Double Up by R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly is a Grammy Award-winning R&B artist/producer from Chicago, Illinois. He originally broke into the music scene nationally with his former group The Public Announcement. After leaving his group a year after their album release, R Kelly would go on to achieve immense career success including 3 Grammy’s for his single from the Space Jam soundtrack, “I Believe I Can Fly”. That same song would also be voted #406 in the Top 500 Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine. He has also produced tracks for several platinum recording artists such as Janet and Michael Jackson, The Isley Brothers, Nas, Celine Dion, and Jay-Z along with helping to spawn several artists’ careers such as Aaliyah, Changing Faces, and Sparkle. It’s estimated he’s sold over 50 million albums worldwide. His latest LP is titled Double Up and it is his 12th LP to date.
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Jim Crow in 2007?
Filed under: Black Blogger Postings, Blog Entries, Community
Jimmy, a good friend of mine (and frat brother) has started a new blog with his first topic called “The New 2007 Jim Crow is subtle and rarely overt”. A friend of his was discriminated at a local restaurant here in Dallas because her toddler was “too loud” during a time when everyone else was talking equally as loud. She ended up sending a letter to the mayor and other high ranking officials at the restaurant in Dallas detailing what transpired.
Being the father of a toddler, I know there are times when they can get loud (especially when they’re tired). My son is active and loves to talk, but this is what kids do. There are certain places I know not to take him, but if you have booster seats for kids I consider him welcome. I’m sure people have mixed feelings on this, so we’ll see what comes out of this situation.
I’m the kind of person who likes to know where I’m welcome, so I wouldn’t be offended if businesses put up signs with restrictions on age limits. What happened to her was wrong and she has a right to be upset. There is more to the story and if I can post the letter, I will at a later date. Check out the post and let me know what you think.
The James Byrd Tragedy: Nine Years Revisited
Filed under: Community, General, Life, Politics, Society & Culture, Think Global
On the date of June 7, 1998, James Byrd, Jr. died by decapitation after his head hit a ditch culvert after being dragged by White supremacists in Jasper, TX.
My stomach still turns as I write that statement. It’s astonishing that event happened only nine years ago this past weekend. It’s even more astonishing that this abomination happened a full 135 years after the Emancipation Proclomation, 43 years after Rosa Parks refused to move from her seat in Montgomery, AL, and 35 years after the March on Washington. We are so far removed from those historic events and yet it seems like we’re still up to our eyeballs in the same pile of $#*! and MAN does it stink!
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Cute Clips
I’ve really been slacking on the blogging. Having two blogs and the podcast is taking it’s toll on me. I’m going to get back soon, but to get you all through the weekend I wanted to share a post on my site at theojohnson.net. I’m testing out a theory of using child exploitation to drive more traffic to the site. If it works I might use it more when I get in these slumps. Hope you enjoy.
Memo to Youths: Athletes AREN’T Role Models
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Entertainment & Sports, General, Life, Society & Culture
I guess Charles Barkley was right.
Who knew?!
I’ve gotta say I’m a huge hypocrite. I can recall watching my dad watching the Lakers play against the Celtics and thinking how cool Kareem Abdul Jabbar and “Magic” Johnson were. It seemed like they were almost like living cartoon characters. There images were so wholesome and squeaky clean. Then during my teenage years I figuratively idolized Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys, Desmond Howard during his years at the U. of Michigan, and Charlie Ward as he stormed towards a dominant campaign for the Heisman Trophy while at Florida St. Each of them to varying degrees noted Christ as their inspiration and personal savior as I began to develop my own individual relationship with Christ. Even when I felt the need for a little “bad boy” inspiration I looked towards Michigan’s Fab 5 for which basketball worldwide can thank for ridding us of those disgusting “get it boy” shorts of the 70′s and 80′s (see John Stockton http://youtube.com/watch?v=nbqdxlZr4_0). Then Charles Barkley came along and ruined it for all of us in 1993 when he proclaimed parents should be role models in a Nike ad. Let’s take a little tour of some of the worst/most shocking athletic indiscretions of the past 14 years since Sir Charles made that commercial and look at athletes in trouble:
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Celebrate Juneteenth
Tomorrow is Juneteenth, so I wanted to post some links about it from my Google searches. While it is more of a Texas celebration, it is spreading around the world and that is definitely a good thing. It’s hard to believe it’s only been 142 years since the slaves in Galveston, Texas found out they were free.
To be honest, I’m probably about two or three generations out from slavery and on my 1976 Texas birth certificate my race is listed as Negro. In a short amount of time we’ve come a long way, but there’s still more work to be done. Our history is so important and I hope through the blog and podcast, you’ve learned a little something about it. Instead of re-posting information that’s already out there I wanted to provide some links for you to check out.
Juneteenth World Wide Celebration
Juneteenth – Texas State Library
Juneteenth: Real HistoryTechnorati Tags: Juneteenth, black history, Texas history, slavery
What I’m Talkin’ About – #25 – 06/17/07
Show Notes – Episode 25 – Tha Brothas Talk About the African-American Male and His Role in Society
Group Discussion
Happy Father’s Day! I got together with the brothas on Skype to talk about the influence our fathers had on our lives and how the African-American male is seen in society.
The attendees were:
Attorney Byron O’Neal – O’Neal Professional Group, LLC
Eric Durham, Ph.D., Professor of Communications, Morgan State University
Joel Garrett РPant̩ Technology Corporation
Martin Hodges – LEAD Business Network
Some of the topics discussed were:
The Influence of Our Fathers
Best Way to Cope With a Loss of Father
The Difference a father makes in a kid’s life
The Black Male and Popular Media
Websites of Interest
Invisible Men: Many young black males are in crisis
“Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood†by Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Black History Fact
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Music Artist Showcase
“Summertime” by Half Man Half Rat
Holloway, United Kingdom
Podshow Website
Contact Information
Feel free to leave comments on the website or call the voicemail line at 972-464-1899
Intro & Background Music
The intro & closing music clip was written and performed by PsykoSoul Music
Technorati Tags: Podcast, Black Fathers, Father’s Day, Black Men, Society, Culture
Free Genarlow Wilson
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, General, Society & Culture
While I don’t condone what he did, you have to admit the punishment of Genarlow Wilson, does not fit the crime. For those who haven’t heard Wilson has spent more than two years, of a ten year sentence, in prison for receiving consensual oral sex from a 15-year-old girl when he was 17. Convicted under the Child Protection Act, consensual sex acts with a child 16 and under would result in prison time. Once again policy is being misused and is ruining the life of this young man.
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Interviewed on MartyBLOGs
Last week Martin Lindsey posted an interview about me on his website MartyBLOGs. This was the first time I’d been interviewed and I enjoyed it. He asked me some very thought-provoking questions and they really did make me think about the future of my blog and podcast. Check it out and let me know what you think.
I would like to thank Martin for taking the time to interview me and JayEss over at TightBrain.com for choosing me to be next.
What I’m Talkin’ About – #24 – 06/10/07
Show Notes – Episode 24 – What We Can Do About Our Justice System
Covenant with Black America Topic for June – Police Accountability
What I’m Talkin’ About
Continue thoughts from “The Covenant with Black America”
Changes and ideas for the show schedule
My Interview on Marty’s Blog
Review of last podcast on “On the Black Hand Side”
Black History Hero
Admiral J. Paul Reason – Military
“Great Negroes Past and Present Volume Two”
Independent Music Artist Showcase
“Woodstock†by Alice Smith
New York, New York
Music Website
Announcements
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 972-464-1899
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
Technorati Tags: Admiral J. Paul Reason, Alice Smith, Podcast, police, accountability, black, America
Links of Interest
Site Feeds
MyBlogLog Readers
