March 2002 March2002 Inside This Edition Ne-w-s ...... Pg. 4 Foundations of Black Cultur e African-American Studies club LASO in the Commnuity African-American Vetran Histories

Business ...... Pg. 7 Students & Taxes o Need for $ .. .Just Good Credit S.U.M. - Start Up fone y Tax Tips for on-Mass Residents

Health ...... Pg. 10 Maximizing Your D octor's Appointments The Plague of the Ail- ighter Black Blood,,, Wh y is it so important? Love and Hate: Emotions or Chemica ls? Did You Know. ..

Edutainment ...... Pg. 12 Black Actors in 2002, Off to a Strong Start Hub Caps to Dub Caps: Coming at You in 3D Sarah Jones, Surface Transit Hang or Bang Soul Speech - selected writings

Speak Out ...... Pg. 18 Attenti on, Dr. C.A. Light! H. Rap Brown, On Trial for Murder

Anytime you see someone mor e successful than you are, they are doin g omethin g you aren't... ~Malcolm X

2 The Onyx Informer The 19th Annual Dean Ronald E. Latham Is there an Oratory Competition Educational Di vide? by ndr e Jean-Franc is by J eremiah heph erd

Th e inete nth nnual D ean Roland E. Latham Oratory omp eti­ arla D a Veiga is a 1 -year-old th ti n too k plac e on Febru ary 12 , at th e urr y Stud ent en ter Ballroo m. junior at the Jeremiah . Burk e high Followin g in traditi o n, all o f th e particip ant s comp eted m any hot t pie schoo l in D orch ester. urr ently she that face not only frican- mericans but also people of ail rigins. is a atio nal Honor ciet:y cholar, In thi s year' s Comp etiti on, th ere we re five fr shm en and seve n core d in th e top perc ent ile o f last uppercl ass student particip ant s. Accordin g to the rules, freshm en comp ete fall's IC , and is expected to p er­ again t freshm en and upp erclass stud ent s comp ete among each other. Some fo rm we ll in her up comin g AT' s. of issues that these student s battled were as followe d: Carla is the type of stude nt that mo t colleges fight ove r (remi nisce n t of 1. What are the responsibilities of Black faculty and staff on pr edomi­ those playground wars where kid ar­ nately Whit e college campu ses as it relates to stud ent s of frican gu e ove r fir st pick in th e kickball origin and the Black communit y? game). everth eless, the only schools 2. Can a case be made for reparati ons for people of A frican origin th at she ever hears of are expensive 3. What recent trend s suggest that man y meric ans are now pr epared out of state colleges and communi ty/ to sacrifice their civil libertie s in exchange for a sens e of ph ysical state schoo ls. Ask th e average high safety and securit y? sch oo l stud en t fr o m D orch este r , 4. Wh at are the implicati ons for the Black communit y of the ethnic So uth Bos to n or R ox bur y ab ou t th profilin g of rab- Americ ans, pos t-Septemb er 11 , 2001? high er educ ation . And , one wo uld find th em to have limit ed or no in ­ The Orat ory competiti on is dedicated to D ean Roland E arle Lath am, form ation th at is n eeded wh en de­ 1 orthe astern' s first Dean / Direct or of th e Offic e of lin orit:y Stud ent f­ velopin g percepti ons of higher edu ­ fair (1967 to 1983). D urin g D ean Latham 's twenty years of service, he played cation in schools such as I orth east­ a key role in incr easing I orthea stern 's Black stud ent enr ollment from 25 to ern U nive r sity, which sit s right in 1200 and stren gt henin g its eff orts in multicultural affair s. their backyard s. Wh at we have is the He was a man committed to instilling the que st for academic excellenc e in creation of an Educational Divide the student s he served. D ean Latham had a uniqu e ability to motivate th e that separat es stud ent s like Carla from most reluctant student s to achi eve ; thi s event repr esent s on e of hi s mos t an educ ation th at shouldn 't h ave to out standin g legacies. Th e Latham O ratory Competiti on en coura ges intel­ com e nearly so hard. lectual inquir y, critical thinkin g, oral pre sent ation, research and scholarship . 'T o me, North eastern is j ust a The competiti on is a fittin g honor and tribut e to a pi oneer dedic ated to stop on the green line," says 17-year-old providin g service to stud ent s of African origin at orth eastern ninr sity. Ju stin Ort ega, a senior at a local area high school. "I think about college. But it's like when I ask my counselor; he on/y Congratulations to the Winners tells [me about] Bunk er H ill Commu­ nity College or me about RCC (Rox bury of the Oratory Competition Communiry College). The on/y kids that are told of the "better" schools are the athletes . .. " Ju stin is not the only stu­ U pperclass Participants Freshmen Participants dent that feels this way. Hi s friends Janelle Wood Jude sther Marc all n odd ed in agree m ent whil e we Ellis Reid Tahirah Sylvester-Daniel spoke, waitin g for tran sport ation at Ru ggles Stati o n . The probl em is Ha yden Frederick-Clarke Rodle y Cinke Dori scat th at to o many high sch oo l student s lack the nec essa ry inform ation th ey need to appl y to orth eastern. lo st Divide , see page 4 3 March2002 I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don't believe in wsting brotherhood on anyone who doesn't want to practice it withme. Brotherhood is a two way street. ~ Mako/"'X, 1964

Foundations of Black Culture: What Does That Entail? by J ovia L. Leveille does just this, as she brin gs to knowl­ (fres hman and political science edge the ofte n ignored and covered major), is fascinated by the evolution Hip Hop culture is not all that up intellectual backgro und of Hip of disc o beat s as a sort of spin off most of us perceive it to be. There is Hop. from Hip H op. He also stated that an educationa l and intellectual side D anny Jerez, a soph omore and the cla ss is very informative in that many of us overlook . member of the class said, he "never explainin g "how and why thin gs are Foundations of Black Culture: Hip took time to learn abo ut the history the way they are," such as the call and Hop is a course offered at ortheast­ [of Hip H op]. At first, I thought it response rn Hip Hop toda y, ern Un iversity that is geared to was going to be a pushover class, but deriving from the slavery of Africans "breaki ng it down" for us. Just in it's really fun and challenging." As in America. case you have not noticed, there have J erez's fieldwork, which is a The class, originated in 1998, been flyers p osted around campus, requirement of the course, he DJ s Hip and was taught by, Profe ssor Robin sending an invitation for students to Hop music show on Monday night s M. Chandler. The current instruc­ enr oll in the class. from 8 to 10 o'clock on NU's WRBB tor, Professor uri Chandler-Smith, Foundations of Black Culture: 104.9. ne vert hele ss continues to enhance Hip Hop (or "T he Hip Hop Clas ," Sophomore and Eng lish major, the tremendous precedent set by her as many refer to it) is a class that en­ Chimere 1cBra yer said: "t he class mother Profe ssor Chandler. courages individuals to break makes you learn things you ne ver As I sat in the classroom, I could throu gh the stereotypes and the would know [about Hip H op]." Such not help but take note s for my own "soc ial facts" of Black culture. things include Hip H op 's perso nal knowledge and benefit. It (Social facts, as I learned while sitting involvement in scienc e fiction, the covers a lot of intriguin g and enlight­ in on one of the class sessions, are apocalypse, and other wo rldly mat - erring material. the ideas and generalizations believed ters . She excitedly stated: " [there is] For further information, contact to b e true ab out a certain so much information, I can't even re- the African-American Studies depart ­ culture, race, or gro up of people. ) member." ment in ightin gale Hall [617-373- In structor, uri Chandler-Smith Anot h er stude nt, J os h P arker 3148].

Di vide , from page 3 works hops, college nights, and class eastern . evertheless, I am a gradu­ of the young people I spoke with felt visits. In response to loca l schoo ls ate of the Boston Public School sys­ th ey needed the following criteria to v1s1ts, ort h easter n is connecting tem . f y school never once received ent er orthe astern: a GPA of 3.5 or more admini trative staff with local a college visit . But I will be graduat­ greate r, SAT scores of 1300 or better, schoo ls and coordinating efforts to ing from ortheastern this fall. and that th ey couldn't poss ibl y get inform stud ent s of the enrollment The goal of this article is to let in if they had trouble with the law in process . It is a fact that orthea st­ you determine whether ortheastern any way! When I asked if any orth­ ern has gone out and visited schools truly is doin g everything it possib ly can eas tern representatives had visited in and around Boston. However, it to become a service to the communit y their schools ... 'There was that one time) is important to take in account that in which it sits; because students, such but it seemed like old girl wanted to get sch oo ls lik e Dorchester Hi gh and as Carla and Justin, deser ve at least that out of the place as quick as possible," rom ­ Jeremia h E . Burke were visited only much. ext month, we'll take a more men ted one indi vidual. once while school like Belm ont High in depth look at what Northeasterns orthea stern has initiated an and Medford High were visited three goals are in graduates of Boston Pub­ urb an mission for outreach to Bos ­ times. Maybe it 's because the se lic schools and the measures taken to ton Public Schools. After visitin g schools too k the initiative in co l­ alleviate some of the stresses of heab y wit h a representative in the Admis­ lab ora tin g the visits with U or financial burdens and issues in student sion Office, I was told of existing ini­ maybe it's those students that have a morale . tiatives in place such as financial aid better chance of succeeding at North- 4 The Onyx Informer

Noteworthy LASO Goes into the Communit y R m mber \ h n y u w re a high ch o l eni r and you had all th d ubt ab ut g ing to coll ge? Rememb er how financial aid prob ­ The Newly Established lem and your care r intere t w uld d n thin g more than tre you ut? , 11, th r are many graduatin g high ch ol eni rs thi year th at African-American Studies Club ar g ing thr ugh the ame dilema that w did o th at' wh y m e by \.no-el Lynn tud nt in the Latin merican tudent rgani z;ti n ) decid ed that they hould help out. The frican- merican tudie mall committee within L ha taken it up on th em elve club i a n w organization that ha to go into public high chools within the Bo ston area and try t ge t thi com too-eth r quarter. Th r­ tho e seni r in high chool who feel that the y want to hold off n their ganizati n wa tarted to bring aware­ college career and urge them to give college another l ok, al fferin g ne to frican American tuclies and a clifferent perspective of college other than that of expen sive tuition tud nt acti,'i m on campu . ot to and book . many tudent are aware of the fri­ Thi effort that we are working n is titled hadow Da y" . high can-American tuclies department lo­ school enior from selected chool will follow ( hadow ) 1 orthea tern cated in 132 ightingale Hall headed students around the campu and to classes as usual, hopefull y gainin g a by D ean Chandler, " ·ho "'ill al o be clifferent outlook about what the,, ·'ll encounter when they, tart their col- an ad,'isor to the organization . lege career. t the end of their day, we'll ha, ·e a small get together and One of the main focu e i to supply them with information on how to get financial aid and scholar­ mcrea e awarene of frican-Ameri­ ship , and al o ans" er any que tions they might ha, ·e regarding their can tuclie a a major or a minor. career interest . Students need to be aware that they can tudy thi part of frican-Ameri­ PROJECT S EEKS AFRICAN-AMERICAN VETERAN HISTORIES can culture and the clifferent concen­ tration \vithin frican- merican by Andre Jean-Francois sruclie . rganization members con ist The eteran Hi tory Project i a project of the Library of Congress of undergraduate student of all through its merican Folk.life Center to collect and presen-e oral histo­ background and to work with the ries and documentary materials from veteran of orld War I , orld ,·arious student groups on campu \; ar II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and P ersian Gulf \) ar . The project ,va to improYe orthea tern . The group created by Congres in legi lation sponsored by enator 7\Iax Cleland, would like to take more proactiYe Chuck Hagel, Ron Kind, Amo Houghton, and teny Hoyer. The legisla­ approach in cli,·er ifying the North­ tion passed unanimously in both the Hou e and the enate. AARP i the eastern GniYersity campu and re­ founding printe sector pon or of the project . To learn more about the cruiting more tudents of color into project and to ee a li ting of more than 1 SO Official P artners and the the ruYer 1ty. member of its Five- tar Council, visit www.loc .gm· / folklifeh ·ets. IncliYiduals family members, Yeterans, ci,·ic groups, and organiza­ 11eetings for the frican-Ameri­ tions are im·ited to inteffiew frican- merican veterans by contacting can tuclie Club are held e,-ery Mon­ the Veterans Hi tory Project, where taff will pro,'ide guidance to ensure day at 5:30 at 132 ightingale Hall that an auclio or ,'ideo inten'iew be made and presen-ed at the Library of Pizza and refreshment will be Congress a part of the permanent record of the nation's history . , en-ed, o plea e come out and up­ oting that the en'ice and sacrifice of our war Yeterans is the bul­ port the frican- merican tudie wark of our freedoms,' J ames H. Billington, Librarian of Congress, stated Club . that "the record of their sen-ices must be presen-ed for future genera­ tion ." For more information, plea e The American Folk.life Center is a king that those who would like to contact the frican- mencan tud­ participate call the toll-free message line (888-3 1-5848 ) to request a kit ies department. leaving their names and mailing addre e or contact the \ eteran His­ tory Project by e-mail at ,·[email protected].

5 March2 002 ever work just for money or for power. They won't save • your soul or help you sleep at night. us1ness ~ Marian W"rightEdelman, 1992 Students & Taxes: No Need for$$$ ... Getting Back as Much Money as You Can Just GOOD Credit by Candice J. Shaw by Princess Cooper-Brown consideration are give n to D ependents, so wh en reading Recently, I decided to apply for Understanding how taxes affect through any instructions, pay careful an additi onal credit card to help you is very important. But making attention. manage the other d1ree major ones I sure that you are getting back as much The fist part of a tax return is ha ve . I figure that I would mone y as you can whe n you file your determi nin g income. Most of this consolodate all of my credit card debt income tax return is even more im­ information comes di rectly from into o ne card since I felt that m y portant. your \Y./-2 forms. H owever, inc ome credit was goo d and I wanted to cut Each year from J anuary unti l from self-em ployment, inve tments dow n on th e am ount of monthl y mid - larch, employers are sending (i.e. interest, savings bonds, dividends, bill s I p ay. \Y./hen I recei ve d the out those small neatly fold ed \Y./-2 etc,), and taxable portions of Schol­ reject ion lett er fo r the new credit forms, which have all of your tax arships / Fellowships are other forms card, I was very up set. After being wit hh oldin gs and wage earning of taxab le income that must b e rejected for credit, I had the listed in small neatly arranged b xes. included on your return. opp or tunit y to reque st a free credit But, how well do you understand Scholarships and fellowships rep ort from the process of filling out those 1040 ha,"e special tax treatment by the IRS credit reporting and 1040ez forms (an individual's and in some cases are completely age nci es (u su ­ federal tax return)? ot surpris­ tax-free. The IRS requires that you ally a fee is ingly, the IRS allows stude nt s to take must be a candidate for a degree at charged). man y exemptio ns, also called credits, an educatio nal institution A D that I called all thr ee maior credit that decrease the amount you are re­ the scho larshi p / fellowship 1s ratin g age ncie s in the countr y to quired to payout in taxes. Often, this Qualified (meaning, it is received and requ es t m y cr edit report. It is results in a nice little refund check used for tuition; fees paid to enroll rec ommend ed that you get a report in the spring. in / or attend an educatio nal from all thr ee agencies becau se they As with most thin gs involving institution; or for equipment that is m ay h ave diff ere nt inform ation money, if you do not know much req ui red for all st ud ent s for the regardin g your credit history. ab out properly course at the in st ituti o n) . A credit score was included in filling out yo ur " H owever, if th e ter m s of th e one o f my rep orts . Accord ing to tax return, about ... ..-"""""'"· gra nt require its use fo r o th er Tran s Union, a credit agency, a credit yo ur filing sta­ purposes, suc h as room and core is a computer ge nerat ed tus, or about the board, or specify that th e gra nt mathematical calculati o n of the types of exemptio ns you are permit­ cann ot be used for tuition or course­ informati on that appears in a credit ted to take, you may end up owing related expenses, the amount received report. The credit core is based on Uncle Sam. und er the grant are not tax free" [IRS data about your credit histor y and First things first: What is your Public ation 520 Sch olar ship s and p ayment behavior. Hi gh er scores filing status? Filing status determin es Fellowships]. indicate that you are less likely to be how much money the IRS will allow . In order to determin e th e delinquent in pa yments on a new you to deduct from your ear nin gs taxa bl e and tax- free p orti ons of a account. The maximum credit score when calculating taxes. lost under­ scholarship or fellowship, the IRS has is 934 and 1 SO is the minimum. graduate stude nts file und er "Single". a works heet with six step s to guide But, if anyon e can claim you as a you. Th e Scholarship and Fellowship There are four primar y factor dependent on his or her tax return Inc o m e Worksheet is avai lable that determine your score: (like a parent or guar dian), you are on- lin e at the IRS website, o r in treated as a D ep end ent . Special Ta xes , see page 17 Credit , see page 7 6 The Onyx Informer Credit, from page 6 1- Length of tim e account s have be en est ablished is too short: The longer y ur credit hi t0ry, the asier it i to determine your payment behavior pattern .

2- Too m any acti ve account s wi th a balance: ccount with balances on your report will ha, ·e a n gatiYe im­ pact on your core. S.U.M.: Start Up Money How to gain and maintain wealth & start up your own bu ine 3- Too m any derog atory accounts or by C. Brown e, otherwise kno\\· as DC public records: Ci,·il judgement

bankruptcy, or ta.'<:lien are examples. 1. obody is going to get you to where j ou ha, -e to go except yourselves, so put your shoes on and button up, becau se it's 4- Too man y inquiries: Thi one defi­ cold out ide. nitely comes as a urprise . The more credit application you submit, the 2. Idea are only dream , but once you write them down, they more negati, -e impact you add to become plans . your credit score. 3. Remember that people are human, so they will always One of the most important make mistakes and usually aren't reliable, so always hope reasons to request your credit report for the best and expect the worst . is to detect if there has been any fraudulent acth-ity done by someone 4. Ioney and friends don't mix like two kick and no whip, u ing your identity. When I re,-iewed find your elf walking the trip. my credit reports, I found out that 5. Yo' Jordan i rich, you're not, so start spending that $200 omeone had purchased a laptop on something more useful like studio equipment or some­ computer and a few cell phones ,v-ith thing. my credit . It can on6• benefitJ'Oll to request a 6. \"'\,'hatyo u want to do, probably has alreadj been done, so cop)' ofJ' Ollr credit rep011. Listed beluw all you have to do now is think out the box. are three credit reporting agencies: Remember, if you find a job that you love to do, you won't Experian 888-524-3606 have to work another day in j our life. Equifax 800-685-1111 Tran rnion 800-888-4213 8. team builds a busines ; an individual makes a living. 9. Open up a lemonade stand to make some income, ju t do TAX TIP FOR something useful with your time . NON-MASS RESIDENTS: 10. Believe and a have faith in yourself. Fill out a form 1- on-Resident/ Part-Year Resident Form (1- R/ PY). This form is e peciall y for nonresi­ dents, most out of state students are To order or renew a subscription, change your address, or for inquiries, eligible if they recei, ·ed income from please call 617.373.2250, fax 373.2694 or write to Onyx Subscriptions working in Mass. You may be able 430 Curry Student Center to get back taxes paid to the state of 360 Huntington Avenue Massachusetts, and getting back Boston MA, 02115 more mone y i well worth your while! To read more about this form, Or Email [email protected] pick up a cop y at the library or go on line to \.\'"\Vw.mass.gov/ dor.

7 March2002 Schooling is what happens insiae the wall of the school, some of which is educational. Education happens everywhere, and it happens from the moment a child is born -- some say before--un · Health it dies. ~Sara La1verenceLighifoot, 1989 Maximizing Your Doctor's Appointment by Amy Morga n office may take over an hour . Tim e After an appointment has been sp ent wa itin g fo r th e d o ct o r , o r made, what should be done before In to day's fast- paced society it taking bloo d and urine samp les. You and during yo ur visit? If you are seems as though nobody has enough should schedule enough time in your go ing to th e doctor for an annu al time to do anythin g; th e tru e appli ­ day to acco unt fo r un ex p ect ed check-up, take some time before the cation of multi -tasking is now the way waitin g. visit and think o f any p ro bl em s, of life. For some aspects of society, questions or concern s you may have this type of living may be more effi­ 2) D o n o t b e afr aid to tell th e h ad th ro ugh out the p as t yea r. cient and eve n des ir ed . Ye t, in recepti onist what your app ointm ent (Ladies you should try to rememb er healthcare this type of living is more is for, it is th eir bu siness, and th ey exactly when your last period was). cost-efficient to the provider but less are th e p eo pl e th at an alyze yo ur If th e natur e of your visit is for a h elpful to th e p atient. D o cto r 's pro blem and sch edul e an app ro pri ­ specific pro blem or illness, brin g in visits are one area of health care that ate tim e period the doctor will need a list of sympt oms, how th ey have h as been extrem ely affected. Until to see you. ch anged th ro ughout th e co ur se o f ch anges in h ealthc are p olicies are your illness and how long you have impl ement ed, there are a few simpl e 3) If you hate waiting for the doctor, h ad th e sympt om s. Writin g dow n tips that patient s can follow in order try to schedule an app ointm ent when an swe r s to th ese qu es ti on s and to maximize visits to the doctor's and th e office firs t opens or right after concern s will mak e your visit faster to get the healthcare they deserve and the lunch break, these are times when and smoo th er. Also, knowing what pay for. th e doctor is m os t likel y to b e on m edic ation s and vitamins you are Th e fir st mi co nc epti on is sch edul e. taking and any lab / test result s you th at o n e yo u sh ould go to th e have receive d form anoth er doctor doctor only when you are sick. On Doctor, see page 12 the cont rary, your doctor should be so m eo n e yo u visit o n ce a yea r , The Plague of the All-Nighter regardless of your health statu s, for By Tyeese Gain es an annu al check-up . Annu al check­ Pulling all-nighters is the way of life for many college students at up s are imp ort ant in ord er for you some point in their career. Ho weve r, with all the consequences of sleep and yo ur d o ct or to m onit or an y depri vation, is getting the 4.0 really wor th it? ch anges in your body, weight gain/ A ft er a ni ght o f hittin g th e com es as a las t minut e attempt to loss , bloo d count s, bloo d pr essur e, books without sleep, the next day may achieve academic success. Alth ough eyes and ears. It is imp ortant to have feel an awful lot like the flu - body many stud ent s claim th ese sess ions a do ct or yo u fe el com fo rt abl e ach es, poundin g headach es, fatigue, as their scholastic saviors, they could talking to and one th at is willing to a nauseated stomach, and jittery feel­ actu ally be count erproducti ve. In a wo rk WITH yo u to find th e b es t ings. Unless one count s the derange­ stud y by th e Uni ver sit y o f cour se o f acti o n to en sur e goo d m ent th at spark ed th e id ea to stay Californi a - San Di ego (U CSD ) , health for you. awake in the first plac e, it is prob­ resea rch ers observed th at stud ent s You should be able to make ably not an illness - let alone the flu, with the highest GP As slept m ore an app ointm ent that is going to fit just sleep depri vation. Unlike the flu, h our s at ni ght , and maintain ed a your schedule. Some things to keep there is an easy cure . Sleep. Sleep. stea dy slee p sch edule . The in mind: And more sleep. However, if allowed researcher s attributed higher GP As to continue, sleep depri vation ha s with stud ent s who were well rested, 1) Alth ough yo ur actua l app oint ­ many consequence s, some life thre at­ thu s the y w er e m ore alert and ment is only scheduled for fifteen to enin g. thirt y minut es, going to the doctor's Usually the infamou s all-nighter Sleep, see page 11 8 The Onyx Informer

Sleep from page 10 ac quir d . Th ati nal Highway Recog ni ze leep debt. a tten ti,re in clas . Traffic afety dmini strati n I though certain supermen and In an th r D tudy, leep timat s that dri ver fat igue is th up rwom n will claim to leep 20 d privati n alt red brain acci,·ity in caus f 100,0 0 m t r vehicl h ur a w k and till remain the porti n of th brain that c n- accidents and 15 d ath each year. functi nal , sleep debt unqu estio n- tr l lano-ua ing and learn - cons equ entl y, falling a leep at th ably accumu lat s. ach per on ha in . It d a l s ned wheel is a leading cau f death and an am unt of sleep nece sary for ability t perform calcu lation and disabilit y. ""xp rim ent s have sh wn ptimal functi n. I eping less than c gnitive ta k . hen deprived of that p ple wh tay awake£ r 17-19 this am unt create a Jeep debt that le p, th ubjects had fewer c rrect con s cutive hour s per£ rm equally r can nly be repaid with extra sleep an wers and kipped more que tions worse on drivin g and hand- eye th next night. The IH in i t that than when well re t d. coordination test s than tho se with a if daytime dr wsiness occurs - even In addition to matter of c n­ blood alcohol leve l f .05 percent in borin g activit ies - not enough centration and cognition, health con­ (the legal limit s in m o t states are sleep is being achieved at night and sequence exi t a well. tudies sug­ between .08 and .1 percent ). a sleep d bt exists. 1\Iany people, and ge t a correlation between the their ph ysician s, den y th eir leep amounts of deep sleep acquired each Ho w to protect yourself: debt, by blamin g it on a virus - like night and the immune system's Underst and the import ance of the flu - stres , aging, or depre sion. ability to fight off infection. It also sleep. E xperts in the field are still When, in fact, sleep deprivation is the suggests that leep deprivation unsure about the specific benefits true cause. decrease overall life expectancy. of sleep. Ne vertheless, it is under­ Although daytime sleepiness is Higher levels of stress, anxiety, stood that the brain does not shut the norm for Americans, it is neith er depression, mood swi ngs and down while asleep. Specific patterns health y nor safe, and should not be hallucination can occur after of electric al and ch emic al activity ignored. One study examined a extended periods without sleep. occur during slumber that allow us group of people who denied havin g Safet y is another major issue . to function normall y while aw ake. a problem with daytime drowsines s; Coordination, reaction time, and It is specul ated that this ch ange in 34 % were actually found to be judgment are all affected when less acti vity allo ws neurons to rep air dangerousl y sleepy - at risk for ome than six hours of sleep per night are themsel ves in the down time. sort of accident. D rowsy driving (not remembering the last few miles, or Black Blood ... Why is it so Important? dozing off) ca n lead to disaster, by Amy Morgan blood. because drowsiness is the very la t What's in your blood? Often step before falling asleep, not the , ithin recent years there has termed the river of life, blood make fir t. been a large push for people of up approximatel y 8% of a person's When reco ve ring from an African, Latin and Asian descent, bod y weight, which re ults in about all-nighter or working the late shift, from hospital and donor centers to five liters for adult humans. Blood be sure to sleep one to three hours donate blood. The push is due to is comprised of two part : plasma as soo n as you arrive home. Then the lack of participation in blood and cell . It functions to carr y sle p 12-14 hours that night. aps donation from these different racial oxygen and nutrients to cells an d have proven to make up for groups. Recently, healthcare provid­ helps to remove waste products from nighttime sleep debt as well. ers and other variou organizations the bod y. In the long run, time manage­ have actively begun to recruit The cell in blo d con ist of red ment is the key. Good overall health volunteers of African descent to par­ blood cells (RB ), white blood cells lead to goo d mental zhealth and will ticipate in the donatin g process . (WBC) and platelet s. The RBCs are provide the grades and productivit y Blood type determines which blood the most abundant. Their primar y desired. Tr y to maintain a steady a person will receive, and everybody function is to tran sport oxygen from sleep schedule. If all-nighters are - regardless of race or ethnicity - has the lungs to ther cells in the bod y; ine vitable, make sure to repleni sh one out of the four major blood and also helps in the removal of that sleep as soon as possible, as not types. Thus it is very important for carbon monoxide. to cause further ph ysical or academic people of African descent to donate Blood, see page 13 harm. 9 March2 002 Love and Hate ... they meet someo ne new. (Althou gh scientifically proven, I would not use Emotions or Chemic als? this as a break-up line). For all of those who have not by my Morgan brain. Adr nalin e is known as th e gotte n over the hump of movin g flight and fight response . It increa ses from the romantic love to the After Valentine's passing and circulation (causing the heart to beat attachment stage, don't count it out prin g around the corner love is in faster ), height en s awareness and a yet. the air and many of us may be walk­ decrea e appetite. In a dd ition, With all of those chemicals ing around not hidin g the fact that phen yl ethylami ne increases in the you are in love. After meeting your brain. Thi s chemical is an bein g produced out of your control and sprin g quickly approaching, Valentine, you may have experienced ingredient naturall y found 10 please be safe and treat others with ne or more of the common signs chocolate and causes feeling Of of love: blood ru hing to your face, complete happine ss. Finally, durin g respect. heavy breathing, sweaty palms or loss ex ual sti mulati o n , oxytoc in is of appetite or desire to sleep. Aside produced in the brain. Ox ytocin is from these ph ysical symptoms, there a se:>..'Ualarousa l hormo ne in the bod y Doctor , from page 10 are others as a feeling of constant de­ that signa ls the emotion f and yo ur famil y hi stor y are light or loss of logical thinking that attachme nt. ot to mention this imp ort ant information to have with accompa ny love. Yet, where do all horm one also signals orgasm and an you. of these symptoms come fr m, are ove rload of this chemical allows a Durin g your appointment, don't they simply emotions that we feel or woma n to have multiple or whole be shy or embarrassed to talk to your is our brain involved in some sort of bod y orgasms). The depletion of this doctor. Ke ep in mind that yo ur chemical proce that produces these hormone after an over load, may re­ doctor has probabl y seen most symptoms within your bod y. sult in the disillusionment of l ve, problems you have or may have even The chemistry and biolo gy or cause the feelings of attachment experienced ome themselves. Keep behind sex, love and hate have been ofte n experie nced after sex. in mind that if you don't voice your a topic that man y scie nti sts h ave Scientists concluded that love concerns your doctor will never know studied within the past few years and can be explained in three stages. The them and cannot treat them a subject many of us first tage of love is properly. Tell your doctor everything find fascinating. lust, which allows a you know, feel and think about your Feelings of euphoria person to look for a health, it will help them to diagnose and bliss, loss ofl ogi­ romantic partner. and treat you better. In addition, ask cal thinking, and the The seco nd stage, as man y questions as you need to . somet im es loss of romantic love, is Feel free to ask your doctor to repeat lo ve, are not ju st created by chemical anythin g she or he said as man y times em tions you feel, proces ses 10 the as it takes for you to understand. Ask but emotio n s pro ­ brain that allow a your doctor to use plain English, not duced by actual per so n to focus on medical jargon. You need to be able chemical processes in your bod y that one partn r. And the last stage, to understand what your problems make you feel the way you feel and attac hm ent, allows a per son to stay are and how they are being treated. do the things you do. in a lon g relationship . Like a dru g For more complicated issues, brin g When an indi vidual feels like addiction, the brain builds up a tol­ a family member or friend to go with they have fallen in love, the first thing erance to the overload of chemicals you. that happen s is the incre ased fl w of tha_t are released during the beginning Keep in mind that you can talk certain chemicals throughout the stages of love; thus more of these to yo ur doctor about your diet or brain. D opami ne, the first chemical chemicals are needed to get the "love exercise plan, family / relationship that increases it s production , is high". Therefore some people who problems or issues surrounding your termed the " pleasure chemical," spend a couple of weeks with one work. Lastly, don't be afraid to ques­ because it causes euphoric feelings as person and then move on for no tion yo ur doctor, y u know your well as decreases pain . ext, the apparent reason ma y actually be body best, and if you have concerns chemical adrenalin e incr eases in the addicted to the feeling they get when about a treatment plan or a test be- The Onyx Inf ormer Doctor , from page 12 RB B. fft est quir ed to have a blo od transfusion. ing per£ rm ed, ay indicate nly th A antig n i present, D octo rs and scienti , t have fou nd p n l av in g th e exa m th blood typ i ; if the B antigen that do nor of frican de cent pro­ r m, a k y ur d ct r to send you a 1 pre nt, the Bl d t:yp is B. And, vide closer matches to patients of f­ writt en umm ary f what was dis­ typ e has neither antigen. In addi­ rican descent, thu s reducing ri ks of cussed, and th c ur e of acti n that tion t antig n and B, there are a patient r jecting the transfu ion. i to be tak n. D n't b car d to Rh anti g n I cated n th e RB s. By d natin bl od, all w in­ ask your docto r qu e ti n , expr es Th m t comm n typ e f Rh anti­ dividuals t become part f the a­ y ur concern or ask for more infor­ g n i th D antigen. If th D anti­ ti nal Bone Marr w D on ating Reg­ mati n, many doctor lik when the g n is in the RBCs, your bloo d type i try. Bone marrow is where aU new patient is int eres ted in th eir w n is p sitive (+); when the D antigen is bl d cell are produced. People who hea lth , it m ak th eir j b ea ier. n t present , blo d type is negative (- have cancers of the blood may need When y u choose a d ctor, take int ). health y bone marrow from a donor con sid era tion comp etenc e, access, Th e push for people of fri­ in order to tay alive; as with blood and personality. If you feel as though can de cent to donate bl d stem s typ es, the closer the match, the bet­ your doctor is mis ing any of your from the blood types that people of ter the chanc es of a successful trans­ crit eria , you may want to consid er th ese rac and ethniciti es tend to fusion. Th ousands of people die each findin g ano ther doctor. have. According to scienti t , people year because they cann ot find a do­ of African descent are more likely to nor to match their marrow . have th e mos t rare bloo d types in­ If you are skeptical about do­ cluding 0 -. Blood type 0 - is consid­ na ting your bloo d, I confess that I Blood from page 11 ered the universal donor because a1:y­ was too . Yet, rest assured that sterile s m enti on ed befor e, bl oo d one with any blood type can recei,-e procedur es are utilized and new and type are the determinin g factor when an 0- tran fusion. Secondly, the pro­ better testing virtu ally elimin ates the receiving a bloo d tran sfusion. Th e teins mentioned above are the most risks of any infections or disease that four major blood types are A, B, AB comm on types of prot eins, but they may be contract ed when donating or and 0. Blood typ e i determin ed by are not the only types of pro teins lo­ receiving blood. If you have any ques­ specific tests perform ed on proteins, cated on the blood cells. Sickle cell, tion s or conc ern s about donatin g also known as antigens, located in the a disea e th at affects RBC s, affect s bloo d, contact your ph y ician or a RBC. If tests indic ate both th e people of African de cent. Individu­ bloo d donor cent er. Please donate antigen and the B antigen are in the als that have sickle cell are often re- and give life to someone in need.

Did You Know ... as he was then named direaor of the RedCross Blood Bank Born June 3, 1904 1n Washington D.C.. graduating from and assistantdirector to the National ResearchCounol, in AmherstUniversity, receMng a medicalDegree from McGillUrn­ charge of the blood collea1onfor the U.S.Army and Navy. As versityand a doaorate from Columbia University1n 1940,Afrr Drew set up the blood bank and trained staff,he also spoke can American Surgeon,Charles Drew becamea pioneer 1nthe out againstthe armed forces'direaive that blood was to be development of blood banks and separatedaccording to the race of the donor, because he blood transfusions.T hrough experi­ knew there was no raoal difference 1nblood. Soldiersand ments with blood plasma,he discov­ sailorswould die needlesslyif they had to wait for "samerace" ered a more effeaive means of collea- blood 1ng and storing blood until 1t was needed for transfusions His new On April I, 1950 1nTuskegee, Alabama, Dr Drew was 1na method sustainedblood for longer pe­ tragic car arndent. Newspaperaccounts said that the hospi­ riods of time and limited the possibility tal nearestthe arndent refusedto admit him becauseof his of contam1nat1on by a significant race. Precioustime was lost as Dr Drew was taken further amount. down the road to a black hospital.By the time he arrived there, he had lost so much blood that no one could have At the start of World War 2, he was saved his life. Fatally 1ron1c,the man who had done more appointedt he medicalsupeN1sor for the "Blood for Britain"prgect than anyone else 1nthe world to make blood transfusions which saved the livesof many wounded soldiersat the fore­ availableto people 1nemergency situations did not have ac­ front His successwithin the War brought him much notoriety cessto a blood transfusionwhen he needed 1t. 11 March2002 Greatcareer s don't come withoutsacrifice. Somethingin your life will probablyhave to go. Decide, now, what you· re willing to forfeit to get what you want. Edutainment ~ Cydney & Leslie Shields, 1993 Hub Caps to Dub Raps BLACK AcTo~s IN 2002, Coming at y ou in 3D,Jaguar Wright - Denial s, Delusion s, and Decisions O FF TO A STRO N G START by K.illa B Da Bandit by Zia Bartley . ow ~'OU usually don't get your boy Kill.a B on that R&B tip, but since ~v,eJUSt finished dealing ~th Valen~es and we're about to hop into sprin g, Recentl y the big screen has been 1t s ~n ly nght that we discuss the issues of love and relationships. Our graced with many African American s?ecial guest speaker i going to be the lovely liss J aguar Wright. That' s actors and actresses. The world is n ght, he's the female who's been ble sing the stage with The Roo ts and get ting a view of people such as piping on that Jay-Z Unp lugged joint. It was wild to hear this sultry voice Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and chrome out the chorus for "Girl , Girls, Girls" and then flip "The Ghetto also stars from the world of mu sic Anthem" down to a science. Yet on her debut album, Denial s, D elusion s, includin g rapper fos Def, Sean and D ecisions, she doesn't keep it all fun and games . Combs and the late great Aaliyah. She gets down to the joys and pains of love and relationships with Black actors are definitely on the rise songs like "Love eed and Want You" and "Ain't obody Playin"', where and here i why. sh~ ~rings it back to the Vaseline on the face before a fight with a girl who's trym to snatch up your man, type of feel. She's a little reminiscent of the Qu een of the D amned , starring wonderful Jill Scott, but with more of a street (real street and free spirited) Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend, is a appeal to her. film based on a book by Anne Rice. To describe her would be like saying she is imilar to gangsta rap, so I Anne Ric e's best selling "The gue he would be gangsta oul R&B . She's not afraid to hold her tongue Vampire Chronicles" have paved a and on songs with fellow eo Soul artist Bilal ("I Can't Wait'') they go back way for vampires to and forth on a lyrical strip tea e for the mind (crazy). Yet she doe sn't always appear in motion talk abou~ the relationship scenario, she al o brings in issues concerni ng pictures, personify­ every_daylife. On my favorite track on the album "Self Love", she flips the ing these demonic Engli h language ridiculously while telling the masses to get up, get out, creatures. The plot and love yourselves. Forget the past on this artist, because all that matter of the movie will is her future and it's looki ng like a bright one that will be at you in 3D be confusing to form . those who have not read the book, so catch up on your Hubc aps to 20 inch rims rating system: Thi s al­ reading. The vampire Lestat (Stuart bum get a 16inch rim rating, and that's bigger than Townsend ) , bored with hanging what I'm pushing! around in a coffin, decides to re-invent himself as a modern-day In the next edition of Hub Caps to D ub Raps, I rock star. So he comes out of the will finally be analyzing the new joint from D ead Pr ez (hopefully) . I will crypt, so to speak, and admits that, also be taking a loo k into the latest events taking place in and around tow n. yes, he drinks blood and he's proud Shoutouts to Iattapan Iu sic, Divine Styler and don't forget to tune in of it. He becomes an instant media Su1:day and Monday ights to 104.9 FM WRBB (www.wrbbradio.org ) for ensation, and the other vamp ir es "The Beehive" w / Killa BDa Bandit and IBLT Fam (Sun. 10pm-12am) & "Boom aren't plea ed. Meanwhile, J e se Bap 101" w/ DJ Therion and Homemade Crew fon. 10pm-12am ) ( 1arguerite Moreau ) , a yo un g student of all things dark and dangerous, becomes obsesse d wit h meeting Lestat after reading hi s HAVE YOUR PARTY OR EVENT REVIEWED. secret diar y. So sh e arranges an JusT WRITE TO us: [email protected] Black Actors, see page 16 12 The Onyx Informer

Surface Transit: arah urface Tran sit is Jone ' theat­ hip hop junk }, who i addi cted to J n i th ph nom non that har ­ rical, eight -character multicultural the cultur e, and is now apart of a 12 b r m re p r nalicie that can be mon l gu that weav s each indi ­ step pro gram geared towa rd s alle, i­ c unted, that s ulful ntity that chan ­ vidual story int an interc nn ected ating the need and want for hip hop. n l m re id ntiti es than that crazy c llab rativ narrativ . · ach char ­ Th e spectrum that enc a es the lady ybil. Th pok n w rd arti t/ acter in ach kit live throu h J ne ' ther character s, conveyed on stage p t/play,uight/perD rmer, th new center tag performance that thrives is wild, co nsid erin g th at thi i all aged entertainer, th 'on woman ff f distinguished characteristics comin g fr m ne p er o n . arah how . he is ol ,Tirtu , arah ranging fr m the uncanny dupli­ Jone s is the truth. I could n ot do Jone ... and all that i an und r tat - cated accents, to carb n-copied man ­ much ju tice by writin g on it in all m nt. n risms. The repr duction of the it form : reality. ow let m find out you character are raz r-sharp that the If I have inter ted you in peep­ haven't heard about her or been carbon copies of real life peopl , in ing the show, I suggest you cop that ble ed enou gh to have ee n her real life situations, appear to be noth­ $25 deal on th Fun g ~ ah bu s and hine. D on't worry ; I'll put you on ing le s than auth entic . make your way toward . But, a best I can. I received my ble ing In thi performance, Sarah wouldn't it be ill if she performed about a year and a half ago while Jones phases from character to char­ in Boston? It definitely would be­ h me in for "no-op.' But that acter, presenting you with a Jewish cause on the real... ,,·as all right , I had enough money grandmother that rejects her gay in my pocked, and more than gran dson, before soo n transformsing enough time to folio, . uit on the into a young British actress from the artist who won the r uyorican Poet' '-: e t Indi e know as Sugar, who is Cafe' Grand lam in 199 with trying to get her 15 minutes of fame 'cy our Revolutio n," and reII1Lxedver­ as she auditio ns for an ITV reality sion of Gil Scott heron's poem "The show. Out of n ow her e, but very Revo luti on will not be Tele vi ed." much pertinent, she mor ph s into a

Top 5 Albums to Hang Top 5 Albums to Bang (Albums that should stay on the shelf) (Albums You Need to Purchase!) 1) State Property- lotion Picture Soundtrack (Roc­ 1) X-Ecutioners- Built From Scratch a-fella) "A mu t have for aspiring DJ' s .. . the true essence of 'Thi s is another reason why J ay-Z will never retire" hip-hop has returned" 2) Lil' Bow Wow-D oggy Bag 2) appy Roots-Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz "I bet ya'll thought I would never touch this one, "Awnaw, hell naw, I bet ya'll ain't see this comin g" but HA! The amount of songs he has on the 3) ew Breed-Stop the Music album is a repre sentation of when he wa hot ' Hard to get, but if you do, don't let go. (13)" Check out www.uprokrecord .com" 3) Timbaland & Iagoo-Indecent Proposal 4) Cornel West-Sketche of fy Culture "I figured it out... as writes for Emine m, Eminem " must have for aspiring rappers .. . actually, for Snoop D oog, Snoop for Dr.Dr e, Dr e for for anybody aspiring to be anything" Bubba Sparxx, Bubba for Timb aland, Tim for 5) DJ Therion-Commitm ent Mis y, and lissy for Iagoo. (It makes sense if "Therion hits ya'll with that R&B mix to set you think about it)" the mood right or get the party started" 4) Warren G-The Return of the Regulator ''Why would you return if nobod y missed you?" 5) .E.R.D-In Search Of. .. By Killa B Da Bandit "The only thing they hould be in search of is a better album" 13 March2002 I've learned over a period of years there are setbacks when you come up against the immo vable object; sometimes the object doe n't move. Soul Speech ~Coleman Young

I is a West Indian by Dirk

I is ah West Indian Revolution or You I is ah Trinid adian by Angelo Lynn All yuh tink yuh know we All yuh ent know we at all The Revolution or You Baby All yuh feel we is ah set ah rum-drinking , ganja smoking, I don 't know lazy peoples sittin' in de sun an havin' fun I try to teach yo u baby Yuh tink we does we does pick coconut Enlighten yo u Fuh a livin an live in trees or huts But baby, yo u still on that America the Beautiful Can't you see we still slaves But when the Revolution come I is ah West Indian That sh*t gonna change I is ah Trinid adian Choices wil l have to be made We fadders and mudders come from ahcross de sea To be free or stay a slave Luk at me, Whatcha tink yuh see But when the Revolution come Some say I look filipino hispanic or chinee Some people will be taken out Nutten 'rong w id dat The millionaires and billionaire s, White and Black but mih blood have more dan dat Hun g at the stake, w ith their bellies cut out, for the greed iness they've showed, I is ah West Indian Against all the hungry starving people of the world I is ah Trinidadian Cause I am for all oppressed & working class people Yeah I look like ah come from de banks of Yangtse I feel their pain Or I may co me from de Iberian Cause when the Revolution come But in mih flow de blood of of de Irish All oppressive and imperialist governments w ill be w ho came to America just to live taken out Whether it be the U.S. government or the Taliban I is ah West Indian F&ck Patriotism I is ah Trinidadian Holdin g up some damn flag de French an de English mastas in here too Your Great-Great Grandmother was raped under addin to de blend that same flag De spirit of de carib runs true in me You were left to deal crack or serve in the army under that same flag dem dat which gih we de name of de Caribbean Sea Don 't ever hang that flag in my presence I hav de blood of dose of de Serengetti Plain Cause when the Revo lution come de blood of de Indians who come to take de wuk in de That Red, White , and Blue cane It's not gonna burn, its gonna be buried The Revo luti on is co min g I is ah West Indian And I know I love you I is ah Trinidadian But I got to go w ith my heart We gih all yuh rhythm an beat And I choose the Revolution An songs to move all yuh feet From de drums of we people we make yuh jump we To be co ntinu ed Coming to a hood near yo u ...... Calypso, reggae, Zouk , now soca, Raga & Chutne y Dis we story and take dat

I is ah Trinidadian I is ah West Indian 14 The Onyx Informer ARTIFICIALREALITY OR BETTER YET byJosephJ. Banda by Andrew low u

Controlled by the ills of the tube (Thi pi e wa written at a mom nt of udden awar n . Mayb it Woven from the root of realnes wa how painful th black truggl ha been in Am ri a or better y t Bound by tring that glisten how di heartening the bla k experience continu to b in re ent tim s) Not yours even if you desired Dollared artificially instead of purchas- Could she be having sex at fourteen? r better yet, kno ked up at ing a sets fifteen? Jordaned but not Schwabbed for no Why did he drop out of schoo l? Or better yet, why i hi whip dropped? reason Do yo u address her by other names? Or better yet, why is she yo ur Walking like yo u run the world main H*E? Not realizing that you are still picking Where i our bow l of Knowledge? Or better yet, where is our spoon of Petroled into whores & pimps understanding? Alike but disimillar How is it that they call us lazy? Or better yet, w hy do they think we are Knowledge of the game crazy? Antithesized to running the game Whisper and lay with warriors that Maybe we are disliked in America or better yet, we are hated around come up the world. In the being spoke visions in those Maybe we suffer fro r better yet, we suffer from eyes a -nesia. With the punani bought Gucci and Didn t Martin preachloud ~ough or bett et, didn 't M alcolm Fendi bags demandan Explanation7 That yo u eat from? Couldit be we are not blessed?Or Better yet, e we cursed forever? But holler when it's time And get in line with the rest Do ou knowwho we are?Or betteryet, do u know who we be? No matter what No matter how You are here at the street light Making moves with city sweepers Knowing the intricacies of dirt At junctions maneuvering through rapids Wishing that yo ur seeds were like yo ur nana In these days of darkne_ss,in is orld of jealousy But in the mirror a woman is seen You could be the man toda , bu toQ7orrow just a memory Sparking up with her friends In penitentiariesor ·ail cells r thugs dwell She speaks of love with hatred We're locked in a facility that remind us of hell As if experienced with the heart Tongue quickening with acid On ly time wou ld tell who you cou ld trust at the end Rough cut by pissy stairs and 89th Life's a b*tch son, but ain't a b*tch a man's best friend? street corners From the start till the end we been sinning against God Spoken about by politicians that fear By planting our seeds deep inside the devil's back yard the thought of And you wonder why you r child love raisin' hell. This fallen woman that I yearn for When all his life, he was f*ckin' raised in hell Potential infinite, but sight cloudy from It ain't hard to tell who's real or who's not two feet away Like Israel our sins got our @sstangled in a knot Just like myself Moving from Salem's Lot to the nightmares on Elm Street. For now at least Having to go against the one you love is one of hell's treat. Hopefull y just for now ...x A birthday wish for my ex-b*tch, hoping I die in jail. I put my life in God's hands cause he's keeping it real. Life's a raw deal, a field full of evil and war. The devil masturbate us around like the foo ls that we are. If you don't stand for anything, for anything you wi ll fall. You need to get your head right like that brotha Mac Mall. 15 March 2002 Continued from page 12 of hi hands. But John's wife, D eni e ex in this movie is not a herald to a signation, which results in a spark (Kimberly Elise), screams at him that love; it i a mean s by which two of mutual attraction . But Jesse has a he has t do something. So he does - people can find temp orary refu ge rinl for Lestat' affection - the e,-il he takes everyone in the hospital's from their otherwi e bleak existences . and powerful Queen kasha emerge ncy roo m hostage. When the An orgasm is an eff: cti, e way to wipe ( aliyah), who has recently risen from police, led by the crusty n egotiator away everything else, if only for a few her lumber and intends for the rock Grimes (Robert Dm -all) and the chief moments. The principle male star vampire to be her consort. of police, l o nro e (Ray Liotta ) , character is Hank Grotow ski (Billy aliyah who debuted in Romeo UNst arri-ve, he presents his demand: he "',il.l Bob Th ornto n), a correction officer Die, is astonishing in this film. It is a release the hostages whe n his son has who is greatly re pected at work, but tragedy that this is the last time we a new heart. Otherwi e, he will start whose home life is a disaster. It' s hard will see her on the big screen killing them. ~ ashi ngto n is con­ to say w heth er h e has a worse vi n cing a a de p erate relationship wit h hi s surl y, racist John Q tells the story father who ha run ou t of father (Peter Boyle) or his soft-hearted of a man, John Archibald legal options and can think of son (Heath Ledger). Hank is charged (D enze l Wa hin gto n), no other alter n ative but to with up rvising the exe cution of who is h aving trouble point a gun and hope no one death-row inmate Lawrence lusgrove making ends meet. ince calls hi bluff. Thi s film is ( ean Com b ), a cop killer who ha his work ""eek has been cut riveting as many of us know exhausted 11 years' worth of appeal . from 40 hours to 20 what it i like to feel like we Lawrence has a son, Tyrell (Coronji hours, he has been unable ha, -e n o optio n s. D en ze l Calhoun ), who idolizes him , and a to keep up with payments played hi part beautifu lly a wife, Leticia (Halle Berry), who can't on his ,vife's car. When his son, like he alway doe . sta nd him. Following the (D aniel E. Smith ), collapses on a exe cuti on , b ot h H ank and Leticia baseball field and is diagnosed as Mo ns ter's B all is a powerful suff er sh oc kin g, une xpected trag­ needing a heart transplant, J ohn is motion picture not about racism and edies, and, in the wake of one of these, confident that things will be okay, redemption, as on e might initia lly they are thrown together. nd , be­ becau e he has medical in urance. suppose, but abo ut one of the most cause the y happen to be there, they nfortunately, it turns out that his urgent and univer­ turn to each other. This Tier II co-verage doesn't co-ver sal of human need mo, -ie is an epic o f the $250,000 operat i n s. Th e hospital - that of finding stru gg le s one goes director, R ebecca P ayn e (A nn e solace for pain and through in har d times Heche ), refuses to put 1ike's name loneliness. Thou gh and how two particular on the organ recipient list until John it has some of the people ma k their pain. can co-ver the $75 000 down payment. trappings of an in­ H alle Berr y is ri,-eting Th e cardiologist, Dr. Turn er Games terracial romance, and per onifies a woman Woods ), claims that the matter is out Monster's Ball is not that, eith er. Th e in n ee d o f love perfectl y. Her character is strong-willed and compeled to make it through life, It Bees Like That Enterta inment presents ... with or without a man. Sean Combs acting debut is somewhat brief but The Beehive (Where we keep it live) i definit ely a tart. He definitel y has a long way to go, but if he learns from on WRBB 104.9FM the re t of th e cast he will ha, -e no Every Sunday Night from 10-12pm problem s in the future. los D ef, plays the neighbor of Hank, and puts Listen live online @ www.wrbbrad io.o rg Hank in hi place. In the end th e two haYe bee me friends, or so it For request or shoutout: eems. lo s Def is no stranger to call 6 17.373.2658 or IM at IBLT FAM mo, -ies and is definitely makin g hi Hosted by Killa B Da Band it way around H ollywoo d.

16 The Onyx Informer Taxes , from page 6 Th final t p in completin g . pe ak with an JR empl oyee (1-800 - Publicati n 520. your tax return is determining your 829 -1040), listen to pr e-recorc.lec.lT ax nc you hav det mun d y ur refund or amount you O\\'e. Ba. ically, Topic s (1-800 -829 -44 77) or go on-line. The w ite has availabl e all of Y rail inc me fr m th year, you ar that i the tax alr ady paid (from the IR b all \\' d take d duction \Y/-2 f rm ) n c.lju t cl r th e nece sa ry inform a tio n and / o r ( ubtracti n am unt fr m y ur Inc me ubtracted fr m the tax y u f rm yo u n ed to prop erly fill out inc m ) t calculat an r\dju red h uld hav paid. If y u paid m r y ur r turn or an w r mo t qu estions m , the amount us d in than you should ha, ,e, you will receive y u may have about an y ta x i ue. calculatino- your tax. In additi n to a refund. The sit include s frequ entl y a keel the tandard deduction, which is 00 \'v'hen y u sit down t d y ur qu sci ns, £ rm and publication for up t 4,40 for dependents based taxes - wh ther by paper form or d wnload a well a some fill-in £ rm n y ur taxable inc me) y u may be electronically - ha, · the following that you can complete on th e able t take d ducti n from items: a copy of all 'J -2 f rms and computer and print. intere t paid on tudent l an . To any other tax form ent t you by nderstandably, filing taxe can ee if you are eligible to take a employer or the go, rernment; all in­ be an intimidating and frustratin g tudent Loan Deduction, you mu t formation pertaining to cholarships proces the first couple of times. But fill out the tudent Loan 'J rksheet. recei, ·ed during 2001, and, if you are it i something most of u will d It i a hort worksheet that guide you not a dependent, all information each year for the re t of our li\·es, so through simple calculations that will pertainino- to intere t paid on student you might as well become determine your deducti n amount. loans for 2001 . Have with you a comfortable doing them yourself. The worksheet can be found in the calculator at hand and the All Iassachusetts State tax forms and '2001 1040 In tructions booklet, or instructions booklet (a paper copy or Instructions and the Instructions for on-line at \,,v,, ·.irs.gov. p to $2,000 electronic copy) that accompanies the ome federal forms (i.e. Forms 1040, of intere t paid on qualified student form you are filling out. 11forms 1040a, or 1040ez ) can be found in loan may be deducted. But, if you and Instruction can be do\vnloaded most librarie including 's, or on are a dependent, you are not eligible from ,nvw.irs.go, ,. If you begin line. to claim the tudent Loan Interest prepared, it hould take you approxi­ APRIL 15, 2002 is the la t day deduction. The requirem nt for this mately 30 minutes to complete your to ubmit your 2001 Tax Return. deduction are explained in detail, 2001 Federal Tax Return. r\Yoid paying late fees, D O OT under Tax Topic 456 at www.irs.go, ,f What if you need Help? procrastinate. nd remember, the tax topics. hould you need tax help, you can sooner you file, the ooner you'll get back your refund.

Myth Facts By the Stats Belief s Our cooperat ive system Yo u a re not g u a ra n teed a I could have stayed home , and educational institut ion co-op nor an education learned the same things , istop notch. and spent a lot less money. We a re viewed as equal We have protests they ca II I have a dream is still a under the American eye , it riots ; they have riots they dream. esp e c ia lly he re at call it a wild No rthea stern Unive rsty. party / c eleb ration . Freshman femalesare Freshman females a re I just messed it up for a lot ignorant to the game and targeted because they are of dudes trying to get it are more willing to give it ignorant to the game and from omeo n e in '06. up . willing to give it up . Nie e guys finish last . True. There are going to be a lot more Pimpsand Playas around . He is great ! No matter how ill he is, he If he is in it next year , he will c a n o n ly b e g u a ra n teed a win so th a t th e fact do n ' t second place victory , hold up astruth . every time . 17 March20 02 I wa rai ed to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that's how I operate my life. Speak Out ~Oprah W'i11frey,1989

Attention, Dr. C.A. Light ! extending his hand in order to lift hate in my bl oo d, an d I admit to up another to that ascended level. hatin g o n the n ext man for the Doctor, doctor, doctor, before I get The message with that says, "H e ain't stat us someo ne else gave him, but pen, let me a k you s mething. How heavy, He' s my brother". The hell with why not, I'm just doing my part to are you a doctor and find time to that. I strug gled to get where I am, balance out all the love as it can not bserve all the things you mentioned and made it, even tho "my brothers exist with out what I do and what is that happen on this campu ? Cut and sisters" acted like we were crabs done to me (it's bu sin ess and that mess out, yo u ain't no damn in a barrel. When it was my time to competition ) . I'm guilt y "cloakin g doctor and if you are one, can you shine, my time to live, and I had the opportu nities from others in need of produce the documents that support opportu nity to get away, the y tried those blessings", but as you might your claim, Tomm y? If you can, I will to dead me on that possibilit y. But I know right now it's just bu sines and make sure to recycle it after my spicy made it here, wherever that is. ow competition. wings digest thorou ghl y, because I'm all for self. That is how we have I hope you haven't taken offe nse your proof w uld onl y be good for to be, in order to get the biggest piece to my response, but if you did ... so wiping hit, not chan ging it. possible of our little slice of the what ... you houldn 't have wri tten Here you are preaching that let's American pie, American dream, somethi ng for me to respond to. I hold hands, lean on me, we are the America n bull $hit (same difference ). can only suggest you keep it moving, world, we are the children, bull $hit, I'm trying to live like the Jeffer on' because I most definitely will. To do as if what you say now, i different one day, feel me? you one last favor and answer your from what has been said £ r so man y I used to be all optimi tic and question ' \'v'here's D a Love?" I can years. Come on now, did you really altruistic such as yo ur se lf, but tell you that it ain't here , wherever think yo u were going to make a experience taught me, that is the way here is, deal with it. difference by writing an article on the of the fool. ow the way of the wise ~ Shae D. Forcast obvious? And even better, in a paper is to be similar to how I am now and that nobod y reads? paper that is adhere to these main points. Life is Have something on your upposed to be the voice of the survival in pursuit in of some kind mind? " majorit y of the minoritie " who of happiness. Life throu ghout the Voice your opinions through quit simply don't give a damn!? Ha, world, especia lly here in America is the Onyx Informer and Speak I laugh at you. I laugh at you because all bu ines and competition so Out! of yo ur ignorance, and failure to handle every ituatio n according ly. realize that we are indifferent, There is no guarantee that what is true Send writings to ignorant people on this campus, who toda y will be true tomorr w. have adapted to an indifferent, In situ ations of we were coo' On 1,Informer~IJ: ahoo.corn. (Please limit to 600 word .) ignorant system, controlled by the yesterda y and upon seeing me toda y dictators of indiff ere nce and I act like I don't know you, don't even ignorance themselves - the powers think about it, keep it moving. You Submissions must be l::1)CUand sub­ that be. So yes we are "accomplices proba bly only provided a serv ice to mitted b: e-mail (or 2 hard copies). t hi storic criminals" . It ain't hard me that was only good for yesterda y All submission must contain a con­ to tell. (it's busine ss). If I got my head in the firmation phone number and or e­ By understanding that fact, the sky and it seems to you like I'm mad mail address. l ames can be with­ people that you view on this campus co~h.--yo r conceited, and you feel that held or pseudonym" med in publi­ are just go ing about their busin ess I think I am bet ter th an yo u, it is cations upon ret1uest. The Onr.· not giving a damn ab ut the next prob ably becau se it is true. But the Informer reser\'es the rights to ctlit, man, because the next man don't give feeling that you get from that, blame condense, or reject any , ubm1ssion a damn abo ut them, and I for one it on yourself because your assump­ that does not meet editorial publi h­ am all for se lf. NBSA pamphlets tions got you thinking for me, about ing grndelines , et b~· the editorial displa y the figure of a man you (it' competition ). I at time s have board.

18 The Onyx Informer

H.RapBrown Black Panth er Party r e t b come tl1 Breakfast Program for Black children, d minant rganizat i n in the ivil and fre H ealth linic . The e pro ­ On Trail for Murder Right / Black Lib ration Iovem nt it grams w re viewed as a threat to l a­ by Angelo Lynn r ach d out t leader fr m th r tional ecurity, and, ace rding to offi­ rgani za ti n , uch as Br wn, and cial records of the ongre , the H. Rap Brown, f rm r Black plac ed them 1n their nati on al FBI b gan its now infamous Panther leader, i n trial in tlanta leader hip b dy. intelligence Program ( l f r th murder of an undercover Brown was known for hi to bring down Black militants. Br wn officer n larch 16, 2000. Imam Jamil in piring speeche , he had developed a wa p ecifica lly targeted by thi bulah 1- min, 58, is accu ed of speaking style from the rich tradition gove rnm ent terror ist program, which murderin g Fulton County D eputy of African American oratory, eventually murd ered and falsely Ricky Kinchen and aggravated as ault pecificall y from the strain of imprisoned other Black militants uch in the wounding of D eputy Aldranon extemporaneity often associated with as Hue y P. ewton, George Jackson, English. 1- min's defense is 1alcolm X. While and ssata hah.7.1!.In 1970 Brown was arguino-that the FBI has been try­ Ialcolm was placed on the FBI 's ten most wanted ing to frame Al-Amin as part of a list before finally bein g captured and government conspiracy because of ity to both start imprisoned. hi :Muslim faith and his Black and stop a neigh- H. Rap Brown changed hi name militant past, as H. Rap Brown, in borhood rebellion to Al-Amin when he converted to the the 1960' . If convicted Al-Amin (reported as riots D ar-ul Islam movement while serving could face the death penalty. by the a five-year sentence for armed robbery Al-Amin became Iinister of media ) with his and shoot-out with ew York police. Information for the Black Panther speeches, Brown To the foslim world he is known as a Party in 1968. Prior to that he was was stereotyped as spiritual leader, where he leads one of an act1v1st in the Student someone who the nations largest Black Muslim on-Violent Coordinating Com­ always advocated groups, the I ational I lamic mittee (S CC), and was elected violence. Community. Chairman of S CC in 1967. As the Ho~ ever, at the 1968 Black Power Al-Amin was and is a man history of our freedom movement gets Convention held in ewark, ew Jer­ devo ted to the liberation of human­ reYised and belittled over the years, a sey a totally different side to Brown's kind. His transformation to the seldom articulated fact of H. Rap legacy as a public speaker was evidenced. Muslim faith on ly strengthened his Brown 's rise to prominence in the crowd of 5,000 convention partici­ commitment and effecti, eness as a movement was the changing of the pants had been whipped up into frenzy per on devo ted to the welfare of his name of the most famous and influ­ by Charlie Kenyatta, leader of the Mau people . In his n eighborhood in ential student organization in the Iau who was later Atlanta, Geor gia, his fuslim country at that time. Upon his elec­ exposed to be a police agent - who was community is known for decreasing tion to the chairmanship of S CC, advocating that the crowd storm the the presence of crime, dru gs and with Stokel y Charmichael elected as local police station to "liberate the violence. His efforts, in this regard, far Vice Chair, the tudent onviolent Brothers" who were being held in lock­ outstripped that of the loca l police Coordinating Committee changed its up. H. Rap Brown mounted the who, more often than not, were found name to the Student ational platform and harangued the audience, to be at the bottom of the local crime, Coordinating Committee. The acro­ admonishing that they were about to rather than a deterrent to it. nym remained unchanged (S CC), be massacred by hundred of national To P eop le of Color, and all while the organization manifestl y guardsman and police who were people devoted to righteousne ss, changed its philosophies of Civil waiting with 30 padd y wagons around Im am J amil Abdu llah Al-Amin will Rights to become more in accordance the corner . Brown, in the tradition of always be known as one who has tire­ with the emerging Black Power ideolo­ Brother 1alcolm, prevented a riot, lessly fought for our freedom, and a gies. rather than incite one . better world. While attending Southern H. Rap Brown would go on to University (1960-64), Brown would join help the Panth ers in their struggle for The struggle continues. the Black Liberation Struggle. As the Human Rights, by estab lish in g 19