Pa-e54 M.- erys-re-rssJa ry--1 20 Inauguration the Summation of a Dream In church last Sunday, I sat lis- tening to a gentleman proclaim that in 2009 we all must focus on the power of God. This gentleman elo- quently talked about how the by focusing on the power of God we would have a better understanding of what he has in store for us this year. Now I am a religious brother who has been a Christian all of his life, and sometimes I hear these "prophecies" and they simply go in one ear and out of the other. Of course I know the power of God - thanks for the unnecessary update buddy. However, the conviction in the gentlemen's voice and spirit felt different. No, I am not about to start preaching, but later in the service when the Pastor's message also focused on the power of God and connected God's power to the Barack Obama election the mes- sage came full circle. Most men of faith are prophetic in one way or another. Who knew that we would see this day so soon - the United States of America has elected a black man as its president. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was prophetic in his preaching and speeches. He talked about this day at a time when many felt it was the darkest hour for African Americans in this country. Who would have thought that in the 1960s when Dr. King was speaking about unity and the day America could elect a minority as President it could really happen? It was in that dark hour when it seemed that the Civil Rights Movement wasn't gaining any trac- tion that the seed was planted. Some 40 years later that seed blossomed into an exotic rose. In one of Dr. King's most famous speeches, he said, "I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the prom- ised land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man." And that was the power of Dr. King the movement wasn't about him, it was about creating equality and opportunity for everyone. Barack Obama has that same spirit. One of Obama's favorite phrases on the campaign trail was that the election wasn't about him. It is about all of us. This victory is about Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, all of the thousands of blacks that died during slavery, everyone who marched for civil rights, and every- one who believes in democracy and equality. I remember it was almost exactly two years ago that Obama announced his candidacy. "In the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand togeth- er, where common hopes and com- mon dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States," he said. Of course, the question of the day was simply could he win? If you said no, then you obvious- ly didn't understand the power of God that I spoke of earlier. Some may say that God had no hand in this Presidential election, but I beg to differ. Only God could take a race of folks who were once slaves and some 40 years ago legally segregat- ed in the country and lift them up in this country. That is God's power. I recall immediately after Obama's announcement a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll asked Democrats and independents that lean toward Democratic candidates to choose among 15 presidential prospects, 18 percent said they would be most likely to support Obama. That put him second behind New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the choice of 29 percent, and ahead of Al Gore, the 2000 presidential nominee; John Kerry, the 2004 nominee; and Kerry's old running mate, John Edwards. I remember asking in a column if the country was ready for an Notoriously Overrated: What Was So Big About by Paul Scott There's a new movie coming out called "Notorious." It's the story of a black kid who grew up on the mean city streets, became a Black Panther and dedicated his life to stopping police brutality and trying to organizesteret, gangs into a rev-, olutionary political movement. The story ends with him being mur- dered in his bed by the police as he slept next to his pregnant fiancee. My bad, that was the Fred Hampton story. Wrong screen- play... "Notorious" is about the life of a drug dealer turned rapper who released a CD, got into a beef with another rapper, and was shot on the streets of LA while leaving an after party. The end. If you ask any hip-hop fan who are the greatest rappers of all-time, dead or alive, he will, most likely, put Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace in the top five. Any omis- sion of "Biggie Smalls" is consid- ered hip-hop blasphemy. Even highly educated college professors have made a career out of quoting Wallace's lyrics like "The 10 Crack Commandments" as if they were part of some sacred text. Even today, if you go to any hip-hop clothing store in any city in America, you can still buy the t- shirt of The Notorious B.I.G. with the crown on his head for $20. However, as it is with most American icons, we never take a minute to ask, at the end of the day, what was this person's overall con- tribution to society that made him worthy of the accolades that we bestow upon him, posthumously? The tragic story of the Notorious B.I.G is the cornerstone of the hip- hop catechism and has been the subject of so many books, docu- mentaries and magazine articles, that I am not sure how much more light the film "Notorious" can shed on his life. I guess that the movie company is banking on the possi- bility that thousands of loyal hip- hop fans will be willing to put down $8 a head just to pay homage to their dearly departed idol, even in the midst of a major recession. But the question remains, what makes a person like Christopher Wallace still relevant, a decade after his death, when many of our leaders who sacrificed their lives for black people are forgotten soon after their casket drops? Most hip-hop heads can run down, in their sleep, how Wallace sold drugs in Brooklyn, signed with Bad Boy, married Faith Evans, and discovered Lil Kim. Who doesn't know about his infamous beef with Tupac Shakur during the mid 90s that had black folks debating who had the best rappers, the East or West Coast. Very few hip-hop aficionados will debate the fact that many con- sider Wallace's first release, Ready To Die, a hip-hop classic. But one would be hard pressed to find any- thing even remotely political, intel- lectually, or insightful in any of the lyrics on his CDs, where every thing he rapped about could have taken place within a one mile radius of his own block. Besides tales of black on black homicide and suicidal thoughts, based on either self hatred or major depres- sion, there is little else to justify any of his work being held in the same light as a It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back or The Score. Talid Kweli once rapped about how we have the uncanny ability to find beauty in the hideous. In the case of Biggie's lyrics, we also try to find depth in the shallow. Maybe the reason lies within our "mis" educational system. We are trained since elementary school to accept what the text books teach us as the absolute, unadulterated truth. If the book says that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America, then Christopher Columbus discov- ered America. So as we get older, if a hip-hop magazine says that Christopher Wallace was the great- est of all-time, than Biggie Smalls was the illest. No questions asked. Perhaps we just have a fascina- tion with death. Especially the deaths of other black folks. I know people who can't start their day without checking the newspaper to see who got shot the night before. We also have the tendency to ele- vate people in death to levels that they would have never achieved in life. In ancient Egyptian culture, when a pharaoh died, he was wor- shiped as a God. So when rappers die violently, they are transformed into Gods of war, leading their fol- lowers on a quest to seek revenge against all those that had beef with them when they were alive. Hollyhood has also capitalized off of our necrophilia as, for the last 15 years, the plot of black men get- ting tragically caught up in the streets. It has been the theme of too many movies to name. No one wants to admit that although they say art imitates life, in the hood, life imitates art, as the death of Christopher Wallace only helped to desensitize a generation of young black men to the finality of death. And with the upcoming release of African American President. My answer in February of 2007 was an emphatic no. I guess I was the one who lacked faith and lost focus on the power of God. So here we are while history has been made, there is still so much more to be written in this tale. Obama may have won the battle for presidency, but there are many battles still to come. A failing econ- omy, dead housing industry, unprecedented unemployment and gigantic federal deficit, just to name a few issues, will greet him on day one. But despite the challenges ahead, it still feels good to elect someone so uniquely qualified. Someone who will be the change agent this country needs. Next week's inauguration will truly be the summation of a dream. And I am not talking about a Barack Obama dream or even an African American dream. I am talking about an American dream. I am talking about a country finally leaving up to its creed that "All men are created equal." I am talking about a country bringing to fruition its foundation as the "Land of Liberty." Congratulations President Barack Obama. Signing off from my family room where I will be watching the inau- guration, Reggie Fullwood Biggie Smalls? "Notorious," we see that we still have not learned our lesson. Sadly, although the Notorious B.I.G became even more famous beyond the grave, for the young brothers who followed in his foot- steps, the only fame they received ,was a,, 15 second news flash on Channel 9. Back in the day, Kurtis Blow said that there were 8 million stories in the naked city. Unfortunately, most of our stories end the same way. Not happily-ever-after. No pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Just black blood being spilled on city streets. I guess the B.I.G. man was right when he said that "You're nobody till somebody kills you." , t- Should Susan Rice t Go to the UNP by Bill Reed The thrashing the Israelis are administrating the Palestinians makes confirmation hearings for Susan Rice to become United States Ambassador to the United Nations all the more notable. If main- stream media focuses on her becoming the first African-American woman to hold that post, they will be misleading and feckless gestures. When con- firmed, Susan Elizabeth Rice will follow three African-American men who have served as America's ambassador to the U.N.: Andrew Young from 1977-1979; Donald McHenry from 1979-1981; and Edward Perkins from 1992-1993. America's posture at the UN posture has been an unwavering tilt toward Israel. America's first black UN ambassador got the boot for "controversial" statements about Israel and meeting with the Palestinians. Appointed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter, Young's tenure was short. In 1979 Young said on network news that Israel was "stubborn and intransigent". He made the mistake of meeting with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization "in violation of American law," and Carter sacked him. Dr. Rice is unlikely to make Ambassador Young's mistakes of seeking fair- ness and balance on the issue. President-Elect Barack Obama's choice of Rice to represent the US before the UN will make her one of his adminis- tration's most visible faces to the international community. So, when Rice meets with the Congress for confirmation to the $150, 000-a-year post there's unlikely to be new revelations about ways to overcome crisis situa- tions such as occurring in Gaza and the Middle East. Rice is required to be confirmed to the post by the Senate; subsequent to that proceeding she and Obama will likely continue American patterns of hegemony. America has tenuous relations with the UN body, particularly over issues such as the Palestinians plight, but Obama's act of restoring the UN ambassador's post to cabinet rank supposedly indicates he means to work with the world body. Obama says Rice will pursue goals of greater U.S. engagement with other countries and multilateral institutions: "She shares my belief that the U.N. is an indispensable and imperfect forum" said Obama. "She will carry the message that our commitment to multilateral action must be coupled with a commitment to reform." How successful will Dr. Rice be mending America's rocky diplomatic fences with the UN? There is some concern that Rice's appointment sends the wrong signal. During the Clinton administration, Rice worked for the National Security Council and the State Department, primarily on issues related to Africa. Recently her specialty at the Brookings Institution think tank was on the global impact of weak and failed states. Rice greatest claim to fame has been criticizing what she calls Sudan's genocide in Darfur. At a recent TransAfrica Forum, the group's chairman of the board, actor/activist Danny Glover, said the organization is "conflicted" on Dr. Rice's appoint- ment and whether she'll "focus to shape new policy directions that prioritize inclusive human security, multilateral approaches, and interdependence with other nations rather than focusing narrowly on bilateral and militaristic responses". If Rice continues US imperial hubris coupled with practices toward Israeli interests, her role at the UN will be divisive. Israel is the top recipient of US foreign aid. Since its founding in 1948, America's military and economic assistance totals over $100 billion. As the horrific conditions were occurring in Gaza and the UN Secretary General condemned the acts, the US Senate (that will confirm Rice) passed a non-bind resolution "recognizing the right of Israel to defend itself against attacks from Gaza" and reaffirmed "the United States' strong support for Israel in its battle with Hamas". Since President Carter brokered the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty in 1979, Israel has received up to $3 billion in annual aid from the US. Egypt receives the US's second largest aid package $1.3 billion in military and $415 million in civilian aid. Aid to the Palestinians was frozen when Hamas won elections there. America is not even-handed in the Gaza crisis. It's folly for Congress to have Rice go off to the UN mission parroting "humanitarian concern" for "genocide occurring in Africa," while condoning US-involvement in geno- cide being perpetrated on Palestinians. a 1 4 "Copyrighted Material Syndicated Content Available from Commercial News Providers" 11. '4 4 J Lj----- 71 FLORIDA'S FIRST COAST QUALITY BLACK WEEKLY MAILING ADDRESS PHYSICAL ADDRESS TELEPHONE P.O. Box 43580 903 W. 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