Thursday, June 19, 2008

Six years have gone by since we first heard the allegations that R. Kelly had filmed himself having sex with an underage girl. During that time we have seen the videotape being hawked on street corners in Black communities, as if the dehumanization of one of our own was not at stake. We have seen entertainers rally around him and watched his career reach new heights despite the grave possibility that he had molested and urinated on a 13-year old girl. We saw African Americans purchase millions of his records despite the long history of such charges swirling around the singer. Worst of all, we have witnessed the sad vision of Black people cheering his acquittal with a fervor usually reserved for community heroes and shaken our heads at the stunning lack of outrage over the verdict in the broader Black community.

Over these years, justice has been delayed and it has been denied. Perhaps a jury can accept R. Kelly's absurd defense and find "reasonable doubt" despite the fact that the film was shot in his home and featured a man who was identical to him. Perhaps they doubted that the young woman in the courtroom was, in fact, the same person featured in the ten year old video. But there is no doubt about this: some young Black woman was filmed being degraded and exploited by a much older Black man, some daughter of our community was left unprotected, and somewhere another Black woman is being molested, abused or raped and our callous handling of this case will make it that much more difficult for her to come forward and be believed. And each of us is responsible for it.

We have proudly seen the community take to the streets in defense of Black men who have been the victims of police violence or racist attacks, but that righteous outrage only highlights the silence surrounding this verdict.

We believe that our judgment has been clouded by celebrity-worship; we believe that we are a community in crisis and that our addiction to sexism has reached such an extreme that many of us cannot even recognize child molestation when we see it.

We recognize the absolute necessity for Black men to speak in a single, unified voice and state something that should be absolutely obvious: that the women of our community are full human beings, that we cannot and will not tolerate the poisonous hatred of women that has already damaged our families, relationships and culture.

We believe that our daughters are precious and they deserve our protection. We believe that Black men must take responsibility for our contributions to this terrible state of affairs and make an effort to change our lives and our communities.

This is about more than R. Kelly's claims to innocence. It is about our survival as a community. Until we believe that our daughters, sisters, mothers, wives and friends are worthy of justice, until we believe that rape, domestic violence and the casual sexism that permeates our culture are absolutely unacceptable, until we recognize that the first priority of any community is the protection of its young, we will remain in this tragic dead-end.

We ask that you:

o Sign your name if you are a Black male who supports this statement:

http://www.petitiononline.com/rkelly/petition.html

o Forward this statement to your entire network and ask other Black males to sign as well

o Make a personal pledge to never support R. Kelly again in any form or fashion, unless he publicly apologizes for his behavior and gets help for his long-standing sexual conduct, in his private life and in his music

o Make a commitment in your own life to never to hit, beat, molest, rape, or exploit Black females in any way and, if you have, to take ownership for your behavior, seek emotional and spiritual help, and, over time, become a voice against all forms of Black female exploitation

o Challenge other Black males, no matter their age, class or educational background, or status in life, if they engage in behavior and language that is exploitative and or disrespectful to Black females in any way. If you say nothing, you become just as guilty.

o Learn to listen to the voices, concerns, needs, criticisms, and challenges of Black females, because they are our equals, and because in listening we will learn a new and different kind of Black manhood.

Labels: Linkage

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 6/19/2008 08:35:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

NPR interview with directors Neema Barnett and Kasi Lemmon

Filched the interview link below from Invisible Woman. NPR's Tony Cox speaks with filmmakers Neema Barnett (Civil Brand and All You've Got) and Kasi Lemmon (Eve's Bayou and Talk to Me) about the obstacles they face in the industry. I conducted my own interview with Neema for my now-defunct ezine Elan a few years back, and she was very graceful and forthcoming about being a black female director.

Listen

Labels: Linkage, Potpourri

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 2/26/2008 01:31:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Monday, January 21, 2008

MLK - Another speech worth hearing

I hadn't planned on posting anything on Martin Luther King, Jr., mainly because of my ambivalence about the observance. It is the same ambivalence I have for African-American month. The hypocrisy is just rife as suddenly everyone scrambles to find something to say about Af-American icons and contributions, to encapsulate in a matter of days what they refuse to observe the year round. It is analogous to a non-appreciative spouse or significant other making Valentine's Day a big deal when he or she has been less than attentive throughout the year. I would rather forego the superficial symbolism of one day or a month in exchange for meaningful acknowledgment through all the days and months.

Even so I came across a really interesting article on how the historians ignore MLK's complexity and how he was more than about race. Then I found the following vid over at Diary of an Anxious Black Woman, so, of course, I made a grab. As ABW says, had we been exposed to this speech as much as the "I Have A Dream" speech, we might have had an overall different response to the wars we've been engaged in during the 21st century. As it is, the words still make for great listening and if you take nothing away from this speech, but one line, let it be this one: "There comes a time when silence is betrayal." Yes, silence can be a killing thing. And note how the words that apply to a war and society over forty years ago are still so relevant today.

Labels: Linkage

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 1/21/2008 03:41:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Another rap post

Following Roz's and Monica's leads and linking to a post from Literary Thug who speaks on crack rappers and the denigration of blacks and black women in particular and how the mass consumers of this crap are privileged suburban teens whose view of black america will be seen through the prisms of black self-denigration and the worst kind of misogyny.

I admit I was unfamiliar with crack rap and the "artists" who propagate it. It is soul-quaking to know the many stepin' fetchits are out there. Y'all the minstrel show is alive and well and it's taking everybody to hell with it. Short of some sort of ass-kicking epiphany, don't expect these fools to change their ways and speak out against their moneymaking antics.

Here is exactly what happens in a recording studio between a thug or crack rapper and his white record executive:

"OK, boy, I want you to get your black bitch in here and bend her over so I can have at her."

"Why, yessum, boss..."

(Boss leers evilly)

"And after I'm done with her, why don't you bend over, too, boy..."

The rapper grins nervously. "Yessum... but, I will get my money, right?"

"Yeah, that's right, boy, that's right."

It's a sickening interchange, but understand that is figuratively what is happening in these studios when these rappers allow themselves and black women to be verbally pummelled, beaten and raped.

I posted the following YouTube featuring spoken word artist Talaam Acey a couple of months ago, but what he says is so true, I have to post again so people will actually LISTEN. (I'm just going to have to add him permanently to my sidebar.)

Labels: Linkage, Race, Rap

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 6/21/2007 02:08:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Couldn't pass this one by...

I found this old SNL scene featuring Chevy Chase and guest star Richard Pryor at Pandagon and couldn't pass up a linkage. I described this scene in a write-up I did when Pryor passed nearly two years ago and was so surprised to see it posted. The skit features racially explosive words, but the effect is totally funny, especially as done by Pryor.

Labels: Linkage, Race

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 6/05/2007 09:57:00 AM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Friday, May 18, 2007

Sex toys for Christians

Woohoo! Now God-fearing couples have their own website where they can buy their after-dark goodies! It's called My Beloved's Garden, and it offers everything from marital advice, lingerie to - yeah, you guessed it - sex toys! (also called marital aids so apparently they're not for you fornicators; see previous sex toy post). Said marital implements include romance games, oils and lubes, vibrating bullets (oooh, sounds so piercing), massage and g-spot vibes, and lo and behold, a glass phallus (uhm, looks a little unyielding; don't know how much fun that'd be).

Here's the welcome on the site's home page:

Yes, I see Jesus amidst all those toys and goodies. Like I said before, even Christians need their fun. BTW, someone needs to tell them how irritating text is on an orange background.

Pilfered from Feministe

Labels: Linkage, Religion, Sex

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 5/18/2007 04:58:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Had to steal this one

From Pandagon

BTW, what is the idiocy level required to be a copy writer or ad campaign manager? Presumably there was more testoterone than estrogen in the conference room the day this got the thumbs up.

Labels: Ads and Commercials, Linkage, Sexism

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 5/18/2007 01:32:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Stuff from Boing Boing

Every so often I stop in to see what's going on at Boing Boing because they always seem to have some crazy stuff. Like the items below:

Man sues dry cleaner for lost pants to the tune of $67 million.

Here's the formula he's worked out:

(Pearson) believes he is entitled to $1,500 for each violation, each day during which the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign and another sign promising "Same Day Service" was up in the store -- more than 1,200 days.

And he's multiplying each violation by three because he's suing (Custom Cleaners owners) Jin and Soo Chung and their son.

He also wants $500,000 in emotional damages and $542, 500 in legal fees, even though he is representing himself in court.

He wants $15,000 for 10 years' worth of weekend car rentals as well.

I'm sorry, but unless the pants contained the man's package and nuts along with all his future seed when they were lost, I don't see any actual damages and definitely not the punitive damages. Geez!

Sell your cockroaches.

The Houston Museum of Natural Sciences is putting together an exhibit on entomology and needs your cockroaches. They've put out feelers (had to go there) for people to bring in at least 1,000 of these loathsome creatures. And they're paying 0.25 per head (uhm, exoskeleton).

Back in the day, when I had my first apartment (years and years ago), I would've been able to make a pretty penny. The infestation got so bad, I started to name some of 'em and wrote this story to make me feel better about their presence. Thankfully my landlord finally went with Orkin (after several years of pleading).

Labels: Linkage

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 5/02/2007 02:45:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Friday, April 27, 2007

Someone who needs to be heard

Copped this one from Keith Boykin because it tells the truth. A poem where the words "nigga" "bitches" and "ho's" are used in the right context. The artist is named Taalam Acey and he's telling it like it is. And it's a sad tale. Check it.

Labels: Linkage

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 4/27/2007 09:36:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Linking to Maurice

I like author Maurice Broaddus' post on moral relativism, so I'm linking to him here.

Labels: Linkage

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 3/27/2007 11:41:00 PM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Are they serious?

Author/screenwriter Lee Goldberg recounted some of the stupidest queries he got while attending at a writers conference in San Francisco, all from folks hoping to break into the television writing business. These questions just boggle the mind, basically these hopefuls aren't really looking to gain a fair entrance, but are just looking for a quick pill. I'm taking the liberty to post two of the convos that I think were particularly stupid (italics are mine):

***
Another person came up to me and asked me if I wrote for television. I said yes. She then asked, "How do you do that?"

"You mean, how do I write for television?"

"Yes," she said.

"I write screenplays," I said.

"Which is what, exactly?"

"The story, the action, the words that the characters say," I replied.

She stared at me. "Somebody writes that?" (no, little pixies sprinkle dust and everything just appears on the prompters for the actors to read...)

"Yes," I said, resisting the urge to strangle her. "It's like a writing a play, only for the camera instead of a theatre audience."

She shook her head. "No, it's not." (uh huh)

*

"I've written a book but everyone tells me it s a TV series," the man said. "How do I make it into a TV series."

"You can't, " I said, and gave my standard speech about how ideas are cheap and execution is everything, how networks go to people with TV experience, or who have written hit movies, or who have written bestselling novels, blah blah blah. And when I got done, he stared at me. I got stared at a lot today.

Hee said: "How can I get around that?"

"You can't," I said.

"Why not?"

"Because you haven't established yourself as a writer in any field," I said. "Why would a network, studio or producer buy a TV series idea from you?"

"Because I'm smarter and more talented than they are," he said.

"It's not going to happen," I said.

"Is it because I'm black?" he said. "That's it, isn't it. It's because I'm black."
(OK, brotherman, not everything is about race...)

***

Something tells me these folks are never going to break into show business.

Labels: Linkage

Read more!

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 3/04/2007 09:54:00 AM Permanent Link       | | Home

---------------oOo---------------