For those that don’t know…
I was in the Chicago Tribune this past Monday.
Here's that link again. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-trice-26oct26,0,5353399.column
The personal feedback I've gotten for the story has been largely positive and a lot of people have asked me what they can do. One woman who is from the suburbs of Chicago asked me what she could do to help. This was my response. Hopefully it'll help her and others.
Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. To tell you the truth I'm not sure what you can do. I'm not sure what I can do either. These problems are deep societal woes that are multilayered and multidimensional. It's really hard to say what anyone can do but I think the best strategy I've found at this point is to be an advocate on a micro-level. Wherever you are strive to not only enlighten those people but to also empower them. Especially young people, it's so important that they receive positive enforcement when they do positive things. I think what you can do is use your talents, whatever they may be, to affect your community and communities in need in a positive way. A way that errs on the side of empowerment and not pity. What that means for you is up to you but I think that's all I try to do and I think that's a good place for anyone to start. Thanks.
Hopefully now you know a lil’ something more…
Nate
Showing posts with label Violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Violence. Show all posts
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Lost Count: A Love Story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-trice-26oct26,0,5353399.column
Today an article was written in the Chicago Tribune about a poem I performed for Brave New Voice Poetry Slam in 2008. The piece is about youth violence in Chicago. Check out the article and poem if you get a chance.
Nate.
Today an article was written in the Chicago Tribune about a poem I performed for Brave New Voice Poetry Slam in 2008. The piece is about youth violence in Chicago. Check out the article and poem if you get a chance.
Nate.
Friday, October 9, 2009
NO-bel Peace Prize
For those that don’t know…
I’m a Democrat. This isn’t that surprising I guess. But aside from generally being a Democrat I am also someone who thinks Barack Obama is THAT dude. I think he’s articulate (in a non-“he speaks so well” house negro way), intelligent, etc. Everybody knows this spiel by now but my point is I generally ride for the big homie O but today was pretty surprising even by his standards.
…He won the Nobel Peace Prize…
…
…
…
not sure what I’m gonna say yet…
…
…
ok…
…
…got it.
On one level I definitely understand the selection and approve of it. For his campaign he had to overcome one of the world’s sickest and most pervasive racialized societies to triumph and in the process he brought people together in unprecedented ways. This is true and it was an amazing time to be young, black, (and from Chicago) but I challenge you to look a little deeper. Without taking anything away from him or the moment in history, it was by no means a kumbaya moment of profound racial conciliation or whatever. It was political. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing (he is a politician after all), but that’s what it was. Look at the facts:
1. After 8 years of a terribly unpopular president, the Democrats would’ve had to be completely inept to not win.
2. Obama ran the greatest national campaign ever. He utilized a potent mix of grassroots and major player support that raised money and awareness previously unseen.
3. He still didn’t win by THAT much. (Like 8.5 million, not a whole lot, not the biggest victory ever.)
4. McCain ran a bad campaign. I actually like McCain as far as Republicans go but he let his handlers get the best of him and he lost control of his own direction.
5. Sarah Palin (smh)
So don’t let the warm fuzziness fool you, we ARE NOT in a post-racial society (whatever that means). What we are in is a society that has a really good politician at its helm. A really good politician who has prospered because of his own merit and the failings of his opponents and despite the reality of his own blackness (Patton’s Army and Kansas aside, ONE DROP RULE, whitefolks made it and they have to live with it. HE’S OURS HAHAHA!).
Obama is still that dude and he has the potential to do a lot of good. The world opinion is still in his favor and it is my hope he can parlay that respect and popularity into making different parties come to the table and resolve their beefs. With that said, he doesn’t need a Nobel Peace Prize. Too early. Not even close.
Barack Obama was the sitting US Senator when I was in high school. Years that saw skyrocketing homicide rates for the public school system in Chicago. His Sec. of Education was running that school system. They were complicit in the murder of my peers. So was I. The blood is on all of our hands. The things that lead up to murders like that of Derrion Albert, Chris Pineda, and so many more are failures. Failures of community, family, political systems, economic systems, and school systems lead children to a place where they have no other outlet or resource (or feel like they don’t) for their rage. When that happens they kill each other.
I love Barack Obama. Every time I think of him I’m proud on so many levels (American, Chicagoan, African, etc.). I cannot, however, applaud the victory for someone who sat in the face (and continues to do so) of mass murder and was silent.
Hopefully now you know a lil’ something more…
Nate
PS.
Someone who still probably isn't qualified to win the Nobel Peace Prize but who is a lot closer in my mind is Kevin Coval. He does a lot of great community work in Chicago and Louder Than a Bomb Poetry Slam provides youth with a safe space to express every year. It's an amazing program and KC is a beast.
More info:
Youth violence:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1811271,arne-duncan-chicago-school-violence-100709.article
http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/1813474,CST-NWS-mitch08.article
Nobel Prize:
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/2009/10/obamas-not-the-1st-a-brief-history-of-black-americans-and-the-nobel-peace-prize/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10nobel.html?_r=2&hp
Kevin Coval/Louder Than a Bomb:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-coval/a-post-olympic-plan-for-a_b_311859.html
I’m a Democrat. This isn’t that surprising I guess. But aside from generally being a Democrat I am also someone who thinks Barack Obama is THAT dude. I think he’s articulate (in a non-“he speaks so well” house negro way), intelligent, etc. Everybody knows this spiel by now but my point is I generally ride for the big homie O but today was pretty surprising even by his standards.
…He won the Nobel Peace Prize…
…
…
…
not sure what I’m gonna say yet…
…
…
ok…
…
…got it.
On one level I definitely understand the selection and approve of it. For his campaign he had to overcome one of the world’s sickest and most pervasive racialized societies to triumph and in the process he brought people together in unprecedented ways. This is true and it was an amazing time to be young, black, (and from Chicago) but I challenge you to look a little deeper. Without taking anything away from him or the moment in history, it was by no means a kumbaya moment of profound racial conciliation or whatever. It was political. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing (he is a politician after all), but that’s what it was. Look at the facts:
1. After 8 years of a terribly unpopular president, the Democrats would’ve had to be completely inept to not win.
2. Obama ran the greatest national campaign ever. He utilized a potent mix of grassroots and major player support that raised money and awareness previously unseen.
3. He still didn’t win by THAT much. (Like 8.5 million, not a whole lot, not the biggest victory ever.)
4. McCain ran a bad campaign. I actually like McCain as far as Republicans go but he let his handlers get the best of him and he lost control of his own direction.
5. Sarah Palin (smh)
So don’t let the warm fuzziness fool you, we ARE NOT in a post-racial society (whatever that means). What we are in is a society that has a really good politician at its helm. A really good politician who has prospered because of his own merit and the failings of his opponents and despite the reality of his own blackness (Patton’s Army and Kansas aside, ONE DROP RULE, whitefolks made it and they have to live with it. HE’S OURS HAHAHA!).
Obama is still that dude and he has the potential to do a lot of good. The world opinion is still in his favor and it is my hope he can parlay that respect and popularity into making different parties come to the table and resolve their beefs. With that said, he doesn’t need a Nobel Peace Prize. Too early. Not even close.
Barack Obama was the sitting US Senator when I was in high school. Years that saw skyrocketing homicide rates for the public school system in Chicago. His Sec. of Education was running that school system. They were complicit in the murder of my peers. So was I. The blood is on all of our hands. The things that lead up to murders like that of Derrion Albert, Chris Pineda, and so many more are failures. Failures of community, family, political systems, economic systems, and school systems lead children to a place where they have no other outlet or resource (or feel like they don’t) for their rage. When that happens they kill each other.
I love Barack Obama. Every time I think of him I’m proud on so many levels (American, Chicagoan, African, etc.). I cannot, however, applaud the victory for someone who sat in the face (and continues to do so) of mass murder and was silent.
Hopefully now you know a lil’ something more…
Nate
PS.
Someone who still probably isn't qualified to win the Nobel Peace Prize but who is a lot closer in my mind is Kevin Coval. He does a lot of great community work in Chicago and Louder Than a Bomb Poetry Slam provides youth with a safe space to express every year. It's an amazing program and KC is a beast.
More info:
Youth violence:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1811271,arne-duncan-chicago-school-violence-100709.article
http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/1813474,CST-NWS-mitch08.article
Nobel Prize:
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/2009/10/obamas-not-the-1st-a-brief-history-of-black-americans-and-the-nobel-peace-prize/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10nobel.html?_r=2&hp
Kevin Coval/Louder Than a Bomb:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-coval/a-post-olympic-plan-for-a_b_311859.html
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