Why Black Folk can no longer afford to wear Nike

First, allow me to say happy holidays as we are slam in the middle of the holiday season. In fact, when I called a local radio show recently, I actually wished them a happy Kwanzaa. More on that later. I never thought I would find myself putting my family on blast but recently, I feel as though I have no choice. That said, in the up and coming months, Kyle, you and others might see two particular family members on Dr. Phill. So for those anticipating the next set of firsts in the Pipe Line Press, you might see the first family members ever to hit national television syndication if they don't get their acts right and lets just say, all parties know I can do that.
Now-on to my political rant for the holiday season:
--We all remember that episode in American History called called the trans Atlantic slave trade I am sure. Last semester, during one of my video production courses I teach, I asked my students to indulge me a bit and had them watch this documentary report on nike. Looking at the report I transported back to the days of roots, just in the 21st century level. Maybe its me but for some reason I now have a clearer understanding of the illeffects of globalization. See, as we are so eager to have Nikes on our feet, we are not considering the fact that Slave Labor is the acting motivator in our fascination to "Just Do It." Lets face the facts, when Africans were brought to the country (called America) we didn't exactly arrive on the good ship lollipop let alone the love boat. We were beaten into submission, forced at gunpoint, let alone whip point, to actively participate in forced labor against our will. For what, the economic advancement of white bourgeoisie or the white elite. Some 200 plus years later, though the we are not physically in bondage, at least legally, somehow or another, we have dissociated ourselves from the political economy of struggle and human suffrage. There was this time when Muhammad Ali risked all to say he wasn't fighting a war to kill Vietnamese because they never called him Nigger. Then and now, that still gets the man the Platinum Express Street Credit Card because he would not capitualte in the killing of people who did not dehumanize him. A century later, we as black folk do, so much to the point where we actually sing songs about it. Airforce Ones, odes to Jordans. I mean ths is utterly sick. People who have been historically marginalized by the American way of life, truth justice and the American way, have now bought into 21st century slavery simply for the fact that the Asians making the shoes unfortunately some of us kill for, are not African. See, this is globalization gone bad. We are so dissociated with the plight of other people and so discombobulated with our own quest for materalisim, that we as a people don't seem to give a damn about our past nor our self, so how can we show compassion about for others. It's to me just crazy. The value that we (in general) place on the material goods in this country just staggers me. I mean lets think about it. If nike had a series of plants in Mozambique, Zaire, Congo, and Tanzania and paid these people 1.50 per day, placed them in the horrid of horrid living conditions, we'd be on the phone to Tom Joyner, Oprah, and god knows how else to call for an end to these horrid abuses. We'd call for NBA boycotts and make Spike Lee do a documentary about this. But no, it all reverts back to my Myles Law of Impact which says, it it doesn't hurt me, it doesn't concern me. Those who know anything about hip hop knows that hip hop is about the embellishment and the sustaining of life, not it's termination or exploitation.
For this reason,
I strongly state that black folk can no longer afford to just do it, we have to do it better. Until Nike can treat their workers like real human beings, I can no longer continue to wear or support the Nike brand.

The Twilight Zone Meets Spike Lee

This is my first attempt at V-Bloging-- which is nothing more than a video blog. For those who missed it, this is my first outing in 16mm film. I call it Elevator Music.
Enjoy