The end of an era

OK. I am getting major carpal tunnel from all this typing. As the Honorable Samantha Grace would say, I am a blogging machine today! But I am bored now. DN and friends can have the last word. Color me Cindy Sheehan because I quit.

It has been a whirlwind two days(?) with the DN folks. I am truly amazed at how much energy has manifested itself from some lazy ass post I wrote several weeks ago. I guess (and this is where I get misty-eyed) that Moxie's words have gone too far. Maybe not.

I think I am humbled by how seriously DN takes themselves and they should. It just doesn't mean that I have to as well. Can you imagine if Kate Moss and every Republican politician responded to every snarky post I wrote, or to every newspaper article, TV show, book, etc. that criticized them? As far as I am concerned, some big shot at some company found my blog....witness the power of the internet: everyone can find anyone and everybody has something to say.

I created this blog as a way to shoot the shit with my peoples and use it as a showcase for all what? 3, 4, 5 of us to find the humor in life, politics and identity. I have blogged about everything from Jon Secada to airplane travel to the Don Imus incident. Nothing is out of bounds for me (or for them)...hence the name Moxie.

But shame on me for not exemplifying Unity, Love, and Respect when it came to handling the responses to my post. The sister who brought my attention to DN sent an email out over the listserve and I even wrote a blog posting about that. Then I deleted it, because it was more mean than funny.

I could have easily left the comments alone. After all, you posted on my blog, I never posted my thoughts on yours. I could have blocked anonymous posters from leaving comments. I could have deleted the posts that criticized me, but anyone can see that they are still up and you can still post. Believe it or not, I welcome dialogue because it would be criminal not to.

Black Beau put it simply, but definitively, when he said: Being in "the motherland" helped me understand how different our people REALLY are. So one Black woman doesn't like DN. Who cares? Keep doing what you do and I will keep doing what I do. Hopefully we will all do enough to change something in this world and live our lives to the fullest so that we can enjoy our transition from this life into the next one.

Greetings from the CHAIRMAN

An email from a reader: "My manager walked over as I was reading one of the blog comments from the Dangerous Negro people. He looks at my screen and asks "are you reading some more of that blank panther shit again?""

ROTFL. And now, for some more laughs. Let the sarcasm ensue. (I know I KNOW this is becoming completely irrational and immature, but I can't help it.)

1) We haven't formed an official company response on our view of capitalism (AWESOME, OFFICIAL COMPANY RESPONSE. DOES THAT COME WITH A FREE T-SHIRT? IF SO, I KNOW WHICH ONE I WANT. IT'S THE ONE WHERE YOU CELEBRATE BLACK WOMEN IN THE MOVEMENT...OH WAIT, THERE ISN'T ONE.), but in my personal opinion capitalism is what allows you to have your blog and enough free time to waste/sit around hypothesizing (NO, THAT IS NOT CAPITALISM, THAT IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH - SEE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT NO. 1) about things while people like us are actually on the ground trying to help people. Capitalism isn't perfect, but show me a regime (A PERFECT REGIME...WHY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION) that is perfect, or even one that's better. Capitalism is the way our people can get ahead in this game (REALLY? MONEY EQUALS TRUE SOCIAL JUSTICE? AND ALL THIS TIME WORKING IN A NONPROFIT..SILLY ME). Show me a socialist agenda that actually works and I'll listen. Your idealism is cute (NO, NOT CUTE; MOXIE.), however you shoud consider getting down here and fighting in the real world with the rest of us (AND BY DOWN HERE YOU MEAN? I AM NORTH OF KY, SO I SEE WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM GEOGRAPHICALLY).

2) How are we sexist, homophobic, and uninclusive of all Black culture and how can we fix it? Where is the evidence? Let's get some CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. (LET'S GET SOME CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK...IF SOMEONE ACTUALLY GAVE YOU CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, WOULD YOU TAKE IT? DOUBT IT. INSTEAD, TELL ME HOW YOU are not SEXIST AND HOMOPHOBIC. AND WOMEN WEARING YOUR SHIRTS DOESN'T COUNT.)

3) Charitable Organizations: Save Darfur, Tavis Smiley's Y2L program, various Voter Registration Programs. We also speak to children at various events and schools. (*UN APPLAUSO!*)

4) Philanthropic Policy: I agree wholeheartedly that our company has a responsibility to give back....when we make a profit. However, we are still operating on negative net income. We're only just over a year old, and we haven't paid ourselves any salary whatsoever. How do you suggest we give more than we're giving when we have nothing more to give? (Tre, this is a great question. Honestly, I appreciate your efforts. I really do. I think that my style of rhetoric rubs people the wrong way and that is perfectly understandable. For people to actually go out and be entrepreneurs is a brave thing: some fail, some succeed. Besides, just because there is no net, doesn't mean you don't have anything to give. See your own comment in line item #3.)

5) What are we doing to support our people? Well, besides starting dangerousNEGRO, we are all recent graduates from college (WHOOPEE-DEE-DO, I HAVE ONE OF THOSE DEGREE THINGIES, TOO.), and several of us are pursuing graduate degrees (GOOD...LEMME GUESS, MBAs? YOU KNOW, TRE, I WANT TO PURSUE A MFA MAYBE OR SOMETHING THAT INTEGRATES WOMEN'S STUDIES WITH THEATRE. I HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR MY THESIS. WHAT SCHOOLS ARE YOU LOOKING AT?). So first, just existing as successful, educated Black men is doing something (AND THIS IS THE KICKER: DO YOU WANT A COOKIE, OR A HIGH FIVE BECAUSE YOU MANAGED TO DO WHAT SOCIETY EXPECTED OF YOU? GREAT, I AM A BLACK WOMAN WHO IS EXISTING, NEVER BEEN TO JAIL (THOUGH I WAS ALMOST ARRESTED IN DC DURING A PROTEST AND MY DAD SAW ME ON CNN) I MANAGED TO NOT BECOME A STATISTIC AND GET PREGNANT, I AM EMPLOYED...I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE OVERCOME A LOT, BUT AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME, I AM TIRED OF HANDING EVERY BLACK MAN I MEET A COOKIE FOR HIM BEING AN UPRIGHT, EDUCATED CITIZEN). Every time I tell a white person I attend Harvard, I make a positive impact on the image of Black people in America. (You absolutely do. But in the case of most white people, just not stealing their purse or robbing their home is making a positive image on Black people. Every time I put a sentence together using correct enunciation and phonetics, I put white people awe. Tre, I can't hate on you there.) Second, I don't write blogs tearing down positive movements, so that's another way I "give back." Third, all of us volunteer on a regular basis whether it is on behalf of dN, or as individuals.

6) Our clothes are made in Louisville, KY in a place that nobody in their right mind would compare to a sweatshop, so I have no idea where you got this silly notion. (AGAIN, NOT "SILLY", "MOXIE". BELIEVE OR NOT, SWEATSHOPS DO EXIST WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, BUT WE'LL ALLOW THAT DN DOESN'T USE THEM. BUT CAN YOU TELL ME: ARE THEY AT LEAST MADE BY UNION WORKERS?) ***

7) We're starting a MOVEMENT on a national level. At least we're trying. What are you doing? (YOU'RE RIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN...I AM REALLY A 36-YR OLD WHITE GUY WHO LIVES AT HOME WITH HIS PARENTS, AGNES AND BURT. I AM EMPLOYED PART TIME AT A LOCAL PIZZA HUT AS A PIZZA MAKER. I WOULD BE A DELIVERY DRIVER, BUT THE STATE TOOK MY LICENSE AWAY BECAUSE I GOT CAUGHT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MAD DOGG AND OXYCOTINS...FOR THE 10TH TIME. I CREATE FAKE BLOGS AND MYSPACE PAGES IN AN EFFORT TO MEET BLACK PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM MY FRIENDS. I AM SORRY. I CAN'T KEEP THIS CHARADE UP ANY LONGER. MY COURT-APPOINTED THERAPIST SAYS THAT I SHOULDN'T USE SARCASM AND HUMOR TO HIDE MY PAIN ANYMORE. "WHAT AM I DOING?" YOU'RE RIGHT...I AM DOING NOTHING.)Again, feel free to contact me personally if you actually want to get some facts before you write another ignorant response with no facts and no constructive suggestions (INSTEAD OF HAVING WOMEN WEAR YOUR SHIRTS, PUT THEM ON YOUR SHIRTS).

***Blogger note: If one were to refer to my original post on this subject, you will see that I link to a company called Bella. This company makes the actual shirts in question; maybe they are printed in KY. Bella's corporate HQ is in LA, which definitely has sweatshops. And while the company has a nice blurb about social responsibility, it's labor practices have yet to assessed by the proper organizations. I'm just saying.

Tre Baker
tre@dangerousnegro.com

Seriously, Tre: I want to see more Black women celebrated on your shirts. I want to see men wearing these shirts. I want Black to reflect Afro-Latino culture...we came from Africa, too. Oh yes, and Meeks Mind...that is what I thought was a subsidiary. That stuff is questionable and sexist and homophobic. I will also say that DN is not sexist and homophobic per se...rather it seems noninclusive of these groups that clearly exist within the Black community. Last thing: what's with the product descriptions? I find it humorous at best that your company pretty much discourages fat women from buying baby tees. That's a little chauvinistic, no?

Panama Pete's Poignant Punch

Hats off to Panama Pete for taking some time to answer my questions (Yes, the DN people go to middle schools for FREE and I was wrong: the sexist and homophobic stuff is another site that is linked on the DN page.). I'd like to think that the DangerousNEGRO people are giving me more credit than I deserve. Wow...with a readership of like three people, I didn't realize just how impactful I was to commerce and online shopping.

Thanks, PP and DN for making a girl feel special.

Besos,
Moxie

P.S. This whole thing has been so enlightening, I'm giving DangerousNEGRO it's own LABEL.

DangerousNEGRO lashes back

I'm getting more feedback from DangerousNEGRO fans. OK...well, just one more comment. But whatever. Apparently my cynical post about their enterprise is perceived as unsupportive of Black men, ill-informed, negative, etc. etc.

However, I have yet to be corrected on how they are NOT:
- supporting a capitalist regime
- homophobic
- sexist
- uninclusive of all Black culture

Or, what they are really doing to support the Black community. Such as:
- amount of charitable giving to organizations whose mission it is to uplift, support, educate, etc. Afterall, if you make money off of people, shouldn't you at least give some back?

- other philanthropic efforts: are they in schools, are they on the streets? I mean what are they doing...key word "doing" not "selling" to support our people?

And I suppose I could come up with some sort of response, but really my rationale stands. Moxie is one out of a kajillion Black people in the world that doesn't like DangerousNEGRO. So what? I don't want to support these brothers as they have said I should be doing. The minute "brothers" start "supporting" "sisters" then we can talk about me spending my hard earned money on a t-shirt made in a sweatshop....because the key to Black empowerment is bought and sold apparently.


But this is exciting. Fostering dialogue...it's what I do.

The closest thing to hate mail so far!

And I am sooo excited! This means I have more readers! OR Black Beau forwarded this to his friend. Hmmm....But anyway, I got this comment in response to a previous posting.

A few points of clarification:
1) The "new company" you refer to is in no way, shape, or form connected to
dangerousNEGRO, so let's squash that rumor. dangerousNEGRO has no
subsidiaries.
2) Black does not refer to only African Americans. Nowhere on the company
website does it say or infer that we subscribe to that notion. Two of our founders are African, so it would make no sense for us to exclude them or any other Black people.
3) dangerousNEGRO is not only for so called "conscious" individuals, but
all Black people. People who are already conscious are our main target, true,
but we also want to reach other individuals to make consciousness more mainstream. Consciousness is about being aware, not about subscribing to some stereotypical construct of what a so-called conscious negro should be. Every Black person who is socially aware does not have to be like Talib Kweli. The definition of a dangerousNEGRO is more diverse than that.
4) Try contacting us for any questions you may have about our company or our mission before hating on your brothers. If nothing else, try to get the facts straight first.

Feel free to email me personally

Tre Bakertre@dangerousnegro.com

Wow! Can you believe it?? This is like hate mail and you know who gets hate mail? Famous people. I am practically famous. Done and done. Let self-satisfied smugness ensue.

I'm afraid of Dangerous Negro

So a sorority sister of mine sent out this email about her brother's new company, which is a subsidiary/affiliate of this other company, DangerousNegro. Apparently, DN is the rage amongst "conscious" young Negros. Being a supportive sister, t-shirt fan, and "conscious" Negress, I visited the DN site and found some of the apparel cute.

Buuuuuuut, upon looking further, I decided that DN is not dangerous enough and I have deemed it the product of a Black man (or men) that has not fully grasped feminist principles and perceives cash money as an indicator of racial equity. Thus, putting screeching brakes on their self-described "movement".

Why Dangerous Negro is nothing to be afraid of:
- They are definitely not dangerous like the real Dangerous Negro;
- They monopolize the term, "Black" so that it only refers to African-Americans. Meaning that should Papa Moxie would have liked to purchase a shirt, he would not because he was not African-American, he was Afro-Latino, yet Black as the day is long;
- The material of the subsidiary company borders on homophobic and sexist, so they're unconscious in those departments;
- They use apparel that does not come out as clearly and absolutely anti-sweatshop;
- AND finally, the apparel is shown being worn by some Black entertainers that I would certainly describe as less than "conscious", but certainly dangerous....to themselves and the sanity of the Black community.

Don't worry white people, these Dangerous Negroes won't have you shaking in your boots. Normal, privileged behavior can resume. False alarm.