(ThyBlackMan.com) I’ve been racking my brain for years trying to figure out why black entertainers are expected to be great role models and leaders. It’s interesting that only within the black community does one who seeks “success” owe something back to the black community. I often wonder where this notion of a community being owed anything, especially when they haven’t invested in the making of the product, stems from. We degrade the artistry of black entertainers yet get upset when they don’t make empowering, enlightening and thought provoking music for our youth.
We often find our way to grocery and department stores in and around our community, stand in long lines, deal with awful customer service and never once complain about the treatment or the lack of investment the business puts back into our community. We frequent convenient stores and gas stations in our community yet won’t dare ask why none of the employees look like us. We even fall up in nail salons, beauty supply stores and beauty salons where employees speak every other language except our native tongue and we put no requirements or standards on them in order to receive our business, our hard earned money.
Now flip the script and a young black male or female comes onto the scene solely for the sake of “entertaining” us and we have everything except something positive to say about them. Why are we in 2014 still seeking leaders? Especially those who come forth to share their artistry and
creative talents with us? Is it that we, as black people, are crabs in a barrel when it comes to watching people who look like us, succeed?
I often wonder if we realize that as a race, we hold ‘entertainers’ to a higher standard than we do these self appointed black leaders. We still uplift the thought of sit-ins each February and often times follow the same ideology in our day to day lives. You know the one where you take your hard earned dollars and spend them with folk who hate your guts and very existence. Yet when it comes to doing business with people who favor us, who have had similar experiences as us we come up with every negative notion we can think of.
Amazing how we sit on social media throughout the day and gossip about what Rihanna, Beyonce, Chris Brown, Ray Sremmurd and the likes are doing with themselves. I see the post dogging them out! Funny thing is they’re fulfilling their dreams, they’re doing exactly what they desire to do with their life. The questions is can you say the same? They’re on their purpose and it’s not for you or me to dictate how anyone should step into their purpose nor own their personal power.
You will never hear one say yes said artist is forever crawling across the floor, half nude for that almighty dollar but I sit behind my desk in front of my chalkboard and miseducate children from August to May. Or yes said artist sold out for a record deal but I’ve been a sell out for years working for a company that I hate and selling services/products that wouldn’t dare use in my personal life. At what point will we stop pointing fingers at others and take the time to right our personal wrongs? Where is the personal responsibility within the black community? We have a nasty habit of holding all the wrong people accountable for ‘us’.
Now I do understand that everyone is entitled to their opinion, my question is why not put that energy into something productive such as writing a letter to your mayor, governor, congressman, senator, president or the school board officials in your area? Why not apply pressure to those who are responsible for maintaining the roads in your city, ensuring that needy families are taken care of or those who pass bills without your knowledge although you are tremendously affected by them.
Even better why not step up and be the leader that you desire to see? So many of us sit back and discuss the actions of others knowing we’re too weak willed and irresponsible to be in the public eye. I’ve heard people say “if I had that type of money I’d never….” When truth is you don’t have that type of money, fame, responsibility, pleasure, power or following because you spend too much time critiquing others and not enough time focusing on your own vision and purpose in life. In the words of Tamar Braxton “Get Yo Life”, get you a vision, get on purpose and do something constructive with your life. Obviously you see the need, the next step is stepping forward to fulfill it.
The time is NOW, the mission is CHANGE and the force is You!