Review: "The Express "

Timeless tale back in the hearts of audiences

By Cassandra Juniel
SPECIAL TO HARAMBEE

“The Express” depicts the true story of two-time Syracuse University All-American running back Ernie Davis, who became the first African-American to be awarded the Heisman Trophy.

The movie stars Dennis Quaid, who plays the role of Davis’ coach, and Rob Brown, who plays Davis. It is directed by Gary Felder and produced by Derek Dauchy, Arne L. Schmidt and Ryan Kavanaugh and is rated PG for parental guidance, due to violent language involving racism and a light scene of sensuality.

Davis is described as humble, due to his mannerism with his superiors, as well as people he regularly encounters.

He is patient because he waited for the right time to make decisions regarding his team’s well being.

Davis was tenacious, as he remains steadfast, despite name calling from the crowd, bottles being thrown at him and the possible danger he placed his team in by playing.

Lastly, he is categorized as an overcomer because he fights against racism as it continued to beat against him. He broke racial barriers and did not allow them to overtake his life by giving up or giving in. [For complete story, click here]

This story originally appeared in The Advocate, student newspaper of Contra Costa College. Visit The Advocate online at http://www.accentadvocate.com

Hip Hop is the "Hood CNN"

Rapper Chuck D, of Public Enemy, once said, "Hip Hop is the 'Hood CNN,'" meaning that Hip Hop music is a venue to continue the African oral tradition over music.

Hip Hop artist Jasiri X has created a new Hip Hop style weekly recap of the news, as told from a urban standpoint.


This week with Jasari X, Episode 3

POETRY: "Bank the Bankers"

Bank the Bankers
BY MARVIN X

Bank the bankers
Fleeing Russia with pants in hand
Fleeing Wall Street cross Brooklyn Bridge
The fundamentals are sound said Bush/McCain
Then Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae bit the dust
Bank the bankers
Those communist in capitalist drag
Sharing the robbery of workers
Homeless in the snow
Bankers ski in the Alps
Gleaming Wall Street Journal
Sliding down the slope
Champagne on ice
Bank the bankers
Bear Sterns
Washington Mutual
Bank of America
Thieves in the night
Who is Federal Reserve?
To workers in the cold
Who is the Treasury?
To grandma’s house gone
She in shelter bout to stroke
Don’t understand the sub prime loan
Her son took out
He gone on dope
Like the president
Drunk in white house
Fundamentally sound
Just ride out this crisis
Don’t lose yo cool
He tells American people
Fleeing Katrina and Ike
Hurricane hit Wall Street
Taxpayers took tab
Bank the bankers
Let them taste jail
Eat zoo zoos and wham whams
no end in sight
Let the dollar fly in the air
bankers don’t care
They home by the fire
In the pickle room
don’t care
workers have no homes
No car
No stocks, no bonds, retirement gone
Burial insurance in hand,. thank God
What good is that?
Bank the bankers
Those loose loaning pigs
Even the jobless got loans
Bankers didn’t care
Sell the notes to China, Russia
Saudi Arabia
Sell Citibank and Chase
Sell America to whomever
Give a loan to whomever
No credit check
No collateral
No job
Sell America
Sell yo mama
Bankers don’t care
Greed rules this day
The heartless have their homes
Their summer & winter retreats
Bank the bankers
Let them eat pizza on Riker’s Island
Or Leavenworth.

Marvin X is a prolific poet, author, and speaker. One of the lesser known poets of the Black Arts Movement, he regularly contributes to Harambee, the Oakland Post, and maintains his own blog. Read more at Marvin X Writes: http://marvinxwrites.blogspot.com

Nas' Untitled

Nas recently released his second consecutive controversial titled album, “Untitled” (previously titled “Nigger” until the NAACP cast fire and brimstone upon his label company for allowing him to use the N-word after they buried it 6-feet deep from the vocabulary of the world).
Before Untitled was released, there was much anxiety in the music industry and the Hip-Hop world about just why Nas would use the N-world to title his album and what message he could possibly have after the NAACP just abolished it.
Nas has not let me down. Nas has taken the concept of what society deems as being a “Nigga/er” and has eloquently decoded the notion through historical and present context.
Nas explores the ideas of having a Black president to the traditional (stereotypical) eating habits of many famlies.
He rhymes about the unfair propaganda that Fox News has been guilty of as well as an analysis of the relationship “Niggers” to a slave master. He surprisingly captures a more realistic glimpse of the Black experience which has been recently higlighted by other mainstream media such as CNN’s Black in America serieies.
Untitled is an instant classlic like his other albums, Illmatic, It Was Written, and God’s Son. “Nigger” brings back informational and motivational style HipHop back to the mainstream, creating a long neeeded dialogue between listeners about something more depth and provacitve than majority of the materialistic, self-hatred advocating music that has permeated through the Hip-Hop industry.
It allows the listeners to focus on more positive attributes rather than the redundant argument of “Hip-Hop destroying Black America” as reflected in BET’S series Hip-Hop vs. America.
Although there may be some inaccurate information on it, Nas brings it with his lyrical delivery making an album that is educational, artistic, motivating and dope. •H•
–Charles Perkins

The Boondocks II (Review)

Complete second season DVD

What began as a cartoon strip in a student newspaper is now the most controversial cartoon on TV. Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks is somewhere beyond South Park and Family Guy. On steroids and viagra. The show consistently exposes the truth that “most Black people don’t talk about when they think white people are listening,” as Huey Freeman (Regina King) said in season one.
In season one, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King–who was actually just in a coma, not assassinated–came back and in order to get the attention of his people he said, “The N-word.”
After being kicked off with a satirical spoof of a fictional Soul Plane 2: The Black Jacking, showing the difficulty would-be terrorists would have hijacking the Black NWA airlines, season two presses the limits of dark comedy and even has an episode where a teacher calls Riley the N-word, based on a true story.
While seemingly out of touch with reality at times (for a cartoon), season two never strays far from the series greatest strength: truth.
Season two was also marred with controversy, but ironically not because of what was aired, but what wasn’t.
Two episodes were banned from TV in the U.S. but aired in Canada. Clips were constantly being uploaded to, and removed from, online video sites like youtube.com and dailymotion.com.
The first banned episode, Hunger Strike, Huey vows to go on a hunger strike until BET is taken off the air and all it’s top executives commit Japanese ritual suicide.” Mocking BET (which now stands for Black EVIL Television) top execs are depicted in an Austin Powers Dr. Evil fashion. Huey meets a Al Sharptonesque Reverend (Rollo Goodlove) who is more concerned with “shining”than Huey’s actual cause. Not far from the actual experience of many aspiring revolutionaries. The second banned episode shows Uncle Ruckus (that Black guy that hates Black folks) and his own reality TV show.
The show also pokes fun at the image of so-called gangsta rappers, with the return of Gangstalicious (Mos Def), who is on the down low. (Not the R. Kelly type either–as far as we know). Riley’s grandfather gets worried when he sees Riley wearing Gangstalicious’ new fashions (i.e. pink, sandles, capris and halter tops). Not mention ‘licious’ new song, “Homies ova Hoes.” Complete with a DL4 snap beat and all. The Boondocks will make you laugh and think. The $40 price tag might make you think twice, but think of it as an investment for your critical thinking skills. •H•
–Reginald James

'Bay Area Cypher' voted best in state

BCC student, multi-media artist wins film festival for Hip-Hop documentary

By Reginald James
MANAGING EDITOR

My mother was the queen of multi-tasking. She could cook while talking on the phone, all the while keeping a watchful eye on me that said: don’t get your butt whooped.
As multi-talented as she is, she has some competition these days.
Berkeley City College multi-media student Idris Hassan is an amazing one-woman show. She writes, directs, films, edits, and does it all with the grace and poise of a professional.

‘Bay Area Cypher is a performance documentary that blends live freestyle presentations with short interviews to showcase the uniqueness of Hip Hop in the San Francisco Bay Area.’
Idris Hassan, producer, director, writer, media activist

Initially, Hassan started with black and white photographer. She later explored magazine writing and editing which eventually led to audio broadcasting.
Her most recent production, “Bay Area Cypher” was voted Best Documentary/Interview in the state at the 3rd Annual Student Film & Video Festival. The festival is held by 3C Media Solutions, the California Community Colleges’ educational media distribution network.
“Bay Area Cypher is a performance documentary that blends live freestyle presentations with short interviews to showcase the uniqueness of Hip Hop in the San Francisco Bay Area,” said Hassan. “I’ve always been amazed at how folks are able to manifest spiritual energy through the art of freestyle rhyme and dance.”
Hassan is both an artist and activist, who is inspired by artists from mediums as diverse as jazz music a and scullpting to poetry and photography.
“As an artist I want to touch and inspire people of the world,” said Hassan, both an artist and an activist. “It is crucial for people of color to create, own and distribute their own media” and “also have to say media creation is vital for women of color, and Black Women in particular.”
She also created a documentary for the 10th Annual Black Caucus Leadership Conference.
“I enjoyed connecting with the diversity of students from the Black Student Unions (BSUs) of the various campuses,” said Hassan, “and being able to incorporate their comments.”
Hassan added, “I want to use my media skills and creative expression to promote justice, positive social transformation, and to inspire love. •H•