Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Teacher, Pioneer on Civil Rights Scene, By Christopher W. Wiley, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, July 16, 1997

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
Robinson and Saunders, Family Archives
Special Report
Pittsburgh PA.
June 30, 2010

NEWS OBTITUARIES, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, July 16, 1997, By Christopher W. Riley. Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Teacher, pioneer on civil rights scene

In 1951, James S. Robinson Jr. helped integrate the Highland Park swimming pool.
He knew the pool was segregated, and he knew that it shouldn't have been because it belonged to the City," said Nate Smith, founder of Operation Dig, a job training program for minorities.
" He helped shut the pool down for the balance of the summer," said Smith, who met Mr. Robinson at the pool that year." He put his life on the line."
It was an event that would shape Nate Smith's life, a life that he would dedicate to community activism and the fight for civil Rights.
On Monday, Mr. Robinson, of the Hill District, died of heart failure in the Wightman Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. He was 86.
" He was a man who was ahead of his time,"said Ronald B. Saunders, 54 of Wilkins Twp.
One of eight children, Mr. Robinson attended the Watt Street School, which later became the Robert L. Vann Elementary School.
He graduated from Schenley High School in Oakland, where he excelled in track.
Mr. Robinson was awarded a track scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, and there he defeated Olympic champion Forrest Town of Louisiana State University in the 220-yard hurdles.
A knee injury, though, prevented Mr. Robinson from competing in the 1936 Olympic trials.
During World War II, he became a Judo expert and taught U.S. troops headed for the Pacific in self-defense techniques.
In 1943, Mr. Robinson became the superintendent of the City's Friendly Service Bureau for the prevention of crime and delinquency, of the City of Pittsburgh, PA.
He also became the Director of the Hill City Municipality, which was devoted to the prevention of juvenile crime and delinquency.
The program won national acclaim by experts in the field of juvenile delinquency prevention.
Mr. Robinson's family called him a "Jack of all trades."
He graduated from the George B.Held School of Radio and T.V. Announcing and Acting, as well as the famous Harty Bible School, where served as class president of his class.
From 1942 to 1945, Mr Robinson worked for the Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
From 1953 to 1960, he served as Executive Director, of the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Community Center in Butler, PA.
He also served as a shop instructor for troubled and delinquent youth from 1960 to 1972 at the Juvenile Court of Allegheny County.
He was employed by the Allegheny County Office of Economic Opportunity as a Community Relations specialist from 1972 until his retirement in 1977.
Mr. Robinson was the second Black American in the country to receive the highly acclaimed American Legion School Honor Award.
William H. "Mugsy" Moore, the police chief in Braddock and a family friend, remembered, Mr. Robinson for his energy and vitality.
Family members said he worked tirelessly to help others and he was always there to give advice.
Mr. Robinson is survived by his wife, Beatrice Saunders Robinson;
two sons, Thomas Saunders of Woodbridge, Virginia, and Ronald Saunders of Pittsburgh; three sisters, Viola Fant of Pittsburgh, Julia Glasco Johnson of Philadelphia and Lorraine Fields of Harrisburg; three brothers, Russell of Philadelphia, Arnold of Pittsburgh, and William of Willingboro, N.J.; and six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 11a.m. today in Christian Missionary Tabernacle Church, 2601 Centre Ave., Hill District.
Visitation will be held one hour before the service at the church.
Arrangements are being handled by Odell Robinson Funeral Home.

A Home Going Celebration for

James S. Robinson, Jr.
June 30, 1911- July 14, 1997
Thursday, July 17, 1997 * 11:00 AM
Christian Tabernacle Kodesh Church of Immanuel
2601 Centre Avenue * Pittsburgh, PA. 15219

Dr. Kenneth O. Barbour, Pastor

" But they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
Officiating
Dr. Kenneth O. Barbour, Ph.D.

Order Of Service

ORGAN MEDITATIONS
PROCESSIONAL
PRAYER
MUSICAL SELECTION..................."His Eye Is On The Sparrow"
SCRIPTURE READINGS...............Old Testament
New Testament
SELECTED ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND OBITUARY
MUSICAL SELECTION................." How Great Thou Art"
EULOGY
RECESSIONAL.......... "When We All Get to Heaven "

INTERMENT
Allegheny Cemetery

OBITUARY
James S. Robinson, Jr. was born on June 30, 1911 in Pittsburgh, PA.
He was one of eight children born to James S. Robinson, Sr. and Elizabeth Grove.. He attended the Pittsburgh Public Schools and graduated from Watt Street School ( now Robert L.Vann Elementary School ). Upon graduation from elementary school, he was the second African American in the United States to receive the American Legion Honor Award. In 1929, he graduated from Schenley High School and received a track scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh.
During his years at Pitt, he worked for the Centre Avenue YMCA as a social worker and later became the Assistant Director of the Kay Boys Club. James was also an accomplished gymnast and Judo & Akaido expert.
During World War II, James was given a deferment from military service so that he could instruct U.S. troops headed for the Pacific in the art of self defense. In 1943, he became the Superintendent Of The Friendly Services Bureau for the Prevention of Crime and Delinquency Department of Public Safety, City of Pittsburgh.
Also in 1943, James became Director of Hill City Municipality.
His Hill City program was nationally acclaimed by experts in the field of Juvenile delinquency prevention and criminal justice.
James married Beatrice Saunders on September 8, 1952. They joined Christian Tabernacle Church in January 1970. James was a Sunday School teacher of young boys and he also served as assistant Superintendent of Sunday School. He was elected president of his 1976 graduating class of Harty Bible School and went on to serve as trustee of the Church and the Harty Bible School.
James S. Robinson, Jr.is survived by his wife Beatrice; sisters Viola Font of Pittsburgh, PA. Julia Johnson of Philadelphia, PA, Lorraine Fields of Harrisburg, PA; brothers Russell of Philadelphia, PA. Arnold of Pittsburgh, PA. and William of Willingboro, New Jersey; sons Thomas of Woodbridge, VA. and Ronald of Pittsburgh PA; 3 daughters in law, six grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

James S. Robinson, Jr. Project, 2009 to the present
Since 2009 Blogger Black Buzz has been working on the James S. Robinson, Jr Project in conjunction with Dr. Larry Glasco of the History Department of the University of Pittsburgh, and with the Carnegie Mellon University Oral History Project. Jared Day, a professor of History at Carnegie Mellon has also been working with Blogger Black Buzz on the James S. Robinson, Jr. Project, along with the award winning author, John Wilborn III, of "Fundamentally Yours, Pete Dimperio."

Here are some of the highlights of the James S. Robinson, Jr. Project.
"The Baddest Black Man In The Country"
While in the eight grade at Robert L. Vann elementary school in the Hill District, my father was the second Black man or Colored person in the USA to receive The American Legion School Honor Award. My dad said that attorney Oliver Johnson who attended the ceremony at the Watt Street School informed him of said. Blogger Black Buzz contacted The American Legion National Headquarters located in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2009 to verify the authenticity of such a claim, and The American Legion National Headquarters stated that they started awarding the the medal in the state of Pennsylvania in 1922. The American Legion Representative stated that they didn't keep a record as to who was what race but if someone told your dad in 1925 that he was the second Black in the country to receive our coveted School Award then that was probably 100 percent correct. Also note that in 1925 that 929 School awards were given in the state of Pennsylvania and all of them where given to white students except for James S. Robinson Jr. of Pittsburgh PA.
Further Black Buzz's daughter was also a 1989 recipient of the famous American Legion School Award while attending Sacred Heart Elementary School in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh PA. This maybe a first and great feature separate story in of itself. My father made a double or he skipped one grade in Elementary school because of great mastery of the subject material, and high intellect. My dad IQ's was 145. While my father ( James ) was in attendance at the famous Schenley High School in Pittsburgh PA. in 1926 his ninth grade history teacher stated in class "That the Negro Race hasn't contributed one idea or anything to the development of civilization anywhere in the world." My father James responded to the history teacher by saying " Your American history is one big fairy tale of lies, deceit, fables and distorted myths. My father, James was sent to the principals office, and suspended from school.The next day James arrived at said Schenley high school with his parents, attorneys Homer S. Brown, & Oliver L. Johnson and they met with the principal in question concerning the overt racist behavior of said history teacher in reference to the statements that were made in the classroom about Negroes. James suspension was lifted, and he was transferred to another classroom for history. What happened to the racist teacher in question ? This was 1926, and no action was taken against the defiant racist teacher in question, although Mr. Brown, and Mr. Johnson demanded that teacher be fired. In 1926 Blacks were not employed in any capacity within the Pittsburgh Public Schools buildings under the jurisdiction of said Board of Education.
In 1929, my father received a track scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh. His favorite event was the 220 YD. Low Hurdles, and the 120 High Hurdles Hurdles. My father said in one dual meet against Slippery Rock State Teachers College that he beat the entire Slippery Rock team by himself by participating in the high jump, broad Jump, the 220 yard dash and both hurdle events.
My father was also a member of the University of Pittsburgh Gymnastic team.
My dad stated that when he went out for Pitt's football team in 1929, Pitt's famous all world coach Jock Sutherland informed him that"There is no place on Pitt's football team for colored boys." Even though my father ran track for three more years on scholarship for the Pitt track team, he didn't return to Pitt's stadium until 1948 when he took my brother and I to see Indiana's great George Talifero run and pass all over the Pitt Panthers.
Even with the track scholarship my dad had to drop out of Pitt because of an economic hardship. Then my father began working at the Centre YMCA, where he injured his leg before the start of the 1932 Olympic trials. In 1932 my father was one of the top hurdlers in the USA.
My father also worked as the Assistant Director of the famous Kay Boys Club located at 1908 Wylie Ave. in Pittsburgh's Hill District.
In 1937 through 1941 my father was taught the secret art of Judo by a Japanese Master, which was unheard at the time. He religiously studied the art of Judo, Jutusi, & Akaido. So when World War II broke out the Federal Bureau Of Investigation recruited him into said agency, where he trained troops in the art of self-defense, and the FBI also sent him to their famous Quantico Training facility in Virginia. My father I also worked in Espionage, and Counter-Espionage involving the German American group the Bun and the "House on 92second street etc. He stated that he we was the only colored person working for the FBI in 1942, and none of his classmates at Quantico were colored. My father said he met J.Edgar Hoover and my dad would often ref err to him as the little "Queer, which at that time was a derogatory name for Homosexual.
My dad believed that J.Edgar was a colored man, who despised Negroes.
My father described one incident when he was training troops headed for the Pacific at the Hunt Armory Training Facility in the East Liberty Section of Pittsburgh when a white trooper from Texas said "Sir I can ask you a question " my father said "go ahead soldier" and the trooper said "How did a nigger like you ever get a good job like this." My father then said after he worked over the white trooper that the MP's took him to Shady side Hospital with a broken back, bloody lip, missing teeth and a fractured clavicle.
My dad said part of his training a Quantico consisted of hitting a quarter (25 cent piece ) in the middle of the coin after drawing his pistol from waist high. In another incident he informed me that when he went to pick-up a German American Bun member in West Virginia, that the local sheriff outside of Cabin Creek said " I'm not going to release my prisoner a (white ) man to no Nigger. " My dad my called his people in D.C. and this Sheriff received a call from FBI Headquarters in D.C. stating that if he continued to obstruct an officer of the Federal Bureau Of Investigation that he would be jailed on an obstruction of justice and interfering with the Federal Government in carrying out its statutory duties in War-time. My dad said the prisoner was released immediately by the racist Sheriff, and taken back to Pittsburgh PA.
I asked my dad why did he take up self-defense in the first place. He said that he got tired of coming home with bloody hands, and knuckles. My dad's family had moved to Homewood, and he said the minute he hit East Liberty to make the transfer or like in many cases he had to walk through East Liberty which was like walking in 1940 Mississippi for Colored people.
My father informed me that when the colored citizens complained about getting attacked, assaulted and terrorized the police replied that " If you don't want to get beat stay off of the streets Nigger." Black men and women couldn't walk the streets of East Liberty or Larmier without getting attacked and beaten. My dad stated that he made a plan to counter-attack the Italians and other whites who were giving the colored people hell in the East End section of Pittsburgh PA. My dad got five truck loads of the baddest Black men from the Soho District of the Hill, The Trent street gang, and men from all over the upper, middle and lower Hill. I have a picture of the Soho men boarding one of the trucks who's destination was for Larmier Avenue and vicinity. I have shared this picture with Larry Glasco of the University of Pittsburgh. My friend Steve Cardomone, who's was father was living on Larmier Avenue at the time of the counter-attack by the coloreds, said that his father Steve Sr. told him that those "colored guys came from the Hill and kicked our behinds all over East Liberty and told us if we bothered those colored ladies and men again that they would be back to kick and beat more behind. The police in East Liberty were also caught off guard, and they were also dealt with in an effective manner by the five truck loads of men from the Hill. Mrs Ralph Torrey, a Black lady who livied on one of streets on the present site of Rizenstein School stated those Black men were beating Italians from left to right, and she said finally"we colored citizens could walk the Streets in peace in East Liberty, after the intervention of your dad and those men from the Hill."
It was my dad that led those armed truck loads of Black men from the Hill District, who used the element of surprise in engaging in combat with the white bigots in East Liberty and Larmier. Make no mistake about it my dad was the leader. My dad admired Chief Crazy Horse, Geronimo, Tecumseh, and Chief Joseph. He also said that Chief Joseph should not have given in to the pressure of the whites, and that Chief Joseph should have conducted a guerrilla campaign similar to Geronimo. Furthermore my dad claimed that Chief Joseph had beaten the U.S. Army in three out the five battles he fought against them. My dad often said "your Black Panthers talked a good game, but they very rarely backed up their rhetoric with concrete actions. According to my dad"Talk has always been cheap." Further my dad told me that the great Jim Thorpe was the greatest athlete of the Century, and that his main training consisted of running back and forth to school some twenty miles a day. That's what inspired me to walk, and bicycle six miles one way when I played basketball and ran track at Slippery Rock Area High School, in Slippery Rock , Pa. I thought if it was good for Jim Thorpe it had to be good for me.
My father was a meticulous planner, and a man of action
My father also started working as the Executive Director of Hill City, and Superintendent of the Friendly Service Bureau of the Pittsburgh Police Department, Department of Public Safety, in 1943. I still have his badge number 112, and he could be the first African American in the City of Pittsburgh to head a Department of Public Safety.
There is more to this story and we have just scratched the surface in reference to telling my dad and mom's story in the context of American history.
The late Roland Saunders no kin to blogger Black Buzz says that " Jim helped more people on the Hill than anybody." Roland further stated that "Jim was good man and nobody in their right mind would fool with him."
Hop Kendricks stated in 2001 article editorial in the New Pittsburgh Courier that " How can you have a civil rights memorial/ museum in Pittsburgh, and not include Jim Robinson."
The late Walter Worthington founder of the African/Heritage Classroom at Pitt and life long resident of the Hill " said Jim was the most feared and one of the smartest men in Pittsburgh."
In 1951 I was walking with my dad on Centre Ave in the Hill District section of Pittsburgh on my way to Dr. Blow's office and a man stopped us and said "Jim is that your boy." " I'm going to give him all the money in my pocket because your dad saved my life by sending me to the Workhouse, and Western Penn." That gentlemen gave me seven dollars the most money I had ever received in my life.
My father was nominated for the Pittsburgh Courier Man of the Year in 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948,1949 and 1950. My dad informed me that those fake awards didn't mean anything, and that it is more important as to show how you lead your life and to give back  and; and contribute to your community and society in a positive manner.
*He was also a memeber of the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center
He was registered as a bona-fide member of the Dakota Sioux Tribe, by Russell Simms, Executive Director of the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center, INC. on March 22, 1977.
I have a Dakota Sioux I.D. Card also dated March, 22, 1977. My dad was very proud of his Native American and African American Hertiage.
Part II will begin tomorrow with Hill City, (Friendly Service Bureau), The Dunbar Community Center, Life in the Hill Distrcit, and life in Slippery Rock PA, etc. This story also involves Integrating Business's in Butler PA. etc.



































Tuesday, June 29, 2010

President Barack Hussein Obama's Unjust Afghan War Revisited Part II

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
SPECIAL REPORT
JUNE 29, 2010



Blogger Black Buzz's poem titled: President Barack Hussein Obama's Unjust War Revisited Part II, is a moving extraordinary powerful, dynamic and ardently written work about President Barack Obama's wanton disregard, and contempt for the Afghan and American people.

President Obama is following the exact same path that George W. Bush followed as he blindly led the U.S. into the fiasco in Iraq without any basis in fact relative to our national security solely for the benefit of the neo-cons, and our vast expansive Military-Industrial- Complex.
Its know secret that President Obama is not liked by the U.S. military hierarchy, and he knew that firing General McChrystal would hurt his presidency. So General McChrystal by resigning provided Obama with the necessary cover to protect his fragile presidency. If you take a black ops general like McChrystal who is not used to any supervision, and who suffers from " Foot in the Mouth Disease" you end up with General out of control.
Obama appears to be confused about how to conduct the War in Afghanistan, and now he is basically back-pedalling on his naive cut-off date of July 11, 2011. Obama is trying to run the war in Afghanistan like a nickle -dime politician, rather than as bona-fide true Commander-In-Chief solely for the purpose of his 2012 campaign in mind. How many more young Americans will die for Obama's twisted, warped and self-serving war logic ? The Obama strategy on Afghanistan is presently causing more American to die for the corrupt government of Hamid Karzai.
Everyone that I have talked to from DOD Contractors to returning military personnel state that the U.S. is loosing the war. Obama never gave General McChrystal the number of troops that he requested to do the job in Afghanistan. All our war games show that we are doing the same thing over and over and really not gaining any ground. McChrystal is the youngest 4 star that I can remember, and he also attended Yale.
For McChrystal to publish his comments in Rolling Stone magazine he showed a arrogance, and disrespect for Obama.
Russia, and the UK found out, the Afghans can't beat on their own soil. The Afghans are not Muslims Arabs, and they have a completely different mind set. Obama will probably not do the right thing and retreat in Afghanistan, because he may feel that his run for the 2012 presidency maybe dependent on how he handles the 1o year old war in Afghanistan, and that other crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.
I could never figure out why Geo Bush went into Afghanistan in the first place. 9/11 was planned and financed in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Osama ben Laden was a diversionary fable for the gullible USA public.... Here we are 10 years into this fraudulent war, and nothing has changed.
Look at the News's Hour on PBS, they show the casualties daily, by name, rank, and hometown.
The Republicans are going to have a field day in the Mid-Term elections in 2010, and with the Presidential elections in 2012.


My Poem: President, Barack Hussein Obama's Unjust Afghan War, Revisited Part II.

From to Kabul to Kandahar
American soldiers are dying on
the crusted cold dry desolate
Afghan plains from left to right
with no immediate end to the
incessant genocide
in sight.

How will the obstreperous
Taliban resist America's
avaricious Imperial
might ?

Maybe the Taliban and their
compadres will play hide-and-
go-seek
but I know they will
fight.

I have seen courageous American mothers
weeping,
and rueful spouses crying
but when I look around
our soldiers are still dying.

Why must our brave American
soldiers die ?
For the despotic government
of unsavory corrupt Hamid
Karzai ?

Why must gallant American
Soldiers die ?
For Barack Obama's deceitful
lies ?

The cunning Obama says the
Afghan fight is a just war,
But I ask our laudable young
people,
Is this the change you voted
For ?

Then you go sign up
For Barack Hussein Obama's Unjust
Afghan War

Ronald B. Saunders, June 29, 2010












Sunday, June 27, 2010

Jewish Clergy Group: Elena Kagan Isn't ‘Kosher’ to Serve on Supreme Court

Black Buzz News Service
Washington D.C.
June 27, 2010 (BBNS)

Friday, June 25, 2010
By Pete Winn, Senior Writer/Editor

(CNSNews.com) – Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is “not kosher”--meaning she is not fit to serve on the court--according to more than 850 Orthodox members of the Rabbinical Alliance of America. That's the term the rabbis used about Kagan in a press release issued Thursday, saying "Elena Kagan is not kosher. She is not fit to sit on this Court--or any court."

Rabbi Yehuda Levin, spokesman for the alliance, told CNSNews.com on Thursday that "a great deal has been made about the fact that she would be the second Jewish woman on the court, and we want to signal to people across the country that we take no pride in this.”

Levin said most people are happy when "one of their own" is nominated to such a high position. But, he added, "We feel that Elena Kagan turns traditional Judaism on its head--from a concept of a nation of priests and holy people, she is turning it into, ‘Let’s homosexualize every segment of society. And by the way, partial-birth babies have no right to be delivered.’"
In a statement issued Thursday, the rabbinical alliance called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to refuse to confirm Kagan to succeed the outgoing Justice John Paul Stevens.

“It is clear from Ms. Kagan's record on issues such as abortion-on-demand, partial-birth-abortion, the radical homosexual and lesbian agenda, the 'supremacy' of the anti-family panoply over religious liberties of biblical adherents, et. al., that she will function as a flame-throwing radical, hastening society's already steep decline into Sodom and Gomorrah,” the rabbis said in the statement.

Levin told CNSNews.com that his fellow rabbis--and hundreds of thousands of Orthodox and traditional Jews--are puzzled at the president’s choice of Kagan.

“What exactly was Obama thinking, President Obama thinking, when he nominated Kagan? Because eventually, down the road, someone--or some group--is going to ‘take the hit’ for the crazy decisions that Kagan is bound to make. So we would have much preferred if President Obama had given this ‘distinction’ to another minority group, instead of singling out the Jews.”

Barring a rebuff from the Senate Judiciary Committee, Levin told CNSNews.com that the rabbis want someone in the Senate to launch a filibuster to stop Kagan's nomination from coming to a vote.

"We’re waiting for the more courageous, decent senators--whether it’s a (Sen.) Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) or a (Sen.) Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) or a (Sen.) Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)--we’re looking for them to stand up and filibuster this embarrassing endangerment of a nomination,” Levin said.

Confirmation hearings for Kagan begin Monday at the Senate Judiciary Committee. Neither Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) nor Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.)--both members of the committee, known Kagan supporters and top Jewish members of the Senate--responded to calls for comment on this story.

The Black Buzz News Service wholeheartedly endorses the position of the Rabbinical Alliance of America against the nomination of Elena Kagan for the position as Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court. Hopefully there will be enough senators on the judiciary committee who can filibuster this nomination and defeat this mediocre candidate.


Saturday, June 26, 2010

Kentucky Makes History As Five Of Its Players Are Selected In The First Round Of The NBA Draft: This Was The Weakest Draft In 35 Years.

BLACK BUZZ SPORTS NEWS
Flushing, New York
June 26, 2010

Flushing New York.. The University of Kentucky Wildcats makes history with five of its players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft that was held on Thursday in New York City on June 24th 2010.
Those Wildcats selected are as follows :
1. John Wall# 1
2. DeMarcus Cousins
3. Patrick Patterson
4. Eric Bledsoe
5. Daniel Orton
I thought this was the weakest NBA draft in the last thirty five years.
The question I have for all the experts out there in Wildcat land how come Mr. John Calipari couldn't win a National NCAA title with the likes of all those first round draft choices ?
I have always contended that Calipari's strong suit is recruiting, and he is only an average teacher, and mediocre strategist.
If and when Calipari wins a National title one can rest assure that the second coming is nearer than you think.
I think John Wall is vastly overrated, and he committed too many costly turnovers in key ball games, and his outside shooting is atrocious. Wall can drive to hoop with great explosion and quickness, but very often he plays totally out of controlled, and he likes good court awareness.
I thought that Derrick Rose was a much more accomplished player than John Wall when he came out of Memphis. Rose is a better ball handler than Wall, and he is a far better shooter than John Wall. Plus I feel that Rose has a better feel for the game than Wall, and he is cognizant of what each player should be doing on the court at all times.
DeMarcus Cousins appears to be very immature and lacks the good hard discipline that is needed to play at a very high level in the NBA. Both Wall and Cousin really need to put in a lot of hard work and dedicate themselves to the game more in order to become top pros.
I like Bledsoe's game, and he may have been the best all around guard at Kentucky last year. Bledsoe is a better ball handler than Wall, and he shoots considerably better than Wall from the outside. Both Wall, Bledsoe and Cousins play tenacious defense, but Cousins had a tendency to take some plays off.
Patrick Patterson may develop into the best pro of the five Kentucky players chosen in this years NBA draft. Patterson is fully dedicated to the game of basketball and he has the talent to become a great one if he willing to pay the extra price of putting in more work than is normally required.
Yes this was the weakest NBA Draft in the last 35 years, and know one player stands out in this 2010 mediocre Draft class.
* Kyle Singler of Duke should be the College player of the year in 2011, but coach's K's system may limit Singler from getting all of the top honors next year. Coach K's system is about winning, and Duke is loaded with old & new talent.

Friday, June 25, 2010

THE BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN RIVER- JUNE 25 & JUNE 26,1876

BLACK BUZZ NEW SERVICE
SPECIAL REPORT
CROW AGENCY, MONTANA
JUNE 25, 2010


Crow Agency, Montana... June 25, and June 26 mark the 134th Battle Anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn River, which was the greatest victory of the Northern Plains Native Americans over the occupation forces of the United States Army, and the obscure Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer of the Seventh Cavalry.
The Native American forces of Chief's Crazy Horse, Lame White Man, Gall, Two Moon, Crow King, Comes-in-Sight, Rain-in-The-Face, and Sitting Bull rendered the most devastating defeat of the U.S. Army occupation forces on the said Northern plains.
Many questions remained as to why Major Reno, and Captain Benteen also of the Seventh Cavalry did not come to the aid or assistance of Custer when it was clearly shown in a Court Of Inquiry that they ( Reno & Benteen) fully heard and had knowledge that Custer was being attacked on all flanks and sides.
* I must note that one Black African runaway slave, Isaiah Dorman, who was appointed as an interpreter to Lieutenant Colonel Custer, was killed by the native warriors who also killed all the Crow and Arikara scouts/interpreters who were attached and fought for the Seventh Cavalry.
Dorman found refuge with the Sioux and took a Sioux wife. His adopted people called him Azimpi which means"teat" but sounds like Isaiah in the guttural Dakota-Sioux pronunciation. It has been reported that moments before he died, it is said the Hunkpapa leader Sitting Bull recognized the Black man and gave him water. After the battle, the Sioux and Cheyenne women and children mutilated all the troopers' bodies to deny them passage to the after world. The Native people left Azimpi's body intact. Unfortunately, Mr. Dorman like the Crow and Arikara Indian scouts were fighting on the wrong side of history, and they would be perceived today as being " sellouts" and in those days they were considered traitors and disloyal by some. Also note that the Arikaras and Crows were mortal enemies of the Sioux and the Lakotas. Some scholars claim that one Crow scout named Curley who was attached to the Seventh Cavalry escaped or fled from the conflict on the 25th of June, 1876.
My poem titled: " The Battle of the Little Bighorn River" is dedicated to my father, James S. Robinson, Jr. a Dakota Sioux, a member of the Council of Three Rivers Pittsburgh Pa, American Indian Center, Inc. (Russel Sims, Executive Director).
My father served as Executive Director of the famed Hill City Municipality, Pittsburgh, PA., and was Superintendent of Police of the Friendly Service Bureau of the City of Pittsburgh. He was also employed as the Executive Director of the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Community Center in Butler, PA.
My poem is also dedicated to all the native indigenous descendants/ancestors who fought gallantly, courageously, bravely, heroically, ferociously, and with honor- the Arapahos, Blackfoot Sioux, Brules, Cheyennes, Lakotas, Hunkpapas, Minneconjous, Oglalas, Rosebud Sioux, San Arcs, Tetons, and Uhiapapas. I give special tribute to Chief Crazy Horse, who was never defeated in battle by the U.S. (occupation ) Army.

My Poem: The Battle of the Little Bighorn River- June 25 & 26, 1876

As the Robins will fly
Under the powder blue Montana sky

Chief Crazy Horse said,
This is a good day to fight
And a good day to die
Under the powder blue Montana sky.

Native warriors gathered in full force
And attacked Custer's Troops
Showing little remorse,
The hapless troopers were fighting on their knees
As the fierce Native warriors charged them like a swarm of bees
Custer's troops were Beaten
Like Chopped Liver,
At the Battle of the Little Bighorn River.

The proud Native Tribes
Had their special
Day in the Sun,
But Chief Crazy Horse said
Our struggle has just begun
Fleeing into the Dakotas
On the Run.

By Ronald B. Saunders
June 25, 1998

* All interested persons traveling in the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana are encouraged to visit the National Little Bighorn Battlefield and the National Monument located in Crow Agency, Montana 59022, sponsored by the National Parks Service, U.S. Department of Interior.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Is China Ready To Flex Its Muscles And Take Taiwan By Force ? What Would The Obama Administration Do ?

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
Ankara, Turkey
June 24, 2010

Ankara Turkey... The United States, in January, approved a 6.4 billion dollar arms package to Taiwan, which prompted an angry government in Beijing to halt military exchanges and security talks with Washington.
U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, recently met with lower level Chinese defense personnel in an effort to mend fences but the Chinese proved to be a very formidable foe in those talks and nothing of significance was accomplished.
The real China on the mainland has in the past and continues to the present to oppose any type of arms sales to Taiwan, which the real China regards as part of its bona-fide territory.
So will the shrewd Beijing government finally decide to take Taiwan by force? The two sides have been governed separately since the end of the civil war in 1949, in which the Nationalist forces of the Government of Chiang Kai-Shek were soundly defeated by the CCP (Communists) led by the great Chairman Mao.
China may calculate that with the U.S. bogged down in two unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that the U.S. would not come to the aid of the breakaway regime in Taipei. China could take Taiwan in a matter of hours. But how would Obama as the Commander-in-Chief respond?
Taiwan, at a cost of over 175 million dollars, will be sending two of its Hawkeye Early Warning Aircraft to the U.S. for updates and futuristic options to help repel any attack from the mainland.
The Chinese have survived as a civilization for some 5,000 years because they are very smart and intelligent people. The great Egyptian/Kemet civilization no longer exists. Thus China has been the world's oldest surviving civilization. They still speak Chinese in China, but they speak the language of the conqueror in Egypt (Arabic) although some remaining indigenous people in Egypt/Kemet speak various derivates of coptic and the typical languages of the type A and B indigenous people that were present before the invasion of Arabs in the 7th century A.D.
The Chinese know for a fact that the U.S. has the most efficient Navy and Air Force in the world. But I don't think the Obama administration would risk using nuclear weapons to defend Taiwan because the end game could result involving many other nation states into the cauldron which would trigger wide-spread terrorism against the U.S. and its proxies such as Israel and Great Britian.
If the Chinese on the mainland attack Taiwan, will the Japanese start to enter the nuclear arms race?
The Chinese also saw how George W. Bush sat on his behind like a true paper tiger, witnessing Russia run roughshod over the people of Georgia's break-away South Ossetia province in August 2008. However, Putin may have underestimated the U.S. resolve because the U.S. now has a U.S. Patriot Missile Defense Shield in Poland, aimed directly at Russia, Iran and other actors in the neighborhood. The Missile Defense Shield is manned by U.S. military personnel who are presently in the process of training Polish forces to take over the operations of said missile systems. For every move that the U.S. makes in the international arena with the deployment of its missile systems and with its wars of aggression around the globe, Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are in the process of preparing for World War III. I give a point to Obama for having the Russians draw down on their nukes, while at the same time installing those Patriot Missile Systems in Poland.
With all the attention being focused on the Obama administration's handling of McCrystalGate, and Obama's fiasco in Afghanistan, the Chinese may be planning on the day that they will take Taiwan by force.
So what will the Obama administration do in the case the government in Beijing says it's the right time? Will the Obama administration be caught off guard by the Chinese element of surprise?
The U.S fighting or engaging with the Chinese is a horse of another color.
The folks in Beijing now run our currency, and hold most of our IOU's with no end in sight to this horrific trade and hard currency imbalance.
Thus fighting the U.S. would not be in China's best interest. And why would the Chinese want to destroy their greatest cash cow---the U.S.A.?
There is an old Chinese saying that's says if you scratch my back I'll scratch your back on my own accord at a time and place I will determine.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The New York Giants Hall Of Famer Lawrence Taylor Is Indicted On Rape Charges, Endangering The Welfare Of A Child & Patronizing A Prostitute

BLACK BUZZ SPORTS NEWS SERVICE
WHY, Arizona
June 23, 2010

Why Arizona.. Hall of Famer the great Lawrence Taylor ( LT. ) has been indicted by a Suburban New York grand jury on charges of Rape, Criminal Sexual Act, and Sexual abuse. Mr. Taylor was also indicted on Endangering the Welfare of a child & patronizing a prostitute.
Supposedly in America's system of Jurisprudence there is a presumption of innocence that is given to anyone that has been accused of an alleged crime.
Until we know all of the facts surrounding the charges made against Lawrence Taylor we will hold our opinions in abeyance .
The man (LT ) who basically changed the way NFL teams played offensive football will be arranged on the charges on July 13, 2010.

WORLD CUP 2010- The U.S. Beats Algeria 1-0 In A Fantastic Finish

BLACK BUZZ SPORTS NEWS
Pretoria, South Africa
June 23, 2010

The upstart U.S. World Cup soccer team squeaks out a hard fought victory over the rugged squad from Algeria by the score of one to nothing.
With only a few seconds remaining the U. S. 's Donovan was able to make a goal on a fast break counterattack that began with Howard along with Altidore, Dempsey assisting the hard charging Donovan.
The U.S. along with England in Group C will advance to the next round.
Congratulations to the United States squad.
*How sweet it is !

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

President Barack Obama: The Bumler-In-Chief Fumbles The Ball In His Telepromter Night-Side TV Speech To The American People

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
College Park, Maryland
June 16, 2010

For the last two months President Obama has been engaged in playing golf, basketball, and taking exotic vacations in the foothills of North Carolina while BP's oil was spilling with vengeance in the Gulf of Mexico.
President Obama did absolutely nothing for two months relative to tackling this horrific spill on the Gulf coast. Obama's nonchalant attitude about the BP spill is telling, which is further evidence of his lack of basic leadership skills.
Last week he told NBC's Matt Lauer that he didn't see the need to meet with the top CEO's of BP, but last night in his Night-Side televised TelePrompter speech Obama stated that we would meet with the BP CEO's today. What made President Obama change his heart ? The public opinion polls ?
It was reported on Wednesday June 16, that the head of BP had made an apology to President Obama for the Gulf oil spill. I suspect that the apology by BP was nothing but a photo-op for Obama, and to score badly needed political points.
The American people don't need an apology from BP. What the American people need from BP is a highly concentrated plan of action in conjunction with the Obama administration. We have to go to war against BP's oil that has invaded our precious Gulf coast, and do you think President Obama finally gets the message that we are at war ?
Guess who's going to foot the bill for BP's and Obama's blunders ?
Taxpayers could be on the hook for billions of dollars from BP's still-gushing spill in the Gulf of Mexico unless the inept Congress can retroactively change the law that limits a company's liabilities for oil spills-and the so-called experts say it will be tough.
But if the spill contaminates large parts of the Gulf coast, the real cost is likely to be in the form of the prolonged commercial losses to the Fishing & Tourism industries. Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which was passed in response to the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, oil producers are liable for all clean-up and environmental restoration cost that stems from a spill.
But they are only liable for 75 million in claims for commercial and business losses which could easily run into the billions. Watch how the conniving Republicans play politics with this cap, and I'll bet anyone ten to one that those folks on the Gulf coast will still support the deceitful Grand Olde Party, and Tea Baggers. If BP, and its dubious partners don't pay, Congress will be under much pressure to provide help as it was in the case of said natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. If the oil spill soaks -up a thousand miles of Gulf coast, the commercial losses would be almost certainly 300 billion dollars, and that 20 billion that BP has allegedly agreed to provide in an escrow account is merely peanuts
YES WE CAN

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Obama's Selection of Kagan: African Americans Have Been Systematically & Psychologically Conditioned To Accept Second Class Treatment.

Black Buzz News Service
Selma, Alabama
June 15, 2010

Selma Alabama..It appears as though President Obama's AI PAC advisers in his inner circle in the White House have told him that you can say or do anything to African Americans, and they will love you Mr. President.
Unfortunately that evaluation by his AI PAC advisers was incorrect.
Most intelligent African Americans feel that Obama's selection of Elena Kagan for the high court was a major slap in the face relative to why African Americans in droves supported his candidacy for the Presidency.
A appointment of a Supreme Court Jurist is the most important appointment that President Obama will make in his presidency. A supreme jurist decisions are felt for decades, and Obama chose to by pass not even consider many highly qualified African Americans that he could have chosen for said court. I have been saying for the past 12 months that Barack Obama is bad for Black America, and he is just simply bad for all America.
President Obama is greatly influenced by his cadre of AIPAC advisers in his inner circle in the White House, none of whom have never been supportive of a progressive Black agenda, or middle class agenda, and some like the egotistical Rahm Emanuel, and the sneaky David Axelrod have been known to have anti-Black agenda bias. Just ask any of the progressive Black activists in Chicago about the duplicitous politics of Rahm Emanuel, who is a Commander in the IDF reserve, and David Axelrod in reference to people of color in the windy city.
And how much influence did Obama's racist grandparents have on his views, and perceptions of African Americans ? Some of that venom was bound to rub off on Obama in his attitudes and views of African Americans. Any bona-fide psychologist can tell you that when you live any type of racially abusive environment that it will affect one attitudes and behavioral patterns. Plus the dominant culture in the United States of America helped to reinforce all the racist garbage that Obama's grandparents were feeding him on a daily basis based upon his own admission.
Obama has been advised by his AIPAC advisers that he can only get angry and show disdain for African Americans. Obama would never tell a White celebrity "That he's a Jackass like he did the brother Kanye West, in which Obama looked less than Presidential in his name calling episode. He would never go over to the debased countries in Europe, and tell then basically that they were corrupt like he did the Black African nations last summer. The cantankerous Obama would never tell a group of white fathers that they need to become better fathers, and bread winners. Obama would never talk down to a group of poor white fathers in a condescending tone, and manner like did a group of African American men last summer.
When will Black people, and the Obamatrons wake up and see Obama for the true political fraud that he is ? The Rev. Jackson was right about Obama in his talking down to Black people. And you saw how those brainwashed Negroes came to Obama's defense.
Yes Black people have been duped, and tricked by the slick-hip-pimp talking Obama, who is all full of flash, dash and eloquent speeches and very little on substance. The African American votes only count to the Democrats, and Obama on election day.
Watch how the NAACP led by the true sell out uncle Ben Jealous, and Rev. Al Sharpton attempt to give political cover to Obama for his dubious selection of Elena Kagan, who is so connected to the Corporate/Education-Industrial Complex. Ask Uncle Ben Jealous to explain how, and why Elena Kagan participated in what many consider an anti-Black, anti Latino parody at the overrated Harvard Law School. Did Uncle Ben Jealous interview any of the African American, and Hispanic Law School students who felt the sting of that racist parody masked as free speech by Obama's girl Kagan ? Ask Uncle Ben and Dr. Sharpton to explain Kagan's hiring record of African Americans at Harvard, and watch how Jealous and Sharpton do the Obama shuffle.
When will African Americans, and the Obama trons give up on their addiction to the Democratic Party, and Obama juice ?
The painful thing is still so many Negroes, and Obamatrons have their heads so far up Obama's posterior that they don't know have the heart to fight anymore. Black Americans have become psychologically neutered.
Yes my good friends African Americans have been systematically & psychologically conditioned to accept second class treatment, which is further evidence of their marginalized citizenship. This sickness among African Americans is known as the Post Trumatic Stress Slave Syndrome or the Delayed Stress Slave Syndrome, which is inherent in the overall slave mentality.

*I would like to give special thanks to Lani Guinier the first Black woman tenured Law Professor at the Harvard Law School for not participating in the"Gong Show Circus" in support of Elena Kagan like the other sell out faculty members at HLS such as Uncle Charles Ogletree, Randall Kennedy, and the rest of the Harvard Coon Clan at HLS.

You may still call the White House Comments Line at 202-456-1111 or write to President Obama or to the first Lady.
Will you call or write or do you choose to stay on the sidelines while important history is being made. I say put up or shut up or go back and act and behave just like a good little pickaninny, afraid to upset the status quo.
* Did you have your Obama juice today ? I understand that the Banks on Wall Street ran out of Obama juice, and they are not offering Obama-Aid. If you take too much of the Obama juice or Obama-Aid you can really get hooked, and addicted.

YES WE CAN
















Sunday, June 13, 2010

NAACP, Wells Fargo and a Banker's Heart

By Faye Anderson
Citizen journalist, social media and public policy consultant, and political commentator.

Outside of Bank of America's former headquarters in San Francisco, there is a sculpture that locals have dubbed a "banker's heart."

The NAACP has come under fire for its "partnership" with cold-hearted Wells Fargo, which is being sued by states and municipalities for discriminatory and predatory mortgage lending practices.

Up until a few weeks ago, Wells Fargo was in the NAACP's crosshairs.

Now, the "unequal opportunity lender" is in the NAACP's embrace.

After being put on blast by and Dr. Boyce Watkins and I, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous responded:

The NAACP agreed to end our lawsuit against Wells Fargo because we successfully negotiated an agreement that improves their practices and increases their transparency in ways that go far beyond what we could win in court. (Click here to read the NAACP's Countering Lending Discrimination Report).
Wells Fargo's signature on our banking principles - with measures to hold the bank accountable - implement practices that guarantee: (a.) full disclosure of rates, (b.) borrowers will only be offered products they can understand and afford, (c.) no consumer will be targeted based on zip codes and race, and (d.) diversity amongst their suppliers and employees.

Most importantly, the extra transparency allows us to ensure accountability and that the principles are being followed.

Question: What resources does the NAACP have to enforce this agreement? Are we supposed to trust a financial institution with a history of exploiting communities of color? If all it took was a signature on a piece of paper, the City of Baltimore, where the NAACP is headquartered, would have dropped its lawsuit against Wells Fargo.

And there would be no need for financial reform.

President Barack Obama could just ask for public apologies instead of pushing for an independent consumer financial protection agency.

A White House fact sheet on financial reform and African Americans notes:

Too many responsible African American families have paid the price for an outdated regulatory system that left our financial system vulnerable to collapse and left families without adequate protections. The Obama Administration's plan will promote financial stability and protect African American families from the unfair practices that contributed to this crisis. The plan will establish a new consumer financial protection agency, which will have the power to set clear rules of the road and ensure that financial firms are held to high standards.

Call me skeptical, but it seems the NAACP dropped its lawsuit after Wells Fargo agreed to implement principles that it says it already practices - at least on paper.

On its website, Wells Fargo proclaims its commitment to "responsible lending principles for consumer credit":

As a responsible lender, Wells Fargo denounces and strictly prohibits abusive, misleading, or fraudulent lending practices. Additionally, Wells Fargo business units that extend consumer credit do so according to the following affirmative responsible lending practices:

*We provide our customers with the information they need to make fully informed decisions about our credit products and services.
*We price our credit products and services based on appropriate factors, including the risk and cost of extending credit, competition and marketplace strategy and conditions, and safety and soundness considerations.
*We only approve applications where we believe the borrower has the ability to repay the credit according to its terms, using a method of assessment appropriate to the type of credit transaction.

The web page was last updated on October 1, 2009.

As for the NAACP's agreement regarding "diversity amongst their suppliers and employees," Wells Fargo has had an African American Business Services program since 1998. "We are committed to strengthening our company and our communities by proactively seeking out minority, women and disabled-owned suppliers. Wells Fargo's goal is to spend at least $1 billion by the end of 2010 with diverse suppliers, including African American-owned businesses."

Wells Fargo's stated lending principles and supplier diversity program beg the question: What did the NAACP "win" other than sponsorship of its 101st annual convention?

The NAACP's convention will be held in Kansas City, which has a vibrant blues scene. That's the reason I visited their website to confirm the dates.

I'm a blues lover but "I'd rather drink muddy water, sleep out in a hollow log" than attend a convention whose lead sponsor has a banker's heart.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

NAACP Hooks Up With Wells Fargo

By Faye M. Anderson

In 2007, I applauded when the NAACP filed a class action lawsuit against 15 of the nation’s largest subprime lenders for “systematic, institutionalized racism in sub-prime home mortgage lending.”

The defendants included Wells Fargo Bank & Company.

Though Well Fargo’s role in the subprime mortgage scheme was well-known, the predatory lender was the “title sponsor” of Tavis Smiley’s annual talkfest.

Smiley claimed ignorance. He finally severed his ties with Wells Fargo when the glare of media spotlight got too hot.

NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous was an outspoken critic of Wells Fargo. So you can imagine my surprise when earlier this month, I read the NAACP dropped its lawsuit against the predatory lender:

The NAACP announced today that it is ending its lawsuit against Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Since 2007, the NAACP has filed lawsuits against more than a dozen of the largest financial institutions alleging violations of the Fair Housing and Equal Credit Opportunity Acts and racial discrimination.
Unlike other pending lawsuits that seek monetary damages on behalf of individual borrowers, the NAACP lawsuits seek to change mortgage lending industry behaviors.

So what did the NAACP get? Wells Fargo endorsed the NAACP’s “Banking Principles on Fairness and Lending.”

Jealous said:

We brought these lawsuits against lenders to change and stop patterns of racial discrimination and other mortgage lending behaviors that have shattered American lives, families, and neighborhoods. We developed the NAACP banking principles to ensure that our country moves toward higher rates of sustainable homeownership. We commend Wells Fargo for taking a leadership role by being the first to embrace our principles, and hope this effort becomes a model for collaborating with other financial institutions.

Query: how will the NAACP enforce the agreement?
Jon Campbell, Wells Fargo’s executive vice president for social responsibility, told the New York Times it will be a while before there’s any change in their lending practices:

But now we have a partner, and we can look at ourselves through their lens. Will there be tweaks? We hope so.

So that’s what the NAACP got? Hope.

The NAACP is headquartered in Baltimore. On the same day the civil rights organization dropped its lawsuit, the City of Baltimore filed an amended federal complaint accusing Wells Fargo of steering blacks into subprime mortgages.

City Solicitor George Nilson said:

Our purpose in bringing this lawsuit remains the same as it always has been. We intend to expose Wells Fargo’s illegal, discriminatory practices to the light of day in a court of law. We want to make sure Wells Fargo reforms its lending practices, and takes specific, constructive steps to assist the City in repairing the damage caused by the many unnecessary foreclosures its irresponsible practices caused.

Fast forward to yesterday. I visited the NAACP’s website to confirm the dates of its annual convention. I nearly spilled my coffee when I saw this banner.

While no money changed hands on April 7, Wells Fargo is now a “lead sponsor” of the NAACP’s 101st annual convention.

Less than two weeks ago, Jealous participated in the “Measuring the Movement” national leadership forum. The air was filled with talk of holding “everyone accountable from government to our own institutions.”
Will the NAACP be held accountable for its relationship with a predatory lender?
Or was all the talk more hot air?

April 28, 2010

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Where and Why Whites Still Do Blatant Racism: White-Racist Actions and Framing in the Backstage and Frontage

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
Special Report
Pittsburgh PA.
June 8, 2010
BBNS

Blogger Black Buzz attended a National Conference on Race in America in Pittsburgh PA on June 3-6, Hosted By The School of Social Work, And Center On Race, And Social Problems of the University of Pittsburgh.
The Session on The White Way? Discussing Racial Privilege and White Advantage. Saturday, June 5, 2010 2-5 p.m.
Highlights of that Session:
The following report was made by Dr. Joe Feagin, who is currently the Ella C. McFadden Professor of Liberal Arts at Texas A & M University.
Joe Feagin acquired his BA degree from Baylor University and his PhD in sociology from Harvard University. Over the course of four decades he has taught at the University of Massachusetts, University of California, University of Texas, University of Florida, and Texas A & M University.
Dr. Feagin's primary research efforts focus on racial, urban, and gender issues. He has served as the Scholar-in-Residence at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and has written 200 articles and 57 books in his research fields, one of which, Ghetto Revolts, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Among his books some coauthored, are Systemic Racism, Racist America, The First R: How Children Learn Race and Racism, Racial and Ethnic Relations, The Many Costs of Racism; White Men on Race; Black in Blue: African- American Police Officers and Racism; Two-Faced Racism: Whites in the Frontstage and Backstage; and most recently, The White Racial Frame, How the United States Racializes Latinos, and Yes We Can: White Racial Framing and 2008 Presidential Election.
He is the 2006 recipient of a Harvard Alumni Association lifetime achievement award and was 1999-2000 president of the American Sociological Association.

Historically, white Americans have created racial oppression in North America. And this racial oppression is still the foundational reality of the U.S. Most whites ignore or downplay this reality. Social scientist have developed weak analytical concepts: prejudice, stereotypes, bigotry, intolerance, assimilation. Much stronger concepts are necessary. Our foundational oppression ( 246 years of slavery, 90 years of Jim Crow, 85 percent of our history) generated systemic racism and a strong white racial frame- the set of racist stereotypes and prejudices, racial ideologies, racial images, racial emotions, racial narratives developed to rationalize & explain well-institutionalized oppression targeting people of color and the extensive white power and privilege that oppression has created over centuries. This frame (worldview ) accents virtue/superiority of whites versus vices/inferiority of racialized "others." ( I focus here on pro-white & anti black sub frames-seen in various actions of educated whites. )

Early creation of white racist frame ( 1600s): Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia lays out extensive anti black' pro white framing in developed white racial frame : Black Americans are natural slaves, smell funny, are lazy, less intelligent, physically ugly, oversexed, ape-linked and animalistic, and musically unsophisticated. They cannot think well; cannot if freed be integrated into white society. Whites are superior in every important way.

Jump to the present, to white actions and racial framing seen in brief excerpts from interviews/diaries my colleagues and I have done in many field studies. Some research questions :Do whites of various ages still do lots of everyday racism? Has the level of white-racist thought commentary, action declined as much as opinion surveys and pundits suggest ? Or has much white-racist commentary and action become concentrated in the social backstage, " with less performed in the social fronstage" because of social pressures to fake being colorblind"?

From 7500 racist accounts from brief (8-12 week) diaries by 626 white college students (28 colleges) One white student (Midwest) talks about home: At home we usually all sit in front of the television to watch the news together. We were watching the news and my father {white male } noticed that most of the stories they were telling had to deal with primarily black people. Once he started that the negative black jokes poured out of his mouth. He had some customers in the house ( we own our own repair shop ) and he was still telling the jokes. He never thought twice about it. He never thought about what his customers might say or do. Some of the jokes were along the lines of "why is Tylenol white ? Answer: Cause if it was black it wouldn't work!" Everyone in the room was laughing and they all had their own responses to the jokes. One lady (around 30 years of age ) said Yeah..... that is true. "

A white college student (another Midwestern college ): Three of my ( white ) friends and I went back to my house to drink a little more before we ended the night. Dylan started telling jokes: " What's them most confusing day of the year in Harlem?" "Father's Day.... Whose your daddy ?" Dylan also referred to black people as "Porch Monkey's." Everyone laughed a little, but it was obvious that we all felt a little less comfortable when he was telling jokes like that. My friend is not a racist person. He has more black friends than I do, that's why I was surprised he so freely said something like that. Dylan would never have said something like that around anyone who was a minority. People know the places they have to be politically correct, and most will be.

A white female student's investigative actions, near a major southern university: When I went to pick up the laundry, I saw a young black man sitting in the driver's side of a mini-van with the engine running. My first thought was that he was waiting for a friend to rob the store and he was the getaway driver. Even worse, I had to look into the store to see what was going on and what (or who )he was waiting for.

A leading white corporate executive defends his view that black Americans have less intelligence than whites (to a white stranger, an interviewer): Dr. Shockley, inventor of the transistor who did substantial sociological research showed that, matched on a variety of variables--blacks are born differently--on standardized intelligence tests. It's very socially unacceptable to say blacks are not as smart as the whites, are not as smart as the Asians, but there's a lot of research pointing to the fact that it is the case. And the liberals cannot accept that on a critical basis because it violates the empirical philosophical ideals that everybody has to be equal and that the reason for differences is caused by environmental and cultural factors.

Local white business leader reacts to a question asking how we would feel if his child married a black person ( to a white stranger, an interviewer: I'd be sick to my stomach. I would feel like, that I failed along the way. I'd probably take a lot of blame for that. I would feel like probably I failed out on the job along the way or they would not have those tendencies to do that. I'd feel like I probably failed as a father, if that was to happen. And it's something that I could never accept.... It would truly be a problem in my family because I could never handle that, and I don't know what would happen because I couldn't handle that, ever.
Middle- class white man in his 40s types comments on black Americans on Internet interview: I find the " black" race to be, in general, morally corrupt as well as culturally & intellectually defunct. Unfortunately, other races have chosen to emulate the behavior of the black race vs. working to assimilate the black race into the common American, Euro-centric culture.

Another college-educated white man in his 30s describes black women in his typed words on Internet interview: I dislike my dealings with the loud, abrasive, obnoxious, wanna-be ghetto or African-continental poseurs who make up for any real knowledge with a lousy attitude and in-your face obscenity, especially in line at the grocery store. I dislike the ones who have multiple children on welfare by father unknown', just so they can collect a check. I dislike the ones who name their children in an idiotic fashion.... just to seem like they know where Africa is on a map, or in a misguided attempt to seem more"African."

Protesting Racist Performance: A white college graduate diaries about meeting with five white college graduates (four with graduate degrees) for a sports outing on a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend: A few of the MBA graduates were expressing their happiness about having a long 3 day weekend ahead. One of the male MBA graduates (who I will call Rob ), who is now employed at a large corporation earning more than 6 figures per year as a stock trader, was standing at the front of the room. Rob stated, " Yes, since it is Martin Luther King day'[ with a sarcastic tone and smirk on his face, he used his fingers in a quoting motion to emphasize these words] then we get an extra day of [sports]." He continued by saying, " You know, if we killed one of them [ African Americans] everyday we could get the whole year off." At this point I turned my head to face Rob. A couple of people in the room knew me and were aware of what I study and my anti racist views. The other two male graduates from the MBA program responded to Rob's comments with smiles and boisterous laughing. The other female looked toward the floor and remained silent. After the room went quite again I responded by saying, "Look Rob, I would rather you start with this tonight OK, I can't believe you just say something like that, do you even think about what that means, I don't want to hear it," as I began shaking my head in disgust."Oh Judy it's just a joke," he replied. He continued by saying, "You know Judy studies these things, she studies race and all that."

Basic Lessons: No Post-Racial U.S. Whites invented this "post-racial" language/lying.(1) U.S. racism is deep, foundational, systemic, everywhere today.(2) Involves old racial hierarchy-whites at top with power and/or privilege, others below.(3) Many billions of racist commentaries and performances, routinized actions in fronstage and backstage, annually. (4) Legitimized & reproduced by constant white racist framing: white Americans as superior and deservedly privileged and Americans of color as inferior and racially"othered" (since 1600 ).

Some Countering Strategies: Uphill struggle, but systemic racism is human-made and can thus be unmade- only with substantial efforts. (1) Areas of personal action : Study, know our racist history well. Teach ourselves, others how to respond to racist events : Call racist acts out aggressively. Strategies: Use pointed humor ( " Rob, Did you learn that joke from the Klan?") Show puzzlement (" Can you explain that comment?"). Reframe racist event to accent positive framing. Where people have conflicting frames in minds (e.g.,justice/fairness frame versus white racist frame), activate positive the justice/fairness frame. Counter-framing is required for change. We must regularly call out racist performances, backstage and fronstage. We must teach/encourage more (especially white) people to "see" and understand everyday racism & how to dissent often in all settings, backstage and fronstage.(2) Areas of collective action:Create more national multiracial organizations calling out individual/systemic racism & teaching how to challenge/eradicate everyday racism. Create Stereotyping 101, Racism 101 courses in Media & from pre-kindergarten to grad school. Create well-organized movements to aggressively pressure socialization organizations (e.g. media ) to honestly assess society's racial oppression and press for structural change.
Only large-scale movements can bring major changes in systemic racism. Eternal organization= price of liberty.
Sources: J. Feagin, Systemic Racism ( Routledge 2006); J.Feagin, The White Racial Frame (Routledge 2010); L.H. Picca, J. Feagin, Two-Faced Racism (Routledge 2007 ); J.Feagin, H.Vera, P. Batur, White Racism ( Routledge 2001); J. Feagin, E. O'Brien, White Men on Race ( Beacon 2003 ). (Two quotes from dissertation by Brittany Slatton.)
jrfeagin@yahoo.com
Blog: http://www.racismreview.com/

Charles A. Gallagher a professor of sociology, and chair of the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pa was the other resource person for the session on white privileges. The moderator was Kathleen Blee distinguished Professor of Sociology, psychology, and history and chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh.
A long an intense Q & A period followed this excellent session.

* Note the University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work, And Center On Race And Social Problems claimed that this Conference was the largest ever held in the U.S. on Race in America. Attendees came from all over the U.S, and 16 Major National Universities also helped to sponsor this historic event. Other sponsors were the Richard King Mellon Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation.

On June 8, 1953 The United States Supreme Court Outlawed Discrimination In Washington, DC Restaurants.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

The Death of Capitalism: Birth of a New Society

By: Solomon Comissiong

One does not have to be a doctor, or play one on TV, to understand that in order to have a chance at eradicating any malady from the body you must find its root cause. The physician must figure out what is causing the sickness before they can prescribe the proper measures towards treating the ailing body. One thing modern medicine has taught us is that early detection with any illness is advantageous to the body. If the sickness is not detected relatively early, the chances of full recovery lessen with each passing day. In some cases, the prognosis is grim. Far too often people find out way too late that they have been living with a disease that has been slowly destroying their body. Routine checkups have become important in detecting potential aliments that many of us are not adept in diagnosing. However, much like a human body, societies can fall victim to socially oriented diseases that function much like cancers. Take for instance the curious case of the United States, which is a country that has been infected with a pernicious disease for quite some time now. However, the US has failed to take notice of the telltale signs that something is wrong with its body (society). And without any doctors within its limited HMO network, that it is willing to listen to; the US continues to put itself in almost predictable peril.

Capitalism is the disease that continually decimates the fragile American society. Capitalism is a very interesting yet destructive disease. Like a malignant tumor within the human body—capitalism, if not aggressively removed, will metastasize throughout a given society slowly eroding any semblance of humanity. Interestingly enough, as it eats away at any potential for that society to treat its members like valued human beings, it convinces even the most devalued citizens that its existence is not harmful to their overall well being. It does this all the while robbing them of basic human rights such as free quality health care, livable wages (not minimum) decent public education, and affordable housing. These are things that elude most people within the US, the so-called Land of Milk and Honey. However, in many other countries, especially those not inebriated off of the capitalism elixir, things like quality health care are seen as rights, not privileges. Most members of American society are treated like scum by their government and the ruling class which controls their government, all in the name of the almighty dollar. The rapidly declining US currency reigns supreme in America. Profits before people is the unofficial mantra sung by most democrats and republicans. Their actions vividly indicate who their base really is—corporate America. After all it is corporate America that supplements their incomes, as well as finances their campaigns of fabricated propaganda.

Corporate America, which includes the flawed US media system, continues to masterfully convince the American public that capitalism is good for them, their families and their communities. Many poor Americans, ironically, have even become capitalism’s most ardent supporters meanwhile being worked like dogs for a minimum wage, dreadful benefits, and no worker rights to think of. They blindly support the vile capitalist system, in large part, because they are products of the American propagandistic public educational system where myriad of destructive values are inculcated into their subconscious. Critical thought is rarely endorsed, especially when it might mean that students begin to question their government and the economic system that controls their country. And as we now see in the not-so-great state of Texas, capitalism has made it easier for textbooks to be systematically altered in an effort to erroneously rewrite history. The rewriting of that history will make no mention of capitalism or a critical analysis of it in contrast to other systems like socialism. This will probably ensure that masses of American youth will reside within the same tiny “box” that many of their parents do.

As America’s schools become more and more corporatized, you can best bet that capitalism is the driving force that makes it all so appealing. Profit before people means just that, even when the well being of children is at stake. Once capitalism has begun to aggressively permeate a society it does not cease to distinguish who its victims are—all that matters is the bottom line. With no sort of critical analysis of capitalism, within America’s public school systems, more and more impoverished children will grow to embrace it, even when it is destroying their communities. Children from America’s impoverished communities are never supposed to know why their neighborhoods and schools are so vastly unequal compared to those in opulent milieus. They are supposed to believe that their community is deserving of such extreme neglect from their so-called government. They are taught to believe that if they simply work hard enough they can rise up above poverty and “make it”. Youth from indigent neighborhoods, especially those of color, are supposed to imbibe that “American Dream”, which is nothing more than an American Lie. Capitalism has a clever way of masking what it really is and what it really does, kind of like a chameleon. Therefore, homeless youth are not taught how capitalism was the driving force behind their parents’ home getting foreclosed because of banks’ rapacious amoral greed. They may never learn how capitalism played a major role in their uncle losing his life due to a lack of health care. They probably won’t even be told how and why their city’s school system accepted tens of millions of dollars from Wal-Mart simply so that the unethical corporation may commodify their education. Will these youth ever learn that the life blood of chattel slavery was capitalism? Good ole fashioned racism and white supremacy were prime players as well, but without capitalism driving the profits of owning slaves and the free wages that came with it; it (chattel slavery) would have died off long before it did. Like the devil, capitalism and its vastly minute beneficiaries, never miss an opportunity to convince the masses of how “harmless and good” they are supposed to be. The small minority that actually benefit from capitalism also control the government, the media, and school systems. Their propaganda machine is formidable and ostensibly effective.

More and more of America’s school systems are being sold off to corporate interests and because of this it is more important than ever that we collectively begin to supplement our youths’ education as a means towards countering the mental pollution they are facing day in and day out. And for that matter, we need to begin to, each one teach one, thus educating our communities in general. Far too many oppressed and impoverished people blindly support capitalism—the very system that is at the root of most of their hardships. And because of this, we must begin to set up more community based and town hall styled dialogue sessions, in which the education of systems like capitalism are discussed. There must also be a serious discussion of socialism and a contrast of the two. If people are taught in more of a democratic way, they will gravitate toward the system/s that make the most sense to their well being. The author has no reservations that, if taught comprehensibly, the vast majority of people from poor communities will go the route of a more socialist based system. It is the more humane approach to ensuring that all of any given society’s people are provided affordable housing, free health care, quality education and livable wages. However, without educating hoi polloi the demands for an equitable society become that much more difficult.

Educating people about capitalism and socialism does not have to be pedantic, drawn out or centered on Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Socialism and communalism, for instance, were being practiced by indigenous people of Africa and the Western Hemisphere well before a white man was given credit for socialism. Funny how people of color can create, practice and perfect various systems for thousands of years but when a white person labels it; they are given credit as its creator.

We don’t need to always over complicate things when teaching them to others within our communities. Using tangible examples as a means toward connecting the dots often works much better and can be extremely engaging not to mention less pretentious. Many of us know that most of the things we learned in college we could have learned in high school. However, if the ruling class allowed that how could they commodify education on the next level, so-called “higher education”? Then once you acquire that “higher educational” degree you are so far in debt, because of student loans, that it takes most of us decades before we can ever pay it off. You see, in a capitalist society most things are based off of debt. The working class must be in debt—-for this is how they keep us in economic slavery. Capitalism is their whip!

Capitalism is the driving force behind America’s racist prison industrial complex. Capitalism powers the military industrial complex which funnels hundreds of billions of dollars, each year, into imperialistic motives and wars (http://www.costofwar.com/) of aggression. Those billions of dollars should logically be used to institutionalize a universal single-payer health care system. However when your country’s government is fornicating with capitalism, cold hard cash will always be placed before the essential needs of the people. These are all tangible examples everyday people, like myself, can understand when explaining various aspects of capitalism and how it fuels social maladies within economically poor communities of color. Capitalism even makes it possible to privatize rain water.

Without exercising hyperbole, it is safe to say that capitalism has destroyed countless lives and communities. It is not a system that benefits the true majority. It does not contribute to the greater good of society. And from the perspective of the oppressed its cons far outweigh any contrived pros. The time for capitalism to die has come. There cannot and should not be any type of negotiation with capitalism anymore than one would negotiate with an unrepentant serial killer. Capitalism is that unrepentant serial murderer. It will continue to destroy lives, communities and societies unless it is dismantled and replaced with a humane system that provides a healthy subsistence for all people—not just those with the most money. However, this radical (and necessary) change cannot be requested. This change must be demanded by a critical mass of people in each governmentally neglected community. There must be solidarity predicated on a common cause that is envisioned. The visionaries cannot be limited to a few “leaders” here and there; the masses must all be able to forecast a better world. In essence this must be a grassroots movement that involves as many as possible. How much longer are we willing to allow this economic Frankenstein to rob us of numerous inalienable rights? The time for radical progressive change is now. Capitalism must die in order for a fruitful society to flourish.

Solomon Comissiong is an educator, community activist, author, public speaker and the host of the Your World News radio program (www.blogtalkradio.com/Your-World-News).