Health Don’t Care

Life Support

Black Health:The Countless Epidemics that Plague the Black Community:  

The final installment of the Black Health topic focuses on the countless epidemics and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Why are Black people statistically at the bottom of so many health issues such as heart disease and prostate cancer?

2. Is our attitude towards our health generally positive or negative and why or why not?

3. What do you feel is the biggest health issue within the Black Community?

FRONT STREET

PSA to all Black folks….We are dying.  Black peoples life expectancy is nearly 3 years less than Whites.  But why is that?  Why are we more likely to get cancer or heart disease or diabetes?  I honestly do not understand some of these statistics.  When I go to the gym, I see just as many of Us there as I see of any other race.  Everyone eats the same things all in all (fast food, soda, snacks etc).  So where does the separation come in?  The honest answer may be right in front of Us and as simple as this statement…maybe We can’t do the same things as others do.  May be We have to do more to ensure We don’t become another negative health number.  May be Our lack of knowledge on health contributes to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on  x/xx/20xx.

 

Sexploitation

SexBlack Health: Sexploitation –  The Impact of Sex on the Black Community

The third installment of the Black Health topic focuses on sex and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Why do you believe Black people have the highest rates in many of the negative categories pertaining to sexual activities?

2. Do you feel that Black culture has become overly sexualized, why or why not?

3. Is sex destroying the Black Community?

FRONT STREET

Blacks have the highest rates of HIV and are among the leaders both in abortion rate and unintended pregnancies.  Black people are the highest demographic to be unfaithful. Setting aside the old saying of “There are lies, there are damn lies, and there are statistics,” these are all damning and embarrassing  numbers when it comes to the sexual behavior of Black people. Sex has grown to become one of the biggest factors of health in the Black Community in the past 30 years.  It can have an effect on everything from your education to your life expectancy.  Sex is complicated even for God, where in one way it is seen as a sin and another way as a blessing. I believe this very same conflict of sex exist in the Black Community and has placed Us in a predicament.  Is sex contributing to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and respond to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These questions and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on  x/xx/20xx.

Slave Food

Soul FoodBlack Health: Slave Food – Soul Food or Leftovers 

The second installment of the Black Health topic focuses on the concept of soul food and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Is there something wrong with “Our” eating habits?

2. How much do you believe diet is responsible for Blacks over all health issues?

3. Why do we feel so connected and attached to our traditional foods i.e. soul food?

FRONT STREET

One of my favorite shows, the Boondocks, had an episode in which they made fun of a recently relatively successful Black movie entitled “Soul Food.”  They playfully pointed out how the family got together every Sunday to cook and eat “soul food” and showed the dangerous consequences when they emphasized the death of the grandmother from complications of diabetes.  The ultimate irony was exhibited when they accurately depicted the family mourning her death by eating the same thing that gave her diabetes in the first place.  All jokes aside, Our traditional foods were derived from leftovers the slave owners and their families did not eat.  In essence we  made lemonade out of lemons.  Our will to survive gave Us what we now consider our stable foods such as chitlins, collard greens, and fried chicken.  Recently, rich and famous Blacks have began to become vegans and have abandon our traditional foods in the name of better health and longer lives.  Does soul food contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and respond to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These questions and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on  x/xx/20xx.

 

Black Ph(F)at

Big or BeauitifulBlack Health: Black Ph(F)at – Big or Beautiful 

The first installment of the Black Health topic focuses on the idea of Black beauty and how it effects the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Is Our perspective of beauty unhealthy?

2. Is Our perspective of beauty tainted by the media, i.e. movies, magazines?

3. Does Our version of beauty play into the stereotype of Black people being hyper-sexual?

FRONT STREET

Most Black men have no problems with a woman with curves and bumps and Black women have even fewer complaints with their figure.  Our version of what is sexually stimulating in general has differed from the euro-centric version of beauty and are rarely seen on the magazines in our supermarkets.  However, much like the euro-centric version of beauty, Our shapes can be viewed as harmful to both the body and the mind of Our people.  Are We putting too much into this idea or is Our version of beauty helping to contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more will be addressed during the discussion found on YouTube beginning on  2/17/2024.

Black Phat

Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action: Who Does It Benefit 

This is the third section within the Integration topic.  This discussion will focus on affirmative action and whether or not the program is doing more harm than good within the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Do you believe that Black people should receive special accommodations, ie. affirmative action, for things such as college admission and employment opportunities, why or why not?

2. Do you feel the “boot straps” narrative is fair or unfair, specifically when applied to Black people?

3. Who do you believe benefits the most from Affirmative Action and why?

FRONT STREET

Black people have been subjugated to the very worst that America has had to offer.  Since the beginning of our arrival in the western world with European settlers, everything has been done to either completely impede the progress of Black people gaining the rights of a normal citizenship or purposefully undercut after any kind of legislation was rendered in favor of us gaining basic rights everyone was supposed to be given from inception.  This continuous struggle of forcing America to recognize the humanity of Black people continues to this day.  However, there have been some victories along the way to help even out the miscarriages of equality throughout the years as shown in programs designed to assist Black people into getting higher education or an opportunity at employment i.e., affirmative action.  Yet, this program has come under fire by not only white Americans but even some Black ones who feel this type of assistance is an insult opposed to a hand up.   And like before, has recently been challenged legislatively to again derail Black people in America from our steady march towards full citizenry.  The opposition of even some Black people begs for the question to be asked on whether the installation of affirmative action helping in the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 4/18/2021..

Black Grade School Teachers

Black Grade School Teachers: The Frontline of the Future

This is the second section within the topic on the Role of Education.  This discussion will focus on the trials, tribulations, and admiration of the Black grade school teachers and how their presence and job impacts the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Is it pivotal to have Black school teachers in the educational system for Black students?

2. Are you more or less comfortable with the idea of you or your child having a Black school teacher, or does it not matter?

3. What can the Black Community do to help Black school teachers?

FRONT STREET

Depending on where you grew/are growing up at, the chances of you having no Black grade school teacher can be high.  Many of the people I know and myself included can count how many Black teachers we had prior to going to higher institutes of learning on one hand.  Although, most of us did not “suffer” from not having Black school teacher in grade school, there was a void noticed whenever you were fortunate enough to have one.  With the undeniable fact that teaching is one of the most important professions in the world, we felt obligated to ask the question of whether Black school teachers can save the destruction of Our Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 7/27/2020.

Black Grade School Teachers [unedited]

HBCU & PWI

HBCU & PWI: The Advantages, Disadvantages, and Discouragement of an HBCU Education

This is the fifth and final section within the topic on the Role of Education.  This discussion revolves around the difficult choice for college-bound Black students and whether going to an HBCU or PWI impact the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. What is, was, or would be your biggest reason for attending any university?

2. Do you consider HBCU’s or PWI’s better schools for Black students?

3. Do you agree or disagree with the notion that HBCU’s do not prepare you for the “real world” and are antiquated?

FRONT STREET

As a graduate of the illustrious Hampton University, I can truly say that HBCU’s are different.  The atmosphere, the culture, the populations, and the Homecomings!!!  Honestly, it was a life-changing experience and I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else.  However, I have plenty of friends, relatives, co-workers, associates etc. who attended PWI’s and to be frank they don’t view college the way HBCU grads view their alma maters.  They often looked at college as a business preposition and cited, scholarships, technology, and “more diversity” as the main upsides of their experience.  I think both options have value, but the future doesn’t look bright for HBCU’s.  Between the “diversity” warriors seeing HBCU’s as self-imposed segregationist, and well-meaning Blacks seeing them as antiquated and depleted, the age old question of whether Black students should go to HBCU’s or PWI’s has come to the forefront once again.  Are HBCU’s unknowingly playing a hand in the destruction of Our Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 10/18/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

HBCU & PWI’s

The Negro Dialect


The Negro Dialect: How Our Language Hinders and Helps Our Younth

This is the third segment within the topic of the Role of Education.  This discussion will examine how the use of language has played a role in Black peoples lives and how the perceptions of using a particular way of speaking can impact the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Do you believe there is such a thing as talking Black?

2. Do you believe “talking Black” is a hindrance for Black students/people?

3. Should the way people, particularly Black people, talk matter?

FRONT STREET

Harry Reid, the former Democratic Senate MajorityLeader, said it…  He said what many White, if not all, people thought whenever they heard the oratory stylings of Obama. “He [Reid] was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,’ according to Halperin and Heilemann.  Although Harry Reid later apologized for his insensitive comments, what he said is indeed a troublesome stereotype that Black people have to overcome constantly.  Does the way we talk, speak to our level of intelligence?  Why does code switching have to be a part of any successful Black persons repartee?  Hip Hop is the most listen to form of music in the world, why do Black people need to change the way we speak if it’s obvious that people can understand what we are saying?  All of these questions are jammed into the idea of “talking intelligently” and how the perceptions of Black people is always about proving our worthiness.  In short is the Negro dialect contributing to the destruction of Our Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on MONTH/DAY/YEAR during the discussion which is now airing on YouTube.

Charter vs Public Schools


Charter vs Public Schools: Which is Better for Black Students?

This is the fourth portion within the topic of the Role of Education.  This discussion looks at whether charter or public schools are better for the Black students to thrive and succeed in education and how that decision impacts the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Do you believe school choice is necessary for Black people, why or why not?

2. Have public school systems failed the Black Community, why or why not?

3. If money was equally distributed to every school no matter where the students lived, would that help or hurt the education system?

FRONT STREET

There are many people who believe education was best for Black students prior to integration.  Although this is literally another topic within the Black Advancement’s focus, it begs the question of why some would feel that even under the oppressive conditions of segregation, our children were better served.  Why would they believe this, simply, is because they believed the teachers, parents, and community were all invested in the school system and the success of all the students.  Believe it or not, this argument is very similar to the charter or public school debate, specifically concerning Black students.  With the education achievement gap seeming to never close and the proven systematic biases against Black students in public schools, many more are looking to other options to educate their children.  In spite of all of those facts, there is a legit argument for having a public school option, primarily that it’s free and provides for a wide range of educational levels.  With all things considered, do you believe that charter and or public schools are contributing to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 09/23/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

Charter vs Public Schools

Lies My Teacher Told Me

Lies My Teacher Told Me: The Indoctrination of  White Heroism

This is the first section within the topic of the Role of Education.  This discussion will focus on the mistruths, misinformation, and misunderstandings perpetrated in schools all across America and how ignorance and euro-centristic curriculums impact the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. What is the biggest lie perpetuated in American schools and does it impact Black people?

2. Should teachers be given more freedom to craft a curriculum or would you rather there be a universal curriculum for grade school?

3.  Do you believe the American school system is meant to indoctrinate children or to educate them?

FRONT STREET

It is no secret to any person that pays attention while attending or parenting a child in the American school system that the materials have a pro-privilege bend.  Although this isn’t exclusively reserved for White people, a majority of this “to the winners the spoils go” type of education, Whites come out as the fathers and mothers and leaders of most of the achievements we as a society deem worthy of learning.  The impact of this reinforcing some notion of supremacy is at the very least arguable, if not down right the sole reasoning for the educational system being set up in such a manner.  With this bias view guiding the children of this nation, the question has to be asked to all children of color, but specifically for Black children for our cause, does this type of education contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 8/9/2020.

Lies My Teacher Told Me [unedited]

Sports Exploitation

Sports Exploitation: Million Dollar Slaves

This is the third and final section within the topic of TV Imagery.  This discussion will focus on the trials, tribulations, and admiration of the Black athlete and how their treatment both positively and negatively impact the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Do you believe Black athletes are exploited, why or why not?

2. Do you believe Black athletes have to be role models, particularly outside of the field of play, why or why not?

3. Should We petition great Black high school athletes to go to Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU)?

FRONT STREET

The speed, power, agility, and stamina are the perfect traits one would look for in a hardworking slave…or athlete.  Often times, the difference between the two is as slight as the description used to define a good one.  I know, seems pretty dramatic.  But I ask you to consider how much money is made off the Black athlete.  How many jobs are dependent on the greatness of a Lebron James, or the skills of a Cam Newton.  How much colleges and universities benefit from the Zion Williamson, with no guarantee of a future in his sought after profession on the field or in the classroom and yet the school will sell his jersey for $25 a head.  Does the Black community, in general, believe one of the only ways out of the desperation of poverty is the biological lottery?  Yes, the sports business can be a dirty game, but does this exploitation of the Black athlete add to the destruction of Our community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 1/24/2021.

Sports Exploitation [unedited]

Trap Music

Trap Music: Drugs, Thugs, and Automobiles

Trap Music is the second section within the topic of TV Imagery. The focus of this discussion is centered on the perceptions, realities, and the impact of Hip-Hop culture in the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. What impact has Hip-Hop had on your life?

2. Is the current Hip-Hop culture toxic or has it always been toxic or is it the same as it ever was?

3. Does the Black community give Hip-Hop culture too much credit/blame for the current state of the Black community?

FRONT STREET

Hip-Hop has become the language of the world.  It has the ability to give voice to political freedom fighters, disenfranchised youth, and the kid just trying to express themselves.  As positive as it can be, Hip -Hop is often portrayed as music for thugs and a thuggish lifestyle.  This portrayal becomes even more problematic when you realize the genesis of this genre was created by poor Black children looking for a way to express themselves in a none destructive way.  So why does both the Fox News follower and some older generation Black people agree that this culture is destructive to the Black Community?  As tired and unfair as this argument seems on the surface, there is something to be said about the glorification of some of the ills talked about in the music.  For every Fight the Power and Fuck the Police there is a Ten Crack Commandments or G’s Up Hoes Down.  So how can We as a community rectify this dichotomy in something so pivotal to Our daily lives? Is Hip-Hop culture, specifically the music, some how contributing to the destruction of Our community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 06/03/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

Trap Music [unedited]

TV Imagery: The Hollywood Shuffle

TV Imagery: The Hollywood Shuffle

TV Imagery:The Hollywood Shuffle is the first section within the topic of TV Imagery. This issue focuses on the stereotypical roles Black people tend to occupy in media such as news and entertainment such as TV and movies and how it impacts the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1.Do you believe the news, entertainment, and social media coverage of the Black community is overly critical in your eyes? Why or why not?

2. Does a black actor/actress choice in a role diminish/uplift them in your eyes yes or no and why?

3. Is the impact and influence of TV imagery over stated in terms of its effect on the Black community?

FRONT STREET

When we first created Black Advancement Inc. approximately six years ago, many of the groundbreaking and free spirited shows with Black leads and themes did not exist.  Think about that sentences, no less than six years ago there was no Atlanta, Insecure, Luke Cage, Blackish, or Get Out, Black Panther, or Girls Trip  etc.  Only recently have the executives of major studios believed in what We as a people already knew, We are an ingenious people with a wide breath and depth of experiences and stories that, while relatable to all, are uniquely Black.  Be that as it may, media overall continues to focus on all of the negative stereotypes applied to Black people as often as ever.  Turning tragic situations like the murder rate of a predominantly Black city into an indictment of Our humanity and using it to support the policies that helped create such situations in the first place….but I digress.  We are here to talk about the continued negative imagery We are subjected to in the hollywood shuffle and the news cycle and to see if this TV Imagery truly contributes to the destruction of Our community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 11/01/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

TV Imagery: The Hollywood Shuffle

Black on Black Crime

KaneBlack on Black Crime: Perceptions, Realities, and the Impact of Crime in the Black Community

Black on Black Crime is the fourth section within the topic of Justice or Just Us. The focus of this discussion is centered on the perceptions, realities, and the impact of Black on Black crime in the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Does the Black Community make too many excuses for the criminal element within the Black Community, why or why not?

2. Do you feel that Black on Black crime is a ploy to make Blacks seem more dangerous or a big problem within the Black Community?

3. What do you feel is the biggest reason for Black on Black crime and what do you believe can be done to stop it?

FRONT STREET

Every time there is an incident that garners the attention of the “Black leaders” and the nation, some news network trots out the token spokes person to speak on behalf of all of Us against a “conservative” that no matter the situation see the victim as the one to blame.  The argument continues with both sides hardening their positions and then the conservative panelist drops the ultimate trump card…  “Well, where is the outrage when Black people are killing Black people in these neighborhoods?”  We’ve all seen this play out over and over again and each time it becomes more and more frustrating, because not only do We get blamed for crime in general, but We also have to be perfect victims in order for people to believe that We deserve justice….but I will digress from that subject.  To be fair though, just because some talking head may have an agenda attached to their rhetoric doesn’t make what they have to say automatically false.  There are high rates of crime in Our community and lack of opportunity and in some cases a lack of outrage over the horrific conditions We have been subjected to generation after generation.  With that being the starting point, let’s discuss how much Black on Black crime is to blame for the destruction of our community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on MONTH/DAY/YEAR during the discussion which is now airing on YouTube.