The post WATCH: Ta-Nehisi Coates Talks Mass Incarceration appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Images of the dead body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi has rocked our moral consciousness. Thanks to the power of social media, the world is now paying attention to the refugee crisis which involves the lives of millions.

That the world is finally paying attention is good. Why? Because the current refugee crisis we’re now forced to confront, has been years in the making.

And, until now, the plight of displaced refugees has been largely ignored amid all the talk of dropping bombs, beheadings, and so-called shitty nuclear deals. Moreover, given our current political debate vis-a-vis immigration, anchor babies, and “acts of love” etc., the timing is impeccable as it forces us Americans, to take a long hard look at ourselves.

A few years ago, I wrote about the worldwide refugee crisis (read here). This was in 2012 and my post featured a then recently released United Nations report, According to the report by the United Nations, 2011 nad been the worst year for refugees across the globe since 2000.

Back then, an estimated 4.3 million people were newly displaced. About 800,000 of them fled their countries and became refugees (the remaining people were displaced but did not leave their countries, so they do not meet the definition of “refugee,” rather, they are considered IDPs – internally displaced persons).

The report concludes, that at the end of 2011, there were 42.5 million displaced people worldwide — more than the population of Canada.

My guess is that in the years since the release of the report, the number of refugees worldwide has doubled or possibly even tripled. That said, I imagine that there are many people who have perished while attempting to flee these war torn countries. Many of them, I suspect, were as young as Aylan Kurdi, if not younger.

You see, to pack up our family — while having very meager resources — and, migrate to another country in search of a better life is indeed an act of love. It’s really mostly an act of desperation, given the circumstances, that’s rooted in a love of family, life, liberty, and all the ideals we hold so dear in America.

Yes, you know, the stuff we promote via military action on foreign soil? Believe it or not, ironically, these are the very same reasons Aylan Kurdi’s family left their home in Syria. Plainly speaking: they wanted to fucking live. Unfortunately for the Kurdi family, Aylan Kurdi, his mother, and his five-year-old brother are dead.

As I watch the outpouring of support from westerners in response to the Syrian, Libyan, Afghanistani refugee crisis in Europe – mostly brought about by the photo of Aylan Kurdi’s dead body in the photo above – I’m reminded of a couple things.

I’m reminded of how black refugees from S. Sudan were kicked out of Israel just a few years ago. They were kicked out by the Israeli government because of the usual xenophobic, racist anti-immigrant animus that exists here in America.

I’m also reminded of how migrant children who crossed the U.S. southern border seeking a better life were ridiculed by a large portion of the American public. They were described as being diseased criminals; and, there were mobs outside of detention centers rallying for their deportation.

And of course, these were the children who wee lucky enough to survive the several months long journey from Central America into the United States. But to hear some tell it, their sole purpose for coming to America is to rob, steal, and rape Americans.

The post Aylan Kurdi is What a Real “Anchor Baby” Looks Like appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Kendrick is Christian.  Coates is an atheist.

Kendrick who’s song “Alright” from the album was released as a single recently seems to have captured the sentiments of hope with a simple refrain “we gon’ be alright” when he performed at the 2015 BET Awards on top of abandoned and graffitied police cars.  Coates’ much anticipated book was written in epistolary format, borrowing from James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, is a book intentional void of hope; Coates is intentional in anchoring his lens of commentary and critique in the struggle and how he understands the black male body.

Every thirty or so pages Coates made sure to let the reader know that he was not Christian, atheist in fact.  For him not having that as a tradition in which he was raised in, he opted for the body over that of the soul.  The discussion of the black male body is a running theme in much of Coates corpus of work, and is the string that ties his letters to his son together.  For me, as someone with a theological and spiritual background, engaging a discussion about the black body, and in this case, the black male body, is a discussion we don’t have often.  Or at least as often as we should.

Because of that, if I had my way, I would want to be a fly on the wall and put Ta-Nehesi and Kendrick in a room together and hear what they would have to say to one another.

Ta-Nehesi Coates

I’m uniquely interested in how these two would reconcile the yearnings of hope and the insistence of the struggle.  Coates hangs his hat that struggle is the only thing he can offer his son.  Going so far as to name his child Samori, which means “struggle.”  Decidedly, Coates ran as far as humanly possible away from hope as something to offer both his son and obviously to the reader as well.  It is a text entered into the vade mecum of blackness that stands out because it does not rush toward some hope of a future that’s different.  Melvin Rogers, associate professor of African American Studies & Political Science at UCLA wrote in Dissent Magazine that

After all, the meaning of action is tied fundamentally to what we imagine is possible for us. But when one views white supremacy as impregnable, there is little room for one’s imagination to soar and one’s sense of agency is inescapably constrained.

Coates is no James Baldwin.  Either in terms of his writing style or content.  As Rogers pointed out, Baldwin was a son of hope, Coates is not.  Instead, Coates does write in a Baldwin-esque mind frame by delivering some inconvenient truths to an America that may or may not be willing and ready to receive it.  Cornel West, in a rather scathing response simply said Coates was a “mere darling of White and Black Neo-liberals” which begs the question is Coates work landing just in the ears of white liberal sensibilities or does the impact go farther.

Coates’ dogged insistence on the body strikes a strong chord with a black generation shaped and formed in the gap of modernity and postmodern sensibilities wrestling with their place in a global society and also what it means to be a citizen of the American empire.  For many of them, or rather us, part of the struggle has been at what point does spirituality, namely Christianity run out?  At what point does it no longer exist to have wells deep enough to carry the pain and the despair.  When I read West’s Facebook post against Coates, that’s namely what I saw: two diametrically opposed ideologues over the issue of whether to hope or not.

Kendrick’s life story growing up in the streets of Los Angeles and Coates’ life growing up in inner-city Baltimore are both life stories I don’t overly identify with personally, but growing up on the South Side of Chicago, they are both known testaments that are well within the sight of my vision.  How could two people with similar life experiences be at such opposite ends of a spectrum when it comes to the future of black lives in America?  My gut feeling is to side with Kendrick; to entrench myself with the thought that we gon’ be alright.  However choosing to talk about the plunder of the black body, a running theme beyond just his latest book but even in his famous essay “The Case for Reparations” resonated with me in a way that I had not been able to put into words prior.  Being able to read a text that gives vocabulary, that gives utterance to unnamed emotions is liberating, spiritual in fact.  The way that Christians understand that the Holy Spirit “makes prayer out of wordless sighs and aching groans” is similar in the way that reading the words of a text or listening to music can move the inner-being.  Something about the realness of Coates refusal to move past the pain reverberates with my soul.

The irony of that.

If Kendrick and Ta-Nehesi were in a room together, I would hope they would discuss what it means to be black for them.  Is it first understood on the personal level or is always understood in the collective.  I wonder what type of music do they listen to in their off time.  Do they feel that they occupy a particular platform given their ascendancy to being public figures?  What does black masculinity mean to them and how do they choose to see other black men through that–do gay, bisexual and trans-men fit into that paradigm?  What about black women?  How do they understand them speaking on behalf of other people, or do they reject that notion altogether.  It would be interesting to know what type of relationship they have with their parents or had with grandparents.  How influential were male figures in their life versus that of black women?  Do you hate white people?  What is the role of white people in a Black-centric worldview?  If Kendrick asked Ta-Nehesi why he’s choosing to leave America and move to France, I would certainly wonder how he’d respond to that.

It’s not a foreign concept knowing that many black artists expatriated at some point to Europe in the 20th century such as Josephine Baker, Richard Wright, Nina Simone and even James Baldwin.  Author Thomas Chatterton Williams came under assault after an op-ed piece for the New York Times earlier this year when he suggested that black Americans could find a type of refuge in Europe advocating for a “next great migration” conjuring the Great Migration when blacks left the South in search of warmth from other suns in the northern cities like Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York.  Coates seems to be following in that tradition.  While personally, I don’t see Europe as a place of expatriation for me, I get it.  I would hope Kendrick would ask that question to Ta-Nehesi: why won’t you stay?  Perhaps Ta-Nehesi would flip and say “why won’t you leave?”

Ta-Nehesi and Kendrick are two sides of the same coin, perhaps.  Well, maybe to place them as diametrically opposed to one another isn’t fair to the complexities that the human existence hold, let alone what it means to be black–both in body and in soul.  I wouldn’t expect this conversation to have some grand conclusion, that finally we’ve can consider the matter settled in anyway.  Soul-talk, I would contend, doesn’t like that, and neither does the vast majority of what Cornel West calls the black prophetic Christian tradition.  This trope is never more apparent than in the black preaching tradition that not only focuses heavily on hope, but also providing conclusionary theology: while God may be abstract, there will be a conclusive statement about what God is.  As much as that is is a theological declaration birthed out of one’s belief in the soul, their eschatological trajectory as well as basic religious and doctrinal beliefs, it also functions as a very secular sociology that one’s humanity requires a conclusion.

Assuming that Kendrick subscribes to some of the basic tenets of Christianity that places the conclusion in the hereafter, I would really like to hear he and Ta-Nehesi try and make sense of what I see as two different points of conclusion.  Is one right, the other wrong?  How is one’s lived existence altered because of the belief that this is it, versus the idea that there may be more to come.

So if the gods of blackness are kind, please let this conversation happen–and let me there to see it.

[Originally posted at Uppity Negro Network]

The post If Ta-Nehesi Coates and Kendrick Lamar Had a Conversation… appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Instead, Jared Fogle made millions – he has an estimated net worth of $15 million -convincing America to get skinny by eating Subway sandwiches. By all accounts, Jared Fogle was pretty harmless. Yes, it’s not like he was ever famous for peddling pudding pops to children. He was what we would consider to be a rather safe, and very nice guy. I mean, all he did was walk and eat at Subway, when not running a foundation for children. Weird how that works, huh?

Well, according to a new report at Business Insider, that’s not all he ever did. According to the report, not only did Jared Fogle – a married man – have a sexual relationship with a female Subway franchisee. Jared Fogle, according to an affidavit obtained as evidence by the FBI, once had sex with a 16-year-old he met on Craigslist. And of course, being the nice guy that he is, Jared Fogle paid her $100 for her time. Jared Fogle? The Subway guy? A freak who has a thing for young girls?

Ya think you know a guy:

The FBI has subpoenaed an affidavit containing alleged texts between former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle and a former female Subway franchisee in which Fogle says he paid for sex with a 16-year-old girl, according to the former franchisee’s attorney.

 

The former franchisee, a woman, shared the texts and her concerns about Fogle with Subway management at the time, her lawyer says, but Subway did nothing. Subway says it has no record of the woman’s complaint.

 

The FBI has subpoenaed an affidavit containing alleged texts between former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle and a former female Subway franchisee in which Fogle says he paid for sex with a 16-year-old girl, according to the former franchisee’s attorney.

 

The former franchisee, a woman, shared the texts and her concerns about Fogle with Subway management at the time, her lawyer says, but Subway did nothing. Subway says it has no record of the woman’s complaint.

 

The woman was apparently in a sexual relationship with Fogle at the time. She became uncomfortable with the relationship as Fogle pushed her to post listings on Craigslist and detailed other trysts, according to her lawyer.

 

[…] According to the affidavit obtained by Business Insider, Fogle asked the former Subway franchisee in May 2008 to set up a meeting for him with her cousin. The cousin was underage at the time, according to the woman’s lawyer.

 

“When can we find a time for me to talk to your cousin?” Fogle asks in a message dated May 1, 2008.

 

“Any more news with your cousin?” he asks the following day. “Tell me what u think about when u think of the three of us all together???”

 

Earlier, in April, according to the affidavit, Fogle asked the woman, “How young would you like?… Would you want to have an adventure like that?”

 

On June 19, the lawyer says that Fogle again asked the woman to advertise herself on Craigslist. She responds: “Is this the same website you found that 16 year old girl you that you f*****? …I still can’t believe you only paid $100 for her.”

 

Fogle responds: “It was amazing!!!!” (Source: Business Insider)

It’s important to note that Jared Fogle has yet to be charged in connection to child pornography. Yes, his home was raided a few weeks ago b the FBI; and yes, he has since been kicked to the curb by Subway. And though the legal age of consent in Indiana where he lives is 16, there’s something disturbing about Jared Fogle – a grown ass man – trolling Craigslist, in hopes of “buying some pussy” from teenage girls. But of course, what Jared Fogle is alleged to have done is nothing like peeing on a 14-year-old girl while having sex. Oh no, Jared Fogle isn’t alleged to have done anything as morally corrupt as that. So, I guess I can understand why we’re not talking about it, even though it has been reported that Jared Fogle trolls public schools and happens to think: “Middle School girls are hot!” Yes, no word on whether he has prescriptions for quaaludes.

Jared Fogle has yet to appear in court on any charges on alleged wrongdoing.. However, you’d think that Jared Fogle and the allegations and concerns would be the source of chatter in the court of public opinion. But hey, when you’re white you’re right; and the force field that is White Privilege exists as a tool of convenience to many.

Had Jared Fogle been a black man – and yes, this is just a stretch because chances are he would’ve never been a pitchman for Subway because he has never played in the NFL – there’d be many salacious headlines, and discussions throughout social media about him being a child rapist, yes?

The post Jared Fogle from Subway had Sex with a 16-year-old Girl appeared first on Madness & Reality.

NEW YORK — Bill Cosby’s legal team is not going to take it anymore. Last week, a new public face appeared in Monique Pressley, defending the once-beloved comic performer now beleaguered by allegations of sexual assault from dozens of women. The Washington, D.C-based attorney, whose specialties include civil litigation, became the main legal spokesperson after a…

The post Bill Cosby team’s PR move may be too late in court of public opinion appeared first on Madness & Reality.

And this is where Marc Lamont Hill and Tara Setmayer comes in. During a segment onCNN, they had a war of words:

Blaze host Tara Setmayer squared off with CNN’s Marc Lamont Hill, arguing that Gray’s arrest was a singular case of police misconduct, not an incident in a wider problem of systemic police mistreatment of African-American suspects. “You don’t have to put a race card on everything,” she said.

Hill wasn’t having it. “Black people die every day at the hands of law enforcement,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what color the officer is. The only color that matters is blue…. State violence against citizens is a problem. State violence against poor people is a problem. It’s disproportionate. When you look at the number of black people that die at the hands of law enforcement in proportion to their demographic percentage, we’re overrepresented in police killing. That’s not a coincidence.” [1]

On Hill’s side, there is the understanding that Black people have a wide spread problem with police issues. On Tara Setmayer’s side, there is the problem that police just weren’t doing their jobs. Sadly, they are actually arguing when they mostly agree with each other.

Marc Lamont Hill Wins the Debate

The issue that needs to be addressed is that Marc Lamont Hill is absolutely correct in most (not all) of his affirmations. White it seems that many write Hill off as a “race baitersupreme”, there has always been underlying issues with the police dealings with Black people in Baltimore. With a high rate of killings by police, added to the “zero tolerance arrest” policy being upheld, Black people in Baltimore see the police as adversaries. Adding on the fact that the police has had these issues for decades should set off an alarm. TheNAACP had to get an investigation into the police as far back as 1980. So, Marc Lamont Hill knew what he was talking about.

The problem with Tara Setmayer’s argument is that she didn’t come prepared to actually defend her premise. She came with a lot to say but didn’t back it up with any worthwhile facts. Meanwhile, she wanted to argue against a situation where the facts, figures, and the burden of evidence has existed for more decades than many want to admit. It is safe to say that this was not Tara Setmayer’s battle to win.

We can call Marc Lamont Hill a “race baiter” all you want. We can even question some of the things he said (Gray was never shot; I’m need to see some numbers dealing with those middle class black people being harmed as well). What we can’t say is that Marc Lamont Hill wasn’t telling the truth.

Tara Setmayer was Also Correct (Short Sighted)

Still, can we just collectively say that Tara Setmayer was right about one thing: Baltimore has a policing problem? The city has paid about $5.7 million since 2011 over lawsuits claiming that police officers beat ups alleged suspects [2]. Even sadder, many would think that these people “brought it upon themselves”. Yet, seeing that the victims ranged in age from 15 years old all the way up to 87 years young, age is nothing but a number [3]. Tara Setmayer did recognize that the police have an issue with handling their business without giving someone a black eye or broken bones.

I just hope that she recognizes the race issue within all of it before it is too late. It needs to be noted that most of these suspects that won lawsuits were Black [4].

Marc Lamont Hill and Tara Setmayer Need a Common Ground

Both Marc Lamont Hill and Tara Setmayer should come to an impasse. They are both arguing over the same initial issue: police brutality. Yet, they both want to address the obvious racial disparities that exist. Tara Setmayer shouldn’t have even argued against something so painfully obvious. In addition, Marc Lamont Hill needs to make sure the facts check everything before he mentions it. In the end, this debate would have been worthwhile if the problem wasn’t already obviously one sided.

The post Freddie Gray: Marc Lamont Hill Argues with Tara Setmayer appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Second, wait until any protests begin while hinting that a riot will come.

Third, cover the protests objectively at first, also while hinting that a riot will come.

Fourth, there will likely be some rioting going on, mostly by outsiders. If so, focus your coverage on the violence most of the time. The public will interpret it as a massive riot if more coverage is given. While doing so, refer to the rioters as looters and thugs and make them the focus of your news coverage. That way, the public will assume the color of those people and will conclude those people are black so that negative stereotypes will arise.

Fifth, have on-the-ground reporters cover most of the violence as opposed to the actual peaceful movements that greatly outweigh the violence. Have them interview certain people, mostly leaders of the protests, and ask them the wrong questions to make them seem a little insane depending on their responses.

Sixth, never report on the why’s. The origins are not important in sensationalizing a protest for ratings gold. Also, never report on why certain protesters have become violent, especially if the cause is racism.

Seven, and this is especially useful if you’re from a conservative media base, report any instances of black-on-white violence. If there are none, make them up. Use pictures if necessary. Cover those incidences, real or made-up, intensely as if it is a widespread epidemic. Have a ‘race war’ slant added to it.

Eight, report on any government actions such as sanctions and curfews to make it seem like the violence is out of control and that things will be in order even though more oppression will be implemented on the people.

Nine, never do the same if white people riot over a ballgame. Cast them in a more positive light. Never refer to them as ‘thugs’ or ‘animals’. And, above all else, make sure the story gets very little coverage. Make it seem that it doesn’t happen quite often and that it’s not as dangerous as when black people riot.

Ten, never, ever report on any positive moments during the protests. If need be, make it is one giant clusterfuck of nonsense and chaos that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Try to make black people seem like the bad guys when coverage the protests, and you will have the perfect mainstream news coverage that will further destroy race relations in America!

The post How to Cover Black Protests in 10 Easy Steps appeared first on Madness & Reality.

He identifies as a woman, but he says he isn’t attracted to men sexually.

So, like, is he a fake lesbian now?

Bruce Jenner was once hailed as the greatest athlete in the world and later became a reality television star with one of the world’s most famous families. Now, the former Olympian is revealing a secret that has caused him turmoil for decades.

“For all intents and purposes, I’m a woman,” Jenner told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview that aired Friday in a special two-hour edition of ABC News’ “20/20.”

“People look at me differently. They see you as this macho male, but my heart and my soul and everything that I do in life — it is part of me,” Jenner, 65, said. “That female side is part of me. That’s who I am.”

Of course, this post sounds transphobic and could be interpreted as me just being ignorant. However, I’m going to need someone to educate me of this. How do you wake up one day as a man, then decide to transform into being a woman, but you still like women and consider yourself to be heterosexual? Hey, I’m all for someone choosing to identify as someone from the opposite sex. In fact, personally, I think that someone being transgender speaks to the greatness that is America in the context of freedom, apple pie, and some other often repeated third thing that celebrates America. But I’m confused, y’all. I won’t dare go as far as saying or to suggest that Bruce Jenner is as confused about his sexuality as I am. But hey, can you help me out with this?

Perhaps at the end of the day, whether Bruce Jenner has a penis or not doesn’t really matter. After all, it’s not like he’s currently anyone’s favorite male pornstar; or, a male athlete still competing at the Olympic level. If he was, like his current story, it would be fodder for media outlets for all the wrong reasons. Why? Because it would be kind of messed up if Bruce Jenner had to return his Olympic medals because he lied and pretended to be a man when he kicked ass by beating male athletes back in the day. Which, wouldn’t be a stretch considering the number female athletes like Caster Semenya, who have had their gender questioned and tested, because of their success.

But beyond all of that drama, what he’s doing is cool. As some say, it shines a light on the choices many transgender folks make – many of them are life altering in more ways than one. However, as awesome as this all may be for the LGBT community and their allies, what sucks is that Bruce Jenner is, in fact, a wealthy privileged white man. Why? Because, at the end of the day, I’m pretty sure that there are many people, who unlike Bruce Jenner, lack the financial resources to follow through with such a change. So as much as we celebrate Bruce Jenner for his courage, it’s important to understand, that there are millions out there who may be just as courageous, who sit at the lowest rung on the ladder of privilege, who are fighting internal struggles with sexuality and identity as we speak. That said, maybe while Bruce Jenner still has a penis for now at least, it might not be a bad idea to tell the stories of less privileged people.

Bruce Jenner

It’s sad that we look to celebrity to amplify societal issues. I hate that it’s that way, but it’s the way that it is. That said, at least for now, aren’t you glad that Bruce Jenner still has a penis, because, of course, that’s the burning question everyone seems to want to know. Which isn’t that bad considering that he’s the father of Kylie Jenner, the young socialite credited for convincing young girls to suck air out of shot glasses in an attempt to get their lips bigger, because of course, cultural appropriation is the new thing. Thanks to Bruce Jenner’s daughter Kylie, “the poors” won’t have to spend much for aesthetic changes to their bodies, even as ridiculous as it sounds.

In the end, I applaud Bruce Jenner for having the courage to do what’s comfortable, and best for him. Whether we fully understand his choice is a subject for debate and education. At the end of the day, his choice is as revolutionary much like coming out of the closet, and should be applauded. Whether you respect his choice isn’t and shouldn’t be a concern. But, hey, that’s just me being a black man trapped in a black man’s body.

The post Thank God! Bruce Jenner Still Has a Penis!!!! appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Of course, you’ve heard of black-on-black crime. Whites love to make the usual point that although blacks are still roughly a minority of the American population, we constitute half of all crimes, especially murders. They also want to point out there most blacks are killed by other blacks, hence the term ‘black-on-black crime’. Why is it happening? Culture. Rap music. Poverty. We’re black. Simple as that.

But while black people are constantly being painted as a race that is linked with criminality, it’s rare that anyone would question about what’s going on in the white community. If someone so much as open his/her mouth about white criminality, then claims of racism against whites will surface. Some will try to explain how white criminality is a non-issue while black criminality is while, again, claiming that it no way racist. The usual broken record responses are played to avoid the issue that will question white purity.

I can only guess that it’s painful for some white people to hear about what’s wrong with white people in the same sense that white people make no qualms about discussing what’s up with black people as if they’re the cause of their problems. It may be uncomfortable, but it is what it is. White people have a criminal problem in their midst, and if certain white supremacists who claim they care about the existence of their precious race cared, they would see to it that the problem is acknowledged and fixed and not try to scapegoat it on other races and religions.

Now, before some of you get upset, I’m not saying that white people are a criminal race. There are plenty of descent white folks out there who are not engaged in criminal activity. What I am saying, however, is that white-on-white crime can no longer be censored to protect the image of the pure, honest and innocent-by-design white person where there’s absolutely no one within their race that would do anything wrong. There are a lot of white criminals out there and we must be aware of that simple, indisputable fact, especially if they want to survive out there.

The Vox explains:

…The disturbing truth, according to the FBI’s most recent homicide statistics, is that the United States is in the wake of an epidemic of white-on-white crime. Back in 2011, the most recent year for which data is available, a staggering 83 percent of white murder victims were killed by fellow Caucasians.

In other words, most whites are killed not by blacks as many racist claim, but by other whites. So, that trashes the notion that living in white communities would make one feel safer.

As a black person, I can tell you that there is a crime problem in black communities. We can’t or won’t deny it. How can we? The news loves to report it whenever and wherever it happens. In fact, black people have acknowledged and tried to fight it for years with exceptional results. A lot has been done, but a lot more work is at hand. We know there is a crime element among us, and some of us know where it comes from. And despite what some fools think, black people do not worship crime.

We know that whenever black people commit a crime, it gets reported almost instantly. We know that whenever black people does something insane, it becomes an internet meme. Whatever a black person does that’s considered wrong becomes a story that begs people to ask what’s wrong with us and command us to ‘do better’. But now it’s time we turn our attention to white people and ask what’s wrong with them. Tackling the problem may save a lot of lives, including white lives.

The post The Taboo of White-On-White Crime appeared first on Madness & Reality.

What makes matters worse is that I wasn’t even at home. I was out running errands for the house. I see a message on my phone from one of my frat brothers mentioned the occurrence through a tweet he saw. Many of them, whom saw the message, was pretty floored. Still, I had to rush home to see what was happening onESPN.

And then I came to see the two dedications to Stuart Scott: one from Hanna Storm and one from Rich Eisen.

Stuart Scott was ESPN

Beyond the fact that he is an Alpha man from the University of North Carolina, he was the biggest reason as to WHY I loved ESPN. Hearing him say things like “as cool as the other side of the pillow” and “Boo-Yah!” bring back memories of waking up early in the morning to the TV as it watched me all night. Stuart Scott was both urban, professional, and comedic without being forced.

If you ever wondered how men can watch ESPN all day, be reminded that Stuart Scott is probably one of the reasons why.

Stuart Scott the Polarizing Figure

People don’t realize that Stuart Scott was a pioneer on a channel that tried to “dumb down” his personality. People didn’t understand what he was doing or why. Some were even “insulted” by the man’s presence and commandeering personality. Regardless, Stuart Scott showed integrity by doing what pioneers do: he stuck to his guns. Turns out that “sticking to your guns” is the best way to shoot for the stars.

Strange enough, the hatred was mixed with admiration. The same man that finished first in the “vote them off” of the Sports Center Island survey by USA Today was also second (behind Dan Patrick) in the “let him stay” category. It must be said that ESPN received a lot of hate mail due to Stuart Scott. Either people just could not wrap their heads around the hip hop vernacular or they genuinely loved it. It holds true that people will hate what they don’t understand and cherish what they connect with.

Stuart Scott The Teacher

Yet, it was the way he fought against adversity that made me realize the lessons I needed to learn from him. During his multiple bouts with cancer, he didn’t give up. He didn’t waver. He didn’t tremble from fear. He fought. He worked harder. He smiled more. He loved more. He found inspiration in the people he loved. He realized living was more about himself; living meant being around for those that loved him.

At that moment is when it all clicked.

Stuart Scott taught me a lot of things. For one, he taught me how to be brave enough to carve my own lane regardless of what people may not agree with. Another lesson he taught was the simple art of perseverance. He made facing adversity look good. Beyond all those, he taught me the simple aspect of living for others. All of these lessons I learned from a man I didn’t even know.

But I didn’t have to know him to learn from him. All I had to do was pay attention to the great things he accomplished and understand why he did what he did. Sure, everyone didn’t like him. But those that did like him actually loved him. Sometimes, paying attention to greatness will teach many lessons. And those many lessons I gained without a classroom and any pencils or paper.

Rest in peace, Stuart Scott. You taught me how to actually live.

The post Stuart Scott Taught Me appeared first on Madness & Reality.