Source: Twitter.com

From CBS News Philadelphia:

“In 2013, no one expects to see a man dressed in a  K1an robe mid-morning in Center City, Philadelphia.

“I think that’s nonsense,” said one woman on the street.

“He needs to be committed to the jail system,” said another onlooker.

The man, who stood on the corner of 13th and Filbert on Tuesday, is not out to lynch or kill black people. In fact, he is black.

Thirty-five-year-old Sixx King says he’s using the offensive symbol to highlight a serious problem: black on black crime.”

According to the article and the video, which accompanies the article, King believes that African-Americans have killed more of their own people than the K1an and that standing on a corner in downtown Philly is the best way to bring, “awareness to the black hypocrisy, complacency and apathy in the African-American community.” Well that is certainly an eye-catching way to do so but is it necessarily the best way of raising awareness about black-on-black violence?

Up until last October, I was employed as a community organizer, working in a neighborhood, which was plagued in violence and would routinely serve as the hosting ground for such high profiled gun deaths, including the murder of a police officer; the shooting of three people including a two year old at a neighborhood block party; and the unsolved murder of a laundromat owner. In fact, my very first day of work in this community three and a half years ago, I played witness to the shooting death by police of a teenage robbery suspect, who just so happened to be the son of two Philadelphia police officers. This occurred right outside of my office window. Now witnessing this would have understandably been enough to make any sane person start thumbing through the Help Wanted ads for a new gig, but this is also a community, which reared me for a good portion of my childhood. And I felt a special obligation to support the best way I could the people in the community, who despite the momentous task and constant frustration, were committed to addressing violence in the streets. And despite public perception, there are tons of people, our people, in the community, who were willing to rise to the occasion.

Anyway, it was last summer on my drive in to work when I was first confronted by a older dark skinned man with salt and pepper hair, standing on the corner of one of the major Avenues with a sign that read: “Our Children Are Being MURDERED in the Streets of Philadelphia and Nobody is UPSET” This concerned citizen’s name is Donnie Andrews and he is a true steward to the community. I’m talking about a man, who would go out with a broom and dustpan to clean the streets of his neighborhood without provocation and without compensation. A man, whom his neighbors not only respect but knew that if they ever found themselves troubled, Mr. Donnie (as he was respectfully called) would be there in their time of need. A man, who every year would pay homage to one of his neighbor’s slain children by giving another deserving child in the community an award. Every single day for the last two months of my tenure as community organizer, I would drive past Mr. Donnie and his sign. It became a sobering reminder, that some days I did not want. Working as a community organizer was difficult enough without being burdened with the question of, am I caring enough about what is happening out here on these streets? But I would also be lying if I didn’t say that Mr. Donnie message had a profound effect on me. And seeing Mr. Donnie’s message daily helped to keep the issue of violence, particularly gun violence, in the forefront of my mind.

Yet when I see King, dressed in his K1an outfit, I don’t feel the same mindfulness, which used to come from my early morning interactions with Mr. Donnie. For one, I can’t see past the K1an outfit. It’s so subversive and inflammatory, which is no doubt the intent. It is true that King and his K1an outfit is getting national attention and tongues waging whereas Mr. Donnie with his hand etched sign on a stick did not. However King’s message around the urgency of addressing black on black violence gets lost in the theatrics. Folks tongues are waging for certain but folks seem to be debating more about if his K1an costume is appropriate than the merits of his message.

Also, if the message is directed at African-Americans, specifically, why the heck is he standing in downtown Philadelphia? Downtown Philadelphia doesn’t have a black-on-black violence problem. Downtown Philadelphia barely has black residents. However, the neighborhoods in West Philly, North Philly and South Philly do. So why not deliver this message to the very communities in which he is hoping to wake up? It should also be noted that Sixx King is the director of a documentary film called Mothers of No Tomorrow, which tells the story of gun violence through mothers of those, who have been slain in the streets. According to the film’s trailer, which was uploaded onto YouTube late last month, the documentary will be available for wide release on Mother’s Day of this year. Now, I don’t want to call shenanigans but the timing does raise a valid question of whether King and his K1an robed-message is sincere or just a publicity stunt meant to promote his film? I would certainly hope not because that would be very disrespectful to not only the mothers of those who lost children to violence but also to Mr. Donnie and all the other unspoken heroes in our communities, who are out in these streets daily, giving all they can to stop the violence.

Jasmyn Tully - Source: thecomingcrisis.blogspot.com

Well…when you’re a white person who just committed a crime, it seems the trend to get out of the situation is to make up a scary black man (or two) and point the finger at him. Fail much?

That’s what a 17-year-old man thought would work after he stabbed his friend in the neck as she was sleeping. The girl, 17-year-old Jasmyn Tully of Tukwila, WA, was sleeping when her friend allegedly felt the “urge to hurt someone” according to a Tukwila detective. He tried to strangle her as she was sleeping, and when she put up a fight, he proceeded to stab her in the neck. While the young man later claimed he was high at the time and had spent a majority of the day on drugs, he initially tried to use the “blame the black man” excuse to no avail. His uncle told KOMO News the following:

“He said that he had smoked large amounts of what they call spice — I believe the name of it is K2. It’s sold at smoke shops all over the place in this state.”

Spice??? Clearly there are way too many drugs available for people to get their hands on (like the suspect) and use as an excuse for reckless behavior. Tully and the suspect were hanging out in the same home (who the actual home belongs to isn’t clear) at the same time when she fell asleep. With his urge to hurt someone, he attacked her and after the murder he cut his wrists to cover up the crime as an attack of some sort. According to the victim’s uncle, Dave Tully, “We thought she had made the turn down the right path. We had a lot of hope for her.” She was supposedly just a few days away from turning 18. Poor girl…

These type of stories are just too sad to me. If you feel the need to hurt someone, why not just hurt yourself? To attack someone in their most vulnerable state and then run around blaming a fake black man for it is just absolutely horrendous. And when did people start thinking that making up an imaginary black boogie man was acceptable? From women who are trying to avoid marriage and responsibilities and cover their own crimes (“I was kidnapped by a black man, that’s why I’ve been gone all this time!” “A black man stole my car and took my child!”), to folks like the suspect, it’s just very pathetic at this point. I guess it’s very telling that these individuals know a lot of police will believe their stories because in their eyes, violent crimes by black men are common. That’s a pretty horrible way of thinking and is all WAY too common in this country.

I don’t care how old he is or what drugs he had in his system, but they need to prosecute this young man as an adult. And they need to do something with these people who have “Blame the black man” syndrome in general to send a message. Senseless crime. Sad excuses.

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A friend of mine often gets labeled a self-hating negro. He’s black, young, vocal about issues that need to change in the black community, and as you may have guessed from the title of this article, married to a white woman.

He’ll often rant about how ridiculous the assumption is and I tell him from the outside looking in, I can see how people would draw that conclusion. Yes, he does a lot of good things in the black community, but not everyone is aware of them. And when all you see is a black man with a white woman who exposes a lot of issues about his people, it tends to scream modern-day Uncle Tom.

I thought about his experience more as I read responses to Brian White’s recent comments on black women and stereotypes. While some were in agreement with his stance, the majority of those who didn’t argued that he has issues with black women, as evidenced by his non-black wife. While I wasn’t in agreement with Brian’s generalizations about what “the majority of black women” act like, the questioning of the legitimacy of his argument because of who he’s married to made me wonder whether your ability to speak out on issues in the black community is trumped when you date outside your race?

When it comes to Brian, I think the most damaging part of his interview was the wording. It’s evident he has an issue with how black women are portrayed on TV—as many black women do—but the problem is that he presented the portrayals as true-life representations, and seemed more interested in proving that point than suggesting ways to combat the stereotypes or identify the many women who don’t fit those images—besides Taraji or Gabrielle. There was certainly an underpinning of “my mom and sisters aren’t crazy but the rest of ya’ll black women are,” in his responses, but if he was married to a black woman would that change the message? Would it have been better received?

As more black women begin to date outside of their race, I wonder whether this type of “he’s got a white woman anyway” dismissal will come back to bite us. Will black women’s comments on the black community and black men come to be dismissed for self-hating because they’re romantic partner isn’t black? Is that a fair assumption?

In general we tend to look at black men dating outside of their race as a way to get away from black women and black women dating outside of their race because there are no decent black men left. Those are two very different reasons and ones that garner different reactions. We say “go girl, and forget black men” when it’s us dating interracially but we think, “black woman issues” when it’s a man doing the same thing and from that point on, they are severely limited in their ability to critique black people in general. Are black women headed down that same path?

I can admit I’ve been guilty of it. When I wrote an article about repairing relationships between black men and black women, one women went off terribly about black men and how they’ve mistreated her and aren’t worth much and when I saw her husband is white, I immediately disregarded her opinion. In that instance, I took her stance and her choice of a partner as evidence of her hatred for black men and proof that she couldn’t make a legitimate statement about them that wasn’t based in that disgust. More than being rubbed the wrong way, I thought, you’ve given up on black men anyway, why do you care about relationships between black men and black women?

It wasn’t a fair reaction but it’s one that’s typically put on black men and has the potential to come right back on us as we broaden our dating pool. It’s also something I’ve thought about personally. If I were to date outside my race would it be odd to be so down for my people yet not have one of my own on my side, but as things currently stand, it seems black women get a pass.

Does having a white woman automatically make you dismissive of black men’s criticisms about black women? Do you think black women will soon fall into that same group or do they have more freedom to be critical while dating interracially?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Even with the old school dookie braids and the VERY foul mouth in Menace II Society, Larenz Tate knows he was a cutie! And he’s been like that since he first stepped on the scene, showing up on our favorite shows like Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Rescue Me, as well as some of our favorite films: Love Jones, Crash, and Dead Presidents. Spitting smooth poetry, dancing and singing like Frankie Lymon and playing a ruthless killer, Tate has done it all over the years. However, the 36-year-old Chicago native doesn’t look a day over 25 (okay, maybe I’m exaggerating), and for that reason, along with his delicious smile, he’s our throwback arm candy for the day. Take a walk back down the hotness memory lane.

The lengths Laurie Ann Martinez went to to prove she was raped earlier this year are beyond me. Authorities say she split her own lip with a pin, scraped her knuckles with sandpaper, had her friend punch her in the face, ripped open her own blouse, wet her pants to give the appearance she had been knocked unconscious, and then blamed it all on the likely culprit, a black man. Why? To convince her husband they should move to a safer neighborhood.

The ploy didn’t work, though, and for two reasons. One, the couple filed for divorce six weeks after the April 10 incident, according to court records. Two, Martinez has been arrested and arraigned on two felony counts of conspiracy.

There is one glimmer of hope for the 36-year-old, she still has her job as a prison psychologist for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation “for the moment,” her lawyer, Michelle Spaulding said.

Martinez didn’t enter a plea before a Sacramento Superior Court judge Monday and she was released on a $50,000 bond, but I don’t suppose she should get too comfy. I doubt a jury will take her stunt lightly and it’s likely she will be the one undergoing a psych eval soon.

“If all you wanted to do is move, there’s other ways than staging a burglary and rape,” said Sacramento police Sgt. Andrew Pettit. “She went to great lengths to make this appear real.”

Martinez may get her wish to move afterall, it will just be behind bars. What do you think would be the appropriate punishment for Martinez?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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I remember when I first saw Shemar Moore. He was guest starring on an episode of Living Single as a classmate of Sinclair. I remember thinking then that he was tooooo cute, and as he has aged, Shemar’s managed to stay hot, barely looking a day over 35 (he’s 41). And he’s also awesome because he stars as Derek Morgan on the very awesome program, Criminal Minds. Many of our readers have been calling out for Shemar on our Facebook page, so here you go! And if you’re not already a fan, these photos just might make you one…

*Drools*

Tyson Beckford has pretty much been hot since birth. He literally jumped out the womb and struck a pose. Face it: the camera loves him, the runway was made for him, and to this day, women all over (including moi) smolder for the brother even at the ripe age of 40. Is it just me, or does he not look a day over 30? But anyway, I’ve been a fan of the model since he played Toni Braxton’s steamy boo in the “Unbreak My Heart” video (loved that song), and he’s like, number 10 on my everlasting list of imaginary Hollywood husbands. If he’s not a veteran on yours, then it’s time you get re-acquainted with his spice. Enjoy!

Well, that’s all folks. Michael Jackson has been dead since June 25, 2009, and after a media circus that has painted both the late singer and his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, as irresponsible and greedy folks, and a trial that didn’t get started until two years later, you can say that some form of justice has been served. Dr. Conrad Murray was just found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by a jury that deliberated for a total of nine hours over two days.

While Murray’s lawyers tried their damndest to make it seem that Jackson was under so much pressure to perform and do well, that he took sleep sedatives on his own and administered a dose of Propofol to himself when Dr. Murray stepped out of the room, it didn’t work. The jury found that no matter who gave him the final dose or how he got it in his system, Murray was responsible because he was suppose to keep an eye on Jackson, and by leaving him alone, he caused the singer’s death. Especially since it was reported by witnesses that Murray was on the phone “parlaying” while his client stopped breathing.

Dr. Conrad Murray is now possibly looking at a maximum of four years in prison or a minimum of probation and the loss of his medical license. His license has already been suspended in California, so that seems like the probable next step. Judge Michael Pastor has decided to keep Murray in custody for the time being until sentencing.

Not sure if I feel happy or sad.

Let me rephrase that actually: I’m very happy that this over-amplified case is over, but still sad that Michael Jackson is gone. I was and will always be a huge fan of the singer, so knowing the manner in which he lost his life and the plans he had before he passed, it’s all still somewhat upsetting. However, I might be one of the few folks out there that doesn’t think Murray should go to jail for this. Blame that man for his death if you want, but in reality, blame can go around and around and around, from the folks in his family to the people that were supposed to be on his “team.” Real talk, I had no idea that MJ was addicted to drugs until he died (he covered it well), but those around him knew: his friends, some in his family. Hell, even Lisa Marie Presley admitted that his addiction ended their relationship, an addiction she became aware of in 1995. If this is true, then we can all see that folks had YEARS to intervene. But here we are, and all it took was one seriously misguided doctor to decide to take a phone call for all the blame to be transferred to him.

So yes, Dr. Conrad Murray is a mess for being greedy enough to ignore the morals of his practice to make money. However, I don’t look at him, or hear the details of the case and think he truly meant to put the icon in a coffin. He just got played into feeding Jackson’s habit, and in the end, played himself. But in all honesty, he’s not the first physician to do so for the pop star, he’s just the first one to get caught. I say strip this man of his license, give him probation, let him walk the streets with an infamous name, and leave the mess at that. He is the official scapegoat for a lot of people, but does he deserve jail? If you ask me–nope. I think losing the right to practice, knowing what he did for the rest of his life, and knowing that so many people are disgusted by him is more than enough. Maybe this will teach other people in Hollywood to start stepping up for the sake of their sick family members instead of letting them do whatever and take whatever because they don’t want to get cut off from a share of money they don’t deserve (and that’s directed at you poppa Joe, Jermaine and La Toya…).

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Yummmm.

Okay, so I don’t know the words to one Tank song (maybe that “I Deserve” song, but just the chorus), so he will have to forgive me for that. But to be honest with you, I don’t go looking for Tank in the hopes of his new CD, a new video, a new song–none of that. I go looking for this fine chocolate man so that I can ogle his Google images. You feel me? Not that his voice doesn’t add to his whole package, but if he sang like Steve Urkel with a cold I would probably still be down. Now, I know my tastes are highly different than others (according to a MN ranter/meanie who wasn’t a fan of my Paul Walker nod last week), so while I’m a big fan of his looks, I’m wondering what you think? But be nice! Enjoy the goodies of almond brown here…so almond-y. (*wink*)

It’s always nice to read about when trifling people get in trouble for putting their foot in their mouth–especially corrupt police officers. Check out Michael Daragjati, 32, an eight-year veteran who is now facing civil rights charges for a stop-and-frisk arrest on a 31-year-old black man in Staten Island back in April. After the man complained about the stop and asked for his badge number, the officer wasn’t feeling that and decided to arrest him for resisting arrest.

Unfortunately for Officer Daragjati, he started running his mouth very fast. After having the man sit in jail for 36 hours, filling out a random report and going to court for the arrest, Officer Daragjati called up a female friend to brag about his deeds. The convo included the following ignorant mess, according to the New York Times:

“’I sat there for a couple of hours by the time I got it all done but, fried another N-Word,’ the officer says on a transcript provided by prosecutors. ‘What?’ The woman asks. Officer Daragjati uses the same phrase and then adds, ‘no big deal.’ The woman laughs.”

This phone call set Officer Daragjati up (not literally) to get charged with a misdemeanor civil rights violation that can get him a year in prison, or even a fine of up to $100,000. It has also come to light that Officer Daragjati lured an individual he thought to have stolen one of his snowplows (from a separate business he runs) to an open parking lot in Staten Island, where a group of men jumped the guy and threatened him with a gun. Officer Daragjati was later found showing off photos of the man’s injuries. AND homeboy also got caught and charged with insurance fraud for trying to get money to damage one of his own vehicles. So on top of civil rights charges, Officer Daragjati is looking at both extortion and insurance fraud, the latter two having more consequences than the first (up to 20 years in prison). And let’s be honest, we know this crooked cop isn’t going to receive any time for the false arrest, especially since this mess happens on the regular.

Have you ever been falsely arrested or stopped because of your skin color?

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