America is Me, America is NOT Me

America is Me, America is NOT Me

 

America is Me

The hope, the promise

That withered on the backbones

Of relatives that stitched

the (red) blood and blues

spewed from black dreams

on the stripes of the American flag.

America is Not Me

Our founding fathers

built a country on morals

That once deferred dreams through

Slavery and assassinations.

Gunning down black thoughts

Like runaways.

Yet still…

America is Me

The (new) hope, the promise

that lingers on the transgressions

of a new generations belief

In politics and not the politics of color

Or (the) color of an American citizen

Change? Yes we can

Because…

America is Not me

As it currently stands, until

we no longer minimize the values

of our fellow American citizens.

Whose burdens are entangled

In the same star spangled banner

that we all pledge allegiance too.

For…

America is me, America is NOT me

Her thorns, ever so prickly, as i peel off the,

She love me, she loves me not petals

from Americas rose. The same rose

that once grew Tupac from concrete

yet gunned him down w/o justice

America is me, America is not me

-Righteous Teacher

May 12th 2009: For Javon Jackson…(A tribute To Langston Hughes)

May 12^th 2009: For  Javon Jackson…(A tribute To Langston Hughes)

What Happens To a Dream Deferred?

A shot of cold news from Buffalo:

April showers…death May flower.

But it wasn’t on the forecast.

Graduation was only mere hours before.

What Happens To a Dream Deferred?

A sense of accomplishment. College Degree,

Twenty-Three. From the projects. Black

Hood on his back, finding success around the corner

Instead of standing on the corner

Until lighting strikes.

How could you Jack Son’s Life?

Let Nature Runs its Corpse

What Happens To a Dream Deferred?

No Drawbacks…Except by three gunmen.

Raise the heat index one to two bullets

APB!!!…APB!!!All Points Bulletin

Graduate Gunned Down Day of Graduation

With Langston Hughe ambitions…

What Happens To a Dream Deferred?

No Flash Flood Warnings…

How do I Weather This Storm?

Winter’s advisor’s grasps my attention

Cold chills marinate within my soul.

AFriend less whether related or not.

A Mother’s Day to forget or remember?

A lost Son. My Son. My Homie

What Happens To a Dream Deferred?

 

I’m Sorry Ms. Jackson… I am Fo’ Real

How can you Jack Son’s Life?

Won’t Humanity penetrate through the dense fog

of absent minds and clouded judgments?

 

What Happens To a Dream Deferred?

And The Javon Jackson’s lost in lifes Storms?

What will shine through the rain/pain…and remain?

Does the rainbow signify hope from the promise of past dreams deferred?

Indigo residue brightens my conscious.

Those colorful dreams….will remain vivid and alive

Defer them to me….

Adidas Tries to Get a Kick Out of Slavery

Tasteless. If their ever was a word to describe thoughts on the Adidas JS Roundhouse Mids it is tasteless.  Sneaker companies have been targeting urban youth for the longest with relentless ad campaigns. Urban communities support sneaker giants despite their often unaffordable prices. But how far is too far? When a company decides to evoke inspiration (intentional or unintentional) from the degradation of slavery.  The tagline even reads: “Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?”

Since the photo of the sneakers went viral, social backlash has been relentless. The sneakers  features  orange shackels. The urban community has spoken out with their displeasure. The hip hop community has also voiced complaints including Taleb Kwel (below)

“WTF @adidas sneakers with SHACKLES? Which morons approved these? Do better. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2160977/Adidas-unveiling-new-trainer-orange-shackles-like-worn-black-slaves.html,” he tweeted June 18th.

“@NickNoir @adidas the sneakers are historically ignorant. Are their more offensive things in the world? Certainly”

“@NickNoir @adidas aggressively markets to urban. They should know better & be more sensitive. So should the artist. Wack.”

“@Laxincat11 news flash. ALL should be offended by insensitivity to the slave trade, white OR black slave trade.”

“@Laxincat11 newsflash- African slave trade built America & blacks twice as unemployed as whites today. Remove your head from your a**” (Talib Kweli’s Twitter)

Adidas at first defended their new sneakers but have since changed course and canceled its August 2012 release date.  Adidas claims in a statement, “We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace.”

To Read more..

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/adidas-pulls-shackle-shoe-outcry-racism-article-1.1098306#ixzz1yFaOYahp

Green Logo (Panel Discussion June 28th)

Green Logo

Record Label Logos

Which record Label has your all time favorite logo?

Comment below or reply to jcharmz87@gmail.com

Hip Hop & It’s Influence on the Urban Community Panel Discussion June 28th

 

Another 2012 OCFS Enlightening Your Present to Empower Your Future Speaker Series Event: Hip Hop & It’s Influence on the Urban Community, June 28th 2012.

Hip Hop Logo

more information coming soon