Jeremy Scahill and Dirty Wars on Democracy Now!

Jeremy Scahill and Dirty Wars on Democracy Now!

Investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill goes inside America’s new covert wars in his new book, "Dirty Wars: The World Is A Battlefield." His story is also the subject of the film, "Dirty Wars" which opens in theaters June 7 and is directed by longtime Democracy Now! contributor Richard Rowley.

Return o/t Wisdom Bodies Part IV - Episode V 04/05 by Nibiru60 | Blog Talk Radio

Return o/t Wisdom Bodies Part IV - Episode V 04/05 by Nibiru60 | Blog Talk Radio

The conclusion of 'Wisdom Bodies' series will be on Friday. The regular Saturday show is called 'Are We Programmed for Death? and begins a new series on Immortality.

The Glass IS Half Full; So What You Got Now?

 

Study Examines Children And Racism

"AC 360° study: African-American children more optimistic on race than whites"

This study (click on title under picture for article site) completely shuts down the offensive knee-jerk accusations, by too many Caucasians, that people of color are  the cause of their own stressful experiences in this oppressive and exclusionary society because they're always harping on race and have a negative way of perceiving how they are treated.

Every conversation I've ever engaged in, attempting to have an open and honest sharing of my experiences as a woman of color with Caucasian friends or acquaintances, eventually winds up as me being accused of being an angry Black woman with a chip on her shoulder. I am then presented with the aforementioned defensive stance. Yet, this study appears to be saying that people of color are optimistic about their place in this oppressive and exclusionary world, from childhood no less, and are actually NOT walking around with said chip.

Go figure! Yet, I can agree with this wholeheartedly and suggest that it makes perfect sense, this optimism. I will offer a reason why:  it is what holds me together; what makes it possible for me to persevere in the face of assimilating the murder, by police, of the tenth child in Harlem within a month's time. Or the Transitioning of yet another friend because of lax medical care -- yet mostly from the stress of being born a Black man or woman in America. And all that entails from crappy housing to shoddy medical care and education to unfair lending practices to being charged way more for everything just because you live in the 'Hood. Oh - and not being able to get a cab back uptown from down the way.  I don't know about you but after a night of dancing in the Village, I'm tired and would like to get home. Quick...and without hassle.
 
This optimism, in addition to a uniquely African American-style sense of extra-dry and in-your-face noir humor, is what enables us, as a community and wider culture, to full-throat laugh at ourselves and our stereotypical, neighborhood follies: the Latin King with his hair net tied tight around his head, pony-tail dangling down his neck, rolling a splif and serving sing-song Spanglish up on the Handball court. The Mexican kid shouting, "Yo hooooowmz, I got next!!", in the King's face; not giving a sh$t about the blade in my man's pocket. The 'Chicken-Head Hoe' and the 'Wine-o' both hustling on the corner in front of the Bodega. The Young-Blood Bro riding in a pimped out Jeep with stainless spin-wheels and Old Skool Hip-Hop blasting crazy-boom bass.  The Latinas in the park with their toddlers round 144th, mixin' their milk shakes and spillin' them out of tight halter tanks to some soft-porn Reggaeton; the Pais' and Ese's on the basketball court lapping it up with their eyes. The Church-Lady in the 100th store-front church, fanning herself on the bench, hollering 'Aaaaaamennnn' and suddenly breaking into her 'Gettin the Spirit' dance. Or the Preacher, spitting Hell-Fire and Brimstone into the microphone...

After everything we've been through over the past 500 years as a culture; we are STILL HERE -- and still half-way sane. Not for nothin: the survival of my own experiences speaks to an unbridled optimism. Hell, a silver-spoon fed Upper Mountain Avenue boi would have offed himself a looong time ago. LOL!

So, now that we are clear on the fact that we Blacks, in fact, see the glass as half-full, what is it going to be now that this harping on race, negative perception is no longer a feasible defense for covert racism?