Op-Ed

Hip Hop Corner: An Action Plan for When ‘They Don’t Care about Us’

Published

10 years ago

July 6, 2015

By Jineea Butler
NNPA Columnist

I am sick of hearing about how the media is misrepresenting our community and not fairly reporting issues. Have you lost your mind? Why are you depending on them to tailor messages that are palatable to your liking? What type of entitlement program have you been subscribing to? Michael Jackson told you in 1996 “…They don’t really care about us!”

But you’re still trying to force a square peg into a circle hole. Is it because they lured you out and drained you of all your talent and then told you to go home, only to realize you weren’t watering the grass, taking out the trash and raising your own babies instead of theirs? Is it because you got so drunk on the idea of being “accepted” into the mainstream that you didn’t think twice about nurturing the businesses in your own community?

Now you sitting at the TV, flipping through the newspapers, searching the Internet for someone to tell your truth from your perspective. You gave your power away when you didn’t support the Black Press, an institution that has been carrying the torch of justice for 188 years. You give your power away everyday when you freely spend money without questioning whom it’s benefiting.

Even something that’s seemingly as passive as watching TV is not passive because when you turn on these channels, you’re telling the sponsors you approve up whatever is being fed to you.

Don’t tell me that they are supposed to care about what we want. We were kidnapped, enslaved, lynched, beaten and killed before they pretended to care about us. The only reason they changed their tune was because of votes. Now, you’re sitting on the sidelines wondering how 2015 turned into 1964 and wondering why LGBT legislation matters more than Black lives. They matter more to politicians because they vote and contribute to their campaigns. The 2016 presidential election is just around the corner and there is going to be unprecedented amount of money being spent on obtaining votes. Guess who is going to be left out again?

President Obama just delivered an impassioned eulogy of Clementa C. Pinckney in Charleston, S.C. Why do you think it took him seven years to sing “Amazing Grace” and speak the truth we’ve been waiting for? Hillary alone cannot galvanize us to Get Out and Vote. So as ruthless as it may sound, Obama was there serve as Consoler-in-Chief and to gather votes, among other things.

Now that the Confederate flag is an issue, the Democrats know we are going to line up behind Hillary. We haven’t forgotten that her husband went on the Arsenio Hall show when he was campaigning and played the saxophone for votes. The election of John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964 consolidated our transition from Republicans to Democrats. Meanwhile, our struggle for civil rights, which resonated around the world, has been used to advance other causes – at a faster rate than our own progress.

They swing on the hinges of the doors we opened. We are still waiting for someone to tell us that our lives matter. Why no one else is making the same claim when it is evident that they, too, are not properly represented in society? It’s because they are quietly carrying out an effective agenda to make the system work for them.

Black churches are burning to the ground and you dare ask why the media isn’t covering it. Do the people that own the media have a vested interest in learning who is burning our churches? If they don’t cover it, are you going to turn off the TV? Do you have another channel to turn to? The Hispanics do, the Asians do, but when you had a chance to support the ‘Black’ Ted Turner, you turned your nose up and said you’d rather not.

Look at what just happened to Donald Trump. He insulted the Mexican community and the entire Latino community immediately shut him down. They petitioned where they spend their money and dared those outlets to support him. All we have to do make Black Lives Matter is vote and care about how and where we spend our money. Stop wasting time asking them to care about us. They don’t, they care about our money.

Jineea Butler, founder of the Social Services of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Union, can be reached at jineea@gmail.com or Tweet her at @flygirlladyjay.

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Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors

Seth looked comfortable in his new uniform, seamlessly fitting into the Warriors’ offensive and defensive system. He finished the night with an impressive 14 points, becoming one of the team’s top scorers for the game. Seth’s points came in a variety of ways – floaters, spot-up three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, and a handful of aggressive drives that kept the Oklahoma City Thunder defense on its heels.

Published

2 days ago

December 4, 2025

Oakland Post

Seth Curry is a point guard on the GSW team.Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

Tuesday night was anything but ordinary for fans in San Francisco as Seth Curry made his highly anticipated debut as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. Seth didn’t disappoint, delivering a performance that not only showcased his scoring ability but also demonstrated his added value to the team.

At 35, the 12-year NBA veteran on Monday signed a contract to play with the Warriors for the rest of the season.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came before Seth even scored his first points. As he checked into the game, the Chase Center erupted into applause, with fans rising to their feet to give the newest Warrior a standing ovation.

The crowd’s reaction was a testament not only to Seth’s reputation as a sharpshooter but also to the excitement he brings to the Warriors. It was clear that fans quickly embraced Seth as one of their own, eager to see what he could bring to the team’s championship aspirations.

Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry – Seth’s brother – did not play due to an injury. One could only imagine what it would be like if the Curry brothers were on the court together. Magic in the making.

Seth’s debut proved to be a turning point for the Warriors. Not only did he contribute on the scoreboard, but he also brought a sense of confidence and composure to the floor.

While their loss last night, OKC 124 – GSW 112, Seth’s impact was a game-changer and there’s more yet to come. Beyond statistics, it was clear that Seth’s presence elevated the team’s performance, giving the Warriors a new force as they look to make a deep playoff run.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Essay: Intentional Self Care and Community Connections Can Improve Our Wellbeing

At the deepest and also most expansive level of reality, we are all part of the same being, our bodies made from the minerals of the earth, our spirits infused by the spiritual breath that animates the universe. Willingness to move more deeply into fear and pain is the first step toward moving into a larger consciousness. Willingness to move beyond the delusion of our separateness can show us new ways of working and living together.

Published

1 month ago

October 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

By Dr. Lorraine Bonner, Special to California Black Media Partners

I went to a medical school that was steeped in the principles of classical Western medicine. However, I also learned mindfulness meditation during that time, which opened me to the multifaceted relationship between illnesses and the interconnecting environmental, mental and emotional realities that can impact an individual’s health.

Therefore, when I began to practice medicine, I also pursued training in hypnosis, relaxation techniques, meditation, and guided imagery, to bring a mind-body focus to my work in medical care and prevention.

The people I saw in my practice had a mix of problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and a variety of pain issues. I taught almost everyone relaxation breathing and made some general relaxation tapes. To anyone willing, I offered guided imagery.

“My work embraced an approach to wellness I call “Liberatory Health” — one that not only addresses the treatment and management of disease symptoms but also seeks to dismantle the conditions that make people sick in the first place.”

From my perspective, illness is only the outermost manifestation of our efforts to cope, often fueled by addictions such as sugar, tobacco, or alcohol, shackled by an individualistic cult belief that we have only ourselves to blame for our suffering.

To put these ideas into practical form, I would quote the immortal Mr. Rogers: “Find the helpers.” There are already people in every community working for liberation. Some of them are running for office, others are giving food to those who need it. Some are volunteering in schools, libraries or hospitals. Some are studying liberation movements, or are working in urban or community gardens, or learning to practice restorative and transformative justice, or creating liberation art, music, dance, theater or writing. Some are mentoring high schoolers or apprenticing young people in a trade. There are many places where compassionate humans are finding other humans and working together for a better world.

A more compassionate world is possible, one in which we will all enjoy better health. Creating it will make us healthier, too.

In community, we are strong. Recognizing denial and overcoming the fragmenting effects of spiritual disorder offer us a path to liberation and true health.

Good health and well-being are the collective rights of all people!

About the Author

Dr. Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions of a better world.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Opinion: Can Donald Trump Pole Dance?

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

Published

3 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

The news cycle has been buzzing the last few weeks. Xi, with Putin and Kim, the sweethearts of Trump carousing alone without him? The victims of the pedophile Epstein speaking out publicly in DC.

Then, there’s the release of that salacious letter Donald Trump allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said the letter didn’t exist. But it does.

Timing is everything.

Additionally, there are further concerns, such as the Supreme Court removing restrictions on ICE interactions. ICE Agents can stop anyone now. For any reason. And there’s the threat of the U.S. sending the military to fight crime in Chicago. Trump even posted a meme of himself as a character in “Apocalypse Now.”

All that with bad polls and bad economic numbers, and these topics are dominating the news cycle — Trump era chaos.

Given all that is happening, if the presidency was more like pole dancing, you know Trump would be flat on his butt.

The reality is the opposite. He keeps going strong like nothing’s happened. Inexplicably, Trump always seems to defy gravity.

That’s why to reassure myself with reality, I just think of Trump on a pole. Dancing. He was born on Flag Day, after all.

I’ve got pole dancing on my mind because I’m in Canada at the Vancouver Fringe Festival doing my show, “Emil Amok 69, Everything’s Flipped,” about how the current political situation gets very personal.

Get tickets here if you’re near:

I’ve performed at 16 fringe festivals, and I always look for unique performers. This year, in my same venue (the Revue Stage) I found her in a show, “The Pole Shebang.”

Andrea James Lui may look like a typical Asian American at first.

But she’s Asian Canadian, married to an Australian, who now lives down under.

At the Vancouver Fringe, she highlights her special identity.

Pole Dancer

Yes, pole dancing has come to the fringe. Leave your dollar bills at home, this is not that kind of pole dancing.

This is more Cirque Du Soleil-ish- acrobatic stuff, yet it’s hard to deny the sexiness when a woman flawlessly swings from a pole with her legs apart.

The show is more intriguing than it is titillating.

Lui has created a behind-the-scenes look at the “polar” experience.

“She could have been a physicist,” says her big sister Christina, who despite saying that, supports her sister 100 percent.

Lui touches on some of the emotional depth in the poled subculture. But there’s plenty more to mine in the future. “Polar Bare,” the Musical? I’d see it.

Trump on a Pole

So that’s how I’ve come to the polar metaphor.

As Trump flails in the news, I picture him on a pole.

The letter to Epstein is further proof of the character of the man.

Will he stay afloat?

Not if the presidency were more like pole dancing.

You can’t lie on the pole.

That’s one way all of us in the Trump era can get to the truth.

About the Author

Emil Amok is a veteran journalist, commentator, and stage monologist. He has written a weekly column on Asian Americans for more than 30 years.

Contact: www.amok.com