Here is an episode from our popular “On The Road” series from last year when Washington Watch correspondent and Interactive One Chief Content Officer Smokey D. Fontaine traveled to Louisiana to expose the frightening dilemmas of living in the Gulf Coast region after the worse oil spill in US history.

Like this?

Then def check out “Can Smokey Find the 32 Black People in Wasilla, Alaska?” and “Is There Magic In Gary, Indiana?” (the childhood home of Michael Jackson)

I was a fan first.

Before I had the chance to talk and laugh and join him in his world, I was a fan of Notorious B.I.G..  From “Juicy,” “Warning,” “Unbelievable” and “One More Chance” to “Things Done Changed,” “Dreams…,” and all the cameos and remixes, there was a lot of music to love.  I actually played “Get Money” so often that the vinyl began to sound dead, and I remember rushing to the club the night I got “Hypnotize” so I could blow it up three or four times in a row.

It was fun.  Fun to hear his growls at the beginning of records and to mimic the way he slurred some of the words in his rhyme.  I loved watching him play the playa role in a ridiculously huge suit and enjoyed dancing all night to his tracks with women who loved his “Big Poppa” steelo.  And when he rose out of bed, naked and unashamed, roaring down the phone in all of his 300-pound glory in the “Warning” clip, I knew that for now and always, Big was a star.

In February 1997, a few weeks before his death, I was assigned to do a feature for Trace magazine on the life and times of Biggie Smalls. I was determined to write a piece that kept clear of what I saw as the bullshit controversy surrounding his life: the drug busts and criminal charges, the hoopla around Lil’ Kim, the break-up with his wife Faith, and of course the conflict with Tupac Shakur.

I wanted to see what was behind all that, concentrate on the music, and explore some of the peculiar dilemmas that the nineties have held for African-Americans.  See, for many of our young folk, Big was a hero.  A hero because he gave expression to the thoughts and feelings of those who have never been heard.  Biggie, as the best hip hop artists do, narrated as artistic fantasy what for so many, is a cultural reality.  And that is essentially, the nature and purpose of the art form.

Like the blues, jazz and the best of African-American art, hip hop is one person’s expression of self that is representative of some part of ourselves.  Big was Brooklyn’s finest, the brotha who dedicated his album to “all the teachers that told me I’d never amount to nothing…and the niggas in the struggle.”  And he was a real person.

I remember the first night I spent with him, his peeps and I laughed for hours about his exploits on the road.  Stories of Luke, Shaq, and rolling with R. Kelly had us in tears about as much as the numerous sex tales of groupies along the way.  But there was no pretentiousness, no over-confidence, no cocky mask to hide any deep-seated insecurity.  Big let you love him or leave him alone.  And it was hard to do the latter because as he said so often: “To know me is to love me.”

“Dolly My Baby (Remix)”

But those who have the least, have to sing the loudest.  So it was no surprise that Chris Wallace, former hustler, former dealer, former survivor, frequently expressed in his music the anger and frustration inherent in a life from the ‘hood.  And the materialism.  For over the past two decades, the most significant shift in the culture of African-Americans has been that we have fallen victim to the individualism and greed that have always defined the larger American society.

James Baldwin once asked in his classic discussion of the Civil Rights Movement, The Fire Next Time, “Do I really want to be integrated into a burning house?”  Without ever answering, black folks find ourselves today within that burning house, robbing and stealing and “going for mine” either on Wall Street in a Ralph Lauren three-button suit or on the streets of Brooklyn in a Korean-made Polo sweatshirt.  Biggie wasn’t ashamed about being in hip hop for the money.  And why should he be? Goldman Sachs makes no apologies.  Everything we learn and are taught by America tells us to go for the paper because with money there is success and happiness.  Don’t try to improve your community or change the ghetto, just buy your way out.  By any means necessary.  And Big did that through hip hop.

A generation ago, Chris Wallace wouldn’t have had a chance to make “tremendous cream.”  There wouldn’t have been a space for a “Notorious B.I.G.” or a “Biggie Smalls” or a “Puff Daddy.”  And a generation ago, our parents feared we would be killed by someone in a white sheet, not someone that looks like us.  So where are we now?  And who’s to blame?

“Juicy”

Do we blame rappers themselves for often talking about the worst of their environments or the media industries for promoting and selling unhealthy words and images?  Do we blame the parents who are not around to teach and guide their children or the kids who don’t take responsibility for their own actions?  Do we blame an indifferent white government or ineffective black leadership?  Or shouldn’t we just blame ourselves as a collective?

If I asked my former students, twelve and thirteen year-olds living in inner-city Baltimore, how many of them had seen or known someone who had been killed, every hand would go up.  And so the drive-by murder of Biggie Smalls becomes not an anomaly, but a part of the macabre reality we call black life.

Hip hop is the primary way we are all socialized.  In the absence of a strong family unit, the church, or any reliable systems of education, young people learn how to talk to each other, treat each other, and feel about themselves and their world using the rhymes they listen to every day.

The tragedy about the death of B.I.G. is here was a young brotha struggling to figure himself out.  Life After Death represented for him a new beginning.  A path away from a life he knew to be self-destructive, but one which until recently, he was unable to escape.  That is not to say his second album is free of the pathos that made him so Ready to Die, but there is a growth there.  A progression he would have continued in his music, a journey that so many young people could have learned from.

“Warning”

Big wanted to be alive, to laugh and cry and act out the lessons he had learned from his past.  He also wanted to love.  Love his children, his fam, and his moms.  Mrs. Wallace was all over Ready to Die.  She was an object of stress and bitterness, but also a symbol of strength and survival.  Big spoke of her in his rhymes more than any other rapper I know–except of course, Tupac.

Many will point out that Biggie and Tupac’s deaths are more examples of life imitating art.  But aren’t we all on stage?  Murder is often the leading cause of death for young black men and most of us do very little about it.  Can that be a reality?  It seems that we have become increasingly unable to differentiate between fantasy and what is real.  And for that reason, our art is our life.

Hip hop is our dominant culture, and it’s the way we learn how to live.  Kids act like the stars they see in their favorite videos, and find a rhyme for the situations that confront them every day.  That power of the art form surprises even many of those who wield it.  It’s what makes hip hop so compelling, but aren’t we allowing ourselves to be entertained by our own tragedy?

Tupac, in his martyrdom, became a cultural hero.  Biggie will be the same.  Tupac asked brothas to die for him…Big found new life.  But ultimately, the music couldn’t save either of them.

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Washington — On this week’s edition of Washington Watch’s “Web Watch,” host Roland Martin and Smokey D. Fontaine tackled the controversy surrounding the Keith Washington aired conversation with an ill Aretha Franklin.

Below is the video:

RELATED:

Keith Washingon issues statement on Aretha controversy

The Jackson family will be appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show Monday to speak about the death of their son Michael. They will also talk about other lingering questions surrounding the future of the Jackson estate and his children.

Below is an exclusive interview we landed with Joe Jackson last year. He divulged information on the death of Michael, Omar Bhatti, and the future of the Jackson family.

RELATED:

Joe Jackson Exclusive

Share this post on Facebook! CLICK HERE:

Hughes, an innovative and dynamic pioneer of urban radio and founder and chairwoman of Radio One, the largest African-American- owned media corporation in the United States, is known for her determination, programming skills, and business acumen.

One of the special presenters was her son, Alfred Liggins, who is the CEO of Interactive One and Chairman of TVOne. Liggins will also be attending the 2011 Trumpet Awards.

Congratulation to Ms. Hughes on her amazing accomplishment.

2010 Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Gallery:

RELATED:

The Links, Inc. Honors Radio One Founder Cathy Hughes

Share this post on Facebook! CLICK HERE:

Like this? Then def check out “Can Smokey Find the 32 Black People in Wasilla, Alaska?” and “Is There Magic In Gary, Indiana?” (the childhood home of Michael Jackson)

Police brutality has plagued our community ever since anyone with a gun or a Billy club has ever been allowed to use physical force against another person under the guise of “to protect and serve.”

There are many hardworking, good policeman, who have dedicated their lives (and often sacrificed them) to keep law and order in our communities. The job is impossible to understand or sympathize with if you’ve never done it, and is largely under-paid and under-appreciated.

However, this does not excuse the decades-long reality that African-Americans have suffered under the hands of the police in ways that are racist and unfair, and our poor relationship with the police, if not improved, will continue to impede our progress both as a community and as a people.

To that, with much thanks given to the work of the ACLU, here is our BLACK CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO POLICE CONFRONTATION. (Perhaps those young women in Seattle, if they followed these steps would have avoided such an ugly outcome.)

1. Think carefully about your words, movement, body language, and emotions.
2.Don’t get into an argument with the police.
3. Remember, anything you say or do can be used against you.
4. Keep your hands where the police can see them.
5. Don’t run. Don’t touch any police officer.
6. Don’t resist even if you believe you are innocent.
7. Don’t complain on the scene or tell the police they’re wrong or that you’re going to file a complaint.
8. Do not make any statements regarding the incident.
9. Ask for a lawyer immediately upon your arrest.
10. Remember officers’ badge & patrol car numbers.
11. Write down everything you remember ASAP.
12. Try to find witnesses and their names and phone numbers.
13. If you are injured, take photographs of the injuries as soon as possible, but make sure you seek medical attention first.
14. If you feel your rights have been violated, file a written complaint with police department’s internal affairs division or civilian board, or call the ACLU hotline, 1-877-634-5454.

What you say to the police is always important. What you say can be used against you, and it can give the police an excuse to arrest you, especially if you bad-mouth a police officer.

You must show your driver’s license and registration when stopped in a car. Otherwise, you don’t have to answer any questions if you are detained or arrested, with one important exception. The police may ask for your name if you have been properly detained, and you can be arrested in some states for refusing to give it. If you reasonably fear that your name is incriminating, you can claim the right to remain silent, which may be a defense in case you are arrested anyway.

You don’t have to consent to any search of yourself, your car or your house. If you DO consent to a search, it can affect your rights later in court. If the police say they have a search warrant, ASK TO SEE IT.

Do not interfere with, or obstruct the police – you can be arrested for it.

IF YOU ARE STOPPED FOR QUESTIONING

It’s not a crime to refuse to answer questions, but refusing to answer might make the police suspicious about you. If you are asked to identify yourself, see paragraph 2 above.

Police may “pat-down” your clothing if they suspect a concealed weapon. Don’t physically resist, but make it clear that you don’t consent to any further search.

Ask if you are under arrest. If you are, you have a right to know why.

Don’t bad-mouth the police officer or run away, even if you believe what is happening is unreasonable. That could lead to your arrest.

IF YOU’RE STOPPED IN YOUR CAR

Upon request, show them your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. In certain cases, your car can be searched without a warrant as long as the police have probable cause. To protect yourself later, you should make it clear that you do not consent to a search. It is not lawful for police to arrest you simply for refusing to consent to a search.

If you’re given a ticket, you should sign it; otherwise you can be arrested. You can always fight the case in court later.

If you’re suspected of drunk driving (DWI) and refuse to take a blood, urine or breath test, your driver’s license may be suspended.

IF YOU’RE ARRESTED OR TAKEN TO A POLICE STATION

You have the right to remain silent and to talk to a lawyer before you talk to the police. Tell the police nothing except your name and address. Don’t give any explanations, excuses or stories. You can make your defense later, in court, based on what you and your lawyer decide is best.

Ask to see a lawyer immediately. If you can’t pay for a lawyer, you have a right to a free one, and should ask the police how the lawyer can be contacted. Don’t say anything without a lawyer.

Within a reasonable time after your arrest, or booking, you have the right to make a local phone call: to a lawyer, bail bondsman, a relative or any other person. The police may not listen to the call to the lawyer.

Sometimes you can be released without bail, or have bail lowered. Have your lawyer ask the judge about this possibility. You must be taken before the judge on the next court day after arrest.

Do not make any decisions in your case until you have talked with a lawyer.

IN YOUR HOME

If the police knock and ask to enter your home, you don’t have to admit them unless they have a warrant signed by a judge.

However, in some emergency situations (like when a person is screaming for help inside, or when the police are chasing someone) officers are allowed to enter and search your home without a warrant.

If you are arrested, the police can search you and the area close by. If you are in a building, “close by” usually means just the room you are in.

ARREST THE RACISM. Tell us about your race — or ethnic — based traffic or pedestrian stop. Call 1-877-634-5454 or go to aclu.org/profiling

To download this official Know Your Rights guide

from the ACLU, click here

For other informational VIDEOS about dealing with the police, click here

<a

Police brutality has plagued our community ever since anyone with a gun or a Billy club has ever been allowed to use physical force against another person under the guise of “to protect and serve.”

There are many hardworking, good policeman, who have dedicated their lives (and often sacrificed them) to keep law and order in our communities. The job is impossible to understand or sympathize with if you’ve never done it, and is largely under-paid and under-appreciated.

However, this does not excuse the decades-long reality that African-Americans have suffered under the hands of the police in ways that are racist and unfair, and our poor relationship with the police, if not improved, will continue to impede our progress both as a community and as a people.

Text continues after gallery …

To that, with much thanks given to the work of the ACLU (see their phenomenal “Bust Card”) , here is our BLACK CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO POLICE CONFRONTATION. (Perhaps those young women in Seattle, if they followed these steps would have avoided such an ugly outcome.)

THE 14 STEPS

1. Think carefully about your words, movement, body language, and emotions.
2. Don’t get into an argument with the police.
3. Remember, anything you say or do can be used against you.
4. Keep your hands where the police can see them.
5. Don’t run. Don’t touch any police officer.
6. Don’t resist even if you believe you are innocent.
7. Don’t complain on the scene or tell the police they’re wrong or that you’re going to file a complaint.
8. Do not make any statements regarding the incident.
9. Ask for a lawyer immediately upon your arrest.
10. Remember officers’ badge & patrol car numbers.
11. Write down everything you remember ASAP.
12. Try to find witnesses and their names and phone numbers.
13. If you are injured, take photographs of the injuries as soon as possible, but make sure you seek medical attention first.
14. If you feel your rights have been violated, file a written complaint with police department’s internal affairs division or civilian board, or call the ACLU hotline, 1-877-634-5454.

What you say to the police is always important. What you say can be used against you, and it can give the police an excuse to arrest you, especially if you bad-mouth a police officer.

You must show your driver’s license and registration when stopped in a car. Otherwise, you don’t have to answer any questions if you are detained or arrested, with one important exception. The police may ask for your name if you have been properly detained, and you can be arrested in some states for refusing to give it. If you reasonably fear that your name is incriminating, you can claim the right to remain silent, which may be a defense in case you are arrested anyway.

You don’t have to consent to any search of yourself, your car or your house. If you DO consent to a search, it can affect your rights later in court. If the police say they have a search warrant, ASK TO SEE IT.

Do not interfere with, or obstruct the police – you can be arrested for it.

IF YOU ARE STOPPED FOR QUESTIONING

It’s not a crime to refuse to answer questions, but refusing to answer might make the police suspicious about you. If you are asked to identify yourself, see paragraph 2 above.

Police may “pat-down” your clothing if they suspect a concealed weapon. Don’t physically resist, but make it clear that you don’t consent to any further search.

Ask if you are under arrest. If you are, you have a right to know why.

Don’t bad-mouth the police officer or run away, even if you believe what is happening is unreasonable. That could lead to your arrest.

IF YOU’RE STOPPED IN YOUR CAR

Upon request, show them your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. In certain cases, your car can be searched without a warrant as long as the police have probable cause. To protect yourself later, you should make it clear that you do not consent to a search. It is not lawful for police to arrest you simply for refusing to consent to a search.

If you’re given a ticket, you should sign it; otherwise you can be arrested. You can always fight the case in court later.

If you’re suspected of drunk driving (DWI) and refuse to take a blood, urine or breath test, your driver’s license may be suspended.

IF YOU’RE ARRESTED OR TAKEN TO A POLICE STATION

You have the right to remain silent and to talk to a lawyer before you talk to the police. Tell the police nothing except your name and address. Don’t give any explanations, excuses or stories. You can make your defense later, in court, based on what you and your lawyer decide is best.

Ask to see a lawyer immediately. If you can’t pay for a lawyer, you have a right to a free one, and should ask the police how the lawyer can be contacted. Don’t say anything without a lawyer.

Within a reasonable time after your arrest, or booking, you have the right to make a local phone call: to a lawyer, bail bondsman, a relative or any other person. The police may not listen to the call to the lawyer.

Sometimes you can be released without bail, or have bail lowered. Have your lawyer ask the judge about this possibility. You must be taken before the judge on the next court day after arrest.

Do not make any decisions in your case until you have talked with a lawyer.

IN YOUR HOME

If the police knock and ask to enter your home, you don’t have to admit them unless they have a warrant signed by a judge.

However, in some emergency situations (like when a person is screaming for help inside, or when the police are chasing someone) officers are allowed to enter and search your home without a warrant.

If you are arrested, the police can search you and the area close by. If you are in a building, “close by” usually means just the room you are in.

ARREST THE RACISM. Tell us about your race — or ethnic — based traffic or pedestrian stop. Call 1-877-634-5454 or go to aclu.org/profiling

RELATED STORIES

VIDEO: Seattle Police Punch Teenage Girl In The Face

15-Year-Old Brutally Beaten By Indianapolis Police

To download this official Know Your Rights guide

from the ACLU, click here

For other informational VIDEOS about dealing with the police, click here

From the Fayetteville Observer:

LUMBERTON – The mother of late rapper Tupac Shakur was arrested earlier this month by state alcohol agents.

Afeni Shakur Davis, 63, of the 2900 block of Crystal Lane in Lumberton, was charged April 16 with felony possession of marijuana, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance and simple possession of a controlled substance. Bail was set at $10,000.

Text continues after gallery …

She is currently out on bond, according to court records.

A Lumberton native, Davis has made a name for herself in her own right as a successful businesswoman, philanthropist and political activist.

She founded the holding company that oversees all of Tupac’s released and unreleased material.

Click here to read more.

RELATED STORIES

Tupac’s Mom Files Lawsuit Over Tupac Movie

Marijuana Advocates Emphasize Economic Benefits Of Legalization

Did you catch last week’s episode of Washington Watch with Roland Martin on TV One? If you missed it, check out very own Smokey Fontaine talkinga bout what’s hot on the web right here!:

Tune in  Sundays at 11 a.m./5 p.m. to watch the first news show ever to look at national politics through an African-American lens. Hosted by Roland Martin, the show has guests as distinguished as VP Joe Biden and covers topics ranging from the economy, healthcare, education and black on black crime.

Submit your questions/comments for Washington Watch HERE.

When asked to reveal parts of their personalities, musicians and song writers often complain fans and the media do not pay close enough attention to the art that they create. “Let the music stand for itself” or “Listen to the lyrics and you will understand,” is a familar battle cry for a pop star unwilling to open up about their life in an interview.

Ten years ago, Michael Jackson released an album called Blood On The Dance Floor.  A commercial failure, the set included a song since buried called “Morphine.” This was the chorus:

Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he’s taking demerol
Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he’s taking demerol

In light of the allegations surrounding Michael’s death, the second verse is even scarier:

He’s tried
Hard to convince her
To be over what he had
Today he wants it twice as bad
Don’t cry
I won’t resent you
Yesterday you had his trust
Today he’s taking twice as much

Written and composed by Michael himself, “Morphine” could just be a metaphorical tale about love as strong as a narcotic, OR it could be a prophetic cry for help from The King Of Pop struggling with growing addictions to painkillers.

In fact, many of the songs that Michael wrote himself, could be read as autobiographical.  Bad‘s “Leave Me Alone” is probably the most famous, but it’s the lesser-played tracks that may tell the truest tale.  One read of the words to “Childhood” from the HIStory album, will bring you to tears.

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for the world that I come from
‘Cause I’ve been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart…
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities…
‘Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me…

People say I’m not okay
‘Cause I love such elementary things…
It’s been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood
I’ve never known…

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates in adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne…

Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?

People say I’m strange that way
‘Cause I love such elementary things,
It’s been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood (Childhood) I’ve never known…

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
But the dreams I would dare, watch me fly…

Before you judge me, try hard to love me.
The painful youth I’ve had

Have you seen my Childhood….

What do you think?  Are there other Michael songs that feel or sound like he could be talking about his real life?  Sound off and print the lyrics in the comments…

WHO CARES IF I’M BLACK?

The Challenges of Race In The Digital Space

Ok, it’s official. The biggest star in the history of the modern web is…a Black man.

That’s right. Mr. Isaiah Mustafah now officially drives the #1 Most Subscribed YouTube site of All-Time, his shower vids have been watched over 200MM times, celebs swoon over him tweet after tweet, and he continues to be heralded in blogs the world over as what’s great and wonderful and “post-racial” about the world wide web.

ALSO READ: Top 9 Must See Black Films

Hey, how cool? No one is looking at his race they say. No one cares that he’s Black. He’s just handsome and sexy and completely irresistible. Sure he’s half-naked, and we really love it when he gets on top of that horse, but that has no racial overtones…it’s all about Mustafah’s abs!

So maybe Wired magazine was right when they said a few years ago that the web was “the epitome of a post-racial space…where racial tensions subside and all can come together in a pluralistic utopia”?

I mean there was nothing racial about the love given to Antoine Dodson either, right? He’s Mustafah’s co-pilot up there at the top of the charts, flying high as the Most Viewed YouTube sensation of 2010.  Dodson is the American Everyman, a tank-top and du-rag-wearing sister protecting crime-fighting citizen who just happens to hot comb his hair and speak in dialect.  The white kids who turned him into a star were only poking a little fun, right? Not providing a worldwide museum pass for folks to laugh out loud at whom they’ve always feared and despised and misunderstood.

And what about the marketing side of the online world? The world driven by buyers and planners and advertisers who decide the fate of all those billions of boxes and buttons and links that we’ve been habituated to try and skip. To effectively get into our pockets, do they need me to flash my race card anymore?

A smart planner can simply click on a few privacy-invading tools and know where you live, where you chill, who you hang out with, what you bought lately, with what credit card, and with what credit score, to find a fool-proof way of reaching exactly who they want at anytime.

Black female, college educated, 24-35, lives east of the Mississippi, but South of the Mason-Dixon, with less than three kids, $250 dispensable monthly income, diets on weekdays, and a Maxwell fan? Check.

And if those ad network tools get boring, Jane Planner can always have more fun scanning all those personal photos the world has uploaded or shared or tweeted to check for skin color. (Just be damned with sunless tanners, and make sure they include beige!)

So who cares if I’m Black?

Hmmm. But wait.  Every study ever done has shown Black folks are 2x more likely to trust any news, tools or services given to them directly by Black media, and despite all this “post-racial” talk, 80% of us still say it’s important for us to preserve our culture.

Media pioneers Oscar Michaeux, John Johnson, Bob Johnson and Cathy Hughes all created groundbreaking media empires in film, print, television and radio by specifically stepping out on…race.

Could the Internet have changed all that? Silicon Alley futurists love to claim web communities are based more on anonymous passions and interests. So then how is 600 million strong Facebook based on friends, family, and alum?  Pretty traditional?

And if the web is really post-racial, then why is it so easy to find racists?

Blacks & Hispanics will soon represent 1 in 4 of all Internet users, (with a growth rate 4x faster than that of whites), but 15,000 people were not shy to put their profile picture up on the Burn The Koran group on Facebook. Google Martin Luther King, Jr. and be wary of the self-described white supremacist content that fuels the www.martinlutherking.org search result.

Twitter is no exception.  At any tweet time of day, despite the fact that Blacks & Latinos comprise almost 20% of all Twitter users, you can find folks socializing around something racially inappropriate.  #thingsdarkiessay

So here’s what must be true:  Race matters more online than in any other form of medium. More!

The Internet is actually built for ethnic groups to thrive. Ideas around micro-blogging, super-served niche communities and the long-tail of content, are all perfect opportunities for the creation and maintenance of authentic and far-reaching cultural experiences.

The Internet, more than radio, TV or print, allows us to be visible on our own terms, and in a society where the dash between African and American connotes as much of a separation as it does a connection, that is a culture-saving, identity-saving necessity. And, of course, people of color have always made cutting edge technologies cool.

Black Planet.com invented social networking. What that tells me is that back in 1999, Black kids from the wrong side of the digital divide invented social media…  [I’m glad The Social Network didn’t win the Oscar for Best Picture, because now Tyler Perry can get his when he makes the BP version!]

I mean who was the first person you know with a Motorola 2-way? And wasn’t 2Pac the first one to pimp a huge brick suitcase cell phone in his “I Get Around” video?

And check this: Even before our upcoming reboot, BlackPlanet.com users spend 2x the time on BP on average then users do on Facebook. Twice. (Doesn’t help our valuation enough, but that’s another essay.)

But because the web medium is, by definition, innovative as well as democratic, because it has a $0 cost of entry and is in no way a meritocracy, Black online media folks must be careful.  We can’t just expect our Black star power to rise and get more clicks just because the audience is there, and we naturally have more hustle.

Unless you’re sprinting to an analytics-driven never-ending finish line, the Internet will zoom right past you. The iPad is the fastest selling new consumer product in history, but type in African-American in the App Store, and you get anemic results.

There’s an app for that, but is there an app for us?  We must be there.

Everyday urban media professionals must prove Black and Latino online value with great data and revenue. We must support and value and invest in new digital agencies that get the tech as well as they get the culture. And we need to cultivate young ethnic online talent to blog and build and monetize around.

Now is the time, if urban culture has come to dominate all other forms of media (I mean, who would have ever dreamed that hip-hop could sell minivans and Mercedes?) then the web must be next. We can’t dis one another like Carver did Randy.  The stakes are too high.

Over the past year or two, there have been some great online successes: TheRoot.com, TheGrio.com and my site NewsOne.com now reach over 3.5MM readers every month, and they were all invented less than 18 months ago!

Black women are posting 5,000 comments each week for one another on my HelloBeautiful.com, the biggest advertiser in the world, P&G put real money up for their great cross-platform Black Is Beautiful campaign, Pepsi honored African American women and created a slick online website at www.pepsiweinspire.com and check out ene-be-a, the NBA’s Spanish language web portal.

So who cares if I’m Black online? I do!  We do, every time we click or touch or swipe.

And, you know what? The White House does too!  Let’s make sure Valerie Jarrett’s African-American Media Summit becomes an annual event, and the President gets re-elected so he can show up again.  (Yes, We Better!)

CHECK OUT MATERIAL FROM THE 2010  SUMMIT HERE: NewsOne Visits The White House

So if it’s ok to fawn at the Old Spice brother on the horse, and hide our kids and wives from the annual hot ghetto mess, then don’t forget the real challenge, the real opportunity, the real mission. To super-serve the underserved online with the best and most meaningful content that we can possible imagine!

Just make sure that when you do that huge and viral and historic program on the web for people of color everywhere, and hold a massive offline event in the new Black Capital of the World…just try not to let the white girls win…!   LOL

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Obama’s announcements include members of his national security team and beyond, completing the nominations for one-third of his Cabinet as he moves quickly to assemble the country’s new leadership in times of war and a troubled economy.

His selections include some of his most loyal campaign advisers and notably some who were not, including Democratic primary rival Clinton and President Bush‘s defense secretary, Robert Gates, staying in his current post.

Obama also planned to name Washington lawyer Eric Holder as attorney general and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as homeland security secretary, according to Democratic officials. He also planned to announce two senior foreign policy positions outside the 15-member Cabinet: campaign foreign policy adviser Susan Rice as U.N. ambassador and retired Marine General James L. Jones as national security adviser.

The Democratic official disclosed the plans on a condition of anonymity Sunday because they were not authorized for public release ahead of the news conference.

Those names had been discussed before for those jobs, but Obama was going to make them official Monday in his hometown.

Last week, he named key members of his economic team, including Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as treasury secretary. Obama is not yet ready to name his intelligence advisers, one Democratic official said.

Clinton’s nomination is the latest chapter in what began as a bitter rivalry for the Democratic presidential nomination. After Obama defeated her, Clinton backed his general election campaign against Republican Sen. John McCain, and she now has agreed to give up her Senate seat to be his top diplomat.

To make it possible for his wife to become secretary of state, party officials said, former President Clinton agreed:

_to disclose the names of every contributor to his foundation since its inception in 1997 and all contributors going forward.

_to refuse donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative, his annual charitable conference.

_to cease holding CGI meetings overseas.

_to volunteer to step away from day-to-day management of the foundation while his wife is secretary of state.

_to submit his speaking schedule to review by the State Department and White House counsel.

_to submit any new sources of income to a similar ethical review.

Bill Clinton‘s business deals and global charitable endeavors had been expected to create problems for the former first lady’s nomination. But in negotiations with the Obama transition team, the former president agreed to several measures designed to bring transparency to those activities.

“It’s a big step,” said Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who said he plans to vote to confirm Clinton.

Lugar said there would still be “legitimate questions” raised about the former president’s extensive international involvement. “I don’t know how, given all of our ethics standards now, anyone quite measures up to this who has such cosmic ties, but … hopefully, this team of rivals will work,” Lugar said.

Obama and Clinton clashed repeatedly on foreign affairs during the primary. Obama criticized Clinton for her vote to authorize the Iraq war. Clinton said Obama lacked the experience to be president and she chided him for saying he would meet with leaders of nations such as Iran and Cuba without conditions.

Advisers said Obama had for several months envisioned Clinton as his top diplomat, and he invited her to Chicago to discuss the job just a week after the Nov. 4 election. The two met privately Nov. 13 in Obama’s transition office in downtown Chicago.

Clinton was said to be interested and then to waver, concerned about relinquishing her Senate seat and the political independence it conferred. Those concerns were largely resolved after Obama assured her she would be able to choose a staff and have direct access to him, advisers said.

Remaining in the Senate also may not have been an attractive choice for Clinton. Despite her political celebrity, she is a relatively junior senator without prospects for a leadership position or committee chairmanship anytime soon.

Clinton “is known throughout the world, very smart, a little harder line than Senator Obama took during the campaign,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close McCain friend and adviser who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, said the Clintons will have to tread carefully to avoid the appearance of conflicts.

“The presumption will be that both Secretary of State Clinton and former President Clinton will be very judicious in what they take on because there’s a new dimension here,” Reed said. “I think they’ve put up a good framework. This disclosure, this transparency is the right way to go.”

Lugar and Reed both spoke on ABC’s “This Week.” Graham was on “Fox News Sunday.”

And I voted for my grandmother, who left South Carolina for New York to work in a government job for 49 years, and then left it all to my mother and me. I looked up to her from behind that curtain, and all was ok…

Smokey D. Fontaine is the chief content officer of InteractiveOne, parent company of NewsOne. Watch for Smokey tonight on TV One! (Check your local cable TV listings for channel information.)

Russia!  I found it already!!

That, and the big stuffed polar bear staring at me from behind a glass case, and I definitely feel a long long way from home…

sdf

My flight takes me to Phoenix first (92 degrees) then goes to Anchorage (34 degrees). I have a thick Carhatt sweatshirt and black parka for protection.

I wonder if I should have rocked my North Face like I do when in Harlem in the snow?

11 people of color on this flight including the male steward with dreadlocks. Let me see how long I can keep the numbers of folks above 10.

I know my old friend DMX is in AZ so we’ll see…

sdf

McCain’s campaign has said the Republican wouldn’t participate in the Mississippi debate Friday unless there was a consensus on the financial crisis, but Obama still wants the debate to go on.

Huckabee defeated McCain in the Alabama GOP primary in February.

Huckabee said Thursday in Mobile that the people need to hear both candidates. He said that’s “far better than heading to Washington” to huddle with senators.

He said the candidates should level with the people about the financial crisis and say the “heart of this is greed.”

Huckabee said he still backs McCain’s candidacy, but said the Arizona senator should not have put his campaign on hold to deal with the financial crisis on Wall Street. He said a president must be prepared to “deal with the unexpected.”

“You can’t just say, ‘World stop for a moment. I’m going to cancel everything,’” Huckabee said.

Huckabee also was critical of President Bush’s handling of the crisis.

He said to lay the 0 billion obligation on the nation “in 24 hours” amounts to “holding the country hostage.”

“I just think the American people ought to be screaming their lungs out, saying to Congress, not so fast. That’s our money you’re giving away,” Huckabee said.

He said the burden of the 0 billion relief package will fall on the next generation and those in their teens and 20s.

Huckabee spoke to reporters before attending a benefit for the Baptist-affiliated University of Mobile. Huckabee is an ordained Southern Baptist minister.

While in Mobile, he also played a little blues guitar with a student group.

Since losing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Huckabee said he has formed a political action committee and advises other candidates.

“I don’t have any immediate plans to seek office,” he said.

Okay, now imagine your best friend approached you for a very sizeable loan to help him right himself financially. But this is not the first time he’s asked you for a sizeable loan this year. You agree, but it will require you to again tap your retirement pension. All you ask of the best friend is for a detailed plan regarding where the money is going, how he will manage the funds, and when you might get it back.

He tells you he does not have a concrete answer yet to these questions, but will get one for you later after he starts spending the money. By the way, he also tells you that you need to butt out of his business so he can figure out what to do with your money.

Do you lend it to him?

I pose these scenarios because they essentially reflect what is happening with the proposed bail out plan. Secretary Henry Paulson told the Senate Banking Committee during a question and answer session yesterday that the Treasury Department needed full authority to spend the 700 billion dollars as it sees fit. However, he could not provide a concise plan of implementation, a clear process for instituting the reverse auctions being proposed, or details regarding the oversight structure for managing this money.

He did argue that giving the entire 700 billion now would shore up market confidence, despite a national debt expected to jump to a staggering 11.315 trillion if the money is granted.

Secretary Paulson also tried to calm fears by assuring the American public that this is not an expenditure but an investment.

I can sleep easier now knowing that the government is going to “invest” in my future by purchasing bad debt without a clear idea of the implementation plan, process or oversight structures to protect the investment.

After listening to the Senate Banking Committee meeting this much is clear to me: (1) reverse auctions will be used to reduce debt (tax payers money will purchase banks deteriorating assets); (2) the people who are partly responsible for the mess—market experts—will be hired/paid to help make the “plan” work (when they get it figured out); and finally, (3) Secretary Paulson wants unfettered authority to “experiment with some solutions.”

Invariably, something must be done to keep our economy from collapsing. The financial institutions have more debt than capital. Purchasing bad debt, including mortgage backed securities from financial institutions will free up money that is tied up on the sheets of struggling financial institutions, allowing them to lend to consumers and keep the economy going.

But where does this leave the average American? Where is the guarantee that these assets will be resold for a profit to taxpayers? How do you keep investors and banks that are culpable from profiting again?

Since we are in an experimental mood, let me offer up an “experimental” solution of my own.

Because we know that bad mortgage is at the heart of the current crisis why not address the core of the solution: homeowners.

After giving financial institutions up to 100 billion dollars, reserve 50 billion for loan renegotiations for homeowners for the actual value of homes right now. Too many people are upside down in their homes and need to have their loans renegotiated.

They pay the government back the reduction amount upon selling, if what they earn is equal to or exceeds it. Also, they cannot take equity out of the home unless the reduction amount is repaid first.

The long-term rate of return in this experiment could yield more than what is currently being placed before us.

What is on the table now is as bad as hiring the plumber that ruined your house in the first place or giving money to the aforementioned best friend—money flushed down the drain, if the drain ever gets fixed.

Thabiti Lewis is author of forthcoming book, Ballers of the New School: Race, Sport, and American Culture (Third World Press, fall 2008) and teaches at Washington State University Vancouver.

Do you have experience working online, in social media, or on a network programming team?

Are you super smart, experienced, passionate and personable?

Are you ready to handle the pressure of working at one of the largest African-American media companies in the world?

Then we may have the job for you!

Interactive One and BlackPlanet.com are HIRING!

Two (2) senior positions are immediately open in the PROGRAMMING department.

Both are senior full-time positions, reporting to the Chief Content Officer, based at the Black Planet corporate headquarters in New York City.

Job #1

Social Media Executive Director

Industry: Internet/Online/New Media
Salary     Negotiable
Benefits:     401K/403B, Bonuses, Dental, Health
Job Duration:    Full Time
Job Location:     New York, NY USA

Description:

A senior level programming position that oversees programming, planning, management, and administrative duties across the user-driven social networks of Interactive One including BlackPlanet.com, our content verticals and radio station websites.

Responsibilities:

The job sets network and social media strategy, and develops network standards for our highly-trafficked user-driven social network.

The job demands an aptitude for online community building and all forms of social media  with a focus on social marketing outreach, audience insight and development, recirculation, and local content solutions.

The job demands high level of engagement with other department leads in the marketing, product development, product management and user experience areas.

The job manages a team programmers to ensure high performance, effective training and meeting of individual, team and company goals.

The job works alongside an editorial Managing Editor and an Online Producer to enable optimized, leveraged and efficient workflow, process and execution.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate must be an expert in the social networking space.  Knowledge must go beyond simple user experience with MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, but go into programming insight for all successful socially fueled content experiences on the web.  Knowledge of local web communities is a must.

The ideal candidate must be committed to increasing member acquisition and retention percentages and driving unique visitors and page views. He/she must successfully implement cross-platform strategic programming models that achieve business objectives, deliver strong ROI, and surpass aggressive personal and team traffic goals.

The ideal candidate must also have:

- In-depth experience with, knowledge of, and/or affinity for, African-American online audiences
- Knowledge of various publishing strategies, platforms and techniques
- Experience sourcing and negotiating content programming from third parties / local publishers.
- Experience developing compelling editorial/programming packages that activate social-engagement
-

Required experience and skills:

3-4 years online social network programming experience
2-3 years online programming management experience
1-2 years online local content programming experience

Expert knowledge of:  a) online performance tracking tools including Omniture, Google Analytics, Comscore, and OBI;  b) content management systems including WordPress and Drupal

For more information about the company, see www.interactiveone.com

If interested, please send cover letter and resume to dbennett@interactiveone.com.

Job #2

Senior Online Producer

Salary     Negotiable
Benefits:     401K/403B, Bonuses, Dental, Health
Job Duration:    Full Time
Job Location:     New York, NY USA

Description:

A senior level programming position that oversees project-based, cross-platform programming initiatives with a focus on macro-level blogger network development, content distribution partnerships, sales coordination and internal marketing efforts.

Responsibilities:

The job produces content franchises that live on various sites and platforms (social network, blogs, video, local, mobile), and ensures a unified vision across various multimedia platforms both on- and offline.

The job demands a focus on social marketing outreach, syndication strategy development, traffic and audience analysis, and custom and/or repeatable sales solutions that drive significant revenue.

The job demands a high level of engagement with other department leads in the marketing, product development, product management and user experience areas.

The job works alongside an editorial Managing Editor and a Social Media Director to enable optimized, leveraged and efficient workflow, process and execution.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate must be committed to driving unique visitors and page views, and increasing member acquisition and retention. He/she must successfully implement cross-platform strategic programming models that achieve business objectives, deliver strong ROI, and surpass aggressive personal and team traffic goals.

The ideal candidate must also have:

- In-depth experience with, knowledge of, and/or affinity for, African-American online audiences
- Knowledge of various publishing strategies, platforms and techniques
- Experience sourcing and negotiating content programming from third parties / syndicators.
- Experience developing compelling editorial/programming packages that enhance advertising/sales efforts
-

Required experience and skills:

4-5 years online programming management experience
2-3 years online social network programming experience

Expert knowledge of:  a) online performance tracking tools including Omniture, Google Analytics, Comscore, and OBI;  b) content management systems including WordPress and Drupal

For more information about the company, see www.interactiveone.com

If interested, please send cover letter and resume to dbennett@interactiveone.com.

GOOD LUCK!!