Being Black in America and More

Much chatter has been dedicated to the meaning of blackness, as if being black is beyond the depth of ones skin. Just recently, while in Chicago, an entire presentation was done on the topic. Many Rasta and “Rasta minded” friends of mine will quickly tell you that the Blackman has no place in the western world, referring to “polished blacks” such as Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama as “boasy slaves”. Capleton would be quick to chastise them for “frolicking inna Babylon”.

Fun and game aside, Blacks in America who try to educate and uplift themselves have to constantly defend their Blackness. It is often mentioned that when the Cosby Show first aired, several Blacks were most upset. According to them, the show did not accurately depict the Black experience in American. They could neither relate to a Black Doctor marrying a Black Lawyer nor a two parent Black household.

It is now 2007, and some twenty four years since the Cosby Show debuted. Not much has changed in the psyche of America’s Black. In 2005, CNN carried a report on the abuse young men face in schools, when they work hard, set high personal and academic standards and excel in leadership. I have been called white, and told that “I act as if I’m better than…”, as I stride for success. Bill Clinton has often been referred to as the first Black President, largely because of his infidelity. Oprah has been called white because she chose to follow her passions and donate HER money to a cause she believes in (outside of her country). Obama has been called white because he wisely chose not to campaign on a “Black Civil Rights platform”. It’s as if he lost “black points” because he is able to articulate a message which resonates with Black, Latino, Chinese and White America.

Many believe (and I will not question their “rightness”) that blacks who are successful have a responsibility to contribute to the community they grew up in. I believe people who are successful should make social contributions as they deem best. Simply put, I do not see Oprah as less of a person because she chose to build a school for forty million dollars in Africa. I commend her! I think Obama is equipped for the job and has a good chance of being President of the United States. A purely Black message would simply distract from his abilities, and make him just another civil rights leader. As for Clinton, it is utter rubbish to consider his infidelity a “black act”. If the argument is made that he is called the first Black President because he advanced the rights of blacks, I would quickly point you in the direction of John F Kennedy and Lynden B Johnson (regardless of how corrupt I deem the latter to be). Was the first president who advanced women’s rights classified as the first female president? I bet not!

Has blackness become symbolic of Biblical Nazareth? Has our communities bought into the idea that “no good can come from Black”? While most people I come into contact with do not share this view, when I am in certain circles I can appreciate what Lupe Fiasco meant when he said he is constantly asked to “dumb it down”. It’s like our “brothas” are caught up in a place of bliss which only ordinary people refer to as ignorance, constantly defaming the memory of Martin Luther King, Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X.

I have no problem with the urban trends we have set as a people. I admire the business acumen of Sean Combs, Sean Carter and Russell Simmons, and will argue with you all day that a top ten list of the best lyricists across all genres must include Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco and Vybz Cartel. What most of you know about me is the fact that I’m not a conformist. I think it is time we realize that the experience of Blacks in America is wide and varied. Our race has Doctors, “Ductas”, Lawyers, and Liars, Politicians and policemen, preachers, paupers and great artists. We cannot as a people continue to place limit on the extent to which our brothers are allowed to think, walk, talk and act.

As we celebrate Black History month, let us learn to appreciate our experience for what it is. Our skins might share the same hue, but our personalities and thoughts are in no way homogenous. We are a diverse people.

ADDITIONAL MUSINGS:

Pardon me for repeatedly using the word black, instead of the more politically acceptable term “African American”. I am somewhat apathetic to calling people with no African passport “African Americans”. That term is somewhat vague anyway. Since every race can trace its origin to Africa, can Caucasians also call themselves African Americans?

Isn’t it sad that the people of Haiti, the first Black Country to gain independence, are now forced to eat flavored dirt? Years after Aristide was kidnapped while the Western world slept, the fate of Haiti has not changed. Apart from the devastation, another thing Haiti shares with New Orleans is a huge population of Blacks. Were Kanye West’s remarks about George W true?

BIG UPS

Big up Obama on the victories over the weekend! Four states in a row…what a statement!

Big up Hugo Chavez, and the people of Venezuela.