BY: TamonGeorge , @tamongeorge

Between Barack And A Hard Place – Tim Wise

Tim Wise, an anti-racist activist and political thinker has written yet another successful book on the current affairs of African Americans in America. Wise, a white man has opened the doors previously unexplored by people of his persuasion.

Wise uses this short and concise piece to dig into the layers of structural and historical racism in the age of Obama. He poses questions, gives answers and shines a light on issues such as housing, employment, justice and education. These topics have been discussed in great length by hundreds of authors, but where Wise makes a difference is in his ability to link these issues with the age of Colorblindness. These structural and historical issues cannot be solved without a swift philosophy that acknowledges race.

Wise creates a simple book that poses a key fundamental issue. “Is Black success making it harder for Whites to see the problem of racism?”

Wise argues Race relations are being strained by the colorblind outlook. He believes that in the white perspective it is now becoming mainstream to witness Black success and at claim all things are equal when they are not. The White population has crossed the finish line of race relation work and is not looking back to verify its completion.

This short book was a simple read with a strong message.

 Has Black Success made it harder for Whites the see the problem of Racism?

The Hip Hop Wars – Tricia Rose

BY: TamonGeorge ,  @tamongeorge

Author Tricia Rose writes a compelling book illustrating the highs and lows of the 20^th centuries most powerful music genre…Hip-Hop. Rose, a professor of Africana studies at Brown University uses her vast knowledge and understanding of true American history to accurately pen the current affairs of Hip Hop.

Rose writes in laymen terms, avoiding academic jargon, all the while allowing the reader to focus on the complexity of this topic instead of the complexity of academic diction. This book is not only easy to understand but is written with the reader in mind. Clear, concise and captivating.

Tricia Rose uses a rather uncommon template is this book, using the first half of the piece to comment solely on the detractors of Hip Hop.

• Violence
• Ghetto Culture
• American Values
• Hip Hop & Women

Critics of Hip Hop have plenty of ammunition to back up their claims.  Tricia Rose sharply analyzes these claims from the perspective of a Hip Hop lover. Understanding its shortfalls but loving it non-the less.

The second half of this book is written from the perspective of the Hip Hop head, from the eyes of those willing to defend Hip Hop as fact. The second half of this book is entirely in defense of Hip Hop.

Why is Hip Hop real? What has it come from? Why does it sell? What responsibility does it have?. All questions addressed by Rose.

This read is one that holds its value in all circles of life. Any person of marginal youth will benefit from the information derived from this book. Not only does it open ones eyes to the high levels of Hip Hop, but also the Sublevels we tend to overlook. Difficult issues… Masculinity, Self Worth, Discrimination, Economies of the music industry.

Read this book, to better appreciate Hip Hop for what it 

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Amazon :The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

BY TamonGeorge, @tamongeorge

“You are a felon, you can not work here, you cannot live here, you can not ask for assistance…. However, you must go straight”

Initially written with modest anticipation of sales and distribution, this book has been printed over ten times and become an international success holding court in education curriculum’s and C-Span alike. This book has successfully made the leap to social manifesto of the American prison system.  Author Michelle Alexander makes her stand at the foot injustice through her careful examination of the creation of a second class society through racial control. Her evidence is exact and direct, she neatly plants the seeds of thought needed to fully understand the breadth of an American Class war created through imprisonment of black youths.

The New Jim Crow is an epitome of enlightenment, this book teaches; it sparks necessary thought that will forever change the way we understand incarceration as a solution to a problem.  Simply put, the mark of a felon is forever lasting, and this mark is being placed on the forehead of Men of color at a feverish pace.

Michelle Alexander tackles old forms of discrimination and aligns them with new school policy that creates similar outcomes to Jim Crow law of the early 20th century. The unequivocal outcome is a two tiered class system that scars the lives of millions of Black males every year. This is a book written for those interested in the pipeline to prison and the big business… that is mass incarceration. 

BY: TamonGeorge, @tamongeorge

Rebuilding the Inner City – Robert Halpern

This book is not for the faint of heart. Its not intended to be a quick read before bed, nor a read to be carried out between the commercial breaks of your favorite television show. This book is an in depth lesson of the afflictions chaining inner cities to their unfulfilling destiny. Rebuilding the inner city is a book that requires focus and an attentive spirit to fully understand the complex creation of the inner cities deprivation of progression.

Robert Halpern writes this book with an academic tone that challenges the reader to conceptualize the underpinnings of the perpetual and systemic downfalls of inner city reform.  From a historical standpoint Halpern untangles the thick tentacles of inner city evolution with in depth analysis of historical events that contributed to the various phases of public awareness and government response to the unshakable crisis of inner city revitalization.

Two key components of inner city development as outlines by this book have been Community development corporations and secondly, neighborhood initiatives. Each having their own collection of shortcomings and uprisings.

Moreover, this book gives tremendous insight in a general context to the creation of the “inner city”, framing the inner city plight in its totality. Harlpern addresses a broad range if cyclical issues, from education reform to job loss post WWII to the migration of whites to the suburbs. This book addresses the inner city fight not through a racial lens but addresses the stark realities with an objective monocle that speaks to real circumstance.

This read is for the social conscious, for those who want a heightened understanding of the afflictions of an inner city. This book is written for someone who is yet to understand why certain neighborhoods haven’t changed in decades and why programs that vow to create change often fail. This is a slow read, one that will change the way you see the ruble and troubles of an inner city. But lastly, this book isn’t a recipe for change, it is an oven.

Why are Ghettos still Ghettos?

By: TamonGeorge . @tamongeorge

The Pulitzer prize-winning author Eugene Robinson writes a passionate down to earth book about the state of Black America and the painfully complex relationship amongst its members. 

amazon.com/Disintegration-Splintering-America-Eugene-Robinson

Robinson starts this book with an informative analysis of the last century in Black unrest and civil turmoil. He examines the roles of then leaders and their ability to unite and ignite Blacks to a unified calling. Robinson examines the current culture created by a society without a clear leader, and better yet, without a firm agenda. The question then posed is weather or not a leader or an agenda can be made for Black America in the same fashion it was made before. Thus creating the shift and disintegration of Black America. who is responsible for who? Can an entire people unify the same way they did 50 years ago? Is that unification now necessary?

The disintegration Robinson defines is based on the real challenge created by the American dream. Some Black people are trying to survive while others thrive. The struggle is real in terms of the direction Black America can take with its precarious position on the scale of equality and inequality.

Digging through the thick layers of Black society. Robinson identifies four main groups created in the last three decades. The Transcendent, the mainstream-middle class, the Abandoned and the emergent’s.

• Transcendent: the few elite who have navigated through race and society as a whole to become exceptional players in America at large.
• The mainstream middle Class: Black who are firmly rooted in middle class values and status, often those who have attained higher education and created wealth for their families
• The Abandoned: Million of Blacks who have been unable to get out of the forest of oppression and depression unable to escape poverty
• The Emergent’s: recent immigrants from predominantly Black countries such as African nations and the Caribbean who are visually held inside the Black American context but have surprisingly different outlooks.

This read offers insight into the diverging outlooks of Black America. With some gains being made every day the consensus is that these gains are blinding the true disparities within the widening spectrum of Black living.

Is Black America, still Black America? 

Louisiana woman burned by three KKK members

UPDATE

Police: Badly burned woman admits she set herself on fire

Whos Afraid of Post-Blackness, What it means to be black now – Toure

“Black people don’t do that!”

This examination will be short, mainly because we have all been down this path. We have crossed this street and addressed these issues in our own minds time and time before. What is Black? Who are we to judge Black? What does Black do? What does Black not do?

This question is firmly rooted in Black fashion. Scroll through this blog, any blog. Black fashion… is everything, does everything.

Unequivocally, a must read for anyone who wants to remain relevant in a world of constant refinement.

Toure has been classified as everything under the sun, and then some. The critical analysis of his life has brought him to the crossroads of Blackness Vs Blackness. Toure has crafted an exceptional piece depicting the ever changing concept of Blackness.

Toure’s position is an interesting one, he challenges the restrictions that the “Black” identity creates. He ever goes so far to challenge the restrictions we Blacks put on each other. We’ve all heard it… “Black people don’t do that”. Case in point, yes, we do.

This spirited often humorous book critiques the 21^st century Black and spins it into an understandable amalgamation of past present and future. Read it with an open mind, and a reflective spirit. You wont regret it.

The rules of Blackness no longer exist.

BY - TamonGeorge , @tamongeorge 

The Price of The Ticket (Barack Obama and the rise and decline of Black politics)– Fredrick Harris

In light of the recent presidential debate and upcoming election, I find this to be an ideal time to write about a book with so much influence and relevance of the current American world.  President Barack Obama has become a symbol of hope, prosperity and power and has been the North Star for Black across America since his emergence onto the national political scene. His image has transcended him into a figure of ultimate power, but has his politics reflected such a transformation in the lives of Blacks in America? This.. is a question explored heavily by Fredrick Harris, the author.

Harris starts by examining the roots of Black political society and its inception out of a little known place of influence called Southside Chicago.  Obama was not the first of Black political leaders and certainly wont be the last. His roots post Harvard, were grown out of a deep dish pan of Black political thinkers who all contributed to his now unprecedented success.  Harris analyzes the road taken by Blacks before him such as Jesse Jackson among many, that helped shape the Black political philosophy that served as a framework for Obama 2008 Campaign.  His campaign was a playbook for “New School” Black politics as apposed to the “Old School” protest politics of the mid century. The deployment of a seemingly race-neutral agenda combined with the usage of color blind rhetoric gave his campaign a mainstream American identity that ultimately allowed him to capture the heart of a multicultural society and therefore posses the coveted position of President of the United States.

Harris also speaks to disgruntled Blacks. Some believe Obama hasn’t contributed enough to the empowerment of the African American community; but what many don’t see as claimed by Harris is the “Inside-Outside” game played by Black politicians. The subliminal work, behind the scenes if you will, to serve the agenda of the people. When Obamas policies are examined beyond the surface we see he is in fact working to better the Black community. His mission however is coded in strategy that appears universal at face value. Case in point, “Obamacare”, providing health care to those who are least likely to have coverage at all. His flagstaff political stance is on an issue that predominantly affects Blacks, providing millions with adequate healthcare who would otherwise be left without. And if you needed additional evidence, you need only look to the first lady and her claim to fame mission of fighting childhood obesity, that effects Black youth at an astounding rate.

Lastly, Harris takes an in depth look at the often unflinching support of Obama within the Black community. This topic was most impressive and well reported giving the greatest insight into the unintended consequences of Barack Obamas election.  I offer this book to you as pre-election stimulus to ignite the political fire that won Obama the presidential election in 2008.

Enjoy & VOTE

Do you think the racism in this country stops President Obama from addressing the problems such as high unemployment, illegal immigration and etc in minority communities?