Known as the “God Mother of the SNCC” Ella Baker was a community activist in the truest sense of the term. This is not to discredit, the courageous works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but Ella Baker told us the dangers of leader driven movements…and she was right.
After years of working with the NAACP, Ella Baker became a key organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Council, founded in part by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. She worked behind the scenes organizing voter registration campaigns, conferences and initiatives. Perhaps, she is most celebrated for recognizing the power in collective youth movements. The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee was formed under her guidance and launched a movement that changed the American political landscape forever. SNCC is widely known for organizing sit-ins and the 1961 Freedom Rides.
Baker’s greatest hope was that ordinary people see the power they hold within themselves. She famously stated, “Strong people don’t need strong leaders.” She cautioned against people relying on leaders, instead wanting ordinary people to take an active role in movements collectively and equally. And because of her defiance against “the messiah complex” Ella is perhaps a more dangerous figure than King for the status quo. This is because she fully represents a “Participatory Democracy”, in which people think for themselves, organize and bring about change (without the need of a leader). These types of movements are harder to stamp out.
In a leader motivated movement, once a leader is discredited, removed or assassinated, their movement struggles to regain its influence. A prime example of this was Dr. King’s Poor People’s Campaign that struggled immensely after his death.
Some ask if there will ever be another MLK. The answer is no and stop waiting on one. The true work comes in when people are able to mobilize without the need of charismatic leadership. As we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., let us remember a key lesson from the Civil Rights Movement. Everyone has a role to play and it starts with you. This was the heart of Ella Baker’s message.
I will never forget the day I saw a grown man publicly groping and sloppily tongue kissing a young girl. She sat atop his lap as he and his friends consumed rounds of drinks and happily made sexual advances. I was researching climate change in villages neighboring Arusha, Tanzania. My roommates and I decided to have a night of fun by going to a dance club in the heart of Arusha. This was the first time I witnessed what residents of the area referred to as growing problem.
The Tanzanian Daily News recently reported that sex trafficking is getting worse in Tanzania stating, “Human traffickers exploit aggravating conditions of people of Third World countries where there are no employment opportunities and economical inequity, social discrimination, political instability and human rights abuses are widespread by promising a better life.”
Reporters, dignitaries, ambassadors and countless employees from around the world often come to Arusha because the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is located there. While away from home, many American and European men take the opportunity to use their “first world” status to buy young girls, who are often sold into sex slavery or forced into it due to a severe economic pressures. These “professional” men do things they could never get away with in their home countries. They often contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. This is called Sex Tourism.
I witnessed something similar in the Dominican Republic. A friend and I were on a beach when an old European man, wearing a speedo, was splashing around in the water with a young Dominican girl. He appeared to be in his late 60s and the girl looked no older than 16 years old. They walked hand in hand. Then he directed her to go out in the water and pose. He took out his camera and started taking erotic photos of her body. The man soon glanced in my direction and tried to take photos of me. My friend turned to cover me until we were out of his sight. In tourist locations of the developing world, the sexual exploitation of women and young girls is often open and pervasive.
The Dominican Republic started taking steps towards preventing sex trafficking in 2013. These steps include charges against anyone that forces someone into sex trafficking and 10-15 year sentences for people that “use the services of prostitutes.”
In 2004, the New York Times reported that the U.S. started pursuing Americans that committed sexual offenses in other countries. At that time, 25% of all sex tourists were reportedly from the United States. However, in Cambodia and Costa Rica, the percentage widens to “38% and 80%”.
The story of American billionaire Larry Hillblom sheds further light on how exploitative drivers of the sex tourism world can be. Reporter Bryan Burrough referred to Hillblom as a “glorified sex tourist.” Due to Hillblom’s extreme wealth, he was able to special request virgin “pubescent” farm girls from South East-Asia. Upon his death, four Asian children from 3 different countries were identified as his descendants. Yet, the total count of girls he impregnated is still unknown.
For many of us, vacations are the best time of our lives. As Jamaica Kincaid highlights, we often leave our dreary offices to enjoy the sunshine and pillage the wonders of the developing world. We smile in every photo and buy hoards of souvenirs. Meanwhile predators openly flaunt their indiscretions, using their “first world” privileges to commit some of the most egregious crimes against humanity. For millions of young girls and boys, this is what really happens on vacation.
For 150 years African Americans have been gathering at church on New Year’s Eve to pray and celebrate new beginnings. We call this “Watch Night”. This tradition was started on December 31, 1862, the day before the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. They prayed and waited through the night for official confirmation of the good news.
When I think about that faithful night, I imagine what their prayers must have been on the height of anticipation. I’m reminded of my own family’s struggle for freedom, even after slavery ended. My grandmother was a very young girl when my great grand parents packed up their children to escape from the new form of slavery called sharecropping.
The opportunities and successes bestowed upon my generation are not “entitlements” or “handouts.” They are hard fought liberties, the result of faith coupled with tireless works. Our freedoms came through the wet nurses, slaves, cooks, bus boys, school teachers, preachers and drivers…the everyday people that lived in the midst of sheer pain and wouldn’t allow themselves to die out even when the pain was too much to bear.
Somebody dared to dream of freedom, prosperity and hope. Somebody saw the bodies hanging from trees and wouldn’t let it stop them. Somebody pushed those limits until they burst at the seams.
Somebody prayed. It is through these prayers that fears were diminished, aspirations were solidified and futures were protected. It is through this legacy that new generations dare to go further and reap what was sown by our forefathers and foremothers.
Often slave rebellions and freedom movements were organized by preachers, spiritual leaders and activists like Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey, Queen Nanny, MLK, Ella Baker, Mary McLeod Bethune, Toussaint Louverture, Malcolm X and etc. It was they who foresaw brighter futures.
The mantra holds true, “We’ve come this far by faith.” This faith maintains that “trouble don’t last always,” and “weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.” How quickly we forget how we got over.
We live in the age of Apps, iPhones, Facebook, and Twitter. It’s easy for us to become consumed with the world around us. We often forget that even the most simple rights like drinking from a water foundation and ordering food, were hard fought.
One hundred fifty years ago, our ancestors held the first official “Watch Night.” They’re still watching, guiding new generations as we usher in a new dawn.
Jessica Ann Mitchell is the founder of OurLegaci.com & BlackBloggersConnect.com. To reach JAM, email her at OurLegaci@gmail.com.
I know that Davontaye’s actions caused the deaths of four people. But please don’t give him life in prison. He suffers from Povertenza. You may not know about this condition but Povertenza is an illness that people from impoverished socio-economic backgrounds have.
Due to the inability to access quality education and employment, Davontaye’s development has been stifled. This leads to poor decision making and I would further argue that since his neighborhood sees so much death and destruction, that he may even suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in addition to Povertenza.
Judge, it is clear that Davontaye can not be held responsible for his actions. He needs rehabilitation, not prison. Prison would only worsen his mental condition.
Sincerely,
J.A.M.
This defense obviously doesn’t work for black and poor youth. Yet, news outlets are spiraling about 16 year-old Ethan Couch who caused the deaths of 4 people by drunk driving. His defense, was that he suffered from “Affluenza” a disorder that only the affluent have. According to his lawyers, Couch was shielded from personal responsibility his entire life. Discipline is not a word in his vocabulary.
Judge Jean Boyd sentenced him Tuesday to 10 years of probation but no jail time, saying she would work to find him a long-term treatment facility.
But Eric Boyles, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash, said on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” “There are absolutely no consequences for what occurred that day. The primary message has to absolutely be that money and privilege can’t buy justice in this country.” – CNN
Basically, Couch was coddled his entire life and now his punishment is more coddling.
On the flip side, there are millions of under-privileged youth across America, that have lived under the worst conditions imaginable. They’ve witnessed murders, endured hunger, and survived sexual abuse. However, upon committing a crime, they are handed down the harshest prison sentences imaginable. As I’ve pointed out before, many youth spend years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit because they didn’t have enough money to sway the justice system or get proper legal counsel. It’s a non-laughable joke.
If “Affluenza” is real, then I posit that my newly coined “Povertenza” be considered. Instead of jumping to fill up prisons, let’s start putting youth from disadvantaged backgrounds in treatment facilities. This would be ideal, but it won’t happen because there is too much money to be made. This is one of the reasons why Judge Mark Ciavarella Jr was able to sell 5,000 children to prisons.
Disgraced Pennsylvania judge Mark Ciavarella Jr has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for conspiring with private prisons to sentence juvenile offenders to maximum sentences for bribes and kickbacks which totaled millions of dollars. He was also ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution.
In the private prison industry the more time an inmate spends in a facility, the more of a profit is reaped from the state. Ciavearella was a figurehead in a conspiracy in the state of Pennsylvania which saw thousands of young men and women unjustly punished and penalized in the name of corporate profit. – Examiner
Most of the children he sentenced are likely to be from backgrounds that are far less privileged than anything Ethan Couch has experienced. His sentencing tells us a lot about the American justice system and how deeply embedded economic disparities are when it comes to accountability. Essentially, the poor are expected to be more accountable for their actions while the wealthy are viewed as inherently respectable (especially if they’re white). Being from what people view as a “good” family can go a long way. This opens the door for more opportunities and the right to be viewed as non-threatening even when your actions prove otherwise. This is exactly why racial and economic inequalities are an on-going battle.
The next time someone tells you that there is no such thing as “White” privilege or elitism, ask them why Affluenza is a viable defense but Povertenza isn’t.
Jessica Ann Mitchell is the founder of OurLegaci.com & BlackBloggersConnect.com. To reach JAM, email her at OurLegaci@gmail.com.
With the passing of Nelson Mandela, media outlets have been flooded with the constant championing of his ability to forgive. However, the bigger lesson to be learned is, apartheid never had to happen. Apartheid was not a mystical occurrence; it was a fully planned and intentional mass oppression of a people. The same can be said for the current systematic creation of the permanent underclass.
Mandela once said, “Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”
One of Mandela’s greatest wishes was that we never forget the millions of people around the world currently living in poverty and dehumanizing conditions. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Right now corporations and organizations like ALEC should be on the forefront of our minds.
ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) is an organization of legislators, corporations and lobbyists that seek to control the global economy. In the 1980s, ALEC was a key organization that supported the South African apartheid regime and worked against divestment and sanctions.
In 2013, ALEC engineers voter suppression laws, making sure that it’s harder for Black, Brown, Young, Old, Women and Poor people, to vote in U.S. elections. They do this in order to prevent laws like The Affordable Care Act from benefiting people with low-economic statuses. Laws like the Affordable Care Act, provide a wider opportunity for the poor to have economic upward mobility.
This is a huge issue because it prevents corporations from sustaining the creation of a permanent underclass, which would allow for companies like Walmart and McDonald’s to continue their low-wage driven pay scale, thereby increasing profits. Though Walmart and McDonald’s both ended their membership with ALEC last year, they are still implementing the same policies among their workers which prevent economic stability.
In the most simplistic terms:
The poor remain poor due to their inability to access quality education, healthcare and other life saving resources. Poor education limits the earning potential of workers and substantially increases the chances of incarceration. Due to the fact that low-income wage workers can’t afford to shop somewhere else, they end up becoming consumers among the same companies and fast-food restaurants that try to suppress their votes.
A cycle of poverty ensues leading to stress, violence, and the constant intake of low-priced highly processed foods. Consequentially, the top four causes of death for African Americans are heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. African American is not synonymous with poor, however many African Americans face historical prejudices which make it difficult for economic advancement.
Furthermore, this issue goes beyond race. Though the construction of race plays an important role in social hierarchies, people of all races and various income backgrounds are susceptible to the underclass creation cycle. ALEC and other conservative groups use race-baiting and fear mongering to prevent unsuspecting voters from recognizing this until it’s too late. By the time voters realize that they’ve been hoodwinked, their home has been foreclosed on or a family member lost their battle with cancer due to lack of proper healthcare.
Still, even these issues are first world problems. In other parts of the world, poverty can be viewed in the form of children dying from preventable illnesses like diarrhea. And though the world is often draped in luxury and decadence there are still people that die from starvation or spend their lives working 20 hr days in sweatshops and factories under the worst conditions imaginable.
Mandela teaches us that our world doesn’t have to be like this. His fight against apartheid teaches us that we must not remain silent in the face of oppression. Yes he used forgiveness and reconciliation as a tool for healing a nation. However, forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Forgiveness and its blessings cannot be fully realized if the horrors of the past are white-washed, allowing for oppression to continue thriving in various forms.
Mandela’s main leadership example was fighting against the burdens placed on the poor and marginalized people of his country by the white supremacist doctrines of the National Party of South Africa and every nation, politician or corporation that supported/looked the other way while they structurally subjugated a nation of people. (This includes Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Citigroup, IBM, General Motors Corp, JP Morgan Chase & Co, ALEC and many more.)
Though apartheid has ended, the battle against organizations like ALEC and corporations that economically oppress people around the world has never really ended. Mandela said forgive but he didn’t forget. And so in the tradition of freedom laid before us, let us not forget that there is still much work to be done.
Jessica Ann Mitchell is the founder of OurLegaci.com & BlackBloggersConnect.com. To reach JAM, email her at OurLegaci@gmail.com.
I recently wrote an article called, “Harry Belafonte Was Right About Jay-Z.” The article went viral, generating a huge response from the Black community and beyond. A few readers were puzzled when I stated, “Kanye West…often laments about racism but strives to uphold the same materialistic values that help drive economic disparities.” Now, I will explore this more thoroughly.
There is no denying that Kanye West has had a tremendous impact on the music industry and pop culture. From the beginning of his mainstream career, Kanye has been critical of issues dealing with racism and the structures within it. His infamous, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people,” statement caused a media frenzy and solidified the general sentiments of the Black community during the Hurricane Katrina tragedy.
Yet it seems with more fame and popularity, Kanye’s commentary has shifted from calling out racism because it’s wrong, to calling out racism because he didn’t get a seat at the table. This is the bigger issue.
Frantz Fanon
The distinguished psychiatrist Frantz Fanon addressed this line of thinking in his 1961 classic Wretched of the Earth. In this literary masterpiece, Fanon deconstructed the colonized mind.
“The gaze that the colonized subject casts at the colonist’s sector is a look of lust, a look of envy. Dreams of possession. Every type of possession; of sitting at the colonist’s table and sleeping in his bed, preferably with his wife. The colonized man is an envious man.”
One cannot deny the lasting effects that slavery and colonialism has had on African Americans and people of African descent around the world. In a recent interview, Kanye vehemently states, “We’re all slaves!” I understand him to a certain extent. Indeed, there is a systematic glass ceiling that prevents people of African descent and people from low economic classes from upward mobility. Even when some rise up the ranks, there are still many barriers that prevent them from attaining certain goals because they do not come from a certain class (the old money class). This is where I understand Kanye on the fashion industry. They don’t want him and they never will. He will forever be categorized as “urban,” a description he is desperately running away from because he knows that this is another way of being pigeonholed and prevented from making a significant impact (beyond blackness and urbanism) in the fashion industry.
W.E.B. Du Bois
In some ways it coincides with W.E.B Du Bois’ description of double consciousness:
It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.
However, Kanye has time and time again demonstrated that he is displeased with the system solely based on the fact that he wants a seat at the table. His anger is steeped in envy rather than reform. And this is dangerous because we get away from transforming these hierarchical structures, to unknowingly reinforcing them.
For example, this is evident in his almost complete dismissal of Black models for his runway shows in Paris. He doesn’t seem too concerned about the pains of racism unless it’s affecting his own progress. Instead, he went with the flow and continued to allow for Black models to be denied a chance at equality. He also cheers on fashion brands that are known for their lack of diversity. The fashion brand Céline, was recently boycotted by the supermodel Iman, because of their refusal to hire Black models. Meanwhile Kanye West orders full wardrobes of Céline clothing, attends their shows and sports their brand.
Furthermore, he has a lack of respect for African American history. Much like the N-Word, no matter what way you look at it, the Confederate flag represents the deep rooted oppression of African Americans. In fact, it was used as a tool to remind us of our “place.” After the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation ruling, the state of Georgia started using the Confederate flag as a sign of the good ole’ days.
The painful past associated with the symbolism surrounding the flag and what it represents is no laughing or fashion forward matter. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, about 500 extremist groups still use the cross on the Confederate Flag as a symbol of white superiority. This example is tired and old but I can’t imagine someone wearing a Swastika for fashion. I wonder if Kanye will start wearing symbols promoting the South African apartheid era next.
When Kanye speaks about racism or slavery, he’s not doing it for the ordinary people, but instead for sensationalism. He is using the Confederate flag to generate buzz, no matter how hurtful it may be.
He also has an incessant belief that Paris is the only fashion mecca and it has to let him in. Kanye recently wanted to help the Louis Vuitton brand with his “influence.” They promptly rejected the offer.
Kanye has an obsession with getting acceptance, but not the “colored” kind. When the radio host Sway tried to encourage him to maybe create his own way, Kanye gave the now Twitter famous reply, “ You ain’t got the answers Sway.”
Indeed none of us may have the complete answers to racism and upward mobility. However, given his track record and current behavior, Kanye simply can’t be taken seriously on racism. With every new Kanye rant we are witnessing a public display of internal conflict consisting of Fanon’s “dreams of possession” and Dubois’ double consciousness. Ultimately, he cares more about having a seat at the table with the same people he accuses of racism and classism, than bringing about change.
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor is the founder of OurLegaci.com. To reach JAM, email her at JAMAiwuyor@gmail.com.
This is Kalief Browder. Thanks to the NYPD, three years of his life are gone forever.
[Article updated on August 12, 2014]
It’s something I wish I didn’t have to say. One of the first things we teach children is to respect authority. Listen to your elders. Go ask a grown up. When there’s trouble, dial 911. But, what do you say when the people they are trained to look up to as protectors, too often end up being aggressors. I realize that millions of police officers across the country put their lives on the line every day. Their jobs are hard. It’s not easy. Yet, no one can deny the heartbreaking reoccurring reality of innocent Black youth being killed, neglected or abused by police officers and other people in positions of authority.
I often wonder how to truthfully explain police interaction to children. I image it would go like this:
1) If you’re ever in a car accident, don’t run towards the police for help. They might shoot you. RIP Jonathan Ferrell
2) If you are ever being unlawfully arrested or detained, forget your rights. Don’t speak up for yourself. Even with your hands behind your head, they might shoot you. RIP Oscar Grant
3) Try not to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, like at home when police raid it. Try to disappear into thin air. But, whatever you do, don’t be seen. By standing in the hallway, you might get shot. RIP Aiyana Jones
4) If you’re ever with an adult that is in trouble with the law, you may not be recognized as the child that you are. In fact, you may have to carry a sign with you specifically for traffic stops. They can read, “I’m a child, please don’t bash in the window next to my head,” or “Please don’t shoot at the van that I’m in.” Ask Oriana Ferrell’s children.
5) If you’re ever walking home and you’re stalked by a (non uniformed) neighborhood watchman, don’t try to defend yourself. Or else they’ll feel threatened and have the legally upheld right to shoot you. RIP Trayvon Martin
6) Never. Never. Never Walk home at night (or day). They will think you’re a criminal and accuse you of any crime they see fit . You might go to jail for 3 years, only to be released without any explanation. Ask Kalief Browder.
7) If you ever get lost or missing. Don’t expect them to come looking for you immediately unless you’re blonde haired and blue eyed. Just find your own way home. Ask Amir Jennings, Phylicia Barnes and countless others. RIP Latisha Frazier.
8) If you’re ever abducted and forced into sex slavery, don’t expect to be rescued. If they happen to see you, you will not be taken to the hospital. You will be arrested for prostitution… even if you’re 13 years old (the average entry age for sex trafficking victims).
9) If you’re ever acting up at school, don’t worry about what your mother will do when you get home. You might not even go home. Jail could be your next destination, even if you’re 6 years old. – Ask Salecia Johnson.
Updates
10) If you’re ever in a car accident, don’t knock on someone’s door for help. You might get shot and labeled a criminal. RIP Renisha McBride
11) If you’re walking down the street…Nevermind. Don’t walk down the street. Don’t breathe. Don’t do anything “normal” because—> you might get shot, even with your hands raised. RIP Mike Brown
12) If you’re ever in Walmart, don’t hold a toy gun. They won’t asking any questions, even though there shouldn’t be a need to. The police will just shoot you down and come up with an excuse later. RIP John Crawford III
The list could go on and on. Though it may seem outlandish, everyone of these circumstances are a part of the everyday realities Black youth face in America. The ever present fear of Blackness robs Black children of the opportunity to have their adolescence and innocence recognized. Even as children, they’re both feared and criminalized. Though the police should be protecting them, historically racist irrational beliefs presume that Black children aren’t in fact children. This breeds serious child endangering consequences like false imprisonment, abandonment and death. Too often police officers believe their job is to protect the public from Black children and not the other way around. It’s sad to say. But right now, Black children can’t trust the police. And why should they?
In graduate school, I was invited to join a sister circle. At the time, I had no idea what that was. What resulted was a life long bond with a group of Black women from across the diaspora (Guyana, Dominican Republic, & across the US). We shared our stories and spent hours revealing our inner insecurities. We trusted each other with our deepest regrets, struggles and fears. It was through our sister circle that I learned about sisterhood. There were many tears, hugs and affirmations.
To share your story…To be real with a circle of people you can trust, is one of the best feelings in the world. And I deeply believe that it is through these types of bonds that Black women have been able to survive so many atrocities and still come out with our sanity. Safe spaces in the presence of our sisters, is the place to heal because we know so much of the world seems against us, rushes to judge us, and disregards our truth. It was in these moments that I felt a wholeness that can only be achieved in knowing that these sisters had my back. We could go to each other for anything.
Outside of the sister circle in grad school, I have another circle of friends including sisters I’ve known since I was 12 years old and others I met during freshman year of college. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made or received early morning or late night phone calls during which we’ve vented, came to each other’s rescue, and just served as a much needed listener. Sometimes, just having somebody listen makes all the difference.
Black women’s sisterhood is so strong that the army has actually started studying it. As the army deals with high suicide rates among soldiers, one thing has remained true…Black women still have the lowest rates of suicide in the military even though we all know they face higher rates of discrimination. Yet, we live on. The army wonders what Black women have that other groups don’t.
While the government does not break down military suicides according to race, among the general population African-American women have the lowest suicide rate of any group. Surprisingly, white men die most often by their own hand. “By comparison, the rate for black women was less than three suicides per 100,000.” “The sense of community among themselves, and the … built-in support that they get from each other is something we’re paying a lot of attention to, and trying to find ways to emulate,” Kemp told Government Executive. “I think often that veterans and men don’t have that same sort of personal support, and we have to build that for them.” – The Grio
The Washington Post covered the power of Sister Circles in their article about a new program called Prime Time Sister Circles.
… Prime Time Sister Circles, a 12-week program focused on helping African American women in midlife improve their nutrition and fitness, and deal with stress. And just as important, participants say, the Sister Circles provides them with emotional and spiritual support akin to a long, tight hug. The circles are kept relatively small: no more than 25 women. Participants include those who make six-figure incomes and others with more modest means. They meet for two hours, once a week over three months and often learn that more things connect than separate them. – Washington Post
Just having the experience of being a part of a sister circle, makes me think about the survival of the generations of women that came before us. The bond between sister friends is a deep aspect of our history. And that is why I believe Black women have become so resilient. Not out of anger but out of emotional bonds that hold us up.
So today, I just want to say thank you to all of my sister friends and our sister circle. Marie, Zakiya, Griselda, Halycon, Anita, Alexandria, Keena, Rodniqua, Patrice, Shari, Rachel, Janine, Candice, Valeria, Nikki, Margo and more.
“It mus be that a** cause it ain’t your face. I need a tip drill. I need a tip drill.”
Hip Hop artist Nelly has reignited a 10 year old firestorm about his notorious Tip Drill video. About ten years ago, Nelly was set to launch a bone marrow drive for his sister at Spelman College. But his plans were foiled when a group of Spelman students confronted him on the issues of misogyny and the hyper-sexualization of Black women in his music videos. They invited him to speak on the issue and have an open discussion about it. Nelly wasn’t having it. He pulled his funding from the bone marrow drive and it was a huge media fiasco. However, the Spelman students did host a bone marrow drive of their own.
It tarnished Nelly’s career and he hasn’t recovered since. His sister also lost her battle with Leukemia. Over the past few years, the dust has settled and Nelly has slowly reemerged in the spotlight. However, he recently appeared on the Huffpost Live show where he basically blamed the students of Spelman for the death of his sister.
He believes that they should have left the issue of his misogyny alone and just focused on bone marrow. I’m surprised ( I don’t know why) that after all this time Nelly still doesn’t get it. Those students weren’t attacking his bone marrow drive efforts, they wanted him to confront the public spectacle that he created off of Black women’s bodies. The same bodies that he was seeking bone marrow from. For some reason, he can’t see that yes this is connected. Should we only care about his sister and not the other millions of Black girls and women that are being objectified and hyper-sexualized?
Before you go there, let me say this. Yes, those are Black women in his videos that willingly consented to being objectified. They do not speak for all of us, yet unfortunately they are viewed as a representation of Black women. And the promotion of this objectification through both song and video, participates in upholding a wide spread normalization of the degradation of specifically Black women. The degradation is so normalized that more often than not, Black women and girls have a hard time getting support after being molested, raped, and forced into prostitution (sex slavery). This normalization says, “It’s okay because they’re made for this.” Consequently, Black women are often blamed for the sexual abuse that they endure.
Just take a look at this trailer for the documentary Very Young Girls.
It’s deeper than Nelly would like to think.
Nelly is refusing to acknowledge the ghost of his Tip Drill video and what it stood for because he doesn’t have to. Treating women like property and refusing to acknowledge the right of Black women to voice their concerns outside of supporting male centered thinking is the norm. More specifically, if Black women dare to speak up for the ill treatment of women and girls, we’re viewed as somehow betraying our community.
The truth is, Nelly (as he not so eloquently pointed out) is not the only one. We know through our lived experience that almost every mainstream rap song and music video is embedded with the domination of women mentality. It was here before Nelly and it’s thriving after his short reign at the top of hip hop charts. Nelly isn’t pressed to truly think about this issue because our lived reality continuously reinforces his sentiments.
That is why what the Spelman students did is so important. They took a stand on an issue that is harming our community. And they did it despite how unpopular their stance was. We often talk about a plethora of issues in the Black community. However, things will only change for the better if we run towards our fears and truly confront the internal roles that we play. What those students did was a step in the right direction and can serve as a guide for how future generations can confront these issues head-on. One day I hope Nelly realizes this.
With the current controversy surrounding high-end retail store Barneys and racial profiling allegations, one thing stands evident. Harry Belafonte was right about Jay-Z. In the midst of this controversy, fans have called on Jay-Z to end his partnership with Barneys, in which his new holiday fashion line is going to be sold. Jay-Z’s response has been a calculated public relations effort in which he negates any real responsibility to his default, “I’m doing it for charity” statement. Currently, Jay-Z is continuing his partnership with Barneys with his collection set to launch next week.
This “doing it for charity” response only further highlights Jay-Z’s disconnect with the masses that he often claims to represent. This notion of accepting racism in exchange for charity is downright laughable. If a charity is supposed to be helping people, why work with a store that appears to marginalize his own fan base due to class and race perceptions. Now, Jay-Z claims he’s being demonized for his partnership with Barneys. He’s not being demonized. He’s being realized.
This is where Harry Belafonte comes in. Months ago Belafonte called on Jay-Z to play a more active role in social movements and help to drive social change. Jay-Z’s response was to refer to the 86-year old civil rights icon as “boy.” Jay-Z went on to state that due to his mega star status, his very presence was “charity.”
Harry Belafonte’s critiques were not superfluous statements. They were part of an insightful analysis of how star power can be used to affect societal movements. With over 50 years of civil rights activism, Belafonte can spot both genuine and superficial involvement. The latter, is what Jay-Z is often engaged in. This superficial support of “the people” is laden with corporate driven interests.
For example, during the height of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, Jay-Z decided to make a t-shirt line based on slogans from the movement. His plans changed, once Occupy Wall Street activists asked if he would share the profits. The idea of having to share the profits (which would have helped provide much needed financial support to activists) was unthinkable to the hip-hop mogul.
Then, there’s the controversy that surrounded 2010 tax records from The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund. During that year he reportedly earned, over $63 million but only donated roughly $6,000 to his own charity. This is not a normal practice for charity founders, who often provide a large portion of their charities’ financial costs. Out of all donors, Jay-Z reportedly gave the lowest donation to his own cause.
Finally, there is the N*ggas in Paris fiasco in which his friend Gwyneth Paltrow, decided to tweet the title of the song after attending his concert. This resulted in Twitter backlash over her usage of the term. Jay-Z, who is an enthusiastic advocate for the usage of the N-word, was silent on the controversy. Having millions among his fan base embrace the N-word is a part of his crossover hood status appeal that provides further economic security.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, in 2012 White/Caucasian audiences represented 79% of music buys, 81% of CD buyers and 80% of digital buyers. So don’t expect Jay-Z to engage in any significant dialogue with fans about using the word. With him it’s the same old, “people give words power” and “this is the least racist generation” excuse. It’s not economically feasible for him or any other corporately invested hip-hop artist to do anymore than brush off the issue. Yet this is someone people expect to fully grasp or care about race related issues?
The African American community has to get beyond this belief that just because someone from our community attains fame or wealth, that they’re somehow intellectually superior, a role model and someone to be admired. The same can be said for Russell Simmons with his Rush Card, Blood Diamond, and Harriet Tubman controversies. And Kanye West, who often laments about racism but strives to uphold the same materialistic values that help drive economic disparities. Do you really expect any of them to be deeply invested in activism against a classist system from which they benefit?
Harry Belafonte was right. Jay-Z isn’t genuinely standing up against racism or classism because this activism may affect profit margin (something he learned while selling crack).
Jessica Ann Mitchell is the founder of OurLegaci.com & BlackBloggersConnect.com. To reach JAM, email her at OurLegaci@gmail.com.
Jessica Ann Mitchell is the founder of OurLegaci.com & BlackBloggersConnect.com. To reach JAM, email her at OurLegaci@gmail.com.
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