10-minute short film "Clap" by Pharoahe Monch

I could have told Jalen Rose that nobody wants to hear the truth.

You can tell a lot about a university and a country based on who it excludes and who it exploits.

~ Mdotwrites



Upper Middle Class and Middle Class Black Folks can be mad at last Sunday Nights “The Fab 5” documentary on ESPN all they want. But, kudos to the Jalen Rose produced documentary that earned high ratings. I’m just sorry that the folks watching didn’t get what they watched. Instead of dealing with the issue of college athletes being exploited, we have spent a whole week on who is and isn’t an “Uncle Tom”. Who knew that “The Fab 5” would air black folk’s dirty laundry?


Jalen Rose said the comment below in the documentary -

“For me, Duke was personal. I hated Duke. And I hated everything I felt Duke stood for. Schools like Duke didn’t recruit players like me. I felt like they only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms.”


This is what Upper Middle Class and Middle Class Blacks heard when he said the above comment –


“Blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah if you were black and played for Duke University you are an Uncle Tom”.


Keep in mind that these comments were made when Rose was a teenager. Jalen Rose also said the following –


“Schools like Duke didn't recruit players like me. I felt that they only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms. ... I was jealous of Grant Hill. He came from a great black family. Congratulations. Your mom went to college and was roommates with Hillary Clinton. Your dad played in the NFL as a very well-spoken and successful man. I was upset and bitter that my mom had to bust her hump for 20-plus years. I was bitter that I had a professional athlete that was my father that I didn't know. I resented that, moreso than I resented him. I looked at it as they are who the world accepts and we are who the world hates.”


The above comment apparently bothered Grant Hill and he felt the need to write an op-ed in the New York Times. In it he quoted some Latin (good to know that someone else besides Clergy, College Professors and Treasure Hunters in Movies know Latin). He mentioned his ties to my frat brother the great Historian - Professor John Hope Franklin.

Side Note: Usually blacks get mad at our white counterparts when they reference black folks that they know in order to seem like they are cool with black folks but I digress…

He also talked about former Duke University players and how successful they are now. To all of this I say…..yawn!!! I have nothing personal against Grant Hill. We are from the same state and we both come from 2 parent homes. He was an excellent player in college and he seems like a nice guy. And his wife is HOT!!!!! But he read into this statement and wasted his time trying to defend what can’t be defended. People call Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and “Uncle Tom” all the time. Do you think he cares?? He doesn’t care what black folks think about him. He probably doesn’t even realize he’s black until he looks in the mirror. If someone calls you an Uncle Tom, laugh it off and keep on trucking!!! That title is so played out that it should have been retired with the word “Honky”.

Side Note: In the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” where the name came from, Uncle Tom was not the person that he has been portrayed in modern society. Uh Oh! My bad for ruining that for black folks that love to hang that title on other blacks.

Let me break down what Jalen said so we can separate what he meant and what you heard.

WHAT JALEN SAID: Schools like Duke didn't recruit players like me. I felt that they only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms.

THE BREAKDOWN: No the players aren’t Uncle Toms. That is silly and something I would expect a teenager to say. But he was right about Duke being selective in their recruiting. Duke basketball players are usually well groomed, well spoken, and tattoo less. In college and after college, you never hear about them getting arrested. These are all good things and it should be something Duke should be proud of. But let’s be honest….. Duke has a reputation for being snobby and everyone knows it (well except for Duke Students and their Alumni).

Side Note: most of the people I know that have a degree from Duke are cool people. But they weren’t snobby to begin with either.

The only people that like Duke are people that went to Duke and people that wish they could have gone to Duke. Talk to long time black Durham N.C. residents and see what they have to say about the university. But again, let me say that all of this is completely okay. Duke Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has the right to obtain the type of players he wants. And Duke has the right to enroll the type of students that will enhance their reputation.

WHAT JALEN SAID: I was jealous of Grant Hill. He came from a great black family. I was upset and bitter that my mom had to bust her hump for 20-plus years. I was bitter that I had a professional athlete that was my father that I didn't know. I resented that, moreso than I resented him. I looked at it as they are who the world accepts and we are who the world hates.

THE BREAKDOWN: Jalen admitted that his anger came out of him being JEALOUS!!! What part don’t folks understand? His logic is the same reason kids make fun of other kids for doing well in school. Or why kids are picked on for wearing designer clothes, taking ballet or speaking proper English. There is a resentment among blacks that is based on our economic standing. This isn’t anything new!! It’s just that Upper Middle Class and Middle Class Blacks don’t want to discuss it. It’s uncomfortable to talk about because they hate feeling the need to justify why they live in a nice neighborhood and their children attend good schools.

So what was not discussed this week? The exploitation of college athletes from the schools they attend and the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). All the money that the University of Michigan made from selling Fab 5 paraphernalia and they never received a cut. All the money the NCAA made from their television games and ticket sales and the Fab 5 never received a cut. Now this is the part where you probably say “why should you pay college athletes?” I was the same way until I realized the money that these student athletes were making for their schools. You have student athletes who can’t afford a hamburger and schools are making money off these kids. They could at least receive a stipend for their service. Even a pimp lets his ho keep some of their money from trickin….

Of course Charlie Sheen is Winning!!!

Success is the strongest intoxicant America legally supplies ~ Jason Whitlock

Charlie "The Messiah of Malibu", Sheen, former star of the television show “Two and a Half Men”, was recently fired let go from his 1 million plus dollar job. Sheen was essentially making money playing a caricature of how he is in real life. Duh!! It ain’t “The Tragedy of Hamlet” people!!! Last week we were witness to the madness or genius, depending on who you are, of Sheen. CBS/Warner Brothers made Sheen the highest paid actor in a comedy series. Dude doesn’t even do standup outside of t.v. I’ve never seen him on Def Jam or The Comedy Channel. Sheen’s private demons have been public for awhile (too many to name so just Google Charlie Sheen). One of the reasons CBS/Warner Brothers put a halt on his latest foolishness was because of his diss on “Two and a Half Men” producer Chuck Lorre.


Side Note: General Rule in Hollywood, you can’t talk about Jews and Gays. Chuck Lorre is of Jewish decent.


So with Sheen being out of work and gaining new legions of fans, how is he winning??

Minorities and individuals from low income neighborhoods have been arrested for having less than an ounce of weed. And Sheen is a known drug user and he keeps getting a pass.

Individuals solicit prostitutes are arrested for just asking how much for a “Blow Job”. But Sheen keeps associating with prostitutes – REPEATEDLY associating with them.

Black actor Isaiah Washington called one of his former co-workers a Faggot back in 2007 (Notice I Said Former Co-Worker) and he was kicked off “Grey’s Anatomy”. Washington was last seen on the failed reboot of “Bionic Woman” in 2007. Have you seen him since? Sheen is on radio, television, the internet….his Tweets on Twitter or even sponsored now!!!

Side Note: *Side Eye* to Shondra Rhimes for letting other people run her business!!!!

So compared to most people in America that fall below the poverty line or are middle class. Sheen is winning!!! Hell, he even beats out his peers in Hollywood in winning (well of course his minority peers)!!! Maybe it’s because of his complexion for the connection or just dumb luck. But so far, Sheen is Winning!!!

And I thought this was a myth!!!!

Aiesha Turman's "The Black Girl Project"

Please support this project by going here

6th Annual Phrozen Hour

CI Afterparty Breakfast

Sol Kitchen meets JCSU Young Alumni

A game-changer for children of color?

Listen and learn from people who have already been where you want to go. Benefit from their mistakes instead of repeating them. Read good books…..because they open up new worlds of understanding.

~ Dr. Benjamin Carson


Could this website be a game-changer for black children across the globe? NorthParan.com is adding a philanthropic touch to the business of selling black books. For every book purchased on the site, North Paran will donate a book to a child in need. The site’s slogan is Buy One, Give One.

Congressman Chris Lee trying to get that sweet Chocolate.

What do you have when a married Republican Congressman sends flirtatious e-mail messages and a shirtless photo of himself to a woman online? You have the plot for a story on the Lifetime Movie Network. But if the woman was black and the politician was white? You might have the script to a Tyler Perry play!!

Second-term congressman Chris Lee was an up and coming politician from Western NY. The 46 year old fiscal conservative was known for bringing his family to campaign events. And he recently was given a seat on the Ways and Means Committee. But deep beneath the surface, everything about Rep. Lee was not what it seemed.

Yesha Callahan, a 34 year old single mother, put an ad on Craigslist in the “women seeking men” section.

Side Note: I though Craigslist was for buying and selling goods or services? Lately it seems to be used for selling prostitutes and hook ups!! Hold up?! I guess those would be considered goods and services…

Callahan received a response from a Christopher Lee shortly after her request was posted. He described himself as a 39 year old, 190 pound, 6 foot, blond hair and blue eyed lobbyist. Callahan being cautious about the response requested a photo from Christopher Lee. This is where the story gets good!!! I guess we can assume that Rep. Lee (i.e. Christopher Lee) knew that Callahan was Black. And from the photo of her, she definitely is a Sista!!!! What I don’t understand is why Rep. Lee decided to step out on his wife via Craigslist? I’m sure he could find an escort service that provides black women. Was it all these Beyonce commercials that drove him to do this? I know watching all that thickness can drive a man to madness. Or was it that sex scene with Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry in the movie “Monsters Ball?” Either way, Rep. Lee made two miscalculations after Callahan requested a photo.

First Miscalculation: He sent an actual photo. Why? This was his opportunity to back out and get back to stopping Health Care. He actually sent a photo where Callahan could see his face. Ooops…my bad!! I forgot!! He also sent shirtless photos…. à la Bishop Eddie Long. I don’t understand why these photos are so popular. It seems like people love taking those bathroom shots. I’ve even seen photos of people where the bathroom was dirty (geeezzz!!)

Second Miscalculation: He sent the photos to a Blogger. Rep. Lee did not have a clue that Callahan was an actual Blogger. If he did, he would have been a dummy for sending photos. I think I need to provide this following message for all the non-bloggers reading this. You NEVER EVER EVER send information (i.e. photos, documents, and emails) to a Female Blogger because they will research to verify if it’s true!!!!

Callahan ended up doing her due diligence and found out that Lee was the biggest liar this side of the Mississippi (He’s not in his 30’s and his hair actually looks Salt and Pepper-ish). And the website Gawker.com ended up getting the story of the incident. With a name like “Gawker” you know that your business is about to be on front street. And Rep. Lee ended up resigning before the Republicans would have driven a stake through his heart. Awhile back I would have said Strom Thurmond (when he was living) would be grief stricken by this incident. But we all know now that he liked a little taste of chocolate himself.

What makes this whole incident so weird is not the color issue. Sure I’ve got jokes for days about that. And that is only because of the strained relationship between MOST blacks and Republicans. The speed at which this incident was swept up under the rug doesn’t even phase me. The story broke so close to the weekend that it was Friday night before I received the whole story. I kept hearing people giving kudos to fellow blogger - The Black Snob - for getting the lowdown. I remember when she was just starting out. I never imagined she would be involved in “swirlgate.” What makes this story so weird is that they never had sex. This man possibly/maybe-ish ruined his career and he didn’t even get a taste. In the movie “Harlem Nights” (excerpt shown above) the guy that leaves his wife had sex numerous times with “Sunshine.” “Sunshine” was an attractive black woman that was said to have the best nappy dugout ever. Most politicians that get caught in this predicament have actually done the deed. Rep. Lee has got to be the worst adulterer of the Last Decade!!! This man had his career cut short over a knock bootless affair!!!

On a positive note, we have short memories in America. If the person that takes over for him does a horrible job, he might be remembered for being a great politician. And then he will get a television show on CNN like another famous New Yorker.

How to Celebrate Valentine's Day Without Spending Money.

President Obama will roll out the FY2012 Budget on Valentine’s Day, but will he get love in return? The Democrats, Republicans and Tea Party Members are going to want domestic spending cuts but will that be enough?

Stalley's Lincoln Way Nights: Feb 11th @ 350 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY.

Et tu, Taco Bell?

Oh Why Lord!!!!!


Last week college students and marijuana smokers all over America heard the worst news ever!!! Alabama-based law firm Beasley Allen filed a lawsuit against Taco Bell. Why? The Firm said that Taco Bell’s meat is actually “taco meat filling.”

Side Note: Excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth.

“Meat Filling” would be non-meat substances that have small portions of beef and meat seasonings. “Meat Filling” doesn’t qualify for the United States Department of Agriculture definition of beef. U.S.D.A. Beef is without seasoning and has only 30% fat. Of course Taco Bell said the lawsuit is not true and they are going to fight it. But they still get a *side eye* for putting Silicon Dioxide in their food.

Silicon Dioxide (aka silica) - Forms as sand or quartz crystals and is extremely hard. It is used to make glass, toothpaste, cement, pesticide, and a food additive that helps absorb water. Silicon Dioxide is sorta harmless but it does have some risk to it. It is dangerous if inhaled (in its powdered form) but I doubt we would see it in powder form. Unless we worked somewhere that used the powdered form or created it. **walks away whistling**

Taco Bell probably uses Silicon Dioxide as a food additive to keep all the ingredients together. I say this crossing my fingers thinking about all the Taco Bell I have eaten throughout the years. When I was a young boy McDonalds was my favorite restaurant. Eating there was a rare treat because we didn’t eat out often. When I left home for college, Taco Bell took my attention away from Mickey D’s. “The Bell” was cheap, service was fast and the food was good. Don’t get me wrong because Burger King briefly distracted me. They sold 2 for 2’s i.e. Two Cheeseburgers/Hamburgers and Two Fries. In college, that was like eating steak and potatoes at a fine restaurant. But I couldn’t deny that Mexican Pizza and those darn Soft Tacos. I finally left McDonalds when Taco Bell introduced me to Mountain Dew BAJA BLAST. It’s the only place where you can get that type of Mountain Dew drink. It’s like selling crack at only one crack house!!! The agony!!!

So what happens now? If this lawsuit turns out to be true, I will not be able to support this establishment anymore. It would be like staying in a relationship that was based on lies. I usually have beef in all of my Taco Bell products. Sometimes I get Steak but even then they always get the order wrong and give me beef. I go to Taco Bell for the “Real Stuff” and not for some kind of pseudo meat filling. Caramel Color and Natural Smoke Flavor have nothing to do with beef!!!

Guest Post: Will the 9/11 First Responders Law Do the Job?

Please give a warm welcome to fellow Blogger Barbara O’ Brien. She is dropping by to increase awareness on the 9/11 First Responders Bill. And you know how much America loves Health Care. So without further ado -

In the final days of the 111th Congress, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health And Compensation Act, also called the "9/11 First Responders bill," finally passed. The Act will provide medical monitoring and care for those who worked on the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks, as well as for many who lived and worked nearby.


However, at the insistence of some senators, the final bill was considerably watered down from what it had been originally. More than $3 billion in funding was cut from the previous version of the bill, for example. Will the revised bill still do the job?


When the Senate passed the bill, initial news reports said that the monitoring and health care program would end after five years. However, the actual language of the bill provides for funding limitations for monitoring and health care after fiscal year 2016, which suggests the program might continue if Congress authorizes funding for it.


The monitoring issue is particularly critical. The collapse of the mammoth World Trade Center towers released thousands of tons of toxic particles into the air. For many weeks after the attacks, people who lived and worked in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn suffered burning eyes and hacking coughs from the foul air. Yet at the time, the federal government and the city of New York assured people the stinging fumes were not dangerous, just unpleasant.


Several days after the terrorist attacks, some independent researchers slipped past the police barricades to take samples. They found the air contained more than twice the number of asbestos fibers considered “safe,” as well as deadly levels of benzene, dioxin, and other toxins.

Why should people exposed to the toxins continue to be monitored? Asbestos in particular is a very slow killer. It has been well documented that the first symptoms of the deadly lung cancer mesothelioma may not show up for 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. But early detection should prolong lives and make mesothelioma treatment and other medical care more effective.


The final bill does close the Victims Compensation Fund in five years, which is separate from the health monitoring and care part of the bill. It also provides for more stringent monitoring of benefits, which might make it harder for people to get into the program.


Today — more than nine years after the attacks — many rescue and recovery workers are
suffering deteriorating health. A study published in April 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that New York City firefighters and emergency workers continue to suffer from severe and persistent lung problems because of their exposure to the World Trade Center debris. Some of these 9/11 heroes already have died.


Firefighters, police officers, and other responders who had been begging Congress for help for nine years called the passage of the bill a “Christmas miracle.” Let us hope the final version of the bill will do the job.

Crooklyn is starting off the year all wrong!!!

Kavina Irving, Brooklyn resident, was shot in the face by rival teens on her way to the store at the Seth Low houses on the 16th of January.