A Woman's Worth

I saw a video the other day about a woman named Sara (her real name was Saartje) Baartman. Earlier this week, I had finished reading a book entitled: "Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present" by Harriet Washington which talks the usage of Africans and African American bodies for non-therapeutic, "scientific" studies. Washington also talked about Sara and the terrible life she lived as a "caged subject" – showing off her body to Europeans who had never seen an African woman before.

If you are not aware of the history behind her life -- she was a woman from South Africa who was kidnapped from her home (the video clip said she went to Europe ... but other researchers said that she was taken not of her own free will) only to be but up on the stage to be clamored and laughed at because of how anatomical different she was from the white woman. They came up with a scientific name for her large butt, steatopygia and another scientific name for her what they considered to be an elongated labia, sinus pudoris. They believed that her large breast and elongated labia justified their reasoning that the black woman is oversexed and hypersexual. They called her Hottentot Venus and she was put on display for many many years until she died of disease. The woman narrating the video states that some people call Sara Barrtman the first video vixen...but she didn't willingly choose that profession. Sara Baartman and her story has become the icon of racial inferiority and black female sexuality for many years.

Youtube Clip Narrator: Where is black America? We are on the sidelines cheering because baby girl is no longer a resident of the ghetto. She's riding in Bentleys and Benz draped in furs and diamond and the record label just brought her a phat house. But have we forgotten, massa always kept his main ho in the big house or house of her own as long, as she opened the door when he came knocking. And he will be coming back. It's so sad. Back then we were forced to degrade ourselves to level of being some man's whore. Today we willingly degrade ourselves. We have forgotten our grandmothers pain? Her struggles to carry the burdens so we wouldn't have to? Do you hear the ancestors crying out: 'is this what we died for'!?

I write this blog because there are too many women who do not respect their bodies or know their worth. Long disrespected and un-admired by society at large, black women were not known as possessing ideal Western standards of beauty. Years ago, we were plagued by self-doubt, emotional inferiority, suffering internal conflicts about their sexuality and womanhood. By respecting and loving yourselves, you can let go of the issues, obstacles, negative people, fears, and phobias to bring the love and sensuality you desire into your life. Never permit anybody to limit or restrict you in any way. Black women now have the knowledge and vision to honor their female sexuality, while never taking sensuality and pleasure lightly. Pleasure is a gift and a blessing. It is something that should be cultivated, honored, and respected by a loving and attentive mate. Your body is a temple and you need to be extremely careful about who you allow to commune inside of it.

The Sound Off...

The old me wants to write this blog – raw, uncut, unedited, uncensored. The old me would post his picture (with a few photoshop edits), slander his name, and probably give him a real reason to "fear for his life." But the new me seeks to stray from the old ways of doing things and offer some meaningful words to an individual who seems to be directing all of his energies towards black greek-lettered organizations.

Dislike/disgust/distaste of black greek-lettered organizations is not a new phenomenon; in fact we see this relationship between those who pledged and those who stand against greek organizations painted in movies (i.e. "School Daze"), television shows (i.e. "A Different World"), and music all the time. However this is my issue: if you do not understand something, I would rather you ask questions (*whether you get an open answer is an entirely different matter) than to make up lies to further what seems to be nothing more than an example of self-loathing propaganda.

When I first got on Twitter and saw the trending topic, my initial reaction was "this must be somebody who dropped line or didn’t make it pass intake and they wanna tell the world why they’re mad." But then several friends told me that this student has been on the warpath against black greeks since his Freshmen year – but the climax to all current drama really starts with a forum discussing "Greeks vs. Gangs." Not a very new debate, I even have some non-greek friends who joke about it; however, I’m really curious to know where all the hate comes from. From my understanding, he is staunchly against hazing and he sees greek organizations as gangs because we have colors, hand signs, and calls.

First – hazing, it happens – move on. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but hazing & pledging (yes, there is a difference) are two concepts that are just simply understood – if that’s not something you are down for, it’s quite simple – don’t sign up to join. Second – like any organization/corporation/group of course we are going to have some cultural aspects. Does that make us a gang? Did you have to rob a bank to be greek? Did the big brothers/sisters make you commit some crime against their rival in order to be welcomed as one of them? Unless you belong to Dope Phi Dope (POOOLICE! OOOOOH SH*T! #lilduval, #gorillathrilla), your answer to all of those questions should have been "no."

Black greek organizations, like many black organizations/institutes were started because our founders were initially turned away from white organizations/institutes and they sought to better the conditions of people who had been wholly undermined and underrated by society. If it were not for the Prince Hall Masons/OES, there would be no black greek-lettered organizations (*both of which are based on Christian principles & the bible). If it were not for the black greek-lettered organizations there would be no individuals like: Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr., Dr. Benjamin E. Mayes, John Lewis, Dr. Mae Jemison and countless others. So before you seek to reach conclusions about who we are – know some facts/history.

It has been said that people fear what they don’t understand; hate what they can’t conquer. While I personally don’t care if you like greek-lettered organizations or not, I would at least hope that instead of spreading foolish stories he would offer some type of intellectual grounds for his arguments. (Sidenote: I refuse to believe that a bunch of greeks approached him in Wal-Mart and threatened him. He can tie that lie up in a bow and sell it to the Office of Greek Life, but I’m not buying it.)

That’s just my 12 cents.

Signed,
A PROUD (and financial/active) MEMBER of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

I Give Myself Away

Today I was at work and my manager started an interesting conversation about Beyonce at the Grammy's. Ironically it was the same conversation that I had on Twitter with some of my Tweeps (Miabonics) but she was discussing how Beyonce has come so far but she was disappointed when she didn't acknowledge God in her acceptance speech. Now that may seem like a small/miniscule thing to some people - but for those of who watched Beyonce from Destiny's Child back in 1998 (yes it's been that long)she always thanked God for her success. Now I don't know if it has anything to do with Jay-Z (I know a lot of you are about to start rambling about the Illuminati, lol) but who knows.

The reason I bring this up is because I've seen so many people who have let their success go to their head and that stubborn pride that comes with it becomes their downfall. What many people don't realize is that everything that we see on this earth is only temporary - all of the material things of this world that people tend to covet, pale in comparison to what God has in store for us later. Let's have church for a minute (yes, I'm about to get a little deep so bear with me)...

One of my favorite bible verses comes from Jeremiah 29:11 and it says: "For I know the plans I have for you, 'declares the LORD,' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." My personal conviction is that when God supplies us with different things in life He is testing us. I also believe when you are blessed with certain things you do have a choice in how you decide to utilize those things. However, if you should decide that, well, maybe you don't want to do it God's way, I can promise you this - there is no high, like the MOST high. What I mean is this: if you read that bible verse from Jeremiah, God says that he has plans for us - but you have to understand that many of us are doing some stuff, involved in some stuff, harboring some stuff that is keeping us from receiving ALL of the things that God wants to give us.

My "lifestyle change" (because I hate the term/concept of New Year's Resolution) is to work on getting rid of all of those things that are blocking me and keeping me from fulfilling the purpose that God has for me.

What does this have to do with Beyonce? Well one of the things that stand in the way of many people being all that God has called them to be, including individuals who have experienced some success, is this little called pride. In the book of 2 Chronicles (chapter 26 to be exact) there is a story about a King named Uzziah. In the beginning he sought God for everything and through it all God provided for him and gave him success. But then King Uzziah became too powerful and he let the fame go to his head and the story goes that he was afflicted with leprosy. I've seen a lot of African-American entertainers, businessmen/women, etc. who have been blessed with so much and yet at the height of their careers they don't even utter a single "thank you." I don't know about you, but even though my success may not seem as "great" as some one like Beyonce - I do know that I didn't get it by myself and it was ONLY God that got me to where I am today (*interject with your own praise break*).

I could go on and on but my message for tonight's blog is simply this - the chains of life begin to break when we are willing to believe we are who God says we are and when we learn to be victorious in the face of challenges by surrendering our lives to God, not by gritting our teeth and trying harder. So friends I dare you to give yourself away to Him.

Homemade Hair Recipes

So I've been on this natural kick - well more so really reading the labels of hair products. And some of the stuff that we put in our heads is just down right grotesque (same thing can be applied to foods - but I'm a fat kid so I won't go there - lol!). But anyway, here is a list of some of the things I make and use for my hair. There's no way I can tell you if it works; they work for me - it might not work for you. Just experiment! Let me know how it works out ...

Egg & Honey
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon of almond oil

mix ingredients and apply to hair. let it sit for 30 minutes (i would recommend using a plastic cap, not a heating cap)

got dry hair? don't waste your money on hot oil treatments that you can make yourself!
Olive Oil Treatment
1/4 to 1/2 cup of Olive Oil (depending on the length of your hair)
plastic cap or plastic grocery bag (it's country/hood, but it works!)

warm the oil in the microwave (be careful not to make it too hot). i recommend putting it in a spray bottle and spritzing it on the hair but you can use your fingers if you like. once you have applied the oil put on your cap or plastic bag. i'm not a big fan of a heating cap - but if it works for you, then by all means use. let the oil sit in your hair for at least 30 minutes but no longer than an hour.

some people do the hot oil treatment after they shampoo their hair, and some people do it before. if you choose to do it before: before you rinse the oil out, apply the shampoo directly to your hair and slowly add water as you lather. if you choose to use the oil after you've already shampoo make sure you completely rinse all of the oil out.

Hair Clarifier
2 cups of warm water
1/2 cup of lemon juice

mix and pour over head. let it sit for 10 minutes. rinse and then condition/style as usual. this recipe is good if you are trying to "refresh" your hair - however if you have used heavy products/oil - shampoo your hair instead.

Mayo Conditioner - i know what you're thinking, "that stinks" but ... trust me follow these steps:

after you've shampoo'd and rinsed, apply 1/2 cup of mayo to your hair. let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. rinse and shampoo lightly and rinse with an apple cider vinegar and water solution (1 oz of apple cider vinegar and 1 quart of water) OR you can add a half peeled and mashed avocado to the mayo - mix it with your hands until it's a consistent green color and smooth onto your hair and follow the same steps as mentioned.

Tropical Conditioner
1 peeled and mashed avocado
1 cup of coconut milk

combine mashed avocado with coconut milk in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for 30-45 seconds. stir and massage mixture into hair. cover hair with plastic cap for 15 minutes. shampoo & rinse out.

Police Accountability & Trust: Changing the Perception of Police in African-American Communities

That justice is a blind goddess
Is a thing to which we black are wise
Her bandages hides two festering sores
That once perhaps were eyes

Langston Hughes, Justice, 1923


Today's blog focuses on a discussion not new to public administrators or the criminal justice system – police accountability. Even after the civil rights movement there have been a number of incidents that have lead people to question whether the police are really there to serve and protect. I have continuously stressed that once police departments begin to hold their own accountable, especially in cases of criminal liability, trust can be restored and better community relations can be fostered.

I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with the shooting of Oscar Grant III, but this is the story: According to NBC’s news affiliate in Oakland, on New Year’s day Bay Area Transit police responded to a call regarding a brief melee. Oakland resident Oscar Grant III was pointed out as one of the individuals involved in the incident and was handcuffed by the officers while they sorted out the situation. From this point on there are different accounts of what happened (from Officer Mehserle version of events and the eyewitnesses on the train) but one thing is clear – while Grant was lying faced down, Officer Johannes Mehserle shot him in the back. After the incident Alameda County (Oakland) Deputy District Attorney John Creighton announced that the state would be charging Mehserle with first degree murder along with several other felony charges and if found guilty he would spend the rest of his natural life in prison. For some this case demonstrates that everyone, even those charged with upholding the law will have to take responsibility for their actions when they break the law; however, having seen the verdict in the Sean Bell case, many African-Americans are not so quick to proclaim that justice will be served.

In the African-American community there has also been an air of social cynicism - the great divide between Blacks and the police can be traced back to the Reconstruction period and since that time African-Americans have faced bias and prejudice treatment from public officials in various capacities. The current interest in police accountability as it relates to the African-American community was initiating addressed on a smaller scale during the civil rights movement. The late 1960s gave rise to the black power movement which sought to "challenge the traditional relationship between public bureaucracy and its citizen-clients." During this time period, specifically in the summer of 1967 a number of riots broke out across the country. It was then that a report was released in 1968 - Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, more commonly called the Kerner Commission Report. In this report it was concluded that the continuation of segregate policies and poverty, which was created by "white society," created a destructive and tense "black society" – the riots was just an explosion of a pressure cooker whose lid had been kept on too long. They also listed three major grievances: (1) police practice (first level of intensity), (2) ineffectiveness of the political structure and grievance mechanism, and (3) discriminatory administration of justice.

In order for police to utilize their discretion to do their job efficiently and effectively there has to be cooperation from the public, in turn, the public has to feel like the police are a legitimate part of their community that they can trust – accountability measures that work can satisfy both sides of this equation. While most police departments have internal affairs acting as the keeper of justice many feel like this creates a situation where the fox is guarding the hen house. And that is simply not going to work because "for discipline to be meaningful, it must be real."

As a public administrator, regardless of the capacity, whether it’s a city manager or emergency dispatcher, the success of our work depends heavily on the trust bestowed on us from the public. In the African-American community, that trust has been eroded because there is a sense that police officers are not held accountable for their actions – especially when the officer’s misconduct is committed against them. The need for accountability is not unique to law enforcement nor is it a new area of study. However, in terms of perceptions that African-Americans have about the social institutions in this country – the lack of redress and justice carried, in regards to their complaints of police misconduct, puts a damper on the police ability to do their jobs because of the feeling that they cannot be trusted. Once law enforcement agencies begin to hold their employees accountable for their actions, the police department can be seen as legitimate, trust can be restored, and a positive relationship with the community can be fostered. What I believe criminal justice administrators and law enforcement employees will find is that when the citizens that you serve are confident in what you do the less you have to worry about grievances and civil disorders – show the community that you take them seriously and that you value their feedback.