As predicted, the wolves are out in force after Kanye West and Serena Williams and Joe Wilson…and rightfully so. I don’t know whether it is the pressure and tension created by our present society or what. But it seems to me that we are gradually losing our civility as a nation. While my colleagues debate whether or not an “off the record” comment by President Obama…calling Kanye a “jackass” should have been reported, I think the President was right. Kanye did act like a “jackass”. I do accept Kanye’s apology and hope he gets some help because he has not been the same since the death of his mother. I understand that, but he does need to get a grip. And Serena, with all her talent, skills and beauty didn’t need to lower herself to that level. As for Joe Wilson… well…he’s just wrong. Whether or not you agree with Mr. Obama, he IS the President of the United States and needs to be respected as such. I’m speaking from a position that I know well. I have a temper and over the years, it has gotten me in a lot of hot water. Now, I have learned to do some things to control that temper, even though it does have a tendency to creep up on me. I’ve learned to breathe and let some things go. I’ve also learned to not “get back” at someone, but to thoughtful “get even” if that is the right thing to do. What concerns me that that we are witnessing more incidents when people have no respect for each other. Just think of the “superman” girl last year whose harassment of an elderly woman aboard a MARTA train was blasted all over YouTube. That senior citizen just happened to be the mother of the head coach of Morehouse College. Let’s not talk about the antics of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” who demonstrate that no matter how much money you have, you can still act like you live “in the streets.” We glorify that behavior with monster television ratings! What’s up with that? The ultimate expression of lack of respect is the high homicide rate in our community where the taking of someone’s life is no big deal. My boomer generation needs to take some of initiative to change all of this. Some of us were  that was too busy trying to pursue careers and other worldly pleasures instead of nurturing our children and teaching them the difference between right and wrong. NOW is the time for all of this to stop. We need to  show in our actions that there is a difference between making a scene and making a difference.

For years, so-called experts have theorized that the constant evolution of pop icon’s Michael Jackson’s appearance was due to his need to be “accepted” by others. For some reason, he thought changing from what God gave him would make him more acceptable to the general public. Some have even gone as far as to say that Michael wanted to “be white.” The merits of those arguments will probably be debated for years, especially since now Michael is “larger than life”. But there is a growing body of evidence that indicates that how you look may actually have an effect on your pocketbook.

A recent study out of the Kellogg School of Management at my alma mater, Northwestern University, revealed that African American CEOs of Fortune 500 companies with a “babyface” look were more likely to lead companies with bigger revenues and influence than CEOs who look more mature. The study is supposed to be published in September in the Journal, “Psychological Science” by researcher Robert Livingston. What does it mean to have a babyface look? According to the study, a round face, full cheeks, larger foreheads, small nose, large ears, full lips and NO FACIAL HAIR. The opposite was true, according to the study, for white males, whose more “mature” look was rated higher. There is one quote from Livingston which was particularly troubling to me. He says “Physical appearance, how you behave, having mixed-race parents-anything that conveys to whites ‘I’m not the typical black man’ can be helpful.”

No wonder Michael Jackson wanted to change his looks. He didn’t want to be a “typical black man.” No wonder there is increasing pressure to fit in and look like others. The unspoken implication is that if people aren’t comfortable with the way you look, you may not receive the job, promotion, recognition that you deserve. There are major ramifications associated with this kind of thinking. The primary problem is that people who “don’t look like the others” who are extremely talented may be overlooked or ignored. That is a huge waste of talent and resources. And don’t think that women aren’t also put under a microscope. Previous studies have indicated that women with short hair are promoted more in corporate America than women with longer hair. What does that do the all the weave queens and Beyonce wannabes out there buying tons of hair every year?

And don’t think this kind of thinking is limited to the lives of celebrities and corporate CEOs. Just this April, United Airlines announced that it will charge passengers for two airplane seats if they can’t fit into one.  More than a third of American people are overweight and yet the size of most airline seats haven’t changed in decades. United says they are making the move to respond to the comfort and well-being of all of their guests. I wonder how comfortable and welcome an overweight guest feels when they are asked to pony up enough money for two airplane tickets or get off the flight? Americans have always been obsessed with beauty and power. Now it appears that not only are people being discriminated against either  overtly or covertly, it is also going to cost them.

There is probably no one in the entire world who doesn’t know that history was made with the election of Barack Obama as the first African American president of the United States. But to stop at that point would negate all the work, blood, sweat and tears that Americans from all walks of life have put into making this country live up to the promises of our ancestors…where all men (and women) are created equal. That is what Dr. Martin Luther King talked about when he spoke about our “beloved country.” I’m sure that President Obama will be constantly tested. I’m sure that the old saying that black folks have to be “twice as good to get half as far” will kick in. I’m sure that the governments and others around the world will question whether President Obama is “good enough.” Those are the kind of judgments that I and other folks in my generation, the one before me and the one after me have had to face all our lives. What makes us think that is going to change now? And we should not get all excited that things are going to change overnight, because they aren’t. It took us a long time to get in this situation and it’s going to take a while to straighten things out. But I am heartened because I sense a type of energy, hope and optimism in this country that I haven’t felt in more than 40 years. But we must use that energy in a positive and constructive way and not just let it end up in the pile of a “dream deferred.” We have some serious house cleaning to do. As I sat in church last week, I heard a story that reflected one of the first things we need to do. Civil rights icon, Rev. Joseph E. Lowery has been at home recently recovering from back surgery. Rev. Lowery lives in a so-called “bourgie” part of southwest Atlanta that is populated by teachers, lawyers, doctors and others from the first generation of beneficiaries of the civil rights movement. It is also an area where there is a growing number of the nouveaux riche who are building houses in the $500,000 plus range. So, in other words, this is not exactly “da hood.” Just last week, while Rev. Lowery was recovering, someone stole his car right out of his driveway. Then they drove two blocks down the street and started selling stuff out his car. One woman noticed the name on some of the material and alerted police. That’s when Rev. Lowery discovered his car had been stolen. Here is a man who has worked all his life for the rights of Black folk and laid his life on the line many times. Yet, the same people who have benefited from his sacrifices preyed on this senior statesman. That’s just not right. We’ve got to do better. We have got to clean out our own house first before we can expect Barack Obama to clean up the mess that we now face in this country. It is also going to be interesting to see how news organizations respond to the Obama universe. That’s because many of the people who could have provided insight and perspective have been among the dramatic cutbacks that news organizations have made in the last year. There is, and always has been, a major problem in the nation’s newsrooms when it comes to diversity. Case in point… there was no person of color anchoring the election night coverage on any of the major networks. There is something wrong with that. But… we’ll save that discussion for my next word from “sisters who have something to say.”  

Once again, I am disappointed with the performance of my beloved profession, journalism. We just don’t get it when it comes to informing the public what is really going on in the current financial crisis. And the reason is quite simple. Most journalists don’t have a clue when it comes to financial and economic reporting. I put part of the blame on the journalism schools who don’t teach up-and-coming journalists how to read, evaluate and analyze financial material. This is a dramatic departure from the time when I was in journalism school in the late 70’s where the country was also experiencing financial trauma. I remember deliberately choosing to continue my journalism education into graduate school so I could take advantage of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism’s sequence on financial reporting. It was led by the legendary financial editor, Elizabeth Yamashita who was one of the first women to serve as a financial editor and some of the biggest financial journals in the country. She knew her stuff and she imparted this knowledge to all of us who dared to go through the rigors of “Mama Yama’s” training. She made us understand the stock market, spreadsheets, annual reports and all the other documents that current journalists would consider to be boring. More importantly, she taught us how to look beyond the numbers and decipher the implications of those numbers. Then she taught us how to make it into a good story… so that our readers, listeners and viewers would “get it.” Now journalists and news organizations depend on financial analysts and spin doctors to tell our audience what it all means. And we don’t even take the time to question whether these so-called analysts have hidden motivations….such as trying to pick up more clients and customers. And some of these guests are PAID by the very financial institutions that are the subject of their comments. That is just poor journalism. Now we have whipped the American public into a frenzy of fear. We are a contributing factor to the economic paralysis that is sweeping across the country. So I issue this challenge to my fellow journalists. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER! Study, read, analyze and question and then DO YOUR JOB and let the American people know what’s really going on.

Finally… the chickens have come home to roost. Year after year, we have witnessed completely unbridled greed devour our economy. The fat cats got fatter and the poor got poorer. Now, some of the biggest names in the business, Bear Stearns, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Merrill Lynch and a host of others looked into their accounts and found out what so many of us have experienced in the last few years… they were overdrawn! But unlike the rest of us, these “titans of industry” had a Sugar Daddy. The federal government comes to the rescue. Hello??? Did I miss my call from Uncle Sam when I faced foreclosure? Did Alan Greenspan and the gang try to come up with some relief for me when I had to pay my son’s college tuition at the same time that all the utility bills were due? Where is my bailout???? 

I also think I remember from my high school history class that when they refer to the federal government…they are talking about me…Ms. Taxpayer. So, MY MONEY is going to be used to bail out these corporations and corporate entities that refused to give me a loan, tried to take my house and made it difficult for me to fund my son’s college education. What’s wrong with this picture? The bottom line is that we are ALL in trouble in today’s economy. The forecasters keep saying that we having seen the bottom yet and that the economy is going to continue to get worse. How much worse can it get? And if I’m not mistaken, we are experiencing this complete implosion right at the end of eight horrible years of a Republican administration! Sean Hannity, Neal Bortz, and the rest of you haters… as Little Richard used to say… SHUT UP! How can you be proud about anything that is happening with our economy now? Is this what you call realizing the American Dream? You need to get a grip. Borrowing a line from the movie “Broadcast News…The American people are “mad as hell and we aren’t going to take it any more.” Get ready for a revolution. It’s long overdue.

I know I am jumping on the “Amen corner” bandwagon following Barack Obama’s speech on Race in America. Everybody needs to read the full text of his brilliant speech and take away one major point. WE CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT IGNORE THE ROLE THAT RACE HAS PLAYED IN THE FORMATION, CREATION AND CONTINUATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETY! It is literally astounding to me that some people are acting as if they are hearing the points Obama made for the first time. This is nothing new. What is new is that a Presidential candidate made it plain. Let’s not forget that former President Bill Clinton tried to open up a national dialogue on race during his administration without much success. I also blame my fellow journalists for not being bold enough to stand up and “speak truth to power.” Perhaps it is because we don’t really own or control the most powerful media outlets in the world which continue to give us a distorted view of the world. As I said in an earlier blog, I am having a flashback to the 60’s when people wanted to make a difference and when people had the courage to speak openly and honestly. After the 60’s, there was a clamp down on free speech and free thought. I am documenting what happened in a video I am preparing on what has happened in our nation’s newsrooms 40 years after the issuance of the landmark Kerner Commission Report. That documentary will be premiered at the Unity convention this summer in Chicago. I have taped stories from pioneer journalists who went through the fire and opened the doors that many of us have now walked through. For years I had said that many of the issues associated with diversity are the result of the fact that we are too “scured” to speak up. Obama is setting an example for all of us. 

Here’s another one of the issues where I ask “Is it just me?” or what in the world does the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue have anything to do with sports???? And if you are bold enough to identify some kind of sport associated with that, we need to have another discussion out in the parking lot. What makes this year’s issue even worse is that they had the audacity to do a section on NFL cheerleaders in bikinis. Talk about putting two “waste of time and money” things together… First of all, why are there cheerleaders in the NFL? I would like one person to prove to me that they have actually heard them cheer in one of those big domes or stadiums. To me, they are a total waste of space and money for these NFL franchises. Secondly, again, I ask, what do half-naked women in bikinis have to do with sports? The unfortunate answer I have found out from my impeccable sources is that SI’s Swimsuit issue accounts for 25% of the magazine’s annual profit!!!!! Can you believe that?!?!?!? So, it’s all about the money and a bunch of horny dudes. The Swimsuit Edition is never going away… and we only have ourselves to blame for it.