Wednesday, May 24, 2006

The Black Man

There has been so much discussion in regards to the Black Man lately that I felt that I needed to make a statement on the subject myself.

I don't think that anyone other than the Black man can understand what we go through. Not even the Black Woman...sometimes she may feel the effects, but will never understand exactly. The Black woman has always been wanted for something. The Black man is scary to the world and shunned no matter their position in life. They are attacked on many levels. Ya see, if a Black Man is doing anything someone will always percieve it in a negative light. Isn't that interesting? Why is that?

Why is everyone so afriad of the Black man, even Bill Cosby is afraid. Why otherwise would he defame any Black Man. Is he trying to let the world know that he is not like the other Black Men? Well we already know that. He has been fortunate in his life to have been afforded opportunities that many have not. So now that he has achieved wealth and education it appears that he feels he has the right to say basically that Bthe lack Man have had the same opportunites as he. I won't call any of his statement naive, but rather I'll call them ignor-motha fukin-rant. It appears that when some people gain success and money they really do forget.

Forget what it was like.
Forget that they could have made a difference earlier in their career.
Forget that negativity does not breed positivity.
Forget, forget forget.

Forget all you thought you knew about Black Men.

We are powerful men. We are capable men.

Many Black Men are simply exhausted. Does anyone know how tiring it can be to have to fight every single day of your life.

Fighting to be heard above the birage of white noise that castrates us.
Fighting to be respected just because everyone should be.
Fighting to be recognized for our capabilities instead of the terrified perceptions.
Fighting to be seen.

Even those Black Men that are successful like the Black Vice President of a company is still seen a just a Black Man. He may be given accolades form the CEO's of their company for his achievements or skill in public. However, if you take a look at the interaction between the White executives and compare them to the white executives and the minimally numbered Black Executives the itneraction is quite different. You'll see the White executives speaking in low tones almost as if telling each other secrets. Observe the White executives with the Black executives and you'd swear that something outrageously funny is always looming in their presence.

I can't say that I'm an authority on the sociological impact of any of this and have the answers to cause correction or change. However, I do know that Black are fighting everyday.

Fighting to be heard above the birage of white noise that castrates us.
Fighting to be respected just because everyone should be.
Fighting to be recognized for our capabilities instead of the terrified perceptions.
Fighting to be seen.

How many Black Men are willing to fight to the death? How many Black Men have fought until they died?

I'm tired...I'm going to bed now.

5 comments:

oronde ash said...

i hear ya, brah. keep talkin'.

Anonymous said...

D-. by now you know that I have this thing for a kindred spirit of mine, Langston Hughes. One of the things I admire about Hughes is his goodwill toward his fellow brothers and sisters, especially toward his brothers and sisters. He believed as I do that blacks should forever show "friendship, brotherhood, and cooperation" toward one another. In my posts in various black (gay) blogs I have tried to show this and sometimes gotten my feeling hurt, but oh well.

Anyway,with this in mind, I offer you this poem of his which I hope will help you a little. I don't mean to offend and seek attention for myself, I just understand where you are coming from and want to offer a cyber hug of comfort if that is alright.

It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
In front of me,
Bright like a sun--
My dream.

And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
Between me and my dream.
Rose slowly, slowly,
Dimming,

Hiding,
The light of my dream.
Rose until it touched the sky--
The wall.

Shadow.
I am black.

I lie down in the shadow.
No longer the light of my dream
before me,
Above me.
Only the thick wall.
Only the shadow.

My hands!
My dark hands!
Break through the wall!
Find my dream!
Help me to shatter this darkness,
To smash this night,
To break this night,
To break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams
Of sun!
Langston Hughes poem AS I GREW OLDER

If the poem doesn't help much, try this. I hope you don't mind, but it is a quote from the Bible which helps me from time to time, 1 Peter 5: 7-11.

Arch City Expatriate said...

"Forget that negativity does not breed positivity."

Say that!!

"Many Black Men are simply exhausted."

Yep, so exhausted that they are collasping in the arms of white men - literally.

Great post.

D-Place said...

Thank you...trent, the other trent, yellow trent. LOL

DivineLavender said...

As a black woman, whom loves her Daddy, adores her two nephews, loyal to my brother, and am committment to my lover -friend-man...I understand your post. As a sistah we can't understand everything but our spirit should recognize the warrior in our men. I do. We are soliders in the same war...Everyone can't be in the tank, special ops, or on the tanker. We all have our roles/parts in the same...Must we never forget!