I believe that more emphasis should be put on furthering one's education than being the fastest runner, highest jumper, best singer/rapper/actor/model. I would like to see more African-Americans strive to get past the whole "entertainer role". It always just makes me shake my head when I hear about somebody trying to sell their new rap c.d., barely made it out of high school, and is not thinking about college. Marketing as a major could help. Let's continue trying to push our way through doors we fear are locked. It also disappoints me that entertainers seem to be the voice of our generation. No disrespect but P. Diddy could not hack the rigourous Howard University School of Business course schedule and got ghost. Now that is who gets interviewed to speak on politics. C'mon give me a break. But hey that is just how I feel on this lil' issue.

May be controversial in some circles...
 

I am currently wearing my hair natural (under braids until I add more length), but I don't see the big hoopla that some "nappys" raise over natural hair. To be honest, I didn't go natural to get back to my roots or end years of oppression. I just did it to see what my natural texture is. I just wanted to be able to rock an afro and see if I can get some of those curly styles naturally without getting weaves and wigs. If I am not totally in love with my hair after a year or so, I may very well go back to relaxers. Oh well.

I visit the forums on nappturality.com sometimes, just to find out about styles and stuff so that I can be prepared when I take these braids out. Some people get a little too personal with OTHER PEOPLE's choices to wear relaxers, blond hair, and other things. Hair is an expression, whether it's natural, relaxer, texturized, platinum blond, pink, or jet black. Just because someone wears a relaxer or goes back to one doesn't mean that they are a "sell-out" or are trying to conform to the European definition of beauty. IT'S JUST HAIR!! We should be thankful that God blessed us with hair that we can wear any way we choose. Other cultures don't have all those options.

Re: May be controversial in some circles...
 

I agree with you to an extent. I can't say that "it's just hair", because I understand the other ramifications that surround the decision, but I get discouraged from the boards over there sometimes because I feel like we are all nappy together and it doesn't matter whether or not you went back to your roots because you are righteous or if it was because the relaxer just took your hair out. I think that some of the nappies are toooo condescending when it comes to other people's personal choices. I know that I have more than a few reasons for getting rid of the relaxer, but I am not disillusioned to think that I am somehow more enlightened since I've done so. I can't say with 100% surety that I will never relax again, I can say that it's not in my immediate future. There are those there who look down on one another because one chooses to color and one doesn't, or one chooses to straighten and one doesn't, I've even seen debates about whether or not you wear your afro with or without any adornment (i.e. headbands, scarves) and how if you constantly wear headbands you aren't embracing your natural self. :rolleyes: People will always find avenues to cause a division and elevated themselves to look down on other folk.

JMO

Re: Re: May be controversial in some circles...
 

That's true. We have almost the same opinion, but different approaches. Everyone has reasons for going natural. My reasons just don't go that deep. Well, at least they aren't as deep as some of the pages I have been to and some of the posts I have read. It's all good for me.

I try to stay away from the boards as much as possible. I just go over to read up on how to do styles and apply color. I know that I want to color my hair. I read some threads just to see what's up and you are SO right about some of them attacking one another for the most trivial things. I have even read some that attacked Beyonce because she made a statement about growing natural hair, but still wears a weave. They even attacked that she wore blond extensions. Personally, I think she looks nice with blond hair because of her skin tone. She would look washed up with darker hair. The funniest one was them jumping on Jilly from Philly because she had what appeared to them to be relaxed hair on the cover of Essence.

I love our hair and I love to peep albums. It is so nice to see so many sisters wearing natural hair. But I can't lie and say that I don't like relaxed hair either. Has anyone seen that new Dark and Lovely commercial? Sistah's hair is T-I-G-H-T!!!

Don't feel bad, I don't even have to look at the commercials, I look at my old short relaxed (a la Nia Long ;) @ Tony) hairstyle and sometimes wonder if I'll go back. I want to get a scanner so that I can put those pics in my album as well. It will tell the whole story.

I feel your overall point but I do see this emphasis being given daily. There are many more of us in college, and running businesses than seeking record deals, and NBA contracts. Media streams hype the entertainers/would-be rappers 24/7, that's why we see them all the time.

And you might be right about P. Diddy, but he's a millionaire today, who probably has a few of those Howard Univ. Business graduates working for him.

I support his Vote or Die effort. If it helps someone feel that they can express themselves with a ballot rather than a bullet, then I'm wit it. take dat, take dat, take dat. :)

Re: May be controversial in some circles...
 

I totally agree. I too only look for recommendations on products and hairstyles over there. I found out I'm napptural considering I like my texture and wear it unaltered but not natural because I color my hair. However, I'm neither if I put my hair in braids or press it. Hell, I can't keep up lol. It's really sad how we have found a different avenue to separate ourselves and tear each other down.

Is the link to your album posted in the "Nappy" thread? If not, please send me the link so I can check it out. I wanna see your hair. :D

My Radical and Controversial Opinions

1. The Death Penalty is wrong, regardless of a person's crime. Only God gives life, so only he should be the one to take it away. True, private individuals murder people and they are wrong. But the gvt is also wrong, and in more ways, when they take the life of the murderer.

2. Black people should date/marry/procreate with other Black people. I view it as sign of not embracing yourself when Blacks chase pursue relationships with those who are not Black. Don't ask about the white men who pursue Asian women or vice versa. I don't care about them. My people are my concern in this area.

3. White (and others) people should not be allowed into BGLOs. They have organizations for them. I don't think it should be written as a PanHel rule for legal reasons. But I don't agree with them being in our organizations. I view my sorors as family, and I want to be able to address anything I feel like addressing with them. I don't think that having white women around is condusive for an open environment like that. I also don't think they appreciate the letters like most of us do. True, they can work. But it's about sisterhood/brotherhood as well. Besides, can we please have something to ourselves. I can't even watch BET (when I feel like not having to think) without seeing blonde-haired white chicks dancing all over some brother in a video. Hell, I can't even watch BET News without seeing white reporters. They might as well just change the name to ET and drop the B.

4. Abortion is wrong. I don't agree with having them, however I support the choice of an individual to have one if they want, regardless of their reason. Who are we to judge? They have to answer to God for their actions.

5. I support gay civil unions/marriage in the legal sense. I do not however support churches that follows God Word that would marry them. I think they should be allowed to go to the court house, the park, a banqurt hall or wherever else they want to go. But but not the Church. There isn't a major religion in the world that does not say that homosexual behavior is wrong. However I could care less about whether someone is gay. Homosexuality is a sin like any other sin. We do not try to impose regulations on fornication. Why impose regulations on homosexuality? Both are wrong. All sin stinks in God's nostrils. There is no hierarchy of sins, besides blasphemy being the biggest no-no.

6. I don't agree with RDs or anyone else being able to add someone onto a line. Chapter vote should be final. The RD doesn't have to work in the chapter with the prospects. The chapter knows who it wants to work with and who it doesn't.

7. I think that all BGLOs should have a section on their website where they list chapters and members who have been disciplined, like the one on Delta Sigma Theta's website. I also think that once you have been barred from membership in one BGLO, that you shouldn't be allowed to apply to another.

8. I don't think that servicemembers should have to pay federal income taxes on the money that they are paid for being a servicemember. They should pay state taxes, and be taxed for iany additional income. But no tax on their military pay.

9. The age to vote, drink alcohol, and perform military service should be the same.

10. I believe in Reparations. Not as personal checks to individuals, but as subsidies and federal funding to help level the playing field. They should go to HBCUs or make it where Blacks get discounted education, housing, and business grants.

11. I think they should legalize all drugs. I don't do drugs. I never have, and I never will. But we have too many people in jail on non-violent drug charges. How can we call ourselves the land of the free, when we have more people locked up, per capita, than any other country.

12. All citizens should be guaranteed healthcare. Period.


I know this is long, but it's only a very partial list of my controversial views. I won't bore anyone with the rest of my thoughts. :D

People who have more than one child with no means of support should be subject to sterilization. Why should I have to support these individuals? I know it's not the kids fault, and they should be cared for. But their trifling mamas and daddys should face the consquences of their actions.

Also, grown folks need to take care of themselves. If one does not make enough money from their job, if they have one, they should be made to live on what they have. (A little vent here...I have several relatives who feel that my hubby and I are their bank, but never pay us back)

If undeniable evidence proves a murderer's guilt and the verdict is death, they should be put to death within a year. I would prefer less time. Death Row convicts eat and sleep better than some people who haven't so much as jaywalked in their lives, and it ain't right.

All of the light-skinned models with curly hair and the Asian and Latin women in music videos makes it look like darker skinned women cannot be beautiful. That some bull**** that the music industry (not just the artist(s)) perpetuates, and it's sickening. It's affecting our little black girls. BTW, I'm light-skinned. :p

I love the idea of a Brown Party, but I don't think there are enough Black people in America that can get over their "crabs in a barrel" syndrome to make the effort a success.

Gay people are born gay. Who would choose that lifestyle considering the consequences that come with that choice? Bisexuals need to make up their confused minds.

Gay people should be allowed the right to marry. How many other things have been corrupting this country long before gays wanted to marry?

Any black man that I see with a strand of unnatural (ie dyed) blonde hair is automatically gay until proven otherwise.

I'm glad that Former Fulton County Sherriff Jackie Barrett is not seeking re-election. She could not manage the jail, and she "lost" $2M that she shouldn't have spent. I love supporting black people, but I can't support dumb decisions.

OJ did it.

There should be a law that everyone should work in the restaurant, retail, or hospitality industries for at least 4 weeks by the time they're 18. They'll appreciate their status in life better.

Corporal punishment needs to be back in the schools immediately.

H***LLLs yeah. i worked as a dishwasher, serving line attendant, movie usher, and in a concession stand(from age 17 to 20), and all it did was make me respect others that wait on me and work harder in life so those could never be my only options.

I believe there should be no death penalty. Some people that kill do so b/c they do not appreciate life and do not care whether they live or die. why do them the favor especially before they feel remorse. I feel they should be put in an area somewhere in america or in the world where there is no contact with outside life(radio, TV, Newspaper, mail etc) and no way for them to leave the area. they have no visitors and they live off the land with the other prisoners and that's it. ending the lives of others for killing is like paying people to not take bribes.

I think rappers that rap about their wheels "still spinnin", "icey wrists", "big faces" should have CD's sold for half price with an extra penalty for excessive "stuntin" to be obligated to give to charities and scholarships

i believe their should be a class in schools to teach these fast girls about being ladies(I was at the mall the other day and saw a grown A** woman in a twelve year olds body) and what consequences can come from projecting the wrong image. along with that, the young boys are taught about reality as well. akind of scared straight but more like REAL straight.( this is not to let the parents off the hook but to ensure these kids are learning it somewhere.

Absolutely...after working at a supermarket and an amusement park in high school, I have a great apprecation for any job afterwards.

I think that all networks should have a clause in the contracts to offer finales to the fans. For instance, I just finished watching Moesha. That show was on the air for about four or five seasons. It goes off for one season and suddenly it's cancelled. What happened to Myles? Who was pregnant? I think that every show that lasts three+ years and gets cancelled should be required to tape finales. The contracts should require three (or less) extra episodes to tie up the loose ends. It could have tied three episodes together to get to the finale: one episode to show what happened to Myles and how they got him back, one episode to get Dorian to pack his bags and hit the bricks, and one episode to tell us that it was Dee, and not Moesha, that was pregnant, since we all know that she wasn't married to Hakeem and she couldn't have kids out of wedlock (unless they were to tell us that Mo and Hakeem went to Vegas and eloped).

^^^^^^^^LOL!!!!

I thought I was the only one pissed about the Moesha cliffhanger that kept on hanging.

[Hijack]

I am DYING over here!!!! :D :)

[/Hijack]

And then in "A Very Moesha Christmas" special we would find out that Mo and Hakeem really just had a "very spiritual union" and they understood they were husband and wife! LOL

I believed that the War on Terrorism will be as successful as the War on Drugs.

I believed that the neo-conservative were duped by Chalabi and the INC into thinking that Iraq was going to be a cake walk.

I believe that nudity is a beutifull thing and we should never ever be ashmed of our body.

I believe that all drugs should be legalized, controlled and heavily taxed, except for marijuana, it should be classified like ciggarate and alcohol.

I believe that Phish will have a reunion tour in 5 years.

i think that if more black men were in their son's lives (doing what they should be doing as fathers), less black men would be gay.

sadly the same black men who are against homosexuality may be the ones who walked out on their sons, to be raised by mamas, aunts, grandmothers and etc.

honestly, a (black) woman can only teach a black man to be a good black man but so much, if at all.

My rant for today
 

* I think it should be as difficult to get married as it is to get divorced. I think couples should have to go to a court setting and prove to some Dr. Phil type or a minister why they should be married.

*I believe there should be limitations on the number of children people can have that do not have the means to support them.

*I believe hip hop is having a deadly effect on black children, and parents that listen to this crap with their children in the car are to doing them a dis service. Parents should parent and stop trying to be their child's friends.

*I believe the feminist movement, women's lib etc. was the biggest impairment to the success of marriage.

* I believe black women have adopted this inborn "attitude" that we as a race embrace as opposed to humility. We associate strength with a loud mouth and a neck that rolls when we disagree with each other. It takes a lot more strength to hold your tongue and maintain the proper attitude..than it does to run off at the mouth and curse someone out.

*I believe black people need to drop the victim mentality and conspiracy theories, stop looking around to see who's oppressing them, stop the paranoia about "THE MAN," and stop blaming Amerikkka for all their failures..and take responsibility for the current state of our community. Slavery and discrimination are the least of our problems.


*I think God is displeased with everyone watering down his word to make it fit their own lifestyles...and I don't want to be in line behind them on judgment day.

**And last but not least...Black people that call other black folks sellouts, uncle tom's etc... when another black person publicly disagrees and condemns what is wrong in our race are ignorant, monolithic in their thinking, lack class, and need to wake up!!!

Re: My rant for today
 

I think a LOT of young black people are waaaaay too self-confident. I also have no idea where this confidence comes from.

Re: My rant for today
 

I'll go one step further. I think people who keep having children without a viable means to support them and who also end up having their children placed in foster homes should be sterilized.

Yes.
Sterilized.

I believe sex education should be in schools. Children are growing up faster these days and there are 10/11/12 year olds having sex (some of them do it AT school :eek:. I feel that if they are going to do it, they should be protected and understand what they are getting into.

I see nothing wrong with gay people being able to get married or have a civil union ceremony. I think people going on television to get married for money (it: The Bachelor, Joe Millionare, My Obnoxious Fiance) do more harm to the sanctity of marriage than to gay people who love each other.

I agree with that because our organizations were created to uplift the black community. And there are STILL some white sororities and fraternities that do not allow people of color into their organizations. It may not be public knowledge but they exist.

I also agree that stepping should be for NPHC organizations. I know of alot of schools that have non-NPHC orgs (Multicultural greeks, etc) that step. But I personally feel that stepping is apart of our culture and should be preserved. Stepping is an artform that has become too mainstream IMHO.

Re: Re: My rant for today
 

Interesting point. I don't think that is a bad thing, particularly when it comes to body image issues. Many of us know that we are not going to have blonde hair, blue eyes (except for contacts) or a 22-inch waist and don't torture ourselves with eating disorders, etc. We deal.

I think that women are overly-objectified in the media. I hate rap videos. Its disgusting to watch women shaking their ass with a thong on. These rappers treat us as objects to be acquired and that pisses the hell outta me. And I really despise those men that try to immulate the image of "pimps" or "rappers". Its degrading and misogynistic.

I believe that we black people come in my different shades, shapes and features. If someone does not fit the stereotype of how a black person should look like, we should [not] put them on the spot for it. Comments such as " oh, what a light-skin you have or what a straightnose you have" are not compliments and it makes the situation really really awkward. (You'd be surprised how many times I've heard this).

I believe that Africa has so much natural resources, that these countries should get their acts together before they become the next Iraq.

I believe that there is One God and that He was never in the human form. I think that over the centuries, people have mixed up the concept of religion with culture, and that's why you have so many branches or sects of one religion.


I think that parents nowadays don't raise their kids right!!

Re: Re: Re: My rant for today
 

But there is a thing as TOO much self confidence....if your waist is 35 and you wear a 44DDD you have NO business trying to squeeze in the same mini skirt that said 22 inch waist Barbie doll wears...the "I love how I look and I'm gona flaunt it" mentality has gone too far!!

On a serious note I think oversized confidence is more pervasive than just clothes. I mentor a teen who is always complaining how the teacher disrespects her - by correcting how she be talking and marking up her papers with red ink - she swears she is a great writer and the teacher is just hating. I've tried to explain that if she insists on speaking TWO languages then she needs to master both - English class is not the place to express your ebonic skills do that in creative writing...her head is so swole she thinks I'm a hater too. After a while I just stop talking about school with her- I have my degree.

While I don't want to dissuade her enthusiasm I've read her "work" and the truth is at 17 she is barely writing at a level I wrote at in 8th grade...the red marks are corrections in grammer and spelling....but you can't tell her anything. She knows everything and can't be taught anything while rocking a 65 average...

God bless all of you teachers...I don't have the patience at all.

Re: Re: Re: Re: My rant for today
 

Trust me, I don't approve of the squeezing into a miniskirt AT ALL. I'm a woman of size, and I dress classically and appropriately. All I am saying is that if I had a daughter, I would be mortified if I found her torturing herself to be skinny if it's not meant to be. And no child of mine would look tacky.
:p

Re: Re: Re: Re: My rant for today
 

:eek:

That's exactly what I'm talking about, my mother has tons of students like her. I had a lot of classmates like that in high and middle school. I'm not really talking about overconfidence in body image wise, I mean overall.

2pac is the most overrated rapper ever.

Imperial1

Out of pure curisoity(sp?), what makes you believe that? Please read my signature below and tell me that you don't feel that way.

My Radical View of the Moment
 

I think that anybody-no matter what race- who voted for Bush in this last election is less intelligent and more gullible than people who voted otherwise.

my radical thought of the moment
 

there will be an American Holocaust.

This country must be paralyzed by fear and that common sense is being put on hold. Otherwise how could W win this election?

Anytime 89% of one race of people vote the same way...there's a LOT of brainwashing deeply ingrained in that community

And further...I think EVERYONE is brainwashed to a certain extent..its just that some of choose what to be "brainwashed" by and others just let it happen to them..

True indeed, everyone IS brainwashed to a certain extent!

But when you've got people in the midwest and south (both of which I found, have states that have the lowest IQ's--GO FIGURE! :rolleyes: --voted for Bush this and previous election) concerned more about morality then the issues that will detriment the US for years to come (spending on social programs, the not-so-fiscal fiscal policy and so on), I'll say that there is some SERIOUS brainwashing going on....or maybe they are really that stupid! The US has already, through a policy of isolation bad policies and I-am-better-then-you-therefore-I-don't-need-you-rhetoric gradually lessening madour status as the hegemon we 'd like to think we are, or THE ULTIMATE superpower. Simply put, we're already becoming the laughing stock of the international body (fighting a war on "terror", no less---how do you fight something so abstract? Can you fight a war on stupidity, perhaps? A war on social decay?) and we're going to succumb to a pathetic position with no clout.

enigma_AKA

:confused:

This was in response to an e-mail I recieved. Though I did do a google search and came up with this...

http://www.stargeek.com/item/119445.html

I think that the less informed you are, the more likely you are to vote on surface value, such as morality, etc.

well @#$$%%^!!!! can you be more insulting to this area? i am from texas. i did not like bush when he was my governor as well as my president. however, he has a definate stance, a not so good one, but a definate one. almost nobody knew what kerry stood for, just that he "wasn't BUSH". so is voting for ANY candidate just because he is not the other make a person more intelligent. i love your point on the war on terrorism and see that you have educated views, but it does it have to come at the expense of this area?

People claim Members of GLOs are brainwashed too. Does that make us Stupid?

I've tried to stay out of these debates...either you areone side or another. But please try to make me understand...if you don't LIKE the job Bush did as govenor why would you vote for him for President?

I think thats what so many people just don't get. The economy is in pieces but Bush is my man, I don't agree wiht the war but Bush got us into it and he's my man, I don't like what happened to my health care premiums but Bush is my man, I'm against abortion but will support a man who oversaw multiple executions while govenor...(how about turning the other cheek instead of going after Sudam who beat your daddy?)....the list of hypocrisy goes on an on.

And while I don't know where you are from its ironic that the city that was affected most by the terrorist attacks voted overwhelmingly against Bush - because we've already seen first hand what the rest of the country can't see through. A couple of sound bites and a convention does not mean you are "supporting" this city. The support for the troops is even worse. Why are families raising money to send their sons/daughters materials that should be provided for them? Why are the troops STILL having to fight on a person by person basis when they return home injured and are denied their pensions or basic long term health care? We are woefully underfunded and underprepared...while cities in west suburbia are staring at unused equipment they have little use for.

I'm glad middle america is rallying behing their man. It seems like they view the events or this war as a bad doomsday movie...things come flying out of the air and we conquer at the end all tied up in 90 minutes or less. However the real life affects of 9/11 and this war were not tied up despite the "mission Accomplished" press clip. Its not fun to watch things blow up when they don't show you what happens afterwards in the minutes, hours, days or months of a real attack, long after the rest of the country went back to their every day life. Rally behind the troops this war until MY son, daughter, family member is called to serve....Maybe watching the coffins on a daily basis will finally make it real....

Ya'll don't get why we have no faith in this man to keep us out of trouble. However, the fear is real, the results of this election will be far reaching. And when it happens again in another city here in the US there will be no joy in saying I told you so.