Tags
Abortion, African Americans Future in America, African roots, Alcohol Abuse, Birth Control, Black America, Black Males, Divorce, Drugs, Extinction, freedom, Gangs, Higher Education, Prison, Registrictive voter legislation laws, SCOTUS, Self Hatred, Voting Rights Act, WordPress
..I am…
UNapologetically Black & very proud of my AfricanNESS(even though East Coast folks keep asking me if I’m Latina..NO I am not) with a natural deeply bred Southern Hospitality style courtesy of being from New Orleans; meshed neatly with much American Pride. Heck I was even born on the 4th of July! Having said all of that; I can’t help but be disappointed with the current state of Black America. Its overall downward spiral way of life; heavily laden with afflictions & chronic conditions, is disheartening to say the least. Recent events have brought this even more so to the forefront of my thoughts..Have WE become our own worst enemy? Will WE bring about our own extinction in America? Lets rap>>
*Might want to kick your feet UP & get comfy; I’ve got a lot 2 say on this topic..And I plan on taking my time with it..Letting my thoughts flow from my mind; mental notes & life experiences of 50 years of Being Black-Loving IT-Raising Blackness(our 3 sons..)-Promoting Black IS Beautifulness in all I am-Standing Still*
In my Life Journey of 50 years I’ve been labeled a Negro/a “N” word( I won’t use that word even as a 50 yr old; but I was called this by my “friend” before I was 5 yrs old/Afro-American/African -American..My parents lovingly labeled me as Bernadette(a Saint’s name..) Marie..These days I walk proudly as a Black woman who refuses to be labeled by other folks..When we allow others 2 define US; it can be easy to forget who the heck we are. Took me far to long to discover the in’s & out’s of who I am to allow that. So anyways, here is my outlook on how things look for the future Black generations that will be born here in our country; America. Including my unborn grandchildren..Its pretty bleak the way I see IT. First? Proof positive how far WE have fallen ..>>
...What happened to the days when Blacks walked out of their homes; dressed? Literally, some of these girls these days are butt naked! Or half naked..lawd! Might as well be leg-wrapped around a pole..Has it been forgotten that when one walks out their front door; they represent their ENTIRE family? Every single day; dead or alive and yep, even the yet-to-be-born. The shoulders of the ancestors we stand upon? They dressed sharp..even headed out to the supermarket. Teens included…Know why children/teens dressed well back then overall? Because children follow suit behind their parents. And I’ll go as far as to say children watch & learn from ALL of their elders..WE are teaching even when we don’t realize we are. Yet, slowly but surely we’re acting as if we aren’t proud anymore. What happened to “the Black & Proud” movement of the 60s? We must & can do better or we’re going to free fall to a level so low; we might not be able to recover from . Or are we already there?>>
**Going to rewind backintime for a minute..To a little known comment made by Malcolm X..(Its my opinion he was “made” out to be a villain by the media; but that’s another topic for another time) I wonder IF this is how Blacks feel about one another anymore..Love for one another..Why IS it that every other ethnic group..i.e. Asians, Latino, African, Jewish, and even Indians all help one another ; and Black Americans don’t. Its known! Other folks laugh about it..Black Americans have become a big, fat model for the “crab in the barrel ” syndrome. How IS that possible when we USED to be so tight? Were we only tight back then because back then WE were all we had? >>
More than likely I should’ve added a disclaimer at the onset of this post..But for the sake of doing so here is my disclaimer = All or anything I pen are my thoughts and or beliefs. Based on a lifetime of personal experiences/what my parents, grandparents, aunts, cousins have taught or shown me/combined with a healthy dose of common sense and statistical facts. Moving right along..You didn’t think I was finished did you? Just getting started. Literally..Moving forward>>
There are many things tormenting Black Americans..Including themselves as a whole; but I’ll leave that for the very last part of my post. Exclusionism(yep!, that’s a real word not a Berna’ism) , Drug use, Diseases, Lack of higher education, economic strangulation, incarceration, and Black on Black crime is killing us off in astonishing numbers..The #1 cause in that list pushing Blacks in America toward genocide? Incarceration of Blacks. Namely Black MEN. The statistics are beyond startling..I wonder IF the majority of Blacks realize how many Black men are behind bars in our country. The U S of A..I’m willing to bet other single & eligible Sisters out there know our Black brothers are dwindling in numbers..And its very noticeable. >>
Heres the fast forwarded & brief version of being Black- behind- bars- in- our -country..As of 2008(which more than likely means the number has increased) America is still #1 in something. It’s now infamously known as the “WORLD’s number one jailer” . I hate reading or writing that; I love my country!; but that fact stinks. The U.S . with a population of 300 million(mind you these stats are very 5 yrs ago..) has a prison population that is GREATER than China with a population of 1.3 billion people..Whoa! It’s guesstimated that translated to approx 1 out of 12 Blacks is either in prison/in jail/or on parole. That not only stinks; that down right sucks! Races does matter..The rate of incarceration of Black males is 6.5 times that of White males & 2.5 times that of Hispanic males. Keep in mind the amount of ‘money’ pulled in from those productive Black laborers behind bars. Keep in mind also that a person’s right to VOTE is stripped while in prison and often after they’ve been released. Keep in mind also that same person has to still PAY taxes; but can’t vote. Keep in mind one more thing..Its guesstimated the cost of keeping a person in prison; is comparable to matriculating at Harvard University. How different America would/could be IF drug offenses were sentenced in an equal manner..I won’t go deep into the meaning of that comment. Personally I feel its self-explanatory. How different America would be if the above mentioned Black men “could” vote. Or could afford to pay for an education..The OR’s are limitless so I’ll stop there. When I worked in a prison & saw all the YOUNG brothers, babies!, behind bars? Hurt my heart & moved me to tears often; too often. Moving right along>>
Roughly 7,000 Blacks are murdered every year..94% of the time by the hands of another Black person. 94% of the time folks; that’s alarming! Just as we are horrified by the senseless/unjust deaths of the Trayvon Martins; we should rightfully be upset/aware of this statistic. Blacks make up approx. 13% of the Nation’s population; YET account for more than 50% of homicide victims. OMG I read over stats like that and can’t help but wonder about the future of Blacks in America. Its hard , knowing such things, not to be concerned. Beyond tragic to fathom that a young Black male has a better chance of reaching maturity on battlefields in Afghan & Iraq; than on the streets of some of the major cities in our country. I try very hard not to think about such things often; its less painful to just try with all my might to be part of our progression. Yet, isn’t remaining silent something that can also been seen as acceptance of such stats? Or worse; lack of caring or concern..>>
I could continue to write on & on & on; as I’ve done off & on all day about this topic..However, I’d like to think the general gist of where I’m coming from has been clearly outlined..I’m hoping with all of my being that this might just start a fire under someone out there reading this; to get involved, in some way, for positive progression. What if just doing our part isn’t enough? What if the way to prevent extinction; folks have to take on an extra chore in this mission? What a difference we’ve clearly seen that UNITED groups can make here in America. (Gays fighting for their right to marry is just one thing that comes to mind..) Silence isn’t always golden. And often times words aren’t enough to express sentiment felt. IF my heart could talk out loud about how it feels about the future of Blacks in America..It would scream from the highest roof top & say “I’m scared about my son’s & unborn grandchildren’s future here in our country” Exclamation mark. Period
