Look, it's a bird, it's a plane! It's... Police unmanned drones over the hood??

I don't exactly consider myself to be one of those black helicopter/conspiracy theorist/"Big Brother-is-watching" type of individual. Nope, I'm not in the process of building a bomb shelter, stocking up on canned goods, bottled water, and Viagra (don't ask)  in the event that Iran does something with Yellow Cake. You know, like Saddam Hussein did? 

But be that as it may, something is kinda troubling about the above video to me. Um, anytime a local police department conducts testing of an unmanned drone to be used as a tool for law enforcement, I'm concerned.

Yes, especially when the Department of Homeland Security (and maybe even the CIA) gives you it's blessings? Hmmm, and they tested this in Houston, huh? Umm Houston, we have a problem, and I don't think it has anything to do with NASA, or those rappers with grills (not yet).

I'm sorry, but is the crime rate that bad? Do I really have to worry about having some horny perverted police officer flying over my back yard, and pleasuring himself at the sight of my man-boobs, should I decide to lay out for a tan?

I mean, let's say that if I were to innocently cheat on my wife. Should I have to worry about any other cameras other than Joey Greco's and the Cheater's crew? But now there's the flying police paparazzi? Again, I'm not trynna run the C-O-N-spiracy talk. But hell, Bin Laden didn't blow up the projects, did he?

I'm just sayin', this ain't Afghanistan! 

And hell, ain't no Yellow Cake in the hood, son!

Is there any privacy left?

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...

The sights of summer boobs return. …but why God! Why?

By guest writer Folk from Black Folks Don't Swim!

It's spring. It's getting warm. Motherfvckers are out. Walking, running, biking, and other shyt to shed those winter time added pounds. With this comes over confident male testostorone emitting fvckers with less than desirable physiques that proudly display their dunlap bellies and man boobs glistening with sweat!

Now Folk gonna have to give a little disclaimer on this one... Folk ain't the most fit fvcker in the world or in the fvcking US. Folk a'ight. Folk could use a little more definition and maybe a few extra muscle pounds in the "right" areas but Folk ain't sporting man boobs!

The Black Vote: Taken for granted, ignored, or necessary?

The black vote is important because it represents the behavior of a group of people whose voting power had been denied. However, the black vote is unique because African American voting behavior is intrinsically rooted in the people's history. Since the Reconstruction, the general behavior of blacks is to vote in block, either for one party or the other. Until Roosevelt came into the presidency and began the New Deal, blacks were committed to the Republican party.

So what happened? Looking back at the 2008 presidential elections, where blacks voted overwhelmingly Democrat, the question still remains: Just what went wrong or has changed?

Tonight we'll break it down with a robust panel of guests representative of Democrats, Republican, and Independents. Most notably to present the case for the Republican party, will be Cladio Simpkins and Lenny McAllister, both of the Hip Hop Republican. Also joining us would be Kris Broughton of Brown Man Thinking Hard, Joshua Lazards of Uppity Negro Network, and Kriss of The Insanity Report - all notable writers and contributors within the black blogosphere.

Central to our discussion is the question: Which party today, best represents the interest of black America? Tonight, our guests will all make their best case for the parties with whom they identify. Do join me, Max Reddick, and The Janitor; feel free to share your opinions, and you be the judge, on Freedom Thru Speech Radio at 8pm EST/7pm CST. Until then, you tell me which political party or ideology, best represents the interest of Black America.

Who ya' with and why?

Booty poppin' lil white girls? See what you did Beyonce?

Dammit Beyonce, see what you did? Because of you, now we have 8yr old little white girls dressed as hookers dancing on stage all over the damn internet. Yep, because of you, Beyonce, white folks are a tad bit upset at us black people because of your "Single Ladies' song, and video. Yep, just like back in the day when crack finally made it out to the suburbs.

Back then nobody cared when it ravaged the hood when VCRs suddenly started coming up missing 'n shit. Nope. It was only until the white folks started getting hooked that it became a problem, which created much Anglo-Saxon outrage. You know, sorta like this current viral video has lately:


Now look Beyonce, when it was little black kids and them gays doing it, it was cool; nobody cared. Yep, not even black folks. Shit, we thought it was cute to see lil Tyneesha 'n 'em all over YouTube emulating you and your video. Hell, and when the gays got a hold of it, they lost their rabbit ass minds on and off the internet. Shoot, it was only a matter of time before lil white girls would exposed to this out in the 'burbs Beyonce.

Nope, I'm not gonna blame BET this time Beyonce!

Uh-huh, and us black folks laughed out asses off at them homos, 'cuz, well, you know how we do when it comes to them girly men anyway. But now I turn on my TV last night and I see a white man on CNN Headline News mad as hell over this shit. I swear I think he even called you a n*gger when he spoke, Beyonce. Yep, he said f*ck you and your big nose husband and all that hippity hoppity nonsense.


Yes, them folks was that mad, and just like back in the day, Nancy Reagan, who is now 163yrs old, is working on a new "Just Say No," commercial. Damn right, Just Say No to black culture and this type of f*ckery. See Beyonce? See what happens when you popular? No, I ain't talkin about lil female chipmunks singing your stuff in movies. I'm talkin about white folks having to justify and accept this mess like we do.



SAVE US OBAMAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Should this women be deported?

Last year I told you about local law enforcement who were employing racial profiling tactics and illegally seizing and deporting individuals without proper legal authority. So while everybody is focused on Arizona, and the "new" immigration debate. Allow me to shed some light on a case that has surfaced in Georgia, in recent days:

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Staring at the throngs of media representatives who came out to hear and see her Friday, Jessica Colotl took another step into the fight for her future.

The undocumented student from Mexico whose case has become a lightning rod in the immigration debate had been released on $2,500 bond just a couple hours earlier. The 21-year-old student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia surrendered Friday morning to authorities in response to a warrant for her arrest issued Wednesday night by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.

[...] Just a week earlier, she'd been released from a deportation facility in Alabama after being stopped in March for a minor traffic violation.

"If I were to be deported, I'd have to start all over again," she said.

[...]The sheriff's office said she gave a false address when stopped for that violation, a felony charge that her attorney denies.

[...] Colotl's legal problems started in late March when her car was stopped on the Kennesaw State campus. Born in Mexico but living in the United States since she was 11, she could not produce a driver's license, so she handed over as identification an expired passport from Mexico.

She was arrested the next day and turned over to immigration officials. She spent more than a month in the Etowah Detention Center in Alabama.

Friends came out in force and marched on campus in her defense. Earlier this month, she was released, and her deportation was deferred for a year, which will allow her to finish her studies. She hasn't returned to classes yet, but looks forward to earning her degree.

"I'm just trying to live the American dream and finish  my education," she said. (Source)

Now the case above is yet another example of just how much comprehensive immigration reform is needed. It is estimated that there are about 65,000 people in this country, who like Jessica in the story above, are living in limbo having been brought to this country as children. The sad reality about that, is the fact that these are people who will never have a chance of gaining lawful permanent residency, because the system is broken.

Daria Werbowy Editorial Racist? Nah! I Only Noticed The Black Folks Anyway!

So I was over at HuffPost when I came across a this post asking if this Daria Werbowy editorial was racist.  Now I fully admit that I was ready to get all upset, and at first, looking at these images, I was about ready to roll my eyes and mumble about the precious "virtue" of white women in racial images.  However, when I looked at the images closer, I found that the the white model just really wasn't eye catching to me in the long term.

I think I knew what they were going for of course.  Don't get me wrong.  They were absolutely using the black models as props to have the white model stand out, like some jewel in the ruff, but I found that the black models actually made the photos for me.  She's not remarkable.  I don't even find the white model very attractive (she's no Adriana Lima), although she could be classified as pretty.  Her clothing is lovely, but I want to wear what the "props" have on.

She seems uninvited; like she crashed one of the hippest parties in town, after having run away from some lame, boring party in the Hamptons with uptight rich folks.  I want to be at this party, as it ultimately seems she wanted to be.  She doesn't fit in.  She seems terribly demode.  The black female models outshine her as their skin is far more conducive to looking attractive while perspiring in a hot ass club.  Their head wraps and makeup make them look like regal and strong; sexy and svengali-like.

It sees like most of the patrons in this club scene are not paying attention to her.  They are going about their business with the occasional guy who seems to be there to make sure she doesn't get lost, but he also seems like he can't really be bothered. 

This is not the first time this has failed.  Back in 2007, I wrote about Vogue India's Inaugural issue having two Indian models flanking a white model in the middle.  The effects are the same.  The model in the middle really didn't have a purpose as she was outshined by the models on either side of her. 

I think as I progresss in age, and I get more comfortable in my skin--as we all do as we age--I am not falling into the traps about what beauty should look like or what I, as a black woman, should strive to be.  I find that I find all women beautiful, but I will not hold white women to some gold standard because they are women just like me, and they are beautiful just as I am.  That's why I'm not even mad at these photos (more are visible at the hyperlink).  The message was lost on me because black is just too damned beautiful for me to not notice.

Author of Arizona's SB1070, Kris Kovach, explains 'reasonable suspicion' in police training video

So who is Kris Kovach? Well, he's not only an attorney for the anti-immigration hate group FAIR as pointed out by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He's also a former Bush administration lawyer. In the wake of 9/11, he crafted the "National Security Entry-Exit Registration System," which required fingerprinting and monitoring of visitors from Muslim and Arab countries. A system which as Race In America points out, profiled and registered, 83,000 people; and, the arbitrary detention of 1,000 of them. Of course it is also important to point out that as a result of this practice, or exercise in "effective policing", not a single terrorist was identified.

More to the point, and for the intents and purposes of this post, Kris Kovach is the man behind Arizona's anti-immigration law, SB1070. And as a post at Mother Jones points out, his reach extends way beyond the state of Arizona, as he is now assisting other states in implementing similar laws. And get this! As the GOP chair in Kansas, he once bragged about illegally blocking minorities from voting, because they tend to overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. Hmmm, but yet there are people in this country who are in support of Arizona's new law? Yep, and some of them just happen to be blissfully ignorant Black people?

Of course since the story broke several weeks ago, and since "reasonable suspicion" is all authorities need to stop and demand documentation from suspected illegal immigrants. The running question (by opponents and people who care) has been: Just exactly what exactly is "reasonable suspicion"? Since this measure isn't inherently racist by nature, just exactly does an "illegal immigrant" look like. Well, in the following clip to surface on the internet recently, Kris Kobach in a police training video lecture breaks it all down:


So there you have it, folks. Yep, now when someone asks just what exactly is "reasonable suspicion"? Remember the fine points of this video that is being used as a training tool for Arizona police officers. Pretty technical stuff and tough to remember, I might add. However, you can skip most of it and refer to the very last two points. Which would be the attire worn by everyday Latino immigrants. Just remember, it is not racial profiling to remain vigilant for anyone wearing a Sombrero who looks and sounds like Speedy Gonzales. It's actually effective government sanctioned, and encouraged ethnic cleansing policing.

RECOMMENDED READING: Anti-Latino Racism: A Pew Center report

So apparently 'Mexican Piss' makes police officers cry

Of course I realized that I haven't blogged about the story out of Seattle where racist adrenaline junkie cop assaulted a Hispanic man; and, well, hurled racist epithets at him, while politely stomped the shit out on him as he lay face down on the pavement. Yeah, I've also realized the fact that I haven't put police brutality on blast for a while here at The Intersection.

So anyway, you know the drill; you know how I feel about this type of behavior; and, I have obviously spent alotta time on stories like this in the past. So all I have to say, is that this type of stuff doesn't even shock me anymore. But more specifically, I had no idea that 'Mexican Piss' was able to make a grown man cry. So yeah, fuck you, your apology, and your crocodile tears, buddy; just be happy you still have your job:

Latino is the New Black: Republicans, the Hispanic Rift, & the Negro Enablers

As I've mentioned a time or two to the readers of this blog, I am an immigrant. I am the son of immigrants who migrated to this country back in the early 80s. I am the product of a family with four sons, of which three of them are college educated. I am the son of parents who they themselves sacrificed to further their education, at the collegiate level. Yes, I have something in common with the one in eight workers in this country; and that would be, I too was born on foreign soil. That said, it is why it is disappointing to me to hear the anti-immigration rhetoric from people who look like me.

People who like me, who are beneficiaries of the toils of many ethnic groups who coalesced, and formed the Civil Rights Movement. People who have forgotten the fact that said movement was not successful, were it not for collective activism of various ethnic groups and organizations. People who today, have stepped up a rung on the social ladder, only to look down on a class of people I now affectionately like to call: the new niggers. People who subscribe to the idea that like black folks once upon a time, Latinos are all criminals.

Yes, it's sad, but it is true; but, I remain buoyant to the prospect of black and brown folks coming together. Coming together in an effort to fight the very notion of our "unhuman-ness";  an idea perpetuated, and promoted by some within the dominant culture in the United States. An idea that fails to recognize that under the constitution of the United States, all people - legally documented or not - are offered the same protections, and granted certain inalienable rights.