So for years I’ve been reading in the newspapers and watching on TV and reading on the internet how race relations are great and it’s not as bad as it used to be. I have strongly disagreed every time I would see such a report knowing that I am a dark-skinned black man living in the New York City area, knowing that I am being judged solely on the color of my skin. Knowing that police officers routinely stop me in my vehicle based on how I look and not because I’ve committed any crime or traffic violation. I know that there are racist people preventing me from gaining things based on their own insecurities and prejudices.

I laugh when my white friends and acquaintances swear up and down that racism is barely existence nowadays (Though I am not accusing them of racism at all) because they are comfortable hanging with Blacks and other ‘minorities’. I even chuckle when they feel comfortable laughing at my peoples use of the N word that we, not I, but we, are comfortable saying in front of them and in videos and on record and on film (That’s another subject that I will write about in length some other time!). But, in case most of you think otherwise, racism is alive and well and kicking! It never left, it is still lingering and it is making a more blatant comeback right in front of our very eyes!

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http://nakedwithsockson.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-personal-views-on-marriage.html

I think we all have our own personal views on marriage. Mine is one where love is the foundation and the guiding light for your “happily ever after.” Along with that I feel that your husband or wife should be all the man or woman you'll ever need or want. That doesn't necessarily mean they're as fly as Will and Jada, but, in your eyes at least, they're perfection personified. Maybe I'm just being naïve, but I also view marriage as the end of wandering eyes and the desire for anyone outside of your beloved. However, as I’ve spoken to more married folks recently I've found that to be far from reality.

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http://www.dantelee.com/2008/11/ten-most-common-web-site-design.html

I recently received this email from InternetRetailer.com that convinced me to be at their next conference in 2009. Here's what it said:

You may think your web store looks just great and you have a right to be proud of it. But did you ever sit with a focus group to see what problems they had with it? Did you ever have top web site designers analyze it to find flaws? And have you listened to e-retailers tell you how they’ve vastly improved online sales and conversion rates just by making basic design changes that eliminated the most common web site design faux pas?

You can do all of this and more by attending the second annual Internet Retailer Web Design '09 Conference at the all-new Fontainebleau in Miami Beach on June 19-22, 2009.

Here are just 10 common design mistakes you’ll learn to avoid at IRWD ’09:

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http://www.liveabovemediocrity.com/politics/proposition-8/

On the same night America demanded change, the country did more of the same in California when Proposition 8 passed banning gay marriage.

The reason why I’m writing about this is because it bothers me that 73% of African Americans voted against it in California. Fifty-three percent of Latinos and half of Whites were in line with them as well.

Now, i’m not with the talk that’s going around that African-Americans ruined it for the gay population, because Black folk are only six percent of the population in California to begin with so their vote didn’t matter much. Where the blame should be directed is at the heads of numerous Mormon churches, which spent a ton of money to flood the airwaves with anti gay marriage ads that seemed to do the trick in the voting booth.

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The Core DJ's Mixshow HOT PICKS:

** Ace Hood - Get 'Em Up (We The Best/Def Jam)

** The Dream f/ Lil Jon - Let Me See The Booty (Def Jam)

** Lil' Scrappy f/ Lil Wayne - Stand Up (BME)

** Murphy Lee f/ Kanjia - My Shoes (Derrty Ent/Universal)

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Kenji Jasper
Scribe
Words Lines and Phrases
Brooklyn, NY

At 33, Kenji Jasper can boast of a 18-year career in writing and journalism, which began when he published his first article as an intern for The Washington Informer newspaper at the age of 13. At 14, he became a contributor to Black Entertainment Television's YSB Magazine, and later worked as a writer/instructor at The Institute for the Preservation and Study of African American Writing. He also served as an on-air personality for WTTG Fox 5's Newsbag (1986-1987), and later as one of the founding cast members of Black Entertainment Television's Teen Summit (1989-1993). By the time he graduated from Morehouse College in 1997, his journalism had appeared in The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union Tribune, and The Atlanta Tribune .

But creative writing has always been his true love. He penned his first novel, "Dark" , at the age of 21. It has since been released in the United Kingdom and translated into French. It was later optioned to be made into a film by State Street Pictures(Soul Food, Barbershop, Roll Bounce) and Fox Searchlight Pictures.

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http://streetcred.com/?page=features/entry&id=925

New York mainstay Cormega gets deep with StreetCred.com about the problems plaguing Hip-Hop, being an innovator, Nas, working with legends, the failures of leaders and more.

Cormega on the state of New York Hip-Hop:

"It’s not NY that’s failing, it’s the system that we are apart of that’s failing us. Those people at the labels I mean look at Atlantic and Maino. Maino is from New York and it took a co-sign from somebody like T.I. in the south for people to try to sign him. I mean he has been putting it down and he was a new face. Why not sign him period?"

---

St. James: What's up Cormega? How you feelin'?

Cormega: What up homey I’m chillin…

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http://mybrownbaby.blogspot.com/2008/11/faith-in-our-fathers.html

On the mornings when my husband, Nick, walks the girls to the bus stop, my commute involves me leaning over the side of my bed and picking up my laptop and the remote. I’m lucky like that (for both the husband that shares bus duty, and my ability to make money from home). And while I’m busy writing, I usually have the TV on, with the volume turned down low—loud enough for me to tune out irrelevant drivel and hear stuff that I want and need to hear. Recently, I caught site of this video on the The Today Show, and immediately pumped up the volume. A black guy? Wagging his finger and twisting his hips and cheering? About boys?!

Turns out that the video, produced by the Ad Council with the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, is a PSA that encourages fathers to be better dads and get more involved in their children’s lives. The inspiration for the piece came, according to the Ad Council, after a survey revealed that more than 79% of Americans feel “the most significant family or social problem facing America is the physical absence of the father from the home.”

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As happy as I am that I’ve witnessed the election of a Black president, the struggle is FAR from being over! My primary concern and fear is that the number of people who were finally energized to actually go out and vote, will feel like their job is done and they can become complacent. That is too far from the truth! I am almost embarrassed that some of my friends, who are around 40 years old, have finally exercised their right to vote. Yes, it’s good that they did it as opposed to never doing it but to not have done it is still something that amazes me. Not being involved in who is making decisions for your well-being is not a wise decision. Allowing others who have no interest in you or your concerns, to make laws and decisions that do affect you, doesn’t sit well with me, especially when these rights were fought for our benefit.

What people still don’t understand is that there is still a lot on the table, even in local elections and we must not stop at the presidential election every four years. I’ve stated this almost yearly that we can’t just be concerned about candidates and politics when there is a presidential election. We must have the same energy and focus when it comes to electing our mayors, governors, congressmen, representatives, councilmen, judges and every office in between all of those!

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Erika J. Kendricks
Author/Managing Partner/President
Confessions Of A Rookie Cheerleader/Publishing Prep/NABFEME
New York, NY

Erika J. Kendricks, a Chicago native, rocks out in the middle of Manhattan with her Himalayan hottie, Cody. She graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Psych and after a few bouts of indentured servitude at Ogilvy PR Worldwide and J Records, Erika completed her MBA and escaped to New York City. She snagged both her luggage and a coveted gig (read: “…and you’ll be sharing office space with the warm sodas in the utility closet…”) at the ultra-chic record label, Island Def Jam.

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Boxie
Recording Artist
Polo Grounds
New York

1) I’ve always said there’s a difference between R & B and Soul, could you tell us your interpretation of both?

I always felt the difference comes with the feeling behind the song- R&B has a specific twist to it that makes you wanna move and what not, but soul, in my book is the ultimate form of song- no restrictions no boundaries no slick metaphors, just pure passion and heart.  That's where I see the difference. Soul is timeless and R&B is very changeable.

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In the conclusion of this two-part interview with Nappy Roots member Skinnie Deville, The Journalista gets the scoop on the group’s latest album The Humdinger, their faded relationship with Jazze Pha and why they’re so proud to be from the country.

What are the prize tracks on the latest Nappy Roots album The Humdinger?

Skinny Deville: I like Beads and Braids a lot because it kind of explains what we went through in a sense.

It sums up everything from Wood and Leather up to now. It's lyrical, the beat bangs, the hook is catchy. The concept in itself was that because of what we going through, no one can break us up. We're tighter than beads and braids. So if you saying something, fuck what you saying. I know my brothers and I know who I am and we gone keep making the music...'cause gatekeepers, label heads and radio doesn't want to play anything positive or promote any kind of balance to the hip-hop game.

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