If elected Barack Obama won't be the 1st Black U.S. President??!!

The moment Barack Obama announced he was running for President the media and a majority of fellow Americans have focused on his ethnicity rather than what this man had to offer this country, which didn’t come as a surprise. Questions like “Is this Country ready for a Black President?” echoed from coast to coast. Well, apparently we’ve been there and done that! According to this article I stumbled upon, if elected, Barack won’t be the first Black U.S. President (and no I’m not talking about Bill Clinton either). I learned about Warren Harding in college, so I was expecting to find a lengthy article about him. I was in disbelief when he was accompanied by 4 other U.S. Presidents who are said to all have black ancestry:







Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President, was the "son of a half-breed Indian squaw and a Virginia mulatto father."







Andrew Jackson, the seventh U.S. President, was "the son of an Irish woman who married a black man." (His older brother was reportedly sold into slavery.)







Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth U.S. President, had dark skin, course hair, and a heritage that included Melungeon or African ancestors. Hussein writes that "His heritage fueled so much controversy that Lincoln was nicknamed "Abraham Africanus the First" by his opponents."







Warren Harding, the twenty-ninth U.S. President, never denied his African heritage, and reportedly had black ancestors on both sides of his family; it is also said that Harding attended a school that was founded to educate fugitive slaves.






Calvin Coolidge, the thirteenth U.S. President, was found to have African and possibly Native American heritage as well.

Although if you saw, dare I say, these “brothas” (lol) on the street they’d be regarded as white men but at the end of the day they were white men with black blood running through their veins. But if you really want to take it there, who doesn't??? That's a whole different story, a whole different blog.


This information really makes no difference to me nor do I feel a sense of pride because none of these Presidents dared to acknowledge the fact or could identify with what it meant or how it felt to be a black man. So in my eyes, if Barack wins this election I will refer to him as the first Black President. But according to this article, he wouldn’t be the 1st but the 6th. There you have it.

"The radio is off now; it's time for some REAL music!"

I'm starting to get a tired of people saying "Hip-Hop is dead!" as if they're uttering something so profound that it needs to be felt. I understand where Nas was coming from because the Hip-Hop he was raised on and that he and his counterparts provided to the masses over the years was dwindling in front of his eyes. However the way I see it, what I know to be Hip-Hop, is not dead at all. In fact it is very much alive and imperishable! The problem is that over the years people have made the fatal mistake of associating a lot of the bullsh*t that spins 100 times a day on the radio or most of the tracks that bump in the clubs as Hip-Hop when it's not. It's border line blasphemous if you ask me. Much respect to the conforming artists out there doing what they feel they have to do to survive. I can’t knock their hustle, but let’s not get it twisted. This two step, Sambo bullsh*t is not Hip-Hop. We need to start coming up with an apt label to categorize this genre because it’s straight up offensive to be automatically deemed Hip-Hop just because there’s a hot beat attached to it and a catchy hook.




Anyway the point of this blog was to essentially promote Common’s latest album Finding Forever. If you haven’t already, I implore you to buy his album NOW! The moment I popped it in my soul shook and my faith was restored. Its artists like Common that proves that Hip-Hop is not dead!

A Preacher I am not...

...however as a Christian who is finally investing more time in strengthening her faith, it is my job to share what I'm receiving when I read the Word.

Recently I came across The Beatitudes in the Book of Matthew, which is basically a litany on how to achieve righteousness. And one of the topics that stood out to me the most was the act of forgiveness. In Matthew 6:14-15 it specifically states: "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Also in Chapter 5 he discusses the need to settle matters with your adversary as quickly as possible.

So after reading that I thought about the growing list of people in my life that I have cut off and shunned over the years because they have done me wrong; from friends that have disrespected me, family that have shown me no love or care to acknowledge my existence, ex's that have shattered my heart, etc. And once upon a time I considered myself a very forgiving person but what I noticed that I was doing was that although I was forgiving people, it was unbeknownst to them. I would say to myself, "I forgive them and will even pray for them from time to time, but I won't go out of my way to reach out to them. If they come to me, I will be here."

After reading this I realize that isn't enough. I need to go out of my way and let these people know that all is forgiven and I'm ready to move forward whether they want to take this walk with me or not. So with that said the process begins. This is going to be tough for some and I know its going to take some time and inner strength in order for this to be achieved, but it needs to be done.

For those that have taken the time to read this I hope that you take a moment to think about the people in your lives that you haven't been able to make amends with for whatever reasons. However justified you feel, just know that what was done to you isn't worth sacrificing the rewards that you will reap for what is essentially a simple act. Don't block your blessings. As sinners we are so quick to drop down on our knees and ask God for forgiveness but we can't do the same for others?

Wipe your plate clean before you bring your sins to God.