Applause for WURD's BLACKOUT!!!

April 24, 2013 [Wednesday]


RE: BLACKOUT!!! SUBDUE WHITEY!!!

TO: WURD RADIO: Delaware Avenue

From Brother Tracy Gibson,

Educator / Fund Raiser / Visionary / Writer / Businessman / Trouble Maker / Healer

Dear Sistah Sarah Lomax Reese:

I hope you and the Lomax Family are having a good day. You might NOT want to hear what I have to say, But I think, even though I don’t have a lot of fancy degrees and a fancy expensive car and job title, I think I should be heard as well. You recently had a lecture and Seminar at the Free Library called BLACKOUT!! It was about Blacks in the Media and ``Bridging the Digital Divide’’ and making sure we get OUR piece of the Digital and electronic media pie. This is a good thing, but I think there was a voice that was NOT heard. I’m IT!!

I think it is fine to advocate for more Black media ownership. I also think that it is fine to inform the public about Blacks in media and how important Black media ownership is to our general well-being and our getting our fair share of the economic pie in this country. The more informed we are as to the important issues and our stand Nationally and internationally, the more prepared we are to take on each and every New Day GOD Gives us! However, you totally missed the boat on one point. We have to always remember we are left out of the research and development end of the creation of media and media technologies also. When we have so little input into what the technologies are in the first place, we actually do Ourselves a vast disservice by supporting the expansion and profitability of that media into our own Households and communities and even more so, into Our Homeland of Africa, the Caribbean and anywhere else we exists as Black people on this earth. . .

In fact what we end up doing--as Blacks Classes and income levels, as Black Gentry, as Black Radicals, as Black Academicians and as Black Thinkers-- is we help this White man in creating another whole layer of technologies that effectively lock us out of billions of dollars in technology revenues and create another whole layer of technologies which are being and can be used to re-oppress us in another whole formation and way. I know that is NOT your intention. I know your intention is just the opposite—to use new technologies and new media for liberation purposes and to free our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, but hear me out… I am the first one to advocate for more input from Black people in media. But we have to develop our own technologies and stop selling everything to this White man for a song. We need to get in on the foundation, grass-roots, basic level and start building factories again and doing the years of work needed in research and development and stop working for this White man. We need to keep some information to ourselves and our own companies. We are really, right now, shooting ourselves in the foot technologically by not giving strong and vociferous voice to the fact that the so-called technologies themselves—as developed by this White man-- are oppressive and used for oppressive means. [While they can be used for peaceful and loving and open and sharing means, and to bring about World Peace and bring on a peace time economy instead of a war economy, that is NOT what this White man--from Jobs and Gates and his wife on down-- have intended and we need to be crystal clear about that. ] They are after raw profits just like they were when the enslaved us the first time. They are after raw profits just like they were the first time… Check out an article that has been on my blog for months, going mostly unnoticed:

The New Technologies, An Old-Head View!!!

By Brother Tracy Gibson...



Have you thought about how silly you must look and sound talking on your cell phone all day... I know it is not easy to take part in something old fashioned like reading, but I have begun to try it, frankly with limited success. I still try. Sometimes I think we are just getting too attached to the very technology that was put here to help us. What I don't like is the fact that, in my humble opinion, there are just far too few Black and Latin people involved in the development of these new technologies. Are they making them really sensitive to our genetic and human make-up and who we really are as Black and Latin people... I'm concerned because far too many people of color [Black and Latin People] were and still are left out of the process when the technologies were developed. They, Whites, have a REAL tendency to take our ideas and make all the money and we somehow sometimes get left out of the process of getting rights, trademarks and copyrights. We get ripped off, is what I'm saying. I am also deeply concerned about all the talk and banter going on on cell phones when they may not even be safe. The corporate structure really pumped up the sale of the IPod and I phone. I mean people were spending $300 for a phone. [It is just a phone yall...] When I was coming up a phone was to talk on, not to get movies on and all these so-called apps. I think we need to get a life and really consider not buying so much of these items if we are NOT in the process of really determining what the actual technologies are in the first place. Another problem I have is the fact of the Kindal Book Pads--for example--and how they can, if they REALLY want to enforce the Patriot Act I and the Patriot Act II and the other bellicose National Security Act, --they can just say ``Sorry that particular book you want is not available...... Can I interest you in another.....'' We need to consider buying the actual titles of books.... Real Paper copies instead of investing in the Kendel System. I don't like the control that Kendel gives the system, the Established Order, the Oligarch. I think our college professors, leaders, activists, visionaries like you and me, and thinkers need to think long and hard about this. If you haven't seen Denzel Washington's movie ``The Book of Eli,'' I strongly suggest you see it as soon as possible. I hope you can think about what I have written here and let me know what you think... after you seeing it.

Peace Out



Brother Tracy Gibson

XXX



Back to my original thought:

There is also another problem and that is one of community alienation from our young people using the IPod and the IPhone and all these other technologies. [Frankly I thought I had gone into that in the above article]. When I see our Black young men and Black young women going down the street and they can’t speak because they are so ``tuned into’’ the IPod—that is a problem. It is not just a problem for me, it is a problem for the entire community. They are not getting the knowledge from old Mr. Jackson down the street who has been a Community Griot for decades; they are NOT getting the knowledge from Mrs. Pope across the street who literally helped raise several children or who may well have been a teacher in the neighborhood for decades and generations and who is married to a Black blind writer and thinker. [These are just made-up instances although I have used last names from old families in my old neighborhood in West Philadelphia.] This is a BIG PROBLEM… and a problem we should all be deeply and vastly concerned with. It is also a problem that has a vast rippling effect that touches all our people and all our pocket books and even the effectiveness of our education system. We are allowing the media community and the technology community to create little drones and robots in our own communities who we have no control over—hay, I’m talking about our own children!!! Our youth will listen to the radio and the TV and the Films before they will listen to their own parents and grandparents!! Some of them are out of control. They are not responsive to reality sometimes. We are actually afraid to confront them on the mistakes and the misdeeds they are doing. This behavior has to be curbed and made into a better reality and made whole.

What I’m saying is we have to really examine these technologies and ONLY accept the parts that are conducive to our own survival; the parts that are going to expand, enhance, work with and prolong our Black existence and our Black influence and help make us whole, loving, giving and caring African people once again. What control do we as a Black community of professional business managers and business leaders have over the Rap Industry… We had better look at how that industry is being used to corrupt, badly influence and devastate the ethics and morals of our young people while putting most of the dollars in either irresponsible young Black hands or White and Jewish hands—neither of whom mean our Black community any good.

I know your seminar probably had a part about some of these very points, but I am here to tell you this is important and no laughing or joking matter and we haven’t REALLY, REALLY considered the magnitude of this on a real, concrete and meaningful level. If we have than I don’t know it and I missed the boat myself. I wanted to say that sometimes accepting the big White firms like ITANDT, Comcast. and ATandT and IBM as sponsors for these seminars is not always a good idea either because where their money goes so goes their corrupting influences.

SOLUTIONS: The next time you do such a program or seminar on Media I strongly suggest you include: A Progressive / Radical Black Local Rap Artist [you can contact your own Michael Coard to discover who would be good]; and a Black male or female Radical / Progressive Filmmaker. Also Someone who is a media educator like Brother Wayne who calls your station from time to time, would be great. Without such voices you are, in my humble opinion, whistling in the dark. We need new and fresh voices, young and old, to lend new light, and a crisp perspective to such subject matter.

You should also invite a major land and real estate developer to talk about how WE create something like a Comcast—but on an even bigger scale. How do we get our young people attending the School for The Future on Parkside Avenue to think along these terms; How do we get Black students at Drexel, Penn and Temple to express their views and think bigger and better and stay in the Philadelphia area and make a difference…

And finally you should always film your seminars and release them on You Tube and to your loyal viewers so if they missed the event they can take time to access and take in the event in the comfort of their home or office. The after-the-event media should be ongoing for weeks after the event.

Lastly, we would want to discover how to get the event seen by teachers in the Philadelphia school system; business people; community leaders and media people in other Ways like through PBS, Closed Circuit TV and on MInd TV. This will lend another round of support for your efforts and create more listeners and a new fresh stream of revenue.

Finally, add an international perspective to the discussion and knowledge. What is going on in countries like South Africa, Angola and Namibia regarding Black technologies and the closing of the digital divide. How are such countries moving forward on this issue and how might bridges be constructed to help connect thinking and work and profitability on these media and technology issues without re-oppressing and exploiting our African Brothers and Sisters.

I add also that I was very displeased with your program abut education over the winder at the Franklin Institute. You did more congratulating yourselves and the corporate sponsors than you did really examining the problem and finding effective solutions to education. I was shocked and appalled that there were NOT Black teachers and no Black parents and NO BLACK STUDENTS included on your panel. THAT IS BY NO MEANS A FAIR AND EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION OF OUR BLACK COMMUNITY!!! I hope and pray you do better next time. With all this criticism, please don’t think I have given up on you. THIS IS CONSTRUCTIVE IN NATURE… I think WURD is a fine example of a Black corporate family member that wants to be a BIG PART of the larger Black community and basically has our best Black interests at heart. You have a stellar cadre of Black radio and academic talent, many of whom have street knowledge and street sense that is unmatched and of great value to our Black community and our people. Take a Bow you deserve it. As soon as I am financially able I plan to give you a donation and join the family.



Brother Tracy Gibson,

213 South 49 Str

Philadelphi Pa 19139 Phone: 1.215.471.64.94.

BrotherTracy11@Gmail.com

[my blog access]

http://ThePoliticsOfReal.Blogspot.com