I'm BLACK and I'm proud???
Okay,
So it took me like nine million light years to start posting on this thing......why?
Because I couldn't find a free template worthy of my thoughts (and clearly I still haven't - so any suggestions would be nice :) . So I stepped out of my shallowness and decided that the world needed my 2 cents. SO....here goes:
I have a LOT that I wanna talk about, but I'm sure you're not gonna stay that long. I know I wouldn't - not in one post. Plus, I tend to ramble, so I'll try to stay on track*:
THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
Maybe I'm NOT BLACK...
It's not that I don't WANT to be, I mean, I love black people, and many of the things about our culture, but others, well....not so much. Plus, I just don't seem to fit in very well around the blacks that I know. Most of them. So maybe....maybe I'm not black:
1. Maybe I'm not black because I don't really know (or care much) about Al Sharpton.
I was watching the Chris Rock Show last night (he's hilarious - hey! he's BLACK! +1pt for blackness!) and Al Sharpton was on there. I've seen him before on the news, but I don't watch the news either because it depresses me. He's supposedly the spokesperson for Black Americans - or at least he carries himself that way. He thinks by giving all political figures a "hard time" (<-his words, not mine) that somehow he will change the state of Black America. Not likely. Maybe I should google him or something, but I didn't really sense him being our "savior" or even a revolutionary like many black people I know do.
2. I don't watch BET.
I think Aaron McGruder, creator of "The Boondocks" (hey! I like that show AND the strip and it's about black people, and written by a BLACK MAN! +3pts!) said it best when he said:
"BET may be the worst thing to happen to black people since Jimmy Walker. I'm a big fan of hip-hop culture, but BET is only exploiting the culture and making the race look idiotic. It's all bitches and hoes and grandiose jewelry and fancy cars". My thoughts exactly.
PS- the rest of that interview is hilarious!
3. I grew up in the suburbs and I'm PROUD of it.
I know this is true of a lot of Black American families, but to the majority of Black America these families are looked at as either the "Uncle Tom Republicans" or (their offspring) represent the nearest hood to their part of the suburbs (in my case - DC) . Neither of which is true of me nor my family! My parents were both raised in households with tight incomes and wanted the best for their family. SO they went to college and the army and MADE SOMETHING OF THEMSELVES and now I'm ridiculed for being the product of something POSITIVE and being PROUD OF IT?! I'm from Prince George's County which (used to be) considered one of America's wealthiest and predominately BLACK areas! (2pts!) Don't get me wrong, we're no Cosby family, we had (and are having) our share of struggles too! They're just a little different...
4. I speak proper English (mostly).
Okay, this isn't a fair statement. Almost ALL the black folks I know, know HOW to speak proper English, they just don't. It's severely frowned upon. When I was younger I spoke this way, and was always called "white" by my black counterparts or viewed as UPPITY. Neither of which really describe me. I just....well.....READ. And the more you read, the better you write. The better you write, the better you speak. I can't help it.
5. I'm educated (and act like it).
Yeah, I know. This isn't fair either, BUT I was on the metro the other day and saw Bebe's kids all grown up acting AN UTTER AND COMPLETE FOOL!!!! There was girl in the bunch that kinda reminded me of myself. She spoke pretty well and wasn't really as loud as the others. They were talking about school and what their aspirations were. Mostly they consisted of skipping class, cussing teachers out, seeing boys, making some guy with 'pretty hair' their baby's daddy (true story! :( -3pts!) and this one girl said she needed to get good grades because she wanted to go to college. A young black girl with aspirations greater than being the featured videho on some rapper's song! This made my heart smile. That is until the group fell out laughing at her and her "silly dreams". WHEN DID THIS BECOME OUR REALITY?!
6. I'm only REALLY loud when I'm on stage (or drunk).
I was hanging out with some of my homeys from high school (ones that actually made it to college!) and they live in the hood on 4th Street in DC. We sat out on the porch and normally, when I do this where I live, it's quiet. You may hear someone's music blaring, or a tv that's been turned up too loud. Here? Not the case. It seemed like everyone else was outside on their porches too! The kids across the street were in the middle of the street "doing the Heisman on that hoe"* and "cranking the Soulja Boy". (Where are these kids parents?! and WHY are they playing in the STREET?!) So of course the music was loud. They had to be able to hear the music that was playing in the house all the way in the middle of the street or they couldn't do their dance. I guess to them it made sense. The neighborhood crackhead was out, and every couple of minutes he shouted "YEP!" or "UH-HUH" or a "THAS RIGHT!" to no one in particular. Then the weedman next door had niggaz (yes I said it) in and out of his house ALL NIGHT. His buddy, across the street must have just gotten a new system in his Impala, because he sat outside all night and blasted Lil' Wayne's new mixtape (I think). Then a fight broke out and I was ready to go home. So, needless to say:
7. I don't really like being in the hood.
'Nuff said.
8. I've never been arrested.
But I have been detained. I've even been profiled! (+4pts!) Those are both REALLY long stories and if you stay tuned, you might hear about 'em :)
9. I DON'T hate ALL white people (even if i DON'T understand some of the dumb shit they do).
I had to make sure I said ALL white people. I do hate some white people (+3 pts!). Because some white people are IGNORANT. Living as close to Virginia as I do, I sometimes encounter the Redneck type. But really, you don't have to be that close to the country. There are some undercovers living in the city too, you just would never know it. As a matter of fact, I think almost all white people have a little bit of Redneck in them. It's just that some show it more than others. Let me make myself clear; I don't hate the white people that I hate because they are rednecks. I hate them because they are ignorant. Some people can't help it, and some people can. Those people I especially despise because most of them are politcal figures. But I'll delve more into that hatred on a later date.
and finally,
10. I'm just not uber-fascinated with rims (spinners?), blings and things.
I mean rims and bling look nice, and they suggest wealth, but many of the PEOPLE (meaning ALL of them, regardless of race) I know that have them are broke (or soon will be). They may have money now, but they also (as my momma would say) They gots BILLS. Unpaid bills. Do you know what unpaid bills do (especially to black folks)?! They FUCK UP YOUR CREDIT. Now you look foolish 'cause you got a nice car with spinning rims (or hubcaps if they repo'ed your rims) and FUCKED UP CREDIT. So, when I make the "guap" that I plan to make once I get this expensive-ass degree I'm NOT BUYING rims, I'm NOT gonna be BLINGIN' (too much), but you know what I WILL be doing? Sitting comfy in my nice house, reading a GOOD BOOK and keeping up the payments on my CLK (lol) - no rims included.
So in saying all of this I've come to the conclusion that I AM indeed black. And it's okay to be Black and not watch BET, and not be sitting on 'dubs', and not have bad credit, and speak proper english, and READ and do all the things that (by many) are shunned upon. Because the reality is:
I'm just not a NIGGA.
...and I don't think I even know how to be.
So it took me like nine million light years to start posting on this thing......why?
Because I couldn't find a free template worthy of my thoughts (and clearly I still haven't - so any suggestions would be nice :) . So I stepped out of my shallowness and decided that the world needed my 2 cents. SO....here goes:
I have a LOT that I wanna talk about, but I'm sure you're not gonna stay that long. I know I wouldn't - not in one post. Plus, I tend to ramble, so I'll try to stay on track*:
THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
Maybe I'm NOT BLACK...
It's not that I don't WANT to be, I mean, I love black people, and many of the things about our culture, but others, well....not so much. Plus, I just don't seem to fit in very well around the blacks that I know. Most of them. So maybe....maybe I'm not black:
1. Maybe I'm not black because I don't really know (or care much) about Al Sharpton.
I was watching the Chris Rock Show last night (he's hilarious - hey! he's BLACK! +1pt for blackness!) and Al Sharpton was on there. I've seen him before on the news, but I don't watch the news either because it depresses me. He's supposedly the spokesperson for Black Americans - or at least he carries himself that way. He thinks by giving all political figures a "hard time" (<-his words, not mine) that somehow he will change the state of Black America. Not likely. Maybe I should google him or something, but I didn't really sense him being our "savior" or even a revolutionary like many black people I know do.
2. I don't watch BET.
I think Aaron McGruder, creator of "The Boondocks" (hey! I like that show AND the strip and it's about black people, and written by a BLACK MAN! +3pts!) said it best when he said:
"BET may be the worst thing to happen to black people since Jimmy Walker. I'm a big fan of hip-hop culture, but BET is only exploiting the culture and making the race look idiotic. It's all bitches and hoes and grandiose jewelry and fancy cars". My thoughts exactly.
PS- the rest of that interview is hilarious!
3. I grew up in the suburbs and I'm PROUD of it.
I know this is true of a lot of Black American families, but to the majority of Black America these families are looked at as either the "Uncle Tom Republicans" or (their offspring) represent the nearest hood to their part of the suburbs (in my case - DC) . Neither of which is true of me nor my family! My parents were both raised in households with tight incomes and wanted the best for their family. SO they went to college and the army and MADE SOMETHING OF THEMSELVES and now I'm ridiculed for being the product of something POSITIVE and being PROUD OF IT?! I'm from Prince George's County which (used to be) considered one of America's wealthiest and predominately BLACK areas! (2pts!) Don't get me wrong, we're no Cosby family, we had (and are having) our share of struggles too! They're just a little different...
4. I speak proper English (mostly).
Okay, this isn't a fair statement. Almost ALL the black folks I know, know HOW to speak proper English, they just don't. It's severely frowned upon. When I was younger I spoke this way, and was always called "white" by my black counterparts or viewed as UPPITY. Neither of which really describe me. I just....well.....READ. And the more you read, the better you write. The better you write, the better you speak. I can't help it.
5. I'm educated (and act like it).
Yeah, I know. This isn't fair either, BUT I was on the metro the other day and saw Bebe's kids all grown up acting AN UTTER AND COMPLETE FOOL!!!! There was girl in the bunch that kinda reminded me of myself. She spoke pretty well and wasn't really as loud as the others. They were talking about school and what their aspirations were. Mostly they consisted of skipping class, cussing teachers out, seeing boys, making some guy with 'pretty hair' their baby's daddy (true story! :( -3pts!) and this one girl said she needed to get good grades because she wanted to go to college. A young black girl with aspirations greater than being the featured videho on some rapper's song! This made my heart smile. That is until the group fell out laughing at her and her "silly dreams". WHEN DID THIS BECOME OUR REALITY?!
6. I'm only REALLY loud when I'm on stage (or drunk).
I was hanging out with some of my homeys from high school (ones that actually made it to college!) and they live in the hood on 4th Street in DC. We sat out on the porch and normally, when I do this where I live, it's quiet. You may hear someone's music blaring, or a tv that's been turned up too loud. Here? Not the case. It seemed like everyone else was outside on their porches too! The kids across the street were in the middle of the street "doing the Heisman on that hoe"* and "cranking the Soulja Boy". (Where are these kids parents?! and WHY are they playing in the STREET?!) So of course the music was loud. They had to be able to hear the music that was playing in the house all the way in the middle of the street or they couldn't do their dance. I guess to them it made sense. The neighborhood crackhead was out, and every couple of minutes he shouted "YEP!" or "UH-HUH" or a "THAS RIGHT!" to no one in particular. Then the weedman next door had niggaz (yes I said it) in and out of his house ALL NIGHT. His buddy, across the street must have just gotten a new system in his Impala, because he sat outside all night and blasted Lil' Wayne's new mixtape (I think). Then a fight broke out and I was ready to go home. So, needless to say:
7. I don't really like being in the hood.
'Nuff said.
8. I've never been arrested.
But I have been detained. I've even been profiled! (+4pts!) Those are both REALLY long stories and if you stay tuned, you might hear about 'em :)
9. I DON'T hate ALL white people (even if i DON'T understand some of the dumb shit they do).
I had to make sure I said ALL white people. I do hate some white people (+3 pts!). Because some white people are IGNORANT. Living as close to Virginia as I do, I sometimes encounter the Redneck type. But really, you don't have to be that close to the country. There are some undercovers living in the city too, you just would never know it. As a matter of fact, I think almost all white people have a little bit of Redneck in them. It's just that some show it more than others. Let me make myself clear; I don't hate the white people that I hate because they are rednecks. I hate them because they are ignorant. Some people can't help it, and some people can. Those people I especially despise because most of them are politcal figures. But I'll delve more into that hatred on a later date.
and finally,
10. I'm just not uber-fascinated with rims (spinners?), blings and things.
I mean rims and bling look nice, and they suggest wealth, but many of the PEOPLE (meaning ALL of them, regardless of race) I know that have them are broke (or soon will be). They may have money now, but they also (as my momma would say) They gots BILLS. Unpaid bills. Do you know what unpaid bills do (especially to black folks)?! They FUCK UP YOUR CREDIT. Now you look foolish 'cause you got a nice car with spinning rims (or hubcaps if they repo'ed your rims) and FUCKED UP CREDIT. So, when I make the "guap" that I plan to make once I get this expensive-ass degree I'm NOT BUYING rims, I'm NOT gonna be BLINGIN' (too much), but you know what I WILL be doing? Sitting comfy in my nice house, reading a GOOD BOOK and keeping up the payments on my CLK (lol) - no rims included.
So in saying all of this I've come to the conclusion that I AM indeed black. And it's okay to be Black and not watch BET, and not be sitting on 'dubs', and not have bad credit, and speak proper english, and READ and do all the things that (by many) are shunned upon. Because the reality is:
I'm just not a NIGGA.
...and I don't think I even know how to be.
posted by {[DRAMATIC.MELODY]} at 9:55 AM
1 comments
