I’m sure I’ll catch some hell for bashing a kids song, but it’s Friday and this kinda bothered me. I was watching Spongebob Squarepants on Nickelodeon with my son and heard them advertising the song “I Don’t Want to Go to School” by the Naked Brothers Band on a commercial.

I’ve defended hip hop music and I realize not all of it is good for young ears (or even adult ears). I also realize the affect it has on the black community and society as a whole. But what gets me is why this song was chosen to be played on a kids station (teens are kids too) and why weren’t the parental censorship groups out there protesting? Sure the Naked Brothers Band is one of those teensational groups, but need to be held responsible for their lyrics. Kids look up to them.

I’m going to write a song called “You Better Get Your Butt to School, Right Now!”. Because that’s exactly what my kid will hear when I hear him utter those words. A song doesn’t have to talkabout ho’s, poppin caps or gettin dollas to be censored in my opinion. Am I making too big a deal about this? Or do you feel this was a post to get away from the discussing something of real substance? You tell me.

Here’s the Youtube video

“I Don’t Want To Go To School”

Don’t wanna go to
School [X7]
I don’t want to go to school
Yes it’s true.
I don’t want to see a teachers
Face again.
I don’t want to go to school
Every morning.
I don’t want to go to school.

School [X4]
I don’t want to go to school. [X3]
Don’t want to go to school school
And thats for sure.
Don’t take me in the morning or
I’ll cry some more.
And I’m really tired of being treated
Like a fool.
I don’t want to go to school.

You can’t deny me of my [X3]
Of my freedom.

You can’t deny me of my [X3]
Of my summer.

I don’t want to go to school.

And you give us so much work
I go crazy.
Try to rest my head and you call me lazy.
I look aroud and all I see
Is depretion.

And i’ll tell you teachers
I’ve got a confetion.
All those those kids wan’t to do
Is have some fun.
But the work
The work
The work is never done.
You always tell me to stop
To stop comin’ around
I can’t even make
Make make no sound
I can’t make no sound

I don’t want to go to school
School [X4]
I don’t want to go to school
School [X3]
I don’t want to go to school
School [X4]

I don’t want
I don’t want
I don’t want to go to school

I don’t want
I don’t want
I don’t want to go to school

I don’t want
I don’t want
I don’t want to go to school

I don’t want to go to school

No I don’t

Lyrics found at AZ Lyrics

Who’s Johnny? He’s the man that just endorsed Barack Obama. The media is flooded with the news, but I wanted to throw in my two cents. I’ve been waiting to hear which way Edwards would go and this is a great boost for Obama. Listen to the speech he gave if you haven’t heard the whole thing. I’m inspired by it and him as he makes an effort to get Democrats on the right track. I don’t know if it will work, but the message is good. The battle for the White House is just beginning and it’s going to be a long hard fight to the end. Change is possible but it’s going to take a joint effort by all to make it happen.

I’d been meaning to do the post about the Tuskegee experiment for a while, but I had no idea this topic was being discussed on the Houston Chronicle website. On May 9th, syndicated columnist Jonah Goldberg wrote a viewpoints column titled “Let’s start with the truth about Tuskegee studies” which attempts to shed some light on what “really” happened at Tuskegee, the government and black paranoia and why we continue to vote for a party that wants a bigger governement.

While I like to explore both sides of an issue, I think the real issue is being overlooked and Rev. Wright is the distraction to get people’s focus away from the current problems Americans face. It’s a good way to build readership, get people to your website or watch your television show. And I can’t blame them at all. People need to eat and businesses need to make money in order to survive. It’s called capitalism.

I don’t know the assumed intentions of experiment, nor do I know if those involved were racist. What I do know is that the men involved were lied to and thought they were getting help from a government agency. It was only until “the truth” surfaced that something was done about it. The lie in my opinion is the reason behind the paranoia. The whole AIDS in the black community is nothing new and Jeremiah Wright is not saying anything that hasn’t been said before. It’s just he was associated with a potential presidential candidate, which made him a target.

A lot of people have been upset about the comments Rev. Jeremiah Wright has made in his sermons, one of the biggest being the one about the United States spreading AIDS in the black community. While I don’t personally feel this is true, I cannot blame him or anyone else in his generation for having those feelings. Wright, born in 1941, lived during a time when rights weren’t always equal and segregation was a normal part of life. He was well-educated and after two years of serving in the United States Marine Corps, joined the United States Navy and entered the Corpsman School at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. As a preacher, he seems to have had a monumental effect in the black community where his Chicago church is located. So it’s interesting to me how a 10 second clip can overshadow the accomplishments of the past.

While the numbers of those infected with HIV/AIDS are high in the black community, I honestly don’t feel the government had anything to do with it. At the same time, I can see why Wright and so many others feel this statement is true. Over 70 years ago, an experimental study took place that I feel may have caused some of the distrust between our government and the black community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:

In 1932, the Public Health Service, working with the Tuskegee Institute, began a study to record the natural history of syphilis in hopes of justifying treatment programs for blacks. It was called the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male.”

The study initially involved 600 black men – 399 with syphilis, 201 who did not have the disease. The study was conducted without the benefit of patients’ informed consent. Researchers told the men they were being treated for “bad blood,” a local term used to describe several ailments, including syphilis, anemia, and fatigue. In truth, they did not receive the proper treatment needed to cure their illness. In exchange for taking part in the study, the men received free medical exams, free meals, and burial insurance. Although originally projected to last 6 months, the study actually went on for 40 years.

While many laws have been implemented to prevent another Tuskegee Experiment, the distrust still remains. If you’re thinking “ya’ll need to get over it”, let’s do the math. 2008 minus 1972 (the year the study was ended) equals 36 years. These men participated in this study and were mislead by the very people we look to for help when we’re sick. Time heals all wounds, but this is one instance where the time has not been long enough. I’m all for getting medical attention when needed and hope the black patient/doctor/government relationship improves. When the trust is broken, it takes time and effort from all sides to repair it.

There was one time when a black doctor came to our men’s Bible study class asking for volunteers to participant in a study for diabetes. He explained to us the importance of getting involved in these types of medical studies and urged us to spread the word. He told us when African-Americans don’t participate, the medicines created aren’t well-tested for our people. The doctors then have a harder time choosing the best medication for us and we end up having to try out more combinations than everyone else. But in the end, I doubt the good doctor had anyone participate in his study (including me).

Is Wright right for spreading the AIDS belief in his sermon? I think it’s up to his church and the members to make up their own minds on how they feel about it. Wright is free to believe and express what he feels is true, but all he did is say what many people are saying behind closed doors. For more information on the experiment, check out the sites below:

Remembering Tuskegee

Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male

The Tuskegee Timeline

Inside the National Archives

Show Notes - Episode 39 - Happy Mother’s Day

What I’m Talkin’ About
Baby Announcement
Plans for Mother’s Day
How has your mom influenced your life?
Message to single moms
blackmomsclub.com
Recommend listening - “In Praise of Godly Women” series by Pastor Paul Sheppard
You can listen for free in the archive. Go now because it won’t be there long.

Black History Hero
Florence S. Price - Composer

Independent Music Showcase
None this episode. But if you know someone who’d like to be featured, let me know.

Announcements
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
I’m a member of a new social networking site at www.cre8buzz.com. I need to build up the black population, so come join me. It’s open to the public. Come see me at cre8Buzz > People > African American community

Hear My Show on the Blubrry Network
Spread the word about this podcast

Contact Information
Feel free to leave comments on the website or call the voicemail line at 972.535.THEO (8436)

Intro & Background Music
The intro & closing music clip was written and performed by PsykoSoul Music
“Family Affair” by PsykoSoul Music featuring CB Harris and Calvin

by darrell.holmes

Many people may remember the case of Marcus Dixon from several years back. If not, here goes…

In 2003, Marcus Dixon was an 18-year-old HS senior who had consensual sex with a 15 year old schoolmate. After conflicting testimonies between the alleged victim and Marcus Dixon, Dixon was found not guilty of rape, battery, assault, and false imprisonment. However, he was found guilty of aggravated child molestation and statutory rape. Due to a loopy law in the state of Georgia at the time, Marcus Dixon received a mandatory 10-year prison sentence even though he had no criminal history. Dixon was also a 3.96GPA football star with a scholarship offer to Vanderbilt University at the time of his arrest. After Dixon’s sentence was announced, public uproar commenced from groups like the Children’s Defense Fund to the jurors in his case. Some of them complained that they weren’t aware of the mandatory statutory sentence nor did they expect the judge would enforce such a sentence in this case.

Rap artist MURS and producer Danger Mouse(half of the group Gnarls Barkley) even recorded a track in honor of Dixon and his case. After roughly one year in prison, Dixon’s case was overturned in Georgia’s Supreme Court and I would like to think that reactions from the media, the public, Murs, and Danger Mouse along with blogs like this one all contributed to Marcus being set free short of his full term. With his Vanderbilt schollie being rescinded Marcus was able to attend Hampton University on another football scholarship.

On April 27th Marcus signed a rookie free-agent contract for 3 years with the Dallas Cowboys worth $1.1M dollars. The Cowboys have been in the spotlight along with a handful of other teams over the past few years for signing players with alleged discipline concerns. The Cowboys pride themselves on being separate from the pack for their Player Development Program. Former player Calvin Hill heads up that program and has been spotlighted for his work and dedication to helping all incoming rookies and free agents acclimate to playing in the NFL. Here’s to wishing Marcus the best as he pursues his dream.

For those who regularly read this blog you may have noticed I haven’t been posting in a while. There’s a really good reason for it. On Friday, May 2nd, my second son was born. Mom and big brother are well. Now it’s just a matter of adjusting to his schedule and getting myself back on track. I have some posts in draft mode that I need to finish up so be on the lookout for those and another podcast.

Wow. Who would have thought this would happen. Over a month ago a post by Roland Martin was made on Anderson Cooper’s blog about Condoleezza Rice and her feelings on race in America. Rice in a discussion with the Washington Times called racism a “birth defect” of America, and said that black Americans have loved the nation even when it didn’t love us. I’ve posted the link and the post below for you to read.

I’m proud of Leezzy for speaking the truth. We jump on her a lot about her political policies and being in love with Bush, so in all fairness it’s only right to give her props on this. Like Martin, I do wonder why this didn’t get more press coverage. Isn’t she saying something similar to what Rev. Wright preached in his sermon? Where are the audio clips and Youtube videos of this discussion? Where the hell is Fox News when you need them? Oh wait, they’re busy trying to distract the public from hearing the real issues in this country (economy, health care, energy, etc).

Race is a big issue in this country whether we want to believe it or not. If anything, this election year has taught us that. My hope is that we can all come together in dialouge and come up with solutions to make this country better.

Source: Anderson Cooper 360: Roland S. Martin

Sen. Barack Obama has called for a national discussion on race in America, and one of the folks who sure didn’t hold back when asked was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In a discussion with the editorial board of the Washington Times on Thursday, Rice called racism a “birth defect” of America, and said that black Americans have loved the nation even when it didn’t love us.

The Times reported:

“Black Americans were a founding population,” she said. “Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together — Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That’s not a very pretty reality of our founding.”

“As a result, Miss Rice told editors and reporters at The Washington Times, “descendants of slaves did not get much of a head start, and I think you continue to see some of the effects of that…”

“That particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it, and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today,” she said.

Rice later said: “America doesn’t have an easy time dealing with race,” Miss Rice said, adding that members of her family have “endured terrible humiliations.”

“What I would like understood as a black American is that black Americans loved and had faith in this country even when this country didn’t love and have faith in them — and that’s our legacy,” she said.

Wow, was all I could say to that.

What was even more stunning was the relative lack of coverage on this issue.
I was told CNN’s “The Situation Room” did a piece on her comments Friday. But when I surfed the Net to see follow-up stories in other papers, it has pretty much been ignored, except for some briefs.

Why would the mainstream media be so dismissive of Rice’s comments? Imagine if Rev. Al Sharpton or Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. said such a thing. Do you think they would have gotten ripped?

The fact of the matter is that Rice was right on the money with her comments, and should be commended. She spoke honestly and openly about the issue, and deserves credit for speaking the truth.

I just wish my colleagues in the media would do a better job at advancing the issue of race in America and our sordid history.

We went bonkers about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but when Rice, the nation’s chief diplomat, spoke truthfully, it barely made a ripple.

- Roland S. Martin, CNN Contributor

This past Sunday Rev. Jeremiah Wright preached at Friendship West Baptist Church for the 25th Pastoral Anniversary of Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III. I heard a portion of the service on the radio, but thought I’d point to you a first-hand account of what happened on that day. Shawn Williams, author of the Dallas South Blog is a member of Friendship West and as always gives us the real deal in his post “A day of Jeremiah Wright: In Dallas church this morning, Detroit NAACP Banquet Sunday evening”.
In the part that I heard, Rev. Wright talked about all of the places and events that he’d been “uninvited” since the 30 second clips were posted on Youtube. He was comical, yet real about the things going on in our community. While I may not agree with everything he’s said in his sermons, I think it’s refreshing to hear a pastor speak out against the unjustices in the world. When has pointing out the wrongs of this country (in an effort to make it better) been unpatriotic? I’ve always thought that was called “tough love”.

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a discussion about the black media and it’s importance in today’s society. The host was fellow blogger JW Richards, of the Mandrake Society Radio and playwright, Kristina Patrice. I enjoyed hearing their opinions on the topic and it turned out to be a good show. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Why the Black in Black Media