Why are young parents killing kids at alarming rates?

January 28, 2014 admin Leave a comment

By: Dr. Samori Swygert

Parents and guardians are killing kids at a rate that I’ve never seen before. This alarming trend appears to resurface almost weekly. We turn on the news, and see how a child has been brutalized, tortured, abused, raped, abandoned, and often times murdered.

Matthew 5:9- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God

It truly hurts hearing the countless stories of child abuse. We hate hearing how innocent people are harmed. What is more innocent than a baby or child? What threat does a baby or little child pose to an adult? Babies are physically defenseless and vulnerable. However, babies are being discarded like trash, LITERALLY.

Caveat: I don’t have all the answers

I don’t have the answers, but sometimes good solutions develop from introducing discussion topics and touching common cords in people. I believe this current crisis is a multifactorial phenomenon.

The most visible characteristic is the young age of the parents involved. Many of the parents are young, and especially prominent in their 20’s.

Are we failing our youth, or losing the battle between older parents and the current social culture?

What do I mean? The current climate is “hyper-sexualized”. American media promotes promiscuity. However, are we providing that counterbalance to filter the message? Society sells sex, but it doesn’t initiate a nationwide campaign about the reality of parenting.

When the pleasure of sex is over, the period is late, the morning sickness develops, the EPT device shows up positive, and the doctor displays the sonogram……THINGS GET REAL FOR YOU, but the Hollywood machine continues production, and the hospital sends you the bill for delivery.

Becoming a parent places you immediately into the driver seat, and the baby in the car seat. Teenagers, and many young adults are not prepared for this LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Many don’t have a support system, a job/career to financially support this new life, and sadly many youth end up as single parents. These are adult stresses placed on a teenage and young adult mind.

Ideally, and utopian in thought, we hope for a two parent household with dual income. However, reduce this down to a teenager or early twenty year old parent by themselves and a minimum wage job (or unemployed). Cognitive dissonance may develop because being a teen parent is a lifestyle change that creates a conflict of interest to individuals unwilling to forfeit or relinquish their pre-parenting lifestyle and freedom.

Many young parents may also be foster care teens that have no parental involvement with a vested interest in their future. What will become of the decision making process of this young teenage foster parent? They can’t call on mom, dad, auntie, or uncle? Many young parents deal with shame and embarrassment of the situation of their pregnancy.

Do drugs have an implication in this?

I remember growing up in the 80s. Those were crazy times, cocaine and crack were ubiquitous. We often heard about the long-term effects of “crack babies”. Well I have a curious question, and I base it off the surge in diagnoses of ADD and ADHD when the DSM III was revised to the DSM IV. What are the long term effects of Ritalin and other psychoactive agents on children?

It’s 2014, and from the late 80s to now, the diagnoses of ADD and ADHD has exploded, along with the pharmacological treatment of these mental diagnoses. Is it possible that we are also seeing the results of long-term use of these psychoactive medications? Kids that have been on medication since 3^rd grade are now engaging in intercourse, and being presented with the demands of parenthood, and never learned coping, but were taught “doping”.

We fail our kids when we don’t routinely teach them communication skills, constructive methods of expression, patience, sacrifice, coping skills, anger management, healthy conflict resolution, and how to deal with hurt and pain. We are allowing the pharmaceutical industry to do all of the above in a 25 or 50 mg tablet.

Instead of addressing all these intrinsic values, we are throwing chemicals at them. That’s like me being heartbroken because my dad died, and they say “take this pill”. The pill is only chemistry at work, but it doesn’t reconcile the root of my emotions, which is the loss of a person that gave me good memories. Essentially, I’m altering by body chemically to fix something that has no chemical cause.

However, it’s also irresponsible for me to act like mental illness isn’t real. I personally know individuals that suffer from it. I also have female friends that say postpartum depression is REAL! We also hear of parental mental illnesses like Munchausen syndrome.

Furthermore, there is another trend of parents claiming that their children are possessed and that they must exorcise and kill their babies.

Also, as friends and family members, it is our duty to be sure that our young parents and their mates are drug free! Many street drugs can also be traced back to these gruesome and heinous acts. We must speak up for them and to them, in the name of these babies being murdered. Say something if you know one or both of the parents are abusing illegal drugs.

Other impetuses

Some pregnancies are methods of entrapment. This is not gender specific, some females do this, and there are plenty of possessive and maniacal men that will impregnate a female to maintain some sort of “claim and relevance” to the female. However, a BABIES LIFE is far more important than a selfish obsession to keep a mate. What happens when the parent defies your method of entrapment and still leaves? Many times, animosity and resentment develops and the anger is displaced on the infant. Infanticide may occur out of spite, retribution, and frustration. We’ve got to stop this NOW!

What are some intervening solutions we can practice as friends and family?

Business & Financial News

How 529 college savings plans can help single parents

January 27, 2014 admin Leave a comment

How 529 college savings can help single parents

by: Dr. Samori Swygert

It’s important that we become more and more acquainted with finances. The lack of financial knowledge can and will keep us in financial bondage. Education, and application of knowledge is key to empowering our journey to financial independence.

Many readers may be aware of this simple financial option, but many are not. I had a discussion with a coworker about 529 college savings plans, and she had no idea about it, or what it was. She is a hardworking single mom, and as I began sharing this info with her about college savings plans for her son, I saw a light bulb go off in her head, and a smile grace her face. She had just been enlightened about a financial option that she can research and use. I then proceeded to ask several more of my young female coworkers that are single mothers, and the response was the same. I shared the information with them.

I’m not a financial advisor. However, I spend tremendous amounts of time reading different material, and I enjoy sharing information that can transform someone’s life.

So for all households, and single parents, I advise you to visit the United States Securities and Exchange website here: http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/intro529.htm

This link will give you a healthy resource, and wealth of knowledge on 529 College Savings plans. This is VERY IMPORTANT, because the cost of attending college has skyrocketed, and the cost of attending should not be a reason to not attend. Planning is key, and as parents, our children should not have to assume mounds of debt at an early age, and as a parent you don’t want this expense hanging over your head. We also must take into consideration the job market and its’ unpredictability.

Briefly, a 529 College Savings plan is a program provided to citizens to help save money for college. Every state has one! There are tax benefits to it. You can contribute to it regularly like a 401 k. The funds in the account must be specifically used for college expenses. Your child is referred to as the “beneficiary”. There are penalties if you use this for expenses unrelated to college expenses. There are also penalties if you withdraw money from the account before it’s time for college. For instance, if you withdraw money early to pay for a home improvement project, you will be hit with income tax and 10% federal tax. You can also roll savings to other state plans if you move to another state, but you just need to know your state specific policies.

There are 2 types of 529 plans. There is a COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN , and a PREPAID TUITION PLAN. There are maximum limits for contribution, but that is in excess of $200,000. You also want to know that there are BROKER SOLD and DIRECT SOLD PLANS. Broker sold plans use a sales broker that charge you a broker fee for their service in managing your 529. Direct sold plans don’t use a broker and thus you are not paying a broker fee, and have more money to contribute. However, research is the key. Read, talk, ask around.

I won’t sit here and give you a fish, but I’m giving you the information you need to learn to fish for financial freedom. Research the information in the link I provided. Investigate and see what may be best for you, and take advantage of these financial options early. This plan is for individuals with kids, but I particularly feel that young single parents should definitely be aware of this, because it can help alleviate some of the stressors of pondering your child’s educational future.

Until next time…..Wash your hands, help someone, save your money, exercise daily, eat healthy, pray regularly, read something new, and tell someone you love them……Dr. Swygert signing off, God Bless.

Socio-Cultural Commentary

Would African American reparations be America’s stimulus package?

January 25, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Would African American reparations be America’s stimulus package?

By: Samori T. Swygert

What would you do if you opened your mailbox, and received a letter from the United States government? The letter read something like this, “a review of historical data by members of various levels of government and the treasury department concluded that being a descendant of African American slaves that were wrongly obtained, detained, forced to slave labor without wages or salary, and subjected to various forms of abuse, we would like to first apologize with sincere honesty and hope you accept the enclosed check for $100,000.00. We are aware that the reward is meager compared to the hardship, disadvantages, and disenfranchisement that has occurred over the years. However, due to rewarding numerous citizens that are eligible for this compensation, restitution, and reparation, we concluded this amount may help lessen the burden and show true contrition for the act of slavery.”

What would you do? The check is ready to be redeemed, cash money!!!

I pose this question because of a conversation a coworker and I had. What would be the best form of reparations? Would the best act of reparation lie in a check for a specific amount of money, free education, work and live as citizens without paying any taxes, or etc? My response to the question has a biblical basis. The book and passage of the bible I would rely on is; Romans 12:2- “and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.

This is not a religious blog, but African Americans need a paradigm shift before receiving reparations. I may be accusatory or speculative, but I firmly believe that we have been groomed into an addictive consumer relationship with America. It’s not fair to paint the whole African American population with a broad brush, but you must concur that a great deal of us are groomed to be consumers and not producers. White Americans are large consumers also, but they differ from us because they are also largely the producers, owners and beneficiaries of various markets in the American economy.

I feel that $100,000.00 check would be a stimulus package to White America and other multinational groups. The music, music videos, commercials, magazines and billboard advertisements indoctrinate us to be gross consumers. This would be okay if we owned the majority of the products we consume or the sole proprietor of services we patronize. The truth is we do not own the majority of what we patronize. The contemporary culture overemphasizes and glorifies: luxury cars and aircrafts, designer clothes, top shelf alcohol, expensive electronics (new flat screens, Playstations, iPods, iPads, tablets, and computers), ostentatious jewelry, choicest restaurants, state of the art hotels and resorts, hi-tech fire arms, and then all the accessories, amenities and accoutrements to top off our purchases. Now this is not all blacks!! We must free our minds from consuming the symbols and byproducts of success, and really achieve true success! I am guilty myself, if this helps you settle into the honesty of these statements.

There are questions that need to be asked. How many black owned automobile and aircraft manufacturers exist? How many alcohol breweries and distilleries are black owned? How many cell phone, TV and electronics manufacturers are black owned? How many jewelers are black owned? How many black owned precious metals and diamond minds exist? How many choicest restaurants are black owned and franchised across the nation? How many gun manufacturers are black owned? What was the last black owned hotel or resort you’ve checked into? How many black owned fashion designers do you know and purchase from? What quantity of produce do you purchase from the black farmers? If you are being completely honest with me (keep it 100), your answers to these questions should be, few to none. I’m a pretty good dancer so I’m not trying to step on anybody’s toes, but this is done to force true introspection and self-evaluation. These questions also reveal where our hard earned money is squandered, and where we are creating millionaires by false visions of success and happiness they solicit to us via various mediums. These questions also reveal the various markets that we need to begin to compete in as owners and producers. Why should others take from the black community? Why must our dollars be everybody else’s stimulus package?

In the spirit of the Olympics, I would like to make a comparison of the Olympics to the African American community. In the Olympics, various countries compete for the gold medal in various sporting disciplines (boxing, track, gymnastics, swimming, archery, and etc). In our case, the gold medal translates into the “Black Dollar”. The various sporting disciplines translate into numerous industries (fashion, electronics, communication, recreation, entertainment, food, automobile, and etc). There are so many cultures from various foreign countries within and outside our neighborhood. They’re competing for the “Black Dollar”.

The conundrum is we are underrepresented in the competition for our own money. In lieu of the current economic, educational, and social conditions, we need to transform through the renewing of our mind. We need to begin learning these skills, technologies, business stratagems, and even create new markets and industries. This is the era of the inventor and entrepreneur. Unemployment is high, jobs are being outsourced, incarceration is increased, what are you going to do to get that gold medal? Do you have the innovation to create a new industry and market to captivate the black consumer, and command the black dollar? You have nothing else to lose if you’re already unemployed or underclass.

So we need to transform our minds to conserve our finances, pool our resources, plan and strategize. The chances of receiving reparations seem slim, but we can’t let our disposable income be everyone else’s stimulus package. We need to become more fiscally astute and financially scrupulous. If we do not read, apply our education, and think outside the box, we will be doomed to be permanent consumers, and cemented in the underclass. I’m starting by working on myself now. I just wanted to share my spirit with you, and God Bless!

Socio-Cultural Commentary

PROBLEMS WITH THE STANDARDS OF BEAUTY

January 25, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Standards of Beauty

BY: Samori Swygert

I do have a concern about the adoption and embracing of Eurocentric standards of beauty. This statement is not to downplay or disparage the physical attributes of European or White Americans. However, for blacks, I really enjoy embracing and endorsing our cultural beauty. There is nothing wrong with cultural pride. For centuries blacks had to conform to the norm that was forced on them. Time has progressed and the message of what are acceptable social standards has taken on a more subliminal undertone. This undertone can brainwash and condition unwitting patrons and consumers of pop-culture and ordinary citizens, if you’re not careful.

First, black people are black because of the pigment melanin. Second, by nature our hair has the true curls (however society downplays it as “naps”). When you turn on your television or log onto the internet, you will typically see an overwhelming number of images portrayed as beauty to sell a product. TV commercials will advertise products such as hair conditioner, shampoo, makeup, lipstick, and etc.

You can go to your local grocery store and look at the magazine stand and observe the various lingerie lines by Victoria’s Secret. When you’re driving down the street, it’s nothing to observe the side panel of a bus advertising the latest Calvin Klein, or Abercrombie and Fitch display. However, you rarely see an equal amount of advertisement of black women in this capacity. There are some, but the few are not representative of the majority.

Typically, when black women are portrayed in these ads and commercials, they are typically women of a lighter hue. The majority of commercials that have black women don’t have dark skinned women equally represented as their lighter sisters, and let alone the white woman. This is not me talking nonsense, just turn on the TV and observe. Why is that? I’m just keeping it ethno-statistically real!

Society has become indoctrinated with what is acceptable, but it’s based on a standard that the rulers of society dictate. When years progress to decades to centuries, it’s easy to become conditioned and not understand why you do what you do. Why must a man, especially a black man, shave is his beard or goatee? Why is it quietly expected that black women have straightened hair or a weave? Why must a black man cut his dreadlocks to have a job at an important business or law firm? These physical characteristics that may be cultural, religious, or plain taste, have nothing to do with job performance.

Would you rather have a clean shaved, crew cut person that mismanages your retirement account, or a black woman with a natural curly afro that can increase your portfolio worth by exponents? Why do we place so much on the external appearance, when it’s the intrinsic skills, ability, knowledge, and performance that ultimately counts.

How have we let standards of beauty equate to expertise or quality partners? How have we been led to deny our own cultural representation on a day to day basis to conform to what somebody feels is socially appropriate, or tastefully biased? I think as long as you are not offending somebody physiologically by your presence, or impeding the daily business operations, then you should be okay. This means be hygienic in your appearance and performance of your duty. Surgeons wear hair caps and scrubs to prevent accidental contamination or transfer of bodily matter during a surgery. Cooks wear hair nets to prevent long hair from entering their meals.

Why do women prefer a fake weave over their natural God given hair? I think part of this is subliminal brainwashing and acceptance of social norms in a Eurocentric culture. Many believe that their hair texture is not what beauty looks like. This is why Asians are making billions each year in the beauty product industry. Also, have you ever noticed that some black entertainers seem to have a certain skin complexion one day, and then you see them in an ad or commercial and they are a shade or two lighter? The change in skin tone is not the camera filter or lighting all the time. Many times these entertainers are festooned with makeup, and some entertainers even use skin lightening regimens.

I say be proud of who you are, whether black man or woman. A person should love you for you, point blank period! You should be hired, and given raises based on skill base and job performance. We all have natural beauty, and we need to get back to embracing it. I’m proud to say that I’m seeing a lot of my sisters going back natural and they look AWESOME! The irony is that pop-culture is mimicking what comes to us naturally. How many non-black women do you see have buttocks implants, and breast augmentation? How many non-black women are having Botox parties for fuller lips, and go to tanning spas and spend hours at their local beach for a tan? How many white men do you see walking around with dreadlocks? Not all whites and non-blacks want to adapt our cultural attributes but there is evidence of their interest in our beauty. Let not your psyche be tricked by commercials, movies, videos, magazines, ads, internet pop-ups, and bus or subway advertisements.

The take away message is self-pride, knowledge, and ownership! When you own a corporation, product, service, school or institution, you then dictate what you expect your advertisements to look like. This message champions the reason why we need more black owned businesses. We can complain all we want about not be hired or represented equally by non-black business, but until we start running our own companies, we will always be subjected to another person’s preferred perception.

Socio-Cultural Commentary

Revisiting the surge in pastor suicides

January 25, 2014 admin Leave a comment

By: Dr. Samori Swygert

Nigel Boys wrote an interesting article addressing the surge in pastoral suicides. He relayed the commentary that Bishop T.D. Jakes shared to the nation on this tragic phenomena. You can read it here.

T.D. Jakes attributes some of the suicides to a high stress, high demand position. Bishop Jakes said many pastors lack effective support systems. Bishop Jakes also said many are underpaid for their work. Furthermore, they deal with the fiduciary obligation to harbor secrets of their congregation.

First, to the family of these men, this is not an attack on you. However, much dialogue needs to be conducted on this topic of church leadership.

Career Vs. Calling

When I hear that pastors are overworked and underpaid, I get irritated. Who is the employer of a prophet of the word? Can you show me the human resources department responsible for hiring our pastors? What 401K and pension plan did the disciples have in the Bible? (Some pastors do have pension plans now)

These question seem like I’m poking fun, but I’m serious. Many pastors approach the gospel like a career. A prophet’s reward, pension plan, and retirement is in heaven with God.

Who promised that prophesying would be easy? Weren’t the disciples persecuted and killed in the Bible? Did not Jesus get crucified for preaching, teaching, exorcising, and healing? What criteria are our current pastors using to decide if they are called or just seeking a career? You retire from a career, but die a prophet.

If you can’t take the heat, get out the kitchen

Currently, we have pastors that adorn themselves in thousand dollar designer suits, have helicopters, private jets, Bentley’s, Jaguars, live in mansions, and preach prosperity all day. We’ve allowed Hollywood to monetize our faith with this Pastors of LA, and Preacher’s Wives reality shows.

This is all idolatry to be 100% real.

Why do you need a Bentley, Jaguar, helicopter, and Jet, when Jesus the Christ road into town on a donkey? Why do you need thousand dollar suits, when John the Baptist wore camel hair, and a leather girdle around his loins and ate locusts and wild honey? Why do you need a mansion when disciples dwelled in the wilderness? Roman 12:2 says, “be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Mark 8:36 says, “for what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul”. Now I’m not expecting pastors to ride donkeys in camel hair in the wilderness, but please explain how the necessity of luxury brings salvation.

Many pastors complain about the arduous task of pastoring and saving souls but if you can’t take the heat, get out the kitchen. Speaking of heat, let’s talk about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel. These three young men were thrown in a fiery furnace because of their strict faith and works for God. What government is actually threatening today’s pastors with death?

Why am I going so hard?

My father died when I was 6 years old, and my mother raised two young black males in New York City during the height of the crack era. She became a guidance counselor at Andrew Jackson High School, and August Martin High school in Queens while getting her Masters of Divinity. My mother got her hands dirty by choosing to do Prison Ministry at Wards Island (female prison) in New York, served as a hospital chaplain, and was a counselor to the children of incarcerated parents. So pardon me if I come off harsh but this new era of pastoral service and their complaints go in the wind to me, because not enough is being done!

Question of faith

Furthermore, this surge in suicides due to stress demonstrates a lack of faith in the message pastors are preaching to their congregation. How do you take the blessing of having the word and ears of the multitude and throw it away. This completely destroys parishioner’s faith in God. People shouldn’t worship their pastors, but people look to them for guidance. How does a person find direction when the tour guide is gone??

The prophets of yesterday spoke out to the government and ruling institutions of the day. You always heard about prophets speaking out against the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Sanhedrin, Moses going against Pharaoh, or Paul going against the Roman government? Preachers of today hardly speak up to the power construct that holds their very own congregation in subjugation.

Pastors of today have acquiesced and choose to partner with the government for tax exempt incentives, and faith based initiatives which have effectively neutered the church, and diluted the message. Rather than boldly confronting the real issues of their parishioners, many are choosing this luxury, smoke and mirrors ministry that is financially draining their parishioners through tithes and offerings. The congregation needs something more real and tangible.

Some pastors are now spreading HIV, impregnating teenage girls, sleeping with the wives of other men, molesting boys, misusing the churches “building fund”, and trying to get a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

Pastors must understand that stress comes with the CALLING, because you are in direct competition with satan for souls. You can’t serve two masters. You can’t please man’s desires and seek to serve the Lord. You can’t be afraid to speak the word with unwavering faith despite what society, and the government says. If they killed Christ, what will they do to you? If you have a problem with that, then this position may not be for you. I have sympathy for the pastors that committed suicide, but these loss of lives brings a word of caution for individuals seeking to preach. I also know mental health is a serious issue, but it also underscores the eligibility for pastoring.

I also want to thank Dr. Nigel Boys for illuminating this topic. To the pastors that are doing their job……THANK YOU!

YOU CAN ASLO READ THIS AT: http://allchristiannews.com/dr-samori-swygert-revisiting-the-surge-in-pastoral-suicide/

Business & Financial News

How Corporate Christmas Celebrations are Hypocritical

January 25, 2014 admin Leave a comment

By : Samori Swygert

Corporate America could stand to sit down and watch, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. During this festive holiday, many Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, embrace the blessings of family, and exchange gifts to show consideration of the wants and needs of family and friends.

Corporate America really milks and exploits this holiday season, as it proves to be the most lucrative in profit generation. Christmas themed music, decorations and motifs festoon galleries, atriums, hallways, and main entrances of buildings. Reindeers, stockings, cotton snow, Nutcracker arrangements, and shopping mall Santas pose with the children of mall patrons. All of the aforementioned accoutrements compliment a tradition, but many companies use them strictly as bait.

Many associate Christmas with the warmth of charity, good-will, love, and care. Well as much as this sounds spiritually enticing, there is a contradictory angle here.

Who is Ebenezer Scrooge

Those who are familiar with the movie, A Christmas Carol, remember how the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge was so obsessed with money that he had no regard for the spirit of humanity. He overworked and underpaid his employees. He penny-pinched to the point of insanity. His employee had a son, Tiny Tim that was forecasted to die from health ailments unless Scrooge relented his extra miser-like practices. Three spirits visited scrooge and revealed how his stingy, inhumane financial disregard for humanity resulted in the terrible demise of all he conducted business with. Does this sound familiar to you?? Hmmmm……

HUMBUG!!!

Although Walmart may have Salvation Army bell ringers on their premise, let’s not forget how they sought to deny increases in employee wages. Although McDonald’s may have Christmas themed ornaments on their establishment and food wrappers, remember that they also choose to deny increases in minimum wages. Despite the expected formalities in the greeting “Happy Holidays”, remember the furloughs that Grinch-like members of congress allowed to happen at the peril of the average tax paying citizen, as they received paychecks. Remember the companies that are raiding employee pensions in Michigan and across the nation. Think of Tiny Tim, by remembering the millions of children that remain uncovered by healthcare because employers choose to c*t healthcare benefits to curb expenses.

Remember to pray for the thousands across the nation that are being displaced to the dynamic of gentrification. Remember the poor and destitute as Wall Street Holiday parties flow with champagne, eggnog, mistletoe, and CEO’s receive million dollar year-end bonuses for downsizing.

The Gift Wrap-up

Allow me to keep this succinct and pithy, Corporate America, and members of the U.S. government are celebrating the holidays aesthetically, but internally, they are harboring the same gluttonous, greedy spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge. However, I would like to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all with no strings attached. Remember it’s not too late to donate to your local food bank, clothing drive, or give a few dollars to someone in need. As for Wall Street and the government, I hope you listen to the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future and develop a true spirit of humanity…….Fooey!!!!

Socio-Cultural Commentary

Resurrecting femininity in black females

January 25, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Dr. Samori Swygert: Resurrecting femininity in our black females

by Dr. Samori Swygert

We’re embarking on the unchartered journey of 2014. Every New Year multitudes of individuals make personal resolutions to improve themselves. I have a vision for black females.

I implore all female readers to be patient, receptive, and not prejudge what I’m saying until they’ve finished reading this article.

I want to see a renaissance of the current state of some of our black females. Female only indicates gender. I want to see more ladies and women. I’ve seen a generation of females that have lost touch with FEMININITY.

“When they reminisce over you my God!”

It’s my opinion that the entertainment industry has sabotaged our young black females. I remember when young ladies carried themselves with such grace, daintiness, and femininity. That encouraged and hearkened black male chivalry and catering. Young ladies walked and talked with elegance. They conducted themselves with impeccable savoir faire, and exuded finesse. These characteristics were like honey to us young men, it crafted an image that men wanted to protect and was worthy of cherishing.

Currently, femininity is on a decline. The lack of both mature parental involvement is responsible for the degradation of our young black girls now. Many parents are not operating in a cohesive manner to convey healthy and proper modeling for our youth. To complicate matters, the entertainment industry has reprogrammed the psyche of our youth.

“Theres a stranger in my house”

Magazines, movies, talk shows, reality shows, social media (youtube, world star, etc), certain books, videos, and music have reversed engineered the wisdom and lessons of the matriarchs of the black family. True womanhood is becoming an archaic lost science. Much of what these forms of entertainment convey are externally focused, and lack the substance that develops the intrinsic quality of today’s females.

It’s difficult to watch more than 5 minutes of reality shows like Love and Hip Hop, Housewives, and Badgirls Club because I see womanhood mutate to disrespectful barbarianism and shallow, ego driven narcissism. There is a difference between being strong/independent and being bossy, loud and dismissive. This is similar to women saying they like a confident man and not a cocky/arrogant/obnoxious man.

Rewarding bad behavior

Society and the entertainment industry perpetuate the incompatibility between the black man and woman. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY REWARDING BAD BEHAVIOR. Why are there TV shows that pay black women to be “ratchet”? Why do music videos objectify black women as strippers? Why do record labels encourage and endorse black female artists to basically strip in every video and pay them for raunchy dances and lyrics? Why must black females pose nude on front covers of King, GQ, Esquire, and Source Magazine to be considered “successful” or “empowered”?

Young black girls see the public attention and fanfare these superstars and video vixens receive. They then imitate it, in hopes to garner the same exact attention. The more lewd and provocative their behavior, the higher their pay and fame. This indoctrinates their psyche as the only method and means to get what they want in life. They either have to use s*x or annoy someone into submission via rambunctious, combative, and bellicose behavior. Ultimately, many young girls are either dressing like hookers or resembling street thugs, and that’s not attractive!

The results

The results are devastating. The black man and woman are being rendered socially and romantically incompatible. This is crippling black dating and the institution of marriage. The sanctity of marriage in the black community has been rendered dysfunctional and prone to divorce. We’re carrying hazardous subliminal behaviors that were skillfully implanted (like the movie Inception) in our subconscious into our marriages and households.

Our daughters are assuming the machismo, bravado, and brute character of men like: Sharkiesha, the girl that got an uppercut on the bus, Jerry Springer, or violent brawls on Love and Hip Hop. This bad behavior fuels female incarceration, because many are participating in acts considered criminal. Thus we are also fostering a generation of THE NEW JANE CROW!

A real woman knows how to smoothly mitigate conflicts and disagreements without “showing her a$s”. As a man, it is hard to even treat a female with chivalry, kindness, and respect when they don’t carry themselves in a manner worthy of chivalry. You can’t act like a man and be angry that I don’t treat you like a woman.

When a woman is super-independent (to the extreme), we don’t feel the need to treat, cater, woo, or bend over backwards because we assume you can do everything for yourself. Leave some room and work for us to do, allow us the opportunity to demonstrate our utility. Historically speaking, the only thing we’ve ever really had in America as blacks was that trustful bond between husband, wife, and children.

I envision a retreat back to that graceful paradigm to rediscover feminine allure, attraction, etiquette and beauty. Hollywood I’m not letting you dictate who my Queen is! We need our elder matriarchal leaders to re-install the software into our black females. Ladies you are more than a piece of A$S, you are an ASSET!

I’m just expressing my feelings. I don’t know the innate intricacies of the female psyche. I don’t like finger pointing, it never yields resolution. Thus to be fair to my female readers, I’ll share my open letter I wrote to young black males here: http://www.kulturekritic.com/2013/11/news/samori-swygert-letter-younger-black-brother/

what are your thoughts?

Socio-Cultural Commentary

A new perspective on single parent households

January 24, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Dr. Samori Swygert

We’re having problems dealing with the reality of single parent households. Ultimately, the problem resides with both parents of the children being born and raised in single parent households.

There is a high incidence of diabetes in the African American community, so this writing will not be sugar-coated!

Stop Passing the Buck

The blame goes on both individuals, and it’s time to stop pointing fingers at the other mate, social, and governmental constructs. At the end of the day, individuals choose to get naked, and copulate. Uncle Sam, the police, your job, your parents, your friends, are not in the room cheering you on or helping the insertion and e*********n of the male G*******a into the female vaginal cavity, point blank PERIOD!

We embrace the acceptance of excuses, and blame any and all 3^rd parties, but ourselves. Let’s keep it 1000%.

We acquiesce to our personal, selfish, lustful desires in our hearts, and visions within our minds. Men look at women and see how voluptuous she is from her lips to her hips and how pretty she is in the face. Women do the same analysis of the male physical anatomy. The physical attraction to the opposite sεx’s anatomy captivates our desires, and the allure of smooth, easy, casual conversation seals the deal for most. Sometimes it may go beyond the physical, and it involves the allure of money, and social clout.

Unfortunately, after s*x, and after we’ve explored all our carnal fantasies, our post-orgasmic reality sets in. The post-coital soberness of the situation becomes blatantly apparent. We see that we are incongruent in our emotions, beliefs, expectations, and dreams. Sadly, and frequently, the realization of incompatibility occurs after impregnation.

The things we excused, allowed, permitted, ignored, and settled for to have this physical intimacy now become more pronounced. All these factors become irritants and monkey wrenches in the dreams we’ve had for ourselves. This person now becomes a permanent fixture in our life because of an infinite bond between the children that are conceived. The person may also become a deserter that relieves him or herself from the shared responsibilities and demands of parenting. Frustration develops because we never envisioned this imperfect lifestyle that we are now forced to live with.

The True Problem

Truthfully we can only blame ourselves because we don’t conduct enough thorough, in-depth character assessment of the individuals we choose to share our bodies with. We pay more attention to the physical aesthetics of attraction.

We don’t conduct long term examination of individual’s character. We are not willing to watch a person for a year before being intimate and judge their character because we think it’s abnormal, physically unrealistic, and uncool… NEWSFLASH! BUT WE SPEND 18-21 YEARS IN AND OUT OF CHILD SUPPORT COURT, ARGUMENTS, PAYCHECK GARNISHMENTS, PHYSICAL BATTLES, CUSTODY HEARINGS, FIGHTS BETWEEN NEW SPOUSES, DIMINISHED SAVINGS, and complaining to any receptive ear about our story.

This thinking is illogical but we are sold on this behavior through entertainment, bad advice from elder family, friends, associates, and our own l**t to satisfy our flesh. But satisfaction of the flesh is no longer excusable! I mean people smoke Crack because it feels good, right?

It’s imperative that both black men and women stop blaming each other for single parent households, and hold their horses for a minute. Recognize that there is an attraction, embrace it, and admit it to each other, but EXERCISE SELF CONTROL!! Then examine your mate.

Pre-Sεx Assessment

See if the person possesses the qualities of: patience, honesty, dependability, fidelity, consideration, helpfulness, strong work ethic, productivity, forgiveness, identical ideologies and philosophies on family and religion, how they handle finances, how they cope with stress, and handle disagreements.

However, this takes time, and you can’t obtain this information from 2 and 5 months of sεx and dating. We are skipping the conversation, jumping to consummation, and then holding each other in condemnation. Are we in that much physical heat and impatience that we can’t screen for a year, versus agonizing about child support for 21 years? It takes two to tango. I don’t care how enamored you are with the girl and guy you are dating, if we are to shift this single parent paradigm, we have to change our current irresponsible behavioral patterns. If you don’t believe me, you are not being honest and real with yourself. We are more serious about satisfying our bodies and not the intrinsic criteria of the mate we NEED.

We don’t shop for stocks and investments like this! We examine a company’s performance over an extended period of time, we review their history, we analyze the company’s mission statement, analyze how much the stock yields in interest, we see how it fits into our portfolio! If we can do this for our money, why can’t we do this for our bodies, future children, and family plans?

If this is too restrictive for you, than maybe you should always have a notarized contract relieving individuals of parental responsibility, wear a condom with spermicidal lubricant, while the female is on birth control, during the least fertile time of the month as you use the withdrawal method during e*********n, and take a Plan B after sεx, all at the same dαmn time (you know, like the PORNSTARS do). This is truly sad because we are producing generations of kids out of l**t, not love, and all children should be conceived in love, although this is not the prevailing norm.

Dr. Frances Cress Welsing (author of The Isis Papers) said that “we play games with love, and the jokes end up on our children”.

Talk back to me!!

African American Legacy

Ida B. Wells-Barnett: A real ride or die woman

January 24, 2014 admin Leave a comment

By: Dr. Samori Swygert

Ida Bell Wells-Barnett is one of the most prolific African Americans in the annals and chronicles of United States History. Many people are familiar with her, and conversely, many people are unfamiliar with her. With that being said, allow her to receive her kudos, accolades, and acclaim today.

Ida B Wells was born a slave in 1862 in Holly Springs, Mississippi. The nation was already deeply submerged in the Civil War. She would eventually be orphaned because her parents fell victim to the 1878 Yellow Fever outbreak. She demonstrated her courage and independence by supporting herself and siblings as a teacher in Tennessee, and Mississippi up into the age of 29.

You’ll see that Ida B Wells was a trailblazer of African American nonviolent civil disobedience. She demonstrated her disdain for the unjust discriminatory practices that were rampant throughout numerous American institutions. According to my reading, “in 1884 she filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Chesapeake, Ohio, and Southwestern Railroad for forcing her to give up her seat, the second African American after Sojourner Truth to do so”. Sounds eerily reminiscent to Rosa Parks and others right? She did receive money from the case, but the case was later overruled.

The pen is mightier than the sword

Ida began writing volumes upon volumes of articles, editorials, and essays addressing the atrocities and violations that African Americans experienced throughout the period of Reconstruction and beyond. Her pseudonym/pen-name was “Iola”.

She wrote for: The Living Way, Free Speech and Headlight, The New York Age, and countless other newspapers of the day. She was the editor of Free Speech and Headlight for 3 years.

Ahead of her time, she practiced the economic strategy of Boycotting to combat the injustices exacted upon African Americans. This started when 3 of her close friends were “hung from trees, their bodies mutilated, on the outskirts of Memphis”. March 9^th 1892, Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell, and William Stewart were the victims of this event. Thomas Moss was slaughtered because he operated a competitive and thriving grocery store across the street from a white-owned grocery store. Thomas’s flourishing business was viewed as an economic threat during Reconstruction.

Ida B Wells redirected that pain and anger into voluminous piercing writings instructing blacks to leave Memphis. She wasn’t as successful as hoped, however that didn’t thwart her mission. She then called for a boycott of the streetcars that operated in Memphis. Reports say “over 2,000 blacks left Memphis, while the streetcars were almost bankrupt by the end of the summer”.

The gravity and impact of the boycott reverberated throughout Memphis and enraged the local white population. They retaliated by incinerating her newspaper office to ashes. Subsequently she absconded to the North.

Undeterred from the attack, she converted the threat into a fuel source for more passionate writings. Their threats only emboldened her mission. She conducted research into hundreds of nationwide lynchings and this generated her book. Her book was entitled, A Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynching in the United States, 1892-1893-1894. This is considered the first statistical database of lynchings. The book debunked the postulated propagandized beliefs of the wild, s*x crazed black men like the movie, BIRTH OF NATION by D.W. Griffith, portrayed about black men. The movie’s intention was to scare white women, incite hate into white men, vilify African Americans, and justify the killings of African Americans.

Ida B Wells’s book infuriated the white demographic so much so they made a public announcement. Here is the quotation: “If the negroes themselves do not apply the remedy without delay it will be the duty of those whom he has attacked to tie the wretch who utters these calumnies to a stake at the intersection of Main and Madison Sts., brand him in the forehead with a hot iron and perform upon him a surgical operation with a pair of tailor’s shears.”

Shaming the nation into submission

Once again she converted all threats to fuel. She traveled to England, Scotland, and Wales in 1893. She vigorously broadcasted the grotesque inhumanities suffered by African Americans in an anti-lynching crusade. Frederick Douglass even published a formal public praise of her diligence in reforming the violent inhumane practices within America.

Time to organize

Ida B Wells was also a cofounder of the NAACP, and is said to have bumped heads with Booker T Washington and other members because she was considered too radical/militant. Eventually the NAACP excused her from leadership. Her service continued, she organized the Negro Woman’s Club of Chicago. She founded the National Association of Colored Women in 1896. She founded the Negro Fellowship League. She founded the Alpha Suffrage Club in 1913. The Alpha Suffrage Club’s aims were to stimulate the move for voting rights of African American women, and debunk the general white woman’s suffrage movement apprehension of African American men receiving voting rights before them.

She married a lawyer and editor, Mr. Ferdinand Barnett, they had 4 children. Even though she was married with 4 children, she traveled through Illinois, Arkansas, and Ohio addressing the race riots that occurred, and fought against segregation in Chicago’s school system with Jane Addams. She also joined in with the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) established by Marcus Garvey.

What kind of coffee was she drinking? zheesh!

It’s imperative that we share these stories of courage with our youth, because African American history is being excluded in the educational curriculums across the nation. Each generation born is a generation that needs this knowledge. The only opportunity that this history is being conveyed is either at an HBCU, rare documentaries, black history month programs, or oral discourse from our elders that are passing away by the bulk in the 21^st century.

Ida B. Wells Barnett REST IN PEACE (July 16, 1862- March 25, 1931)

Source:

The African-American Century by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Cornel West, 2000
Fifty Black Women Who Changed America by Amy Alexander, 1999
Great African American Women by Darryl Lyman, 2005

Business & Financial News

Corporate greed will destroy America

January 24, 2014 admin Leave a comment

In what he called “a financial lynching of the 99%,” Dr. Samori Swygert explains how corporate greed and the failed economic policies of America are ultimately going to destroy this country. Check it out. It’s a great article:

by Dr. Samori Swygert

We’re witnessing the systematic dismantling of the middle class, and permanent crippling of the poor in real time. We’ll see the reincarnation of serfdom and feudalism if the greed of capitalism proceeds unchecked by the United States government.

How the United States government has failed the tax paying citizen

The government is complicit in the current financial crisis. Too many favors have been granted to corporate America. We’ve bailed out the banks, and can’t trace the “trickle down” effect of the bailout to the average citizen?

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY is publicly addressing the TRILLIONS of dollars in offshore tax havens that has circumvented the inspection of Uncle Sam. It’s as if politicians have a GAG ORDER to not mention this. The U.S. government should tax properly, that tax revenue could sustain America’s economic demands. However, the government chooses to overtax the average citizen to subsidize and finance governmental expenses.

Furthermore, we’ve allowed elected politicians to rendezvous and cozy up with corporate lobbyists. The laws and policies passed, are not representative of the constituents that put our officials in office. Many policies passed are derived from yielding to the monetary might of corporate America.

Our government has been effectively, but unofficially purchased by an oligarchy whose only concern is their coffers.

Let’s keep this real funky, and I mean FUNKY!!!

We’ve allowed jobs to go overseas to curb payroll expenses for these corporations. We’ve allowed the cuts to the SNAP (supplemental nutritional assistance program), we’re allowing pensions to be raided, and raises to minimum wage are fought against like terrorism, we’re cutting long term unemployment insurance to 1.3 million Americans, we are considering cutting pensions for U.S. veterans that fought for America, recently the IRS wants to tax the tips that waiters and waitresses earn. Social security is even volleyed around quietly and softly for cuts.

We’re eager to release funds to engage Syria, we spend billions on new drones and drone bases in West, North, and East Africa, we spend billions to construct thousands of square feet of the State of the Art NSA spy center in Utah, we have a private $52.6 Billion dollar Black budget for spy intelligence, then holler broke when we talk about the poor!!!!!!!??????

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/black-budget-summary-details-us-spy-networks-successes-failures-and-objectives/2013/08/29/7e57bb78-10ab-11e3-8cdd-bcdc09410972_story.html

Politicians discuss safety nets, yet our own tax dollars go to other countries. Whenever a natural disaster happens in another country, America has money and aide to donate. I respect our international benevolence. However, our very own citizens are suffering, and communities are decimated while foreign countries get food and money? We invested in this system of democracy through our taxes right? However, gentrification and elevation in property taxes has many citizens moving around like nomads seeking affordable housing, and food.

They are playing ECONOMIC MUSICAL CHAIRS, and the seats are disappearing daily! The current situation is choreographed to siphon off the last penny from the average tax payer. This is one of the reasons the American Revolution was fought right?

To add insult to injury, once individuals are unemployed and broke, they turn to predatory title loans with variable APRs that balloon in interest that keep them in debt-slavery. Ultimately, credit scores are shattered, and they can’t get a job because companies are rejecting employment off poor credit reports. This is psychotic cycle has been masterfully engineered.

What will unemployed individuals do to keep their babies fed, bills paid, and roof over their head? Yes, some commit crimes to finance their expenses. This cascading algorithm of events filters directly into the prison industry. This disregard for American citizens fosters increased anti-American sentiments and unpatriotic emotions. The American majority are not sharing in the benefits that arise from the marriage between Mr. America and Ms. Wallstreet.

MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

Plans work best when everybody or the majority get what they need and want. Everybody or the majority of America doesn’t want or need high tech surveillance of their email, phones, texts, online activity or the last bowel movement they had monitored by the NSA. We do need and want jobs to provide for ourselves and family. Since many Americans prefer gainful employment over surveillance, let’s redirect that $52.6 Billion dollar Black budget to the people.

I’ve done the math! 1.3 million Americans have the threat of long term unemployment benefits being permanently cut. $40,000 is a manageable amount of money to control a household. $52.6 billion dollars divided by 1.3 million people would give each long term unemployed person $40,000. That amounts to roughly $20.00/hour for an 8-hour work day salary.

Take all this surveillance money and create gainful employment. Currently that $52.6 billion dollar budget only employs around 150,000 people and covers the facilities, equipment, and miscellaneous. This increases if we cut drone expenditures. $14,400 (annual total) as paid unemployment insurance, versus a $40,000 job for 1.3 million Americans, is a good start!

I’m analyzing the surveillance expenditures because an overwhelming majority of citizens don’t want it. It’s smart to spend money on job creation that people need. Otherwise, we will be bragging that we have the safest poor people on earth, and the most secure and protected slaves on the globe! This is also like having a leaky roof, bad plumbing, a broken furnace, an empty fridge, and you blow your whole check on an ADT Security System! LOL, YOU HAVE NOTHING WORTH PROTECTING INSIDE STUPID!

These economic times require belt tightening and community investment. The government clearly can’t help. Many economic programs are practicing group economics. The Nation of Islam has Muhammad’s Economic Blue Print, Dr. Claud Anderson has the Harvest Institute, Warren Ballentine has Investinus2.com, and the Around the Way mobile app locates black businesses to patronize. Initiate your own investment groups among 4-5 family members/friends and contribute monthly to purchase land and finance your kids’ education to avoid student loans.

We can buy $220 Air Jordans, hundred dollar concert tickets, Gucci bags, bottles of Rose’, so we can uplift ourselves. Recognize the severity of our current times, prioritize, and execute. Selfishness will be our demise.