So many young people and those who did not witness black folks being water housed and attacked by bigots and their dogs, mistakenly assume that racism and its many incarnations and offshoots are a thing of the past.
I often fantasize that King, Malcolm, Hamer,Rustin and the like are looking at all of the shenanigans that pass for entertainment and daily life and feel yes: my life was worth this.
I firmly believe that the aforementioned cultural and political icons would be pleased with the political progress we’ve made (President Barack Obama)and marvel at the strides in social change and entertainment masking as such(Oprah Winfrey and her empire).
I also believe they would be sickened and visibly upset when viewing the things that we’ve allowed to continue and encourage our young people to engage in by either silent resignation or outright aping the mores and social standings that go unquestioned and unchallenged.
With a clear cut objective that involves becoming and staying emotionally healthy and making sure everyone in our community has the same goal despite limited and or outdated resources, we can collectively move forward while simultaneously demanding that those with power share it.
In order to take on this daunting and most worthwhile task , I suggest we look at three things that hold us back and keep us mired in pathologies, blaming and shaming and prayer as our only strategy for change.
Stop worrying about what white folks think or feel about you.
So much of our collective suffering and inability to rethink solutions and possible outcomes have their root in the seduction and performance that is whiteness.
Far too many of us believe that we can appease the “theys” in our worlds if we constantly and stupidly concern ourselves with what is thought or said about us by people that in many instances don’t like us very much.
With the advent of White Supremacy and the unrelenting innovation of seduction that targets our self esteem and body images, our behavior is pretty predictable.
Whites have their own pain and discomfort as a direct result of White Supremacy.