DarkStar Spouts Off

Black Stats

Just because someone elsewhere asked where I got the idea that Blacks have had some positive advancements in the past 40 years.

Poverty Rate

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/histpov/hstpov2.html

Blacks below the poverty level:
2005: 24.7%
1966: 41.8%
1959: 55.1%

Educational Attainment

http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-550.pdf

2005
High school +: 80%
Some college +: 44.7%
Bachelors +: 17.3 

http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/education/p20-158/tab-01.pdf

1966
High school graduate: 28.5%
4 years college: 2.3%
5 years+ college: 1.3%

My N****r History

Let me tell you about my history of using "nigger".

I first started using it because "everyone" was using it. When I used it in the house, I was told the word was not acceptable in the house or around my family. I was told the history of the word and then told I was not to use it at all because it was a curse word.

So, I  stopped using it in the house.

But around my friends, it flew as appropriate. I was young but I don't know how young. It was in elementary school, that much I know.

Years later, I'm in the high school cafeteria. "Tank" and I are playing The Dozens and we developed a crowd at the table we were sitting at. I'm on one side, Tank is on the other side, and a "circle" is forming on the sides of the table as we exchange snaps over each other's momma, clothes, and who is darker. It was that last series of exchanges that got the "crowd" roaring with laughter.

Later, at our lockers as we were ready to go to the next class, Johnny C. came up and said we shouldn't be telling jokes like were doing. He said we had to consider all of the white people who were around and how hard they were laughing at us. He said they weren't laughing at our jokes but at us. After all, Tank and I are both dark-skinned, yet we were joking about who was the darkest. Then he followed up with how he thought the jokes using "nigger" were really inappropriate. Just then a white classmate comes up and asks us why it is okay for us to call each other "nigger" but not him. Someone else replied that the white classmate has told us that he calls his sister horrible names but if we did it, there would be a fight. He understood, but at that point, "nigger" became a part of my history and I stopped using the word.

Last Comments on the Richards Mess

My last comments on the Richards mess:

• The men who were "insulted" and then decided to get the media whore lawyer woman to represent them to Richards, are p.a.b. for going for the money.
• Jesse Jackson, Sr., makes himself more marginalized by calling for a boycott of the Seinfeld DVD when he knows damn well the show wasn't high in Black viewing.

That is all.

Quick Points on Hastings

May I make some quick points on Hastings?

• He was impeached in Congress but found not guilty of the legal charges in court
• He was elected to the House of Representatives.
• From what I remember in Civics class, just because a person is elected to Congress, it doesn't mean the person has to be sworn in and seated. His impeachment wasn't cause for him not to be seated in the House of Representatives.
• He was a member of the Intelligence Committee. His impeachment didn't disallow him from being a member of that committee.

More Krammer and Jesse Jackson, Sr.

As I previously wrote, Seinfeld had Michael Richards apologize on air because the Seinfeld Season 7 DVD is on sale right now.

Richards apologizing on Jesse Jackson, Sr's radio program, which as far as I know, no one listens to, is nothing but an attempt to lessen the ramifications for Richards, and it provides Jesse face time that he needs as he has driven himself into more irrelevance.

In short, it means nothing. And, as far as I am concerned, I really don't care. Your mileage may vary.

NFL: Week 12

• OK, let's get the Thanksgiving Day games out of the way first: they stunk.
• Ravens: 27, Steelers: 0. What else is left to say? The Steelers are DONE. The defensive line kept pressure on Big Ben the entire game. This win was HUGE.
• Washington won. The season is over for them but I still want them to lose.
• Giants: How in the world do they go into the 4th quarter kicking the Titans butt, only to let the Titans score 24 points? How did the Giants blow that game? You think Tiki was upset before?

High School Reunion

Friday evening was the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute class of 1981 25th high school class reunion party. It was the first reunion I have attended. I wanted to attend the 20th reunion but I wasn't able to attend as something better was happening at the same time.

It was good to see the people who were there. It was also great to hear what many of the people were doing. At Poly, we were always told by teachers that we were the "cream of the crop" and we WOULD BE tomorrow's leaders. After 25 years, since graduating college and 20 or 21 years for many of us graduating undergrad, we are, indeed, "tomorrow's leaders", today.

What I found most interesting were the people who turned out to be clergy, including one who is a bishop.

I had a good time.

The Spirit of the Season, II

A friend of Mrs. D.S. called to give her "Black Friday" experience at Wal-Mart.

The line to get in was about 2 times the length of the store. Even so, it took only five minute to get into the store and to the bicycle area once they opened the door. By the time she got to the bicycle section, the bicycles were sold out.

She got other things and while waiting in a long line to check out, a woman approaches the woman in front of her and takes a box out of her arms. The woman who had the box snatched, 2 or 3 pieced the woman who snatched the box.

This happened in front of a guard.

The Spirit of the Season

I went to get my haircut today.

The barber doing my hair said he camped out last night to catch the early sales. This was the first time he did it and he said it will be the last. He stated it was the classic bait and switch. They advertised items that were in very limited supply to get you into the store, then they have you.

I left thinking what's next? Will they open stores at midnight?

You see it coming, don't you?

I'm listening to the radio and they have special traffic segments concentrating on the major malls in  the area. The announcer mentioned that at least 2 outlet malls in Maryland, one in Hagerstown and another on the Eastern Shore, had opened at midnight.

Why I Give Thanks

I give thanks, publicly, today but I do so occasionally and it should be always. I give thanks for:

• My family who raised me, guided me, prayed for me, and had faith, and continue to keep faith, in me.
• My friends who deal with me as I am.
• My daughter who I have enjoyed seeing grow up even if she still frustrates me at time.
• My son who I'm enjoying see grow up even if he is causing me broken sleep.
• My wife who is a great life partner.

Honor Student Flunking State Tests

This is a situation that I ran into when I was taking the SAT test.

Leaving the SAT, I saw a girl who I knew in junior high school. She was a smart girl. She was crying over her performance on the SAT saying that she never saw most of the material on the SAT before. Not only that but she was taking "advanced" courses in her senior high school. Meanwhile, I had taken much of the material since the 9th grade.

Why did I take that trip down memory lane?

Those Who Pass Classes But Fail Tests Cry Foul

Sylvia James hardly considers herself clueless in mathematics. After all, she finished sixth grade with a B-plus in the subject and made the Honor Roll, which she saw as a victory in a challenging year of fraction conversion and decimal placement.

But what happened when she took the state math test?

She flunked it.

Now, by that measure, Virginia considers the 12-year-old below par in math.

...

In Maryland, students starting with the Class of 2009 are required to pass state tests to earn a diploma. So Kennedy High compels students who failed a state test to stay after school for remediation twice a week. Virginia's tests have similar high stakes, so Herndon High students who fail their state tests must take classes titled "Developing Literacies" or "Expanding Literacies."

Some students placed in remediation appear more than eager to proclaim their academic credentials. During a recent catch-up math class at Saunders Middle School, seventh-grader Lexie Hunt wanted to share some good news with teacher Pamela Childress.

"Ms. Childress, I made Honor Roll!" Lexie said. "In this school, do they give out bumper stickers for that?"

That is just sad. Now, who is to blame?

Presidential Pardons

Every year the President pardons the turkeys and then donates them to a farm to live the rest of their lives.

Bump that!

I'd have those gobblers killed, cleaned, and cooked!

Bush Daughter Robbed

One of the Bush daughters were robbed in Argentina.

I bet you she dodged the Secret Service and later got her purse snatched.

Do you want to bet the detail protecting her will no longer have viable careers in the Secret Service?

Kramer Loses It

"Kramer" lost it while being heckled.

I surprised Mrs. D.S when I told her I can't get worked up about it and these events are tiring me out. With the knuckle head rappers flowing the "n-word" like pee after drinking 10 cups of coffee, I'm just losing the outrage.

Sorry.

What interests me is Jerry Seinfeld having him appear on one of the late night talk shows to apologize.

I think the main reason Jerry Seinfeld had him on the show is because they are making a push for holiday sales of the Seinfield Season 7 DVD.

If there is blow back from this, Seinfeld doesn't pocket as much money.

At least that's my thinking on it.

NFL: Week 11

This has to be quick. The DSL circuit drops and comes back randomly. But you don't care about that problem...

Ravens: Good win. They are now 8-2 and at the top of the conference. Again they had a problem coming out with no fire, but they won. In the second half they wore down Vick and company. Jamal Lewis rushed for 92(?) yards. I think that is proof that his best days are behind him. The second half really should be owned by him.

Washington: They lost another one and I'm happy. Their QB did a good job for his first NFL start. The NFC East is tight but Washington is out of the hunt.

Eagles: McNabb tore his ACL. They lost the game and their year is done.

Cowboys: They needed that win.

Ain't This Something

The absentee ballots are being counted and, of course, the numerical results of the election have changed.

It appears Robert Ehrlich (R), received 20-25% of the Black vote in Maryland. Michael Steele (R) received between 25-30% of the Black vote.

Note that when Ehrlich and Steele were elected as a team in 2002, Ehrlich received 9% of the Black vote.

More later...

Washington Post Black Man Series: Employment

The Washington Post has published two more pieces in their "Black Man" series.

On Friday, the Post published "A Chance To Get Into the Room".

On Sunday, the Post published "The Meaning of Work".

A quote of note from Friday's piece:

Ford is not aware of ever having lost a contract because of his race, but he is mindful of America's history of racial prejudice. If minority companies did not face discrimination, he said, there would not be federally funded set-aside programs. Enlightened participates in such a program administered by the Small Business Administration. The 8(a) program offers business-development assistance and the opportunity to compete for federal contracts that have been reserved for small firms owned by "socially and economically disadvantaged" people, those whose net worth is less than $250,000. Enlightened, which has been in the program since 2001, is certified to participate for four more years.

...

"If I get in the room," he says, "I'll show you what I can do. And I'm going to do whatever I can do to get in that room."

And from Sunday's piece:

Why does Chris Dansby not have a job?

What happened? What can he do about it? What did he do wrong?

...

A week later, at a Virginia Jiffy Lube that was a 43-minute subway ride from Ward 8, Chris began his new job. Eight dollars an hour, 40 hours a week, $16,640 a year. "Looks like it's gonna work out," he said.

That night, his girlfriend told him their relationship was over.

The next day, he moved in with his mother.

Two days later: "I don't know what happened. I haven't heard from him," said Wally Kenner, his boss at Jiffy Lube. "If he doesn't call me or show up tomorrow, we'll probably have to let him go.' "

The next day: "He no longer works here," Kenner said.

The next day: "I don't know, man. Stuff happens," Chris said, sitting in his mother's home, head down, lights off, voice barely audible, trying to explain.

"If I had the answer, I'd tell you, but I don't know," he said. "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know."

Read both pieces.

I Ain't Sayin', I'm Just Sayin'

I ain't sayin' anything 'bout no con-spear-ra-cee, I'm just sayin'.

Gas prices in my area have gone up about $0.06 since the election.

A Benchmark Of American Society

I saw this comment in another area of the Internet:

Some people have too much time on their hands, too much money and not nearly enough brains.

That is a problem with today's American society.

When you line up for days for a damn game, and are able to sell it for 2, 3, 4, or 5 times what you paid for it, if you want to sell it that is, that says something about our culture.

Comments Are Me

I make comments in a few of blogs that I find most interesting. Today I've decided to provide comments I made in Booker Rising in a Quote of the Day entry. I'm doing so because I think I wrote something of interest.

Cobb wrote:

LSB continues to get hate from blackfolks who feel that the only good politics that can come from blacks is one of positive images and other warm and fuzzies.

Mahndisa is your blog mate who has given strong opposition to LB. DCThorton or Scott Wickham, have also given her a hard time.

Everyone that hates Barber IS a crab. If there ever was an example of kill the messenger, this is it.

So, are the blog mates I've mentioned, crabs?

The condition of black Americans as a group, won't improve until a critical mass of that group understands and vocalizes the truth.

You are wrong.

One: It's often said that Blacks "say things in private" and my response is, if so many say it in private, then that is the vocalization that many claim they want.

Two: Vocalization doesn't mean squat if people aren't doing a damn thing besides vocalization. I've asked LB why no positive images of Blacks or, at least, showcasing individual Blacks or Black groups that are addressing problems in the Black community. She stated that is not the focus of her blog. That's a fair reply and one time she did provide a link to Black Self Help Information http://blackselfhelp.info in a blog entry.

Hell, even Tom Joyner and Tavis Smiley have show cased people or groups that are doing things to address issues. I have more respect for Woodson than I do of Elder. Woodson is a critic but he provides solutions and has hightlighted examples of those solutions.

As soon as you cut loose the group dynamic and focus on individuals, you'll end up agreeing with most of what Barber says, even though it comes in the wonder bread flavor.

Three: One of the glaring inconsistancies to me about so-called conservative individualism is the idea that people have to treat people as individuals, yet turn around and assign group responsibility and blame for the actions of the individuals.

All Barber's list of dysfunctions are basically economic indicators which skew bad if you look at race only

Yet when I write this, some of your CB blog mates, and you recently, said I was making excuses or putting my head in the sand.

Conservative ideology is just an ideology, it's not really a manner of living your life. If it were, the first thing conservatives would do is to admit certain "conservative ideas" are also held by others who aren't tagged as conservative. See Rev. Floyd Flake as an example.

I come back to what I've said for years: the "conservative" vs "liberal" wars are b.s. and it is something that Blacks can't afford to take part in

Time To Spank Timberlake

"What TIME IS IT?!?!?!?!?"

That was the call out from Morris Day and The Time.

Everyone knows that the early Time jams were written by Prince and performed by Prince and The Time.

While wasting time to get ready for the day, I read the 11/17 edition of the EUR and see this little bit:

TIMALAND FIRES BACK AT CRITICS:

"The set's first single, "Give it to Me" featuring Nelly Furtado
and Justin Timberlake, is already on radio. Internet gossip sites are
suggesting that Justin's verse is aimed directly at Janet Jackson over
the whole Super Bowl halftime debacle.

      Timberlake says in the song: "I saw you tryin' to act cute on TV,
'Just let me clear the air'/ We missed you on the charts last week/
Damn, that's right, you wasn't there/ Now if sexy never left, then why
is everybody on my sh**?/ Don't hate on me just because you didn't come
up with it."

      A source close to the record said that Timberlake's lyrics have
nothing to do with Ms. Jackson - but he is responding to another pop
artist who has seen career heights few other singers can boast, reports
MTV.

OK, Justin "The Punk" Timberlake is taking a shot a Prince who said in a concert in front of music people, "There's someone saying they are bringing sexy back. I think it never left." Of course Prince was referring to Timberlake, and referring to himself as being sexy and never leaving.

As a Prince fan, but no longer die hard fan, I'd have to say that "The Punk" is messing with the wrong person. I would love to see Prince light Timberlake up.

A Comment

He did it and he is trying to clear his conscience about it. It is eating him up.

I say he will die by his own hands.

Mentoring reduces suspension rates among blacks

Mentoring reduces suspension rates among blacks

Columbia -  Shane Brown didn’t think much of Youth Action Core, a mentor program for black boys at Atholton High School in Columbia.

But after he joined the group, the sophomore said, “it helped me to keep my head on straight and to stop messing with the girls.”

YAC began last year to help reduce the suspension rates among black boys at the school — and has accomplished that goal, said Principal Marcy Leonard.

In the 2004-05 school year, the suspension rate for all black students was 11.5 percent.

That dropped to 10.6 percent in the 2005-06 school year, according to statistics provided by the school system.

The program is having such a positive effect that plans are under way to start a similar one for black female students at the school, said Leonard.

More Steele Aftermath

More on the Michael Steele aftermath.

This time, it comes from Booker Rising, or more accurately, the Uncle of Shay from Booker Rising.

And here is my response:

1. Most registered voters in Baltimore City are white even though the population is 67% Black. Tell your uncle that or if he doesn't believe it, tell him to tune into WOLB where it is frequently mentioned or have him contact the Baltimore NAACP where they can tell him the numbers.

2. People voted for the Dems while Steele, at the end, wanted Black people to vote for him because of his race.

3. I'm not a fan of the local Black politicians because I think they give too much deference to the white Dem leaders, but ask him to do a count of Blacks in the state legislation.

In responding to a comment from Cobb:

Cobb wrote:

I should make it clear that when I invoke 'intelligence' questions, it's mostly directed at so-called 'independents' and 'progressives' who think it's better to pontificate from the sidelines than to be invested in the actions of either party.

Neither party is going to solve the problems of blackfolks or whitefolks in America, but political influence and power is political power. You only get that from being IN THE GAME.

So, I'm independent and take this as a personal slam. I'm going to gut you and roast you alive.

Here we go.

Bob Johnson, Black billionaire, two weeks ago was sitting with President Bush. When Clinton was in office, he was sitting with Clinton.

Johnson has given money to Dems and Repubs. What is his political affiliation?

Don King, supporter of Michael Steele, supports George Bush and McCain. It so happens that McCain is chair of a subcommittee that is/was looking at the possibility of regulating boxing.

Don King was hob knobbing with Dems when the Dems were in control, now plays Repubs. Will probably wind up playing Dems again.

Your intestines are done.

Finally, in response to Tyrone:

So I guess because of the color of my skin, the Democrat Party is suppose to own my vote.

Tyrone, you must admit this truth: The last weeks of Steele's campaign amounted to him asking Blacks to vote for him because he is Black.

Ooooo Baby Baby

Almost home from a weekend journey, the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles classic, Ooooo Baby Baby, came on.

Then THAT LINE came and I sang that one LINE with all of my heart:

Mistakes, I know I've made a few
But I am only human
You've made mistakes too, I'm crying...

OK, it's a few lines, but DANG!!!!!
CLASSIC!!!!