On his birthday, I blogged about the man and the legend; the one whose music and message would live on LONG after he's been gone and on June 23, 2010 Tupac was finally honored by the Library of Congress. After years of being ridiculed, labeled for his harsh lyrics and "thug mentality," the true value of Tupac's music is finally getting the credit that he deserved. "Dear Mama," a song dedicated to his mother, Afeni Shakur, was deemed culturally significant by the Library of Congress. Shakur is only one of three emcees to be placed in the Library of Congress. According to www.sohh.com Afeni Shakur's reacted to her son's induction by saying, "I'm incredibly touched. It could have been any song, but I'm honored they chose 'Dear Mama' in particular. It is a song that spoke not just to me, but every mother that has been in that situation, and there have been millions of us. Tupac recognized our struggle, and he is still our hero." (All Hip Hop) For those of you who don't know, the song is about a single mother who struggles with drug addiction and poverty level living conditions while trying to take care of her children. Former Vice President Dan Quayle tried to ban Tupac's music from even hitting shelves. He claimed that there was no place in society for his type of music and even went as far as claiming that "gangster rap" was the reason cops were being killed. Well I wonder what Quayle has to say now. Regardless of what anyone used to believe or still does believe, Tupac Amaru Shakur was a legend in music and a legend in the community. His music was more than just "gangsta rap;" it had significant messages. "Dear Mama" and "Brenda's Got A Baby" are just 2 of many that prove my point so everyone should try opening their ears before denying Tupac his place on the throne.
A few weeks ago, I was visiting a family member in the hospital and we were watching this show that was called, "What Would You Do?" That particular night the show videotaped what people would do if they saw a man dropping something in his date's drink. While it was on, one of the nurses shared an interesting story with us and I thought it was important to share it.
One night, she and a friend decided to go to this club for "Goth Night" because they had never been in an environment like that before. After being there for a while, they were approached by a man who told them that they seemed like "interesting" people and asked if they would like to go with him to check something out. So they did; and as they were being led down this stairwell into the basement of the club she noticed that something didn't seem right. As they got to the bottom of the stairs and she looked into the room that he was leading them to she noticed chains, whips, swings, and other S&M type paraphernalia. Both her and her friend aggressively made it clear that they weren't into that type of thing and backed up the steps keeping a close eye on the basement they just came out of and left the club shaken.
She says that she can't believe that she made that type of judgement call because anything could have happened to the both of them that night. She tells her story to as many people as she can and I thought I could help spread the word about the importance of being aware of your surroundings.
According to the RAINN (Rape Abuse & Incest National Network), someone is sexually assualted every 2 minutes in the United States. Although reports show that instances of sexual assault has dropped by 60% since 1993, in 2007 alone, there were 248,300 victims of sexual assault over the age of 12. In a lifetime, 1 out of every 6 women, and 1 out of every 33 men will be sexually assaulted. Yes fellas, it can happen to you as well.
A few important statistics to know: -Approximately 2/3 of rapes were committed by someone known to the victim. -73% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by a non-stranger. -38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance. -28% are an intimate. -7% are a relative.
So for all of my clubheads, party-goers, and people out to have a good time, please keep the following tips in mind when you go out: -Do not accept open drinks at parties, especially from people you don't know. This also includes any sodas, juices, and bottled water. If you're drinking from a bottle or can, open it yourself.
-Never leave your drink unattended. Only ask someone that you trust to watch your drink and if you walk away with no one to watch your drink, buy a new one when you return.
-Never go out to a bar, party or club alone. Take atleast one person you know and trust with you; take a group of people to make the experience even safer.
- If your drink has an unusual taste, or appearance (salty taste, has excessive foam, or residue) DO NOT continue to drink it.
-Never mix drugs and alcohol. The combination can be dangerous.
Drink responsibly and party responsibly. It could save your life. For more information about Rape please check out http://www.rainn.org/statistics.
*Do you have an experience you'd like to share? Feel free to email me @ writers_inkorporated@yahoo.com. Or you can comment here, or send me and IM!*
DISCLAIMER: All statistics can be linked to their original site by clicking on any highlighted portion of this blog
On Monday, June 28, 2010 the longest serving senator in U.S. history, Robert C. Byrd (West Virginia) passed away after years of failing health. He served 51 years in the United States Senate and six years in the House of Representatives, accomplishing much throughout the years. He held the offices of both majority and minority leader, along with president pro tem. He came from a poor background, self educating himself, who eventually took college courses sometime around his 30's or 40's. He wrote a book about his life and was proud to say he represented the people of his home state.
The question that we really should be asking is exactly who was he representing. Byrd was a member of the Klu Klux Klan in his youth and later he joined the group of Southern Democrats that rallied an unsuccessful filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1944, Byrd wrote in a letter to Mississippi Democratic Senator Theodore Bilbo...
“I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side... Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.”
Let me give credit to Byrd for later apologizing for his past and for supporting President Barack Obama, however, is it possible for a man who wrote so passionately against African Americans be truly sincere in his apology? This man represented the "people" for over 50 years but can we honestly say that it he was an equal opportunity representative; whose best interests did he have in mind while in office?
While we do live in a "free" country and we are in a position where everyone is able to vote, it's not to say that his appointment to Congress was UNFAIR but it makes me question the mindset of voters. I overstand that West Virginia is still a predominately racist state but in the age of an African American President, is it still acceptable to have people with this mindset, reformed or not, even representing us in the first place? It's a lot to think about on this day of "Independence."
But just as a close friend of mine said, "Today is the day this nation gained Independence while people's ancestors remained bound and beaten, carrying the weight on their backs LITERALLY. While scars healed on their backs and created deep roots for the tree of life I don't think they imagined barbecues & fireworks reasons to celebrate." You can argue me until you're tired or just agree to disagree, but until people can open their minds, throw out their prejudices, and educate themselves before they vote, our country is still far from being "The Land of the Free" and our people, ALL people, are far from being able to celebrate freedom. Happy 4th of July Everyone!
