Earlier this evening I watched #12YearsASlave (not my first time) and couldn’t help but cry. To see clearly that the hate and injustice slaves endured at the hands of whites back then still in effect today is BEYOND TRAGIC! But guess what, the reason it hurts is not because whites today inflict this pain on us…IT’S US inflicting pain on US! African Americans break down each other almost as much as whites ever could.
The way the word nigga is “justifiable” because it’s “us” using it — the way we degrade our black QUEENS, brainwashing them into believing they’re nothing more than butt and thighs…..we kill each other over “debt owed” which ultimately breaks up families. I know it’s nothing that will change overnight, but it still hurts.
This past Sunday, a former classmate and I organized a peace rally on the steps of our local county courthouse. During this #Commitment4Change rally, a wise community member walked off of the streets and kicked some knowledge to us that was profound to say the least! She spoke of growing up in 1960s New York where black men greeted black women as “queen”. With the world still finding it’s love for brown skin, and Jim Crow slowly transitioning in the South; blacks only had each other. They supported each other. Black woman knew the value of a strong, black man; and black men desired the love and enduring support of a black woman. This angel of a woman went on to proclaim that we (as African Americans) need to teach our children their HISTORY! We can’t keep cycling ourselves in a system that doesn’t care about us. We can’t depend on television or movies to depict blacks in the correct light 100% of the time…..we need teach kids AT HOME that they are kings and queens. If we do this as a black community, when they step out in the world, they will know WHO and WHOSE they are.
After speaking this mind rocking truth, she disappeared into the freezing rain and no one knew who she was. I believe she was setting me up for tonight. We won’t always have movies like “12 Years A Slave” played on the big screen to remind us of where we came from. Did you know that there are actually kids in middle and elementary school who believe the Civil Rights Era was in like the 1800s?!?!?! There are some who don’t realize what blacks had to endure until looking at an educational video in class. That is PITIFUL and there is NO reason this should be a reality.
It’s no wonder they exhibit and overwhelming sense of helplessness and disregard for human life. It’s no wonder they war with one another yet cry out when a black is killed by a cop. It’s no wonder they choose the streets because they’ve never seen a man, let alone one making something honest of himself.
We have work to do black America. These are just my reflections. There are too many emotions to continue — I’ll just sleep on it as I hope you do.
Be Blessed – Joc
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