The Afropolitan Network:::

African Renaissance

Its been amazing watching the progress on the continent the last few years. After being there for over a year, I was so impressed by the advances. I got to travel to Zambia, made a 15 hour visit of Adis Abbaba, Ethiopia and took a days long drive through a bao-boab filled valley in Tanzania. Wow. I'm back home in my other home California, but man I miss Africa!

I miss the colors, the sounds, the cadence of people's voices, the fruit! Things are looking up for the Continent--no matter what you've been told. 

My Next Door Neighbor is a Vacant House

There's an amazing photo essay by Camilo Jose Vergara on Slate. Its about decaying paired houses in Camden, New Jersey. If you know anything about Camden, you know its one of the poorest/decaying cities in America. What he did was take pictures of homes that are paired but one is abandoned/vacant and the other is occupied. The contrast is incredible. Take a look:

(hit launch on the photo to see the slideshow)

The Race

[AP/Alex Brandon]

Something has really been bothering me about the US Presidential Election. We all know the questions asked from the beginning about Sen. Obama have been centered around experiance and his race. Now that the experience question has almost vanished and been substituted with the patriot question, thanks to Sarah Palin, race is still on the table and the "great unknown".

As a black person watching the coverage since December when he was 20 points behind, I feel a bit slighted when the media makes comments like "race is an issue" or "the race problem". This directly links his blackness as being a problem or an issue that he created. Well, I know what you're thinking...duh! Of course its an issue, America's never had a black president! But I think there is more here. 

First, it puts the "burden of proof" on Obama. Its like, "yeah you're black and you have to prove otherwise". Thats the general attitude. That is, instead of the heat being turned towards the voters who aren't voting or are unsure of him not because of his polices or party but because of his race, it is being forced at Obama.  But how unfair is that? What is he supposed to do? Un-black himself? It also says to the rest of us black people that you will always have to prove that you won't threaten us with your blackness.  I guess its easier to talk to one guy instead of a nation of racists. But this strikes me as just backwards. Almost like those with such prejudices are being given a free pass by the media because they are "Middle America".  Its like totally fine that there are people out there who won't vote for him because of the color of his skin. I haven't seen to many pieces questioning WHY that is ok.  Well I guess there is no law against being racist.

Which brings me to my next point. Why can't the media just come out and say that white voters in the Midwest are worth more than the rest of us? I mean they keep alluding to it with phrases like "the all important white working class vote" or "hockey mom" how many black hockey mom's are there? For that matter, how many non-white hockey mom's are there? A part of me knows that this is because white people are the majority in this great country, but constantly making their votes worth more is a disservice to democracy in my opinion. Here are some other code words:

America = The white parts

Un-American = possible terrorists 

Pro-America = Republican

Anti-America = Democrats/Liberals

Values = What we believe to be right for everyone

Muslim = Terrorist

Small Town = Midwest

Freedom = Restrictions

Working Class = White working class (since most black people and latinos are working class anyway)

Black voters = Obama voters
Troops = People we care about and use as political leverage only when they are on the battlefield but not when they return home

Drill, Baby, Drill = I want to be able to waste and consume without restrictions

Saddam Hussein = Osama Bin Laden

Lastly, when it comes to women voters, this is also code for white women voters. As it is assumed that ALL black women voters are for Obama. This is why race usually trumps gender. But returning to my original point, I wish Republicans weren't allowed to get away with this as much as they do, i.e. Michele Bachmann. I think this year the media has done a better job at holding them accountable than usual, but not nearly enough. 

I'm Baaaaaack!

Hello faithful readers!

I just got back in the States after a 4 month stint in the Cradle of Mankind. I had a great time and was inspired by so much that it will take some time to get all the lovely Kenya posts going. I'll start by more photos of the Fashion for Peace event I attended waaay back in May, including the above photo of the venue inside the beautiful Nairobi National Park, and below of media section. Now that I have faster internet (it took excruciatingly long to upload even one photo in Kenya because of bandwidth read this post by White African for more on connectivity in Kenya).

In Honor of King

Today is the 40th Anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr's assassination.  I like to remember him as a fierce opponent on poverty and war, the Vietnam War in particular.  Here's the famous anti-war speech:

Lebron King Kong

When I first saw the new cover of Vogue with Lebron James and Gisele Bunndchen, it took me about 1.5 seconds to think it was offensive, then I realized that I thought it was offensive and tried to figure out why. Then when I couldn't put my finger on it (other than theres a big scary looking black man, mouth agape, grabbing a fragile looking bloned white woman reinforcing centuries-old fears of black men) I tried to convince myself that it really wasn't offensive. 

Then I saw this on the satire page on Huffington Post:

And I felt it was offensive again.

Questions:

1) Why is his mouth open like he is about to swallow her? That alone would have changed the tone of the pic

2) Why is she in appearing to be just landing on the ground, perhaps she has just been tossed from over his shoulder. 

3) Its just bad composition.

update:  *sigh* here's another one -

Thanks! ~The Management

Just want to take a brief moment to say....THANKS! I've had a nice up tick in readership and subscribers. I appreciate you taking a little time out and visiting my little plot on the World Wide Web.

to infinity and beyond

~Beve

Haiti

Its stories like these that make me seriously seriously question our collective humanity. Like my other post, the poorest in Haiti eat dirt, while there is tons of food sitting en route, rotting and being devoured by beetles and cockroaches.  They should rush the airport and take the food. I mean what else is there to do? Haiti is a tiny island. It does not have the same logistical nightmare as trying to feed America, Russia or China, its an island.  Yet, the government is still red taped?

"Jean-Paul Michaud, a Canadian, said he sailed to the capital of Port-au-Prince late last year carrying 60 pounds of donated clothing and medicine — and that port authorities demanded $10,000 in "customs fees" — code for a bribe to make the fees disappear.

"I'd have rather thrown the aid in the water," said Michaud. The Canadian Embassy intervened and the fee was later waived."

*sigh*

Blackness: A quick and dirty primer

John McWhorter takes on the sticky issue of whether some people are blacker than others.

read more | digg story

The Black Comedy Experiment Festival

This is cool. Some of my favorite comedians (who happen to be black), have put together a collective called The Black Comedy Experiment. They will be showcasing their talent in New York during the 3 Day Festival from Feb 28th - March 1st. Those of you in Brooklyn, New York should go and check them out. If any of the other performers are as funny as Jordan Carlos (who was considered to play Obama on Saturday Night Live) and Baron Vaughn, you'll be in stitches. Wish I could make it...

The same people are also involved in an ongoing discussion of the state of black comedy on
The Black Comedy Project

Let's Rock and Blogroll! Funny Style

Ok, here's my Afro Pick (get it? haha! I'm funny) for comedians:

• Jordan Carlos [Dallas] Also known as Stephen Colbert "Black Friend"
• Baron Vaughn [Las Vegas]

• W. Kamau Bell [Chicago]

The W. Kamau Bell Curve: OE's & AA's

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Afropolitans

The article that started it all.

This much forwarded article is an insightful look at a culture and identity that is formed by the children of first generation African immigrants to the West. Not completely African or American/British/French they are a complex fusion.

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Tazama

Oakland, CA --- Yes! This blog is debuting as a call to arms for those of us of African descent, globally especially, in the cradle of mankind. Let’s shine the light on the uplifting and highlight the immense beauty and creativity that exists in Africa.  Let’s be Doers and movers and not pointers and loiters. So to all black nerds, hipsters, Kenyan expats, half black, outcasts, incasts, too smart, too radical, sublime, subprime, over achievers, slackers, lazybones, crybabies, baby-mamas, thinkers, socialites, those who fight, and those who can’t be bothered, Africa's future is already here.