So basically, even against my better judgment I try to be down for my people. You know support black business and all that. Every now and again I run across diatribes from my more openly "conscious" leaning friends about the personal responsibility and simple steps that it takes for us as a community to move forward... The problem of course in all of this is (as Chris Rock so correctly put it) Niggaz...
Now I know this is a touchy word, and people get offended by it and the what not but it is a serious problem in the community that must be addressed before we move forward. Just not in the way that most people usually think or expect. I ahve come to find that most of the "Black people" who spend so much time whining about "Niggas" are the actual niggas themselves. It goes back to the whole Bill Cosby thing. Ole Bill felt perfectly justified lamabasting poor black parents for their behavior but if you look closer, he was basically blaming them for being poor. His general conclusion was that poor people must make better decisions then rich people. I mean lets think about it, do you really want Bill Cosby to preach to you about the appropriate Black image? He leans on the Cosby show but this is the same man who made a Watermelon Jello commercial with him being surrounded by dancing watermelons... Nigga Please. He is the same cat who had a child out of wedlock that he never claimed and then pushed her into jail. And now he is under suspcion for date raping white women. Now I am not saying that he did it, but 5 women had the same story spread out over 10 years... lets just say it makes you say hmmmm.
Back to the point, the issue is that the class issue in the Black community is constantly spreading and we persist with the notion that a little bit of money makes you better than the poor folks, when in the end folks don't act any better. I see this most with Black Business. I know so many people who diatribe and whine and moan about the lack of opportunities for Black business, but I am so constantly disheartened by what I continue to see in Black Business. The problem with Black business as a concept is that business does not have moral value. Money is the most important factor. Therefore so many Black Businessmen play up their race to force you to support them, and have a built in economic base, but very few give back anything. They hide behind the fact that they need to be successful as an excuse for why they they won't do anything for the community. It's complete Bull.
To make matters worse there is the issue of what I see too often with Black businesspeople. I remember a Black entrepreneur conference I attended not too long ago. I bumped into 15 cats who had the exact same company. So I was having a conversation with one cat and I said " you know if 15 of y'all are doing the same thing, maybe you could consolidate, expand and actually hire people and get a lot more capital." His response is, "nah I am not really feeling that, it's not about the money I just like being a CEO." Now if that is not some Nigga shit what is? I see so many cats who are "in business" with the newest cell phones, the hot cars, and all of that, but they don't invest in politics, or the community, or mentor, or anything. They are just as materialistic, and narcissitic, and down right vapid as the people they look down upon, They have the same number of baby's mommas, the same lack of savings, they just have more money coming in, more degrees, they are higher in the American capitalist system, and they think that makes them "Black people" able to call someone else a Nigga.
Now don't get me wrong, I know I ain't shit, I am hella materialistic, and all about myself at times... But not really. I couldn't imagine thinking my life was worth something if I didn't give back, but its not just giving back, its caring about something... Anything, that makes you a person of value to me. When I stray to far from that it is that guilt that pushes me forward to get off my ass and back to working for the things that I believe in. See I will tell anyone that I am a nigga... I use the word alot, I grew up with it. It allows me to call myself on my shortcomings and recognize when I am not on my square, but it is also a term of love for my people. It's not rational. On some level if I thought about it too hard I would probably think it was wrong. Of course if I thought my degrees put me above the bullshit, I would be like these half assed folks that annoy me so much... and honestly, perfection and self righteousness is a pain in the ass. I suffer from both at times...
No comments:
Post a Comment