Why ignorance(and racism) still exists...(editorial)

(this blog was originally started September 4, 2006...)

Okay, so yesterday I had to pick up my roommate from the airport, as he was returning home from a friend's wedding in Baltimore. As we're returning home, I am playing Donnell Jones' cd, "Where I Wanna Be." Anyone familiar with the cd, knows it's a coo cd. As we're driving home, my roommate proceeds to turn down the music, and asks me a question to the extent of why that particular artist(of course, he didn't know who Donnell Jones was) was able to get away with singing songs that he deemed "pussified." I didn't understand what the hell he was getting at. I thought that he was trying to say that Donnell Jones was gay or something. Clarification of his question, led to him to state that he thought black men were supposed to be "hard", and that the type of singing that Donnell Jones was doing, was against the image of the black man. At first, I thought he was really joking around. Really. In jest. But I soon realized that he really believed, and bought into some of the stereotypes of black men, pumped by the media into our country. I guess because what is being shown in rap videos, what is being shown on COPS, or whatever else in entertainment and sports, has presented itself as the "black man image" to those persons that aren't black. Apparently, as he saw it, or as it has been "brainwashed" to him, all black men are supposed to be "hard", amongst other things that he probably feels that black men are supposed to be like, for sure. I had to correct him on black men (and our race in general) having strength - not to be confused with being hard. Black people in my opinion (and any other black person would agree, I'm sure) are the strongest people that God ever created. Period. We had to be, in order to have survived the greatest crime of the perpetration of genocide, rape, and forced servitude, committed by one race against another. And that was just slavery. Never mind our civil rights struggle. And WE came through that. And the fact that we came through that to still produce the best inventors, doctors, educators, leaders, scientists, politicians, religious leaders, fill in the blank, gives us a strength that is incomprehensible to others. We wear our strength, our legacy, with pride. But there is a difference between having stregth, and being "hard." Strength is what got us through those four hundred plus years of slavery, and those numerous years of civil rights struggles. Hard is something that unfortunately, has been allowed by SOME males in our community to define what a real black man is. Hard gets people killed. Hard gets people put into jail. Or if you're The Game, a rap career(by the way, only a real man knows what a real man is. Only a real black man knows what it is to be a real black man). What is most unfortunate, is the fact that the notion of what is "hard" to few, is taken and promulgated as the image of what a black is(or isn't for that matter) by the media. Mind you, blacks own very little media, of any form. So as a black man, I was bothered by the statement of my roommate. What also bothered me was the notion that a black man singing, instead of rapping, got deemed as kind of soft, gay, or pussified - which is a slap to the face of our song. That part about our culture that allows (has allowed) us to express our beauty, our joy, our pain, our hopes, our dreams, our love, our story - and it goes back to the drum. In order for me to get my roommate to understand the ignorance in the statement he made, I asked him if he knew who Smokey Robinson was? Marvin Gaye? Would you dare to say that those men were "pussified?" Or gay? Or less than a man in any way, even though they are two legendary soul singers? Because a statement as such towards a black male soul singer, is insult to those greats, and countless others. Do I think he is racist? No, far from it. He is a good person and intelligent. Too intelligent to be a victim to the ignorance that pervades our society about our race. I'm not sure, but if I was betting man, I would say that I'm probably one of few black men(if not the only one) that my roommate knows as more than just an acquaintance. And I just happen to be a black man with a master's degree and no kids. I don't sling or do drugs. I don't have ANY criminal record. I'm not "hard", and I'm not gay. Where's the promulgation of that African-American image? Probably buried under the booty shaking video of yet another rapper. So where do we as black people start, in order to change the images of us that are held by more than a few in our society. First of all, if you're black and you're reading this, we all know that is still racism in our country, and that there are mamy ignorant racists that are open about the ignorant ideals, and creeds they believe and follow. Though black people appreciate their out and open honesty(because the worst racism comes in the form of a smile), these people are generally not worth the time, effort, and energy for helping or changing. Beyond that, you do what you can as a person, within the means you have. If you have white friends, and they make ignorant statements, correct them. What they say, might be maddening at first, but more than likely, they are a victim to not knowing any better - or believing the hype. Once corrected, let them know. Think about what they say out their mouths around black folks. The next time, the wrong(or stupid) thing said, could garner an asswhooping, or unwelcomed looks. Besides that, we need to take control of the images presented of not only black men, but black people in general. Of course I understand that we're not all Puff Daddy's(or whatever he wants to call himself now), Oprah's, Cosby's, or Jay-Z's. I say that to say that our black royalty have the power, and financial means to help support and promote more positive images in our community(again, realizing that we don't own to much media). Obviously they can do that to extent greater than the "average" African-American. But if you are an "average" African-American, it is possible to help as well. We can start by refusing to support movies like "Soul Plane." Start telling our kids to be the owner of the label, or the team, instead of the rapper, or ball player. Stop fighting each other and hating on each other's successes. Start helping, and caring for those that are misguided and need direction or help. I could go on endlessly about how we begin to take control of the images presented of us, and thus what people think about us. The point is, as an individual, it starts with one. Collectively, it starts and ends with us as black people. We CAN NOT rationally expect some other group of people to do our cause...there is a scene out of the movie Malcolm X, where Malcolm X is standing outside on the grounds of a university. A white female student approaches Malcolm X, and expresses her interest in things he has said after having seen him speak. She asks what she can do to help, to which Malcolm X replies, "nothing." Malcolm X had it right. It is up to us, and us only to address the concerns of our community. We must answer the bell that tolls for our action. If nothing else, we owe it to our ancestors that died so that the true image and strength of our people could live on.