I think it's key that you noted our culture, history and value system. I
believe therein lies the problem...
I grew up with a sense of value and identity instilled in me by my family
that many blacks (in America) don't have.
If you observe any culture, Asians, Africans, Hispanics, etc. you will see
how much family and cultural history plays a role in who they are. Second
is economics. I'm not saying economics alone (or lack thereof) is what
changes people for the worse. I think it's poverty or low income
conditions, coupled with a poor family structure.
Now when I say family I'm speaking of the knowledge and pride of who you are
inside and the connection to your history. This "feeling" is normally
delivered and nurtured by your family members, however it can be received
through education and knowledge. Por ejemplo - Malcolm X received much of
his self identity through gained knowledge.
Let's look at some of the differences I see with Whites and Blacks in
America.
1. Whites can trace their history, giving them a sense of identity.
2. Whites have the Pride of leaving the Kingdom to create a "new world" on
their own.
3. Whites have direct benefits and positive byproducts from Slavery.
American Blacks obviously don't have any of that.
Now, look at the Haitians, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, etc. All of the west
Indian blacks are descended from African slaves, just like blacks in
America. They've also been under harsh economic conditions, yet for the
most part, they have a sense of identity and family.
Those of us who have been fortunate enough to share in the HBCU experience
have seen how being together, sharing knowledge, fellowship and a sense of
Black pride helped to (re)define us.
Do we know what our culture is? It used to be Sunday dinners, Soulfulness,
togetherness, black power, black beauty, kings & queens. Is this still our
culture? Maybe, but we're losing it for sure.
The 70, 60, 50 year old blacks had it, but it's fading for sure. The family
has been reduced, spread out, lost focus, fell victim to chasing the
American dream (read chasing paper at any cost).
We're in a western(read capital) "white" world. The images that define
American lifeand the experience we are TOLD that we NEED every day are of
money, sex and are mostly white. We only saw black and Hispanic images when
our economic value was reported and Hispanics passed Blacks as the "largest
minority" (there's an oxymoronic statement). Of course those images are
warped as well.
Therefore, I believe we Black Americans need to start (re)defining our
experience of life.
We need our values & structure
We need our togetherness with each other and all African immigrants
We need our love
We need our identity
We need our family.
In response to:
It happens to the black men that aren't famous. It happens to the famous
black men. You can't move to the suburbs and you can't hide behind gated
communities. Why is it that black men are rapidly becoming an endangered
species? What are your feelings and thoughts on the matter of black on black
violence and death in america? Is there something that we can do as
individuals and as a community to stop this? Yesterday, xxx and I had a
discussion about our misplaced values, and the effect of history & various
parts of our culture on us. It's scary when you think about black leaders
then (malcolm & martin), and black leaders now(r. kelly, lil wayne).
