(Shout out to Krista Summitt for passing this to me!)

An African American woman was allegedly raped, assaulted, and racially terrorized by members of the Duke University Men’s Lacrosse team. According to Saturday’s Raleigh Observer, the woman and a friend were hired as exotic dancers for a bachelor party with 5 men. Upon their arrival, however, there were more than 40 people in the house. Soon after they began their performance, the men became aggressive and began to scream racial slurs at them. (At one point in the evening a player was heard saying “thank your grandpa for the cotton in my shirt”) Scared, the women began to cry, collected their things, and left. Soon after, someone apologized and coaxed them back into the house to perform again. Moments later, one of the women was dragged into a bathroom where she says she was beaten and raped by at least 3 players. Police have requested DNA samples from 46 players in order to break the “wall of silence” that is quickly developing around the tragedy.

I’m interested to see how this incident plays out on the national stage. Particularly, I want to see how the media and the university will make it seem that this is an isolated incident completely disconnected from a history of white male abuse of black female bodies. I’m also waiting to hear the inevitable blame-the-victim discourses that will develop because the sisters were strippers. Lastly, I fully expect no one to problematize the “wall of silence” that is developing in terms of its relationship to the “stop snitching” movement that has developed in hip-hop.

Most important, it’s critical that we keep our eyes and ears open about this story, lest it be swept under the media rug in favor of something less important.

The whole story can be accessed at: http://www.newsobserver.com/680/story/421799.html

Big up to George Mason for punishing UConn yesterday!!!!!!! Although it completely demolishes my bracket (I had UConn and Duke squaring off at the end), it gives me great joy to see the once ubiquitous but suddenly inaccessible UConn trash talkers going through the same torment that I did just a few days earlier. Also, it’s nice to see the underdog win sometimes, right?

Last night, the folks at TV LAND gave “Good Times” an impact award for its incredible contribution to television.

I was extremely excited to find this out (shout out to Keith Boykin!) because Good Times to me is one of the great shows in American television history. I would, however, divide Good Time into two periods: with James and without James.

When James (John Amos) was on the show, it was both funny and serious, realistic and transformative. While we laughed at J.J.’s cooning, we were able to appreciate the love and support that both parents provided their children and each other. This was no small feat for the 1970s, or even now! The show’s tragicomic sensibility, along with cutting edge story lines (remember the Black Jesus episode?), represented the best in Black arts.

Perhaps my favorite episode was when Michael is getting bullied. James makes him fight the kid but Michael decides to bring him home for the weekend instead. The kid starts to disrespect James. Of course James ain’t having it and takes a belt out and beats his ass! Afterward the kid says (all dramatic), “Did that make you feel good?” James replies “Didn’t make me feel bad!”. The episode ends as James and Florida explain to the kid that they beat their asses because they love them. THAT’S REALITY TV!!!

After James, the show nearly immediately jumped the shark and became far too focused on JJ’s antics and regurgitated story lines. Didn’t Michael’s gang episode seem like a pale imitation of JJ’s run-in with Mad Dog? There were a few post-James classics, like the “Damn Damn Damn” episode (my man Mark Anthony Neal breaks this down lovely) and the episodes with Penny and her mom (momma no!!!!), but it couldn’t compare to the beginning.

Anyway, Good Times offered America a strong, cohesive, and morally sound Black family at a moment when it was most critically needed.

I just want to say thanks, y’all. (even JJ)

Yes. I admit it. I was wrong about Duke winning it all. In a show of humility to a certain UConn-trained heckler, I am even putting up a picture of those LUCKY little twerps.

In fact, yesterday completely messed up my otherwise dominant brackets. Gonzaga, who was killing them the whole game, let UCLA score the LAST ELEVEN POINTS and lost. Before last night, I had a damn near perfect bracket but, that’s what March Madness is about.

At first, I said that six episodes wouldn’t be enough for the FX’S Black.White series. Now, I’m beginning to think that it’s too much. Just a few thoughts:

• I wasn’t nearly as upset with Carmen about the “Black creature” comment as Brian and Renee. I completely understand the concern about our historical propensity for ignoring the fundamental humanity of Black people. I’m also disturbed by Carmen’s constant fetishizing of Blackness. But I’m wondering if could have been a better response than Brian and Renee’s hardline approach and Bruno’s condescending response (”you clearly are ignorant to the term”).
• It’s interesting how Bruno can so easily detect “racism” from some African drummers in the park, but is completely oblivious to White racism under any circumstances. Suddenly, subtle things like glances, instincts, body movements, and even drum patterns are accurate measures of Black hostility. This is a stark contrast to the hardcore fact finding mission that Bruno demanded of Brian the previous week.
• I thought it was disgusting how, through the use of camera angles and music, they turned a group of drummers into an angry lynch mob waiting to attack white interlopers. This, fundamentally, is the problem with reality television. Just like with Flava Flav’s show, the producers are able to construct whatever reality suits their needs. My best guess is that those drummers were no more angry or uncomfortable with Carmen and Bruno’s presence than the White bar patrons.
• I’m becoming more interested in Nick. While I still find him obnoxious, I’m a little more understanding of his plight. As a 16 year old boy who would be in the 8th grade if he returned to school, he represents a whole host of young Black men for whom school has not been a comfortable fit. In light of this week’s New York Times article on the plight of Black men, his resistance to the idea of racism is particularly intriguing. Also, I’m curious about the decision to choose a Black family that had a son like Nick and a White family with a daughter like Rose. One could argue that complex representations of both could undermine stereotypes, but things like the watch incident only seem to reaffirm them.
• Renee really does look like Tisha Campbell.