Run Go Tell That! The Grand Age Of Misinformation.....

Eggs on Windshield Hoax

At some point the world spun backwards on its own axis. It used to be that reporters, writers and the like did their due diligence before releasing a story for mass consumption but at some point that all changed. Was it pre or post 9-11? I'm not quite sure, but the one thing I do know is with the advent, accessibility and popularity of social media the age of misinformation is in full bloom.

Semen in Mayo Hoax

Social media like Facebook, Vine, Twitter and Instagram have sprouted a wave of freelance journalist, reporters and photographers. This in and of itself is useful but when the person reporting, writing and capturing pictures or video of critical moments in a bystander's life has absolutely ZERO integrity, there is a high probability that misinformation will be spread. There's also the chance that  threads of ignorance will be spewed as pious opinionated assholes give unwanted and more importantly un-researched opinions on subjects that they are just not an authority on. All this while the fears of an already overly fearful society will be realized and acted upon by the "town criers". Those that stand downtown on their soap boxes screaming "Run for the hills the end is nigh!" "Get batteries and water the world will end in 2000!" or "Dec. 21st 2013 is the end of of the Mayan Calendar, get your affairs in order !"

Crying Baby Gang Lure Hoax

The issues that I have are these:

1) Spreading misinformation makes you part of the problem.

2) Refusing to fact check makes you a non-credible source for information.

3) A failure to understand what satire is makes you an idiot that should want to stop posting.

4) Posting scandalous nonsense for likes or hits makes you desperate for attention. * They have help for that....

5) Profiting from lies and rumors make you a smut peddler.

6) Spreading fear leads to erratic behavior, control and violence.

Spider Under The Toilet Seat Hoax

At the end of the day we all do what we do for our own personal reasons and that's fine. I'm a chef, blogger, photographer, writer, cyclist, traveler and humanitarian that happens to be opinionated, but I tend to base my opinions on factual, tangible and provable information before I throw it out for consumption. The media carries out enough smoke and mirrors tactics on the public at hand (that would be you & me) so there is no need for us to follow suit with them. We should want for more and demand more from them, but that's got to start with us checking ourselves and each other first and being receptive to change once we are called out on it. Some may still ask, "What's the big deal?", the big deal is FEAR, it's controlled the masses since the beginning of time and cost lives, millions and peace. I'd much rather do my part by spreading truth and understanding.

NAACP Gives Zim Lifetime Achievement Award Satire

I have pledged that this year whenever I see a post like the examples that I have given in this article, I would do my best to research the story and post its origin so that people have both sides of the story. It may seem petty to you and some may even be offended but I have my agenda which is to hold myself, my friends and those that want to "Run Go Tell That" accountable for the things that we post and by that hold the media to a higher standard.

Ignorance & Rap (Not Hip Hop there's such a difference) 

On a separate but related note I saw several post about the damage that VH1 and its programming is doing damage and harm to Black men, women and children. I tend to agree in some ways but I have a different take on it. After all the participants aren't White people dressed in Black face acting out the parts, these niggas are actually Black, ignorant low-brows that have found a way to make money off of their "caricaturized", stereotypical ghetto azzes. We can refuse to watch those things by simply changing the channel. We can refuse to acknowledge them by not posting about them. We can refuse to allow them to profit off of the smut they peddle by avoiding their sponsored events, websites or related entities. The one thing that I know for sure is the way to make change is to take the ability to profit monetarily from a thing. Posting about these things only  brings more attention to it. *I'm sure some of you are asking "Ain't you the pot calling the kettle black as you post about these things here and now?" To that I say, I'm doing so responsibly by posting truth and an educated opinion of the things that I would like to see changed positively. I'll support anyone else in their venture to do the same but if you happen to spread misinformation I will come at your post. Please don't take it personally I just have a penchant for wanting to see more truth than lies, a need for seeing more positive than negative and a duty to spread more love than hate. 

The Misconception of Crabs In A Barrel....

The Killer Lie.....

Today on Facebook I saw this illustration along with the title The Truth. After looking at the comments that were left I was surprised by the amount of Black men and women that agreed with the caption and illustration. Being a Black man who held a different opinion I needed to analyze a few things in order to weigh in. 

While some might wonder why the rest of the world was tripping, I set out to understand why I saw things differently than everyone else on the thread and then it hit me. I felt differently because I have gone about things in a more self responsible way throughout my life. With that in mind I offer the following examples of why the thought that Blacks don't help each other is not only a misconception but a down right lie..... Let the truth be told...

In the 90's I worked as a Social Worker in Washington, DC, which at the time I thought, was my life mission. By that I mean I really loved this job and saw myself doing it forever, after all it was a noble calling. One day I had a surprise dinner party for my good friend Jason at our house. I have always been able to cook so this was the perfect time for me to showcase one of my hidden talents. To say the menu was challenging is a gross understatement, I was shucking oysters, making mignonette sauce, searing rockfish, wilting greens and making caramelized bananas with home made tequila-lime ice cream and pouring specialty drinks. To make matters more complicated I was doing all of these things by myself for twenty-five people. Talk about exhaustive.....The party went seamlessly and everything was a success. The next day my best friend Shelby Jones called me to tell me that the menu, printed for my party, was given to the Executive Chef of the Motion Picture Association. Shelby went on to tell me that the chef was not only impressed with the menu but amazed that a social worker was able to pull this off by himself and he wanted to meet me. The following day I came in to meet the chef, we talked and I was hired on the spot. Talk about life altering moments.......

In 2008 while traveling to Dallas to visit friends for the holidays I met someone that would alter my life. At the time I was a kitchen manager at Google in Mountain View California. Yep it was THAT Google and life there was great. State of the Art equipment, the best product money could buy, knowledgeable mentors and an educated customer base. This place is heaven to work in for a chef so I was a lifer as far as I was concerned. On that trip to Dallas while staying with one of my boys, I met Charles Sherrard. Charles was working in I.T. for KBR in Iraq at the time. We talked about life, had a few drinks and played cards for the rest of the night. The next morning I made breakfast for everyone  and Charles looked at me and said, "Damn man you need to bring these talents to Iraq and cook for the troops!" I was flabbergasted. Little did he or anyone else know but on Sept. 12 2001 I called Red Cross to offer my services to cook for the first responders at both the Pentagon and The Twin Towers and was rebuffed. "There's no need at this point sir!" Is what I got each time I called to ask so I let it go. I turned to him and said,"Where do I sign up?" I was on my way to Iraq less than 3 months later. While in Iraq I worked my ass off. I was never in the military or any military setting so this was culture shock. Shit, The acronyms alone sent me into a tailspin let alone the culture, but within four months I was promoted to Supervisor and three months later again promoted to Area Supervisor. I came in hungrier than anyone else there. I knew I was behind everyone else that was former military but I outpaced everyone there and as a result was rewarded time and time again. 

In 2013 while teaching culinary arts in a DC High School, I got a call from a friend that I met in Iraq. Kita Riley called to tell me that help was needed in Afghanistan and the first person that she and her husband thought of was me. "We loved the Dining Facilities you ran in Iraq and knew you would be perfect for Afghanistan if you are interested." She said. I talked to her husband RJ Riley a few weeks later for more details and within the month I received a personal phone call from the C.O.O. from Taylors Inc. "Are you ready to come to Afghanistan and turn things around Mr. Crawford?" I was asked by Mr. Murphy. I was in Kabul a week  later. 

In the late 80's me and my boy Shelby watched a tennis match on T.V. and afterwards we were hyped. We went out and decided that we would get tennis rackets and tennis balls so we could go to a local court to hit a bit and teach ourselves how to play the game. It looked easy enough to us on TV so we didn't need any damn lessons. Once we got out there we swung for the fences. I mean you would have thought we were playing baseball, home-runs a plenty and more. This had to be one of the funniest days ever. As we rounded up the balls from the neighborhood (I said home-runs, right?), I knew I would never try tennis again. We went to the grocery store and bought food for me to cook. Shelby stuck with it and is a Tennis Pro & Instructor, I on the other hand am a Chef. 

One of the facts that each example has in common is obviously that each facilitator is Black, the more important but equally relevant fact is that each situation required a certain amount of prior preparation for the door that was to be opened and/or a willingness to find a passion, work hard at it and master. It's one thing to make a great menu and impress someone based on that but I still had to go in and sell myself in order to work at MPAA. I was the one that would need to walk through the door that Charles opened up for me in order to work in Iraq but once there I would need to prove my own worth, not only to keep up his reputation but to prove my worth to the company that hired me. I was the one that would need to take my job seriously enough to warrant promotion time and time again. It was the foundation that I laid in Iraq that impressed Kita & RJ enough to think of and reach out to me that landed me in Afghanistan. The knowledge that myself and Shelby went out to play tennis together and were both so horrible in the beginning that I turned to cooking immediately, is overshadowed by the fact that he is now a tennis pro and I'm a professional chef. These are a testament to our will and intestinal fortitude. 

The point is, while people are offered help in various forms it is that person's responsibility to take it to the next level. The misconception that Blacks don't help one another is a gross misrepresentation of the truth. The issue that I have with some folks is the expectation that they are owed a hand up or hand out by someone of the same race simply because they are of that same race. That notion is ridiculous, if I give you the information that I have worked hard to attain then it should be your mission to use it wisely. No one has the time to hold your hand to make sure you are using it wisely, that's your job not mine. Once someone has blessed me with a hand, I feel as if I owe them my best foot forward out of respect for what they have done for me. I also feel the need to prove myself worthy of the chance taken and opportunity afforded. As a Black man, do I owe other Blacks the right to know all that I know? Perhaps I do but I'd say I owe that opportunity to anyone that wants to learn what I am teaching. If that person happens to be Black then kudos but if not my teaching must go on. People be they Black, White or otherwise need to understand that help is a two way street. If you are given something then payment is always required in some way or another. Payment isn't always money and it's not always directed back to the person that gave it to you in the first place. In some cases it may be paid forward, while in others it may be repaid through bettering yourself and making things easier for those around or affected by you. Whatever the case is I refuse to allow the lazy few to speak for an entire race of people. We don't owe each other because we are Black. We should want to help anyone that wants to make their lives, communities, jobs, country and world a better place for each and every one of us. Magic Johnson, Bob Johnson, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry are a few great examples of how Blacks actually help each other but I guess in order to see them as great examples it might depend on your perspective. I'd say to be able to see that they continue to be successful in their fields and happen to be Black is motivation and help enough for me to want the same for myself. We are not Crabs In A Barrel.....

First Impressions Are Lasting......

Reading Time: 5 Minutes

Impressions 

The words that come out of your mouth upon a chance meeting can have a lasting effect on both the sender and the receiver. It is imperative that one put out the image that is an honest depiction of what is intended to be conveyed rather than what you think someone might want to hear. The following is a completely true story.

Have you ever heard the tale of the corny idiot & thuggish wise man? No?? Well, just sit back and allow me to share the story with you.

Ballin' @ The Y

Mac had been to the YMCA to play basketball every weekday for the last 8 years or so. The YMCA had a mixture of folks from all walks of life, blue collar to the power elite. There was always the usual crowd but there would also be out-of-towners that would come in and play. On this particular day the place was full of regulars for the first few games and then in walked a dude that no one had ever met before. He walked in with a chip on his shoulder and seemed to be kind of thuggish in appearance to the group. He had on all black and the new A.I.'s with gold chains and rings. He also stood about 6'1" tall and appeared to weigh at least 230 so he stood out to all of the guys in the gym, even though he was on the sidelines and it would be a game or two before he was able play.

Mac, the corny idiot had been on the court since he arrived. This dude was one of the better players at the Y and winning was the norm but today he was particularly dominant and the thuggish guy must have taken notice. Another win for Mac and now the two meet up on the court. "Hey man what's happening?" The new comer said to the idiot. "Ain't shit man", said the corny idiot, this was surprising as this was not something that he would normally say. Now it was time for each team to decide who will check whom in the game. "I got Shaq!", said the newcomer in a sarcastic tone. "This dude is about to get the business for that crack!", thought the comfortable local to himself. "Hey man what's your name?", said the new guy. "Mac, and yours?" said Mac. "Lawrence" the new guy continued as the game began.

The first couple of plays went off as if it was another day at the office for Mac, a spin move and a lay up, a tip in and then a quick post up and it was 3-0 Mac. The next play Lawrence took Mac straight to the basket and laid it in. A quick elbow to the ribs and another lay in and now it's 3-2. As the game went on both Mac & Lawrence developed a level of respect for each other's game so when it was over they both sat down and started to talk.

"Where are you from young man, I'm from St Louis?", said Lawrence. Mac looked at him and said, "DC man!" "So what is there to do here in DC for the weekend?" asked Lawrence. As Mac looked Lawrence up and down to assess the type of things that he thought Lawrence was sure to appreciate, he blurted out what can only be described in hindsight as a theatre of the ridiculous. "Dude there's a club on U st where there are freaks galore, trust me get there and you will walk back to the room with company if that's what you want". "There are always the strip clubs on Ga. Ave if you tryin' to see some pussy popping, they off the chain there!" "If you want a strong drink or two then Stan's is the place to hit up, chicks in there too!" Mac was too busy fronting and running off at the lips to notice that Lawrence's mouth was gaping open in disgust or that he had a wedding band on so he continued on his rant. "This city is ripe for the plucking on a Friday night if you are single man, trust me you can run up in 5 or 6 before you leave if that's what you want to do." Mac finished up. What's funny is that Mac the corny idiot was nothing like what he was suggesting. While he was fun loving he rarely went out at all let alone to any of the places that he was suggesting to a stranger. One would think that Mac of all people would be an ambassador of culture and all things other than what he was preaching to this guy that he had just met. He was a guy that would go out of town with a list of museums to hit up rather than information on where the trendy clubs were. He was also a guy that was more comfortable having conversations that ended with, "it was a pleasure meeting you, here's my email so we can keep in touch!" much more than "why don't we move this up to my room?" Suddenly Lawrence interrupted the rambling idiot from further embarrassment by asking a simple question. "What do you do for a living Mac?" While the question was so simple  and commonplace the timing made it extremely probing and liberating. "I'm a chef", shared Mac. This was the perfect redirection as the conversation steered to different types of food and Mac was able to share his passion for food and as a result for life. He went on to talk about all of the culture that DC had to offer and shared some of his favorite haunts. "There's the nice spot down the street for a quick burger", Mac shared. "The cherry blossoms are out", "museums all around the city and bike trails." Mac began to beam with a sudden comfort as he shared the things that he actually loved to do. "Now this seems more like what I hoped you'd recommend man" Lawrence said with a clever smile. "What is it that you do?" Mac asked bluntly. Lawrence answered, "Me, I'm a reverend and the MC for the National Christian Revival this week!"