HustleKnockin'

Happy SB 1070

Happy Cinco De Mayo Day... Hope all my brown and black folk flood AZ like a plague today.

Sweep this, AZ...

I'm dying to see the reception the Phoenix Suns get tonight in their anti-SB1070 jerseys. The funny thing is that Steve Nash, a Canadian immigrant who really doesn't have a dog in the fight here has been the most vocal NBA player on this.

Think about it:

The white guy from Canada who can move across borders at will, not because he's a future hall of Fame athlete, but because he's a pretty nondescript white guy who's rarely mistaken for an athlete much less an immigrant gets the irony in all this.

Don't sleep: The Canadian border is as porous as a sieve and has been for generations; but no one's terrified or outraged by the notion of random Euros and assorted palefaces sneaking in from Toronto or Quebec or via the Niagra Falls...

Well, you know how it is: Brown folk screw -ish up so you gotta put your foot down somewhere right? Right.

And this is all about freedom and protection.

Sure.

Lookit: since we're playing this game, lets play it:

Domestic criminals of all stripes and walks of life commit exponentially more crime in the US than illegals. I'm from Chicago—those are Mexicans from across the boarder shooting down teenagers. Last I checked, all these random abused and missing and murdered white women that Nancy Grace and others have conniption fits over every day are being done in by their US-born male, mostly white neighbors...

Between the street gangs, crooked cops, dirty politicians and the thugs that've been running loose looting Wall Street for the last 20 years, I'd say Mexico's got the better class of hoodlum. I say we try a crook exchange program.

Mexico takes our summabishes, we take theirs. Kinda like WifeSwap, only it's be CrookSwap.
*looks for art work to do "crookswap" joke*

Nevamind. You get my point. Nothing's all one thing or one group and the solution's never one thing or one group.

GM, Ford confronted for lack of Black Print Media Buys

File this under "too little too late" as print across the board is suffering. But it's still a worthy fight. Just wish these guys had stood up and fought when I was doing this years ago....

=======
NNPA Chairman confronts GM,  Ford for lack of Black newspaper ads

By Hazel Trice Edney
NNPA News Service

It is estimated by the Chicago-based research firm, Target Market News, that African-American consumers will have spent $2.8 billion on new General Motors cars in this year alone.

According to industry statistics, GM's models, which include Chevys, Cadillacs, Saturns, Buicks, Pontiacs, and GMC trucks, represented just above 18 percent of all the new cars purchased by African-Americans in just the first seven months of this year.

Yet, published figures from national research sources found that GM spent only $29.9 million on advertising in Black-oriented media in 2008. That represents a meager 2.4 percent of the $1.17 billion of all of GM's advertising expenditures. Market experts are baffled.

''Clearly there is a discrepancy in how GM allocated marketing dollars to target Black consumers,'' says Ken Smikle, president of Target Market News. ''One has to wonder why one of the top five advertisers in the world would not invest more in reaching a segment of customers that represents desperately needed growth. The imbalance between patronage and marketing budgets is especially puzzling in a recession when companies need to be competitive and strategic with every dollar they spend.''

This "puzzling" imbalance between Black consumer investments and Black consumer returns from GM, Ford and the automotive industry at large is the reason that Danny Bakewell (pictured), chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, says he will lead the federation of more than 200 Black-owned newspapers in a direct confrontation with the automotive industry.

"This is not only unfair, it is unjust, it is malignant, and borders on just being criminal that they're just taking this money out of our community and not having any kind of respect. They wouldn't do this to any other consumer," says Bakewell in a telephone interview. "These are the people who trust us to steer them to the right product. If these people are taking our people for granted; then we're going to steer them to other products. I am declaring that this is not something that we are going to idly sit by and let happen to our people and to our community."

When Bakewell showed up at the Rainbow/PUSH 10th Annual Automotive Summit in Detroit early this month, observers said both GM and Ford representatives got that message clearly.

''He spoke from the audience about, 'What are you going to do for the bottom line?'" recalls Glenda Gill, executive director of Rainbow/PUSH's Automotive Project. The annual summit is the only one of its kind that provides automotive manufacturers an opportunity to dialog with Black and other cultural markets.

The two panelists questioned by Bakewell were Vice President of Global Procurement for General Motors, Bob Sousha and Vice President of Global Procurement for Ford Motor Company Thomas Brown. Neither could be reached for comment this week.

However, interviews with other GM and Ford representatives revealed that the corporations generally do not chart the specific dollar amounts going to Black-owned or Black-targeted media for specific media buys. They mainly work from the federal government definition of "minority", which means any race other than White; plus women-owned businesses.

"I don't think we break it down by minority per se. It's not broken down by how many African-American suppliers, how many female, how many Hispanic and that kind of thing," said Dan Flores, GM Corporate Spokesman.

Bakewell says that Ford appears to be making greater strides and greater efforts to respond to the Black community.

"But they still have a ways to go" in relation to Black newspapers, he said.

Armando Ojeda, director of supplier diversity development for Ford, says Ford continues to work to "increase the dollar value we spend with all of our minority suppliers, which includes African-American suppliers through any number of initiatives."

Ford spokesman Todd Nissen says advertising with Black media, including Black newspapers, is done through UniWorld, the New York-based advertising firm that is the nation's largest Black-owned and operated advertising agency.

However, Ojeda adds that industry trends may be leaning away from newspapers and more toward the Internet.

To circumvent such trends that are largely insensitive to Black communities, Bakewell says he intends to start with top corporate leadership, from which decisions will trickle down.

"I am moving to get a meeting with the CEO and the chief marketing officer for both of these companies because I cannot believe that they are aware of this giant gulf between our loyalty and the disrespect that we're being given by these companies," Bakewell says.

Figures from the R. L. Polk Research Company show that African-Americans still purchased more than 320,000 new cars between January and July of this year. This represents 7.1 percent of all new cars bought.

The national advertising industry in general takes for granted Black consumers, which spend billions for their goods and products, Bakewell says.

"Instead of using that as a basis for supporting us, they're using it as a basis against us to say, 'If you're supporting us at that level, why do we need to support you. We've already got the market,'" he describes. NNPA will have help in its pursuit of economic inclusion.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and CEO of Rainbow/PUSH, says he will work with NNPA to assert pressure from the civil rights side, particularly on those manufacturers, such as GM and Chrysler- that have received billions of dollars in economic bailout money from taxpayers.

"Now that the government has taken over, it must enforce its own laws of equal opportunity, contract compliance and fairness. These are government-run companies now. And this is a critical moment," Jackson says. "They cannot ignore affirmative action laws. This applies to jobs, dealership contracts, advertisements and professional services." He and Bakewell say they will also seek Congressional hearings on advertising discrimination.

Ford was able to survive the economic downturn without bankruptsy or a bailout.

Praising Jackson for "creating the atmosphere for this dialog," Bakewell says he will form a web of partnerships to work alongside the Black Press of America and is willing to even ask the involvement of NNPA board members and publishers.

"I'm going to ask the board to buy stock in these companies. I'm going to ask to go to their board meetings. If we don't get some real serious response to this, then this issue even if we have to bring our 200-plus publishers from across this country and show up on the door steps of General Motors and Ford, we are going to do that. We are going to make this a public issue because it is unethical, it is immoral and it seems to me to be something that would be illegal."

ESSENCE makes Advertising Age 2009 A-List of Top 10 Mags

There's an irony in having ESSENCE's long-running excellence acknowledged by Ad Age or by the industry at large. Not because Essence isn't good, but because the ad world does such a horrendous job of acknowledging black media and black professionals. But given the current state of the magazine business, maybe they figured that acknowledging a black media entity's excellence  can't hurt at this point. So either Essence is just that hot—too hot to be denied, or Ad Age is making a turn for the better.

Then again, a broken watch is still right twice a day. (That's an analog reference for all you digital heads.)

Regardless, big shots to ESSENCE for holding it down.

============

ESSENCE named to Advertising Age A-List of top 10 magazines for 2009

ESSENCE magazine received special industry recognition recently as a magazine that reaches beyond the printed page to build a future as a finely-honed media brand. The publication was ranked No.6 on the 2009 Advertising Age Magazine A-List!  This honor underscores the influence of ESSENCE's audience and indicates the brand's authority as the place 'Where Black Women Come First.'

In acknowledgement of this honor, ESSENCE President Michelle Ebanks presented a commentary on targeted media entitled, "In the ABC's of Targeted Media, ESSENCE scores an 'A'-List" --pegged to the brand's inclusion on the list:

"In the world of publishing, targeted media serves specific segments of the population who share a similar passion and/or mindset.  There are countless niche magazines that are popular and relevant -- but are facing a myriad of challenges only exacerbated by the current advertising downtown.

"Referring to ESSENCE as "one of the preeminent vehicles through which to reach Black women", the brand was distinguished for its successful expansion beyond the legendary print publication -- which launched almost 40 years ago -- into ventures online, on television and in live events.  Additionally, ESSENCE was noted for its leadership in continually educating marketers on "how African-American women are distinct". 

"As the publisher of ESSENCE, the premier lifestyle magazine aimed at an influential segment of the multicultural market -- African-American women -- I remain enthusiastically optimistic. Today, ESSENCE was ranked by media trade publication Advertising Age as No.6 on its annual "A-List" which touts the top 10 magazines of the year; demonstrating the efficiency and necessity of targeted media.

"Many marketers cite a lack of a dedicated budget when deciding not to support targeted media with ad dollars and argue that they are already reaching a targeted audience --such as Black women -- by advertising in mainstream publications.  With a limited understanding of an audience that's nuanced, marketers should accept the indispensability of brands like ESSENCE.  As stated in Advertising Age with respect to ESSENCE, "With the 'pulse of a community' firmly in grasp, marketers benefit."

"By investing in research that enlightens our advertisers and expanding our offerings beyond traditional print to reach Black women everywhere in a way that's authentic -- ESSENCE is an example of targeted media that works.  We celebrate her essence and empower her life's passions every minute of every day and we know more about this group of women than anyone else."

Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the leading media and communications company dedicated to African-American women.  With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online, the Essence brand is "Where Black Women Come First".  The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit, Window on Our Women (WOW I & II) and Smart Beauty I, II & III consumer insights, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD).

For 39 years, ESSENCE, which has a brand reach of over 8 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information relating to every area of African-American women's lives. Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at essence.com.

Music Review: Best Crisis Ever by Apsci

Crazy, Crazy Insane:
A Review of BEST CRISIS EVER by Apsci

APSCI
Best Crisis Ever
Quannum Projects
2009

Ever talk to a crazy person so long that you find yourself wondering if they’re crazy or if you’re crazy? That’s how I felt this summer when I previewed Best Crisis Ever from Apsci. This album is not the album a sane rational artist makes. Normal people don’t think about music the way Apsci seems to. Normal people just don't do these sorts of things—not on purpose at least.

Best Crisis Ever is just what it sounds like 13 tracks of inspired off the wall talent that had a nervous breakdown, filed for bankruptcy and hid out in a room fulla nothing but noise-making machines and random instruments with no outside influences and didn’t come out until they were sure the coast was clear.  Or until the voices in their head decided to take a nap long enough to let them think straight. Far as I’m concerned Jay-Z’s BP3 album cover was the result of listening to Best Crisis Ever; because that cover still makes no sense for Shawn but is the perfect snapshot into Apsci.

Simply put Best Crisis Ever is one of the best weird albums I've heard in at least 10 years. There's nothing convential about it. Apsci stands for "applied sciences" or apple scions or "a pissed screaming couple inerlude". I'm not really sure what Apsci stands for. I just know they're a  ontage fronted by a 30something multicultural married couple who live in NYC—Dana Diaz-Tutaan is a Fillipino-Australian while her hubby, Ra LaMotta is from the Bronx and their DJ Big Wiz who was once part of the seminal indie label Def Jux, all of this and more makes Apsci about as mixed up musically as they're backgrounds that shaped them.


Let’s Rip The Town Up is as urgent and manic a party song as I’ve heard in the last five years. It’s sexy, it’s mechanical it’s angry it’s desperate and it makes you wanna wake up on Sunday thinking “I really need to go to church.”

Under Control has a funky new wave flavor but with a modern edge to it to be addictive. Crazy Crazy Insane is a grimy rocky sardonic love-like song that is clever without being smarmy or too hip for its own good. This song belongs on a movie soundtrack seriously.

Cubic Zirconia crams  Prince and Techno and  J. Davey esque into 2:10 of staccato madness that still stuck in my head.

Big Adventures comes out of left field—it's a really pretty song that reminds you that Dana can actually sing and sing well. And for that matter, songs like The Dark and Bittersweet End and Afford Me This Poetry reveal that Ra LaMotta can spit some serious heat.

For all the hype about them being a married couple, etc. Apsci is no gimmick. Ra and Dana are for real. And if they were younger and cuter or from a small town in the midwest, they'd be MTV darlings and every high school and college kid would be bumping all or part of this album leaving adults like me to figure out why something named Apsci just sold 3 million albums.

But they're not. So they probably wont. But at least the music's good. So give it a listen. You'll be glad you did.

Below is the video for Crazy Crazy Insane. And it is. Just see for yourself:

"The Way It Wuz" Aceyalone (feat. Bionik)

I reviewed this joint a while back (see here) and truthfully, I'm still rockin' out to Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones. It's one of the best albums of 2009 and I wish it were getting more burn.

Here's the first and I do believe only official video thus far from Acey-a-looney. Don't tell me this ain't some good music! I dare you not to toe-tap to this one:


ps. that Bionik is a bad young man.

Daddy Obama Talks Responsibility to Black Folks. Again.

I dig Obama. I really do, mostly. Seems like a really nice guy as proved by this speech to the NAACP:

I always find it amusing who Obama consistently preaches the "personal responsibility" gospel to African Americans yet when it comes to addressing other communities, he speaks of how the government will help them. Think about it:

Barack Obama is the son of a single mother—Irish American, in fact. According to the US Census data's—raw numbers, not percentages —there are exponentially more single white mothers and unemployed white men in America than any other group. Yet no one assumes these women are lazy, welfare queens or immature unprepared parents. We never assume that any of the millions of unemployed white men are so by choice or as a result of poor choices and a lack of personal responsibility.

Obama wouldn't dare stand up in front of a group of white women or Irish Americans for that matter and tell them they need to pick men who won't leave or need to be more responsible parents. Barack Obama would never tell a group of white men—republican or democratic that they need to "hold up their end of the deal".

No, because to do either or anything close to either implies a belief that White folks and Anglo Americans of European descent are responsible for the unemployment, teen violence, teen pregnancy, failing schools and the other assorted ills that affect their communities. And of course, we know that's not true.

We all know full well that any ills impacting White Americans are the sole fault of the government and Corporate America. Simply put things "happen to" Whites, while self-destructive niggadom is what happens to Blacks and it's this dynamic that's caused every social ill affecting the black community.

And nothing cures these ills like having someone in authority (regardless of color) stand up and tell you to get over yourselves and fix your own problems. Which is just what Barack Obama did in this and seemingly every speech he's ever given to a majority black audience since he began his presidential campaign in late 2007.

But now, it's not Blacks that are now calling Obama a socialist or drawing Hitler comparisons , calling him a racists or accusing his administration of taking away their freedoms and ruining their jobs and education prospects.

No.

Instead it's the same folks Obama has boldly defended through his silence, lack of chastisement and constant catering to that are now rising up against him. The so-called progressives, "blue dog" democrats, the lefty liberals... All overwhelmingly white, are now telling Obama that responsible for fixing their ills.

Oh, the irony.

Succeeding in Tough Times: PowerNetworking

Not sure what you're doing this month, but if you want inspiration, critical information, and innovative connections, you need to get on SouthWest Airlines and fly down to Atlanta for George Fraser's annual Powernetworking Convention.

Coming June 25-27, 2009 in Atlanta, GA, Power Networking might be the top gathering of diverse corporate movers and shakers in the entire country. i go there just about every year and I've met some major players in the arenas of finance, faith, marketing, manufacturing, media you name it!

Visit www.frasernet.com or scroll down and download the conference schedule.

Download FraserConferenceScheduleHere

KNOCK THE HUSTLE IS ON KINDLE!!!!

It took forever, probably too long. But better late than never: KNOCK THE HUSTLE is now available for KINDLE, BlackBerry and iPhone readers! Tada!

CLICK HERE 4 KNOCK THE HUSTLE EBOOK LINK!

That’s right kiddies, KNOCK THE HUSTLE: How to save Your Job and Your Life from Corporate America finally went digital and is in eBook form. Thank you, Jesus (and AMAZON.com)!

For the bargain basement price of $4.99 you can download your own copy of KTH to your Kindle or phone, the book that ruined my corporate career and drove me into the poor-house and crazy house in one shot!

So support a starving writer and take your usual daily Starbuck’s set-aside and pick up a book. If you like good stories, corporate culture, and ideas for change, I think you’ll like KNOCK THE HUSTLE.

Give it a shot—you can find excerpts at www.knockthehustle.com. Not to mention right here at hustleknockin.com.

Holiday hustles and more...

The “Good American” Hustle

The “Good American” Hustle is old as dirt, but it really took off after 9/11. It’s a simple premise: Want to be a good American? Buy some red, white, and blue stuff. Only use “Made in America” goods, only support pro-American businesses and bash anyone who questions America… Just remember you’re only as patriotic as your ability to prove that you’re patriotic. Now, repeat after me: I pledge allegiance…

We are not hated because we practice democracy, value freedom,
or uphold human rights. We are hated because our government denies
these things to people in Third World countries whose resources are
coveted by our multinational corporations. That hatred we have sown
has come back to haunt us in the form of terrorism.
—Dr. Robert Bowman. Ret. Lt. Col U.S. Air Force

The Holidaze Hustle

Holidays—the most blatant and consistently profitable of the major hustles. We twist the spiritual into the material and the esoteric into the tangible, then convince everyone that they’ll be happier and more fulfilled if they just shut up, truss it and buy it. At best, holidays are just a ritual within the national religion of capitalism. At worst holidays are, as Tahir once said, “…Just time ‘n’ a half or another day off.”

So how’d it happen? How’d holidays become such a hustle? Well it starts with the name. First, we flipped the original phrase “holy days” into “holidays” because it sounds less religious and therefore more marketable. (Besides, “holy” sounds like it might be free—hard to profit off of something if folks think it’s already free.) And wherever possible we brand these days with non-religious terminology like “Season’s Greetings.”

For specifics, let’s consider Christmas, er, make that “Xmas.”

We gutted Christmas like a pumpkin on Halloween. First, we lost all the “Jesus stuff.” (Christ’s birthday or not, if you put out too much Jesus stuff in public you’re liable to get sued by everyone from neighbors to the ACLU and lose.) Next step: Buy a tree—at least $25 for a good one. Buy lights and decorations. Tell the kiddies a fat white guy in a red pimp suit will break in once they fall asleep and give ‘em free stuff—if they’re good; remind shoppers that goodwill means good gifts… Wrap it all in some marketing and media myths and before you know it, you’ve got a guaranteed fourth quarter slump-busting hustle.
But make no mistake; this hustle runs year-round like a calendar:

We honor presidents’ birthdays with white linen sales and Memorial Day with pricey meats and expensive BBQ grills… Small arms, low-grade explosives, plus Red, White, & Blue branded junk mark every 4th of July… Overpriced chocolates, flowers, cards and conflict diamonds herald Valentine’s Day… Easter Sunday (a.k.a. Christ’s resurrection) gets smothered in boiled eggs, ham and runaway bunnies… Bars, booze, “Bang me, I’m Irish” buttons, and politicians parading for votes mark St. Patrick’s Day… We flipped All Hallow’s Eve into the costume and confection industries’ most profitable day of the year… We honor the genocide of Native Americans (Columbus Day/Thanksgiving) with turkeys, parades and football… And to celebrate the heritage and spirituality of Black Americans while protesting commercialized Anglo holiday myths we spend an estimated $80 million every winter on junk marketed by mostly white companies and made mostly in China and Mexico for something called “Kwanzaa.”
Ho, ho, ho (and Pimp, pimp, pimp…)

I’ve read the Bible and I can’t find the words
“bunny” or “chocolate” anywhere in that book!
—Bill Hicks

Validate Yourself (reprise)

I see myself as a queen but it ain’t for rank.
It’s for all, not one, not for income.
It’s for knowing who and where we descend from.
—Queen Latifah

Nappyheads, Weedheads and Asher Wrath, Oh my!

one of my fave vloggers is illdoctrine's Jay Smooth. Trying to get him to come to Blogworld.

Personally, I'm not sure who bugs me more--Asher or Vice or fans of either. Tho fans of both have gotta be beyond annoying.

Blackwatch to Deep Cover

Here are a couple more recent examples of blacklash:

Blackwatch

In recent years, millions have begun rising up against one of black culture’s biggest ally’s—affirmative action—calling it “anti-white racism,” “reverse discrimination,” and “pandering to special interests.”

Since 2002, college students such as those at Roger Williams University (R.I.) have protested affirmative action by offering “Whites Only” scholarships.

On dozens of other campuses including USC, SMU, UC Berkley, University of Washington, Northwestern University, and UCLA, students and faculty have protested by holding bake sales in which Black and Hispanic students receive cookies at deep discounts or for free (symbolizing AA) while White and Asian students are either wildly overcharged or turned away (to fund the minority discounts). And in 2004, the student groups at Texas A&M offered $1,500 to $5,000 scholarships to students for the best essays on “overcoming affirmative action." Other campuses have seen more traditional protests such as boycotts and anti-AA op-eds in campus newspapers.

Then there’s the flood of lawsuits such as 2003’s precedent-setting “reverse discrimination” case against U. of Michigan where plaintiffs claimed it was unconstitutional that Black students were being admitted ahead of whites, despite having lower SATs and grades, simply because of their race. However they expressed no outrage over white students being given preference over other whites based on class, legacy, etc. And when over 1,400 white students were admitted ahead of the U. of M. plaintiffs, despite having lower scores and/or grades there was zero outrage from the plaintiffs.

Also there has been little or no outrage over government and private sector estimates that around 90% of all college scholarship money (public and private) actually goes to whites, not minorities of color. There is also little outrage over the spiraling costs of higher learning, which comes courtesy of the mostly white elites who run the schools. This as much as any preference programs is why all students are struggling to afford a college education.

The emphasis is on the white skin… If you are white, you are entitled to privilege. The fact of the matter is people feel white skin makes you better and black skin makes you inferior… In the beginning, that was enforced by the state and the federal government… But 50 years after Brown, you’d think segregation would be a little less prevalent in education than it is… Black children aren’t getting equal education in the cities…

—Judge Robert L. Carter, chief architect and litigator,
 Brown v. Board of Ed. (1954)

 

“Blow it out your…”

Bill O’Reilly. Fox News. (Nuf Said.)

“I’ll be that...”

In late 2003 when songs featuring Eminem calling black women “black bitches,” “gold diggers,” and “niggers,” were unearthed Em’s fans along with MTV, Rolling Stone, Spin, etc. supported him noting that blacks have used similar language for years therefore whites should get a pass. Despite outrage from many Blacks, the story died. (This was a stark contrast in reaction to when Eminem’s angry lyrics were perceived to have been aimed at white women. In those instances his lyrics became the subject of national debate and was even boycotted such orgs as GLAAD, N.O.W., and the ADL.)

 In another show of indifference Fat Joe (who is Puerto Rican and Cuban) dropped 2004’s summer jam “Lean Back” which featured the chorus: “My niggas don’t dance, they just pull up they pants and do the Rocawear…” The song made Mr. Cook Crack the second non-black artist in any genre to score a top 10 hit using any version of ‘nigger’. (Jennifer Lopez was the first, having sung “nigga” in 2001’s “I’m Real” remix.)

“Deep Cover”

Blacklash has long-infected our nation’s law enforcement arena: In addition to the continuous racial profiling, inequitable sentencing laws, etc. various law enforcement groups have begun investigating urban artists based largely on their lyrics and images. In April 2004, the Village Voice revealed the existence of a Hip-hop Intel and surveillance unit within the New York Police Department. There have also been reports of similar units and investigations being conducted not only by police departments in Miami, LA, and Atlanta, but also by the FBI. While officials claim that these groups solely investigate criminal organizations and activities, they’ve been roundly criticized as being fronts for racial profiling and government sponsored Cointelpro operations.

Contrast this with the lack of profiling and investigations against mainstream artists for their countless violent lyrics and suspect affiliations and the blacklash becomes crystal clear. And while prominent artists like G-Unit’s Young Buck, Beanie Siegel, Mystikal, R. Kelly, C-Murder, etc. have indeed committed crimes these select individuals are being used as proof that Black music is a breeding ground for criminal and morally destructive behavior.
 

One Love? Multicultural Marketing

One Love? Multicultural Marketing

Multiculturalism. It’s been a business buzzword since the late 1980s. Socially, it’s the new Americana: Diverse hues and communities building on common ground. For business multiculturalism is about fulfilling the shared desires of all consumers while tailoring brands with enough cultural relevance to simultaneously reach multiple communities.

But in reality, multiculturalism doesn’t exist in America, at least not yet. True multiculturalism requires two factors: integration and equal footing among communities. And besides, certain parts of NY, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and California, most of America remains deeply segregated with many areas currently re-segregating. People are also divided even further by income, religion, politics, etc. Consequently, everything most Americans learn about communities outside their own comes from the media and entertainment industries, neither of which are interested in telling the truth.

Now a certain amount of multiculturalism has been created by interracial and intercultural relationships, friendships, and alliances of varying types. But I’d say less than 20% of such experiences have been based on respect, love, understanding, and community. I believe that most of our multiculturalism has come from generations of consuming ethnic cultures in commoditized forms (music, fashion, entertainment, slang, sex, etc.).

Again, the mechanisms and infrastructures thru which culture are shared (music, fashion, entertainment, politics, etc.) are controlled and defined by one group; so there is no balance of power between those spreading culture and those whose culture gets spread. Consequently, “blackness” isn’t dictated by blacks any more than “Indians as mascots” was dictated by Native Americans any more than Ricky Martin’s or J. Lo’s success was dictated by Latinos any more than Lost in Translation/American Idol’s William Hung, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle/Asians as innately-tech-savvy-no-driving-bell-curve-breaking-kung-fu-kickers, etc. was dictated by Asians any more than hula dancing for tourists is dictated by Native Hawaiians. Just as the conquerors write the history books, mainstream America defines its culture along with everyone else’s.

We also have to recognize the role of social blowback. Consider this 2004 quote from Maryland’s Governor Robert Ehrlich: “I reject the idea of multiculturalism. Once you get into this multicultural crap, this bunk, you run into a problem.” (The Governor was speaking out against bilingual education for Hispanics and minorities for whom English is a second language). Today, millions of Americans who echo Ehrlich’s sentiments that multiculturalism simply means multiple ethnicities speaking the same language while accepting mostly white America’s view of history, aesthetics, etc. as the absolute truth. (Go U.S.A.)

Steal my culture; try to make it yours (there they go)…
—Mos Def

Dear Gatekeepers, pt. 3

6. Hire Them.

In early 2003, Tyrone Willingham, Notre Dame University’s first black head football coach was asked what could be done to get more blacks in the NCAA’s still near lily-white Div. 1 coaching ranks. His response: “Hire them. There’s plenty of qualified black candidates out there. Just hire them, it’s that simple.”

The oft-repeated notion that there aren’t enough qualified Black business candidates out there is a big pile of crap. I’ve seen ‘em pounding the pavement in every industry and every city looking for a fair shot at every level. Don’t talk about quotas or “reverse discrimination.” Enough with the excuses; just hire them. Hire Blacks the same way we hire white candidates we “just have a good feeling about.”

And if your company’s plan is to simply interview Black candidates knowing full well that you’re going to hire a white person anyway (like the 2003 San Francisco 49ers and 2004 Detroit Lions did with their respective head coach searches) save the drama and post a Whites Only sign out front.

Hire them already. Shut up and hire them. Period.

I’ve always felt diversity is the most important part of a writing staff.
—Jon Stewart, accepting his 2003 Emmy
with his all-white writing team

(FYI: The irony in Willingham’s quote was that despite his undeniable ability and track record, he wasn’t hired until after ND was turned down by all the white coaches on their wish list and after their last-resort hire George O’Leary (from Georgia Tech) resigned after being caught lying about his credentials.
In 2004 Willingham was fired after just three years and a 21-15 record.
As of 2005, of the 117 Div.1 coaches, only 2 are black.)

7. White women, anglo-europeans, and gay whites are not black.

Diversity is not blondes, brunettes, redheads, plus gay, fat, skinny, or short versions thereof. Over the years, several execs and HR folks let me in on a little secret, which I’ve confirmed thru research: Many businesses and colleges (public and private) have and continue to use white women and white-skinned ethnic groups as “diversity smokescreens” to continue discriminating against Blacks and Hispanics.

Overall, White women are the biggest winners of affirmative action programs, claiming more than 40 percent of all managerial or professional jobs in the late 1990s, this according to Catalyst, an NY based research firm that promotes the interests of women in business.

Also, according to many HR and corporate insiders, when it comes to balancing EEOC requirements with company’s true feelings, white females are considered the “most desirable hires,” followed by white ethnic males and gay whites with blacks usually bring up the rear in preference.

7A. Who ordered the double cheese & sausage?

Modern diversity is like Spiccoli’s pizza from Fast Times at Ridgemont High: The teacher, Ray Walston didn’t take Spiccoli’s pizza and divide it up amongst the class out of fairness, he did so because he didn’t like Spiccoli. Many have followed suit, using diversity as a “If helping all groups minimizes helping those we dislike most, we still win” buffer. At best it’s subtraction by addition; at worst, it’s cutting off your nose to spite your face.

In the end, hire the best person for the job. But if you’re marginalizing blacks in favor of other groups, stop it.

Race was the sacrificial lamb to launch “diversity”
and make it palatable to Corporate America.
—Lisa Willis Johnson, diversity chair
Society for Human Resource Management

7B. Lose the “Double-Minority” trick, too.

Women face glass ceilings; women of color, specifically black women face the concrete ceiling of sexism plus racism. However some companies hire women of color because it counts as 2 minority hires under EEOC specs while physically they’ve only hired one person. It’s a clever way to curtail rampant diversity.

[In 2002, of the 10,092 women corporate officers at Fortune 500 companies
about 605 were Asian females. Just 106 were black; only 24 were Latina.
The remaining 9,350-plus female execs were white.]

8. Equal Pay.

It’s inexcusable for minorities to be paid less than their white counterparts for doing the same job at the same level. It’s discriminatory, patently racist and too many companies are still doing it. Pay people fairly. Period.

[In 2003, the average weekly income for black men was $555
while black women made $491. The average weekly income
for white men was $715 while white women made $567.]

9. Stop “last hired, first fired.”

Many employment studies are backing up what most have known for decades: Whenever there’s a recession, black employees tend to be cut first and most; when there’s a boom, blacks are usually the last to benefit. Last hired, first fired is old news in the black community; and it’s still wrong. So stop it.

Our fathers had to fight “Jim Crow”…
Now we have to fight “James Crow, Jr. Esq.”
—Rev. Al Sharpton

10. Diversify your partnerships.

It’s quite okay to partner with qualified minority vendors, contractors, banks, etc. They’re just as professional, talented and hardworking as any. And they’re helping businesses grow everyday. So give ‘em a shot—you won’t be disappointed.

[As of 2005, the top 100 richest white Americans have more
money and assets than all estimated 40 million
plus black Americans combined.]

11. Exceptions are not “the rule.”

Don’t make decisions about minorities based on the actions, good or bad, of a few. In 13 years I worked with screw-ups from all walks of life but not once did I ever see a company negatively judge its white employees or white candidates based on the screw-ups of other whites. We forget that for every “Omarosa” or “Jayson Blair” there are countless Stephen Glasses, Jack Kelleys, Mike Barnicles, Elizabeth Wurtzels, etc. And for every minority firm that we’re “uncomfortable” doing business with, there are numerous mainstream institutions deserving of similar criticism. Simply put, stop looking for “proof” to validate prejudice. Give everyone a chance.

Only 32% of whites report that their workplaces include different races and ethnic groups.
While, 72% of blacks and 59% of Latinos work in places where employees are from a variety
of races and ethnic groups.
—Gallup poll (2004)

Yah Mo Be There! (BlogWorld Expo 2009)

Michael McDonald's highly underrated. Not that he's hurtin' for attention... regardless this song fits this entry well.

As many of you know I’m somewhat of a convention gypsy—I speak at a few business/ tech conventions and conferences every year on varying topics including culture, branding, career development.

To that end, one of the best experiences I had last year was attending the Blog World + New Media Expo in Vegas.

 

Then in its 2nd year, BWE (as it’s becoming known) was emerging as one premier tech and media conferences in the nation.

I got to meet some pretty amazing people there, including: Tim Ferris, best-selling author of The 4-Hour WorkWeek (CEOs and corporations worship this guy)… Mike Shinoda, lead singer of Linkin Park (they’ve sold 50 million albums worldwide), Guy Kawasaki, one of the biggest, most-respected tech and social media gurus in the country—Steve Jobs’ words, not mine.…

And those were just the guys I met on Day One of the conference. Seriously.

Overall, I can’t even begin to tell you how many influential tech + social media power-hitters were at BWE last year. And while I didn’t meet all/most of them, I got to hear them speak. They were pretty amazing folks. Plus, I was in Vegas in September so it was like 75 degrees that weekend. Can’t beat that.

Or can you?

This year, in 2009, I’ve been asked to help put together arts and entertainment panels for the 2009 Blog World + New Media Expo. My goal is to help make this year’s show more fun, more relevant and more impactful than ever.

I’m telling you right now, this year’s show is gonna be huge. I’m talking music, movies, content oozing out the wazoo. But most importantly, Blog World Expo will be packed with the smartest, most influential online and social media figures you can think of. And they’ll all be there sharing ideas an opportunities to help you and yours get the most possible out of the web.

So check it out. Visit: www.blogworldexpo.com Follow ‘em on Twitter.com @ twitter.com/blogworld and sign up for their newsletter. This thing’s gonna be seruous and you’ll definitely want to be in on it.

Needlessly to say, more info to come.

Happy Birthday to Who?

Christmas... What's it mean these days? Here's a little something to think about:

In a couple days, we're gonna celebrate a day... I guess the day can be whatever you choose to make it about--God knows we do that a lot when it comes to holidays. I just think we should try to remember what the day's all about. more importantly, who the day's supposed to be about. FYI: The song's called "Happy birthday to Who" by Tonic.

A little more Nouveau Riche for you...

No they're not getting back together; but I just thought I'd share some more of their goodies with you. They only did a couple EPs and yesterday I shared the other one, aka The Long Tail EP joint. So today's special is:

(BTW: yeah, that's the group prior to breakup—Nikki Jean the gorgeous voiced siren, Dice Raw from the The Roots... Khari, Joe Baldacci and Dominic Angelella in the back.)

Nouveau Riche "Free Money: EP"

1. Better Than I Ever Been: Click here to download file

2. Melody: Click here to download file

3.Sugar Snacks:    Click here to download file

4. Diamonds:    Click here to download file

5. Moonlight Miles:    Click here to download file

6. That I Love You:    Click here to download file

7. Kamikaze:    Click here to download file

8. Win Win Win:    Click here to download file

Lord forgive me, I got some issues...

As you can see, my blog's suckin' right about now. Not sure what went wrong, but i was trying to surprise everyone with a new re-org--fresh banner, some new partner links, etc. but everything got all screwed up...

I hate blogging sometimes. I really do. Just when you get in a rhythm and decide to get all creative, some gliche comes along and monkeys up the works.

So i have to wait till i hear back from my provider people to get stuff up and running properly.  sorry about this everyone.

WHY BLACK AGENCIES IGNORE BLACK CLIENTS:

“IS THE WHITE MAN’S ICE STILL COLDER?”:
WHY BLACK AGENCIES IGNORE BLACK CLIENTS
BY: HADJI WILLIAMS

Attention Advertising Agencies, PR firms and brand consultants. I have a proposition for you:

“A US company with nearly a billion dollars in annual revenues needs your help. They have diversified holdings, strong relationships, quality products and services plus a great CEO and strong management team. But for all their financial success to date, they lack a recognizable brand. Consumers love their products and services but don’t really link either to their company; so they need help building a brand that will solidify their relationships with their core consumer while helping them expand into new markets. Think you can help? If so gimme a call.”

That’s the pitch I made to several major agencies about 3 years ago after meeting “LC”, the founder/CEO of one of the largest black-owned companies in the US. As a favor to LC, I approached several ad agencies. They initially salivated at the numbers I laid out. They were impressed by the categories LC’s company was in. But one by one, they all stuttered and bailed when I mentioned that LC was black and they’d be taking on a culturally diverse yet largely black-run company.

More from BlogWorld Expo!

Loving BWE so far... trying to make last minute connects with a couple folks, grabbing some goodies--stickers are the new business cards so i got a pocket fulla sticks... lots of big brands out here...

I'll say this about Las Vegas, tho:

Folks gamble out here like folks smoke weed in Chi. It's insane. $1 chips be laying on the ground like old cigarette butts.

Nevada needs a Lake somewhere out here. I know it's the desert, but damn hot like this kinda hot is just wrong in industrialized cities. Just dig a hole a drop some water over here. not a lot, but something bigger than a pool to switch things up.

This is just wrong.

I can't twit and experience stuff. I'm just not that good yet.

Gotta go pack so i can party more.