Dang it, Black people!

I’m back reading BlackPlanet to get some interesting point of views about life in the States as a Black person. Today, I was reading about some Black Muslims out in California who looted and vandalized an Arab man’s liquor store saying that he had no right to sell liquor to Black people.

Now, I’m assuming that this liquor store was probably one of many in an underprivileged neighbourhood and these Black Muslims were saying, enough is enough. It may not be ethically correct to go into a poor neighbourhood where folks are suffering from alcoholism or drug habits and set up shop to sell something that your own religion (from the article I read, the liquor store owner is Muslim as well) prohibits, but that’s between you and the God you’re serving.

But, is that a good enough excuse to ransack a man’s store?

Unfortunately, a lot of the posters in the BP forums do think it’s enough to be passionate about the Black cause to commit a crime. I mean, are we not bright enough as a people to make our own decisions?

Rosa Parks broke the law just as others did back in the civil rights movement to send a message.

How are you going to compare destroying a liquor store to Rosa Parks standing up for her rights as a human being? No one is pouring liquor down anyone's throat – we’re going and getting it… in droves.

I was in Detroit a few years ago with a friend and we were driving down the street. I saw a big line up of people and I thought, oh, the bank must be opening. Bank? Bank, my eye. Those people were all lined up to go into the liquor store.

Chupse.

so black people cant fight for respect??? we all churched up that we cant see the obvious??? we cannot turn the cheek no longer......its horrible a lot of you live your american dream thats cool congrats on your success but there are those amongst you that look like you skin dark or brown like yours and you let them suffer????... its a sad thing and a lot of you sit in your offices and act like you are holier than thou...put all of them in jail! wow.....you people kill me, i wonder when we are finally gonna stand together…

Well, I guess I’m a sellout, ‘cause the people who ransacked that store, regardless of race, need their asses thrown in a detention centre for a while to think about their ways. I refuse to say foolishness makes sense and sense is foolishness because I'm standing together with my Black brothers and sisters. I'm also not going to feel bad because I've made good choices and I'm well. We need to support each other, but we also need to be man or woman enough to say, 'yo, guy, that was not a good choice.'

So, only Black people should be allowed to wild out for a cause? Anyone see the movie Crash? All people have their own issues. What happens when the white folks next door decided they don’t want my little Black booty living in their neighbourhood and loot and destroy my home? Should I just say, well, you know, they’re fighting for respect?

Hell no.

I’ll be calling the police, CityTV, CTV News, CBC, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail and every other media outlet in the country to talk how I have been treated and demand that someone be thrown in prison.

Everyone has a reason – in their own mind – for doing stupid things. But the bottom line is: you can’t arbitrarily make laws to suit your purposes.

Man, we as Black people need to take responsibility for ourselves. Yes, we’ve been given a hard row to hoe, but not all of our shortcomings are the fault of someone else, like the liquor store owner or the white man. When you decide to walk into that liquor store and buy a 40 ounce instead of taking your backside to school or work, you've made your choice. You've decided what's important to you.

It's just like when people say, the devil made me do it. Nah, sir, that wasn't the devil, he ain't bothering with you anymore 'cause you're doing a good job screwing yourself up without his help.

I agree with these Muslims taking a stand against something they disagree with, but how they did it was stupid, plain and simple. There are laws. The law says you can’t go into a man’s establishment and break it down because you don’t agree with him.

Lawd have mercy! Yuh at work!

Hello everyone!

Yes, after four months of work turmoil, I'm back to blogging :) Yay!

So, I work for a pretty big company and we have a really relaxed dress code. I roll up into work in jeans and t-shirts because I don't deal with any clients. It's me and my computer along with my co-workers typing away at various documents or Web pages.

I understand relaxed dress code, but some people are taking it too well and far. My sister (who also works for the company) and I were rushing out to get some lunch when she stopped mid-sentence and said, "lawd have mercy!"

"What?" I asked.

"Look at that!" There was a weighty woman ahead of us wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, but the material on her backside was bleached white. So, all you saw was this huge white bamsy with dark blue sticks holding it up. My mouth dropped.

"They need a dress code up in this place--"

Business casual is cool. That means I don't have to spend a big set of money on business suits. I can wear khakis, t-shirts, button down blouses, jeans -- pretty much anything that's tasteful.

Tasteful, folks. That's the operative word.

I've seen people busting velour tracksuits, blouses cut down to their navels, t-shirts with Bob Marley's big head on them. Heck, I've seen camel toes all up and through this place of business.

That's right, people, this is a place of business. This isn't the club. This isn't the jam on Saturday night. This is work. This is where you make your money.

Chupse.

There's a young woman who works at the company, I just shake my head. I have nothing again looking young, fly and flashy at work, but don't be a slave to fashion. She's a bright girl -- if she wasn't, she couldn't have gotten the job she has, but she looks like a H.A.M. (thanks, Fresh, for the terminology). For those of you who don't know what a H.A.M. is, it's a hot ass mess.

I met up with said young woman during my comings and goings at work and I could barely speak. She was wearing a huge, wavy black weave (which was an improvement from the heavy weave with the caramel highlights) and light brown contact lenses.

I love my Black people, but please, stay away from the coloured contact lenses. (I saw another chick wearing ones that were supposed to be light brown. They looked red and I felt like I was looking into the eyes of Satan. It's wrong. Don't do it.)

The weave and the contacts weren't necessarily ghetto, the outfit was. My girl was wearing a white fur jacket that covered her to her navel, a pair of tight jean capris and calf-length white boots with slits up the foot that exposed her skin.

Where do you even find boots like that?

Work is not a Lil Jon video.

For Halloween, some co-workers dressed up. Fine. I saw witches, princesses, etc., but of course, someone has got to take it too far. That would be the girl who dressed up like a Playboy bunny, bustier and all. Did I mention she was wearing tight sweatpants that had 'JUICY' on the back of them.

Good grief.

I mean, my work wear is quite conservative (today, I'm wearing a black pullover sweater over a black and white striped shirt, jeans and high heeled boots), but come on. Wear the crazy outfits on the weekend. When you're at work, try to look professional.

Here are some tips, in case you aren't sure if your attire is appropriate for the workplace.

Urban Sista's Work Attire Guidelines

• If your belly is exposed, your shirt is too dang short and not appropriate for work.
• If your jeans look like someone painted them on you and you have a camel toe or everyone knows the exact dimensions of your booty, crack and all, don't wear it to work.
• If we can all tell that you've breastfed children 'cause we can see the stretch marks on your breast, 'cause your shirts too low cut, it ain't for work.
• 'Stop snitching' and anything that has to do with weed consumption is not appropriate for work.
• Do not dress for the club and bring your tail into work. No one wants to see you look like a reject from a Sean Paul video. Pack a bag and change when work is done.
• You are not Melyssa Forde or Vida Guerra, you're backside should not be the main attraction at your workplace.
• If you're pants are sagged down past your knees and you can't walk properly, it's not work attire. And while you're at it, comb your dang hair -- how are you going to walk into work looking like ODB or Meth, with your head looking messy and unkempt? Chupse.
• If you have to re-arrange yourself so that your bra isn't exposed, it's not for work.

Why are these things not appropriate for work? Well, you want your supervisors or managers to recognize you for the great work you're doing, not for how your ass is falling out of your batty riders.

It's great to be back blogging folks. I'll talk to you later.

Life without Black people

Well, I can't picture life without my people. Enjoy and think about it...

A very humorous and revealing story is told about a group of white people who were fed up with African Americans, so they joined together and wished themselves away. They passed through a deep dark tunnel and emerged in sort of a twilight zone where there is an America without black people.

At first these white people breathed a sigh of relief. At last, they said, no more crime, drugs, violence and welfare. All of the blacks have gone!

Then suddenly, reality set in. The "NEW AMERICA" is not America at all-only a barren land.

1. There are very few crops that have flourished because the nation was built on a slave-supported system.

2. There are no cities with tall skyscrapers because Alexander Mils, a black man, invented the elevator, and without it, one finds great difficulty reaching higher floors.

3. There are few if any cars because Richard Spikes, a black man, invented the automatic gearshift, Joseph Gambol, also black, invented the Super Charge System for Internal Combustion Engines, and Garrett A. Morgan, a black man, invented the traffic signals.

4. Furthermore, one could not use the rapid transit system because its procurer was the electric trolley, which was invented by another black man, Albert R. Robinson.

5. Even if there were streets on which cars and a rapid transit system could operate, they were cluttered with paper because an African American, Charles Brooks, invented the street sweeper.

6. There were few if any newspapers, magazines and books because John Love invented the pencil sharpener, William Purveys invented the fountain pen, and Lee Barrage invented the Type Writing Machine and W. A. Love invented the Advanced Printing Press. They were all, you guessed it, Black.

7. Even if Americans could write their letters, articles and books, they would not have been transported by mail because William Barry invented the Postmarking and Canceling Machine, William Purveys invented the Hand Stamp and Philip Downing invented the Letter Drop.

8. The lawns were brown and wilted because Joseph Smith invented the Lawn Sprinkler and John Burr the Lawn Mower.

9. When they entered their homes, they found them to be poorly ventilated and poorly heated. You see, Frederick Jones invented the Air Conditioner and Alice Parker the Heating Furnace. Their homes were also dim. But of course, Lewis Lattimer later invented the Electric Lamp, Michael Harvey invented the lantern and Granville T. Woods invented the Automatic Cut-Off Switch. Their homes were also filthy because Thomas W. Steward invented the Mop & Lloyd P. Ray the Dust Pan.

10. Their children met them at the door-barefooted, shabby, motley and unkempt. But what could one expect? Jan E. Matzelinger invented the Shoe Lasting Machine, Walter Sammons invented the Comb, Sarah Boone invented the Ironing Board and George T. Samon invented the Clothes Dryer.

11. Finally, they were resigned to at least have dinner amidst all of this turmoil. But here again, the food had spoiled because another Black Man, John Standard invented the refrigerator.

Now, isn't that something? What would this country be like without the contributions of Blacks, as African-Americans?

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "By the time we leave for work, Americans have depended on the inventions from the minds of Blacks."