No Roland Martin, We Should NOT Send The National Guard To Chicago

If you have not yet read Roland Martin's article on sending the National Guard to Chicago, please do so first before you dive into this post.

So this was my initial response to Roland Martin's article:

I wanted to stop there, but then I figured that we really need to look at why sending, or even suggesting, the National Guard should be sent to Chicago is a BAD idea.

Militarizing Chicago & The History of Military & Increased Police Presence in Black Communities

Suggesting military intervention in Chicago is the last thing that city needs. We all know that if the National Guard goes to Chicago, they're going to the South Side, and we know the racial makeup of that part of the community so it is easy for us to deduce who would be most impacted by this military presence.

Chicago is plagued with poverty, violence, discrimination, abuse and a fear and mistrust of law enforcement already; amplifying a military presence there is not a responsible way to assure public safety after years of oppression. Having the National Guard in Chicago will surely lead to the criminalization of black and brown bodies, displacement of black residents and ultimately gentrification. Militarizing Chicago and increasing the police presence is only treating a symptom of a much larger issue, which is another reason why this will not work. There are larger, deep-seated issues that contribute to violence in Chicago that no military presence can solve. Education, poverty, employment and social services are all contributing factors that must be addressed to even begin to solve or "fix" Chicago's issue of violence.

Militarization & heightened police presence in black communities have ALWAYS had devastating impacts. Remember the MOVE bombing and the destruction of Black Wall Street? 

In 1967, Detroit erupted in a riot that lasted four days. Governor George Romney ordered in the Detroit National Guard and President Johnson sent in army troops. The result: 43 people died, 1,189 were injured and it left devastating and lasting effects on Detroit til this day. 

  

Sensationalism & Statistics

The media has sensationalized Chicago and it has us believing things about the city that just aren't true (See misleading FBI crime statistics report from 2012). For starters, Chicago is NOT the murder captial of the U.S. Flint, Michigan actually has the highest homicide rate according to FBI statistics, but no one is talking about that. See, statistics, when not put into proper perspective, have a way of skewing the way we interpret the data. When you hear about the number of lives lost in Chicago in a year, it is not equivalent to the homicide rate. You must consider the overall population of Chicago in order to see how their homicides compare with other cities. So if we put these stats into proper perspective (typically by looking at Chicago's homicide rater per 100,000 people), we will find that there are other cities that are worse off than Chicago, but because there are a high number of shootings at once (like the 84 people shot during the 4th of July weekend), the media sensationalizes it and we start calling for military intervention.

We have to get out of the mindset of trying to solve all of the worlds problems with military intervention. As Albert Einstein so aptly stated, "We cannot solve a problem with the same mind (read: thinking) that created it".

Show me a black community, or any community, that fared well under military control and then (Maybe. And by maybe, I mean never) we can talk about sending troops to Chicago. Until then, NO.

*I am not a Chicago resident, never have been. Therefore, I do not speak as an expert on Chicago or claim to know exactly how to solve the city's issue of violence. But history has shown me what has NOT worked in the past, so we know there is no need to repeat it. I encourage anyone truly concerned for Chicago and its residents to link up with the people and activists in that community and ask them specifically what solutions to implement and how we can work directly with them to end violence there.*

Email: Kim@soulrevision.org

Twitter: @SoulRevision

A 16yr old Black Girl, The Criminalization Of Students And The Push For STEM Studies

On Monday, April 22, 2013, Kiera Wilmot went to school and mixed "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner and aluminum foil in a water bottle she brought from home. The outcome was a small "explosion" causing the top of the bottle to pop off which resulted in no damage and no injury to anyone.

According to the police report, an officer was called to the school and Kiera was arrested and taken off campus to a Juvenile Assessment Center. The arresting officer contacted the Assistant State Attorney, Tammy Glotfelty, who instructed him to charge Kiera with  possession/discharge of a weapon on school grounds and discharging a destructive device. Kiera has been expelled from school, will complete her diploma through an expulsion program and will ultimately be tried as an adult. But does the punishment fit the "crime"? And how does this incident fit into the criminalization of students and the push for STEM (science, technology engineering and math) studies?

We can't solely look at Keira's failed science experiment as an isolated incident. What happened to Kiera calls into question a larger problem, that of the Zero Tolerance policies and school-based arrests that have been implemented in schools throughout the U.S. and have ultimately criminalized students, particularly students of color.


A report released by The Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the University of California, Los Angeles Civil Rights Project, in April shows the increasing gap between suspension rates of black and white students. According to the report, One million, or one in nine, middle school and high school students were suspended in 2009-2010, including 24 percent of black students and 7.1 percent of white students. The increase use of suspension in schools makes it increasingly difficult for students to receive a quality education and research has shown that being suspended even once in ninth grade is associated with a 32% risk for dropping out.


How can we expect students to go to school and learn when they are constantly at risk of being suspended for small infractions? 

Kiera's situation also brings to mind the push for women in STEM. We have said time and time again, there's an underrepresentation of African American female students in STEM fields some of which are due to exclusions, mis-opportunities and under-education within K-12. We are constantly encouraging and urging our young African American women to explore these fields, and one has, and now she's facing multiple felonies for it. 

We cannot promote academic excellence and condemn the process by which that excellence can be achieved. After all, the purpose of going to school is to learn and making mistakes is a part of the learning process.


Twitter: @SoulRevision
Email: Kim@soulrevision.org

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - Action Must Replace Silence & Stigma

"When looking at HIV/AIDS by race and ethnicity alone, Blacks have more illness and more deaths than any other group.  Blacks represent 13% of the U.S. population and account for 44% of all new HIV infections and 46% of people living with HIV.  Survival time after an AIDS diagnosis is lower on average than it is for most other racial/ethnic groups.  Blacks accounted for 57% of HIV-related deaths in 2006."

"Why aren’t more people angry that our young people are getting minimal education/information that can prevent new HIV infections? Where has all the money for prevention interventions, treatment and care gone? Where have all the collective action and zeal from the beginning of the epidemic gone?"

" A critical mass is needed to change the course of HIV in Black America—schools, churches, civic organizations are all important partners in this effort. I’m committed to doing everything I can and encourage you to join me as we get to Zero New Infections."

Read Stephanie's full post here National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

World AIDS Day 2011: What Role Will You Play?

One million people are living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and one out of five of those living with the virus are unaware of their status. We are now in our 30^th year since the first cases of HIV/AIDS were reported - which has claimed nearly 30 million lives to date. Thankfully, with time, researchers and doctors have been able to study the virus and develop medications to combat HIV at various stages of its life cycle, which has led to more desirable outcomes in individuals infected with HIV which include: prolonged life, HIV virus suppression and an increase in CD4 cells (cells that help fight off infection).

While medications have helped in the fight against HIV, there are still many obstacles that we must overcome. The epidemic has changed drastically since its discovery; what once was seen as a “gay, white man’s disease” has come to be a global disease that has infected everyone from our most precious babies to our most delicate, senior citizens. Even more-so, there have been particular ethnic groups that have been hard hit by this epidemic.

African Americans make up a mere 12% of the U.S. population but account for almost half (44%) of all new HIV infections. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that 1 in 16 black men and 1 in 32 black women will be diagnosed with HIV at some point in their lives, and as a black woman I can tell you, that, is one too many! For this reason I decided to join the fight six years ago because I refused to sit back and watch my peers become infected.

We’ve done an excellent job of talking about the medications and stressing the fact that people are living longer than ever with HIV, but we’ve forgotten to mention that people are still dying from this disease and it’s happening daily.

The CDC along with many other local community based organizations have made great strides in fighting HIV, and for the first time ever, a president, OUR president, has created a National HIV/AIDS Strategy to proactively address the epidemic. Many of us that work in the field have been tasked with finding innovative ways to implement the strategy in an effort to reduce new HIV infections, increase access to care for those living with HIV and reduce the number of HIV related health disparities.

All of the paid work that we do around HIV has been great but some of the most amazing work has happened at the grassroots level from concerned individuals who have simply cared enough to act. That being said, I am making a plea to everyone who reads this…

I urge you to get involved on any level! We can all be advocates and fight for those who are not quite ready to fight for themselves. Your voice matters, it always has, and always will! Use it to educate yourself, friends, family and associates, use it to reduce stigma, and use it to help prevent another infection from happening. Take to your respective platforms, be it your social networks, community groups, churches and other faith-based institutions or school body associations, and join me in being a voice for the voiceless!

Take responsibility, take control of your health, be proactive! Ask your partner what their status is and get tested together and if you are engaging in sexual activity, use a condom! From this day forward, I ask you, what role will you play?

For more information about HIV and AIDS, visit www.aids.gov and for free and confidential testing sites throughout the U.S. visit www.hivtest.org

NIHILISM- A Silent Killer In Our Community

Note: In honor of Black History Month I wanted to spend time looking at some of the issues in our community that have been affecting us and bring them to light in an effort to acknowledge the problem and generate some discussion that can lead to change. I reached out to a man that I hold in high regard, Trimaine Davis, to help me with this.

There has been a silent killer in our community for the past 30 years now. This disease has claimed more lives of our young Black men & women  then any other pandemic of plagues among Black men & women. Like other diseases, this illnesses main attack method is caused by an infection that is carried from one person to the next, multiplying at a rapid rate that can be compared to the speed of light.

Although this disease is shares the same acronym as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) this HIV/AIDS virus has nothing to do with the immune system of the body. This HIV/AIDS virus attacks a part of the body that is much more critical to the human body. This disease surpasses the immune system and the heart and heads straight to main source of human existence, The MIND. Some know this disease as the Hood Influence Virus / or the Addition to Incarceration & Death Syndrome, but the name of this disease is more commonly known as is Nihilism.

 Nihilism is defined as the general rejection of established social conventions and beliefs, especially of morality and religion. The rejection of social norms and beliefs results in a mental and moral state of complete anarchy then turns life morals pointless and human values worthless! To understand to power of Nihilism, you have to understand the environment in which Nihilism is manifested in, the hood. The real hood! Not Hollywood hood, the everyday harsh and cure living conditions of the slums of the inner city where every aspect of the environment is defined by violence. This is the hood where neither liberals nor conservatives dare to tread in the murky waters of despair that now flood the streets of the under belly of Black America.

These are the neighborhoods that gave birth to Brenda and her baby, where there is broken glass everywhere and people pissing on the sidewalk cause they just don’t care. This is the place Biggie Smalls talked about when he said “either you slangin’ crack  rock or you got a wicked jump shot”  This is the hood that made the late great Marvin Gaye want to holler. This is the harsh reality where worry meets stress, and then turns into trouble. 

'No Snitching' has become a code, especially in the black community as it deals w/criminal activity

What makes Nihilism such a grand sickness in the Black community is the assault Nihilism unleashes on the value of self worth. Our brothers and sister who are infected with Nihilism are coping through life with self hatred, self doubt, self violation and self destruction. The long term effects of white supremacy that still holds a strong grip inside of African Americans, lead us to demean ourselves and devalue ourselves. In this society, everything that is associated with the term Black has a negative notion. The sub-consciousness of the Black community in the inner city takes a ‘less than’ approach when identifying self. We have been made to believe we are less beautiful, less moral, less intelligent, LESS PERIOD!

It pains my heart to see the national dropout rate for our young Black men at 56.2 percent. Black men are nearly 7 times more likely to be incarcerated, with average jail sentences about 10 months longer than those of white men. Black males ages 15-19 die from homicide at 46 times the rate of white males their age. Black male achievement begins to decline as early as the fourth grade and by high school. In 2009, only 43.8 percent graduated from high school, compared to 70.8 percent for their white counterparts. What kills me about all these stats is that no-one cares! The days of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ seems to be long gone. The left over effects of oppression has now turned into a life experience of coping with horrifying meaninglessness, hopelessness, and lovelessness.

A crip gang in Los Angeles

Lets go back, (WAAAAY BACK) to the 1940’s and visit an experiment that was done by a Dr. by the name of Dr. Kenneth Clark. In Dr. Clark's test, Black children were given a black doll and a white doll, and then asked which one they thought was better. Overwhelmingly, the Black children chose the white doll. Dr. Clark concluded that "prejudice, discrimination and segregation" caused Black children to develop a sense of inferiority and self-hatred. The experiment also influenced the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, which outlawed school segregation.  

In 2005 (65 years later)  young woman by the name of Kiri Davis (No relation) Made a film titled “ A Girl Like Me”  In her film,  Ms. Kiri Davis recreates a famous 1940s experiment conducted by Dr. Kenneth Clark that studied the psychological effects of segregation on black children. Davis asked 4- and 5-year-old Black kids at a Harlem school the same question. She found the Black children's answers were not that different. In Davis' test, 15 of the 21 Black children said that the white doll was good and pretty, and that the black doll bad and ugly one.

Watch: Examples of nihilism in media

Ms. Davis, who was 16 years old when she made the film, said the results of her experiment surprised and frustrated her.  "So many things have changed, yet so many things haven't," she said on "Good Morning America."  "Our Black children as young as 5 and 4 still being able to tell what America values and what it doesn't, I can’t believe this still happens." Said Ms. Davis. In this film, Davis asks a little Black girl, "Can you show me the doll that looks bad?"  The Black girl immediately chooses the black doll. "Why does that doll look bad?" Davis asks.  "Because it's black!" the Black girl responds.

You do not need a Ph.D to understand how Nihilism is such a powerful illness. Nihilism is so powerful because it attacks the core sense of belonging and kills the true essence of identity. Nihilism destroys the function that education is designed to provide. The first function of education is to provide a sense of identity and a true sense of belonging.  Since Africans have been in this country, we have been in a civil right war for the basic human rights to pursue education. REAL EDUCATION! The core fact being we have been denied far too long.  Without true education of self, no one born into the world can become fully human. The history of the economic condition of African American families has African Americans at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. This is due to exploitation, discrimination, and racism. The socioeconomic issue is a key factor in the outcome of lack of education for the Black Community.



Lil Boosie, a rapper, showing off his gun



The other part is our role we play! We must take responsibility in the role we play in spreading Nihilism through our community. Think about the type of person that is idolized in the Black Community. Who are the leaders we inspire our young people to be like? What are the images of the Black life we hold dear to us and try to imitate in our everyday life. How many young brothers know who Charles Woodson is but don’t who Dr. Carter G Woodson is? I believe full heartedly each generation has the responsibility of maintaining the level of consciousness attained be previous generations and of advancing the community to even higher level of the development of their own consciousness. What I mean by this statement is we have the responsibility to uplift and up-hold the next generation. Somewhere along the way a generation has slipped and stumbled on their responsibility, and my generation has completely fallen down! I believe our young people today have been lead a stray. I believe the condition in which our young people are living in can only produce more of the massacre of underlining self worth. As easy as it is to point to the main stream media, institutionalize racism that runs fluent in our country, I prefer to call out the real perpetrator, US!  Like Tupac once said, “Proud to be Black then why we act like we don’t love ourselves / don’t look around homie check yourself!”

Don’t get wrong, I know we as a community have many examples of overcoming all short comings that have been place in our path. We have come from Kunta Kinte to our 44^th President Barack Obama. However, like Dr. Carter Woodson said in his Book titled “The Mis-Education of The Negro” “History has shown us it does not matter who is in power, those who have not learned how to do think for them-selves and have to depend solely on others, will never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they had in the beginning.”

My generation of 80’s Babies  must inspire our young people to think against the grain. We have to educate our youth how to think for themselves and not go in the same negative direction as their peer group. We must encourage our young people to have a habitual vision of greatness. This is our task, as educators and as elders! We must make sure our young people do not settle for just plain old mediocrity, instead we have to install in our young people how to reach for the stars. We have to change the motto from “Get Rich or Die Trying” to “Be More & Live Life Striving”   We must educate our youth on the difference between material value vs. understanding self worth.

We must create a new renaissance among the Black community. This renaissance must focus on these three things; Self- Love, Self-Respect, & Self-Education! If we continue to let  THEM teach US about ourselves, will we continue to perish! We have stand up by standing together and engulf ourselves in the spirit of the second principle of Kwanzaa Kujichaguila to cure this plague of Nihilism in our community.  The one thing that is for sure, if we don’t come together for this renaissance, we will continue to sing the sad, sad song of how our young people lived so fast and die so young.

Contact Trimaine Davis:
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