Rihanna, Chris Brown and Dee Barnes

from Left of Center

Another Love TKO:
Teens Grapple With Rihanna and Chris Brown
by Raquel Cepeda

...Author and cultural critic Joan Morgan, who coined the term “hip-hop feminism,” remembers a pivotal moment in 1991, when women in the entertainment industry-led by the pre-eminent fashion model, agent, and activist Bethann Hardison-came together to support one of their own, rallying around rapper and Pump It Up host Denise “Dee” Barnes, who was very publicly and viciously assaulted by super-producer and then-N.W.A. member Dr. Dre at a record-release party while a bodyguard reportedly held off the crowd. (Dre eventually settled out of court.) “It was really a rallying cry for many people,” Morgan says now. “And it really started to plant what became a very directly feminist commitment to analyzing hip-hop.”

Since, we’ve moved into a viral world without boundaries, where more voices are heard, raw and uncensored, because of the anonymity the Web offers. And now, nearly two decades later, the conversation about misogyny among young people, hip-hop culture, and society in general needs to address another very real facet: the hatred of women by women. “By definition, misogyny is about the hatred of women. It’s not gender-specific,” says Morgan, who saw gender-trumping violence when covering the Mike Tyson rape trial for the Voice in ‘91. “So there are men who hate women, and other women who hate women.” The teenage girls’ unconditional, sometimes puzzling support of Chris Brown isn’t necessarily misogynistic; their acrimonious contempt for Rihanna-their hatred-is.

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More Rihanna & Chris: A Lawyer's View

special to NewBlackMan

Domestic Violence: A Lawyer's Notes
from Brian Gilmore

Watching the Chris Brown-Rihanna fiasco continue to unfold, I am remembering my days as a lawyer at a local DC law firm where on more than one occasion, I was a lawyer in domestic violence cases. These cases are not my most enjoyable moments as a lawyer but the experience did afford me the unique perspective of working both sides of a domestic violence tragedy: the victim and the perpetrator.

It is important to point out at the beginning that the fact that it is now rumored that Chris Brown and Rihanna are back together is not strange to me; this is typical. I also resist calling Rihanna an "idiot" as some have done already or calling her "foolish" for her alleged decision to accept Brown back into her life. If Rihanna had walked away forever, or if Brown had issued a public apology announcing he was wrong and that he would not approach her ever again, I would have fainted. Domestic violence, and the reasons behind the incidents, and the destructive relationships, is very complex, and needless to say, awfully difficult to understand.

In fact, the fact that Brown was communicating readily with Rihanna almost right away tells me that one critical component was already absent from the case: no stay away order was probably ever entered in the case. This was Rihanna’s first mistake and perhaps a mistake by the authorities as well who should have issued one anyway until they understood what was happening. The stay away order would have let Brown know this is over and this is serious.

Working domestic violence cases is among the most difficult things I have done as a lawyer. This is because ethical obligations rule the day and not your personal feelings about domestic abuse. Domestic violence in America is epidemic and it is especially horrific in the black community. Most of the cases I had involved men attacking women so I won’t engage in fantasy. The issue is further impacted in Black America due to poverty and dysfunctional family arrangements. In other words, the problem is worse than most of us are willing to admit.

If you don't believe it: take a visit to the D.C. Superior Court to the domestic violence daily courtrooms or to the courtrooms set aside for domestic violence in most major cities. It is disturbing the number of cases that are handled each day. Even more disturbing (from a personal standpoint) is that most of the cases where I stood in for the accused, nothing ever happens. The accused gets a slap on the wrist, if that, and the victim goes home sometimes hoping to get back with the accused quickly.

In D.C., domestic violence is assembly line litigation. There are so many cases, the court has set up a system where the accused can agree to the CPO ( a stay away order) and no hearing is held. You can be out of the courthouse in a few hours with that one. The parties consent to a stay away order and all is well again. The judge will read the consent order and then the clerk will announce the next case.

The consent order will reflect the fact that there is no admission of any wrongdoing. The accused must stay away from the victim for one year. This, on many occasions, does not happen.

Sometimes, the accused and the victim have already starting talking again by voice mail, text messages, or through other people. They might be “back together” by the afternoon following the court hearing.

Sometimes the victim, the half careful victims, despite impending reconciliation, get the stay away order anyway just in case their significant other gets violent again. They can then invoke the order and get the person away from them quickly. The really careful people get the order and also insist upon a hearing to put the violence on record.

As for the accused, most of the accused take the consent order without admissions quickly if they can get it. It keeps the evidence of their foul behavior off the record and it might allow them to resume their relationship anew. I suspect that Chris Brown would love it if Rihanna never actually goes on record about anything. If she doesn’t say anything, there isn’t anything except tabloid reports and rumor.

On the other side, representing victims is not easy as well. While it is not necessary usually for a victim to have a lawyer, sometimes they do need one especially if the accused has a lawyer. But the major problem here is usually by the time the case arrives into court, the accused and the victim are cozy again.

In fact, you might file the case or the victim might file the case, and then the accused, receiving the paperwork, will spring into action.

Somehow, they will open the lines of communication again. They might open the lines before the papers calling for them to appear in court to answer the charges are served. Usually, the initial allegations will also include a temporary stay away order that lasts about 2 weeks.

Once the accused receives this order they cannot call the victim but perhaps one of the victim’s friends will call, or a friend of them both, someone might be available to get the couple talking again. This happens all the time and sometimes it is the victim’s parents who feel that the accused, their significant other, is a good person. It doesn’t help that the parents know the accused well.

And this is where the difficulty begins for the lawyer.

The victim, despite the pain and suffering, feels hurt and dumped. They want to reconcile on many occasions. People are telling them not to pursue the case; others are telling them to go all the way. Have a hearing, make a record, show the world what a rat he really is. They are, therefore, torn and a part of them does not want to cooperate while another part wants to make the person pay.

My most difficult task as a lawyer was always to try to get them to follow through all the way and pursue their complaint. Usually, the accused would ask for a continuance to locate counsel. This would buy them time to work behind the scenes.

I hated this part of the cases because to represent a victim is always much more satisfying than representing someone who actually engaged in violent conduct against another. In fact, some of the accused abusers I assisted, were, in my view, individuals who lacked any redeeming qualities.

The court would enter the continuance and would also keep the temporary stay away order in place. The accused could not call the victim or even contact them through anyone. But that didn’t stop the games from beginning, very dangerous games.

The next two weeks would be simply about people putting pressure behind the scenes on the victim to not appear in court in two weeks and let the complaint go away quietly. If you don't appear, the case will die. I have seen men mumble in the hallways letting their former lovers see them hurting (allegedly hurting) for the pain they have afflicted. It is one of many clever moves that men use at the courthouse to stop the wheels of justice. Imagine, the perpetrator seeking sympathy. They probably should seek counseling and treatment for deep seated problems.

But still it would play out. The victim would be told: it was all a mistake. The person didn’t mean it. You don’t want to cooperate; they might throw them in jail and what would happen then. If there are children this is even more complex because the argument is made that the children would lose their father and would also lose any chance at child support if the person was incarcerated.

This, I admit, would be tough but in most cases, it is better to be alone and poor than remain in an abusive, destructive relationship. Children are hardly a reason to go soft on an abuser.

As a lawyer, I would call the victim, my client, every few days and remind them of the court date, and ask them if anyone has tried to get you not to appear. Of course, they would almost always say: “no.” Of course, I knew this was not the case. I would urge them to go all the way.

And days later, in court, when they did not appear, I knew what had happened. Friends and family members had intervened or they had simply decided to forgive the person and let it go. I grew tired of it.

Regardless, I don’t know how many times I have had to advise the court that the victim, my client could not be located and would not appear. On occasion, I was cursed out by associates or parents of clients because I insisted that they come to court. They clearly did not get it. The case would be dismissed and everyone would get back to their lives.

Of course, weeks later, or a year later, the victim would call again and tell me that they had been beaten again, and this time they will go all the way and the cycle would start again. I wish I could tell you that they would go through with the hearings and appear. On occasion, the second incident reported was enough and the woman would ask for a full hearing or at least for the court to enter a stay away order.

Or on the other side, an accused would call because another stay away order had been issued against them. It would be the same person or if you know the system like I know it, it would be your client, the serial batterer, who had beaten a different woman this time, and this time the government wanted to prosecute.

I would refer them to a criminal defense attorney.

Those were the moments that caused me to stop doing domestic violence cases (on both sides). Too many lives lost, too much I could not control, too much drama for this lawyer to understand.

Of course, the Chris Brown-Rihanna saga, like any domestic violence situation, will play out in its own unique way. It is hoped that it does not end like these cases usually end.

***

Brian Gilmore, a poet and a lawyer, lives in Takoma Park, Md. He can be reached at pmproj@progressive.org.

Rihanna & Chris? A Missed Opportunity?

from New America Media

Chris Brown, Rihanna and Reality
by Elizabeth Méndez Berry
Mar 01, 2009

What happened between Chris Brown and Rihanna on February 7 is still unclear, and we will probably never know. What is clear is that relationship violence persists, largely ignored except when photogenic stars are involved.

For black women ages 15 to 29 —Rihanna’s demographic— homicide is the second leading cause of death, after accidents, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A woman’s most likely murderer is her current or former romantic partner.

The problem is widespread: the U.S. Department of Justice recently reported that in 2007 intimate partner assaults on women were up 42 percent. Sadly, the response to Brown and Rihanna reveals why this goes unchecked: more time is spent attacking the individuals than tackling the problem.

On the one hand, some in the media convicted Brown instantly. Presumed guilty in the court of public opinion, he lost lucrative endorsements and radio play. After the story broke on Feb. 9, there was a dominant point of view on two gossip sites with a mainly white female readership. Commentators on TMZ called Brown “a piece of garbage,” “a thug,” and “a vampire.” At PerezHilton: “You cannot take the hood outta these rats. Enough said.”

Other fans launched a ruthless defense of the impeccably packaged good guy via a smear campaign against the self-professed bad girl. On Bossip and Necole Bitchie, two sites popular with African-American women, many argued that a racist media had railroaded Brown. Instead, they tried and convicted Rihanna. Sample comments: “Caribbean women are crazy, she probably cut him." “This is a classic case of B.B.W syndrome BITTER BLACK WOMAN!!! She is straight trying to ruin him."

Read the Full Essay HERE

Chatting Up Chris & Rihanna...Again

from WNYC's Soundcheck

Pop Violence
Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The lives and lyrics of pop music are filled with domestic violence. The latest chapter: an alleged assault involving pop stars Rihanna and Chris Brown. Today we discuss the history of abuse in pop recordings -- and in real life. We're joined by Elizabeth Mendez Berry, a music journalist who has written about domestic violence in the hip-hop industry, and Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African-American studies at Duke University and author of the blog NewBlackMan.

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on Chris Brown and Rihanna

Listen HERE

A Black Male Feminist’s Guide to Anti-Misogynist Black Politics

special to NewBlackMan from CanWeBeFrank

A Black Male Feminist’s Guide to Anti-Misogynist Black Politics
(AKA: Why We Can’t Support Chris Brown)
by Frank Leon Roberts

Plain, Conversational Responses to Misogyny:

Misogynist Myth 1:
“Chris Brown is a good kid. Something must have really pushed him over the edge. He does not deserve to be dragged through the mud like this. Black men are always being represented as extra-sexist, which isn’t fair. Overall Chris Brown is great role model for black men. ”

Whenever we dare to critique black male sexism or misogyny, we are immediately told that such critiques are "wrong" because they run the risk of representing black men in a "negative" light. The time has come to move beyond these sort of Clarence Thomas politics. When black men---regardless of their class, sexual orientation, or profession----abuse a woman, it is intolerable, unacceptable, and must be aggressively denounced. Period.

We know this story all too well. When Clarence did it, it was “Anita’s fault.” When O.J. did it, it was “white people’s fault.” When R. Kelly “did it” it was those “jealous hoes’ fault.”

When will be allowed to denounce black male misogyny without fear of losing our Blackness membership card?

Misogynist Myth 2:
Rihanna must have “Provoked” It. She “asked” for it.

Sometimes I wonder how black people would respond if white people suddenly started offering “justifications” for our antebellum, slave ass-whippings. I can just imagine it now, “Well Kunte actually deserved that bloody lash because I told his sneaky ass to stop stepping out of line in the cotton field!”

I’m being dangerously facetious here, but my point should be well taken. There is no such thing as a “justification” for an act of sexist violence. In the moment that a man’s hands come down upon a woman’s body, they are immediately rooted (even if inadvertently) to a longer history of sexism and misogyny; to a history which has systematically preconditioned us to believe that physical violence is both a sane and natural way to put a woman “in her place.”

If we are to move beyond the cults of sexism and misogyny that run rampant in many black romantic relationships, then we must free ourselves from the egregiously problematic notion that casual male violence against women is ever “justified.” Particularly when it involves a 6’2, 180 pound man against a 5’8, 120 pound (a size “2”) woman.

Misogynist Myth #3:
Well, both of them were in the wrong. Why are we focusing exclusively on Chris Brown’s wrong-doing? Clearly this man needs help. Should’nt we be trying to support Chris Brown and make sure that he gets the help that he needs?

Any politics of social justice that does not begin with a concern, first and foremost for those MOST disadvantaged (i.e. the BATTERED rather than the BATTERER; the ABUSED rather than the ABUSER; the VICTIM of Violence rather than simply the Perpetrator of it) is misguided, and surely doomed for failure. I continue to believe in the utility of a "bottom's up" approach to social justice.

Therefore, we should refuse to let our "concern" for Chris Brown's "needs" silence our outrage, disgust, and/or disapproval of his misogyny.

Can I get a womanist, feminist Amen? A Witness?

***

Frank Leon Roberts is a Scholar-Critic. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at New York University, where he specializes in African American and African Diaspora cultural studies. He graduated from NYU in 2004 with a B.A. in African American Studies and in English and American Literature where his mentor was historian E. Frances White. For Spring 2009, he is teaching in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU (Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.)

Rhythm and Beatdown?

from Vibe.com

Critical Noir
Rhythm and Beatdown?: Some Thoughts on Domestic Violence
by Mark Anthony Neal

The recent accusations, regarding Chris Brown's alleged attack on girlfriend and fellow R&B and Pop star Rihanna Fenty, has brought the issue of domestic abuse to the forefront, particularly in black communities. In far too many black communities, the choice has been to treat issues of domestic abuse and sexual abuse with hushed tunes, presuming that such issues are best handled within the privacy of the home. But like the R. Kelly child pornography case, the Chris Brown/Rihanna drama, puts these issues on the front page and demands that our communities come to terms with the prevalence domestic violence in our lives.

According to the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African-American Community at the University of Minnesota, Black women reported more than 30% more cases of intimate partner violence than their White peers. And while domestic violence also occurs to men, Black women are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of domestic violence than men. It goes without saying, that a significant number of incidents go unreported, which likely would have been the case if witnesses to the purported dispute between Brown and Renty had not intervened by calling law enforcement officers. In cases of domestic violence such interventions are crucial, because Black Women are far more likely to be victims of homicides related to intimate partner violence. As a community, Black Americans account for 33% of such homicides with Black women specifically accounting for 22% of these cases (though they make up only 8% of the national population) and 42% percent of all female homicides related to domestic violence. These numbers suggest a national crisis existed, well before fans speculated about the absences of Brown and Renty at the recent Grammy Awards.

Brown is viewed as a clean-cut alternative to much of what passes as black urban youth culture and he and Renty were viewed as ideal role models for the hip-hop generation. That Brown might be guilty of intimate partner abuse is a shock to those who see his image as out of sync with such behavior. Audiences and fans would more readily assume that such behavior would occur at the hands of mainstream rap artists, whose lyrics gratuitously trade in metaphors of violence against women. To the contrary, some of the most well known Black artists have been accused of violence against women and incorporated such violence into some of their music.


Read the Full Essay HERE