Marathon Massacre: How a NYC graduate of Boston College feels

I am a Boston College alum. I wear this badge of honor with the same pride I do being a son of Brooklyn. My affiliation with the best college town in the country means a lot. That's not to say that the rivalry, sometimes in fun, sometimes quite serious, between New Yorkers and Bostonians weren't real. But what was even more real was the mutual respect I felt between the two sides. As young people who ventured to Boston for college, it became more than a city where we attended school. It  became a home away from home. We met the people who would become family. We met the professors that would inspire in us change and growth. We met administrators who would irrevocably change who we were and what we wanted in our lives. Boston symbolized not only home, but rebirth. We became the men and women we hoped college would help develop.

The Boston Marathon as a college student was the most awesome day on the calendar. Marathon Monday as it is called was a full day party. As a student at Boston College, we had the unique privilege of having the marathon run through campus. Our mornings would begin at 9am. We would wake up, have breakfast, imbibe in a few alcohol beverages and line the route to cheer on the thousands of runners who would pass us by. Eventually we would end up in the Mods, playing music, partying, eating and participating in joyous revelry that only Boston area college students could understand. Almost without fail, the sun would be shining, new friends would be made and the day would be grand.

Unfortunately that all changed yesterday, when the day that we as students love so much, became a place of carnage. Twin bombs let off in the middle of Copley Square maimed dozens and took the lives of some as well. I was nothing short of hurt and pained at this. I just got back from Boston at 2am Monday morning from a weekend of growth and development at Boston College's Black Family Weekend and Boston College's Day of Service. I was near the Copley area Saturday night. I know what it looks like to experience terrorism in the worst way, on what should be a great day.

I was taken back to the dark day of 9/11 when I heard the planes (having originated from Boston) pierce the skies over lower Manhattan and crash into the towers less than a mile from where I attended high school. It reminded me of the carnage that people of all ages and stripes should not have to see. Unfortunately Boston and New York are reunited again in a canopy of pain that feels all too familiar. Boston know that New Yorkers stand with you, angry, hurt, but stoic. Know that your adopted children who you took in as college students and raised well feels your pain in a very real sense. Know that the act of cowardice will not keep you down. Stand up and give a hearty Boston cheer to those that decided that hate would conquer love on that beautiful spring Monday.

The marathon will come back next year. And I know that many of your children will return home to run and cheer it on. And frankly that's the best way to overcome tragedy. As the saying goes "weeping will last a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Here's hoping for many more joyous mornings for my second home. 

Inauguration 2.0: The Moral Argument for Diversity

Advocates for diversity across many areas of the political, social, economic and religious sectors have long been argued the moral necessity for diversity. Equality was vital for the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Rights Movement and as of late the Immigration and Gay Rights Movements. Moral diversity was on display in its most vivid degree yesterday at  the inauguration of Barack Obama.

On Tuesday January 20, 2009 I was amongst 1.8 million friends and family on the National Mall celebrating the almost unimaginable election of the nation's first black president. It stands in my mind as one of the most seminal moments in my life. Four years later it was time to celebrate the validation of that election, epitomized by the re-election of our nation's 44th President. The profound nature of the moment was no less palpable than it was four years ago.

I decided to stay at home and watch the inauguration with my grandmother and great grandmother. The chance to watch this historic event with two women who have lived through some of the darkest moments in American and world history put a tremendous amount of things in perspective. America inaugurating the first black president of the United States on the same day we celebrated the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. was incredibly surreal. I sat in the living room with two women who were alive to remember Martin Luther King's life and death. I sat in the room with two women who were afraid to embrace the candidacy of Barack Obama not because he wasn't qualified to hold office, but out of fear that he wouldn't be elected by white America and/or his life would be in danger. I sat in the room with women who were now so proud of his accomplishments that it was as if they themselves had won the presidency.

As the day and the pomp and pageantry of this country's seamless transition of power began, diversity was at its core. Looking at the podium, the multiracial tableau of a newly established America was on display. From Myrlie Evers nod to the Civil Rights struggle of her late husband Medgar Evers, to the magnificent choir from my home borough of Brooklyn bringing our President to tears, to the first Latina Supreme Court Justice delivering the oath of office to a sitting Vice President, to a Latino preacher giving the invocation in both English and Spanish, to the first openly gay and Latino poet to give the inaugural poem, right down to the people in the stands. Everything about the moment beckoned to a new day in this country where scenes like this will be the norm.


As Barack Obama began to take the oath my grandmother said that President Obama reminds her of me. While some may say that this is simply a grandmother's love for her eldest grandson, the life and story of Barack Obama more represents the life and journey that many of my friends and I experienced. Americans are always shown stereotypical views of black and brown people. Very seldom are images of black people who have attended top tier schools and colleges, who are as educated if not more than many, who dedicate their lives to the betterment of others either in community service or education are shown. But in fact many of my friends have very similar stories. To see our President exude and prove that we matter has always been a source of tremendous pride for many.

"We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths—that all of us are created equal—is the star that guides us still, just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall, just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone, to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth."- President Obama

The inauguration address was nothing short of magical. I have always viewed the struggle for women's rights, Civil Rights, and gay rights as inextricably connected. Freedom for one group is tantamount to freedom for others. Seneca Falls, Selma and Stonewall are all seminal moments in the history of marginalized people in the United States. People who are marginalized simply for not being part of the perceived group of power. Marginalized for simply being created in a likeness of our Heavenly Father that at times in history was not accepted by large swaths of society. Seeing those battles be connected to the movement of a man, a King, by the  most powerful leader of the free world was extremely validating. It showed that the struggle for equality has transformed, it has grown, it has changed. Martin Luther King Jr. famously stated that 'the arch of justice bends toward freedom." After listening to the President's inauguration it can not be ignored that the arch is now bigger and that the justice we should all seek as citizens and members of this body politic called America must continue. I applaud the President for making the moral argument of this century while still articulating the moral obligation to help all citizens via quality social programs and a good education.

As the day went on and the president and his family were together, pride swelled in me even more. The first family is an example to people of all races and socio-economic classes to look up to. They break the mold of how families are shown in society. The love that they have for each other shows that no matter the position, no matter the challenge, family is important. The president himself continues to break the mold for black men. He proves that black men can be emotional, can hug, and even more importantly, can cry. Collectively and individually the Obama family continues to break molds that will undoubtedly change views of and for people of color.

Overall yesterday was a day that could ultimately not only change the future of this country but equally the future of this presidency. Barack Obama laid out a vision both verbally and non verbally that aims to make his presidency more resembling the work of King than the work of Lincoln. While that's a lofty goal, it is my hope that the next four years brings about some of the change that the President articulated. Then and only then can we continue to achieve the more perfect union we perpetually aim for.

An Open Letter to Frank Ocean

Thank you sir. On behalf of people everywhere who have had to live in shame and secrecy because of who they are and who they love. Thank you on behalf of heterosexual people like myself and countless others who support the rights of those who may not be heterosexual to live as freely as they deserve. Thank you for showing another way to be black and masculine in a society often expecting black and masculine to be defined by the most nefarious of traits known to man. Thank you on behalf of people everywhere who believe in the creed we say with arms over our hearts in our American Pledge of Allegiance "with liberty and justice for all." Simply thank you.

Yesterday, on a day that we celebrated our American Independence, you celebrated your own. You decided that at a time when the public's views on same sex relationships are beginning to shift, that it was your time to stand up. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to make that choice. Being entrenched in the hip hop community, which for its entire existence has been adversarial to LGBTQI people must have made it hard to be your true self. There is still no guarantee that you will be positively accepted in the community. We must all remember that after country music singer Chely Wright came out as a lesbian woman that she had a very hard time making it in the music business. So the financial as well as professional risks are great. But you stood your ground and made the decision nonetheless. It is said that "justice is what love looks like when it speaks in public." For your selfless bravery and ability to speak about your love in public in hopes of achieving justice for a larger community thank you sir.

I no doubt believe that the impact of your announcement will send ripples through the black and brown community as well as the music industry. It has long been rumored that many hip hop artists have been rumored to be gay or bisexual. While some of those rumors may be just that, rumors, many of those artists possibly may have been. Your coming out, but more importantly the response that your announcement will garner, will either allow others to follow in your footsteps, or go deeper into an increasingly dark closet. I pray for the former.

What your announcement will do for black culture is yet to be seen. Many black and brown people who oppose LGBTQI rights are fans of your work. There is no doubt that at this very moment they are conflicted. I for one believe that the conflict is a beautiful one. I have long believed that people who are against equal rights for LGBTQI people would have a very different view of them if they knew personally someone who identified as a member of the community. Often the bonds we create with our artists allows us to feel as if we know them. How can they deny your right to exist now when a few days ago they were bumping your work and identifying with your music. I believe that what will rise out of the ashes of this internal conflict will be a more accepting and tolerant view of you as a man, and by virtue other members of the LGBTQI community. I know that hopes springs eternal, but here's to hope.      

Your ability to refine masculinity in this new century is awe inspiring. Noted novelist Norman Mailer said "masculinity is not something given to you but something you gain. And you gain it by winning small battles with honor." There can be little doubt that by this definition that your masculinity can not be denied. You publicly confronted your truth in one of the most honorable and eloquent ways I can think of. I salute you.

I hope on this day and at this time we publicly and privately consider how we view those around us. The battles that others face often are never known to us. Frank your battle is the battle of millions of people around the world. You sir found a way to make it known who you are and what you are. For that, may the creator who created you and us all in their likeness continue to bless you on this journey through life. Hopefully those living in the shadows today woke up feeling a little better that someone else was able to be honest about who they are. And even more importantly hopefully they will use this moment as a beacon in the dark ocean of bigotry and homophobia as a way to find their way home. Then and only then will the truly American ideal of "liberty and justice for all" be truly more than an ideal.

Nicki Minaj and Rosenberg: The internal battle between "authentic" and "unauthentic" music

This past weekend New York's Hot 97 radio station held their annual Summer Jam concert in New Jersey (yes there is clearly some irony in throwing a concert for a radio station based in NYC in the neighboring state, but I digress). Entertainer and hip hop star Nicki Minaj, herself a Queens native by way of Trinidad (big ups) was supposed to be the headline act. It was going to be Nicki's first chance at headlining one of the most iconic, (though of late dwindling in national prominence) concerts in her own home town. Hours before Nicki was to take stage with her Young Money label mates, one of the morning radio hosts of Hot 97, Peter Rosenberg, better known as simply Rosenberg, made the commentary that Nicki's music wasn't "real hip hop" (the irony of this white Jewish man questioning the authenticity of a music form created by black and brown youth in the streets of the Bronx in the 1970's isn't lost on this writer, but again I digress). Nicki upon hearing about this public rebuke of her art was told by her label owner and fellow rapper Lil Wayne to not perform at the concert. Needless to say she was too happy to oblige. What struck me most about this whole brouhaha, while petty to some extent, is how the idea of what is real hip hop has hindered the growth of the art form.

Hop Hop was born out of the history of black and brown youth feeling that the music, culture and people around them were not talking to their experience. Out of that need to be heard and expressed came about the most fantastic musical artistic forms to grace this country and world within the past thirty plus years. As the music became older it has been so infused (read taken and used by many) so well that it is the as symbiotic with American culture as apple pie and racism. What has been a large issue is what does that growth look like, especially to those who want to maintain the "authentic" caliber of hip hop." Allow me to quickly dispel the myth that there is an authentic sound to hip hop or blackness. The idea of authenticity within the black and brown community is one of the most ridiculous ideas that continues to permeate culture. Toure, pop culture writer and critic in his book "Who's Afraid of Post Blackness" makes the argument that blackness is more diverse now than it ever has been. No one has ownership over the correct way to do blackness. Black people who like to go to brunch and attend wine and scotch tastings are no more or less black than those who like to stay on the block and listen to music at insane volumes. Blackness has to be a collection of all things possible since black people by nature are all things possible. What concerns me about the authenticity argument among black people is that often times it is some of the most nefarious of activities that are associated with being authentically black. This is deeply concerning for those who want to envision a blackness that entails a broad and realistic view of what people can be.

This authenticity dilemma is especially troubling in music. I liken those who believe hip hop should remain authentic to parents who have children and expect them to always stay the same. People grow and change over time. Music has to as well since it is created by people. I have friends my age who still only listen to Biggie and Tupac and Jay-Z and have called other artists unauthentic. They fail to appreciate the breadth of how much we have changed as a culture over the past twenty years. Music has become more global, with the infusion of European club music, Latin beats, Caribbean rhythms and African bass lines all joining forces in hip hop. This melange is what makes the art form still vibrant and amazing. There can be little doubt that this growth has made the music more appealing to various cultures.

I have spent some time traveling the world and noticed the impact of hip hop. In the tropical climates of Antigua, to the French communities in Paris, to the slums and cities in Kenya, to the streets of Montreal, hip hop has its own flavor and culture that continues to grow. There is no doubt that these countries understand the value of making the music representative of their own cultures. No one can dare say that their music isn't hip hop because it definitely is.

Maybe what we need to do is appreciate music for what it is and drop the title of hip hop and rap altogether. Maybe then artists like Nicki Minaj will not have to be ridiculed for their work being unauthentic. But frankly until black people come to terms with the push and pull of the authenticity debate as it relates to the entire culture, then the argument will permeate to other aspects of culture, at the clear detriment to the community at large.

Trayvon Martin: What his Death Means for Everyone

I cried last week. One of those cries that you lock your room, get on your knees, pray to the heavens and ask the God you pray to why this happened...again. One of the cries that you hope no one walks in on because you won't be able to adequately put into words why you hurt. I hurt for Trayvon Martin, Ramarley Graham and all of the brothers and sisters who have been killed at the hands of white men and never receive justice.

Call me racially incendiary right now. Frankly I don't care. The fact remains the same. A white man, followed a black boy who had no weapon, after being told by dispatchers to stand down. At the end of the confrontation, young Trayvon was dead, and a white man walked away without barely a slap on the wrist. Again...

Some may say that Zimmerman is Hispanic. It is imperative to remember that one can be a white Hispanic as well as a black one. But frankly the race of the assailant has less to do in this story than the race of the victim. Furthermore what truly is important is the impact of race and the way it impacts people regardless of their skin tone. I would be hard pressed to believe that if it were a white teenager in a hoodie, that the results would have been the same. The impact of race on people of color will always disproportionately affect them. Simply black and brown bodies are not valued in the same way that white bodies are.

A few weeks back, young Ramarley Graham was followed into his own house by police who weren't properly trained in street undercover operations and was shot dead in his own bathroom. The most they found on him was a bag of marijuana. "No weapon formed against me shall prosper." Often times that isn't the case. Yet again we have another black boy killed by a white man and nothing happened to the white man in charge.

I am tired of saying again. I am tired of seeing young men who look like me and my brothers, students, friends, family, co workers and the like being killed. I hate it when our own people do it equally as much as when white people do it. But I am incensed when it happens by those that do not look like us and they are able to get away. Parents, families and friends are left wondering why. And very often no answer can be found.

I wake up every morning hoping that my brothers come home at the end of the day. Praying that they don't get killed by someone that looks like them and someone that doesn't. I tell them often how to interact with people in authority, whether its assumed or given. I have the same conversation with former and present students. I let them know that it makes no difference whether you attend Yale, Cornell, or a city university. Your skin tone will be the first thing that authority figures see or take into consideration. Depending on how the situation is handled will make or break whether you live. Its simple as that.

The worst part is that there will be more Trayons. There always are. There will be more men like his shooter Zimmmerman, who are so caught up in racial biases that they will kill innocent black men again. There will be more families crying and burying students because they don't know why their child died. The war on black bodies is an all out assault. We must fight the war in our own communities and unfortunately amongst the communities supposedly in place to protect us. And this is why I cry. I cry because the war is simply too big to fight, too tough to battle and often ends with way too much collateral damage. I just hope in this case, even for a brief moment in time that justice can be served. Unfortunately I will not hold my breath. Because as history has shown, justice never truly is served.

Herman Cain: Why His Candidacy is an Insult to Black America

Allow me to share a secret that is often said in black and brown communities. Parents often tell their children that in order to be successful and rise up in America, they must aspire to be better than white people. And when I say better I mean better in every way. Better in intellectual ability, better in style of dress, better in mannerisms, simply better. This edict is told across socioeconomic lines, from the barrios of Los Angeles, to the projects in the Bronx, to the shacks in Alabama. It is a clarion call for black and brown people to strive harder and push themselves further than their white counterparts. Then and only then, it is believed will they ever be able to be on equal footing. This being the case, Herman Cain is an insult to every black and brown parent who has told their children to be better.

During President Obama's rise to the presidency there was a feeling amongst many people, regardless of race, that there was something intrinsically good about his candidacy. Here was a man who had superior intellect, amazing rhetorical genius, a pedigree that allowed him to be one with the brothers in the hood, while at the same time comfortable in a room full of the smartest and most successful minds in the world. Here was a man who clearly listened to his mother and family, who I am sure instilled in him the edict of being better than those around him, regardless of race.

When I look and hear Herman Cain speak I ask myself, where has this country come in the past three years. While I admittedly know very little about Cain's academic pedigree, there is nothing in his presentation that says to me that he is worthy of the highest office in the land. Some of his statements would be laughable if not for the fact that he sincerely believes what he is saying. Not to know the President of Uzbekistan is one thing, but to refer to the country as "Ooze becky becky becky stan stan" is not only disrespectful to that country, but also disrespectful to the office of the Presidency. To not know that China has had nuclear weapons since the 1960's and make the statement that they are now beginning to aquire the means to make said weapons shows a wanton disregard for basic world history. It is as if he revels in his stupidity and lack of knowledge and clear unpreparedness to be on the world stage.

Why does he continue to rise in the polls? I sincerely believe that the Republican party, comprised predominantly by white people have some deep issues that they need answered. Some people say that Cain's rise is a "flavor of the month" move by the GOP who aren't enthralled with any candidate on the ballot. Let's not be so superficial. I believe that the rise of Cain speaks to two angles of the Republican party. There is a clear anti-intellectual movement amongst the base, indicative by the rise of Sarah Palin and now Cain. I believe that there is also a huge racial component when it comes to Cain. Republicans have for too long wanted to court a viable black candidate. By courting a viable black candidate they could then begin to sing the song of inclusion, even though the main musician would be but one face in an overwhelmingly white crowd. Cain plays well to both of those visions.

What Repblicans need to begin to realize is that Cain's candidacy inevitably hurts race relations in the United States. To many people, regardless of racial background, his candidacy is a mockery and a display of minstrelsy in the highest order. Among black circles Cain is referred to as "Uncle Ruckus" the character from Boondocks, not only because he has a striking resemblance to him, but because like the character from the cartoon series, Cain's views are at best comical and at worst are antithetical to the success of people who have long been disenfranchised in this country. Watching his rise (one that continues even though he has been accused of sexual harrassment) tells black and brown people that what our parents told us growing up isn't true. If you flip flop on the truth and show no real gravitas or intellectual capacity to debate and voice your thoughts then maybe some good old conservative person will support you. If you show that you can appeal to the senses of a conservative party that has alienated racial minorities for the past thirty years, then they will say that racism is a thing of the past, essentially ignoring how their own policies have continued to institutionalize it.

I had a visceral reaction to watching Cain sing at the National Press Club in Washington DC this week. At first I wasn't sure what it was that made me bristle and literally get nauseus. It then dawned on me. Watching Cain sing harkens back to the days when blacks, men in particular, had to literally perform for their survival. Minstrel shows were prevalent in the early 1900's and were often the only way that black actors could make a living to support themselves. Replace the venue, time and occassion and I ask you what is the difference between a minstrel show and Cain's candidacy. I guess the curse of Cain is inevitably a curse on all of us.

Homicide Rates Jump for Blacks in NYC: What does that mean?

In today's edition of the New York Daily News it was revealed that for the 2010 year the homicide rate for black people jumped 31% while the homicide rate for whites dropped 27%. There is a lot in this data that is shocking on its head. One of the main things that shocked me is the fact that 25% of NYC's population is Black while 67% of the victims wee black. Even more shocking was that black males between the ages of 15-29 make up 3% of the city's population but a whopping 1/3 of all homicide victims. Having this data is sobering and informative but the larger questions we need to answer are why is this data so and what do we do with it?

It is clear by this data that black people killing black people is an epidemic. The fact that the Centers for Disease Control labeled gun violence and deaths amongst each other as a national epidemic, not unlike cancer and AIDS is sobering. I believe that the economic downturn that occurred over the past few years has acutely affected the black community, especially among black men. Black men, especially those in the 15-29 demographic face considerable economic and educational hardships that white people as a general group do not face in the same ways.

One of the large issues that exist as well is the lack of gun control laws in NYC. It is literally easier to procure a gun in NYC than it is to find a job. High powered weapons, extended magazine clips and weapons that do more damage at a quicker rate are all over the place. I believe that as long as purchasing gnus remains a deregulated industry then the rates of murder, especially amongst black people will continue to be high.

I am willing to believe that the murder rates from 2010 should serve as a sober reminder of just how much of a crisis black on black violence is, especially amongst the younger segment of our population. In certain African countries, generations of younger people are being wiped out by the AIDS epidemic. In America, it is safe to say, that a generation of young black men are being wiped out by gun violence. Where do we go from here? Who knows?