Black History Month

It's Black History Month again, and although I should be saying something profound and moving about the struggle of Africans in America, the truth is I don't know what to say. I am truly grateful for the struggles and triumphs of all who have made progress toward equality, diversity and tolerance of another's culture. Hopefully we can all continue toward a brighter tomorrow.

Ok?

Now what lies beneath: this is the month Black people in America learn how whites treated their ancestors Great, great uncles, grandfathers and mothers like pure-d, stank Shi*, with no remorse or compulsion or basic human compassion. This went on for four hundred and forty plus years as slaves, then 80 years plus as second class citizens. Now they want us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and even have spokespersons who endorse this(whom I fuc*ing hate). This is fuc*ing madness its like a boxer being punched in the head for six rounds and then being asked to do his taxes in the seventh while still wearing gloves, dodging punches and being penalized for not being able to complete the task quickly. Then being threatened with being disqualified. Oh and don't forget being berated in the press as lazy and up to no good, and simultaneously being portrayed on television and in movies as a dangerous, but entertaining bunch. We are at an obvious disadvantage, why is it only we seem to be able to see it. I think "Conundrum" is what I called it in Initiation and this is probably more of the same.

I don't do much book reading, and I think I may have Adult ADD so don't get to use to this blog stuff. I do a lot of television viewing though and as usual, for this time of year, public broadcasting has brought me all the latest news on ways black people during slavery and jim crow were demoralized, tortured and killed. Now this is hard stuff to watch for us as Black people. Though, now that I think about it, I avoid it more often than not. But when I do catch one near the beginning, I feel an obligation to the people that went through these plights to watch. Not just to glaze over it, but intently watching, feeling what they felt. Much of those same situations still reverberate in our society today. Not as audacious or obvious, but can you watch one of these shows and say, "You know, I wouldn't mind going through that every day of my life, if it were a lot less intense." No you wouldn't want to go through it at all. That’s what fuels fire, hatred and resentment in many African-Americans. We are subject to being abused everyday. Not that it happens everyday but you know its coming so you're already cringing when you hit the door and go out into the world. This doesn't make for someone who wants to pull himself up by any fuc*ing bootstrap. It causes a person to be prone to strangle someone with a bootstrap. So what can society do to help the Negro, the Black, African-Americans or anyone else who is not in the privileged White majority?

Just give somebody black a break, that's all. If everyone who had a run in with us gave us just one break whenever it happened, avoiding a confrontation you would help greatly. Please remember we are a proud, strong people upon whose backs(literally) the country was built. We are still in a healing process, and the way we are treated hurts our feelings not to mention our pride and dignity. We want to be accepted and treated as equals but we are not as strong as you are yet. We had a fight. You won. We've agreed to be friends but we are still weak do not dishonor us by patronization, but respect us as great warriors just as you respect your own. We can become your equal on our own, but no matter what anyone says it benefits both parties if we have help. We are brothers now treat us that way and when we become stronger and our wounds heal our bond will only benefit the both of us. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.