Tag: #blackpeople

POST RACIAL: ARE WE REALLY AS RACIAL TODAY AS IN THE PAST

“How far are we now?”

out the past

In the recent years, we have found ourselves having the old topics of race relationships in America once again. With the introduction of our current President Donald J. Trump, people feel with his election came a sense of racial tension. Some have said he inspired the hate with rhetoric, while others feel it has always been apart of our culture. The above video is of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; a civil rights leader that fought against racial inequality, prejudice, and segregation before ultimately being assassinated in the year 1968. So how far have we really come since the the turbulent days of the mid 1950’s to late 1960’s Civil Rights Era?

2018

So out of the past we have rallies and marches still on social injustice. So what must be done to combat such issues. Because yes, marching and protesting keeps the conversation going, but what about action. What about actually making things happen as oppose to talking about it. Within the past week, we were privy to see Lebron James open the school in his hometown of Image result for lebron schoolAkron, Ohio. Where public schools are failing children, he started a school. Which will jump start young people’s lives in that city. A lot of students are African American in school districts heavily underfunded. So economics and education aids in dealing with the problems today. Yet, there is more than just education and economics that will fix this issue.

the White base

What does White America think of the recent issues that our country have been going through? Better yet, do the majority of White men and women even know or care? Because when things are not taking place in your community that is not reflective of you, does it matter? And these are just a few questions as to why it has not really been on the mouths of too many White Americans. Or another suggestion is that there are other issues to be worried about. I live in the Midwest, and there is this prevailing thought that White Americans have all this money. But coming from this region of the country, so many are struggling economically. They are just not concerned with social issues. Are White men and women, if at all responsible for combating racial tension on their end, or just focus on themselves. Especially if they are racist themselves.

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ETHNIC RESPONSIBILITY: ARE YOU OBLIGATED TO YOUR ETHNIC GROUP IF YOU ARE SMART ENOUGH TO HELP

2 Person Holding Hands

“Is segregation better than diversity?”

Growing up in the United States, you don’t realize as a child how segregated the country is until you become an adult. Then you start to realize that people of an ethnic group prefer to conduct in business from within. And I have been to communities throughout the United States noticing that there are groups who would prefer to employ each other and not so much groups that don’t represent their common interest. Yet I have noticed growing up in a predominantly Black neighborhood that most Black people are racially ambiguous when spending our dollars. And coincidentally we are also the poorest group overall because of the spending outside. Dollars don’t quite circulate through the community like other communities. And to add to the lack of businesses owned by Black men and women, we also have issues concerning healthcare, education, employment, and political representation.

Now with all that has been said so far, what obligation do you have as a Black man and woman to the community if you have found an ability to put yourself in the know. Because Mexicans open businesses, hire each other; Chinese open businesses and hire each other; Jews open businesses and hire each other. To add to it, when they invest, the people they help tend to be Image result for black businessestheir own ethnic group. Then when Black people need the aid to start an endeavor, we never can get help. So for Black people who have found a way to gain wealth is there now this duty to do what society outside the realm of us won’t do. Because our numbers are staggering with regards to unemployment; and if it’s not anyone else’s problem, why not? So is there an obligation from the learned of the group to do more for those who actually want but can’t get the aid.

Here are some insights into what help might consists of: education being a major one. Predominantly Black neighborhoods, such as Chicago where schools are dying because they’re pulling Related imagefrom taxpayers who are poor. So our children fail because schools lack adequate funding from the system. Do we A) move back to these communities, increasing the tax dollars pumped into the schools, or B) open our own schools funded by Black men and women with money. Because we can’t let our children fail. Schools close and they have no place to go, society says not my problem, but on the bother hand Black people, don’t help each other. So major issues with education could be seen as an obligation.

Another major issue would have to be crime in the communities. What is the obligation to the community from Black men and women who are of intellectual capital? What role do the learned play in teaching the younger generation so that it stops somewhere? I brought up Chicago in regards to education, but the high levels of violent crime has surpassed in some areas of third Related imageworld countries. What responsibility is it from those that possess the intelligence to shift the perception of a young generation? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was very pivotal in the move for so many young Black people during that time to want to get into social activism. So who are those that will take on the voice to steer so many young Black males from a life of crime? It won’t come from anywhere, it has to come from within.

So in the end, the shift to the community has to come from Black people ourselves. We are the only people that have to be willing to make the move because the ability to shift a perception about us is not coming from outside of us. But here is something interesting, it is not anyone else’s job to make us look good. It sounds quite segregationist, but the only people responsible for the shift in a group’s identity should be the group. So when you see films constantly made about the Holocaust, good. Jews are doing their job, they’re supposed to keep the history of what happened in Europe alive. Never look to another group as a means of justifying who you are because you’ll never get it.

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MODERN DAY SLAVERY: WHY AREN’T GOVERNMENTS ADDRESSING THE BUYING AND SELLING OF AFRICANS IN LIBYA

Image result for LIBYA SLAVERY

“We all know, yet we all except it.”

Recently, there have been reports of the buying and selling of Africans into Libya as farm hands. Men and women being sold for as low as $400 and so far the only people that have really took a stand are citizens of the world. Governments have not taken the appropriate actions of getting involved and stopping such practices. Yes, there have been politicians who have come out and condemned the actions, but there has yet to be a government intervention. And what’s even more disturbing is the fact that they are African, we sort of turn a blind eye. Yet if any man, woman, or child were being transported from Europe, you would see a global outcry. So the outcry is very selective; they won’t say because it’s Africa, but the reaction would be different.

Now, you might ask how so; well, look at the Rwandan genocide. The United Nations only intervened when they thought the European tourists would be in danger. Once the tourists were out, then the people were left to fend for themselves. And now, you’re witnessing the same move today. It seems like the only other option is for the people to defend themselves the best way they know to do so. Because if they are being bought and sold as property, you’re talking about the complete removal of the identity of a human being. And that alone goes to show that maybe the Libyans are taking a chapter from the American playbook. Because the United States was considered the wealthiest nation on Earth after slavery ended. That’s what happens when you have forced labor over a few centuries. So maybe this is their way of building their America in poverty stricken Libya.

I mean, think about it, since Muammar Gaddafi was killed, the people thought their lives were going to be better off. Now they’re starting to realize the promise for this better life is not going to happen. So they have resorted to buying and trading of Black Africans into slavery. Other reports I have read stated that a lot of people have hostility toward Black Libyans because of the preferential treatment from Gaddafi. Gaddafi had a Pan-African unification view that would allow for African countries to back their currencies with resources on the continent. Now, anyone that seems to represent that old regime is now being bought, sold, raped, even killed. Now, what I want to know is, how deep is this really? How much are we seeing that really tells the true story of this slave trade? Because there is something that is a little odd about a government that says they are sickened, but won’t do anything.

And in the end, a large aspect of the government in Libya not getting involved is because of the fractured government themselves. The government has so many internal issues that militias are being formed for people’s protection. A move that never would have taken place under the former leader Gaddafi. This just adds to the countries America felt needed its former leader out, but got a lot worse once the leader was killed. It happened in Afghanistan and Iraq; once the leaders considered tyrannical were ousted, the nation became worse off economically and more violent. So moving forward, there will be no change to the current buying and selling of Black males until the government can come together and get a hold on rebel forces that were once against Gaddafi.

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FED UP: WHY BLACK WOMEN HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH NON BLACK MEN

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“Slim options, forced to keep an open mind.”

Over the recent years, interracial dating and marriage have climbed in the African American community. And for the longest it was the men who were opting to date outside our ethnicity, but now it’s more women. So what has taken hold, is this just some coincidence, or is there another reason as to why? The answer is yes, from what I have noticed for the most part, there is a reason for this jump cross racial lines lately. And don’t get me wrong, interracial dating and marriage is nothing new in America, but I have seen the rise over time. And there are some clear indicators as to why these numbers have risen. Reasons for dating outside are due to environment in which you were raised or currently reside, options when choosing to date or marry, and off balanced numbers of Black women to men.

The first reason why Black women have chosen to date outside their ethnicity points to the environment where they grew up and/or live now. Black people who are generally raised in predominantly White communities tend to date within that given community. Not the least bit odd because you tend to marry in life what is within your immediate community. So if there are Black women who grew up in these White populated neighborhoods, they are more likely to marry White men. Or, if they are living in a community where these are the men around, this is who they most likely will gravitate toward. Which leads me into the other reason why Black women are now dating more outside their ethnicity; options.

And I don’t mean options as them expressing their options to date and marry. I’m referring to the availability of Black men for Black women to date. The most educated block of women in America are now Black women, while Black men sit at the bottom of society. So that in itself is enough to make so many Black women choose to be with men outside the community. Also within the options is the place at which Black women may be financially and socially versus where he might be at the moment. We have more and more Black professional women in the workforce, surrounded by predominantly White males in power positions. So if you’re a woman, you think to yourself, I would prefer someone in the same position as myself. But who do you date when everyone else is choosing within their ethnicity and you’re stuck single; you choose whoever comes along.

But when looking at why Black women are choosing to date outside their ethnicity, you look at the numbers alone and there are way more Black women than men. As matter of fact, millions more. And then when you factor into the equation that so many Black men are incarcerated, not in college, not going to college, not in the employment pool, in the employment pool, but barely surviving, then you can’t blame Black women for their choices. The numbers are so titled, that it’s almost as if you have to encourage interracial dating for Black women to have a chance. But in the end, could this just be in Black women’s heads because White women themselves are waiting, generally for a White male. Also is it always a conscious decision for Black women to date outside her ethnicity, or dating who approaches you. Whatever the case may be the numbers are still climbing, and Black women are becoming more and more open.

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A DWINDLING CONGREGATION: THE DRASTIC DECLINE OF THE BLACK CHURCH

Image result for black church

“What we were for so long is dying so fast.”

 

As a young child growing up, I attended church with my mother and two sisters every single Sunday. Since becoming an adult I attend less, not because of religious belief, but because of my job. Working everyday is a must, not just for me, but most Americans. Yet this topic is not about most Americans, but a certain segment of the country that has held on to the Christian faith for a very long time. And that segment of America is the Black community. You see, I went to church every Sunday, but my mother and her sisters went not only every Sunday, but they went to church services during the week. And for my grandparents, they went so much, it could have been easily misleading into thinking they were working in the church as a second job. So why did I choose to talk about the topic of the Black community and the church?

Well, for me, I live in New York City, and recently on the news, I have been hearing how the Black churches across the five boroughs have been closing their doors. One of which, the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn just celebrated 100 years of service. But they are concerned that due to high rent because of gentrification and dwindling members attending, they are in fear of closing their doors as well. Their church has gone from 1,300 members down to just 75 people coming to church on Sundays. Now you think to yourself, the Black church was more than just a place of congregated for church. The church for the community was a place which held most of our meetings that were orchestrated by civil rights leaders during the movement. There they discussed agendas for upcoming marches, sit-ins, and any other show of resistance against the oppression we as Black people faced during that time period.

Now, what has been the haven for our social justice and worship is now closing doors. But not just closing their doors citywide, but nationwide. Well, what is happening to the numbers of Black membership? One of the reasons for dwindling numbers is why I don’t attend: employment. Work is so hard to come by in our society today, so every chance you get to work, you do so. Some may take it as you not showing enough time for God, but you are put into a position in which you have to work. Making ends meet is so important, that missing any day is crucial to survival. And with so many of us as Black people still below the poverty level, you can’t expect your parishioners to just take off of work. Yet, is that the only reason, no.

Another reason for the decline in the Black church is due to relationships becoming fragmented in the community. What do I mean by relationships, I mean Black men and women. Going to church in the Black community was a family tradition. But now, with single parent households and mothers trying to carry the load of the family, sometimes she is just too stressed to get her kids ready for Sunday service. Another connection with respect to relationships is the rising interracial marriages. Black people are marrying outside our ethnicity, and those relationships are taking on new beliefs of their spouse or not attending church at all. And still, there more reasons why churches in the Black community are closing.

There is also a rise in the number of Black people leaving the Christian faith and converting to other religious, or not believing at all. That’s right, believe it or not, Atheism is on the rise, even in the Black community. A community that has been deeply rooted in God that even non-believers believe just in case God exist. But why has the belief decline throughout the community. One aspect is in regards to the way church has been centered toward believing that God watches over households where children reside. Yet so many of these households are the main homes that struggle to survive. Another connection to the loss of belief is the same reason for many other groups leaving the church: scientific proofs. The smarter man get the harder man has in believing in divine intervention and the afterlife.

In the end, there are so many reasons why Black churches have diminished, but only a few stick out the most. Scary as it may seem, you might see the nonexistence of the Black church in America. Does that mean Black people are losing faith in life and themselves? No, but as a man who grew up in the Black church, if I live to be my mother’s age, the transformations that our community will take on could be drastic.

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FIGHTING THE WRONG FIGHT: DO WE AS BLACK PEOPLE PROTEST THE WRONG EFFORTS

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“What should we really stand up for?”

Since the NFL players have stood together in solidarity over not only police brutality, but President Trumps choice of words, it has me thinking about what we really should be protesting. Police brutality effects the Black community, but what are the bigger concerns. Should we stay strong with this protest, or redirect our focus elsewhere? Because if you look at the community, police brutality is actually not the biggest concern. The education system is of major concern, healthcare in the community, and the biggest would have to be employment. So why is so much of our time devoted to making sure NFL player Colin Kaepernick is eligible for the NFL? Well, given those issues we should be focused on, why are they more important?

In regards to education, we should focus on this topic because when you look at the Black community, you’re talking about a lot of poor people. And when you’re looking at public education, you’re generally pulling from the taxpayers in the area. So when the taxpayers are living below the poverty level, then you have children receiving poor education. And if the education is poor, what is the use of sending the children to school. It seems pretty counterproductive because even when they graduate, what college can they really get into. So, maybe the right thing to do is for Black communities to pool finances and create educational opportunities from within. Because this pulling from the taxpayers is not going to cut it. There is just not enough the system is doling out to the younger generation. And with our spending power of approximately $2.5 trillion, why not?

Well, what about healthcare in the Black community. There are so many health concerns when observing the community, and a lot of it comes from the food choices in the environment. Everywhere you turn there is a fast food restaurant. I live in Harlem, New York, and you have fried food establishments in every block throughout the neighborhood. You don’t have enough healthy choices especially for the younger age group that serves as an alternative to junk food. But when you are poor, the fast food selections are what you can afford. So going to a McDonald’s eating off the $1 menu is cost effective. But, on top of the bad food in the community, there are non food related illnesses as well that effect our community more than anyone else and finding adequate care has always and continues to be problematic.

Yet the biggest concern in the Black community are jobs. And that word job is such an ambiguous word, but looking cross all industries, it’s shocking how much we are still on the bottom. Even comparable to groups that numbers are smaller than ours. Like I said earlier, we are $2.5 trillion of American spending in this country, and the fact that we are so high on the unemployment scale is beyond me. Our dollars some of the most valuable in the world, but we are some of the economically poorest group in the world. And a lot of that has to do with spending outward and in not inward. Our dollars leave our pockets and travel into other pockets, while that same one dollar elsewhere circulates in another group’s community multiple times before leaving. And in the end these are the primary focuses of the community. Sports is good and all, but if you want to make an even bigger impact on the community it starts in these key areas.

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DYING SENTIMENT OR THRIVING HATRED: HOW MUCH OF MY ETHNICITY REALLY PLAYS A ROLE IN MY SUCCESS

“Sins of the past don’t have to be the future.”

The above photo is of a woman by the name of Vivian Malone. Vivian Malone was the first African American student to register for classes at the University of Alabama as an undergraduate student. The university was racially segregated, and up to this point no had been successful in entering the school. Even the governor at the time, George Wallace, stood at the door, blocking her entry temporarily before she was allowed access inside. Now, this topic is not about Vivian Malone, this topic is in reference to how much has changed since that time period. That was back in 1963 when she was denied entry, and my mother was only 3 years old herself. Since then, a lot more students have been admitted to Alabama, and no one thinks twice about Black children attending. But we still have conflicts in America today, as exemplified in Virginia a few weeks ago.

So my question is, how much does my ethnicity even in today’s society contribute to my success. Because I see so many men and women that look like myself that are successful, but then you see what has been going on in the country today. There are marches for White Supremacy in America, yet there are counter protest on the other side. And the counter protest are bigger than the supremacy groups. So yes, racism does exist, but on what scale. I have experienced it in life and still do. But what role does it and will it play in future success? A lot of the sentiment, I am not concerned with at this point in America. Because if you don’t like me by this time, then you never will. My only obligation is working to succeed how I want to succeed. I’m not in this world to convince everyone to love me, that’s not practical.

Yet, you have to deal with these types of people. I was reading somewhere that only 10% of the American population are supporters of these Neo-Nazi groups. Now, looking at this from a percentage basis we say, “10% is not a lot of people. But the American population is close to 320 million people. With 10% of these people following hate groups, 30 million people are a lot of people. But see, I am not trying to win those individuals over. I know they have and never will like me. My goal is I don’t want to have to come into contact with them. Yet when you see the Virginia march with tiki torches, you say to yourself, some of these guys were professors and even worked in the medical field. It creeps me out that some of these people could be my doctors. Black men already have and adverse feeling when looking at doctors.

Yet, in the end, I still look at my life with hope. Though in the back of my mind, the thought never leaves. When I come across someone and have what I perceive to be a racial experience, and I say to myself, “Did they because; nah, maybe not.” Nonetheless, I am hopeful; for my future and the country. We like to look in the past and say that people were so awful. But I think there were just as many good people today as in the past. It’s just that we all excepted life as what it was then. And the more we pushed against the grain, the more we look back and say, “You know, this wasn’t ok at that time.” For me, I look at photos of separate water fountains that said, “White Only and Colored Only.” It seems weird to look at, but for older people in my family that was life at one point in time. I feel life is changing, it’s just in real time we don’t see it. We never see life while in the paradigm of living it; humanity never will. Only when you look back over time we become convinced of the changes.

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