The Fahari Libertad Magazine

Check Out Our "Call It A Renaissance" Issue!!

2012-01-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More arts

Check out our "In [Blank]'s Name, ... Or Not?" Issue!!

2011-09-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More april may 2011

Check out our Eargasm Issue!!

2011-04-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More fahari

A Stroll Through My iPod

2011-04-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Jada Young, Historian

What would I do without my iPod? It keeps me in my own personal zone while walking to class; it works as my own personal force-field when I don’t want to sit near anyone while at Hasbrouck and it lets me bask in my amazing musical taste. So I want to introduce you guys to the wonder that is my iPod. My baby is an 8 Gig, touch-screen iPod, when you look at it, you might think it’s just like any other iPod in the world, but mine is special: by virtue of it beingmine! Even though the time now is 11:50pm, my iPod claims that it is currently 8:59pm. I’m just too lazy to fix the time. It’s been that way for a few weeks now. Going through the “Artists” section, I have everyone from Aerosmith to Bette Midler, to Kanye West, to Lauryn Hill, to Willow Smith.

I would consider myself to have very eclectic taste in music. But, my iPod is not only limited to music, as it were. My baby also contains John Lennon interviews as well as Malcolm X, Winston Churchill, Mother Theresa, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speeches. It also contains slam poetry from a very amazing, talented, Joshua Brandon Bennett. I won’t sit here and lie and make it seem as if everything in my iPod is socially conscious, because it definitely is not. One of the most played music files on both my iPod and my iTunes is “Stu’s Song” from The
Hangover. I’m also a Nicki Minaj, Drake and Beyonce glutton. Sometimes after all the thinking that I have to do as a college student and as a human being, the excess thoughts need to be neutralized by some booty shaking, sexually explicit music.

For the rest of this article and more of this issue visit our Issuu Page

Interesting article on race via The Black Agenda Report

2010-03-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

A government and society that is ever ready to restrict the freedoms of Black folks now offers “freedom” from Blackness. This census and social “opt-out” for the progeny of interracial couples allows them to hope to be considered “as something entirely separate, different and apart from” what Curtis Mayfield called the “dark deep well.” The Black “baggage” can be left behind.

The Multiracial Sheep is the White Supremacist Fox

by Jared A. Ball, Ph.D.

“More people born to interracial couples are happily accepting the racial placebo of ‘multiracial’ and multiple racial choices as official census categorization.”

Let’s be very clear from the outset. Multiracial categorization is an aggressive defense of white supremacy. Multiracial census categorization, particularly in the era of what some are calling the first Black and multiracial president, is, pun-intended, the bulked up steroid-induced version of the old sports aphorism that “the best defense is a good offense.” By aggressively encouraging younger generations to identify officially as multiracial the national desire to disappear worsening racial divides gets further juice by offering folks a chance to both adopt the illusion of the “post-racial” and to seemingly categorize themselves away from, if not out of, oppression. The beautiful dialectic traditionally developed in this country’s form of white supremacy was its built-in inability to be white and forced inclusion into Black which has made Black America, if even to a fault, among the most diverse, open and accepting communities in the world. It also increased the potential that that community would become more threatening to white domination which has led to the centuries-long development of neocolonial-styled light-skin privilege as a mechanism of siphoning off some of the more willing participants in an escape from blackness.

This continues and now in the form of official racial category. No longer, as a recent USA Today story suggests, will younger people be forced or even encouraged to see themselves as light-skinned extensions of Curtis Mayfield’s “dark deep well,” but as something entirely separate, different and apart from. Younger generations are being encouraged in far greater percentages to accept forms of, what some academics call, hyperdescent, or degrees of identity up the so-called racial caste scale.

“Black America is, if even to a fault, among the most diverse, open and accepting communities in the world.”

As we have previously described, there is a general delusion happening where the material conditions of Black people are worseningwhile assumptions of progress among Black people are increasing. Similarly, we have also recently discussed, that there is right now are-inscription of America’s racial slavery caste system forcibly locking Black Americans into permanent recessions and entombment at the bottom rungs of the nation’s social or colonial pyramid. So it seems equally alarming that more people born to interracial couples are happily accepting the racial placebo of “multiracial” and multiple racial choices as official census categorization.

As the 2010 census is disseminated nationally this month it brings with it all the old baggage of the enterprise, that is, it is used to mask gross inequality in distribution of national wealth, the locked-down gerrymandered political districts designed to assure that this fraudulent “two-party” system remains safely intact, and the sweeping under the rug of stolen prisoners who when caught up in an equally unjust system of mass incarceration are disappeared into distant regions and used to bolster the economic and electoral strength of their captors communities while not, of course, being able themselves to access any of the benefit they help to create by their incarceration.

National offerings of mobility in racial category, combined with a president whose multiracial background is used more to blunt discussions of racial inequality than to make them known and addressed, will further allow white supremacy to go unchecked and, therefore, to become more invisible and ultimately powerful. Self-identification is, of course, personal and ultimately up to the individual. But racial categorization is decidedly political and, therefore, means a responsibility that goes beyond any one person’s private choice. The history and current structure of race in this country and its impact materially on Black people who don’t have the immaterial option to be categorized out of their blackness nor the material option of avoiding that category’s real-life meaning in this society demands that we who are offered the devil’s hand up reject it and remain happily categorized with the those in our families whoare our family and who are not able to escape the ravages of being fixed to the racial floor.

BloggersUnite for Haiti // Bloggers Unite

2010-02-15T15:14:00.001-08:00

BloggersUnite for Haiti // Bloggers Unite

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When the Revolution Comes!!!

2010-02-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

Professor Thompson played this song in class last week in class. Gil Scott Heron is the greatest along with the other Last Poets. Since then i filled my mp3 player with all my last poets songs. So when you see me walking around campus with earphones on you know what i'm listening to.

According to the Last Poets "When the revolution comes afros gone be trying to straighten their heads and straightened heads gone be tryin to wear afros," so we are in the midst of a revolution. Many may not believe this but shit is going down everywhere but we just don't see it on mainstream media.

What i'm going to try and do here is give yall readers real news that you aren't going to hear on CNN,FOX, etc.

Clean Out Your Toolbox!

2009-11-12T10:31:00.001-08:00

By: Stephanie Sanchez, President

Why do women stay with men who cheat? Why do they stay with men who lie? Why do they bother with men who constantly disrespect and disregard them? And even worse, WHY DO THEY THINK THAT TAKING THEM ON A REALITY TELEVISION SHOW WILL FIX THEM?! I have recently stumbled upon a VH1 reality television show called “The Tool Academy” and I must say, I am slightly disturbed! These women have managed to hang on to the biggest losers this country has ever seen, and wonder why these men aren't exactly “boyfriend material.”

The show comes off almost like a Charm School, except that these men are far beyond repair. They have big mouths, huge egos, outrageous haircuts, and beautiful women that are stuck on them. The men are fooled into thinking they are on a show to flex their muscles, strip, drink, and act like man whores. Little do they know they are stuck in a relationship boot camp with their furious girlfriends. The men are given “Tool” names like “Tat Tool,” “Loud Tool,” etc, but they are all the same cheating, lying, good-for-nothing men. The worst part is that the women seemed surprised to find out they have been dating an asshole!

These men are not even good at trying to hide the fact that they are selfish, egotistical bums. That is until VH1 offers them 100,000 to change their ways. So can you teach an old dog new tricks? Perhaps, but in this case they are just bribing these men to treat these women right. Why would you want to be with someone who needs to be motivated by money to actually be a decent boyfriend to you? I could never fathom putting up with any of these men as long as these girls have.

These women are actually beautiful women who have no reason in the world to be desperate. They have set their standards entirely too low. It is insulting that this show would try to help these women stay with these terrible men. Instead they should be empowering these women to get the courage to leave these tools behind. These men do nothing more than break these women’s hearts and abuse them. If it were my show, I would be calling it CLEAN OUT YOUR TOOLBOX! So I decided to create a little list to know when you should clean out your tool box.

1. He flirts with every girl but you.
2. He blatantly cheats on you...over....and over....and over....and over again.
3. He looks at himself more in the mirror than he looks at you.
4. He thinks that “the gun show” will turn you on.
5. He says one thing and does another.
6. He talks down to you like you are his child.
7. He talks about himself too much and never finds time to listen.
8. He is manipulative and always makes you seem like the crazy one.
9. He tries to run your life – tells you what to wear, who to talk to, or who to go out with.
10. He tells you not to go out at all, but he is out every night.
11. He is rude, disrespectful, and a complete embarrassment to you.

Get it together ladies! Stop letting these men run and ruin your lives! THEY ARE NOT WORTH IT! And if you know you are dating a jerk, please stop trying to change them!

Now, don’t take this article as me being a man hater because that is not the case. I just think that every woman deserves a man who will treat her like a queen. So please just raise your standards, and if you’re dating a tool, then CLEAN OUT YOUR TOOL BOX!

Sankofa of a Failed White Man

2009-04-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

By Justin Hubbell, Contributing Writer

"I used to want to change the world. Now I just want to leave the room with a little dignity."
-Lotus Weinstock

Aint that the truth? I'll be god damned if doing the right thing isn't the hardest game I've ever played. When I say "doing the right thing," I'm not talking about being kind to people, because there are plenty of people who believe they're doing their civic duty by being nice all the time. What a load of garbage.

Being nice. Not hurting anyone. No yelling. Politeness. Nice.
If you can't hold up to these standards, then smoke enough pot to make it happen.

At the end of the day, you get to hazily raise your fist and croon, "hey man I'm doing my part."

If this isn't enough, then try going to three or four events, or if you're really radical, then try joining a group on campus. Yeah.
If all else fails, find Jesus and save yourself.
Or if you're not into religion, find Obama and save yourself.
I digress. When I began college, I wanted "to do the right thing." I joined the NAACP. Like many people who want "to do the right thing," I was completely oblivious. My brow was in a perpetual state of corrugation. I couldn't comprehend why we never discussed any issue apart from the African American community.

Well. There's actually quite a difference between "colored people" and "people of color." Go figure. I jumped ship when the opportunity presented itself and joined The Fahari-Libertad.

This is where I waged war against Whitey. Slightly more educated, I went to work at drawing satirical attacks against the WASP society. Too dangerous, the comics were censored. The result was a monstrosity, a self-explaining, self-deprecating pile of badly rendered horse shit.

Am I not an artist? Am I not "to do the right thing"? How dare they castrate my work! I jumped ship again. In fact I got a chartered flight this time. I made my own group. I'll add that at this point, I was even more educated.

"Whites Against Racism." Hell yeah. Fucking radical, man. Eat that shit.
It was my idea. I was the president.
And in all seriousness, what a great name.

The beauty of "Whites Against Racism" was that you knew exactly who was supposed to join and why. But, of course, a group like that can't operate unless everyone is comfortable, so we became "Students Against Racism."

Woof.

That wasn't my decision. That was the collective decision. The majority. I'm going to go off on another tangent and say that if you decide to ever become a leader, then own the title and lead. Leaders are vital to communities, and groups. The power of a leader is that if the group catches hell, you can blame everything on one person. The leader is held accountable, and the people behind the group get off the hook. If you're not a good leader, however, then none of your efforts will matter.

I wasn't a good enough leader, so I allowed the group to become a democracy. Long story short, it wasn't even a democracy so much as a group therapy session. And to make a shorter story shorter, it wasn't group therapy so much as an exclusive soap box hand-out. When it was your time to speak in that group, you spoke. And if it wasn't, then fuck it. And some people didn't get time, and other people didn't want time, and everyone who wandered in the room promptly left.

The most we ever accomplished was a showing of a film. Unless of course you count the time we went to an anti-racism workshop to collect our official "I-went-to-the-anti-racism-workshop" certificate. This semester, I threw in my towel, and the group caved in on itself. I told you it was my idea, after all. Every time I see an ex-member, I tremble with my White Guilt™. How could I? I was "doing the right thing," and I quit.

Here's another quote for you:
"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
-Harvey Dent from The Dark Knight

The fact of the matter is that you can't "do the right thing" and live comfortably. The people I know who are actually doing the right thing are some of the most reckless, masochistic people I know. Not a single one of them goes to SUNY New Paltz by the way. If they accomplish something, then they wipe the sweat from their brows and get back to work. No certificates, no plaques, no "give yourself a hand." These people throw themselves at their work.

I can't do that. I don't have the energy. I'm definitely too horny. And when I'm dead, I better have gotten my rectangular piece of wood with brass accessory. I want that plaque. I know now what I have to do, in order to do the right thing. I can't do it yet, not in college.

I'm too comfortable in college. I'm going to need some money though. Fuck.

Nothing is Harder than Thug Love

2009-04-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

by Ruben Sanchez, Contributor

So I was on the train the other day bumping my iPod, making sure I didn’t get robbed for all my fly gear and all when I hear these two dudes in the train talking about Lupe Fiasco. So I turn down my earphones because I figure this is going to be an interesting conversation and it actually ended up being pretty ridiculous! Now this may not be the most direct quote but it went something like “Lupe is a faggot b. He don’t be up in the clubs, he don’t be rappin’ ‘bout bitches, none of these dumb bitches b. He don’t rap ‘bout nuthin that I’m interested in so what am I listening for? He just sounds like fag. Weezy, Jeezy, Jigga! Those are my niggaz, real niggaz…they ain’t about that gay shit that Lupe is on, they talk about that real shit.” Now I don’t know what the dude meant when he said “real” but I’m assuming we had very different definitions of the word.

Then I got to thinking, don’t these rappers do some gay ass, questionable shit themselves? Rappers are constantly participating in activities that can be easily perceived as gay and not even realize it. I’m just saying, when everyone was walking around with their pants hanging off their asses and grabbing their crotch all the time, it was considered a pretty “hood” or “thugged out” thing to do. Having your pants so far below the waist level is just giving people a lot to look at and if Hip-Hop is so homophobic, it may need to take a look in the mirror and look at how homoerotic it can be.

You would think with some of the shit that goes down in Hip-Hop, rappers would be moving away from such a homophobic culture and be embracing the culture of homosexuals. In fact, maybe it already is making that move! Maybe hip-hop artists don’t have any room in their lyrics for it, but their behavior is a different case.

Let’s take one of the most revolutionary artists of our time as an example…T-PAIN! In an online interview with School of Hip Hop (SOHH), T-Pain gives SOHH a rundown of the 5 women he would and would not have sex with. In his list of the 5 women that he would not sleep with, Kim Kardashian was on the list because “not too many people can go after Ray J” of course referring to the infamous sex tape of Kim Kardashian and Ray-J. T-Pain continued to profess his admiration for Ray-J by saying things like “he has a huge meat man…the man is packing…he has length on him…he’s got a foot on him.” You would think that T-Pain would show more discretion than that when being recorded and knowing full well that millions of people are going to see the video but maybe he knew full well what he was doing. Now this statement can obviously be perceived as a “homo” thing to say but T-Pain, being the genius that we all know, has managed to band aid the situation by saying “much respect Ray…man to man, no homo.” Apparently everyone who commented on the video missed the no homo part and called him gay repeatedly. Maybe the Hip-Hop world isn’t ready to hear one man compliment another man on their manhood.

As some of you may be aware of and it seems to be the consensus of the Hip-Hop world at this current point and time that Lil’ Wayne aka Weezy is the greatest rapper alive. Yes, I know, I was shocked too to hear this too. In fact, I am still in disbelief! Lil’ Wayne seems to have taken on his maverick persona and taken on the challenge of defeating homophobia as well. When pictures were released of Wayne kissing his “daddy” aka Birdman on the lips many, people were appalled and quite disturbed for the Hip-Hop world. Now some of you might be thinking “Ruben, I think I know where you’re heading with this, don’t you think you’re going too far? That was just some thug love they showed each other right?” Well first we would have to define “thug love.” If you mean closeted homosexual behavior of men who think they’re hard or actually are the hard and “gangsta,” then sure, it was thug love! I think Lil’ Wayne and Birdman were the perfect couple to go against the grain, considering their reputation. I mean, the fact is that Lil’ Wayne calls Birdman, a man who is not related to Wayne by blood, his “daddy.” Birdman even has a tattoo of Wayne on his chest, now that can be perceived as gay but Wayne ignored the haters and recorded a song called “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy.” This is why he is the greatest rapper alive people! Wayne just seems to prove over and over how original he is in music, persona, and sexuality.

Now for one of my favorite rappers, DMX was one of those who decided to let their pants sag their pants and always wore either a wifebeater or no shirt at all! He would invest more into underwear than he would actual clothing. Now if you don’t really remember, DMX’s public persona was this thugged out, rough, rugged, and intimidating individual in the rap game but no one thought, “Man! DMX sure does like showing off his ass and his body a lot, that’s gay as hell!” In DMX’s song “What’s My Name,” he raps “SUCK MY DICK! And while you niggas that’s been to jail before know it’s about to get thick!” Now is it me or does that seem like aside from the blatant “SUCK MY DICK!” and then follow by talking about inmates and saying “it’s about to get thick” sound like a gay thing to say? Talk about going against the grain! But DMX’s image comes from a place much deeper – prison culture. In prison, it is damn near necessary for a man to maintain their reputation and position and that means being tough, threatening, and physical with people. Prison deprives an individual of their sexual needs and in order to satisfy those needs, inmates turn to what is closest to them to fulfill those needs – other inmates. So it really isn’t all that surprising to hear something like this from DMX, especially after that video he did with Sisqo, it was a wrap after that!

It’s pretty obvious that it is hypocritical of Hip-Hop to be homophobic because of the homoerotic behavior that can be seen in Hip-Hop culture. Homoerotic images of Hip-Hop artist can be seen in your Hip-Hop magazines, album covers, pretty much anything that has a rapper posing for a camera with his shirt off flexing his muscles. Artists strive to maintain the most masculine image possible which charges their homophobia, but their actions parallel what they fear.

F@CK THE REVOLUTION - ALL "4" NOTHING

2009-04-23T16:10:00.001-07:00

By: Vixon "V-Jay" John, President

I thought things were going to change, but it’s the same song, played on a different instrument. I would call myself an activist (notice, I didn’t use the word “label”). I feel when I talk about making moves on campus or creating unity to the “leaders,” the message falls on deaf ears. What’s the point of saying that we all need to come together and unite, then when it actually comes to making it happen, nobody wants to respond?

After the drastic budget cuts that effected mainly the organizations of color during Spring ’07 and hearing everyone complain and argue about its injustice, I’ve been preaching about how all of these groups need to come together and increase communication. Being proactive about these issues are more important than waiting for something to happen. This is when my idea for SAPC (Student Association for People of Color) came to life. Wanting to counter the SUNY New Paltz Student Association, my idea was for SAPC to become the underlying hub for all the organizations of color to increase communication and finally promote the unity that we need. Seeing that I didn’t want this coalition to be recognized by the Student Association, it was supposed to act as a general understanding for all these groups that it’s time to get our shit together.

To make a long story short, I got one other person to help me out (thanks Wonder Woman) and we did make some leeway by being recognized at Black Solidarity Day, at a few programs and by only one organization (Much love to AWA!). But, when it came to us having meetings and actually getting down to work (which wasn’t hard work) however, NOBODY would show up for our meetings or participate to help achieve our goals of unity. There were times a few people came out (the highest number being nine), but for the most part, people preached the same hymns of “we gotta come together” and “it’s time to get things done.” Safe to say, these same people didn’t come to another meeting. What happened to the passion that these so called “activists” had when shit was hitting the fan? I thought that by creating SAPC, there would finally be something for all of us to use to come together instead of working separately. Guess I was wrong.

On this campus, we have so many resources of information and connections with organizations outside of the campus to start a real revolution; a revolution of progress. Whichever cause we believe in, there is an organization on campus that supports that cause and helps to make a difference. This whole revolution thing is not impossible, it’s just people don’t want to commit the work necessary in making it happen. We all seem to be traveling in different circles, but never merging (like those van diagrams you use to do in elementary school). This could be due to our egos getting in the way or the disparity between those who are too involved and those who hardly involved at all. Every program I go to, the same “activists” come out and the same ol’ song of unity is sung, but now, it’s time to stop preaching to the choir, but to start teaching the choir how to preach. It’s these hypocrites that make me feel that my journey of getting into activism and fighting for change was all for nothing.
I was talking to an old activist friend that I haven’t seen in a while and I explained to her about how the real activists that are left on campus are doing everything and there is only a few people showing interest in carrying on the activist legacy New Paltz is known for. It was so good to talk to someone who actually understood where I was coming from. I realized that I’ve been so active for these past couple of years that I haven’t given a chance for other people to step up and take over. I’ve been trying to hold onto the torch for so long, but I need to start handing it off to the upcoming revolutionaries, whom will have to go through the same trials and tribulations that I went through. I can only hope and pray that this new age of activists coming up in this school (wherever they are) don’t get into activism and suffer the same fate I have.

But in the end, I guess you were right, Florest…

American Dream

2009-03-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

By Shatera Gurganious, Staff Writer

Can I be anything I want to be?

Can it be true that anything is possible so long as I work hard?

How is it that everyone is chasing their dreams, while my people are running away from life?

How can I achieve anything I want with obstacles in my way?

Where is this so called “American Dream?”

People say anything is possible in this country of mine. And yes it’s true that some people start with nothing and end up reaching their goals. But I can’t help but think about all the people that have been working hard their whole lives just to get nowhere. So I see no American Dream. I know no one with a “Rags to Riches” story. All I know is rags to rags.

When the American Dream is mentioned, people neglect the fact that there are OBSTACLES in the way. Yes I’m in college, which will hopefully stop this detrimental cycle for me and my family. But what about all of the people that drop out of school because they have no hope for the future? They see how screwed up the system is and aren’t motivated enough to even try to disrupt it. But what’s the point of going to school to get a degree if no one will hire you? I don’t completely agree with this mentality but I can see why people think this way. A lack of progress breeds a lack of hope.

Where is the American Dream? It doesn’t exist. Living day by day, hand to mouth is how most Americans live their lives. When people speak of the American Dream they fail to realize all the social implications. Not everyone can get a great education and excel, contrary to what they tell us. This American Dream that people speak of doesn’t apply to my people. The society that we live in still isn’t accepting and minus the few success stories the bad outweigh the good.

I’m so sick of society placing blame on individuals that don’t have much control over their situations. Living in a poor neighborhood leads to attending poor schools which accounts for the high dropout rate. Also, why should you be motivated to do well in school when there is quick money to be made? This mentality isn’t productive but it is prevalent enough for us to stop and realize that it’s not the individual, it’s the system. Blaming people by saying that they’re lazy or that they don’t try hard enough isn’t sufficient for me.

You need to have money to make money and if you start out with nothing, most likely you will end up with nothing. It is a comforting idea that in this country you can be whatever you want. But it is false. Some people have an unfair disadvantage compared to others. How can we possibly win this race when we’re blindfolded with our hands tied behind our backs meanwhile others unfairly get a head start? Working hard is supposed to pay off. I’d like to see a day when that is actually the truth. Until then, the “American Dream” is a lie.

The Global Warming “Hoax”

2009-03-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

By Saki Rizwana, Staff Writer

Global warming… Who doesn’t like to talk about it? Every time the weather’s a little bad – “Well, it must be global warming that’s causing such cold winters,” or “It must be global warming’s fault that summer never seems to come.” Global warming, global warming, global warming…

And then there are those who don’t believe in it. There are websites dedicated to this (www.globalwarminghoax.com). As a very dear professor of mine once said, “Humans give themselves too much credit… We’re in a natural warming period.”

Basically, we should just chalk it all up to Mother Nature going through her warming and cooling cycles. It can’t be the massive amounts of greenhouse gases we’re putting into the air or the waste we’re producing each year.

I come from a small country called Bangladesh – tiny little country (slightly larger than the size of New York State actually) – located northeast of India. Bangladesh is one of the places that have lost a large amount of land due to Mother Nature’s “warming cycle.” Crops have been ruined due to massive droughts and homes have been ruined by terrible floods. Bangladesh’s normal rainy season has gotten shorter in duration, but more severe in the past decade or so. Some might attribute this to the natural progression of the universe. Bangladesh is plagued by serious desertification, ozone layer protection and deforestation. Bangladesh is also severely overpopulated (though only about two thousand square miles bigger than New York State, its population, as of 2008, was 153,546,896, whereas New York had a mere 19,490,297 people). The carbon dioxide exhaled by such a large population alone (added with the deforestation rate) should be enough to cause global warming!

Bangladesh has one of the worst waste problems I’ve ever seen. Forget recycling – it’s a wholly, unheard phenomenon. There is horrible waste everywhere! It contaminates water lines, leading to various diseases. Trash, handled the way it is in Bangladesh, can be very harmful to people as well as the environment. This isn’t the natural progression; human beings have sped up Mother Nature’s warming process by quite a bit!

For those who don’t believe in global warming and think it’s just a hoax, think again. Even if this is the natural progression and we are in a warming period, should we rape the planet of all its resources? Should we be so wasteful and not think about the consequences? The effects our actions will have on future generations? We should keep this in mind the next time we leave the lights on without being in the room or leave the water on while we brush our teeth or decide to not recycle bottles. Our actions matter and every little thing has the potential of having far-reaching effects!

Fakin’ da Funk

2009-03-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

By Jessica Coleman, Vice President

Aright, I’m half embarrassed to write this because I’m about to put myself out there in a way that I’m not sure I’m ready to do… but here I go…

I like Degrassi! …There I said it! I don’t know how it happened. All I remember is my friend Colete would watch it and talk about how good it was. And every time I would clown on her for it. You know, like a straight G (*laughin like Crazy Legs in Don’t Be a Menace*)! I didn’t have to see it to know it was to be clowned on…

But then, one day back when I had cable, there wasn’t really anything on and I stopped there… and something happened… Man it was good, aright! I’m not proud of it… it just happened. Okay, so now you know, let’s move past that.

I’m sure many of you out there probably don’t know the show. It’s set in Canada (strike 1) and it’s a mostly white cast (strike 2) and of course the Black kid not only played ball, but he ends up getting shot up, paralyzed, and in a wheel chair for the remainder of the show (at the fault of his white best friend!)! I know that should be a strike out but I was already wrapped up in it by the time all that happened.

So this Black kid, his name on the show was Jimmy. I liked Jimmy. I mean maybe that was heavily related to him being the Black kid, but still he was cool. He wasn’t your typical Black character strung out on some shit, or shooting people up, or anything of the sort. He was the other side of the spectrum that they like to show us – the Black man to aspire to be. Jimmy was the good guy, came from money but was still down to earth. Who couldn’t love Jimmy?

So I’m facebook livin one day and I come across some lyrics that I don’t know. They sound pretty horrid, so I google them to get to the bottom of this. I see that they come from a song called “Ransom” by Lil Wayne and some dude called Drake. I have no idea who this “Drake” guy is. So I youtube him. I see this face that I recognize so I wikipedia the dude...

Low and behold, it’s mo-effin Jimmy!! I’m like you gots to be kidding me!! Nice little Jimmy in the wheelchair is now Drake the gangsta! He starts the song talking about him being high. (Whatever, do you wodie, I ain’t mad at you for that. That’s probably bout the lowest type shit the celebs be dippin in anyways.) But then he goes on saying things about “a nigga spit crack, bag it tight” and “I could son you, see a little me in yo dad” and don’t forget “she might have to pay me but I dick her down free.”

For me, this is one of those things that make you go “hmmm”… Now I understand that Aubrey (oh, ps, his real name is Aubrey) was “acting” while on Degrassi and there’s no way you can say that’s how he would be in real life. That I can grasp; no prob. But, he’s comin OD gangsta in this song and I just feel like, how gangsta of an upbringing could you have experienced when in your teen years you were playing good ol Jimmy from down the street on Degrassi.

Now following that same logic, it makes me believe that Aubrey was, in fact, not gangsta and that this is an image that he is utilizing on which to capitalize off of. And unfortunately, for the sake of music, young Aubrey is far from the only poser out there!

Rap music for years has been based upon falsehoods. How the average rapper comes up talking about how much they struggled then soon as they get money that's all they can talk about and of course what they're spending that money on. Everybody is saying the same shit!

It's like damn, your life is really that damn boring that this is all you can talk about. And we are so mindless that we'll sit there and eat it up so that they can make more money off it and talk even more about how much more money they got! If it ain't money then they're boastin and braggin about broads, Benzs, bottles, bullets, bling, beatin busters, and other bullshit!

What's the damn purpose?! If ya are so damn hood, then ya must know what's good in the hood, well really, what ain't good in the hood! You say you came up from it... what are you doing for it? Talkin about this bullshit isn't doin a damn thing for those comin up in places like the ones ya left!

People of color styck in those places are disproportionately poor, unemployed, they're arrested more, and have higher rates of unwed pregnancies. They also have much lower marriage, graduation, and home ownership rates. Why don't our artists talk about this stuff? ...Why do we call them artists??

Art is meant to have a purpose. Look at the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and '70s. We had our people bringing light to our condition-people like Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, and Askia Touré. These women and men realized that Black art, by necessity, has to have a function or it isn't art. The same is true with the emergence of Hip Hop culture.

Why do we even have Hip Hop and rap? This culture emerged out of the Black Power era, when we were letting white folks know that we're proud of who we are and we don't deserve this unfair treatment. You had people like Kurtis Blow talkin about "The Breaks" and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 giving us "The Message", Slick Rick's "Children's Story" and Brother D with Collective Effort was askin us "How We Gonna Make the Black Nation Rise?" The founders reminded us that we are a people of kings and queens and gave us a beat to rock wit!

I won't front like there weren't more fun, less political tracks out there too but that can't be all we're willing to get down with! We got some real shit goin on today, just like they did way back when... let us not forget "they" is "us"... Black folks. We been at the bottom of the barrel for centuries. Since they started snatchin our ancestors from our motherland (humanity's motherland! Can I get a Amen!) for their economic gains! Now, bout 400 years have past and everybody wanna get gassed cuz we got one Black man in office so things must be gettin better... get real!

We still got the most of the worst and the least of the best! Let's talk about that shit! Right now rappers just feed into the same garbage ass system that keeps us where we at. Maybe ya are cool with being used as the exceptions to the poor Black rule but because there's so few of us with your kind of scrilla ya got these kids out here tryin to emulate your ignorant ass ways to get where ur at and keep the bullshit alive and kickin! Why we all can't eat? Why can't music be made for the art, with a purpose? Today, most times I hear the average rapper try to make a political statement or write a song that says some "real shit" I'm usually laughing at them right with white America! (Although when Kanye said Bush hates Black people it was kind of a mix. I don't really like that dude and he looked mad lost when he said it so I was laughing at that... but it was real talk so I was with him on it too. You get 1 kudo for the attempt!) But when I hear that Young Jeezy put out an album about the economy, man say I'm hatin if you want, but there can be nothing good about that!

We need to expect more from our so called artists. We know what's going on in our communities and they know too. We can't continue to accept nonsense! It's definitely cool to enjoy ourselves and have music to help us do that, but why do we put up with shit that degrades us-our women particularly-and encourages the actions that keep us down as a people? It doesn't get us anywhere and it just puts these pussies up on a pedestal!

"What Do Women Want"

2009-03-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

By: Marcus Scott, Guest Staff Writer

From Third World countries to suburbanite badlands, from business-savvy feminist and lavender menace to trophy wives and cake winners, women have helped shape the very vessel of humanity through their diehard efforts in philanthropy, modern medicine, astrophysics, mathematics, education, and their battle with equal rights—women don’t ask for much, right?

Women today have been the victims of modern day lad magazines and up-to-the-minute advertisements that belittle and disparage them. Pop luminaries and talking heads have deliberated on this issue. Between the media zeitgeist battlefields of self-described “feminist bisexual egomaniac” Camille Paglia and modern-day Men’s rights activist Warren Farrell, there has been a war waged between male and female. Today, companies such as David and Goliath, which target youth culture, have been criticized by many for encouraging a battle of the sexes. With new wave slogans and jargons couching this battle, it altogether examines that men and women simply do not understand each other. Many have worked to numb this issue.

On the front line of the 21^st century, some women have resorted to a form of chauvinism, and like their predecessors, have been tagged with many slurs and stigmas, while many waves of feminist have blemished in the journey to equality and respect among their fellow genders. Names like Amazon feminist, Girly girl, Eco-feminist, and Riot-grrl have altogether slain many chances at equality and all the while flourishing the ideology that feminist Betty Friedan attacked in The Feminine Mystique, a popular notion that women during this time could only find fulfillment through childbearing and homemaking. Her New York Times obituary said this philosophy “ignited the contemporary women's movement in 1963 and as a result permanently transformed the social fabric of the United States and countries around the world.”

But this is not about feminism; it is about the mis-education of womanhood. In Friedan’s book, her findings hypothesized that women are victims of a false belief system that requires them to find identity and meaning in their lives through their husbands and children. Such a system causes women to completely lose their identity in that of their family. As men, isn’t it uplifting and reassuring to come home to a lady-friend dedicated to you, without having lost your own identity? It’s rather comforting.

So, what do women want? This question has plagued man and his person since the dawn of time. Like men, women aspire to have many traits with their male companions. In a study conducted in “Falling in Love: Why We Choose the Lovers We Choose,” by Ayala Malakh-Pines, says that physically, both men and women covet androgynous partners who coalesce both traits over sex-typed partners. She later explained that women were most attracted to “masculine men with a feminine touch,” and find these men are more congenial, sharp, moral, mentally healthy and sincere. This does not mean that they are looking for flamboyant archetypes. In the book, it also states that the attraction to a stereotypical macho man can be perilous because conventional roles have been associated with sexual aggression. So, what finesse does the hyper-masculine retro-sexual male need to get the woman of his dreams?

It’s rather simple. According to Malakh-Pines, income donates to man’s romantic magnetism only when the man has desirable personality traits, suggesting that women consider income only after personality criteria are met—a man’s personality dynamic correlates more consistently to his romantic appeal to women than do his success factors; his belief in gender equality has the utmost influence on his charm to women.

But, past the body: A women focuses on the mental. In this, women want SECURITY. Through this, a woman feels she has the loyalty she needs to have a successful and long-lasting relationship. It’s a classic cliché, but all women need this experience. It’s seen as a quintessential trademark in any relationship with a woman. Overtime, some clichés are best examined. If a man listens and is willing to listen, act and open himself to his woman and her words, the relationship is simply destined for success because the man is both giving the woman security by listening to her, and being loyal in respecting her words. A woman thinks with her heart, if a man truly listens, he will hear it and may even understand it. If a man can instill different and unprecedented thoughts into his lady-friend, the relationship is a success.

The Cons of insecurity (What a woman doesn’t want):
-Women do not like inconsistent or predictable men. When it’s inconsistent, the future is incoherent. When it’s predictable, it’s dull.
-Women do not want selfish men. No man is an island and women need attention. -Concealing yourself is dangerous. Share. Prior to belief, women are not psychics, they want to learn.
-Women do not want men with chaotic schedules. They shouldn’t fight for you attention.
-Nothing in common. If you are two different people completely, the relationship is destined for failure.
-No woman wants to mother her prospective partner. Whose shoulder will she cry on?
-Apathy is extremely dangerous. Goal-oriented men are beneficial for any woman.

While some of these clichés may deter one from starting a new relationship, because all women are not the same, remember men, no man is an island.

Keeping In iTouch

2009-02-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

by Ruben Sanchez, Contributing Writer

The evolution of technology has changed the way we communicate and interact with each other. We have moved from the huge cellular phones of the 80's, to iPhones. We find tools at our disposal like texts, emails, instant messages, video chats; it seems more and more possible to "keep in touch" and "stay connected." This sort of advanced technology helps us be more efficient in the way we conduct business and plan things in our daily lives, but is it healthy for our interpersonal communication? Well I say it's great! In fact, I would like to thank all these new advancements in technology that have made things much easier for me.

I'll say that one of the more conveniant tools is email. I just love the fact that rappers and producers can create entire albums together straight through emails! Who needs to have face-to-face interaction and actual studio time together when you can just do it all from different states!? I mean there is no need for all that overrated "studio session" time, none of the brainstorming and syncing of concepts. I say forget sitting down with one another and establishing a relationship that can create better chemistry a rapper and producer and potentially produce an album with a much better flow to it. That meeting in the same place stuff is overrated. I say organizations and programs shouldn't even have meetings in person if they can just be conducted through emails or in a chatroom.

The true beauty of this new era of technology is not only how efficient it can be working with people, but how much easier it is to avoid people! Caller ID saves lives and time. You get a phone call from someone you're mad at? SCREEN IT! Emails, texting, and instant messaging are all great tools to communicate with one another from a distance because we all know how annoying it is to actually be in the same room as that person, especially when you are not in the same room, if you may need a thing or two. You know those people who just start talking not knowing when to shut up when you’re in a hurry. Or just avoiding those severally awkward interactions with someone you don't really find yourself talking to outside of class. It’s not that I fear the interaction, it’s just more convenient to avoid it. Isn't it just nice to know that with all the advancements in technology that help us “stay connected” with each other, pretty soon it may no longer be necessary to even do things in person?

Websites like Facebook and MySpace have become the most well known forums to network and put yourself out there in any fashion you like. There have been plenty of people who have found love through MySpace, and been able to market themselves to the point. There are those on Facebook that have reunited with old friends and stayed in touch with them. There are those that have had tremendous arguments with their significant other at the expense of the “Honesty Box” application on Facebook. People's business is out in the open and yet people still find a way to complain that people are in their business without considering “hey, maybe I shouldn't have my business all out there.” For those who don't mind being nosy, whenever you want to laugh at someone’s photos or express interest in another, then Facebook or MySpace may be the best place to express that interest, just don’t be creeps about it. After all, “poking” someone is sure to get that person your undivided attention.

There is no doubt that all these outlets of communication have improved our potential to function with our society. It has become our way of live and without even realizing it we have become extremely dependent. I think that it is important that we utilize these tools to our advantages but, at the same time, not feel disadvantaged when they are not at ones disposal. If these tools are not at hand, we cannot forget what we can do to reach out, communicate, and find out how to get tasks done without these tools. We cannot forget the ability of human to interact because when all other options fail, you just have to find a way to get things done without technology.

Referred Articles: Spring 2009

2009-02-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

"Blackbird" Browser Reaches out to African American Community*

Written by David Chartier 12/9/08,

*Refereed by Vixon "V-Jay" John, President

A new Firefox-based browser in beta called Blackbird is designed for African Americans, offering tools, content integration, and search features tailed towards the community. We spoke with Blackbird's CEO about the motivation behind this unique approach of reaching out to the African American community.

The Internet may have created a largely color-blind world wide web that connects users with just about any information they could ever want. But Ed Young, CEO of 40A, Inc. believes that his company can make the Internet better for the African-American community with Blackbird, a new Mozilla-based browser. We took a look at Blackbird and spoke with Young about the motivation behind introducing a tailored browser.

You can finish reading this article here

Rules of Thumbs: Love in the Age of Texting*

By Natalie Y. Moore; *Refereed by Shari Daniel, Contributor

I once had a boyfriend who was Mr. Text-o-Rama.

He never wanted to talk, but he always wanted to text. To him, the only way to communicate was via thumb.

I remember a Saturday afternoon I spent with a female friend when i didn't have my cellphone handy. By the evening, I had a log jam of text messages from him. The final mess of a message inquired whether our relationship was over because of my "lack of communication."

I called him. He didn't answer.

And so it went. During our relationship, he sent me curt texts reeking of attitude He sent texts that had the elocution of an "August Wilson" soliloquy. If i tried to actually call him to work something out, he'd fire off a snippy "You're busy. I'll talk to you later." It got so wished i could string him up by his thumbs.

Read the rest of the article here

"What I Wanted to Say. . ."

2009-02-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

by Jessica Coleman, Staff Writer

This article is full of sentiment towards a fellow New Paltz student, Jose Bienvenidos Ramirez (R.I.P.). He was a great person.

I was sitting in your service, listening to everyone talk of the ways you affected their lives, in both big and small, but always meaningful ways. I didn't get up then, but i wanted to tell you how i felt. . .

We all came in together. 2004. It feels so long ago now. I didn't know you right from the start, but our paths were sure to cross. Shango had a way of bringing everyone together freshman year, especially when the weather was nice!

You always had a great, welcoming personality. And you were mad quick-witted. . .could be a little bit of a smart ass if you wanted. All in good fun of course. I remember that time in Hasbrouck, you were walking by and i accidentally called you Juan. You told me something like "Oh all Dominicans gotta be named either Jose or Juan right??" Though it began as an accident, from then on you were "Juan" and i was known as "Jeffrey." (I still don't get why i had to get a man's name!) We didn't chill very often, but whenever we did or just whenever our paths crossed, it was always love!

It is sometimes sad to think about how much things have changed over these years. There aren't a lot of us "super" seniors still holding New Paltz down, but sometimes, among the few of us here, things aren't the same. How ofetn has it happened to be walking through campus and see someone that you cam into school with, used to chill with and now you see each other and act like you can't talk? I don't want to fault anyone because, unfortunately, I'm guilty of it myself.

But that was never you. I never had to second guess, "Is Jose gonna acknowledge me?" It was never a question. You always said hi. And would even have time to stop for a hug.

I remember one of the last times I got to see you. I was in the SUB and was asked to sign up for the Kwanzaa dinner. I live off-campus so, of course, don't have a meal plan. You were the first person I saw so I half-jokingly asked you to sign me up. Without thinking you were already writing your information on the paper, “I got you, Jeffrey.” We rarely would see each other, but that response was automatic; to give was instinctual.

This, I know, is why so many were touched by your presence in our lives! Having spoken to and heard from many different people, I see how even those who didn't know you well always had something great to say about you. So many stories about the great affect you had on their lives.

When I found out about your passing, it made me so sad. I was also mad at myself, regretting how our 2004 group had dismantled and the fact that we rarely would see each other. But I then appreciated the fact that you would always say hi. I remembered how the moments we did have weren't lost in the ways that many moments are due to pride or ego or whatever causes us to miss out on interactions with those around us. Because with some people you have to wonder, “Should I say something? Are they going to put their head down and ignore me as we pass right by each other?”

I realize now that I would much rather live my life as Jose did. He had love for anyone. There was no need to disrespect or judge. We are often trained to just go through our worlds being completely impersonal and not interact with those around us. We might worry, “If I'm excited to see this person, will they be as excited to see me?” Insecurities force us to not make the effort at all. Like I said, I know because I am guilty of such acts.

I really don't want to be that way anymore. I don't want to have to lose someone to realize I wish I had more of them in my life! All we have is here and now and we just give that away to these silly insecurities. We need to walk proudly with our heads up high. When we see someone we know, acknowledge them. When we see someone we don't know, acknowledge them.

I thank you Jose, for not letting me just walk by in those moments. Even though we didn't see each other often, now knowing that I don't have the option is really hard to grasp; I know I still haven't fully grasped it. I know that when this year ends, the end of an era for so many of us, we won't have you there right next to us where you worked so hard to be-at least not your physical self. I know your spirit will continue to live on through us all though, all that knew and loved you! I have learned I need to continually show appreciation for who and what I have in my life. I am going to choose to live my life a little more like you!
You were a beautiful person. Your smile alone could make those around you happy. You are loved by many and will continue to be dearly missed!

Rest in Peace, Jose Bienvenido Ramirez
October 8, 1985-January 5, 2009

Welcome to The Fahari-Libertad Blog

2008-11-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

Hello all readers, Welcome to the official Fahari-Libertad blog. This blog will contain articles of our latest issues as well as other insightful pieces of information related to our theme and mission.

"Colored people in Amerikkka have received half of what is good and double of what is bad."

"Evolution will come with EVOLUTION or REVOLUTION. Which one are you waiting for?"

You can also subscribe to our live RSS feed for easy access to our blog updates at Fahari-Libertad. We are glad to further "seek[ing] knowledge, truth and pride" on the web. Peace & Love.

-Fahari-Libertad