So it has definitely been awhile since I last posted anything. I was in the middle of writing a piece on the Trayvon Martin case and paused and since then have not picked it back up to continue. A lot has happened in this nation in the past few months and more and more stories have been coming to the forefront concerning race relations. In different arenas, socioeconomic brackets, and every day living. I feel as though the Trayvon Martin case opened up a can or worms that has been slowly festering and rotting underneath the hot sun and then slipped into a secret pantry for no one to find but unfortunately for the owner, the ugly truth has revealed itself for what it is... plain ugly and still here.
My friends and I have been really digging into what it means to be black in America. Now this is in itself a loaded question because there are so many takes to what that means and it's easy to become jaded, cynical, and hard hearted to what this means. In looking at this topic alone you can take it from so many angles, you can look at it from the perspective of music and where the industry is, you can use entertainment and see what has happened there, you can speak from terms of education or lack there of, and you can speak from sectors concerning business, job seeking, to welfare, or even from the stance of being a man versus being a woman. In the end, there is no one angle to see black life in America and that is where the problem lies as well as the answer is found.
In our deep engaging conversations, we as black women have been racking our brains discussing what happened to the black family, why is it that we are still dealing with an overwhelming sense of racism even in its undercurrents, why race is so different in the north than in the south versus Midwest to west, why our are children not being taught and on and on and on it goes. And in discussing picking each others brains and challenging one another on our different premises and understanding, an epiphany happened. We finally understood concerning race relations, the state of Black America, and all that has, was, and is taking place CANNOT be categorized into one bundle. That is what has happened to us. We blacks have been bundled together as a group and in that we have been generalized and stereotyped to the point that TV execs have created a formula on how to sell "black life" to the masses and make money off of it, yet in reality there may be some minutia of truth but the majority of what we are fed is not "BLACK LIFE"!
We as blacks have to also accept our responsibility and understand that we have given into the notion of what slavery, colonialism, and the so called American dream has fed us. That we are not good enough to be known individually or separately because of our ethnic backgrounds. That black is just that black. We have been force fed the lies of Willie Lynch but have yet to really understand that all this is a lie and not who we are. I know I am going to catch flack for saying that and I understand that it sounds like I am teaching separatism but the reality is I believe we each as "black people" with our unique and beautiful cultures should have a right to stand up for each of our cultures and backgrounds. That we should not be blanketed into a general group just because of our skin tone. In doing so, I feel as though this nation is missing out on a beautiful kaleidoscope that is "Black America".
When we do this we are inevitably saying that who you are and where you come from and whatever rich history you have means nothing. We've relegated ourselves to just being the same. My girlfriend explained it best, "...we live in a society where conformity is normal. And whoever doesn't conform is abnormal. We want to just be "normal" like everybody else... but that is crazy talk. Nobody is normal..." In essence we are not normal and one step further nor are we the same and honestly that is a beautiful thing. Why should we conform, why should we be normal? What's the beauty in not acknowledging the very thing that makes you, you and culturally for blacks that's what we have been taught because when you conform you are easily controlled and manipulated. And we have seen the effects of this for years.
I don't know about you but I love learning about my Haitian friends and their culture and the nuances of how they grew up. I love learning about my Afro-latinos who look as black as me but speak Spanish fluently, which makes me do a double take and how they enjoy their rich history. I love learning about my Zimbabwean friend and what it was like growing up in the southern region of Africa and how there is an abundance of land just waiting to be cultivated. And even too really digging into my African American friend who's family is from the Midwest and the deep south and how that creates such a unique culture; whose family grew up in the midst of segregation and the Jim Crow laws and the steel mill boom. All of these facets and beautiful stories of rich history get lost when we decide that we are just black.
My desire is for everyone's story to be told, for the Trayvon Martin's to be vindicated and not stereotyped just because he was black. For black life to be valued because it is a life period. I want to see the cultural differences between Cameroonians and Ethiopians, Haitians and Afro-latinos, Northern and Midwestern Black Americans. It's when we are able to see our differences that then and only then are we able to really unite and become one. Yes, there are going to be certain things that cross culturally no matter who you are living black in America but there is so much diversity, knowledge, beauty, and healing waiting to distributed only if we stop insisting that there is something wrong with having a different background and just saying we are all black. We then fall into the same sin as saying, "I'm colorblind, I don't see color." The reality is here in America, you WILL always see color, that has been ingrained into the very foundation of this country. Just read the original constitution of this land if you don't believe me. The truth is and hear me directly with no mistakes, There is Nothing Wrong With Color!!! It is what makes us unique and it creates such a beautiful canvas, a mosaic that makes you take time to see the whole picture but look at each magnificent piece and stand in awe of God and His beautiful majesty.
The state of Black America is simple, we each individually and culturally want to be seen, understood, and valued and honestly there is nothing wrong with that. Jesus sees each of us and honors us each in who we are and we are all beautifully different. Black America it's time we embrace this and use this to really make our voices heard as well as unite under the banner of Jesus's love.
9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” Rev. 9:9,10
We have to see we are different to see we are one.
