Monday 22 July 2013

Obama's speech about the Trayvon Martin Case.




" Black people are followed in shopping  malls , some people hold their breath  , clicking their  car locks shut ,  at the sight  of a black male in  any  car  park ; et all ..."?
That speech coming  from someone  who himself  has experienced racism , carried a lot of weight .
President  Obama  spoke  from his  head  and  from his  heart and he spoke  the  mind  of  millions  of  black people and people of  colour  ; not only  in the USA , but in other countries where there IS prevailing  racial discrimination .

Yes Prezzie, you 're right . I know  what you are ON about and I "feel"  you on this one.
Here in the UK, most black people have known it  and they have felt it too
In every race , there are found  good , kind people and evil  people with diseased minds.
Just like majority  of  blacks can  confirm that they have, I have encountered  both covert and  overt racism .
But I can also state that  the greatest  kindness , assistance , support  and friendship  I have  received  in the UK  and elsewhere have been from my white friends; some of whom are simply fantastic people .
My  pleasant racial experiences not withstanding , I know that there is resentment  and excessive negative  stereotypical  mind-frames  against black  people  , every where in the society .
Great Britain has been modelled on a  class structure , relics of which are still existing.
Not surprisingly , this racial  bigotry against blacks is stronger and  more articulated among those persons  who themselves belong  to the lowest rung of the class structure in the society.

I am not a black male , but  I have  male relatives , colleagues  and  friends and I hear their pain  and  disappointment about the  way they have been treated , just  because of their skin  colour.
They  would tell you  that black males , especially  the ones owning and driving  top of the range  cars  are  12 times  more likely  to  be  stopped and searched  by the Police , than white males are .
Black men are told that in order for their success  and "ratings" , to be " very high , complete and acceptable" , they  must climb on the back of a beautiful white  woman  and they must be seen with a white wife or white partner on their arms in order  to gain access into certain functions  and specific areas of the society .
I have seen the look on the faces of  people  whenever they see a black  man or woman driving an expensive car and when they see a black person sitting  behind the desk in any office in a top flight job in the City.
I know  and  recognise the look on the faces  of  some bank cashiers whenever  they see blacks  coming  to deposit or withdraw  size able sums of cash or paying in cheques with large sums.
We see men and women dressed as tramps , often  picking  up cigarette stubs, and empty  bottles  and cans of drinks  from the grounds of premises of  night clubs , residential streets , bus stops , Tube stations and even around churches in areas where black people are found in large  numbers.
We know  these people are not "tramps" ; we know  who they are  and we know what  those stuff  they are  picking  from popular black joints  are  going  to be  used  for.

Black  boys  and girls in juniour schools are most  likely  the  ones who would receive counsel  from their teachers  and school career counsellors that  the best place for them  is  not  college  or university but  it would  be perfect  for them  to go become dancers and  musicians , security men and  night-club bouncers . While  black young girls would be advised  to skip college  and university, to go learn a " trade or profession" in some  Nail Art studio , hair saloon , or go train as dancers  and singers .
 Some  black girls are told , even by their own families that the  best of all choices for their future is , they   should  go get pregnant for just any  man  or boy ,  in order  to jump the long housing queues !
Blacks are also  aware that  in the employment  market , the rate of rejections at job interviews and the  number of rejections  for loans , credits  and grants to start businesses  is very high for blacks .
In this climate of  unemployment  , of  economic  and cash crunch here , there have  been  bitterness and grumbling  in the black community  about  the high rate of  non-response  to  job applications  and rejections  at  job interviews amongst  black job- seekers when compared  to white job seekers.
Therefore there have been demands that  employers should be forced to publish  the  list of  the names and racial groupings of their recently  employed  staff , in the past five years.
Also people have  been grumbling  and demanding that the government should force  banks and other credit institutions  to make public the lists of names and  the  racial  groupings of  the persons  whose applications they have  approved and those they  have refused access to credit cards , loans and  mortgages in recent years.

I have seen the look of amazement  or mockery  on the faces of  some stores staff when they see black  people selecting expensive goods from the  shop racks  and shelves.
Like President Obama  said, millions of  blacks would confirm that  even when  there are very few blacks in a shop , the other shoppers from  other races have  been left alone , but  those few blacks  have been picked on   and followed from stall  to stall  by shop security staff  who would  pretend to  be looking at the price tags  on the shelves.
The bewilderment for black people  is  that some of  these security  staff  trailing them ,  are black people  themselves
One day , after I had finished paying for my shopping , before I left  the shop, I walked up to a black security man who I had noticed was trying  to disguise the fact he had  been following  me around  as I  shopped and I said;
" Hello sir , I know you' re  doing your master's bidding , but  please do it with wisdom .
Am  done here and am leaving now. So, you can relax  now.  Please, next time you see me here , don't  even waste your time pacing up and down making  a fool of yourself ! If I had wanted  to shop-lift  here , I would  have done it easily , without your detection. OK?"
There was this puzzled look  and a fake smile on his face as he replied  in a Nigerian accent , " Please madam , am sorry , but I don't know you o and  I  don't know  what  you are talking about !"
" Of course , no ,  you don't know o, what I am talking about , o!  I am speaking Greek , abi ?
Some one later jokingly said  maybe he was not suspecting  me  but he just liked following me around .
Whatever was his problem , I didn't want  to know..

There is also  a degree of  glaring resentment against blacks  which is as undeserved  as it is inexplicable.
On public transports , empty seats beside black  people are usually  the last  to be occupied and some  people would  prefer  to stand  than seat beside a black person. But who cares who is standing or seating? This is just  as well , especially when  that black person would be  very happy  to fill the empty seats with their  hand bags and shopping bags . Moreover it is common knowledge that some  people don't take  a shower , don't  brush  their teeth and don't  change their clothes , socks and underwear for many days .
Owners and staff of some business premises would not welcome  the sight  of   black  shoppers , even when they  know  such black customers  could be  heavy spenders  there.
Staff of  top restaurants  and night clubs are the major culprits of this open hostility against  black customers.
Blacks are  the ones most likely  to get  the "It has been taken" response  to their replies to adverts for jobs  and  vacant accommodation.
In some posh neighbourhoods in London and especially  in some parts of  Northern England , if  a black person especially  a black male male is sighted  on their streets , the  Police phone lines will immediately  be inundated with alarm calls from the residents !
This same alarm and resentment   must  have been  triggered in Zimmerman' s head   when he sighted  Trayvon Martin in an area of  the city , which Zimmerman  believed must  be off limits  to  human beings  like Trayvon..

After all said  and  done , which  way forward  for entrenching racial equality  and harmony ? Any  hope  for a reduction or even an  end  to racial discrimination  ?
I think the answer to that is blowing  in the wind and must  be grabbed by blacks themselves.
                            
Black people firstly, should  start with loving each other  and assisting  to lift up their fellow  blacks , instead of pulling each other  further down.
Stop confirming  the saying  that " Blacks are their own worst enemies ".
Appreciate one another by stopping black on black racism, tribalism , selfishness and in-fighting .
  Receive healing  in your  minds and stop blaming  other races  or your absentee parents  for everything which has failed or is failing in your lives.
To yourself  be true . Do not accept to remain on the garbage  heap where people expect you to remain , forever.
President Obama is  a good example of a very successsful  Black man and he is an excellent role model of how  a Black person can surmount  all obstacles in their path  and rise to lofty heights.
Emulate  black men and  women like  him .
                                
President Obama  summed it  all up in a recent  speech at  the Graduation ceremony  of  the historic Morehouse College , Atlanta.
Go to link http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/19/obama-at-morehouse-black-men-cannot-use-racism-as-/#.Ue1Z-DDbNTh.blogger






Friday 19 July 2013

Making the best of the sweltering heat in London

A friend  and work colleague called me this  morning  to find out why I didn't show up at the office .
Told him am off duty ; so am free, am at large , roaming  about , painting the city of London RED. .
His response : " Lazy people like you should  be FIRED because you are a drain on the British Economy ! "
My response: " Hu! Hu ! Is this "sour grapes" because you applied but were refused a day off  ?!
You know that people like me  , actually, uphold the British economy. We  work hard , pray hard and  play hard! Come on , my darling , admit it ; you wish you were off duty like me enjoying this  lovely weather .
But sorry baby , you've just  got  to sweat it out at  work today , whether you like it or not..
 See you much later.  Taa dah! Bye !"



Let's face it , the  UK is not  made for hot whether , therefore people here are NOT  prepared for  it when " an inferno " like this hot weather which has descended on the society in the past fortnight  happens.
Truly , this is  too much  heat  for the UK; even  by  tropical standards , it has been uncomfortable..
The British do not  like prolonged hot weather and people are complaining and  longing for a return  of the " good old British weather!"
Really ? The same cold and rainy weather which they couldn't wait  to see the back of .
Well , no sign of  cold weather  now and unless a miracle happens ,  it won't happen , until  may be late September , according  to today's latest UK weather news.
Oh dear! That's not good news is it ?
Many  people in the London area  have  inundated the  Emergency Services like the Police , the NHS and the Ambulance Service  with phone calls to complain about the hot weather.
 " Please, somebody help us!Cant  stand  this heat any more  The government  must  do something about  this d--d weather! . Make it  go away , now !"
The Emergency Services and government should do something like what... ?

It has been proven that excessive heat saps the physical and mental energies of humans and even of animals and birds.
No wonder some people in the UK have reported sick at  work and stayed  home  to nurse their  grudges against the heat and  to curse the hot weather.
Today , I have planned my day off , not  to stay indoors moaning  about the heat.
Started the day doing my weekend  shopping this morning and I am spending the rest of the day getting  in  the mood for a long weekend of  relaxation , chilling out and doing great stuff to cool off the heat.
Stuff like going  this afternoon to my favourite Beauty  Spa  to  spend hours getting  the "full works" - that is  a complete physical and mental make-over - doing  my hair , nails , facials  and getting  a full body  massage.  Then I will top all of  it up  with a long cold swim in the pool.
Well here I go for well-deserved day off.
You try and enjoy this unusual  weather while it  lasts . OK.
Cheers.




Happy New Year !