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Sunday, December 22, 2024
Authors Posts by Drea Maria

Drea Maria

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God's Kid. Editor-in-Chief of Syllabus Magazine. Concerned Citizen. Gamecock. MBA. Made in Charleston.

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Da Ice Cold Hour

One thing that I love that’s giving television and radio a run for their money, are all of the breakout podcasts that have been launched over the past two to three years. Many young, black millenials are taking it upon themselves to launch their own digital platforms in order to share what they believe is valuable. Some have launched Podcasts in order to share information and/or teach a lesson or a skill. And there are some that have launched Podcasts in order to discuss hot topics, have tough conversations, and discuss subjects that many are afraid to touch. Some of my favorites are Myleik Teele’s Podcast, the Brilliant Idiots, and How I Made This. These podcasts are all different and dope for various reasons. But, what’s more fun is being a guest on a Podcast – why; because you never know what to expect or what’s going to happen.

This past Sunday, I was invited to be a guest on Da Ice Cold Hour and it was definitely a roller coaster! The cast consists of Shorty vs Eliot, Mr. Ice Cold, DJ Fashow, DJ Meechie, and DJ Q, – all DJs! Knowing the personality of most DJs, we already know that conversations can have a tendency to get crazy. We talked about lots of things (probably some things I shouldn’t say here – lol). From side-pieces and friends, to Azalea Banks vs Cardi B, to guys trapping women with pregnancy – the topics flowed. The awesome thing about an all-male podcast is that listening to conversations from a complete male perspective, especially males who are not trying to put on a front, can be very interesting. Very often when people know they are in front of an audience, their personalities don’t seem very authentic; however with this crew – the personalities that come together to form Da Ice Cold Hour are authentic, raw, and outspoken. Check out a few soundbites below, and check them out Each Sunday on www.NobodyGrindsRadio.net owned by Juan PD Phillips and produced by Jey Brown- also, excuse my gum chewing-so unprofessional (LMAO).

Drea Maria

God’s Kid. Editor-in-Chief of Syllabus Magazine. Concerned Citizen. Gamecock. MBA. Made in Charleston.

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Recently, the promoters for SXSW issued a statement warning artists about ‘Pay-to-Play’ scams related to the 9 day music festival held in Austin, TX each year. If you haven’t heard, South By Southwest (SXSW) is one of the country’s biggest film, interactive media, and music festivals. SXSW brings in over 2,000 performers from across the country, the performers have to be invited to perform at official SXSW events. Performers must provide their own transportation and lodging, but they are given a cash payment for their performance and they are given access to all SXSW music events.

Not only, are they paid but there are over 57,000 fans in attendance; along with high-profile industry players who are asked to participate in forums and panel discussions. Everyone from President Barack & Michelle Obama all the way to billionaire moguls like Diddy and Mark Cuban, have all been a part of SXSW panels. The most elite people from record labels, magazines, the film industry, and tech attend this event-and provide artists a chance for once-in-a-lifetime exposure to real decision makers.

Michelle Obama @ SXSW

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Drea Maria

God’s Kid. Editor-in-Chief of Syllabus Magazine. Concerned Citizen. Gamecock. MBA. Made in Charleston.

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Credit xroads.virginia.edu
On May 2, 1967, Black Panthers amassed at the Capitol in Sacramento brandishing guns to protest a bill before an Assembly committee restricting the carrying of arms in public. Photo: Walt Zeboski / AP

The NRA has been able to convince many Americans that the reason democrats and anti-gun organizations are fighting for more laws enforcing gun restrictions, is because these are the forces vying to take away your right as an American to bear arms. They have even gone as far as to convince people that it’s the media’s fault because mainstream media, “loves mass shootings” and this gets them ratings. The NRA leads the charge in the belief that, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people“, so it’s not more gun laws that we need – it’s more people laws. But, the NRA hasn’t always held this belief, and they didn’t always feel this way in terms of restricting access to guns. Most recently, Philando Castile’s mother called out the NRA for not coming to the defense of her son, who told a police officer he was carrying a licensed gun, but was killed in front of his child and girlfriend, because the officer ‘feared for is life’. Not only is the NRA flaky regarding when they speak out, but they are the pioneers of some of the gun laws that we have today. The NRA was also in favor of stronger gun laws in the sixties, when blacks wanted to arm themselves during the fight for civil rights.

According to Adam Winkler, author of the book “Gunfight: The Battle Over The Right To Bear Arms In America”, historically NRA leaders were in favor of gun control. Not only were they in favor of control, but the NRA lobbied for and wrote gun legislation. In 1963, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the NRA found out murderer Lee Harvey Oswald purchased his murder weapon from an NRA mail-order advertisement. The President of the NRA at the time, Frank Orth, decided and agreed that mail-order sales of guns should be banned. In a statement, Orth explained,“We do think that any sane American, who calls himself an American, can object to placing into this bill the instrument which killed the president of the United States.”

In the sixties, the NRA took gun legislation a step further. They supported California’s Mulfold Act of 1967; this act banned carrying loaded weapons in public. This was a direct response to the Black Panther Party who marched on the State Capitol to protest this new gun legislation. As the Civil Rights movement grew stronger, more gun legislation was put into place. After the summer riots of 1967, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr and Kennedy, Congress passed the Gun Control Act of 1968. This act added a minimum age limit to own a gun, included serial number requirements, and extended the gun ban for the mentally ill and drug addicts.

Credit xroads.virginia.edu

For most of the 20th century, the NRA lobbied and authored gun laws and legislation. These laws were put into place as the Black Panther party rose to power. By the 70s the NRA started to change their tune after the government raided the house of NRA member Kenyon Ballew. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives raided Ballew’s house, shooting and paralyzing him because they believed he had been stockpiling illegal weapons. After this, everything changed. Instead of creating gun laws, the NRA viewed any act against gun control as a threat to the 2nd amendment. According to an article in Time Magazine, “Today’s NRA could be summed up withwordsuttered by the Black Panther Party 40 years earlier: “the gun is the only thing that will free us—gain us our liberation.”

While armed militia in Charlottesville are seen as “not so bad guys” by President Trump, armed Militia of the Black Panther party were viewed as a threat and caused the American government “to form a wholly new urban guerrilla, counterinsurgency, army-like” force: SWAT.And, we can go on and on to discuss how the government targeted member of the Black Panther to ensure they were either killed or jailed for life.

George Curbelo (center) at the protest in Charlottesville on Saturday. Photograph: courtesy George Curbelo

So don’t let the NRA fool you with 2nd amendment rhetoric. Take a look at their long history in order to see how they have created laws that have always aligned with the goals and bottom line of their organization. The NRA’s only interest, is self-interest.

Source: Medium,Time

Drea Maria

God’s Kid. Editor-in-Chief of Syllabus Magazine. Concerned Citizen. Gamecock. MBA. Made in Charleston.

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The story of Shondell Williamson has become a real-life nightmare to many women across the world. These women are not only victims of domestic violence, they are victims of what social media has deemed “the fragility of the male ego”. With this fragility comes, jealousy, hate and violence. These domestic violence victims are members of an unfortunate class of women who have been scarred by their abusers for life – both internally and externally. They are acid-attack survivors, and they have joined forces for one cause only – to tell women to leave abusive relationships NOW!
acid

In Williamson’s case, this 26-year-old mother of two boys did leave her abuser, 34-year-old Alfred DeYounge. However, months after the breakup, DeYounge disguised himself as a woman and stood outside of his ex’s home. Williamson had just had a conversation with DeYounge, where he made it seem as if he was at home. As she approached the “woman” outside her home, she slowly realized it was her ex, carrying a white bowl. Inside this white bowl was a corrosive substance that he threw on her, thereafter quickly escaping in a nearby car. Williamson was rushed to the hospital, given a bath and treated for injuries which included first degree burns to her face, hands and abdomen. She was also unable to open her left eye, and at the time it was unclear if the eye was damaged.

Shondell Williamson warns women who are currently in a place where she once some words of encouragement, she warns, “just dont stay any longer, just get out of it fast.” She also has words for men and young boys who suffer from a violent and fragile male ego,“we are like your mothers, if you don’t raise your hand to your mother, why are you raising your hand to your woman”, she asks?

Unfortunately, this type of attack against women is not new. Acid attacks against women are happening all over the world. There is even a campaign #SkillsNotScars that helps acid attack victims to find work. Once these women’s faces have been destroyed by men they thought loved him, many of these women suffer financially because their scars make it difficult for them to find work. The organization, Skills Not Scars empowers women and gives a platform for employment.

#SkillsNotScars is empowering acid attack survivors by helping them get jobs.

A post shared by Mic (@mic) on

Although this horrific act of violence was committed against Shondell Williamson, she continues to be positive, she believes she is a living testimony and that God has spared her life for a reason. It is obvious that her life will be used to save other women who are victims, or potential victims of this type of violence.

Thank you Shondell.

Click here to find out more about the #SkillsNotScars organization and how you can help.

Drea Maria

God’s Kid. Editor-in-Chief of Syllabus Magazine. Concerned Citizen. Gamecock. MBA. Made in Charleston.

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We are here. We are sitting, waiting, watching, reacting, in this thing we are calling the Trump era. At times it feels as if we are watching ourselves on the latest VH-1 reality show, except – this is not a show; it’s our lives. School districts across the country don’t seem to have a good grasp on how to handle education, or the lack thereof. Citizens seem to be at odd against their local police throughout America, and we don’t know if politicians are working for us, or if they’re looking out for themselves.

As a citizen, these issues seem to be spilling over and manifesting into anger, frustration, and hatred in many forms. However, most folks are simply going to social media to express their concerns. I have blogged often about how annoying it can be when people take their issues to social media, but don’t show up in the community to act on the very thing their complaining about online. Complaining about politics and not doing anything about it seems to be everyone’s new favorite past time.

Today I watched the video below and was completely impressed by comedian Dave Chapelle. As an A-list celebrity, currently on tour, with a multi-million dollar netflix series about to hit television, one would assume that Dave wouldn’t concern himself with what is going on in local politics. However, if we made that assumption we would be wrong.

In the video, Dave addresses an incident with the police is his quiet town of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Although Dave does thank the police department for protecting him many times, he called them out for a New Year’s Eve incident that involved police unsuccessfully using tasers in a partying crowd. Chappelle called it a, “huge gaffe”.

Dave Chappelle, being a multi-millionaire, taking the time from his very busy schedule to attend a local city counsel meeting simply made me ask the question, “if this guy can attend a city counsel meeting, then what is everyone else’s excuse?”

Don’t get me wrong, using our social media voice is cool and all – i mean taking that 45-seconds out of the day to whine about Trump is great, BUT the number one, most effective way to participate in the system is to SHOW UP. Also, yes – these meetings are boring, they are sometimes painful to watch, and often – they can embarrassing to watch. However the only way to stay informed and have the ability to 1) voice your concerns, 2) take info back to your community, 3) take action when real action needs to be taken, is to show up.

Also no! I do not attend every meeting, every week – and shout out to those of you that do, and continue to hold it down. But, even I know that I can do better – i’ve attended a few meetings this year already, but if i have some spare time i should attend more, and/or log in online since my local meetings are live streamed over the internet.

In the video Dave address council by stating that when he was younger, the citizens in his community new the police officers, knew their names, and their families. However, “now we are being policed by what feels like an alien force,” he says. Dave urges the council take advantage of the opportunity to show the world that, “local politics reigns supreme – especially in this Trump era.“

He is right! Local politics are even more important now than they ever have been. It’s time for everyone to step it up, even a little. If you haven’t gone to any meetings, start with one per month. If you go to at least one per month, try attending two or watching online – and then take that info back to your neighborhoods, share the details of the meetings on your Facebook status, discuss it on your podcasts, use the info to write letters/make phone calls to your local elected officials, and then create your plans for action. Now is the time, step up – or shut up.

Drea Maria

God’s Kid. Editor-in-Chief of Syllabus Magazine. Concerned Citizen. Gamecock. MBA. Made in Charleston.

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