An insightful piece about the potential of gang members and the transofrmation they can bring in their community…
Former gang member walks the road to transformation
Lexington Dispatch – Lexington,NC,USA
Now 26, Long meets with groups willing listen to his message as he tells the story of his initiation into a New York City gang at age 9, his journey through …
Gangs RIP. Remembering those lost to street gangs. 4,169 names have been added since we started.
This week we remember… Remembering: Charles aka “chucky”, Lolo, NO-LUV, ROBERT A.K.A. SHORTY, my ex home
A few years back, a local news story got my
attention. Two mothers–with a total of five children
between them–decided to leave their respective
apartments and meet with a third woman for a ‘Girls
Night Out’ at a local bar. Mother number one had a
nine year old watching her other child; mother number
two had an eleven year old watching her two young
siblings. According to published accounts, about one
o’clock in the morning, the nine year old began
screaming for his mother. Of course, the concerned
neighbors called the police. After a bit of
investigation and waiting, the two mothers came
staggering home drunk–and were promptly arrested and
their kids were turned over to Child Welfare workers.
One Rap Video offerings flashed on my TV recently
which reminded me of this story. Interestingly
enough, a young, vivacious mother walked out the door
of her house, to jump into a ‘tricked up car’ with
some of her girlfriends to head ‘out on the town’.
This ‘hip mother’ left her pre-teen daughter to care
for the house, while she hit the streets to ‘get her
roll on.’
Welcome to the electronic plantation. Massa IS back
in town.
Gone are the whips, chains, and beatings of old. Old
man cotton may be gone, but has been ‘replaced’ with
Nu Skool rap tracks, sagging and bagging ‘gangsta’
style of individuals of our OWN race, and the ever
present whip of the ‘No Snitch Code’.
You never HEARD of this term? HOW can I call this
SLAVERY?
Well, IF you remember your history (or have read the
Willie Lynch letters) Black slaves were
treated/handled thusly:
*Men and women were pitted against one another for
leadership
.
*Education was held to be ‘useless’ and ‘illegal’ by
Massa.
*Entertainment was held to be higher than
Empowerment.
*Children were thrust into adult situations to force
them to grow quicker.
*Marriage was discouraged & families were broken up
quickly.
*Men were ‘coddled’; Women were ‘cauterized’.
*Color, Class, Economics–even Religion were used as
weapons.
Am I getting through?
Sadly, the results of this new plantation abound.
The statistics and body counts are piling up in
schools, juvenile facilities and prisons across the
country. Expulsions, suspensions, and dropout rates
among young Black males–and now Black
females–continue to march upward. Street gang
recruitment is reportedly starting at the grade school
level in some parts of the country. Lastly, our
modern day ‘massas’ are completely without shame in
playing the ‘race’ card and the ‘sex’ card–as
effectively as the slave owners of old. And, Yes,
there WERE Black slave owners ‘down south’.
On the electronic plantation, the chains are made of
INVISIBLE materials. Sound waves, rap tracks, and
infrared scanning; MP3s, CD, turntables, vinyl sound
cards.
Many of the ones with the lash today were freed by
the Civil Rights struggles of yesterday. They are
full aware of the Black churches of yesterday were
strong and the center of our communities. The new
massas have infiltrated and corrupted the Black
church, making her weak and allowing everything from
hip hop ministries, to full blown crunk services in
its doors. Many of the religious symbols that some of
us hold dear have been incorporated into the ‘gangsta’
and ‘hip hop’ lifestyle–from crosses to Bible verses.
NEW TOOLS–OLD SLAVE OWNER MINDSET?
It’s OK to have ‘religion’ on this plantation–as
long as it ‘persuades’ you to serve the Hip-Hop/Rap
‘massas’ in a more ‘docile’ mindset.
They ‘like’ religion; just not ‘good’ religion.
They ‘like’ holiness, purity, and virtue–during the
daylight hours.
They ‘like’ the Bible…as long as you don’t read it,
live it, nor believe it.
Oh yes–the new hymn; the new ‘field song’? Dollars
matter–lives DO NOT.
Now, there are more than likely some who may think
that I’m being a little harsh. Comparing Hip-Hop/Rap
to the ‘plantation’? In public? On the printed page?
“Well,” some may be thinking as the smoke is pouring
from their ears, and they are snapping their fingers,
“this is the music for OUR generation!”
Balderdash! Music is one thing, but murder, child
abuse, and sexual immorality are something else. For
the life of me, I can still remember the Isley
Brothers saying “Fight The Power”, not “Off Some
Cops”.
But, I digress.
Let me provide a few quick examples regarding life on
the old plantation and today’s modern electronic
counterpart–based upon my travels and interaction
with young people.
RULES OF THE ‘NEW’ PLANTATION:
First, the electronic plantation–like its older
ancestor–has a specific language, which must be used
by the participants in order to be considered a
‘legitimate’ member. The deliberate misspelling of
simple words, or the insertion of symbols where
letters belong may not ‘look right’ on an employment
application or a high school exam…but so what?
Education is held to be something for losers.
Second, the electronic plantation–like its older
ancestor–has a specific rivalry pattern determined by
the ‘high tech massas’ (accountants, producers,
clothing designers, talent scouts, television/video
executives) of the Hip Hop/Rap industry. Only
‘certain’ members of the genre are cleaned up
(criminal charges disappear, drug/sex appetites go
into the closet, mainstream language used), covered up
(clothing, hairstyle, traditional morals are put
forth) and ushered out for public consumption in the
mainstream. These new ‘HouseRappers’ are constantly
held up as the people to emulate. Meanwhile, the
‘FieldRappers’ are still struggling in the business,
still chase and emulate the ‘bling’, and still mangle,
curse, and shoot. Some of them are ‘held up’ to
emulate as well.
Y’all KNOW who you are. Why should I give you ‘free
pub’?
MALE AND FEMALE ‘MASSAS’:
Let me interject a point of information. A ‘high
tech massa’ does not have to be of one particular
race, or one particular sex. There are a host of
Black ‘massas’ –male and female–firmly embedded into
the Hip-Hop/Rap business. Unfortunately, they never
see the ‘success’ of their ventures…lining either the
jailhouse, or the morgue. Once more, they keep THEIR
children AWAY from their ‘art’.
But, let us march on. Third, the electronic
plantation–like its older ancestor–is only concerned
with the wealth generated; not the lives obliterated.
The general public rarely sees–or hears–about the
dangers of ‘too much consumption’ of the plantation
wares–unless a death results. Crime rates, OOW
births, STDs, lowered literacy rates, dropout rates,
etc. are thought of as being ‘unfortunate problems’ of
society, but can never be laid at the doorstep of the
‘high tech massas’ home.
Up to this point, I’ve mentioned three similarities
to the old plantation system. This fourth point is
even a bit more twisted, and I have to go back to the
old plantation system once again. Massa just is not
all that willing to have a stake of truth inserted.
Some folk have been on the electronic plantation for
so long that they not only refuse to leave, they make
big money by bringing in ‘newer human performing’
slaves–at younger and younger ages. Independent
producers and recruiters use money from the drug or
gang trade to put unsuspecting ‘performers’ up on the
auction block of fame and public recognition. Now we
have middle school children being ‘shuttled’ from one
venue to another–sometimes on school nights–to let
the public get a ‘taste’ of a future electronic slave.
“Hang the curfew laws and getting up early for school
mama; your own Lil G can be the next Hip Hopper on a
box of GRITS! Just let ‘us’ take him around to the
sites tonight!”
THE WAY OFF–BEGINS WITH THE MIND:
Several friends of mine who are still in the
education game let me know that they have students who
have made straight Fs–repeatedly–and are not phased
by their poor academic performance. Of course, these
same students have the latest electronic toys–BUT you
can’t get some of them to carry paper, pencils or
textbook to their classes.
That is–IF they decide to go.
It was MORE than forty years ago that the Civil
Rights movement really made it into the public
consciousness. However, it was TEN years after
this–in New York City–when the Hip-Hop/Rap genre was
born. Ten years LATER, in 1984, Hip-Hop/Rap started
to smooth out its appeal and presentation enough to go
mainstream on Black/Urban radio stations. By 1994,
the MTV/Hip-Hop/Rap connection was starting to bond.
Today, the electronic plantation is doing a booming
business, with ignorance being held as a highly sought
virtue–and the ‘breeding stock’ of new talent is
endlessly trotted across MTV, BET, and other music
video screens and C.D. cases–while 70 percent of this
product is purchased by WHITE males.
There is only ONE way to be free of the electronic
plantation.
It’s called ‘Escape through Deliverance.’
AKA–Bankrupt the massas!
Like a cigarette smoker, alcoholic, or drug addict
has to put up a major league fight to truly break
their habit, those who truly want off of the
electronic plantation must ALSO WANT to be delivered
from Massa and his/her crew.
How?
It starts with a reduction of consuming the offerings
from the plantation.
It means having the guts to invest some of your
disposable income into things that will uplift your
family, instead of tear it down. It starts with
focusing the long term vs. the short term. It
continues with the realization that there is more to
life than what comes through some headphones and C.D.
players, or from a television screen. It continues
with the firm realization that there are consequences
for actions taken, relationships neglected and
responsibilities avoided.
It ends when one is not only free; that one has the
courage to free others.
The clock, though, continues to tick away…as newer
methods of enslavement are discovered and practiced.
Once upon a time, it was ‘forbidden’ to show
elementary-school aged children involved in
Hip-Hop/Rap productions. That taboo has been broken.
More and more videos are showing eager and anxious
children participating in everything from the throwing
of gang signs, to mimicking the crotch grabbing and
butt shaking moves of their older siblings–all in
full view of the photographer’s camera.
In some segments of the community, that would
constitute child abuse.
On the electronic plantation, this is merely business
as usual.
Is it any wonder we’re seeing more young people
facing the prison and the unemployment line rather
than the school, the church, or the family? They
aren’t interested in the long term; interested in know
that if you get a criminal record NOW, you won’t be
able to get much of a job LATER.
Firing a few people for saying a few things on the
airwaves only seems to enrich and empower the wicked
and the exploiters. MANY of them have a plan B and a
plan C AND the lawyers and accountants to have their
vacations result in fatter contracts down the road.
The ONLY way to make a point with Massa; the ONLY way
to make impact with THIS crowd of high-tech pirates
its to make them walk the bankruptcy plank with their
wares firmly chained to them…like they have chained
our communities for a number of years.
MIKE RAMEY is the author of THE MANHOOD LINE. A column
written from a biblical, business, and common sense
perspective. The column appears on fine websites
around the world. Emails to manhoodline@yahoo.com.
©2004, 2007 Mike Ramey/Barnstorm Communications
International.
He waz hardcore
The toughest thug you ever seen
sum say he was ruthless, careless. loveless
others say his heart was cold as stone
nobody ever seen him love
all they saw was his hate
they saw him kill
they saw him shoot
they saw him murder time and time again
but no one ever saw thru that
no one saw the other side
SUm said he could never love
SUm said he was better behind bars
sum said he would couldn’t feel no more
but no one ever took the time to look
beyond those tatted tears
One day that all changed
see he walked in and saw his gurl
ready to leave this world
but she wasn’t goin alone
She laid there in that hospital bed
ready to bring their baby into this world
yet the world was fightin every step of the way
the dr.s said there wasn’t much time
they would do everything they could do
the first time in his life
he felt his heart skip a beat
it took this to make him see
he could still feel love and pain
Even tho he looked the same
FOr the first time in his life
he walked away alone
He held that cross he always carried on his neck
he looked up and begged the man to not turn away now
“Lord… I kno i have been wrong. I kno the things i have done and have caused so much pain. But today lord i feel that pain. I see that hate.. I never meant to make those mistakes. I want to change… but pleaze lord. Don’t take them away….. ”
as he spoke those words..
the dr came to say…
they made it in time
and he had a new baby boy that day.
he followed the dr.
to see what made his life change.
he picked that angel up
and held him for the first time.
he looked him in his eyes
and a tear rolled down his face…
For the second time in his life….
he felt love and pain…..
and he still looked the same
Lil’mac
Yo, where we left off in Episode III, Martha the eldest of dead Lazarus’ two sisters had just come out to meet Jesus. He had finally arrived on tha scene, after intentionally chillin’ two extra days wit his homebwoyz, until Lazarus, in fact, had died. Martha, of course, didn’t know this, but nonetheless she swelled on Jesus some, for not coming in time to heal her brother. No doubt, Martha had seen some of Jesus’ miracles, which prolly made the tragically missed opportunity all dat much harder to bear. But it wuzn’t all beef dat Martha brought. She also spit to Jesus:
“Even now, I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you.”
Now I be findin’ dis spillage madd intriguing. Where exactly is Martha goin’ with this statement? What is she alluding to? I mean Lazarus is dead. What does Martha’s “whatever” include? Does she grasp the ill implications of what she is actually saying? I mean if her brother is dead, what could even Jesus, the “Great Physician,” now do? Could Martha be allowing her sorely tested faith to be stretched past the “normal” bounds of “reality.” Is some spiritual “sixth sense” growing in her heart, that Jesus could still do “whatever” even though her brother is dead—four days dead? Yeah, I’m feelin’ that is ‘zactly what’s goin’on. I’m feelin’ that the Spirit of God–even in tha midst of an unbelievable personal disaster–is softly openin’ the “eyes” of Martha’s heart to glimpse a Reality beyond the physical “reality” that only her physical eyes can peep.
Now, with this kinda response an’ apparent spiritual growth takin’ place before His very eyes, you’d think that Jesus would ill seize this opportunity to foster an’ build up Martha’s expanding faith. But, instead, He seems to revert back to dat sanctimonious “church speak,” like what He used wit His homebwoyz, when He first got word Lazarus wuz sick. He spitz back dis lame trak:
“Your brother will rise again.”
Mang, I see tha stained glass windows, an’ hear tha organ bumpin’ Gospel jamz in tha background! “When tha roll…iz called up yonder…” lol
Yo, an Martha responds in like manner—mebbe feelin’ dat Reality was a dream too audacious to hope for:
“I know that he will rise again, in the resurrection on the last day.”
Y’all can even hear tha poignant sigh of resignation in Martha’s words, that Reality is for a day/thatz one long minute away. (Yo, it rhymez! lol)
And, wit that, we expect to see Jesus smile gently and sympathetically, put his arm around Martha, to comfort her as only Jesus can do, and accompany her to mourn together at her brother’s tomb. They’ll probably tear some, pray together and then Jesus will reverently place the gorgeous funeral arrangement he copped from Galilee Floral & Gift at the foot of the stone covering the tomb entrance.
Not
That iz not what Jesus does. We should know by now that it’s just when Jesus seems madd predicable, dat He ill flipz tha script and does sumpthin’ 180-gazillion degrees opposite frum what we thought He gonna do. In fact, Jesus spitz to Martha a gloriously blazin’ trak thatz completely off tha chartz, an’ HAS BEEN for nearly two thousand seasons:
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
What?! What’z UP wit dis nonsense?!! A yo Jesus! Come again, famo?!!
I…AM…the resurrection…and…the life.”
Yo, an peep dis: Jesus ain’t sayin’: “I will tell you about the resurrection, Martha…” or “I can show you the way to live life now, dear sister, and help you “get beyond this” now that your brother is gone…” Nuh-huh.
I AM the resurrection and the life.
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Divine Time—Episode 3
Yo, where we left off, Jesus an’ His posse, had (finally) decided to get a move on, to visit His fam, Martha an’ Mary, whose brother Lazarus had just died. When He arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus’ crib wuz at, His homie had already died, and had been dead four days. Four—count ‘em—days! By this time, Lazarus was waaaaaay pas bein’CPR revived, or bein’ shocked back into existence by those flat-iron-attached-to-a-jumper-cable-things, whatever they called. Yo, Jesus’ bwoy wuz stone-cold dead. Rigor mortis had long set in, an’ Lazarus’ corpse wuz prolly already startin’ to decay. “Ashes to ashes” an’ “dust to dust,” word up.
Also, word of Lazarus’ death had gotten around his hood an beyond, and soon a whole mess of peeps came on tha scene frum nearby Jerusalem to comfort and mourn wit Martha and Mary, or as tha Bible puts it: “…to console them in their loss of their brother.” Now, we don’t know a whole heck of a lot about Lazarus. But, because a madd crowd of peeps had now descended upon his crib to express their sympathy, I s’pec Lazarus prolly had some sort of leadership role in his hood, prolly like headin’ up the Bethany Chamber of Commerce or the Bethany-Jerusalem Synagogue League for Community Development, etc.
So, when word came dat Jesus had come to represent, Martha immediately went out to meet him. But, her sister Mary still sat in the house. Yo, itz ill temptin’ to read between tha lines here. We can get a peep at the character of Martha and Mary from another Gospel, written by a 1st C physican named Luke. In that narrative, Jesus iz chillin’ at Martha an’ Mary’s, cuz Martha had opened her home to him. Bein’ hospitable an’ entertaining guests wuz apparently real important to Martha, cuz she wuz madd bumpin’ food, drink, an’ all tha preparations to the point of distraction. Her sister Mary, however, played to a totally flipped script. While Martha wuz hoofin’ about doin’ her thang, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to tha Truth He wuz spittin’. There’z more to that story, an’ we’ll prolly take dat up in some future column. But, we know enuf to more or less conclude dat Martha wuz action or task-oriented an’ Mary wuz more relationship-oriented. Mary wuz a “people-person,” and prolly hung on Jesus’ erry word.
So, regardin’ Mary not goin’ out wit Martha to meet Jesus, I’m feelin’ dat in addition to the crowd at their crib, in addition to her own overwhelming grief, a deeper reason may be her feelin’ ill disappointment and betrayed trust. It prolly hit Mary hard an’deeply hurt her dat Jesus–her Jesus—didn’t come when she an’ Martha sent Him word dat Lazarus wuz sick and dying; Her Jesus wasn’t “there for her” when she ill needed Him to be. He didn’t do what she wanted, when she wanted–and needed–a miracle. And, as a result, her brother died. She lost her only brother. Mary seems pretty human, doesn’t she. A lot like…us…
I won’t front ya, fam. When bug stuff happens to me an’ thangs don’t turn out tha way I ill want them to, or the way I pray God will make them turn out (or mebbe even insist that God makes them turn out) I find mahself getting’ just weeeee bit vexed an’ peevish wit God. There are days when pages in mah journal are filled wit one long “Why Lord?!” I find mahself bringin’ beef to tha One who made me in His image, saved my sorry soul from eternal death, an’blessed me with the emotions–even tha capacity to bring beef at all. Yeah, I’m human, fam, human like Mary, human like Martha, an’ human like…Jesus…
What amazes me is that, despite my frequent (never ending?) complaining, God still unconditionally loves me. So far, no lighting bolt has ever come down an’ smoked me for bein’ “honest to God.” He “eats” my being peeved and vexed wit Him, wit infinitely more Grace than I will ever bump toward Him or others this side of Eternity. Yo, He’s “bigger” than that. He’s bigger than I am, fam. His shoulders are ill big enough for me to cry on. He is even Bigger than mah wackest drama, my worst fear, my most horrific nightmare…
So, when Martha meets up with Jesus, understandably, the first words out of her mouth have a little beef to ‘em: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Woah. What must have Jesus felt like when Martha spit those rivets? Yo, Jesus is God the Son, fam, but He is also the God-Man. Jesus is fully human. Martha’s words must have cut like a stiletto. He had come face-to-face wit the soul-crushing pain, the heartbreak, and the personal disaster, that his decision to hang “two more days” had caused to those he loved and that loved Him. Even though He knew what wuz up, I believe Jesus felt every ache of Martha’s pain. Jesus felt it completely and to a depth and intensity that would smoke any one of us. Jesus, ill hurt for Martha, fam. Out of a heart of infinite and unconditional compassion, Jesus did not shy away from sharing and embracing Martha’s searing inner pain. He reached out, stepped right to it, an’ met it head on.
Episode IV next week. I’m out. Peace
ONE
sun
John 3:30
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