Dear Kanye West,

You may need to drop back into college.

Now, I say this with love and concern -- as a day one fan of your music who can rap word for word  90% of your songs, a Black woman and an educator. If you plan on continuing to play in the political arena, where what you say is constantly played at the top of every hour on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC or any other media outlet, then Ye, you need to finish your education.

Before I dig in and discuss or respond to some of your more recent soundbites. Allow me to address the pink elephant in the room -- your mental disorder. You've been diagnosed or misdiagnosed with a bipolar personality. Are you off your meds? Or did you say you're finally back on? I can't keep up.

Either way, you've shared your diagnosis with the world and your fans and it shouldn't be taken lightly. We've kept that in mind during our recent observations of you. Be that as it may, you keep putting yourself in situations where we cannot ignore you. We, Black America that is, cannot continue to give you a pass. You're beyond the family member that cuts up during family functions. You know, the one who  drinks too much or always says crazy shit, but the family and close personal friends are the only folks who actually see you having these meltdowns. In the words of Shakespeare, "all the world's [your] stage," and you're using it to show your ass.

I, like others, have been silently following your antics since the "400 years of slavery was a choice" statement on TMZ. After the brother from TMZ said exactly what everyone watching at home was thinking, I felt a sense of relief. For a second, I thought it would click and you would realize the error of your misspoken words. I even tried to rationalize your statement by attempting to explain your thinking using lyrics from your song, All Falls Down:

"Man I promise, I'm so self-conscious

That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches

Rollies and Pasha's done drove me crazy

I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that versace!

Then I spent 400 bucks on this

Just to be like nigga you ain't up on this!

And I can't even go to the grocery store

Without some ones thats clean and a shirt with a team

It seems we living the American dream"

(All Falls Down)

I would say see, this is maybe the point he's trying to make. We are slaves to capitalism and society. But, Kanye you're not intelligent or eloquent enough to even argue such a philosophical school of thought in a conversation off the top of your head.  These are skills you master in college. But as we all know, you were late for those classes.

"They said the best classes go to the fastest, sorry, Mr. West There's no good classes, and that's what yo' ass get
Not even electives? Not even prerequisites?
You mean I missed my major by a couple of seconds?
Now I'm in the shop class or the basket weavin'
With all the rest of the mother f*ckers underachievin."
(Late)

With that in mind, I held out hope. You do understand realize that the problem in Black America is much more nuanced than to over simply state that Black people are choosing to stay enslaved. Let me be very clear, I do not believe all of Black America is and/or should be on the same page.

What happened to the Kanye that said and thought the following:

"Racism still alive they just be concealing it

But I know they don't want me in the damn club

They even made me show I.D. to get inside of Sam's club"

(Never Let You Down)

That alone highlights one of the very problems that Black men face in society a reality that keeps many "enslaved" in their condition. A problem that often times is not of their own volition. However, this is an issue within our community. You could take it even a step further if you dive into the laws that have been put in place to systemically keep us stagnant. It wasn't that long ago when you yourself said:

"Yo, we at war

We at war with terrorism, racism, and most of all we at war with ourselves

God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down"

(Jesus Walks) 

Kanye we can't follow you right now bro? And I'm not too sure God is showing you the way either. However, I am curious to know if you really believe that the Democrats and the liberal media is now the devil?

Anyway, we've referenced your lyrics at times because they provided the world insight into Black culture. You had the courage to speak on issues of inequalities, hypocrisies within our society in several of your songs. When you made songs like Crack Music, up until now, we thought your early departure from college was in fact warranted.

"How we stop the black panthers?

Ronald Reagan cooked up an answer

You hear that?

What Jill Scott was hearin

When our heroes and heroines got hooked on heroin.

Crack raised the murder rate in DC and Maryland

We invested in that it's like we got Merril-Lynched

And we been hangin from the same tree ever since"

(Crack Music)

College isn't for everybody, right? Just when I thought all hope was lost, I saw this...

A beacon of hope in the lost Kanye ship. When I finished watching this interview I felt like maybe the Ye we knew is still in there.

In Jay Z's  song Lost Ones he raps,  "Fame is the worst drug known to man, it's stronger than heroine."

And it's okay if you fell victim to the curse of celebrity. It happens. Keeping that in consideration,  I was ready to welcome you back with open arms. I agree with Snoop Dogg. All you need is some  Black women around you. Women like Iyanla, who can get you together real quick. Fix Your Life and help you down off the ledge. Cause Kanye, you're holding on by one finger. And I mean no disrespect to your Kardashian family, however from the outside looking it, it appears that fame no matter what form it comes is paramount. In my unwillingness to throw the Kanye baby out with the bathwater, I found myself roped into the okey doke yet, another time. Simply because, I actaully believed that you were misguided and your off the wall rants were a direct result of your manic state. No big deal, let's get this guy the right dosage of medication.

This led me to kind of care that you were going to guest star on Saturday Night Live. Great, I'll finally hear some of your new music, cause let's face it, I was boycotting that shit. And see first hand if the old Kanye still exists under this Kanye Kardashian imposter.

Then it happened, a promo photo surfaced for your SNL visit and you were wearing the MAGA hat.

And here's some live footage of my reaction: 

via GIPHY

Okay, so that's not really me. But that's exactly what I did. Needless to say, I missed the performance. I'm glad I did because yet again, you pulled a New Kanye with this,

On the one hand, you talk about being a free thinker. Then in the next breath you say, "follow your heart and don't follow your mind."

Huh?

But you're talking about politics, policies and world issues. No one gives two shits about what you feel, man. It's about the facts. Coherent, cohesive and substantiated hardcore facts. You know, like they teach you in school, state your claim then use evidence that supports your claim. If you don't find any evidence to substantiate your thinking, then maybe you're on the wrong track. Just because you're free to think something, doesn't make it right.

You claim you're wearing the MAGA hat as a Superman cape. It represents love. Seriously? You do know that Superman is for all intents and purposes is an immigrant. The MAGA hat is the 2018 symbol of anti-immigration. You did hear about your friend, Trump's plan to build the wall? Are you going to wear a Nazi swastika or a Klans robe next and tell us it means love too?

You know, I'm starting to think it's beyond you dropping back into college. You may need to visit your high school, Ye.

It is so hard to follow you, your lyrics, rants, and meltdowns because they're all over the place. While I celebrated and cheered with you when you infamously said, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people." And I defended your drunken, yet accurate antics when you interrupted Taylor Swift all those years ago on stage, because at that time who was she? And Beyonce did "have one of the best videos of all time." 

I rode with you through all of the egotistical, arrogant Kanye rants. Chalking it up to, that's just Kanye. The Underdog that made it on top. But at some point, you checked out. You stopped reading Ye. You isolated yourself in your Kardashian Calabasas bubble. It's so evident that you have no idea what you're talking about or your thoughts are incomplete because you haven't done the research to support all of this free-thinking you've been doing.

Now, this brings me to your meeting with Donald Trump. The man who hangs out at the White House in the Oval office, the guy who invited you in to make a fool of yourself.  Before I go there, let me remind you of something Ye once said about the government:

"And I know the government administered AIDS." (Heard Em Say)

And here's what Ye had to say about Donald Trump on his song, So Appalled:

"I'm so appalled, Spalding ball
Balding Donald Trump taking dollars from y'all"

But here's what Kanye had to say about Trump during his White House visit.

Who and what are we to believe? Should we believe none of what you say and just ignore you? Will you then go away Kanye? Who are you putting on for? The people who are laughing at you? These are the very same people who wanted you lynched (maybe, probably, okay allegedly cause I don't want to get sued) for interrupting Taylor Swift and talking about their precious George W. Bush. These are your constituents? Your friends? Your audience?

You once said, "Feeling like Katrina with no Fema." 

Well, do you know that FEMA did not help out the people in Puerto Rico the way they should've because of the person who currently sits in the Oval Office? Yet, you support him, you say if he fails we fail.  Dude, he's failing. This new revelation of patriotism above all else, is a direct contradiction to things you've said before. Listen, it is not that you support Donald Trump. That's your birth right as an American citizen. We don't care if you're a Republican cause your pockets got fatter. Vote with you're interests.

The "bullying" as you claim or rather questioning of your sanity comes in to play because you cannot give any solid, logical reasoning to explain your undying love and support for a man that doesn't care about you or your people. He's worse than Bush because he admits it. Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign was a big F you to anyone that was a minority. He referred to us as, "The Blacks." Trump only tolerates you because you're famous! He's just into collecting celebrities. Just so happens you and your wife are on the top of his list.

As of today the Black delegation would like to give you the "nigga please award" and looking to give you away during the first round of the raicial draft. And I know you're okay with it because you have the, "I gotta lotta cheese award." More power to you and your millions.

But if you're seriously looking to make a difference and bring males, specifically Black males back into the homes of Black families (which I would like to add wasn't my experience as a Black child nor is for my daughters as there are countless Black fathers out here raising their kids, but I understand your plight) you're barking up the wrong tree.

You won't find the help you're seeking right now at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. You said Trump is a "master builder" I think you should talk to all of the people who worked for him and got screwed out of money and a job. You want to bring jobs back to America great, what working class American doesn't? But did you know, Trump made money when the Clintons signed the NAFTA deal that closed the factories here and sent the factory jobs to China? Ask him where his daughter has her shoe factories.

You want to change the logo on Trump's hat, do you understand that it goes against what his supporters stand for. What he stands for. Of course, Black America wants to make America great. But Trump and those who support him, want to make America great "again." When was America ever great for us? Huh? When? It was aight during the Obama years and you had an issue with him. I could go on and on because what you are trying to say goes against everything he actually says. But again, school is the place you should start.

Many of us are calling you a coon right now Kanye. The way you bowed down and ingratiated yourself to Trump was nothing less than humiliating. I'm not going to insult and degrade you, what I will do, is drop these words from one of our great leaders, Malcolm X:

"This modern house Negro loves his master. He wants to live near him. He’ll pay three times as much as the house is worth just to live near his master, and then brag about “I’m the only Negro out here.” “I’m the only one on my job.” “I’m the only one in this school.” You’re nothing but a house Negro. And if someone comes to you right now and says, “Let’s separate,” you say the same thing that the house Negro said on the plantation. “What you mean, separate? From America? This good white man? Where you going to get a better job than you get here?” "

This analogy is the equivlent to what your actions convey when you tell us your people that we should respect and appreciate Trump. You may not have studied Malcolm in school so that very well may go over your head. So I'll leave you with your own words, you're, "Lost in translation with the whole f*cking nation." 

So for now, the Black delegation is done with this version of Kanye. If the "champion" who turned tragedy to triumph, made music that's fire and spit his soul through the wire, ever comes back maybe we'll care again.

You promised your mama you would go back to college. Take a page out of Nick Cannon's book enroll today. Tomorrow is too late.


Peace & Love,

Signed: "I miss the old Kanye"

Why Don't Black Lives Matter?

I never even thought or imagined that in my lifetime I would have to proclaim, or remind people that "black lives matter." Growing ups as an 80's baby there was a semblance of racial equality. It was post Civil Rights America in every sense of the word. We had overcome way before I was born-- right? Malcolm X awakened our sleeping brothers and sisters while enlightening the masses that didn't know or want the enlightenment. While Dr King led marches which united blacks and whites inspiring real change in this nation. These and countless other Civil Rights activists had already lost their lives in pursuit of a better tomorrow. The time had come for our chance to live because finally we were in complete control of our destiny, now we have real choices. By the time I was born Black people were well on their way to reaching the "mountaintop" -- or so I thought.  

If i can't do
what i want to do
then my job is to not
do what i don't want
to do

It's not the same thing
but it's the best i can
do

My peers in primary school were comprised of mostly Black and Hispanic children in my hometown of Newark, NJ. Yet, it never struck me as odd because my parents had a choice of where they wanted their children to be educated. (At University High School there was one or two.)  White people didn't live in my neighborhood. But, I never thought there was a "race" problem. This was their choice. As it was my parents' choice to live in the community with their family and friends. My childhood home was smack dab in the middle of a city that looked like a wasteland as a result of the Newark Riots of '67. While living in this reality I always thought that that the ills of the past were just that,  ills of the past.  At home and in school I was taught that there was no limit on what we could do as Black people. (Well, except for become president.) Nevertheless, I had no concept or knowledge of Reganomics, police brutality or the need for affirmative action. How could I? I was a child. I was taught that as Black Americans, we were making strides in spite of the devastating crack epidemic that was all around me. There were Blacks  going to college, becoming doctors, lawyers, politicians, CEO's, the sky was the limit because we had choices, real choices...

If i can't have
what i want . . . then
my job is to want
what i've got
and be satisfied
that at least there
is something more to want

In the 1990's it appeared that America was on its way to becoming the place it was supposed to be for Black Americans. Then, in 1992 the Rodney King beating happened. The violent and brutal police assault of an unarmed black man was caught on camera for the world to see. An attack that looked more like footage from the Eyes On The Prize documentary than the 6 o'clock news. For me, and some other naive Americans it was a no brainer, those cops were guilty-- there was video proof. There was no way they could be anything other than that? The shocking not guilty verdict shattered my "free at last" ideals. For the first time in my lifetime I witnessed the injustice of the judicial system that mirrored something from days passed. Americans in my generation looked to NWA's F*ck the Police as an anthem to deal with this moment. While I asked, "What's going on here?" This type of behavior was no longer acceptable, we marched, we sang, we sat -- things changed. Apparently, not so much, instead, the not guilty verdict sparked a riot in a city on the opposite side of the country from my Newark, NJ home that destroyed a community. Just like it did in Newark and Detroit almost 30 years prior. What is happening to our choice?

Since i can't go
where i need
to go . . . then i must . . . go
where the signs point
through always understanding
parallel movement
isn't lateral

When i can't express
what i really feel
i practice feeling
what i can express
and none of it is equal

Everything was upside down for quite sometime as it relates to racial relations. The OJ trial showed the world that all was not well in America as it pertained to race. In pursuit of the "American Dream" my parents' chose to move their family to the suburbs where I attended Scotch Plains Fanwood High. Now I went to school with Whites, Asians, Hispanics, Egyptians and a few Blacks. There were many different racial groups in the school, yet the cafeteria tables were segregated based on race. No one's fault. That was our choice. A decade goes by and once again we see change when the nation that once had my people in chains like chattel then hung us from trees like laundry now had to choice to make one of us the leader of the greatest nation in the world.  Finally, America has allowed Black people to reach the "mountaintop." Black boys could grow up and actually become the president of the United States of America like Barack Obama-- if they live that long. 

This celebration of equality didn't last long because shortly into President Obama's tenure the past came back to haunt us. The people that we're supposed to look to for protection are taking our lives -- they don't think we matter. Police are murdering us in the street with the cameras rolling, hashtags trending and then the courts are giving the assailants pats on the back. There is a website with the names of over 100 Black men and women that have been killed by police officers-- this is in addition to Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and the more recent Alton Sterling and Philando Castille. In 2016 they are choosing to take us down like animals. Not crocodiles more like gorillas. They are showing us that our life doesn't matter at all. 

If all lives were getting handled this way then there would be a very different public outcry. But it's only Black lives that are getting murdered in front of their women and children broadcast for the world to see. This is a modern day lynching. Where we have members of law enforcement taking our men down, not to disarm but to harm with a lethal blow. This is a very hard pill that I've had to swallow because I like so many wanted to believe that things had changed. Instead, I see that life is nothing more than a series of images that change as they repeat themselves. This is not to say that all people in these positions of power are abusing it. But, the harsh reality is that the few are making   a  choice that is overshadowing the ones that are truly protecting and serving.  When the time comes every American will have a choice to make.

I know
but that's why mankind
alone among the animals
learns to cry 

--Choices by Nikki Giovanni

My eyes can't cry anymore. I am afraid for our Black men. I am afraid for America. So I am choosing action.