A black mans thoughts on the hoodie

A man in a police uniform scares me more than the biggest strongest dude wearing a hoodie ever would.


Lets be honest, its not a hoodie, nor is it a puffy starter jacket that people fear.  Black men were feared way before the modern day hoodie was invented so please try again. 

Can we just talk about the elephant in the room.  Don't tell me that you are scared of me because I have a hoodie on.  You are scared of me because I am black.  Its a tradition for one group of people, to fear black man.  Its also a tradition to kill, detain, and police black man.

The original purpose of the Police in the south directly after slavery was to arrest and re enslave black people.  The only justification needed to lock black people up was the color of their skin.  This tradition lead to alienation, objectification, and ultimately incarceration and death for black men especially.  

Instead of addressing it, they ignore the real problem and blame black people for not dressing properly.  Whats sad is we have a group  black people that buy into this theory that you have to look a certain way to be accepted.  I agree to a point, but ultimately disagree for the simple fact that Europeans murdered millions of people based on the idea that the indigenous groups of people they encountered were bad due to looking different.  Clothes, language, religion, basically culture all over the world was destroyed based on this very thought process.  

This is funny to me, but to some this is an extremely scary sight.  

Its okay when I look like this, I noticed while I am cooking I am okay.  This is an acceptable role.  White people do not feel as threatened by me when I have this uniform on.

I love cooking.  This is what I am suppose to look like.  In a position of servitude. 

I was praised and admired for playing basketball.  This was an acceptable role for a me to play as long as I did not show too much emotion.  As long as I was just a basketball player, and not a kid that actually used his mind, this was okay.  I learned that even as a basketball player the fear was still present.  The only reason that I was not considered a threat due to the fact that I was playing basketball.  The minute I stepped off the court, I transformed back into a scary guy I guess.

           

This is okay, because I am entertaining.

What upsets me is that I grew up in a neighborhood where joining a gang was an option, selling drugs was an option.  I avoided all that stuff for the most part.  I grew up being harassed by cops despite not being a criminal.  As I grew older I started to feel like the racial profiling was an unnecessary, unacceptable, disrespectful practice that humiliates black man and makes us feel less than.   I didn't avoid all of that stuff just because.  I avoided all that stuff to avoid being treated like a criminal.  Little did I know that no matter what I did, I was going to be racially profiled, and judged based on the perception white people have of my skin color. 

This treatment creates a sense of resentment for law enforcement in the black community.  This feeling of resentment comes off as weird to white people due to the fact that they do not receive similar treatment. This is an example of structure dictating culture and ultimately alienating black people.  

As a result of years of harassment, false imprisonment, beatings, and murder due to racism , resenting the police has become a part of black male culture.  Songs like "911 is a Joke" by Public Enemy,  "F!*k the Police" by NWA are only two examples of how black people living in the inner city feel about the police.  Although these songs were made twenty years ago the resentment is still present due to the fact that the treatment has not changed.   

 I have been pulled over as a result of being black.  I have been stopped on the street as a result of being black.  The excuse that I look like a thug when I have a hoodie on is absurd.  We live in Seattle, a hoodie is acceptable clothing especially considering the fact that it rains 8-9 months out of the year. 

  Attack hip hop culture?  Take a look at where hip hop comes from!!!!!! Hip Hop culture started in a cold climate. It started on the streets of New York. If you watch the weather channel you will notice that it rains, and snows in New York, even when there is not some form of precipitation it can be very cold.  

Kids hanging out on the corner for hours at a time in cold weather. What are they suppose to wear? 

Although hoodies and thick coats have been associated with criminal activity, the origins of these social uniforms actually come out of necessity. It was different, it was cool, and as a result people stopped wearing them due to the weather and started wearing them to look cool and fit in.  Even with that said, the hoodie is not gang wear.  Its style, but it does not make a person a gang member.  

Ask Mark Zuckerberg who runs a 70 billion dollar business in the comfort of a hoodie.   

Stop being scared  and ignorant, and use common sense.  Unthink and break the tradition of fear.  

Greatest Skill Set

Jordan was the best at creating his own shot.  Magic was the best at creating shots for others.  Bill Russell was the best at creating more possessions for his team which led to more shots.  Lebron James combines all three skills.  He has established himself as the best small forward of all time, and is well on his way to replacing someone on the NBA Mt. Rushmore.

"Courtesy of nba.com"

      


"Courtesy of balthus23/youtube.com"


"Courtesy of confidence/youtube.com"

When I think about players that had the ability to control a game using their versatility, the first player that comes to mind is Oscar Robertson.  He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple double for a season.  His numbers were unreal. Here are his career numbers:  http://www.nba.com/history/players/robertson_stats.html

Magic Johnson also had all three abilities as well.  He has the most playoff triple doubles all time with 17, and he is second on the regular season all time list with 72.  Magic could play all five positions on the court proving it his rookie season during game 6 of the NBA finals.  Kareem, sat out due to an injury, Magic showed his versatility by playing every position on the floor at one point or another.  From point guard, to center.  He scored 42 points, pulled in 15 rebounds, and 7 assists against Dr. J and the mighty Philadelphia 76ers to win the first of his five NBA championships.  

Larry Bird, who was the second biggest star in the league during the 80s behind only Magic, also had the ability to impact the game using his versatility.   At one point I considered him to be the best small forward ever.  I remember watching old Celtics games a few years back. They were showing a marathon of great playoff games on NBAtv. Magic, MJ, and Bird. 

Lebron was still in Cleveland at the time. His playoff numbers were like 29 points 8 boards and 8 assist. He was doing his thing in the playoffs.  I was comparing their skills and Larry Legends numbers popped up and they were identical. So at that time Bird was better. He had more championships, mvps, and identical numbers. Skill set wise, he shot the ball better, and I would say his post game was more complete. 

Now I look at Lebron's resume and its nearly identical to Larry legends. In fact its better in some areas if you looked at them side by side.  Take a look:
http://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/b/larry_bird_vs_lebron_james.htm 

Present day Lebron James is better than Larry Bird.  At 29, I see him getting better for a few more years. At that time, his game will slow down, he will post more and actually play a lot like Bird use to play. Right now his athletic ability puts him above a lot of players due to the fact that it allows him to do more on both offense and defense. For the most part Lebron James is unstoppable.


"Courtesy of fatal9ish/youtube.com"

James has the best combination of skills of any player that has ever played when you add his play on the defensive end, size and athleticism.  Although Lebron James is not on the Mt. Rushmore of the NBA as of yet, he is building a strong case as to why he should be.  Fan or not, we are witnessing history. 


"Courtesy of Dawk Ins/youtube.com"

Impressive Record

Although Floyd Mayweathers record of 46-0 is impressive, Julio Cesar Chavez won 87 straight fights before facing Pernell Whitaker.  Although the fight was ruled a draw, Chavez clearly lost to Whitaker.   

Mayweather is the better fighter, but its not because of his record.  

     

"Courtesy of USA TODAY"

"Courtesy of www.realclearsports.com"

Throwback Thursday: St Joes, Stevie Wonder, and Lou Hobson

As I was listening to the Stevie Wonder station on Pandora this morning one of my favorite songs came on.  The title of the song is "Sign, Sealed, and Delivered" by Stevie Wonder.  The song reminds me of St. Josephs gymnasium, and the first time that I met Lou Hobson.  

 A lot of great ball was played there.  Up until the end of my sophomore year I knew very little about St. Josephs.  I had recently returned to the hoop scene after a three year hiatus due to my parents being fed up with my lack of effort during middle school. 
 
In reality, I was not that serious about basketball, and didn't care about getting better. I was the complete opposite of everyone on my former C.A.Y.A. team.  C.A.Y.A stands for Central Area youth Association.  

"In 1964, CAYA was formally established with O.L. Mitchell as the first Director. The purpose of formalizing the organization was to provide education, recreation, and social development activities for youth between the ages of 9 – 18."  It was an extremely important organization during my childhood. This is my seventh grade CAYA team.  Im number seven.  Lots of memories.  I learned a lot from these guys, and had a lot of fun traveling and basically watching them play.  I went on to play high school and college basketball with number five Will Conroy.  

 
From fourth to seventh grade, I traveled to various cities in the US, more as a spectator than a player.  In retrospect practice was huge for me in terms of development.  I was the weakest link, and it was evident a lot of the time.  The two players that were equal in size were way more developed, socially, and physically speaking.  I developed an understanding for basketball by watching my teammates play in games, as well as playing against them in practice.  Little did I know that it would be the foundation for what was to come down the road.    

Lou Hobson was a large reason for the talent explosion that took place in Seattle from 1998-2010.  Although I was a relative nobody on the prep hoop scene following my junior season, and had no intention of playing basketball for Lou’s basketball program, he still allowed me and lots of other kids to work on our games in that gym.  I gained a lot of confidence and respect from my basketball playing peers up at St. Josephs. St. Josephs provided kids with a competitive, safe, positive, all inclusive environment.

"Courtesy of Post Intelligencer"
Lou Hobson

 

St. Josephs, or St. Joes for short is a private school located in the Central District/Capitol Hill area of Seattle.  During the day the gym was full of kids that attended the private school.  At night the gym transformed into a training ground for some of the best ball players to come out of Seattle in the last twenty years.    

  

My life started to change after my first year of high school as I was five-eleven,  I didn't play basketball and had no intention of playing. Going into my sophomore year something special happened.  I began what would end up being an eight inch growth spurt over the next year and a half.  Even then I was not interested in playing.  It was not until coaches and friends who did play started to tell me I had to!  Honestly the thought of playing for Garfield was a dream.  Never thought it was going to be a reality.    

I made the Junior Varsity Squad my sophomore year at 6'4" and I made the Varsity squad my

 junior year at 6'8". 

One of the best teams ever assembled in the state of Washington.  As a result I had to wait my turn.  Number twelve in the back.  I was tall, but still getting use to my new body as I grew eight inches in the year and half prior to my junior year.    

I was clumsy, but knowledgeable about the game.  I had some ability as a result of one on one games with my older cousin Max, playing ball at the local parks with my father and uncles, as well as my time with C.A.Y.A..  Now that I was tall, all I lacked was the confidence and the skill to be a good player.

. 

Lou provided me the environment to gain confidence and raise my skill level.  My first meeting with Lou Hobson was also my first time playing ball at St. Joes.   As I entered the lobby of the gym two sounds stood out to me outside the obvious sound of basketballs bouncing.

The first sound was Stevie Wonder's, "Sign, Sealed, and Delivered" blasting on the stereo that was located on the east side of the gym on the sideline at mid court.  The second sound that I heard was from a man who was not yelling, rather speaking loudly.  It was Lou Hobson.      

I loved Stevie so I was excited upon entering the lobby, what excited me more was the atmosphere within the gym.  I saw kids of all ethnicities.  Male and female all in the gym working on their games.  All different skill levels, yet not one kid acted better than the other.  I remember being amazed at Lou’s ability to debate some basketball related topic, rebound for a kid, mediate an issue, and teach hoop all at the same time.  Future prep, collegiate, and NBA stars in the gym as well as future accountants, and doctors. 

To some that drive by St. Joes, it’s simply a private school, but to me it’s where I started working on becoming a real ball player.   If not for my time at St. Joes, and Lou’s guidance I would have never been in a position to play for a scholarship.  

I went from playing 1.8 minutes a game my junior year of high school for the Garfield Bulldogs to becoming a Nike Camp All-American within months of the season ending.  The confidence gained playing at St. Joes was a huge reason for it.  

"Sign, Sealed and Delivered", reminds me of the love, respect and appreciation for basketball that was present in St. Joe’s gymnasium.       

Life Changing

Over the past few months I have gone back and forth about how I feel about a fifteen dollar minimum wage for Seattle employees.

On one end I ask why those of us that do not make fifteen dollars an hour chose to work for businesses that pay less than that?  I have come to the conclusion that the majority of people that have jobs that pay less than fifteen dollars an hour would jump at the chance to apply for a job that paid more.  In the food industry its very hard to find an entry level job that pays fifteen dollars.  Most individuals in jobs that pay less than fifteen dollars, do so out of necessity.

 If I had my choice I would not work for less than twenty dollars an hour.  That wage expectation would leave me unemployed, as I have not seen one food industry job that I am qualified for that pays any where near that.  Which means that I would not be able to provide anything for my family.  Some employment is better than no employment.  At the end of the day, there is a large portion of Seattle that lives day to day.  One mistake, one sick day can have a family at risk of being evicted.

 Some say go to culinary school, get certified, and put yourself in a position to demand more money.  That sounds great, but when one is not generating enough money for necessity it is extremely hard, nearly impossible to think or initiate an action toward upward mobility.  Lack of time for school, or entrepreneurship is also an issue that is usually neglected by critics of the fifteen dollar an hour wage increase.

The twenty two dollars that I used to attain a business license, took two meals off my families table.  The decisions one has to make in order to move up with no guarantee of success puts poor people in a very tough position.  Even those that have been taught and exposed to avenues that will allow them to have a comfortable life face difficult decisions.      

I look at the importance of education and ask, am I not earning more money due to my lack of a degree?
This thought process has led to many sleepless nights, as I was having trouble with the thought of knowing exactly how to get out of poverty, but not being able to afford it.

According to Experian, Seattle leads the nation with an average household debt of around $26,000.  Im right around average.  My thoughts go out to those Seattleites who are below average, and do not have the means to actually get themselves out of debt.  I myself at my current wage can not get out of debt.

In fact based on how much I make I go further in debt every month.  I make $12.80 at my current job at the University of Washington.  I actually took a pay cut in order to take advantage of the benefits.  I learned very quickly that if you do not make a certain amount of money, you can not take advantage of the benefits that are offered.  I cant put my kids on my insurance at my current wage.  Excuse me I can, but that would leave me with even less money for everyday issues like bills and food.  Lets look at the numbers.  

As I said before I make $12.80 hourly, which is around $2048 monthly before taxes.  After my monthly expenses of $2200, I am negative -$152 every month.  Which adds up to around -$1824 in debt every year.  If I made $15 an hour, I would make around $2400 a month.  After my expenses of $2200, I would be left with $200 a month!  That would be life changing.  It would allow me to build my business buying a new piece of equipment ever month.  It would allow me to start paying off my debt.  It would allow me to sign my kids up for programs that are vital to their success both academically, and socially speaking.

Although $200 dollars to some is nothing.  To people like me it would truly be life changing.  That's potentially $2400 a year.  At that point, I could save up, and take my family camping.  The thought of moving up, and actually having the money to do so is a dream for all Americans.  The problem is that there is only a small population in a position financially to live out that dream.

If a $15 an hour minimum wage was to be implemented for all workers in Seattle, the city would also have to implement money management workshops, in order to educate those who would benefit from the increase in wages.  Not enough to give people more money.  Have to educate them as well.

My only concern is the thought of people losing jobs as a result of a wage increase.  Will businesses let go of workers if they have to increase wages in order to keep their profit margin from declining?

I support a wage increase as long as it does not cause a significant decrease in employment.  

People in History they never teach us about: Billy Frank Jr.

Question for all Washingtonians.  Did you learn about Billy Frank Jr. in Washington State History?  I am trying to figure out why they didn't teach us about Billy Frank Jr. during my seventh grade year at Meany Middle School in my Washington State history class.

Courtesy of Ecotrust Blog

We were taught about various tribes throughout the Northwest in a way that implied Native Americans were no longer here.  We spent very little time talking about treaties, or Native American rights.  School never addressed the fact that Washington state policy did not honor 19th century Treaties. It would have been a perfect opportunity to show how one groups actions can have a negative affect on another groups culture.  Not one mention of fish-ins, or supreme court decisions.

"While 19th-century treaties had granted tribes their “usual and accustomed” fishing grounds in return for ceding land, 20th-century state policy was not so accommodating. The state restricted fishing in response to development practices that sharply reduced fish runs, even as commercial and sport fishermen competed with tribes for the diminishing supplies".

Billy Frank Jr. passed away two days ago.  A great man, that should be honored by all.  His-story, should be taught in schools all over this state.  Mr. Franks father fished the Nisqually river before Washington became a state.  What started out with a 14 year old Mr. Frank fighting for the right to fish on the same river years later ended with Mr. Frank spearheading the fight for Tribal rights throughout Washington that went well beyond fishing rights.  Please read the link below.

  http://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/editorials/2157552-8/billy-frank-changed-fish-debate-policy-in-northwest

The mysterious disappearance of Roy Hibbert

Amber Alert Amber Alert **Center 7'2" Roy Hibbert has disappeared, if you have seen him, please notify David West and the Indiana Pacers**Amber Alert Amber Alert

Courtesy of blacksportsonline.com

Anyone who watched Roy Hibbert last year against the Miami Heat in the playoffs is most likely scratching their head trying to figure out what's wrong with the 7'2" center.  Although he was never the best offensive player, Hibbert always provided a defensive presence for the Pacers.  

During the regular season Hibbert helped the Pacers hold the Wizard's to 66 points, the lowest total for any team in the NBA this year.  In fact Hibbert played a huge role in holding the Wizards to their two lowest scoring outputs during the regular season.  Watching Hibbert purposely commit fouls in the playoffs in order to get out the game lets me know that as of right now he has all but given up on his team.  Mentally he looks defeated, looking over to the sideline after ever mistake almost as if he is asking to come out.  Its getting really hard to watch. 

 

 What I don't understand is why they don't sit him.  The Pacers were out rebounded 53-36.  At this point, the Pacers would be better off if they reduced Hibberts minutes significantly.  They should treat his poor play the same way they would treat a player getting injured.  Adjust and bring him back when he is ready.   What ever happened to doing whats best for the team?

I commend Coach Vogel for sticking with the big man.  On the other hand I question his ability to make adjustments.  This can not be good for the chemistry of the team.  When the stakes are high, emotions usually run high as well.  The lack of effort displayed by Hibbert may have initially been viewed as a slump.  Now, more than likely its viewed by teammates as a complete lack of effort.  Vogel is at risk of losing his team if he continues to try and revive his big man.  

Starting Scola or Mahimi(who played poorly game 1), and bringing Hibbert off the bench is the best bet for the Pacers.  Anything is better than zero points and zero rebounds, that's unacceptable.  Regardless of why he is playing so poorly, Hibbert is at risk of losing everything he worked for.  

Will the real Roy Hibbert please stand up.  

Movement lost

Courtesy of www.thisnext.com

One component of mainstream Hip-Hop that is dead is the Afrocentric ideals that some of the biggest stars embraced during the 80' and 90's.  Afrocentrism was a main component of the orgins of Hip-Hop.

I remember the day my uncle who was a true B-Boy, one of the dopest ever, sent me a Africa.

 The one my uncle sent me had a silver lion in the middle of it.  I remember looking at it everyday and imagining what Africa was like.  I remember being very proud when I got the opportunity to explain what the colors mean.  My Africa was red, black, and green.  Red representing the blood of the people, the green representing the land rich in resources, and the black representing the people.

I was around 8 or 9 when I received this. Although there were many events that encouraged me to learn and embrace Africa, before and after, the fact that it came from my uncle, who was the coolest, dopest person I knew made it a little more special.

Could you imagine the impact of some of our biggest African American stars wearing Africa's today?