Black History Month 2019

Earlier this month, I wanted to post and speak on the many successes throughout the years of the black man’s plight. However, this year took us to new heights unexpected. From 21 Savage being detained by ICE and finding out he was from the United Kingdom, to the heightened sensitivity of Jussie Smollett being “assaulted” by MAGA supporters and many social groups rallying together behind him later for him to be in limbo, lastly to R.Kelly turning himself into authorities and pleading not guilty to the charges of aggravated sexual abuse. A major highlight we forget were the brands who utilized black face to sell items not thinking of the backlash.

Here are some things I learned from each situation:

1. You could promote a selective imagery and get paid for it just as long as you don’t speak out against injustice experienced within the black community. Trying to promote the youth to think differently about their image is not what capitalist America wants.
2. A black man will only be believed on the condition of a third party viewing everything. All sources must be credible and unbiased. People only turn against you if others paint you to be the boy who cried wolf. Funny what a stroke of a pen or computer keys can do.
3. When aware of the abuse do not stand idle and say nothing. If you feel that there is something wrong, again ask the question bring it to light. Abuse whether physical, verbal, emotional, and or sexual is a vicious cycle that needs to be addressed in the black family. Women are not the only ones that suffer trauma, men do too. They manifest into perverseness and being that they are not addressed or brought to light, people suffer silently generationally. We’re quick to blame actions of both women, the parents, and this man but remember thoughts are the framework of acts of free will.
4. Our money fund their dreams and even at times their ignorance. If we redirect out currency to better quality items and stop focusing so much on the brand of the item, maybe we’d pay for things that are truly worth it.

Kevin Hart titled it best, “Laugh at my pain”.

That’s what we seems to be done every time we are faced with something offensive, oppressive, we joke, we laugh, we make fun of, and then we move on.

We can be a successful people but our vision of what we as a people are has to change.

Growth is required.

Black History is a history meant to repeat greatness and not to be forgotten.

Just a reminder.