Parenting Hip-Hop Youth!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR from BAR-RED ENTERTAINMENT GROUP (BREG)!!!

2012-01-14T11:22:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR from BAR-RED ENTERTAINMENT GROUP (BREG)!!! 2011 was a great year and at the same time presented some challenges. We THANK all of the individuals, organizations and companies that did business with us in 2011, and we thank GOD for bringing us into 2012!

BREG is excited about the opportunities that are coming forth in 2012, and we look forward to helping our current clients and new clients reach their goals and objectives.

In 2012, look for awesome things from Nu Strata Music Group, Chipped Up Entertainment, X-tratainment Inc. & Hustle University! Artists that are bringing new music, live performances and videos in 2012 include Spade Kosta, Da Bad Habbitz, Grizz, Blushe, Chief Scrill, Lady X, Magnem P.I. & Jay L. Also look for new e-books for your Kindle (click on this Amazon.com link) directly from BREG.

We must address our youth of today that are still killing each other at an alarming rate. BREG is looking forward to the day when the tv is turned on and there are no reports of a young person killing another young person. Parents and adults, it is on us to love, teach & discipline our children so that they will love themselves first & foremost and learn to respect & love others. That way they won't believe it is ok to just end another person's life. What actually happens is that two (2) lives are destroyed. The person that has been murdered and the person that goes to jail. Think about it, it's a lose-lose situation. Young people have a responsiblity too! Do not take education for granted because it is your best option for bettering whatever situation you are currently in, and education will bring about positive opportunities for you. You have the ability to understand what is wrong and what is right. Think before you talk, and definitely think before you act; and you will save yourself and your family a lot of heartache and unwanted problems. Believe in yourself, you can do it and have a successful life!

On the political scene, there will be Local, State and National Elections taking place this year with the Presidential Election being the highlighted election. Do your research on the candidates and make the best decision that you can make for you and your family.

So as you have read, BREG is very excited about 2012 and we look forward to connecting with exciting people, organizations and companies this year and beyond! One Love!!!

Yours Truly,

B. Brown

@BREGBrown

Facebook.com/BREGBrown

Parents, are we too hard on ourselves?

2011-12-02T12:50:00.001-05:00

Thoughts By: B. Brown of Bar-Red Entertainment Group (BREG)

As parents, we have egos that can be larger than any pro athlete or entertainer in the world when it comes to dealing with our children. The mantra is usually "Do what I say because I'm your father or mother!" Have you heard that before from someone you know very well?

The truth of the matter is that we as parents and adults make mistakes, and we have to learn how to cope with those mistakes so that we become better because we made the mistake. I do not believe it is healthy for us to dog ourselves out totally and then be no good to anybody.

My suggestion is that we acknowledge the mistake, analyze and determine what we could have done better and then move forward to a solution that helps all parties involved. This way, we are setting a great example for our children, and keeping everything moving forward.

Checkout the outstanding article below from Makayla Sadamori! I'm sure you will find it to be very interesting!

One Love!

Parent! Don’t Judge Thyself

Written by Makayla on July7, 2011 · 1 Comment

If there was a parenting Bible the title above would be a partof its Holy Commandments! As parents we are all bound to make mistakes. Afterall we are human and as such we are not perfect. We are actually expected tomake mistakes because that is what leads us to look at what we don’t like inourselves as parents and what corrections we want to make. Unfortunately mostof us are conditioned by our own parents and by society that mistakes are badand the only way to pay for the sin of making them is to feel bad, incapableand guilty. In fact we often feel the more severely we judge ourselves the morewe show how regretful we are of what we have done.

Unfortunately,falling into the trap of judgments leads to no good end. The only effect it hason us is that it throws us into negativity and brings our emotional tone down.On the other hand, allowing the impact of a mistake to lead us to a desire tocorrect it allows us to improve our situation. In the mode of correction, wetend to focus on the desire to improve, which helps us release our guilt andput our energy into the betterment of the situation at hand.

Allowyourself to compare how you feel when you judge yourself for the mistakes youhave made and how you feel when you focus on the desire to be a better parentto your child. Which of the two feelings inspires you to change and improve?Which one of them comes from your heart and gives you hope and joy? Which oneof them will you choose to align to and follow?

Parents,be kind and loving to yourselves, especially when you feel you need correction.The love and compassion you find for yourself when you err will help you beeven more loving and compassionate to your children when they err too.

ByMakayla Sadamori, Joy Parenting Coach

http://coachmaven.com/conscious-parenting/parentdontjudgethyself

The Right Attitude For Our Youth!!!

2011-11-21T20:29:00.001-05:00

By: B. Brown - Bar-Red Entertainment Group (BREG)

I waited to write this blog because I wanted to cool-off and write an objective piece instead of just blasting "ASTRO" of the live tv reality performance show "X-Factor." He was almost sent home last week simply because of his attitude. L.A. Reid (Legendary Music Business Executive) and Simon Cowell (One of the Top Talent Scouts In the World) both made comments in regards to his attitude after Astro ended up in the bottom two (2) of the voting.

You see, I have a problem with young people that are disrespectful and appear to be unthankful for the opportunities or help that they receive. It is truly a situation that has to be addressed with our young people.

Until last week, Astro had not really experienced any adversity on the show because he has really been performing well! But as in life, just because you are talented and your performances have been going well, and everyone is telling you how great you are; things can change in a hurry. When there is public opinion voting taking place, there is always a chance that the most talented person does not win because other contestants may have better voting support teams and that will make all the difference in the world at the end of the day. Astro and a lot of our young people most overstand that life isn't going to always go their way, even if they are the most gifted and talented person.

I have seen it 100 times. A young person doesn't receive the response or news that they want or expect, so they now believe the world is against them and they are mad! So now they want to act tough and say "F" the world because they don't care. This is the worse way for young people to conduct themselves because now no one wants to work with them or help them any more. Their mentors, coaches and teachers start looking at them differently and that's a major problem!

As you saw with Astro, most of these young people are going to eventually breakdown (start crying) because they are actually hurt. They are embarrased and they feel terrible about what has just happened to them, and all they know how to do is to act like they do not care. That's a dangerous reaction to a situation that is going to continue to happen to each of us for the rest of our lives. The reality is that we are never going to get 100% of what we want all the time. That's the truth! We as parents and adults must teach our children about adversity and teach them how to act when adversity comes, because it is definitely coming! We cannot afford to allow our young people to believe that everything is going to go their way everytime. If we do that, we are setting them up for tremendous collaspes that they may or may not recover from in the future.

I Pray that Astro bounces back this week with a humble, thankful and positive attitude!

One Love!

Is Your Child Being Bullied? Or Is Your Child The Bully?

2011-08-25T18:07:00.000-04:00

Thoughts By: B. Brown - BREG

Bullying is a serious matter, no doubt about it! A lot of parents may not even realize that their children are being targeted every single day and that their child is living a real nightmare! Some kids go as far as suicide. It's really happening out here in the world and it's sad! Parents, let's always be in tune with are kids so that we will see the change in their attitudes and demeanor. If they don't want to go to school any more, we must find out why. It easily could be a bullying situation.

Now, what are some of the solutions? The story you read below discusses an outstanding program as a solution! When I do conflict resolution sessions, the first thing I do is let both parties speak and attempt to get to the root of the problem between the two parties. Verbal reconciliation is key! However, in some cases, the two parties refuse to settle their differences and in the future, a physical confrontation takes place. What will your child do? Are they going to fight, defend themselves, run, go get an adult, etc.?

The story below shares a true story with us about a young man that was being bullied at school, and his mother decided to put an end to the abuse and made a great decision!

If we as adults use the resources around us to help our kids learn how to deal with bullying and do it in the most non-violent way, it's a win-win situation for all of us; and parents that have children that are bullies, we have to help them as well! We cannot continue to afford to our children believe it is ok to destroy each other.

One Love!

As Real As It Gets: Bullying Victims Can Fight Back With Help From Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Royalty

UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro this weekend will rightly include homage to the iconic Gracie family, creators of Brazilian jiu-jitsu nearly 100 years ago, creators of the Ultimate Fighting Championship nearly 20 years ago, creators of legendary family fighting figures and jiu-jitsu instructors that span the globe.
But the Gracies' most positive impact might be felt at a middle school in a Denver suburb where a seventh grader is unafraid of bullies for the first time since he can remember.

Martin Hendricks, 12, spent a week this summer at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, Calif., in an intensive program designed to make him "Bullyproof." He learned as many jiu-jitsu self-defense techniques as a kid can absorb in five days, he memorized a blueprint for dealing with a bully fairly and squarely, and he gained self-confidence. The first week of school he put the lessons into practice.

"I'm still a little nervous but it all went well," Hendricks said quietly in a phone call to Rener Gracie, his personal instructor at the academy. "He'll never bother me again. Let me tell you about it."
*** It's back-to-school time all over the country. For kids that get picked on, it's a return to a horror zone. Experts say that more than 150,000 children miss school every day because they are afraid of being bullied. More than half of all schoolchildren have witnessed a bullying incident and three of every four students say bullying is a problem at their school.

The bulk of bullying occurs from the fourth through the eighth grades, although it can continue through high school and even in the workplace. Bullying is intimidation or domination toward someone perceived as weaker, a way to establish superiority through coercion or force. The emotional scars are often worse than the physical beatings, and victims of bullying often become depressed and do poorly in school. Bullying can even lead to suicide.

Rener Gracie, 27-year-old son of UFC originator Rorion Gracie and grandson of legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu grandmaster Helio Gracie, knows all the statistics. He recognized that the martial art perfected by three generations of his uncles and cousins is ideal for combating bullies. So he and his brother Ryron developed a program specifically for youngsters who have been the target of taunts and shoves, kicks and punches.
Jiu-jitsu is a strategic, relatively nonviolent method of self-defense. It utilizes leverage, locks and holds that can neutralize a bigger, stronger opponent when both combatants are off their feet and grappling in close quarters. Combined with a clear understanding of the appropriate rules of engagement in a school setting, knowing the basics of jiu-jitsu can give a child the necessary tools to combat a bully.

"The program is engaging, it's fun and it will ensure that your son or daughter doesn't have to go through life at the mercy of tormenting bullies," Rener said.
*** Martin Hendricks was so timid when he arrived in Torrance last month with his mother and sister that he wouldn't speak to anyone at the Gracie Academy. Rener knew his background from speaking to his mother: Martin had been bullied for many years by many kids and had simply taken it.

"His grades suffered and he would never stick up for himself," said his mother, Wendy. "He's a nice, gentle soul kind of kid and now he didn't even want to go to school.

"Bullying is an epidemic. It's horrible and schools sweep it under the carpet. It breaks my heart."
Wendy learned about the Gracie Bullyproof program through the online video.

She called Rener and decided to take her son to California. "I finally felt like I found somebody who gets this," she said.

In addition to attending daily three-hour group classes, Martin was given private jiu-jitsu instruction by Rener each evening for a week. Then there was the mental training. Rener helped Martin understand that his fear of a bully hurting him was sensible. So was his fear of retaliating when he had no fighting skills.

Rener asked him: "If we can eliminate the fear of injury through technique and preparation, would it make sense to stand up to the bully?" "Yes," Martin replied. "Let's do it."

It took until Thursday for Martin to convincingly respond to a taunt by walking up to the instructor posing as a bully and saying with conviction, "Don't ever do that again."

Rener taught Martin the three T-steps: TALK to the bully and ask him to leave you alone. TELL the teacher and your parent that the bully won't stop even after you've talked to him. TACKLE the bully and use jiu-jitsu to gain control of him without resorting to punches or kicks.

"If you draw that line with your words and the bully respects it, the case is closed without a physical altercation," Rener told Martin. "But if you draw that line and they slap you, kick you, cross that line again, you don't think twice. You take both of your hands and push him as hard as you can in the chest. You blast him. Knock him off his feet.

"Then take control using jiu-jitsu and tell him you will let him go if he promises not to bother you any longer. If he won't say it, wait until a teacher or another adult shows up before letting him up."

Martin nodded. Rener had given him a plan and taught him enough jiu-jitsu techniques to take control of a bully. Still, Martin wondered, would he be able to execute the plan when he returned to Colorado and started school the following week?
*** Many schools across the U.S. have a "zero tolerance" policy regarding bullying and on-campus fights of every sort, suspending any student involved because often it is difficult to assign blame. The Gracies support zero tolerance but point out that the policy doesn't work well in deterring verbal abuse -- the most common form of bullying.

"That's why it is so important for a child being bullied to first ask the bully to stop the abuse, hopefully in a confident manner, then to inform a teacher or principal and their parent if the bullying persists," Rener said.
Sometimes, Rener said, the behavior will end there because a school administrator will contact the parent of the bully and the issue will be addressed at home. But bullies can be conniving, and after a short respite the abuse can start again when no adults are present.

That's when it's time for the victim to consider using jiu-jitsu, zero tolerance or no zero tolerance. And it's why teaching jiu-jitsu self-defense and submission techniques separates the Gracie program from others that also emphasize verbal negotiations with bullies.
"It's a lot easier to get a bully to promise he won't bother you any more if you are on top of him pinning him down against his will," Rener said.

The most injurious jiu-jitsu techniques aren't taught to kids. No chokes. Nothing that could render an opponent unconscious. It's a far different curriculum than the one that leads to advanced belts for adults, and it's far different from the Women Empowered program designed to help females fight off would-be rapists.
That isn't to say the Bullyproof techniques can't be devastating in submitting a foe. The 33 junior combative lessons required for a student to pass the course -- at the Gracie Academy or online -- include some of the same moves MMA stars Anderson Silva, Forrest Griffin and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will employ at UFC 134 on Saturday.
*** Four days into the school year and Martin was getting bullied again. He'd asked the bigger, stronger boy to stop calling him names and throwing a water bottle at him. But the abuse continued.

Rener called and delivered a pep talk. "Martin, would you rather fight one time and be protected for the rest of your life, or do you want to get bullied for the rest of your life? "Martin sighed. "I'd rather fight once."

"Do it, my friend," Rener said. "The bully still thinks he owns you. Tomorrow he will do the same thing. And when he does, you will engage. You don't ask permission, you don't stop, you just engage."

The next day the bully not only bothered Martin, but he pestered Martin's friend so much that the boy shook his head and said he might commit suicide. The bully then asked Martin if he could practice some new punching techniques on him, and hit him. Then he threw a water bottle at him.

Everything Martin had learned during his week at the Gracie Academy bubbled to the surface. He jumped off the lunch bench and while in midair pushed the bully in the chest with both hands as hard as he could. Both boys landed on the ground and Martin pinned the bully by placing his knee on his chest and holding his arms down with his own.

It was a classic jiu-jitsu combination -- decisive and effective without causing trauma or blood.
The bully was shocked and as he struggled in vain to get up he yelled that Martin was crazy. The bully's friends told Martin to get up, but as he told the principal later: "I chose not to."

The principal took both boys into his office and called Wendy.

"I was absolutely thrilled," she said. "The school, of course, thought I was nuts. But I explained that this was a long time coming for Martin. He's still that kind kid. He stuck up for himself and for his friend.

On Monday the principal called Martin into the office and let him know he wasn't in trouble. Fighting was not tolerated, he was told, but in this instance the response was appropriate. Neither Martin nor his mother told the school about his jiu-jitsu training.

The bully sought out Martin at lunch and apologized in front of other kids. Word got around the school. No longer is Martin the target of bullying -- from anybody.

Martin had one more piece of business. He called Rener to thank him.

"I couldn't have been more jazzed," Rener said. "He went through the entire cycle of standing up for himself verbally first, then physically, but not violently. He kept it humble, and allowed the bully to save face.

"No punches. No kicks. He just held him with Gracie jiu-jitsu. It's the gentle way."

Who is responsible for making our children better prepared for college?

2011-08-20T23:11:00.001-04:00

Thoughts By: B. Brown - BREG

When people start talking about education, it's amazing to me that a lot of them do not mention the importance of the parents in the equation.

They usually mention how bad teachers have gotten and that the schools have to do a better job. I am always for schools improving, but I do not agree with parents blaming teachers, administrators and the school itself for their children not being prepared for college.

The schools, the parents, and ultimately the students have to all do their parts to ensure that the students are prepared to enter college and actually do college-level work.

Accountability is the key! What I have observed is that many students are not putting forth the effort to learn how to study and prepare for their daily lessons in class, their homework and their tests. If this is the case, then it doesn't really matter what the school system puts in place because the students have to do the work and take the test. If the students refuse to prepare for the work and the test, what are the teachers and adminstrators supposed to do?

Parents, let's make sure that we start teaching our children as early in life as possible the importance of life long learning, developing positive study skills and preparation.

Let's hold our children accountable for their actions and emphasize to them that they must get the job done because it is their future that is in jeopardy when they do not do well on tests.

Read the article below and let me know what you think. One Love!

Georgia’s high schools soon will begin a major push to make students better prepared for college.

By Laura Diamond

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (November 1, 2010)

State leaders also are determining what college-readiness skills high school students must learn and how to assess this knowledge. If students haven't mastered the material, the goal is to give them extra lessons before they graduate so they won't need remedial courses in college.
These efforts from the Alliance of Education Agency Heads, which includes the Georgia Department of Education and the University System of Georgia, are designed to boost college graduation rates while decreasing the number of students who take remedial classes.
Less than 60 percent of the students enrolled in Georgia’s colleges will graduate within six years, according to the university system. About one in four freshmen took at least one remedial class last fall.
"We do have rigorous high school diploma requirements now, but kids have been playing catch-up and they are graduating with some issues on some level," said Martha Reichrath, deputy state school superintendent. "We have bounced around a lot of ideas and we're doing a lot of work so our students are ready to enter college without any remediation."
Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, said the K-12 community must take responsibility for some of the struggles students face in college. More than half of the high school graduates who receive the merit-based HOPE scholarship lose it after freshman year because they can't maintain high grades, said Ehrhart, who heads the General Assembly committee that oversees college budgets.
"College-level work is significantly harder than high school, but they're graduating students who are not prepared," he said.
Educators across the country are working on this issue.

Florida allows high schools to test students using the state's college-placement exams to determine where students are deficient academically. North Carolina is considering using ACT scores to determine if high school juniors are on track for college-level work, and if they're not the schools will develop programs to get them ready. Starting with next fall's high school freshman class, Texas will roll out end-of-course tests using college-readiness learning goals. Students who fail the exams will get extra help.
Georgia is developing an index of skills students should have to make sure they are ready for the workplace or college after graduation, Reichrath said.
The education alliance discussed giving students a test while in high school to measure their college-readiness skills. If they passed, they wouldn't need to take remedial classes in college. If they failed, they would spend part of their senior year working on the lessons, said Alan Jackson, interim vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Perimeter College, who is serving on one of the alliance's committees.
Georgia is also among 38 states that adopted the Common Core State Standards -- expectations for what students should learn and be able to do in every grade level and subject. The standards, which Georgia schools will begin using in fall 2012, are designed to make sure students graduate college-ready.
The state moved toward college-readiness standards when it adopted the Georgia Performance Standards, which have been phased in over the past six years. The university system helped develop those standards.
Because of those standards, the state's colleges should notice a better prepared freshman class in the next couple of years, said Virginia Michelich, associate vice chancellor for student achievement for Georgia's university system.
"This is not all the high schools’ fault and it is not all the colleges’ fault and it is not all the students' fault," Michelich said. "But the only way we will fix it is if we all work together."

Learner's Permit and Driving License - Is your child ready?

2011-07-11T15:40:00.001-04:00

Thoughts By: B. Brown of BREG

It is usually a scary proposition when it comes time to teach your 15 year old child how to drive and then prepare them for the written test and the driving test the next year. It can be a bit frightening to think that your baby will be driving by themselves very soon.

Are you ready? The bigger question is, are they ready to drive the byways and the highways? The story you will read below is a cautionary tell to all of us parents that we must truly prepare our kids to the best of our abilities to to make sure our children know what to do in the drivers seat.

Our children should get a copy of the book to study for their "Learner's License" and we should quiz them as often as possible on the rules and laws of driving. I recommend "Driver's Education Class". I believe some high schools still have these classes or there may be a county program. I also recommend taking our children to an empty parking lot and letting them get a feel for driving a car period, and then taking them through a series of driving drills and tests that they will see on the actual driving test. Repetition, repetition, repetition is the key.

Now, all of this preparation may not keep our children from having accidents in the future, but let's prepare them to be the most responsible drivers that we can.

One Love!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Kensington Man Witnesses Car Crash Into Train Station

“I was just walking down Flatbush Avenue looking for a coffee shop,” said Brad Hames of Cortelyou Road in the Kensington section of Brooklyn, “When suddenly I heard a loud boom. I turned around and saw this big, black Mercedes smashed against the railing and the sign at the Nevins Street station.”

Nevins Street Station After the Crash
(credit: CarollGardensPatch)

Brad Hames was one of several witnesses who saw the accident. The car was being driven by a young man who just received his learner’s permit and was being instructed by his father on the finer points of driving when the boy lost control of the car, jumped over the curb, and crashed into the station.

One of the car’s occupants was taken to Brooklyn Hospital, but it was not made immediately known whether it was the boy or his father. There were no other reports of injuries or damage, aside from that done to the train station.

As for Brad Hames and other residents of Kensington, they're just happy no pedestrians got hurt. This whole episode goes to show you that no matter the precautions you can never be sure what will happen. Can I suggest a driving simulator for the young student before he gets on the road again?

Parents Do Right by turning in their children after seeing them on News Video.

2011-07-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

Commentary From: B. Brown (BREG)

I would like to congratulate the parents in Milwaukee, WI that turned their children in to authorities after seeing them on tv looting a store with a lot of other young people on July 3, 2011.

Parents, you did the right thing because our young people have to learn how to think before they act and must understand that there are consequences to their actions! Point blank!

For the parents that decided not to turn in their children, don't worry, all the young people on the video are very visible and should be able to be identified by someone in the near future. Love, Teach and Discipline your children and they will be better off for it in the future.

Great job to the parents that did the right thing!!! Now that's what's up!

Click on the link below to watch the video:

http://news.yahoo.com/video/milwakeewisn-18667753/some-parents-turn-in-their-children-after-riverwest-incidents-25865658.html

One Love!

Parenting Superstar Kids!!!

2011-06-05T19:33:00.001-04:00

Thoughts by: B. Brown (BREG)

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are no doubt super-talented artists, actors, producers and directors, but how about being the parents of two rising superstar children! How do you balance that?

The article you are about to read below is an interview with Jada, and it discusses the interesting parts of what Jada and Will go through as parents, but also attempting to be objective and allowing their children to grow naturally and make some mistakes on their own.

I agree with Jada on definitely being there for our children, but at the same time allowing them to learn how to make their own decisions and even letting them fail at an early age so that they understand that there is work and development to be done to progress in life.

There are going to be up's and down's in life, but we have to instill fortitude in our children and have Faith that God will protect, guide and strengthen our children in their life journeys.

Article By: Kelley L. Carter (Jet Mag. - Entertainment Spotlight; June 13, 2011; pg. 36 - 37)
JetMag.com

Nurturing Hollywood royalty comes naturally for Jada Pinkett Smith. The 39 year old actress/producer/director stars in her own TV show (Hawthorne, which starts its third season June 14) and essentially reigns - with husband Will Smith - over one of the most powerful African-American families in show business.

But the couple - especially Jada - has been ripped by critics for stage managing their kids' careers in Hollywood. Some question whether Jaden (star of the hit film Karate Kid) and Willow (the voice behind last fall's breakout hit, "Whip My Hair") have been allowed to do too much too soon.

But Jada is confident that she and Will are more than capable of keeping the young royals in check.

"We're not new at this," Jada states. "I understand the in's and out's and all the complications that come with (this life)," she says. "I've lost people I deeply love in this game and I know how and why."

WHAT JADA HAS TO SAY:

Q: How do you and Will parent?
A: We're courageous. We treat our children like little adults. [When] I came into the world, it was hard. I didn't really have much of a childhood. That might be why I don't know how to relate to my children as children. But people who live in the 'hood understand - that ain't nothing new. When you've got to send your kids out in the world every day, you hope and pray, but you don't have a choice.

Q: Have you ever tried to shield them?
A: You can't. What I do? I trust the Higher One. That's the one thing about motherhood: You learn that you are not in control. Your kids do not belong to you. At the end of the day, I just trust.

Q: Has seeing Jaden's and Willow's early success changed how you operate?
A: Their success makes me understand how close I need to be with them. I need to be by their side. Power attracts nonsense. With the type of success they have, there could be a lot of nonsense around them, but there is not because both are shielded by not just me but Jay-Z, Beyonce, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez - good friends, people who love them. I have a village.

Q: Did it trip you out to see how Willow was received when "Whip My Hair" came out?
A: Will went to the club with Jay-Z. - He came home and said, 'Whip My Hair came on, and do you know what it feels like to hear your 10 year old daughter in the club? Jokers straight getting busy to your 10 year old daughter?' He said it was surreal.

Q: Because she's a girl, do you parent Willow differently?
A: What I do is let it be. What Will does is let it be. What her Village does is let it be. We didn't go, 'no, no, don't do that, quiet that down.' Live! You know? She's gonna have her challenges, we all do. People think that a perfect child is a child that doesn't make mistakes. I look at the Britney Spearses, the Lindsay Lohans and all these poor young women out here who are going through it and, you know what, that's part of it. Some of us survive, some of us don't. If I had a magnifying glass on me when I was their age ... Those chicks ain't doing half the stuff I was doing. If it's meant to be, my kids are gonna be OK. At the end of the day, some of us make it and some of us don't, and that's life.

The Parent Coordinator in Schools

2011-03-30T13:23:00.001-04:00

Thoughts by: B. Brown

I have been a long-time supporter of the Parent Coordinator/Liaison position. It is a very important position that is taken lightly in most school systems from my perspective. Here in the Metro Atlanta, GA area, I've just gotten word that one school system is about to do away with their Parent Liaison position. It is a shame!

If utilized properly, this position could be the ultimate connection to getting parents back involved in schools and education which usually leads to outstanding student achievement!

In my eight (8) years of being in education, I always shared my opinion that if we really wanted to improve our schools, then the money and our efforts would have to go into helping the parents. If the parent receives help, the children usually automatically receive help. There is a positive chain reaction that starts and it is beautiful. Here's the chain --- Involved Parent - Child/Student with expectations (discipline/achievement) - Outstanding Schools (behavior wise/achievement wise).

When parents send their children to school to learn and to achieve, it is a different environment at school. I believe that loving, teaching and disciplining our children leads to expectations of greatness!!! Our parents and schools must get back to these basic fundamentals so that we do not continue to see the decay of our public schools in America.

Let's not be afraid to do what we need to do because of a dollar, political reasons or whatever! Let's help our young people achieve greatness!!!

The Parent Coordinator position can help us bridge the gap.

A Day in the Life of a Parent Coordinator...

Gladys Mendez is boosting student achievement—by reaching out to parents.

Communities and families play a critical role in raising student achievement—that's something research shows, but it's not easy, is it?
To get meaningful parent support, try taking a few lessons from Gladys Mendez, the parent coordinator at Thirteenth and Green Elementary School in Reading, Pennsylvania.

1. She started a "Coat" drive so that students would have a warm jacket to where to get to school in the first place.

2. She started a continuous "Food" drive so that students and families have something to eat at home. If a student is hungry, they are not concentrated on any school work. They want to eat!

3. Language Barrier - Mendez reaches out to her Latino and Hispanic population to help the understand what is actually going on with their children and the school.

4. Like back in the day, Mendez does "Home Visits" to see why students may have long absences from school. This shows that there is a least one person at the school that cares about the family and the student on a personal level. That's where we are as a society now. We cannot discount the social part of our lives being integrated into the school part of our lives.

*I tip my hat to you Gladys Mendez!!!!!!!

Checkout her video by clicking on this link Parent Coordinator

Is Technology helping our children be totally out of pocket?

2011-03-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

By: B. Brown (BREG)

There was a story that was aired here in Atlanta, GA last week that highlighted some Douglasville, GA middle or high school aged children that went to their Facebook pages and put some very harmful information on there about one of their teachers. They said that he was a pedophile!

In this situation, the teacher was not a pedophile, but look at the tremendous damage that was done to this man.

When the students were interviewed, one young lady said that she did it because she was mad at the teacher. This behavior and action is totally unacceptable!

She and the other students are up for expulsion and I am absolutely for the expulsion.

We as adults must hold our children accountable for their actions at a very young age because they can easily grow up with a flawed sense of reality and actually believe that there are no consequences for their actions. I've met several young people that have no sense of responsibility and it is affecting their lives everyday.

Let's work with our school systems to put back in place Prayer and Discipline. Parents, let's stop letting TV's and Computers raise our children. Discipline starts at home with home training, and if we can get back to these principles, maybe we can help more young people develop into great adults because they come to school to actually learn and become better people!

One Love!

Our Youth Need & Want Direction From Us --- The Adults!

2011-02-10T23:30:00.000-05:00

Thoughts By: B. Brown (BREG)

When our young people "act out" and/or "act up," they are usually seeking attention and love! A simple "hello" or "how are you doing?" can change a young person's day around in a heartbeat. As adults, we must give direction to our own children and all the young people that we encounter. I kind word and a smile will go a long way! Try it for a day. Smile and offer a kind word to adults and young people alike and see the response that receive!

Let's lead our young people in the right direction!!!

Jay-Z's lyrics from his song "Regrets" (Reasonable Doubt Album, 1996) hits the point of young people needing and wanting guidance .......

"You used to hold me, told me that I was the best/Anything in this world I want I could possess/All that made me want is all that I could get/In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets ..."

Jay-Z's insight on the lyrics above (from his book DECODED).

"This is another example of how something seemingly innocent can take a turn. My mother's love and belief in me made me think that I could have anything I wanted in this world, but without direction that ambition led me into situations I wasn't ready for and decisions that I'd have to live with for the rest of my life. Here I tried to capture in a few words that turn from an innocent kid absorbing his mother's love to a young man old before his time burdened with unspeakable regrets."

All Young People Are Creative!

2011-02-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

*By B. Brown (BREG)

I would like to introduce you to my good friend Hotep and his business partner Mike Johnson. I've had the pleasure of having Hotep present to youth groups that I have been involved with in the past, and he has always delivered positive messages! I have even used his book THE HUSTLER'S 10 COMMANDMENTS in my lecture series to youth.

Checkout what Hotep and Mike are doing with their Creative Literacy Workshop Series!

All young people are creative. They express their creative genius in a variety of ways. Our youth are imaginative writers, talented artists, gifted speakers, lovely singers, hilarious comedians, amazing visionaries, great actors, exceptional dancers and brilliant poets.

Show them how to use their talents!

Hotep and Mike's hands-on workshops teach standards based on language arts skills and show youth how the lessons they are learning in the classroom are used in the real-world to write books, comics, music albums, movies, video games and more to create wealth!

Watch your children's grades, attitudes and imaginations soar!

Visit ARTISTS AND AUTHORS

One Love!

Meet The Parents - - - Jay-Z

2011-01-29T22:02:00.001-05:00

*Thoughts by B. Brown (BREG)

I believe when someone is dealing with a young person in a situation that is good or bad, once you meet the parents, you will have a better understanding of why the kids conduct themselves the way that they do.

We as parents must be there for our children physically, so that they can literally feel us. We must be there for them emotionally, so that we may help them develop into outstanding adults. Our presence alone will help them achieve certain milestones in their lives.

Jay-Z's song "Meet The Parents" is a great story song from his album the Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse album. Checkout Jay-Z's breakdown of his song:

....... And the title to the song has dual meanings, too. The song is about a son meeting one of his parents, but it's also a more general introduction to the listner: It's impossible to understand this generation of kids, the hip-hop generation, till you meet the parents ... (*From Jay-Z's book DECODED; pg. 211)

Time to Take a Stand

2011-01-16T23:54:00.000-05:00

*Thoughts from B. Brown:

As you have read me blog or speak about in person before, we must improve our supervision and communication with our children. As parents and adults, we cannot be the last one's to know about our children being bullied and harassed, and we also don't want to miss or ignore the fact that our child could be the bully! We must be involved in our children's daily activities and school life. Our presence must be felt in the school systems by attending PTA Meetings regularly and other school events. Building relationships with our children's teacher's and administration is key to catching issues at the very beginning and resolving the issue as soon as possible.

Dr. Steve Perry (Essence Magazine; Feb. 2011; pg. 58)

I believe that bullying has increased in the Black community because we've developed a perculiar comfort level with violence among our teens. We party to songs that have the most violent language directed at Black people this side of the antebellum Ku Klux Klan. So is there any surprise our children would take to bullying their classmates? Parents have brought me e-mails and Facebook messages authored by sixth graders that are the vilest and most horrible statements I have ever read or heard. These little e-mail gangsters are using words to rip through their classmates. This is a true sign that the baton of self-hate has been passed to the next generation.

To read more, visit: http://www.essence.com

It's Your School!

2011-01-10T21:19:00.001-05:00

By: B. Brown

There is no doubt that there needs to be serious education reform in probably all of our public schools around the country, but I must admit that there are policies and rules in place that need to be enforced and in a lot of cases, just promoted to the students, teachers and parents!

One of the issues that is getting a lot of attention these days is "Bullying." Even BET's 106 & Park will be doing a special on bullying this upcoming Thursday (1/13/11). Please check it out.

Our young people have been marginalized, and many of them do not have a clue on what they are supposed to be doing with their lives because we as parents and adults have not taught them & showed them what to do and how to do it. That's our responsibility! We must send our children to school to get an education, point blank!

Young people, here's a way that you can step up and help keep your school be safe and help create and maintain an environment of learning. Talk and build relationships with school staff, parents/guardians and other adults so that information is given and received freely and continuously.

The State of Georgia even has a HELPLINE to report weapons/violence/gang activity at your school. You may call 1-877-SAYSTOP (1-877-729-7867)

*This call is anonymous and toll free.

A lot of people believe there is nothing they can do, but let me tell you something, there's something each one of us can do!

"O, let's do it!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR from B. Brown (BREG)

2011-01-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

By: B. Brown (BREG)

Happy New Year!!! It is always great to start a new year and give thanks to the Most High for Blessing us with another year of life!

I am very excited about the opportunities out there that will positively impact my business endeavors in 2011, and I am looking forward to helping as many people as I can gain affordable access to the legal system and help as many people as possible protect and grow their businesses, be it an artist, a plumber, etc.!

One of the things that makes me feel very good thus far in 2011 is the Ted Williams story. Here is a man that would be considered down and out, but he continued to share his talent and gift with everyone he came in contact with and now he is receiving a second chance at life. May God continue to Bless him and keep him as he moves forward in his soberiety, re-connecting with his family and career. God is good!

Remember, "Big journeys begin with a single step!"

Have a great 2011!

One Love!

Let the Minister's Speak!

2010-12-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

B. Brown's Opinion:

With our country facing tremendous unemployment and issues that affect us all, our churches play a pivotal position in how we move forward. However, our churches have internal issues that need to be addressed and solutions actively put into effect.

Here are the major questions that Jet Magazine is asking ...

1. Are Pastors too powerful? Pastors have a responsibility to lead their congregations and to give the best Spiritual advice and leadership possible to help their church members develop a personal relationship with God. A Pastoral position is usually given unconditional trust that is not necessarily earned and that's where the temptation comes in for a Pastor to take advantage of certain situations that leads to possibly abusing the power they have in their respective churches and community.

As parents, we must teach our children how to come to us when they are confronted with uncomfortable situations no matter who the person is that is making them feel uncomfortable.

2. Have crises with leaders hurt the church's credibility? The crises with leaders of some of the mega churches has definitely hurt the credibility of the church! You may hear a lot of people say that they do not attend church anymore because of what some of these Pastors have done.

A lot of young people that have never been exposed to church will look at these situations and never want to even try the church experience. This is tremendously bad because we need as many of our young people to believe in God and love themselves so that these tragic incidents of self-hate STOP! Our churches along with us as parents our responsible for introducing our children to God and his love for us as well as our love for Him and that He dwells inside each of us if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

3. What's the No. 1 Spiritual Imperative of our generation? By far it has to be connecting our youth to God! We are at a crossroads with our lost generation because they don't know who they are and they have know idea how great they are and how much God loves them. We need to fill these young people with parental love and teach them how to accept God into their lives. When we successfully do this, we will see a new outlook from these young people and a positive gleam in their eyes! We must recharge our youth with the Spirit of the Lord!

*From Jet Magazine (Nov. 15, 2010; pg. 32)

The Black church is one of the most influential institutions in the community. When its leaders face trouble, their followers - and observers - ask questions. In the wake of the Bishop Eddie Long story, JET Magazine asked some of the country's top religious leaders about the power of pastors, how the Black church handles controversy and what challenges our society must address. The responses are diverse and illuminating, and we invite you to examine their messages.

To read what the ministers say, visit http://www.myjet247.com

One Love!

We must put a STOP to this madness!

2010-11-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

By: B. Brown

Good morning everyone. I am sharing my thoughts with you this morning with a lot on my mind about the demise of a very large segment of our young people today. My Prayers go out to Bobby Maurice Tillman and his family. May God be with you. God is your strength and refuge!

If you have not seen or heard about the story, here it is: In Douglasville, GA on Nov. 7th around 1am, Bobby Maurice Tillman, an 18 year old young man was stomped to death by four (4) other 18 - 19 year old's for absolutely no reason at all. One (1) of the 4 assailants was quoted as saying "the next male that walks by I'm going to hit him" and that type of mentality is what has taken Bobby Tillman's life. Now five (5) lives are ruined.

The overall scene was a house party that was supposed to be for 10 people, but due to calling, texting & tweeting, 70 young people showed up. The parents of the home did the right thing by saying no to these uninvited guests, but no one called the police for assistance to clear the street, and some young ladies got into a fight outside and that's how everything escalated into Bobby being murdered.

Now, as a parent, I am truly disgusted at the fact that all these young people witnessed this tragic beating, but none of them obviously attempted to break it up and save Bobby. Obviously they enjoyed watching it and that's another problem in itself. Are our young people this blood thirsty and insensitive to life in general? Did they think that this was a video game and all that needed to be done was to hit the reset button and Bobby would jump right up? A too large amount of our young people are disillusioned. The group of young people I'm referring to don't understand what they are supposed to be doing (terrible decision making skills), they have poor work ethic and actually want to be given everything.

When are we as adults and parents going to look in the mirror and realize that we are the cause of this tragedy. We must take responsibility for raising our children better than what we have been doing. These lost young people actually crave for love, attention, direction & yes even discipline! It is ok to discipline your child! Discipline helps everyone make proper decisions. If a person thinks before they act, usually they make the right decision.

Once the parents let the uninvited guests know that they couldn't come in, they should have made sure that the young people dispersed completely and possibly this tragedy never happens. If these young men that murdered Bobby Tillman had any love and discipline instilled in them, they never would have jumped on Bobby. Proper thinking would have prompted one of the many young people watching to call 911 or jump in to save Bobby. The proper way of thinking would have made all these young people just leave and go home, but if no one is teaching these young people how to think properly, what just happened is what we are going to get. I know Bobby and his family, along with the neighbors on the street would have appreciated some "proper thinking" at the time of this tragedy.

Then I hear, and have read that some parents & the NAACP are concerned about the witnesses being put on a Police Bus and being questioned by the police to find out who did this horrible thing. Are they kidding? What if that was their child murdered?

Let's wake up and put maximum effort into teaching our children how to think properly at all times! It starts when they are in the womb. Our children can learn and be great, but we have to instill some love, work ethic & discipline in them to achieve greatness. Parents, we have to do it!!!

One Love!

What President Obama says our role is in regards to education.

2010-11-03T13:53:00.000-04:00

President Obama on our role (from Ebony Magazine Cover; Sept. 2010):

"The most important thing for me is that every single Ebony (Ebony Magazine) reader help to parent our kids and set very high expectations for them."

"Education is the civil rights issue of our generation." - U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. (from Ebony Magazine Cover; Sept. 2010)

What are we doing to our young men?

2010-06-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

By: B. Brown (BREG)

Recently, while I was having a meeting at a restaurant, I noticed that a lady and her son walked past us, and they both went into the women's bathroom. I know you are saying, what's up? Here's what's up. The young man had to be at least 6 - 7 years old, and I believe that he is old enough to go into the men's bathroom by himself and the mother should wait for him outside of the door. He is definitely too old to go into the women's bathroom.

Since I was sitting near the bathroom of this facility, I started paying attention to who was going into the bathroom and at least two (2) more mothers or guardians took 6 - 10 year old young men into the women's bathroom! I was shocked and very disturbed by this trend.

I have spoken to several people about what I saw and they said, "you haven't seen that before", and I said, "no!" Obviously this has been going on for quite awhile now and poses several questions from me and explains the state of a lot of our young men, especially African-American young men.

My questions are:

1. Why are our adult females continuing to treat our young men as babies when they obviously have to grow up and be able to do things for themselves & by themselves?

- And a lot of our women wonder why we have a lot of men that are not self-sufficient. They are raised that way.

2. As our young men are continually taken into the women's bathroom, which bathroom will they choose to go into when their mother or female guardian isn't around?

- And we wonder where sexual identity issues come from for a lot of our young men. They are confused at an early age.

Parents, I do understand that watching our kids grow up is scary, but it is going to happen if we like it or not. I believe that we must embrace the process of our children growing up and let's empower them to do what they are supposed to do and set expectations for them.

If we want our young men to grow up to be responsible men, then we must start grooming them and teaching them how to be men as soon as possible. We cannot afford to wait until they are 14 years old to start teaching them how to be a man.

Now, I know that there are other factors involved like the fact that there are a lot of absent fathers in the home, but there are a lot of fathers that are present in the home. We have grandfathers, uncles, older cousins, teachers, coaches, counselors, mentors, etc. Women, please reach out to these men that will help you teach your son how to become a man. It is critical!

This blog is specifically speaking to what I have seen recently, and I would like to see our adult women stop taking our young men into the women's bathroom. It may have bigger ramifications then we all can even imagine.

One Love!

Classy Conduct - It's Never Out of Style

2010-02-22T12:23:00.000-05:00

Written By: Fonzworth Bentley --- Entertainer/TV Personality/Author
(JET Perspective; Feb. 15, 2010; pg. 29)

Manners, confidence and style have always been part of the African-American experience. If you don't believe me, just look a classic movie footage of the Nicholas Brothers, Sammy Davis Jr. or Duke Ellington, to name a few. Or peek into your own family photo album to see that granddad and grandma really did have it together.

In 2010, we have a great opportunity to reclaim our heritage as an elegant and proud people.

Etiquette helps you feel confident and comfortable in all social situations. And, just as important, it helps others feel comfortable around you. Here are a few etiquette tips that have been passed down to me that I'd like to share:

1. Please and Thank You are magical words that can carry you a long way in this world. They can help open many doors. When you are grateful, the universe has a way of honoring and assisting you on your journey through life.

2. Look people in the eye when you're talking to them. It says you're confident in who you are and in what you're saying. Now, put a nice smile on and you're in. It works!

3. Your handshake can say a lot about you. It should be firm. And be sure to clasp the entire hand of the other person. No one wants to shake a "whimpy" hand.

4. If you're invited to a party or social event, don't bring others. You were invited-not your homies, your cousins or your children. If your host had wanted them to come, they would have been invited. Leave them home!

5. Keep in mind that both fish and house-guests stink after three (3) days. In other words, don't overstay your welcome when you visit someone's home.

In Support of Earthquake-Torn Haiti!!!

2010-01-26T23:29:00.007-05:00

By: B. Brown

I would like to take my hat off to the people of the United States of America!!!

We have supported Haiti in record-breaking fashion and I am very proud of that fact.

We have Wyclef's "Yele'" Organization, The Red Cross, The Clinton-Bush Fund, etc. That is what has really tripped me out, Former Presidents Clinton & Bush have united for a cause. Unbelievable! President Obama has made it clear that his administration is going to help Haiti through its tragedy and help it rebuild. As one of the strongest countries in the world even during our recession, we are still committed to helping an ailing country that desparately needs help. I am very proud of that committment!

I have personally supported Haiti by donating to Wyclef's organization and you can too by texting YELE to 501501 to donate $5.00. Let's continue to show our compassionate side and do what we would want someone to do for us.

God Bless the people of New Orleans, LA & Mississippi that experienced Hurricane Katrina and God Bless the people of Haiti and all the workers who are there helping!!!

God is good!!!

One Love!

Did we learn anything in 2009?

2010-01-02T23:55:00.005-05:00

2009 was an amazing year in so many ways! It started with the Inauguration of the 1st African-American President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. One of the most saddening things that happened in 2009 is the beating death of the young man in Chicago, IL. His name is Derrion Albert, and he was a sophomore honor roll student at Christian Fenger Academy High School.

Another tremendously frightening occurrence is the fact that the United States has a 48% high school drop-out rate! I am very concerned that no one is really looking at this epidemic of young people just wandering right out of the schools out into the streets & left to the whims of their idling minds. I do not believe that is a good thing. I have recently heard a true but hard quote that sums up our U.S. Public School Systems and it is this, "for our Prison Systems to be successful, our School Systems must be unsuccessful." That's exactly what we have going on in our country right now. What do you think? Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, I need to holla at you about getting our public school systems back in check. I have some great ideas for some initiatives.

The good news coming out of 2009 is that President Obama has made great strides in getting a U.S. Public Health Insurance Option approved and put into action. Our economy also appears to be heading in the right direction. Thanks be to God!

I attempt to point out things to us adults and young people alike because we are in this thing together and we as the adults need to lead our children in the right direction at all costs. It will benefit all of us!

Happy New Year & let us all make positive differences in our respective communities in 2010!!!

One Love!

--- B. Brown

From the school house to the courthouse!

2009-11-05T21:06:00.004-05:00

"From the school house to the courthouse, the odds seem to be pervasively stacked against the black male. Unemployment rates, school drop-out rates, income levels and incarceration rates of black males, as compared with white males and black females, are clear indicators of the challenges they face ...

The good news is that these odds can be overcome by putting constructive strategies to work."

- Norma Joy Barnes, Priority Male Program Founder

The Community Council of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc.

Keep your head on a Swivel!!!

2009-09-15T19:13:00.005-04:00

Thoughts by: B. Brown

Hello World!!! What is going on when people actually have a problem with the President of the United States speaking to their children via a nationwide broadcast to encourage them to do well and to have a great school year?

I am appalled at some parents that actually did not sign the permission slip on purpose that would have allowed their children to hear the positive message from President Obama. The parents that did allow their children to listen President Obama's message, please keep your head on a swivel! We still have people that do not accept our new president and they are spreading that mentality to their children. For that reason, hate and racism is alive and well, and racism will not be disappearing anytime soon.

Here's my position on the matter. Even if you do not accept or like President Obama, he is the President of the United States and a person should at least respect the position of President of the United States. I wonder if the parents that did not give their children permission to listen to President Obama would have given their children permission to listen to President Bush? President Bush put the United States in one of the worst financial situations this country has ever been in, and when you look at his business background, he has basically failed at everything he has ever done and people have and still publicly support him. Utterly amazing! I personally find it very disturbing. Like & support who you want to, but I am suggesting that we as a people support other people that are of substance and integrity. Do your research & really be honest with yourself. That's the key!

Parents, education is the beginning of everything that we do. Continue to encourage your children to learn & improve every single day! Now, I am not saying that everyone has to go to college & get their P.H.D., but everyone needs to have a skill & some type of knowledge that will allow them to earn a living via working for someone else or their own business.

One Love!

Great Life Choices - The Book

2009-08-16T22:34:00.003-04:00

Written by: Dr. Earl Suttle & Dr. John Hubbard

This book written by my friend & mentor Dr. Earl Suttle is an excellent resource & guide to help parents & young people alike in their quest to make better decisions to live better lives. --- B. Brown

Great Life Choices is a self-esteem and skill-building guide.

"The choices you make on a daily basis can seriously impact your self-esteem, school performance, career path and many other aspects of your life for years to come. Poor choices can lead you down a road of perpetual problems, while great choices inevitably result in great joy and unlimited success. We believe this manual will help you to make smart choices in your life, and this, in turn, will help you to reach your full potential." --- excerpt from the Preface of Great Life Choices

U&I For Change

2009-06-11T23:29:00.004-04:00

By: Rick Reeves (U&I For Change; 1993)

Today; We are a Country Torn, whether it be from drugs, racial hate, governmental corruption, or just a plain lack of human compassion for one another, whatever the reasons of today, tomorrow can still be saved. We all are the future, and the hope of a once peaceful nation. So have the coin toss; tee it up and let's ...

Thoughts by: B. Brown

Move forward in a positive, constructive manner to make a difference in the lives of our young people around the world. We still have too many young people that believe that sagging pants is ok, we still have too many young people that believe that being uneducated is ok. I am here to say that neither one of those things is ok!

I have FAITH in our young people and I am going to continue to be a positive and powerful influence on young people and help usher them into a successful adult life!

JOIN ME! ONE LOVE!

Children are responsible for their own behavior!

2009-04-05T22:08:00.003-04:00

By: John Rosemond *Family Psychologist - http://www.rosemond.com
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; E2/ Sat. Feb. 28, 2009)

One of the defining features of today's parenting mindset is guilt.

Before the psychological parenting revolution of the late 1960's & 1970's, mothers were more immune to guilt.

Back then, when a child behaved badly, the mother made the child feel guilty. These days, when a child behaves badly, the child's mother is likely to experience the guilt. This has happened because today's moms - the primary consumers of parenting information and therefore its primary victims - believe that parenting produces the child.

The only conclusion upheld by common sense: Parenting does not produce the child. Parenting is an influence, and it is certainly prudent for parents to do what they can to maximize positive influence, but in the final analysis, the child produces himself. He takes your influence and he decides what to do with it.

Before, parents understood that they could do only so much. They understood that no matter how "good" their parenting was, their children were still capable on any given day of doing bad things. So when a child misbehaved, they punished him.

Too many of today's parents, in the same circumstances, punish themselves. They search themselves for the answer to "why?" Consequently, their children are not being held fully responsible.

Of late, I've been asking my audiences two questions: > Is parenting more or less stressful, do you think, than it was in the 1950's? > Are today's children more or less happy than were children in the 1950's?

Every audience's answers have been, respectively, more and less.

I propose that much of the stress is because of parents holding themselves responsible for their children's misbehavior. And I propose that much of the unhappiness is because children are not being held responsible for their own behavior.

What are you going to do in 2009?

2009-01-26T21:33:00.002-05:00

Thoughts By: B. Brown

It’s 2009 and it’s time for your goals and aspirations to manifest into reality!!!

Barack Obama is the 44th President and the 1st African-American President of the United States! It is an exciting time to be an American! We as Americans are embarking on a new adventure and it sure feels great!

I am personally very excited about the history that has been made with Obama leading the U.S. into a new positive direction. I am truly grateful for my parents, grand parents and the rest of the generations before me that paved the way for this great moment to take place. If you go and ask any person white or black that is over fifty (50) years old, the majority of them will tell you that they did not expect to see a black man in the White House in their lifetime. Oh, what a wonderful time it is right now!

A lot of different things have been put out there in regards to Obama being President, but the fact is that he has a tremendous appeal to people all around the world and that his appeal along with his economic and political strategies have a great chance of pulling the U.S. out of one of it’s most challenging economic downturns ever! I believe we as a nation are going to be ok in the near future.

What ever you aspire to be and whatever your goals are, there is no better time than now to actually write them down, visualize them and move forth with action to achieve your goals. Action is the key! It is just like Faith. Faith without action is dead. The time is now for each and every one of us to improve ourselves and make a difference. The time is now for us to take advantage of education and use that education to parlay ourselves into new fields of business and new opportunities. Focusing on your goals everyday and actively working towards them will allow you to have a drive and desire that can be unstoppable and that day will come when you realize that your life has changed and beautiful things are happening to you! Close your eyes for a moment … isn’t that a beautiful vision?

Your goal may be to spend more time with your family --- do it!
Your goal may be to lose weight --- do it!
Your goal may be to get a better paying job --- do it!

Whatever your goals and aspirations --- there’s now better phrase to use than Nike’s awesome slogan --- just do it!!!

“The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.” – Bobby Knight

It’s 2009 and it is truly your time!!!

Saving Our Daughters - A New Book

2008-12-30T22:04:00.004-05:00

From: Kim Ellis of KE Consulting's E-Blast

This holiday season, It's Cool To Be Smart will introduce their new book series, called "Saving Our Daughters" From a Man's Point of View and will feature 6 leading African American Men in Film, Television, Sports and Music; one of these men will be T.I. and the organizations sponsor and spokesperson for the past 5 years. It was a very special September 13th weekend at this years' event because of the support from V-103's (103.3 WVEE Atlanta, GA) Producer of The Porsche Foxx Show, Tequilla Whitfield. Tequilla had joined It's Cool To Be Smart and the new book series' efforts to help support and uplift single parent mothers and their daughters in the black community. "I read the first two chapters of Saving Our Daughters and was truly touched by the mother and co-author's quest of overcoming horrific acts in their life", stated Tequilla.

Tequilla and V-103 blessed these two remarkable women with tickets to attend the event for the September 13th weekend along with arranging up an an up/close conversation with T.I., who personally thanked the mother, co-author and writer Karen Watts, for the opportunity to participate in the book to inspire single parent mothers and their daughters.

T.I. has always been in support of single parent mothers and their children with past scholarships and sponsorships for these families to attend recreation centers during the summer and help in college aid.

Is it a New Day of Hope?

2008-11-11T10:10:00.004-05:00

Thoughts By: B. Brown

On November 4, 2008, history was made when the American people elected Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States! We as America are in uncharted waters with our 1st African-American President and a lot of people are concerned about what is going to happen in the near future.

I don't know what is going to happen either, but I know that we could not afford another term with a Republican President in office. For people of color and the working class, it would be terribly bad!

I am thankful for the fact that Obama won and is in position to make positive changes that will not only help african-americans, but all American people. Economically, the working class (middle) has to be in position to earn decent money because they are the ones that spend the most money. Eliminate the working class (middle) and you will only have very, very wealthy people and very, very poor people. That is a scary image and very reminiscent of the slavery era.

One of the most beautiful things about Obama's victory is the fact that parents can now truthfully say that their African-American children can actually become President of the United States if they choose to pursue it.

As a Success Leader, I discuss and share ideas from Success University (the #1 Online Personal Development Company in the World!
http://www.winbush-brown.successuniversity.com) with youth and adults alike, and I am astonished at the fact that a lot of our young people do not realize the depth of what has happened with the election of Obama. Now our young people have the ultimate role model and hopefully they realize that it is ok to be smart, to be well groomed, to wear a suit, to speak correctly & sound intelligent and to pull their pants up! I am looking forward to the tide turning in a positive direction where more young african-american males go to college, trade school and/or technical school and start building a positive reputation which is desperately needed.

I do believe it is a NEW DAY OF HOPE with the election of Obama; and we as parents, mentors, educators, etc. have to make sure that we share our expectations with our children so that they know how we expect them to behave and conduct themselves.

Young people, all your dreams can come true if you are willing to work hard, work smart, sacrifice and never give up!

One Love!

Great statement for you and your children!!!

2008-11-03T22:48:00.004-05:00

"Rosa [Parks] sat so Martin [Luther King, Jr.] could walk ... Martin walked so [Barack] Obama could run ... Obama is running so our kids can fly! Do not dare let his dream die! VOTE!!!"

--- Unknown Author

B. Brown's Thoughts: This statement is very profound and powerful because it clearly says that our predecessors have sacrificed for us, and each generation must take the next step and continue to move forward.

My parents were a part of the Civil Rights movement and heavily involved in the Student Movement of the 1960's and I take my voting rights very seriously. Black people officially received the right to vote in 1965. That's not that long ago. We must all excercise our right to vote and put the proper people in office and then hold them accountable.

Spike Lee's Classic Movie sums it up for me, Do the Right Thing!

One Love!

It's Election time, have you spoken to your child or children?

2008-10-09T19:46:00.006-04:00

By: B. Brown

Obama or McCain? Is it really a question who should be our next President of the United States of America? To me no, but amazingly enough there are people out there that actually support McCain for some reason. Other than being racist and/or extremely wealthy, I honestly do not know how anyone could seriously vote for McCain. I am an Obama supporter and I have voted already! Either way, we are in America and we all have a choice to make by or on November 4, 2008. God Bless America!

Some parents may believe that discussing politics with their children is not important, but I believe it is because you never know what is going to spark an interest in them. I definitely believe parents should discuss this particular Presidential Election with their children because we are on the verge of one of the most historic moments in political history! Obama is the 1st African-American to win a Major Party's Nomination for President and actually is ahead in the polls right now. He has dominated the debates between he and McCain, and Obama is poised to be elected the New President of the United States on November 4, 2008.

I urge everyone 18 years of age and older to get out and vote and make a difference! Obama needs your vote to ensure history being made! Be a part of history and vote to make sure it becomes a reality! Obama has not won yet, but we all can do our part to help him become our New President of the United States!

Parents, speak to your children and share this historic moment with them!

One Love!

The United States Financial Picture!!! Do our youth know?

2008-09-18T21:23:00.005-04:00

Thoughts From: B. Brown (BREG)

Hello America! It is amazing what is going on right now! Well, actually it is not. If you have been paying attention for the last 8-years, we have all been involved in a breakdown of American values, morals and economic strength. The U.S. is no longer the world economic leader. That is something to really look at and understand.

A Wall Street staple, Lehman Brothers Holdings is gone. This week alone, the U.S. Government took over AIG (American International Group, Inc.) with an $85 Billion Bailout! Bank of America just bought Merrill Lynch & Co. Morgan Stanley, Wachovia & Washington Mutual are looking at different scenarios of buyouts and mergers to survive as "share prices" continue to fall. The picture is not pretty!

All my parents out there, I encourage you to talk to your children and loved ones about what's going on with our economy because if you don't, you will find yourself in even worse shape if you don't have the information to make some good decisions here in the near future. As you see, gas prices are crazy high and some gas stations don't have any gas at all. We must investigate for ourselves and have a good idea on what is going on in our country and around the world. China is the new world economic leader. We as parents and adults must know this and we must share and explain this to our children. Our children must understand that it is not ok to be ignorant and misinformed. They must be "awake"!

I encourage everyone to read the U.S.A. Today, The Wall Street Journal, News Week, etc. to stay up to date on what's going on and tune in to talk radio and CNN, MSNBC, etc. This is an election year and we must all get out and vote! I personally support Obama!!!

Let's continue to Pray and "Faith without Action is Dead!"

One Love!

"Hard Times at Frederick Douglass High School"

2008-07-23T10:13:00.003-04:00

Thoughts From: B. Brown

Let me first commend HBO (Home Box Office) for airing such a moving and realistic view of urban - predominantly black high schools. I use the plural form because Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore, MD is not the only high school that faces the issues and concerns that were shown in the HBO Documentary. I can name you five (5) or more high schools just like that in Metro Atlanta, GA. Oh yeah, we have a serious problem America!

Accountability! Accountability? What's that? Being responsible for one's actions and duties. It's amazing that all these people in high positions in education across the country refuse to take a stand and do what is right for the children. You see, it has to be some kind of plan in place to continue to allow our national public schools to spin downwards toward our current 48.6% dropout rate and that number is going to continue to rise if we don't do something now to correct the problem. What is the actual problem? I believe the problem is that we are attempting to educate New Millineum Kids with "The Leave it to Beaver" educational blueprint. Guess what everyone, it's NOT WORKING!!! Our Local & State Guidelines are unrealistic! If I didn't know better, you would actually believe that they just don't know what is going on on the front lines at our schools. Obviously that is not the truth, because we see the proof every day!

The Powers that be must creatively come up with Parental Outreach Programs that will help the parents. That's the key! We have to help the Parents! A lot of our kids are caught in vicious cycles of self-hate, poverty & see no value in education. They are looking for ways to survive, not how to do geometry. The Parents do not know how to get out of the vicious cycle. Let's invest money into programs that will attract the Parents to shool with their children and let's help both of them at the same time. Let's put value back into education and then let's see how our communities improve.

Now, I am one of those people that believe a college education and above is not for everyone, but a basic high school education IS for everyone!

Let us all remember that we live in a Capitalist Society and for their to be very Wealthy people, there has to be very Poor people. It's that simple and the powers that be know this fact. So now the choice goes back to the parents and the individual when that individual gets to a certain age where they can make decisions on their own about their education.

Let's keep working towards a better place!

One Love!

http://www.winbush-brown.successuniversity.com

Hip-Hop vs. America 2008 (BET)

2008-06-27T20:20:00.005-04:00

B. Brown's opinion of BET's Forum "Hip-Hop vs. America" - 2008

The first thing I observed is the fact that the title is wrong. As David Banner said, the title should actually be America vs. Hip-Hop. America is the one blaming Hip-Hop for all of society's ills. Anyone with common sense knows that is not true. Hip-Hop was birthed from the oppression and degradation of black youth and blacks in general. Hip-Hop and the culture of Hip-Hop is expression!

Jeff Johnson & MC Lyte did a great job of moderating the forum and attempting to keep the discussion moving and dealing with passionate responses from panelists.

A lot of issues were put forth that touched a nerve and now we are challenged to create solutions that are going to effectively change our current situation in America.

My first question is when are we as adults and leaders going to start telling the truth that success of any kind starts with education? It appears to me that here in America, we have just dumped education into the back seat and kept driving. That is very dangerous because the young people that do not have solid parenting get left behind tremendously and that's when trouble begins for those young people. When a young person cannot read, write or count effectively, school becomes a very intimidating place. A young person does not want to be exposed like that and chooses to act out, act a fool or not come to school at all. So in this age of indignity, disrespect, sagging pants, wanting instant money, wanting instant fame and wanting all the trapping of life, we have to learn how to go through the proper processes to obtain what we want in life. Our Hip-Hop Youth have to be taught to value education!

My next question is what has happened to the Black Church? Everyone used to run to the church for help, but I don't personally see that anymore. If anything, everyone runs to the schools and then tries to blame the school for the children underachieving. It's quite amazing! The Black Church was one of the first places where black men could have their voices heard and now instead of spirituality & freedom, a lot of churches are caught up in financial prosperity preaching. Again, this is a very dangerous situation because now you have a lot of people attending church for the wrong reason. Several Panelists talked about how black men in the church did not attend to the needs of black women in the church. There is misogyny in the church and their is misogyny in hip-hop.

David Banner says, "We have to show these kids how to get out of the hood. They know when people are spitting BS to them."

Lyfe Jennings says, "I don't have a problem with my kids listening to negative type music, but I would have a problem if I wasn't there to explain to them the difference between negative and positive music and the fact that it is entertainment."

Talib Kweli says, "Artists usually have records with substance on their albums, but those songs are not their singles."

Nelson George says, "How are these Hip-Hop videos being shot? What is the quality of video? Was the video done in good taste?"

M1 of Dead Prez says, "Reevaluate what it means to be a man."

Eugene Rivers says, "There is a tremendous absence of mentoring to our young people."

B. Brown --- As I continue to research and observe our society as a whole and then look at Hip-Hop, there appears to be a lack of accountability at every level of society which makes it very easy to point at Hip-Hop as a very guilty villain in the demise of our young people and women. But the reality is that we can not blame Hip-Hop for society's breakdown and sadness, but we can hold Hip-Hop accountable for what it does do to contribute to our youth's slow death. The major record companies market, promote & distribute music that is some times not very positive and shouldn't be listened to in heavy rotation. But as we all know, society craves sex, money & murder. Advertisers pay big money to reach viewers and listeners. Money is the bottom line and when society changes its focus from money to spiritual and moral fortitude, then you will start seeing an even bigger change in Hip-Hop!

A lot of rappers have been influenced heavily by the Godfather Trilogy and Scarface Films along with the other gangster and murderous type films like Rambo, Terminator, etc. I have not seen the same protests and objections to the writers, directors & actors of this type of entertainment as I have seen in Hip-Hop. I wonder why?

If we as America are going to hold Hip-Hop accountable, let's hold the Major Record Companines, Corporate America, White America, Latino America, Hispanic America, Asian America, etc. accountable as well and let's get to the root of the problem. The problem is the chase and obtainment of money without any regards for our fellow human beings. THE SOLUTION IS TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR OWN ACTIONS AND TO TEACH, LOVE & DISCIPLINE OUR CHILDREN SO THAT THEY ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND START A POSITIVE CYCLE OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EVERYONE! WATCH HOW AMERICA AND THE WORLD WILL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!

School Leadership!!!

2008-05-29T17:04:00.003-04:00

By: Bill Clinton (*Former President of the United States)
--- excerpt from his book My Life pg. 318

“… I had become convinced that school performance depended more on the quality of a principal’s leadership than on any other single factor. The years ahead only strengthened that conviction …”

B. Brown’s thoughts: Education is one of the most precious things that we all can obtain if we work for it and apply ourselves. Once we receive our degrees and certificates and certifications, we are able to pursue areas that are otherwise closed. But we have also seen amazing cases of very smart and determined individuals that did not finish high school or college create, develop and establish great companies that have impacted local, state, national & international business.

Everything starts at the “head” and when you have an effective leader and leadership team, you will see a school that is running smooth, deals with discipline issues promptly & effectively and high academic achievement.I believe all children have the ability to learn in some capacity. It is the school system’s job to educate our children. Educational Leadership has to properly place students where they need to be so that these students may receive the education that they need. You have verbal learners, you have visual learners. Everything starts with discipline and when a student knows that they have to walk a straight line, and then you best believe that they are going to walk a straight line. Students only do what teachers and administration allow them to do, bottom line!

We must get back to basics and start truly wanting our children to learn and want are kids to be able to think. We need to reevaluate our National Legislation on Special Education and stop putting all these kids in Special Ed. Programs just to pass them through school. The school gets terrorized by these students because these students are allowed special privileges to skip classes and tear up the school. These students do not have the proper foundation of education needed to achieve. Let’s put them in smaller, one-on-one type atmospheres that will help them obtain the basic foundation of learning and watch how they achieve.

Our Leadership in Education must take firm & positive action to improve the performance of our students and schools. Let’s take control of our schools and connect with the parents of these students. Leadership cannot be afraid of parents that have children that do not come to school to learn. Parents and leadership must put students in position to learn at whatever level that child is currently working at, and Leadership must invest more money and resources in Vocational Training and Military Training for our students that need to go another route other than a Liberal Arts-College Prep educational route.

Educational Leadership, I challenge you!!!

The New Black Youth Culture

2008-05-15T15:01:00.008-04:00

By: Bakari Kitwana

For our parent's generation, the political ideals of civil rights and Black power are central to their worldview. Our parent's generation placed family, spirituality, social responsibility, and Black pride at the center of their identity as Black Americans. They, like their parents before them, looked to their elders for values and identity. The coreset of values shared by a large segment of the hip-hop generation - Black America's generation X - stands in contrast to our parents' worldview. For the most part, we have turned to ourselves, our peers, global images and products, and the new realities we face for guidance. In the process, the values and attitudes described above anchor our worldview.

Our parents' values maintain a strong presence within our worldview. But in cases where the old and the new collide, the old - more often than not - is superseded by the new. For example, Black pride is still an important part of this generation's identity. In fact, the hip-hop generation has embraced the idea of Blackness in ways that parallel the Black consciousness raising of the late 1960's and early 1970's. The popularization of the Afrocentric movement from the late 1980's through the 1990's, pro-Black lyrics on the contemporary rap scene, as well as traditional hairstyles (dreadlocks and braids, for example) adopted by many hip-hop generationers all speak to this. Regardless of whether this is a brand of hard-core nationalism or a lukewarm, flash-in-the-pan bou-gie nationalism, the fact remains that when many hip-hop generation youth have to choose between personal financial success at the expense of what the older generation considers communal cultural integrity, individual gain generally comes first.

MUSIC AND MOVIE POLICY

2008-04-20T09:34:00.003-04:00

*From the Grace Christian Academy Handbook (Fayetteville, GA)

The purpose of Grace Christian Academy (GCA) is to work hand-in-hand with the home to, “Train up a child in the way he should go” (Prov. 22:6). This training includes academic as well as character growth.

Many themes that are present within the music and movie industry run counter to the Christian principles GCA is trying to promote. They seek to undermine authority by implanting seeds of rebellion in a young heart and mind. Listening to and viewing these unscriptural messages can be detrimental to the spiritual, moral, and intellectual life of a young person.

We recognize that Grace Christian Academy does not have the authority to tell the home what type of music to which the young person should listen or what movies they may attend. However, it is also recognized that students who exist on a steady diet of rock, rap, or country music have difficulty growing spiritually, can become cold and indifferent to the things of God, and may hinder the growth of other students. Therefore, the policy of GCA is to be opposed to secular forms of rock, country, or rap music that promote an anti-God message. Tapes, CDs, pictures, magazines, emblems or any other rock, rap, or country music paraphernalia are not to be brought on the campus of Grace Christian Academy. This includes the singing or whistling of any rock, rap, or country song or the drawing of a rock, rap, or country emblem or rock, rap, or country group’s name on any text, text cover, notebook, etc.

In addition, we would encourage our students to exercise godly judgment in the movies they choose to see. We would encourage parents to take an active role in what you allow your children to watch. Discussion with other students about movies that the GCA administration deems inappropriate will not be allowed to take place while students are on campus. Grace Christian Academy reserves the right to discipline a student who is found in violation of these guidelines.

B. Brown's Opinion: I commend and fully support GCA's Music and Movie Policy. We as a society has gotten away from a lot of fundamentals that proved very effective in the past. Our young people are definitely being exposed to things at an early age due to technology and the changing of time in general. Because of this, we have parents that are ignoring their children and letting TV, Music, Video Games, Movies, etc. raise their children. That kind of parenting is not going to work out well for the child in the long run. Literally, a lot of our young people do not know the proper way to conduct themselves. They could not do it even if their lives depended on it. That is a major problem. Parents, their are more jails being built while funding for schools is being cut! Parents, do not be afraid to love, teach and discipline your children. We all will benefit from it greatly as we move forward. Let's not let our greed and selfishness overtake us. PUBLIC SCHOOLS, please take note. We can do something to help our children if we stand up for what is right and stop accepting wrong actions and objectives that are literally killing our young people!

Clayton County Schools Crisis (Atlanta Journal-Constitution; 3-28-08; D3)

2008-03-30T20:24:00.006-04:00

By: Megan Matteucci

Members: Quit or stay on?

Every member of the Clayton County School Board (Georgia) says his or her first priority is the district's 52,800 students.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools plans to revoke Clayton's accreditation unles it overhauls the school system.

SACS gave the district until Sept. 1 to meet nine mandates or become the first school system in the U.S. to lose accreditation since 1969.

The first mandate is to establish a governing board that is capable of fulfilling its roles and responsibilities. To do that, all nine board members must resign, said three top officials involved with the system's accreditation.

As of Thursday, the board has removed one board member and two have announced plans to resign.

For many parents, the question remains: Why are any of them still in office?

B. Brown's comments on the situation:

There seems to be a recurring theme in Clayton County right now and it is that the people in charge of the Educational system do not know what they are doing. For the second (2nd) time in five (5) years the county has been under investigation and the possibility of losing its accreditation has been hovering overhead.

I believe that the parents of the Hip-Hop Generation in Clayton County, GA should petition for the immediate removal of the nine (9) Board Members and absolutely demand that the county meets the other eight (8) mandates as soon as possible. Numbers are the key and parents have to step-up in big numbers to let the county know that the accreditation for the county must be saved at any cost.

Many parents have stepped up and made their voices heard, but in this day and age, you must be able to effectively get your point across legally! It takes some money, not necessarily a lot and effort! Effort is the key because many attorney's and organizations will work pro-bono. A movement is needed at this time!

Parents, the next time around, please nominate and push for good (quality) candidates to run for the School Board and vote for the best candidates that will sincerely help Clayton County improve its School System and restore it to a school system of excellence as it was up to the middle 90's.

Parents, it is up to you to LOVE, TEACH & DISCIPLINE your children and then demand that your children receive the best education possible from the school system he or she attends. When a child goes to school to learn, that means they have books, paper, pens, pencils and other items that they need to actually learn and achieve! If you don't see your children with any learning materials, ask them why they do not have any books with them and then check with their teachers. Believe me when I say this, the reason school systems have problems with securing and keeping good teachers is because teachers do not want to deal with kids that cuss them out, skip their classes repeatedly and just flat out don't know how to act. Too many children do not respect adults and they get that from their parents. Once again, parents step your game up!

One Love!

State of the Black Union Address - 2008

2008-03-02T12:53:00.008-05:00

New Orleans, LA - Morial Center

Written By: B. Brown of BREG

I had the opportunity to sit down and watch Part One (1) of the 2008 State of the Black Union Address. I had actually just got back in from jogging and I just happened to catch it when I turned on the TV.

I am always amazed when I watch forums of this magnitude because so many great ideas come out and are put to task. It makes me feel very good! I Pray that it makes you feel good too and charges you to take action. "Faith without action is dead!"

One of the topics was of course the Presidential Election that is coming fast. Obama and Clinton are in a heated campaign battle and McCain appears to have the Republican side of things wrapped up. I am personally an Obama supporter, however, I understand that it takes cooperation from both parties to actually get important issues resolved and that's the key to politics. Who can maneuver the best throughout the political landscape, be it local, national and/or international.

Healthcare is always a hot topic in the U.S. because there are so many people that do not have health insurance and basically cannot afford to get sick. It is a sad reality. Something must be done!

Education is one of the biggest issues in our country right now because recent reports have exposed cities like Baltimore, MD where only 27% of Black High School Males are graduating from high school. Let's wake up America! If young people are not even getting out of high school, then where are they going to be? Out in the communities doing what they have to do to survive. That's not good America!

At some point and time, we have to hold ourselves accountable and stop passing the buck. Our National Education System is a joke! "No Child Left Behind" sounds good, but it is definitely leaving kids behind. When a teacher has to pass a kid because they can only have so many failing students in a class is ridiculous. The kid must actually do the work satisfactory to pass the class. If we don't hold the parents and students accountable for coming to school and actually attempting to learn and behave properly, then we will continue to have the problems in our schools across the board. We must hold the students and parents accountable! As of right now, our schools are basically huge babysitting facilities!

Katrina victims still need help! This was another hot topic during the State of the Black Union Address. Let's actually teach our brothers and sisters in New Orleans "how to fish instead of giving them fish".

Our U.S. Prison System has more inmates than even bigger populated countries like China. Isn't that amazing. Young people, you must realize the system and the world you live in and stop contributing to your own demise. Drug Dealing and illegal activity is not your only way to financial success. Take pride in being intelligent and use your intelligence to learn even more so that you will be able to earn a living wherever you go.

Let me commend the Panelists that I watched this year during the State of the Black Union Address. Please continue your efforts to uplift, educate and inspire! Thank you!!!

Tavis Smiley - Founder of The State of the Black Union Address/Radio & TV Host/Author

Angela Glover Blackwell - Policy Link

Cleo Fields - U.S. Rep. - Baton Rouge, LA

Jesse Jackson - Rainbow/Push Coalition

Michael Eric Dyson - Georgetown Univ. Prof./Author

Ray Nagin - Mayor of New Orleans, LA

Naomi Churchhill Earp - EEOC

Stephanie Tubbs Jones - U.S. Congress (11th Distr. - Cleveland, OH)

Darron Boyce - Kirby High School Student (Memphis, TN)/Student & Youth Activist

Pastor Mel - Prison Ministry

Education, Sagging Pants, Goals, Behavior, etc.

2008-02-11T13:39:00.000-05:00

By: B. Brown of BREG

A few weeks ago, Dr. Phil had a show about "Sagging Pants" and he had several guests on the show that had different opinions about the issue. One parent in particular said that he and his sons loved the style of dress and actually defended sagging your pants. The father doesn't believe there is a direct connection between people that have their underwear or shorts showing and people that may choose to do things incorrectly on a regular basis.

Let me share with you my opinion on "Sagging Pants". It is very interesting to me to know that there are a lot of parents that are actually ok with their kids having their pants hanging off of their behinds. Some of these young people let their pants come down to their thigh and knee areas. To me, it is absolutely crazy! Why, because these young people have not learned how to dress for any kind of success. They believe that they will be ok. The reality is that some of these young people will not be ok. If you look at the grades of the young people that allow their pants to hang tremendously low below their waist, you will see that the majority of them have very poor grades and their behavior is usually horrible. Go to any middle or high school and conduct a quick survey. It's embarrassing!

Grant it, you should not judge a book by its cover, but the cover is an indicator. In most cases, we all pre-judge a person upon initially seeing them, so when a person truly believes that it doesn't matter what they dress or look like, they are sadly mistaken. Go apply for a job anywhere with your pants sagging down and see what happens. Operate your own business and go visit a client or have a client come visit you and see if you continue to have them as a client with your pants sagging below your waist. I'm sorry, it's just not going to happen! Here is a way to test for yourself. Dress like you normally dress with your pants sagging below your waist, and then put on a suit or dress outfit and see the difference in how people look at you and treat you. It will be totally different.

You see, there is a certain mentality that goes along with wearing your pants below your waist. The first is a "Jail" mentality because the style began and has been perpetuated from jail. The second is "self-hate" because for you not to care about your appearance is a form of self-hate. The third mentality is a "I don't give a %$@#" attitude. This is very dangerous because if any adult or person of authority says anything to them, they will "go-off" on you! I mean cuss you out and possibly confront you. What has been going on in the 2000's has been a Nationwide shift of mentality for our young people.

Our Parents first and foremost must do their part to Love, Teach, & Discipline their children. It's not cool to be friends with your children. It's cool to be a parent to your children! It is ok to discipline your children and make sure that they go to school to learn. Learning is their #1 function and all the other craziness that they attempt to get involved with should be nipped in the bud. Children can only do what we as adults allow them to do and right now we are giving them too much rope, and they are hanging themselves.

Everyone, let's get back to basics and take pride in getting at least a High School Education. For these children to get an education, we must hold them accountable for their actions and stress to them that they are going to get their education and that we are going to support them in the process. Parents, we cannot be lazy! Prepare them for school, demand proper behavior (yes sir & yes ma'am) and demand that they attend their classes everyday. Watch the success!!!

Biblical Education & Wisdom for Hip-Hop Parents & Youth!

2008-01-14T11:08:00.000-05:00

A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- Proverbs 15:20

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future.
- Proverbs 19:20

He who keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
- Proverbs 21:23

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
- Proverbs 22:6

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
- Proverbs 22:15

Apply your mind to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.
- Proverbs 23:12

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
- Proverbs 23:13

AT-RISK STUDENTS

2007-12-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

Fulton County, GA Targets Truancy and Crime
By: John H. Eaves
Chairman of the Fulton County Commission

As the holiday season approaches, many of us who are shopping for children are thinking of recent reports of lead paint in toys, and fearing the harm lead paint could cause our babies. But there is also a lead crisis facing our teenagers, every day - coming from the barrels of guns. Too often, that gun is aimed at a young person, but it is also true that young people are too often the perpetrators. By allowing this trend to continue, we are failing young people, and failing our communities.

In this nation, there is a 50% chance that a murder victim is African-American, although we make up just 12% of the total population. And among African-American murder victims, there is a one in three chance that the victim will be between the ages of 13 and 24.

Murder is not the only crime facing our teenagers and young adults. Burglaries in South Fulton County are up 13% over the past six months, and an overwhelming number of the perpetrators are teenagers.

Youth is often a time of experimentation with risky behaviors, and we see a range of indicatiors demostrating that trend, including high rates of teen pregnancy and a rise in HIV rates among youth. However, a willingness to abandon formal education is one of the chief indicators of an individual's future criminal activity.

Last year, in the Fulton County School System, 748 students dropped out in grades 9 through 12. A small number of these students dropped out due to incarceration or involvement with the justice system. However, the majority were removed due to poor attendance - the simple act of showing up at school was apparently too much of an investment in their future.

In the mean time, taxpayers are making tremendous financial investments on behalf of high school dropouts. The Fulton County Jail is at or near capacity on any given day, costing residents $79 per inmate per day. Nationally, 43% of state prison inmates lack a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Fulton County allocated $100 million for indigent care at Grady Health System this year. High School dropouts are much more likely to live in poverty and, therefore, are more likely to receive indigent health care.

We should be concerned when we see teenagers in the community on school days. Truancy has a "double whammy" effect - not only are students not learning, but they have the opportunity to commit crime or otherwise get themselves in trouble.

This trend was tragically highlighted after three teens committed a burglary in the middle of the afternoon on Dec. 4th. While fleeing the scene, they crashed into a power pole on Bethsaida Rd. in South Fulton, killing the driver and severely injuring the other two. Despite extensive news coverage, a 16 year old committed virtually the same crime two days later, suffering minor injuries in a crash. Why weren't these young men in school instead of terrorizing neighborhoods?

The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice has predicted that the number of violent youth offenders will increase by 33% from 2007 to 2011, over the previous five-year period. the number of at-risk youths is the chief reason for this - children in foster care, single-parent families in poverty, adults using drugs and alcohol.

In 2005, nearly 10% of our nation's teenage males - regardless of race - reported having carried a gun within the previous month. In Georgia, more than 7.5% report of high school students having carried a weapon on school property. It is no wonder, then, that 8% of Georgia high school student report missing school due to fear for their own safety.

How do we solve this problem? None of us can do it alone. The teenagers themselves are prevented by biology and inexperience from understanding the consequences of their actions - all the more reason to continue our protective watch. To reverse the trend, teenagers need the support of every adult in their lives, to keep them in school, keep them safe, help them make responsible and healthy choices. Parents need help - they may not be able to achieve the task alone. Indeed, increasing rates of divorce and out-of-marriage births have led to a number of single-parent households. Despite their best intentions, single parents face an even tougher challenge, with one less adult to keep watch. Additionally, these families run a higher risk of poverty - another risk factor. More than 40% of female-headed households with children are living in poverty in Fulton County.

On Thursday, a group of Fulton County agencies will join together with law enforcement, the courts and social services agencies to map out solutions to the crisis our young people are facing. In the mean time, every adult has a responsibility and opportunity to look at the teens who are close to them and steer them on the right path.

Parents and the Hip-Hop Youth, LEARN a lesson from Sean Taylor's Death!

2007-11-29T23:48:00.000-05:00

By: Jason Whitlock
FOXSPORTS.COM

There's a reason I call them the Black KKK. The pain, the fear and the destruction are all the same.

Someone who loved Sean Taylor is crying right now. The life they knew has been destroyed, an 18-month-old baby lost her father, and, if you're a black man living in America, you've been reminded once again that your life is in constant jeopardy of violent death.

The Black KKK claimed another victim, a high-profile professional football player with a checkered past this time.

No, we don't know for certain the circumstances surrounding Taylor's death. I could very well be proven wrong for engaging in this sort of aggressive speculation. But it's no different than if you saw a fat man fall to the ground clutching his chest. You'd assume a heart attack, and you'd know, no matter the cause, the man needed to lose weight.

Well, when shots are fired and a black man hits the pavement, there's every statistical reason to believe another black man pulled the trigger. That's not some negative, unfair stereotype. It's a reality we've been living with, tolerating and rationalizing for far too long.

When the traditional, white KKK lynched, terrorized and intimidated black folks at a slower rate than its modern-day dark-skinned replacement, at least we had the good sense to be outraged and in no mood to contemplate rationalizations or be fooled by distractions.

Our new millennium strategy is to pray the Black KKK goes away or ignores us. How's that working?

About as well as the attempt to shift attention away from this uniquely African-American crisis by focusing on an "injustice" the white media allegedly perpetrated against Sean Taylor.

Within hours of his death, there was a story circulating that members of the black press were complaining that news outlets were disrespecting Taylor's victimhood by reporting on his troubled past.

No disrespect to Taylor, but he controlled the way he would be remembered by the way he lived. His immature, undisciplined behavior with his employer, his run-ins with law enforcement, which included allegedly threatening a man with a loaded gun, and the fact a vehicle he owned was once sprayed with bullets are all pertinent details when you've been murdered.

Marcellus Wiley, a former NFL player, made the radio circuit Wednesday, singing the tune that athletes are targets. That was his explanation for the murders of Taylor and Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams and the armed robberies of NBA players Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry.

Really?

Let's cut through the bull(manure) and deal with reality. Black men are targets of black men. Period. Go check the coroner's office and talk with a police detective. These bullets aren't checking W-2's.

Rather than whine about white folks' insensitivity or reserve a special place of sorrow for rich athletes, we'd be better served mustering the kind of outrage and courage it took in the 1950s and 1960s to stop the white KKK from hanging black men from trees.

But we don't want to deal with ourselves. We take great joy in prescribing medicine to cure the hate in other people's hearts. Meanwhile, our self-hatred, on full display for the world to see, remains untreated, undiagnosed and unrepentant.

Our self-hatred has been set to music and reinforced by a pervasive culture that promotes a crab-in-barrel mentality.

You're damn straight I blame hip hop for playing a role in the genocide of American black men. When your leading causes of death and dysfunction are murder, ignorance and incarceration, there's no reason to give a free pass to a culture that celebrates murder, ignorance and incarceration.

Of course there are other catalysts, but until we recapture the minds of black youth, convince them that it's not OK to "super man dat ho" and end any and every dispute by "cocking on your bitch," nothing will change.

Does a Soulja Boy want an education?

HBO did a fascinating documentary on Little Rock Central High School, the Arkansas school that required the National Guard so that nine black kids could attend in the 1950s. Fifty years later, the school is one of the nation's best in terms of funding and educational opportunities. It's 60 percent black and located in a poor black community.

Watch the documentary and ask yourself why nine poor kids in the '50s risked their lives to get a good education and a thousand poor black kids today ignore the opportunity that is served to them on a platter.

Blame drugs, blame Ronald Reagan, blame George Bush, blame it on the rain or whatever. There's only one group of people who can change the rotten, anti-education, pro-violence culture our kids have adopted. We have to do it.

According to reports, Sean Taylor had difficulty breaking free from the unsavory characters he associated with during his youth.

The "keepin' it real" mantra of hip hop is in direct defiance to evolution. There's always someone ready to tell you you're selling out if you move away from the immature and dangerous activities you used to do, you're selling out if you speak proper English, embrace education, dress like a grown man, do anything mainstream.

The Black KKK is enforcing the same crippling standards as its parent organization. It wants to keep black men in their place — uneducated, outside the mainstream and six feet deep.
In all likelihood, the Black Klan and its mentality buried Sean Taylor, and any black man or boy reading this could be next.

What is the Purpose of True Education?

2007-11-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

"The purpose of true education is the expanding of the mind in the form of learning new places, persons, and things; learning about things you don't know, learning how to problem solve and plan in various fields and disciplines."

B. Brown of BREG: Bachelor of Arts-English

"The purpose of true education is to use ones mind, knowledge and creative genius to become free."

Dwon Alexander p.k.a. "Cool Water": Bachelor of Science-Special Education

"The purpose of true education is to gain knowledge to improve your live and the life of people you come in contact with, to help other people. The purpose of true education is to use knowledge for the greater good.

Willie Hunter of The Sentinel: Bachelor of Arts-Political Science/Arts

"The ultimate purpose of true education is to create a more productive and civilized society."

Eric - Publisher of Grooveline Magazine: Bacherlor of Arts-History

"The purpose of true education is to educate and entertain at the same time."

Dan Silas - CEO of Nuceic Media

IMPACT - "The purpose of true educcation is the positive impact you have on yourself, your family and community in a productive way."

A.J.: Real Estate Investor

***Reprint courtesy provided by JaWar and Music Industry Connection, LLC

Black Males Endangered Species, Farrakhan says.

2007-10-28T20:34:00.000-04:00

By: Ernie Suggs (esuggs@ajc.com)

In a speech that touched on global warming, environmentalism and Georgia's drought, Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan drew parallels that as the earth withers, so too do black men, who have little to show for 452 years of bondage.

"Politics and the racial environment is threatening the human family," Farrakhan said. "But black males, in particular, are endangered. Our attitudes, our ignorance, our savagery are all lending to a plan - a conspiracy to make the black man not endangered, but extinct."

Marking the 12th Anniversary of the Million Man March, Farrakhan spoke Tuesday at a packed Boisfeuillet-Jones Atlanta Civic Center for the 12th Annual Holy Day of Atonement.

Ishmael Muhammad, the Nation's National Assistant Minister, said, "We accepted 12 years ago, the responsibility to be better men, better fathers and better husbands. It was a day never before experienced in our history."

Farrakhan spoke for more than two hours in a speech that touched on religion, hip-hop, politics and the perception that some successful blacks are being propped up by white people and refusing to reach back and help poor blacks for fear of losing their status.

"If you let the big car, the ranch-style home and the big salary keep you away from a movement and the freedom of your people, the Quran says that those who live easy lives have to be careful, because a life of ease sometimes make you forget struggle," Farrakhan said.

Speaking about rapper T.I., who was arrested in Atlanta and is facing Federal gun charges, Farrakhan said the charges are less about what he is charged with and more about the fact his music is influencing white kids.

He went on to talk about suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. "I know our brother broke the law. God himself is displeased, because he has given us dominion over his creatures and he doesn't want us to abuse them for sport," said Farrakhan, before coming to a near whisper. "But they didn't have to come down on the brother like that. He is young, black and super rich. And all of those white children were wearing his jersey. White people were losing control of their children to black sports and entertainment figures and they can't take it."

Farrakhan, 74, looked robust and healthy, bouncing around the stage like a man half his age. But there are questions about how long he will remain at the helm of the Nation, as he has since 1978. Farrakhan, who has battled prostrate cancer for years, had major surgery this year.

The Rev. Joseph Lowery, 86, who also has battled cancer, called Farrakhan - 12 years his junior - a young man, and reflected how he as a Methodist preacher has Prayed for the recovery of an "Islamic Minister." "I come with a spirit of rejoicing that our brother Louis Farrakhan is with us and God has sent him," Lowery said. "This is a great day for unity. What could come if we ever realized the strength in unity?"

My Personal View on Parenting the Hip-Hop Youth!

2007-10-14T20:07:00.000-04:00

Hello, my name is B. Brown of Bar-Red Entertainment Group (BREG) and I started this Parenting Information Blog to shine light on this phenomenon called the Hip-Hop Generation. I started as an Artist when I was thirteen (13) years old and continued writing, recording, and performing up through College where I became a College Radio On-Air Personality, and by my Senior Year, I was the Assistant Student Manager (Paid Position) as well. As an Entertainment and Music Business Professional since 1994 and an Educator (Teacher and Presently a Campus Supervisor) since 2001, I have a very unique and insightful perspective on the present youth that some people call Generation X.

I believe in Traditional Old-School Parenting. Why? Because it worked for me and my Brother! It has worked for countless young people in the past, so I do not see why it would not work for this new Hip-Hop Generation that appears to be very confused. Any young person that is twenty-five (25) years old and younger has practically grown up on a heavy dose of Hip-Hop Culture and it has basically shaped their lives. We as Parents and Adults have to do a better job of Parenting! Not only should we relate to our children and youth, there are three (3) things that I believe we should do for our Children and Youth of the Hip-Hop Generation. Those 3 things are LOVE them, TEACH them, and DISCIPLINE them.

LOVE let's our youth feel the affection and embracing attention that they need to grow and develop knowing that someone really cares for them and has their best interest at heart.

TEACHING our youth even when they are in the womb helps them learn how to do things and teaches them lessons. Positive teaching provides knowledge and insight.

DISCIPLINE provides training that helps develop self-control and efficiency. Orderly conduct and understanding a system of rules is very important.

Our children and youth of the Hip-Hop Generation must receive a true, strong combination of Loving, Teaching, and Discipline to learn the value of loving themselves, the importance of education and bettering themselves, and understanding and appreciating self-control and following rules that will help them. All of these things start at HOME. We as parents have to do our jobs and not let our children fall through the cracks of the Capitalistic Society that we live in. Parents, you can do it! I CHALLENGE you and I am here to help you! We cannot continue to allow our children to disrespect us as parents, educators, and as their elders. Public and Private schools are having issues with students that are coming to school for everything else, but to learn. That has to stop now. Parents and Adults, let's do our part in raising our children and youth correctly! If not us, who?

How to Raise A Juvenile Delinquent

2007-09-27T15:07:00.000-04:00

By: The Houston Police Department - James C. Bryant, Decatur

1. Begin with infancy to give the child every thing they want. In this way they will grow up believing the world owes them a living.
2. When they pick up bad words, laugh at them.
3. Never give them any spiritual training. Wait until they are 21 and let them decide for themselves.
4. Pick up everything they leave lying around - books, shoes, clothing. Do everything for them so they will be experienced in throwing all responsibility to others.
5. Avoid the use of the word "wrong." They may develop a guilt complex. This will condition them to believe later, when they are arrested for stealing a car, that society is against them and they are being persecuted.
6. Let them read any printed matter they can get their hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let their mind feed on garbage.
7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. This way they will not be too shocked when the home is broken up later.
8. Give a child all the spending money they want.
9. Satisfy their very craving for food, drink and comfort. See that every sensual desire is gratified. Denial may lead to harmful frustration.
10. Take their side against neighbors, teachers and police officers. They are all prejudiced against your child.
11. When they get into real trouble, apologize for yourself by saying, "I never could do anything with them."
12. Prepare for a life of grief. You will be apt to have it.