Too Much...

So this semester I am taking 2 similar classes that have riled my inner activist: Equity and Social Justice (ESJS) in Education supported by Community Psychology. A few people on my campus know that I have been on an "Everything wrong with society today can be traced back to slavery and the Europeans" kick. This acknowledgment is enhanced every class when yet another social issue is presented to me in Community Psych after I explored the historical context of social issues, sometimes the same issues earlier in ESJE...no, it does not help that I have both classes in the same day, twice a week. Any who, these built up emotions have led me to create another blog with the direction of connecting today's social problems, primarily in the African American community, to slavery and the tactics used to maintain control in this economic system. The purpose of this dissection is not to create an excuse for our community or to place full blame on any one party. However, I do believe that slavery is an even/lifestyle that we tend to date as if we no longer share a connection to it. The trends of slavery are still very relevant in our lives and the only way to know that we are moving away from it (although the times my show we are regressing back to it) is to assess its actual role in our lives today. This blog will be up and running withing the next couple weeks as I organize my own information and feelings towards the topic at hand. Please note, that while my opinions will be based on true events, I am not conducting any extra curricular research to back up my statements. Just the words of an insider observing from the outside.

...until next time, stay true to you.

What if...

Alright, play with me for a second. This is a proof that I had to respond to for my Community Psychology class:

If you awoke one day to discover that gender equality had miraculously been achieved worldwide, what would you notice? What would be similar or different?

After reading the question, I immediately knew my answer. I'm pretty sure I answered the question, but here is my response:

The Land of Gender: Equality for Some

Good morning world! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and males and females are equal. Women no longer have to fight for sufficient wages for equal work. There are no longer any debates about who actually owns a women’s body. That’s right; a woman does have the right to choose whether or not an abortion is right for her. The number of stay- at- home dads has actually risen because moms are out working hard to support their families and the men in their lives don’t mind. Rape and domestic abuse rates have decreased and there is actually a woman running for President without receiving wardrobe criticism. Everyone is now free to be educated and international women no longer need to feel like their husband’s property. While the rights of the child are usually placed in the hands of the mother, more men are receiving custody of their children. To the same token, chivalry is dead. There is no longer a need for “ladies first” because if men can get the doors for themselves, so can women. Life is going to be great from now on in the land of gender.

Gender inequality is an issue that I believe is one of the most fought for. Regardless of race, ethnicity, age, region, or economic status, a woman is a woman; if nothing else, that is something that all women have in common. It is for this reason that if I awoke one day and all was equal in the land of gender, my life would continue to be filled with inequality because I’m still black.

While gender equality is important, I do not believe that equality in this one area will solve other inequalities in the world. In fact, I believe that with gender equality, individuals will be allotted more time to focus on other differences and inequalities such as race and socioeconomic status. For some people gender equality is two steps forward, but other factors bring them five steps back. In the documentary “Say My Name,” many of the artists drew attention to the struggles of females in the music industry. However, there was also much talk about the difficulties that they shared by being black and living in the hood; as if being a woman isn’t difficult enough. A segment that resonated with me was the statement made by Estelle regarding the two primary images portrayed by black women in the music industry: “you either have to be Mother Nature with a hair wrap or be dressed sexily with weave down to your butt.” This is how the media defines the success of a black woman, and because of these mockeries and false standards, black women are not taken seriously. I completely agree with Estelle and appreciate when positive representatives, such as her, are being heard and making a societal impact.

Another common disparity mentioned in the film was economics. Many of the women discussed poor childhoods, insufficient child births, and violent encounters in their neighborhoods. While the argument can be made that their lives were more difficult because they were women, many from single parent homes, there are still plenty of men in these poor neighborhoods experiencing similar events. One common goal that was held between these various artists was to get rich and get out of the hood. One woman mentioned that “if you don’t get out of the hood, someone will always be there trying to take you down or get rid of you.” I do not suppose that this mentality is held because she is a female, but because of her environment, and I presume that a male would share the same mentality. When it comes to environment, Remy Ma also mentioned the goal of breaking the generational cycle by refusing to be a product of her environment regardless of her educational status or what she was born into. Some would call it being “born into failure,” but positivity comes out of impoverished areas daily.

While my position may seem pessimistic in the eyes of a feminist, I do not make this argument to down play the identity of a woman. As a black woman it would be foolish to value one part of my identity without mentioning the other. I also believe that many individuals gain their strength from the very fact that they are a female. However, I believe that it is fair to say that gender inequality will continue to progress at a faster rate than racial and economic inequalities. Even with the miraculous occurrence of gender equality, I do not foresee gender equality being the trailblazer for all other discriminations. So while the life of a woman may improve, it will never be carefree.

I just turned this in this morning, so we'll see what the teacher says. I don't think it's half bad...

...but what do I know?

*SURPRISE?*

Now, I know that I just posted a semi-angry/frustrated piece, but I had to share my two-cents on this one. I was just casually browsing through my Facebook News Feed when someone's freshly updated status read:

Surprise trip to Africa!! Be back Wednesday!!

...

Who the heck takes a surprise trip to Africa??

...and for less than 3 days?

Ok...now, I must admit that I am a tad but green with envy. I would love to travel back to the motherland, and I plan to, but it will take quite a bit of time for me to save up for the excursion.

As I reread the jubilant status, I just pictured the ease one must be filled with to enjoy such leisure at any moment. It must be nice to look outside and notice that it is about to rain and just hop onto a plane to an area with a more desirable climate. Or to wake up one morning with no plans only to discover that it's all been taken care of and just like that, you're out the door and on your way to France or Milan or maybe the summer house. It must be really, freaking nice to live off of your parents pretty penny instead of having to, lets say...work and save for an experience that very few, if anyone in your family can say they have shared.

While I would love to up and leave whenever the thought popped into my head, I also enjoy the feeling of working towards a goal and accomplishing it...for example, saving money for a trip and being able to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I don't mean any harm.I was just really taken aback by this tiny peak into this... lifestyle.

I do apologize for the continued bats of anger. Hopefully I will return in a more sane and collective manner...

...but what do I know?

Just a little rant...

I know it's been a while since my last post, but in the midst of prepping my return to school I have also found myself uninspired. Well that spell is over and today a surge of activist, black power, self appreciation and race disappointment overcame me. Yes...all of that...at once...needless to say, it was a bit overwhelming. What was more overwhelming is that this fit was encouraged as I watched Step Up 3D....no, this is not a spoiler. However, as I watched the movie (that I did not enjoy and could have waited until RedBox to watch), I realized that there was a surplus of white "hip hop" dancers and a lack of black dancers. While it sounds petty, I instantly got annoyed because of the current state of the hip hop industry. Yeah, it's pretty black. This thought then led to a reflection of movies such as The Temptations, The 5 Heartbeats, The Little Richard Story, etc. where there is a song that may originate with a black group, but is made popular by a white group....although we still may see the original as a classic today. Why is it that if it's white it's got to be right? And this isn't even just about the white audience...African Americans do it too. (...more on that later) All that I recognize is a pattern of plagiarism that is being accepted by our complacent community...and the plagiarists are doing a horrible job of duplicating the original work, but an excellent job of withholding credit to the originators. What's more, when blacks do attempt to create a predominantly black dance movie, it can't even be done correctly... what is that about? I'm just saying...

Next, black people, can we please stop blaming others for all of our issues? The last I checked, it is us killing ourselves, it is us not valuing life and not teaching the value of life and basics of survival to the generations rising behind us. Many people try to use the slavery excuse..."we're all messed up because of slavery", "we are an oppressed people" blah, blah, blah. That argument would be valid if half of the black community could spell slavery and if slavery wasn't the only piece of black history that our community cared to remember or even semi-care about. Otherwise, it is just another excuse from a community that doesn't seem to have the ability to do well for itself.

And why must we continue to call each other racists? Yet another excuse used to accept the unsatisfactory position that we are in. If you knew half of anything, you would know that while "every one's a bit racist," everyone holds discrimination...EVERYONE. So let's stop all this colorblind, "I have a black friend" crap... it's natural to judge. We all judge one another within the first seconds of meeting one another and cannot deny or control it. It is the actions that follow said judgments/ observations that determine once true race opinions. However, no one is beyond race so stop trying to be.

...can't say what I know with this one, but this is how I feel right now...

42% ...Really?

Ok so I think that this is pathetic. Yes, everything that was said in this video is just about true, but one thing that I hate is that the first thing mentioned was "high standards." Since when were having any standards a crime? The fact that we as black women, regardless of society's opinions, and the countless years of being beaten and abused, continue to value ourselves and have the nerve to want better, expect better, is a true sign of strength and power to me.

I also despise the breakdown of our men. I'm not saying that an interracial relationship is settling, but when it is spoken about as the other option, I think that it is. I love how the break down was concise, but one stat was missing; how about all of the black males who are killed by the police or in innocent mishaps? It seems like every time that I turn around, another young black male is killed...while this is a horrible occurrence, this is not about them. This is about us...I digress.

So back to the ladies.

What are we to do? As a black female with intentions of being a professional who impacts the world, does this mean that my chances of marrying a black man are slim to none? I'm not hating on any other race...but at this stage in my life, I want my own. Anywho, what kind of setup is this for the younger generations? Unless there is an influx of black babies, our little sisters will be worse off than us...unless they aren't professionals, right?

Another standard black women hold is the value and high expectations that we hold for black men. (Yes, I know I brought it back to them, but I have to say this). I don't care what anyone says, no other race can value a black man like a black woman does. And to the same degree, no one can piss off a black woman as much as a black man... Don't get mad at a women because she's knows that you can do better for yourself and wants to encourage you to do so. By saying that you don't want or appreciate such encouragement, you are saying your standards are low or that you are satisfied with being mediocre. But in my eyes, just as powerful as a black woman is, so is a black man. As the most criticized and scrutinized demographic in this country, I certainly do applaud those black men who are successful by society's standards. And if they can do it, our other brothers can too...right?

Maybe I'm over analyzing this. 42% not married means that there are 58% who are. That's more than half and that's the percentage that I'm going to have to hold on to. First the schools fail us, and now marriage? I refuse to become a victim to these foolish statistics.

...but what do I know?

What are you afraid of?

I'm afraid of...

I started out making a list of my own fears, but when the list became too personal for the internet I decided keep that portion to myself and instead share with you all one of my favorite poems/quotations. ...so I guess that proves some of my fears to be judgment and insignificance. If you want to know some of my fears I can promise to be honest and share a few...just ask. This was a good personal exercise for me and I recommend you do it for yourself whether you intend to share it with someone or not.

...but what do I know?

So here it is, one of the greatest statements that I believe is applicable to everyone's life:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Marianne Williamson

"It is better to have loved and lost...

...than to have never loved at all."

Is it really? I would consider this a lose/lose situation.

Case 1: You intensely love another human being. Life is great and nothing can separate the love you share for one another. I mean, you've got that cloud 9 love...a continuous high, singing in the shower, smiling in the mirror, sighing in the middle of the day, love. And then...it's gone. The love, the person...either way, the love is gone and you definitely lose.

Case 2: You live your life without love. Sure there is that family love and that sibling love, but you never experience that passionate love that one person can feel for another. Whether you are searching for it or not, that love just passes you by and you never truly know how it feels, what it means. You lose.

How can case 1 be any better than case 2? Ok, I know what you're thinking....at least you got to experience the love and share it with another, if only for the moment. Yeah....ok, I'll give you that, but would losing that love mean that love in a sense failed you? Some people lose love and can't bring themselves to love or be loved again...is that really a win? Otherwise, the experience of losing love would just be devastating or you would continue to love in paranoia, unsure of how much the love can be trusted. As far as not loving, how can you miss something you never endured? That's a loss in itself.

Maybe "to love and lose" is just the lesser of two evils. Personally, I would rather love and retain said love.

On the contrary, is it really possible to live without loving? But then again, what is love these days? Call me a cynic, but for now I am just loving me until that love is matured enough to share.

...but what do I know?