mrDaveyd | Hip-Hop and Politics

20 Years Ago Today Nelson Mandela Became South Africa’s First Black President

May 10, 2014 By mrDaveyd

May 10th 1994, 20 years ago today, Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first Black president.. For many like myself who were involved in the anti-apartheid and divestment movements it was a big deal. It seemed like such a day would never happen but it did.. For those on the ground in South Africa, after decades of brutality, bloodshed and all out dehumanization, Mandela being sworn in was monumental..Folks forget that South Africans had their country taken over and were the overwhelming majority in a country where a white minority ruled with ruthless force.

That white minority ruled because the US and Israel backed them with weapons, financial support and steadfastly refused to go along with world-wide sanctions that folks called for. Nelson becoming President after being imprisoned for damn near 30 years was Hope and Change years before Obama hit the world stage..

As we look back to those joyful times, one has to ask how have things improved in South Africa? There’s no doubt its one of the most developed countries on the continent? At the same time many say egregious wrong turns were made starting with Mandela not returning the land and natural resources stolen by the white minority… At the time folks praised Mandela for exemplifying humanity. It was humanity never shown to Blacks in South Africa. But 20 years later what has that gotten folks inside South Africa and globally? What lessons did we learn in the aftermath of Mandela’s presidency?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhG0IDrKiaI

How Will Dr Dre Becoming a Billionaire Impact Hip Hop?

May 10, 2014 By mrDaveyd

There’s a lot of chatter about Dr Dre becoming the first Hip Hop billionaire if his deal with Beats by Dre goes through with Apple… I’m not sure what all that means at the end of the day.. Am i happy Dr Dre might have a billion dollars? Sure.. There’s nothing to hate on..In fact, one might say his business acumen is inspiring. He made some head phones sold them and is doing well..But in terms of what it means for Hip Hop and Black people in general? I’m not sure..

First let’s be clear we already know a few billionaires. If you live in northern Cali there’s all sorts of billionaires from Mark Zuckerberg to the founders of Google, to Larry Ellison of Oracle to Steve Jobs when he was alive.. And even though they don’t live here we can toss in Oprah and Bill Gates for good measure. How have those billionaires impacted our day-to-day lives?

Record foreclosures occurred in Northern Cali as these folks made their billions..Tuitions at state schools like Cal increased 300% in the past 5-6 years.. Tuitions at CSUs also increased dramatically. Rents have tripled and for many the ability to live day-to-day has become much more difficult. So Yes, right here in our backyard we have lots of billionaires, several of them young. They are inspiring, but thats about it. With Dr Dre becoming the newest billionaire, I’m not sure how much things will change.

The other thing for us to think about is that Hip Hop has already generated billions.. Lots of record, radio and music industry executives have and continue to live quite well off of Hip Hop.. The eco systems connected to Hip Hop generate billions with many living well.. That’s been the case for quite some time.. Yet with all these billions Hip Hop has generated we see poverty has increased not decreased for the majority of the people who live in communities that gave birth to this culture. And this increase in poverty is happening as we have quite a few Black folks in control of their careers and products and doing well.. From Jay Z to Diddy to 50 Cent to Russell Simmons to Steve Stoute to Ice Cube to Baby of Cash Money We got lots of Black folks making loot and doing well off of Hip Hop, but how has that trickled down to the masses other than us being consumers who fill their pockets?

Do I want to see Dr Dre become a billionaire? Sure if you can make your money do so.. But ideally I’d like to see a deal where Dre came back and said he sold Beats by Dre to Apple and in return he became a significant owner of Apple with the ability to set aside a few thousand well-paying jobs annually complete with a healthy budget for those wishing to start-up business to become the next Apple..Maybe thats wishful thinking..but why not put that out there and dream?

Do I want Dre to be a billionaire? Sure, but ideally I would’ve like to see him make a deal that Apple would have to build a tuition free top-notch college where Dre gets to set aside a few thousand seats for deserving folks from his community..Again why not dream big?After all Dre and his partner Jimmy Iovine did that for USC…

Whats so sad about all this is when Common and Kanye announced that they would be working to create 20 thousand jobs with their new foundation, folks worked over time to prove it couldn’t be done and then dissed them for asserting their goal..Some of those same people are giddy over Dre possibly being a Hip Hop billionaire..

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: beats by dre, billionaire, Dr Dre billionaire, Dr. Dre, economics, Hip Hop

Cal Grad Students Profiled, Brutalized & Arrested by Berkeley Police for Jay walking

May 8, 2014 By mrDaveyd

This went down last weekend in Berkeley. According to the students and an eye witness they were walking down the street when police pulled them over claiming one was jaywalking.. They attempted to arrest one of the students.. which set off a heated exchange.. Cops called for back up and the next thing you know 5 arrived on the scene and students were arrested. A Townhall is going down this Saturday between 2-5pm at Berkeley Library 1901 Russell Street around the incident

Some seeing this are asking why were the students outraged, talking loud and cursing?? The question we should ask is why were they stopped? With all that’s going on in the Bay Area why are students being stopped, detained and arrested for jay walking on a residential street? Its called profiling and the ‘crime’ of jay walking was used as an excuse to stop folks..

Here’s what Rasheed Shabazz, journalist for the UC based Onyx Express who has been following this story wrote:

Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said.

Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk.

As seen in the video, while Cochran is handcuffed, a friend, Wilson, can be heard in the video telling the officer, “Promise me you’re not going to shoot him” and that the officers were trying to fulfill a “quota.”

An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record.

An additional squad car then arrives. A female witness on the video tells the arriving officer “They were just walking down the street and he seemed like he targeted them.” She adds, “They weren’t doing anything wrong.”

Peep the entire article at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpbs

Berkeley Police profiled, attacked and arrested two Black UC Berkeley graduates on Friday night, according to students and a Youtube video posted online.

Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said.

Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk.

As seen in the video, while Cochran is handcuffed, a friend, Wilson, can be heard in the video telling the officer, “Promise me you’re not going to shoot him” and that the officers were trying to fulfill a “quota.”

An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record.

An additional squad car then arrives. A female witness on the video tells the arriving officer “They were just walking down the street and he seemed like he targeted them.” She adds, “They weren’t doing anything wrong.”

At 3:52 in the video, two officers rush Pollard. Although the video is dark, her white shirt can be seen flying to the ground as they tackle and slam her into the bushes. Pollard is heard crying out, “What are you touching me for?” and wailing, “I didn’t do anything” and “Help me!” Pollard is handcuffed and dragged to a police car.

Eventually, five officers arrive at the scene.

Cochran was charged with resisting arrest. Pollard was charged with obstruction of justice. According to Cochran, police charged neither with jaywalking. The two were detained for an hour and taking to Berkeley Police headquarters. Pollard also visited the hospital for pain in her wrist and arms from the arrest and shackling.

– See more at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpuf

Berkeley Police profiled, attacked and arrested two Black UC Berkeley graduates on Friday night, according to students and a Youtube video posted online.

Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said.

Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk.

An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record.

Eventually, five officers arrive at the scene.

– See more at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpuf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTY8wwRJSys

For those who think this is isolated and an aberration, here’s what happened the same weekend up in santa Rosa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGWNq8aaKBI

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News

Oakland March for Missing Girls in Nigeria | Fallout over SNL Slave Skit

May 7, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Over the weekend there was a huge march and rally to bring attention to the missing kidnapped girls from Nigeria. We spoke with organizers who at the time felt not enough attention was being paid to the situation at hand. They were also concerned that folks locally weren’t connecting the dots and seeing this not as a forced marriage incident but a case of sex trafficking.

They also wanted to make sure that folks were aware of the sex trafficking and scores kidnapped girls who are forced to walk the streets right here in Oakland every night. Throughout the march folks continuously made the connection..

The organizers of the Oakland #BringBackOurGirls march pointed out that they were graciously invited to join ranks with the Alan Bluford Movement. For those who are unaware, Alan Bluford was a 17 year old who was shot and killed by Oakland police 2 years ago to the date of the march. There was a rally scheduled to celebrate his life and bring justice for him that was planned long before the Bring Back Our Girls March.. The Bluford family reached out to organizers of the Bring Back Our Girls and together they both spoke to the importance of reminding the world that Black Lives Matter.. It was powerful..

We talk with key organizers Faiza Farah, Kinfolk and Mr Bluford at the start of the march..

Leslie Jones of SNL

Later on in the show we speak with long time film maker and media justice advocate Rage Souljah from Race for the Times about the controversy surrounding the slavery skit done by comedian Leslie Jones on Saturday Night Live..

For those who are unaware here’s the breakdown..

Leslie Jones in an attempt to be funny did a skit that many felt mocked slavery..It was called the slave draft and started out with her saying,

“The way we value Black beauty has changed. I’m single now, but back in the slave days, I would have never been single. I’m six feet tall and I’m strong. Look at me, I’m a Mandingo”

She then went on to pine:

“I do not want to be a slave. I don’t like working for all you White people now and you pay me. But back in the slave days, my love life would have been better.

Master would have hooked me up with the best brotha on the plantation and every nine months I’d be in the corner popping out super babies. I’d just keep popping them out.

Shaq. Kobe, LeBron, Kimbo Slice, Sinbad. I would be the number one slave draft pick. All of the plantations would want me” she said. “Now, I can’t get a brotha to take me out for a cheap dinner. Can a bitch get a beef bowl?!!”

Needless to say this caused a firestorm where folks went in on Leslie Jones who reacted with equal venom..She tweeted that

“…Black people bitch and moan about the most stupid shyt…I’m a comic and its m job to take things and make them funny and make you think”

She noted that her skit came from the pain of realizing that Black men don’t wanna mess with her and that she would’ve been better off in slavery because she would have had a man because of breeding..”

During our interview Rage Souljah gave a detailed historical breakdown of how slavery has been used in films and in pop culture to demean Black people and sanitize the institution of slavery and reduce it to a joke. In the backdrop of all this is the rewriting of school text books where they have removed the word slavery and have downplayed its brutality.

He starts with Birth of a Nation and brings it up to music mogul Russel Simmons backed by powerhouse company Dreamworks releasing a Harriet Tubman sex tape parody to the recent slew of slave films.

Leslie Jones argued that other comedians like Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor have done slave skits. rage breaks down the significant differences between their jokes and hers.

A lesson to be learned here is for one to be careful for what you wish for or at the very least if we are going to push for someone to be put in place to rep the larger Black community at least make sure they hold the same values..Its not enough to have a black face in high or visible places if they are going to further the stereotypes and deepen the systemic problems we are fighting…

https://soundcloud.com/mrdaveyd/hkr-march-for-missing-nigerial-girls-snl-slavery-skit-final

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Bring Back Our Girls, hard Knock radio, Missing Girls, Nigeria, rage Souljah, Saturday night Live

Former Political Prisoner Lynne Stewart Speaks: From Larry Davis to the War on Terror

May 7, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Hard Knock Radio: Over the weekend, we were honored to sit down and speak with long time human right’s activist and freedom fighter, former political prison affectionately known as ‘the People’s Lawyer-Lynne Stewart.

She swung through the Bay Area with Pam and Ramona Africa to celebrate Mumia Abu Jamal’s 60th birthday and to raise awareness about political prisoners. For those who are unaware, Stewart was sent to jail almost 10 years ago when the Bush administration accused her of aiding and abetting terrorists, which was far from the case.

She was sent to jail under new restrictive laws that were newly applied to lawyers working with particular clients. Her case set a frightening precedent and showed just how much our civil liberties have been encroached. By using the words terrorists and painting Stewart as some sort of danger to national security, the Bush administration was able to get away with what Stewart described as an egregious crime.

Stewart pointed out that her long history of successfully opposing state oppression and abusive police made her a target where all rules were thrown out the window. During our interview she breaks down the full details leading up to her arrest and conviction. It is truly fascinating.

Larry Davis

We also spoke to Stewart about her past work, including her being the lawyer for infamous Bronx drug dealer, turned police fighter Larry Davis. Davis was accused of shooting six New York City cops who he said were dirty and forcing him to deal drugs. He went on the run for 17 days after the shooting, sparking one of the largest man hunts in New York City history.

What a lot of folks don’t know is Lynne successfully defended him of those initial charges. he was acquitted. Sadly he was actually convicted on something that was minor compared to the charges levied on him about the police shootings. Stewart noted that she wasn’t Davis’ lawyer in the last case which led to him being convicted and sent to jail where was later murdered.

During our interview Stewart gives up a lot of key information about the plight of political prisoners and what its like inside jail for them. She described in detail the types of tactics guards use to prevent inmates from asserting their rights and organizing..

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: hard Knock radio, Lynee Stewart, people's Lawyer, political prisoner

From Oakland Street Corners to Chibok, Nigeria-Bring Back Our Girls

May 2, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Tomorrow afternoon (Sat) between 12-3 pm there will be a march in rally down by Lake Merritt in Oakland to be in solidarity and raise awareness of the 234 missing Black girls from Nigeria. This is important. One can only imagine the anguish the families are feeling.

As folks bring attention to their plight, please make the important connection to the scores of young Black girls who are standing on our corners right here in Oakland on International Blvd, San Pablo Ave and other places around the Bay Area. They are numerous. They are among us. They are young Black girls, not grown women who many like to say ‘made a choice’ to work the streets at night.

As is the case with the women in Nigeria who are said to be involved in an incident of ‘Forced Marriage‘ by extremist Muslims, the young girls on our street corners are said to be victims of ‘Gorilla Pimping‘. Many of us are reluctant to call any of this Human Trafficking, thus reducing what is part of a global epidemic to something that is a one of kind, isolated incident that is undeserving of deeper scrutiny. By reducing it we let a whole lot of people in charge from the president on down to local officials off the hook for how such atrocities are allowed to happen routinely

Photo Credit: Denise Tejada/Turnstyle News

We like to reduce 13-year-old Black girls being snatched up and made to work street corners as a by-product of pimp culture which many of us celebrate in songs and movies. We want it to be disconnected from global structures in place that allow this to happen.

This type of thinking leads to people asking simplistic questions like ‘where are these girls parents and why aren’t they out here disciplining them? vs asking ‘Were these girls kidnapped?’.

This type of thinking leads to newly arrived hipsters seeing the girls on our streets as nuisances that need to be ‘cleaned out by the police’ vs asking how deeply rooted is this problem and how many institutions in the city and county are purposely asleep on the job or powerless to stop this widespread dilemma.

This type of thinking leads us seeing 234 girls being snatched up in Nigeria as a by-product of ‘backward unsophisticated Africans’, ‘Fundamentalist Muslim’ thinking vs something that has been going on for a number of years and with the blind eyes and even blessings of a many in government who we are now petitioning to rescue them…

The 13-year-old Black girls on the corners of Oakland are not seen in connection to the scores of Asian girls snatched up and made to work in brothels both domestically and abroad or the scores of Eastern European girls who are over here forced to work, or the scores of rich men from all over the globe who fuel all this by traveling to far off countries, on sex trips where they pay hefty fees to encounter these girls who are being snatched up…

None of us want to make the connection to the hundreds of girls/ women who have been snatched up and killed in Juarez, with no one in charge having any idea as to how and why…

While we can point out differences with each scenario, the overall bottom line and point being made is that the girls all around us are being preyed upon. They are being preyed upon in Oakland. They are being preyed upon in Nigeria. They are being preyed upon around the world. And while governments are petitioned to step up and do something and appeals are made to those identified as perpetrators, we also have to honestly ask ourselves in what ways intentional or not are we contributing to such a global hostile climate directed toward the young girls among us?

There are no easy answers. The are no overnight solutions.. But at the very least we should start connecting the dots and deepening our collective understanding..

In short don’t go rallying about these missing girls in Nigeria while obliviously drinking coffee in gentrified coffee shops in Oakland housed on the same corners where young girls 12, 13, 14 yrs old are being forced to work in what many are deeming one of the biggest hubs in the world for human trafficking.

For more information on tomorrow’s march go to https://www.facebook.com/events/552092998243775/

For information about Human Trafficking in Oakland check out www.misssey.org

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: Bring Back Our Girls, Human Trafficking, Nigeria, Oakland

Cali State Laws Prevent Abusive Police from Being Banned Like Donald Sterling

April 30, 2014 By mrDaveyd

The NBA is banning Donald Sterling for Life for his outrageous remarks which they know and fear could manifest into abusive behavior and policy effecting the team and the overall image of the league. It’s pretty straight forward. People are cheering and saying this is a good way to go.

With this being the case, lets’ imagine and then push for similar zero tolerance policies for police officers who are abusive and over the top with their attitude and behavior toward innocent citizens. We all heard the stories and saw the disturbing pictures when NYPD brass decided to do a feel-good PR blitz and took to twitter asking people to send photos of them with a NYPD officer.

The brass thought they would be inundated with photos of smiling police officers standing next to jovial tourists. Instead they were bombarded with thousands of photos showing NYPD beating or choking out people. They were blitzed with endless amounts of videos showing NYPD in unsavory, abusive situations. There is no doubt many of the people pictured in those videos were hoping that what befell Sterling and his ban for life, could be applied to rogue police officers. Sadly in many places that won’t happen..

For the past two years we have been alerting people to an insidious law that shields police from being held accountable. It’s called the Policeman’s Bill of Rights… The law is on the books in many states, but its strongest and most impenetrable in California.

In the past when we’ve written about POBOR, many have dismissed the conversation and called it overacting and conspiracy theory. It’s hard for many to accept that those they trust with authority would routinely cross the line. It’s either that or they mistakenly think such abuse will only visit ‘those Black and Brown folks who they feel probably ‘deserve it’..

Well that was backwards thinking and now we are seeing such practices are habitually happening to good ole white bred citizens who like to profess they have nothing to hide, have done nothing wrong and thus should not be wary of the cops having ‘too much’ power. Here’s what prompted an in depth investigative news report on NBC affiliate KNTV. SFPD went HAM on two techies and unjustly arrested them. Here’s an excerpt from their report:

Tech entrepreneurs Peretz Partensky and Ben Woosley came up against POBOR when he complained about what he says was an unfair arrest. He says he saw two bicyclists injured along Folsom street in San Francisco near his house. He didn’t even know the two bicyclists, but he called 911 for medical help.

“The next thing I know, [the police] grabbed me from behind and wrenched my arm back,” said Ben Woosley. He said he and Partensky were trying to get answers from the police, but the two were handcuffed and set on the ground.

“Since then,” Partensky said, “I’ve not actually been able to get any information about the incident.”

It’s not an uncommon story. Retired Marine Garret Bondaug was also left with unanswered questions when police unexpectedly showed up at his mother’s Santa Clara home one night.

“We were literally watching PBS,” Bondaug said. That’s when the police showed up at about 11pm. “As soon as we ask ‘what for?’, [the officer] whipped out his ASD, aluminum baton, and started beating me.”

What was described here is just the tip of the iceberg. A former elected official is pushing for new laws to scale back the Policeman’s Bill of Rights, which last year was strengthened with more provisions added, making it virtually impossible for anyone to know if a cop has shoddy record of abuse.

Check out the story below and lets re-imagine what a just community looks and feels like when abusive people who we pay with our tax dollars are banned after coming at folks sideways… http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/State-Law-Hides-Investigations-of-Police-Misconduct-from-Public-Scrutiny-257080571.html

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: Donald Sterling, Police brutality, Policeman's Bill of Rights

Donald Sterling Should Be Kicked out Real Estate World He Has Long Dominated

April 29, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Its good to see that folks are stepping up around this nonsense with the Clippers. Big shout out to ColorOfChange.org who have already been hard at work going after sponsors and hitting the Clippers where their pocketbook is. Thus far a number of corporations have already pulled their money.

With that being said, what should not be lost on us is the fact that Donald Sterling impacted folks above and beyond his harsh words. He’s a real estate mogul who discriminated against folks trying to get housing in LA.. The fines he paid in settling he lawsuits against him were among the highest in the country.

Sterling seriously hurt folks. he hurt hard-working average ordinary folks who found it difficult to get housing and the fact that he’s been allowed to operate in LA w/o too many sanctions and that he was being honored by the NAACP in a city where foreclosures and housing shortages are at all time highs, one needs to be asking, how many more think and act like Donald Sterling but haven’t been caught on tape?

If the NBA moves to kick him out of the League, we should be asking why hasn’t he been kicked out of the real estate world, with licenses revoked, permits pulled and those done wrong given free housing in return for his transgressions? We need to be asking what elected officials in LA County green lit any of his projects and why?? We need to know if he’s been given tax breaks or special consideration and perks from any of the cities where he owns property. All that needs to be rescinded. When we deal with that issue, that’s where meaningful transformation will take place.

With respect to the NAACP, LA Chapter president Leon Perkins held a press conference stating that Sterling was a guy who provided tickets for over 1000 young Black youth to come to the Clipper games and he donated some money to the chapter. Forget the basketball games, Perkins should’ve been asking what affordable or better yet, what FREE HOUSING has Sterling provided for the poor and underprivileged he is said to despise?

Sterling owns a lucrative piece of property in Beverly Hills that houses his office known Sterling Plaza. It has that has 7 stories. There was an article that came out a few years ago stating he was the only resident. Has he moved in any of those underprivileged families he sends to his games? Has he granted office space to some Black/ Brown businesses? That’s something he should’ve been pushed to do to make amends as part of his housing discrimination settlement.

The point I’m getting at is we must not fall into the trap of seeing Sterling and his words in isolation. He’s part of institutions that have long run roughshod over a lot of folks who don’t get to hold press conferences when done dirty. They unfortunately don’t have Snoop Dogg, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan speaking out on their behalf. But those folks should be uplifted and the companies and corporations headed by racist individuals like Sterling should be held accountable and made to truly compensate folks. Tickets to a Clipper game don’t cut it..

If Sterling is forced to sell the Clippers he will most likely get close to get at least half billion dollars for that team. He paid 13 million for them. He already worth 1.9 billion dollars. Homeboy will live comfortably. As for the people upended by housing discrimination, foreclosures, redlining etc in a world that Sterling is very much apart of, they may not be doing all that well. How will we champion their plight?? We know the name Donald Sterling, but do we know Thomas J. Barrack, Jr or Penny Pritker and the damage they done in the housing market?? Reflect on that for a minute….

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: Clippers, Donald Sterling, NBA, Racism

The NAACP is Just As Backwards as Clipper Owner Donald Sterling

April 27, 2014 By mrDaveyd

The NAACP was set to give Clipper’s owner Donald Sterling a Lifetime achievement Award… Yes you read that right…On May 15th he was to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award along with Al Sharpton and the good folks from Walmart who are set to get a Corporation of the Year Award…

Let’s give this some perspective. This Cali NAACP was set to give Sterling a Lifetime Achievement Award even after he paid one of the highest fines in the state for housing discrimination against Latinos and Blacks in LA.. He is on record saying Blacks are vermin who shouldn’t be living on his property. You can look up Sterling and Housing discrimination to get a better understanding of how ratchet this man is… http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/donald-sterling-to-pay-2725-million-to-settle-housing-discrimination-lawsuit.html

As for the NAACP.. This is the same outfit that in the 11th hour sided with Monsanto in the 2012 elections to defeat Prop 37 which would’ve required big food companies to label any and all food products that contained GMOS.. The NAACP came out swinging in support of Monsanto..Don’t believe me? There are dozens of articles about the sellout move like this one here–>http://bit.ly/1hCbRhp

(UPDATE) As of this writing the NAACP has decided to rescind their award…That should be a no brainer.. Given Sterling’s record why was he being honored in the first place?? It was backwards thinking even before he made these racist remarks. Shame on them!

With respect to Sterling, there are far too many folks who are trying to excuse this by saying that ‘all NBA owners are racists’ ..Not sure what that means?? Do we have them all on tape saying the madness Sterling said?? How many of these owners have been fined for housing discrimination? Is that an excuse for players to take the court today without addressing the issue??

Folks should keep in mind that the NBA routinely suspends players for the slightest infractions.. From dress code violations to talking greasy on or off the court about ref.. Players have been fined and suspended for not standing up and singing the national anthem.. Y’all remember Mahmoud Abdul- Rauf? Players have been suspended for making homophobic remarks such was the case with Kobe Bryant and Tim Hardaway. Dwight Howard was fined for criticizing the refs on his blog a few years ago..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_esLsfWPe30

But in this egregious case with Sterling you have a circling of the wagons. When the story first broke, ESPN dragged their feet in reporting it.. They didn’t go in on this until they had Jesse Jackson on the air with them.. We have NBA commissioner Adam Silver doing an ‘investigation’.. Whats to investigate? Homeboy said those inexcusable remarks-end of story..

The only way for this to be resolved is for sterling to be banned from the League..This means he doesn’t get to buy his way out by giving hush money to Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the NAACP or any other ‘leader’ who may pocket the loot and then tell us we should forgive him. F— that! Since Sterling is a real estate mogul, maybe suitable payment will be paying for all the Black homes foreclosed on in LA. That would be a good first step to atonement…

As for the NBA players?? Those who wore hoodies in support of Trayvon Martin, need to wear hoodies.. (KKK type hoodies ) to protest Sterling. They need to hold a press conference denouncing his remarks and demand he be kicked out of the league.. Trust me if any NBA player transgressed the way Sterling did , there would be no hesitation in financial punitive actions being levied on them.

Black players from the Clippers should hold a press conference and demand to be sold … oops I mean traded or auctioned off. No NBA team should play against the Clippers until Sterling is kicked out! If any Black player tries to defend him, they should be sent a copy of Malcolm’s Message to the Grassroots speech.

One has gotta wonder if the owner of the Clippers was a George Zimmerman supporter or an advocate for killer cop Johannes Mehserle if players on either team would show up to play ball? Sadly we already can guess what the Cali NAACP would do??Instead of playing nice with Sterling, the NAACP should’ve been holding a press conference demanding the players and Black folks in general boycott the Clippers and the NBA until Sterling is gone. They should’ve done this after he paid all that money for the housing discrimination case back in 2003.

May this be a lesson for all.. The owners of some of these teams see Black folks as glorified field hands in stadium/ arena plantations…Don’t look for an apology, get ownership and transform the power dynamics in play…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTL944sdlrE

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: Clippers, Donald Sterling, NAACP, Racism

Remembering Rubin Hurricane Carter..Our Hard Knock Radio Interview

April 22, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Rubin Hurricane Carter

Hard Knock Radio 04-21-2014: We talk with the two reporters who were on the scene last year in Boston during the bombings that took place at the conclusion of the marathon.. Chris Farone and Dart Adams share their thoughts on what was going on then and now and how the response to those bombings impacted our civil liberties ..

Later on in the show we give a throwback interview featuring former HKR co-host Weyland Southon speaking w/ Rubin Hurricane Carter who passed away over the weekend.. The former celebrated boxer turned prison rights activist was someone who showed us how to be resilient in the face of the most oppressive and insurmountable odds.

When he came to our studios a few years back, he was in the middle of a speaking tour helping raise awareness about the plight of political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal.. Here carter speaks at length about Mumia’s case as well as dispensing advice to those currently locked up.. It was a memorable visit.. He was very inspiring

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: hard Knock radio, prison rights, Rubin Hurricane Cater, Weyland Southon

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