These ninjas shooting again? Take that to Bush Blvd.
Marlo said it best, “My name is my name.” Rihanna echoed, “ooh na na, what’s my name?” Snoop poeticized, “what’s my name, fool?”
What’s in a name?
There’s a high school in Washington, DC, that has currently been having more problems than three hypochondriac crackheads with an itch and a cough. There was recently (well last late year) a girl sexually assaulted in the school by a bunch of males who then had her name, face, and phone number plastered all over fliers that were passed out around the school as an “easy ride”. They’ve got gang problems. In fact, for a solid two months, I noticed no less than 10 police squad cards parked in front of the school. It’s a shame really. This school in its current iteration is a direct descendant of the famous (especially amongst older Black Americans) M Street School.
Yes, this high school is Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School.
And you know what? Every day I drive by I wonder aloud to the invisible passengers in my car if Dunbar wouldn’t want his name removed from that school. I know I would. If my name is going to be attached to something, which is an honor, I’d like it to be attached to something that doesn’t involve police, violent crimes, and plain ole f*ck sh*t. Of course, since most of our heroes names get attached to stuff in the Black community, which is generally inner city, well, we’re kind of stuck like chuck.
I remember The Boondocks episode with Dr. Martin Luther The King in it where he hilariously thought that somebody really needed to ask permission to use his likeness for ads. And kind of like dead rappers getting better promotion, dead icons get all the accolades by having their names attached to places where the folks have no idea who they are. So here’s my list of what I’d guess would happen if icons could ask to have their names removed from sh*t that their name is attached to when their named is attached to sh*t they can’t go for (that, no can do).
By the way, if I could have any other person’s name in life, it would be Shuggie Otis. Thank you.
1. MLK Ave, Street, Drive, Blvd, Circle, etc
As Chris Rock famously pointed out, MLK was a man who universally stood for peace. If you are anywhere near MLK in any city, you know that there’s some violence going down. My particular residence in ATL…is on MLK. From Harland Terrace all the way through Adamsville, there always seems like something is going down. I’ve witnessed shootings with my own two eyes. Flatlands FTW. And its like that in every city. Of course, its a double edged sword. MLK goes through the Black community because well…
…he Black. We’re not going to NOT name a street that. But I’m sure if MLK had his way, his street would run thru the north side of town, since in most cities (most, not all) the North side is where its generally the most peaceful.
Quick Panama fact: I once nearly bought a condo near the intersection of Malcolm X Blvd and MLK, SE in DC because I figured it had to be the Blackest intersection in America.
I smart.
2. Medgar Evers College
I’m too lazy to find all the documents but MEC was going through ALL kinds of f*ckery at their Brooklyn, NY, campus. School presidential issues, misappropriation of funds. and a big booty b*tch to go with it. Just saying, It’s bad enough that Whoopi Goldberg played his wife in a movie, NOW he’s got ninjas kick dirt on his name educationally? I’d want my name back. Call it Kwame Kilpatrick U or something more apprpriate.
3. Morris Brown College Center for People Who Don’t Reed Gud
Speaking of colleges, I’m not sure it even needs to be stated, but if I was that ninja Mo B? I’d snatch my name off the school with the quickness. We got criminal scandals, eight students, and and teachers who know less than the students. Real talk, I took a class at Morris Brown my junior year. It was a 400 level French class. So we’re talking about reading French Lit and writing papers, etc. When I tell you that Professor Jenkins Jackson from Uganda didn’t speak any French…well he didn’t speak any French. And he’s my teacher? I should have known something was wrong when the “classroom” was this ninjas office. Standing room only.
That’ll do, pig.
Folks? What you got? Who do you think would want their name snatched back from an entity because it’s the antithesis of what they stood for?
And better yet, what would you rename these locales?? Let your soul glo(w). Let it shine thru!
Talk to me.
-VSB P aka THE ARSONIST aka TANGLE JIG P aka lower.case.p aka SHUGGIE JACKSON aka GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRL HE A 3
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Man, ever since Chris Rock said it, I could personally attest to the whole MLK thing…one of the cross streets of my block is MLK drive…and if I told you all crime, n*gga-ness and overall f*ckery that goes on that strip, I’d have enough to write a novel or two.
I’d rename the block Leroy Wells (of American idol fame) Avenue…
lol. yeah me and my friends were JUST talking about this a few hours ago
i think the novel has been written. it’s called hip-hop. lol
Well played sir.
In Chicago, it never ceases to amaze me that MLK Drive stops as SOON as the ‘hood starts to get a little ‘whiter’.
In New Orleans, MLK is a strip of nothingness. There’s a Popeye’s on it and little else.
Sigh.
Same here in wis…MLK Dr becomes Old World Third Street once you start to enter downtown Milwaukee..
KMN
Loved the Ice Cube reference and shots fired at Kwame Kilpatrick U. LOL!
I fired shots?? Lil ole me? never.
Morris Brown College Center for People Who Don’t Reed Gud
right. usually school’s like that (schools that have commercials between 10 am-4pm/ during the price is right, “stories”/soap operas, “judges”, jerry, maury, etc.) shouldn’t even be called college but rather 13th grade.
It’s bad enough that Whoopi Goldberg played his wife in a movie,
rude. just plain rude!
co-sign like Bomquisha: :”RUDE” “Sekuritay!”
LMAO @ 13th grade!!!
NOT 13th grade. LOL
Not sure I’d go so far as to call Mo B 13th grade or anything. I mean, in its heyday it was a very well respected institution that provided a lot of opportunities for a lof of ninjas that couldn’t catch a break. And Uncle Hosea went there (Williams, not Chanchez).
I actually didnt Good Mo B had any commercials.
lol i didn’t necessarily mean Mo B. It was just a segway into schools that are way worse
segway = segue
Speaking of Hosea Williams, his street in Atl isn’t too bad and Andrew Young lucked out too…the exception not the rule tho
I understand folks wanting to snatch back their name, but you can’t slap a black name on anything without attending to the conditions, access, etc. and expect it to be great just because it was named after someone righteous.
It isn’t all black names either. There are some rough schools named after John F. Kennedy, and others. Plus, the bad things going on at some of these institutions named after noteworthy people of all races are not only due to those of color. Juss sayin’ for the record that we are not the only culprits of fooleywang.
I’m sure a Mahatma Ghandi school in India might not be all non-violent either.
i agree. its fine to joke but we also have to be realistic and see that its not just black folk
I was listening to a Vlog the other day about a city up in controversy because they’re civic center/visitor center might be named the Harry Baals Civic Center.
It ain’t just us.
I love the name!
Heh, the famous Fort Wayne mayor! Jimmy Kimmel was on this for a good min, almost like he’d never get off his baals….er, balls.
while i’m painfully aware that there are conditions etc that lead to these schools, buildings, etc having those issues (same reason why MLK always runs thru the hood…we want it there as a shining beacon of our accomplishments and hopes,etc), i still can’t help but wonder if any of the folks, white or black – i just mentioned ninjas cuz of Dunbar high school and ran with it – would want to perhaps remove their name. lol. shoot, i saw my name on something that i wasn’t feeling and wanted it gone.
you know, you can’t triple stamp then double stamp is all i’m saying.
“you can’t triple stamp then double stamp”
Classic.
Gotcha!
See I was with you right up until your last name…now I’m pretty sure I mentioned I went to Morris Brown a few times on here and here you go taking shots and ish. Not every college experience is going to be the same and not every teacher can teach…we all know that. Our institution has issues just like MOST hbcu’s, did it get out of hand, yes but don’t try and down the college or its teachers as a whole because of one class you took. You can’t judge a college based off a foreign language class like really who does that??
im not gonna lie– ive taken plenty of shots at Mo B in my day. but mostly at the scandals and crazy ish happening with the admin that made everyone like “who keeps authorizing these fools to run a school??” i cant really speak to the level of teaching/professors since i never had a class there, and was around the AUC when Mo B lost its accreditation because of its triflin a$s ADMIN!!
all that to say, i still love you sawrah. and i dont think any less of you because you went to Mo B(etta Blues). im just glad you got out before they lost it all
You know what, Morris Brown came up in conversation the other day. Ill never forget, I played in my high school band and I ended up on one of those lovely Delta Sigma Theta sponsored black college tours. While im there I ask to go to the bandroom and all that to see the band play, meet the directors and ect. Soon after I learn that while I was being promised all kinds of scholarships and things that the school had lost its accreditation and SHOULD have it back by the time I was ready to graduate. This was when i was a Jr in high school back in 04. Amongst these friends I was asked if Morris Brown ever got their accreditation back…I didnt have an answer….. *no shade, salt or shots fired. #justsayin*
It lost financial accreditation only and I believe it got it back on a probationary status last year so now students can get financial aid next year hopefully
I’m liking the Toonami Profile pic:)
I get that you’re an alum and are therefore sensitive…but Morris Brown is full of foolery and that is a FACT. We needn’t chalk it up to simple “differences” in educational styles. I mean, the real difference is that Morris Brown isn’t very good at being a college.
You can admit that it is a sub-par school without having to admit that you were a sub-par student. I’m sure many people have gotten degrees from that school and done very well. However, we should be clear, they did well despite their undergrad institution not because of it.
I agree and would like to add Clark Atlanta as a sub-par school.
So, does Morris Brown have it’s accreditation back?
Inquiring minds want to know…
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and yes I am sensitive about my institution, but what I’m most bothered about is his blanket statement that everyone who attended/taught at the college was remedial. I was by no ones standard a remedial student and the courses I took at MBC weren’t either. And although PJ didn’t have the best experience as a one-class student at MBC doesn’t mean that people who haven’t even attended the College have the right to judge something they’ve never experienced.
For the record no Morris Brown doesn’t have its accreditation back yet. But anything and anyone can be destroyed easily…it takes time to rebuild and despite what many think and feel the institution still stands, the principles and motto still hold true and its potential is even greater.
i think you’re being a bit Isaac Hayes meets South Parkish. no dis, but of all the things we’ve taken shots at here, that wasn’t even that bad. i know its personal for you so take my statement with a grain of salt. but you know, speak your peace/piece. i’m glad you got the education you wanted from there. i love Mo B. always will.
“But anything and anyone can be destroyed easily…it takes time to rebuild and despite what many think and feel the institution still stands, the principles and motto still hold true and its potential is even greater.”
marriage and Mo B have the same struggle i guess.
as an AUC alumn I reserve the right to fire shots at any other AUC schools. As a Morehouse alumn I reserve the right to fire shots at any other HBCU. As Panama Jackson, I fire shots.
i feel your passion. its your school. i’m with you. i went to morehouse. i know a little something about ninjas throwing rocks. but i also take it in stride. deez jokes. i’m proud that you are proud of your alma mater. and i support my hbcus. i still rock my morris brown sweatshirt (i love that joint) with pride. but errrum, let us not pretend that there aint SOME truth here.
Ok so I seem to be coming off a bit extra and understand that its not my intent. I’m totally used to other people from the AUC throwing shots…thats just how we do, so thats normal and I do take that with a grain of salt and a shot of 151, but as a former student I can’t sit back and not say something. As this is your blog, you gave your view and your opinion, as a commenter I gave mine.
Now about that sweatshirt..you wear a smedium right?!? Yeah I’ma need you to run that!! LOL…no but seriously run your shirt son
no, my shirt is sized extra gangsta.
Ahahahahaha. I was thinking the same thing: Who would go to an HBCU like Morris Brown to learn French? Only a 3.5, that’s who.
believe it or not, as French was one of my majors, the class i needed to take was only offered at Mo B that semester. that’s how we got down in the AUC. most of my upper level french classes were at Spelman (hence the major), but every now and then id take a class at clark or mo brown.
Don’t forget Booker T. Washington. My man discovered Tuskegee, and thought black americans should be skilled workers and be proud of their heritage. Most inner city schools have a BTW high school, and they have high drop out rates, crazy teen pregnancy issues, and rampant illiteracy. I think Steve Harvey taught at the fictional BTW high school in Chicago on his tv show. Who wants Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer as their teachers? lol. I’d take that fine Tasha Mack as my principal though. I digress. That kind of name dropping alone should have BTW himself turning in his grave. Unless of course BTW is co-signing everything Steve Harvey stands for; giving bad relationship advice, zoot suits and stacy adams shoes.
I feel like BTW in Houston is an exception-everyone I’ve met from there has been on point, academically. A lot of them are shuttled to OU and successfully complete engineering programs there.
That’s because BTW is not in the 3rd Ward
hm. . .my high school was in 3rdward, and boasted a 100% graduation rate, and 95% matriculation to college. What you tryna say about the tre?
come cosign @simplysope
You must not have went to Yates lol…
Bahaha!
faithful #cosign
But lets be real, our school was an oasis in a concrete jungle. There was a psych ward down the street. o.O
You probably only met the people from the engineering program. It may have changed now, but BTW was 2 schools in one – the regular school and the engineering program. The regular school can be classified in the same category as the other BTWs
its kind of like that in Atlanta with Douglass high school. all of the projects out of towners have heard about feed into Doug (bowen homes, bankhead courts, hollywood, courts – RIP to all of them btw) but they also have the engineering school program which separate them ninjas out.
OU Minority Engineering Program reppin!!!
I used to get sick of the Houston/Tulsa BTW wars… good thing both are good schools.
BTW in Atlanta is a weird school. It has the highest drop out rate in the city, but the students who do attend tend to go on to do good things, collegiately. it’s like a natural social experiment about self-selection.
What you know about Shuggie Otis, Pan Jac??!!
Mayne… Inspiration Information, Island Letter and a drink to go w/ my two-step?? Already.
Okay, back to actually finishing the post
aside from the fact that he has the coolest.name.ever? lol. come on now, this here’s PJ. music man.
i think i literally listened to nothing but shuggie otis all day yesterday. which means i had three albums on repeat ALL DAY LONG. lol. you know something’s wrong when you are a musical prodigy who’s entire catalog consists of three albums you recorded before age 21 and have managed to live off of it ever since. of course, that’s mostly cuz of Strawberry Leter 23. point is, Shuggie is my dawg.
plus i always found it fully interested that his father, Johnny Otis, was a Greek immigrant who chose to live his life as a Black man.
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Shuggie Otis…my eldest child answers to “Shuggie” b/c that is what I have called him from day one…heck, b4 he was born!
btw…did u know that he is one of Prince’s favorite artists?
California cool….did not know that about his father…i thought he was bi-racial/mixed/mullato…is his mom black? Anyway his music jams and u can catch him in concert still in cali…that’s what i heard.
i’m just now realizing that i went to an MLK elementary school … i think most of us made it out OK. even the white kids. despite having to sign personal statements that we would not turn non-violent objects into weapons of mass destruction.
also, i currently live right near dunbar. and while i am not up on their specific incidents of criminality, i can attest to a healthy portion of their dredlocked male student body being blazed from homeroom onwards. (save the teen rape- good neighborhood, affordable rents, y’all) must make algebra interesting.
but here’s my thing: why can’t we get past the porch monkey ish? i mean, really. we get a few, great, hopeful negroes out there and that’s it? i get socio-economic issues but, um, that doesn’t really excuse tomfoolery that results in us all knowing that MLK drive is not where you want to be past 5:30pm on any given day.
who you callin’ a porch monkey!
U-N-I-T-Y!
to clarify:
porch monkey [pôrch muhng-kee]
-noun
1. a ninja/ninjess who cain’t spell unity as a result of their tutelage at an MLK/Malcolm X/ W.E.B. Dubois institution for highish learning.
related: gucci mane
Funny..right before I read your post. I ran across this story:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/03/20/2011-03-20_a_river_of_blood_rotting_mutilated_body_of_400lb_man_found_in_bag_in_apt.html
One woman, who lives on the same floor, suspected the man was selling drugs out of the apartment and he recently warned her not to let her children play in the hallway. “He was really nice to my kids. He used to give them candy or toys.”
^^ Hahahahahaha. Sorry but that sounded so sus. Now what the hell-o kinda f*ck sh*t is this? Is he Candy Man or a Drug dealer? Lol confused.
i could not help but notice that they named the projects the sonia sotomayor houses of soundview… it was already a bad and dangerous place… i wonder how sonia feels about that… geesh
Is this weightism? Does the fact that he weighed 400 lbs have anything to do with the story? I can’t recall the weight of victims being a common item in newspaper articles.
You are absolutely right. He was overweight. What exactly does that have to do with the story? It would be one thing if his weight made it difficult for enforcement to remove his body, but he was chopped up and stuffed in a duffel bag. His weight should have been a non-issue IMO
I think the fact that a 400 lb body could actually be stuffed in a duffel bag is kinda ‘interesting’ if not newsy.
you know, i know you weren’t trying to be funny, but that almost made me guffaw b/c i immediately thought about the biggest duffel bag i could find.
i’m sorry. i’ll do a few hail mary’s and mother may I’s.
How did he get in there???
There was a bloody axe found inside, so I’m guessing he was chopped up.
Even chopped up, those are some big body parts in need of a big bag.
And that was one determined murderer, to do all that chopping.
See…the weight angle is key to the story.
V.E.G. killing fellow commentors one post at a time.
Hahaha I died at “f*ck sh*t”
Can’t think of anything right now that would deserve a name drop. Lol this was entertaining to read though.
so if i said to you…”are you not entertained?” you’d say, “fa sho” ??
I’d probably just name the most @#$%ed up institutions after Black Republicans and the most @#$%ed up streets after rappers who move the most weight and kill the most people in their songs.
I concur, but in addition, the cross streets should be their legal names. For instance, I need to start hearing the following immediately:
“…the two fleeing subjects stopped at a liquor store at the corner of Plies St. and Algernod Lanier Washington Ave.”
“…and near the corner of Snoop Dogg Blvd and Calvin Broadus Jr. Rd shots were fired.”
Immediately.
As for Black Republicans…I think we should all keep going on hoping they don’t exist (and if they do, that we don’t know any personally).
“As for Black Republicans…I think we should all keep going on hoping they don’t exist”
LOL, why we wishing black people away?
you know, that’s actually not a bad idea.
hmm i think you hit all the nails on the head..
I swear there is a high school in NY for EVERY single black icon that ever lived..
But then again, ones with white names aren’t so great either: Andrew Jackson, Benjamin Cardozo, Fiorello LaGuardia, Thomas Edison etc. they’d probably want their names removed too. lol
and also, I never heard anything bad about MEC.
I live in brooklyn and growing up I was always told it was a good school.
Now I’m an art major, and being that MEC is supposed to be good for science and medicine majors, I never researched it or anything like that BUT I will say that the people I graduated HS with that go there are doing really well, doing Nuclear Medicine and Biology. But hey, maybe Panama knows something that I don’t.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure MLK ain’t dream about N’AN “King Drive” in Chicago…
“Every day I drive by I wonder aloud to the invisible passengers in my car…”
You. ARE. OFF. *cackles*
but i put ON for my city. so it evens out.
Smokey the Bear is giving a big look of disapproval, ??_??, to Smokey from Friday. He want his sh1t back, asaptually.
And I am slain. That Houston humor always gets me.
Pgh now has a school called Pittsburgh Obama 6-12 (cka Obama Academy). a friend of mine is actually the principal. i dont know much about the school but from what i can tell it’s doing pretty well. i PRAY to the good Lord above that it doesnt succomb to the great name DROP (to hell). best of luck to em.
My friend in Cali said that her old boss owns a Obama middle/high school in Compton. It has the.worst.test.scores.in.all.of.Compton.
All.
Of.
Compton.
How that that ish even compute? How that that even work?
Poor Barack…
KMN
Oh wow. That’s unfortunate smh
Why are there so many institutions named after Obama already. At least let the man finish his presidential term first.
i don’t know. i think getting to the office is more than enough to warrant a gang of institutions, etc. that man could have decided he didn’t want the job two weeks in and let an intern blow him and i’m sure ninjas would still be opening ObamaCare Child Center.
Yeah, I went to Malcolm X elementary school from 4th through 6th in California, and on my first day there I saw a fat kid get his ass whooped by two fatter kids with cross color jeans on. Yup, Malcolm X would have beat there little asses with their parents watching. I agree with your assessment Panama…
It’s late, I’ve escaped the hell of having to wake up this early to go to work and I’m typing to my heart’s content with pure adulation that I don’t have to go to work today. Anyway good VSB and VSS sorry for the grammar error… *their
nice.
*sigh* Should I do it? On a Monday? Do you know what you’re about to start stlunatic? Ahh fck it:
Kappa Alpha Psi
Omega Psi Phi
Phi Beta Sigma
Iota Phi Theta
I’ll just leave that there and let my fellow fraters marinate on their history. *drops mic, throws up the ICE and apewalks off the stage*
u dun started sumthin!
11119……
00006!
womp.
DOUBLE WOMP
LOL @ marinate on their history.
What am I to marinate on? I know my founders…..
#1
First of all, Google Maps still alternately lists Seattle’s MLK as Empire Way even though the name was changed in 1983.
A bunch of new housing developments are popping up on MLK (previously mostly vacant lots) but all the front doors are on all these obscure newly built side streets so you won’t live on MLK. Ergo, their houses are hard to find since you know where MLK is, but where the hell is Viburnum? It’s not on Google Maps/Tom Tom, etc.
I remember a brand new public school in Georgia that was debating whether or not it should be named MLK, since “colleges might think it was a bad school”
#2
Funny story – As a kid I thought Medgar Evers was the first Black swimmer in the Olympics (or something) since that’s the name of the largest public pool in the city
#3
Is Morris Brown Still accredited? Isn’t that the school NeNe’s son dropped out of?
NENE’s SON GOT INTO A COLLEGE?!?!?!
WOW
And how in the h*ll he dropped out of Morris Brown!?
LOL @ “As a kid I thought Medgar Evers was the first Black swimmer in the Olympics (or something) since that’s the name of the largest public pool in the city”
I agree with you Panama.
In all honesty a name in a sense is a brand ESPECIALLY if youre a major figure in any industry or in this context history. Having your name (read brand) attached to things that don’t represent you, your message or your legacy because of what happens in or because of the thing named after you seems to tarnish it in some way. Its like if I named an abortion clinic “Jesus of Nazareth Family Planning Center”…….seems mighty sketchy and I KNOW the J man would be name snatching and lighting striking all up and through that piece.
“Its like if I named an ab0rtion clinic ‘Jesus of Nazareth Family Planning Center’”
Ignant.
So establishments named after black political figures should evoke expectations of what exactly? (besides non-violence). Do we expect this from schools named after figures of other races?
When you attach the name of a great person with a legacy to a school I think the idea is to expire excellence and inspire the people who come to or use its facilities or services. The answer can really be found if we look at this the opposite way. If we named a school *Nino Brown Memorial High* or a church “Bishop Eddy Long House of Praise” would we REALLY be suprised at ANYTHING that went on at these places?
IJS, we hold black/minority institutions to a standard that doesn’t seem to apply to other institutions. Like someone mentioned above, there was a murder story and the name of the projects was “Sonia Sotomayor housing” (something) and they had a link to her name and everything even though her identity was somewhat irrelevant to the story.
i dont know. i dont think we actually do hold them to a higher standard based off the name. in fact, nobody says, you go to King High, you should be a great leader unless the school is known for that. i dont think most people care or even think about it. now, here on VSB we might do that for convo purposes, but i think that for the vast majority of Americans, the name attached to something holds very little meaning b/c its just how things are done. schools need names, so they get the names of great leaders and people. i guess intrinsically, we hope these kids will aspire to that greatness but i dont think its very prominent a thought.
I agree; I don’t think it’s a prominent thought. I just meant rarely is any irony acknowledged in the names of non-minority schools and locations. (or maybe there is and I have been privy to those conversations.)
Youre right, the standards are stacked a little unfairly. The socio-economics of an area have more to do with the achievement gap than a name certianly. However, the idea of naming public schools after prominent figures in my mind merrits that we should be TRYING (not saying we arent mind you). I feel as though alot of what goes on is a result of a lack of self policing in the black community. Given we all cant be confidential police informants but we CAN make sure we are involved in our state and local governments ensuring our schools, police precients, fire houses and other places that provide tax payer funded services are getting full funding and the help they need. Schools expecially.
Whats in a name? Everything about the person. *just ask whoever does the background investigations at your place of employment* lmao.
Jesus of Nazareth Family Planning Center
Ha Ha Ha Ha … thats Hilarious. lol
seriously!?!!? smh…
LMAO @ “Its like if I named an abortion clinic “Jesus of Nazareth Family Planning Center”…….seems mighty sketchy and I KNOW the J man would be name snatching and lighting striking all up and through that piece.”
ihatechu!!!!
I remembered that Chris Rock line about MLK Drive and some violence going down when I was driving around Annemasse, France, which is just over the border from Geneva. I looking for the police station because my purse had been stolen at the supermarket there. As I’m driving around lost looking for the police station what do I come upon? The MLK community center. Yes, in France. In rough, known-to-riot Annemasse, there is “le Complexe Martin Luther King”.
(I just double checked it on Google maps and also learned that there is a rue Martin Luther King in Chambery, France too. )
The MLK Blvd. here (Durham, NC) is actually pretty peaceful and shyt. Any-hoo, I think they should name drug rehab places after actual famous addicts. Instead of Betty Ford it should be like The Rick James Institute of De-crackheadization. Still fleshing out the specifics.
LOL!!!
I would love to see “De-crackheadization” on a business card.
The Charlie Sheen Center for Biwinning?
Done @ Charlie Sheen Center for Biwinning! LOL
i think the Charlie Sheen Center for Biwinning will be the next name of his home.
*lmao*
ican’t!!!!!
I agree with you. I don’t think MLK Blvd. here in Raleigh is that bad. But then again, I don’t live over there, so I can’t be sure. I’ve never heard anything bad, so I’ll just go with that.
But Betty Ford is an actual famous addict. She was the FLOTUS and an alchy and a prescription med addict.
dang, I ain’t eem know! You all kicking the truth to the young black youth, lol
I was just about to chime and mention that. Ha!
Oh Betty got.it.IN! LOL
Kind of off topic, but PLEASE don’t get a tattoo of your nickname “Slim” or “Skinny” on your body, as that won’t necessarily stay the case.
And y’all skinned folks with “light skinned” (or light skint, light skinneded) in their Twitter bios who are clearly brown skinned just…why must I cry?
And y’all skinned folks with “light skinned” (or light skint, light skinneded) in their Twitter bios who are clearly brown skinned just…why must I cry?
YES!!!! Why are they bragging about a trait that they don’t have? It’s embarrassing for everyone involved. Poor kids.
YAAAAS!!
And let’s not forget Tom Joyner/Jay Anthony Brown’s light vs dark water gunfights on the TJMS cruise…that pisses me off so much
KMN
wait…they really have light vs dark water gunfights?
color me (pun) confused, but how do they ever get started considering you know there’s gonna be at least 20 to 30 women who refuse to acknowledge their actual skin tone which will cause another 50 or so women to start letting them know about theirselves, etc. its the recipe for a riot.
then again…out of the riot comes…WATER GUNFIGHT. hmm….what a genius way to look into intra-race relations Tom Joyner. lol.
YES ~insert sad face here~
I listen to TJMS in the morning on the way to work and EVERY.EFFIN.YEAR when they talk about the TJCruise they talk about the LSvDS water fight. Then they bring celebs on that are “in the middle” to pick sides…they had Tank on one day and then Eric Benet talkin about they are caramel colored and needed to choose sides and if they stayed in the sun long enough on the cruise they would default to the DS side…ish was ridic.
As much as TJMS tries to distance themselves from Steve Harvey and his coonish antics, they are just as bad with this colorism ish they promote every day. Like just the other day they were talking about Marcus Garvey and the Black Star Line and they were like if he was LS (this is Jay talking and Tom cosigning) they wouldn’t have been arrested for mail fraud and all sorts of ish…they are ridiculous in real life.
KMN
So we’re doing dark skin/ light skin drafts now?
Girl where Dave Chappell and the Wu when you need them lol
KMN
And y’all skinned folks with “light skinned” (or light skint, light skinneded) in their Twitter bios who are clearly brown skinned just…why must I cry?
Don’t even try to understand. Apparently the color code changes in the south, and what’s brown/dark up North/Midwest is light south of the Mason Dixie line. Go figure.
And frankly, it doesn’t surprise Joyner has that foolishness on his cruise. SMH
Not just places, but people too. I’m sure there are plenty of parents that named their kids after famous figures who are about to crawl out their grave off some “Langston got another D- on his spelling test??” Not to mention people who name their kids after brands or objects. I see you Mercedes, driving your ’92 Toyota Corolla.
“I see you Mercedes, driving your ’92 Toyota Corolla.”
I’m torn w/ the whole Mercedes name. It is a luxury car and all but it was a common Spanish name for girls for a very long time. What if Renault came out with a “Lauren” brand car? Would white communities everywhere have to rethink baby naming?
Actually one of the baddest chicks I’ve ever met in undergrad name was Mercedes.
“Actually one of the baddest chicks I’ve ever met in undergrad name was Mercedes.”
Guessin you’re an Aggie by you’re name….I agree with your statement and am wondering what year this was LOL
Aw hell…*your….i was sittin here tryin to hit cancel as soon as I saw what I typed..
Yup, in fact, Mercedes’ is named after one of the partners’ daughter. I think the problem lies behind the reasoning behind the name. I mean, just naming it in order to stunt through your child ain’t the bidness.
So, yeah, most of these things folks name their kids after all actual names, I just think the thought process behind it needs to be taken into account.
Um, I can’t help ya’ll ninjas that name your children, “Jag-wire”, doe. -_______-
I would assault someone that named a child “Jagwire”.
I recently saw a child named “Aston Martin”.
o_O
I wonder how these children react once they’re old enough to realize they’re named after luxury items. Do they use it as motivation to reach their full potential? Do they feel enormous pressure to earn such items in their lifetime? Do they feel resentment towards that item for always being brought up when someone hears their name? I’m curious.
Im gonna go with a not at all as it applies to increased achievement because of their name sake. I do think car companies will be in the black again very soon. I mean if your name is Mercedes how can you not by a Mercedes and try to get custom plates that say something like “MRCEDS”. Lmao
Lmao as I re-read my self… “car companines will be in the black again very soon”. Double entendres are fun things indeed.
I recently saw a child named “Aston Martin”
sigh…deep sigh… WIP, I wish you’d quit w/ your foolishness. It’s too early.
first name and middle name. real talk.
I won’t even get into the other names I’ve seen because they’re so outrageous I know (I pray) there’s only one of them and I could get in trouble. LOL
“What if Renault came out with a “Lauren” brand car? Would white communities everywhere have to rethink baby naming?”
They would if they’re naming their child “Lauren” because it’s a car they like.
LOL, Doesn’t it seem like chicks named “Precious” and “Princess” are the most busted looking chicks?
Yeah. Case in point…..the movie…(No offense).
Gabby caught a lot of flack, but I was thinking more so in real life. The girls I’ve met with those names never anything like a princess or what I would call precious. I think parents set their kids up for drama when they name them adjectives.
True. Most females I’ve met with “eccentric” names were anything but.
“Couldn’t afford a car, so she named her daughter Alexis (a Lexus)…..”–Kanye on “All Falls Down”
lol at @ “eccentric” names…
I have one of those names.. kinda. my middle name is Delorean! yes, after the car. But I don’t think that has the same ring to it as “Mercedes”.
*flips hair at err’body picking on car names and walks away” hmph…
nix one of those @s.
In my experience anyone named “Angel” (including the Latino version for guys too, “An-hell”) were anything but angels.
the entire Latino part of my family is rife with Mercedes. lol. i just call them ninjas 1 thru 10.
I just call them ninjas 1 thru 10.
*I DIE*
“i just call them ninjas 1 thru 10.”
LOL like they’re inmates
Like George Forman’s chirrens
Except for Georgina…she’s special o_0
KMN
Speaking of setting up your kids with their name, shoutout to Michael Bolton, that no-talent a$$ clown.
[500 Disney dollars to the person who gets that reference]
There’s always a place for a solid Office Space reference.
Congrats on answering correctly! You’ve just won a giant check that says “500 Disney dollars” on it! *drops mic, runs away*
YESSSS, Office Space. In fact, I JUST gave my ex coworker an Office Space kit recently.
*wants those Disney dollars from MrExcelsior*
Lunch at Chotchkie’s for everyone!!
I’m off to do more TPS reports…
I seem to be having a case of the Mondays.
Mmmm…yeahhh. I’ll make sure you get another copy of that memo.
Mercedes is a valid name. Blame the luxury car for giving the name of Spanish little girls to their brand.
Same thing for French auto maker Renault (I’m sure 99% have never heard of it, and you ain’t missing much. Lol)… The make of their cars have common French names like Megane and Logan… I know of a Megane Renault, her true real life name… Now people will think she’s been named after a stupid car.
TRUE STORY!
I lived next door to (you know you’re ghetto if…you know anyone named after a car)
twins…girl and boy named….you guessed it: Mercedes and Benz!
but wait, it gets worse….baby brothers name is: Maserati!
Sadly, I am not lying! PARENTS NEED TO BE BEAT! WTH???
btw, they did live with their grandmother who had custody of them, thank God!
LOL @ this post! I haven’t seen a King boulevard/street/avenue/way/road/alley that wasn’t a bit sketch in places
I’ve never been to a Kingdom Day Parade (MLK Parade in LA) b/c of the potential drama (read: violence) that may or may not go down. I don’t think anything too serious has happened lately but ya never know. All I do know is I’m not going to act like the Spirit of Dr. King is going to make everything we name after him calm and dramafree, lol. .
I went to a high school named after a president. I know he wishes he could spring up from his grave and snatch his name and likeness from it. (Probably b/c he owned slaves and 50% of the population looks like them and the other 505 are just as brown but that’s neither here nor there in this case, lol). Actually, I’m pretty sure the namesakes for few of the schools in my community would do that, lol.
Yo!! Panama! Good lookin on the Hall and Oats reference!!
you’re welcome.
I actually used to live not too far from MLK Avenue and Malcolm X Ave in Southeast. That was back in the early ’90′s when Malcolm X Ave. was still named Portland Street…..and back when the Green Line stopped at Anacostia.
They should rename Rosa Parks Blvd. in Detroit back to 12th Street like it used to be. That street runs straight through the ‘hood. Then again…..64.2 percent of streets in The D do. LOL. #I’maStillRepDetroitThough
And yes, Rosa Parks and MLK Blvds. do intersect in Detroit as well. In the ‘hood….
And yes, Rosa Parks and MLK Blvds. do intersect in Detroit as well. In the ‘hood….
as they should.
btw, here’s how ignant i am now…any time i hear rosa parks name. i immediately refer to the Boondocks episode where Granddad met up with his protestor friends, “y’all didn’t bring raincoats?”
Yeah, that’s pretty ignant and sh*t. lol
I wouldnt have mind going to “Nat Turner High School”…I could have got certified in cuttin a cracka up.
i used to love the Nat Turner University shirts that were being sold on HBCUs back in the 90s. I used to rock that shirt with so much pride.
“Quick Panama fact: I once nearly bought a condo near the intersection of Malcolm X Blvd and MLK, SE in DC because I figured it had to be the Blackest intersection in America.”
Ummm that is hands down most def. The blackest intersection in America. You got ur Popeyes, you got ur liquor store across the street, you got ur bootleg “greater southeast communications” with the man selling random items under his white tent. Then you have that little park where you can find bums playing horse shoe in any weather, while drinking said liquor and eating popeyes chicken. I ride past there everyday on my way to and from work. lol
That sounds like the entire city of Detroit
LOL!! I just typed the same thing LOL!! I didnt see your post. I clutch my purse, hold my breath and strap my children to my back & walk fast as hell whenever I go over there. I had to stop to get gas one day & I swear 4 people hit me up for change, a group of young dudes started circling like they wanted to jack me & the damn gas station line was so long with people buying everything BUT gas (why do you need canned sardines at a friggin gas station?!?!)…it was so ridiculous. I grew up over there & went to school over there but now……….I CANT!!!!! I HATE going over there & HATE IS A STRONG WORD FOR ME!!! HAAAAAAAATE!!!!!
“why do you need canned sardines at a friggin gas station?!?!”
LMAO! S/N while we’re going there: Can y’all stop holding up the line for 20-30 minutes buying money orders in the gas station? Thanks.
Ya, MLK streets in my hometown and my current town are both shady parts of town where you wouldn’t necessarily want to be walking alone.
IMO, those names reflect our ideals not our reality.
IMO, those names reflect our ideals not our reality.
i think thats absolutely right. at some point they should meet at an intersection though.
“i think thats absolutely right. at some point they should meet at an intersection though.”
Look atchoo being all metaphoric. Props and whatnot, mister.
1. Rodney King dr. instead of MLK;
2. Jesse Jackson on any university…talk about an educated fool;
3. put Al Sharpton in that mix for being irrelevant and having vision-less leadership;
4. Marion Barry, Sheila Dixon and Kwame Kilpatrick definitely need to be added to the fray;
5. Eddie Long for the HBCUs with the most problems;
6. Mel Reynolds and R. Kelly are especially good for the streets where no young girl is safe…
unfortunately, I could go on and on, but these immediately come to mind.
Al Sharpton’s Luxusious Hair Boutique
There was a Marion Barry High in High School High…
BEST! lol!
On Rodney King Dr. I’d stay looking over my shoulder for a beat down. Naw. LOL!
I wouldn’t EVER speed on Rodney King Dr.
“…It’s bad enough that Whoopi Goldberg played his wife in a movie, NOW he’s got ninjas kick dirt on his name educationally?” you are TERRIBLE for this one!!
I often wonder about how celebrities who where “made” posthumously would feel about the particular fraternity or sorority that chose them/got to them first…
Any dorm at damn near any HBCU is named after a black person, and let me just say, if you could see the living conditions in some if these dorms, you’d think you were in the ‘jectswith Florida and JJ Seriously, as an alum of an HBCU, living situations on campus are NOT WASSUP. If my name were on one if these buildings, I’d crawl out my grave and back hand slap some of these college presidents!
LOL, I know nothing “honest” was going on up in Truth Hall when I stayed there.
Oh yeah. What about all the kids with 3rd and forth generation family names who are absolute losers?! Rutherford Leonard Jenkins V: attempted battery, possession of a controled substance, and armed robbery. Boy, stop. Your people named you after the first black man in your fam to own a house, and your claim to fame is holding up the local piggly wiggly.
got to have a legacy. lol
Hopefully, we won’t have to add VSB to this list. I couldn’t help but notice the ad at the top for the Front Site Firearms Training Institute:-)
it’s Capella University now. Caps up!
LOL!!! The corner of MLK & Malcolm X (formerly Good Hope Road…GO FIGURE) is a lovely area. Where else can you find a Popeye’s, 3…(YES 3!!!) Liquor stores side by side, a homeless shelter, a half way house, an STD clinic and be harassed by St. Elizabeth patients all within that same block? I wont even start on the unlimited access to LOOSEY CIGARETTES. I think you can even buy a loosey from the aforementioned Popeye’s.
LOL….I remember when that Popeye’s used to be a Church’s Chicken.
I bet they take EBT cards, too.
Funny, there’s a Popeye’s across the street from the homeless shelter in my city too…
When was that ever Good Hope Road???
3 popeyes??? Adjacent liquor stores???
In what year was this?
Yes!! You are correct…it was Portland Street back in the day.
Yeah, I was about to say….Good Hope Road still exists….It’s over there by Naylor Road, Alabama Avenue, and ‘nem. (Also in the ‘hood….lol)
Wayyyyyyyy back when there were clubs and whatnot over there too, one hole in the wall remains. That area is on the tail end of the changes taking place in the city, slowly but surely. esp the lower end of MLK closer to Good Hope there are art galleries, a coffee shop, a new bar/grill etc
yeah, i been eyeing that area down there for a long while. i have this affinity for living in the hood. can’t leave rap alone, the game needs me.
you won’t be scared?
i aint neva scared.
Some parts of P.G. County (Oxon Hill, Forest Heights, Temple Hills, etc.) will soon be known as Ward 9 once they kick all the S.E. ninja’s out.
Frank Washington Ballou Senior High School should be renamed Gangland High.
I do a lot of work in the SE community but 5 months ago I had the opportunity to visit Ballou High School. First of all, I couldn’t find the entrance b/c every door was locked not to mention that every corner of the high school had a police car parked outside. When I finally made my way in, I was patted down by a flash night cop with a walkie talkie and I had to walk through a melt detector. Kids were walking around like zombies high on something. On every wing of the school stood your flash light cop who questions you about where your going before he/she opens the gate. As I’m walking through the school all I visualize is the Welcome to the Jungle video.
There have been several emergency meetings regarding gang violence, 2 fatal shootings in the cafetaria, low test scores (2007, only 6% of Ballou students tested as proficient in reading; only 8% were proficient in math), and the list of not so worthy notables goes on.
However, among all the violence and low test scores, Ballou has one of the best locally and nationally known marching bands. The marching band has been featured on Ellen, played at the rose bowl and the presidential inauguration (2005).
LLS I live near one of the blackest intersections in America proudly, and there are 2520′s sprinkled through-out.
A.D. 2000, Badu.
Bishop Davis Wasgatt Clark – Instead of Clark University, call it what it is, adult day care.
I was with a cousin who made the mistake of enrolling at Clark. The security guard became upset when we asked him questions about the registration line being several hours,(days) long. We were like, forget this security guard… he went on to break down how he is not just a security guard he graduated from Clark near the top of his class.
I remember thinking, and yet you are a security guard. …. Go Clark, My cousin is now a Morehouse Man, A far better institution.
man, you really do have a severe beef with Clark. lol. i know i fire shots, but damn. lol
“he went on to break down how he is not just a security guard he graduated from Clark near the top of his class.”
i can’t lie, i was waiting for you to say, “we went to cheesecake he was the motherf*cking waiter there”
karma’s a b*tch tho,
watch you meet a fawn sister, fall in love, then find out she went to clark, or even worse, your children (probably to spite your anti-clark themed den, blog, bumper sticker , and yard banner) decide to go to clark.
jus sayin
“Just saying, It’s bad enough that Whoopi Goldberg played his wife in a movie, NOW he’s got ninjas kick dirt on his name educationally?”
LMAO!!!! Real bad because she didn’t look jack like Myrlie Evers. That was some lazy azz casting. I’d be pissed if I was Mrs. Evers.
I’m sure the good people over at Alize alcohol beverage company want their name back. With all the little Black children across the nation claiming this as their first name, it’s a bit messed up. The peeps at Porsche want it back too. These names were not intended for negro purposes.
Also, the guy who created Spanish…yeah him…he wants Black people to stop putting “La” in front of our babies’ names. i.e. La Traniece. <—- the "La" does not make her fancy.
Oh, and Huey P. Newton wants Black poets across the nation to STOP imitating him. ASAP.
Your post made me think of La Cienaga Boulevardes… (though her name was perfect for her).
Miss The Proud Family!!!
I miss Saturday morning cartoons.
i’m so mad at that flashback you just sparked.
Naw but forreal doe, La Cienaga was fine dinnamug
La Cienega Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles. So is La Tijera, La Brea, etc.
I know. I just brought it up because ‘The Proud Family” named a character after the street. Kind of the reverse of what Panama’s blog was about..but SFG’s post about “La” names reminded me of it.
That’s after my time lol yeah I’m old.
I’m old too!!
..and I mitigate that fact by watching cartoons. At least I did..
another side note: They are making a Smurf’s movie this summer and I have to complain, because it don’t look right!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfMKkO5ZSFY
Noithing about that Smurf movie sits right with me….although the flashback does make me crave Cookie Crips and Lucky Charm cereal…..
What in duh??? I LOVED Smurfs. They better not trash it.
As old as I am, I stayed on my The Proud Family schtick. That show was the bidness.
Dijonay? And her sisters Basil and Tobasco? That show was all kind of social commentary… and funny to boot.
Yeah, I never really watched it. I caught a few mins here and there. I know we needed that show in the cartoon world. lol
My government name has the aforementioned “La” I have since dropped it. Funny thing is, without the “La” my name is quite vanilla.
She said her second choice was Kizzy (as in Kunta’s daughter), so it could have been worse…
Everyone used to try to put “La” in front of my gov’t. and I had to quickly correct them.
Then they were like, “really it’s just ___ . That’s it??”
I’d give them a hearty dose of side eye and and #FOH. Yes, that’s it. That’s my name. Idiot.
I went to HS w/ a chick named Kizzy. She caught all kinds of hell.
Awww…no shots to those who are indeed fancy!!
Imagine if she was named LaKizzy. She would’ve caught some purgatory as well.
This! LMAO
Being that I’m about to buy a house in Washington (blackest name in America) Park…a block offa MLK and Joseph P. Lowery Boulevard, this post hit home and made me laugh.
My fiance has determined that we will be installing security cameras. I’m just hoping to be able to walk my dog in my neighborhood without somebody stealing us….and yes, I typed exactly what I meant. (lol)
Stealing you? Stealing you meaning punching you in the face, or stealing you meaning Kunta Kinte got a new address?
I don’t want to hang out with folk who have a bad rep so I damn sure wouldn’t want to have my name ATTACHED to a building/structure full of dubatchery in all its forms.
I wonder if people in everyday life realize the benefits or consequences of who they hitch their wagons to…in name alone. I mean, there was the speical on some sports channel (can’t remember if it was ESPN or not) where Larry Bird’s daughter was lamenting how she was upset with the fact that he father wasn’t an active part of her life. My bf was like “he may not be, but the name alone will open doors.” Me and him talked about bit about that (see=argued, but I digress) and my point was that when someone is absent (in this case, her father) they don’t go around making it a point to name drop to open doors for their kids. Usually, they just do like regular folks who don’t acknowledge their kids and….well…they just don’t acknowledge them.
Anyway, his point was that even though he may not be active, his name carries so much weight that he doesn’t have to be active. That she would benefit through osmosis or something like that. He has a point.
And yeah, I think the descendants of MLK should start snatching back his name from cities all over the US where crime and other illicit things happen on the streets, schools, community centers and more that bear his name. However….just to think outside of the box…hear me out…do you all think that somehow this was the plan for all MLK namesake structures? Was there some secret meeting where urban planners got together and said “look, we need to make sure MLK is associated with negativity in some way…let’s re-draw the district lines to include MLK street, school, community center in the WORST neighborhood. ” I mean…I’m just saying…not really being 100% real, but just wondering aloud about it.
the way MLK and most name changes happens is that the people who live in those neighborhoods petition for it. or don’t take issue with it. I mean, where else are you going to put MLK, but in the neighborhood with the most amount of Black folks. thing is, nowadays, that’s generally the hood. In ATL, MLK used to be called Hunter Street. but we wanted our homey to get his due. and when the change was made, most of MLK was probably cool. and in all fairness, all of MLK in the A aint exactly terrible. in fact, most of it is just regular residential except the parts by Hightower (it will never be HE Holmes!) and the parts near Ashby/Lowery. but it goes right thru the Black community, where it belongs. i dont think there’s a conspiracy on the name. the conspiracy already happened when the inner city was turned to crapola thru redlining and other policies intended to keep the poor folks contained.
“…i wonder if that gate was put up to keep crime out or keep our a** in…”
Thanks. I always wondered about that and just never knew how MLK got to be strategically placed in some of the worst neighborhoods. I kinda thought about the district lines being drawn in much the same way as school district lines are drawn…
Thanks for clarification.
I’m proud to say that in Charlotte, MLK blvd is in Downtown (or Uptown, same thing) Charlotte…no hood, no nothing! One of the Wachovia (or Wells Fargo now) building is on MLK and it’s really no trouble on it. First city i’ve ever seen…MLK would be hype to come to CLT and see that…
But growing up, any school with a black name on it really was a “bad” school…but for real, is there a Jesse Jackson anything? We both graduated from A&T, so i can talk about family…but how bad do you have to be for there to be nothing named after you…this includes Al Sharpton as well..
Yeah, Jonathan. I totally missed your whole first paragraph. My bad! Are you in Charlotte? I always thought I was the lone QC resident here…
Damn Jesse ain’t got a building? Not even on T’s campus? All that construction that went on awhile back when they made the “new” Scott Hall, and there’s no Jesse Jackson building? They could at least name the Strip after him.
You know who else doesn’t have a building named after him? Michael Jackson.
Okay i don’t know that for sure, but I’m guessing he doesn’t.
I responded to another post a while ago stating that MLK in Charlotte is in Uptown (with banks and businesses and stuff). It’s not hood, but it’s only been MLK for like 3 years so I’ll just wait and see what happens with that one. I still think it’s funny that the NASCAR Hall of Fame is located on MLK. It just seems wrong to me but I’d be annoyed if a basketball or fried chicken museum were there instead.
actually, i think that’s the dream right there. NASCAR HOF on MLK??? maaaaaan, that’s like Obama in the White House.
But it’s losing money….#FAIL..even when we win, we lose!
Yup yup! But isn’t one of the soul food restaurants on MLK, or near it? lol
I think you’re talking about Mert’s. I hear it’s good, but I’ll never know since refuse to eat there after they treated me and my girlfriends like second class citizens on New Year’s Eve. We were greeted super rudely at the door as the hostess barked, “Restrooms are for paying customers only!” causing the entire dining room to stare at us. We’d planned on eating there but because my friend was doing the pee-pee dance they assumed that we only stopped in to use their facilities.
I live in a city that has Jefferson Davis Highway running directly through the most bombed out and depleted part of the city. Its no coincidence that this place is about 99.9 (line over the 9) black. I wouldn’t be mad if they named it after anyone other than the President of the Confederacy. I would actually feel better about Ronald Reagan Highway but Jeff Davis…Unacceptable…
My hometown’s claim to fame is that it is the boyhood home of Jefferson Davis.
Not sure how Barbara Jordan High School in Houston is now, but when I was growin up my homies used to tell me it was extremely G-H-E-T-T-O. Foolishness at it’s finest. If that’s tha case she might be rollin over in her grave, if it’s not…my apologies to any alum on here.
Sorry this song has been in my head all day since I read this post:
Erykah Badu – A.D. 2000
No you won’t be name’n no buildings after me
To go down dilapidated ooh
No you won’t be name’n no buildings after me
My name will be mistated, surely
His world done changed
So much yeah yeah
This world done changed
Since I been conscious
This world done changed
So much yeah yeah
This world done changed
Since I been conscious
Oh, what in the world will we do?
Will we ever make it, yeah
Oh yeah know it ain’t right
Find More lyrics at http://www.sweetslyrics.com
Oh, is it in Your plan?
Say, I won’t be name’n no buildings after me
To go down dilapidated
No you won’t be name’n no bulidings after me
My name won’t be mistated, surely
Surely, surely…
And oh…
And oh…
And oh…
[ad-libs]
No you won’t be name’n no buildings after me
To go down dilapidated, no
No you won’t be name’n no buildings after me
My name will be mistated, surely
Surely, yeah, yeah
Mmm hmm, ooh
*looks around*
Damn… slow day on the farm. Is today a VSP holiday or something?
LOL I never realised this was a true stereotype in America. Guess no matter how many influential black leaders are on the boulevard, folks will still act up. Shame, we had a good thing going in the 60s.
I often think about how in my beloved Augusta, Ga we have two high schools Lucy C. Laney and T.W. Josey (one named after a teacher and the other a doctor) named after people who fought for education and have the lowest graduation rates in the city. #Cmon Son.
I recently visited San Diego where MLK has a whole freeway in his name. and quite the contrary, it goes through pretty nice parts. Thats funny, because my brother and I were both surprised by that notion. It’s a shame.
I live right by Dunbar also. #Shaw But that is such a SHAME! I would never want my name attached to such craziness. Its like all the legacy I worked to build is slashed away every day in the news.
Personally, I’d hate it if I was the Obama Bodegas that have recently popped up in my hometown of Queens, NY. Apparently there’s another one in Brooklyn according to my friends. But I wouldn’t want my name associated with the spot where you can get a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll AND a black all in one transaction. But that’s just me.
I’m proud to know & frequent the lone non-hood MLK Blvd/Ave/St in HOUMA, LOUISIANA. It was originally a back-street thru the boonies connecting developed areas & neighborhoods. But then developments sprouted up & to the chagrin of many 2520s, has become one of the main hotspots of Houma. Some even pushed to try to get the name changed when they saw the developments coming, but we held on! *fight the power*
Can you pick another location when you are trying to show lack of qualifications/distance from french learnedness? Uganda does neighbour a francophone country
aightthankspeace
- VSS from Uganda
I’m a Dunbar alum. And I am sad at what it’s become. Along with Banneker and School Without Walls, this school used to be THE school to attend, unless you were mad talented (Duke Ellington School of the Arts), Middle class but still wanted “street cred” (Wilson HS — even though randoms slipped through the cracks, but at least they had a crew team and white people, lol!), or your parents put you in a private school. When I was a student there, we had our school fights between rival neighborhoods and students who were killed in isolated incidents, but it was never what it is now. Just awful.