Hang on brothers and sisters liberation is near. But are we caught in the crossfire of a divided cultural revolution?
African-Americans have now separated themselves into boxes where “black” is red, yellow, caramel, cocoa, and the list continues… but what is “black?” There are many definitions, but there’s one in particular that reads: based on grotesque, morbid or unpleasant aspects of life: i.e., Black comedy.
We, as a people, have mirrored what others have considered us to be. We have been fed images of ourselves as violent, ignorant, and subservient through massive content produced by the media. And the perceived notion has become the accepted truth.
You see it in our homes through television. “Real House Wives of Atlanta” is just the tip of the iceberg. Times have changed and there are no more shows like “The Cosby Show.” There is less control over what and who is teaching black youth about black culture.
We have to redefine and create black culture from within. E. Franklin Frazier, a black sociologist, believed that the middle passage was a desensitizing process that stripped African-Americans of religion, moral values, and customs.
A modern example of this is shown in our jails; according to the SentencingProject.org, more than 40 percent of black men are jailed – and we only account for about four percent of the American population.
We “sag” our pants, we say “nigga,” we also have a black president; all to say what is the difference between you and I? Opportunity? Intellect? No.
Black is black, African-American is African-American, and we as a people ultimately have to decide what we can do together to understand black-us.
“Hang on brothers and sisters liberation is near.”-The Spook Who Sat By the Door.