If "we" just get off of welfare, stop watching reality TV, stop listening to rap, and "do better" we will get more respect.
Well let me shut it down and tell you why "value of self" isn't enough.
1) If I see "black on black" crime term again I will scream. Please do your research. This term was created by black people to rationalize why we are wronged so much. It isn't a real epidemic. If 84-86% of white people kill white people and 94 to 96% of black people kill black people then what is the underlying factor? People victimize people they know. Forget all the "strangers will kill you" crap. Yes it happens but you have a way higher percentage of being victimized by someone you know, acquainted with, or live near. Basic criminal justice knowledge.
STOP acting like black people are the only ones that commit crimes against each other. NOT TRUE! YES there are some places where black people live where homicide is really high like Chicago. But race itself isn't the only factor. Poverty is the main thing. You put any group of people in an area where joblessness is low, education is poor, and there is a lot of frustration you will see a lot of crime. COMMON SENSE. Only thing is Black people have a smaller chance of "getting out" the hood if they aren't resilient especially with institutional racism in play. Am I saying that black people should not be held accountable for their lives? No not at all what I am saying is if a study shows that a white man with a crack charge has a better chance of getting a job than a black man with no record that is a problem.
If a black teen makes a dumb mistake like stealing from a store or robbing someone because his mom is a single mom working 3 jobs, has no male authority figures, and have struggled in school for years and still struggling this guy may not ever get a second chance. He goes to jail has a record gets out and everywhere he goes turns him down because of a mistake he made long before his frontal lobes are developed. Then what? What will you do if you can't find a job or you are walking around asking people can you cut their grass and they tell you no? They will find drugs to sell because what other choice does he has? Sure everyone will say "he should try harder " but were you in his shoes?
If the same happened to a white kid or Asian kid they are likely to be forgiven easily and has more connections with elite people.
So know that crime in the black community or ANY community has its place. Sure some people have no morals. Sure some people should just make better decisions. But sometimes crime serves as an outlet for frustration and survival.
2) Please STOP acting as if black people are the only ones on World Star or on Reality TV acting a fool I recall reality TV being started by white people and seeing girls on Real World and Bad Girls club wild out, fight each other, and act like little kids. So now it is an epidemic in the black community for entertainment choices such as Real House Wives of Atlanta and Love and Hip Hop? Sure everything is not everybody's cup of tea but please if you think problems will go away because someone stops watching trash television then you don't even have a clue where the problem started.
Then there are the pseudoconscious black folks that don't watch Scandal because "they had to choose a black woman to be a side chick for a white man" "It's just like slavery over and over again". Really people? I recall Days of our lives, As the World turns, and The Bold and Beautiful showing adulterous relationships where it was predominantly white cast where WHITE women were side pieces to WHITE men. So NOW it is a problem because a white man is screwing a black woman? If it were a black man having sex with a white woman on the show there would be "oh look at the interracial love". SO PLEASE if you think Scandal and TV shows affect our community so much then I think you should think that through a lil bit ESPECIALLY if your life mirrors what is going on on the shows.
3) Rap. Everyone says rap music has ruined this generation. Well let's take a step back and look at the people who raised this generation and then where Hip Hop started. Hip Hop started as an outlet to voice concerns and frustration with police brutality, racism, and the struggle of living in the hood. Pay attention here : the lifestyles were already being lived and someone then came along to share the stories. Now anyone would be naive to believe that music isn't an influence but please stop blaming all of the problems in the black community on rap music! STOP! Sure there is a lot of garbage music out that degrades certain types of women, influence drug selling, murder etc but everyone who listens to it is not gonna do it. It becomes the chicken and egg argument in some cases : I sell drugs I heard music I related too so I listened to it. I heard dreams of making it out of the hood and having money so I listened to it. Think about that.
Blaming rap music for the souls of this generation is pretty much blaming Mcdonalds for your obese child. You didn't have to eat there! You need to see what CDS your kid has on their computers and mobile devices. You need to supervise them PERIOD!
Confession: I love Hip Hop and some rap. I think a lot is garbage. I enjoy lyrics and nice beats. Back before Lil Wayne went commercial I enjoyed his music. He was a lyrical beast with punchlines, stories, and wit. I loved the whole cash money team when it was Juvenile, BG, Turk, Wayne, and the Big Tymers.I love Nas, Lupe Fiasco, some Lil Boosie, some Gucci Mane(although I think he says stupid shit), Yo Gotti, I LOOOOOVE Young Jeezy since before Trap or Die. Something about his confidence and demeanor. I love people like Beanie Sigel, Big Krit, some Jay Z, Pastor Troy, and the list could go on!If you personally know me you know that I have always been a music fan and I do have some "hood choices" lol Judge as you wish!
I love all types of music from RnB, to pop, some country. But since we talking about rap wanna guess a few things? Guess how many drugs I have sold? Guess how many guys I sold sex to? Guess how many people I have killed : 0. Guess how much brand name clothes and expensive shit I buy? Not much.
Do I love to twerk a little? I love dance period. Twerking came from Africa for entertainment but I am not on Youtube posting it soley for the sake of likes and comments and to entice men. Research African dance and you will see that it's been around and moving the hips are not just for video vixens and hoes. I can twerk, I can choreograph dances without twerking. I can do dances seen by the likes of Aaliyah, Ciara, and Usher. If I got training I could do ballet.
Point is don't judge someone and act as if these people are the downfall of the community when it is entertainment and these people don't live in your house and don't even engage in your circle. I have a degree from Lander University and I completed 2 years of grad school at the University of South Carolina. If I'm not a worthy woman because I listen to rap and watch some trash television then shoot me for having no criminal record.
4) Welfare : "Black people need to stop living on the system". We aren't the only ones on the system and if you do research for stats you will find that we are not the highest number by race when it comes to welfare. And welfare doesn't make someone lazy either. Sure you probably know some lazy freeloading people but don't let that confuse you and think that black people are the only ones.
So why value isn't enough? Because since the days of Jim Crow and the ones in power have sent messages that Black people aren't human, they are savages that is why they must be slaves and segregated, and "black men are dangerous" has been embedded in media outlets from the beginning of time there will people who will always fear us and hate us. You can think all day that these videos circulating about black people beating up a white person, or doing some stupid shit is making people look on the outside in and think we don't deserve justice then that is racism in itself. So statistics and research show that white men rape people more than any other race, not to say that something is wrong with them but it happens.
So when I see a white man rape someone I am suppose to take it out on the whole entire race of white people and assume they are all rapist? So when I see a video of a white person calling black people niggers and negroes am I suppose to take it out on all white people and assume they are all that way? What does that do for the victims? You will never hear a white person child get killed by a black person and hear someone else say "well what about white on white crime." What the hell does that do for the victim ? Not a damn thing.
I see people of all races on twerk videos, reality tv, killing each other, doing drugs, etc but you say that if black people stopped doing all this racism would end? Bull shit.
Yes black people have a lot of work to do. We gotta get past the mental slavery that we must be perfect and like everyone else to get justice. We must stop putting each other down and helping each other up. We need to stop worrying and signing petitions for Blue Ivy's hair and other dumb shit and focus on being better for the sake of being better.
Why value isn't enough? We really need to value ourselves and stop thinking being close to being flawless is going to make others treat us better. That is pretty much ignoring the fact that other races have some of the same problems we do!
This "if we value us others will " mindset is similar to that of how women and children are mistreated. We are told that if they just be obedient and quiet all would be good knowing that we can barely control ourselves, let alone try to control others.
Slave mentality!
The ones who hold the power are the only ones to fix this. This is the problem with White supremacy. We can definitely try our hardest to hold positions for power but until we get there and start protesting a lot of the matters where institutional racism exists nothing may change. Even then, if white supremacy is profitable it may never change but we sure can try.
So yes we need to do better and value ourselves more. That goes for any group of people. Yes we got problems but c'mon lets not ignore that the human race in general got problems.
The next time someone says if black people would do better and value ourselves more we would get treated better remind them that Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were shot in suits. You're not exempt because you are educated and don't look like a thug.
The problem is we aren't the only people filled with hate the whole world is. Hate and evil has to end and compassion and understanding must begin. Get an education(not just limited to a classroom setting), Mentor a young person. Start supporting black businesses. Stop hating others for nothing. Start spreading love and don't lose your voice.
The. End.
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