A Day in the Life of a Hip Hop Heroine: Baltimore, Get Up Stand Up! Don't Give Up the Fight!

Although I know the same is probably true all over the world.....I'm in Baltimore.....some im going to speak on that! Please walk with me......
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I am college educated, no kids, socially conscious and TRULY want to make a difference in my community.

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I sometimes feel so lost when it comes to how to actually go about doing this.

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I've attended prominent historically black schools all my life ....so I am versed in my history, but now all I have is the anger, mistrust, and fears of my parents....& very little insight on how to create possibilities for people less fortunate than I. There is no blue print.
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Because black people are so disconnected on so many levels (we still have light skin vs dark skin arguments)....its very hard to find other people like myself who want more. People who are tired of POC being seen as lazy, shiftless, dumb, ignorant, moraless, etc. I know this is not true, but it seems as though the ignorance is the only aspect of the black american existence that is given a worldwide platform.

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I know like minded people are out here, but unfortunately....there really are no systems into place which make it easier for people to link up and build on a local level.

I've been courted by the black nationalists ....and while I FEEL them on many levels.....they were scary and their ideas seem a bit dated (sorry)......& the "YBP-type" events are all lipgloss and chocolate martinis...very pretentious (and fake - this is a blue collar city....LOL!) and offer no practical solutions to everyday problems (i.e schools, crime, housing, trash, landscaping, pollution, etc.) No real dialogue occurs.

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My city is and always has been racially segregated. I so rather deal with the reality than fuss about how racist the city government's policies are day in and day out. There is very little motivation to change the status quo.

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Most of the poor people (most of whom are AA) live on the "tubercular " West Side of the City and most of the white city dwellers are flocking to the newer developments in the East and the historically white encloves elsewhere with very little mixing .

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The difference is astounding when you drive through the streets of Baltimore. IN SOME AREAS ITS DOWN RIGHT DISRESPECTFUL!!!
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Listen..... lemme be clear: I'm not even mad that non-POC have chosen not to invest in the predominantly black communities....I'm upset that my people spend so much money in other areas and aren't mad that they have to go outside of their neighbors to get basic necessities (i.e. produce)and that my people are not more motivated to come together and create our own legacy in this city.

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Please don't think I'm judging anyone....I too have work, bills and responsibilities, but at this point in the game we have absolutely no choice but to dig deep and give more of ourselves for the betterment of all mankind and the success of future generations. All the heathens out here causing havoc today will be the grown up that try to knock me down when I'm elderly. We cannot run away from the problem of the inner cities any longer.
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No one is going to make our communities better. Most non-POC in Baltimore see the problems in our communities as ours...and many think that the condition of our communities further prove that we are animals or sub human.
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All kinds of REAL, Large scale development is going on everywhere but in the black community. Why is that? I'm not talking about opening hair salons, barber shops, chicken shacks, corner sanctuaries......where are the family restaurants.....the internet cafes.....the playground....credit counseling organizations...clinics...starbucks?

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I for one am tired of waiting for somebody ...ANYBODY (usually a white man) to come and build up my community.....to come save my community.....that's what my parents did and you see where we are now......

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I want to do more...I want to be part of changing the landscape of my city, but there is no way I can do it alone. There is more money in the hood than ANYWHERE!! We have ENORMOUS buying power as a people. There is a reason Mondawnmin is the richest mall in MD.
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Let's stop acting like someone else is going to treat us better than we treat ourselves. LET'S JUST GET REAL!!!
That's all Im saying.

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I am the 2nd person in my family to graduate from college....no one has left me a house ....or money in trust....I don't have a dad to help me start a new biz....I was born a credit risk......I make ok money, but I am just barely paying my bills....I don't see how I alone can get ahead. I can't get AHEAD..... The system is not set up for me and you to. So what can we do? Wait to die?
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Now....my question to the world:

How can we get to a place (as a people) where we love one another as black people if we are wasting so much time arguing who's theories of how we got here (2007) is the most correct?

How can we progress when the black people who have a little more can no longer identify with thier bredren and sistren who have been unable to get off the exercise wheel of ooverty?

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How can we get ahead when....we can't even agree that the word "N*GGA" is not a must have in our vocabulary? There are some blacks that want to argue their right to keep it, but won't fight about being denied the right to vote. And by the way.....Our right to vote is not a law, people.

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I've been reading some pretty assinine dialougue online lately....one thing I found particularly troubling was this idea that says there are 3 types of black people (AA, Black and N*GGA).

Why do WE say such stupid things all the time.....all this talk about 3 types of black ppl further causes the divide. It all boils down to a lack of exposure. The "n*gga" type has decided that he does not want to be a contributing member of society. Regardless of his color (& no WE as a society are not at a place where we can equally apply that label to anyone and everyone be okay with it and understand your intention) should be dealt with accordingly, but as long as we continue to say hurtful things about each other, particularly in the presence of others...we will contiue to give those who DO NOT have our best interest the upperhand. Quit with the name calling. Let's try this one on for size: Most black ppl are habitual followers (even the ones that won't admit it)...let's make loving each other slick.....stop spreading hate and trying to divide us like they did when they grouped us by who was built to be the best slave......stop calling this kind of dialogue progress....its does nothing but alienate people (the n*ggas as well as the the ppl that want to help everyone).

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Baltimore is anchored by 2 HBCUs (Morgan State U and Coppin U).....how can we build on that? Several thousands of college educated POC graduate every year........??? What kind of programs or legistlature can we come up with that will interest young black professionals in homesteading or at least make the idea of homeownership less scary? What about Co-ops for people that aren't ready to jump out and buy on their own initially? There is no good reason why we start thinking about building wealth so late in life. Plus.....Baltimore needs more positive examples in the commmunity to balance the crap....How do we make the city government see that they are sitting on a wealth of potential......potentially motivating citizens and tax contributors.

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How do you motivate ppl and get them to understand that it makes no sense to spend all of your money in a neighborhood where you are not wanted??... My friends work all hard to get a house in the burbs......only to have all of their white neighbors move shortly after because they think more than one black family on a block means trouble "Honey, there goes the neighborhood" & there goes YOUR property value..... I know others who spend 20 + years paying for a house in the county only for them to make the city prime real estate in 2007 and all the ppl that used to inhabit the "revitalized" area (which was the hood when you lived there as a child) are now your neighors....the very people you ran from initially.
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Where are my HBCU grads....is there any pride or connectedness in that?
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Until rap starts to really address what's going on in the hood and not just the debauchury (drugs, murder, sex, ect.) ....I'ma let yall have it! All these rappers like to holla out that they keep it real.....mmmmmmmmmh Im starting to wonder. Rap is becoming so played to this 80's baby. I live Hip Hop...I don't have to do anything more than breathe.

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check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

posted by C Love "The Rap Addict" @ 5/03/2007 02:13:00 PM

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