Killing Yet Saving Black America

I look in the mirror at a man that has the power to change the world. Ideas come to mind on how to make things simpler for everyone. How to measure my success can be typed onto a keyboard and printed to remind myself to always reach high. But why has this characteristic been instilled in me and not the majority of Black America.

If statistics were any indication on where are black youth would end up, why try any harder in trying to shut down skeptics. There are more black men in the United States prison system than any other race. Blacks still don't share even a fraction of the wealth as whites in this country. We must look at the past to understand why this is.

It wasn't until the Civil Rights Bills of 1964 that segregation ended in America. When I say ended, that's only on paper and not in people's minds. Seeing that you can't change someone's perception with an act of Congress, bigotry and racism still existed/exists in America. Civil Rights and the dark past of slavery in America has continued to influence each generation and how we look at race. Instead of having a conversation about race, we wait until tragedy before acknowledging that we have a problem on how we treat black people.

The current "War On Young Black Men" has no voice on how we fix it from anyone in the media. More worried about getting more ratings for court trials instead of giving ways we could end this "War". The youth of Chicago, kids like Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, and the education we give poor neighborhoods are more of a spectacle than showing those who are pushing for change.

Let's look at the stereotypes of black men in America. Being lazy, not able to take of their children, being a danger to society are all related to the idea that black people, because of the color of their skin in the slavery era, were different from the common man. The color of our skin quickly is connected with negative characteristics instead of knowing the person first. We take what we know of the "common" black person in America and tie it in with all black people. If anyone speaks on this, black or white, someone gets defensive and apologetic for having a conversation so no one comes off as racist. Why? We should become defensive as black people and give our story. If you are better than the average American, say it with pride no matter what race you are. It's become normal to know that we have a race problem, but let time dictate how racial relations will get better.



Spike Lee was labeled as a racist for his views on gentrification. When all he said was what no else would.







Listen:

I've been treated both fairly and unfairly based off the color of my skin. And no one knows exactly how I feel other than other black people who don't speak on this issue.
If we look at our education system in black neighborhoods, the role model in the home of black America, and the jobs that black people get based off education, we could solve a lot of problems.

As a black man labeled as felon, I now am a second class citizen. When I look for a job, apply for a loan, enter a relationship, or anything that depends on trust - I am looked at with a watchful eye until I prove myself. If I told you that others that have committed worst crimes than mine and were given lesser sentences in the same court room on the same day with the same judge was unfair, you'd still say I probably shouldn't of committed a crime and I received what was due instead of looking at the way we prosecute. We have a fundamental problem in America with accepting people as equal and it will haunt us until we act and have a conversation. We as black people don't need our own month, our own organizations to only move our own people ahead, or only think were only susceptible to success when one of us makes it and we follow that same route.

I will never be a famous athlete, go to an ivy league school, or be a billionaire. And not because I don't have the opportunity, but because I'm a realist. I will find success and then begin to knock on the doors of the naysayers to let others like me in. I won't go out of my way to reach for a goal that everyone's going for just to say I did it. I'm going to do what makes me happy and tell others to do the same. If monetary gain is the only way black people think success is measured, were not looking at the bigger picture. Say what you will, but until race is transparent, there are undertones that we must all get over and making equality prevalent.

Watching the gay movement all over the media for the last couple of years become bigger than anyone probably anticipated, but where is the movement on asking more of a government that still can't get over how I look much less who I'm in love with.