My Thoughts On...

I actually watched both parts of BiA2 and I must say, it was inspirational to me... not many people know this, but by the time I turn 30, I want to open up a daycare-daycamp-private school type of instituion that's geared towards helping little boys become positive, progressive Black men... now, this isn't to exclude Black women because I know they all need that same guidance as well but for now, at least in my mind, it's going to be towards helping little boys...

But I digress, I really loved this series and I almost wish it came on every week because these are the images I feel like aren't put out there enough... if we're not rapping, in a movie or about to be charged with some crime, we're not often found on the television...

But each segment brought about something that made me think and that always makes for good television... ok, enough dick-riding... LOL... here's some commentary on a few of the segments...

Malaak Compton-Rock's "Journey for Change"
I thought this was a really dope idea just because it's always beneficial for little Black kids to see some things other than what they're around all the time... if you spend all your time in the projects with no reasonable motivation to leave, you're gonna be there for your entire life... STUCK... I also liked how they focused more on the kids than the founder because anybody can get in front of a camera and talk about how beneficial their program is even when it's not... so the fact that they focused on the kids was something I thought was definitely necessary... the parts about them going to Africa was kinda crazy to me... not crazy like it was bad... it's just that, we often forget just how fortunate we are and just like one of the little boys said, you could throw them an old shirt and they'd be so grateful for it... I know our standard of living is nothing like theirs but I don't think about Africa often just because I feel like we have enough problems here but I don't think I would mind setting up something like a fund that helps some of the people over there... I think we all should... especially when there are so many orphans over there from their parents getting AIDS... that type of shit gets to me...


Principal Steve Perry's Capital Prep

To me, this was one of the more compelling pieces simply because it's an issue that has always plagued us as a race... we're always told that Black students simply CAN'T do better as a whole... and the fact that he has a damn-near nonexistent dropout rate while maintaining that 100% of his graduates in a college is more than enough of an accomplishment to me... if I lived ANYWHERE near Hartford, CT, my kids would be enrolled in his school... and it's crazy because I always give Paige shit for going to private school and it's only because I went to public school and I get so tired of this air people have about going to a private school... all it told me was that your parents have gwap to send you to a different school... it didn't necessarily mean you were going to be any smarter, any more well-behaved, a better citizen or any of that shit... but I can honestly say that when I hear about a story like this, it makes me change my mind a bit... I mean, I still think public schools would be fine with a better quality of teacher trying to reach these kids but I can also admit that a school like this one is probably the only type of private school I would send my child to...


Saving Black Marriage
This was probably one of the things I thought was the most endearing... Black people as a whole just seem to have some generally fucked up relationships... I don't need to point out all the problems with them because they can easily be seen just by the people in your own lives... so anytime someone can not only get married but be devoted to that marriage to the point that they're willing to get some counseling, that's the type of stuff that I think is dope... personally, I plan to have some pre-marriage counseling as well as counseling during my entire first year of marriage... that's the only way I'll do it... because I have been in a lot of dysfunctional relationships (not just dating, but friendships as well) and although I believe in the power of prayer, but I also believe in the power of counseling... I've had it all throughout my life and I can see the differences in myself before, during and after... that being said, it was really great to see this one particular couple do everything they were doing to save their marriage... getting married is one thing... being COMMITTED to that marriage is quite a different thing... and too often, people aren't committed to marriage and it makes me wonder why they bothered in the first place... I just think marriage counseling allows people to get all of their issues out on the table and have an objective person come in and try and help... too often in life, if there's a problem, we'll go to someone we know will be on our side to complain to... and your partner does the same thing and nothing gets solved because it's always well "I'm right and you're wrong" instead of both people seeing both sides... I think counseling allows that medium ground where two people can meet and find a way to come up with a solution together...


Doctor tries to find cure for breast cancer
Breast cancer is always going to be one issue that is important to me simply because my mother was diagnosed with it back in 2004 and it's something I've never really been able to talk about... I'm not sure why because she's beaten it and has been healthy ever since but it's like one of those things that haunts me... when they were talking to one lady in particular who had had cancer on a bunch of different accounts and had to have her whole right breast removed, it immediately was tugging at my heart... when she showed her scar, it really hit me hard... my mom has a small scar on her chest that you can see whenever she wears a slightly-too-low shirt and it just hurts me everytime I see it... I literally look away and just feel like shit inside... I don't know why I feel this way because that scar saved her life but it's like... I don't know... I just worry that if I get married one day and my wife gets cancer and has to have a breast removed, will I still feel the same way about her? I feel that I won't... and that's another thing that fucks with me... because that's the point when she'll need me the most and I'm not even sure that I'll be able to be there for her like I'm supposed to be... and that proposed guilt is just eating away at me... I'm not sure why...


Tyler Perry
I fucks with Tyler Perry... to my surprise, a lot of Black people don't because they feel like he's cooning but I've honestly never felt that way and my coon-a-meter goes off at the slightest detection... now while I don't think either of his shows are that funny, I've always enjoyed his movies and most of his plays... to me, Madea and Brown are simply there for comedic effect... if that's all his movies were about then it wouldn't even be worth watching and I simply would not... however, the fact that he tackles issues that even we, as the Black community, will not talk about (child abuse, child neglect, marriage issues, domestic abuse, etc. etc.) is enough for him to get my $9 on ANY movie he produces... to me, if you're only there to focus on Madea and you don't get a sense of the message that he's putting out there, then you need to reevaulate yourself... and that's just real... if for nothing else, you have to be able to support a brother who's putting out movies that are about more than pimping, crack-dealing, gangster bullshit... most people I know don't do that shit so why do I need to see it in a movie? That being said, the homie has a new movie coming out in September and I've included the trailer for your enjoyment...

SUPPORT TYLER PERRY!!!!



All that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed BiA2 and I can't wait for Reclaiming the Dream on August 1st & 2nd because I feel like that's going to be even better than this one... Soledad O'Brien is on top of her shit... LOL

Ya'll be easy...