Just taking a moment to wish all of you a wonderful New Year! May 2010 be your best year ever!
Thank you for your continued patronage, and we look forward to providing you with even more wonderful information this year.
Don’t hesitate to let us know what you like, what you don’t like, and what you’re up to (if you think you might have an interesting idea for a story or interview!)
Warmest regards,
Kevin A. Stanley, AABoomers.com Sr. Editor
MICHAEL JACKSON – The Man, the Music, and the Media
July 5, 2009: In the early 1970’s, a young woman shopping in a suburban Boston mall barely noticed a group of five young African-American men—who appeared to be brothers—going about their shopping unrecognized by other mall goers. She smiled politely at the slightly-older, rather muscular man accompanying them, then suddenly recognized the group in wide-eyed wonder. In response to the glimmer of recognition in her eyes, the man accompanying the group made the age-old gesture for quiet, putting his forefinger over his lips, accompanied by a non-verbal plea for quiet when their eyes met, which the young woman obliged. The young men were (of course) The Jackson 5, and the young woman felt quite noble, but rather conflicted, because she really wanted to meet them and get their autographs.
Imagine the life that young man, who evolved into the Michael Jackson we lost last week, lived. Forty years of never being able to do normal things like going to mall without running the risk of being mobbed, and doing other things we simply take for granted. While many things have been written about Michael Jackson’s life and choices over the last week, few have stopped to “walk a mile in his moccasins.”
When the news about Michael Jackson’s death hit the airwaves, it was shocking and unbelievable. His loss was felt worldwide; and indeed, fans came from the four corners of the world to celebrate his life and mourn his death. But what has happened in the ensuing days has been a travesty, and an example of the factors that drove Michael to the eccentricity which may have contributed to his untimely death.
First, we have the media, just like buzzards, trying to beat each other to the punch with some of the most bizarre stories one has ever heard. Then we had his father on the red carpet at the BET Awards, talking about his record company, probably initially in response to a question about what he was doing, but then carrying it to a whole ‘nother level at a press conference the next day. As if that weren’t bad enough, there were reports of Michael not being the children’s father, and then questions of who would have custody of the children. As one attorney said, his—Michael’s—name is on the birth certificates, and that pretty much settles it.
Then, there were the obligatory mention of allegations of child molestation, and the ensuing trials: one of which was settled out of court, and the other in which he was acquitted. It was as if each media outlet had to try to take it to another more absurd level.
I think the most disgusting thing I heard over the last week was regarding one of the paparazzi who camped outside his home 24/7. One actually had a zoom lens that read the information on a panel inside the ambulance and further invaded Michael’s privacy by zooming into the cabin of the ambulance to get a photo of him on a stretcher inside. The photo was sold for over six figures. Is nothing sacred?
Joe Jackson, the Jackson family patriarch, is no stranger to the media. Regardless of his strained relationship with Michael, he was his father and mourned his son in his own way. He referred to himself as “crying on the inside.” The media have portrayed him as an insensitive buffoon, rather than the brilliant architect of The Jackson 5.
What most members of the media—who are predominately Caucasian—do not realize is the way that many African-American families discipline their children. Joe Jackson is what many would refer to as tough taskmaster, someone who took, “no tea for the fever.” Although I make no apologies for corporal punishment, members of the Black community know at least one Joe Jackson in their families and/or communities. While I certainly do not in any way condone his discipline style, I understand his reasons. Mr. Jackson was the parent of six male children in a society that has never been kind to Black males. He was a hardworking, working-class father with eleven mouths to feed, often working double shifts to provide for them. Simply stated, Mr. Jackson had a dream for his children and his family and used the parenting techniques he knew to motivate them to do their best.
Are their any AABoomers who are not familiar with having to get the switch with which they were to be disciplined? (Okay, maybe you didn’t have to do it, but you were familiar with the technique.)
Not satisfied to leave it there, the media then suggested that the children might be in danger if Mr. Jackson were in the home, knowing full well that he and his wife had lived separately for over a decade. No doubt this speculation brought Debbie Rowe, the mother of record of Michael’s older two children, out of the woodwork to file for custody since she had been left out of the will. This from a woman who had taken a settlement to give up her parental rights.
To me, it seems that the media—whom we must remember has air time to fill—is making much ado about nothing. Who Michael Jackson choose to leave his money to is his business. It was his money. He had his reasons. He was, according to all accounts, extremely close to his mother.
Did anyone really think he would leave anything to his father after what he (Michael) had said about his father in the media in the past? Why the mock surprise that the senior Mr. Jackson had been left out? Besides, the law sees a married couple as one, so Joe Jackson is taken care of anyhow.
Then, we have the African-American nurse-practitioner, who emerged on the scene for her 15 minutes of fame, divulging information which should have remained privileged. What purpose did that information serve, except to fuel reports that Michael had a chemical dependence, Could she not have shared that information with the Coroner’s office, or the family?
It is no wonder then that Michael Jackson evolved into such a tortured soul. His genius is undisputed. His choices were unorthodox, but I wonder about the choices we would make if we had the resources to indulge our every whim, and people surrounding us to agree with our every thought.
For me (and millions of other fans), I choose to celebrate the life a man whose music survived four decades. His eccentric behavior was not unusual for someone with such phenomenal talent who could start trends by simply wearing a single sequined glove or a red leather jacket with lots of zippers. When the dust settles, it will be his music that endures, and the media will be on to the next sensational story.
LAC
I can remember my grandmother shaking her head at some unbelievable or outrageous occurrence, saying “will wonders never cease?” Such was my reaction to the ridiculous, racist so-called political song parody ‘Barack the Magic Negro.” This song, on a CD which was, not surprisingly, funded and produced by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh; and has someone mimicking the voice of the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is lamenting the fact that President Obama has a bright political future and he, Sharpton, does not.
It seems that this CD first surfaced early last year and then retreated into relative obscurity until a few weeks ago, when Chip Saltsman, who was then running for the position of Chairman of the Republican National Committee, sent it along with several other racially insensitive CDs to his colleagues as Christmas presents. Saltsman, as you may remember, was chairman of the short-lived presidential campaign of Gov. Mike Huckabee.
What is disturbing about this is not that Limbaugh would produce something so insensitive and offensive: one could not expect anything less from him. (Although you have to wonder where all that hate comes from.) But you have to wonder how someone who is running for the chairmanship of a major political party–which claims to be interested in increasing its minority membership–would stoop to such tactics. One only has to reflect on the composition of the attendance at the Republican National Convention last year to realize that the organization was very monolithic. It has been estimated that the party is comprised of older, rural white people, not necessarily reflective of the American populous.
This so-called parody is a throwback to the old Amos & Andy radio show in which white men played the buffoonish black characters. The truly sad part of this whole thing is that despite all of President Obama’s attempts to leave race out of the campaign, there are still so many haters who cannot rise above the politics of division, and refuse to judge others by the content of their character, rather than by the color of their skin.
To the RNC’s credit, its current leadership denounced the tapes and Saltsman for sending them, but the damage has already been done. Despite what former TV judge Larry Elder, the author of the book ‘Stupid Black Men (You Can’t Make This Stuff Up)’ and Ken Blackwell (one of Saltsman’s opponents for the RNC chairmanship may say, the CD and Saltsman’s circulation of it are offensive and with the RNC wanting to recruit more minorities, “will wonders never cease?”
Lois-Ann Clark
01/05/2009
* * *
In a bit of irony, former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, who is African-American, won the chairmanship of the RNC on January 30, 2009, becoming the first African-American to do so. He won five of six rounds of voting for the seat.
Now is your chance to start working on those New Year’s exercise & weight-loss resolutions, all while meeting and making friends with some of your fellow AABoomers!
Here is the place for you and your friends to share the triumphs and setbacks in your 2009 fitness regimen, while also sharing recipes, weight loss strategies and other useful tips. Share with us what’s working, what isn’t, and the plans you need encouragement to reach.
You can find all of the useful Fit Club links here:
http://www.aaboomers.com/About the Fit Club.html
and a whole world of health info you can benefit from here:
Here’s to your health!
Historic Morris Brown College Faces Imminent Crisis
by Lois-Ann Clark, AABoomers.com Publisher
January 10, 2009
The week before Christmas, historic Morris Brown College received devastating news: that the water at the 127 year-old historically Black college had been disconnected due to an unpaid bill of over $360,000. Although the college has been given a reprieve—since $100,000 was paid toward the outstanding bill—the balance is due in six weeks. The college also faces the foreclosure of one of its buildings.
Morris Brown College is one of the five colleges in the Atlanta University Center. It encompasses 21 acres, and before it lost its accreditation in 2002 due to a scandal involving misappropriation of financial aid, was the largest college in the AU Center.
Started in the basement of Bethel A.M.E. Church (or “Big Bethel” as it is also known,) Morris Brown College was named for one of the founding bishops of the A.M.E. church, and is the only college in Georgia founded by African-Americans. This institution founded over a century ago by former slaves, today faces a debt of over $45,000,000 and is on the brink of closing its doors permanently.
WE CAN NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!
We, the African-American Baby Boomers, are the best-educated generation of Africans- Americans in history. There are 9.1 million of us and we have an annual spending power of over $200 billion. We have the ability to not only prevent this disaster from happening, but to create a situation which could make Morris Brown solvent in a way it has never been before.
“Wait a minute,” I can almost hear you saying, “shouldn’t the alumni bear some of this burden? After all, it is their alma mater.” Probably. They have and continue to support the school, but their efforts simply aren’t enough to significantly eliminate the debt. “Well then, what about the A.M.E. church?” is usually the next question. “After all, it is one of their schools.” Once again, the answer is they have and continue to do so, but it is not enough.
Some may say, “what about the athletes and entertainers? Surely they have enough money.” In fact, some of members of the entertainment community appeared in concert in Atlanta in early January in a benefit for Morris Brown.
But, my question is: WHAT ABOUT US?
We have just witnessed the historic campaign which resulted in the election of Barack Obama as our new President. How a large number of people—giving small amounts of money—can raise a tremendous amount, thus changing the way political campaigns will be funded in the future.
As mentioned above, there are 9.1 million of us. If we each made a donation of only $5, we could raise over $45 million, which would be more than enough to satisfy all of Morris Brown’s debts. Imagine what could happen if we each contributed 10, 25, 50 or even 100 dollars!
$10 $91,000,000
$25 $227,500,000
$50 $455,000,000
$100 $910,000,000
With proposals being bandied about again in the Georgia state legislature to merge state historically Black colleges with predominately White colleges to save money in today’s economy, private colleges may be the only way we can preserve the legacy of the institutions that produced much of the Black middle class.
Following the fundraising model of the Obama campaign, we could not only raise enough money to eliminate Morris Brown’s debts, but to also make major repairs to the campus, which has been vacant for so long, and give the instructors the resources necessary to strengthen its academic programs.
Let me conclude by saying that although I am a fourth-generation member of the A.M.E. Church, I am not an alumnus of Morris Brown College. I am, however, a long-time resident of the Atlanta area. I feel a profound sense of sadness when I ride by the campus and see a place that was once so vibrant now only a shell of its former self.
A while back, I heard Rev. C. T. Vivian, one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s lieutenants in the Civil Rights Movement, referring to the sacrifices made by our ancestors. He concluded his remarks by saying, “We know what they were about, but…
WHAT ARE WE ABOUT?
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Rush Limbaugh on President Obama’s Economic Recovery Plan: “I HOPE HE FAILS!”
Tags: commentary, Conservative, David Plouffe, economic plan, Economy, fail, Fox News, Limbaugh, Obama, offensive, Organizing for America, ranting, raving, Rush Limbaugh
RUSH LIMBAUGH on President Obama’s Economic Recovery Plan:
“I HOPE HE FAILS!”
Let me begin by saying I never listen to the rantings of ultra-conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, or his venom spewing compatriots at Fox News. Although I know the conventional wisdom is to know what the other side is saying, I find their ravings offensive and inflammatory. So, you can imagine my reaction on the day after Inauguration Day, when my constant companion—CNN—aired an excerpt of a ranting-and-raving Limbaugh explaining why he, as a Conservative, did not subscribe to the plans of President Obama and, he “hoped he (President Obama) failed.” I was shocked! Even for Rush Limbaugh, this was over the top. Still soaring from Inauguration Day mania, I was immediately brought back to reality in one fell swoop.
My first response was to dismiss it as I do most of the things I have heard that he has said, like describing, then President–elect Obama, a Harvard University Law School graduate and his Chief of Staff-designate, Rahm Emmanuel as Chicago “street thugs,” or, in the case of the offensive CD produced by Limbaugh “Barak the Magic Negro,” to write about it (see the AABoomers.com Topic of the Day for February.) But this remark is absolutely ridiculous! You have to ask yourself if this guy is really serious. Does he not know that if President Obama fails, we all fail? Is Mr. Limbaugh so devoted to being a Conservative that he is unaware that, as the kids say, “time is out” for partisan nonsense. To quote Dr. King, “either we learn to live together as brothers, or we will perish together as fools.”
Although I was, and continue to be, deeply disturbed by the foolishness of Limbaugh and his cronies, I know that we have “promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep.” The huge crowds at the Inauguration and the euphoria exhibited during the Election encourages me that the vast majority of Americans are good and decent people who are eager to do their part to ensure that the President’s plans dot not fail. Maybe as disconcerting as Limbaugh’s remarks are, they are just the impetus that we need to make President Obama’s plans a reality. Let’s resolve, in this month of resolutions, to do our part to ensure that his programs are a resounding success. Volunteer: Hold Your Elected Officials Accountable.
Recently, I received an email and video from David Plouffe (as many of you received it and you volunteered or donated to the campaign) introducing a new volunteer organization and encouraging us to continue to work for change in our communities. I am including a link to the site and the video here:
The video from Mitch Stewart & David Plouffe: http://my.barackobama.com/page/m2/55c13e0f/6be35af4/46e2fb7/11884c17/4245441114/VEsH/
Organizing for America: http://my.barackobama.com/neworganization
Maybe Limbaugh’s remarks, as reprehensible as they were, can serve a purpose. As the Bible verse says, “He meant it for evil, bur God meant it for good!”