Category: Peace

Kendrick Declares We Gon' Be Alright in New Video

6/30/2015

WRITTEN BY: VIOLA CONSTANCE | @Voila_its_Viola

In the mist of all that we are dealing with as a culture; the burning of churches, police brutality, hate crimes and more, Kendrick Lamar hit the BET Awards and gave an amazing performance of his hit "Alright" from his To Pimp A Butterfly Album. The performance which was a look back over major events that took place in 2014 and 2015 was a sort of prelude to the video which dropped today. Check it out above and tell us what you think below.

WRITTEN BY: VIOLA CONSTANCE | @Voila_its_Viola

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Lupe Fiasco Pens Open Letter to White Supremacists

6/22/2015

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Rapper Lupe Fiasco took to Instagram to speak about the church shooting in Charleston and respond to the emergence of Dylann Roof's hate-filled manifesto the previous day. As always, Lupe kept it real and nothing short of in an open letter to white supremacists like Roof.

Check out the letter in three posts below.

A letter. Part 1 Of 3 Dear White Supremacy, First of all you are not really that supreme. While throughout history White Supremacy it must be admitted you have achieved some very dominant positions. These positions have been gained mostly through force or some biological agent such as disease that did a lot of the dirty work for you in advance. I mean anybody can use force on an unarmed populous and anybody can have smallpox. Not judging, just wanted to point out that having a disease that native folks aren't immune to because they've never seen it doesn't make you strategically smart or tactically superior, just kind of sick. And these dominant positions don't really stand up to the test of time that long either. There is nothing about you biologically or physically that denotes an innate mode of supremacy. For that matter there is also nothing about you psychologically, philosophically, cognitively, academically, socially, architecturally, culturally or even financially that signifies a higher position above any other group. And to be diplomatic there is nothing about you that denotes innate inferiority as well. So what you really are is something in the middle. You are regular. White Regularity is congruent to all other forms of regularity i.e. Black, Brown, Etc etc. But in regularity there is room for differences and this is where White Regularity shines! Each group gets the same essential universals. Dance, food, music, etc. and it must be admitted that the White Regularity take on these universal institutions has been unbelievably impressive and a great addition to the total world culture. I mean spaghetti and meatballs, Romeo & Juliet, Coldplay, The Tuxedo, lighter that air travel are all world class additions to the collective bucket but they are no less or more impressive than every other regular groups take on the universals either. And if we really wanted to get analytical every invention is built on inspiration from a previously existing invention so the claim of "The Supreme 1st" to do something is highly debatable and except for a few exceptions, impossible! All things human aren't born from a supreme overlord solely working in isolation.

A photo posted by Lupe Fiasco (@lupefiasco) on Jun 20, 2015 at 7:33pm PDT

Part 2 of 3 Things are created in collaboration and in tandem with other cultures, knowledge structures and movements and more important, People. I mean if those Muslims didn't catalog all that Greek philosophy for research we might not even know who Plato was. Now whether this collaboration is forced, which is seen so much but not exclusively throughout human history, does not take away the fact that it is done with the help of somebody else. We are supreme as a spectrum of colors in collaboration. One color does not dominate the other nor can it. Sure Steve Jobs was white. But the guy who built the computer was probably Chinese. And the girl who wrote the programs for the computer is probably from Mumbai. And the raw materials that were used to make it where probably first pulled out of the ground by somebody in South Africa. And if you take this highly collaborated upon piece of high technology to an indigenous tribe in the jungles of Brazil they'd probably use it as a boat paddle. And we can go on and on down or up the rabbit hole all day long and you'll always find a regular somebody relying on the abilities of a just as regular somebody else that another regular somebody doesn't even care about. White Supremacy is a lie white regularists tell to themselves in hopes that they can get a one way ticket to the top and hope we other colors overhear it. Here's the bad news, ain't no top. Here's the good news though, ain't no bottom neither! It's just the regular ole middle where nobody is safe from being influenced by somebody else's extreme regularness. Is your swastika flag printed in Mexico? Did you know the swastika is originally from Asia and the subcontinent? Did you know black people had slaves in Africa too? Did you know in the world your considered a minority too? I mean you call us niggers and beaners but you gotta ship all your formerly Native American land, backwood sourced ginseng to China to get money to support your meth habit. Meth that's made with chemicals produced in India. I mean Hitler hated everything about the Jews expect every possession they had. It's funny how the things you hate so much you have to rely on the most for your survival.

A photo posted by Lupe Fiasco (@lupefiasco) on Jun 20, 2015 at 7:35pm PDT

Part 3 of 3 And if you wanted to get really ironic and meta about it, White Supremacy has to validate it's own identity based solely on its relationship to other races! I mean now that's what I would call joined at the hip. Without us there is no white supremacy because there would be nothing to be supreme over! That sounds so stupid but sometimes the truth is stupid. Stupid like a fox. And no not stupid like a Fox News I mean the real fox. The animal. In closing white regularity (the race formerly know as white supremacy) I myself on behalf of my own black regularity salute you. Good luck with the northwest front I hear it's beautiful in the spring and probably a strategic death trap if and when Yellowstone finally decides to blow up! Yours Truly Wasalu "Lupe" Jaco

A photo posted by Lupe Fiasco (@lupefiasco) on Jun 20, 2015 at 7:41pm PDT

WRITTEN BY: VIOLA CONSTANCE | @Voila_its_Viola

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Artist You SHOULD Be Listening To Pt 2: Who Is Kira Hayze?

5/28/2015

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Kira Hayze, born Brittney Durgan, hails from North Carolina, is another artist that I discovered thanks to Black&SexyTV. Just as our last feature in Artist You SHOULD Be Listening To Morish Danee`, Hayze’s music is often featured on episodes of webseries produced by Black&SexyTV. So who exactly is Kira Hayze?

I had a chance to speak with her and pick her brain to learn more about the beautiful person behind the music. She, unlike other artists I’ve researched, doesn’t have many videos of her performing (if any, I’m still looking) and that made her all the more intriguing to me.

The 22-year-old’s love for music started early on. At the young age of seven she began writing music, by age 10 she began rapping, age eleven she was recording in a childhood friend’s studio, and singing by age 12.

Read more to check out the Q&A and see why Kira Hayze is an artist to watch.

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Prince Unveils Baltimore Song

5/9/2015

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Prince releases his song “Baltimore,” which addresses the deaths of Freddie Gray and Michael Brown, who was fatally shot in Ferguson, Missouri last year.

“Baltimore” pairs moving lyricas with a catchy pop melody.

Prince is scheduled to perform in Baltimore at Royal Farms Arena on Sunday.

“Does anybody hear us pray?

For Michael Brown or Freddie Gray

Peace is more than the absence of war.”

WRITTEN BY: VIOLA CONSTANCE | @Voila_its_Viola

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Prince 4 Peace

5/6/2015

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On Tuesday it was announced that Prince will be doing a Rally 4 Peace in Baltimore on Mother’s Day. The surprise concert will feature Prince, his band 3RDEYEGRL, and other music artists.

Tickets will be on sale today at 5pm on LiveNation.com. Organizers hope this concert will be a “catalyst for pause and reflection following the outpouring of violence that has gripped Baltimore and areas throughout the US.” Those who attend the concert are asked to wear something gray as a tribute to all those lost in the violence that inspired the performance.

Prince will also be debuting his protest song, Baltimore, that was written last week in response to the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray. The song has yet to be released but the lyrics have been shared online.

WRITTEN BY: VIOLA CONSTANCE | @Voila_its_Viola

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Mo'ne Davis asks Bloomsburg to reinstate player

3/24/2015

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"Disney is making a movie about Mo'ne Davis?" he wrote. "WHAT A JOKE. That slut got rocked by Nevada."

What would possess a junior baseball player at Bloomsburg University to call a 13-year old a "slut". Former Bloomsburg baseball player, Joey Casselberry was released from the athletic program after a series of tweets were made in reaction to Davis' new disney film.

The Pennsylvania School condemned Casselberry's Comments and removed him from the program for violating the school's social media athletic code. Casselberry tweeted a two-tweet apology saying, “An example that one stupid tweet can ruin someone’s life and I couldn’t be more sorry about my actions last night. I please ask you to…. Forgive me and truly understand that I am in no way shape or form a sexist and I am a huge fan of Mo’ne. She was quite an inspiration.”

The 13-year old Davis had said she was upset with the statement Casselberry made but has nonetheless asked for him to be reinstated. Davis said,

”While I admit I was pretty hurt when I read his comments, I felt sad that he was dismissed from the team…,” the Philadelphia pitcher wrote. “I am sure Joey Casselberry has worked very hard to get where he is and dreams of playing in the major leagues. For this reason, I'm asking you to please allow him back on the team so that he can continue to chase his dream. He made one dumb mistake. I'm sure he would go back and change it if he could.”

Credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo / contributor

The University has decided at this time to not allow Casselberry back on the team.

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Kendrick Declares We Gon' Be Alright in New Video

Lupe Fiasco Pens Open Letter to White Supremacists

Artist You SHOULD Be Listening To Pt 2: Who Is Kira Hayze?

Prince Unveils Baltimore Song

Prince 4 Peace

Mo'ne Davis asks Bloomsburg to reinstate player

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