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OPINION: When Trash Becomes Trash: Denunciation of rap, Part 2

By Charles Blackwell Special to The Post Last week, The Post published Part 1 of a commentary on the effects of rap/hip-hop music on youth. Part 2 is below. As one African American writer on C-Span said recently, “We no longer have music.” We agree with that assessment. An agenda of cultural destruction, comprising illegal […]
The post OPINION: When Trash Becomes Trash: Denunciation of rap, Part 2 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

August 31, 2023

OAKLAND POST

By Charles Blackwell
Special to The Post

Last week, The Post published Part 1 of a commentary on the effects of rap/hip-hop music on youth. Part 2 is below.

As one African American writer on C-Span said recently, “We no longer have music.”

We agree with that assessment. An agenda of cultural destruction, comprising illegal narcotics, gang violence, and the broadcast of rap (which in effect is violence) has been activated.

It has reached a point in our society where we can no longer separate one from the other.

A few years ago, Dr. Jeffries spoke at a conference on rap and hip-hop at Purdue University. He noted, “When rap and hip-hop came on the scene, the homicide rate skyrocketed. The language of rap suggests violence, the degrading of the self, and an absence of love. We need to elevate the aesthetics of hip-hop like it once was, to uplift the youth of the Black community.

The overuse of the N-word is dehumanizing, making it easier in one’s mind to kill one’s neighbor. One rap group’s message implies that cash rules everything around me except me! There is big cash for Black artists that want to call themselves “n—a” and call other Black people “n—a.”

Many white folks love that mess, and they pay big money to keep it going. This is self-destructive for Black people.

The use of the word “b—h” falls into the same category — to degrade a woman and create a person of worthlessness. It also creates hateful relationships between men and women. These antagonizing words continue to build poor self-esteem, self-hatred, and relationships based on sex without love.

Many of us are aware of producers, agents, and recording companies meeting behind closed doors designing destructive rap with the potential to destroy Black communities that parallel actions by city officials, real estate companies and politicians when they drew up plans to implement policies of restricted covenants which was actually, segregated housing.

Power brokers have collected artists, influencing them to sign their souls away and produce obscene, destructive material. Cha-ching! All of this falls in line with the government’s drug plan in Black communities which journalist Gary Webb presented during the 1990s. It was clearly an act of genocide, and so is this new rap.

The “blanger” or Black anger in rap continues to proliferate in the minds and emotions of our youth. It is, plain and simple, the glorification of our own self destruction. We are being crushed by white racism on the one hand and Black self-hate on the other.

We have so many issues facing us as a community that we really need all hands on deck. We need hip-hop to step up and help us address these issues and thus attempt to eradicate what we can.

We can party and still help our children improve their reading scores, right?

According to the National Assessment of Education Progress, 56% of Black 4th graders did not meet their reading benchmarks and 48% of our Black 8th graders did not meet their reading benchmarks.

Hip-hop needs to move from boys to men because we need that maturity, we need that accountability, we need leadership and inspiration from the young to improve as a community.

Rapping about killing other Black men, chopping them up and stuffing them in the trunk of your car is an extreme form of self-hatred.

America will consume your internalized racism ‘til the fat lady sings, “until the trees and seas just up and fly away, until the day that eight times eight times eight is four” (Stevie Wonder). Why help them in our own destruction?

It is time for us, if we intend to exist as a people, to take a stand against this destructive disease. We must stop our children from being a part of it, get churches to speak out against it, and not allow it to be presented at community events.

At this point in time, we who stand on the shoulders of our ancestors are not here to debate the right to free speech.

Rather, we are here to push for the continued existence of Black people instead of our calculated annihilation. We must be that man in the mirror and take a pause for the cause and check ourselves before we continue and continue and continue wrecking ourselves.

Make it make sense.

Besides myself, this concerned community includes: Warren Goodson, Artist North Carolina; Vincent Kobelt, poet writer, Sacramento; Safell Gardner, sculptor, Detroit; Stephen Monroe, poet/journalist, Washington D.C.; Arlene Goodson, poet, New York City; Alan Laird, artist/writer, Florida; Sylvester Guard, artist-poet, San Francisco; Bisola Marignay, poet writer, Oakland; Napoleon Henderson, artist with Afrocobra, Boston.

The post OPINION: When Trash Becomes Trash: Denunciation of rap, Part 2 first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

The post OPINION: When Trash Becomes Trash: Denunciation of rap, Part 2 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.