mark bey: This statement right here should be announced loudly and clearly from the blog mountain top as loud and often as possible

Some things will take time other stuff can be moved on and Bronze Trinity is leading the way. Bronze Trinity is not only a doer she is also a leader. My hat goes off to Bronze Trinity on her committment and her drive to move Afrosphear from its inertia.

Go Afrosphear!

So if this conversation is not moving on any discussion of projects or strategies discussion, it is simply each other debating issues. So let’s move on..move on..move on.

Let’s not let this divide and conquer thing demolish this house.

–A

I will focus on bringing the activist projects developed by Bronze Trinity and the rest of the AfroSphere to light on here — meaning I will make posts highlighting what’s suggested in the comments and shed light on projects already underway. I’ll also put out the suggestions I’ve come up with.

I’m also really interested in developing that petition idea a la MoveOn.org that she introduced, but that’s going to take more time than a day if we want it to get results and the attention of the black community and beyond. There are two key issues I think we can implement with that idea — contacting record companies and sending a message to President Bush about the Katrina relief effort and the unclaimed aid. I’m sure most people around the AfroSphere have read the Washington Post article about it, and I think that we should mobilize that awareness and keep people’s minds on helping out New Orleans.

I really want us to cooperate together, and it’s distressing me how this post has twisted cooperation through a disagreement that got carried away. So I’m hoping to make time within the next couple of weeks between exams to bridge gaps and get some resources compiled on this page directly related to specific projects. I’m also hoping my fellow correspondents will aid me in this endeavor by assembling and by highlighting what they find.

mark bey: I agree with you on this Credo her pageflakes news page is beautiful and useful. Also you are right she is a doer and she deserves all the support she can get.

Some students did not do well working in groups. I had to share with them each person had a voice. And roles had to be shared in order for each voice to be heard. I probably had three out of six groups not working.

I found the same sex groups worked well together. I found mixed group with an imbalance did not work well together. Group consisted of 4-6 people. I called each person from the three groups and explain they had a task and they needed to work as a group, it did not matter that they did not like the idea coming from a member, it was to be incorporated into the group project.

Once the project was completed the next day, they would have to determine what they did not like as a group and agree to get rid of it. If the group failed to follow the instruction, the person who felt he or she could not work with the group could request to be moved to another group. but they would have to spend the first day working with the oppressive group.

Bronze Trinity has crafted great projects, and received little support in the afrosphear. She created a petition that should have been on every blogger post, this is my opinion.

Bronze Trinity has created links to make it convenience for whatever information she find that will support the Afrosphear.
Bronze Trinity has created a newspaper that still has me smiling everytime I click on the page.

Bronze Trinity is a doer. What a great talent among the afrosphear. The afrosphear has enough talent to support where Bronze Trinity is going..and it is obvious she has a passion.

For all the great writers, that energy could be used to support Bronze Trinity and where she is going. Bronze Trinity sure has committed and supported the afrosphear.

Action has been discussed. Eddie Griffin has a blog based on action toward those who have been touched by the criminal justice system.

Francis Holland states we are to build the afrosphear by creating and connecting more blogs.

Projects have been put forth and these projects need to be supported and moved on by the afrosphear. If not I would like to know the reason why they are not being supported?

Jared posted on this blog asking questions about the agenda. Afrosphears have several projects that can be fully developed and placed in the media.

I hope that the afrosphear go over to Bronze Trinity and began to help her in the many projects that she has suggested for the afrosphear. Or at least ask her, what it is that we can do to help?

“Think tank”, “blog”, whatever; we are exchanging ideas and that’s the important thing.

BT, let’s not jump ship before we even set sail. I have purposely tried to keep a low profile because I know that I can be a little harsh in my writing, and this is exactly what I didn’t want to see happening. (People jumping ship)

So let’s debate, throw around ideas, agree, disagree, and come up with some positive ideas to uplift our race TOGETHER.

Peace.

This “ACTION” oriented impulse in us, while understandable, can be self-defeating – if we jump out with a half-baked, feelgood program. A think tank moves on its on time schedule. It can’t rush by its nature.

Sure, “let’s do something real quick, without deep reflection sounds good. Let’s just jump out there and look as if we are doing something relevant, when it may just be symbolic and thus, ineffectual.” Does that action move forward an agenda of true liberation? We must ask these questions. The NAACP won’t.

We have to take our time and be a real think tank which means a couple of things: we take our time, we digest, we discuss, we look more deeply than we ever have, look at the context within which we act/react, we allow the many varied voices in the AfroSpear to speak. And then we create a REAL strategy of liberation.

Now, there’s a time for symbolism and there’s a time for action directed at changing a specific condition. There’s a time for deliberation and there’s a time for critique. But to me a think tank has to put it all together, see the big picture AND the underneath and craft strategies that take all of that shit into account.

This site has been up for all of, what, three weeks?! We need to begin making commitments to act when we’ve just begun receiving suggestions/ideas?! Let’s all of us take a deep breath. I’m sure many of us are engaged in action. I believe most of us mean well. But the AfroSpear is about gleaning – with the assistance of its diverse membership – “answers that answer and solutions that solve.”

http://www.petitiononline.com/hiphop1/petition.html

From here.

Perhaps we need to make sure other bloggers in the AfroSphere know of it and can promote it?

Second, as I’ve mentioned more than once in my comments, this post played more of an evaluative function. The purpose of bringing up the NAACP’s funeral was to discuss the implications of the action and to discuss its coverage, which we’re doing. Perhaps my error was presenting the information in a humorous way.

Third, I have read the links; I am unsure of the actions of the others in the circle. Perhaps the most significant guidance I have received in relation to this particular post is from the origins of MoveOn.org. Thank you for providing them.

So far, the ideas I have considered deals more with holding record companies and radio stations accountable. Holding advertisers and merchandisers who capitalize on the racist and sexist nature of hip-hop accountable. For the AfroSpear specifically, our best way to help in managing this accountability would perhaps work best in the form of an online petition. MoveOn.org’s initiative to get people thinking about handling the problems as events unfolded proactively rather than weaving itself together reactively (which is what it feels the NAACP is doing) is a good model because it kicked off with a petition as well.

The petition’s message to record companies should focus more on the music it is endorsing and its damage to perceptions of African-American culture. We need to do research on which companies are responsible for churning out the worst racist and misogynistic artists. From there, the petition should send a message that these companies should either host initiatives in the larger mainstream community to help end the prevalence of gang violence and drug trafficking. These companies should use the muscle they have to back positive hip-hop artists. Until these companies begin doing more evaluation of its music’s social effects rather than fattening its pockets, we should boycott their products and encourage others to do so.

A separate petition to the radio station corporations should focus on what’s given attention and radio play on their popular music stations — same initiatives to incorporate positive hip-hop artists. However, a new component of segments with hip-hop intellectuals and community organizations facing the consequences of glorified gangster and drug culture also should take place over the mainwaves, with more prominence. More resources should be developed to allow grassroots organizations more access to radio time and advertising. Also, stricter guidelines for radio DJs and announcers so that they remain conscious of their racist and sexist remarks towards ALL races. This petition would also challenge these stations with boycotts and more resources pointing to events like community block parties with homegrown music, independent distribution of positive music, more attention to internet and satellite radio, and a renewed zest in listening to its sponsors and advertisers who respond directly to our concerns with lessened endorsements.

Along with these petitions, we should work on assembling concrete examples of damaging rap songs and artists directly under the record companies’ control and marketing; we should also work on more engagement with communities — both young people and older people — about the measures we can take to ensure black folk know their options and have access to helpful resources.

In addition to the AfroSpear composing databases of what black people online are saying, we need more research and attention geared towards black people offline are doing — scholarship programs, community outreach programs for health care, fundraising for local black empowerment organizations. For example, on the blog that Asabagna linked, “What About Our Daughters?”, the two most recent posts there discuss initiatives by Essence Magazine to promote writing and marketing of positive hip-hop, as well as an organization called Take Our Music Forward that is hosting a rally a couple of weeks from now, directly challenging the corporate tactics of highlighting and marketing a damaging product of music. We should call more attention to these initiatives on our blogs. Also, we should make mention of the efforts in our petition to let our signers and these companies know that our efforts are already underway.

I hope that in light of the proposals I’ve suggested and the other initiatives that have begun, you are beginning to notice how the problem does not rest solely with the mainstream media or solely with the NAACP. There are holes on both sides, and we need to find the organizations that fill these holes. With that said, I still plan on following up with the NAACP on this campaign; I believe I mentioned that in my previous comment.

Also, so we can be fully clear on where I’m coming from and where this is frustrating for me, this project embarked to encourage voices — all voices — to speak. This project is not meant to function as a traditional think tank. Suffice it to say, if you or others have ideas and initiatives to complement anything that I or anyone else highlights, by all means, share them. This isn’t a six-pony show. And as you’ve mentioned earlier, “Enough with this helpless mentality of waiting for people to do things for us. We can just get up and do it ourselves if we learn how to do for ourselves.” I didn’t formulate this post and put it out on this blog in a vacuum. Perhaps, like I mentioned earlier, I shouldn’t have framed it in a humorous light.

# an organization or group of experts researching and advising on issues of society, science, technology, industry, or business. trade barrier: a condition imposed by a government to limit free exchange of goods internationally.
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/Glossary/glossary-T.htm

# An informal term referring to an organization or organizational segment entrusted with the sole function of research.
http://www.indiainfoline.com/bisc/jmht.html

# a company that does research for hire and issues reports on the implications
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

# A think tank is a group of individuals dedicated to high-level synergistic research on a variety of subjects, usually in military laboratories, corporations, or other institutions. Usually this term refers specifically to organizations which support theorists and intellectuals who endeavor to produce analysis or policy recommendations.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_tank

If “the STOP Campaign is a pledge, a flyer, and a list of very great but vague goals. Much like the funeral idea — it is a great but vague idea that hasn’t hit to the heart of the problem.” Please give us some actions that will hit to the heart of the problem. Create some ideas instead of just shooting them down because othewise nothing will change.

“I still don’t see how that diminishes my point because if you look at the mainstream coverage for the funeral, there’s very little mention of the STOP campaign — only a funeral. Specifically, if you look at the USA Today coverage, that’s all it calls attention to.” Okay, did the NAACP author the article? Did they write it? Then how can you put all of the blame on them for what the mainstream biased media writes? It might help if instead of reading what the media writes we go to the source. Secondhand information is ALWAYS flawed and biased unless it is presented verbatim. Don’t you think that the media and the Euro-American establishment benefits from presenting only negative or occasional things about Black leaders. I think in this case they have been very effective in convincing people that the NAACP doesn’t do much and is ineffective because you have swallowed that message whole! I’m sure they are probably laughing their heads off about how good they are at causing Black people to be inactive and about how they have convinced Black people that they cannot organize and that they have bad leaders.
Have any of you written to the NAACP to give them your suggestions? Well here’s the link to their contact page. Do I have to make it any easier for you to do something?

News results for NAACP Stop Campaign

If you compare the mainstream media coverage for the funeral against the coverage for the STOP Campaign, it paints a different picture.

Plus, it gets into the logistics of how the organization is framing this debate and how, from the news and media coverage, the organization work is reflected.

As of now, the STOP Campaign is a pledge, a flyer, and a list of very great but vague goals. Much like the funeral idea — it is a great but vague idea that hasn’t hit to the heart of the problem. Perhaps I’m being hard on them with saying that because it appears the STOP Campaign has been launched fairly recently. But considering the national headquarters is in my backyard, I’ll get in contact with them and see what’s brewing in the future.

I still don’t see how that diminishes my point because if you look at the mainstream coverage for the funeral, there’s very little mention of the STOP campaign — only a funeral. Specifically, if you look at the USA Today coverage, that’s all it calls attention to in the article.

So, as I said earlier:

By focusing on other things and using that PR muscle to tell us what they’re doing instead of calling attention to a symbolic funeral? Advocacy in government? Community outreach? There are a lot of black folk who think the NAACP, besides the legal work that doesn’t get enough hype, is an obsolete organization when it comes to the priorities of African-Americans. And learning about these symbolic funerals isn’t helping that perception.

…Sometimes I think that’s less from what the organization’s actually doing and more from what the mainstream media would like to focus its attention on. Like Jackson and Sharpton are the go-to “black spokespersons,” the NAACP is the go-to “black organization.” And I think you’re right; we do need to diversify our portfolios of people moving and shaking.

This is true, but I think we need to stop viewing all criticism of leadership in this vein of “well, what are youuuuu doing?” Everyone’s not going to be satisfied; we know this. But I can tell you what I’m doing — I’m pointing out what I think you’re not doing or what you may be doing that I have no knowledge of.

The NAACP recognizes that when it comes to forming ideas and establishing norms, nothing is more influential than the images and concepts delivered into our lives on a daily basis by radio, television, film and the Internet. Those that are given access to the public through mainstream media must be put on notice that they have everything to lose by spewing racist ideas and rants. In addition, we equally recognize the need for balance within the African American community in regards to what music, film, and media we deem acceptable in our community.

The STOP Campaign is an initiative of the NAACP Youth & College Division that seeks to “STOP” the demeaning images of African Americans in the media, particularly with respect to the portrayal of African American women. Images reflected in songs like “I Was Getting Some…” and music videos that show half-dressed women being objectified by men.

In addition, due to the overwhelming number of racially disrespectful incidents that have occurred recently, the STOP Campaign is urgently necessary. Some of these recent incidents include:

* Don Imus, radio talk show host, referring to the Rutgers University’s Women’s Basketball Team as “nappy headed hoes”.
* Television actor Michael Richards goes on a tirade using the n-word at a comedy club in Los Angeles.

Racial incidents on college campuses such as Clemson University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Connecticut, University of Texas-Austin and Texas A&M University where white students dressed in stereotypical African American images and wore black face makeup.

There is no better time than today for us to call for a
STOP in our community:

* STOP Defaming Our Women… by respecting all African American Women and not describing them in profane and derogatory terms
* STOP Degrading Our Community… by not supporting hurtful images that portray negative images of the African American community
* STOP Denigrating Our History… by not supporting words and media that diminishes our proud history and insults our ancestors
* STOP Accepting Disrespect… by not patronizing companies and artists that put forth demeaning and disrespectful images in our community
* START Standing Up… by standing up against anyone who diminishes the capacity of young people
* START the Diversity… by supporting balance and diversity of content in the entertainment industry to create positive role models for young people and by demanding more African Americans and other people of color in decision making positions in the entertainment industry

The campaign was promoted on the front page of the NAACP Website. Take a visit and then consider whether the NAACP only wants to focus on the funeral or if they are working on many other things.

I also like your assessment that the idea of the “funeral” has the real effect of burying the problem…. washing their hands of the situation. Well unfortunately for them, the AfroSpear has a point, which we use to dig up and expose this sh*t!

Anyway, I may be overreacting because of some personal things going on in my life right now, but I didn’t write this entry just to stir shit against the NAACP. I wanted to spark some conversation about what’s right and what’s wrong about this action — though I do admit I mostly saw bad things rather than good things. But I think it can only help our development if we had a few reminders of what not to do as we had reminders of what to do. Sorry if the suggestions for alternatives weren’t necessarily concrete.

I agree with you that the problem isn’t necessarily a lack of leadership. More coordination is needed and also people taking more responsibility and being accountable for what they do or not do. I am not one who thinks that you cannot provide constructive criticism (or ask the hard questions) to perceived or real leaders (leadership). Just because they are doing “something” doesn’t mean that I cannot question their tactics and/or the sincerity of their commitment; or that I have to justify my criticism by stating what I’m doing. However criticism without some ideas for strategies or solutions to tackle the problem, makes it a futile process…. more like a merry go-round. And as you remind us: “Well that’s mostly what this think tank is for, no? To figure out what works, past and present, and the best ways to implement those strategies.” I like the online examples by Bronze Trinity of how one can become involved.

Let me suggest a strategy that may make the efforts of the NAACP more relevant to it’s “colored” constituents. Since it’s strength is in legal work, why not bring a class action suit against gun manufacturers and the record industry for violating the constitutional and civil of African Americans. Various states have taken the tobacco and the gun industry to court to get civil compensation for health care costs associated with the negative effects and repercussions from these industries. The gun industry indiscriminately provides the tools which prevents the constitutional right for the “pursuit of happiness” in certain neighbourhoods. While the record industry provides the incentive (monetary) for rappers to degrade women and glorify violence and is therefore aiding, abetting and conspiring to again deny certain citizens of the USA of their constitutional rights and the civil rights of Black women and Black males. Now this may sound far-fetched and ridiculous, but it would certainly start a nationwide discussion and assessment on who is really benefiting and suffering from the merchandise being produced, advertised and sold by these industries. They could also lobby for the CBC and other so-called progressive white legislators to hold congressional and/or senate hearings on the effect of these industries on American society in general and the African-American community in particular.

Just a couple ideas from this crazy Canuck!