Confession: Believe it or not, the reality of America’s racist past didn’t become real to me until college. (Insert gasp!) And I live in Georgia. (Insert disbelief and head shake.) While I grew up knowing about Martin Luther King Jr.—as my elementary history books glossed over the depths of slavery and segregation in America and presented him as the great savior that made all people get along now—I didn’t know much else. Stories of Malcolm X, W.E.B., and others came across my eyes by way of my mother, but my shallow understanding of racism and my upper middle class status left me thinking racism was a thing of the past that had no real effect on the present or future. Yes, I was downright ignorant.

It wasn’t until I went to college and practically minored in African American Studies (Why didn’t my counselor tell me I was one class away from having that credential?) that I found myself in my dorm room crying as I viewed pictures of lynchings and read articles that addressed racism as an institution whose effects have been deep and wide. America’s veil was torn. I realized that by those stars and stripes, we were not healed. But I was also awakened to the legacies of brave souls like Ida B. Wells, Frederick Douglass, and the countless individuals whose stories haven’t been told but to whom we owe our current freedoms. I’d never been more excited about academia than I was then, because I was discovering my own past. And a sense of responsibility, dignity, pride, and accountability to my ancestors filled my heart. There’s something about knowing scores of individuals either had to fight for or never had the opportunities you currently have (and possibly squander) that inspires greatness.

Seeing Jackie Robinson’s life depicted in “42,” this past weekend did just that. Watching the Major League Baseball player turn the other cheek while being barraged with racial slurs, letting the example of Jesus instruct him in the face of persecution, was nothing short of inspiring. But I couldn’t help but leave the film wondering whether my generation is too far removed to be inspired by such a film. Do these films become mere one-time experiences that have us reflecting for roughly a week but then going on about our business as usual afterward?  I might sound like an old timer, but I think we’ve forgotten where we came from. And many young people have no real clue where that even is. We are growing up with a black president — dare we think we have arrived?

As I was also remembering MLK’s assassination on April 4, I couldn’t help but wonder how we’ve gone from a people who fought for our dignity and right to be educated — with our greatest threat coming from outside — to a people whose youth don’t see value in education or one other.  Of course this is a generalization of a people of great accomplishment, and I realize that the effects of racism still stain us and affect our betterment, but is our culture headed for doom? Are we stuck on N***a Island? If so, how did we get here and is there any hope for getting off?

While “42″ finds Dodgers’ president Branch Rickey quoting Bible scriptures left and right, what the film doesn’t highlight is that it was Jackie Robinson’s own faith that gave him courage, and it’s what truly made him great. Perhaps that element of our culture has been lost, and we need to get it back. While he is keenly aware that there are no quick fixes to the many issues that plague African Americans, Sho Baraka (an artist whose Talented Xth album draws from W.E.B. DuBois’ work on how black culture can be uplifted), believes the decreasing importance of the black church has played a role in our decline.  “I don’t believe the church is a important as it once was. Mainly because of the lack of a universal Black problem. Once Black people could comfortably live in suburbs with whites, their problems changed and we no longer have a common struggle.” Well, we know what Frederick Douglass had to say about that: “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

Am I saying we need to enter back into the chains of racial degradation? Heck no, we won’t go!  But perhaps we have forgotten the lines of those ol’ negro spirituals that sung of our Great Emancipator as we find ourselves floating in that vast ocean of material prosperity MLK spoke of — unaware that we are headed towards a fool’s paradise. And our youth are paying the price. We need to remind ourselves of the struggle and educate our young people on our history.  I don’t say that as a passing statement; I believe it plays an integral role in combating our current trajectory. We are as grateful for what we have today as we are cognizant of what we didn’t have the days before. We must remind them, because it will give them hope to become more. And we need them to have this hope because if “there ain’t no hope for our youth, then the truth is there ain’t hope for the future,” as 2pac so eloquently told us.  They need to know that while entertainment and athletics are worthy arenas to aspire to thrive in, they can be more than rappers and athletes. They can be leaders and role models.

Jackie Robinson breaking into major league baseball is much more than a story of athletic prowess. It is a story of claiming and maintaining one’s dignity and having the guts to fight not with carnal, but divine weaponry. We must embark on that same fight for our people’s dignity.  We owe it to those before us and behind us, and we owe it to ourselves. But most importantly, we owe it to the God who created us all equal.

Two weeks ago, we gave you all an exclusive on the fight that went down between Rashidah Ali and Raqi during the “Love & Hip-Hop” reunion taping in New York, and from the sounds of things there may be some unfinished business. Rashidah stopped by MadameNoire’s office to send a little message to Raqi, post-brawl, and she also gave her two cents on the likelihood of Yandy and Mendeecees’ relationship lasting — not much — as well as Joe and Tahiry’s. And she even told us a few details about her boo and their upcoming nuptials. Check out the interview now.

Source: WENN

I’d like to go on record as being curious to know whether men are aware that there are other ways to get out aggression besides hitting people in the face? Just when we thought Chris Brow had mellowed out enough to stop having tantrums as much as women have periods, news comes in that Breezy and his “crew” got into a fight with Frank Ocean and his people last night — and it was all over a parking space. The interesting news, though, may be that Frank and his people actually started the altercation, not Chris Brown, who at this point, this behavior is almost expected from.

According to early details from TMZ, the fight broke out at Westlake Studio in L.A. where Chris Brown was listening to one of the artists he represents. Supposedly, as he went to leave, Frank Ocean and his crew blocked him from leaving, with Frank telling Breezy, “This is my studio, this is my parking spot.”

At this point, Chris reportedly went to shake Frank’s hand and that’s when one of Frank’s boys attacked Chris. Naturally, one of Chris’s people jumped in and hit Frank’s friend and that’s when the all out brawl ensued. According to Chris’s sources, Frank tried to come at him, but Breezy pushed him away, causing them to fight. When police came though, Frank, who was the only one who stuck around to speak with the cops, told officers Chris was the one who punched him.

Authorities are reportedly looking at Frank as the “victim” since he stuck around to speak with officers, but no arrests were made and supposedly no one is interested in pressing charges. I can’t help but wonder if that will change based on these tweets Frank sent out last night:

Bless these childish men’s hearts.

Source: Hello Beautiful

In case you were in need of a dose of ratchet to help you to make it through the remainder of this lovely Friday afternoon, we have just the thing for you.

We just received word that Keyshia Cole’s mother Frankie and Lil Scrappy’s mother Momma Dee recently appeared on Ryan Cameron’s Morning Show on V-103. It seems that Momma Dee was there promoting Lil Scrappy’s birthday party at Magic City when the two reality television mothers got into a “physical altercation”.

One of the show’s hosts jokingly suggested that Momma Dee and Frankie team up to host an upcoming Keith Sweat concert together, which is when Frankie jumped in Momma Dee’s face and accused her of always being late.

Momma Dee then, put down her pocketbook, took off her earrings and proceeded to “put them paws” on Frankie. The women then began wrestling, rolling around on the studio’s floor and sofa, fighting one another and giving the radio hosts a show.

“Momma and Frankie are rumbling in the studio and we are not lying,” Egypt informed her audience.

“Of all days for the stream not to be working, Egypt,” Ryan Cameron added.

Now I must warn you, they were only joking around, but it is some sight to see two women past the age of forty wrestling and play-fighting.

Check out footage of the “cat fight” below. 

Isn’t this one of the most ratchet things you’ve ever seen? Someone please call Scrappy and Keyshia and tell them that their mamas are wilding out in public again.

I have to admit though, now that we’ve witnessed Momma Dee interact with both Frankie and Jim Jones’ mom Nancy, I am a bit curious to see what would happen if someone put the three of them in a room together.

What do you make of this crazy video?

Jazmine Denise is a news writer for Madame Noire. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

Source: WENN

Any awkwardness that occurred at your Thanksgiving dinner table likely had nothing on what went down at Halle Berry’s LA home yesterday. In one of the worst celebrity Holiday custody exchanges ever, Halle Berry’s fiance, Olivier Martinez, 46, and the father of her child,36-year-old Gabriel Aubry, ended up in the ER after they got into a Thanksgiving tussle at her home. Gabriel was subsequently arrested and booked in jail, and I’m going to assume when all was said and done nobody had any Turkey.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Gabriel showed up to Halle’s house with Nahla for a custodial hand-off. We’re told Gabriel was still in the motor court (a rich person’s word for a giant driveway) when Olivier walked up to him and said, “We have to move on.”

According to witnesses, Gabriel then pushed Olivier and threw a punch at his face, but Olivier blocked it and the punch struck him in the shoulder instead. We’re told Gabriel then pushed Olivier to the ground, and Olivier cold-cocked him in the face, and a struggle ensued, ending with Olivier pinning Gabriel to the ground.

In the struggle, Gabriel suffered a broken rib, contusions on his face, and possibly a more serious head injury. Olivier may have broken his hand and suffered neck injuries as well. There are conflicting accounts as to whether Gabriel was rendered unconscious in the fight.

Police were called and Olivier made a citizen’s arrest for battery against Gabriel. Gabriel was escorted to the ER and, ironically, Olivier went to the same ER an hour later. The two were just down the hall from each other.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … a judge has issued an emergency protective order, which requires Gabriel to stay 100 yards away from Halle, Olivier, and Nahla.

Am I wrong for thinking, Gabriel, that’s what you get for trying to roll up on somebody for a Turkey Day beatdown?

According to TMZ’s timeline, at around 3:30 pm PST, Gabriel and Olivier were released from the hospital. Gabriel was taken into custody, while Olivier went back to Halle’s. Two hours later, Gabriel was booked for misdemeanor battery and his bail was set at $20,000. Apparently he had it because just one hour after that he was released from custody.

I have no idea how this whole situation is going to be explained, but the good thing is, sources told TMZ that Halle rushed Nahla inside the house when her dad and soon-to-be step-father starting going at it. I’m pretty sure the Berry thanksgiving was still horribly ruined but at least the little girl didn’t witness any of the brutality. At this point I’m still shaking my head at two grown a** men going at it in the driveway. Celebrities are not immune to family foolery on holidays.

Shutterstock

Subtract the recreational drug use and manic, extreme decision-making and I know what it is to find love in a hopeless place. I met someone in the least attractive of ways, all signs said “NO!” Every angel guarding me tried to pull me away, but I allowed “lonely” to lead me to him. I filled my days and nights with him. Great conversation and intense physical attraction. Nothing but us. He adored everything about me, or so he said. How could something so wrong, feel so amazing? I was flying high, with a small storm cloud looming in the distance. But hey, it was in the distance so I willed myself not to worry about it right now.

He feigned interest in my faith and my concern for my health, but tried to feed me propaganda excluding the God I believe in and tried to push me into getting on birth control so he wouldn’t have to use a condom. Condoms “don’t be hittin’ right” as he so eloquently put it. He said he loved me just the way I was, but I noticed a pattern of the smallest, negative jabs he would throw whenever I refused to give in to his opinion on any given topic. “You’re stuck up,” “You probably wouldn’t support your husband,” “I misjudged how fragile your feelings are.” He found ways to belittle me whenever I stood up for myself and in my silly attempt to not seem so ‘fragile’ I just took it.

It was a constant tug-of-war. Was I going to make bad decision after bad decision, disfiguring my self-esteem and worth just to keep him in my life? Or was I going to lay my armor down and walk away? I had never had a man so blatantly play such mind games, disregarding my values and vulnerability in all my years of dating. I had walked away from him before so surely I could do it again and this time for good.

What many of us fail to realize in these sideways relationships is that it very rarely gets better. He told me once that just because he may have felt badly about the way he treated women in the past, it didn’t mean it changed his behavior for the better. That woke me up. A light bulb turned on and kept me awake. If he arrogantly acknowledged that he has been horrible to women in relationships but his behavior hasn’t/won’t changed, then what the HELL was I still doing there? Where did I lose my mind in thinking I needed this guy? I had enough. I told him exactly what I thought of him and where he could go. I took back what I never should have given away in the first place. The war was over. He could keep texting, telling me how wrong I was and how I had given up on us. He could keep trying to engage, but you can’t fight someone who steps out of the ring. He wasn’t worth it.

It’s easy to get caught up if you allow a moment of “lonely” to overwhelm you. You start fighting for something that never even proved its value to you. I used to judge women who kept sticking around the same manipulative, no good men. That is until I looked up and realized that I had become one of them.

We fail ourselves by confusing the fool’s gold shimmer of lust and a good time for something real. We find ourselves battling to keep our footing with a manipulator because they always come in an attractive package. And even though everything within us is screaming “DANGER!” we still step forward like moths to a flame, thinking that maybe this time will be different. What we must understand – man or woman – is that WE must hold ourselves in higher regard than to willingly become guinea pigs, testing to see if a cheater, liar, and manipulator has changed. If we can’t clearly see the change before we get involved, it has not happened and we are foolish to believe otherwise. Love doesn’t break down, it builds up. It restores. It heals.

He only went as far as I allowed him to go in my lapse of good sense. I can recognize, adjust and move forward now. I only fight when it’s worth it and the war is over.

Image: Rick Ross at SXSW earlier this year. Image: Wenn

Surprise, surprise there was an altercation at the BET Hip Hop Awards on Saturday. Make that two altercations, one backstage and one in the parking lot. Classy. The current tally of involved parties includes: Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, G-Unit security, and some guy named Gunplay (yes, Gunplay). At this point, the channel might as well add one of those weigh-in press conferences to the pre-show festivities.

As news of the confrontations reached the masses, the network issued a statement:

For the past 7 years BET has celebrated the true art form of Hip Hop. Due to some misjudgment of select attendees, it is unfortunate that certain incidents took place. BET Networks does not condone any type of violence.

What BET really meant was that while they condone violence in the music, videos, and brands that they honor, don’t bring it to their event. It’s nonsensical for the network to think they can separate the two.

Business is not exempt from the laws of karma. Karma literally means “action.” It is a Hindu and Buddhist principle stating that the sum of a person’s actions decides their fate. Put simply, you get back what you put out.

When applied to the business world, the laws of karma demand that the energy around the product or service you promote comes back on the brand. If your product promotes positivity, your company will attract positive customers, employees, and partners. If your brand promotes ego-driven male posturing that revels in violence, you get a fight at every award show.

Companies and business schools are paying closer attention to the energy they put out as highlighted in BusinessWeek’s Karma Capitalism.

The seemingly ethereal worldview that’s reflected in Indian philosophy is surprisingly well attuned to the down-to-earth needs of companies trying to survive in an increasingly global, interconnected business ecosystem.

…”You are the architect of your misfortune,” [Swami Parthasarathy, one of India's best-selling authors on Vedanta, an ancient school of Hindu philosophy] said [during an auditorium lecture at Lehman Brothers]. “You are the architect of your fortune.”

When anything involving hip hop is discussed, Jay-Z is never far from the conversation. The mogul was no where near the award show, performing at the freshly minted Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets in which he owns a minority stake. As social media reacted to the news, many stated that rappers should pay closer attention to how Jay-Z handles himself. He may have had skirmishes early in his career, but since he’s become a businessman, he has reached Huxtable levels of polish.

I don’t subscribe to the school of thought that every rapper needs to aspire to be Jay-Z. Nor do the Hip Hop Awards need to look like an Oprah Winfrey production. However, companies and artists alike need to recognize that the opportunities available to them reflect the energy they put out. A short temper and a penchant for violence may be hot in the streets, but it’s not what stable sponsors or partners are looking for. If you lead a hood lifestyle expect hood money, which, while plentiful, is temporary.

C. Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City, perfecting living the fierce life at The Red Read. She is at your service on Twitter @CleveInTheCity.

thisisrnb.com

You know what’s cornier than hip-hop beef? R&B beef. I don’t think there’s anything cornier than when singers are beefing about something dumb like who has the better love song or who has the better falsetto. Some say women are catty but I’ll have you know that almost every case of R&B “beef” over the last few years have been between men. Take a look…

Read the rest of this entry »

Source: zimbio.com

Don’t we keep saying you can’t just walk around smacking/punching/slapping people without consequence? Selita Ebanks is just now learning that delayed lesson after Telemundo model Liza Irizarry, 34, filed a lawsuit against the Victoria’s Secret model for breaking her nose during a Miami fight last year.

If you remember in November, Selita reportedly flipped out on Liza for speaking to Terrence J when they were out at Dream nightclub. Liza supposedly just said “hello” to Terrence and gave him a kiss on the cheek but that kiss earned her a broken nose when Selita, who was standing behind Terrence, supposedly yelled out “Don’t be kissing on my man!” and instantly swung her fist at Liza’s face. The blow broke Liza’s nose and the following Monday she told the Daily News:

“I was in so much pain. My pillow was covered in blood.”

Now Liza wants some compensation for that pain and suffering. NY Daily News is reporting that a suit will be filed for assault and battery in Hudson County Superior Court, near Selita’s New Jersey home, seeking cash for pain, suffering, and medical bills. Liza filed a police report immediately following the incident last fall but Selita was never arrested or charged with anything, now she and her lawyer, Edward Steinberg, want to make her pay. He told the Daily News:

“We hope that with an action like this, Miss Ebanks will no longer attack or assault anyone. We think this is a very simple case of assault and battery by a woman, who maybe used her status and stature to feel like she could get away with something.”

I wonder if she can smile her way out of this. What do you think?

Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.

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Source: Hiphopwired.com

This situation is the reason why people want shows like “Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta” off the air because I’m pretty sure the supposed fan who attacked Joseline last night got caught up in the hype and thought she would get her 15 minutes of fame by being reckless with the reality star

Apparently Joseline was out and about in an ATL club when two viewers approached her to ask her questions about the baby she announced she’s expecting on the reality show. Not wanting to talk about her personal life unless cameras are rolling, Joseline ignored the girls and the next thing you know, she was headed to the car with a bloody face. So what happened in the interim? Surprisingly, the friend of the woman who hit her had no problem telling Freddy O exactly what she did. Here’s what she said:

“This is some bull….I am so tired of telling people what happened…My friend asked her ‘Joseline, why would you get rid of the baby her and Stevie J had made’…She then brushed my friend off so my friend hit her. I mean, you can’t just brush people off in the club and think it’s cool. Now she’s telling people that my friend hit her with a bottle and that’s not true.”

Um, you actually can brush people off in the club and not expect to be attacked. Women do it all the time. I’m sure their egos were bruised and yes Joseline has unnecessarily aired all of her dirty laundry on TV—right down to a public bathroom stall pregnancy test scene—however, what made them think she was just going to stand there and chop it up about her personal life with two strangers, especially the way that came at her?

I really hope these women were either experiencing liquor courage or thought they were at tryouts for next season of the show because you cannot just walk around fighting people because they ignore you. This is real life, not a scripted “reality” show. On another note, I think Joseline is getting a lot more than she bargained for out of her appearance on this show.

Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.

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