Greek Black Panther Party Stands up to Anti-Immigrant Fascist Party

Michael Chege, who has lived in Greece all his life experiences racist violent attacks on a daily basis. He is part of the anti-racist group, the Black Panther Party which alerts immigrants using social media of danger in cities throughout Greece.

In cities such as Athens Greece, racism against the country’s some 3 million immigrants occur on a daily basis. In response, young people such as Michael Chege, of the anti-racist group, the Black Panthers are starting a movement.

“They can attack you anywhere,” Chege said in a recent interview with Britain’s Channel 4. “and the police supports them 100%.

The group is growing into a major political party that mobilizes its movement through the use of social media- a viable and popular way to spread a cause. Can we forget how social media helped accelerate the uprising in Egypt in 2011?

Golden Dawn, a racist, extremist group in Egypt aims to rid the country of its immigrants as its leader Nikos Michaloliakos continues to spread spread racism about the country’s immigrants. People like Chege are starting to fight back.

Nikolaos Michaloliakos, leader of fascist group, Golden Dawn, aims to rid Greece of its immigrants . Michaloliakos accuses blacks in particular, of cannibalism. But according to him, they boil their victims fir               st.

“They want to do what Hitler did.” Chege says. Although, he has lived in Greece since he was 8 months old (originally from Kenya) he says he feels like an outsider, since many white Greeks blame immigrants for the country’s problems. To combat this, he along with members of the Black Panther Party use social media to spread their message of resistance.

Elizabeth Smart: Commodifying my Virginity Made Me Feel “Worthless” after Rape’

Kidnapping victim, Elizabeth Smart, 25, who made headlines in 2005 after being abducted and repeatedly raped for nine months, recently spoke to a panel at Johns Hopkins University about the dangers of abstinence-only sex education in schools.

What Smart says about a girl’s self-worth being equated to her sexuality:

“I remember in school one time, I had a teacher who was talking about abstinence,” Smart told the panel. “And she said, ‘Imagine you’re a stick of gum. When you engage in sex, that’s like getting chewed. And if you do that lots of times, you’re going to become an old piece of gum, and who is going to want you after that?’ Well, that’s terrible. No one should ever say that. But for me, I thought, ‘I’m that chewed-up piece of gum.’ Nobody re-chews a piece of gum. You throw it away. And that’s how easy it is to feel you no longer have worth. Your life no longer has value.”

Smart, who was 14 when she was kidnapped, is pictured here with her captor Brian David Hall (far right), who is serving a life sentence in prison.

Smart says she felt “dirty,” and “filthy,” after being raped and believes it is one of the reasons why she did not run away from her captor, even though she had numerous opportunities to do so.

 Smart, who was raised Mormon, says she was taught that her virginity was considered a prize of some sort, that would be deemed worthless if it was taken away before she married.  Hence, the  ‘chewed up piece of gum,’ that nobody would want.

 The U.S currently has 37 states that teach abstinence-only sex education and they all rank amongst the highest in teen pregnancies, according to the CDC. The two that top the list- Mississippi and New Mexico, have no comprehensive curriculum that includes safe sex practices, and New Mexico doesn’t even require sex-ed to be taught in schools.

 

The Purity Myth is a documentary that discusses the complex and often incremental notion that virginity is a commodity

The CDC report also shows that teenagers who are taught a well rounded curriculum, that includes abstinence and safe sex methods are 60% less likely to become or get someone else pregnant.

 Smart believes teaching girls that self-worth is only experienced through virginity is dangerous. Smart realized later on, that even though she had an opportunity to leave her captor, mentally she was still in bondage due to feelings of impurity after being raped. She brings out many valid points about the dangers of not just abstinence only sex-ed, but of the commodification of sexual purity.

‘Pimps Up, Hoes Down:’ Dismantling Pimp Culture

On a recent episode of WeTV’s, Braxton Family Values, Michael Braxton Sr., father of six time Grammy award winning singer Toni Braxton, celebrates his 65^th birthday party dressed as a ’70s pimp,’ armed with a cane while dressed in an all-white suit. The former Methodist clergyman described his “cape flying with my pimp hat, glasses, grill in my mouth and my gold shoes.” He later explains,  “I came there passing out big money….cause Big Daddy always gives out big money.” The crowd, which was made up of friends and family applauded his arrival while eagerly taking photos or shaking their heads in pure glee.  [6:50 mark]

While comical, (I too, reminisce of my father dressed somewhat pimp-like) the scene brought to mind a portion of a recent essay I read, “Playing for Keeps,” by historian, Robin D. G Kelly, who reminds us that while a ‘pimp’s very survival depends on the commodification of sex and the private ownership of women’s bodies, he is still considered a heroic figure rich in sexual prowess.’

Once regulated to an underground subculture branded to street corners and seedy alleyways has now moved on up to big houses, flashy cars, rainbow suits, gold teeth, and shiny shoes. Thanks to the Blaxploitation boom of the 70s, “pimp” is no longer a dirty word you didn’t say in front of mama, but a term of endearment that one could call a boyfriend, lover or crazy uncle. Pimps range from the likes of Superfly to Snoop Dog- the latter of who claims he doesn’t just glorify it for sheer entertainment- but once lived the lifestyle also.

Snoop Dogg and former pimp turned spiritual advisor, Don “Magic,” Juan at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards where the rapper walks the red carpet with two women with chains around their necks.

 In a 2006 interview with Rolling Stones magazine, rapper Snoop Dogg claimed that he was a professional pimp from 2003-2004 saying, “It was my natural calling and once I got involved with it, it became fun.” By this time, Snoop’s last album, “Paid the Cost to be da Boss,” sold well over 1 million albums.

 

Former pimp/preacher, Don “Magic” Juan, reminisces of the good ol’ days when pimps wore those ridiculously tacky suits while living off the commodification of the female body.

TO BE SEEN, NOT HEARD

NY Times bestseller, Karrine Steffans shared stories of sexual liasons with some of the industry’s biggest stars including Shaquille O’Neal, Jay Z and Ja Rule. Her book, Confessions of a Video Vixen made a lot of people very uncomfortable.

 In 2005, the hip-hop industry’s gates flew wide open when former video vixen turned best-selling author, Karrine Steffans released her tell-all memoir, Confessions of a Video Vixen, which revealed the life of Steffans from growing up in an abusive home in St. Thomas, to  becoming one of the most notable video models in the hip-hop industry. While she was never a prostitute,  Steffans acquired her own agency within a matriarchal society when she wrote Confessions,  giving herself a voice within the male-dominated sphere that prefers their women seen but not heard.

Steffans shared accounts of her sexual liaisons with some of music and sports biggest stars. Whether or not the stories were actual events or merely based on her experiences, Confessions, was the first time a black female in hip-hop shared detailed accounts of the good and ugly of the entertainment industry. In response, Steffans was branded a hoe to a gold-digger while many insisted that the book was all a lie, Even so, Steffans and most video models operate in an industry where they expect to be seen and not heard, the same way prostitutes are expected to function. Which still raises the question, if the pimp is celebrated, why is the worker castigated?

For every glorified pimp, is a slew of “hoes,” not worthy of respect due to their own subjugation.