Connect with us

Activism

COMMENTARY: Do Rappers Know What Is Best For Us?

Kanye West is trying to do what a gang of white supremacists and anti-critical race theorists have wanted to do for years: cancel Black History Month. West’s mother was part of Jesse Jackson’s Operation P.U.S.H. and his father was a member of the Black Panther Party. West says his daughter would not have known that she is Black had it not been for a class that taught her about Martin Luther King Jr.

Published

on

From left: J. Alfred Smith Sr., Kanye West, T-Pain and Dr. Cornell West Ph.D
From left: J. Alfred Smith Sr., Kanye West, T-Pain and Dr. Cornell West Ph.D

By J. Alfred Smith, Sr.

Many more young people listen to rappers than preachers!

Rapper T-Pain says white people should stop celebrating Black History Month.

“You are separating us again,” he says or words to that effect. “We want to be part of history, not just one month.”

Kanye West is trying to do what a gang of white supremacists and anti-critical race theorists have wanted to do for years: cancel Black History Month. West’s mother was part of Jesse Jackson’s Operation P.U.S.H. and his father was a member of the Black Panther Party. West says his daughter would not have known that she is Black had it not been for a class that taught her about Martin Luther King Jr.

West has a rap lyric called “I Am Not Black, I’m Kanye.”

Dr. Cornell West, Ph.D, a Union Theological Seminary professor with strong ties to the Shiloh Baptist Church in Sacramento and who has a large inter-generational, multiracial and multicultural following, gave a truthful and loving response to Kanye.

Approaching Rapper Kanye West on what they shared in common, Brother Cornel gave him highest praise for the powerful lyrics on Jesus Walks:

“Order, huh.
Yo, we at war.
We at war with terrorism, racism.
But most of all, we at war with ourselves.
God show me the way because the devil tryna break me down.
Jesus walks with me, with me, with me”

Brother Cornel then defined the three-dimensional nature of history as past, present and future and suggested that instead of eliminating Black History Month we should rename February as Black Future Month.

Cornel West is challenging us to take the rich legacy bequeathed to us by our predecessors into the right now with a vision for a future for generations following!

Let us listen to each other and ask each other what needs to be done now to have an abundant future for today’s children, their children and grandchildren.

Could we minimize our differences and build operational unity with our diversity starting now?

Can rappers, preachers, parents, and politicians and each reader and all others who differ agree that yesterday is a cancelled check? Tomorrow is a promissory note?

That today is all the cash we have?

Brother Cornel West had built a relationship with Brother Kanye West before advising him to get rid of his ‘symbolic’crack pipe.

When we build relationships with people, we can speak the naked truth to each other in love which is better than backbiting and criticizing others behind their backs.

Maulana Karenga, chair of Africana Studies at California State University at Long Beach, says Malcolm X understood history as a necessary corrective for the diminished and distorted concept of our identity cultivated by the oppressor through the creation of an artificial entity called “Negro, a non-historical being who has no history and having no history has no culture” and thus separated from their roots understand themselves as a derivative and dependent part of their oppressor.

I ask the reader to ponder each perspective of Maulana Karenga as was given to the ethical and moral reflections of Cornel West.

This will require rereading and meditation in your quest for corrective action of personal character and collective social justice action to free the masses from oppression so they may live lives of dignity and decency in the eyes of God.

Last, but by no means least, we must challenge people to honor mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters, little girls and women in general by addressing derogatory word use and general disrespect of women.

Violent and misogynist lyrics are unacceptable.

J. Alfred Smith, Sr. is pastor emeritus of Oakland’s Allen Temple Baptist Church.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activism

Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee Reflects on Her Career as She Bids Farewell to Congress

“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.

Published

on

Rep. Barbara Lee. File photo.
Rep. Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Outgoing Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) expressed deep gratitude to her constituents and marked the end of her 26-year career in public service.

Lee, who is succeeded by Lateefah Simon, a civil rights and racial justice activist, praised people in her community for their support. She also highlighted her dedication to promoting peace, justice, and equity.

“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.

Throughout her tenure, Lee earned a reputation as a principled lawmaker known for taking bold and sometimes unpopular stances. One of her defining moments came in 2001 when she was the sole member of Congress to vote against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in response to the September 11 attacks. This decision led to death threats but ultimately cemented her legacy of courage.

Lee’s leadership extended beyond her district, where she fought for social justice, the rights of low-income communities, and global health initiatives. She was a key figure in pushing for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She was a vocal critic of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion services.

The Congresswoman also faced significant challenges in her career, including a failed Senate bid in 2024. Yet, Lee’s efforts have paved the way for more excellent representation, with more Black women now elected to Congress. She worked closely with organizations like Representation Matters to encourage more women of color to run for office.

Lee says she looks to the future, confident that the next generation of leaders will continue her unfinished work, particularly on issues like military force and reproductive rights.

Continue Reading

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Activism

OP-ED: Like Physicians, U.S. Health Institutions Must ‘First, Do No Harm’

Coupled with their lack of government and healthcare-related experience, we are concerned these nominees will significantly undermine public health, increase the number of uninsured people, worsen health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities. Physicians observe Hippocrates’ maxim to “First Do No Harm,”, and we urge Trump administration officials to do the same. It is critical that the leadership of HHS and its agencies make decisions based on facts, evidence, and science. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. Spreading these falsehoods also erodes trust in our public institutions.

Published

on

Albert L. Brooks MD. Courtesy photo.
Albert L. Brooks MD. Courtesy photo.

By Albert L. Brooks MD
Special to The Post

Presidential administrations significantly impact the health and wellbeing of our patients and communities.

Through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the agencies within it, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Institutes of Health, this new administration will decide how financial resources are allocated, dictate the focus of federal research, and determine how our public health care insurance systems are managed, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Vaccines for Children program, Medicare, and Medicaid.

The decisions made over the next four years will impact all Americans but will be felt more acutely by those most underserved and vulnerable.

As physicians, we are greatly concerned by the nominations announced by President Trump to critical healthcare related positions. Many of their previous statements and positions are rooted in misinformation.

Coupled with their lack of government and healthcare-related experience, we are concerned these nominees will significantly undermine public health, increase the number of uninsured people, worsen health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities. Physicians observe Hippocrates’ maxim to “First Do No Harm,”, and we urge Trump administration officials to do the same.

It is critical that the leadership of HHS and its agencies make decisions based on facts, evidence, and science. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. Spreading these falsehoods also erodes trust in our public institutions.

Vaccines, in particular, have been a target of disinformation by some HHS nominees. In fact, research continues to confirm that vaccines are safe and effective. Vaccines go through multiple rounds of clinical trials prior to being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for administration to the public.

Vaccines protect against life-threateningdiseasessuch as measles, polio, tetanus, and meningococcal disease and, when used effectively, have beenshowntoeliminateorsubstantiallyreducediseaseprevalenceand/orseverity.

Because of vaccine mis- and disinformation, there has been a resurgence in vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough, endangering those who are too young or unable to be vaccinated.

Several nominees have spread disinformation alleging that fluoride in public drinking water is harmful. In fact, fluoride in drinking water at the recommended level of 0.7 parts per million, like we have in our EBMUD water, is safe and keeps teeth strong. Because of public health interventions dating back to the 1960s that have resulted in 72.3% of the U.S. population now having access to fluoridated water, there has been a reduction in cavities by about 25% in both children and adults.

We also encourage the next administration to invest in our public health infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of public health agencies in preventing and responding to health crises in our communities.

Health departments at the state and local levels rely on federal funding support and technical assistance to develop public health response plans, implement public health strategies, and work with on the ground organizations to serve hard to reach communities. Public health agencies are critical for protecting everyone in our communities, regardless of income-level, insurance status, or housing status.

Health officials should also work to protect the significant improvements in insurance coverage that have occurred since the passage of theACAin 2010.According to HHS, the numberofuninsuredAmericansfellfrom48millionin2010to25.6millionin2023.

California has led the way by investing in Medi-Cal and expanding eligibility for enrollment. In fact, it reached its lowest uninsured rate ever in 2022 at 6.2%. Voters affirmed this commitment to expanding and protecting access to care in November by passing Proposition 35, which significantly expanded funding for California’s Medi-Cal program. The administration should advance policies that strengthen the ACA, Medicaid, and Medicare and improve access to affordable health care.

Regardless of the president in power, physicians will always put the best interests of our patients and communities at the forefront. We will continue to be a resource to our patients, providing evidence-based and scientifically proven information and striving to better their lives and our community’s health. We urge the new Trump administration to do the same.

Albert L. Brooks MD is the immediate past president of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, which represents 6,000 East Bay physicians.

Continue Reading

Subscribe to receive news and updates from the Oakland Post

* indicates required

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE OAKLAND POST

ADVERTISEMENT

WORK FROM HOME

Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540

Facebook

Trending

Copyright ©2021 Post News Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.