Monthly Archives: June 2008

Arizona Sweet Tea working to change Southern Style logo perceived as racist

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I’d like to start by thanking the family for keeping me up to speed on what’s going on out there. I received an email today that’s apparently been going around the web regarding Arizona Sweet Tea.

Here are some of the contents of the email I received.

FW: Arizona Sweet Tea is Racist! Black America DO NOT PURCHASE

My name is LaMar McGowan and today was the first day of my life were I felt like less of a Black Man!
When did Slavery become marketable? I’m calling for a nation wide Boycott on a drink company named ” Arizona ” which has a variety of flavors, I myself have bought a number of their drinks, but on 11/30 I bought my last one. Their is someone in the marketing dept. who told someone on the board that “We can degrade Black People and make money at the same time” and the board member agreed!

Every Black person from the south knows how good it felt on those hot southern days to have a tall glass of sweet tea. ” Arizona ” has a flavor known as “Southern Style Sweet Tea” but if you look closely on the front of the can their is a picture of a Plantation ! Yes I said a Plantation , with a white couple on the porch and a Black woman Dress like Aunt Jamama walking away from the house.

When did Slavery become marketable? My Grandfather was 100 years old before he passed in 2004 and that Picture reminds me of his very few but painful story’s not a hot southern day with a cool refreshing glass of sweet tea. So stop buying any drinks from this company! Stand up and let your voice be heard & overload their lines.

1-800-832-3775

So at lunch, I dropped by my local drug store, and bought myself and Arizona Southern Style Sweet Tea. There on the 23 oz. can was the image described above. Myself, I’m generally put off by any mention of plantations -unless its in regards to a plantation tour (see my favorite Louisiana Tours Laura Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation).

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I called the number on the email, and after a few menus, I heard a statement the company had on the subject of the label. More on that later. A Google search on the subject yielded the company’s position on the image from earlier this year. This is Arizona’s response after a consumer sent them an email decrying the label.

Thank you for your email regarding Arizona Sweet Tea. We at Arizona are very proud of our award-winning packaging for our products. When we design a label, we must communicate to the consumer in a matter of seconds, what exactly is in the package.

We all know that Sweet Tea originated in the Southern United States . It was with this in mind that our graphic designers set out to design a label that would capture the beauty and majesty of the South. After much discussion, we all agreed that nothing is more recognizable in the South than the beautiful stately homes found throughout the southern states.

As for the individuals pictured on the label, there was no intent on the part of Arizona or its graphic designers to denigrate any race or condone slavery. ( see attached close up original rendering (color pencil/marker) of the label). Our products are enjoyed by people of all walks of life and we do not ever want to alienate any of them. We hope you will continue to support the Arizona brand!

This image presents a problem to me.  I don’t think this is the appropriate use for the whole plantation imagery.  But it’s not easy to see that the woman in the front lawn is not a slave, its a “southern belle” out of some sort of stroll.

So I’m guessing some time between the time that was posted in late January and now, Arizona got the message. After digging on the Arizona website, I found a statement similar to the one I had heard earlier on the phone. It goes a little something like this.

ARIZONA SWEET TEA CONCERN

We want to thank everyone who took the time to share with us their concerns about the packaging of our Southern Style Sweet Tea. The dialogue helped us to New 'sweet tea' label understand the problem and move forward to correct it. Although it was never our intention for the Sweet Tea label to offend any of our customers, we understand the change in label design was needed. We have commissioned an artist to totally redesign all of the Southern Style labels, and are already in the final stages of implementing the first phase of the changeover. The new artwork will appear first on our can line and next on our glass and plastic bottles.

Southern Style tea has been one of our most popular drinks over the past five years or so. People of all walks of life enjoy this and many of our other products, and we do not ever want to alienate any of them. We hope you like our new design and will continue to support the AriZona brand.

Thank you.

You know how these things go. This email will probably make its way around the net another 2 or 3 million times, but hopefully someone will pass this updated info along too. I commend whoever led the charge to get this changed because if not the logo would have obviously remained the same.

I just wonder why no one ever protests, Plantation Oaks Apartments or the Plantation Golf Course or any of the other hundred other things named for plantations. What bothers me even more are the black folks who live and play golf there.

 

SOUTH OAK CLIFF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS MEET WITH CONGRESSWOMAN JOHNSON IN WASHINGTON, DC

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Washington, DC – (Thursday, June 19, 2008) – On Thursday, June 19, 2008, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson met with 75 South Oak Cliif High School students and their administrators on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The students are in town touring universities and gaining insight on applying for and attending college.

 

“It was a great pleasure to meet these exceptionally bright students in our nation’s capitol. These young people are the future of our country and I came away from our meeting today even more optimistic about the future of our great nation,” said Congresswoman Johnson. She stressed to the students the importance of a strong high school education as a foundation for success. Congresswoman Johnson told the students, “While it’s not the easiest choice to as a young person, putting your education first, studying hard, and receiving good grades is the best decision you can make for yourself.”

The Congressman welcomes student groups from all over the 30th Congressional District to visit Washington, D.C. Her office can assist schools with scheduling tours for various attractions including the Capitol Building, White House, Supreme Court, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the Library of Congress. You may contact Congresswoman Johnson’s Washington, DC office by calling (202) 225 - 8885 or faxing (202) 226 -1477.

Slate writer suggests new way to combat Barack Obama smear emails

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Christopher Bean from Slate.com has a mock email that he suggests should be used by the Obama campaign to deal with the negative emails that have floated around the net for months. Bean’s post on Slate is so funny I have to share it in its entirety.

From: [Redacted]
To: [Redacted]
Subject: WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?

There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American’s duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones.

Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the shower.

Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every time he sees an American flag. He also ends every sentence by saying, “WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.” Click here for video of Obama quietly mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep.

A tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.

Every weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters HUNTING.

Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.

Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It’s upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.

There’s only one artist on Barack Obama’s iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.

Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American.

Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.

Barack Obama’s new airplane includes a conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.

Barack Obama’s skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.

Barack Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.

Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and RELIGION because they are AWESOME.

Racist Obama button sold at Texas Republican Convention, vendor booted

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obamabutton.jpgI must have missed this story over the weekend, but apparently a vendor at the Texas GOP convention was showing their true colors by reminding Barack Obama of his. The Dallas Morning News who first wrote a story last weekend on the campaign button to the left reports the vendor has been “cut off” by The Republican Party of Texas. See their report here.

The vendor in question is The Republican Market (www.republicanmarket.com). I searched their website for the button in question, but couldn’t find it. I did however come across a few other interesting items if you’re in the market from some 2008 Election gear.

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If you would like to reach them, be sure to call their Florida office Toll-Free at (866) 422-BUSH. You really couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried. This story will double their business I’m sure.

Barack Obama “Yes We Can” Video Win’s Emmy Award

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According to CNN.com the famous “Yes We Can” video that spliced together clips of Barack Obama’s New Hampshire primary night speech and set it to music with celebrities singing along has won an Emmy award.

Click here to see the full report, watch the video, and and read words from the video’s producer Will.i.am at Bloggers4Obama.com

DALLAS RATED FIFTH MOST CONGESTED CITY IN THE NATION ACCORDING TO A NEW NATIONAL REPORT

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A new report released by INRIX, the leading provider of real-time traffic information for many popular GPS devices, found Dallas to be the 5th most congested market in the country. According to the INRIX National Traffic Scorecard, traffic congestion across the U.S. increased nearly 2% in 2007 over 2006 and there appears to be no relief in sight in 2008.

They do concede that higher fuel prices and the economy are affecting the rate of growth. With many drivers paying over $4 a gallon at the pump and roads clogged with traffic congestion averaging 60 hours a week across the nation’s 100 worst bottlenecks, traffic continues to have a major impact on consumers, businesses and the American economy.

The INRIX National Traffic Scorecard is the first to measure the nation’s traffic congestion problem by going beyond the traditional limitations of road sensors and statistical sampling techniques to evaluate real-time traffic on almost every major metropolitan roadway nationwide.  The scorecard takes a micro look at traffic problems all across the country – zooming in on the total hours spent in traffic, worst day of the week for commuting and average speeds for the top 100 cities in the U.S

Further analysis by INRIX showed that Northbound on the Loop 820 at HWY 26/GRAPEVINE HWY/EXIT 22, as the worst bottleneck for the city.

The Top 10 Congested Cities:

  1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
  2. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA
  3. Chicago-Naperville, IL
  4. Washington DC, Arlington, VA
  5. Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, TX
  6. San Francisco, Oakland, Freemont, CA
  7. Houston, TX
  8. Boston, Cambridge, Quincy, MA
  9. Seattle, WA
  10. Atlanta, GA

INRIX Nationwide Traffic Scorecard “Factoids”

  • Worst Traffic Day: Friday
  • Worst commute: Friday PM
  • Worst commuting hour: Friday 5-6 PM
  • Worst morning: Wed AM
  • Best week day for traffic: Monday
  • Best week day commute: Friday AM
  • Best week day hour: Friday 6-7 AM
  • Best week day afternoon: Monday PM

Further info: Drivers can access more information at http://scorecard.inrix.com

“Why” Part One: Why Sunday Was the Best Father’s Day ever

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I woke up a little bit later than usual for a Sunday morning. I still had four more Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Puddings to make for the Real Men Cook event later that day.

I tracked up the stairs trying to remember if I needed more whip cream or cream cheese. I found my son and my mom at the top of the stairs having a morning chat. “Happy Father’s Day Dad!” my sons said with a huge snaggle toothed smile. My mom wished me a Happy Father’s Day as well and they both gave me a hug.

There wasn’t much time to waste, so I headed back down stairs to get to work on last year’s winning dish. I was sure anyone who attended Real Men Cook ’07 would be looking for the banana pudding man. I took the milk and pudding out of the fridge and once again it was on.

woods-golf.jpgAbout the time I finished puddings one and two, my wife made her first appearance in the Father’s Day production. This excited the little fellow because now he could give me my gift. My son approached me with his arms folded behind his back, then extended his hands out towards me.

“Here Dad,” he said with a grin. It was a case containing Tiger Woods Golf ’08 for our Nintendo Wii. He handed me the gift, then preceded to hound me for the next two hours to open up the game and play a round of golf. But I couldn’t, I had work to do.

After a special Father’s Day breakfast prepared by my sweetie (pancakes and sausage) it was back on pudding duty. I realized how much faster things had going the night before when little man was helping me out, so I enlisted his services for the final push. He was eager to help because he figured this would get us on the Wii that much faster.

“Go wash your hands,” I said. He left out and returned to his job of lining the foil pan with Jackson’s Vanilla Wafers and bananas. After putting the finishing touches on the last batch, I had about an hour before I was supposed to arrive at the African-American Museum for Real Men Cook. But I had a tee time upstairs, so I obliged my little helper.

After playing the front nine, I rolled down I-30 towards Fair Park. When I arrived, the heat was “flamboyant” as we used to say and the museum was full of activity. Chefs were setting their tables, volunteers were getting folks signed in, and the event’s producer Terry Allen was running around doing a little bit of everything.

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Real Men Cook ’08 was an excellent showcase of African-American Men. It’s becoming a Father’s Day tradition in cities around the country, as people flowed through the line discussing events they attended previous years in Chicago and Atlanta. Of course Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding was a big hit once again, and was described as “delicious,” “perfect” and “a taste explosion.” And my mama was there and I had to tell folks it’s not her recipe…it’s my mother-in-law’s.

real-men-cook-logo.jpgMy chef’s assistant Dorian and I had a great time chatting up tasters and serving out our dilectible dish. Brothers prepared wings, potato salad, pasta, speghetti, even Sweet Potato Soup. By four o’clock, people could hardly move as folks continued to flow thorough the door in a steady stream. We had to shut the pudding line down for a while to regroup.

They didn’t announce the winning dish, but I’m feeling good about our chances for a repeat. My mother-in-law still can’t believe how well the dish is received. Upon making it home, my wife and I started up the DVR and watched the final round of the U.S. Open over a 45 minutes stretch.

There was a time when watching golf major tournaments was a Sunday ritual, but not so much now with the little fellow around. The golf wasn’t as exciting as Round 3 on Saturday, but watching Tiger Woods birdie number 18 to force an eighteen hole playoff was a nearly perfect ending to an almost perfect Father’s Day.

I was on my feet from sun up from sun down, but sometimes that’s just how it is. I thank God for the son he has given me and the recipe that my mom in law has given me as well. From the look on my child’s face while we played Wii, to witnessing Tiger’s reaction to his 4 on the par 5 eighteenth, It was a Father’s Day I’ll never forget.

Barack Obama to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus this Thursday

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Mike Soraghan from The Hill.com reports that Senator Barack Obama will meet with the Congressional Black Caucus this week in order to shore up support for the upcoming general election. Here are some of the highlights from the report about the presumptive nominees meeting with the CBC.

  • Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will meet with a key group of black lawmakers Thursday to heal the wounds inflicted by his divisive primary fight against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) for the party’s presidential nomination. Despite Obama’s strong support among black voters, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) was split, with some female members actively pushing for Obama to choose Clinton as his running mate.

  • Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) stepped up onstage with Clinton on the same June night that Obama claimed the nomination. Clinton refused to step down until June 7, four days after the last primary states. Jones has advocated for Clinton to get the No. 2 slot on the ticket.
  • Obama is to attend a “special Congressional Black Caucus meeting” at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. The location has not yet been determined.

Senator Barack Obama challenges black fathers and black families

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Senator Barack Obama and his family spent Father's Day at the Apostolic Church of God on Chicago's South Side.

Any fool can have child, that doesn't make you a father. Senator Barack Obama

I heard Kyra Phillips on CNN asking whether or not Obama would take heat for his comments, likening his pseudo sermon to the self hate speech spewed by Bill Cosby. Of course he won't. The problem with Cosby is not the content of his speech but the spirit from which he speaks. Obama spoke from a "we" position in explaining how the African-American people can be made whole. Cosby speaks in terms of "they" and "them."

One of the gross misunderstandings during the whole "black church/black pastor " flap was that black folks don't preach or teach responsibility. The senator's stance on the role of black father's is not foreign to black pulpits. Family values are taught right along side equal justice.

I really liked when Obama tells the single mothers they need help. I truly believe our sisters do things by themselves because they can, without thought of whether or not it may be better to raise their children with a child's father.

Excellence, responsibility, expectation, he's right on the money. Our community has to take a stand. It was great seeing Obama in this environment.