King Criticizes the Modern Black Family

Colbert King wrote a column in the Washington Post this week called "Why I'm Not Celebrating Black History" listing his opposition to Black History Month. He says during the month of February we look back to the great men and women of the past and while "we ignore the calamity in our midst" the disintegration of the black family. King turns to an issue that many people do not discuss. He blames the problems of African Americans which include poverty, crime, child abuse, and dropping out of high school on the broken families which they come from. In 1950, nearly 80% of black families had two parents...today only 38% do. That means the majority are growing up with struggling single mothers. Young African Americans who grow up with a father are a minority today. King claims that broken families lead the boys to turn to crime, which leaves them in jail or dead, and causes the girls to turn to sex and end up pregnant. This is a vicious cycle that keeps on going. King says only African Americans can stop this cycle and stop "the dysfunction unfolding before our eyes".

I agree with King's argument to an extent. It is wrong that so many African American children are growing up without fathers. It is true that broken families often lead children to make the wrong choices and find comfort in vices such as drugs, sex, and crime but I think King was a little harsh in his column criticizing the black family. He said he does not even recognize Black History Month because he believes African Americans have too many problems to even focus on anything else. Yes, there are issues within the black family and community that need to be dealt with but solely focusing on their problems will not help. The men and women commemorated during Black History month can serve as an inspiration to young black children. These leaders often dealt with the same issues and obstacles modern African American children do. By learning about these role models, children can see that they can break the vicious cycle King says they are stuck in. The key to breaking this cycle is education and positive outlets for their anger and stress. Black History Month gives young children a role model even a father figure that they have never had and if they learn about that individual's story they will realize that they can become a role model to others themselves. This is the purpose of Black History Month Mr. King.

Bieber Fever

This past year teenage phenomenon Justin Bieber has swept the nation with his cute looks and catchy songs. Girls cry over his presence much like they did in the 60's for the Beatles. His rise to success virtually happened in the blink of an eye. In 2010 he won 16 awards and is now nominated for 2 Grammy's but just a couple years ago he was an ordinary kid with a dream.

An only child born and raised in Stratford, Ontario, Bieber showed a zeal for music from a very young age. He tapped out beats on chairs from the time he was 5 years old until he could receive a full drum kit. He also taught himself to play the guitar, piano, and trumpet. He also sang many songs around the house. Everyone in his family saw how much he loved music from a young age.

At 12 years old, Bieber entered a local singing competition called Stratford Idol. With no vocal training whatsoever he won 2nd place in the competition. He began posting his performances from the competition and other homemade videos of him singing Usher, Stevie Wonder, and Ne-Yo songs on YouTube to show his family his achievements. Other people began to watch them and soon he had 10,000,000 views. He attracted the attention of Scooter Braun who became his manager and flew him out to Atlanta where he met Usher. Bieber sang for them, and Usher realized this kid had real talent. Justin Timberlake also wanted to sign Bieber but he chose Usher's deal instead. In October of 2008, Bieber was signed to Island Records and began work on his debut album and first single "One Time". Since then, Bieber has had many hits and has collaborated with many stars such as Ludacris, Usher, and Sean Kingston. In addition to his music career, a documentary "Never Say Never" was released this weekend which tells the story of Bieber's almost accidental stardom. Though his career is just beginning he has already reached great success and the future seems bright for this young singer.

The first time I heard Justin Bieber's "One Time" I had no idea who was singing the song! It came on the radio and my dad asked me who sang this song. I usually know who sings most of the songs on the radio stations I listen to because I love music. I thought the guy who was singing this song was black! I did not know Justin Bieber was white until I saw the music video for "One Time". I became a fan of his because I liked his songs and how he sang them with so much soul. I was never obsessed with him though like many other girls are. I thought he was cute but I would not cry over seeing his picture or anything. At first I honestly did not have very much respect for him simply because I thought he would fit the stereotype of other young singers. These days, many young pop singers cannot even sing, producers use machines and auto tune to make them sound good. I thought this may have been the case for Justin Bieber. I also believed that he would be a one hit wonder. After he kept coming out with new singles I realized that he could genuinely sing and he had a lot of talent. Then I read his bio and found out that he was a self taught musician. The movie "Never Say Never" will provide a look into Justin Bieber and his talent which will make skeptics believe in Bieber.

Walk like an Egyptian: Except YOU Mubarak

For the past 11 days, Egypt has been on the world stage since protests against the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak have boiled out of control. Egyptians continue to protest all over the country to oust Mubarak who has been in power for over 20 years. The rebellion began when hundreds of thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo demanding free and fair elections. Secular youths and unhappy workers as well as followers of the fundamentalist Muslim brotherhood are members of the protest. Mubarak came out on top in a sham election last year, fueling anger and zeal for the need for democracy. Mubarak has been trying to appease the angry mob by promising to not run for re-election but violence continues in Cairo's Tahrir Square. While the army pledged to not fire shots against protesters, street fights have erupted and many have been injured or killed, dozens of journalists among them. National and world leaders have cut off their support for the Egyptian dictator fearing any association with Mubarak will taint their names and political interests. In response to the chaos in Egypt, President Obama said a democratic transition "must begin now". The ousting of President Mubarak is potentially dangerous because radical Islamist forces could control the new Egyptian regime, making the country an enemy of both the U.S. and Israel. This threat keeps the crisis in Egypt a top priority on the U.S. foreign agenda.

The protests in Egypt are a testament to how far the world has come in standing up for what they believe in. Instead of dealing with persecution, Egyptians are protesting and telling the world what needs to happen. Democracy is a privilege we enjoy in the U.S. and usually take for granted. The situation in Egypt reminds us how lucky we are to have a democratic government. Electing officials should be a world wide right of the people but unfortunately is not. Protesters in Cairo are now fighting to get that right which is very brave and noble. Unfortunately where protest occurs, violence usually follows. People have differences, emotions are flaring, and individuals get hurt; street fights have occurred and so have injuries. Also the potential threat of a radical sect taking control of Egypt is a fear possessing many countries especially the U.S. Despite the negatives, the good that could come from Egypt becoming a democratic nation is enormous.