It's Hard to get Wasted on Jail Juice Boxes...

Gucci Mane, featured on countless hits by The Black Eyed Peas, Plies, Mariah Carey, and 50 Cent was sentenced to one year in jail yesterday in an Atlanta federal court. His upcoming album The State vs. Radric Davis slated for a December 8th release is almost prophetic in nature as he will no longer don the icy chains and Gucci hats; his Fulton County jail inmate jumpsuit should fit just fine.

Good Hair

So over the weekend I took some time out of my busy schedule to go catch a flick. I had been wanting to see Chris Rock's movie Good Hair since I heard that it was coming out. Being a conscious individual I thought that the documentary would shed some light on the industry of African American hair care. I won't ruin the movie for you if you haven't seen it but it is definitely enlightening. Chris Rock took a historical perspective and a cultural context exploring nearly every facet of the business and culture from hair care manufacturing plants to barbershops to Korean-owned hair stores. The notion that majority of black hair care companies and businesses are dominated by Korean and Caucasians is addressed in addition to many other factors where Ujamaa is not practiced.

Two steps backward

Recently, in the midst of the healthcare debate, persistent economic woes, and wars in the Middle East, an interesting story has made its way to the forefront of popular news media. The story is from Hammond, Louisiana where justice of the peace Keith Bardwell refused to grant marriage rights to Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay because they are an interracial couple.

Hammond is a small town located in southeastern Louisiana close to the Gulf of Mexico. The racial profile of Hammond is dominated by blacks (45%) and whites (52%). Despite the roughly balanced demographics of the community, the residue of racial bias still lingers in the judiciary. The incident has sparked nationwide outrage; America has been shocked by the blatant defiance of legal precedence and racism of such a prominent public official.

Stereotypical Standards?

There has been a buzz across college campuses and news media outlets for the last few days about Dear Old Morehouse College's new dress code for its 2,700 students, noting that "getting back to the legacy" of Morehouse is the driving force behind the college's new dress code.

To Support or Not to Support…Why is that a Question?

Recently college athletes have used eyeblack or eyewear as one of the few means of expression. Ohio State starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor received much criticism for his support of Michael Vick when he had the words “Mika” and “Vick” on them. The former, the sister of Pryor, the latter a former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons who served eighteen months for his role in dog fighting. Most players put the area or zip codes of their hometowns, or biblical passages on their eyewear, but for some reason “all hell has broken loose.” The adverse reactions to such innocent comments have created a media circus. Thus, I raise the question when does a college athlete have the space to be socially and/or politically conscious.

Obama, Healthcare, and Race…Oh My!

As national media outlets cover the town hall forums on universal health coverage, there appears to be great hostility amongst American citizens, especially Whites, towards President Barack Obama’s proposed reform. Disruptions, arguments, and fights have been commonplace as the debates continue. Obama has even been compared to Adolf Hitler. What is all this hoopla over?

Harvard's Ivory Tower Comes Tumbling Down

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., considered a prominent African American intellectual, was arrested outside of his Cambridge, Massachusetts home. His neighbor called police about a possible breaking and entering into a home which was eventually proven to be owned by Gates. Unfortunately, this incident illustrates nothing new about race and law enforcement.

Who Let the Dog Out?

With Michael Vick’s recent release from serving a 23 month sentence for financing dog fights, there are two questions looming: Will Vick be reinstated into the NFL, and more importantly, What team is willing to sign him?

Lessons in Death

In the past two weeks, we have seen the deaths of two icons in music and professional football: Michael Jackson and Steve McNair. These two men will be identified as one of the best at their crafts, and anyone who would study their work ethic would understand their greatness. However, I have wondered, what can Black men learn from their deaths?