A Great Night
Just Trust Me. Have I Ever Let You Down Before??
Tuesday night I attended the screening for an upcoming ESPN documentary. Here’s the official press release— ESPN Original Entertainment, in collaboration with Shoot the Moon Productions and award-winning director Dan Klores, has announced plans for ESPN to televise a two-part, four-hour film tentatively titled “Black Magic” about the injustice which defined the civil rights movement in America, as told through the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Co-produced by basketball legend and Winston-Salem State University graduate Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and former New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell, the film will be aired in March 2008 with extensive support across a variety of ESPN networks and media platforms.
From more than 200 hours of interviews and footage, the film reveals the plight of these players and coaches as a stark but proud one, filled with obstacles at every turn. From separate leagues and facilities, to championship games and titles that never qualified for the history books, all the way to secret games played between blacks and whites in defiance of the law, players and programs at HBCUs not only thrived, but laid the groundwork for the proliferation of the modern athlete. Klores conducted interviews with Willis Reed, Avery Johnson, Ben Wallace, John Chaney, Bob Love, Al Attles, PeeWee Kirkland, Earl Lloyd, Dick Barnett, Woody Sauldsberry, Cleo Hill, Bob Dandridge, Sonny Hill, Perry Wallace, Dave Robbins, Harold Hunter, Miriam Samuels, Charles Oakley, Donnie Walsh, Bobby Cremins, Howie Evans, the widows of coaches Clarence “Big House” Gaines and John McLendon, historians Skip Gates, Cleveland Sellers and Milton Katz, amongst others.—————
It was very interesting, but I don’t want to give too much of it away so I’ll be brief. It starts off with the story of a secret game between Duke University and what is now North Carolina Central. The game was played to settle the argument regarding who had the better team, but due to the danger of even having a game between whites and blacks in the south in this time (1944) it had to be kept quiet as to eliminate any potential violence. From there the documentary discussed the reasons for the creation of HBCU’s in the first place and from there it touches on the Harlem Globetrotters, the Harlem Rens, the NBA’s early and segregated years, the Civil Rights era and its effects on basketball and the nation and the impact of mainstream schools luring players away from HBCU’s
As a HBCU grad (Clark Atlanta University) I was definitely into seeing the movie and hoped it was created with the proper historical respect deserved. There are some things in the movie that bothered me though (this isn’t really representative of the movie, just the people in it), mainly that HBCU’s should be regarded on the same athletic level of some of the bigger state and highly endowed schools. It’s just not true. For instance, Clark is a D2 school and we are okay with that. In fact a large number of students and faculty prefer it. At an HBCU nobody goes there with hoop dreams about one day playing in the NBA, NFL or whatever. We don’t put any substantial money into the athletic departments and never will. Why? Because we put money in academics. We want to graduate and become writers, doctors, politicians, etc. There are more than enough black dudes in the L, that’s not an issue. So when people talk about not getting the same recognition, it seems weird because why would we? We don’t have head coaches with million dollar salaries or fancy arenas like Cameron Indoor Stadium. Its not that what HBCU’ have are decidedly inferior, its just a priority thing. Academics come first and if the football team happens to blow the other team out during the homecoming game then cool. If not, oh well.
And for those who wonder about the relevancy of HBCU’s I’ll debate you on this blog or anywhere anytime you want. What we learn is the same as you learn anywhere else but without the threat or even the thought off racism. It doesn’t exist. Therefore you can focus on just being a student and not some random black kid who has to explain his hairstyles or music choices or have to defend himself against 3/4th of the class in a discussion about affirmative action. Doesn’t have to shock people when he or she says they aren’t feeling Obama, doesn’t have to worry about someone spray painting racial epithets on their dorm room door. Doesn’t have to feel like an outsider at a place where ignorance should trump intelligence but occasionally doesn’t. It’s just easier. So yes, I recommend this film and hope all of you will watch it and come here to the site and discuss it.
*****************BONUS**************
So after the movie screening and made my way to the Apollo Theatre to catch Jay-Z’s American Gangster Tour. SLAM contributor and XXL Lifestyle Editor Branden Peters had an extra ticket and I figured-what the hell. I got to my seat around 10 and Jay took the stage maybe 15 minutes later. He ran through cuts from the new album first, which was cool but I hoped it take it back a little. I think the new joint is solid but it’s not official. It’s not something that I play everyday or something that memorable. Its good, the production is interesting and his flow is always on point. Lyrics are decent but he’s been better, my main beef with the album is the theme. All these back in the day hustler remembrances just seem really dated to me. Who the hell wants to bring the 80’s back? What did the 80’s give us? AIDS, Crack, Reagan(omics) and sexually ambiguous singers. Prince is my man so I let him slide, and Mike too because he’s just too dope. But Debarge? Atlantic Starr? Come on! Grow a beard, spit, take off that mascara and be a man damn it!
The show really jumped off when he did the joint Success and Nas came out and did his verse. Then they performed an inspired version of “Black Republican” and energized an already amped crowd. Then State Property and Memphis Bleek came through and they all ran through their hits for about 30, 40 minutes—What We Do, Change The Game, Roc the Mic, everything. It was crazy. Beans and Freeway promoted their albums on the way out. Then Jay went back to cuts off of The Black Album, Blueprint, Hard Knock, just hits galore. For a solid hour he held it down. Dude has a serious catalogue. Nas and Tupac are hands down the greatest as far as I’m concerned (and truthfully those who don’t have one of them as the greatest, I look at them funny. Like Isiah is looking at Step these days Or Bron was looking at Drew Gooden the other day). Speaking of Lebron, yeah he was there too. And when Jay closed the show with Roc Boys, Puffy and Bron came onstage and rapped along to the lyrics. Lebron even grabbed a mic, he was surprisingly awkward looking for athlete but not a big deal. Obviously it was a good night.
87 Responses to “A Great Night”
Nov.15 at 2:02 pm
Cheryl says:
I went to N.C. Central for undergrad. I remember some great games between us and A&T. Can’t wait for this one, Khalid.
Nov.15 at 2:09 pm
Myles Brown says:
We missed you. That flick sounds interesting, I have had that discussion with a couple dudes about HBCU’s and you’re definitely tryin to start something with that Nas & Pac comment.
Nov.15 at 2:28 pm
Co Co says:
81 gave you all me, so the 80’s weren’t all bad! Good work Khalid. I’ll put Tupac in my top two because I don’t want you looking at me the way Isiah is looking at Steph. Nas, not so much….
Nov.15 at 2:34 pm
Hisham says:
Khalid, good write up! didn’t know about those schools. One thing that caught my attention was “What we learn is the same as you learn anywhere else but without the threat or even the thought off racism. It doesn’t exist. Therefore you can focus on just being a student and not some random black kid who has to explain his hairstyles or music choices or have to defend himself against 3/4th of the class in a discussion about affirmative action. Doesn’t have to shock people when he or she says they aren’t feeling Obama, doesn’t have to worry about someone spray painting racial epithets on their dorm room door. Doesn’t have to feel like an outsider at a place where ignorance should trump intelligence but occasionally doesn’t. It’s just easier.” That sounds like Utopia, and makes me kind of skeptical about it. Does racism not get discussed at an all black school? Is it not an issue in the classes? Maybe I didn’t understand correctly, but wasn’t racism the reason black schools exist in the first place? It’s great that these kids get a chance to learn without feeling awkward or inferior to other people due to the ignorance of those people. I wonder if that doesn’t put them at a disadvantage when they graduate and all of a sudden have to deal with all of the problems they avoided in college?
Nov.15 at 2:35 pm
Hisham says:
I hope that made sense
Nov.15 at 2:36 pm
Hisham says:
And Nas is in my top two, too. Not 2Pac.
Nov.15 at 2:38 pm
Myles Brown says:
Hisham, that was a concern of mine.
Nov.15 at 2:41 pm
Hisham says:
Khalid has first-hand experience, so i wonder how he feels about it
Nov.15 at 2:41 pm
Jared says:
nas and pac are my 1 & 2 too…sounds like a dope show…i remember i saw nas at nokia theater last year and he did black republican and everyone was waitin for jay to come out, but even better, mega & foxy came out for affirmative action…
Nov.15 at 2:56 pm
Claude says:
Hey Khalid, I had a similar take when I reviewed this film on the Black Fives Blog in October. Thanks for the bonus update too! Sincerely,
Claude Johnson
President
Black Fives, Inc.
Nov.15 at 2:57 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Biggie is the best there ever was, the best there ever will be. Oh well, Khalid already looks at me funny anyway.
Nov.15 at 3:00 pm
white hot eboy says:
I’m glad I was alive when rap first started and actually heard the pioneers of hip-hop and not just read about them in someone’s half-ass rap thesis.
Nov.15 at 3:01 pm
Hisham says:
Biggie was talented
Nov.15 at 3:03 pm
Cheryl says:
I can’t speak for Khalid, Hisham, but I came out of my experience at an HBCU with a lot of confidence in myself and the certainty that I could compete with anyone on an intellectual level. And I wasn’t disadvantaged in any way by my experience, as I got into grad school at UC Berkeley. Also, Khalid wasn’t talking about discussions of racism and it’s history in this country, because certainly that does happen in classrooms at HBCUs. But that having to deal with racist students, professors, and/or administrators determined to make black students feel inferior–in subtle and not-so-subtle ways–is rare at these schools.
Nov.15 at 3:07 pm
Cheryl says:
Oh, and Pac and JayZ, 1 and 2.
Nov.15 at 3:08 pm
Cheryl says:
Now, the color issue, that’s a topic for another day…
Nov.15 at 3:09 pm
Co Co says:
Well said Cheryl.
Nov.15 at 3:13 pm
Hisham says:
co-sign with Co Co. Thanks Cheryl.
Nov.15 at 3:21 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Khalid and I used to have a lot of discussions on this topic. Suburban white boy that I am, I was curious why a black dude from a mostly black part of Philly would want to go to a predominantly black college — like, why not get used to being around white people? He made good points.
Also, we used to talk about rappers.
Nov.15 at 3:22 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Also: “Beans and Freeway promoted their albums on the way out.” No sh*t?
Nov.15 at 3:23 pm
Jared says:
well said eboy…even though i might be a target of what you said…i wish i was alive but all i can do is admire and respect, hip hop is beautiful, but it is dead
Nov.15 at 3:26 pm
Myles Brown says:
Cheryl, while I’m sure you received a quality education and are certainly not unfamiliar with racism, when encountering those racist experiences in the “real World” after attending an HBCU were you any more/less affected/prepared?
Nov.15 at 3:29 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Apparently Myles is a suburban white boy too.
Nov.15 at 3:30 pm
Myles Brown says:
Ouch.
Nov.15 at 3:33 pm
mutoni says:
biggie is the greatest, no doubt. (as for lebron, can i order my brooklyn nets #23 yet?)
Nov.15 at 3:39 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Ha! I just meant that’s one of the same questions I asked. My thought was that the longer someone from Khalid’s background stayed in a relatively isolated racial environment, the tougher the transition to the “real” world would be. What I hadn’t thought of was that the ability to learn and mature in a more supportive/familiar academic and social environment, and particularly seeing examples of achievement from people who have dealt/are dealing with the same things, would increase the odds of success in life. I still think you can argue for both sides of that coin, but it was a nice bit of edutainment for Farmer Jones.
Nov.15 at 3:40 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Thanks Cheryl for your input. Hisham, by no means are HBCU’s uptopia like, utopia-ish or utopia anything. And yeah we discuss race relations and discrimination. The thing that is different is that if i get a “D” on a mid-term i never have to wonder if some prejudiced professor is a hater. That D is because i didn’t study or plan accordingly. I earned that D. It just eliminates a certain amount of stress thats all. But thats a big deal in my estimation. I just want to be a student,not the “cool black kid” and as far as putting us at a disdavantage because we’ve haven’t had to deal with race, i d’ say yes and no. Yes because it’s good for a everyone to have a diversified set of friends and/or associates. Unless you live in Nebraska you’re gonna have to deal with diveersity anyway so you might as wel get used to it. No because, racism is easy to find wherever you go. During college i worked at the mall at a candy store. Lets just sat that the sh*t wasn’t sweet. In fact it got weird a couple of times, so i knew what the real world looked like and i figured i’d deal with it in due time
Nov.15 at 3:42 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Also, nas and pac debates are welcome all day. any day
Nov.15 at 3:43 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Khalid, when were you cool?
Nov.15 at 3:46 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Never. But i hope to be cool one day. My plan is to get turned into one of the animated characters on the Boondocks. Then i’ll be cool.
Nov.15 at 3:46 pm
Co Co says:
Khalid is cool now.
Nov.15 at 3:46 pm
Myles Brown says:
I guess being in an environment where you never have to question other people’s motives in regard to your race or even have to bear any unjust expectations because of your race is kinda like being, well, white.
Nov.15 at 3:48 pm
Myles Brown says:
And you sold candy? Really? Oh, and “Oochie Wally”-actually that whole five year period- is still a big stain on the little homie Nas’ permanent record.
Nov.15 at 3:48 pm
white hot eboy says:
If only it was that easy.
Nov.15 at 3:53 pm
Ryan Jones says:
I do beg to differ there, Myles: As an Akron-based acquaintance of mine (no, not that one; a friend of his) said to me last summer during a discussion on basketball ability, “Ryan, you’re white. Your opinion doesn’t count.” Where was Al Sharpton then???
Nov.15 at 3:57 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
*insert David Lee joke here*
Nov.15 at 3:59 pm
Hisham says:
As yan said, good edutainment. I heard american colleges/universities are real expensive. Do HBCU’s charge less tuition, making it easier from black kids with a poor background to succeed academically?
Nov.15 at 4:01 pm
Myles Brown says:
Probably at Quizno’s. But see? White people get all the harmless stereotypes. You can’t jump. Or dance. And you all love khakis. And Flock of Seagulls. Lame, but it’s better than being continually dismissed as a dyslexic degenerate.
Nov.15 at 4:04 pm
Ryan Jones says:
You only say that because no one has ever accused you of wearing khakis. That sh*t hurts, man.
Nov.15 at 4:05 pm
Myles Brown says:
I cringe every time I see a pair. Stay strong man.
Nov.15 at 4:06 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Uh, it wasn’t a five year time period. Besides when nas was suppossedly “done” do you recall what everybnody was listening to at the time? No limit, dmx, ja, nelly, etc. and even at his worst nas is 5o times better tha anyone else. dude’s been out since the early 90’s and has contributed to the culture countless classic songs. and what really seperates nas is that he has songs about life as oppossed to about how great he is.
Nov.15 at 4:07 pm
Ryan Jones says:
I’m… wearing khakis right now.
*breaks into uncontrollable sobs at desk; desparate for solace, types “seagulls” into iTunes search; whimpers, drools; does not attempt to dance*
Nov.15 at 4:07 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
I actually like khakis. Not sure what that means….no my tuition was high because clark is a private college. i would have saved 20 grand if i would have went to a public uni
Nov.15 at 4:10 pm
Myles Brown says:
Yeah, I figured I was stretching that drought a bit, but I couldn’t recall how long it actually was. Regardless, you’re right about the diverstiy of his catalogue, but there are certainly times when it has been contradictory at the least. Like someone else said “Is it oochie wally wally, or is it one mic? Is it black girl lost or shorty owe you for ice?” Nas is certainly an all time great, I just wouldnt cement the kid in top 2 status so easily.
Nov.15 at 4:13 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Nas is the Kobe of hip-hop. There. I said it.
Nov.15 at 4:15 pm
Myles Brown says:
Nas wants to be traded to Bad Boy? And there are just so many other options as far as trousers go, for me to succumb to the bland mediocrity of the khaki.
Nov.15 at 4:20 pm
Co Co says:
Khalid it isn’t hard to be 50 times better than most of those rappers you named.
Nov.15 at 4:38 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Sam is 50 times better than Ja Rule.
Nov.15 at 4:59 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Here you go, my friends (and it gets better) Rappers I monkey flip em with the funky rhythm I be kickin
Musician, inflictin composition
of pain I’m like Scarface sniffin cocaine
Holdin a M-16, see with the pen I’m extreme, now
Bulletholes left in my peepholes
I’m suited up in street clothes
Hand me a nine and I’ll defeat foes
Y’all know my steelo with or without the airplay
I keep some E&J, sittin bent up in the stairway
Or either on the corner bettin Grants with the celo champs
Laughin at baseheads, tryin to sell some broken amps
G-Packs get off quick, forever n—z talk shit
Remeniscing about the last time the Task Force flipped
N—z be runnin through the block shootin
Time to start the revolution, catch a body head for Houston
Once they caught us off guard, the Mac-10 was in the grass and
I ran like a cheetah with thoughts of an assassin
Pick the Mac up, told brothers, “Back up,” the Mac spit
Lead was hittin n—z one ran, I made him backflip
Heard a few chicks scream my arm shook, couldn’t look
Gave another squeeze heard it click yo, my shit is stuck
Try to cock it, it wouldn’t shoot now I’m in danger
Finally pulled it back and saw three bullets caught up in the chamber
So now I’m jetting to the building lobby
and it was filled with children probably couldn’t see as high as I be
(So whatchu sayin?) It’s like the game ain’t the same
Got younger n—z pullin the triggers bringing fame to they name
and claim some corners, crews without guns are goners
In broad daylight, stickup kids, they run up on us
Fo’-fives and gauges, Macs in fact
Same n—-z’ll catch a back to back, snatchin yo’ cracks in black
There was a snitch on the block gettin n—z knocked
So hold your stash until the coke price drop
I know this crackhead, who said she gotta smoke nice rock
And if it’s good she’ll bring ya customers in measuring pots, but yo
You gotta slide on a vacation
Inside information keeps large niggaz erasin and they wives basin
It drops deep as it does in my breath
I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death
Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined
I think of crime when I’m in a New York state of mind
Nov.15 at 5:08 pm
Co Co says:
Really Khalid?
Nov.15 at 5:09 pm
Hoop Dreamz says:
NAS AND PAC BABY! Khalid’s my man! And about what Hisham asked about HBCU’s, growing up in Toronto, my classes were diverse like crazy, but the teachers and principals etc were all white. My dad even had me switch schools because he felt I was treated unfairly… IN JR. KINDERGARTEN! Going to HBCU was HEAVEN for me, but Hisham’s concern is a valid one. I might’ve been better equipped to handle diversity only because I grew up in probably the most diverse city in the world, but I shudder to think how some of my American HBCU classmates walking into an mostly-white work environment. Even diverse cities in the U.S. (NY, LA, Chi, MIA, etc) are divided into black, white, hispanic and asian neighbourhoods, which for some reason never happened here in TO… another reason why this is the best city on earth.
Nov.15 at 5:13 pm
white hot eboy says:
Hoop, shut the fu*k up with your TO love. Canadian crime levels are miniscule and the feeling of love runs deep through your whole country due to the protection of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I’m not trying to hear you right now, love man. You’re just bragging.
Nov.15 at 5:17 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Tupac at his best. your welcome. Somebody wake me I’m dreamin, I started as a seed the semen
Swimmin upstream, planted in the womb while screamin
on the top, was my pops, my momma screamin stop
From a single drop, this is what they got
Not to disrespect my peoples but my poppa was a loser
Only plan he had for momma was to f**k her and abuse her
Even as a little seed, I could see his plan for me
Stranded on welfare, another broken family
Now what was I to be, a product of this heated pa*sion
Momma got pregnant, and poppa got a piece of a*s
Look how it began, nobody gave a f**k about me
Pistol in my hand, this cruel world can do without me
How can I survive? Got me askin white Jesus
will a ni**a live or die, cause the Lord can’t see us
in the deep dark clouds of the projects, ain’t no sunshine
No sunny days and we only play sometimes
When everybody’s sleepin
I open my window jump to the streets and get to creepin
I can live or die, hope I get some money ‘fore I’m gone
I’m only 19, I’m tryin to hustle on my own
on the spot where everybody and they pops tryin to slang rocks
I’d rather go to college, but this is where the game stops
Don’t get it wrong cause it’s always on, from dusk to dawn
You can buy rocks glocks or a herringbone
You can ask my man Ishmael Reed, he’s a mind reader
Keep my nine heated all the time this is how we grind
Meet up at the cemetary then get smoked out, pa*s the weed ni**a
That Hennessey’ll keep me keyed ni**a
Everywhere I go ni**az holla at me, “Keep it real G”
And my reply til they kill me
Act up if you feel me, I was born not to make it but I did
The tribulations of a ghetto kid, still I rise
Nov.15 at 5:18 pm
Hoop Dreamz says:
to continue Khalid’s brilliant idea of proving how and why Nas is the man: I’ve seen some cold nights and bloody dayz
They grab me/bullets spray
They use me wrong/so I sing this song/to this day
My body is cold steel/for real
I was made to kill
That’s why they keep me concealed
Under car seats/they sneak me in clubs
Been in the hands of mad thugs
They feed me when they load me with mad slugs
17 precisely/one in my head
They call me desert Eagle
Semi-auto and lead
I’m seven inches/four pounds
Been thru so many towns
From Ohio to Little Rock to Canarsie
Living harshly
Beat-up and battered
They pulled me out/ I watched as figgas scattered
Making me kill/But what I’m feelin’ never mattered
When I’m empty I’m quiet
Findin’ myself fiending to fired
A broken safety/figgas place me on shelves
Under beds/so I beg
For my next owner to be a thoroughbred
Keepin’ me filled up wit’ hollowheads!
Nov.15 at 5:20 pm
mutoni says:
i see that someone’s been hitting up ohhla(dot)com recently…
Nov.15 at 5:22 pm
Myles Brown says:
Shooooorty!
Nov.15 at 5:23 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
I’m sayin….
Nov.15 at 5:25 pm
Co Co says:
This is getting out of hand.
Nov.15 at 5:25 pm
Hoop Dreamz says:
that hurt Myles… but I can’t defend Nas on that one. Hell, Johnnie Cochrane couldn’t, God rest his soul, that song was un-called for!
Nov.15 at 5:27 pm
Hoop Dreamz says:
Man I could trade Nas and Pac lyrics with Kha all day… I love SLAM! Do they talk about ball this much on xxlmag.com? (XXL is my dudes, i’m not tryin’ to dis)
Nov.15 at 5:27 pm
Hoop Dreamz says:
Man I could trade Nas and Pac lyrics with Kha all day… I love SLAM! Do they talk about ball this much on xxlmag.com? (XXL is my dudes, i’m not tryin’ to dis)
Nov.15 at 5:29 pm
Co Co says:
Talib Kweli> Nas Should I go find a song to post on here?
Nov.15 at 5:30 pm
Myles Brown says:
I love Kweli. No Dipset.
Nov.15 at 5:30 pm
Myles Brown says:
But Mos is better.
Nov.15 at 5:31 pm
white hot eboy says:
Hoop, “XXL is my dudes” Keep it up, Ghettorific.
Nov.15 at 5:31 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
This goes out for those that choose to use
disrespectful views on the King of NY
F*ck that, why try, throw bleach in your eye
Now ya braillin’ it, stash that light sh*t, or scalin it
Conscience of ya nonsense in eighty-eight
Sold more powder than Johnson and Johnson
Tote steel like Bronson, “Vigilante”
You wanna get on son, you need to ask me
Ain’t no other king in this rap thing
They siblings, nothing but my chil’ren
One shot, they disappearin
It’s ill when, MC’s used to be on cruddy sh*t
Took home, “Ready to Die,” listened, studied sh*t
Now they on some money sh*t, successful out the blue
They light weight, fragilly, my nine milly
make the white shake, thats why my money never funny
And you still recoupin, stupid
Nov.15 at 5:33 pm
Co Co says:
I’ll take Kweli over Mos and all damn day over Nas! I love you though Khalid.
Nov.15 at 5:36 pm
white hot eboy says:
Damn, and I thought the Heroes discussions took on a life of their own.
Nov.15 at 6:14 pm
Ryan Jones says:
I was gonna put some Aesop Rock lyrics up here, just to keep it cracker fabulous, but I’m pretty sure the filter would be too confused to let it through.
Also, Khalid, Henry Louis Gates is speaking at Penn State next week. I’m gonna go and tell him you said he’s a sell-out for speaking at Harvard.
Nov.15 at 6:16 pm
Myles Brown says:
I was hoping you’d just say ‘rappity rap’ again.
Nov.15 at 6:23 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
thank jones
Nov.15 at 6:36 pm
Cheryl says:
Hey, sorry I missed all this, again had to be in the field. But, if I can, I’d like to address Ryan and Miles: Would that question have the same “capital” if it was addressed to a white person, totally encased in his/her white world and when, as an adult, encountering the “real” world? The point I’m trying to make (and I recognize the generational gaps here–I grew up in the 60s and 70s) at an HBCU, I had the ability to be nurtured in an environment that was designed to ensure that I had the tools and esteem necessary to encounter racism and attempts at the marginalization of my being by the “real” world. I learned the history of my “folks” as central to my education–and that’s extremely important for said esteem–not marginal to it or as a one-month so-called celebration. White kids growing up in white environments get the same thing, right? And in their informative years, learn the preciousness of their “being-hood”. I don’t want to write an essay here, but do/please remember that these HBCUs are often located in the South and college students do venture out (to shop, party, etc.) so isolation is really not accurate here. I’m done unless there’s more questions…
Nov.15 at 6:45 pm
Myles Brown says:
Cheryl, I guess that’s the point I was trying to make in my question. As we all know, white people can afford to-and many actually are-encased in their own little worlds and even when they do find themselves amongst other cultures/races, they are still the majority. So that’s why I don’t think it’s the same situation. One side is making a lot more adjustments than the other, no? Don’t get me wrong, I understand the significance and nourishment that HBCU’s can provide, but sometimes I do wonder what the pitfalls are.
Nov.15 at 7:10 pm
H to the izzo says:
I missed this but I would like to say Soulja Boy is the greatest rapper to ever live,because my 13 cousin told me so.
Nas
Talib
Ghostface
Biggie
Mos
And Jay too I guess.Not that anyone asked.
No Dipset
Nov.15 at 7:28 pm
Cheryl says:
Well, there are some HUGE issues that I brushed over in an earlier post, but the replication of classism and colorism were issues at my campus. School Daze was failrly decent depiction of that.
Nov.15 at 7:28 pm
Hoop Dreamz says:
#1 pitfall of HBCU’s: the ridiculously long line for Financial Aid, which I recently learned doesn’t exist at mainstream colleges. Also, HBCU’s are rarely rolling in cash, especially small, private ones like my alma-mater. That makes for a lot of post-game Taco Bell and 4-12 hour bus rides home, barely in time for Mass Communications Law class… good times. Hard times, but good times… [sigh]
Nov.15 at 7:36 pm
Myles Brown says:
Classism is almost as big of a problem as racism.
Nov.15 at 7:41 pm
Hoop Dreamz says:
In terms of ball, basketball games are CRAZY on HBCU campuses… most of the black schools we played–Stillman, Fisk, Rust, Concordia– had only around 1,000 students, but the games were PACKED with sexy girls, rawkus Frat boys and winning on the road was damn-near impossible. When we played bigger white schools with real coaches and lots of scholarship players, their gyms would be deader than ‘Pac, Big, Eazy, Pun and Big L combined.
Nov.15 at 7:44 pm
Cheryl says:
Agreed, Max.
Nov.15 at 10:28 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Myles i’ll say this, the potential pitfalls are worth the risk in exchange for the high probability that your educational experience will be more fulfilling.
Nov.16 at 12:03 am
Ben Osborne says:
Quite a day for me to miss work. Great discussion-starter as always, Khalid.
Nov.16 at 3:58 am
Tariq says:
1- I agree with what Khalid said about 80s singers with ambiguous sexuality, but damn, why did you have to dump on El DeBarge specifically? “Who’s Johnny” was one of tmy favorites when I was like, 4. Boo. Khalid
2- 2Pac is one of my favorites. He has many strong qualities (possibly the most passionate MC ever). However, I think he’s a step behind the other greats in terms of lyricism. I hate to say it, but it’s true.
3- Why hasn’t anyone mentioned Wu-Tang Clan?
Nov.16 at 9:23 am
Ryan Jones says:
Cheryl, we pale faces are still the overwhelming majority in this country — not as much by number anymore, but still as far as power and opportunity. (I don’t personally know any senators or CEOs, but you see my point). So, no, I don’t think it’s a valid comparison, and I still think my initial question to Khalid was a valid one. But essentially I think you and I still agree.
Myles, by classism, do you mean the study of books written by really old Greek guys? I really didn’t think that was a problem for people.
Nov.16 at 10:05 am
white hot eboy says:
Pale face.
Nov.16 at 10:22 am
Cheryl says:
Ryan, I think we do agree, and I think you may have missed the point of my comparison. What I was trying to get at is the fact that HBCUs offer young people the ability to be in an evironment that nurtures their psyche, during their infomative years–from adolescence to adulthood. It’s a given that white kids find themselves in environments that nurture their psyche, by default. Their history is central to their education, they are taught that their being is the “normative”. They walk away from that experience with their ontology intact. We don’t question that. That’s the reason I asked why we should be questioning if the so-called isolation black students are in at HBCUs–environments that we (on this board) have agreed tend to be more positive to self-esteem–when we don’t question that with white kids being educated in “isolation”. We all know that there will be issues once faced with the reality of living in a world where “pale faces” hold the power, but one is far better equipped when their ontology is intact.
Nov.16 at 11:46 am
Cheryl says:
And Ryan, your next comment about the “Greek Classics”? That’s my point exactly. Those books are called “Classics” as if they were the only books written to extol the virtues of humanity. ‘Nuff said…
Nov.16 at 1:19 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Cheryl is awesome