The Audacity To Hope

What I have learned as a Black woman is that you can do your job to the best of your ability, outshine others, but still struggle more than others to reach the top? Why is that? Is it because I am seen as a threat to management? Am I too direct and honest? Or is it because black intelligent and hard working women that are direct and honest are viewed as a threat? What happens if you don’t excel and overachieve? What happens if you hide your intelligence and just do enough to get by? Why then is a black woman viewed as lazy and inefficient? Where is the middle ground? Both examples will lead to the underutilization of my talents, both examples will prevent me from being promoted, so what to do?  Also, what about the race card? Why play it when ultimately it is impossible to prove unless there is a neuse hanging up in the office, or racist words written on the bathroom wall.  Does prejudice and racism still exist? Why is it viewed as minorities making up excuses for their own shortfalls? Why is the societal view that everyone has the same opportunities, but some don’t choose to take advantage of those opportunities? In my case I have the opportunity to advance in my career and have prepared to take advantage of this opportunity. But, management is shaking their head, they do not understand why I would want to advance, they just don’t care that I want to take advantage of every opportunity that this society offers me. Because I work hard, excelled in school, and give 100% everyday, management does not understand why I feel that I should be promoted? They are disgusted that I could have a sense of entitlement. How can a black woman have a sense of entitlement? How could a black person have the audacity to want more for herself and her family? How could people of darker skin have the Audacity to Hope?

Protesters in Ferguson, MO raise their arms in the streets and will not be moved. Photo by AP

I do not want to go on writing without an update on the protest events in Ferguson, MO after the over-killing murder of Michael Brown. I continue to follow this town and speak on the horrific injustice that occurred on that day as the host of Raleigh Live ( a television news show that airs on Raleigh Television Network every Tuesday at 5pm) https://www.facebook.com/toomuchtvinc.

And on live internet radio this Tuesday, September 23, 2014 the entire nation is invited to join the discussion on effective education as a solution to social ills at 6:30pm EST. LET YOUR VOICE HEARD AND DIAL (347) 637-3889 OR ON THE INTERNET @ http://www.blogtalkradio.com/candidcandice/2014/09/23/effective-education-as-a-solution-for-healthier-communities

Michael Brown Charged with His Own Murder

Michael Brown Guilty

A young black man was shot and killed by a white police officer multiple times ….and now the cover up.  I am sure no one expected to hear the murderer say, “I am truly sorry and consumed with guilt.” So, like maybe every human almost on trial for murder, he says “I am innocent.” And if Darren Wilson is innocent, than according to Newton, Michael Brown would have to be guilty.

The Black Victim on Trial in the Media

The media began helping the Ferguson Police Department convict Michael Brown of his own murder before his killer could be brought to justice. How did the media do this? By strategically painting Brown as more of a killer himself than a high school graduate and college freshman.

When pictures surfaced on social media of Michael Brown holding money in his mouth, aiming a gun at the camera with plenty of blunts and liquor in the foreground with the caption “Here is your pillar of the community” or “I am sure you are proud” helps to prove that some people think Michael Brown’s life shouldn’t matter because he is a weed smoking, violent, alcoholic negro on his way to trade school.

LIE

Michael Brown “robbed” a convenient store ( just for cigars) right before his death.

The media respected the Ferguson PD’s wishes to delay releasing the killer, Darren Wilson’s information to the public as to protect the killer. This allowed the media to have a field day with Michael Brown’s character releasing a partial video of Michael “stealing” cigars (blunts) from a local store in his neighborhood.  Most of mainstream media reported that “Michael Brown robbed the convenient store and claimed that the store manager reported an “armed robbery!” Now, when I hear or think of the word “robbery,” I think of someone taking something from someone by force. I think of an incident more violent than thievery. If Michael Brown stole cigars from a store how is that robbery?

Is this not a repeat from Trayvon’s murder? He was expendable too and deserved to die because he stole skittles and an iced tea from the store in his neighborhood.

TRUTH

Amazingly, the full video of Michael Brown in the store released and showed that he purchased the cigars found on his body. Also, interesting, the store owner stated that he did not report a robbery on the day of Michael’s murder or call the police.

LIE

Michael Brown was a suspect or potential suspect in a recent robbery, which invited the police officer to harass him.

Early reports claimed the police were responding to a robbery in the area and Brown was somehow linked to the robbery. To generalize, at the time of the murder, Darren Wilson (killer), was questioning Michael Brown about the robbery before they were involved in a physical alteration which left Michael shot dead.

TRUTH

Michael Brown and his friend were walking in and down the street. The killer told them to get out of the street. And this is what makes it murder by racism folks. Why are you harassing this man? Really ask yourself if the young man’s skin was white would you have even bothered? A police officer generally concerned about the safety of citizens would not shoot to kill an unarmed man.

LIE

White people do not understand or acknowledge their privilege. 

As my own anger over another murder by racism case grows I searched for media that would tell me that white people did not care about black people and their traumatic experience living and being in America. But today and historically, this is simply not true.

TRUTH

Read A Mother’s White Privilege by a fellow blogger who truly and admirably gets it and understands that one of the best ways she can help heal the racial tensions and murders in our society is to educate her sons not to shoot.

 

 

What Happened to Michael Brown?

Michael Brown

Our President stated, “We should comfort each other and talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.  Along with our prayers, that’s what Michael and his family, and our broader American community, deserve.” I wondered to myself “Is he angry?” I thought “Did the President have the conversation he suggested with his own family? with his own cabinet?” Did he explain to his girls what happened to Mike Brown and more importantly why?

This is by no means a slight of the office, but I asked myself “What would I do if I was president of the United States and I heard that a young black man was slain by a police officer…..again…. in 2014?” I guess I would start by actually having the conversation with white people, specifically, those in power.

The New York Times’ Editorial Board does a superior job detailing Ferguson city’s long racist history entitled, “The Death of Michael Brown: The Racial History Behind the Ferguson Protests.”  Michael (not Mike anymore) is referred to as Mr. Brown throughout the editorial in an extremely respectful way. The language of the by line  suggests that the traumatized people of Ferguson are protesting the “death of Michael Brown” and not looting or rioting or at war with police. Why is it so hard to say that “Ferguson’s historic racist racism continues and it is a more than likely that a white cop would shoot an UNARMED young black male repeatedly and allow his body and blood to stain his block?”

Aren’t  some people tired of talking about it already? Are some hoping this “thing won’t drag out like Trayvon?” Justice was not served then, and I don’t think anyone expects a town and PD with a recorded trail of discriminatory and exclusionary practices to deliver it now. The ruling on Trayvon’s murder continued the precedent that black men–people don’t matter because if a neighborhood watchman (sad face) justified for killing out of fear, then obviously a police officer is justified for killing the same.

Can we just talk about this a few more weeks, months, year? Can we God? Oprah? Phil? Berman? Everyone? discuss the fact that the white people in charge, making laws for Ferguson Missouri and other pockets of the U.S. hate people because of the color of their skin and this hate is killing, eradicating lives. Let’s talk. Really, about a historic hatred of black people masked with fear, especially a fear of black men, and what that means for my son.

My prayer continues for the mental health of my people, Michael Brown’s family and friends I pray Jesus, let not our hearts be troubled may we believe in God and also in you for you are the way, the truth, and the life as no man comes to the Father, but by you. All that mourn as you said Lord will be blessed and comforted as weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Platform for conversation Candid is Candice radio: More on What Happened to Michael Brown?

What happened to #Mike Brown?

“But the common theme was that both his hands were up and he was unarmed,” Reed said. “There are a number of troubling questions that need to be asked.” This was the report from BET’s Jonathan Haskins on the slaying of Mike Brown, a young black male in St. Louis by a police officer. And you ask why would I get my news from BET? Apparently, I am unable to locate any reports from mainstream media outlets like the Post(s) that can tell me what in the heck happened to Mike Brown.

Mark Berman from the Washington Post poorly executes an investigative report to a brilliant title “What you need to know about the death of an unarmed teenager in Missouri.” Berman intentionally fails to relay any information from the onlookers that witnessed the shooting. What kind of investigative reporting only allows for this statement to speak for a victim “Benjamin Crump, an attorney hired by Brown’s family, said at a news conference on Monday evening that witnesses have disputed the account offered by police, but he did not elaborate on what these witnesses said occurred. (Crump also represented Trayvon Martin’s family.)” This is all I get for that specific title that tricks me into believing that I will find out what I need to know about the slaying of Mike Brown.

Berman! –you found it best to include that Crump also represented Trayvon Martin’s family, but not include what social media retweets, posts, and grams “say” happen to Mike Brown. Did you and the New York Times journalists miss the statement from Mike’s friend mentioned in BET’s report? Did BET out scoop the NYTimes?

In the 500 words or less you chose to include that “…Brown was supposed to start college at Vatterott College, a trade school.” Why did you say that? What made you include that Vatterott College was a trade school? I welcome your reasoning to keep the little hope I have left for race relations in this country.

Of course attacking the media is pointless, and it isn’t going to bring Mike Brown back. But what happened to him? Why was he shot? There has to be more than he was a black boy, it has to be more than he fit the description of, there has to be more than he was unarmed with both hands up. 

 Now Missourians are looting and rioting in the streets and everyone is throwing up white flags for peace.  But where oh where was the peace for Mike Brown, for Oscar Grant, Wendell Allen, Eric Gardner, or for Sean Bell the morning before his wedding?

Where was the precious peace when Mike was shot multiple times and left on the street dead for the whole neighborhood to see. Why is peace so vehemently sought after horrible acts of violence?

My brothers’ blood shed in a pain that perpetuates such psychological trauma for my people, Comfort them Jesus. I pray that they “let love be without hypocrisy and abhor what is evil to cling to what is good. May all people be devoted to one another in brotherly love; giving preference to one another in honor not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving you Lord” (Romans 12:9-11).

In Jesus name,

Amen

Washington Post Report- Mark Berman

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/08/11/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-death-of-an-unarmed-black-teenager-in-missouri/

BET Report- Jonathan Haskins

http://www.bet.com/news/national/2014/08/11/in-st-louis-police-shooting-of-michael-brown-leads-to-rioting.html