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3X
Member since Oct 18th 2004
7667 posts
Fri Mar-04-05 06:22 AM

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"Keith Boykin: farrakhan, homophobia & tavis smiley forum"


  

          

Farrakhan needs to address this suggestion by boykin that he accepts homosexuals/homosexuality. - 3X

http://www.planetout.com/news/feature.html?sernum=1093

OPINION | Keith Boykin's 411
by Keith Boykin
March 03, 2005

A recent event may mark a turning point in the fight to end homophobia in black America.

When I first heard that Tavis Smiley's annual "State of the Black Union" event would take place on February 26 at Bishop Eddie Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, I was very concerned. A few months earlier, Long -- the pastor of a 25,000-member black mega-church -- had led a controversial march against gay marriage that started at Atlanta's Martin Luther King Jr. Center.

"To march from the King Center against the rights of gays and lesbians is a slap in the face to Dr. King," I said at the time.

So why hold an event at Long's church? Under pressure from critics to answer this question, Smiley explained that the venue was chosen, in part, because it was large enough to accommodate the free event's thousands of attendees. It was not an endorsement of Bishop Long's politics, Smiley explained. He was right.

Much to my surprise, Smiley invited not one but two openly gay presenters to participate in the C-SPAN-covered event. Black AIDS Institute Director Phill Wilson and I both took part, along with several other leading figures in the black community, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Minister Louis Farrakhan, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Princeton professor Cornel West and University of Pennsylvania professor Michael Eric Dyson.

Smiley seemed to join with others in challenging Bishop Long's political agenda. While sitting on the same stage with Long in the middle of his own "sanctuary," a number of prominent panelists questioned Long's participation in a White House meeting between black religious leaders and President Bush.

At first it seemed the real value of the day was that Long was forced to defend his position in his own church, in front of members of his own congregation, but there were other stunning developments. During a news conference with the panelists, Minister Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, announced that women and gays would be encouraged to participate in the 10th anniversary observance of the Million Man March, to be held in October.

"The makeup will be our people, whoever we are," said Farrakhan. "Male, female, gay, straight, white, dark, rich, poor, ignorant, wise." Farrakhan added, "We are family. We will be coming together to discuss family business."

After the press conference, I went up to Farrakhan backstage and shook his hand. "Minister Farrakhan," I said. "My name is Keith Boykin, and I am a black gay man. And I want to thank you for your inclusive comments about gays in the Million Man March." Without missing a beat, Farrakhan responded with a long, warm embrace. "Brother, I love you," he said as we hugged. "We are all part of the family. We are all part of the same community." This was coming from the same leader who had once seemed to advocate death for gays.

That historic encounter marked a dramatic shift in the Nation of Islam's long-troubled relationship with the LGBT community. If Louis Farrakhan can grow and evolve, there is hope for the rest of black America too.

There were other breakthroughs that day. The Rev. Jackson aptly summed up the problem and the challenge for black America. "In 2004 a number of blacks got distracted by non-budget, private morality issues rather than public policy issues," he said. Jackson dismissed the ridiculous anti-gay argument made by some black preachers that gays did not have to sit in the back of the bus as blacks did. "There were gay whites and gay blacks in Jim Crow," he said. "The gay whites didn't have to sit in the back of the bus, nor march for the right to vote," he added, but black gays did.

For his part, Professor Michael Eric Dyson cited the contributions of black gays and lesbians such as James Baldwin and Audre Lorde, who had helped shape the civil rights movement. Dyson, Jackson and I delivered our remarks in the middle of a black Baptist church with a public reputation for homophobia.

Of course the day was not without its challenges. The program almost ended on a sour note when a fiery female evangelist delivered a fiercely homophobic benediction. With our hands joined, heads bowed and eyes closed, the evangelist claimed that God did not create homosexuals. It was as if she had not listened to anything that the panelists had said. But there was one saving grace. I stopped praying with the evangelist and opened my eyes to discover that many audience members had opened their eyes and stopped praying as well. For the first time in my experience, I saw a large number of black people in a black church refuse to condone the homophobia from the pulpit. It was a small step, but that day we stood up for the principle that religion should be used as a tool for love and not a weapon of hate.

Despite my initial misgivings, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church turned out to be the perfect place to hold the event. What better place to confront the homophobia of the black church than in the black church itself?


-------
It's incredible how the people that know the least are the first to offer advice.

  

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Topic Outline
Subject Author Message Date ID
How do you find time to read all of these articles?
Mar 04th 2005
1
Are you trying to spin the discussion away from the topic?
Mar 04th 2005
3
      Yes. I am in fact employed by THE-MAN incorporated
Mar 04th 2005
4
           his career is media
Mar 04th 2005
8
           Word? That's dope.
Mar 05th 2005
9
           My career isn't media
Mar 05th 2005
10
           Lol!
Mar 07th 2005
12
           RE: Yes. I am in fact employed by THE-MAN incorporated
Mar 07th 2005
15
Dope article tho, what are your thoughts?
Mar 04th 2005
2
RE: Keith Boykin: farrakhan, homophobia & tavis smiley forum
Mar 04th 2005
5
not to mention bayard rustin
Mar 04th 2005
7
This is a really great article
Mar 04th 2005
6
120+ views, 10 replies
Mar 07th 2005
11
RE: 120+ views, 10 replies
Mar 07th 2005
13
      shit.
Mar 07th 2005
14
the irritable genie of soufice (sp?)
Mar 08th 2005
16
holycowbaldmotherfuckingfuck.
Mar 12th 2005
17
Thoughts?
Mar 26th 2005
19
      I was in the Nation for 2 years (1986-88)
May 10th 2005
23
I like Keith Boykin
Mar 26th 2005
18
He addressed this in his speech at Clark Atlanta University.
Mar 26th 2005
20
      Farakhan or Boykin?
Mar 26th 2005
21
           Farakhan
Mar 26th 2005
22

FireBrand
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Fri Mar-04-05 06:24 AM

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1. "How do you find time to read all of these articles?"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

******************************

______________________________
"...I'm telling ya these walls are
funny. First you hate 'em, then
you get used to 'em. Enough,
time passes, you get so you
depend on 'em. That's
"institutionalized."

Red, The Shawshank Redemption.







_________________
Inaug'ral Member of the OkaySports Hall of Fame.

"Slaves got options...cowards aint got shit." --PS
"Once upon a time, little need existed for making the distinction between a nigga and a black—at least not in this country, the place where niggas were invented" -- Donnell A

  

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3X
Member since Oct 18th 2004
7667 posts
Fri Mar-04-05 06:43 AM

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3. "Are you trying to spin the discussion away from the topic?"
In response to Reply # 1


  

          

this short ass article shouldn't take anyone over 90 seconds to read. it is amazing to see how certain people love to take discussions into a non-production direction.

-------
It's incredible how the people that know the least are the first to offer advice.

  

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FireBrand
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145739 posts
Fri Mar-04-05 06:57 AM

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4. "Yes. I am in fact employed by THE-MAN incorporated"
In response to Reply # 3


  

          

and I am charged with the task of silencing 3x. I've been tailing you for months, getting to know your patterns and after infiltration thru this "medium" known as OKP, I am to force you to date white women.

Man please. That was the first thing to pop in my head after I read this. I was like- how does he get his hands on this. I pictured you either googling incesantly (sp?) or being on some sort of list serve.

eh.

It's nothing. I asked another question below.


******************************

______________________________
"...I'm telling ya these walls are
funny. First you hate 'em, then
you get used to 'em. Enough,
time passes, you get so you
depend on 'em. That's
"institutionalized."

Red, The Shawshank Redemption.







_________________
Inaug'ral Member of the OkaySports Hall of Fame.

"Slaves got options...cowards aint got shit." --PS
"Once upon a time, little need existed for making the distinction between a nigga and a black—at least not in this country, the place where niggas were invented" -- Donnell A

  

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Allah
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Fri Mar-04-05 03:10 PM

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8. "his career is media"
In response to Reply # 4


  

          

they do the Frontline jointz

_______________________
"Arm Leg Leg Arm Hate." c/o desus
_______________________
Divine Ruler
http://www.facebook.com/divineruler
__gigs__
__stuff__

  

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FireBrand
Charter member
145739 posts
Sat Mar-05-05 02:18 PM

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9. "Word? That's dope."
In response to Reply # 8


  

          


******************************

______________________________
"...I'm telling ya these walls are
funny. First you hate 'em, then
you get used to 'em. Enough,
time passes, you get so you
depend on 'em. That's
"institutionalized."

Red, The Shawshank Redemption.







_________________
Inaug'ral Member of the OkaySports Hall of Fame.

"Slaves got options...cowards aint got shit." --PS
"Once upon a time, little need existed for making the distinction between a nigga and a black—at least not in this country, the place where niggas were invented" -- Donnell A

  

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3X
Member since Oct 18th 2004
7667 posts
Sat Mar-05-05 03:39 PM

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10. "My career isn't media"
In response to Reply # 8


  

          

i only contribute articles to frontline magazine. the owner of the frontline magazine and myself have the same first name

-------
It's incredible how the people that know the least are the first to offer advice.

  

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solomon13
Member since Oct 21st 2004
1149 posts
Mon Mar-07-05 02:11 PM

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12. "Lol!"
In response to Reply # 4


  

          

That was by far the funniest retort I've seen yet.

------------------------------
This one chick tried to Billy Jean me, but I was wearing TWO rubbers, so name that nigga Houdini! - Rass Kass

This is just a blk man's reality. He can change the course of mighty rivers and bend steel with his bare hands bu

  

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choui_choui
Member since Aug 12th 2002
931 posts
Mon Mar-07-05 02:25 PM

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15. "RE: Yes. I am in fact employed by THE-MAN incorporated"
In response to Reply # 4


  

          

you are makin' me cry, hilarious yo!

i liked the article, this writer is defintely bringin heat lately.

comforting that some folk in our community are checking their bigotry

Bad witch

  

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FireBrand
Charter member
145739 posts
Fri Mar-04-05 06:31 AM

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2. "Dope article tho, what are your thoughts?"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

******************************

______________________________
"...I'm telling ya these walls are
funny. First you hate 'em, then
you get used to 'em. Enough,
time passes, you get so you
depend on 'em. That's
"institutionalized."

Red, The Shawshank Redemption.







_________________
Inaug'ral Member of the OkaySports Hall of Fame.

"Slaves got options...cowards aint got shit." --PS
"Once upon a time, little need existed for making the distinction between a nigga and a black—at least not in this country, the place where niggas were invented" -- Donnell A

  

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Bdiddy04
Member since Oct 28th 2004
1591 posts
Fri Mar-04-05 08:01 AM

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5. "RE: Keith Boykin: farrakhan, homophobia & tavis smiley forum"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

I see where Farrakhan is coming from. The whole gay issue is an excuse to divide blacks. Gays make up only a small percentage of the black population that it shouldn't matter because we are all in this together. Like boykin said, james baldwin was gay. Hell even lorraine hansberry came out as a lesbian before she died.

_______________________________________
Follow me @bstokessmooth

  

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blkprinceMD05
Member since Nov 29th 2004
41323 posts
Fri Mar-04-05 08:12 AM

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7. "not to mention bayard rustin"
In response to Reply # 5


  

          

who was one of the main organizers of the 1963 march on washington along with A. Philip Randolph

Angela Davis, Alex Hailey, so many

plus Huey Newton advocated aligning the Black Empowerment/BPP movement with the Homo and Women's struggle movement

and MLK Jr, was supposedly well aware of Rustin's orientation

recently as well, Coretta Scott King and Rep. John Lewis (of SNCC) fame have publically supported gay rights/marriage equality


prototype

stand ur ground, believe in urself,
believe in love, prepare urself for love, remove the negativity from ur life, and accept the love u kno u deserve

  

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blkprinceMD05
Member since Nov 29th 2004
41323 posts
Fri Mar-04-05 08:07 AM

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6. "This is a really great article"
In response to Reply # 0
Fri Mar-04-05 08:07 AM

  

          

altho i have a "passing fancy" with keith boykin, i guess he has been deemed the chosen one to represent homo-brothers in the public and Inner-Community dialogue

but anyway this article was really inspiring and this kind of attitude is what we need to relaly establish unity and move forward

Brothas AND Sistas, both homo and hetero all worked together in leadership and on the ground level back in the 60s and 70s but today we have allowed way too many divisions to hinder our community (class i think being the most pressing honestly, followed by homo/hetero)

this is a step in the right direction IF actually implemented, time will tell tho

prototype

stand ur ground, believe in urself,
believe in love, prepare urself for love, remove the negativity from ur life, and accept the love u kno u deserve

  

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blkprinceMD05
Member since Nov 29th 2004
41323 posts
Mon Mar-07-05 01:56 PM

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11. "120+ views, 10 replies"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

kinda strange for a post dealing with homosexuality here, could it possibly be because the article talks about prominent Black leaders embracing their homo-brothers and sisters? - blkprinceMD05

prototype

stand ur ground, believe in urself,
believe in love, prepare urself for love, remove the negativity from ur life, and accept the love u kno u deserve

  

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solomon13
Member since Oct 21st 2004
1149 posts
Mon Mar-07-05 02:13 PM

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13. "RE: 120+ views, 10 replies"
In response to Reply # 11


  

          

Homesexuality is not a popular topic in Activist

------------------------------
This one chick tried to Billy Jean me, but I was wearing TWO rubbers, so name that nigga Houdini! - Rass Kass

This is just a blk man's reality. He can change the course of mighty rivers and bend steel with his bare hands bu

  

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FireBrand
Charter member
145739 posts
Mon Mar-07-05 02:22 PM

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14. "shit."
In response to Reply # 13


  

          

******************************

_____________________________

"its wierd when they have some middle aged white man sitten there... "u've killed about 8 cops by now!"
shit i dont even think of it like that when im playing...its
all about context.
those psychologists are running a hustle...they know good
and well 1 out of every several thousand kids actually lets
these games affect them like that..but that ONE is making
them millions. cant knock da hustle!!"
-- (c) A certain OKP that doesn't like violence in Hip Hop, but Accepts Violence in Video Games.











_________________
Inaug'ral Member of the OkaySports Hall of Fame.

"Slaves got options...cowards aint got shit." --PS
"Once upon a time, little need existed for making the distinction between a nigga and a black—at least not in this country, the place where niggas were invented" -- Donnell A

  

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urthanheaven
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Tue Mar-08-05 12:20 AM

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16. "the irritable genie of soufice (sp?)"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

i just got done listening to a peice on the effeminization of the black male, in which the tone is what one could consider to be very directly ant homosexual. the speaker goes as far as to define homosexual behavior as a white sex offence and the homosexual as a white sex offender.

he postulates that the trend of effiminization is to declaw the black male so as to make him easier to kill off, as well as create and deepen the divide between the black man and the black woman.

as a basis for that argument, traditional afrikan society (most homosexuals don't like this term, as i have noted) managed to survive for millenia on end with positive family relationships between man and woman as equals hand in hand throughout time with each occupying a specific role tailored to themselves. that all abberant behaviors arent individual pathologies but symptoms of a greater pathology called slavery and the wholesale exploitation of africa as a growing trend in the 1st and second millenium of the roman calender.

i thought it interesting to read this peice after listening to this man speak. while i see other immediate threats to the success of black people outside of homosexuality, and i agree that it can be somewhat of a division tactic, i am not sure that it is not a symptom of the current sick and insane industrial age. along with child molestation and beastiality. so says one inner voice. my higher vision is that everything is everything in the face of the divine. all paths lead to the most high. and that struggling on this planet is a forge for the spirit to temper it's resolve and it's strength.

perhaps, once you see something as outside yourself it can manifest traits and a malevolence of its own, like a cancer. but when you own the universe, and are the universe then all things make sense. i am of the mind that unless something is undrstood, denied it becomes a dangerous psychic vortex, like a festering wound, that unadressed will affect the greater health of the system.

people, like computers. the program that is loaded into them, culture. the language that they speak. the music that they play...

homosexual culture and language loaded into the black computer. is it still capable of functioning? at this point, people have chosen to, on this plane or previously, be homosexual. and these people came over on the same slave ships that i did. i'm sure i have my own problems manifested after the current maafa. even here i am of the mind that this is to galvanize us to be even stronger! the meek shall inherit the earth, means that the oppressed peoples have greater potential to explode into the next dimension. powder keg. catalyst.

personally, i probably left too much of my own oppinion in this post, but for the sake of yet another gay post/argument... i just realized something, the reason why people don't like to discuss this, is because of the polarization of the issue. it's very difficult to make any headway when a movement is so represented in the media and politics worldwide. a discussion on an internet forum will have very little impact.

haha! how about creating a separate nation for homosexuals? will they breed via technology or estranged temporary coopertion between the gays and the lesbians? that's the biggest problem. it is not a movement that can self sustain itself without taking from the heterosexual population and compromising breeding pairs.

eugenics. a very old 'science' that still exists and is currently targeting the wombs of people of color for its own unscrupulous aims. with this in mind, is homosexuality advisable? for a race that reproduces via that same set of equipment that would otherwise be abused.... and unused. women become old crones coveting youth. men become devious sexual predators jeapordising the youth that they prey upon.

it was mentioned that the term mentor comes from old greek teachers who took on male pupils, but as a price for their tutelage they were free to use the students however they will...

for the sake of discussion, this is the current anti homosexual 'propaganda' that i have been dealing with. does any one care to engage these points? again, i am not closing off to anyone as a human being, and i am willing to listen.

ok

  

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pointfivefag
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17. "holycowbaldmotherfuckingfuck."
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

like _whoa_.

  

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FireBrand
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Sat Mar-26-05 12:32 PM

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19. "Thoughts?"
In response to Reply # 17


  

          


******************************
www.okayplayer.com/guidelines

http://profiles.myspace.com/users/3870323
******************************
Inaug'ral Member of the OkaySports Hall of Fame.

<----Aiight, I'ma set it. YO son, check the fly shit son!

  

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pointfivefag
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Tue May-10-05 11:38 AM

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23. "I was in the Nation for 2 years (1986-88)"
In response to Reply # 19


  

          

going to the Final Call, in the processing class, wrote the letters, was about to read for my "X"...and I left. My mother was actually registered.

I was stunned to read it. But on another hand, I'm not surprised. Farrakhan is getting old, has been sick recently, and has been clearly thinking about the legacy he's leaving ( the convo with Malcolm X's daughter fr'instance).

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I'm planning to be in DC in October.

Jk
-----
don't let niggas call you faggot
don't let faggots call you nigger
http://www.deepdickollective.com
http://www.jubakalamka.com
http://www.sugartruckrecordings.com
http://www.peaceoutfestival.com

  

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afrogirl
Member since Aug 16th 2002
16597 posts
Sat Mar-26-05 11:15 AM

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18. "I like Keith Boykin"
In response to Reply # 0


  

          

He came to my alma matter last year and I was very impressed with him. I am also a supporter of Farakhan, although I have been disspointed with his sexism in the past. I think that homophobia has been used as another way to divide the black community.


******************************************

Please welcome baby Askia into the world!! 10/16/10.

  

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FireBrand
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Sat Mar-26-05 12:34 PM

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20. "He addressed this in his speech at Clark Atlanta University."
In response to Reply # 18


  

          

while I'm not certain of his commitment to both issues you mentioned, He did say that these are barriers to having a common goal, vision and they needed to be addressed, erased.
******************************
www.okayplayer.com/guidelines

http://profiles.myspace.com/users/3870323
******************************
Inaug'ral Member of the OkaySports Hall of Fame.

<----Aiight, I'ma set it. YO son, check the fly shit son!

  

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afrogirl
Member since Aug 16th 2002
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Sat Mar-26-05 12:44 PM

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21. "Farakhan or Boykin?"
In response to Reply # 20


  

          

n/m

******************************************

Please welcome baby Askia into the world!! 10/16/10.

  

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FireBrand
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Sat Mar-26-05 01:02 PM

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22. " Farakhan"
In response to Reply # 21


  

          


******************************
www.okayplayer.com/guidelines

http://profiles.myspace.com/users/3870323
******************************
Inaug'ral Member of the OkaySports Hall of Fame.

<----Aiight, I'ma set it. YO son, check the fly shit son!

  

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