…And Social Justice For ALL

It takes a movement to make masses of minds mold together at the same time

From labor to LGBT rights

And from ACT UP to Civil Rights

The need to prove our humanity has withstood the test of time

From the beginning of time we have occupied all streets

Fighting for the rights of our babies so in peace they can all sleep

Our love of liberty made the Egyptian scarab sing for the Arab spring

Because the time is always right to do right…so said a King

We waged wars of words for Wagner acts

Laboring laboriously for those looking to live off of our backs

And now we gloriously gleam with the light of our freedom

Knowing too many still live in the dark…but we see them

From the classroom to the metro, when we look back in retro

We see human beings who grasped at freedom and wouldn’t let go

Moving as one we make mole hills out of mountains of societal injustice

Knowing in the end that all we have and need is just us

From Ohio to Cairo and from Colombia to Congo

When the people choose to lead, the leaders will follow

It only takes 1% of the people to push for change

But luckily we have the 99% fed up with the game,

Fed up with living in shame,

Fed up with being the blame,

Fed up with being pawns in a big business chess game

So we declare checkmate on corporate kings

Because we know all too well why the caged bird sings

We know all too well what liberation brings

Equality under the law

Whether we believe in Jesus or Allah

Denying equal rights to everyone is humankind’s biggest flaw

But as long as there is inequality there will be we

The seekers of change shining from sea to shining sea

The bringers of rain on the parade of poverty

The ones tired of seeing abuse to democracy

They said “freedom for all” but we knew it was hypocrisy

So we march and declare our rights in the face of adversity

In the face of stoning and lynching we stand proud of our being

Lady Liberty was blindfolded but even now she is seeing

From the U.S. to Uganda, we’re tired of the homophobia

Tired of misplaced anger and xenophobia

Throughout time there was we fighting for humanity

From slavery to genocides, protesting this insanity

From Armenia to the Holocaust, never forgetting

From Rwanda to the Sudan, never accepting

Never complacent when injustice sits adjacent

To our conscience we see the writing of war on the wall and erase it

We believe that peace is possible

That equal rights are plausible

And we will never believe that social justice is optional

 

RAPping up 2011 (a real rap)!

Video on CNN.com: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-724522

I was thinking last night of all the top stories of 2011 and decided, why not have some fun and write another rap! I wrote this! Happy new year!

Obama & Boehner must go beyond the base

Video: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-640904

Now that Obama & Boehner have taken their case to the media, they now must go beyond the base and really start thinking about the people in the middle, where most Americans reside. We have our political beliefs, but most of us are not extreme leftists or ultra conservatives. While i believe that Obama has done more to solve this problem, both sides have enough blame to go around. Now that the blame game has reached its height, it’s time that these politicians remember what they were sent to Washington to do.

Bachmann vs. Palin: no comparison

Video: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-627863

Outside of the fact that they are both women and are both prone to many gaffes, it does not make sense to keep comparing these two women. For example, Michelle Bachmann seems to have no problems talking about issues of race, whether she’s completely on or off. Most republicans including Palin will just invoke Dr. King’s dream in talking about race. Bachman makes comments like “President Obama failed black America.” That’s bold, especially for a party that has little black support. Furthermore, whereas Palin condemned liberal media and only talked to conservative media after several embarrassing interviews, Bachman will talk to anyone who will listen. You will see her on CNN, MSNBC, etc. Though they also share similar political views, these are two very different women who shouldn’t continually be compared simply because they are women.

How long will we all be Americans for THIS time?

Video: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-600228

As I see the celebrations taking place over the death of Osama bin Laden, I know tomorrow (if not already) that on both sides of the aisle, the battle for who deserves credit for his death will brew mightily. President Obama mentioned Bush in his speech. Bush said he congratulated Obama. That should be it, but we already see people outside the White House carrying Bush/Cheney signs. Maybe some have Obama signs but I don’t see them. It’s not about that! Both parties could have a president in power and this still could have happened. Let’s give Obama credit for carrying out on the promise made by the American government as we would if McCain was president. Let’s focus on the feeling we have right now and figure out how we can manifest it in our daily lives, especially as we move towards the next election. Congratulations America.

Egypt: Obama on right track, Americans one-track minded

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-546704?ref=feeds%2Flatest

President Obama must continue to act at the presidential level in engaging President Mubarak. We in America cannot be as gullible to just see calls for democracy and immediately harken back to 1700s America in an empathetic gesture. We need to educate ourselves on all of the intracacies of Egyptian politics. As history has shown in places like Congo, just because a student group, rebel group or otherwise uses the name “democracy” it does not mean democracy will exist. While I believe that the movement taking place in Egypt is genuine, it is important that we watch this with our minds and not our hearts. President Obama must continually pressure Mubarak to make sure the people are being protected in this process and if Mubarak cannot accomplish this, he should lose Obama’s support. The rest of us should do our best to support peace in Egypt, but if we don’t want to seriously educate ourselves on the conflict there, we’re better off changing the channel.

Mr. President, what about gun control? What about the youth?

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-544620

While President Obama did a wonderful job of touting his successes and challenging the country to move forward together, he should have taken time to speak about gun control in light of what happened in Arizona, and the crisis our youth are facing across the country in our schools as well as on the streets.

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: we’re on the wrong side of history

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-530923

History has shown us that we have always been on the wrong side of history as it relates to segregation, especially with the military. We said blacks couldn’t serve and we were wrong. We said women couldn’t serve and we were wrong. Now with DADT, we see that we have been wrong again. Our country is stronger when we allow everyone in this country to bring their talents to the table. America has corrected many of its injustices over the years. I am happy with this latest correction that will put us once again on the right side of history.

No Child Left Behind (a poem)

I’m the child left behind so I rhyme

Didn’t pass the test so I dropped outta line

Outta sight into crime just tryin’ to get paid

They cared more for my braids than they did for my grades

Didn’t quite look the part plus they didn’t have art

No foreign languages no music, not even head start

So when the shotgun went off I didn’t run I stayed

School was just daycare so I ran and played

Acted a fool in school and I thought I was cool

Made a point to act stupid and not follow the rules

Till I got held back and the joke was on me

Some other brothers hauled off to Special Ed see

Supposed to be case by case but too many black males

Make up Special Ed, it’s like a school jail cell

They say the first shall be last and that’s true in class

Original man at the bottom of education class

I wonder (a child’s poem on education in America)

I wonder what my world would be

If you could just see me as I see me

If you could just greet me with a smile even though you think I’m hostile

If you could not assume that I’m doomed for life’s prisons and trials

You may see a smile that would light up your room

You may see I’m as precious as any child in your room

If you could see why we may not see eye to eye

And meet me half-way so I’m not that child left behind

Maybe just maybe we will make some progress

If you just looked at me as a scholar and nothing less

I hunger for education but my teachers have me fasting

I’m just looking for your love and a little understanding