Essay 1303

Special Victims Edition of a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• The G-Unit G-Un charges were dropped, along with other charges against rappers Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, Spider Loc and their entourage. The ten folks faced possible jail time for getting nabbed with firearms by cops near Madison Square Garden last August. Their lawyer remarked, “This is another example of NYPD’s ‘Hip Hop Police’ arresting people who never should have been arrested.” Dick Wolf ought to create a new series titled, “Law & Order: Hip Hop Unit.”

• USA Today reported that historically Black colleges and universities have been recruiting Hispanics to boost enrollment and add diversity. “…These institutions have realized that students are not going to migrate to them simply because they have to. They have other choices,” said Charles Greene of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Black colleges and universities “have to look at some non-traditional students as potential candidates.” Are Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy available for recruiting efforts?

• A Black firefighter from Los Angeles received a $2.7 million settlement for a racial-harassment lawsuit. Fellow firefighters had served the co-worker spaghetti laced with dog food. The defendants’ lawyer insisted it was “a good-natured prank … [not] in any way motivated by race.” Critics disagree. “The association of a black man and dog food resonates with the deep historical roots of slavery and the corresponding dehumanization,” said a sociologist. “It’s not just silly stuff. It’s racially motivated. … The organization labels it as macho, ‘boys will be boys’ behavior. I think it’s more about keeping Blacks out by making their lives so miserable that they don’t want to stay.” Fire Chief William Bamattre called the incident “intolerable” and a violation of department “guidelines on what’s professional performance. … That type of harassment or prank or whatever you call it is not consistent with what the public expects from the Fire Department, the confidence the public has in us.” In the meantime, folks are cautioned to avoid the firehouse chili.