Jungle Fever: Halle Berry, Interracial Dating & the Politics of Blackness

The media is running rampant with the custody battle over the daughter of Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry, Nahla. Instead of focusing on the future of this darling child, the conversation has been framed within allegations of racism and hostility between the parents. The controversy has some fans wondering if the "Losing Isaiah" beauty is actually losing her mind after losing her relationship.

Method acting, the process whereby an actor takes on the life of their character outside of filming, is not new to Ms. Berry. Her first on-screen performance in 1989's "Living Dolls" sparked rumors that Halle was getting a little too into her character, playing her parts even after the camera had stopped rolling. Given her most recent tendency to focus on psychological dramas, perhaps her method acting is re-surfacing?


Mental illness is not something to be taken lightly (especially given the social stigma attached to it). So, the speculation around Ms. Berry's mental health needs to be analyzed carefully not only for her sake but also for her daughter's (should Halle win full custody).

The Berry/Aubry racism show-down brought the one-drop rule back into national dialogue (it never left for some of us). While America rides this "multi-racial" bandwagon, which for some has become the neo-liberal agenda of promoting colorblindness or an erasure of racial distinctions, Halle raises an interesting point by claiming her daughter as Blackn and asserting her own Blackness. What is Black?

Jared Loughner, Mental Illness, & Arizona Mental Health Budget Cuts

Believe me I have other stuff to talk about besides Jared Loughner. But my recent post has taken a life of its own and has even expanded the conversation onto my Twitter Time Line. As I mentioned recently, the focus on right-wing political rhetoric (as if my fellow lefties never express irrational thought) minimizes the issue of mental health services and the people who need them. Some of whom are poor black folks.

Having said that, I came across a very interesting interview thanks to the good folks at Democracy Now! with H. Clark Romans, of the National Alliance on Mental Health of Southern Arizona. The discussion focuses on just how recent budget cuts by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, has affected the many lives of of mentally diagnosed patients within the state, in this dire economy.

It’s unclear if Loughner either needed or sought mental-health care in the Tucson area, where he lived. But for those suffering from mental illness, Arizona has become a challenging state to live in. The state has seen a $65 million drop since 2008 in behavioral health services for Arizonans who don’t qualify for the state’s version of Medicaid, representing a 51 percent reduction over the last three fiscal years, according the Arizona Department of Health Services and a detailed December report on health care in the Arizona Daily Star. Some $36 million was slashed early last year, and Gov. Jan Brewer called the cuts, which affected some 12,000 adults and 2,000 children, “tough” and “painful,” according to The Arizona Republic, which also has reported that she has dealt personally with mental illness in her family.

Arizona’s budget woes are not unique—other states are confronting cuts to mental-health services and corresponding problems for local police. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, a friend of Rep. Giffords and her family, told The Daily Beast that calls to fix America’s mental-health-care system are missing the point. Integration of care is vital, he said: “We don’t have a mental-health system in the U.S. We have good professionals, but we don’t have an integrated common policy, and with cuts like this, there will be more problems in a system already strained.”

Carmona said the “opportunity cost” of decisions to cut care must be examined, both in Arizona and nationwide, and he asked, “What will it cost us in terms of the cost of putting more people in prisons and jails?” (Source: The Daily Beast)

It's not clear if Loughner was himself diagnosed as mental patient; however, from all accounts of friends and classmates, he was definitely disturbed and possibly should have been receiving the necessary medical care. For me, having had relatives diagnosed with mental illnesses, this is a very huge issue; some won't admit to this with their family members, but that's a problem in and of itself. I also have a very good friend and roommate from college who I've observed spiraling out of control over a number of years. He finally decided to get help after several stints which involved jail; and he now proudly admits to being schizophrenic, and is on medication living a "normal" life:

Ron Artest Raffles Championship Ring, Proceeds Donated to Mental Health Awareness

by JuJuBe (Joanna)

I am so conflicted about this story. While it is great to see Ron Artest giving to charity, and sacrificing by giving away the ring he worked so hard for, there are so many problematic aspects of the current mental health system that I cannot help but be concerned.

LOS ANGELES (December 27, 2010) -- Ron Artest has absolutely no regrets about giving away his Los Angeles Lakers championship ring to boost mental health awareness. In fact, it just encourages him to go out and get another ring.

Artest announced the winner of the charity raffle for his ring late Saturday night at a club across the street from Staples Center, where the Lakers were trounced by the Miami Heat 96-80 in the NBA's Christmas showcase.

The ring was won by Raymond Mikkael, a father of four from Hawthorne, Calif.

"It's a good feeling, because it got a lot of publicity, and that's cool," Artest said before taking on LeBron James. "I'm glad we can start over now and do some more work with charities."

Artest came up with the idea to give away his first NBA title ring after putting a spotlight on mental health by thanking his psychiatrist after Game 7 of the Lakers' triumph over Boston last June. While some laughed at another stunt by one of the NBA's biggest characters, Artest's candid declaration sparked an interest in normalizing mental health care, which snowballed into this unique charitable gift.

And when he officially gives away the ring in a couple of weeks, Artest feels he'll be even more motivated to replace it with the Lakers, who are chasing their third consecutive title.

"I'm so anxious to get out at it again," Artest said. "I get more fuel, I burn it all up. I'm motivated."

Although he doesn't yet know the final figures, Artest's raffle has raised well over $500,000 for his Xcel University charity, which will work with high-risk youth on mental health issues. Artest said he already wrote his first $50,000 check from the proceeds to the charity.

Artest sounds overwhelmed by the support, praising everyone from his teammates to the Lakers' fan base for participating in the raffle. Even Lakers coach Phil Jackson says he bought a few tickets, praising Artest's strategy to funnel the money directly into a charity rather than through intermediaries.

Source

My concern arises NOT from Ron Artest wanting to increase mental heath awareness. My problem is that all too often, no real treatment is provided for people with mental illnesses aside from medication. I think the psychiatric system is overly dependent on mind altering medications with dangerous side effects. I would like to see a system in place where behavioral therapy comes first. I hate to see people, particularly children and teens, automatically prescribed psychotropic drugs. I think we need to do more research regarding intervention strategies that are NOT based on the overuse of pharmaceuticals.

Confessions of a "Cutter"

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

I was a freshman in high school when I discovered "cutting". I was being constantly bullied and harassed by classmates. At home, I was reluctant to share what I was going through, because, while my mother was my best friend and the best parent I could ever imagine, she struggled with her own (undiagnosed) depression and was recognizably fragile emotionally. I knew if I started to cry about what was happening at school, my mother would break down with me, and I would end up feeling worse for upsetting her. So, my only respite was the 42 minutes per week I spent with the social worker at school. And the food I constantly gorged on.

Until I discovered "cutting". Unlike the image most people have, no one taught me how to "cut". None of my friends practiced self mutilation. I never saw any images on television. The internet did not exist back then, so I was not influenced by any website. I just knew I was in pain. And one day, I just discovered that using a pocket knife to slash my forearms made me feel temporary euphoria. It pleased me to "punish myself" and watch the blood bead up from the cuts I had made. It gave me a temporary "high" sensation. So, I did it. Over and over again. I usually kept my arms covered, so people didn't realize I what I was doing. It was my tried and true coping method.

I got depressed. I cut myself. People made fun of me. I cut myself. The only person who knew was my social worker, and she could not tell anyone, because technically, I was not endangering my life.

Suicide: An Individual AND a Family Crisis (Bloggers Unite: World Suicide Prevention Day)

By Joanna (JuJuBe)


Two years ago, GA took a bottle of heparin (a blood thinner) from the veterinary program at her job. She kept it stored in her home, and took it with her when she moved to a new location. She also took the needles needed to inject the medication. She told no one that she had procured this item. She had a plan in mind for it.

One night last May, she injected herself with the heparin. She then tied a noose out of an electrical cord and fastened it to her shower door. She proceeded to use a straight razor to slit her wrists vertically up to her elbow. The blade was dull, so she had to make several cuts. She bled so much that the blood soaked through a 6 inch couch cushion. She then went to her bed and waited to die.

The noose in her bathroom was there in case she did not bleed out and needed to resort to another method to end her life. However, she was so weak from blood loss that she was unable to walk to the bathroom. In fact, during the night, when she had to urinate, she had to crawl across her apartment to reach the toilet. Miraculously, she survived until morning.

In the morning, she called a coworker to let them know she would not be coming into work. When the coworker asked her what was wrong, GA began to cry. She confessed to her coworker that she had cut herself, but said that she did not need or want to go to the hospital. Her coworker insisted on checking on her anyway, and when she went to her apartment, found her weak and unable to walk without assistance. The apartment was covered with blood. GA was taken to the hospital. She was lucky to be alive.

So Was Discovery Channel Hostage Taker James Lee "Mentally Unstable" or Dedicated to his Ideals?

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

When an individual who feels so strongly about his ideals decides to take people hostage or resort to any other sort of violent action, we are quick to label them "mentally unstable" or "mentally ill". But is that just a convenient way to dismiss the sometimes legitimate concerns underlying their actions?

Now, I am NOT saying that I agree with the philosophy of Discovery channel hostage taker James Jay Lee regarding immigration and "anchor babies. Nor do I find his "extreme" ideas about population control acceptable. In fact, I find much of what he says pretty disgusting However, if you read his ENTIRE MANIFESTO, there are some areas in which he expresses LEGITIMATE concerns.

It was interesting to note that as the situation unfolded, immediately, the right wing was pointing to the "liberal agenda" as the cause of this man's actions, while the left wing is pointing out the more "conservative" elements of his manifesto and calling him right wing nut. In truth, he was neither. He was a man with a single minded goal.... that of reducing the human population in order to reduce its impact upon the earth.

But, was the media correct in immediately characterizing him as "mentally unbalanced"? It seems like the most convenient way to dismiss the ideals of someone who we do not agree with is to attack his state of mind instead of his ideas. Because it is often hard to dismiss someone's agenda outright. Lee may have had some views that many, if not most people consider absurd. The truth is, Lee had been evaluated in 2008 following his conviction for disorderly conduct stemming from a previous protest against the discovery channel, and was NOT found to have any mental illnesses. But, if he had NOT been dismissed in the media as "mentally ill", maybe people around the country would have been discussing the FACTS that led him to take such extreme actions.

We see this is every case where someone takes hostages or kills FOR A CAUSE. NO MATTER WHAT the cause is, the person is AUTOMATICALLY dismissed as mentally ill, in order to deflect attention away from any kernel of truth that resides within his ideology. As I said, I find much of Lee's manifesto deplorable. BUT, we DO need to take better care of the environment. We DO need to find an end to the constant wars and conflict. We DO need to change our economic system. But, no one will be paying any attention to THOSE parts of his "manifesto" if he is dismissed as "mentally unstable."

A few weeks ago, a young man name Omar Thornton killed several of his coworkers because he was a victim of their racism. As in this case, his LEGITIMATE concern was ERASED when the media gave him the label of "mentally unstable". The same thing happened in the case of Colin Ferguson (LIRR shooter). The label of "mentally ill" or "mentally unstable" is slapped on anyone who takes drastic action to make a point, in order to dilute the impact of their violent statement.

When a soldier is willing to kill and be killed for the values that his nation holds sacred, we call him a hero. But, when an individual is willing to kill or be killed for the values that HE personally holds near and dear to his heart, we call him misguided, and label him mentally ill. And no one pays attention to his message. Whether his reasoning is rational or not, he is dismissed as a loon. And no one pays attention to the point he was trying to make in the first place. Whether we agree with James Jay Lee or not, he had a message to convey to the world. Did anyone pay attention to his message, or were we all convinced by the "mentally unstable" label to dismiss everything he believed in?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Does "fat" and "crazy" go hand in hand?

By Joanna (JuJuBe)

Obesity -- defined as a body mass index, of 30 or higher -- was associated with a 25 percent increase in the likelihood of major depression, bipolar disorder and panic disorder.

Although the risk of depression over a lifetime is about 20 percent, the study indicated that it is 28 percent among people who are obese, a statistically significant difference.

The link between obesity and mental illness was most pronounced among those who were more educated and had higher incomes. The association may be as high as 44 percent among individuals who had attended some college, according to the research. No significant differences between the sexes were found.

The study sparked debate over the chicken-and-egg question of which comes first -- obesity or mental illness. One expert suggested that the two conditions perpetuate one another.”

Source


I remember riding in a cab one day and discussing my experiences with mental illness with the driver. He told me “Just lose weight and all of your mental health issues will go away.” I was offended. 

But then I really sat and thought about what he said. I had to question whether there was kernel of truth to what he was saying. All my life I had told myself that if I was just thin, I would be happy. Then, these doctors had come along and told me that I was “mentally ill”- that I had a biological condition not related to my weight that caused me to suffer from depression, mood swings, and an inability to participate in health, mutually beneficial relationships.

It was so easy to accept the word of the doctors. After all, most people believe that an individual is fat because of their own laziness and lack of moral integrity. So, I had walked around believing that since my weight caused me misery, I had brought it all on myself. So, I quickly latched on to the “mental illness” theory because it meant that my issues were NOT MY FAULT.

Over time though, I have come to believe that the intersection of mental health and obesity is far more complex.

I have a condition called “borderline personality disorder” which presents as a severe problem establishing appropriate boundaries, obsessiveness, and fear of abandonment. A chemical component has NOT been established as a causative factor for BPD. It does not respond to medication. Most doctors believe that environmental factors (or “nurture”) have a larger role in the development of BPD than genetic or biological factors (or “nature”). Looking back over my life, I believe that I was so severely traumatized by the bullying I received as a child due to my weight issues that I developed maladaptive ways of coping which resulted in BPD.

Ron Artest: 'Stereotypes of a Black male misunderstood, but it's still allgood'

At the beginning of the NBA finals I spoke to my best friend who happens to be the ultimate L.A. Laker fan. No shit, I think this cat still sleeps in Magic Johnson's Converse Weapons and James Worthy's goggles.

But anyway, we talk about sports a lot and he knows that I'm no longer a Laker fan like I was back in the day. I'm sorry, but I love the Knicks, and just like the south we shall rise again (stop fuckin laughing!).

So I mentioned to him that I'm going against all NYC convention by rooting for the Boston Celtics in the series. I also mentioned that a part of me wanted to see the Laker win, solely based on my love for Ron Artest. Don't worry, my love for him is not of the homo-erotic type as captured in the following pic...

Ummm, yeah, what was that about?!!

Instead, I'm of the belief that Artest is the embodiment of the misunderstood urban negro. And of course me being an all around ghetto nerd and defender and representer of all things hood, sans the moments of sheer n*ggerdom and ig'nant behavior. This why I found pleasure in watching the Artest post-game interview, while he basked in the warm glow of redemption, as he showed just how he hasn't forgotten where he came from:

Oakland Bus Fight Update: Oakland street fight legend, 'Epic Beard Man', Tom Ruso speaks

So by now I'm sure everyone has seen the infamous Oakland bus beatdown caught on tape recently. I ran this story several days ago, and I've probably watched the video at least 50 times. I've watched it over and over because, well, there's something funny about seeing  a 67yr old white guy who looks like "Papa Smurf" catch wreck at the expense of the reputation of of a young brotha on a bus! And doing it so well so as to produce the line of the week, "Bring the Ambalamps." Well, the Heavy Weight Bus Boxing Champion of the World has been identified as Thomas Bruso, and he has a lot to say:

Sarah Palin & Bill O'Reilly: The retarded leading the retarded in criticizing the show 'Family Guy'

So the last time I touched on the hypocrisy that is Sarah Palin, certain people got offended that I referrenced her vagina, and used the word retarded. I think from what I was told that the politically correct term for the retarded is Neurologically Atypical? Oh yeah I was also told that the term Mentally Challenged was offensive as well. Which is funny because, well, in the following interview with Bill O'Reilly, I didn't hear the term Neurologically Atypical tossed around. Instead, I heard a bumbling idiot pimping her kids as she has always done since being thrust into the spotlight back in September of 2008. I don't know of you've heard of all the talk surrounding the 'Family Guy' episode, but check out what she had to say:

The shooting at Fort Hood: There's a lesson to be learned from the event

"Either they don't know, don't show, or don't care what's going on in the hood."- "Dough Boy" (Boyz in the Hood)

So I unplugged from the world a few days ago - no television, no internet, no nothing. So I'm sitting there minding my own business and catching up on some Michael Eric Dyson reading when I get a phone-call. I pick up the phone and it's my sister-in-law obviously shook and emotionally disturbed on the other end. She said she just wanted to reach out and let us know that she was OK. So I'm like, "why wouldn't you be OK?" To which she replied, "haven't you been watching the news or anything?" I told her no, and that I was just sitting and reading a book - you know, taking a break from it all. It was then that she informed me that a few minutes prior to her phone-call somebody, or a few people had just shot up the PX on base at Fort Hood. Yep, my sister-in-law, her husband and daughter all live on base at Fort Hood, and have been for a couple of years now; her husband is currently deployed in Iraq, and they live about two minutes away from the scene of the carnage.

Having been a frequent customer at the PX at Naval Air Station in Pensacola not too long ago myself. My first instinct lead me to believe that this was an inside job, or an act committed by an enlisted serviceman. Yeah, it's not easy for random civilian people to gallivant onto military installations carrying guns n' shit and go unnoticed. I mean let's be real, the interest of National Security in mind: if the FBI is good enough to thwart the terrorist plot of a few guys with funny sounding names pretending to be pizza delivery guys in New Jersey a few years ago. Surely they'd be able to stop the plans of another guy with a funny sounding terrorist-ish name from shooting and killing innocent people on the worlds largest military base, no? I'm just sayin': airplane hi-jackings and flying them into tall buildings aside, when it comes to national security and the war on terror, the gov't is on top of things.

So why is it so easy for people to associate Major Malik Hassan and his actions to be an act of terrorism with an Anti-American slant? Two reasons A) I've already stated the obvious - the negative stereotype his ethnic name evokes (Barack Hussein Obama is Muslim, remember?), and B) for the most part in this country we are oblivious to the realities of the mental state of the people who are entrusted to protect our freedom as we're told; in short, we tend to downplay mental issues and cast them to the side; you know, like throw them in jail?  Let's talk about the latter shall we? Yeah, because my inner bullshit meter is telling me that were his last name McVeigh, "certain people" would be more concerned about his mental state than they would his political ideological aspirations or propensity for Jihad, his hate for America n' shit like that.

Yes, lemme touch on a little known or rarely discussed fact. Did you know that 2008 was recorded as the year with the highest suicide rate in the Army itself? No seriously, did you know that? I'm only asking because, well, you don't hear that type of stuff in the news too much - plus I know how much you depend on the media for the truth. The suicide rate has increased each year for the last four years, and last year it was the highest. Keeping it real: out side of the stress of combat and being deployed into a war zone? Military personnel endure many hardships us regular people in civilian life wouldn't even think of. That said, is it any shock that a trained professional psychiatrist who serves in the military would snap?

Guest Blogger: The Eternal Sunshine Of The Clueless Wannabe Parent's Mind by KIT (Keep It Trill)

(Editor's Note: Have you ever stumbled upon a blog site that totally mesmerized you the very first time you visited? So much so that you couldn't stop reading just one post? Well, I have, and that was the experience and just what happened when I came across the blog Keep It Trill almost 2yrs ago. After reading the following you'll be able to understand why this site is a mainstay in my blog roll and RSS reader. Hopefully you visit her site and add it to your daily reading like I did.)

I didn't intend to write this post, but early this morning I read "All We Need Is Love... or Not" by Black Girl In Maine. She spoke of how some folks think that all ya need is love to raise kids, so don't let that hold you back from having more, even if you're living on the economic edge of doom. I love her blog, and boy did she hit a nerve...

By all means read her article and show her some luv. With her permission, here are two excerpts:

"See, love does not feed a child, nor does it clothe a child. Love can not provide the enrichment activities that might nurture that child to be the next great. Sadly it's cold hard cash, dollars, duckets, deniro, shekels that provide these things. So while it would be lovely to have kids with no regards to your financial situation, is it really fair to the kids?

...while love is free, my reality is that kids are not, they do cost and while what they give can never be measured in dollars and cents, the fact is to not look at the costs associated is plain foolish. After all babies can be cheap but just feeding a teenaged boy can send you to the poor house even making everything from scratch..."

BGIM focused on the economics of child-rearing, so I'll expand it and hit another side for those fooled by mother nature's hormones or their own narcissism, that they might not have considered.

This is gonna get gritty, so enjoy.

Parenting is not only an 18 to 21 year commitment, it's a lifetime job. You'll be just as worried when he or she is sweating through a crisis (divorce, career probs, etc) at 40 as you were when he or she was 4.

All kinds of things can go wrong when you have a child, no matter how wealthy you are. The reason is simple: babies grow up to people.

I'll start off light. For example:

Approximately 1% of people develop schizophrenia, usually in their late teens or early 20s.

Up to 1% of children develop autism or one of the related disorders (except among groups like the Amish, who generally do not vaccinate their kids. Some autistic groups think the mercury in the shots cause this, and hint, hint, that's in the new swine flu shots too, but not the nasal spray. Since the pharmaceutical industry and press has been promoting this down our throats, contradictory stories that say they do vaccinate have been popping up to bury the others.)

Now with the more common problems. Approximately 16% of children have learning disabilities and/or ADHD. Keep in mind those are only the ones diagnosed.

Have you ever tried to help a kid with his homework with these issues? Try doing that four or five days a week after a long day at the office or your job, for years. It's like Chinese water torture - for both of you. It's embarrassing too, if he/she has to repeat one of the early grades - like kindergarten.

They also tend to be forgetful about real important shit like their house keys. No telling whose house they're in, and they ain't all that good at choosing their friends. If you say "no more keys", they just climb through the window they left unlocked, because they're ADHD and impulsive, remember?

And how about that category of kids known as Oppositional-Defiant?

These mothafuckas are in a class by themselves. Give 'em a time out in their room, and they play. In the quiet bathroom, and they bust up your wall tiles or screw up the plumbing. Tell 'em they're grounded, and they walk right past you and out the door. Take away all their possessions, and they say fuck you and don't care, and maybe bust a hole in the wall on the way out, which you'll have to pay for.

Crawl on your knees to Juvenile Services for help, and they tell you they can't do a damn thing unless he breaks the law, and the cops ain't doing no paperwork over a hole in the wall or even busted out window, especially if they didn't see it happen. They might take him to the mental hospital if the damage is substantial, but he suckers them too until he's so over-medicated that you don't recognize him.

Beat his ass, and run the risk of Child Protective Services coming after you. Take him to therapy, and watch your slick lil' nigga act like the sweetest kid in the world, only to cuss your ass out all the way home, every week, for 52 weeks out of the year.

Been there, through it, and it's a bitch. Screw the feminists on this one: some boys really need fathers. No guarantee, but it could save a single mother's mind. My son, now 21, still thinks all the shit he did was funny. I can't wait till he gets his own place. First thing I'm gonna do is bust a hole in his wall.