tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280379846265476813.post7796784278050140715..comments2023-11-05T01:07:34.712-08:00Comments on Rise Up Hip Hop Nation: Dis'United States of America: The Red, White, Blue...and above all GreenTinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11218094852008924290noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280379846265476813.post-19771041559693356642009-12-24T23:25:59.703-08:002009-12-24T23:25:59.703-08:00@Julian - thanks for taking the time to read my es...@Julian - thanks for taking the time to read my essay and post a comment. I agree that next step is offering solutions, but basically this essay was just to try as you say to have us first move beyond the cyclical debate. In terms of what specific actions individuals can do in the context of their daily lives, i wrote an essay three years ago new years eve that i plan to repost next week that list 10 specific actions. here is link where you can access it for reference:<br /><br />https://eee.uci.edu/06f/20000/Rise_up_dec2006.htm<br /><br /><br />I think a big part of our problem is all want to see change but when asked what are we specifically doing to address whatever issue we're interested in, most (my students for example) say they are doing very little or nothing...so i think if all actually did 3 or 4 things on the list, we'd actually start moving toward community self determination.<br /><br />in terms of larger strategy, i really think the model U.N.I.A, and the BPP employed, and the solutions Woodson outlines in his book Miseducation can work...while both the U.N.I.A. and BPP fell, i think those circumstances can be learned from and planned for..in the case of the U.N.I.A, too much dependency on one leader. In the case of the BPP, warfare with Hoover and govt (which will always be the case but i think in this day and age community based orgs like these can accomplish a lot w/o the direct backlash that they got in the 60s...so many other "issues" that in many ways black empowerment is not at top of radar, so i kind of call it the possibility for a parallel movement..instead of fighting system, govt, oppression..we focus on community empowerment in ways Woodson outlines.Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218094852008924290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280379846265476813.post-52329048869396250202009-12-24T13:11:06.459-08:002009-12-24T13:11:06.459-08:00Well, if it matters, I agree with your descriptive...Well, if it matters, I agree with your descriptive stratification of the American populous. I can go along with your depictions of the general sentiment of each "category" of American and I think they are really on point to a degree. What I do find, however, that you have an accusatory tone and no resolute position of your own. <br /><br />You demand that we (I morph between "blue" and "fringe progressive") forget the cyclical debate of wrongdoing and wrongdoers and move on to solutions. Your position in and of itself is a debate I've heard throughout my personal political evolution and in all stages. If I may take the liberty of adding "you" to "we" and challenge you to posit a more tangible solution (than your closing piece) to the problem. I am a personal supporter of yours and will back your moves 100% - when you expound on what it is "we" should be doing.Chris Nazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08976810788440658713noreply@blogger.com