Black Man Thinkin
Hello -
I’m a 38-year old Black American (not “African-American”) male, and Chicago native. I was raised in a Southern Baptist family, and to blindly vote Democratic, but that is neither my faith or ideology today.
I recently blogged an opinion piece I called “black man thinkin” which I would like to share with you. I’ve already gotten the expected and typical feedback from those who are always on the lookout for something to offend them, but still find the occasional thinking Black men and women who can relate to it from the observer’s side instead of the “victim’s” side. There is a line of “colorful” language in it, but it’s to illustrate a point. A point that so many seem to miss. If there are points I am missing, I am open to further expanding my awareness and heightening my attention with your input.
Best to you,
Shawn “Bud” Lyte
Chicago, IL
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black man thinkin
Monday May 1, 2006 – 09:25am (CDT)
A friend asked me to check out someone’s Yahoo blog this morning. It’s interesting (in a good way) how she likes to bring my attention the words and concerns of her circle of friends in regards to race issues.
The blog post is quite long, so I will not repost it here. Please click here to check it out. My response is toward the bottom, which I will post here as well, edited for clarity.
Much (if not all) of the anti-Black rumors and propaganda pieces that circulate and take hold in the “Black community” are generated by Blacks to try and stir “us” up and scare “us” straight.
It is my perception that most of the problems Blacks have are instigated, perpetuated or exacerbated by Blacks. There is no Black community because there is no Black UNITY.
Remember in the 80′s, those letters that so many Blacks passed around, allegedly written by the KKK (an entire group wrote a letter?) thanking us niggers for killing each other, being uneducated and unhealthy, breeding with whites to thin out our race, etc.? Remember how it was finally revealed that the letter was written and circulation started by a Black Baptist minister?
How about the allegations that Troop clothing was made by “the Klan”, and under a patch was rumored to be imprinted “Thank you all you niggers for making us rich,”? Yet no one removed any patches from their jackets to find out.
How about the ever popular Tommy Hilfiger racism allegations?
Why doesn’t any of this make it to the news media? Not even the Chicago Defender, Ebony, Jet or BET? If any of this is true, shouldn’t we have the responsibility to let everyone know? We can spread rumors, but not the word?
Don’t give me the tired old lines about how there was some “white manifesto” written back in the time of “The War Between The States” on ‘how to control your nigger’ because, even if there were, that’s 150 years ago. Stop making race and racism an excuse and get your act together and become the mathematics-developing, civilization-building, meat cooking, breast feeding, nation ruling, proud jewels of Divine creation most Blacks claim to be – instead of the shuckin’ an’ jivin’, steppin’ an’ fetchin’, slang talkin’, poor grammar, proudly ignorant caricatures that most of “our people” are all too happy to be because it is how a “real” Black person is.
There is no Black community because there is no Black UNITY.
Bryant Gumbel and Bill Cosby are lampooned while Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent are celebrated and put up as examples of Black idealism. Yeah. Okay. Sure, say it’s because of their success…but look at the Goldsteins, Finklemans, and Rosenblatts who are the successes behind the successes. Last I checked, the only Blacks with names like that are… Well, one – Whoopi.
Blacks complain about how we are portrayed in movies, on television, etc.. Well, it is Black people who audition to play those roles and black people who patronize those items of entertainment, making them popular, thus increasing their demand and perpetuating their existence. It’s okay, for Blacks to call each other nigger, but not anyone else. Right. Let’s take it further and be comprehensively “Black” in that regarded. Let’s start calling each other coon, tar baby, mud puppy, porch monkey. Let’s make it cool to say things like, “Yo, coon ass muthafucka! Ah wuz at dis bomb as pawty wit my porch monkeys an’ dis fly ass tar baby bitch wuz all up on mah sheeit!” Why not? That’s what’s being done now, and expected of us. Being good little darkies, we must do what’s expected of us, good or bad, right or wrong, wise or ig’nant.
There is no Black community because there is no Black UNITY.
Think about why what others think of US matters to YOU.
Think as much as you feel.
Think about what you feel.
Think about why you feel what you feel.
Just think, Black people.
THINK!
As long as one refuses to recognize their ignorance, they cannot begin to overcome it. Sadly, righteous ignorance has replaced righteous indignation as the Black norm. But just as not all Blacks who like whites want to be like whites, not all whites who like Blacks want to be like Blacks, not all Blacks who like Blacks want to be like Blacks in light of what Blacks have become.
There is no Black community because there is no Black UNITY. We, as a people, cannot get it together until we, as individuals, get it together within ourselves.
Let’s stop making racism the easy, voiceless, convenient scapegoat and whipping boy for the societal ills of Black people in this country (or anywhere). Let’s stop playing and crying victim when faced with challenges, but claiming superiority when we know we won’t be called on it.
Think, Black people.
THINK!
