Second Edition

September 11, 2013

Black Consciousness
Promoting Freedom of Thought

Quote of the Day: W.E.B Du Bois Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States

Table of Contents The Story of Black Wall Street..Jahi Beal Black is Back......Rashieda Witter Betrayal in the KingdomKendall Josey The Adventures of Z-Man: Idle Minds......Shaquille Williams

Contact Us: Twitter: @BCNewspaper Email: BCNewspaper@yahoo.com

Copyright Black Consciousness Writers 1

The Story of Black Wall Street

On June 1, 1921 the American Dream turned nightmare in a matter of hours. There was once a land so magnificent one could only call it Little Africa. Located in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Little Africas self sufficient Blacks horrified the white man. It not only displayed the wonders we would produce if left untouched, but showed that we far surpassed the rest. Black Wall Street (Little Africa) held within its districts limits 21 churches, 21 restaurants, 30 grocery stores, two movie theaters, a hospital, a bank, a post office, multiple libraries, schools, law offices, half a dozen private planes, and both a bus and cab system; all within the 35 blocks that were burned down. Set ablaze for an overused reason that all leads back to one young man named Dick Rowland. He supposedly attempted to assault and/or rape a young White woman in an elevator, although the reality was he just tripped into her. Think about the story of Emmett Till as this ran in much the same way, but when the vital point came where the White community tried to lynch Dick, the people of Black Wall Street werent having it. Thus, the Tulsa Race Riot started nightfall of May 31 st and all hell broke loose; handguns, machine guns, and bombs were the weapons of choice and the land would be forever scorched. What once was the most thriving Black community in America became desolate and unrecognizable with around 1,500 houses gone and an unknown amount of Black people killed, yet estimates range anywhere from 25 to 3,000. Much more were left homeless, thousands were arrested, and not one individual was reimbursed till the year 2001, yet their spirit did not waver since the secret to their success never left. We must embody their willingness to succeed and create

Black Wall Streets in our own communities, overcoming devastating barriers and letting no one, not even ourselves, hold us back.

Sincerely yours, Jahi Beal, Editor-in-Chief

Food for Thought: If the highest estimates for the amount of people killed in the Tulsa Race Riot are correct, then it would be tied in rank (for lack of a better word) for the largest massacre of nonmilitary civilians in American history.

Sources: 1. San Francisco BayView article What happened to Black Wall Street on June 1, 1921 2. PBS on Jim Crow Stories: Tulsa Riot 3. Before They Die Documentary 4. 1HowMany.com article How Many People Died in 9 11

Black is Back
In theatres that is. This past weekend I finally had the opportunity to see the highly acclaimed film, The Butler. During this experience, the one thing that captivated my attention other than the film itself were the previews to the upcoming movies set to be released later this year & next. One trailer was for Nelson Mandelas biopic entitled, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and another that REALLY had me on the edge of my seat was a film starring Brad Pitt called, 12 Years A Slave. Seeing these trail ers sparked an epiphany as I realized this recent, dominant trend of Black films. If you havent noticed, Hollywood has a way of releasing films that have themes synonymous to those we see in the reality of our society in order to increase box office profits. Have you all peeped that ever since the extremely publicized injustice of Trayvon Martin, there have been a slew of Black films that deal with sensitive issues surrounding our race including Django Unchained, Fruitvale Station and most recently The Butler? Well if you havent noticed, please peep this trend now because its far from over. There are a staggering 7 slavery based films set to be released this year and some critics have dubbed 2013 The Year of Slavery. Now lets examine this from both sides of the spectrum Ill give you the good side first. While our brown-skinned finesse dominate the musical and athletic aspects of the entertainment industry, its undeniable that we are underrepresented in Hollywood and on the big screen unless its Tyler Perry stereotyping us in his fat suit & wig as Madea. On one hand I am pleased that this wave of movies will bring about a plethora of melanin to theatres. I am also content with the fact that the bullshit our ancestors endured as slaves will finally be unmasked for the world to see. America tells us to never forget 9/11 and the Holocaust but what about the 400+ years of slavery that happened right here

on our soil?! Nah, they want to sweep that under the rug and attempt to erase our history because its a sensitive topic. They want to eradicate their wrongdoings towards us from textbooks and classrooms but I say keep it 100 about itESPECIALLY since we never got our 40 acres and a mule! Lets be real, the way they depict us in these movies usually has us walking out of the theatre ready to swing on the first Caucasian we see. However, Im hoping that these films will lead to an open & honest discussion about slavery and the impact its continued to have on modern African-American life. This leads me to the bad end of the spectrum. At the end of the day show business is just thata BUSINESS, meaning that their priority is to make a profit. It irks me that Hollywood is capitalizing off of the exploitation of our history and frankly they are doing the absolute most with these SEVEN films. However with the box office success of Django Unchained, its no wonder slavery is about to be a recurring theme. That aspect also grinds my gears. Why is it that Blacks have to be depicted in an oppressed manner in order to sell movies? Our President is Black for goodness sake, can we get at least ONE film representing Black excellence, opulence and decadence (obtained the legal way)?! In conclusion, I encourage you all to go out and see the seven films listed on the @BCNewspaper Twitter page, simply to critically analyze the way we are illustrated in them. Take note of the symbolism to our current society and situations and think of ways to combat the now mental slavery far too many of our race have fallen victim to. Also, please note that these films are not a sure fire way to learn Black history, so pick up a book or speak to Black elders who can give you real deal information to help you on the quest to know thyself. Rashieda Witter www.SimonsOfHipHop.com

Betrayal in the Kingdom:

The Judases and Brutuses of Black Love in America
As black men and women, we must support each other. I believe that we, as branches of the richest family tree, owe it to our seeds as well as our roots to hold each other up when the storms of life come to knock us down. In recent years, I have witnessed the steady crumble of a once great partnership. The general quality of the relationships between black men and women has deteriorated. Particularly in the young black community, I have heard the resonating hum of hostility instrumented by both men and women. Some black women have a warped mindset that suggests that black men are generally not hard-working, loving or supportive. What is interesting is that the things we as women say to cut down our black men are self-fulfilling prophesies. If you constantly claim that black men lack certain good qualities or possess bad qualities, chances are that you will encounter those things. I am all for more black men stepping up in more ways, but we cannot, with a clear conscience say that our black men do not support us, yet refuse to spare a shred of sweet compassion when we bear witness to their daily harassment. I know many black men, who feel it their duty to serve, protect and defend all sistas at all times. I also know black women who overlook these soldiers and choose to focus on negative male examples they may have in their lives. In my opinion, black men did drop the ball in supporting black women. That, I can wholeheartedly say. However, I constantly see black women who continue to respond with a coldness that refuses to be thawed. I believe that this unwillingness to rethink, renew and reconcile perpetuates the

damaging cycle that has caused the decline in strong, long-lasting black relationships. It is about love. It is about trust. It is about black men treating us like the queens we were meant to be, and black women treating black men like the kings they were ordained to be. Furthermore, let us remember to live up to those royal standards and not the ratchet attribute that was so wickedly implanted. That is not what we are made of. We as a black community simply cannot believe or internalize the lies that we have been told about who we are and what merits we possess. Legendary emcee Q-Tip once rhymed, The thing that men and women need to do is stick together. Progressions cant be made if were separate forever. I am positive that fighting amongst ourselves will only weaken us as a whole, so it is imperative to our survival as a people that we advocate for and sustain each other. No matter what parasites have tried to eat away at the integrity of black relationships, the fact remains that now is the time to restore broken bonds and renew the vows our ancestors took so long ago.

Kendall Josey

Adventures of Z -Man: Idle Minds

Z-Mans eyes were glued to the digital monitors that adorned his office. The protests were still going on. Something about NO MORE SLAVERY AND EQUALITY FOR ALL. Z-Man fingered the material of his costume, the Z in the middle a bit fuzzy. He huffed. Ill never understand why God made niggers. They suffer enough, dont they? All they do is whine and complain. Im doing them a favor by getting rid of them. Yes Z-man, but you were saying a polite, but firm voice said behind ZMan. Z-Man turned. Yessss, Professor Bulbyes, the best way to annihilate them is to weaken their minds. Strong minds cant be broken. Thats how those good ol boys did it back in the day. Yes, Sir. Professor Bulb nodded his head. Maintain the inferiority of their minds through the media. They already dont see themselves too much in the media, we need to keep it that way. Z-Man frowned. The media as a whole is perfectly designed to keep them out and to keep their mindsidle. Most of them attend decrepit schools, not that they are taught black history anyway. And most of them dont read. You see Professor Bulb, we dont have to do much except make sure they dont learn anything about themselves. The best way to keep them down is to keep them coasting under the illusion of equality. Professor Bulb rubbed his bald head. I agree with you Z-Man but what about social media? Professor Bulb focused his eyes on the screen behind ZMan. Obviously someone broke through... Z-Man shook his head. By spreading the knowledge of black hist ory and other societal ills Z-Man pointed one of his fat ashy fingers towards the screen. We get this. Professor Bulb stated the obvious, Someone has been educating them. Z-Man pointed to the digital screen which immediately flashed to reveal the image of a crouching young girl, electronic plates on the forefront of her armor. Underneath the screen flashed her name, Angelica Rampage. Z-Man scrunched up his thick bushy eyebrows. Ah, well take care of her soon. Next: Introducing Angelica Rampage Shaquille Williams