Before I get condemned for using the term in the title, it’s the title of the poem and even though I’ve starred out of some of the characters – it’s needed for you to understand the true meaning of this poem by renowned spoken word artist Dean Atta. He wrote this poem in 30 minutes, purely written out of passion after yesterday’s court hearing for the Stephen Lawrence. I’m not black and nor will I ever be able to fully understand the effect this word has but anyone with an ounce of intelligence would know how disgusting this term is. Murderers, plantation owners, racists, xenophobes and more used/still use this term, why use it? Why glorify it in your rap songs? Just no. I wish rappers would make clean versions of their albums without this term. More on the reverse.

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Dean Atta touches this point perfectly in this poem, read and listen below. Thank you Dean for not being afraid to voice your opinion on such a delicate matter.

‘Rappers when you use the word “nigger” remember that’s one of the last words Stephen Lawrence heard, so don’t tell me it’s a reclaimed word.’

‘Call me “nigger” cos you’re scared of what “brother” means’

For many of you that don’t know anything about Stephen Lawrence; It’s the case the 18 year old murder victim of a racist attack back in 1993, after two of his killers were finally convicted of murder yesterday. You can read more about it on the BBC – click here.

I Am Nobody’s Nigger

Rappers when you use the word “nigger” remember that’s one of the last words Stephen Lawrence heard, so don’t tell me it’s a reclaimed word.

I am nobody’s nigger
So please, let my ancestors rest in peace
Not turn in their graves in Jamaica plantations
Or the watery graves of the slave trade
Thrown overboard into middle passage
Just for insurance claims
They were chained up on a boat
As many as they could manage and stay afloat
Stripped of dignity and all hope
Awaiting their masters and European names
But the sick and the injured were dead weight to toss
And Lloyds of London would cover that cost.

I am nobody’s nigger
So you can tell Weezy and Drake
That they made a mistake
I am nobody’s nigger now
So you can tell Kanye and Jigga
I am not a nigger… in Paris
I’m not a nigger in London
I’m not a nigger in New York
I’m not a nigger in Kingston
I’m not a nigger in Accra
Or a nigger with attitude in Compton
Cos “I don’t wanna be called yo nigga”

How were you raised on Public Enemy
And still became your own worst enemy?
You killed Hip Hop and resurrected headless zombies
That can’t think for themselves or see where they’re going
Or quench the blood lust because there’s no blood flowing
In their hearts, just in the streets
They don’t give a damn as long as they eating
Their hearts ain’t beating, they’re cold as ice (bling)
Because they would put money over everything
Money over self respect or self esteem
Or empowering the youth to follow their dreams
Stacking paper cos it’s great than love it’s seems
Call me “nigger” cos you’re scared of what “brother” means

To know that we share something unspeakable
To know that as high as we rise we are not seen as equal
To know that racism is institutional thinking
And that “nigger” is the last word you heard before a lynching.

]]> http://yinnyang.co.uk/2012/01/i-am-nobodys-ngger-by-dean-atta/feed/ 0 http://yinnyang.co.uk/2011/12/londons-burning-channel-4/ http://yinnyang.co.uk/2011/12/londons-burning-channel-4/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:05:17 +0000 Yang http://yinnyang.co.uk/?p=38257

This Thursday (22nd) Channel 4 will start a brand new drama called London’s Burning. London’s Burning, set in Clapham Junction- one of the areas in which the riots affected; is an interpretation of a single night of rioting and looting that took place in August 2011. Starring Starring David Morrissey and Samantha Bondas senior police officers, we’ll be given insight into how residents, shopkeeers and business dealt with the violence. There is no doubt that the riots that took place earlier this year displayed violence that we as a generation had never witnessed; many of us have seen violence at it’s core but never on that scale so close to home. More info after the break.

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I’m eager to watch Channel 4′s depiction of the riots because there are many sides to a story and there is no denying that what happened was very much a build up of frustration of any kinds. I imagined that there would be a programme eventually on this particular topic and I also imagined that it would be one sided thus focusing on the theme of ‘thugs’ looting and destroying the capital for fun. Given Channel 4′s youth orientated branding, I suspect that this may be more of an overview of what happened. They’ve also stated on the website that the drama has been conceived through ‘witness testimonies and interviews’. Either I think it will be a good watch so look out for it, 9pm Thursday 22nd December.

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The folks over at Everynone continue to impress me with their creativity and this time, they touch the sensitive subject of bullying. Naturally you’d expect a bullying awareness video to shows the everyday life of bullied individuals in short sequences. From extreme close-ups to short clips of the bullying take place; the film highlights the topic well through it’s composition and definitely brings the harsh realities of bullying to life. As always with Everynone, the art direction and production is exquisite even when featuring such a topic.

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Topman Oxford Street are hosting a free event featuring sets from the likes of Zane Lowe, Rob da Bank, The Maccabees, Huw Stephens, Eddy Temple-Morris  and a whole host of DJs throughout the day. The event is to celebrate the launch of CALMZone London Helpline. CALM is a campaign against living miserably and support young men who are depressed; the new CALMZone London helpline and texting service launches on 26th November to help prevent suicide which is the biggest killer of young men in London… learn something new everyday! Anyway, if you happen to be in the Oxford street area then head over to Topman anytime from noon. More info on CALM and the event after the break.

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CALMZone

CALM, the campaign against living miserably exists to support young men who are depressed or feeling down. The new CALMZone London helpline and texting service launches on 26th November to help prevent suicide – the biggest killer of young men in London.

The new CALMZone service operates a telephone helpline between 5pm and midnight on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, every week of the year. Calls are free (from landlines and some mobile phone providers) and the helpline is anonymous and confidential. www.thecalmzone.net

CALM encourage young men to break the silence & Topman provides the perfect platform to make a big noise and raise awareness for the new CALMZone London helpline.  Through the power of music CALM takeover Topman & the two join forces for this exciting, unique event.

Here’s the schedule for the day

12.00 – 1.00                Rob Da Bank              vs                     The Maccabees

1.00 – 2.00                  Zane Lowe                   vs                     Eddy Temple-Morris

2.00 – 3.00                  Mistajam                    vs                     Pixel Fist

3.00 – 4.00                  Kissy Sell Out            vs                     Union

4.00 – 5.00                  Hervé                           vs                     Baxta

5.00 – 6.00                  Sonny Wharton        vs                     Wideboys & Majestic

6.00 – 7.00                  The Loose Cannons   vs                     The Freestylers

7.00 – 8.00                  Huw Stephens           vs                     dan le sac

Before we get started, my other half is writing this post. I’ll let her take over….

Here’s a bit of a random question for you: do you think your birth certificate is just any old piece of paper? Think again – and then seriously re-think that…again again. There are 75 million young girls all around the world born without a registered birth certificate. Sadly, these girls are often forced into pre-mature marriage and/or are denied the right to a proper education. PLAN UK is fully breaking the mould of charity fundraising with their latest ‘Because I’m a Girl’ campaign. Last week saw the launch of a pretty amazing and truly thought-provoking next generation interactive video app on Facebook, which puts you – yes, YOU in the shoesies of these less fortunate girls.

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CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

The “Plan Your Story” application absorbs Facebook users’ key information to create a personalised video storybook that drives people to find out more. The tale centres on what life would be like if you hadn’t been registered for a birth certificate. This unique story sequence was designed, shot and edited by the Soho-based, award-winning social CRM agency Neoco who’ve teamed up with PLAN UK for a great cause.

The pages of the book are filled with personal touches – including the user’s likely first crushes that bring home the importance of having a birth certificate. The way I actually don’t remember who my first celebrity crush was when I started actually noticing the opposite gender. I think it might have been the handsome Freddie Prince Junior? *sigh* …back to the app!

    “What’s unique about this application is that, through Facebook, people can get a real connection to important social development issues… We’re hoping that this app will really make it easy for people to engage with the campaign and also make a difference for girls in some of the world’s poorest countries” says Justin Wylie, Head of Business Development at the international children’s organisation Plan UK.

App users will be asked to donate £2 to Plan UK’s Girl’s Fund which supports the charity. You don’t obviously have to feel guilt-tripped into doing so… just give out of the kindness of your heart if you wish to do your bit in encouraging an honourable change in the world and turn the fate of these young girls right around! £2 is all it takes to give someone hope. (You can buy your 2 items from Poundland/KFC Snack box next time).

“People will see for themselves that a small donation can help fund projects that will make sure children get a birth certificate, thrive and pursue their education.” [Mr Wylie]

Now, if you’re a (straight up) dude, do not get offended as the app doesn’t directly apply to your life, it is a tad bit sexist but please remember what the actual campaign is called? You can still try it out and show your manly support. Females dig a guy that is genuinely compassionate for others in desperate need don’t we? And to all my ladies ‘who run the world’… go and check it out now and tell your mama’s, sister’s, grandma’s, aunties, cousin’s, girlfriends, followers etc! Spread the word. Your own story will move you.

Brace yourself, this video isn’t for the light hearted. I watched it at an event a few weeks back, never have I felt so selfish and so grateful for my freedom. We live in the so called ‘golden age of freedom‘ and yet slavery is at an all time high. Martin Luther King and Gandhi may have won freedom for their people but 27 million people around the world are currently deprived of their freedom. Of that 27, 11 million are sex slaves. How have we let this happen? Whereas first world problems include missing out the H&M x Versace collaboration after queuing 24 hours for it. We forget what’s happening in the world around us with all these distractions, including materialism. Sigh. More on the reverse.

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The figures are shocking. Christine Caine witnessed this happening with her own eyes which lead to her starting the A21 campaign. She chose not to sit back and continue to let this happen, it’s all about going that extra mile to help that person in need. Would you do the same? What is preventing you?

Watch the campaign video below, if you get through it without feeling any remorse….you must be stone cold. Support the A21 movement by donating here. I did.

Human trafficking is an organized criminal industry that affects every nation. While the statistics can seem overwhelming, it is important to remember that every number represents the life of a victim. The A21 Campaign has recognized a significant need in the region of Europe, and is committed to combating this injustice through rescuing one life at a time.

Today is the day when we here in the UK along with other countries in the Commonwealth remember and give thanks to members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty during World War I. The red poppy has become a symbol that is now associated with this time of year and the reason for this, for those who don’t know, is because these poppies began to sprout across some of the worst battlefields after the war had come to an end. Their bright red colour is a perfectly bold colour and appropriately symbolises the blood shed during these horrific time. Please take a moment out today, preferably at the 11th hour, to say a little prayer and remember the ones we have lost.

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Last week, much buzzed about four-part series Top Boy impacted UK TV sets. Set in east London, Top Boy aimed to tackle the complexity of drug and gang culture, giving viewers an insight into different factors such as hierarchy, gang-loyalty and grooming, and even exploring social issues like poverty and mental health in an honest, and gritty way.

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Beautiful cinematography worked to appease the creative palette of those in the Y&Y team who were watching, while strong acting and a believable character portrayal supported the crisp visuals – garnering it comparisons to much revered US programme The Wire.

Stellar performances came from the younger cast members, Malcolm Kamulete who played Ra’Nell and Giacomo Mancini who played Gem. So Solid alumni and seasoned actor Ashley Walters provided a strong lead, playing a drug-dealing crew leader named Dushane. Intelligent and ambitious, Dushane often found himself battling with his conscious and weighing up the consequences of his actions, providing a surprisingly multi-dimensional view of an underworld character, which isn’t often presented in UK urban dramas. However, most impressive was east London emcee Kano’s performance – the rapper proved to be a dab hand at acting in his first on-screen role, playing a callus and hot-headed wingman, Sully.

However, great shots, good acting and a well-produced story wasn’t enough to quell the uneasy feeling I had while watching about the effects of Top Boy on middle England’s perception of young, Black Britain.

It’s important I note from now, my unease wasn’t because of Top Boy itself. While I felt the final episode didn’t hone in enough on the negative consequences (yes, we saw characters die, yet the story ended without the main antagonists seeing repercussions for their actions), Top Boy was as honest of a depiction of street life as I’ve seen produced thus far in the UK. Most importantly, Top Boy certainly wasn’t – deliberately, at least – engaging in the act of glorification.

No, my feelings were born from the thought-process that the show comes at a time where media perception of Blacks is at an all-time low. In the last 15 years, no UK produced films or television programmes boasting a predominantly Black cast has offered a positive depiction of young Black males. 15 years! Most of us aren’t old enough to remember vividly what we were watching 15 years ago, so that’s a really long time to be seeing nothing but destructive images of one demographic. Maybe more importantly, the image of the Black man hasn’t been much more progressive in non-fiction media either; only a few months after the UK summer riots, a set of events (unfairly and inaccurately) equated almost exclusively with young, poor Black people still isn’t too far from people’s consciousness.

We’re desperately craving balance in our programming. Top Boy was necessary; anything that shines light on areas that require social change, and leads to necessary discussion, is needed. However, right now, mainstream audiences need to see that while that lifestyle exists, in real life the landscape of young, contemporary Black Britain isn’t limited to it and certainly isn’t represented by it. The alternative isn’t hard to find, and in fact, isn’t very alternative at all. Looking at my personal network, I’m surrounded by graduates, creatives, entrepreneurs, investment bankers and business men and women who happen to be young and Black, and possibly from London’s inner-cities.

We’re not all in the ‘hood’, or rapping, or playing football. It should go without saying; there are Black people of varying social levels, religions, professions, moral compasses, and every other possible human difference in Britain, just as there are Asian people (who are also vastly under-represented or misrepresented in mainstream media), White people and every other possible creed and colour people in the UK.

It should go without saying, right? But unfortunately it has to be said, and will have to be said continually until it’s reflected on our screens.

That’s why I don’t think we need a season 2 of Top Boy. Well, not until we get that 4-part mini-series of those Black city bankers, first.

Watch Top Boy here on 4OD

Christine Caine gave me a massive reality check yesterday at the o2 – it’s so easy to be consumed with our 1st world problems and forget about what is going on in the world around us. Even if we know about what’s happening, we choose ignore it and live our fairytale lives without actually care for our brothers and sisters around the world. This year has been one of the worst in terms of natural disasters with numerous earthquakes, floods, tornados and typhoons around the planet. We’re blessed to have none of that here, aside from horrendous politics and youth riots – we’re fine. As always the media are far too busy to report actual news and focus more on political nonsense and celebrity life when disasters like the flooding in Thailand barely get any mention. One of my university friends gave me the heads up a week ago on the extent of the damage – flooding has been going on for months and now it has spread to Bangkok. This is the worst flooding in five decades, one third of the country’s provinces have been devastated with over 400 people dead and 9,000,000 affected. Crazy – after the cut for more.

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Some 62 of the country’s 76 provinces have so far been affected, and millions of people have lost their homes. The agricultural industry has been badly hit, and three million acres of farmland have been damaged by the flood water.

Thousands are already living in makeshift camps and evacuation centres, and the threat of yet more flooding is still high. Some parts of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, and its suburbs are flooded. Land, businesses, homes and possessions have been destroyed.

Crazy. I really don’t know what to say. One of my good friends was due to fly out there to see her family on Friday but her part has been affected by the flooding too now so the flight was cancelled. In fact it’s proven difficult for me to even find many charities that actually give aid to those who have been by the flood in Thailand. I’ve listed the 3 that I found below. Please donate!

Age UK – Click here

Caritas Internationalis - Click here

Red Cross Thailand – Click here

Khulisa is a South-African charity now working in London to help minimise the amount of youths involved in crime. I spotted an article about Khulisa in the Evening Standard a couple of months ago and it’s funny actually I got so into it that I missed my stop! Khulisa work to keep youngsters out of prison but unlike other services, they offer an extensive and well-structured programme and a well-implemented mentoring service. The programme reiterates safer and more acceptable ways of venting hidden or built up anger and frustration as well as helping young offenders realise the impact their crimes have on other people from all angles and points of view. There is definitely a group of people out there that are not being heard and are also very misunderstood because they do not know how to deal with events that have affected them in the past. What Khulisa seem to be doing is putting these guys into something like a boot camp focusing on changing bad behavior, it’s really inspiring.

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Read what Khulisa have to say about their work, it makes a lot of sense to me…
We work on the theory that violence is learned behaviour and can therefore be un-learned. Increased self-awareness creates insight into personal violence triggers and managing violent behaviour. This learning radically reduces the chances of re-offending. Our programmes also promote crime-aversion and an understanding of the impact of violence and crime on victims, families (own and others) and communities. The possibilities of healing, forgiveness, restoration and rehabilitation are magnified and made real, creating a safer and more just society.

Here is a short piece directed by Adam Chamberlain at AdavoFilm; if you are not familiar with their work then you’ll benefit from this. The film summarises the work that they do in a nutshell, watch it below!

The work of Khulisa UK from Helen Streeter on Vimeo.