A Lot of Sumthin' Sumthin'

Sisterdoc works at an institution where they just LOVE a faculty retreat. In addition to end of the semester craziness, Sisterdoc found herself ‘retreating’ with three different faculty groups. But, I am back now, and apparently none too soon. Much has happened.

1. It has been nearly six!!! years, but R. Kelly is FINALLY going to trial for what Tyrone Malone has dubbed “Pee Gate.” Obviously, there is much that is bothersome about this case—can you say ‘pedophile?’ However, what saddens me most are those who have defended Kelly, while throwing the child under the bus. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard and/or read Brothers and Sisters comment: “girls aren’t what they used to be,” and “it’s clear she’d been having sex a long time before Kelly got to her.” Perhaps girls—the key word here is GIRLS—are feeling their sexuality more thanks to R. “you remind me of my Jeep, I want to ride it/Girl you look just like my cars, I wanna wax it” Kelly. Gail Wyatt’s research published in the journal Child Abuse and Neglect concludes that: 40% of Black women reported some form of sexual abuse prior to the age of 18; and that African American girls are most vulnerable during preadolescent years from ages 9 to 12. Other Brothers and Sisters have said the girl’s mother should be on trial, not Kelly…sigh. There are a variety of reasons and ways sexual predators get their hands on children. Predators know how to exploit situations—poverty, under-education, the lure of their job or celebrity, preying on troubled youth, opportunities for abduction, etc. Instead of blaming the victim, we should all be asking ourselves what tools are we putting in our communities’ tool boxes to protect all of our children.

2. The south Texas town of Edcouch has finally abolished a 70+ decade anti-Hispanic law which banned “Spanish or Mexicans” who are not MAIDS OR SERVANTS from occupying “any building.” This segregationist law was enacted on December 9, 1931 and carried a fine of $100 per violation. Oh, and today, Edcouch is 97% Latino.

3. We pay tribute to the late Luther P. Jackson, Jr., 83. Prof. Jackson was the FIRST Black faculty member in Columbia University’s journalism school. According to Jet, he was also one of very few Black reporters at the Washington Post in the 1960s.

4. The first Black president I ever met-- Bowling Green State University’s President Sidney Ribeau (pictured here)-- answered the call of Gen. Colin Powell and TimeWarner Chairman Richard Parsons to assume the presidency of Howard University. Who can refuse those two? Congrats to Howard. You are getting a terrific leader. Hey Sidney, do you need a Sisterdoc on your team?

5. Twanda Carlise is a former Pittsburgh councilwoman doing some hard state prison time for taking some big time kickbacks, for buying a fur coat on taxpayers dime, and hooking up her mother’s ‘special friend’ with a phantom, albeit well-paying job. Well, girlfriend pulled a stunt that would make Clay Davis of “The Wire” step back and say, ‘sheeeeeeeeeetttt.’ While Carlise was already under indictment for illegal spending on the city’s dime, it was just discovered she went out and charged a Las Vegas trip for her and her moms to the city as well. File that under ‘no she didn’t.’