NMOS14 Rally in Union Square

3 Years in the Game

I must admit, I'm somewhat surprised that 3 years later this blog is still standing. I still remember my first post and wondering just where exactly I was going with this thing. I still have questions at times, but my focus has always been to provide articles and material that hopefully educates, enlightens and at least on occasion, entertains you, the readers.

A lot has changed since September of 2011. In the three years since we've seen the rise of filmmakers like Issa Rae who used her webseries "Awkward Black Girl" as a platform into other ventures including a still yet to be released TV show on HBO. Lupita Nyong'o has gone from aspiring actress to an Oscar winner and household name. On the production side, Shonda Rhimes' television empire has only continued to grow as she now has THREE shows airing on primetime this season.

Of course not all has been positive. Outside of the industries there have been the continued killings of unarmed black men by police at a rate there's have left me at times wondering what I would do in such situations. People of color still continue to often be left out in ad campaigns and major motion pictures as leading men and women. Despite all that, we still rise.

I just want to say once again THANK YOU to all of you who read this blog and even more, share it with others. I don't have ads on this site because it's not about clicks, but connectivity to an audience that often feels neglected and forgotten about. Let's continue to keep getting educated together. Peace.

Arrested Development - Mr. Wendal (1992)

An early 90s classic.

When Being Unarmed Isn't Enough: Black Folks Still Being Denied Humanity

Photo courtesy of stltoday.com

More than 40 days and restless nights have passed since Mike Brown was shot and killed on August 9th. That followed the death of John Crawford, who was shot in a department store aisle while holding a toy gun. Then there was the incident of a police officer in Oklahoma City allegedly targeting at least 8 black women and sexually assaulting them in the process. Folks, I'm getting tired of this. What we have continually seen is that when it comes to the split second decision of firing a gun -- and ultimately changing the life of the victim and the shooter -- blacks in this country are still seen as criminals first, people second.

This lack of humanity has been seen time and time again. Whether it's a choke hold caught on camera, or a mentally ill man being shot in Los Angeles, a grandmother being punched on the side of the highway like some MMA fighter, or the woman dragged naked from her home in Brooklyn when cops showed up to the wrong door, 'protect and serve' has never seemed to mean so little.

Lupita Visits Sesame Street

Cute video.