02 Nov
Posted November 2, 2009 at 11:29 pm
The beating has been called brutal, savage, and vicious. It has created a firestorm of controversy and criticism from the school system, to the city of Chicago, and even President Obama. The beating of sixteen year old honors student Derrion Albert, captured on a cell phone camera by a bystander has caught the attention of prominent figures around the United States. Albert was caught up in a brawl between dozens of students while walking to a bus stop after school. The fight was supposedly retaliation for a shooting that had happened at the school earlier that day. Albert was killed after being knocked unconscious by a strike from a board that one of the brawling teenagers was wielding, and then beaten to death by a group of five teenagers.
Derrion Albert’s death was without a doubt, tragic and brutal, but it is unfortunately not very uncommon in the city of Chicago. According to the police, 100 school age children were killed in Chicago last year. In the 2007-2008 school year, among high school students there were 34 deaths and 290 shootings. The Derrion Albert beating brings up the importance of an imperative overriding question in the fight against violence in Chicago and around the United States. Are African Americans truly more likely to be victims of violent crimes, and if they are what can be done about it?
The answer to the first question is clear to see when one looks at the information about causes of death for Americans in the year 2004. When compared to whites, the causes of death statistics for African Americans are both jaw dropping and depressing. For blacks between the ages of 15 and 34, homicide is the leading cause of death. It ranks no higher than third for white Americans in the same age group. For African Americans in Derrion Albert’s age group (15-19), the homicide rate for African Americans was six times higher than the homicide rate for white Americans. The rate for African Americans in the 20-24 year old age group was 55.9, compared to a 7.9 rate for white Americans.
Clearly, African Americans are much more likely to be victims of violence than white Americans. The answer to the problem has clearly eluded government and community officials because the issue continues to be a problem. It would be unfair to say that nothing has been done about the problem. The city of Chicago recently announced a $30 million project that identifies high risk youth that may become victims of gun violence and assigns them to full time mentors and part time jobs. Some of the $30 million also will pay for more security guards in gang troubled areas. However, the solution has to go deeper than simply a lack of funding or programs. According to the Washington Post, nearly 48 percent of African American children grow up without a father in the home. This is nearly double the rate of any other ethnic group. For a group of young men to think that it is okay to spend their time at school senselessly fighting each other there has to be lack of parental and community support that goes far beyond dollars and cents.
Derrion Albert’s tragic death is more than simply an isolated incident, it is another example of an all too familiar problem of violence in the African American community, and it is going to take more than money to solve it. It is going to take parents and community leaders stepping up and to taking control of their neighborhoods and households.
02 Nov
Posted November 2, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Are you a student who dreams of making it into the media and entertainment industry? Are you a current artist looking for a chance to get your work out to a larger scale audience? If so your chance just may come on November 21st at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Raleigh as Radio One Raleigh presents: The First Annual Media and Entertainment Conference.
This event will give participants a chance to meet and network with executives, producers, artists, and DJs from major companies such as Universal Music Group, Atlantic Records, Warner Music Group, BET, MTV, and Essence Magazine. Participants will have the opportunity to learn new tips and techniques from people who have already been there and done that. Several sessions will be held during the program, which will allow you to learn how to market yourself, land a job in the music industry, and possibly become the next hottest music DJ. Examples of this include: “The Art of Branding Yourself”, where experts will share successful practices in personal branding and “Break into the Music”, which will reveal secrets to breaking into the music industry.
At the very end of the session, it has been said that there will be an opportunity for conference participants to have a conversation with some of the industry’s top executives. Resumes and business casual dress is strongly recommended. This is an opportunity which does not come every day. For a limited time, this event is available to students for ten dollars up until October 21st. That is the same amount of money that is paid to get into the club for four hours. So why not spend it on something that you have pictured yourself possibly doing for the rest of your life. This program is for the masses whether you are a singer, rapper, writer, actor, marketer, etc.
More information for this event can be found at www.radioonemec.com or www. K975.com. Early bird prices for this event are slated to go up really soon, so don’t miss out on this chance of a lifetime. Make your dreams become a reality.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:41 pm
The activity room of Bragaw Hall was packed September 29, 2009 as students and faculty gave fifteen minutes of their time to save lives. The American Red Cross held a community-wide blood drive through the sponsorship of Chi Omega Sorority, Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. “There’s a nationwide shortage of blood, especially in Wake County,” said Jacobi Smith, a senior in Psychology and member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. Smith said, “Our goal is to reach 150 donations today, and I definitely think we can do it.”
The mood in Bragaw was very relaxed, as pop music played on one side of the room and a movie shown on the big screen television on the other. The majority of donors sat and watched TV, listened to their iPods, or even read the Technician during their donation process. Katie Anderson, a senior in Business, mentioned that it was her second year of coming to donate at a Red Cross blood drive. In the past she was unable to give blood because of low iron levels, however, she has returned this year to try again. “I’m a little nervous, but I want to do this anyway. It’s for a good cause,” said Anderson.
According to Joe Noah, Supervisor and Collection Specialist with the Triangle Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, donating blood is a fairly painless process. “It feels like a shot in your arm. After that, all you have to do is lay there until you’re done,” said Noah. Donors typically give one pint of blood during a donation. Noah encourages donors to eat a meal before donating in order to avoid feeling dizzy afterwards, and to stay hydrated, drinking water as opposed to sodas and other carbonated beverages that shrink up the veins, making it harder for trained staff members to locate a vein in the arm during donations.
Noah said all blood types are needed and accepted during Red Cross blood drives; however O-Negative is the most coveted. “It’s a universal blood type and can be given to anyone,” said Noah. There is always a shortage in blood types O and B, which African Americans tend to have more than other populations. This is why Scott McGregor, senior in Computer Science and member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, said his fraternity thought it was important to get involved with this cause. “We need to have an equal amount of donors from every ethnicity,” said McGregor. McGregor believes, “With a pool of different races, minority patients have a better chance of finding their match.” He added that he will be donating his blood as well. As the day progressed, more and more stacks of boxes filled with pouches of blood lined the back wall of the activity room, serving as a symbol of the many lives that will potentially be saved due to the efforts of all the donors.
The Raleigh Blood Center, 100 N. Peartree Lane, accepts donations Mondays from 2:30PM-7:00PM and Thursdays from 7:30AM-1:30PM. In addition, the Cary Blood Center is open Monday through Saturday. For more information on how you can donate, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (800-448-3543), or visit www.trianglearc.org.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:37 pm
There are always those last second concerns that go through a person’s head when they are about to go out to the club. Some may include… What will I wear? Should I skip my 8:05 class in the morning? I wonder if it is going to be free before 11:00 again? These are pretty typical thoughts. Worrying that you might be publicly discriminated against…not so typical. It is an experience that no one should have to go through, but people do. I did this past weekend and I would like to share my experience with you.
This past weekend my roommate invited me out to the club “LC’s” Downtown. I heard from friends that it was a predominantly white club, which should not matter because I was out to have a good time regardless of the demographics of the club. We took the Wolf Prowl bus service to the club, and became friends with another group of student on the bus. As a group we exited the bus and made our way to the club. I was one of the first people to enter and eagerly awaited my friends’ arrival. We were all about to enter the club when I noticed that one of our companions was missing. I went back outside and noticed he was standing out of the line talking to one of the three bouncers. I walked over to him and asked why he was not joining us. “Apparently I don’t meet the dress code, I think it’s because I’m black.” He sighed. “What, no way! I’m sure that’s not the case,” I tried to assure him. “No look, I didn’t believe it either, just look.” I paused and observed the crowd. The next person up for entry approached the bouncer. He was wearing a striped polo, khakis, flip flops, and had white skin.“Can I please see your ID?” demanded the bouncer, “Thank you, have a good night.” The next guy was wearing a striped polo, khakis, flip flops, but unlike the first guy who was white, had brown skin… “Sorry you don’t meet dress code, I’m sorry but please step out of line.”
I stood beside my friend a few more seconds before approaching one of the bouncers for questioning. “I’ve noticed that you haven’t been letting the majority of the African American men into the club. “ I said. The bouncer then said, “The only people we are not letting in the club are people that don’t meet the dress code, it’s a private party so tonight dress code is especially strict.” I stood beside the reluctant interviewee a few more minutes observing the crowd. “Why didn’t he get in when he was wearing the exact same thing as that other guy?” I thought to myself . Finally in his frustration, the bouncer blurted out “We have the right to be selective”. In my astonishment I could only muster a simple “Selective?” He quickly averted his eyes toward the sky as if desperately searching for a response before engaging in hurried conversation with the cop insuring the ‘order’ of the crowd. I was angry, angrier than I have been in a while. I looked around at the minorities. Some unknowing, some hurt, some angry;all discriminated against. Some were gathered around the entrance before quickly being dismissed by the cop, while others made their way up to the ESS Lounge, another club up the street. There was a crime being committed. For some reason when I think of crime I thought of 911. Then I thought of the cop standing there, observing this act of discrimination, allowing this, not doing a single thing! Throughout my life I have been exposed to many different kinds of racism ranging from subliminal racist remarks to un-ethical jokes directly or indirectly against me or my peers, but this was by far an all time low. This was a nightmare, it was so un-real to me.
I stood there immobilized with emotions until my friends, equally disgusted, suggested we go back home on the bus. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to riot. I wanted to do something…anything. “I need to do something about this, I can’t let this go, I won’t let this go,” I told my friends. They were supportive but at the same time, they insisted that giving in to your anger would only make things worse, and that they’re other more effective ways I could handle the situation than acting hostile here. They were right. I was not going to change anything by lashing out. Absolutely appalled, I followed my friends back to the bus. As I sat there an overwhelming emotion swept over me. Disgust. I detested the cop, the bouncers, but above all I detested the crowd. The crowd, composed of people that were aware of the situation and dismissed it because it wasn’t their problem. They weren’t black so why should they care? They didn’t have a friend that couldn’t gain entrance because of the color of his skin so why should they care, but it’s this selfishness that allows racism to live on today. There are so many crises going on today. Gglobal warming, poverty, diminished natural resources, unemployment, and diseases are just a couple that pop into my head. People are barely making enough money to feed themselves and provide for their families, why should oppression even be a factor. I don’t believe it should. It’s 2009. Is it not about time that people start recognizing that the color of one’s skin is not a determining factor for the value of a person’s worth?
Stephanie Spivey
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:35 pm
As students walked by the Free Expression Tunnel, one curious bystander stopped and asked what was going on. This past Sunday, members of The Movement, an organization here at NC State consisting of both men and women whose goal is to end interpersonal violence, came together and decided to spray paint the Free Expression Tunnel to kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The purpose of the event was to paint the tunnel with statistics about current studies about domestic violence. “We want people to remember people who have and survived and for people to advocate against domestic violence,” said Lauren Brookshire, a senior in International Studies and one of the coordinators for the event. The event is one of three this month hosted by the Movement to include the discussion panel on October 21st in Talley from 7pm to 9pm; the panel will discuss the experiences of domestic violence within the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender), African-American, Latino, and college communities.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:35 pm
The subject of race has always been an important one for President Obama, he first gained minor notoriety in academic circles for being the first African American President of the Harvard Law Review, and wrote a best selling and critically acclaimed book, (Dreams From My Father,) about the subject of race in America. He also came under fire for his relationship with his former pastor, Black Liberation Theology devotee Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
The subject of race has once again been thrust into the public forum as the criticism of President Obama has become more extreme at Tea Party rallies, and after South Carolina representative Joe Wilson’s unprecedented outburst during one of his most recent presidential addresses to a joint session of Congress. The most notable critic of the protests has been former President Jimmy Carter, who said of the protests “I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he is African-American.”
The criticism was not well received by the overwhelming majority of conservative voices in the country. Michael Steele, the first African American to serve as chair of the Republican National Committee said “President Carter is flat-out wrong, this is not about race. It is about policy.”
People on President Carter’s side of the argument tend to point out the more unusual elements of the criticism of President Obama to support their opinions. Such as the persistent “birther” movement that holds that the President was not actually born in the United States. The movement originated during Obama’s run for the presidency and has persisted to this day in spite of him having already produced his Hawaiian birth certificate and the local newspaper announcement of his birth that his parents released.
Those who claim that the criticism is racially motivated also point to the more extreme elements of some of the criticism, such as the various caricatures of President Obama as a Hitler, or a witch doctor, or signs like one that was spotted at a gathering in Washington DC that read: “The zoo has an African lion and the White House has a lyin’ African.”
The argument has its merits, and in some cases it is clear that race is a key factor for some people’s dislike of President Obama, but it is not always that simple. “Granted, some people (on both sides of the isle) do not like President Obama because he is black. Those are misguided feelings fostered from ignorance and lack of decent civility; however, it is simply ridiculous to group all protestors in the South into this category. When you have close to 2,000,000 protestors at an event there are bound to be some bad apples with ignorant signs and frankly stupid rants,” notes Ches McDowell, President of the NCSU chapter of the College Republicans. As New York Times columnist David Brooks pointed out in a recent column, he noticed that when some of the tea party protests were going on near (the Black Family Reunion Celebration) to celebrate African American culture, some of the tea party protesters could be found enjoying the festivities themselves, so it would be unfair to suggest that the grievances expressed at the Tea Parties all come from racial dislike.
Extreme presidential dislike is nothing new. Anyone who has not been living in a cave knows that feelings on President Bush certainly ran in extremes. It was not unusual to find protestors of Bush’s policies portraying him as Hitler and accusing him of being a fascist. As Mr. Brooks notes in his opinion column, the arguments that are being so virulently expressed at the tea party protests are as old as the country itself and the arguments over the role of government in democracy that Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton had. While it would not seem that the arguments being expressed are as eloquent and intelligent as the ones Hamilton and Jefferson often expressed, it does mean that the dislike of what people believe are parts of the Obama political agenda can come from a source other than racism.
Politics is a game for only those with the thickest skin, and a democracy cannot thrive unless people are allowed to passionately criticize their leaders. However, that does not mean that all criticism is equally well reasoned or worthy of consideration. It would be better if we could all argue a little more politely and honestly, so we could critically think about what we are arguing, rather than why we are arguing.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:33 pm
In many situations in America parents tell their children to not date outside their race. When I was in high school I had a Caucasian friend who was on the cheerleading squad, and a lot of African American boys liked her. She would speak to them and flirt with them, but she would never date them. I took it upon myself to ask her, would she ever date a black guy? She responded, “Girl no, my parents would kill me”.” Situations like these are all over America despite your race. America has come a long way from segregation and Jim Crow laws, but some things never change. Everyday people in America try to overcome the obstacles of being divided by coming together in courtship and dating.
Every year more African American women are starting to date Caucasian men, and as the tables turn, it is starting to upset a lot of African American men. African American men look at the African American woman as if she thinks she is too good for them because she is educated and/or with a white man. Which in a way I can see, where they are coming from, but they should not oppose to her solely because she went and got her education and they did not. African American men need to step up to the plate and get their education and stop with all the negativity in life, and then maybe they can find themselves educated African American women. However, nine times out of ten, when a black man becomes successful he will date a white woman.
When an black male dates a white woman the couple is frowned upon; while stereotypes such as “white girls will call rape” and “white women only date successful black men for their money.” Some African American women may argue that there are not enough successful African American men to go around, and the ones that they do have are either dating Caucasian women, in jail, or are not interested in women at all. Nevertheless, this seems to be the reason why some African American women date white men. Strong African American women want men that can match their education level and a lot of African American men are falling short of an education.
Some African Americans may argue that interracial dating is just another way to keep their race down, because when you take time to think about it the only people that are capable of making the typical African American child is an African American man and woman, so if you separate them eventually the African American race will become extinct. However, this is not other races’ fault. It is the African American and Caucasian race that needs to step up and play their part in education and society because the imbalance is on both sides of the ethnic groups. The white guy may have his reasons for dating an black woman and the white women may have their reasons for dating an black man.
Despite what people may think, I believe that if you are in an interracial relationship then you should stick to it. There will be obstacles that you may have to deal with the occasional stares, the rude remarks, etc, but it will only make your relationship stronger in the end. Love has no shape, form, or color.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Have you ever heard the saying “You Snooze You Lose”? If you are a young adult, you have probably heard this from parents advising you on academics or from siblings just joking around. This statement is very true in some aspects of our lives; from career opportunities to our love interest. Although this common saying is true in everything we do socially, it is false when it comes to our brains and the way we store information.
During grade school, most of us figure out the best methods that help us remember the concepts we are taught. Some of the methods that we use include repetition such as reading material over and over; or, if you are a visual learner you tend to think that looking at the material continuously will work. These study methods have gotten us to where we are now but most students know this does not work for learning when taking college- level courses.
Research shows that the best method to improve memory is sleep. Yes, you read that right. According to the ScienceDaily article titled “Study Shows How Sleep Improves Memory”, which summarizes the research done by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the study consisted of twelve college students that were taught a sequence of finger movements, such as playing a guitar. After a period of sleep, the students’ brains were measured using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine, which measures blood oxygenation in the brain, to show the actual parts that were active when performing the sequence of finger movements.
The frontal lobe is the most active part of the brain when it comes to short-term memory and making logical decisions. When we receive new information, we process it and then later the information is moved to the cerebellum via neural connections. After looking at the measurements, it was evident that during sleep, the brain had transferred the recently gained knowledge to different parts of the brain, therefore enhancing it. ScienceDaily quotes Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School saying that because of this transfer of information to different areas the memory tasks can be completed faster with better accuracy.
Knowing that sleep is the best method to improve memory, it is important that you begin “cramming” for exams earlier so that your brains can transfer the information to the cerebellum for enhancement, and in turn make your exams seem much smoother. Because there is no way that we can deprive our brain of sleep and still learn effectively, and, sleep on it.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:31 pm
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…I couldn’t have said it better myself. The utopian idea of society that “we the [black] people” strive for has through time been forced farther and farther from our minds. It has been replaced with this I get mine and walk over anybody who stands in my way mentality, and once we get where we want to go we forget about where we are from and try to mimic ourselves after the majority. We try to put ourselves ahead of the game and become entrepreneurs and make our own money so the “majority” has no control over us. We want our kids and our peers to marry within our race for reasons that escape me. We are so fired up about pro-black this and pro-black that. We are so ready for change to come to America, yet we still call out racism and are ready to go to war when a member of the “majority” cuts in front of us in line in the Atrium. We the people are searching for that perfect union but have tied ourselves to the past and wonder why it’s so hard to make progress. There are people who hate people of other races, and do not forgive and don’t move on with their lives that keep racism alive. Only after we the people look on to the future and turn our tragedy into triumph, only then will racism take its last breaths. It is only after you get to know the majority will you find the reasoning for their actions. It is only after you give them a reason to love you that they will lose their hatred for you. It is only when you love through the hatred that we the people will gain our perfect union. I believe that the biggest problem facing us is the whole idea of the double standard in America. This double standard is, in my opinion, here today mainly because of us black people. We have separated ourselves to the point that we hold ourselves to one standard and the rest of the world to another, and ours is not necessarily the best. We support the black power movement but frown upon any form of “white power.” We give so much focus and power to a word when we have so many more problems that we need to be focusing on. We the people need to become we the people of the United States. We the separated people need to become we the people of the United Sates and only then will we complete the dreams of our forefathers of a more perfect union. Tearing down “them” and “us” and leaving simply, “We the people.”
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Hip Hop is a form of music created in the streets by black youth in the early 70’s, but with its enormous cross-over appeal it has become a way to integrate diverse populations. It is becoming a symbol for what this country represents. Now some argue that rap and hip hop only promote sex and violence through its lyrics, but they fail to see the bigger picture at hand. For Hip Hop is bringing unity, the type of unity that people once dreamed of, and one can only imagine what is to come from this rhythm powered movement. Yes, the lyrics can be harsh and violent, but that goes for any form of music. Take Carrie Underwood for example, who is a country singer, she has a song out called “Before he cheats”, and in the song she talks about taking a Louisville slugger to both head lights and smashing all four tires of her boyfriend’s car, sounds kind of violent to me. Then you also have Bret Michael, who is a rock artist and, most of his songs are about sex, drugs and money. The point I am trying to make is that no matter what type of music it is, whether it is hip hop or country, nine times out of tens there is going to be some form of violence, some kind of representation of sex, and some form of harsh language. But no other category of music can bring people together the way hip hop does.
It is a true symbol of the evolution that this country is going though, because back then you probably only saw young African Americans bobbing their heads uncontrollably to the beat of hip hop. Now you find all people of all races enjoying this form of music, and it is actually estimated that 75% of hip hop listeners are non- African Americans. The reason for that is because the rhythm and the bass that thumps so loudly has become an addicting source to their ears, and once they have had a taste of Hip Hop they have no choice but to come back for more. Big name companies such as Nike, McDonalds, and Saturn, have caught on to the effect hip hop has on the world and now uses it in advertising their products, because they know that, not only will it gain the attention of African Americans, but it will also gain the attention of people of all races. Hip Hop has the power to move a nation and if you put its sound behind your product, then you are guaranteed a variety of customers.
Now some do claim that the new generation of Hip Hop is an embarrassment and that they are slowly bringing Hip Hop to its death. But I would have to disagree, because hip hop is a way one expresses him or herself through music. And if jerking is what that artist is into then of course they are going to integrate that into their music. They even have kids in the suburbs doing it. This only brings me back to the point I am trying to make, even though some claim this generation is the death of Hip Hop they are still branching out to all different types of cultures. Sure Hip Hop has come a long way from the Slick rick and N.W.A days, but the new generation has started a trend that makes people feel good and just want to dance through these hard times our country is facing. And the way they are doing it is simply beautiful.
But Hip Hop is here to stay, and some may hate on the new generation but whatever the case may be Hip Hop is still uniting people as we speak, and it is doing without the use of violence, without drama, without causing something terrible to happen in the world; but simply through its music. Go to any concert of a Hip Hop artist and you will see different people of different backgrounds coming together to enjoy quality music. For Hip Hop is and will forever be a form of unity.
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