CEO Superintendent of Failing Urban School District Calls Black Girls “Our Worst Enemy”

by Tracy Renee Jones

I bet you had JUST started to breathe easier now that Osama is serving as crustacean fare in the low below but low and behold…another enemy is among us and this time it’s not a real tall skinny guy wearing a turban and making Youtube videos as he searches for porn.

Nope.

It’s Not Sarah Palin

Our oldest and worst feared enemy is back… Black Girls.

Yup!

Last month the Superintendent of the Jersey City Board of Education addressed a group of clergy members during a meeting held at the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Jersey City & Vicinitylocated in what is surly a dilapidated area of Martin Luther King Drive (aren't they all?) in Jersey City. During the meeting which consisted of approximately twelve people (plus one journalist allowed to observe the meeting) Epps made the following statements:

"Young ladies" are the community's "worst enemy."

"The young girls are bad. I don't know what they're drinking today, but they're bad.”

During the discussion Dr. Epps mentioned an initiative to recruit "mentors" for Jersey City students as part of collaboration with the Big Brother Big Sisters program. I can also reassure you that these people coming from the financial big wigs of the Exchange Place areas aren’t of the darker hue. Dr. Epps doesn't sound very much like a concerned educator speaking on behalf of a group of kid whom he would like to help.

Epps is quoted as he praised staff members of JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs who have volunteered as mentors to “..signed up to help even the dirty, nasty, bad kids….”.

Now his comments may have caught you off guard, as it did me, but the audience of ministers didn’t seem to be phased by the good Dr’s comment regarding his opinion of young urban girls (read: Black). You might think “of course not, because most of the audience of ministers was probably male, right?”

Wrong…

Pastor Joyce Watterman, of Continuous Flow Christian Center on Monticello Avenue, said later she was "surprised" by Epps' opinions on young girls, but doesn't necessarily disagree with him. Global oppression of women may cause some females to swing too hard in the wrong direction, Watterman said."It affects our young girls, too, so that when we rise up, we sometimes overdo it," she said. Watterman added that she doesn't encounter many girls in her community that she believes are violent. But Epps may see some in his community, she said.

Aside from the fact that this woman belongs to a church whose name reminds me of a feminine product I will also like to point out that the Monticello section of Jersey City is one of the worse areas in Jersey City. I should know since I grew up in this very neighborhood; I can still smell the stench. There has always been a lot going on; this section of the city lost any semblance of civilization long ago. But I digress..

The message in the opinion of the Superintendent and the fact that he was not challenged by his religious constituents is not surprising given that a few sentences that tie in the ills of man to the existence of vagina is an easily accepted meme in religious circles.

Let’s not forget it’s the big, bad Eve and her metaphorical vagina that’s to blame for all of this.

Homeless Mother Arrested for Knowingly Sending Child to School District Outside of Where She Lives (Um, She's Homeless?)

Damn, can a sista catch a break in America anymore? I don't know what's going on, but I have a hard time believing that municipalities are so strapped for cash that they would arrest a homeless woman for sending her kid to the wrong school district. Um, hello, when someone's homeless, they don't actually have a school district to call their own, do they? Help me understand this shit because obviously it's above my pay-grade just a tad bit. Yep, I'm gonna need one of youse people in Connecticut to 'splain this one here:

NORWALK -- A homeless woman from Bridgeport who enrolled her 6-year-old son at a Norwalk elementary school has become the first in the city to be charged with stealing more than $15,000 for the cost of her child's education.

Tonya McDowell, 33, whose last known address was 66 Priscilla St., Bridgeport, was charged Thursday with first-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny for allegedly stealing $15,686 from Norwalk schools. She was released after posting a $25,000 bond.

McDowell's babysitter, Ana Rebecca Marques, was also evicted from her Roodner Court public housing apartment for providing documents to enroll the child at Brookside Elementary School.

The police investigation into the residency began in January after Norwalk Housing Authority attorney Donna Lattarulo filed a complaint alleging McDowell registered her son at Brookside, but actually lived in an apartment on Priscilla Street in Bridgeport.

As part of the evidence presented in the complaint, police received an affidavit of residency signed by McDowell and dated last September attesting that she lived in the Roodner Court public housing complex on Ely Ave.

When she was interviewed by police in the case, McDowell admitted to living in Bridgeport at the time she registered her son in Norwalk schools.

She said she knew a man who owned a home on Priscilla Street and he allowed her to sleep at the home at night, but she had to leave the home during the day until he returned from work.

She also acknowledged that she stays from time to time at the Norwalk Emergency Shelter when she has nowhere else to stay.

McDowell also admitted that Marques was her son's babysitter from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. after the boy got out of school.

After the Norwalk Housing Authority became aware that Marques helped McDowell by providing documents needed to get McDowell's son into Brookside, Marques was evicted from her apartment in January.[...]

Sounds like somebody at the housing authority was mad "somebody" was sleeping on someone's couch. Hell, it's a wonder they're not trying to get back-rent. Surely they can get blood from a tunip so that in itself shouldn't be a problem, right? If only everyone working for the city saw it that way.

Would Banning Packed Lunches at Schools Produce Healthier Kids?

by Joanna

I do not know about the rest of you, but when I was in elementary school, my mother made the choice about what sort of foods I should be eating.  Even though over the years, my own lack of discipline has caused me to become fat, as a child, my mother made sure that I went to school with healthy foods and that I ate balanced meals at home. Yes, we had the occasional indulgent snacks, but by and large our diet was healthy. The thing is, it was our parent's choice as to what we could and could not eat.

But today, some want to take the choice of what to feed children away from the parents and leave it up to the schools to determine what children should be eating.

At his public school, Little Village Academy on Chicago's West Side, students are not allowed to pack lunches from home. Unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria.

Principal Elsa Carmona said her intention is to protect students from their own unhealthful food choices.

"Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school," Carmona said. "It's about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It's milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception."

Carmona said she created the policy six years ago after watching students bring "bottles of soda and flaming hot chips" on field trips for their lunch. Although she would not name any other schools that employ such practices, she said it was fairly common.

A Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman said she could not say how many schools prohibit packed lunches and that decision is left to the judgment of the principals.

"While there is no formal policy, principals use common sense judgment based on their individual school environments," Monique Bond wrote in an email. "In this case, this principal is encouraging the healthier choices and attempting to make an impact that extends beyond the classroom." SOURCE

Now, first, let me say this. I applaud any efforts by schools to make healthier choices available to their students. But, I am vehemently opposed to any sort of policy that forces a child to only eat the food available at their school. Ultimately, the choice of what to feed a child belongs with the parent, not school administrators. While I do not believe it is in the best interest of a child to send them to school every day with a lunch bag full of chips and sweets, I also do not believe that a school needs to be in control of what goes into the bodies of its students.

I believe that most parents, given the option, will choose healthier foods for their children. The problem is that access to healthy foods is limited for many parents due to income and lack of education about nutrition. So, rather than restricting a child's choice to bring food from home into school, why not provide educational programs for parents that would enable them to make better choices when packing their children's meals? Why not push to make healthy choices more affordable and available rather than restricting choices during school hours?

To me, forcing a child to eat a meal that the school deems appropriate during school hours does nothing to enhance the nutrition of that child when outside of school. Educational and financial support programs are far more effective in insuring proper nutrition than regulating what a child can eat for one meal a day, 180 days a year.

A Few Candidates for the "World's Worst Parents" Award

by JuJuBe (Joanna)

 Well, from Dodge County, Georgia come the newest candidates for the Worst Parents of the Year awards.... these creeps decided to sell their teenage daughter for sex. To a 67 year old man. As "payment" for a used minivan. Once again, I have to wonder how it is that people who have no respect for their children are given such a gift. Certain people should just not reproduce, and this couple is a perfect example.

A Dodge County mother and father have pleaded guilty in connection with charges that they traded sex with their 14-year-old daughter for monthly payments on the family minivan.

Sandra Davis, 37, of Dodge County, pleaded guilty to child molestation in Dodge County Superior Court on Monday and was sentenced to eight years in prison, Oconee Circuit District Attorney Timothy Vaughn said

She also must serve 12 years on probation.

Although Davis didn’t physically abuse her daughter, she admitted trading sex with her for the van payments, Vaughn said.

The girl’s father, 39-year-old James Clarence Davis, and 67-year-old Robert Wayne Bearden, pleaded guilty to child molestation and were sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years on probation, Vaughn said.

Dodge County sheriff’s investigators have said the girl’s parents made her perform “sexual favors” for Bearden, who was manager of Shorty’s Used Cars in Eastman in 2010, so they wouldn’t have to make the $281 payments on their 1998 Dodge Caravan......

.......As part of their sentences, the girl’s parents and Bearden can’t have any contact with the girl for 20 years. When they’re released on probation, all three will be considered sex offenders, Vaughn said.

Bearden, who made an unsuccessful run for the state Senate in the 1970s, also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Vaughn said.

The allegations first surfaced in 2009 during another investigation, he said.

In exchange for their pleas, aggravated molestation charges against the men were reduced to child molestation, and pandering charges against the parents were dismissed, Vaughn said.

SOURCE

Children are NOT commodities to be bought and sold. Animals have more of a protective instinct that parents like the Davises. I mean shit, if they needed this minivan that badly why didn't the mother get on her back for this filthy car salesman instead of forcing her child to do it??

This young girl will forever have to live with the knowledge that her parents used her body to barter for a vehicle. Thank Goodness they will not be allowed to see this girl for 20 years. She does not need this sort of influence in her life.

The young girl, now 16 did speak to the judge, and said she is doing much better now that she is in a nurturing environment. She is reported to be doing well in school and in extracurricular activities.

She is now living the sort of life that every young girl deserves, no thanks to her deviant "parents"!

Check out the Next Nominee after the jump...

Should Parents Be Punished for Kids Missing School?

Denver mother Katrina Johnson at Truancy Court with 16yr old Quishona

By JuJuBe (Joanna)

 I understand that education is an important thing. I truly do. And, yes, I agree that parents need to take responsibility for the education of their children. I am not going to sit here and argue about how the public school system is not, in my opinion, the best option for the education of children. I am not going to talk about the fact that children in our public schools are learning what basically amounts to a bunch of lies. that they are being brainwashed into believing that only rich white folks have historically done anything worth discussing.

Those are topics that have been beaten to death. No, today I want to discuss how far the law should be able to go when it comes to enforcing the idea of mandatory education for children. I want to discuss the idea of holding a parent responsible for the actions of their child. This little gem is from West Virginia:

State Sen. Erik Wells, D-7th District, plans to introduce a bill during the upcoming legislative session, which begins Wednesday, that would revoke the driver's licenses of parents whose children miss too many days of school.

Although Wells said he won't bet it will be one of the approximately 200 bills of 2,000 that will become law this session, he does hope it will increase awareness about the importance of education and hold parents accountable for the actions of their children.

James Jones: Confronting Bully on School Bus; Good or Bad Move?

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

James Jones is the father of a daughter with cerebral palsy. She had just started middle school, and reported to her father that she was being tormented on the bus by other students. They had hit her, pinched her, taunted her, and thrown condoms at her. So, her father decided that he was not going to allow the bullies to get away with torturing his daughter.

He boarded her school bus one morning, telling his daughter to show him which children were the perpetrators. He then cursed at the students on the bus, and threatened them with bodily harm if the bullying continued. Police were called, Mr. Jones was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing a school function. Originally, charges of assault and false imprisonment were considered, but not pursued. He has since been released on bond, but his daughter was reportedly hospitalized and was on suicide watch due to the bullying, which continued EVEN AFTER the confrontation.

And, in an interview, the boy who was bullying her was smirking. He claimed to have been traumatized by the incident, but he had a grin on his face. And his mother did not hold him the SLIGHTEST BIT responsible. He is a 13 year old boy. He is old enough to know this is NOT how you treat another human being. But, apparently, he never learned that. As in so many cases, the parent had NO PROBLEM with the fact that her child was a bully. She excused his actions and instead portrayed him as an innocent victim.

Jessi Slaughter: Bad Parenting and The Sexualization of an 11 Year Old Girl

If you are unfamiliar with 11 year old Jessi Slaughter (aka Kerligirl13), then you could either count yourself lucky or blissfully unaware. I admit that I saw the tail end of this unfold on the internet last Thursday, and I almost wish I hadn't. I guess it is one of those things that has you seriously questioning our future if this child went so far for so long.

Jessi Slaughter is an 11 year old girl who damn near had the internet going nuts, attracted the ire of the guys and gals at 4Chan's /b/ board (something that you really don't want to do at 11 years old that's for sure) and Tumblr and fed the internet a Double Down-size of schadenfreude.

As Gawker (they also have the back story there) put it, "the internet beat up an 11 year old girl."  It wasn't pretty.  It looked an e-Mike Tyson fight when Iron Mike was in his prime, only that would've been akin to Mike beating up your mom. They literally went in on her.

To summarize, Jessi Slaughter is an 11 year old girl who had foul mouthed YouTube videos (like the one above; her account has been closed) and very foul, extremely vile posts with borderline child pornographic photos on her Tumblr account (which has also been closed).

White and Black children biased towards lighter skin

Because sometimes we need to be reminded of how the media plays a significant role in shaping our minds and harmful racial stereotypical perceptions. I'd like to thank Anerson Cooper for this little tidbit from his show the other night. No new ground was broken; Kenneth & Mamie Clark, have already been down this road back in the 1940s. But if anything, the following clips reinforces the deep sickness of Colorism; a definite byproduct of the evil that is White Supremacy:


Of my four daughters, the 16yr old is having a hard time accepting her beauty. For quite some time she has developed self esteem issues related to her skin tone. In our family she's the darkest (her 4mth old baby sister is also the same skin tone but in her eyes she's the darkest). Quite naturally this is cause for concern for her mother and I; and hopefully, this is something she can outgrow as she gets older. But I'm afraid that this is a long held believe of hers that may affect her for a lifetime.


Try as we must to dispel these stereotypes, the sad reality is that in the world outside of our homes, it's just not that easy. The world outside our doors, which sneaks into our homes via the media, is an ugly place. And I'm not one of those dreamers hopeful for the day when racism comes to an end. As the clips and studies have shown, these attitudes are ingrained into our collective psyches.

Maybe mirrors should have never been invented...

Challenging the Notion that a Woman Cannot Raise a Boy to Become a Man

In light of Mother's Day, and us showing our love and appreciation for the women who made us what we are today. I'd like to challenge the long held belief that women are incapable of effectively raising boys to become men. An idea that has manifests itself in the form of popular youth culture via music, television, and the big screen. Time and time again this narrative is played out, and I wonder if we've unfairly bought into it.

Wanna know what I think? Well, it's a foolish idea in my opinion which raises many questions. And to be honest this very idea supports the Moynihan Report of 1965, which suggests, particularly for the black community: "At the heart of the deterioration of the fabric of Negro society is the deterioration of the Negro family," and that "The white family has achieved a high degree of stability and is maintaining that stability."

I mean, what is it exactly that women are incapable of teaching young boys, that a man is better skilled, or suited to do? Is this yet another one of those firmly held beliefs shaped by the obvious gender bias in our largely patriarchal society? I mean, what exactly is it to "be a man", and why is that women are supposedly incapable of teaching young boys to grow up to be just that?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Memphis mom shows up drunk at her daughter's school swinging a sword

So I've been living in the city of Memphis for the last 4yrs. And just when I decide to start "claiming" the city as my home within the last year or so, some of the craziest shit makes the news down here, forcing me to hang my head in shame. You can go through my archives and find some of the Madness I've blogged about involving parents and children in my new beloved hometown (like this & this).

In my archives you'll find a story I wrote several months ago about the pot-bellied ninja serial rapist that terrorized not only the city but western Tennessee. He has since been caught and arrested, but lo and behold, we have a new ninja on the scene in the form of a black woman last week here in the Bluff City:

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - A spitting match between two students at Riverview Elementary School Monday apparently led to a bizarre encounter in the office Tuesday morning.

"She had spit on me so I spit on her back," said second grader Aaliyyah Price.

Price and her grandmother spoke with us from the family's home.  They said 32-year-old Toni Price went to the school to confront the parents of the girl who spit on her daughter.

"She said she went up there to talk to the girl's parents," said Bennie Price.  "But the girl's parents wasn't there."

According to court records, Toni Price ended up inside the school where an employee reported a drunk woman was armed with a sword running through the halls of the school.  She told police Price was threatening to cut her.

Officers who arrived on the scene retrieved a black walking cane in which a long sharp blade is concealed.

"When I got up there I took the cane," said Price's mother, Bennie.  "I had it, police drew guns on me, and I didn't know what was going on."

Price's mother believes she probably had the weapon to ward off pit bulls in the neighborhood and had no idea where she may have gotten such a weapon.

"I don't know," she said.

She said she does know her daughter would have never actually hurt anyone inside the school.

Price told police she drank a 40 ounce bottle of Colt 45 before going to the school.  She's charged with aggravated assault and for having a weapon on school property.  Her bond is set at $4500. (Source)

"Call the police! There's a drunk Ninja with a sword running through the school hallway!" Can you just imagine that scene unfolding in front of your eyes? Yep, nothing like a 40oz of Colt 45 to put you in the proper frame of mind for a parent teacher conference. Not that this woman's action is reflective of the behavior of her child. But somehow I can't help but to think that 'lil mamma just may grow up to slice and dice a person or two; and now I have to wonder whether she drank a 40oz before spitting on that other kid.

Mrs. RiPPa's best friend is a teacher who once taught here in the Memphis City Schools district. And I've heard some crazy stories of parents showing up to school from being barely clothed to being belligerent assholes to teachers for reprimanding their bad ass children. But this one takes the cake thus far. Last semester as I was sitting in the parking lot of the high school my 16yr old attends. I was witness to two grown-ass women fighting each other, over an initial fight their daughters had. It was then that I realized that it was no wonder that some of these kids act the way they do in our schools.

Chicken, Beer & Babies

So I'm cruising around on Facebook a couple of days ago catching up on family and friends as I do from time to time. Yep, just trying to reconnect with my folk and not looking for any f*ckery when I ran into this on one the page of one of my homies who happens to be a popular D.J. in Indiana. A good friend of mine who is all about his paper and has been quite successful as a D.J. on the club scene as well as in radio:




Yeah, I was stunned when I read that status update, or advertising for childcare services during club hours. You mean to tell me people actually drop their kids off at a daycare that opens at night to be able to go to the club? You mean they actually pay for this service? F*ck that; they advertise this shit? Two locations? Pick up and drop off services? Probably not a bad idea especially if little Deandre and Tyeisha's mom gets pissy drunk at the club. Oh well, I guess providing this service is better than running a weekend crack house. Hell, you gotta get that money, right? You know, sorta like the ladies in this next clip:

'Precious': Racial Stereotypes & The Petite Bourgeoisie of the Negro Mind

So here I am, somewhere at the intersection of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child" and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come". I'm not confused or lost in applesauce as is the expression, because maybe I'm something like "Black Caesar"  or that old James Brown classic "A Blind Man Can See It". Quite frankly, I'm a bit disappointed, and disturbed by the negative backlash the movie "Precious" is receiving from and within the so-called Black community.

I hate to be cynical about this, but I have to ask: will Black people ever be happy? We have people who are bothered by this movie who see it as just another one in a long line of stereotypically negative images of Black people (or more specifically Black women) in the mainstream. Then there are people like me who totally see this movie for what it is: a necessary film that promotes and draws attention to various pathologies that are often overlooked and rarely discussed within our so-called Black community. Hello, Shaniya Davis anyone?

"Not since The Birth of a Nation has a mainstream movie demeaned the idea of black American life as much as Precious. Full of brazenly racist clichés (Precious steals and eats an entire bucket of fried chicken), it is a sociological horror show." - Armond White (Source: nypress.com)

What gets me, is that people are caught up in the idea that maybe this movie is representative of all people of color in America - a rather foolish line of thinking in my book when you consider that we're not a monolithic people. However, rich or poor, upper or middle class, the central themes of this movie knows no discrimination, and is not exclusive to any family of a certain socio-economic class. Yet and still, some of us are hell bent on promoting the idea that this is all fantasy which has the effect of making us look bad. I'm sorry, but I don't quite get you "image-conscious" individuals, and I'm going to need some help with that.

Yes I know we don't all have the same story, and yes I know there are many different narratives of the Black experience in America. But isn't the "Black experience" and our various stories riddled with conflict and pathologies (some of which we don't even realize) that may be detrimental to our survival? I'm sorry, but when a film is put together and produced by two of the most powerful Black people in the entertainment industry (Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry), it's hard for me to overlook the films message and focus on the "Blaxploitation" meme. Who better is there to bring to life a narrative such as this than a person of color?

"Winfrey, Perry and Daniels make an unholy triumvirate.They come together at some intersection of race exploitation and opportunism. These two media titans—plus one shrewd pathology pimp—use Precious to rework Booker T. Washington’s early 20th-century manifesto Up From Slavery into extreme drama for the new millennium: Up From Incest, Child Abuse,Teenage Pregnancy, Poverty and AIDS. Regardless of its narrative details about class and gender, Precious is an orgy of prurience." - Armond White (Source: nypress.com)

That said, should people of color with power and influence in the industry, ignore any attempts to bring to life subject matter that's considered taboo to the Black petite bourgeoisie, and the Black community at large? Come to think of it, maybe that's why there aren't as many "quality" Black movies of substance being produced, no? Precious is a movie produced by people of color that has already created an Oscar buzz, but yet Negroes are mad because it's not exactly Terms Of Endearment or Guess Who's Coming To Dinner material? Which is funny because when a white person makes a movie like Hotel Rwanda, Black folks never have anything negative to say, or even support it for that matter.

Well RiPPa we need to see more Black movies with more than one narrative! True, we do; but let's not act like they haven't been produced. It's disingenuous to give the impression that everything coming out of Hollywood for and about Black people by Black people are just bastardly negative. But then maybe therein lies the problem - that would be, the thought that each of these movies reflect us and our individual and personal story.

One thing that should not be ignored, is just how hard it is for a person of color to break into the Hollywood movie making industry; an industry dominated by people who pretty much determine American culture. What's funny about that, is while we as Black people remain image conscious, the power elite steals our culture and promotes it.  

Where are the "image conscious" Black folks among us when little white sub-urban kids run around looking and acting as if they too had the privilege of growing up in the ghettos we despise and sweep under the rug?


Listen, "Precious" is no more representative of the Negro collective anymore than "Nino Brown" is - they are both representative of a reality that exists among us, and we should never feel shameful about these movies or these characterizations. Ironically, it is this very shame which may become a major factor in this being Gabourey Sidibe's only leading role in a movie while we bitch about all the light skin people who somehow dominate the media market. So yeah, you guys can continue to beat that tired drum and stay with the whole shooting the messenger, and missing the message thing. You're gonna need it when there are no more Black production companies in Hollywood especially when somebody like Steven Spielberg decides to do Boyz In The Hood II.

Has anyone seen John Singleton lately?

Seewhumsayin?

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.

Memphis 2yr old left alone at home dies in house fire; relative accomplice has no regret

My parents almost lost me as a child, but they didn’t take me far enough into the woods. I don’t know, but maybe 23-year-old Melanie Dunn of South Memphis should have done the same. Instead, she thought it was a good idea to leave her 3yr old and 2yr old sons at home alone for an hour while she went shopping with her aunt. Yeah, I realize that this is something you and I will never do. But it’s been reported that this wasn’t the first time she had done such a thing.

The only problem, this time around, there was a fire in her apartment which left her 3yr old son dead, and his 2yr brother in critical condition in a local hospital fighting for his life. I don’t want to belabor the finer points of “good parenting” or anything. But just know that as a father of a 2yr old I have a hard time finding confidence in leaving her in my home unattended while I run to the mailbox; much less leaving her unattended at home for an hour like Melanie Dunn did.

Unfortunately Melanie’s aunt who accompanied her while she shopped at a local Citi Trends store doesn’t feel that way. According to Marilyn Wilson – aunt of the children – she has no regrets about leaving them at home alone. When questioned by reporters about regrets, she had this to say:

“No, I really don’t because if they had been there by themselves, I don’t know if the boys set the house on fire or somebody threw something in there to set it on fire. I really need to get in there to see if my purse burned up. I had my Food Stamp Card and everything in there.” (Source)

Obviously she doesn’t see the error in their decision making by leaving the kids at home alone. As I mentioned before, this wasn’t the first time this was done. But what’s eating at my craw right about now, is the fact that she was more concerned about her muthafuckin food stamps! That selfish snaggle toothed heifer!

Now look, I’ve lost a wallet a time or two in my lifetime, and yes I wasn’t too happy about it. However, in a situation where the lives of two toddlers were endangered causing a loss of life to one of them. The last thing I would be worried about is my fuckin’ social security card, my I.D. card, my social security card, my Sam's card or my goddamn EBT card. But yet this is what you’re going to say with a mic in your face after being an accomplice to the neglect of a child, which resulted in death?

Charges are yet to be filed against the mother of these children in this case pending further investigation [click here watch video]. What’s the holdup I don’t have a clue. Last year another mother here in Memphis had the bright idea to leave her two kids at home while she went out partying to ring in the New Year on New Year’s Eve. She was subsequently charged with two counts of criminally negligent homicide after her 4yr old and 7yr old sons were killed in an apartment fire.

The good news in this case is that the mother of these toddlers also has a 5yr old who was at school at the time of the fire. He has since been placed in the care of another relative. Should the 2yr old survive, it has already been determined that the same course of action will be taken. No word on yet on Marilyn's food stamps, but yet people wonder why the city of Memphis ranks as high as it does in infant mortality [Click to read about Memphis & infant mortality].

115 baby mommas, in one high school?!!

OK, the brother in the picture above has not impregnated 115 women. I just thought the above pic goes well with this next story. From the looks of it, this brother is in for an early grave as he hopefully works himself to death to provide for his children. Yep, what you see above in my opinion should be plastered on a billboard in urban communities as an ad for either Trojans or the county child support prosecutor. But like I said, this isn't about him, but instead yet another negative and troubling story coming out of Chicago Illinois. What is it about all the negative stuff coming from the Windy City lately?



Check it out:

Teen pregnancy is obviously not a welcomed situation; and yes, ideally it would be best if teenagers waited until they're responsible adults before taking on the task of child rearing. But this is the real world, and it just doesn't happen that way; and the story above leaves you with the feeling that Black teens are out of control, did it not? Yep, I saw this as another one of those “look at the Negroes,” exposes. Which they did a damn good job at I might add; they even went as far as to highlight the fact that the school principal himself was born to a 15yr old mother.

But you see, to me this is what I call irresponsible journalism. They highlighted what they saw as a “problem” within that school, but were unable to present you any empirical evidence or information as it relates to teen pregnancy in the entire school district. Instead, you're supposed to walk away with the impression that, well, Black teenagers (because that's the only ethnic group represented in the piece) are rather promiscuous. Which goes right along with the idea that Black folks are hyper-sexual beings - yeah, it's exclusive to our DNA.

And then there was this tidbit from the piece:

“LaDonna Denson and two other Robeson students say parents not talking to teens and, in some cases, the pursuit of public assistance also factor into the pregnancies. None of them thought they'd be moms at such a young age.” - (Source)

Yep, they identified the possible causation, and they had to include that “the pursuit of public assistance also factor into these pregnancies.” Uh-huh, Black people love them some welfare don't they? Did they really have to include that opinion in the piece? They never provided any solutions, and yes I know three minutes isn't enough time to even go there. But at least they did offer us a bit of hope by way of highlighting the fact that a one-time crackhouse will soon be used as a daycare center for those students who intentionally got pregnant just so they can get welfare.

What say you?

Meet the newest cast member of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" (VIDEO)

I know upon viewing this some of you are going to be upset, but...

You gotta admit: she'd give those ladies on that show a run for their money. I'm just sayin': why get mad or even upset after seeing this verbal display, wasn't it as entertaining as the show? Hell, with Real Housewives of Atlanta currently carrying a total viewership of 2.9 million according to Nielsen Media Research, why not add this kid to the mix and be even more entertaining. Teach her how to pull out a white woman's hair, sleep with married men, wear shitty weaves and makeup and she'll be set, right? I mean the show is about reality, is it not?

I wonder if her mother's last name is Leakes...

Teach Them Well and Let Them Lead the Way - Use What you Got, to Get What you Want

So it's no secret that RiPPa loves the kids. Yes, I'm currently the father of three beautiful young ladies with another one due in January. I'm not gonna sit here and suggest that I'm the best parent in the world because I'm sure that there are a lot of things I could have done differently over the years. But hey, with a new baby on the way, please believe that I plan to do better with this one than I've done with each successive child in my care over the years. Times have changed, and adapt I must. That's why I'm going to teach this to my now 2yr old, and my newborn next year:


Yep, when I first saw the above video on Facebook over the weekend (one of my contacts is connected to the mother of this child), I was jealous of the lady who uploaded it. She was so proud that her baby won $20.00 earlier that day in a dance contest that she decided to have an after party/celebration at her house in her kitchen. Yes, like all proud parents, she wanted the world to see just what her baby could do. Nothing makes a parent more proud than the accomplishments of their kids, and I was jealous that it wasn’t one of mine.

“Shake that ass, do the Stanky Leg, and you'll never starve baby girl,” is going to be the message I teach my two youngest girls. Oh trust me; they're not going to be eventual failures like their two older sisters. Like I said, I failed with them; I can only wonder what they'll be able to do to be self sufficient when they get out of high school in the next two years. Had I done my job as a parent, at 16 and 15yrs old as they are today, they would be able to do this:


Boy do I wish my two oldest kids had such confidence in themselves.

When you’re able to dance and motivate erections by random men…

The world is definitely your oyster, no?

Obviously the parents of these children, unlike me, realized just how important confidence and making the booty pop is to ones survival. How can one expect their children to leave the nest and go out into the world without the necessary confidence to do something strange for a little piece of change? Sure you may deem such artistic expression inappropriate for girls at that age; but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? Yep, women bitch a lot about different issues – they even form womanist groups and stuff. But I’m willing to bet that life would be different for them had they all started out dancing on a kitchen table and learned how to Twerk it instead of blaming men for their troubles.


P.S. If you fail to see the sarcasm in this post you should drink a warm cup of bleach.

Jon Gosselin has enough b*tch in him to be on The Real Housewives of Atlanta

Albert Einstein once said, “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” With that said I’d like to know what would possess a married man with a wife and eight kids to sneak out and get some side booty. Oh and let’s not forget that this married man at the time had a very successful television show centered on the fact that he and his wife are raising eight kids. You know, eight kids who without a television contract they would be in a commercial with Sally Struthers begging for money with flies on their faces while daddy is out on the corner slinging crack?

Seriously Jon, I’d like to hear your excuse for that one. Now grant it, having eight kids at home would mean you’re gonna jerk off 94.6% of your time for the rest of your life when you and the wife aren’t sneaking into the closet to get some. But damn man, you’re on TV, on a reality show – nothing you do is ever going to be private, or on the down low as you think. Shit, TMZ knew Michael Jackson was dead a week before you, I, and the rest of the world. Did you really think your wife would never find out about you creeping with that young chick? C’mon son! At least have the brains to mess around with a Black woman if it was all about the booty. Oh don't look at me crazy, you know a “sister” would have made sure none of this would ever come out.

Equally as foolish was the woman with whom he had “the affair” if you ask me. I’m sorry, but maybe it’s just that I’m used to Black women making a conscious effort not to get involved with Black men with kids, and the baby momma drama that comes with it. But err, if I were a woman, why would I want to get with a guy with eight children unless we lived in some polygamist compound, and I was obviously brain washed? I mean I could understand wanting to be with someone famous, or at least some form of celebrity assuming they may have some money; actually, I think that’s how The Flava of Love got started, no? No but seriously, how much money could this guy have with a wife and eight kids at home?

Well let’s see, shall we…

Oh so now he decides that he “cares” about the kids and doesn’t want them on television anymore. Yep, now that his “role” on the show will be limited, he decides to act an ass. Not only act like an ass, but act selfishly as well by withdrawing all of that money from their bank account! I’m sorry Jon, but you f*cked up royally with that one. Yes Jon, $1000.00 dollars won't buy enough Ramen Noodles to feed those kids. C'mon son! Just in that one move you went from idiot status to super douche bag; yep, and old wrinkled up red one like my grandmother used to have. Forget about even getting laid after pulling a stunt like that. What about the kids Jon? The only thing keeping them afloat is in fact the show. So what they dropped your name from the show; if you were against them being on TV you would not and should not have agreed to the show in the first place!

What’s surprising to me is that when the “Octomom” was in the news “certain people” gave her hell. People were all over her case and had her pegged as a “Welfare Queen” for being unmarried with fourteen children. But yet no such outrage at the actions of Jon Gosselin; imagine that. The way people are treating this, you’d think Kate Gosselin was a Black woman...

White folks, you people need to get it together and show this guy how he’s messing it up for you people. If you don’t, I’m afraid that this will become the new trend in America with white men. I mean damn, we Black men already have the running out on the wife and kids thing covered; can’t we just leave it that way? You folks are always quick to talk about and down to us for what we do. Can’t you all at least do the same for one of your own? Who knew white men were capable of the same type of behavior; I dunno, bad parenting, maybe?

The cherished concept of family which as you know is exclusive to white folks, is in jeopardy. So white people, since you’ve never cared about anything other than white women as evidenced by the love you all collectively share for Orenthal J. Simpson. I urge you to stand up and do your part to protect American family values as only you people can. I know you people hate Barack Obama and all, but he takes care of his kids. I’m sorry, but Jon Gosselin makes you people look bad, and next thing you know, single white mothers at the welfare office will be the rage, and we can’t have that now, can we?

Save the White woman!

Understanding the Culture of Violence in America: The Death of Derrion Albert

Hopefully after reading this post you're able to look at this issue differently. To do so, I suggest taking the time to view the following videos starting with this one:

So everyone has heard the story - or watched the video - of 16yr old Derrion Albert savagely beaten to death in Chicago. In my opinion, I don’t know if the video or the knee jerk reactions to it was more appalling. I’m sorry and I apologize if that last line offended anyone, but it’s just the way I see it. I’m disappointed that a young man had his life cut short in the manner he did, but I’m not angry. Am I a bad person for not being angered by this incident? No. Am I apathetic because I’m not as “enraged” as some people claim to be? Of course not, but some may think that I am. But hey, the cynic in me tells me that this “rage” will quickly disappear as it did after the Oscar Grant incident earlier this year. Everybody was mad then after watching the video of him being killed by a police officer, but no such rage at the fact that currently murder charges against said officer might be dropped.

If you ask me, it is this very “anger” which is essentially a part of the problem. Let’s be honest, Derrion Albert wasn’t killed because people were “Steppin’ in the name of love,” in the streets of Chicago. I say that because I doubt he was caught up in the midst of two separate but very happy groups of teenagers. Real talk: How do we solve problems if angry? When has anything positive ever developed from a position of anger? Shouldn’t this be yet another albeit teachable moments as it relates to conflict resolution? Ironically, it is this “anger” which has fueled some of the most unproductive discussions and commentary surrounding this incident and the blame game.

So in the spirit of “community” where community exists only when there is real commitment to go beyond rhetoric, beyond the limitations of tolerance, beyond the accusations, attacks and suspicions often experienced when people try to talk through the tough issues. I offer some Socratic questioning in an attempt to provoke rational thought and hopefully move towards solutions.

1) Bad Parenting: I’ve heard it said that what happened to Derrion is a resut of bad parenting. How can one watch the video of this or read about this story and come to this conclusion? Were there parents at the scene acting as agitators and or instigators? I’m sorry, but unless that was the case, I’m not buying that “bad parenting” cliché explanation. If you feel differently than I, feel free to explain that one to me in your commentary. And please give me more than that “babies raising babies” talk.

2) Absentee Black Fathers: Yet another one of those silly arguments to explain this incident. Can anyone prove to me that every single solitary soul involved in that melee came from single parent homes? Again, I’m sorry, but Black people, as a people we need to stop believing the hype as we’re fed by the media. Using absentee fathers as an excuse negates this being a teachable moment as far as personal responsibility and consequences in my opinion. Absentee Black fathers may be a problem in itself. But let’s not use this incident as one of those soapbox moments to promote Black fatherhood when it is not known whether it's even a contributing factor in this instance. If that's what you think to be a contributing factor in this and all instances of violence, pay attention to the last video.

3) Hip Hop: Let’s see, Hip Hop as we know it in the mainstream has been around how long? I don’t know, but I seriously doubt whether it has been around as long as Black on Black violence and crime has, no? Hell, a White rapper was just arrested for murder a couple of weeks ago. How come nobody submitted Hip Hop to be the causation of his crime which had multiple victims? Do we blame, or are other musical genres the motivation behind acts of crime committed by non-minorities? But hey, we can debate that issue in the commentary as well; actually being a Hip Hop head I welcome that debate. Shit, I know plenty of cats my age who love Mobb Deep's “Shook One's PT. II” who have yet to just lose it causing the end to the life of an individual.

4) The Black Culture of Violence: I know and understand Black on Black crime is an issue itself. But, why make this incident, or use similar incidents to give the perception that “it’s a Black thing”? Correct me if I’m wrong, but is there something in the DNA of people of African descent that predisposes them to violent crime? I’m just curious, but isn’t crime – be it violent or not – a problem throughout society that affects us all negatively? Why then see it as another one of those Black problems? Also, I’d like to take the time to remind people that gang culture has always existed in this country, and that the U.S. Gov’t did not create Ricco law statutes to take down the Bloods and the Crips. Yes, there is a pathology associated or attached to Black folks which directly impacts behavior. But how can we challenge this issue without tying it in to a larger societal problem?

All in all people, the problem here as I see it is violence in America; yes, we live in a violent nation. Is it any surprise that a country that was birthed through violence, where people are comfortable packing guns to political town hall meetings, and creating “Should Obama be Killed” polls on Facebook that these type of incidents occur? Derrion was caught up between an incident which involved two rival groups – you know that same “mob mentality” currently occupying our national political discourse? But hey, I guess that’s to be expected when the country you love has, is and will always be the biggest bully in the world community. Yeah, mobs and gangs have long been a part of American culture; why worry about violence here when this country exercises its “violent will” on other people and other cultures abroad.

What’s sad to me Black people, is that we view Derrion’s demise within the “Black community” to be tragic but yet accept or are apathetic towards the culture of violence within our country at large. Hell, a White kid was beaten on a school bus recently by a group of Black kids, but yet I didn’t hear this much “rage” from the Black community. Lemme guess, he lived, so it was no big deal, right? But since I’m trying to offer solutions I’ll ask: how can we stop the violence when we all live or are a part of a larger society within which such behavior is commonplace and not addressed?

Let the healing begin after this video:

SUGGESTED READING: Whose Responsibility is it Anyway? by soulbrother v.2

Your Baby Can Read: From the looks of the commercial, I don't think MY BABY could or will ever read

It’s Saturday, and my 2yr old daughter Ashley has been losing her mind all day. She’s a bit perturbed because in honor of International Children’s Day of Play, Nickelodeon has cut their programming. On all of their network channels there’s a message telling kids to go outside and play, or urging parents to take their kids out to play. Of course she’s 2yrs old and doesn’t understand. Shoot, we’re still trying to get her to understand that there’s nothing we can do when the rain knocks out our satellite service.

If only she was able to read what’s on the screen maybe she could understand. But of course you know Black 2yr olds aren’t able to read (nor will they ever be) according to those “My Baby Can Read” product commercials. Yeah, all the reading babies are White; no need for me to waste money on that product. Oh well, I guess I’ll take her to park once it looks like it isn’t gonna rain – something that it’s been doing all week. Yeah, forget the reading thing. Just as long as I can get her started early athletically, it should get her a leg up on the competition for an athletic scholarship; yeah, that’s the ticket.

Until this thing on Nickelodeon I haven’t given thought to the fact that kids don’t play outside anymore - my two oldest are 15 and 15 respectively. Which I guess would make this International Children’s Day of Play thing a good idea. I guess we can blame the problem of obesity and the inactivity of our kids to the rise in the number of pedophiles instead of the video game industry. I mean why take a chance on being abducted by some sicko at the park when you can be at home playing video games, right? I mean, who else better to entertain and raise our kids than television stations and video game makers, right?

When I was a kid, we didn’t need someone on TV to tell us to go outside and play. Usually it was the other way around. Usually it was an adult Nazi killjoy who saw to it that our childhood fun idea of playtime reduced to the arduous task of reading a book or some other form of torture. Oh well, maybe they’ll have an International Children’s Day of Reading. Of course you know since reading is “White Folks Shit”, us Black parents will have to figure something else out for ours. Oh well, Nickelodeon will be back on the air soon and all will be well in my house. Yep, Dora The Explorer and her sidekick red Timberland boots wearing monkey friend shall be my savior. My baby may never be able to read, but she'll be able to speak Spanish fluently.