(ThyBlackMan.com) Just as the commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Alabama gets underway, yet another young unarmed African-American male (Tony Robinson, 19) is gunned down in Madison, Wisconsin by a police officer and we are left to wonder how much has really changed? Have we come a long ways simply because the President of the United States looks like us? Or have we arrived in the promised land spoken of by Martin Luther King Jr. simply because we can visit the upscale side of town, drive nice cars, live in nice houses, vote, write books and make six figures? But the reality is that we all live in Alabama
While there has been progress, we have not arrived and we are certainly not close enough to get comfortable. And if you think we have, you are mistaken. We see how far we have to go when famous African-American actors are recognized for the top awards in film only if they play despicable, pitiful, stereotypical characters. We see how far we have to go when there are Fergusons happening almost every month. We see how far we have to go when the children of a slain civil rights hero fight amongst themselves because they have forgotten what he taught us all. We see how far we have to go when our fights and crimes are against each other as a result of self destructive slave programming. We see how far we have to go when an African-American male is 20 times more like to be shot, killed or arrested than a Caucasian male. . Klan robes have
been traded in for nice suits with congressional lapel pins, the slave auction block has been traded in for the courtroom and the plantation has been swapped out for the jail or prison.
The sports industry, the media, the music industry and the movie industry are neither owned not controlled by us. And yet so many of our people happily put on a dress (Jamie Foxx, Terri Kruse, Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence etc.) to do a song and dance for Mr. Charlie because he has a shiny new nickel. Our wealthiest examples do not even make the top 50 richest people according to Forbes. Our people are still selling drugs to each other and defending the right to sag, get high on weed and dress like Kim KarTrashian. We still support music that degrades our women and movies or TV shows that emasculate our men. Yes we have a lot of work to do. While we have been given one President of color to keep us pacified, I have to wonder when the next will be allowed into office.
When 3 out of 4 HBCUs have to be started by them for us (Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark College), we have a long ways to go. And when the only one we started ends up in scandal, bankrupt and closed down, we have a long ways to go. I live in a city where Kaseem Reed holds the title of Mayor of Atlanta. But he does not run things here and anyone who is politically informed knows it. Then who does run things here? Somebody of a different color but I won’t call names, at least not yet. When our value system consists of children raised by Playstation and Xbox, our neighborhoods are filled with garbage dumps, liquor stores, strip clubs and abortion clinics, we have a long way to go. When comedians (Cosby), talk show hosts (Oprah), basketball players and booty-shakers are iconic role models our children want to emulate, we have a long way to go.
When African-American police officers have become Massa’s guard dogs and we treat each other with little or no respect in our communities, we have a long way to go. When “black on black” crime is overlooked every day because there are no marches, rallies or protests about it, we have a long way to go. When our leaders can be bought off with a TV show or turned off like a light switch by popularity and money, we have a long way to go. When we still believe in, serve and promote the images of a white savior, we have a long way to go. When we sell out instead of stepping up, we have a long way to go, a very long way to go. It’s past time for our people to wake up. If you believe racism is dead, your brain is right there with it – dead. I do not mean to offend anyone, but the truth must be said and I can neither be bought off nor scared off. Can you?
So as we commemorate one event and celebrate others, we must never, ever forget that our solutions are in our own communities, often laying dormant in the very people who contribute to the problems we face. Is there hope? Of course there is. But if we stay asleep, make excuses, blame everyone else, deny the truth and continue to annihilate each other, we have learned nothing from our honorable, powerful ancestors who gave their lives. The deprogramming must continue and we must hold each other’s feet to the fire. Children must be children again. Our women must be ladies again.
Our men must be strong, wise, compassionate leaders again. Our pastors must be honest again. Our police officers must be lawful again. Our judges must be humble again. Our prosecutors must seek real justice again, even if it’s against a police officer. Our bankers must be generous again. Our doctors and nutritionists must find cures and keep us healthy again. Our teachers must teach again. Our parents must parent again. Our political leaders must represent us again. AND YOU MUST GET UP AND DO SOMETHING. Until these things happen, we all will continue to live in Alabama.
The powers that be would like to turn back the clock. Don’t be a part of their final solution – be a part of your own. You simply have to read the letters of Willie Lynch or google the King Alfred Plan to understand what we are battling against. And your college degrees, Glock .40 calibers or 401(k) plans cannot stop the machine that has been built to entrap you. You are neither exempt from the struggle, nor the battle nor the stereotypical profile – no matter what you drive, where you live, where you work or how well you speak. But you have the power to reshape your destiny and together, we have the power to reshape our own communities.
So this is your wake up call. It’s time to achieve, to acquire, to occupy, to own. It’s time to wake up, stand up, step up and raise others up. It’s time to live your dream instead of just remembering someone else’s every January. It’s time to make things happen. Your life, your future and your success is up to you. Nothing and nobody can stop you but you or your belief that others could ever shut you down. You don’t need weed because weed is beneath you. You don’t have time to be depressed, lazy, procrastinating or in denial. You don’t have time to rest, tear down others or simply enjoy each holiday and barbecue. WAKE UP! DO SOMETHING! MAKE IT HAPPEN!
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Staff Writer; Marque-Anthony