Tag Archives: CBS

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On Harry & Meghan

When Henry Charles Albert David and Rachel Meghan Markle, aka Harry and Meghan, decided to pack up and leave the majesty, the pomp and the trappings of the Royal Family I knew it was ultimately about racism. Not because I was a cynic looking for a fight. In fact, I never gave a rat’s ass about The Queen or any of the madness surrounding it all. I remember asking someone to explain to me what it was all about in the first place. Didn’t America become ‘American’ in part because they wanted to get as far away from the monarchy as possible? I was surprised to learn out the Queen didn’t actually run anything policy wise for the UK. Yea, I was really informed. 

Still, when Meghan and Harry became an item I noticed early on the code words and dog whistles surrounding them in the media. Especially in Europe. The realist, not the cynic in me knew white folk stuck up on the gravitas that is all things Queen and royalty would view Harry’s choice as something taboo. It’s one thing to sew one’s royal oats through youthful shenanigan’s and discrete indiscretions. It’s another to bring those indiscretions home… and for all the world to see!  Well I never!

When the couple left for Canada in early 2020, during the beginnings of a pandemic no doubt, in my heart I knew Harry was in essence choosing his wife over his position and subsequently his family. Watching Oprah Winfrey’s interview brought it all the way home for the world to see. Watching that interview brought many thoughts and few emotions to bear for me.

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  1. Meghan Markle is a G! For those who don’t get the lingo that’s short for ‘Gangsta’, (spelled correctly) a Boss, one who fully understands the situations and circumstances presented to her and has perfected the art of perseverance and stamina to become the winner! She is poised, peaceful, vulnerably and authentically human. Seeing her talk about the utter lack of support from the press and Harry’s family, as well as the betrayal of her father was heartbreaking yet familiarly typical. Rejecting her was typical. The heartbreaking part was seeing the pain of rejection and back stabbing after giving her most ardent attempts to broker peace through some compromises understanding the traditions of the institution. An institution which foundations are grounded upon caste and a total unwillingness to cede space for her humanity. She never had a chance. Her father, also a white man found pleasure in her mother’s body yet betrayed the seed his private joys produced when he saw an advantage for himself. Oh how so typical. Thomas Jefferson would be proud. Markle was broken to the point of not wanting to live any longer. Seeing her victorious now, is as much a triumph as was the evil attempts to destroy her from within that system.
  2. Harry is also a G! A remarkable young man who no doubt learned from the events pre and post the death of his mother. He could have easily chose the status of his birthright and lived the ultimate celebrity welfare experience like the rest of the clan. And yet he honored a commitment he made to his wife and infant son choosing love and freedom in circumstances most would never have the courage to overcome. It was refreshing hearing him admit he had blind spots when it came to the racial/caste systems and how he had to learn to see through his beloved eyes. Instead of encouraging her to deal with it, he got her the hell out of there. Now estranged from his father, his brother and many other relatives he moved to another country, escaping the welfare system having to figure out how to provide for his family; not only for food and shelter but for basic bodily security. Though he wouldn’t say who had the audacity to talk about the skin tone of his potential offspring, one can still see the disgust in his eyes just thinking about it.
  3. Hearing Markle address Buckingham Palace’s system as ‘The Firm;’ describing how her passport and keys were taken, her freedoms heavily restricted, it sounded like some Skull and Bone shit to me! A syndicate, an underworld of puppet masters lording over its inhabitants. At all cost the business, the machine of the Queen and the systems it supports must be continually reinforced to sustain its power. The palpable relationship Harry spoke of between the Palace and the British Press was also telling. With hands scratching one another’s backs I can only imagine the debauchery within the Palace walls during those Christmas parties.  
  4. Speaking of The Queen. Both Harry and Meghan speak adoringly of her and vouch for both her guidance and support. This leads me to believe she has no say in a damn thing that goes on around there. Or at least she believes she doesn’t. If she is as supportive and loving of her grandson and his family, how in the hell was his security detail pulled? Is she is a literal figure head ruled by The Firm? Or is she quietly complicit with her own situation?

Ultimately these are personal matters though limited details are played out in the public. I am very happy that Harry and Meghan spoke their truth. I am happy the race/caste system in the Palace have been exposed and revealed fully enough. Most of all, I am glad Harry was strong and courageous enough escaped the bullshit that killed his mother and with his wife able to raise two healthy and well balanced children. Good for them! Love wins!

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Uncomfortable Truths

Imagine Oprah Winfrey became partners with the NFL and when asked about Colin Kaepernick saying, “We are beyond kneeling now. It’s about action.” The same people that hate Oprah and Gail King by association would be saying, “That bitch Oprah always trying to keep a black man down! She needs to stay in her lane!” They didn’t say that about Jay-Z.

Imagine Oprah buying into Papa John’s Pizza making a commitment to clean up its image after the owner was caught calling black people niggers in a conference call. Then it would have been, “See that bitch working against her own people. She needs to stay in her lane. We trade Oprah for Ellen!” They didn’t say that about Shaq.

When Bill Cosby spoke at Morehouse University talking down to black graduates – then followed it up with what was coined The Blame The Poor Tour, saying black people name their kids Shaniqua and Muhammad, and all that crap – (because he was talking down to poor blacks he neglected to say the name Condoleezza) – when he called young black men thugs who need to pull their pants up, who justified police shootings over a pound cake – many black folks applauded Cosby saying he needs to air this dirty laundry and challenge black people to a higher moral standard. When this same Cosby went down for breaking the moral standards he chided Blacks with lesser income and wealth, the same Cosby who admitted in court he drugged women without their knowledge…who did comedy about giving women Spanish Fly to get them into bed. Then this same Cosby – who somehow gets a twitter account and post from prison applauds Snoop – who has made millions upon millions of dollars making records calling black women bitches and hoes for decades calling Gail King a horse face bitch these same black people continue applauding Cosby disrespecting another black woman. R Kelly gets caught basically kidnapping young girls keeping them from their parents isolating them from their families, support system and foundations, and black people are like, “Where were the mommas?”

At some point and sooner than later we need to stop denying and seriously address this hate of black women in our own culture. We also need to do some self-examinations about the shit we way, the things we write, and not take the most popular and easy way of thinking into subject matters that deserve sophistication and perspective. We also need to stop denying and seriously address this hate of black women in our own culture. We are a most brilliant people. We deserve better, and we can and should do better.

We can agree and disagree on many topics. We are not monolithic. Some of my BEST friends and I disagree on shit all the time. Sometimes vigorously with plenty of profanities in tow. But we never disrespect one another’s person or manhood. It’s always love and true love at that. Somehow we have to find a way to disagree and criticize one another’s actions without the vitriol that tears our souls out right from within our own lips. There are few exceptions where I will just cold kick a black man/woman to the curb or the proverbial revoke their cookout privileges. That is only reserved for the most extreme measures.

And let us not forget: Some of ya’ll mad at Gail and Oprah absolutely hated Kobe both when he played and afterwards. Many black women hated Kobe during Colorado talking about him ‘fucking with white bitches.’ Many black men hated that he mimicked Jordan’s style and strove to be as great as if not greater than Mike. Some of ya’ll hung on to MJs balls so hard you couldn’t appreciate what Kobe brought to the game. Many of ya’ll hated him because you were team Shaq during their personal feud and didn’t identify with Kobe because he came from suburbia. You preferred AI. The killer part is just on a basketball level, the most hard core brothers in the league like Iverson, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barns all LOVED and respected Kobe often saying Kobe was more hard core gangsta and committed to the game than they were. I remember debating a brother in the fall of 2019 for calling him a snitch! I was like, “Man really? You do know he was like 23-24 years old then right? He was an underdeveloped man like many of us were at that age.” He was like, “Still a snitch!” But on his timeline he dogging King with NO mercy. So is it REALLY about Kobe? I think not.

At some point and sooner than later we really need to do some self-examinations about the shit we way, the things we write, and not take the most popular and easy way of thinking into subject matters that deserve sophistication and perspective. We are a most brilliant people. We deserve better, and we can and should do better.

With Love,

CMac

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Let The Games Begin

Murray State Racers celebrate after forward Danero Thomas (center) made the game-winning shot. (Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE)

To tell you the truth I don’t know as much about the who and the who in the NCAA tournament this year.  I spent so much time officiating basketball the last few months that I’ve hardly had time to get much more than highlights.  I hear Kansas is really good.  And you can’t watch any college basketball highlights without seeing and hearing a lot of John Wall. 

Historically though and year after year the teams just keep getting better.  Most of the so called lower seed teams have more quality players than ever.  One can look at a cat like Stephen Curry who is one of the top NBA rookies and think of all the coverage Davidson got over the last couple years. 

I look foward to seeing how this year’s tournament turns out.

*Pictured: Murray State celebrates after beating Vanderbilt on Thursday