Black Culture Discussion Thread

[tokes99]

When it comes to profiting it all depends on intent and to what gain.

If a person profits with "pure" or positive intent I can see it being acceptable or "victimless". ie a student who writes an essay about life in the hood on his college application to help himself further his education to be able to give back to his community

But if a person has the intent to use that struggle to cash out then it becomes a problem. ie a preacher who tells his congregation to give give give and pockets the money for his own possessions and gains while not tending to those in need 

context matters, i'd agree that the answer is prolly closer to, it depends...but it is a slippery slope, pure & victimless are subjective and there could be situations where one might having cashing out off of people as the goal but genuinely want to do good with it...#herapesbuthesaves???

he's "profiting" off the struggle as much as prinecton is using his acceptance and advertising the fact he wrote that on his essay and they accepted him

i'm pretty sure given the lil' homie's cv (has a startup, i think started a non-profit org, and has a ted talk), if he wrote anything remotely intelligible he likely would have been accepted, i'd expect the same to be true of anyone with a similar background...and to my understanding it was the kid himself that 'advertised' his acceptance; but putting that aside do you think it that his intention was to 'profit' rather than legit thinking that hashtag communicated his personals aims/aspirations? or even accepting the premise that the university had something to gain by promoting this story, what is really to be gained for them as a private institution?

I think in cases like these given the context of African American struggle in this country that began 400 years ago and still persists to this day, I think the "who" matters greatly when it comes to benefiting off the labor of our ancestors and elders. in that context we can describe "Black struggle", "African American struggle", etc  as a catch all phrase to describe the material conditions of black people in this country.

Seeing that black people still lack proper access to adequate housing, employment, education, lack adequate tools to build wealth, and have been locked out for decades from acquiring these things wholesale like others who freely immigrated here, yes; who benefits is a question that we don't ask often enough. I linked some studies and data from the EPI (Economic Policy Institute) a few pages back to give you an idea what I'm talking about here.

but the question I posed can go into a lot of different directions given the circumstances. But I really want people to ask themselves who is gaining the most from black people's work? And what are they giving us in return?

So in this case, this young man is profiting off of black people's labor.

still have that epi study tabbed, will eventually read through it, i feel like all those catch all phrases broadly elicit things beyond the literal labor of legacy of african americans; the culture, experiences, and the literal 'struggle' of being disadvantaged systematically, etc., rather than narrowly defined as 'labor' and to the extent that what the kid wrote is deemed to be profiting, you must as well. i could more see the argument this kid was perhaps co-opting some of what blm connotes/means as shorthand/signaling for a college acceptance letter, to say that he is profiting seems like an overstatement...

sure it's a useful question to ask both who gains & what is the return, i'd think that how one would approach the question would depend on how 'work' & 'us' are defined? as such though if the answers to both are unsatisfactory, how could/should/would one go about changing it?

 

[tay1]

.

 

[hand2handking]

in this political/social climate, what does a university have to benefit from the appearance of supporting a movement like BLM? 

if he advertised it or the school the outcome is the same

public opinion will for the most part view princeton as being a progressive institution

do i think his personal motivations were to profit? no

do i think i think he is "turning down" any positive opportunities that may come his way now this is public knowledge? hell no

like you said he could have wrote anything intelligible and got accepted, but the fact that he chose to do that knowing his racial background isnt black leads me to believe that either way he knew it wouldnt be held against him

 

[hand2handking]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...overty-law-center_us_58eb8bb8e4b00de1410519c9

 

[iamdef]

 
he's "profiting" off the struggle as much as prinecton is using his acceptance and advertising the fact he wrote that on his essay and they accepted him

 
I think in cases like these given the context of African American struggle in this country that began 400 years ago and still persists to this day, I think the "who" matters greatly when it comes to benefiting off the labor of our ancestors and elders. in that context we can describe "Black struggle", "African American struggle", etc  as a catch all phrase to describe the material conditions of black people in this country.

Seeing that black people still lack proper access to adequate housing, employment, education, lack adequate tools to build wealth, and have been locked out for decades from acquiring these things wholesale like others who freely immigrated here, yes; who benefits is a question that we don't ask often enough. I linked some studies and data from the EPI (Economic Policy Institute) a few pages back to give you an idea what I'm talking about here.

but the question I posed can go into a lot of different directions given the circumstances. But I really want people to ask themselves who is gaining the most from black people's work? And what are they giving us in return?

So in this case, this young man is profiting off of black people's labor.

We aren't even close to profiting off ourselves nearly as much as old white men are. They are giving us the crumbs that fall off the table that the dog doesn't lick up first.

 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...overty-law-center_us_58eb8bb8e4b00de1410519c9

Here's to wishing Hell will freeze over

 

[AEA18]

On the 49th anniversary of Dr. King's death - the 50th anniversary of his Vietnam and Beyond speech - Baltimore SEIU organizers talk about King's legacy and how Baltimore and the US have changed since.

 

[trueprada]

Federal court to Texas: Yup, your voter ID law is racist

https://t.co/UQftineaFt

 

[hand2handking]

poll tax is unconstitutional

 

[d nice]

still have that epi study tabbed, will eventually read through it, i feel like all those catch all phrases broadly elicit things beyond the literal labor of legacy of african americans; the culture, experiences, and the literal 'struggle' of being disadvantaged systematically, etc., rather than narrowly defined as 'labor' and to the extent that what the kid wrote is deemed to be profiting, you must as well. i could more see the argument this kid was perhaps co-opting some of what blm connotes/means as shorthand/signaling for a college acceptance letter, to say that he is profiting seems like an overstatement...

sure it's a useful question to ask both who gains & what is the return, i'd think that how one would approach the question would depend on how 'work' & 'us' are defined? as such though if the answers to both are unsatisfactory, how could/should/would one go about changing it?

Sorry for the late response. Work been kicking my *** lately damn

 The word "labor" in this context is referring to a specific group in African Americans who's exploitation built this country into what we see today. We can define exploitation through the lens of slavery, political and social disenfranchisement, employment discrimination etc All these things African Americans have fought for and still fight for til this day.  You can't escape that legacy as a person of color even if you tried to. We can substitute "labor" for "work", "benefit" with "profit" or any other word and it would still have the same meaning, context, and effect as it pertains to this particular conversation.

This young man in particular has a solid resume that would get him into alot of schools. But the thing is, alot of applicants have the same resume as him who are applying to Ivy leagues like Princeton. But what put him over the top was not just his BLM virtue signaling, but the connections he was able to make because of his father. His father was a Citi hedge Fund manager on wall street who had political ties to the DNC and was able to connect him with senators, congressmen etc. From there he was able to start his own foundation, work for Hilary, connect with Obama etc.

How many black kids have hedgefund managers for parents who are able to connect them like that? How many black students are getting their grassroots orgs funded and supported like this young man? The pool is vastly small for orgs like this, but this young man is able to use a struggle that he isn't connected to in any way to advance himself while most kids in his position will never have that opportunity.

How do we change it? How do we go about changing it? I'll be honest and say that I don't really know. Truth is, collectively we don't hold the levers of power to control who get's what and when. We're at the mercy of the system.

 

[seasoned vet]

How do we change it? How do we go about changing it? I'll be honest and say that I don't really know.

we change it by getting back to teaching our people economics.

we taught economics to our own people before integration
we we successful before integration

Truth is, collectively we don't hold the levers of power to control who get's what and when. We're at the mercy of the system.

an education in economics is that lever.

 

[iamdef]

It's a long game that we have to play to get back to a "good" place where we can have power. It may take generations but the longer we put it off the longer it is before we are back on track.

I think too many of us want something to substantial to change within the next few years and that's just not feasible so it becomes disheartening and people lose the desire to fight a long fight and become complacent and content in "making the best" of it.

 

[trueprada]

Judge found dead in Hudson River was ‘force for good’

 

pioneering judge, who became the first Muslim woman in US history to serve on the bench, was found dead Wednesday — washed up on the Manhattan side of the Hudson River, sources said.

Sheila Abdus-Salaam, 65, was discovered floating in the water near 132nd Street and Hudson Parkway around 1:45 p.m., according to police sources.

Witnesses had spotted her fully clothed body and called 911, cops said.

Sources told The Post that Abdus-Salaam, an associate judge of the Court of Appeals, had been reported missing from her home in Harlem earlier in the day.

Her husband later identified her body. Sources said it showed no obvious signs of trauma or injuries indicating criminality or foul play, and that her death appeared to be a suicide.

“Justice Sheila Abdus-Salaam was a trailblazing jurist whose life in public service was in pursuit of a more fair and more just New York for all,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrote in a statement Wednesday night.

“She was a pioneer,” he said. “Through her writings, her wisdom, and her unshakable moral compass, she was a force for good whose legacy will be felt for years to come. I was proud to appoint her to the state’s highest court and am deeply saddened by her passing.”

 Judge found dead in Hudson praised for her integrity
Friends, neighbors say judge found dead was 'squeaky clean'
In addition to being the country’s first Muslim female judge, Abdus-Salaam was the first African-American woman to be appointed to the state Court of Appeals.
After receiving her degree from Columbia Law School, she began her legal career working as a staff attorney at East Brooklyn Legal Services. Abdus-Salaam rose through the state ranks before eventually being elected to the Supreme Court in 1993.

She was then appointed to the Court of Appeals by Cuomo in 2013. Former US Attorney General Eric Holder, who went to Columbia with Abdus-Salaam, was in attendance for her historic swearing-in ceremony and described how she had “defined herself by her relentless pursuit of excellence” — while also managing to be a great dancer.

“Sheila could boogie,” Holder joked at the time. “She was witty and a great deal of fun to spend time with.”

Abdus-Salaam went on to note how unlikely her and Holder’s professional achievements in law would have been four decades ago.

“Who knew that we would both attain such high positions, and that you would be the first black United States attorney general, and I would be the first black woman on the New York Court of Appeals?” she told him with a big smile.

As word of Abdus-Salaam’s death spread Wednesday, countless lawyers and judges began paying tribute to her.

“I’m deeply saddened at having lost a dear friend and colleague, and the court has suffered a terrible blow,” Jonathan Lippman, chief judge of the state Court of Appeals from 2009 to 2015, told The Post.

“She was a superb jurist and an even more superb human being,” he said. “I knew her for many, many years. To some degree, we grew up together in the court. I’ve known her in all her different roles in the court. It’s just so shocking. She was a very genteel, lovely lady and judge. If you ask anyone about her, people would say only the most wonderful things. That’s why it makes it even more difficult to understand.”

 

[melo0115]

p4l

 

[Nike Jordan]

 

John Ridley’s Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 is the feature documentary that looks at the years and events leading up to the April 1992 riots after the Rodney King verdict. It will be released in theaters on April 21 on both coasts. This film marks ABC News’ first theatrical production and release.

Let It Fall was produced in partnership with ABC News’ Lincoln Square Productions. A broadcast version of the documentary will air April 28 (9-11 PM) on ABC. It is pegged to the 25th tragde-versary of the uprising.

Let it Fall features exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses and people directly involved in the events from diverse neighborhoods across the city, including black, white, Hispanic, Korean, and Japanese Americans.

John Ridley won an Oscar[emoji]174[/emoji] for writing “12 Years a Slave” and is the creator, director, and executive producer of ABC’s Emmy-winning series “American Crime,” which is currently airing Season Three. His limited series “Guerilla,” with Idris Elba, Freida Pinto, and Babou Ceesay co-produced by Fifty Fathoms and ABC Signature for Showtime and Sky Atlantic, will premiere April 16 on Showtime.

The documentary was also produced by Jeanmarie Condon, marking her first theatrical production. Other producers on Let it Fall include Fatima Curry and Melia Patria. The editor is Colin Rich. The film also has an original score from Mark Isham. 

 

[C.Magneto]

Since it's that time of the year, for any brethren who haven't been privy to the info.

 

[trueprada]

 

[ggarvinxx3]

 

View media item 2406737

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

View media item 2406731View media item 2406732View media item 2406733

 

[sugafree]

 

Ok????

I see another passive rubber ball bouncing,bat swinging, pigskin ball throwing black slave on display to a million dollar industry ran by wealthy white descendants of slave labor and oppressors. 

He did what??? Besides play a great game of baseball in front of hateful whites back then???

 

[iamdef]

 

 

 

OH MY

 

[trueprada]

 

[wr]

The legacy of safe negroes continues

 

[trueprada]

Atlanta School Board Chairman Talks Education, Improving Learning Outcomes for Black Youths

https://t.co/9UrDFLgXd7

 

[trueprada]

J. Cole visited Ferguson, and randomly met Mike Brown's cousin. Interesting conversation. #4YourEyezOnly pic.twitter.com/oVHNkEa1Ea

 

[trueprada]

Some suspected white supremacists get into a fight with Black customers in Wal Mart here in SoCal. One guy tried to hit a sista & got rocked pic.twitter.com/wFmRVgaRXj

 

[trueprada]

1983 Eatonton, GA's Alice Walker became the 1st woman of color to win a @PulitzerPrize for fiction (The Color Purple)