KRS-One on one: Hip-hop needs more women

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KRS-One on one: Hip-hop needs more women

Interview and words by Cheverly Council and Rebecca McDonald
Photos by B FRESH Photography

http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2009/10/krs-one_on_one.php?page=1

KRSOne-bfresh2The vibe was live at Epic on Saturday night for the Stop the Violence Movement/Temple of hip hop show, with B-girls and boys out in full effect, a local hip hop lineup with over a dozen acts such as Illuminous 3, Lila T, and Ill Chemistry (Desdamona and Carnage), the Twin Cities Battle League, The Source Magazine’s “Spit 16” battle, and hip hop heads old and new. It’s safe to say, though, that most came out to get an earful of “The Teacha” KRS-One, who quietly passed through downtown but performed classics from “South Bronx” to “Sound of Da Police” with unmatchable thunder. He invited dancers to the stage to engage with him, as he yelled, “If you get your hip hop from the radio, step to the back!”

The show was reminiscent of local street ciphers spotted regularly on the streets of NYC back in the day, minus the rope-a-dope gold chains. It was grassroots, inclusive and down to earth – even KRS asked for tape of the show because he’d done a mic juggling freestyle that he had never done before, saying, “I hope y’all got that shit tonight. The two mics- I lost control. I was buggin’!…I gotta figure out how to do it again.”

City Pages sat down with KRS One after the show to ask him a very important question (and we even got a peek at his new, controversial bible-formatted text, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, to be released in November, Hip Hop History month)…

CP: What do you think is missing in hip-hop today?

KRS ONE: “I am not just saying this because you [a woman] are asking the question, this is my real answer: More women. More women. Not just emcees or b-girls, but women taking control of hip-hop. Let me be culturally-specific- hip-hop’s women should teach hip-hop’s men how to speak to them. Because when we learn how to speak to you, we can learn how to speak to the whole business world. It’s not just about respecting you…it is…but it’s deeper than just respecting another human being. Everytime you degrade a person, you degrade yourself, because you are standing next to that person. You can’t diss a person, and not diss yourself…I should say ‘she’s a queen.’ And what does that make me? A king. So now at the end of the day, what’s missing in hip-hop? Knowledge of self, that should only come from women. I know that sounds feminist, but that’s real talk.

CP: But men can be feminists, too.

KRS ONE: No doubt. But they are scared. They’re cowards.

Although KRS One was the only artist who offered this particular answer, his sentiments were echoed by a local performer and emcee, O.S.P. AKA FidelHasFlow, who said that “Hip-hop is missing honesty and therefore lacks integrity. It’s operating under a veil of stupidity.”

Check out more information about KRS One’s 818 page hip hop life-guide manual, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z675H-PkwZ0

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Breakdown FM Podcast: Naomi Klein-The Shock Doctrine-from New Orleans to UC Berekely

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Naomi Kline

Naomi Klein author of the book Shock Doctrine came to last night (October 27th) UC Berkeley and spoke to an overflow crowd of 1200 people. 500 were turned away. Her message was on point and sobering as she laid out all the steps and triggers that have led up to the current economic tailspin many of us are feeling.

Klein went into detail about the Shock Doctrine and how certain tyrannical leaders look for or manfacture crises and emergencies with the goal of pushing through facist type agendas.. She laid out how this took place in New orleans and how it is currently manifesting itself here in California through Governor Arnold Schwatrznegger and his plan to raise UC fees by a whooping 32% 

 This is a must listen to interview.. Sit back and take notes.. Cause Ms Klein pulls no punches.. We are going to post the Q&A sometime tomorrow.

Breakdown FM: Naomi Klein podcast-The Shock Doctrine at UC Berekely

http://odeo.com/episodes/25383758-Naomi-Klien-the-Shock-Doctrine-From-New-Orleans-to-Cali

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Michael Jackson Movie ‘This is It’ is Definitely worth the price of Admission

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Michael Jackson Movie ‘This is It’ is Definitely worth the price of Admission

by Davey D

Michael-Jacksons-This-Is-22As was the case with his death, the haters coming from places like the NY Post or so-called music critic Chuck Arnold of People Magazine, simply could not wait to find an opportunity to spit their venom on Michael Jackson the King of Pop. Lucky for us all of us got to see the movie at the exact same time as his critics, thus the negativity they spit will be overshadowed because folks who sat along side them have a vastly different opinion of the movie ‘This Is It’ and have been able to express it.  How does one go to a packed theater see, people clapping and dancing in the aisle and just feeling it and then go back and write some garbage about it was ghoulish??

The first thing I tell people is go see this movie is bring your kids. Michael is incredible . Yes, its rehearsal footage, but having covered concerts for the past 20 years from  U2 to Public Enemy and everyone in between, I can honestly say what you see with Michael is better than 90% of the folks have graced the stage. If you’re an artist, I strongly urge you to go see this movie, bring pen and pad, check your ego at the door and take notes so you can learn the real meaning of the word ‘ENTERTAINMENT“.

Michaeljacksonstage-225If I’m to believe the stories about Michael Jackson being a drug addict, out of shape and out of wack, unless this movie has some new special effects I never seen, than MJ puts that to rest. I want whatever it is he’s has, because he comes with a skill set very few will ever reach-and again this is just rehearsal. You can tell he’s hasn’t brought the entire package not by a long shot. MJ is off the chain. 

Several things stood out We know that his staff was working his young dancers day and night. They were doing everything from ballet to spending hours perfecting complicated and grueling routines. These men and women are half MJ’s age, but when they danced together, MJ who was supposedly on drugs was not only able to keep up, he  surpassed them.  Just to see how he did his routines is worth the 8 bucks. To see his incredible work ethic and desire for perfection is worth the 8 bucks. Just to see how he was dedicated to bringing entertainment to his fans is reason enough for anyone who is an artist from any genre or discipline to pay the price of admission. If you’re an artist this film is required viewing.

MichaelJacksonset-225It’s ironic that I saw the BET Hip Hop Awards just before seeing this movie.  I gotta tell ya its gonna be hard to go back and see Gucci man or Souljah Boy  hit the stage after seeing MJ.. It’s not so much that he spent money on his stage sets, it’s the perfection he demanded of himself and the people around him. It’s the precision in his dance moves. It’s him knowing every note and lyric to his songs. It’s him unwilling to come up short in his executions. You really come to appreciate good artistry and might find yourself getting annoyed and upset the next time you see someone do a half baked bullshit show.  

What also stood out was the staging and sets he was going to unveil in concert. Wow. The way he flips Smooth Criminal, Thriller and my favorite Earth Song  are breath-taking. In fact the Earth Song scene is something that President Obama and his fellow politicians who are hedging on getting a comprehensive impactful Climate Change bill, should see.  Michael hits a home run with that and actually speaks to the issue in the film. He talks about the direction we are headed where we may do irreversible damage.

The film has a lot of bright moments. As I was watching it, I couldn’t help think about how Michael had saved and eventually transformed the music industry. His creativity especially when it came to videos  saved the music industry. After seeing this film, I think many will use his film as a template and follow suit. Yes, we’ve had movies of band concert footage and their backstage rehearsals, but they pale in comparison to Michael Jackson. He raised the bar on this one.  if the movie does well, I’m willing to bet that we will see the music industry rush to do similar films with other performers…

 for those of you into conspiracy theories here’s something to consider…

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(And: How to Get Away With Fake Murder)
By: Rhiannon | MJHD Forum Moderator

Michaeljacksonmovie posterNow, we know in March of 2009 Michael Jackson announced his upcoming residency at London’s O2 arena.  This was an idea pitched to him initially by AEG in 2007, wanting him to kick off the “Grand Opening” of the O2.  At this time Michael had still been living like a vagabond, and after little consideration he turned down the offer.  His counter offer to Randy Phillips and Kenny Ortega was he would rather make movies.  Movies that he “produced, directed, and starred in”… shows “like the world has never seen”.  AEG, not in the market for filmmaking respectfully declined the offer and found a more than eager to oblige Prince to fill the opening dates.

Michael had long been in a self-fueled competition with Prince ever since the “Purple Rain” singer refused to record with him on the “Bad” album.  Michael is the type of person who always feels that he has to one-up himself, and one-up the world in the process.

Through whatever means, Michael re-approached AEG in November of 2008 again with his movie ideas.  What happened next is anybody’s guess.  This only brings us to March, the 10 shows turned 50, and the ensuing media silence that followed.

The shows were set to begin in early July then pushed back a week.  Taking in things as they were on June 24th, assuming the shows were legitimate and had every intention of actually happening, where was the pre-push?

Michael was set to take the stage in London in mere weeks for his “final performances” there.  This is some pretty big news, right?  We hear now that he had recorded a single entitled “This Is It”… why wasn’t this released to promote these shows?  From a traditional standpoint there was absolutely no marketing or advertising going on for the O2 shows, at all!  We know MJ wasn’t one to grant loads of TV interviews, but he was definitely a marketing genius (remember the statue floating down the Thames?) only here on the cusp of his career comeback and professional vindication… there is NOTHING?!  TV he may have stayed shy from, but he did do magazines, he always seemed to have some kind of “making-of” or “preview” leaked before whatever his next big thing was… but for This Is It we saw nothing.

Or did we?  …Hang on.

So now, we find ourselves in the present, less than a month away from the opening of the rapidly produced “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” in theaters worldwide.  And what do we have now?  There are a few radio spots, a random TV commercial, you may have even seen a banner or poster.  This is all totally normal for a movie.  Nothing to see here.  Right?
Wrong.  In promoting a film of this magnitude (let’s just say this will be the movie everyone remembers from 2009… unless you live under a rock) it would be especially commonplace to have a media circuit push in effect.  At this point, it would be the final push.

What you should see is Kenny Ortega, some of the dancers, anyone associated with the film promoting it by going on Letterman, Today, GMA, and giving quick 5-minute sit downs about the movie.  And trust me folks, it’s not like they’ve not been contacted to do these.  So why in the world would they turn down free publicity?  Why don’t they want to talk about Michael’s vision and L.O.V.E., etc?  Are they hiding something?

Meanwhile, the internet is hot with people talking, “buzz-bombing” is a term used sometimes for people planted by the company in question to litter sites and networks with information and keep the chatter going.  A common marketing phrase states, “There is no better advertising than word of mouth.”
So, that all said, let’s imagine the “what-ifs”.

The only major media talk surrounding the O2 shows in the weeks before they were set to happen were tethered to how Michael had just tragically and suddenly “passed-away”.  Then, how kindly, AEG volunteered the Staples center out to the Jackson family to have Michael’s public memorial, being as how they still had it rented out for rehearsals.
Wait… rehearsals for the show, on July 7th?  That’s cutting it dangerously close considering Michael had to move to the UK, the set had to be moved, the dancers had to move, and they’re all expecting us to believe this could be done in a week?  What seems more likely is they had a rental agreement still in place for the Staples Center through July 7th because the Memorial was a part of the plan all along.

Remember how Michael came around to AEG in November wanting to do movies?  What’s more foolish to believe, Michael was really going to do 50 shows in London like nothing… or that he said, “Ok, guys, here’s what I want to do… this might sound crazy but I’ve got it all planned out… this is my vision, you will make serious coin, and I get my public vindication and professional dignity restored.”  To say the latter is not possible is to sorely underestimate the genius that IS Michael Jackson.

AEG seeing an opportunity to make money hand over fist and be apart of the largest publicity stunt in history gladly signs on.  Michael then brings back his “dream team”, John Branca, Frank DiLeo, Karen Faye, even Kenny himself was around in the glory days.

The story of his “death” is believable because to the general unassuming public Michael was “odd” and most were aware he had issues dealing with prescription vices on and off for many years.  It’s easy to pin the tail on the donkey, Conrad Murray, because no one… still to this day… is entirely certain who he truly is, if he exists, and what his story is.  And shockingly, over three months have passed and we’re no closer to wrapping up the “investigation” than we were on June 25th.

So, how can this be?  Wouldn’t the officials involved risk professional demise once this is out?  Not necessarily, remember in Los Angeles, it’s not exactly difficult to obtain a filming/location permit or work out an agreement with hospital, coroner, and law enforcement higher-ups.  And to keep it quiet, all you need is one person in charge at each place to delegate information to his employees on a need-to-know basis.  They could be just as in the dark as we are!  Hence why the investigation is so flawed.  Hence why Chief Bratton is retiring in about 4 weeks.  For the hospital and coroner, you’ll notice you still don’t have any conclusive concrete, beyond shadow of a doubt, proof that they have been fraudulent.  In fact, Jermaine made the statement at UCLA, and after the announcement of an autopsy pending and the subsequent “security hold” on the findings, we have nothing official from them either.  All of the news people assume as factual has been leaked from sources “close to” or “involved with” the case.

Meanwhile, none of the insurance policies have been cashed in by Michael’s estate or AEG.  Some people mistakenly thought one had been, when actually all that happened was a judge granting Branca and McClain permission to use funds from the estate to produce TII and give Katherine and the kids some allowance money. And also, nothing official was ever decided about custody of the three kids… again, many people think this is wrong that Katherine was granted permanent and sole custody, but she still only has temporary guardianship.
And until anyone can see the original death certificate with their own eyes, you honestly can’t prove that it is real either.

Point being, with the right amount of money and the proper legal planning (confidentiality, non-disclosures, gag orders, etc.) Michael Jackson hoaxing his death wouldn’t be all that difficult.
Meanwhile, what we have is a two-week engagement in theaters (anyone else find that confusing?), teasers leaked to the public only *after* June 25th: demo clip, rehearsal footage, pictures, now a new single just in time for the movie… that has the entire world watching.  Michael’s catalogue can’t hardly be kept in stock anywhere, and his debts are being cleared a little faster than anyone presumed.  Leaving everyone without a loss on their investments.  So will he come back in the movie?  Before it?  After?  At all?

Well, I mean, they say This Is It, right?  …So if he’s not coming back soon then that can only mean This Is NOT It.  So which is it… Is This It, or Isn’t It?

By the way, has anyone heard from the children recently?  Odd that they were in the house the day their father was potentially “murdered” and they haven’t been interviewed by authorities at all

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An Open Love Letter to BET CEO Debra Lee (Dear Debra)

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Each week my man Jasiri X comes with heat. He’s covered almost every major topic impacting our community from the police shooting of Oscar Grant and the uprising in Oakland, Ca to the racist presidential campaign launched by Sarah Palin and John McCain to the Inauguration of Barack Obama to the brutal slaying of Chicago honor student Derion Albert. Name the topic and Jasiri X has covered it.. This time he out did himself.. Dear Debra is incredible  .. Please pass this along to Debra Lee of BET..

-Davey D-

JasiriX-copsThis Episode is dedicated to the BET and their CEO Debra Lee. ‘Dear Debra’ is a critical but loving letter exploring the possibilities of Black Entertainment Television. Episode 23 was produced by Kai Roberts and directed bu Paradise the Arkitech of X-Clan, No ducks were harmed in the makin of this video.

LYRICS
Verse 1

Dear Debra,
You’re giving me the blues mo betta
said that I can flow forever but I ain’t got no chedda
and we can’t got together cause I’m too controversial
plus you said ya time is money like a commercial
but my music’s universal
I didn’t mean to hurt you
but that’s what truth does
I did it with true love
see I gave you my heart and you said it was irrelevant
you said that I was smart but that I was too intelligent
I offered you my soul from the start but like the devil did
you said it would rank on ya chart unless I selling it
you said that your just playin ya part that of the ghetto chick
cause that’s what people what you to be
that sounds like frontin to me
see to me you’re more than something to see
baby you and me could set this whole country free
my queen you stepped out of a dream on to the screen
like a vision you was the only one I’ve ever seen

Verse 2
you had religion you was quick to tell em you was christian
but now you hang with gangstas so much you’ve been imprisoned
but you convinced yourself that that’s how we living
but life is so much more than champagne sippin
listen what this isn’t is a black male’s hate
give me one chance I promise it won’t be a hell’s date
we can go to college hill or 106 and park
make love from the sun up till when it get’s dark
I’ll sooth you no matter what level the stress
you are a righteous black queen not a hot ghetto mess
and yes I believe that you’ll switch one day
but now you’re so exposed that I wanna rip the runway
and I know they say that you should shake what ya mama gave you
but you are a reflection of how ya mama raised you
and you get what you give so don’t let karma enslave you
I’m willin to campaign like Obama to change you
for real

Verse 3
I’m so serious I’m so sincere
name the place where ever you wanna go I’m their
we can go to rap city I can get us a booth
cause the ones that’s there now they don’t be spittin the truth
you ask me how do I know the way they living is proof
claimin they freestylin what was ghostwritten for dudes
I wanna kick it with you
I’m on a mission to prove
that I’m a honest dude
this is not a comic view
see I wanna honor you and give you an award
but the ones that sponsor you I wanna give em the sword
they not fond of you they just wanna get you on board
and then they lie to you that’s just like pimpin a whore
see they don’t care what you mean to me or the community
how we can teach the seeds or promote unity
they just want coonery more and more buffoonery
so they can watch those videos like shake that booty b
but I’ll never call you out of your name
just consider this a lane to get you outta the game
cause I’ll take on all 50 states for you miss Debra
and you can call the battle Hip-Hop vs America

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I wonder if Debra Lee appreciates Jasiri X's love letter

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Is Texas Going to Execute an Innocent Man Today? Save Reggie Blanton Call Governor Perry

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TexasDeathpenaltymarch2The state of Texas since 1976 has executed more people than any other state in the country. With a population of that is 7.6% of the country, Texas has done almost 40% of the executions… 66% of those executions have been people of color… Since 1982 not one single white person has been put to death for murdering an African American.  Meanwhile the overwhelming majority of executions have been bestowed upon African Americans who have killed whites.

Over the years a number of people who had strong claims to their innocence have been executed. These include people like; Ruben Cantu, Gary Graham aka Shaka Sankofa and most recently Cameron Todd Willingham.  Some of the death penalty cases have been extremely disturbing. In one case, the prosecutor and the judge were sleeping with each other and tried to keep that sordid fact hidden. In another case a judge knowing that lawyers were headed to her office with a last minute appeal, decided to close her office early so that the execution could take place and not be stopped. In still another instance, the defense attorney fell asleep while in court defending his client. 

In the case of Todd Willingham, evidence surfaced on numerous occassions including what the Texas Forensic Science Commission discovered, where they concluded that the fire he was accused of starting which resulted in several deaths, was not arson at all and that he may have been put to death wrongly. Complicating this is  Governor Rick Perry who not  only rebuffed previous findings that stated no arson was caused, but at the 11th hour of the Texas Commission investigation attempted to disband and replace 4 of the members to perhaps get a more favorable ruling. He is accused of impeding justice and people calling for him to be investigated.

TexasDeathpenalt3Today the state of Texas the case around Reggie Blanton is sparking controversy as many feel he is innocent and was railroaded by the state of Texas. He has been on death row for 10 years and is scheduled to be executed Tuesday Oct 27th 2009 . His mother Anna Blanton and his brother gave impassioned pleas to a large crowd at the 10th annual Abolish the Death Penalty March in Austin, Texas this past weekend. She asked us all to take action and hold Governor Rick Perry and Judge Juanita Vasquez Garner accountable..She talked about how the family had been severely punished to the point of not even being allowed to her not even being allowed to see her son..She spoke about the treatment Reggie has recieved inside prison and how the corrupt system has not allowed her son to present crucial evidence. She asked that people call the Governors office at 512-463-2000

Reggie’s brother an Iraq veteran also spoke and talked about how he served in the military because he believed in things like our justice system. He noted that he is now angry and disillusioned. His speech was heartbreaking..

Here’s some more information of the Raggie Blanton case..

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/837705/

http://www.alternet.org/rights/143417/innocent_until_proven_dead:_will_texas_execute_another_innocent_man/?page=entire

http://www.petitiononline.com/reggie/

Save Reggie Blanton..

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Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty-is facing 8-12 Months Jailtime

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Lil Wayne pleads guilty may have to do 8-12 months

Lil Wayne pleads guilty may have to do 12-14 months

NEW YORK— Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to felony gun possession in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday (October 22) stemming from a July 2007 arrest following his first headlining concert in New York. The rapper will be sentenced to one year in prison as a part of his plea deal and must also give up his passport. Wayne quietly told the judge yes when asked if he understood the terms of the plea he was making.

Asked what type of gun he possessed, Wayne said, “A .40-caliber semi-automatic.”

Wayne had black jeans, a gray coat, white T-shirt and blue Chucks. He was accompanied by the CEOs of his label, Cash Money Records, Bryan “Baby” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams.

The hearing began at 10:05 a.m. ET and was over in 20 minutes.

About 20 minutes after the hearing ended, Lil Wayne exited the building, covering his head with the hood of his sweatshirt. Photographers and reporters followed as court officials escorted him to his vehicle. In response to many reporters’ questions, all Wayne said was, “What’s up?”

February 2010 and is expected to serve eight to 10 months, assuming good behavior. He must also appear in court in December for a parole update.

The incident took place in July 2007, when police pulled over Wayne’s tour bus at around 11:30 p.m. on the night of his show at the New York’s Beacon Theatre. They arrested the rapper for criminal possession of a weapon and another man on the bus for criminal possession of marijuana. Even before his show that night, Wayne made repeated comments from the stage about being hassled by police and threatened not to perform in New York again.

source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1624434/20091022/lil_wayne.jhtml

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Woman Faces 15 Years for Cutting Line at Walmart, KKK Involved

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As folks read this story and peep the video, keep in mind some sort of law needs to be put in place to reign in the abusive power of District Attorney’s especially when they are in small towns, like Kenneth. Mo.  There are literally hundreds of stories around the country of how DAs rule entire counties with an iron fist. One of the more notorious ones is the case involving Regina Kelly in Hearne Texas. Folks may wanna rent the movie American Violet to get a better understanding of how out of control things can get with ruthless district attorneys.  We are including the interview we did with Regina to further illustrate our point.

-Davey D-

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Woman Faces 15 Years for Cutting Line at Walmart, KKK Involved

by Boyce Watkins, PhD

Heatherellis-KKKHeather Ellis of Kennett, Mo., has quite a story to tell. It all started nearly three years ago in a local Wal-Mart.

Ellis was shopping in the store with a cousin, and the two temporarily parted ways to find the shortest line. Seeing that the other line was moving faster, Ellis went to get in line with her cousin.

She was accused of cutting the line by a store employee, who then notified the security guard. According to Ellis, she was shoved by another customer, had her items pushed to the side and was shortchanged when she finally checked out. The police affidavit states that Ellis was belligerent, loud, abusive and cursing when she was told to leave the store by the assistant manager.

Ellis’ aunt, Lily Blackmon, received a frantic call from her son and claims that when she arrived, her daughter’s head was being repeatedly banged against the police car as she told officers that she wasn’t resisting arrest. Blackmon, who was a probation officer in the town for 11 years, asked the officers why her niece was getting such rough treatment.

“I said, ‘What is going on?’ And all [the officer] could say was, ‘She cursed,'” said Blackmon.

Ellis was charged with disturbing the peace, trespassing, resisting arrest and two counts of assaulting a police officer. She was then offered a plea deal by Dunklin County Prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff. The prosecutor offered to drop the felony counts to one misdemeanor of disturbing the peace, as long as Ellis signed the plea deal. Her aunt claims that the deal was offered so their family wouldn’t file a lawsuit.

Ellis refused to take the plea deal, claiming that she wasn’t willing to admit to something she didn’t do; however, 11 months later, the misdemeanor counts were dropped, which seemed to be good news. The good news, though, was replaced with something even more disturbing.

It turned out that the misdemeanor counts had been replaced by felonies. Ellis now faces 15 years in prison if convicted. When her aunt went to prosecutor Sokoloff to find out what happened, Sokoloff allegedly told her, “Mrs. Ellis, when you get through, I don’t care what you say. You may as well take my way out. My way was the plea bargain. If you don’t take that way, I can assure you, you’ll never win in here.”

Ellis claims that her pending convictions have cost her two jobs and the chance to enter medical school, but she still refuses to sign the plea deal. Racism recently entered in to the story when Ellis was handed KKK cards from a Kennett police officer warning her about her actions. The cards stated, “You’ve just been paid a social visit by the Ku Klux Klan; the next visit will not be social.” The officer claims that he only showed the family the cards to make them aware of the situation. Since that time, and after a dramatic plea for support, people have come to help Heather. The site www.SaveHeatherEllis.com has emerged, and her father appeared on CNN on the 15th of October to tell her story.

Dr. Towanna Freeman, a management consultant, argues that Walmart was to blame for the unfortunate sequence of events: “No matter what angle you take on this case, it all started when Walmart failed a valued customer and it’s Wal-Mart that owes Ms. Heather Ellis a written apology.”

Dr. Freeman goes on to argue that Walmart should have cleared up the disturbance as soon as it occurred, rather than allowing it to get out of hand.

When it comes to the trial of Heather Ellis, the bottom line is this: This young woman’s future should not be in jeopardy over this incident. If the prosecutor’s office could drop significant felony counts down to one misdemeanor, then they can drop the charges altogether. This may also be a case of what I call, “You got the wrong black person syndrome,” in which police treat a black suspect a certain way because they believe the person is either uneducated or without influence. Most cases of police abuse go unreported or without accountability by the police department. Once they found out that Ellis was a college student, this may have led to the surprisingly generous concessions made in the original plea deal. There appears to be a power trip in this case, in which the prosecutor (like the one in the Jena 6 case) seems to feel that he has the right to destroy this young woman’s life over an argument at Wal-Mart. I don’t think we should let that happen. Rev. Sharpton and I will have something interesting to talk about this week.

source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2009/10/12/woman-faces-15-years-for-cutting-line-at-walmart-kkk-involved/

To watch video about the incident, please click the image below:

 

 

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Breakdown FM: Wall Street Gangsters, Wu-Tang Clan-Why Cash Really Rules Everything Around You

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DaveyD-leather-225Does Cash Rule Everything Around Me?  From the looks of things yes. We sat down and spoke with former Wu-Tang Clan manager and author/entrepreneur Cedric Muhammad of Blackelectorate.com to have an indpeth discussion about today’s current economic situation and how its impacting us.

We started off talking about the recent decision by investment bank Goldman Sachs to give out more than 20 Billion dollars in bonuses, after being bailed out with tax payer money. How could such a thing happen? Where’s the public outrage?

Cedric explains that the US is no longer a democracy but a plutocracy where a wealthy few rule everything. The blatant disregard by Goldman Sachs to the American public underscores the the type of control investment bankers have over all aspects of our lives here in America.  Cedric  explains that it’s almost impossible for President Obama to do anything because his seat in the White House is strictly controlled. As was spoken about in Michael Moore‘s movie ‘Capitalism‘, a coup has taken place in this country and we are sadly seeing it play out before our eyes.

Cedric Muhammad talks about this economic coup in our interview. His analysis is compelling. We talk in great detail how and why this happened. We also talk about how it is foolish to see this as a Democrat vs Republican situation. Cedric talks about how outfits like Goldman Sachs have members of both parties on the payroll.

We talk about the significance of  Oliver Williamson of UC-Berkeley and him winning this years economic Noble Prize. We talk about the emerging economic models  that exist in various ethnic communities and how they have allowed groups of people to prosper even in rough economic times. Cedric speaks about the important model set forth by Rza and his Wu-Tang Clan and why we should pay close attention and even mimic them. We also talk about how the Hip Hop political movement has allowed itself to be severely compromised and co-opted.

breakdownFM-logo-podcast-30This is an incredible and enlightening interview. It’s probably one of the most important ones you can listen to…click the link below to hear.

http://odeo.com/episodes/25319912-Wall-Street-Gangsters-How-Cash-Really-Does-Rule-Interview-w-Cedric-Muhammad

 As you listen to the podcast peep out this insightful article that further explains the points raised by Cedric Muhammad..

 

Economic Governance: The Organization Of Cooperation: Why Wu-Tang Clan and The Honorable Elijah Muhammad Could Have Won The 2009 Nobel Prize In Economics

cedricmuhammed2(Cedricmuhammad.com) Of all of the chapters that I wrote in my new three volume book series on entrepreneurship, The Entrepreneurial Secret (http://www.theEsecret.com/) the one that gave me the most anxiety from a technical standpoint was Chapter 4 of Volume I, entitled, “The Secret of Capital And The Business Firm.” It is a chapter that makes some strong assertions, such as the economics profession does not understand what capital is; money is one of the least of all of the forms of capital; entrepreneurs should understand that a business firm is actually a society; and that 90% of Black businesses have no more than a single paid employee partly because the science of what a business firm is, and legal forms of business that encase it (i.e. sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations) were never taught to Black Americans, or worse, denied to them.

My anxiety stems from the fact that we the people have been made so ignorant, miseducated, and misled on economic matters that it is difficult to get into certain economic truths without being misunderstood or mislabeled. As I wrote in the Preface to The Entrepreneurial Secret this is due to the fact that the public school system does not teach economics, the news media cannot explain it properly and the book publishing industry divides and compartmentalizes knowledge in the field into too many categories. On another level, we’ve been systematically denied certain elements of business knowledge and funneled into a phony capitalism versus communism shouting match that produces more debate and distraction than development.

In my book I make the case that macroeconomic policy does matter, and that a debate over market forces and State control of an economy is important (I devote an entire chapter to this discussion). But a central theme of my book is that what leads to wealth creation, economic development and growth is self-improvement, enlightened self-interest, cultural traditions of pooling money, the proper use of the business firm, and the standardization of a business organization so that it does not depend upon a single personality. None of these five elements fits neatly into the mainstream economic profession nor does it revolve around the Free Market versus State debate that dominates the capitalism-socialism paradigm.

In The Entrepreneurial Secret I define the business firm as a form of society, a social institution, not to be defined by a ‘State’ or ‘Free Market.’ It is a vehicle where human beings unite, pool resources and capital, organize them in hierarchical structures and make decisions, even on how to resolve conflict. In that sense I see the business organization not unlike a ‘gang’, sorority, tribe, or religious order.

Oliver Williamson

Oliver Williamson

And this is why I was so impressed with the fact that Professor Oliver Williamson of California, Berkeley was a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics (http://nobelprizelaureates/2009/press.html). You see Professor Williamson’s view of the firm is similar to the one I express in my book. Here is the most relevant portion of the official press release announcing his victory:

Economic transactions take place not only in markets, but also within firms, associations, households, and agencies. Whereas economic theory has comprehensively illuminated the virtues and limitations of markets, it has traditionally paid less attention to other institutional arrangements…. Oliver Williamson has argued that markets and hierarchical organizations, such as firms, represent alternative governance structures which differ in their approaches to resolving conflicts of interest. The drawback of markets is that they often entail haggling and disagreement. The drawback of firms is that authority, which mitigates contention, can be abused. Competitive markets work relatively well because buyers and sellers can turn to other trading partners in case of dissent. But when market competition is limited, firms are better suited for conflict resolution than markets. A key prediction of Williamson’s theory, which has also been supported empirically, is therefore that the propensity of economic agents to conduct their transactions inside the boundaries of a firm increases along with the relationship-specific features of their assets.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, uses a phrase, ‘relationship-specific.’ The untapped area in the field of economics which remains is that which revolves around ‘relationship-specific’ activity, and how such factors like love, envy, ambition and trust influence trade and commerce. Yet, the profession is only now getting around to how firms, associations, households and agencies are formed and impacted as a result of these forces. That Professor Williamson is being recognized for his work which looks at economic reality outside of central governments and markets is a positive sign.

On an empirical, conceptual, and anecdotal level my recognition of how people unite, resources are ordered, capital is arranged, and decisions are made in the firm is influenced by the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and my experience as General Manager of Wu-Tang Management. The economic blueprint of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, in its entrepreneurial aspect (contained in the 1965 book Message To The Black Man) encourages, “If there are six or eight Muslims with knowledge and experience of the grocery business – pool your knowledge, open a grocery store – and you work collectively and harmoniously, Allah will bless you with success. If there are those with knowledge of dressmaking, merchandising, trades, maintenance – pool such knowledge….help to make jobs for your own kind. Take a lesson from the Chinese and Japanese and go give employment and assistance to your own kind when they are in need. This is the first law of nature…”

To the Honorable Elijah Muhammad the business firm is a society within a society. The connection of his insights and reference to the ethnic communities that have been foremost in wealth creation around the world and in the United States as immigrant groups is worthy of deep study.

When I was interacting with Wu-Tang Clan (beginning in 1993 when I met them as a young concert promoter still in college) or serving as part of management for over a two-year period in the 1990s I saw these principles practiced at a high level, and was involved in helping to execute them (along with an incredible four-man combination of Mook, Divine, RZA and Power) on the group’s behalf inside of the music industry and outside of it.

I will argue the unparalleled achievements and example of Wu Tang with anyone.

There has never been a greater model for community and economic development – in a business context – provided by any single artist or group in the music business than that given by the Clan. Perhaps one day someone will make a detailed study on this subject.

One of the reasons for the group’s success was that it was never burdened by any superficial ideological debates. Everyone was clear on what the goal was and in many ways we embodied the first law of nature – self preservation – and building wealth according to the cultural kinship systems of the Chinese, Jewish, and African traditions for example, where individuals support a collective and the collective finances the individual (entrepreneur). We made mistakes and errors, and fell victim to the same vices and imperfections that we all struggle with, but at its highest level of operation, there has been nothing like the Clan, before or since.

I touch on some enlightening and hilarious anecdotes in The Entrepreneurial Secret.

In my book’s chapter on capital and the business firm I devote 12 pages to different arguments over the nature of the business firm. What I present kisses and embraces certain aspects of Nobel Economist Professor Williamson’s work which makes clear that the government and market are quite often not the place where real economic activity takes place. It is in informal institutions like associations and households where transactions take place, often without money changing hands. Just look at a family and how many ‘trades’ take place without cash being involved. Consider the New York-based Jewish diamond trade where contracts in the millions of dollars are sealed only with a handshake and a Hebrew-Yiddish greeting of ‘mazel and brucha’ (luck and blessing).

Yet, despite overwhelming evidence, the economics profession looks down upon kinship systems (families, tribes, ethnic groups, ‘gangs,’ religious groups) that often have more trust than formal systems dominated by markets and central authorities. The obvious truth that trust is a form of wealth, seems to be a fact that Western economists only seem willing to acknowledge after stock market crashes and financial panics.

What the work of Nobel Economist Oliver Williamson makes clear is that whether markets or strong governments exist or not there are always benefits and a principal role for what he terms ‘private ordering’ – the lead role of associations, households, firms and agencies in undertaking economic activity.

Every ethnic trading network and group savings association in the world already knew this.

Wu-Tang Clan; The estimated $80 million Muslim ‘economic empire’ of the Nation of Islam prior to 1975; Jamaican ‘partners;’ Ethiopian ‘ekoub;’ Jewish aktsiyes;’ and the Chinese system of doing business known as ‘guanxi’ are not created by governments or ‘markets,’ they are relationship-specific institutions that emerge culturally and defy the understanding and logic of the economics profession.

Rza

Rza

As I write in my book, Wu-Tang really was a clan and RZA was our head. We were the product of an entrepreneurial vision, voluntary association, kinship system (everyone involved was either a blood relative, childhood friend or serious student of Islam and universal principles). There were elite inner circle elements to the decision-making, and others that were more ‘democratic’ and still more that were authoritarian. Only an understanding of the nuances of the theory of the business firm (and not how markets or central governments work) and the hierarchy it creates or enables would explain how and why the Clan achieved so much.

In an interesting interview with CNN to promote his new book, The Tao Of Wu, CNN and RZA have the following exchange:

CNN: You say you ran Wu-Tang like a dictatorship in its first five years. I know you and Raekwon have had creative differences and Ghostface Killah is suing you over royalties. Ever regret the dictatorship approach?

RZA: I don’t regret it because it got us to the power we are. …To me, in the beginning, the dictatorship led us to such a strong foundation that even though Wu-Tang seemed to be crumbling, it didn’t fall because of the root foundation of one man’s idea. But now as it’s coming back together — we’re living in the twilight age of it right now — it’s still surviving because of the democracy of it.

****

RZA’s assessment of the drawbacks but undeniable progress made with a ‘dictatorship’ would enlighten those who don’t understand why certain societies and electorates turn to authoritarian rulers with egalitarian messages (Venezuela, Cuba) or dominant spiritual leaders (Iran, Vatican, Nation of Islam). Much of it has to do with the shortcomings of ‘markets’ and ‘governments,’ and the ability of special human beings to inspire the greatest forms of economic wealth – trust and love – which always decrease transaction costs and provide a foundation for development.

On another level the theory of the firm explains why the entrepreneur is often more efficient than ‘markets’ at gathering, allocating, and determining the use of resources.

For the valuable role of direction and execution of resources that they fulfill, as well as the risk-taking they assume, there is always a dispute within groups (filled with envy, ambition, and structured on hierarchy) over how much of a ‘profit,’ reward, or compensation the leader or head should enjoy as opposed to the rest of the body.

In my book I make clear why I believe the word ‘entrepreneur’ is more accurate and appropriate than ‘dictator,’ to describe the dominant leader.

Yesterday, from Memphis, Tennessee, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, in an address commemorating the 14th anniversary of the Million Man March (http://noi.org/) represented one of the deeper regions of the Teachings of Honorable Elijah Muhammad connecting the structure and function of the human body, the origin of the universe, and the next stage of community and economic development that should take place in Black America, wasted urban areas, and distressed rural areas.

That anatomy, physiology, and universal order should enter a discussion on economics may be strange to some, but the deeper economists think into reality and study societies and their basic unit, the individual human being, the more they will see the unity of that which previously seemed disconnected.

I don’t believe in revisionist history, but the deeper economists get into anthropology, theology, cosmology, astronomy, anatomy and physiology – and I can’t leave out botany and zoology – the more likely they are to broaden the pool of likely recipients for the highest prize in the profession.

The Wu-Tang Clan and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad absolutely practice what Nobel Prize Economists Elinor Ostrom and Oliver E. Williamson have studied, “Economic Governance: The Organization of Cooperation.”

One day it will be acknowledged, if I have anything to do with it.

Cedric Muhammad
http://cedricmuhammad.com/
October 19, 2009

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GOP on GOP Violence: Bill O’Reilly Underfire for Interviews w/ Marc Lamont Hill

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BillOreilly-225By now most of you know the fate that has befallen political analyst Marc Lamont Hill. He was one of the few progressive voices that regularly appeared on Fox News. However,  last week he was let go by after two conservative  pundits David Horowitz and Cliff Kincaid started raising a ruckus about Hill’s support of political prisoner Mumi Abu Jamal and political exile Assata Shakur. Here’s what Kincaid said in his recent column…

Murdoch, chairman of News Corporation, the parent company of Fox News, used his company’s annual meeting on October 16 to announce the firing of Fox News contributor and O’Reilly Factor regular Marc Lamont Hill. This is the left-wing cop-killer apologist that we have written about for weeks. We called him the Van Jones of Fox News Channel. We said Fox News was as bad as Obama on the matter of background checks for their employees.

Interestingly, both Van Jones and Marc Lamont Hill are public supporters of convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal. Both were also associated with the George Soros funded Center for American Progress.

The announcement of Hill’s firing was made as I was questioning Murdoch about why Hill was hired in the first place. Hill’s support for cop-killers, had been highlighted on his own web pages. Hill had also spoken before a black communist group―something he had proudly listed in his official curriculum vitae

http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/ckincaid/2009/ck_10201.shtml

Witch hunts aimed at progressive voices are nothing new. In this column, Kincaid goes on and on about Hill being connected to George Soros and the Center for American Progress  and how Hill supports the Fairness Doctrine which will open up the airwaves for those who hold opposing views.-Blah Blah Blah. It’s the usual dribble and the usual suspects.  However, this time around we have an interesting twist.  Also  in the line of fire is longtime Fox News Commentator Bill O’Reilly.  The crosshairs are on him for actually having Hill on his show multiple times. 

Critics of Hill are now demanding answers from O’Reilly and demanding that he come out of spinzone.. In Kincaids column he places a letter from a disgruntled viewer…

“I personally do not like Bill O’Reilly any more. He is too liberal for me. He has ‘sold out’ and I am disappointed in Bill. I am a hair designer in San Francisco, the most sick liberal city in America, and the few conservatives that live here are ‘banning Bill’ because he has gone ‘wishy-washy’ and we don’t like him anymore. His ‘cuteness’ doesn’t cut it! He doesn’t have the ‘guts’ that Glenn Beck has and I will bet you a dollar to a donut that Glenn’s ratings pass Bill’s in the very near future, maybe by next week.”

-Katheryn O’Shaunessy-

Industry insiders have long noted that inside the hallowed halls of Fox there is a war of egos. Bill doesn’t like Hannity, Hannity doesn’t like Beck etc.  Funny thing is when you compare Hannity and Beck with O’Reilly, Bill comes off as a lot smarter and actually more reasonable. He doesn’t buy into all the birther conspiracy crap like his colleagues. He clearly understands that its all about showmanship. Hence his angle is to be crass and obnoxious. The big irony with O’Reilly is that if you watch him long enough you’re likely to see and hear more Black leaders discussing politics then you do on BET or TV One which goes to show you just how much we been lacking.  In any case word on the street is that they are now gunning for Bill O’Reilly. They have some new sheriffs in town and they are crazier and nuttier than the old guy.  LOL I can’t say I have any sympathy for any of those fools. GOP on GOP violence -well in this case its a good thing. May they all destroy each other.

Something to ponder

-Davey D-

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Rallies Planned in 18 Cities Demanding CNN Drop Lou Dobbs as they Premier Latinos in America

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DaveyD-leather-225I recently heard some grumblings from some who are suddenly feeling protective of  CNN pundit Lou Dobbs as they fell back on the free speech argument.

The basic gist of the argument is as follows; “Lou Dobbs has a right to his opinion and what is taking place by Latino organizations rallying and demanding he be dropped is censorship”.

Noting could be further from the truth. Lou Dobbs does in deed have a right to his opinion, but not when it comes to spreading lies and half truths to millions on the airwaves and people can’t rebut. It’s interesting to hear people crying in defense of Lou Dobbs , while those very same people and forces have remained astonishingly silent when former CNN host Glenn Beck led a witch hunt against Green for All activist Van Jones.

Jone’s ‘free speech was called into question from the bully pulpit of the corporate airwaves resulting in Jones resigning from his post at the White House. many feel like he was forced out.  Beck has since gone on to continue his witch hunt for people he personally feels have uttered the wrong ideological opinions past and present.
 
All it took was a couple of articles and a well placed letter from the widow of the cop who was killed and Hill was fired. News of his dismissal came to Hill via news media. He was never called and personally informed until after the fact. It didn’t matter that Hill had a right to his opinion or that Mumia has always maintained his innocence and millions around the world believe and support him. None of that ‘free speech mattered’.

Former Fox News pundit Dr Marc Lamont Hill

Former Fox News pundit Dr Marc Lamont Hill

It was just last week that media pundits launched a campaign to ulster popular media analyst Marc Lamont Hill who is one of the few progressive voices that regularly appeared on Fox News. The two ultra-conservative pundits took issue with Hill’s support of Mumia Abu Jamal who sits on death row and Assata Shakur who escaped the law and is exiled in Cuba. These pundits went to a Fox shareholders meeting confronted News Corp owner Rupert Murdoch and demanded that he get rid of an employee who they felt was out of bounds for supporting a convicted ‘cop killer’.

How this connects to CNN even though these recent happenings occurred on rival Fox, is that as a news media outlets it hasn’t used its bully pulpit to demand that such distortions and McCarthy era tactics cease. It remained silent or  in this instance has participated via Lou Dobbs whose insidious rhetoric  has helped foster a climate that has led to a spike in hate crimes. With that in mind, there should be absolutely no objections to groups demanding Dobbs be dropped. The fact that Latinos groups have to hold rallies in 18 cities, get petitions and go through all sorts of hoops versus a couple of media pundits pushing their strongly felt opinions on the airwaves is a clear indication just how imblanced things are..

-something to ponder-

Davey D


CNN-ClearlyNotnewsToday CNN premiers ‘Latino in America’ Premiere, Nation-Wide Rallies Planned to Demand CNN to Dump Lou Dobbs!

 You can join the efforts! Scroll down for a list of cities and make sure you download your signs!!!

Download Graphics here:

Community leaders, politicians and faith groups in 18 of the top U.S. Latino media markets are set to rally together in local protest events on Wednesday, October 21stin an effort to increase the pressure on CNN to remove Lou Dobbs from its programming. Calling CNN hypocritical for airing “Latino in America,” an advertising-driven special on Latinos, while at the same time hosting the anti-immigrant rhetoric of Lou Dobbs, the events are part of our BastaDobbs.com campaign, a coalition of Latino organizations from across the country that is led by online advocacy group Presente.org.

CNN-canthaveitbothways“Our message to CNN is clear: You cannot have it both ways. It’s either promotion of hatred by Lou Dobbs or real news regarding the Latino community,” said Isabel Garcia, a prominent civil and human rights attorney in Arizona who is highlighted in the “Latino in America” series and who is also participating in the BastaDobbs.com effort.

“Lou Dobbs abuses the CNN platform to dehumanize and spread fear about Latinos and immigrants. It is no surprise that hard-working Latinos in this country are increasingly victims of hate-motivated violence,” added Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles(CHIRLA). “CNN must be accountable to one of the largest minority groups in the United States if it seeks to gain their following and respect”.

CNN-profitsfromhateOn Wednesday, press conferences and public actions threat of Lou Dobbs on CNN are planned these locations!

ALBUQUERQUE, NM
12 PM NOON @ National Hispanic Cultural Center
1701 4th St SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

ATLANTA, GA
10 AM @ CNN Building Downtown
190 Marietta St. Atlanta, GA 30303

BOSTON, MA
11 AM @ Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon St. Boston, MA 02133

CHICAGO, IL
12 PM NOON @ Casa Michoacan
1638 S. Blue Island Ave. Chicago, IL 60608

DENVER, CO
12 PM NOON @ Colorado State Capital
200 E Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80203

GREENVILLE, NC
12 PM NOON @NCCE Lenoir County Center
1791 Hwy 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504

HOUSTON, TX
11:30 AM @Houston City Council
900 Bagby St. Houston, TX 77002

LAS VEGAS, NV
5 PM @ Hermandad Mexicana Transnacional
740 N. Eastern Ave.- Suite 110, Las Vegas, NV 89101

LOS ANGELES, CA
10 AM @ Carecen
2845 West 7th St. Los Angeles, CA 90005

MIAMI, FL
12 PM NOON @ Center for Immigrant Orientation
2610 SW 8th St. Miami, FL 33135

NEW YORK, NY
4 PM @ CNN Building Downtown
10 Columbus Cir. New York, NY 10023

PHOENIX, AZ
12 PM NOON @ 802 N. 7th St. Phoenix, AZ 85004

SACRAMENTO, CA
12 PM NOON @ Cesar Chavez Plaza Park
J St & 10th St, Sacramento CA 95814

SAN ANTONIO, TX
12 PM NOON @ Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
922 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78212

SAN DIEGO, CA
12 PM NOON @ Offices of American Friends Service Committee
3275 Market St, San Diego, CA 92102

SAN FRANCISCO, CA
12 PM NOON @ Sun Rise Restaurant
3126 24th St. San Francisco, CA 94110

TUCSON, AZ
12 PM NOON @ El Tiradito in Old Barrio
on South Main St. between W. Cushing St. & W. Simpson St. Downtown Tucson, AZ 85701

 

CNN’s ramping it’s ‘Latino in America,’ but it’s getting ruined by Lou Dobbs

ALBOR RUIZ – NY LOCAL
Loudobbs-racist-225Readmore: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/10/18/2009-10-18_lou_dobbs_ruins_cnns_latino_program_aim.html#ixzz0UOaB9E7z

In a few days CNN will launch its ambitious “Latino in America” series. Hosted by the popular Soledad O’Brien, the heavily promoted four-hour program will air on Oct. 21 and 22.

“Witness the evolution of a country as Latinos change America, and in return, America changes Latinos,” is how CNN entices potential viewers on its Web site. The series is a serious effort to capture a larger share of the Hispanic market – and according to some who have seen it, a worthy one.

Ironically, the series comes at a time when CNN has a huge trust problem with Latinos – and its name is Lou Dobbs.

Dobbs, some say, has thrown ethics overboard and has made a career out of vilifying immigrants.

“The truth is that CNN already airs a nightly program on Latinos in America. It’s called ‘Lou Dobbs Tonight‘, and for 260 hours a year CNN provides air time for anti-immigrant distortions and anti-Latino propaganda,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, a national pro-immigration reform group.

America’s Voice, along with Media Matters, and Presente.org, have called on CNN to dump Dobbs.

“They (CNN) think that a few hours of serious reporting on Latinos by sunny Soledad O’Brien can make up for thousands of hours of anti-Latino extremism from the dark Lou Dobbs,” said Roberto Lovato, of Presente.org and a leader of the movement to dismiss Dobbs.

Through the Present.org Web site, www.bastadobbs.com, over 70,000 people have signed a petition demanding CNN President Jon Klein fire Dobbs. It reads, in part: “As President of CNN, it is imperative that you act quickly and decisively to drop Dobbs from your network, and send the message that CNN does not tolerate hate speech. There should be no place for the likes of Dobbs on the ‘most trusted name in news.’ “

Hate speech has created a hostile environment for Latinos in America resulting in violence and death. The FBI says that from 2003 to 2006, hate crimes against Latinos increased 40%.

Visitors to the Presente.org can watch the eye-opening video, “CNN: Lou Dobbs or Latinos in America?” They can also find some of Dobbs’ most outrageously false claims, such as the 7,000 cases of leprosy caused by Latino immigrants..

Dobbs has also claimed that “Just about a third of our prison system is made up of illegal aliens.”

But the Department of Justice reports that immigrants (legal and illegal) make just 6% of the prison population.

Presente.org is committed to set the record straight.

“For us, ‘Latino in America’ is a teachable moment that we will use to raise awareness about how Dobbs spreads lies about immigrants in his program and opens it to the most dangerous hate groups in the U.S.,” Lovato said. “It is also about raising awareness that by watching CNN, Latinos are disrespecting ourselves.”

America’s Voice and Media Matters planned to run an ad targeting Dobbs during the broadcast of Latino in America, but CNN refused to air it.

America’s Voice says it plans to run the ad on a competing network.

Angelo Falcón, executive director of the National Institute for Latino Policy in New York, points out that Dobbs’ problem (and CNN’s) is “he doesn’t understand the widespread antipathy to him and his race-baiting that exists throughout the Latino community, on its left, right and middle.”

The question CNN must answer is a clear one, Lovato said: “What is it going to be: Lou Dobbs or Latinos in America?”

aruiz@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/10/18/2009-10-18_lou_dobbs_ruins_cnns_latino_program_aim.html#ixzz0UOYyNbNY

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