Holiday Cheer for the Children of Pine Ridge

Leonard Peltier is a political prisoner who has been incarcerated since 1977 on the charges of killing two F.B.I. agents (see Unthanksgiving article for further information). The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee holds an annual holiday gift drive for the children on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. They encourage people to give to those less fortunate. Clothing, toys, etc. are all accepted.
This year The Righteous Griots were able to put two boxes of gifts together and send them to these children. Within these boxes were donated and purchased gifts. Inside were: clothing, educational coloring books, flashcards (multiplication, subtraction, and division), pens, pencils, markers, crayons and paint kits.
The Righteous Griots want to make sure all children will have a happy holiday and also educate themselves in the process. If anyone wants to still donate gifts please contact, Calvin-Chairman of the Griots, or you can directly send gifts to this address:

Leonard Peltier Holiday Gift DriveC/O Eileen JanisPo Box 525Pine Ridge South Dakota 57770(For Fedex or UPS please include Highway 18 Crazy Horse Drive)

Or

Leonard Peltier Holiday Gift DriveC/O Roselyn Jumping BullBox 207Oglala, South Dakota 57764

The N-Word connection

Anyone that is an internet user has most likely heard of Myspace. Myspace is a networking website where people, organizations, etc. can create and personalize their own webpage for other users to visit. And with over 77 million users I feel it is safe to say most probably reading this article have their own Myspace account. What many of you don’t probably know is there is another website with many similar features as Myspace and even set-up like Myspace. This site is called Niggaspace! Yes, that is correct. I am not making this up, the site is Niggaspace! Check it out for yourself: http://www.niggaspace.com/.
This site was created by a mystery man by the name of simply: Tyrone (how fitting). On the main page is the Ludacris video “Money Maker” which objectifies women, specifically black women.

Here is the mission statement on the front page of the site:
This site is in no way meant to be racist. A common endearing term used by many black people is, "nigga" not to be confused with a different and offensive term, "nigger". The word, "nigga" is in rap songs, daily conversations, on TV, etc. yet the word still has so much mixed emotions attached. One of my intentions is for this word to no longer have such mixed emotions. Part of my intention for this site is for the word nigga to embody images of brotherhood, and fraternity rather than images of ignorance and hate. How great would it be, if the mixed emotions that this word carries along with it, were stripped down to something more positive? Only positive. Of course there are going to be two sides to this, but just know that intentions are noble. So create an account, and start the revolution! -Tyrone

What does Tyrone mean this is not suppose to be racist?! The entire making of this page is racist. There is nothing empowering about this site. Why couldn’t it be called brothaspace.com or blackpowerspace.com if he was trying to make something positive? By using the term “nigga” Tyrone not only brings himself down but black people as well. What does he mean start the Revolution? Does he really feel by making an account that states if you’re single or in a relationship is going to create revolution? Who will be fighting this so-called revolution? This term has been around since slavery and no one has fought a war specifically over a word. The Civil Rights and Black Power Movement were not fighting for the use of the word “nigga/nigger” but for political and economic equality. Tyrone needs to read some history.
Neither I nor any member of The Righteous Griots is a racist or allies themselves with racists but I thought if this were Niggaspace then shouldn’t it be exclusive to African Americans? Well I was wrong because white people and other minorities can join Niggaspace. Does this mean that Tyrone and those who join feel that whites and other minorities have felt the same oppression as black people?! I think not, but people like Tyrone want us to forget about American History and that this word is always going to be NEGATIVE, regardless of how much he wants to downplay it. All he is doing is disrespecting his ancestors, if he is black.
It has now been over a month since Michael Richards made his horrible statements in a L.A. comedy club and I think many people have already forgotten or dismissed it. This was something that is inexcusable. The fact that in 2006, a white man can still say those things and get away with it shows that African Americans have only made progress on paper in this country. Mr. Richards went to a few “black leaders” and apologizes and that lets him off the hook? No way! Why doesn’t Mr. Richards apologize to the people who he directly called “Niggers!”? And unfortunately, because of the killing of Sean Bell in NYC most of these black leaders have been heavily involved with that case, so Mr. Richards has fallen off from media attention.
One of the inequalities that the Black Community faces is self-inflicted. The overuse of the word “nigger/nigga” does nothing but make modern black men look like the minstrels from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Minstrel shows were white men who painted their faces black and acted like buffoons. There is no way around this word and no way to desensitize it. If that were the case it would have happened by now. The idea of it being a “term of endearment” is a huge inequality because as soon as it is said to a person regardless of how the individual views it, the greater community can see it in a much different light. Conversely, by calling a black person “brother/sister” no one can confuse that for a racial slur regardless of its context. The Black community needs to step up and realize we oppress ourselves with the use of “nigger/nigga” and must liberate ourselves. It is this word that continually keeps black people down and white people with the control. By using the word it does not take the “control” away from whites but reinforces their stereotype of what the black community is. It continues to degrade the black community and perpetuate feelings of ignorance and self-hate. The Black community must stop using it towards each other and self-educate themselves of the historical context of the word and not allow the word to oppress them any longer. No other racial groups have allowed racist terms to become “terms of endearment”. To give any meaning to this word is to erase the history of the African-American people. The start of true liberation for African-Americans will be the eradication of this word and the embracing of terms that will lift African-Americans to a higher level living in a country that still has racist elements.

Here is a website that is petitioning to shut down Niggaspace.com. Please sign the petition if you feel that it is the correct thing to do. http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?SDN

Freedom Fighter or Fraud!?

The celebration of Kwanzaa is a seven day festival commemorating African Americans lasting from December 26- January 1. Its sole purpose is to strengthen African cultural identity and community values. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, which are explained by Karenga as follows:
· Umoja (Unity) To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
· Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
· Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.
· Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
· Nia (Purpose) To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
· Kuumba (Creativity) To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
· Imani (Faith) To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
These principles correspond to Karenga's notion that "the seven-fold path of blackness is think black, talk black, act black, create black, buy black, vote black, and live black.

Although all this looks good there is another side to Dr. Ron Karenga. I do not want anyone to feel that The Righteous Griots are against this holiday but we would like to show the contradictory life Dr. Karenga leads.

Ron Karenga is most famously known as the founder of the seven day celebration Kwanza. However, Karenga has been involved in the Black Power struggle since the mid -1960’s. After meeting Malcolm X, Karenga embraced the idea of Black Nationalism. In 1965 he started the United Slaves Organization which was shortened to US Organization and gave himself the name of "maulana", Swahili for "master teacher.”

The US Organization became rivals with the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense which was founded by Dr. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966. US had different aims and tactics then the Panthers. The F.B.I. split the two groups even further apart by sending forged letters so that each would believe that the other was publicly humiliating them. Yet, at the same time there are alleged accusations that the US Organization helped the F.B.I. in countering the Black Panthers.

In 1969, the two organizations disagreed over who should head the new Afro-American Studies Center at UCLA. Each supported a different candidate. This disagreement came to a head when on January 17, 1969 Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter and John Huggins, two BPP members, were shot dead by George P. and Larry Joseph Stiner, US members, after a Black Student Union meeting at UCLA.

The LAPD responded to the attack by raiding an apartment used by the Black Panthers and arresting 75 members, including all remaining leadership of the chapter, on charges of conspiring to murder United Slaves members in retaliation. (These charges were later dropped.) This reaction fueled claims that United Slaves was being used by the FBI to target the Black Panthers. Later in 1969, two other Black Panther members were killed and one other was wounded by United Slaves members.

Excerpt from Seize the Time by Bobby Seale: Mr. Seale recounts the incident in his book and gives his interpretation of the event and the US organization.

“Alprentice ‘Bunchy’ Carter was killed because a group of blacks—black racists and cultural nationalist from Ron Karenga’s US organization—became enemies of the people and, in essence, sided with the capitalist power structure. These pig, black racists really work with the power structure against their own people, and do it out of a psychological need to hate white people just because of the color of their skin…Bunchy was concerned about the fact that the US organization had been running around intimidating, threatening, and beating up a number of the people in the community, in the B.S.U., and other small factionalized black organizations…From his [Karenga] past record and his meeting behind the scenes with the Rockefellers, we know that he got those little jive businesses as a handout, to trick the community on the concept of blackness and black is beautiful. Ron Karenga had no intention before and has no intention now of working in opposition to the power structure to change the system for the needs of Black America.”

Dr. Karenga was sent to prison in 1971 for assaulting and torturing two women from the US organization. In 1975 he was released from prison and embraced the idea of Marxism. He became the chairman of the Black Studies department at California State University, Long Beach a position he held from 1989 to 2002.

I have now showed the two different sides of an individual: On one side Karenga is liberator of black people, on the other side he can be seen as a fraud who only exploited the black community.

UnThanksgiving

November is Native American Indian month it is only right to write a post on the quality of life for Native Americans living under the American Government. First of all I find it mocking that Native Americans, along with African-Americans, Women, Puerto Ricans etc. all receive a month of acknowledgement as if to say that your history only counts during this month and your contributions to the building of this country don’t matter after it is over. All of these groups make up the United States of America and their personal histories should be celebrated every month of the year right along with the White Male European History that is taught in every school across the country.
Since the founding of the United States of America Native American people have been instrumental in helping the European immigrants. In the beginning there was Pocahontas, a Native American girl who saved John Smith, an explorer, from being killed by her father, the chef. Pocahontas married settler John Rolfe and this union brought peace to the Native Americans for eight years. Another famous historic Native American is Sacagawea who helped explorers Lewis and Clark on their expedition through the lands that were obtained in the Louisiana Purchase. Sacagawea traveled thousands of miles leading the expedition from 1804-1806. She was the only woman on the entire journey and carried her infant baby on her back. She was instrumental in obtaining horses and other guides for the journey. Her help was invaluable to the health and safety of the explorers. Other famous Native Americans are Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Chief Joseph and Crazy Horse who were all warriors who fought honorably for their people and preservation of the land they knew to be given to them by the Creator.
Today there are still Native Americans that are famous. Adam Beach is a Native American actor who has been in fifty films and TV shows. Ben Nighthorse Campbell was a U.S. Senator until 2005. He was the first Native American to hold a position in the U.S. Senate since 1933. Ira Hayes was a member of the team of Marines who raised the flag in Iwo Jima that raised patriotism during WWII. The photo is famous for its depicting of “American Freedom”.
Yet, even with these individual accomplishments of Native Americans the majority of Native Americans are still disadvantaged and can be argued to be the most disadvantaged people living in the U.S. Native Americans lack in political, social, and economic status in America.
Politically, as stated Senator Campbell was the first Senator since 1933. He is now retired from his position and now Native Americans have no representation in the Senate. Native Americans have also been politically repressed in this country not becoming citizens and obtaining the right to vote until 1924.
Socially, most Native Americans try to hold onto their ancestral heritage and traditions. However, many worry that too much assimilation into mainstream “American Culture” will have a negative effect. For example, the number of languages spoke by Native Americans when Europeans first arrived to America was about 300 different languages. Now about only 190 languages are still spoken. There is only about 40 languages spoken by people of all ages in the tribes. Moving to urban areas has had an impact on the social structure. Families were once considered the entire tribe, whereas today the family is viewed in European fashion consisting of a mother, father, and child.
Economically, things have somewhat improved but nothing that can really establish change. Education for Native Americans in the 1960’s averaged about eight and half years. Today, a majority of Native Americans graduate from high school. Yet, only 9% of all Native Americans go onto college. This is nothing if change is to be made. Other ways that Native Americans have made some economic gains is through opening casinos. Nevertheless, these small steps do not amount to much. The average income for Native Americans is still lower than the national average. Most hold low paying, unskilled jobs. Suicide and infant mortality rates are higher and life expectancy is lower than the rest of the United States. Alcoholism is also a big problem amongst Native Americans. This is a drug that was given to them by the European settlers.
Though there is much against Native Americans in the United States some have tried and risen against the power structure that systematically oppresses the masses of people, specifically Native Americans. A.I.M. (The American Indian Movement) is one of these groups that has tried to make strides for Native Americans. In 1968 A.I.M. was founded to work for equal rights, better living conditions, economic independence, and autonomy over tribal areas, and restoration of illegally seized lands for Native Americans.
A.I.M. brought attention to the grievances of Native Americans by having a series of public protests. They participated in the nineteen month occupation of Alcatraz in 1969 and then went on to protest at many other things that downplayed the role Native Americans played in American history. One of the more famous events was the take over of the BIA building (Bureau of Indian Affairs) in Washington D.C. in 1972 where A.I.M. members demanded the review of U.S. treaty violations and the establishment of improved educational and economic programs.
One of the most famous A.I.M. members and Native Americans of our current era is Political Prisoner Leonard Peltier. Mr. Peltier is a Chippewa Indian born on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota. Mr. Peltier is being incarcerated for the murders of FBI agents Ronald A. Williams and Jack R. Coler who died in a shoot-out on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Mr. Peltier has been unjustly imprisoned since February 6, 1976. There have been many irregularities to the case. First, an FBI agent has changed his story on what type of car the other agents were following onto the Reservation. Initially, the agent said a pick-up truck and later changed his story to a red and white van, the same vehicle that Peltier owned. Second, three teen-age Native Americans said that FBI agents threatened and forced them to testify against Peltier. Thirdly, the marks from the firing pin from Peltier’s gun did not match those of the shell cases. These are all part of a larger issue at hand. It is ironic that during a time in American history when the FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover, with his COINTELPRO program targeted progressive organizations would set-up Mr. Peltier. Mr. Peltier has remained in prison for almost 30 years. Peltier is an icon of the Native American struggle and how the American government still represses Native Americans. Some have even argued that regardless if Peltier killed the agents it should not matter because it occurred during a war-like atmosphere on the reservation in which FBI agents were terrorizing residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Mr. Peltier has gained support from the following: Nelson Mandela, Rigoberta Menchú, Amnesty International, the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights, Tenzin Gyatso (the 14th Dalai Lama), the European Parliament, the Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, music artists Rage Against the Machine and Dead Prez, and many other leftist organizations.
Please follow the links below to learn more about Mr. Leonard Peltier and how to help him. His foundation is hosting a Christmas Drive to help the children living on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

www.myspace.com/freepeltier
http://www.leonardpeltier.net/documents/giftdrive.pdf
http://www.leonardpeltier.net/

American History 101

In the Unites States, there is not much of a dispute of who discovered the “New World”. Most believe it to be Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492 A.D. Some will argue that Vikings had discovered Newfoundland in the year 1000 A.D. This is all irrelevant because no one can discover something that was already found.
Native Americans have been living on the soil we call “The United States of America, Canada, and Mexico” for at least 30,000 years. This has been proven through anthropology and archaeological discoveries. Yet, credit is given to a white European named Columbus. He is so respected and revered in this country that there is a National Day of remembrance for this individual called Columbus Day. If the masses of people knew and understood the REAL Christopher Columbus I wonder if Americans would still celebrate this man? Columbus was an explorer and looking for a new route to the East Indies. When he found America he called the people, “Los Indios” which means Indians, thinking he found the East Indies. So the name given to the Native Americans is historically inaccurate though accepted today. After coming to this “New Land” Columbus wiped out the native population of the Hispaniola. Columbus also kidnapped, enslaved, mutilated, and murdered the native people who greeted him with warmth. Despite all of these historical facts we look at Columbus as a hero.
There is a huge difference in culture between the Native Americans and emigrating White Europeans. First, Native Americans do not see the land as something that man owns. “We say, ‘Nahasdzaan Shima, Earth, My Mother. We are made from her,’ says George Blueeyes, a Navajo elder. You cannot “own” your mother; you cannot divide a member of your family.” The land is considered the Creator to Native Americans and all should be able to benefit from what the Earth has to offer. This is a complete rejection of Capitalism which is based on ownership and private property which was something that the Pilgrims did when they put up fences around “their” land. Native Americans saw this as insult to the Creator. Also, Native Americans see the land for what it is and see no need to improve on it and that this improvement will happen over time. Whites see progress as something that should happen immediately. White settlers and believers in Capitalism view progress only when something “better” comes to their lives. The second big difference was the language. Most Native Americans shared language and expressed themselves and their history through the oral tradition. Storytelling was very important to them. White Europeans used written documents to preserve history and document time. This difference directly affected the signing of treaties between whites and Native Americans. Since writing meant nothing to Native Americans many signed their rights away of land without knowing it. This made it much easier for the whites to cheat Native Americans.
Throughout modern history of the United States, Native Americans have been made to seem that they are savages and barbaric people. Pictures, Art, television, movies etc. have always made the Native Americans the enemy and a glorious John Wayne type character must save the settlers from these beasts. Again, I think if people knew the truth about the agreements and history between the Native Americans and White people (the U.S. government) they would think much different about the Native Americans.
When the first immigrants from Europe came to “The New Word” they would have died in the first winter if it wasn’t for the Native Americans who showed them how to use the land, hunt, and what plants to eat. Native Americans were even the inspiration for what we call our democracy.
The Iroquois Nation is a group of Native American tribes that lived throughout the Northeast. First which I don’t think a barbaric society would have is the power of the Iroquois came from the women. “Inheritance in Iroquois society was passed down through the women, who owned, controlled, and continued to live in the longhouse…his only possessions were his weapons and clothing…Iroquois women owned everything else.” The Iroquois was made up of the Mohawks, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora. They had fifty representatives called sachems from each of the nations which made up the council of the League. The League had a strong confederacy. This way of government greatly influenced the founders of the United States. Benjamin Franklin said, “It would be a strange thing if [the] Six Nations [of the Iroquois] should be capable of forming [and executing] a scheme for such a union… and yet that a union should be impractical for ten or a dozen English colonies, to whom it is more necessary…” meaning that he and other founders modeled the Iroquois League in developing our government.
Even sports were created by Iroquois Native Americans. The predominately white played sport of Lacrosse was invented by the Native Americans which were much more aggressive when played in its original form but tamed down for Europeans to play.
In the Southeastern region of the U.S. Native Americans felt the wrath of Europeans. In 1513 when Juan Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida his men destroyed the Native villages and killed and enslaved the people. One of the most effective ways for the Europeans to rid themselves of Native Americans was through diseases such as: measles, smallpox, chicken pox, cholera, typhus, influenza, and tuberculosis. White settlers intentionally gave blankets and other materials that were exposed to these diseases to the Native people because it would kill them. Native Americans were not immune or had any idea of these illnesses. So in essence the first users of biological warfare were not Islamic terrorists but the White European settlers that are now modern day Americans. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which forced Cherokee and dozens of other tribes from this area to move to Oklahoma. Between the years of1830-1838 approximately 60,000 Native Americans traveled west walking the 1200 miles which was named “The Trail of Tears.” Many had to leave belongings behind and families were separated. About a quarter of the Cherokee died on this travel.
The Plains Native Americans are the most notable image of Native Americans which have a headdress, war paint, and on horse back. This image is also flawed. Though they did wear this ethnic clothing it was only in time of war or ceremony. Horses were not native to the United States until brought by Europeans. Native Americans were able to tame some of the horses that escaped. The introduction of the horse was a turning point in the lifestyle of the Plains Indians. They were able to use the horse to travel and hunt the sacred bison much easier. The Plains Indians were also affected by the white settler’s illnesses just as other Native American groups. For example, in 1837, the Mandan tribe, once 37,000 strong was reduced to 125 people. This area of the country was the middle passage for many white settlers to pass to get to the west cost where gold was being mined. An agreement was signed that Native Americans would allow whites to cross the Oregon Trail without being disturbed. Yet again whites broke this pact. In 1854 a cow owned by a white settler wandered onto a Sioux Camp even though the Sioux offered payment for the animal the emigrants demanded retribution. The commanding officer of the area, Lieutenant Grattan, went onto the Native village and demanded the person who had killed the cow. When the Native people resisted the American soldiers opened fired and killed a chief. This sparked three decades of bloodshed. Yet, the worst thing that could happen to the Plains Indians was the slaughter of the bison. This animal is very sacred to these groups of people. In 1800, there were about 60 million bison; by 1870 there were only 13 million; by 1900 the number had dropped to less than a thousand. Some professional hunters killed up to 1,500 bison a week. Most bison were killed and skinned and the meat was left to rot.
One of the most famous victories for Native Americans was the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1874. The U.S. soldiers, led by Lieutenant Colonel Custer, illegally went onto the Black Hills, an area very sacred to the Lakota people. Realizing the danger imposed many Native American warriors banned together under Sitting Bull, famous chief, to stop Custer and his men. Custer had split his men up and underestimated the strength of the Native people. Custer and his men were all killed by the native warriors led by Sitting Bull, Gall, and Crazy Horse (one of the most distinguished Oglala war chiefs).
As everyone living in the United Sates can tell Native Americans finally lost their battle against the U.S. government. Today most Native Americans live on reservations. There about 250 reservations in about 30 states. Native Americans did not receive citizenship until 1924. I find it ironic that the first people to live on this land were the last to receive the right to vote. Native Americans living on reservations must pay all federal and state taxes but pay no tax on reservation lands and property or income earned. Doesn’t this sound like taxation without representation considering the low representation in the government that they never accepted? As of today Native Americans are still fighting for equal opportunities and rights as many other groups of the minority are in this country.

What's up with YOUTUBE!?

I don’t know who is aware of the rap group NYOIL. Well this group has just released a new video called, “Y’All Should All Get Lynched” which directly targets mainstream rappers and video girls. It is clearly over the top for shock value and gets discussions started. The artists of this group raise a good point about how black rappers and video girls do not represent the black community in a positive way but instead glorifies stereotypes and the “Uncle Tom/Sambo” model.

The video was only on youtube.com for one day before it was yanked from the site. It can now be viewed on another site which is:
http://www.unkut.com/2006/10/lynched-video-banned-by-youtube/

Supposedly the image of lynching and women shaking their buttocks is too much for you tube to handle and Google has to show its force right away. Meanwhile many other graphic videos remain on you tube’s site including watching people being seriously injured or being beat up in gang fights. What I find particularly funny is that you tube says that this video is inappropriate for viewers yet keys word can be typed in to their search and the same images that are found in the video can be viewed on other video streams. For example, Buffy the Body is a well-known video girl. By typing her name in the search many videos of her shaking her bottom come up. The most shocking video is of Buffy in a strip club and the camera filming these strippers (who are all black females) shaking their behinds. Now I thought you had to be at least 18 in most states to go inside a strip club but with the help of you tube minors no longer have to wait. They can just “you tube” it! You tube has a restricted area that won’t allow you to view some videos deemed inappropriate (Buffy’s Strip Club video isn’t one of them) but don’t become dismayed all you have to do is sign-up and create your own account! This process takes all of less than two minutes and the best part is they do not ask for any proof of age or even a valid email address since I made one up to sign-up.

So my question is: Why was this video taken off of you tube?! Was it because it was unsuitable for the majority to see or is there a deeper meaning behind this? I will say I believe it is the latter part. This video is riddled with political and social embarrassments that our government, media, entertainment, and even our black community do not want to acknowledge. Once something goes “against the grain” as this video does those with power will find any excuse to shut them down. So please watch the video make your own assumptions about it and pass it along to your friends. And if you’re zealous enough you can post a comment on their wall giving your own “two cents” about what you think of the video. I took some time and wrote two posts. There are a lot up there now so I will put mine here so you can get my opinion of the videos.

This is a powerful statement that needed to be made. Anyone who thinks this is too harsh for people to see WAKE UP!! Look at our society anything we want is at the touch of a button on the internet. Kids can see porn and all that by going to the sites. TV is no better…nigga is used on network and cable TV and not censored. Shows like Fear Factor where people eat disgusting things and shows like Flavor of Love where a woman defecates on camera and proud of it is ridiculous.
Why are we so afraid to see lynching photos?? Are we ashamed as black people or scared of what white people will think if we discuss these atrocities?
We need to stand up against these sambo’s who bring us down culturally, politically, and socially. As long as the group who made this video is true in what they say then I’m behind them. Hopefully they will be picked up and a real message can be spread but will probably stifled out by corporate executives who are mostly rich powerful white males who don’t give a f*** about black people and the state of black people as long as we keep ourselves down…
Peace and Love
Comment by Griot 10.16.06 @


I’m reading peoples comments and I can’t help to see that though some people agree with the message of the video they don’t want to put down the “black folk” being targeted in the video.
I ask you “WHY NOT?!”
Let’s first realize that though Race and Racism is a founding factor in Amerikkka it will always take the backburner to economic gain and CLASSISM! The people targeted in this video are money hungry Capitalists that will give anything for the almighty dollar! They do not see themselves as “black” or the man giving them the check as “white” all they see is “GREEN”!! They do not care about the majority of Blacks and other oppressed groups because if they did they would not make the music they do. They aren’t complete idiots because some how they made it to the position they are in and at least see the oppression but do nothing to stop it. They do not care so I have no pity on them.
They would stab you as a BLACK PERSON in the back just as fast as any KKK member for the money!! AND THAT IS REAL!!
The class is the real issue and they no longer belong to the proletariat if they ever did and if anyone has any idea of Marxism they will understand this…
Comment by Griot 10.17.06 @

Why is America a Bunch of “Jack Asses?!”

I hope my title hasn’t offended anyone so far but please hear my case. I am writing this article in response to seeing the newly released film, Jack Ass Number Two (released September 22nd, 2006) directed by Jeff Tremaine. After loosing a bet to a friend I was forced to view this film on its opening night. I was amazed at how many people were at the theater. In fact, the theater was SOLD OUT! The audience ranged from about 13-50 yrs of age and consisted of many different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
*I’m about to give away parts of the film so if you plan to see it scroll pass.
The movie is a longer version of the highly liked T.V. show Jack Ass which is basically about rich white guys with nothing better to do but hurt themselves and perform stupid stunts for a cheap laugh. The film is no different for the exception of the lack of censorship. By making the movie the boys of Jack Ass gain some freedom in what they can show. Starring Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn and a cast of other pranksters the boys play jokes on each other and film it. The only problem with the film I have with it is it’s over the top bestiality and homoerotic scenes: Ranging from Chris Pontius drinking a cup horse semen and Preston Lacy jumping on “Wee-Man” naked, then stripping “Wee-Man” naked and simulating oral sex over him. The entire time I was thinking how could they do this? Then there are scenes that I see where Bam is being branded and other scenes where guys are being shot by a fire hoses. All I can think of is how anyone can find this funny, especially African-Americans. Black slaves were branded since they were considered chattel like cows and civil rights activists were hosed by Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor in Birmingham, AL in the 1960’s. Yet again I was wrong because there were black people laughing just as hard as white people in the theater.
I don’t want to make it sound that this film shouldn’t have been made. These men have the same first amendment rights as everyone else and should be entitled with what they feel is artistic expression. My problem and reason for writing this is why isn’t there equal representation for all films especially films that have actual substance. Let me explain: There are many independent films made that have to do with political and social problems that people are plagued with nationally and internationally, yet our FCC feels that they must censor truth more harshly rather than vulgar entertainment.
I can compare three films that have real substance but were stifled out. First is Fahrenheit 9/11 (released June 25th, 2004) directed by Michael Moore. The film is about what has become of America since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the government’s greed for oil. Though the film may have been seen as skewed to the left it received much criticism. The film was taken out of many theaters and only allowed to be viewed at certain times of the day. Even if 10% of the film is correct that is entirely too much of how corrupt our American government is. Why are we afraid to see the faults in our government but allow ourselves and our youth to view Jack Ass 2 at any time of the day?
Second is the film, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, narrated by Al Gore and directed by Davis Guggenheim (released May 24th, 2006). The film is about the increasing global warming that is occurring. This is an international problem that will affect everyone ranging from the poorest of Haiti to the richest on Wall St. but again this film was limited in its time to be shown in theaters and only allowed to show in certain cinemas, again while Jack Ass 2 is being shown nation wide in almost all theaters.
Finally is the film Freedom to Fascism directed by Aaron Russo (released July 28th, 2006) which, in my opinion, is the most informative and troubling film to date. The film is a documentary not leaning to either political party or side that takes on the IRS, Federal Reserve and other organizations that are impeding on Americans rights. This film is only being shown in select theaters. You can not even find many reviews on this film or where it is being shown. The best way is to go to the website www.freedomtofascism.com.
All three of these films are informative to the masses of American people about something. Is this wrong? Isn’t this what America is about? Shouldn’t Americans have the equal right to see any of these films just as easily as they see Jack Ass 2? The simple answer is NO! Our government, media markets and capitalist money hungry mongers want to keep the American masses down and numb to the REAL issues that affect us on a daily basis. By giving us films and T.V. shows like Jack Ass we remain numb and exploited. We, Americans, also fail to realize how hypocritical these people in power are. The film Brokeback Mountain, which was a love story about two homosexual cowboys was banned from many southern states theaters because of the homosexual theme yet Jack Ass is filled with homosexual acts. For example, Bam Margera has a rubber dildo shoved in his butt! What is the difference? Actually there is: one was a fictional story plot line while the other was reality. If either of the films should be banned because of homosexual nature it should be Jack Ass.
In conclusion, I say we need to stand up as Americans for our right to have equal play of all films brought to us. If the film is worthy of being made and shown in one theater it should have the right to be played in every theater. Why should we be limited to meaningless dribble that doesn’t do anything except give us a quick laugh. We have the right to intellectual freedom also. That’s why America was founded. I encourage all to try and see the films I compared to Jack Ass. As I stated in the beginning of this article, “do not stop yourself from seeing Jack Ass but enhance yourself by seeing what else is out there and learning something new especially if it will affect your life”.
Some numbers for the films I talked about:
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH- $23,600,306
Fahrenheit 9/11- $119,078,393
Freedom to Fascism- $61,200
Brokeback Mountain- $83,025,853
Jack Ass Number Two- $52,070,722*

*Jack Ass Number Two has only been in the theaters for 2 weeks.

MISSION STATEMENT:

The RIGHTEOUS GRIOTS is a social education organization. Our aim is to give support to the life-course progression of oppressed peoples - by means of social, political, economic, educational, and legal consciousness - in and outside their global political environments. Our particular interest is exposing our youth & others who may be ill-advised by the long-established education setting, media, and U.S. government to self-motivating resources. We believe we can gradually empower people with the objective of grassroots activism. We do not differentiate in opposition to ethnicity, creed, gender, culture, religion, or sexual receptivity.