Essay 143

Late Night with MultiCultClassics Minutes…

• 50 Cent offered his two cents on the success of Kanye West: “I feel like Kanye West is successful because of me…After 50 Cent, [hip-hop enthusiasts] was looking for something non-confrontational, and they went after the first thing that came along. That was Kanye West, and his record took off.” Not sure President Bush would call Kanye West non-confrontational.

• Child obesity in California has reached epidemic levels, with 28 percent of the state’s kids being overweight. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger should immediately institute a statewide regimen of weightlifting and steroids.

• State Sen. James Meeks of Chicago, Illinois staged a rally to demand Mayor Richard Daley and city aldermen make changes regarding the way cops investigate citizen complaints. Meeks starred in a controversial incident involving a traffic stop and an allegedly abusive officer. Some are speculating Meeks may now run for mayor. It's a safe bet Meeks won't win the endorsement of the Chicago Police Department.

• A story on DiversityInc.com asked why Native Americans have been virtually ignored during all the news surrounding Hurricane Katrina. The Answer: Because Native Americans occupy the lowest level on the minority totem pole — well below Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, People with Disabilities and Gays & Lesbians.

• Marketing y Medios, the Hispanic marketing magazine from the publishers of Adweek, ran a MultiCultClassics perspective in its September 2005 issue. As is often the case, the letter was edited. For the unabridged version, see Essay 84.