AOG Series: Our Own

In a true gangsta move, Ms. Oprah Winfrey “don’ done it again!”.. Announced this past week, Oprah went out and grabbed her own tv network.. Her OWN tv network.. Get it? The Oprah Winfrey Network? O.W.N.? The woman is sick.. I don’t know what I really think about cloning, but she needs to be one of the first in line.. Can I get me an Oprah clone? Please?! I’m just sayin’..

She linked up with Discovery and pretty soon it’ll be what Oprah wants, on tv 24 hours a day.. You can believe that when her deal is up with ABC in 2011, the world better end.. Cuz if it doesn’t, they might need to rename that after her.. And I’m not sure you want her to start naming stuff, cuz Oprah will let you know that it’s about her, and her people.. Talk about her if you want.. But her name is Oprah, and she ain’t trying to change it for no one.. She has Harpo which has an image of a young Black girl sitting in a rocking chair.. If that ain’t our people, I don’t know what is.. And now, with this, she’s basically sticking her tongue out and letting people know she’s here to stay.. Forget CBS, NBC or FOX.. It’s all about OWN..

Moving forward, I’m going to stop using the term minority for us.. I mean, when we break down the math (I haven’t done it yet, cuz I’m lazy, and I’m sure one of y’all know the answer) we aren’t the minority.. Maybe in the US as a whole, but in the world? Shoot, let’s look at some of our largest cities.. NYC? Chicago? ATL? There are sections that are predominantly Black or Hispanic throughout this country that they call minority populations.. Really? Last I checked, Harlem is as Black as can be.. How is that a minority population? Yea, one can break it down to fit what one wants it to be, but really, is it a minority spot? In the spirit of Oprah, Harlem is our OWN.. The South and West Side of Chicago is ours, too.. Dang near most of Cali might not be Black, but the Latinos might be able to stake their OWN in there.. So, with that said, I’m not using that term to refer to us.. I’m Black.. I’m this, I’m that.. I’m me.. I’m Q.. I’m not a minority..

Even if I’m up against some “300” type ish, I’m still not a minority.. I’m a Black man that’s going to run if I see a dude that’s 80 feet tall.. He just got me on that height/weight/mutant thing.. But, I’m not a minority.. In that instance I’m outnumbered for a sec or it’s just not a good look.. As long as I have the spirits of those before me with me, I’m not going to be outnumbered.. I have to remember that.. It’s not like we haven’t been outnumbered before.. Every situation most of us go into, we’re outnumbered by physical bodies around us.. We step into boardroom meetings, they have more than us.. When we represent ourselves, we can only bring a few, or otherwise we’ll be labeled a posse..

I’m not going to make this a white/Black thing either.. I’m just stating the facts.. I’m stating these facts, because I don’t want us to psych ourselves out.. I don’t want us to give ourselves an excuse.. We’ve been doing it.. Label or no label.. I’m saying ditch the label, because I feel that I go into those meetings with y’all.. I go in there, knowing I’m coming out with something positive to report back to all of you.. So I carry your voices and faces in there with me.. I’m never outnumbered.. Shoot, until this year I thought I was, but now I’m good..
I just need to OWN some more stuff.. Y’all already know I’m trying to own this marketing thing, and I tell y’all what.. 2008 has been a great year.. We have already come out w/ some great things that are being well-received (get at me if you want to know more).. Each new account, or new initiative and we’re growing.. Our talent is growing.. I really believe that when you start to dream realities, then the tide starts to turn.. That can be so many things..

Lately most of my marketing ideas have come from sleep.. Whether it was a dream or me laying in bed and I have to jump out just to get it out.. For me, that’s me making my mark.. I know athletes do things like that as well.. Same with entertainers.. I think artists, writers and creatives do the same thing.. When they are on it, they are on it.. Then they own it..

Are there things that each of you own, that you need to let out so that it becomes true to everyone around you? We all have something.. I truly believe that.. Shoot crackheads own the Harlem Shake (before Zab Judah and Smokey).. I’m watching that Celebrity Rehab now (would the writer’s strike hurry up?!), and that one actor going through withdrawal? That’s a crackhead.. You can say he didn’t do crack, but that white boy has some crackhead tendencies.. Most prominent Black media owns bad taste, articles and programming.. Hey, I didn’t say it was all good, did I? We have our own OWN issues.. I’m just sayin’..

I’m trying to figure out what “OUR” will stand for in the future.. What will we own together?