Senator Obama is going to speak. I cannot wait. Can you?

www.CarlaPJewel.com

www.CarlaPJewel.com

In his counter-suit, Dexter King accuses his siblings of doing exactly the same thing.

The suit gives example after example of alleged misuse of the King Center by Bernice and Martin Luther King III. Dexter King alleges that his brother, King III, used the Center to hold his wedding reception without joint authorization. Dexter also alleges that King III has access to a $55,000 luxury sport utility vehicle that belongs to the King Center. Whereas, Bernice King, Dexter points out, uses the King Center to promote her own agenda. The lawsuit details a rally that was held at the Center in support of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages. Dexter points to the fact that the King Center philosophy and policy is one of inclusion as Dr. King stood for.

In a recent telephone interview, Dexter King was quoted as saying that "my siblings, Bernice in particular, was trying to use the King legacy to further their own personal and religious agendas."

What a sad, sad, footnote in the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his wife, Coretta Scott King. This family against family, sibling against sibling is straight up ridiculous! It is apparent that all three King children are at fault. They should know better than anyone else what their parents stood for. No one should have to remind them, but unfortunately, it seems like someone should. This lawsuit, both of them, is an embarrassment and a humiliation for all of us. How dare these three adult children of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King fight over a legacy that was given them through the assassinated blood of their father and the hard work, perseverance and loyalty of their mother!

Pointing fingers and pontificating empty, meaningless words is not what the Kings were about. Infighting and bringing one another to court most certainly happens to be the invisible and irreparable giant ink blot on the memorial to Dr. King that stands in Atlanta.

The lawsuit, both of them, is a waste of time and taxpayers money. Each King sibling could very well be guilty of misusage where the King Center is concerned and also guilty of mismanaging monies that rightfully belongs to the King Estate. It is very likely. But, the real solution should be a private one. The King siblings need to come together with a mediator and an outside accountant and conduct an audit. When the findings from the audit are known, then the King siblings should proceed from there. Starting from scratch. The beginning. A clean palate. This time, a checks and balances system should be inaugurated by the mediator so that accountability is expedient and fair.

However, if a judge hears this case, it will totally be out of the King siblings hands. The judge will do all of the things that was outlined in the previous paragraph and if the accounting isn't exact, or just plain doesn't add up, then someone is going down. Because if the accounting is found criminally fraudulent, then a King child is going to prison! If the accounting is found criminally tampered with, that means that taxes have been knowingly withheld from the U.S government; then WE ALL KNOW what that means. Prison time in the federal penitentiary.

So, King siblings, continue to act like stubborn, spoiled children, spitting on the foundation that your parents built and gave their lives for like the ungrateful children that you have become. Squabbling and playing tit for tat.  If you don't straighten this mess out before the courts get a hold of it, you're gonna wish you had. What a horrible day it will be to see one of Dr. King's children hauled off to the pen in hand-cuffs.

With 'street' novels these days, there is an explosion of sorts. Omar Tyree claims to be the catalyst to the twenty-first century 'street' novel resurgence. Then there is my personal favorite, Vickie M. Stringer, publishing magnet of Triple Crown Publications. Vickie's TCP happens to be the foremost publisher of 'street' fiction. Her company has gone international! But Vickie's story begins after serving a bid in federal prison for being a drug 'queen-pen' in Columbus, Ohio's biggest drug bust ever. Vickie decided to tell her story of life as a naive college girl, turned out and into street life by her drug dealing boyfriend in "Let That Be The Reason." But she couldn't find a publishing house that would take her manuscript. Always a sista trying to get her grime on, Vickie decided to self-publish her novel. Doing so, instead of hustling 'in the life,' Vickie M. Stringer turned her life story into a legitimate business where new authors, with a gritty story to tell, can do so freely.

Vickie Stringer, a Detroit native, is carrying the torch that another 'hustler' trailed years before. Detroiter and legendary author Donald Goins has sold over five million copies of his sixteen novels written in a five year time span. Goins was murdered execution style in his home in Highland Park, Michigan one evening in October 1974. His common-law wife, Shirley, was murdered right along side of him. Their two children were locked away in the basement. 

Some say that Goins was murdered because of a drug debt. Others say that he was murdered because his novels were too realistic to be fiction. In other words, he supposedly talked too much about the wrong people. No one will ever know the full story because neighbors pleaded ignorance and legend has it that the killers were from out of town.

What is known, though, is that the body of work Donald Goins left behind is a prolific one. Getting his inspiration from reading an Iceberg Slim novel, Donald realized that he could legitimize his 'street game' by writing books about the world he was immersed in. Donald Goins wrote what he knew. He knew about pimping because he had been one. He knew about the dope game because he was a heroin addict. He knew about the 'life' because he lived it.

My first Donald Goins experience happened purely by accident. I was fourteen and a freshman in high school. My locker partner was reading this book she borrowed from her big sister titled "Donald Writes No More." On the cover was a picture of this man in a casket holding some paperback books. First of all, I was freaked out by the cover. Is that a real dead man? In a casket? Next, this guy is a writer? When my friend finished the biography, I immediately grabbed it and took it home to read. I read it all in one night. I was intrigued and hooked.

From that point on, I was on a hunt for Donald Goins. I knew that his books weren't in the school library. But the liquor store across the street from school had a few for sale. My first book? "Dopefiend." Scared the crap outta me! I knew dopefiends, had personal experiences with them because they lived in my neighborhood. Practically next door. Okay. Next door. But to actually get a picture of how they operated and survived from day to day, I was scared straight! Then I had to buy "Whoreson." The shock began at the very beginning of the book. A prostitute gives birth to a baby boy and decides to name him exactly what he was: a whore's son. What? Names have a spiritual effect contrary to what some perceive. Donald Goins knew this particular bit of psychology when he penned "Whoreson." Whoreson lived up to that name and much more.

From "Whoreson" I went into one of my favorite Donald Goins tales, that of a "Black Girl Lost." Reading "White Man's Justice, Black Man's Grief," I was given the realistic picture of the justice system as it existed in Detroit during Donald Goins' life. When I was a teenager, a lot of the places that Donald Goins wrote about in his books were long gone. Either due to the expansion of I-75 or the destruction of the '67 riots, those historic neighborhoods of Blackbottom survive only in the story-telling of Donald Goins classic books.

Those books, even though I read them in secret, gave me a clear cut choice of what I could become if I didn't listen to my parents, teachers and mentors advice. I didn't need to experiment with drugs because Donald Goins showed me a picture of myself as a dopefiend. I knew to avoid the sweet, slick talk of smooth hustlers driving Cadillacs and wearing flashy, showy jewelry with the flyest threads and gators, straight from City Slicker and The Broadway. Feigning any type of interest in that lifestyle could land me on the dark corners of Woodward between Six and Eight Mile. You get the idea.

As a writer, Donald Goins inspired me to press forward despite adversity. A life long addict, somehow Donald Goins was able to crank out the novels despite jonesing for another fix and surviving poverty. Though popular, Donald Goins was broke down poor. So broke that his wife walked the streets to put food on the table...and heroin in Donald's veins. Donald Goins' heroin addiction was overwhelming, all consuming and overpowering. Heroin, a chemical substance derived from a poppy plant, but far more powerful and addictive than any other drug on the street; changes the chemical balance of brain cells upon the first hit. This leads to instant addiction. Having first discovered heroin in Korea, Donald Goins suffered his entire adult life with the battle of chasing that heroin high. In his books, Goins true to life depictions of dopefiends, the realism of shooting up, chasing that 'smack' high, the horrible pains of withdrawal, are as vivid and bright as a Claude Monet original. This is because Donald Goins was writing from his own personal tragedy. I felt and believed that as a voyeur in his world.

So, every 'street' novelist has got to give it up to Donald Goins because he was the first to give it to you straight from his 232 Cortland flat. One more thing, a true 'street' novel isn't something that is drummed up out of a fictitious mind entirely. True 'street' stories comes from first hand experience or knowledge. A reader can always tell the difference. It's in the story-telling. It is legitimate. Not fake like Rick Ross.

Hip Hop, too, owes its' existence to Donald Goins. But that topic is for a different dissertation.

Donald Goins writes no more...but he doesn't have to. He left a piece of himself and the autobiographical seedy side of 'street life' for posterity. Donald Goins, in all sixteen of his novels, never sugar-coated or glossed over and glamorized what it meant to be 'in the life.' As his own life ended tragically and abruptly, so Donald Goins truthfully left the message, for all those generations after him that would pick up his books, that the moral of his tales are simple: 'BEWARE! The streets will eat you alive...and whole.'

The man many knew as "Black Moses," Hayes made a name for himself as a songwriter at Stax Records writing major hits for Sam and Dave, The Emotions, Mable John and Carla Thomas. But in 1969, things changed dramatically for Isaac Hayes. With the release of his debut album, "Hot Buttered Soul," Isaac Hayes was on his way to becoming a icon. With deep, rich and lush orchestrations that rose to a orgasmic crescendo, Hayes was able to transform soul music into a totally new listening experience.

Bald, black and beautiful, with a huge long gold-chain like rope cascading from his body, Isaac Hayes embodied a feeling in time that enraptured Afro-America. His stance was one of a strong, talented and inspirational African America man, even though there were some in Caucasian American who were threatened by this beautiful specimen of a man.

Isaac Hayes went on to score the cult classic, "Shaft," which made him and the tough but debonair ladies man Richard Roundtree famous. Hayes was recognized for his stellar composition and scoring of "Shaft" with an Academy Award. He was the first African American to walk away with the statute in the category of "Best Film Score."

Isaac Hayes made nine consecutive albums between 1969 and 1979. Some of the favorites are: "Hot Buttered Soul," Black Moses," "Joy," "Live at the Sahara Tahoe,' and "Chocolate Chip." Isaac Hayes was the recipient of three Grammy Awards and numerous other accolades.

To the newer generation, Isaac Hayes portrayed the witty and wise 'Chef' on Comedy Central's "South Park." His tenure there was interrupted by his rumoured displeasure with "South Park" writers over a proposed episode that poked fun at Christian Scientists, a faith that Hayes practiced.

Issac Hayes, a symbol of musical genius, dead at 65.

"That was my man," long-time fan Francine Stigler reminisced late Sunday afternoon. "I used to play his music from sun up to sun down!"

You sure did, Mom.

An inspiring and multi-talented African American man, Bernie Mac was able to parlay a past-time into a fortune. Growing up poor and living on a diet of "bologna for dinner," Mac once said, "it was through a little luck and perseverance" that he was able to transcend a poverty-stricken existence to star in some of Hollywood's notoriously financial blockbusters such as, "Bad Santa," the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise, "Transformers," "Friday," "Get On The Bus," and the stellar "Original Kings of Comedy" tour and documentary by Spike Lee. Currently Mac has two films in post production.

"The Bernie Mac Show," a magnificent sitcom about raising his drug-addicted sister's children in California, earned Mac the prestigious Peabody Award in 2002. When the "Bernie Mac Show" premiered, it took America back to the "Cosby Show" with excellent values, realistic situations, a loving married African American couple that formed a stable nucleus to sustain a family. The major problems came with FOX constantly changing the date and time slot of the show due to so-called 'low' ratings. Despite the ratings and movement of "The Bernie Mac Show," it continued to win numerous NAACP awards and was beloved by the African American community.

Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, born October 5, 1957, also known as Bernie Mac, "was a good father, raised his kids. My heart goes out to his family. This is a heartbreak," lamented fellow "Original Kings of Comedy" stand-up comic, morning show host and friend Steve Harvey. "My heart goes out to his family," Harvey said this morning.

Bernie Mac...Dead at 50.

But could this all perhaps be a part of the master plan? What master plan, you ask? The plan to run away with a legal victory in favor of Kwame Kilpatrick. Far fetched? Could be. But the facts, however, proves the case.

Why would Mayor Kilpatrick knowingly break the statutes of his bond just to go across the bridge for a 90 minute meeting? Especially after Judge Giles had specifically told him not to appear before his court with another bond violation or else? Being the mayor of a large and thriving city, Kwame is used to the usual above and below board perks. Isn't one of those perks being able to contact any judge in the city of Detroit, informing and requesting an okay to handle "emergency" city business? Does anyone really believe that a judge would turn down this request? As the mayor, what red tape existed that Kilpatrick patriots could not have cut in an expedited fashion to save a city in crisis?

Kilpatrick has top-notch legal representation that he pays enormous fees to, or so he alleges. Did he perhaps run this emergency past them? Did they agree to his scheme to run across the bridge to save the city of Detroit? Did they warn him of what would be the out-come if he violated the conditions of his bond?

Or did they encourage him to do so?

Ponder this: Prosecutor Kym Worthy has a pretty strong case against Kwame Kilpatrick. She has text-messages. She has public apologies. She has the resignation of Christine Beatty. She has piles and piles of testimony from the civil lawsuit that cost Detroit taxpayers nearly nine million dollars. She has an open and shut case for perjury and criminal misconduct. Any "Law and Order" fan will accurately surmise this. How can you beat a case with this much evidence?

Strategy. With all the media and citizen hoopla going on in Detroit, where will the Kilpatrick  legal minds find an unbiased jury? A jury without passion or a jury who could really care less in the city of Detroit? EVERY ONE has an opinion in the 'D.' With Kilpatrick's arrest yesterday, which made nationwide headlines, will it be hard to get a change of venue? Take the trial to Howell, or Flint, or Northville. Anywhere but Detroit. Anywhere the population is resistant and neutral to Kilpatrick and the climate can be manipulated.

Would Kwame Kilpatrick, who claims "I listen to my attorneys," go along witha plan that included an over-night stay in the Wayne County Jail, simply to deconstruct and prepare a whole new case, complete with new faces and places? If this is the plan, IF this is the plan, Kym Worthy gets part of her wish granted. It is true that the 36th District Court may lean a great deal towards the Kilpatrick administration. IF the hypothetical plan succeeds, then the motion to change venue is more than likely.

YET, taking the trial that has affected every living soul in Detroit for almost six years now, out of the city limits, PERIOD, is not a good thing. Maybe Kwame's attorneys have found a way to beat an air tight case of solid truth with a technicality.

It happens all the time.

Contributed by Lavande' & Chocolat Amer Staff Writer Shala-LaNice Stigler and Editorial Director Tracey Ricks Foster

The hearing was called when the court was notified that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick made a specified trip to Canada on July 23, without informing the court. It was noted that the mayor made numerous calls that day in preparation for his trip, however, for some reason, failed to notify the proper authorities of his plans or whereabouts. It is also not known at this time if the Canada trip was business related.

Judge Ronald Giles asked for a two minute break before he alerted the court of his decision. Stating that Mayor Kilpatrick had made a previous appearance before the court just weeks ago after being involved in a shoving incident with a Wayne County Sheriff, and was thereby warned not to appear in front of the bench again before trial, Judge Giles said that even if the mayor was "John Sixpack," he would say what came next: "You are remanded to the Wayne County Jail."

An appeal hearing is scheduled for Friday morning at 9am. But for now, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will have to spend the night in jail.

If you have read any of Lavande & Chocolat Amer's coverage of Kwame Kilpatrick and the historical circus mess in Detroit, you will recall that WE predicted that Mayor Kilpatrick would indeed see the insides of a jail. Now, this particular 'stay' will more than likely be a temporary one. But, by the end of this year, Kwame Kilpatrick will be trading in the lush digs of the Manoogian Mansion for a prison cell and a jumpsuit.

Keep up the Good Work, Kwame!

The primary photographer of Italian Vogue's historical "Black" July issue, which as been dubbed in Britain as "The Most Wanted Issue Ever!," Steven Meisel, speaking on the various 'reasons' why African American models are snubbed on the runway and in fashion magazines routinely is because of "laziness, paranoia and pedantry which may have something to do with the failure to hire Black models for shows and magazine features in any meaningful manner." Vogue did pave the way for African American models in 1974 by putting an up and coming Beverly Johnson on its' cover. Johnson was the first African American model to do so. Naomi Campbell also hold the distinction of being the first and only African American model to cover both French and British Vogue.

However, when it comes to the runways, top fashion designers and houses still blatantly boycott African American models. Blindingly so. The recent tally of the last Paris Fashion week yielded shocking numbers:

Out of 34 models, Balanciago used zero African American models.

Out of 36 models, Chanel used zero African American models.

Out of 42 models, Celene used zero African American models.

Out of 49 models, Louis Vuitton used 2 African American models.

Out of 28 models, Chloe used zero African American models.

Interesting data isn't it? Yet, African Americans are known to spend billions upon billions each year on designer clothes making this particular group of consumers number one on the marketing and advertising charts. Still, does this factor impress the powerful mover and shakers in the fashion industry?

The answer is a resounding NO! Fashion photographer and film maker Nick Knight commented in his film, "The Cut" that "whenever I ask to use a Black model I am given the excuses such as 'black models are not aspirational in some markets' or 'they do not reflect the brands values.' Normally, however, no reason is given...it is my belief that our society must be inclusive."

So, with the huge sold-out mania taking place over Italian Vogue's"Black" issue, is it wise to assume that a change in the casting and advertising sectors of the fashion world is imminent? Some would suggest that this is more than likely. But the runways of Fashion Week this Fall will be the litmus test of verification. And with a vast majority of editorial leadership in the fashion magazine sphere being Caucasian, it appears to be highly doubtful if changes in the perception and usage of African American models arrive speedily.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis, Tennassee. Incidentally, Mr. Cohen is a Caucasian American. The resolution, which states:

"African Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow, long after both systems were formally abolished through enormous damage and loss, both tangible and intangible, indeed the loss of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of careers and professional lives, and the long-term loss of income and opportunity."

The resolution appears on the surface to address almost every point that most psychologists, historians and anthropologists have argued the validity of for decades. But in what direction, if any, will this resolution take to make amends for a gross human error that has been recognized? From the looks of the resolution, the apology will have to suffice. No reparations or reparation studies were mentioned or suggested.

Nineteen years ago, and every year there after, Rep. John Conyers, MI, re-introduces a bill that he drafted for the study of reparations to descendants of African American slaves. Known as H.R 40, "Commission To Study Reparations for African Americans," since January, 1989, Rep. Conyers has fought an uphill battle to just get a study on the subject of reparations. Just a study. The bill is still just a bill. Conyers named his bill '40' after the Special Field Order #15, issued by General Sherman, January 16, 1865, giving freed slaves forty acres of land and a mule to work it. This act was to help newly freed slaves support themselves and their families.

History tells us that this Special Field Order was rescinded. Which is why African Americans feel so strongly about the subject of reparations. Many perceive reparations to be about handouts and free money when actually it really is about receiving what is due. For example, in 1988, Congress passed a bill and issued an apology to Japanese Americans for succumbing to racial fears and prejudice during WWII by rounding up all Japanese Americans and herding them into so-called "detention centers." An American name for "concentration camps."

Part of this apology and resolution included reparations in the amount of twenty thousand dollars. Now, in no way is it being suggested that the United States pay out large sums of money to African Americans. Some would disagree. But the best way to compensate or establish reparations would be to create state of the art public schools to teach young African American children, to give them an adequate head start. Most urban cities are strapped for cash to run public schools and therefore African American children are receiving substandard educations, which equals bleak futures.

Another suggested form of sustaining reparations would be to extend the option of receiving a free university or college education for all African Americans who would like to advance their education. This would be an excellent avenue to give a gift that keeps on giving. With a community that is failing and increasingly irresponsible, cutting checks is not going to do it, which is why the issue of reparations is a sore spot.

But the only thing that my ancestor, George Ricks, a runaway slave from Tennessee, wanted for his children was for them to have an education, live free and have their own means of support. As his great, to the tenth power, granddaughter, that is all I want, too. All freed slaves wanted this for their children and those that came after them.

So, an apology is a step in the right direction. But the most important step should be extending a reparations program that, instead of being just another welfare check and crutch, would become an infused foundation to a self-sustained independence that births human dignity and pride.

For the sake of argument, let's start with a brand new word, completely devoid of any racial connotations. Let's say..."retard". I could think of harsher words, but here at the VU, we are family friendly :)

Now there's a child, let's call him "Steve." Steve is unwanted, unloved, and taken care of by a resentful father.  Every day, without hesitation, his father calls him a retard, as well as physically and mentally abuses him. Steve grows up, a bit damaged, but overall he's overcome the odds. Except for one minor quirk--he calls himself a "'tard" proudly, everywhere he goes. Despite the look of shock on the face of his peers, he sees nothing wrong with calling people 'tards in passing. When friends press him, concerned with his behavior, he defiantly says, "I am a 'tard, it's not the same thing as calling myself retarded. I'm taking ownership of a word that used to be an insult!"

What would you think of his new term of endearment? Will you applaud him for calling himself a 'tard, or would you be concerned he'd bought into just a little bit of self hatred? OR, would you think his new take on the word "retarded" was just that--retarded?

Or let's put it in another simple way--your worst enemy suddenly started claiming proudly every bad thing you ever said about him.  No matter how much he says that he isn't really demeaning himself, you'd still laugh at him, wouldn't you? And the best part about it is that you stopped having to work for it.

Seriously though, let's address the claim that the word "nigga" is now empowering. Really? No matter how you want to flip history, Blacks did not start using 'nigga' to switch it up on the White man...Blacks began calling themselves niggers [niggAS was just a quirk of pronunciation] because they had been universally pegged that for so long, the insult stuck with them like it was just a fact of life. Years ago, if an ambitious Black kid tried to beat the odds in a racist country, he would inevitably get told by one of his own people, "You ain't nothin but another nigga, stop trying to be something you're not." Now fast forward that circumstance into 2008. What kind of people call themselves "niggas" on the regular--successful Black businesspeople or...NIGGAS? The men loitering outside on the corner, or the men in suits on Wall Street? If it's so harmless, why do so many of us cringe when we hear others use it in the presence of White people?  How empowering can a word be when in any place of power, it's inappropriate to use it? You wouldn't speak that way to your boss, but you would be comfortable saying it to people who demand no level of respect from you. So tell me where is the power in "nigga"?

If you see a parent calling their young sons and daughters niggas and bitches, you probably wouldn't expect those kids to amount to much.  It appears when you allow yourself to be called out of your name, even in friendly terms, you slowly (sometimes quickly) lose the power to demand respect in other situations. Those who refuse to be labeled by these terms are also the ones who seem to most garner respect from their peers. Women who run around referring to themselves as a "bitch" never seem to find men who treat them with reverence. Coincidence? Or are words more powerful than we give them credit for?

Death Row Records, once the enviable home of such Hip Hop artist as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Da Dogg Pound and Tupac, lost its' talent, but didn't lose the prize: the music catalog. Any songwriter worth his/her salt knows that the true gold, the real money, comes from that catalog. Owning those rights to your creative works.

Well, Dr. Dre once said that he was happy to break away from Suge and his 'organization' with the shirt on his back. To be honest, Dre was more than fortunate to walk away period, Tupac wasn't that blessed.

But the last time I checked, Dr. Dre's debut ground-breaking musical collection, "The Chronic," has sold over 4 million copies since 1993. Snoop Dogg's "Doggy Style" has sold 7 million units as of 2003 and is rated 4X platinum. And Tupac's "All Eyez On Me," the first Hip Hop double album in history, currently has sold more than 9 million copies! Death Row has sold over 50 million units world wide and has racked in a staggering $750 million dollars in revenue.

Need I also say that the late Tupac Shakur still has tons of unreleased material in the Death Row vaults?

Let's just be frank. Global Music Group Inc. is sitting on a Gold Mine. And as an added bonus, they got a prolific music catalog worth multi-millions on a blue-light special deal! So, trust me, investors who are now suing Global Music Group for $25 million are not even poised to make a dent in that mega-million wallet.

Sorry, Dr. Dre. Would you like that Tangeray on ice?

Black people have a serious love/hate relationship with just one TV station. BET

BET used to be a source of pride for colored folks with cable. In a world in which the number of black/R&B performers were limited on MTV, BET filled the void with quality programming
showcased and focused on Black people (remember Donnie Simpson, Teen Summit, BET News, Rachael's "Carribbean Rhythms" etc??)

We all know that those programs have been replaced by an endless stream of music videos, and Black versions of MTV shows. And the joy and pride that many black people once felt has been replaced by shame and anger at the network that claims to represent us. Many feel that BET airs negative, degrading and debasing programs that actively target children and teens with one-dimensional caricatures of black people.

There is fury that many people feel towards BET. That anger is often leveled off in the form of lengthy blog posts, boycotts, cartoons (i.e. -the Banned "Boondocks") and marches. Even advertisers are being called accountable for their support of BET. The blame laid squarely on the shoulders of Bob Johnson, Debra Lee (I don't hide my feelings toward either of them) Reggie Rudlin, and Viacom (BET's Parent company).

But there are a few black people who see no problem with the programming on BET. I'm not talking about enjoying a show or two, but they literally keep the TV on BET all day! They defend what many people have come to view as "negative portrayls of black people" with phrases like "It's just Entertainment" "Some of us are really like that" "if those girls wouldn't agree to be in the videos then we wouldn't have those problems" and "BET's not all bad, they air Bobby Jones' Gospel!"

So here's the conversation starter. Where do you stand on the BET Debate?? Do you love it? Do you hate it? What should be done to improve or change it?? What would you like to see/ happen on BET?