black…MYstory

The mayor of Los Alamitos, CA, Dean Grose, got a big kick out of a picture of a watermelon patch growing in front of the White House, with a caption reading “No Easter egg hunt this year”.  In fact, he was so amused by it that he sent it to, as he termed it, “a small group of friends.”

One of those “friends”, Keyanus Price, who is a local businesswoman and volunteers for the city, was not amused.  In fact, she publicly chided the mayor for it.  At first, Grose, a man in his 60’s, attempted to say he was unaware of the stereotype about black people and watermelons, which leaves one to ask then, what amused him so about the picture.

However, now, the mayor admits that his actions were in such poor taste that they have affected his ability to lead.  As a result, he will resign effective March 2.

For a small city of 12,000 people, the Mayor has made Los Alamitos famous for all the wrong reasons.

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I saw something last week that really ticked me off.  Some of the People for the Ethical Treament of Animals (PETA) decided that the best way to protest the American Kennel Club (AKC) at the Westminster Dog Show was to dress up in Klan uniforms.

Their point — to liken the AKC to the KKK.

As a black person, I am tired PETA likening the struggles and treatment of black people to that of animals.  If my last sentence sounds like this is not the first time, there is a good reason — it’s not.

Back in 2005, the brilliant minds of PETA decided that, to drive home their concerns of animal cruelty, they should graphically compare it to the lynchings of black people.  Here’s what appeared on Tolerance. org in 2005:

The lifeless bodies of two noosed black men, dangling from trees as a mob of whites sheepishly surveys the scene.

The smoldering corpse of a black man, burned alive atop a pile of wood.

The terrified face of a slave, wearing only a piece of cloth about her waist as a man presses a hot branding iron to her back.

Alone, the images evoke the kind of gut-wrenching horror that makes people want to look away.

But place them alongside photos of slaughtered cows, burning chickens and branded pigs, and for many, they evoke a different emotion — pure outrage.

Such is the juxtaposition of a new PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) exhibit, “Are Animals the New Slaves?”

I’m starting to detect a pattern here.

However, an explanation of this latest campaign really caught my attention:

“Obviously it’s an uncomfortable comparison,” PETA spokesman Michael McGraw said.

But the AKC is trying to create a “master race,” he added. “It’s a very apt comparison.”

Actually, wasn’t it Hitler and the Nazis who were pushing for the creation of a master race?  Either PETA has no concept of history or they know the hell they’d have to pay if they where handing out leaflets on the street dressed in knee-high boots and swastika armbands.

So, I guess dressing as the Klan is a safer move because we, as black folks, don’t say much about this stuff.

However, PETA, you fail again.  You need to learn that, when you want to make your point, try to avoid using black folks to prove it.

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A few weeks ago, I shared a story about 3 men who went on a racist rampage that included beating a black teen with a metal pipe and police baton and hitting a white man, who they mistook for a black man, with a car, leaving him in a coma for 2 months. Their motive — anger over Barack Obama’s election to the Presidency.

Well, to keep the hate going, last week, three men were indicted for setting a black church ablaze on November 5,2008 because Barack Obama had won. The men, Benjamin Haskell, 22, Michael Jacques, 24, and Thomas Gleason, 21, stand accused of setting fire to the predomininately-black Macedonia Church of God in Springfield, Mass.

If convicted, the men each face up to 10 years in prison.

In related news, ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry to report that Barack Obama’s election as President has not ended racism.

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Honestly, I knew that there were going to be acts of violence associated with the election of Barack Obama as president.  Some people are so full of fear and hate that such a change elicits violent and irrational responses.  Nonetheless, reading about such things still affects me.

Three Staten Island, New York men are being charged with federal hate crimes after a rash of Election-night assaults that ended with one man in a coma.

Ralph Nicoletti, Michael Contreras and Brian Carranza  formed a makeshift clubhouse to watch the Election-night results.  Seeing that Obama had won, the group decided to take out their anger on unsuspecting victims in a predominately-black neighborhood in Staten Island.

Their crimes included a metal pipe and baton beating of 17-year-old Ali Kamara, a young black man who was badly bruised on the arms, legs and torso and required staples to close the lacerations on his head.

However, their worst attack was reserved for Ronald Forte, a 38-year-old white man.  On that rainy Election-night, Forte was wearing a hooded sweatshirt.  Believing him to be a black man, Nicoletti hit him with the car in which they were riding.  Forte was flipped over the hood, smashing the windshield.  He has been in a coma for over two months, requiring a respirator to breathe.  According to Forte’s family, he is suffering from brain damage and motor control problems, as well.

A search of Nicoletti’s home produced more weapons and a note implicating him as the ringleader of the crew.

To read the federal indictment against the three men, click the link below:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/9832472/Federal-indictment-against-three-teens

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In Holland Township, Pennsylvania, the local ShopRite store refused to inscribe a 3-year-old’s name on a cake.  I agree with them.  Why?  Because the 3-year-old’s is named Adolf Hitler Campbell.

Adolf’s parents are flaming racists who named their other two children JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell.

Apparently, the family doesn’t understand why anyone would take exception to writing “Happy Birthday” with the name of the the person probably known as the greatest mass-murderer in the history of the world.

Sadly, this child could very well carry on the family tradition.

Let’s hope not.

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According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there have been more than 200 hate-related incidents across the U.S. since Barack Obama was elected president — a number unseen in modern presidential elections.

What’s being seen is everything from web postings, to cross-burnings to even murder coming from  members of hate groups.

Certain hate groups are seeing record traffic on their web sites and a large increase of inquiries into their organization by interested individuals.

The simple point is that we knew that this was coming.  Despite what some want to believe, we are not in a “post-racial America”.  I truly hope that we get there some day but, unfortunately, today is not that day.  We need to be honest enough to say that this is what we are dealing with and confront it appropriately.

In the meantime, I am keeping my antennae up, lest I be caught slippin’.

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Given the heated election season we have just had, I am sure that emotions are still running high on both sides and the rhetoric is still flying back and forth.  So, with that being said, I am sure that some Obama supporters are crossing lines, too.  But, what I am bothered about is when adults attack kids for being excited about what they are seeing in this election. It especially bothers me when that person is a teacher.

A teacher’s aide has been suspended without pay for some comments the aide made to a student who was expressing joy at the Obama victory.  Allegedly, the student said things like:

“Obama would be killed,” “the flag would be changed to the KFC flag,” and “the national anthem would be changed to ‘Movin’ on Up’ (the theme song of ‘The Jeffersons’).”

The student was also told by the aide that her beliefs were wrong and that her kids would be “screwed up” because Obama would be president.

With any luck, this person will not be allowed in classroom again.

A video of a news segment on this story is below:

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In a previous post, I discussed the case of Chiman Rai.  Rai stood accused of contracting the murder of his daughter-in-law, Sparkle Rai.

According to prosecutors, Chiman Rai wanted his daughter-in-law killed for no other reason than she was black and having his son married to a black woman and a biracial grandchild would ruin his family’s standing in the Indian caste system.  Sparkle Rai was murdered a month after she and Ricky married while their 7-month-old daughter cried in another room.

Last Thursday, a jury returned a guilty verdict for Chiman Rai.  Rai could have received the death penalty but, instead, was given life without the possibility of parole.

In a past career, Rai taught at the predominately-black Alcorn State University and, later, as a businessman, had several black associates.  However, these associations could not overcome the racial intolerance inside Rai and, ultimately, cost a young sister her life.

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In the year 2000, Sparkle Rai, a 22-year-old wife and mother, was murdered in her home. The woman was lured to her door when two teenage girls knocked on it. When she answered, a large man burst through and stabbed her 13 times. Hours later, her husband came home to find his wife dead and their 7-month-old child unharmed.

The murder went unsolved for years but prosecutors now believe they understand the motive behind Sparkle Rai’s murder.

The break came when one of the teenagers who knocked on the door that day was later arrested on drug charges. Perhaps in exchange for lighter charges, she began talking about the murder she witnessed.

Finally, prosecutors saw a motive.

They say now that Sparkle Rai was killed because she was black. However, it wasn’t the assailant who chose her for that reason. You see, the alleged killer, Cleveland Clark, is also black. Instead, they believe that the person who wanted her dead was her father-in-law, Chiman Rai.

According to prosecutors, Rai despised the fact that his son married a black woman instead of an Indian woman and paid $10,000 to have someone arrange a contract killing on his behalf.

Chiman Rai is a form instructor at predominately-black Alcorn State University in Mississippi. He later became a hotel owner in Louisville, KY. Sparkle was an clerk at the hotel where she and Rai’s son, Ricky, met and fell in love.

The couple wed and were residing in Unionville, GA at the time of her death.

If convicted, prosecutors are asking that Chiman Rai receive the death penalty.

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This is not to pick on Mississippi. I live in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and I can see such a thing happening here. Some city officials in Greenwood, MS are wanting a city councilman to, at least, apologize, if not resign. This stems from a racist email sent by the councilman.

City councilman John Lee, one of two white Republicans on city council, decided to show the stereotypical side attributed to many southern whites. Lee sent an email to 15 people, all of them white. The target of his scorn in the email was state sentator David Jordan. However, not being able to adequately criticize him on substance, Lee decided to resort to racism, even referring to Jordan as the “ole nigger”.

In his e-mail, Lee alleged that he “had a long talk after the city council meeting … with David Jordan. The ole nigger can’t understand why the black’s (sic) continue to shoot one another. I told him he needed to spend less time with the old people at the Voters League and more time with the young people about getting an education.”

Lee’s e-mail erroneously claims that Jordan missed an opportunity to help a “big black” who asked him for employment. In fact, according to an outraged Jordan, he had previously employed the young man during several election cycles.

The young man, Lee claimed, told Jordan that he is a rapper. “I told David he missed his chance. He should have told that black boy he should be in school getting his education in order to have a future.” Jordan said the “black boy” is a 28-year-old man.”

Needless to say, some want Lee’s head on a platter. I would imagine that a resignation will be on the way soon. The last thing Mississippi wants is press that reinforces its reputation as a racist state. That is, unless it’s still true. Hmmm…

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