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In 2008, first-time voters shocked the nation as they waited patiently in line, literally for hours upon hours, to cast their vote in a Presidential election that would go down in the history books. It was young people — and people of color especially — who propelled Barack Obama into office by their sheer numbers. SEE ALSO: Black Women Did What? 10 History Facts About Our Beloved Sistas Why The GOP Won’t Win The Senate It was great moment. We all celebrated and rejoiced, but then did nothing. We took it easy during the 2010 midterms and watched Tea Party extremists take over Congress, and in the time since, sadly, most of us have just been sitting back not doing much. Meanwhile, conservatives and all those counting on you to stay at home have been passing voter ID laws, immigration bills and other things to help guarantee that your voice will be silenced. Because my generation and those even younger have such small attention spans, and have stopped focusing on what is really happening out here, let me remind you: Your fundamental rights are in jeopardy at this very moment. So instead of just going for self, minding your business, or just not caring, it’s time to wake up, get up off your behind and do something. There’s no time to waste. This Sunday, on March 4th, National Action Network, led by Rev. Al Sharpton, will head down South to where it all began to Selma, Alabama. From the 4th through the 9th, we will march, camp and rally en route from Selma to Montgomery where we will culminate the week’s activities in front of the Alabama State Capitol. We’ll march at least 10 miles a day, everyday in unison with community leaders, activists, civil rights advocates and anyone who understands the emergency of the moment. The historic Selma to Montgomery March of 1965 consisted of three separate marches that brought such attention to inequality in the U.S. that it soon led to passage of the Voting Rights Act, and marked the emotional and political peak of the Civil Rights Movement. Today, when we find those very liberties under attack across the country, we will once again walk, campaign, congregate and rally from Selma to Montgomery to remind us all just what’s at stake. And we’re honored to be joined by Congressman John Lewis who helped lead the march of ’65. Virginia recently became the 31st state to have voter ID laws on the books. For decades, Americans have been voting and proving their identity with utility bills or other acceptable forms of ID. Now suddenly, individual states want to enact these ID requirements that clearly target the poor, minorities and, yes, young people. While you’re busy trying to get that corner office, or becoming CEO of a corporation, there are forces at work trying to deny you the very basic right of voting in your own country. And at the same time, in Alabama, legislatures passed the most reprehensible, down-right racist anti-immigration bill yet. Trying to intimidate Latinos, immigrants and others, lawmakers in Alabama simply can’t accept the fact that their demographics are changing — much like the rest of the nation. Many people say the Civil Rights Movement found its voice in Alabama. Well we’re heading back there to let everyone hear loud and clear: we will not let you steal our votes, we will not let you steal the election and we will not let you steal the rights we fought so hard to obtain. And to all the young folks out here, nobody’s telling you to stop striving for your goals – that would be foolish and unproductive. Just remember that you should put as much effort into being connected to the movement. After all, your own future hangs in the balance. Join us in Selma or en route to Montgomery, and if you can’t, see what other ways you can help out: nationalactionnetwork.net SEE ALSO: Farrakhan’s Annual Speech Labeled “Anti-Semitic†By Civil Rights Group The GOP Still Looks For A Savior
March 2, 2012Read More

Tonight at West Virginia University, Joan Morgan and I are discussing the last decade of gender / politics and hip-hop thru the lens of her book, “When Chickenheads Come Home to Roostâ€; and my own 2002 book, “The Hip-Hop Generation.†Check the live stream below at 7 pm ET!
February 29, 2012Read More

While folks like Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad, Maya Angelou, Voncile Mallory (my mother) and others are gracefully aging, we younger folks aren’t doing as well. Following the untimely passing of legendary singer and actress Whitney Houston, many seem fixated on her cause of death, alleged troubles and pretty much anything negative they can latch on to. RELATED: When Beloved Icons Become Black History SEE OUR FULL WHITNEY HOUSTON COVERAGE HERE CHECK OUT OUR BLACK HISTORY MONTH GAME CHANGER: Merck CEO Breaks Ground In Business World But instead of focusing on how she died, we need to pay attention to how we live. When did you last jot down a list of your own demons? What does it mean to be a real, genuine friend to someone? Though we don’t know definitively what cut this multitalented woman’s life so short, we do know that life brings trials and tribulations for all of us and it’s time for a serious global intervention. When was the last time you saw a friend doing something crazy and didn’t say a word? Why is it that we are taught to “mind our own business†and keep quiet even though we know somebody is engaged in destructive behavior? Not paying child support, cheating on a spouse, not taking care of kids, always borrowing money, constantly looking for the next hustle instead of getting a job… these are some of the things that if they don’t kill you, they’ll kill those around you. Let’s not pretend that they don’t exist. Instead of just explaining away our issues, why not tackle them head on by first and foremost admitting that they occur. We simply cannot go around turning our backs to things like substance abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, gambling or any other form of troubling behavior. If you know someone suffering from depression, step in. If you think a friend is drinking too much or taking drugs, you have got to speak up. If a young person is talking about guns and violence, please, please, please do something. Society often teaches us to be selfish, to go for our own. And though there’s nothing wrong with setting the bar high and achieving your goals, we cannot leave each other behind in the process. You’d be surprised how many of our co-workers, neighbors, friends or loved ones are suffering through a major battle, and they’re just one intervention away from a breakthrough. What are we doing to prevent him/her from heading down the wrong path? Instead of expressing regret after someone is gone, let’s take a hard look at how we’re living and how we’re treating the people in our lives. We may never know the extent of Whitney’s battles. But we know she’s gone at 48 and that ain’t right. The lesson is that we must deal with our own lives and figure out what it means to be an honest friend to someone else. It doesn’t mean being there when things are great, or hanging out when it’s time to have fun. A true friend says something and takes action when they see things are wrong. A true friend is there when times are tough. A true friend intervenes before it’s too late. A true friend cares less about the friendship and more about the friend. SEE OUR FULL WHITNEY HOUSTON COVERAGE HERE CHECK OUT MORE BLACK HISTORY MONTH GAME CHANGERS: Olympic Medalist Tries To Prevent Black Kids From Drowning Former NFL Player Fights Lung Cancer To Honor Late Wife
February 17, 2012Read More

This week I had a rare moment of downtime. While flipping through TV channels I caught a preview of a show that will air this weekend: Oprah Winfrey interviewing Sean Penn in Haiti for “Oprah’s Next Chapter†on OWN. I couldn’t help but wonder what their interview will depict, and whether it will show what I saw earlier this month in Haiti as part of a delegation organized by Dr. Ron Daniels of the Institute of the Black World and the Haiti Support Group. I am still deconstructing all of the emotions I have from the sojourn we took, and already planning a trip with Young Black activists and professionals. READ ALL OF TAMIKA MALLORY’S BLOGS HERE When most people think about Haiti, the first thing that comes to mind is the devastating earthquake that ravaged the country. That’s exactly what I used to do — that is, until I had the remarkable opportunity to visit the first free Black nation in the Western hemisphere. I joined about 30 others as we spent five days absorbing the rich history, culture and determination that defines Haiti. Yes, there is still great suffering from the horrific quake of 2010, but if there’s anything I learned on this eye-opening trip, it’s that resilience and a passion for life still dominate the people. As an American who sometimes takes for granted the amenities we have available, my first reaction when we landed in Port-au-Prince was that of shock. The devastation from an earthquake that killed at least 300,000 and injured countless others was still prevalent especially in this city that was the epicenter of the disaster. Parents lost children, children lost parents, families were torn apart and some just disappeared in an instant. Even two years later, the effects of this dreadful quake are visible everywhere, and the sheer scope of the damage was a big hit to my chest. Going past tent cities where people are still living without proper homes or clean running water, and watching young children with missing limbs go to school touched all of us in a way that words cannot even describe. But just like the structures that re-emerged from the rubble, the spirit of the people uplifted all of us. Cooking meals on the street, mothers made sure their daughters still had barrettes in their hair as they ran off to play and clean uniforms as they went off to school. It was those little things – the signs of hope – that reinvigorated our own passion to continue helping the people of Haiti. Visiting the Oasis Institute, an orphanage and learning center for young girls, we were honored to watch these kids as they smiled and sang their hearts out for us despite their own circumstances. We were all humbled. As part of our trip, we also spent some time in the city of Milot taking in the unique background of a country where slaves were freed even before abolition occurred in the United States. In that realm, we were escorted up the large mountainside of the infamous Citadelle Laferriere, constructed as a one-of-a-kind symbol of liberty for a one-of-a-kind revolution. Today, it still serves an icon for the bravery and courage of Haitians in their quest for justice. But unfortunately, the end of slavery didn’t deliver a guarantee of prosperity. Following French colonial rule, international boycotts of freed Haiti, coupled with U.S. occupation of the nation in later years and a tremendously high volume of resources exported, Haiti continued suffering for years. The 2010 quake only exacerbated the challenges. And though there has been extensive progress since the disaster first struck, much work remains. National Action Network and I will maintain close contact on the ground and continue to assist the resolute people of this Caribbean nation. I encourage everyone to support organizations that they trust and donate their time or money to keep hope alive for those that have been doing so even with all of the odds stacked against them. It is not enough to say you don’t know who to trust…find someone! Whether it’s Dr. Daniels’ Institute of the Black World, Wyclef’s Yele Haiti Foundation or any other charitable group, be sure to get involved, learn the exceptional connection and debt we as Black people have to Haiti and remember to assist anywhere disaster or injustice strikes. We do live in a place called the world; let’s start embracing it.
January 27, 2012Read More

We often hear facts about unemployment percentages, quantity of jobs added and the overall state of the economy. But how many times have you simply wondered what all of this really means? Who is actually impacted by “jobs created� How do people find this employment? How many people of color are hired? And perhaps our greatest challenge as yet, how many of our youth are getting this work? The December jobs report indicated that employment rose by over 200,000, while the unemployment rate itself fell to 8.5%. While this is great news, let’s not forget the unfortunate reality that many of these jobs may not have reached our young people. As the mother of a teenage Black boy, I am increasingly concerned about his future, my own future and the fate of the next generation. The month of July is typically the summertime peak for youth employment when kids are out of school and making some extra cash. And that is precisely why 2011’s July youth employment numbers were all the more troubling and frightening. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 48.8% — less than half — of all young folks aged 16 to 24 had a job. This was the lowest July rate on record for the series which began in 1948. For the first time in decades, American children faced diminished opportunities and a more unpredictable future than their parents. There was a time when a college education paved the way for increased prospects and guaranteed work. That unfortunately is far from reality now as even college grads find it impossible to obtain jobs while their mountains of debt continue to accrue. It is a grim reality that almost no one seems to be addressing. It’s partly why we saw the Occupy Wall St. protests emerge, and why more and more young people continue to join movements like ours – they know we’re at a pivotal moment. Recently, in National Action Network’s Atlanta chapter, we held a youth mobilization panel that focused in part on creating opportunities for young people. We hold similar events around the country and work with young community leaders like 14-year-old Mary Pat Hector to address the concerns of young people and create solutions for combating this great problem. While NAN conducts national events like our rally for Jobs & Justice, each and every one of us can do something in the neighborhoods we live in. If you’re an adult with a little bit of spare time, talk to some of the young folks near you, help them to see that their future isn’t all doomed. Young people, if there’s absolutely no work available near you, try creating unique entrepreneurial ways of making money that utilize your skills like selling paintings, singing at a neighborhood venue, creating a new video game, etc. And even though you may not want to, volunteering somewhere like a hospital or community group may actually lead to paid work soon. In this still tough economy, it’s important to remember to think out of the box and not lose hope. Yes, there may be seemingly endless obstacles before you – even more so than my generation faced – but there are also more things at your disposal. Don’t forget about social media and technology; things we didn’t have as readily available when I was a teenager. No one is saying that the road ahead will be easy, but we must not lose focus. While we continue the political fight to keep attention on the unemployed and the plight of the suffering (including young folks), the youth of this country must stay just as vigilant on pushing their vision forward. It’s a message I tell my own son every day: if you don’t mobilize and create a voice, no one will hear you.http://newsone.com/newsone-original/boycewatkins/why-black-people-dont-mind-spanking-their-kids/
January 13, 2012Read More

While watching the Iowa caucus this past Tuesday and all the analysis that ensued, I had a random thought: I wonder how many Black women live in that state? SEE ALSO: Did Romney Have 20 Incorrect Votes? College Kids Boo Santorum In a vastly conservative part of the country, how many Black women are Republicans and how many participated in the famed caucus? As the focus now shifts to the New Hampshire primary, I realize more and more that my thoughts aren’t random at all; they are actually very relevant. As the GOP attempt to “diversify†and branch out (so they say), whose issues are they really addressing? Do we ever hear poor people’s concerns, women’s issues or young folks’ apprehensions ever answered? The answer is a definite, “Hell, no!â€Â But, the real question is, who is to blame? Growing up as a Black woman in a multicultural city, I was exposed to differing viewpoints and ideas at an early age. What I quickly grasped as a young kid is the notion of “a closed mouth won’t get fed.â€Â If you don’t speak up, raise your concerns, let your voice be heard, nobody will pay attention and nothing will change. Silently going along with the status quo and accepting unfair practices will get you nothing but more injustice and frustration. You must make your issues a priority if you intend on seeing a different result going forward. That’s a vital lesson that I’ve carried with me throughout my work at National Action Network and in my everyday life. If you do not make others recognize and respect your grievances, things will remain the same forever.  And that’s precisely the concept we must remember when it comes to politics, the 2012 election, and our future. Over the last several months, I carefully observed the Republican debates to see what these candidates were discussing and more importantly, whom they were addressing. Never did I hear concern for the poor, or policies that would improve the lives of the impoverished. Instead, what I consistently heard was talk of more tax breaks for the wealthy and improvements for big business.  Never was there a mention of African Americans (forget about Black women specifically) and the unjust hurdles facing us. And never did I hear any concise solutions for this nation’s youth and how we could improve their possibility for a stable tomorrow. After these past few months of campaigning, the GOP has made it abundantly clear that they are not concerned with my issues, nor that of the next generation. Now as these candidates head to the next primary, we must ask ourselves, how can we make our issues a priority? How can we get them to acknowledge us and address our concerns in a respectful manner? To all the Black Republicans out there, I say raise your voice and try to shed light on some of the Black communities’ issues. That’s the only way we will truly see if all the talk of “inclusion†is a reality. Let’s hold all of the contenders accountable and let’s watch if they really have the backbone to match their rhetoric. SEE ALSO: Why GOP Candidates Keep Talking Race Black Couple Donates Priceless Art Collection
January 6, 2012Read More

It’s high time we, the majority, take our country back: When certain individuals began chanting their mantra of ‘take our country back’, the rest of us hoped that it wasn’t a subliminal message to strip away this nation’s advancements and take us back to some sort of Jim Crow era. But in such a short span of time in office, many conservative elected officials have proved that their goal is precisely to implement regressive measures that begin to chip away at the core of the fundamental constructs of the civil rights movement. The latest enactment of voter ID laws across the country are a prime example of how the right is attempting to wrong us all. See Also: Want To Read More Sharpton Pieces? Click Here See Also: Black Travel: Visit The Black Mecca Of America, Harlem For those who like to pretend that racism never existed in our past, here’s another quick reminder: years after slavery was abolished, there were systematic ways to still deny African Americans civil liberties – not the least of which was a poll tax. After the 14th Amendment guaranteed equal protection for all, a poll tax was enacted as a prerequisite to voting. Because African Americans (and poor Whites for that matter) found it difficult to come up with the money required to vote, many were covertly disenfranchised from the process. It was a new measure, but it held the same underlying notion of racism and oppression of an entire group of citizenry that slavery itself did. Today, thankfully, a poll tax does not exist, but as Republican leaders continue to champion and implement voter ID requirements, they are establishing a new form of voting prerequisites and voter suppression. When nearly 25% of African Americans lack ‘appropriate ID’ in order to vote, it’s clear who their target is. When college students are barred from voting in the state where they attend school and instead must return to their home state, it’s clear who their target is. And when the process of obtaining this ‘appropriate ID’ isn’t free by any measure, it’s distinctly clear who their target is. Imagine you’re a hard-working American who holds two or three jobs just to put food on the table, and now you’re required to take a day (or more) off in order to obtain an ID. Not only does this person accrue lost work wages, but he/she also has to factor in the cost of traveling to obtain the ID, as well as fees associated with getting copies of documents like passports or birth certificates. For the individual enduring such difficult times as so many Americans today are, is all the hassle and extra expenses going to be worth it in their eyes? Or will they simply say, I wish I could vote, but I simply can’t afford it? And let’s not forget the long enduring lines, procedures and bureaucracy that will likely arise for folks in the process of receiving ID cards. It may not be a poll tax, but these new voter ID laws are just a polished version of the same oppressive measures designed to keep people of color and the poor out of the electoral process. There are currently 13 states across the country that have adopted voter ID requirements, with more pushing for similar legislation. When so many Americans do not possess a driver’s license due to an inability to purchase a vehicle or because it’s simply not necessary in an urban environment, the amount of Americans without valid ID for the polls is staggering. Once again, African Americans, Latinos, the poor and other disenfranchised groups will clearly be impacted the most by these voting requirements. And it should come as no surprise that this sector of society votes Democratic a majority of the time. If Republican officials and those who support them are so upset by the direction of the country and so insistent on the fact that we are a center-right nation, why don’t they prove it with fair elections? By conjuring up ridiculous requirements that are obviously designed to reduce the number of voters, they only validate the fact that their Party and their vision for the future is antiquated and the majority is not on their side. Instead of playing dirty politics, perhaps they should just run an election on the facts and allow everyone to freely vote. After all, what are they so afraid of? Maybe it’s high time we, the majority, take our country back.
November 4, 2011Read More

As I stood holding family members of Zurana Horton this week, my tears turned to anger as I replayed the imagery in my mind of the mother of 12 being gunned down as she used herself as a shield from the bullets that were flying at the kids being let out of school in Brownsville, Brooklyn. RELATED: The Fight For Justice Wages On Here I was in the home of a mother who had already lost two other children to gun violence and now she had to raise grandchildren that would surely be forever scarred by the brutal gun violence that took their mother’s life. I looked around at photos of Zurana and thought about the state of emergency in the Black community and how we won’t turn each other in because it’s “working with the man,†but will instead allow our people to kill each other while our streets are the “Wild Wild West.†I lost my son’s father to gun violence 10-years-ago and I’m so tired of watching more innocent victims like him and Zurana get their lives cut short. Thankfully an arrest has been made in this case but that won’t bring Zurana’s life back. National Action Network held a press conference and the media asked the same old questions: Whether the elected officials have been accountable and what more the community can do. It makes me want to vomit when I think about how we have to beg people to care about the loss of Black life, and then we have to beg the community to take care of itself and quit the taking of lives. Why is it that we don’t know where these illegal guns are coming from? Why are we unable to get weapons off our streets? And why on earth is it so damn hard to get our politicians to do something about it? If Zurana’s tragic death occurred on the upper east side of Manhattan and not Brownsville, Brooklyn, you better believe elected officials and those in power would be singing a different tune. If young white men and women were dropping like flies from bullets in their neighborhood, I can guarantee you all of society would come to a halt until some sort of resolution could be achieved. Now, some people may say that we in the Black community need to speak up and do something to protect ourselves. But after generations of systematically being put down, the post-traumatic slavery syndrome is still affecting us whereby we as a collective think we somehow don’t deserve better. Well, I’m here to say it’s time we demand better. It is nothing short of a travesty that we continue to watch men, women and children in our community get taken out by senseless violence on a daily basis. The simple act of picking up your children from school should not cost a person his/her life. People keep people keep asking me why I continue to write about the issue of gun violence. The truth is, every single time someone dies from gun violence I feel like I’m living in the moment when I got the call that my son’s father was murdered, and they had found his body in the bushes where it had been for two weeks. I will never stop talking about the issue of gun violence and nor should we as a community until it ceases to exist. RELATED: Sharpton Joins Call To Give Up Killer Of Mother Who Saved Children
October 26, 2011Read More

As I stood holding family members of Zurana Horton this week, my tears turned to anger as I replayed the imagery in my mind of the mother of 12 being gunned down as she used herself as a shield from the bullets that were flying at the kids being let out of school in Brownsville, Brooklyn. RELATED: The Fight For Justice Wages On Here I was in the home of a mother who had already lost two other children to gun violence and now she had to raise grandchildren that would surely be forever scarred by the brutal gun violence that took their mother’s life. I looked around at photos of Zurana and thought about the state of emergency in the Black community and how we won’t turn each other in because it’s “working with the man,†but will instead allow our people to kill each other while our streets are the “Wild Wild West.†I lost my son’s father to gun violence 10-years-ago and I’m so tired of watching more innocent victims like him and Zurana get their lives cut short. Thankfully an arrest has been made in this case but that won’t bring Zurana’s life back. National Action Network held a press conference and the media asked the same old questions: Whether the elected officials have been accountable and what more the community can do. It makes me want to vomit when I think about how we have to beg people to care about the loss of Black life, and then we have to beg the community to take care of itself and quit the taking of lives. Why is it that we don’t know where these illegal guns are coming from? Why are we unable to get weapons off our streets? And why on earth is it so damn hard to get our politicians to do something about it? If Zurana’s tragic death occurred on the upper east side of Manhattan and not Brownsville, Brooklyn, you better believe elected officials and those in power would be singing a different tune. If young white men and women were dropping like flies from bullets in their neighborhood, I can guarantee you all of society would come to a halt until some sort of resolution could be achieved. Now, some people may say that we in the Black community need to speak up and do something to protect ourselves. But after generations of systematically being put down, the post-traumatic slavery syndrome is still affecting us whereby we as a collective think we somehow don’t deserve better. Well, I’m here to say it’s time we demand better. It is nothing short of a travesty that we continue to watch men, women and children in our community get taken out by senseless violence on a daily basis. The simple act of picking up your children from school should not cost a person his/her life. People keep people keep asking me why I continue to write about the issue of gun violence. The truth is, every single time someone dies from gun violence I feel like I’m living in the moment when I got the call that my son’s father was murdered, and they had found his body in the bushes where it had been for two weeks. I will never stop talking about the issue of gun violence and nor should we as a community until it ceases to exist. RELATED: Sharpton Joins Call To Give Up Killer Of Mother Who Saved Children
October 26, 2011Read More

As I stood holding family members of Zurana Horton this week, my tears turned to anger as I replayed the imagery in my mind of the mother of 12 being gunned down as she used herself as a shield from the bullets that were flying at the kids being let out of school in Brownsville, Brooklyn. RELATED: The Fight For Justice Wages On Here I was in the home of a mother who had already lost two other children to gun violence and now she had to raise grandchildren that would surely be forever scarred by the brutal gun violence that took their mother’s life. I looked around at photos of Zurana and thought about the state of emergency in the Black community and how we won’t turn each other in because it’s “working with the man,†but will instead allow our people to kill each other while our streets are the “Wild Wild West.†I lost my son’s father to gun violence 10-years-ago and I’m so tired of watching more innocent victims like him and Zurana get their lives cut short. Thankfully an arrest has been made in this case but that won’t bring Zurana’s life back. National Action Network held a press conference and the media asked the same old questions: Whether the elected officials have been accountable and what more the community can do. It makes me want to vomit when I think about how we have to beg people to care about the loss of Black life, and then we have to beg the community to take care of itself and quit the taking of lives. Why is it that we don’t know where these illegal guns are coming from? Why are we unable to get weapons off our streets? And why on earth is it so damn hard to get our politicians to do something about it? If Zurana’s tragic death occurred on the upper east side of Manhattan and not Brownsville, Brooklyn, you better believe elected officials and those in power would be singing a different tune. If young white men and women were dropping like flies from bullets in their neighborhood, I can guarantee you all of society would come to a halt until some sort of resolution could be achieved. Now, some people may say that we in the Black community need to speak up and do something to protect ourselves. But after generations of systematically being put down, the post-traumatic slavery syndrome is still affecting us whereby we as a collective think we somehow don’t deserve better. Well, I’m here to say it’s time we demand better. It is nothing short of a travesty that we continue to watch men, women and children in our community get taken out by senseless violence on a daily basis. The simple act of picking up your children from school should not cost a person his/her life. People keep people keep asking me why I continue to write about the issue of gun violence. The truth is, every single time someone dies from gun violence I feel like I’m living in the moment when I got the call that my son’s father was murdered, and they had found his body in the bushes where it had been for two weeks. I will never stop talking about the issue of gun violence and nor should we as a community until it ceases to exist. RELATED: Sharpton Joins Call To Give Up Killer Of Mother Who Saved Children
October 26, 2011Read More