Friday, February 19, 2016

Whisper Out Loud: Uncovering the Truth about the Black Panther Party...

Whisper Out Loud: Uncovering the Truth about the Black Panther Party...: Sensitive topic. When this is mentioned people tend to cringe, roll their eyes, huff and puff and mumble "can we just move on from...

Uncovering the Truth about the Black Panther Party




Sensitive topic. When this is mentioned people tend to cringe, roll their eyes, huff and puff and mumble "can we just move on from this."

Some people think that Beyoncé's half time performance was offensive. People found it offensive because she and her dancers were dressed as members of the Black Panther Party (BPP). Many people think that the Black Panther Party was a violent black group who violently attacked police officers. So to have Beyoncé, one of the world's greatest performers, show homage to such a violent organization was degrading. Many people compared them to the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). Everyone shared their opinions. Some had the facts to back it up and some were just rambling off with the mouth not educated with the complete history about the BPP. Well, as you my old followers and new followers know, Delicious Talker will give you the facts. True delicious facts, the good bad and ugly.



The Black Panther Party (BPP) was founded in Oakland, CA in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Why was the BPP formed? This group was formed because of the constant police brutality that was going on in Oakland. But it wasn't limited to Oakland. Police brutality was going on in other parts of California like Richmond, CA and America as a whole. Now the 2 founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale were educated black men who studied and knew the civil rights of black people. Huey Newton attended Merritt College, San Francisco Law School and the University of California of Santa Cruz and earned a PhD in Social Philosophy. Huey studied the gun laws in California and educated himself about the right to bear arms according to the Constitution. Bobby Seale met Huey Newton in Merritt College when he studied engineering and politics. Okay, so with their educated background they knew that many police officers were violating the rights of black American citizens and the officers broke the laws at every chance they got. So, Huey Newton with the help of Bobby Seale formed the BPP. The BPP grew rapidly after they protested at the Statehouse concerning the Mulford Act (the right to bear arms). Understand that white people already had an underlining fear of black people, now to see black people armed with guns, they began to feel intimidated. The Black Panther Party (BPP) gained the public attention. After doing so they listed their 10 point program.



Huey and Bobby, as well as so many others, saw the little to no help in the black community from the government. So the BPP created Free Breakfast for Children Programs, community health clinics and other community programs. Below is a full list of programs the Black Panther Party supported and created for the people in the community. But I must add that the BPP DID NOT create the WIC program. This has been a rumor that has been circulating for years. The Black Panther Party was big supporters for the WIC program and helped many mothers sign up.

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Black Panther Community Programs

Black Panther Party Community Programs
1966 - 1982

1. Alameda County Volunteer Bureau Work Site
2. Benefit Counseling
3. Black Student Alliance
4. Child Development Center
5. Consumer Education Classes
6. Community Facility Use
7. Community Health Classes
8. East Oakland CIL (Center for Independent Living) Branch
9. Community Pantry (Free Food Program)
10. Drug/Alcohol Abuse Awareness Program
11. Drama Classes
12. Disabled Persons Services/Transportation and Attendant
13. Drill Team
14. Employment Referral Service
15. Free Ambulance Program
16. Free Breakfast for Children Programs
17. Free Busing to Prisons Program
18. Free Clothing Program
19. Free Commissary for Prisoners Program
20. Free Dental Program
21. Free Employment Program
22. Free Food Program
23. Free Film Series
24. Free Furniture Program
25. Free Health Clinics
26. Free Housing Cooperative Program
27. Food Cooperative Program
28. Free Optometry Program
29. Community Forum
30. Free Pest Control Program
31. Free Plumbing and Maintenance Program
32. Free Shoe Program
33. GED Classes
34. Geriatric Health Center
35. GYN Clinic
36. Home SAFE Visits
37. Intercommunal Youth Institute (becomes OCS by 1975)
38. Junior and High School Tutorial Program
39. Legal Aid and Education
40. Legal Clinic/Workshops
41. Laney Experimental College Extension Site
42. Legal Referral Service(s)
43. Liberation Schools
44. Martial Arts Program
45. Nutrition Classes
46. Oakland Community Learning Center
47. Outreach Preventative Care
48. Program Development
49. Pediatric Clinic
50. police patrols
51. Seniors Against a Fearful Environment
52. SAFE Club
53. Sickle Cell Anemia Research Foundation
54. Son of Man Temple (becomes Community Forum by 1976)
55. Sports
56. Senior Switchboard
57. The Black Panther Newspaper
58. Teen Council
59. Teen Program
60. U.C. Berkeley Students Health Program
61. V.D. Preventative Screening & Counseling
62. Visiting Nurses Program
63. WIC (Women Infants, and Children) Program
64. Youth Diversion and Probation Site
65. Youth Training and Development

While doing good for the communities, they protected the communities from police brutality and harassment. Between 1966 and 1969 out of 661 police officers in the Oakland community, only 16 were black. This made the BPP "police the police". They would follow the police officers around making sure they didn't harass or assault black people in the community. Sure, officers would pull over and question the BPP members who were following them around but the Black Panthers knew they weren't breaking any laws. And would fight back vocalizing the law and their rights. The BPP were required to know and understand the country's laws (Constitution) and gun laws. They weren't breaking the laws by interfering with the officers' duties unless there was a threat at hand or if police officers were breaking the laws themselves.

By 1970 membership peaked. Many black people saw that the BPP were making changes in communities and protecting them for police officers. One event occurred at a high school in New York: Canarsie High School. I had the honor and privileged to speak to someone very close to me about his experience with the BPP. This person was in the draft of integrating Canarsie High School. Canarsie at the time was predominately white. Black kids would be tormented everyday by white men and women in the community. Some white men would come into the school hoping to catch a black student so they could beat him or her in the stairwell where other racist white men would wait to join in on the beating. The school officials, teaching staff, and City Hall did nothing to ease the racial tension. One day it got so bad, that there were hundreds of highly angry white racist men and women who waited outside the school, waiting for the school day to end so they could attack the black students. What happened next was a shock to everyone. Numerous of black cars rode up to the school. Exiting out of the cars were the BPP chapter in New York. Many white people ran scared while others stayed and continued to torment the black students and BPP. The BPP was fully equipped with MK 14s, other assault weapons and bullet strap vests. They lined up to the school creating a path for the black students to exit the school safely. Not one police officer showed up at the school but the school was closed for the next couple of days. City Hall finally intervened to come up with solutions to ease the racial tension at Canarsie High School and the community.

FBI's J. Edgar Hoover said that the BPP is "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country." The FBI at the time labeled them as a hate group but not the KKK. Mr. Hoover supervised a program called COINTELPRO which was aimed to discredit, criminalize and drain the resources from the BPP. The group he supervised was also accused of using violent and assassination tactics against BPP members, the community programs, participants in the programs, supporters, and BPP workers.
Because of the violent threats, endless talks that turned a deaf ear to not only City Hall, but the country, the BPP began to retaliate. The BPP was already labeled as a violent organization by the FBI, the media and the country as a whole. It is true that the BPP participated in a couple of police ambushes. This occurred during the fall of the BPP. Many of its members began to drift apart. There was a purge within the BPP because there were some members who wanted to work with police departments to create peace within the black communities and there were the others who refused to work with the police officers. Instead they set up ambushes and had shootouts with the officers. This is what many Americans think of when mentioning the BPP.

It wasn't known and shown on the nightly news or in the newspapers what the BPP was doing and trying to do for the black communities. All that was shown was the negative aspect that was already planted into the mind of Americans. Yes, Americans, because many other countries saw the positivity what the BPP was really doing but some of America didn't want to see it. But there were some white Americans who saw the brutality that was going on with the black people and knew what the BPP was trying to achieve.

Now here we are in 2016 still dealing with racism and police brutality. Police brutality has become rampant and the country continues to turn blind eyes and deaf ears to what is really going on. During Beyoncé's performance, many people jut saw her representing, or giving props, to the BPP. But taking a deeper look at the issue, what she and her dancers were wearing, and her new music video "Formation", she was bringing the issue of the police brutality that has been going on in the country on a major platform. The BPP fought against police brutality toward black people and Beyoncé was putting her stamp of approval.



Many people are now trying to associate Black Lives Matter Movement with the BPP. I can see how they would associate the two. You have 2 passionate groups fighting for the justice of black Americans citizens whose voice and strength has been taken away by police officers who doesn't deserve to have a badge. What's wrong, is wrong. All people deserve a fair trial. Yes, I get it! Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter but there has been an attack on black people by officers and the neighborhood watcher.

At the end of the day everybody has their own opinion. Everybody forms their own opinion but opinions should be covered with facts. There's no way everything can be written in a post, blog, articles, etc. concerning the Black Panther Party and other racial matters that has become a deadly disease in our country. But everybody can do their own research. So, I encourage you to research before forming your own biased opinions based upon nay-sayers, satire websites and unknowledgeable journalists.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Friday, February 5, 2016

Whisper Out Loud: Sex After Marriage OR Should I test drive it first...

Whisper Out Loud: Sex After Marriage OR Should I test drive it first...: "It seems like you're ready, Girl are you ready, To go all the way, All the way....", is the lyrics to R. Kelly's son...

Sex After Marriage OR Should I test drive it first?




"It seems like you're ready, Girl are you ready, To go all the way, All the way....", is the lyrics to R. Kelly's song "Seem Like You're Ready" on his 12 Play album. Sex before or after marriage has been the ongoing topic since our parents sat us down to have "THE TALK". During the sex talks, our parents would end with "wait until you get married to have sex." But as we got older, during our teenage years, our hormones began to kick in. Some held out and some gave in. The feeling of having sex, making love or a good hardcore pounding is strong and sometimes over powering. But lately, people have been tossing with the idea of waiting until marriage or becoming a born again virgin.

No matter what people tell you what to do, it will always be a difficult decision. Trust me, this is coming from a person that has and still is experiencing both sides. I grew up with my parents telling me to wait until I was married. I have a son, so waiting wasn't an option for me. I understand the saying "test drive it first." Before you get married, you want to make sure your spouse knows how to please you thoroughly and to ante up your sex ability too. The worst is, is to be married to someone who can't please you sexually. Yes, sex isn't the ONLY and MAIN thing in a successful marriage but it sure does help. Sex before marriage can also be healthy in a committed relationship. It can connect both partners not just on a physical level but emotional as well. A male friend told me that most of the time it can decrease a person's desire to cheat. But let's be honest, there are sex addicts in the world. That wouldn't stop them from satisfying their sexual needs. Sex before marriage can emotionally bond the individual by them caring for the others needs before their own. There are many times when sometimes you just want to be held and given the simple kiss on the forehead. Sex before marriage can be a whirlwind of romance and it can also be a tornado of destruction. It can leave you feeling empty and depressed because you've given your body to someone you've loved or liked and thought the feelings were mutal. In the end, some has ended up with 10 and more sex partners before they finally meet the one they marry. It's a trial and error. It's the test drive the car before I drive it off the showroom floor before deciding to drive it home for good.

In the line of sex before marriage, there are the in between people. I call these people "The Born Again Virgins." And I fit right into this category. I've been a born again virgin for 8 years now. It was by CHOICE.......sort of. You see, my boyfriend of 8 years is a virgin. And he is the one who believes in sex after marriage. He made it quite clear about his choice before we began dating. It's his religious and personal beliefs and his strength in God that made him stand firm in holding out until we are married. The question many people ask us is, is it easy to not have sex? And I have to be honest. HECK NO! And then SOMETIMES. Born again virgins have to live their sexual fantasies through their friends stories, movies, books and music. Trust me, music can take you to a place of no return or make you re-live those moments that you can't wait to experience those feelings again. It becomes frustrating to hear about the sex stories or sometimes be happy for married couples on Valentine's Day or any day because we just know they are going to have sex and we choose not to. Yes, CHOOSE because we CAN. A simple phone call to an ex or a friend can put an end to the drought. So, why the torture? Yup, torture because at times that's what it feels like? It's the respect that we have for ourselves and our partner who is also deciding to wait. I made the choice of being a born again virgin because I knew I found a great man and just like anything else, he is worth the wait. Some make the decision because they are tired of the empty-minded sex and heartbreaks that are in the end. No matter how you put it, Either way it's difficult.

Now sex after marriage is a beautiful thing. You have one spouse to entertain all over the house with, without no one shaking their fingers and heads at the both of you because the bed is undefiled. Many people who waited or is still waiting make their decision based on their biblical beliefs. The Scriptures makes many references about not having sex before marriage. There are about 15 verses in the Bible about sex before and after marriage. There are 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, Hebrews 13:4, Exodus 22:16, 1Corinthians 6:18-20 and the list goes on. Can it be the fear of God? Maybe.  But there are some virgins who are simply waiting to have sex after they get married because they want to go against the grain. They want to be different from everybody else who get caught up in having sex. As one 31 yr. old male virgin told me, "its a sense of freedom." He feels that sex is sacred and that anything that is sacred is valuable. And that having sex should be shared with that special one that is worth the wait after making a committed vow before God, family and friends ( the marriage ceremony). Well you can't argue with someone who holds their unbroken seal on a high spectrum.

I guess the question is how many times should we test drive the "ride" before settling down? That depends on the person. They can test drive as many times as they want. But what happens when they get married? What if they marry someone with lack of sexual encounters or a VIRGIN? The expection will be there in hoping that the spouse who doesn't have more to absolutely no sexual encounters, can please them in comparison to the others that have entered their soul. They now have failed expectations. A married couple I spoke to said that they had to show the other what they like, how they want to be touched and everything else. But no one wants to show a spouse how it should be done. During the Honeymoon, you want to make each other scream with passion, teaching isn't an option. A person who had sex before marriage, enters a marriage assuming their spouse knows what to do and how it should be "put down." You never expect to have to show someone how to please you. They should have learned through X-Rated videos. Assuming they have to fake the funk and just know what they're doing like J. Cole in his song "Wet Dreams."

So sex after marriage or test drive it first? It's up to that person. As an 8 year born again virgin, I can tell you that it isn't easy. Speaking for myself, I have my good days and I have my bad days. It feels good to not have the pressure to have sex on days when I just want to chill, and trust me those days are very few. I've learned to enjoy his company and be best friends and lovers. Sure. we kiss and make-out but when things get hot and heavy, we both ease back. It gets frustrating because there are times I just want to rip his clothes off. But the respect that I have for him out weighs everything. He loves holding me and embracing me while I'm standing up being occupied with the house chores. He tells me that it takes all of him not to give in. He admits that it isn't easy for him either. I know being in a relationship for 8 years is a whole other blog and story. But as we approach our wedding day, we learn how to be best friends first. When you can enjoy someone's company and have a great time and have great chemistry in the process, having sex is just the crème on the top.

So, in the meantime, I'm still waiting until our wedding day. We'll be waiting like the rest who are waiting for marriage. So, I say, if you choose to test drive that "ride" before you get married, be safe and weigh out YOUR OWN personal pros and cons. But if you choose to wait, hang in there. God knows it isn't easy. But we'll get through. Until then me and my boyfriend will begin to read the book called "The Wait" by DeVon Franklin and his wife Meagan Good who also decided to wait until marriage. Evenually our and your wait will be over too.