(ThyBlackMan.com) Many individuals of all backgrounds would identify marching as an organized and uniform way to move forward by walking with a rhythmic pace or stride. Numerous Black Americans would contend that there isn’t another race of people in the world that can move and march with rhythm like Black Americans have for the past 406 years in America. It is safe to say that some individuals have secretly admired the rhythmic ability of Black Americans despite the many challenges and obstacles they have faced while trying to keep time in America while marching. No other group of people can proclaim that they have marched from slavery to the Whitehouse, but Black Americans can. No other group of people can say they marched from being classified as 3/5 of a human being to championing civil rights for all Americans, but Black Americans can. Keeping time is essential for any individual or group who decides to march. Still, eventually, every individual or group will be judged on how they move forward when they march.
Some individuals would argue that President Donald Trump’s election, inauguration, and second term are another indication that Blacks in America will have to contend with two central questions: What are we marching for? And are we able to move forward if we decide to march? Some Black Americans have concluded that President Donald Trump’s past and current proposed policies are only for the rich, leaving them to feel continually unheard, unseen, and unnoticed. The current perceived gender rift, economic rift, ageism rift, and social status rift in the Black community have left many Black Americans asking the question, where do we go from here? Some contend we should walk away from America and marching in general, while others demand that we keep trying. In the bible, when the children of Israel marched around the wall of Jericho for six days, their sole purpose was to take the city God had given them if they followed his command. Black Americans during the Civil Rights era marched for equality for all humanity. Our Black Lives Matter movement and marches occurred because we needed to remind the world and Blacks in America that Black people still matter. If America desires to be great, it must ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve it regardless of background.
During President Trump’s inauguration celebration and festivities, we saw the HBCU Mississippi Valley State University marching band, Rappers Nelly and Snoop Dog, and others perform, participate, and champion their right to make a personal choice outside the collective group. Is Black America a monolith? No, but after watching their performances and participation, many Black Americans ask themselves and other individuals in the Black community if we are still marching and, if so, what we are marching for. Are we just marching for fame, fortune, recognition, the right to individualism, respect, or all the above? Or are we marching to impact and change the world? Even God, the creator and sustainer of humanity, allows us free will, so we must give that same liberty to our brothers and sisters even if we disagree with their choice. Over time, many of us have learned that our collective decisions and individual choices sometimes have lasting consequences that cannot be undone no matter how hard we try. Choices and decisions undoubtedly have consequences, so we must always strive to make educated, informed, and thoughtful choices because fame, fortune, recognition, and the right to individualism, be it on the republican, democratic, independent, green, libertarian or no vote spectrum is ever worth your soul.
Due to feeling left out, overlooked, marginalized, and having a love of money as their central focus, several individuals and groups in the Black community have taken on the drum major mentality of look at me because I am different and unique. When we separate ourselves from the collective group aside for righteousness, we are more likely to become a reflection of the entity that made us feel marginalized in the beginning. Every successful band or group of individuals has one sound and one motion, so everyone in the group can stay on point while they march. It doesn’t matter who is elected to the office of President in America. I have concluded that Black Americans must remain on point and guard for this generation and generations to come because being on the right side of history matters, and most importantly, being on God’s side matters the most.
We must continuously ask ourselves and our community if we are still marching and what we are marching for. If we are marching for anything other than righteousness and the betterment of our collective community, we are missing the mark, no matter what additional things we obtain. Black Americans must continue to march for justice, righteousness, peace, and protection. Individualism and personal gain should never trump what is best for our community. So, I will leave you with this parting question: Black Americans, what are we marching for collectively and individually?
Staff Writer; Jamie Seals
May also connect with this brother on Twitter; mychocolatemind.
Also drop an email at; JSeals@ThyBlackMan.com.
