Slave Catcher of the Week: Marcus Carter, Black Man Handing Out "Whites Only" College Scholarships

Before we meet this weeks award recipient, allow me to highlight a court ruling in Michigan yesterday that I'm sure in months to come will be heavily debated. The following story involves Affirmative Action and college admissions; which is tied to this weeks slave catcher award honoree:

Michigan's ban on considering race and gender in college admissions was struck down Friday by a federal appeals court, which ruled that the voter-approved law burdens minorities and is unconstitutional.

The 2-1 decision overturns Proposal 2, a law passed in 2006 that prohibits the state's public universities from giving "preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin."

The measure, which passed with 58% of the vote, forced the University of Michigan and other state schools to change their policies on admissions. The three-judge panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

The court took issue with the manner in which the ban was enacted. Because the law amended the state's constitution, only another statewide vote could change it. This created a significant obstacle for minorities who objected to the law to overcome, ruled Judges R. Guy Cole Jr. and Martha Craig Daughtrey.

"Proposal 2 reorders the political process in Michigan to place special burdens on minority interests," they said.

[...] Mark Fancher, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which was part of a coalition that challenged the law, said the ruling would provide equal opportunity within the admissions process.

"It reopens the opportunity for minorities to not only be heard by university administrators, but have an expectation that if they can persuade the administrators that there is validity in considering their racial identity, that the university can actually act," he said.

Michigan Atty. Gen. Bill Schuette said he planned to appeal the ruling by requesting a rehearing with the entire 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. The law will remain in place pending a final decision.

The law "embodies the fundamental premise of what America is all about: equal opportunity under the law," Schuette said in a statement. "Entrance to our great universities must be based upon merit, and I will continue the fight for equality, fairness and rule of law." (source)

Oh yeah, there's that dreaded word again: merit. Funny how that word is always brought up within debates on Affirmative Action. But sadly, it's overlooked when it comes to the children of wealthy alumni donors.

Yep, merit automatically assumes that there's no way anyone represented as a minority admitted, isn't qualified; and obviously, said unqualified semi-illiterate-minority, takes away the opportunity for educational advancement for any obviously qualified person from the dominant culture.

Yep, that's the argument.

Which brings us to this weeks slave catcher: Marcus Carter. Marcus who is Black, is the vice president of the Former Majority Association for Equality, an organization that awards college scholarships exclusively to white men:


Now look, I have no problem with white men getting scholarships exclusively. I mean hell, what's wrong with making the assertion and execution white privilege official, right? However, something just ain't right with a Black man the vice president of, an organization who sees themselves as a "former" majority, now turned minority.

Nothing against white men; seriously, some of my good friends are white men. Hard to believe, I know, but it's true. But this is what baffles me: when the hell did you guys become a minority? No seriously, you guys had a significant head start in this vast land of freedom and opportunity that is America, what happened? Are youse guys that starved for some oppression in your lives? Do you think this makes us even?

I've given this award to many people for the last 3yrs, but Marcus has to be the most deserving. I know, that's hard to believe given the actions of the many slave catchers before him. And as painful as it is to give it to this obviously misguided 27-year-old Black man who has never seen any oppression (?).  Award him I must. His actions folks as small as it may seem to some, is right up there with maybe the chopping off of Kunta Kinte's feet.

I'm sure Marcus feels that he's doing the right thing. Helping the less fortunate is never bad. However, being a minority and being pimped assisting a group who falsely claims minority status, is slave catcher behavior. One has to wonder whether Marcus would donate his time, money, and energy to the United Negro Scholarship Fund as he does to his old army buddy. Though I don't know him, my guess is resounding hell no.

Somewhere, there's a dead slave who wasn't allowed to learn to read crying.

SURPRISE!!: Black College Grads Struggle to Find Employment in Today's Economy

I've been communicating with the good folks at the Center for Community Alternatives via one of the producers at National Geographic Television, on the results of a recent study, which investigates the impact criminal background checks have on minority college applicants. I bet you can guess how that turns out, right?

More to come after I secure an interview with the Executive Director of the program. However, somewhat ironic considering my interview and subsequent piece involves pre-college minority youth, is the following from my people over at colorlines.com, which discusses life for minority college grads post-graduation.

A Generation of Black Youth is Losing its Future in the Jobs Crisis:


Recently, in speaking with my man Folk, who contributes to this site and blogs at Black Folks Don't Swim, he said something interesting that rings true today more than ever. He said that the only way black folks can make it and remain competitive in the job market, is to continually educate ourselves in our fields of expertise.

My man was right, and given our dismal economy, I'm willing to bet that many are doing just that in an effort to remain competitive in an already gnat-booty tight job market given today's economy. It's bad enough that "regular" folks are having a hard time finding employment. Add to that the countless numbers of black grads.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, from July 2007 through 2010, blacks between the ages of 16-24, the unemployment rate has been 33.4 percent. And Naima Ramos-Chapman's article at colorlines had this and much more to say about the plight of unemployed youth in this the worst modern economic downturn:

Black youth have the highest jobless rate among all races and ethnicities, and that rate is still rising. In the past year, while other youth jobless rates have flat-lined, blacks and Asians have continued to trend upward. And existing racial disparities have widened across the board since the recession began. As of July 2010, while white youth unemployment rate was 16.2 percent, the jobless rates for black youth was double: A whopping 33.4 percent.

Many things drive that alarming statistic. There’s the fact that African Americans as a whole are feeling the brunt of the recession more severely than other demographics. And then there’s the long list of other inequities that black youth face and that, in turn, make employment more difficult even in a good market: the high drop out rates and the uniquely aggressive policing of black neighborhoods, to name two.

But employment opportunities appear to be sparse even for black youth who have what it should take to get a foot in the door. Among youth with bachelor’s degrees, the 2:1 gap between the black and white unemployment rates remains the same. Algernon Austin of the Economic Policy Institute explains:

For the first half of this year, blacks who are under 25 who have a college degree have an unemployment rate of 15.4 percent; whites in that same group have unemployment of 7.9 percent. We are seeing basically a 2:1 disparity. Recent black college grads … have the highest rate of high student loan debt. So that’s another way blacks, even young black college grads, are being hit from both sides. They are less likely to get a job and more likely to have a debt load.

I spent the fall speaking with my jobless peers at job fairs and, as is plain in the video above, frustration with these realities is becoming a definitive part of our generational experience. Austin warns it also will impact generations above and below us, as our dependence lessens our parents’ wealth and our debt sets our children behind.  “The debt is negative wealth so they are starting off well behind,” says Austin of the jobless college grads. “It’s another real problem facing blacks, and blacks whom people may assume—because they have a college degree—are doing well.”

That’s likely to make a bad thing worse. When the recession began, black families held a dime of wealth for every dollar held by white families; Latino families had 12 cents of wealth compared to that dollar.

Higher educational attainment is too often conflated with middle class status. Although this may be the case for those who can afford to put their children through college, it often cannot be said of many black college students. (source: colorlines)

My oldest daughter is in her last year of high school, and will be going to college next year. She will be closely followed along the college path by the second oldest the following year. My youngest brother who currently attends North Carolina A&T, will be graduating next year, as will my sister-in-law from Tennessee State. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that my one and only sister (the baby of the family) is a freshman at Rutgers.

I don't know about your family, but to me and mine, this is a pretty important yet dire forecast for our youth. The good news is that through the efforts of the Obama administration, steps have been taken to make college more affordable - something that will positively impact minority you from lower-income families. The trick now, is in getting our economy back on track, so minority youth can at least see light at the end of the tunnel.

Seriously, having a college degree and $50,000 in debt while working at a call-center doesn't cut it. Yes education is and always will be the great equalizer for people of color; and I wouldn't dare suggest differently. But one has to wonder just how long must we suffer even as we attempt to make significant advances for ourselves. Oh well, so much for that "merit argument" often used in defiance of Affirmative Action policies.

Bitch is NOT the New Black: Are You Really Lowering Your Standards or Becoming Reasonable?

Over at Racialicious they've been discussing Helena Andrews' book "Bitch Is the New Black" via a piece at the Washington Post that once again seeks to figure out why black women are single and apparently lonely.

Andrews and others go on about their misfortune with dating (what I gather to be black men) in the DC area:

Andrews writes about what it is like for a young, black woman dating in D.C., trying to find a mate who seems ever elusive. The futile rituals are familiar: the dressing up, the eager cab ride over to the party, the hold-your-breath as you walk in, scanning the room quickly for any looks returned. The mantra sounding in the back of your head: "So-and-so found a man last year at a party like this. Maybe tonight is my night." Then one by one, the men prove to be disappointments and disappointing: married, uninteresting or uninterested.

The disappointment as you end up at the bar once again, committing straw violence in your drink (stirring the drink frantically and unconsciously).

Andrews writes the truth of those nights. The truth is for too many, they never work out. Not for Andrews and not for her friend, Gina, who is a prominent character in her life and in the book.

You know I get tired of reading about how single black women are and how lonely and basically unloved we are if we are "successful" (more on that later).

Why do women lie about rape?

Well, well, well, looks like Tawana Brawley has grown up and done well for herself. She's at Hofstra now? I wonder if she's gonna get a Ph.D like Roxanne Shante? I bet Rev. Al Sharpton is so proud of her. Ok no, Tawana Brawley is not at Hofstra, and I don't know if she's lied about being raped lately, but I know Danmell Ndoye did this week at Hofstra University. According to her, she had been tied up and gang rapped by five young men in a campus dorm bathroom. This was last weekend, but we now know that this was all a lie, and four suspects (who were all minorities) have since been released from police custody. Dang, I wonder if she went as far as to carve a backwards "B" on her face.

Jokes aside, rape is a very serious crime and is not to be taken lightly. Possibly worse than being a female rape victim, is being one who lies about it. Well in this case, the alleged "gang rape" turned out to be a consensual gang bang, or "train" as us guys used to call it back in the day. Oh how times have changed. Luckily for the accused, they had technology on their side as one of them taped this act with a cell phone camera. When Ms. Ndoye was confronted by the police after displaying inconsistencies that there was a possible tape she then fessed up and said that the sexual encounter was consensual. Now I can understand a female being embarrassed after putting herself into a situation like that; I've been to college before, and I've been witness to shit like this. But to cry rape is foul, and I think it's sad that her only punishment was to be suspended from school. Clearly this young lady is troubled and needs help, but I think that a charge for filing a false report is in order here. But then again I could be wrong about that.

When I was in college I had one of my friends go to prison for rape after his then "girlfriend" claimed that he violated her sexually. His girlfriend with whom I too had a friendship (actually, her and I were friends well before him and I were.), wasn't disturbed or troubled and was quite normal. But as is the case with rape, it's one person’s story versus another’s where often there are no witnesses. In the case of my dude, he had been seeing this young lady for some time but they never had sex because she was a devout Christian. From what I gathered from both of them prior to the "incident", they came close to crossing that line several times, but just never did. After returning from an on campus party (which was one of the best ever that I attended) at his apartment she decided to spend the night. Well, one thing lead to another and they had sex after they had both been drinking.

The very next day things became weird between them. They were still together and in the company of each other but one could sense that something was wrong. In subsequent days and separate conversations with both of them (instigated by them and not me) they each revealed that they had done the damn thing. Evidently she was a bit bothered by the fact that she was no longer a virgin as she had intended to be on her wedding night and she pressed charges. I wasn't there, and I don't know what transpired other than what both of them told me. And I'll be honest, even as one who advocates for rape victims, this did not sound like rape in the traditional "he didn't stop when I said no," sense. Facing a long prison sentence and being a poor Black kid in college, my dude decided to cop a plea and do four years in prison rather than take it to trial.

To this day it's still my belief that my dude didn't rape that young lady. Yes, and I'm sure to some of you women reading this that last line is pretty typical coming from a man. I understand, in our culture it's easy to blame the victim and some of you chalk it up as the patriarchy as usual. Well, I happen to agree with you on that as it does happen very often. But at the same time, let's not pretend that there are not women who cry wolf among us; women who lie and cry rape for any one of various reasons. Now don't get me twisted, the women who do this may very well be a minority in relation to the many women who have been sexually assaulted and abused. As a matter of fact, there is no statistical data to back up that claim outside of the stories in the news like the Hofstra, Duke Lacrosse case, Ben Roethlisberger, or even Kobe Bryant case.

But, in a culture where women often are afraid to even report rape and other abuses from men (oh yeah, I heard rape is even a bigger unreported issue within the lesbian culture), I think women should be equally enraged and hold women like Danmell Ndoye to account. Yes, and people calling her a "hoe" as they've been is not the way to do it. But like I said, this is the culture within which we live; she's a hoe and the brothers who ran the train on her would be heroes even if she never cried rape. Yep, and fellas, let this be a teachable moment, please? Always pack a video camera to your jumpoff. Yeah, do like they do in porn flicks and do an interview and be sure to get her age before the clothes come off. I'm sure my man Mystikal who's currently sitting in a federal prison would agree with me. At the end of the day, can anyone of you tell me why women lie about rape or being sexually assaulted?

UPDATE (2:00 PM): One of my homies on Twitter (shout out to my man @ThroatChopU) sent me an update to this story. I was wondering from the day it broke if she was either Black or White. I'm sorry, but my so-called racist ass always asks that type of question (LOL). Folks, after reading this chicks story (yeah, that's her pic above), all I can do is shake my damn head. Apparently she had a boyfriend and the time of the incident' a boyfriend she had just started seeing when school started this semester. Well, not only did she cheat on him by entertaining and consenting to this bathroom gang-bang. When confronted on her whereabouts by her boyfriend. it was then that she ran with the "I was raped," line. Talk about a girl with an imagination! I've told some doozies in my day to my significant other(s). But I doubt any one of them would go for that "she raped me," bullshit if it ever came out of my mouth. [Click here to read it]

Beauty is not only skin deep; it's expensive. At least that's what I think about the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) president.

I usually try and dispel stereotypes of Black people with this blog, and today I'm not going to be any different. With that said, allow me to ask the following question: have you ever seen an ugly sister as member of the Black Greek Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority? If you have lemme know. No joke, send me a pic if you have one. I don't know about you, but I've never seen an ugly AKA. All the sisters back in my day who were in that sorority were some of the finest sisters, and most beautiful women on campus. Not saying that all the other sisters in other sororities were ugly. It's just that there seemed to be a certain requirement to being an AKA. Uh huh, yeah, I know you giving me the side-eye right now. And no I'm not gonna even talk about the sorority that had all the heavy set dark skinned sisters. What y'all think I'm some kinda shit starter on here...(pause)...? There are certain stereotypes which have historically followed the AKA sorority, and it just just another one of those things that have us brothers and sisters screwed up. Even still, I must say that this following story doesn't help refute said stereotype:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of the nation's oldest black sorority are alleging more financial misdeeds by their president, who is already accused of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of the group's money on questionable expenses, including a wax statue of herself.

Eight members of Alpha Kappa Alpha filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court in June seeking to remove international president Barbara McKinzie.

Now they say she received nearly $500,000 in questionable payments from the Chicago-based sorority over six weeks this summer, starting June 19, the day before the lawsuit was filed.

The lawsuit says McKinzie spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in AKA money on herself, some of it to pay for the statue to be displayed in the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore.

It also alleges that McKinzie bought designer clothing, jewelry and lingerie with the sorority credit card, then redeemed points the purchases earned on the card to buy a big-screen television and gym equipment.

The lawsuit questions the legitimacy of $375,000 in compensation that McKinzie received in 2007, saying it was never approved by members. Past AKA presidents have received only small stipends, said Edward W. Gray Jr., an attorney for the sorority members who are suing.

The latest allegations stem from copies of checks that Gray said were sent to the plaintiffs anonymously. The checks, for a total of $499,699, are made out to McKinzie by the sorority. The copies have been posted on a Web site the plaintiffs set up. [read the rest of the story]

Now ain't that ugly? You spend $500,000 on yourself for jewelry, clothes, lord knows what else, and a f*ckin statue? A statue?!! Hell, Martin Luther King Jr. doesn't even have a Washington Monument built in his honor just yet, but you're paying for a statue of your likeness? Look lady, obviously that cute "skeewi," shit has gone to your head. You ain't gonna tell me that this sister doesn't think that her shit don't stink. I mean seriously, $500,000 of other people's money? You know how many bake sales they had to raise that type of money? Damn, I known being cute is expensive, but I'm sorry, Barbara McKinzie, you ma'am are trippin. She may not be photogenically challenged, but clearly she's out of her her rabbit ass mind.

I know it's always been said that power corrupts. But I wanna believe that if she was a member of the ugly fat dark-skinned girl sorority she would not have done such a thing. Yeah, ugly sorority members just don't do things like that. But I guess when you're the president of the cute girls club you can just say screw using the money for community activism and giving back. And to think, kids are having a hard time paying for college these days. Oh well, they may not be able to pay tuition, but they can sure go to the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore and see what cuteness looks like.

QUESTION: Am I wrong about the Black Greek sorority stereotypes?