(ThyBlackMan.com) The one quality that separates an all-time great comedian from an also-ran is found in their ability to offer relevant social commentary while continuing the comedic elements of their show. There is little debate that it is this quality that sets all-time greats such as Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Paul Mooney several levels above others.
I will tell you that as I have grown older and become more observant of the world around me, particularly as it regards to much of the racial injustice that I see afflicting my people, I long ago realized that unless I found a place of refuge that I may go crazy. Thankfully, I have discovered two locations where I can not only get away from the “hustle-and-bustle” of the world, but also re-energize my mind and spirit. Those two arenas are jazz music and the engagement of comedic greats.
In fact, I have developed this pattern of recalling comedic routines that offer copious amounts of psychological relief and poignant social commentary in the same manner that I hear the wisdom of great leaders like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X. These moments frequently occur when I am faced with what can only be termed as uncivilized behavior by my people.
If pressured into the decision, out of the thousands of comedic routines that I use to maintain my sanity and understand the plight of black people, I would have to select Chris Rock’s routine that posits that “there is a Civil War occurring in Black America between black folk and niggas. And niggas have got to go.”
Trust me when I say that one of the foremost thorns in the side of sane, well-adjusted, and progressively minded black folk is the seemingly omnipresence of a less-savory, if not totally uncivilized, portion of our populace. Those that I alluded to are the type of people who take pride in their commitment to pitch a tent in whatever location they find themselves (school, grocery store, parking lot, church, etc.) and commence to behaving as if they are the featured attraction in a three-ring circus.
Make no mistake about it, it is this populace existing within our midst that reveals one of the most disconcerting aspects of socially constructed race paradigms for blacks who have never found themselves,
- In the street fighting as if they have no sense.
- Valuing their self-worth via how many likes their anti-social behavior receives on a social media platform.
- Listing an appearance on a demeaning website as a bucket-list priority.
- Consider the issuing of racial bias/discrimination as a plausible explanation for life failures.
There may not be a more obvious example that socially-constructed racial paradigms literally “clump” blacks together as if they are a monolithic population than the erroneous assumption that we either support or have anything in common with the discussed populace. Unfortunately for individuals such as myself, neither educational accomplishments nor responsibility in regards to familial duties, economic matters, or impulse control is sufficient to differentiate oneself from a populace that I have little, if anything, in common with beyond DNA or a shared history of racial strife.
I am confident that the alluded to consternation that so many forward-minded politically progressive blacks experience on a daily basis leads them to privately muse Dr. King’s classic line of being “judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin” in a manner that is slightly different from the view of conservative whites who have co-opted that message.
As a Revolutionary Nationalist, I have dedicated my life to “the liberation and salvation of the black nation.” It is this choice to view the world through what amounts to a relatively harsh lens that promises a glorious future that has positioned me in an unexpected predicament. Although my political perspective demands that I seek to liberate ALL of Black America, personal experience and keen observation has convinced me that our community is filled with people who do not even desire liberation from all that ails them.
Put simply; they are useless to those of us seeking to achieve that often talked about “nation within a nation, but without a nation.” It is a somber reality that there are individuals in our midst who we must view through the same lens that comedian Chris Rock characterized them. Please do not take my stern admonishment as an indicator that I do not believe that racial bias, bigotry, prejudice, and institutionalized racism does not exist, such a conclusion would be flawed; however, the presence of those pernicious social evils does not make black uplift an impossibility.
As always, the path to liberation remains not only unchanged but also not traveled by the populace Rock terms “niggas”.
If provided an opportunity to address such populations, I would tell them to focus on education, the development of both short-term and long-term plans, and a dogged determination to achieve these goals.
Difficult? Yes!!!!
Impossible? No!!!!!
The path forward is riddled with numerous constantly-changing obstacles that can surely be toppled by black ingenuity, planning, and execution. After all, our ancestors found a way to survive chattel slavery and unconscionable economic exploitation that few groups have ever experienced.
Hopefully, I will live to see the day where I can say that I agree with this portion of Richard Pryor’s stand-up routine where he shares his visit to Africa.
“An African asked me, ‘Do you see any niggas?’ I answered no. He then stated, ‘You know why? Because there are no niggas.’
The Lord knows that I can’t wait until I see such a day. However, until that glorious day arrives, I will continue to work toward the liberation of Black America against all opponents, even if some of those people look like me.
Staff Writer; Dr. James Thomas Jones III
Official website; http://www.ManhoodRaceCulture.com
One may also connect with this brother via Twitter; DrJamestJones.