(ThyBlackMan.com) It’s not that the Unites States is more racist in 2018. The problem is too many of us have bought into the idea that things were much better than they truly are. Too many of us wanted to believe if we are educated, and well off, we can live any place in the country and we ought not have to worry about overt racism. Let’s be honest…being black in America can teach you how to handle dirty looks and the idea that those around you very well may be tolerating your presence but do not want you near them. As long as some of us are not attacked we could care less what is thought of us.
The idea is simple, I work hard for what I have, and I have a RIGHT to live wherever I choose. Basically, white people don’t have to like us, but you will respect our right to live. That has always been the goal, right? Have we taken into consideration what living amongst our enemies can do to us mentally, or to our children? Should our kids be exposed to racism where they lay their heads? What price are we willing to pay to prove a point?
No one wants to raise a family in a dangerous environment with subpar schools. This is what many of us try to avoid in leaving the hood, or very urban areas. However, people that could bring about change flushing out of communities is not going to fix the school issues. We must begin to see our individual concerns as ones that effect not only our individual family, but the entire community. Yes, we know there are things we don’t like dealing with amongst our people, but that is more of a reason to work on those issues. Moving to predominately white neighborhoods will not guarantee safety. Our people are experiencing a different kind of terror that is forcing them to reckon with the state of this country.
In these areas where we are outnumbered our children are exposed to the kind of racism they read about in history books. Yes, our children will face racism no matter how much we try to protect them. However, there is a difference you are afraid to go home. There have been too many reports of black people being terrorized by their neighbors in white communities.
We know crime in our communities need to be addressed, and many grass roots activists are on the ground everyday try to bring about change. Yet, it is important to acknowledge that every black community is not low income and riddled with violence, though that’s what society would like us to think. There is nothing wrong with building community amongst our own. We don’t need the validation of exclusive white neighborhoods to say we’ve arrived. We can have exclusive neighborhood of our own.
Amongst our people we know we won’t have to worry about our children feeling unwelcomed, or their being forced to go to schools whereby they are mentally abused due to racism on a regular basis. Every white person is not our enemy, but too many are. We must ask ourselves why we feel the need to dwell among blatant overt hatred. The answer could help us understand the value of each other.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.