Drake accuses Kendrick Lamar of being a hypocrite for claiming to be for pro-black consciousness but marrying a biracial woman, Top robbing his father, and cheating against Whitney with white women (despite Lamar saying "the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice"). Drake made a song the Heart Part 6 denying that he is a pedophile and reiterating the same critiques of Kendrick Lamar being a hypocrite and a possible victim of child abuse (when Lamar denies being a victim of abuse). Therefore, this hip-hop battle is very personal. What is the truth? The truth is that Kendrick Lamar is more talented from a hip-hop standpoint than Drake, and both men have made mistakes in their lives. Their imperfections are fully documented and have no justification. Drake sent a creepy DM to Millie Bobby Brown when she was a teen and Drake was a grown man. Drake has sent creepy comments to teen girls and did other things are things that no grown man should do. A grown man like Drake befriending a 13-year-old is blatantly bizarre. Regardless of what happens, both men will remain living their own lives. What is ironic is that many rappers talk about Drake's ethnicity but refuse to expose Eminem's long history of racism, sexism, and deceptive contradictions. Eminem is from Missouri not from Detroit too. The other issue with Drake is that he is insecure about his identity being from a regular, humble guy to caricaturing as a person from the American urban areas (which he is not from), and to being a hedonist lover. His usage of blackface, his mocking of various Afro-Caribbean accents, his using AI to mimic the voice of Tupac (without the Tupac estate's or Tupac's relatives' permission), and his false scapegoating of black people for his insecurities represent his overt contradictions. These are all facts about Drake. We, as black people, don't hate biracial people as many of our relatives are biracial human beings with dignity, worth, and purpose in life. We just believe that biracial people aren't superior to us black people. It is what it is. Kendrick is not perfect either, but Kendrick never claimed to be a super gangster, and he never texted 13-year-old girls as a grown man either. At the end of the day, it is not about black vs. biracial, light vs. dark, rich vs. poor, or urban vs. suburban. It's about character fundamentally. I love my black identity, and you judge a person based upon character (not color) at the same time as Black is always Beautiful. I believe in Black Love too. We must oppose colorism too as people among all hues (including dark skinned people) must be treated with dignity and with respect. There is the recent shooting near Drake's home where a security guard was shot. This act was wrong, and we condemn the shooting. Some people speculate that the tensions between XO and OVO is spilling out into real life situations. Many people respect the more humble early Drake than the current Drake, and Kendrick Lamar has the responsibility to grow to be a better person too. We all have that responsibility. In total, the consensus is that Kendrick Lamar won this hip hop battle as being the more talented M.C. What is most important is growing the culture to making sure that artists have their publishing rights, preserve their economic benefits, and rejecting the evils found in the industry. The bigger picture is that we live in a world with many challenges from wars in the world to the racial disparities in health care and other economic issues that must be addressed. A lot of these hip-hop conflicts are contrived. I think this disagreement is more personal because family business is being involved among Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The lesson is that we should keep our eyes on the prize of growing our communities, exposing the real powers that be (who exploit musicians for profits as found in international conglomerates like Universal, etc.), promoting ethics, advocating for black liberation without apology, being yourself, and not being distracted plus deal with the real world. That is the real point.
Diana Ross and Michael Jackson were close friends for decades. Their relationship have been a product of rumors, but the truth is that both Diana Ross and Michael Jackson loved each other deeply. They met when Michael Jackson was nine years old when he was in the Jackson Five group. From that moment onward, they were close friends. Diana Ross didn't discover The Jackson 5, but Diana Ross supported the Jackson Five. Michael Jackson was taught about the industry by Diana Ross, and Diana Ross was in plays with Michael Jackson in the 1970's. Michael Jackson and Diana worked on the movie The Wiz by the late 1970's. Also, both people would perform together in the 1980's, go to music events together, and ahave close relationship. In 1981, Jackson appeared on a Diana Ross TV special, in which Ross teased him about being attractive to her.
According to Jackson's brother, Jermaine, the pair would engage in an on-and-off relationship, and Jackson openly referred to Ross as his girlfriend. He claimed his brother wouldn't let anyone else near her and even considered marrying her. Some people disagree with this view. According to biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, there was no sexual relationship between them even though he wrote in his book Call Me Miss Ross that Jackson was heartbroken when Ross got married to Arne Naess. Jackson did not attend the wedding and told Taraborrelli, "I was jealous because I've always loved Diana Ross and always will." Regardless of the truth, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson had a close friendship. During the World Music Awards in 1996, Diana Ross sat on Michael Jackson's lap singing to him.
Jackson wanted Ross to be the second person in line to take care of his kids after he was gone, while Ross still defends her friend and remembers him on his birthday every year.
By Timothy
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