revolutionaryouth14-blog

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PWI vs HBCU: A Never Ending Fued

I was asked by a good (and extremely intelligent) friend what I thought about the continuous HBCU vs PWI feud that ensues across social media, every few weeks. This feud is often catalyzed after black attendants of PWIs are criticized and told that they don't support their communities, because they choose to go to a PWI vs an HBCU. Here's my response:

"I've had this conversation with multiple individuals and perhaps its my bias, but you and I have a similar stance. This insistence that only those who attend HBCUs are the only ones that stand in solidarity with the black community and that they are the only ones who are enraged at and capable of combating racial injustice , is ludicrous. It is merely another attempt to define and determine another individuals "level of blackness", through an analysis governed by rubric type requirements--- falls along the same line of those who say "If you don't do whatever, you're not black enough...". A willful display of separatist ignorance, is what it is. For some reason the solution to racial injustice and racism by those at various HBCUs, has become separatism : exit the system completely, then dismantle it from the outside. What they fail to realize, however , is that without understanding and familiarizing oneself with the inner mechanics of the system, it's destruction is an impossibility.

Black attendants of PWI are seen as traitors, when in reality we are those who have chosen to sacrifice our familiarity of the black community and our own self comfort, for the greater good of not just ourselves but humanity and society as a whole. Time and time again we've observed that segregation , even self segregation, doesn't work --- it only generates a larger block in the way of understanding one another. They think we choose PWIs because we "don't like our race" when in reality it's because we love our race, we wish to serve as liaisons to better relationships beyond the black community and strengthen the fight against oppression; we love people, and we understand that we cannot win this fight alone. Liaisons of the 13 colonies traveled from America to France and stayed for years, during the years leading up to the Revolution. Was it because they didn't love their colonies, absolutely not, but rather they understood how the assistance of France could make their forces stronger.

Bottom line is, for one to say such regarding a black person who chooses to attend a PWI , is looking at it through a one way lens. Yes we are all black, yes we all love where we come from, and yes we all want to dismantle the system of injustice, but we need to understand that we all have different roles and paths in doing that. This includes different paths to education, and no matter what, one shouldn't be judged negatively by the other"

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Why Wanting To Remove Symone and Lemon from TV is a BIG NO NO!

I've seen petitions circulate advocating for both the removal of Don Lemon from CNN and Raven Symone from the view, and I could not disagree more. Lemon and Symone are being targeted for refusing to comply with the overall idea, of how an individual is supposed to think ---- specifically in situations that concern black individuals.

I am not saying I agree with what Symone and Lemon have said in the past, rather I defending their justification to say it. Their opinions on circumstances are being dismissed as unnecessary, illegitimate, and disposable, because they fail to agree with the populace. In turn, the public has developed this idea that such disagreement is cause to dissolve them of their employment --- that idea, is which that I find fault. Based on the "The Marketplace of Ideas" , a political theory championed by John Stuart Mill, it is important to allow such opinions , that don't necessarily resonate with the majority , as to dismiss the minority opinion would be to force away our ability to arrive at a truly accurate conclusion. The minority opinion challenges the majority and forces it to tailor itself, to actual truth.

Based on this I say, the opinions of Symone and Lemon are those to which they are entitled and based on their career paths, opinions to which they are encouraged to expressed.

Some will make the argument that Lemon, being an employee of CNN, should focus more on objective communication of the situation. This, however, ignores the fundamental fact that modern journalism and reporting allows for personal positioning and stance. Furthermore, upon researching the job description of news anchor I uncovered that "tv anchors may also engage in commentary about various community issues and conduct interviews of key figures." Allowance of commentary, by anchors and news personalities are commonplace in the field of news reporting, no matter how radically placed and "out of touch " with reality this opinion is perceived to be.

----Take an individual such as Nancy Grace, for example, someone employed by the same cooperation as Lemon. Her opinions remain just as radical and divergent from the mere details of the story, yet she still has failed to meet consequence and continues to pass under the radar , of those who are now insisting Lemon's termination.

On behalf of Symone, some will insist that Raven exit the view because her opinions in the past are ignorant, uninformed, and offensive to various members of society. I've taken a moment to look over the "6 times Raven Symone has made controversial remarks" (http://www.entertainmentwise.com/…/insert-foot-in-mouth-6-…/) , and yet with the exception of her comment regarding Michelle Obama (which was harshly inappropriate) and her comment regarding "Ghetto Names", I find this largely not to be the case. Most comments are her opinions regarding her personal identity (though at times when describing these identities she , i believe unintentionally, made statements that were inaccurate) or her opinions regarding debates which are present in the media. It should be noted that Raven's job on the View is commentary. She is encouraged to express her opinion regarding circumstances, and that in no way does her "saying her piece" violate her job description.

With this analysis, the question must then be posed, why are Symone and Lemon being targeted? Simple, their opinions diverge from what people want to hear. By the black community, they are seen as "sellouts" (although the concept that an individual is a sellout because their opinion doesn't agree with most of the black community, is ludicrous. There is no "black" opinion and there is no one opinion that can be observed as more black than the rest, and thus those who insist that they are turning their back on their community for sharing an alternate opinion, is promoting this idea of questioning "blackness".) for not sharing the opinions of the majority black population and by the white community, they are seen as those who question the tendency for conventional ideas of complete polarity. They are the minority opinions that are forcing the majority opinions to rethink and redesign their arguments, but the problem arises because, the majority of the populace don't wish to listen to Mill. They would rather subscribe to their own wave of thinking, rather than analyze the points, in which that wave of thinking falls short.

In short, people wish to destroy the need for a counterargument, and thus wish to dispose of that counterargument entirely. This , however, is dangerous, because the ability to think and consider is truly what pushes us forward.

Thus to remove Lemon and Symone from the air, to advocate for their termination, would not only be a grave injustice to them (for they have technically done nothing "wrong") , but a grave injustice to us all as it would limit the type of opinions to which we are exposed ---- whether we agree with them or not, is not the question. The ability to consider them, however, is extremely important.

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Censoring Opinion, Censors Progress

There are those who are inclined to assert for one to maintain a proper opinion, they must be defined as the subject matter at hand and if they do not, their opinions fail to possess significant weight. To this I say I do not agree with the position that if someone doesn't fit the description of an individual being discussed, their statements and positions are inherently invalid. To insist that one must fall into the description of a group being discussed to accurately hold an opinion, results in a dialogue which is no longer dialogue rather monotonous in nature. We must understand that there are particular instances where entitlement is universally granted, and one of those instances, is the entitlement to opinion. The validity of an opinion is not to be judged by the physicality or characteristics of the person, rather instead the analysis and substantial reasoning and fact provided to support it. If opinions and stances only find clout when presented by the designated group which it effects, then the substance and practicality of the opinion is subject to scrutiny, as it is possible that by nature these opinions are clouded by subjectivity. It's to say that on trial, the only individual who should have an opinion regarding the situation, are the victim and the defendant. We know this to be false, as we are a society based in objectivity. As a society based in objectivity, the opinions we choose to accept are those that find foundation on analysis not purely subjective application. Of course, however, in order to have an objective opinion which is valid one must comprehend the subject being discussed. Once they do, in the objective sense, their opinions become just as substantive and valid as anyone else's. In the objective sense, I personally think that the idea that those who can relate to the subject matter more directly naturally having the most valid opinion is untrue.

Subjectively, absolutely, but when we're concentrating on objective thought which is integral in the pursuit of progress (because to have true progress you must have an argument, which will convince the populous to move away from the ideas of convention), insertion of subjection can damage and fracture the stance. If by fact, analysis, and source "X" creates a more objectively constructed stance than "Y”, even though "Y" is more directly related to the subject matter, in the realm of objectivity "X"'s opinion wins. Think about it in this way: If you were to say someone is smart based on observation and factual dated, but the individual said that they themselves are dumb, does that make their opinion more valid than your own?

This positions are stated based on realm of theory and theoretically this application works. "X" in this situation is not relative to purely this current conversation and is not to be seen as representative of merely dominate opinion, rather instead the opinion on an individual who falls outside the bracket of what the majority sees and considers as "Y", also known as the party who is more related to the discussion. I agree with you in that both "X" and "Y" are related to the subjected matter, and for this reason alone the opinions of both should find relevance in conversation, yet I don’t agree that "X"s opinion is naturally valued more than "Y". In fact, in many public arena instances, an argument could be made in favor of the opposite. I, however, think that arose from a miscommunication of what the initial statement and variables represented. Nevertheless, the realm of policy is designed (although through the natural interference and manipulation by man, in many instances it fails) to operate objectively. Therefore, when constructing an argument, the most objective impenetrable stance must be composed while inserting slivers of subjective positions to evoke emotional responses. The construction of arguments however, in itself is subjectivity though, so I'll leave that up to decision.  All I am saying is that subjectivity doesn't make an opinion more valid than another's.

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Letter To The Georgia Senate

Respectable Members of The Georgia Senate,

I am Shaquan McDowell contacting you on behalf of "The Purple Party" : A

movement and organization founded by  Westlake High School graduates Shaquan McDowell and Emerson Dudley, is one that focuses on fusing the better qualities of both the current democratic and republican entities. Aimed at the future voters of America, the youth, the movement was designed to provide a platform in which the most important American concept, unification, can flourish.

We pride ourselves on our goal of the necessity of the American populous to operate as a conglomerate rather than separate factions; the way in which our founding fathers intended.

Though I am certain you may view this email as an idea that is rather idealistic, unobtainable, problematically unrealistic I ask you to consider the stance which we take. In this very instant this idea is unachievable in the realm of current politics, yet this does not stain this as a goal which will forever remain a fantasy. In the spirit of the American, it is our duty to aim to restore and repair community, our community --- the American community.

As such a restoration is incapable of occurring over night, it is imperative that we hand the power to those who have the time and willpower to insure this restoration comes into fruition. These people, these restorative people are our youth.

The current factions we observe in the realm of politics- American society in its entirety, are undeniable and in instances I have found myself questioning the future of our great nations. Revisiting the words of Washington and his warning against division , my mind constantly pondered on if we are headed toward ultimate collapse. In a recent critique of our young people and their opinions on current events (attached to this email), I posed this question.

My response follows:

"They [young people] shift the

dynamic and they control the movement. They decide if in due time, they will practice a life of

inclusion or exclusion at this moment, in turn imprinting on their children similar morals and

values. If we dismiss these young people and allow them only to converse, exist within places

where only their position is advocated, we will fail; We will fail because, if that occurs, then

we’ve allowed this polarization to exemplify. We’ve allowed it to create these multiple

communities and destroy the one that is intended to include all of us. We have not failed yet, but

are on the hinge of deciding whether we shall or not. It’s imperative that we make a decision on

what we want to do, because the time is running up , and if we don’t the toxins already thriving

on the evil, will make that decision for us."

We are truly on a cusp of decision -- a place where we decide the fate of our country. We are at an edge where we must choice to mend our difference and unite as the community we were intended to be. Our young people can do this, can make this a possibility and to have your support on this venture would be appreciated.

If you are ever available for further discussion or meeting regarding our organization, we would like to request a moment of your to engage in conversation.

Thank You,

The youth is essential to the future of the American political system and it is necessary that we acknowledge such, so that we may work at fixing the flaws we observe in the political spectrum.

We Look Forward to Engaging With You!

The Purple Party/Representative of The Youth/ Al Jazeera's "Edge Of Eighteen"/Brandeis ‘18

Shaquan McDowell

864-517-9638

shaquanrmcdowell@gmail.com

ThePurpleParty2036@gmail.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/purpleparty2036

IG: http://www.instagram.com/thepurpleparty2036

http://prositeshere.wix.com/thepurpleparty

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Revolutionary?  I think so

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Our Interview with Jireh Gerry! 2013-2014 National All American Miss Jr. Teen Queen

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Romancing.... The Right Way

Today, it’s Friday! Like early in the morning Friday.  Seriously,  im talking like 4AM Friday morning. But, it’s Friday nonetheless, and im feeling a bit sappy(and tired…..but that doesn’t matter.) So I decided to do something different every Friday,  and discuss less suit-and-tie and more cargo and teeshirt, revolutionary ideals.  Although they are equally important,  they should allow for a decompression of overworking your brain throughout the week. To make them even more comical,  im gonna be sure to write them at this hour….EVERY WEEK! Perhaps my sleep deprivation will give me a sense of humor *cue drum sound effect*. Maybe not, but who cares. I actually do care…..just a bit.(like I really would like to be funny) Anyway, as I previously stated, today im in a sappy mood , and so I thought I would stick my big toe in the pudding of teen romance, see if I can provide my perception of how it should work and be revamped.  Lets get too it. 1) Let’s get something clear here…….ive never had a  girlfriend.  I dont want awwwwwwwing from all you girls out there,  when your gonna turn around and use those very mouths to reject me. Dont be so pathetic.  Ive made my peace with the fact that all you ladies out there are too delusional to recognize the handsome hunk of human awesomeness in front of you Seriously though, lets get to the goodstuff. Below are my critiques of the gender related issues, when it comes to teen relationships Guys: 1) Bro, broskis. Here’s the thing about us, we’re fudging douchebags. Well the majority of us are. Truthfully,  some of us need to read some books on chivalry and completely comprehend its contents. Our minds are too commonly focused on pleasing the majority,  instead if the minority.  Newsflash,  that minority, is your girl, and she’s worth more than a text or call every night. If shes suppose to be your support system, well take care of your support. If you dont, your support will not want to supporf you, and will crack, making you fall right on your ASSSsssssssssssssPrin, in what youre gonna need. Make her feel special, even if you dont feel like it sometimes. Be spontaneous.  Do things that are particular to her, that are new. Why is she dating you, if another guy down the street can take her to the movies too? Show her you care Girls : 1) Your mind may be spitting out multiple words inside, but if your lips are sealed, no one will understand your desires.  Ok. Now that coalmine has been identified,  lets proceed. Girls, you have to demand the respect and attention you desire and not feel bad about that. You getting upset and pouting is not the way for its delivery, seriously.  Introducing WORDS! These amazing things,  that have existed forever and are made of letters. If used properly, they can work wonders for a relationship, and im not just a paid actor saying this. Both: For GOODNESS SAKE! LEARN HOW TO CONTROL THE HORMONES! This is coming from a heterosexual male. Sex is not the goal! Relationships of support and love,should be the focus, not getting each other in the bed . Naked. There are other ways to be intimate.  If you are looking at this statement sideways, then please do me a favor. Type the word relationship,  highlight it, find your delete button on your keyboard and press it. Thats what you need to do to your relationship.

So yeah that’s it, for tomorrow,  today, whatever. Goodnight/Morning

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Teen revolutionist of the day : Zhan Haite

Very under publicized, but very influential

Read her story: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/18/teenagers-changing-world-malala-yousafzai

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Slow down;Observe;Identify;Revolutionize: Its a process people

From the title of this blog, its quite evident as to it’s purpose, being to encourage  youth of our generation to recognize, understand, and impliment their revolutionary ideals and attitudes. In majority of circumstances to be revolutionary means to encourage something original,  however there are some instances when it means to encourage the originals.  To push for the values that are becoming extinct, in a world where their niche is a necessity. Society has becoming so obsessed with the next big thing, that we are ignoring the big things thaf are apparent right in front of our eyes. Youre probably screaming at your screen currently as you try to process how I can write a blog on being revolutionary,  yet encourage former ideals. Well its simple,  the idea that im proposing currently is a revolutionary one to our current position in society.  Its to JUST SLOW DOWN, when it  comes to particular situations. Some things , many things do need to be adjusted and its to these things that revolutionary mind sets are encouraged.  Everything, however ,  does not need a transformation.  That’s what being revolutionary is all about, identifying what needs to be adjusted and adjusting it so. Its not to bite off more than is  chewable,  that’s just idiotic( someone please send this link to Congress. Thank you) lol

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Our youth affords us some benefits. It allows us TO DO US!

Simon gets it

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We're not blind..... .we're hiding our eyes

Blind. The idea of being blind. You know, without sight? Lacking the ability to see? Its interesting, that we as humans, people, youth consistently use such a term to describe one another, and ourselves, when we cant seem to understand situations,  occurences, events. Am I right?  We use it more than we even seem to realize. So commonly, that we’ve been unable to realize that we’ve been using it incorrectly. WRONG! How so? Simple. As individuals, we like to play ignorant when situations we dont quite agree with, transpire. We like to play the role of the wondering elder, whose disability has left them helpless, and dependent on the rest of the world. We like to place ourselves in the “blind” position.  Please, do me a favor and take heed of the quotations. They’re significant. They’re there because this “blind” position is a fallacy. What we have been describing as blind is not so at all, rather is hiding.  Pretty amazing hiding too haha. But yes, it’s us hiding from the fact that we indeed could’ve altered a situation,  but we didnt. We feel so ashamed of our failure to assist that we regress into a state of solitude. In doing so however, we hide ourselves from our internal ability to repair. That’s why I call it some pretty amazing hiding. It’s pretty difficult to hide from your insides , you know? There’s so many of us hiding like this now, that we’re beginning to see a decrease In our progression.  Everyone is feeling so pathetic for themselves because of mess,  that we’re refusing to clean it up.  Makes no sense. We need to stop crying our spilled milk and start remembering Bob The Builder’s “Yes We Can”(sorry Obama, he said it first). We now know were not blind,  so can we please come out of our hiding spaces and use our sight to see and  make a better future. ( cliche. Yeah. I know. )

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I am Malala! She has encouraged me to once again speak against the injustice that finds itself thriving in our world. 

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To be  young does not mean to be without power.  It merely means the power is less noticeable, for it has more time, in which to accomplish its purpose. It has so need to reveal itself completely at once

Shaquan McDowell