How GOOD and how PLEASANT it would be, before GOD and MAN...

NAS & DAMIAN "JR GONG" MARLEY DISTANT RELATIVES preview from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The Beauty of an Intercultural Communication Exchange!

In the midst of WeekEnd full of Fun, I received the opportunity to engage in an enlightening global/political conversation....and I would like to share a bit of my experience with you....



OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
A. Dub Productions
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Don't Shed a TEAR....Mama I'm not Happy HERE...

Pac's Frustation with Media Framing



Pac's Plan for using Rhetoric to Empower



Let's take lessons from the successes and failures of those in our past...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

My Mama made me Stupid, but the Devil, he made me Smart!

....thank you, BigBoi! ....I'll take it from here, MyMan....

It's mid-August 2001....I'm in Washington, DC....at the GreyHound Bus Station watching my Mother wave "good-bye" behind the dark tint of the "Proletariat Chariot."

Damn....I'm feelin' lonely than a muhphuka....What the hell I have I decided to do with my life?

She was on her way back to San Antonio, Texas....and there was a large part of me that wanted to jump on that bus...and ride back with her.

My Father, Brother, AND Sister TOLD her not to take this journey with me! She had just had her tonsils removed the week before--and she was in NO physical shape to travel. But, true herself, my Mama never listened to a word. And as I loaded up that late-model Buick LeSabre in Texas, she made sure I left just enough room for her.

Three (3) days later, we pulled up to the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia). I attempted to find residence near Howard University within two days! (Yep, proper planning wasn't always my forte.) In spite of the lack of planning and my ignorance to the geography and cost-of-living scale in DC, I managed to find a room for $280.00/month--all bills paid. My new address was 27 Bryant St. NW., Washington, DC 20001. {See below}.

Looks ravishing, doesn't it?

At full capacity, I was ONE of SIX people who lived here. My room was on the 3rd Floor...where all of the Heat and Humidity from the other floors would rise and collect. This "abode" came "fully-equipped" with NO A/C, filthy carpet [infested with mosquitoes and mosquito larvae], roaches [and other types of vermin], a semi-functional coin-operated washer/dryer, squeaky floors, old/tiny bathrooms, and the smell of an aging house that needed serious overhaul. As you can see from the picture, it came with an awesome PINK paint for the exterior. WTF? In short, it was one HOT, SWEATY BOX nestled in the Heart of the City. My roommates and I appropriately called our quaint homestead "The Dungeon." This moniker was most fitting....trust me.

Needless to say, it took a while before my "pimpin'" enticed those of the opposite sex to enter...though eventually they did come. (...And my hat goes off to every young lady that ever visited me there.)

In any regard, the lessons I learned while living in this section of NorthWest Washington, DC was just the beginning of my lessons in becoming a Man, a Scholar, and a Street Urchin.

I learned the rhythms and schedules of the D-Boys on the corner of Bryant & North Capitol. Through watching them, I learned to "tell time." Their morning greetings and saluations to each other meant it was 7:00 a.m...time for class. During the 5 o'clock rush hour they'd be out on the block...busy...working at a frantic pace...yet keep a "cool pose." For their nighttime patrons, they'd be heavy on the block from 11:00 pm-1:00 a.m. as well. (They kept great schedule; better than an alarm clock.)

I learned the mechanics of the "Gas Game" in P.G. County from a CrackHead/Crack Dealer/Thief/All-Around Career Criminal....he was one of my many roommates during my time in P.G. County, Maryland. This guy was almost the Devil in the flesh! Your typical BadGuy. You could SMELL the evil on this dude! Man, he would STEAL and LIE! But, due to conditions beyond my control (primarily ECONOMIC), I shared residence with this guy for approximately ONE year...and in having to deal with him...I learned a great deal about tolerance, accessing and exercising different forms of social power, detecting and utilizing manipulation, the list goes on.....

And though some of his general character traits were despicable, I formed an ability to appreciate his perspectives on certain issues. (Not always finding agreement...but understanding or appreciating the view of another person taught me a great deal about effective communication.)

In fact, for Thanksgiving 2005, we ate a Thanksgiving meal at the house in which everything was garnered from he and his homies panhandling in front of the local Giant grocery store. While eating, he told me that we were experiencing a more authentic Thanksgiving than most people, because like the real Pilgrams, we were feasting off the "land" [read: the people]. In the midst of my girlfriend leaving me for another person, my family members being 1,500 miles away, and experiencing a Thanksgiving void of any loved ones, I remember responding to his assessment of the situation by smiling and saying, "You are absolutely correct, Chief...please pass the cornucopia."

Later, I refined my Chess game with a few GoodGuys who never spoke too much or shared too much information. One, in particular, however, was up front about his incarceration...and the ways in which he improved his Chess game while behind bars. I would listen. I would share. I would listen. I would share. It was a delicate balance...because I would never divulge too much...and I KNEW they were selective about what they divulged as well.

I was never confused about being in the midst of "smart" people. Outcasts and pariah in the eyes of society, but some of these people have been far more intelligent than persons whom I shared space with in advanced theory class. As a matter of fact, I would share my dissertation ideas, my teaching methodologies, and my future plans for spreading the rhetoric of ghettoGEEKS with my "deviant" brethren, and in turn, received some of the best pragmatic and theoretical critique.

However, I always felt as if I was in the Devil's pit. I never got too comfortable. I'm not sure if I was EVER RELAXED during this 5-year period of my life. Even during the best of times, the Chess game never STAYED on the board.

DC, Maryland, and Virginia....

It was here, where I learned what could happen if you choose to ignore the LONG-ARM of the STATE. It was here, that I grew accustomed (numb) to ambulance sirens sounding ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT LONG. It was here, where I learned to appreciate the taste of West Indian Cuisine. It was here, where I learned you had to be RICH to be POOR...in the City. It was here, where I learned that not ALL conversations with the Homeless were a waste of time. It was here, where I learned about the depth of PRETENTIOUSNESS amongst the Bourgeoise. It was here, where I discovered though we lived in a Shitty House in the 'Hood...once we got upon the roof, we had a BEST view of the National Fireworks during the 4th of July!

I share all this to say....It is in some of the most UNCOMFORTABLE situations where the most GROWTH occurs.

Without a doubt, there will be future situations where the Devil will re-introduce himself to me. But, God allowed me to come through the experiences I just shared as a stronger individual...and I am confident that He will walk with me as I meet my future challenges. But, the greater blessing has been in sharing these experiences with you.

So, irregardless of your situation...you need to GET UP, GET OUT, and GET SOMETHING!

OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The Same 'Ole Gospel

The White, Sinful Church

The Church of God on Earth to-day
Is scandal of the King;
It teaches men to sing and pray
For golden wealth to bring.
It sanctifies the cause of war,
And winks at evil deeds;
It sends its "saints" and men, afar,
To preach the victor's creeds.
The Blacks and Weaker Sets of Men
Are robbed and killed galore;
The Church looks o'er Commandments ten,
As tyrants kill some more.
The lands that God gave men to dwell
Are taken by the sword
As preachers go, their creeds to sell,
To those who heed their word.
Almighty God looks down on Earth
To see the Church in sin,
And so we hope for Cleansing Birth,
To let the Master in.
And when the Gentle Jesus leads,
The Priests and Pastors, too,
Shall see the growth of harvest seeds
That blend with every hue.

Marcus Garvey
-1935

The above poem was penned by Marcus Garvey. A journalist, publisher and political activist, Garvey was certainly a major contributor in the movement to establish equality for African-Americans in the United States. Though considered by many a radical and possibly too far right to actually benefit the plight of African-Americans in the Americas, Garvey was at heart in support of the Life, Liberty and Freedom of people of color.

Regardless of his politics, his spirituality, more specifically his Christianity, are reflected in many of his poems and writings. What strikes me in the above piece is his obvious criticism of the Church, both white and black. There is usually nothing to gain in criticizing the Church, except further ostracization especially in the African-American community where spirituality lies at the center of the community.

Garvey, nevertheless, found it necessary to voice his opinion about the inconsistent structure of the Church. He points out the incongruous political and social goals espoused from the pulpit and the ongoing hypnosis of the congregation to support the selfish desires of the pastor and church leaders.

I happen to agree with Garvey's diagnosis of the Church. What he's saying is not at all novel. Carter G. Woodson also expressed similar opinions in his seminal work, The Mis-Education of the Negro. The question is why do reasonable people continue to put their money and time behind a religious structure that does not empower them, especially in the African American community?

I believe mental and spiritual enrichment leads to action. Can you really say that the African American Church has addressed the needs of its constituents? Does spending the massive amount of money that the Church receives on million dollar buildings and fancy clothes for the pastor do anything to instruct the lives of the broader congregation?

The next time you go to church, you should ask yourself, “What is the difference between what is being preached today compared to the other hundred times you’ve listened to these sermons”? Is the edict for the day to simply remain devout in your belief that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and come back next week or are you asked, no, charged with organizing your community and family in some practical way?

Quiet Riot
WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The Trials and Tribulations of Interracial Dating

Kudos to all those who participated in THIS conversation.

For those involved in meaningful interracial relationships, your courage and sense of character is nothing short of commendable. If we are honest with ourselves, we must acknowledge issues of race are far from being resolved. THIS interview proves that.

Stay Strong.



WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Is there ANY significant meaning BEHIND these Gangsta Rap Tunes?

The most popularized forms of violence within rap music are those acts of violence perpetuated by black males against other black males (see Cave, et. al, 2006; Hari, 2002; Hiatt, 2005; Mitchell & Johnson, 2005). This intra-racial violence is commonly referred to as horizontal violence and/or intrinsic violence (Fanon, 1963; Roberts, 2004). It is Neil Roberts (2004) who defines intrinsic violence in juxtaposition with instrumental violence (anti-hegemonic/vertical) by suggesting “in contrast to instrumental violence, [intrinsic violence] refers to a metaphysical concept in which the act of either random irrational or calculated rational violence itself contains inherent value” (p. 146). Frantz Fanon (1963) uses a psychological approach to introducing intrinsic violence through a discussion on the freedom experience that dreams provide the oppressed. Fanon’s argument is that while dreaming the oppressed individual experiences a freedom of motion through physical acts of running, jumping, and climbing. Once the dream is finished, the oppressed individual exiting repose first exercises this physicality against his own people. Because the colonizer/oppressor is much an exhibitionist with power, and as a result an intimidating force, “the muscular tension of the colonized periodically erupts into bloody fighting between tribes, clans, and individuals” (p. 17).

Anthony Pinn (1999) suggests that a condition of absurdity plagues severe economically deprived communities. He defines absurdity as a phenomenon that “connotes alienation from self, and leads to a collapse of self-esteem” (p.10). He continues by stating that self-hatred, which is manifested in Black-on-Black crime, is a result of inhabiting in a state of absurdity. The hostile environment essentially creates absurdity that many inner-city Black Americans face as a result of economic malaise and institutional and political racism. Pinn (1999) does an excellent job in connecting the notion of absurdity with the awesome defects of ghetto life. However, what he does even better is that he connects these traumatic situations in the Black community with the need for renewed combat and a new vision for the Black community. He offers both gangsta rap and progressive rap as a rhetorical means for social transformation.

This black-on-black violence is thoroughly documented throughout the chronicles of Hip-Hop culture and rap narratives. A mere 10 years ago intrinsic violence reached its peak within the Hip-Hop culture with the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. in an intense, media-infused, East Coast/West Coast rap war. To date, this is the most unequivocal example of the intensity and tragedy of intrinsic violence within Hip-Hop. It is still important to not that though not as publicized, there were violent deaths of rap artists before Tupac and Biggie and rappers have met violent deaths afterward as well. One of the latest violent deaths being that of Detroit-rapper, Proof, Eminem’s hype man and member of the popular rap group D-12 (Cohen, 2006; Zahlaway, 2006).

Opposite Fanon’s (1963) psychological approach to understanding intra-racial violence, Arthur Pressley (1992) opts to take a more cultural approach to the problem. Placing more of an emphasis on the culture of impoverished inner-city communities, it becomes important to note that in 1978, the same period as the birth of Hip-Hop, death figures for black men were around 37,000 a year (Pressley, 1992). These deaths are illustrated as “920 suicides, 650 homicides, 20,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 500 deaths from cirrhosis of the liver” (p. 93); remaining deaths were distributed between prisons and hospital drug treatment facilities. Sharing this stance with Pressley (1992), Rose (1994) reminds us “poor people learn from experience when and how explicitly they can express their discontent” (p. 99). So, whether using indirection, signification, other forms of metaphor, or direct verbal confrontation, American blacks have consistently resisted the hegemonic powers that be. In essence, the dances, languages, and musics produce communal bases of knowledge about social conditions, communal interpretations of them and quite often serve as the cultural glue that fosters communal resistance (Fanon, 1963; Rose, 1994). Though total black resistance is duly noted, the vehicle of rap music and Hip-Hop culture is characteristically masculine. Kitwana (2003) offers the idea that “rap music has given young Black males {italics added} a primary avenue through which to access public space” (p. 87). It is Eithne Quinn (2005) who proffers the notion that “gangsta rap is seen both to reflect and to be constitutive of the worsening problems facing African-American communities and especially young black men” (p. 19). It is this collective scholarly emphasis on black masculinity, within Hip-Hop culture more specifically, and African-American resistance more generally, that create a catalyst for research dedicated to uncovering phenomena concerning black masculinity. As an astute advocate the feminist movement, bell hooks (2004) comments on the paucity and/or whimsical treatment of black masculinity in contemporary research on black men. She notes “the absence of this work stands as further testimony validating the contention that the plight of black men is not taken seriously” (p. xvi). hooks’ (2004) concern, being quite valid, provides significant reason for brief examination of black masculinity and resistance.



WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com