*EDIT* Apparently they have the wrong video in the article (which would be why I was like “WTF!” LOL, here’s the actual video of the actual AKAs who ended up getting promoted. They are MUCH better than the ones who are in the article, I can see how it may have been a tight competition based on that video, but I STILL feel that the ZTAs were named the winners at the competition and as such should have remained the SOLE winners. If the judges felt it was a tie at the competition then they should have called it as such at the competition or had a step-off.

So last week (I think) I heard about the Sprite Step-off and how a white Sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, won the competition. I didn’t think anything else about it. But today I see a post on a MB about how Sprite has done a total bitchass move and decided to say that there was a discrepancy in the scoring and that the only way they can think to fix it is to say the ZTAs and the AKAs were co-winners. I call bullshit. I think Black people complained about the White Sorority winning and Sprite got sick of hearing the complaints and figured they could just give $100,000 to both and call both orgs the “winners” and be done with it.

First of all, I watched BOTH performances, and ZTA stepped their asses off. Their routine was clean and entertaining. Listen to the crowd on both videos, the ZTAs got WAY more house. Their routines had more to them, and they won fair and square. I watched the AKAs video expecting them to be just totally awesome and so much more “precise” than the ZTAs, and they weren’t that. They weren’t more precise. In fact, early on in the routine the girl in the front on the right almost fell after doing her Varsity. Some of the moves were sloppy. They stepped HARDER (as in their feet were louder), but that’s about it. I thought their routine was rather boring (even outside of the fact that they weren’t a “novelty” like the ZTAs. All they did “better” than the ZTAs was fling their hair around. In fact, about a 3rd of their routine was them just standing their whipping their heads around to make their hair move.

Outside of how insulting this is to the ZTAs, imagine how we would feel if the roles were reversed. If the AKAs were one of the only Black Sororities at a White Step Show (or dance competition, or something that they wouldn’t expect a Black Sorority to do), and they won. Then imagine that White people went on the Internet or went to the Sponsors and complained about the AKAs winning to the point where the Sponsors said there was a “scoring discrepancy” and said that the AKAs were “tied” with the ZTAs. How much of an outrage would there be in the Black community? We’d have Al and Jesse ready to march. We’d be calling for Pres. Obama to make a speech. We’d be raising hell all because of a perceived racial slight. The ZTAs clearly worked very hard on their routine, and they were very good in their routine. They brought it when people had NO expectations or LOW expectations. They pleased the crowd, they were precise, and they got people to talk about their organization.

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Lately the blogesphere has been going crazy over President Obama be it Afghanistan or Health Care or the Economy. And now it's getting to the point where people are trying to attribute that criticism to racism. While I do think there is some racism out there (I'm not willing to say that there is non), I do not think it's the driving force behind the criticism.

During the 2008 election, I was really excited. I watched all of his town halls if I wasn't in class. I wrote posts on DailyKos about my fervent support of his candidacy. I watched the debates. I donated. I volunteered. I know what he promised and what he said he would do. So if I feel disappointed in what he's done, or a bit disillusioned because I don't think he's done enough that's my right. Does that mean I'm disappointed in him because of his race? I'm Black, does that mean that I expect White people to save this country? No. It means I'm disappointed. I had really high expectations for President Obama. I believed what he said during the campaign. My biggest issues have been with transparency and GLBT rights. With regard to transparency, I don't think he's been significantly more transparent than the previous administration (they were doing things like refusing to release the visitors log to the WH). Well, actually they've gotten much better lately (they started releasing the logs). During the campaign, President Obama frequently said "I may not always agree with you (or was it "be right", but I will tell you what I'm thinking" more times than I can count. I believed that. Yet, this year has been fire with "leaks" that consistently contradict themselves. Some people called them trial balloons, I don't know what the hell they were. But they made me feel like I was being lied to or deceived. Sure Obama himself never came out and said the stuff, and a lot of it was "anonymous WH aides", but why didn't Pres. Obama himself just release a statement to clear it up?

President Obama said he'd end the political games in Washington. Games I admittedly didn't know much about because this is the first time in my life that I'm REALLY paying attention. Well, it seems to be that the same tired games are being played. Part of that is Republican obstructionism, which is wrong because I do think Obama deals with them in good faith, and part of it is "Conservadems" who have no damn excuse to be the way they are. Everyone is still playing games, and more often than not it looks like Obama is willing to compromise with the center-right and right wing, but isn't willing to compromise with the left/progressives. That can be frustrating for a lot of people. Health Care reform was supposed to be played out on CSPAN, yet there have been a lot of secret backroom meetings where we don't know what the hell is going on. Joe LIEberman is holding the Senate Bill hostage over policies that he's supported before, and reports are coming out that the WH is encouraging Reid to capitulate to his demands. These don't look like change. It doesn't feel like change. No, I didn't expect it all to be fixed and wonderful at the end of a year, but it doesn't even seem like steps are being taken to change the way things are done.

With regard to the economy, I'm frustrated. There's nothing Obama can do to make me less frustrated short of hiring me himself. I'll freely admit that. I don't want to hear about how he thinks about the unemployed every day. I want to SEE what he's doing to fix it. I'm not a laborer, I have two degrees, so when I hear about "green jobs" like insulating a house, that's not something I can do. I'd like to see more reform with regard to student loan repayment because we are getting fleeced out here (but that's another topic for another day).

Like I've said before, this is the first time I'm paying attention, and it's really making me wish I'd stayed uninvolved emotionally and otherwise. Just go to my civic duty and vote, and go home and ignore everything else. Paying attention is getting me nowhere. And now valid policy disagreements are being labeled as "racist" because Obama is a Black man. Well, I happen to think that Obama would be getting the same criticism if he were White. President Obama has a LOT of crap to deal with, it's going to be a long tiring process and he's going to get criticized a lot. I think the problem is that during his campaign he wanted us to "hope" and to expect things of him, and now that he has the job none of it is playing out as he would have hoped. In the beginning I think a lot of it was the Republicans being assholes, then it was the Conservadems being assholes, now I don't know maybe everyone in Washington is an asshole.


Overall, I think I've come out of this entire situation more cynical. I'm not inclined to believe Obama just because he says it. I'm looking to see what he does. Yes, my opinion has shifted over time, but as circumstances and situations change, so do opinions. I don't think all is lost, it's quite possible that Obama will "redeem" himself in my eyes before his first term is over. I like him personally, I just don't care too much for how he's governing right now.

Today I've seen some crazy stuff being said all over the place. Some people really just need to take a break. I support our President 100%. All I want is for him to do the stuff he promised to do.

Sorry if this was a little rambley, I'm just trying to express my thoughts (and I don't even know if I've done a great job of it, but I'm going to have to stop this stream of consciousness at some point ~lol~).

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Dr. Dyson tried to teach them and they just weren't getting it. No one is claiming it's ALL about Racism, but there is a lot out there that is based on racism. For them to cite poll numbers to back up their claims that there's no racism at all involved is disingenuous at best. I've stated repeatedly that I think it's more ignorance than anything. Sure, some of it is just because he's a Democrat. If they thought they could get away with claiming Obama is a murderer they would, in fact they do call him a "baby killer." But there are a lot of images being used by the "tea baggers" that are racially motivated.

Then Joe Scarborough tries to act like Rush Limbaugh has never said anything racist. He said this just YESTERDAY:

You put your kids on a school bus you expect safety but in Obama's America the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering 'yeah, right on, right on, right on.' Of course everybody said the white kid deserved it he was born a racist, he's white.

And he's been saying crap like that since Obama was inaugurated, and probably before then. "Obama's America" as if it's not the United States of America. As if suddenly by virtue of having an African American President everything is going to change and White people will suddenly be oppressed, and Black people are going to take over. It's sickening.

Dr. Dyson tried his hardest to get through to the other people in the conversation, but judging from their dumbstruck looks through most of it, they didn't get it.

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Since when it is 'breaking news' that someone actually tells the damn truth about something? Earlier today, Pres. Jimmy Carter had the following to say:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So basically he said that a lot of the vitriol against President Obama is based on racism. And people are SHOCKED by this? He told the damn truth. Sure, there is some opposition out there that is just based on the fact that Obama is a Democrat, and there may even be some who are seriously against his policy, but to claim that race isn't an issue when you see signs like:










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Some Conservative TV Talking Heads would like to say that these same protests were taking place when Bush was in office giving out Tarp money. Really? I don't recall seeing people carrying Bush= Hitler signs? Hell, at the health care rally on Sunday there were a LOT of signs there that had NOTHING to do with any of the current health care proposals? I stated a couple of days ago that it's ignorance, and I still think that's what most of it is, but I also think a lot of it is flat out racism.

President Obama has been in office all of 8-9 months. He hasn't done ANYTHING to warrant people showing up at his rallies with guns just because they can. He's done nothing to warrant the hatred coming from the right. He's done nothing to be called a racist on a popular (unfortunately) 24 hour news station.

I am reluctant to say it's ALL racism, but to pretend that a LOT of the people you see going to those rallies aren't racist is deluding yourself. And instead of the Republican Party calling these people out and trying to distance themselves, they are holding on to them because they are pretty much what's left of their party. They are embracing the hatred against the President of this country in a way that is disturbing, and the level to which they condone the lack of civility is evident by the outburst by Congressman Joe Wilson during President Obama's joint address to Congress last week. As it turns out, Wilson has a history of doing racist things.

The election of an African American President did nothing to eradicate racism in this country, if anything it made the "hardcore" racists more bold. They no longer even TRY to hide it, they like to revel in their hatred, and that is truly disgusting. There are policy arguments that can be made against what President Obama is doing, but the arguments actually being advanced are based on lies that center around making President Obama scary.

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I do not deny that a lot of the flack that President Obama is getting from the right is from racists. However, I don't think we should get into the habit of blaming ALL of the vitriol from the conservatives on Racism. Most of it, I think, is just plain ignorance. We'd be hearing the same exact arguments against Obama's policies if he were White instead of Black, the signs just wouldn't be as racially hinged. The problem is, people don't seem to be thinking for themselves. Instead of going to many different sources to get their news, they watch only one channel (the right wing typically watches FOX News (or as I say it FAUX News) and the left is more inclined to watch MSNBC after 8 PM) and all they get is a skewed idea of the issues of the day and the President's stance.

As an African American, I am tired of seeing racist being synonymous with policy criticism. Is racism there? Yes. But it's not everything, and people these days tend to say "racism" before they label it for what it really is-- pure ignorance. We can't just keep throwing "racism" around when sometimes that's not what it is because it makes it less likely that people will believe it when it really IS racism. Why do you think President Obama and his team never play that card, even when it's warranted sometimes?

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So here it is, day 3 of the Gates fall-out, and the media STILL doesn't get the issue. Like I said yesterday, President Obama said a LOT of things worthy of being focused on when he answered the question, but our increasingly inept press corps is choosing to focus on ONE word. I suppose I'm not REALLY surprised about it, we ARE talking about Obama here, and any little "mistake" he may make is going to be beat repeatedly until everyone is sick of hearing about it.

And now the cop, Crowley, is going to become the latest "posterboy" for this alleged White Racism that Obama is perpetuating (nevermind the fact that the family that RAISED him is White) now that he's President. Ooooooh, the poor oppressed White Man, they've been held down now for MONTHS because now the Black people have all of the power. HA! Even if we DO have a Black President, we still aren't "the power." But I digress. . .

This was a moment for the press to really do something EDUCATIONAL and talk about the disparities between Blacks/Latinos/Hispanics and Whites when it comes to dealing with the police. Instead they approach the situation as if the Police officer MUST be right (because they have no reason to lie in a police report where they arrested a man in his own home). Oh, and he teaches a racial profiling class (I'm going to assume that the class is supposed to PREVENT and not PERPETUATE racial profiling), and he has Black friends, so he can't possibly be even a LITTLE racist, nor could he have acted "stupidly" in this situation. Have you all seen the video of the cop responding to what Obama said? Just look at the way he answers the question at first "I didn't vote for him." That's not what they asked you. But the second time he's asked he remembers he's the victim and says "I support the President 110%." (starts at 2:09)



President Obama TOLD everyone that Gates is his friend, and he was going to be bias when he answered the question, but that's not enough for people. As some others in the Black Blogospehere are pointing out, instead of responding with the "White" (or at best "neutral") answer, he gave the "Black" answer. I suppose Lynn Sweet and her colleagues expected the President to do what he normally does and parse his words to stay even MORE in the gray area than he did. The way they are responding you would think President Obama responded by saying "Man, fuck the police" and walked out to N.W.A.

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So last night President Obama gave a press conference that was supposed to be about healthcare, but what is being talked about today? Obama's answer to the last question at the presser about Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s arrest and the fact that he said the officer acted "stupidly." Now it's come out that the officer (ironically enough) teaches the racial profiling class at the Police Academy.

The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Massachusetts home is a police academy expert on understanding racial profiling.

Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class about racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming.

"I have nothing but the highest respect for him as a police officer. He is very professional and he is a good role model for the young recruits in the police academy," Fleming told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The course, called "Racial Profiling," teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community "and how you don't want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from," Fleming said.

To me this is representative of what our press has become. It's all about politics and playing the "gotcha" game. It never fails, at EVERY press conference someone tries to force Obama to talk about race. This time Obama was commenting on his friend, he even pointed out the bias he had in answering the question. Instead of focusing on all of the important things Obama said about racial profiling, our increasingly inept media chose to focus on the least newsworthy comment. No one who has commented or reported on this situation before knew all of the facts. Here's the video of the question and the answer:

OBAMA'S ANSWER ON GATES

Well, I should say at the outset that Skip Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here. I don't know all the facts.

What's been reported though is that the guy forgot his keys, jimmied his way to get into the house. There was a report called in to the police station that there might be a burglary taking place. So far, so good, right? I mean, if I was trying to jigger into -- well, I guess this is my house now, so...

(LAUGHTER)

... it probably wouldn't happen. But let's say my old house in Chicago.

(LAUGHTER)

Here, I'd get shot.

(LAUGHTER)

But so far, so good. They're -- they're reporting. The police are doing what they should. There's a call. They go investigate what happens.

My understanding is, at that point, Professor Gates is already in his house. The police officer comes in. I'm sure there's some exchange of words. But my understanding is, is that Professor Gates then shows his I.D. to show that this is his house and, at that point, he gets arrested for disorderly conduct, charges which are later dropped.

Now, I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact.

As you know, Lynn, when I was in the state legislature in Illinois, we worked on a racial profiling bill because there was indisputable evidence that blacks and Hispanics were being stopped disproportionately. And that is a sign, an example of how, you know, race remains a factor in the society.

That doesn't lessen the incredible progress that has been made. I am standing here as testimony to the progress that's been made. And yet the fact of the matter is, is that, you know, this still haunts us.

And even when there are honest misunderstandings, the fact that blacks and Hispanics are picked up more frequently and often time for no cause casts suspicion even when there is good cause.

And that's why I think the more that we're working with local law enforcement to improve policing techniques so that we're eliminating potential bias, the safer everybody is going to be.

Taken in context, I honestly don't think the statement is that bad. Obama (contrary to popular opinion in the press) does NOT have any authority over local police departments. He gave his opinion, one that is shared by a lot of people, that a man shouldn't be arrested in his home after showing that it was in fact his home. Gates himself said he's glad the neighbor called the police because if someone was breaking in, he'd want them stopped. There's no problem with the police responding to a call, the issue arises when it's mentioned that Gates was arrested. At this point I doubt the truth of what happened is ever really going to come out because now it's become a media circus. In fact, the Cambridge police will be giving a press conference later today.

So instead of this being the teachable moment it could have been, it's now going to be a reason for people to yell over each other on TV while trying to get their point across (like I just saw on CNN with Roland Martin trying to get a word in edgewise on CNN). Now we are going to have all of the "race experts" out there all over TV talking about why the President was right or wrong to say the police officer acted "stupidly." It's all going to turn into one giant headache all because Lynn Sweet could't stay on topic during the HEALTH CARE presser.

[UPDATE] Pres. Obama responds to non-troversy:

"I have to say I am surprised by the controversy surrounding my statement because I think it was a pretty straight forward commentary that you probably don't need to handcuff a guy, a middle-aged man who uses a cane, who's in his own home," Obama said.

...

"I think that I have extraordinary respect for the difficulties of the job that police officers do," the president told Moran. "And my suspicion is that words were exchanged between the police officer and Mr. Gates and that everybody should have just settled down and cooler heads should have prevailed. That's my suspicion."

The president said he understands the sergeant who arrested Gates is an "outstanding police officer." But he added that with all that's going on in the country with health care and the economy and the wars abroad, "it doesn't make sense to arrest a guy in his own home if he's not causing a serious disturbance."

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