It was just the other day during a chance conversation with a friend at work about movies and music that made me want to listen to some classic Hip Hop. So on my ride home I popped in Nas' It Was Written and zoned out. It was a surreal moment because even though I have listened to that album many times over the past couple of years I never paid much attention to the opening lines of that album where Nas boldly declares, "There ain't no place for black folks here no more." That line never registered with me until I connected it to the early conversation about the Straight Out of Compton film. During a scene where the group is being questioned about their album content Ice Cube's responds to a reporter's attempt to negatively portray the music of N.W.A. with the remark that "Our art is a reflection of our reality!"
His words were true because music has always been a way for folks of all cultures and backgrounds to express their feelings and beliefs. It is a timeless and true platform because it has the power to speak on topics and situations that might otherwise be ignored or minimized in other forms of media. As N.W.A., Nas, and many other artists did years ago and many continue to do today, they used the music to share the realities of their surroundings and conditions. Through the music they became the voices of those that had been characterized as unimportant and unworthy. Now you may ask how does Hip Hop and Rap music that is often criticized for perpetuating violence, drug use and the sexual objectification of women relate to what is seemingly a growing epidemic of deadly occurrences between police officers and citizens...its rather simple really, the music then as it is doing now is still reflecting reality. Especially in recent times it seems Tupac Shakur was right when he said back in 1998, "Cops don't give a damn about a Negro, pull a trigger kill a nigger he's a hero."
Even though these not-so-random events are receiving more attention due to the immediate access that social media provides they are not considered to represent the normal interaction. But for many it has become a grim reality but for many others these events are just news broadcast and social site topics that can be turned off and scrolled past. So depending on your point of reference the seemingly lack of respect for black lives may not matter much to you and then on the other hand respecting black lives may mean everything to you! For those that are not familiar, the "Black Lives Matter" Movement is a civil campaign that has been gaining steady publicity across the globe due to the many instances of black and brown citizens dying at the hands of beige police officers and those persons claiming to stand their ground in the mist of perceived threats. It is a dire social issue that is deserving of attention and positive actions not a cool hash tag or a hot trending topic. The relationships between brown and beige persons are again in the public eye much like they were during the civil rights movements of the 1960's but with a year 2000 generational twist.
Again I want you to be mindful that is our experiences in life that play a substantial role in how we view ourselves, others and situations so don't fret if you know nothing about the Black Lives Matter movement, I will do my best to educate you. For example if you live in a neighborhood where the police are seen as civil servants that you call on for help you might be lead to believe that the Black Lives Matter "situation" is creating hostile racial tension where there is none. Yet on the other hand if you reside in a neighborhood where the only visual you see of police is when they are employing "random" stop-in-frisk searches or standing over bodies of slain citizens that reportedly had their hands up moments prior to receiving eight warning shots then you too may be lead to believe that the Black Lives Matter groups are bringing much needed attention to situations that have been long ignored by the mass media.
Many times when issues that involve race are discussed unfortunately the labels and accusations of racism and being a racist can quickly follow. But again depending on the experiences one has had in their lives their views may be different and different does not always equate to racial bigotry but sometimes unfortunately it does. But can we all be honest with each other for a moment. The movement of Black Lives Matter was born out of the same reactions and necessities that jump-started the Civil Rights movement. In the United States of America race relations have never been all roses and smiles due to the founding of this "great" nation. A nation that was built on the rapes, thefts, enslavement and deaths of 100's of millions Native Indians and Africans by European colonists. So to act as if Racism isn't so deeply interwoven into American culture is irresponsible and dangerous. The history and current state of race relations in the US can be summed perfectly in a single yet powerful quote..."Racism is not a stain on the American fabric...IT IS the American fabric."
In a country where generations of citizens are still referred to as minorities and the racial divide is so clear and promoted that on every major form you are forced to classify yourself as either being a American aka "white" majority or a hyphenated part of the minority (Asian-American, African-American, Hispanic-American etc.) Even in the year 2015 folks are fighting to keep the Confederacy flag (a symbol of the destructive and divisive American Civil War) flying high at State Capitol buildings in the name of recognizing a heritage, a heritage that celebrates a time when the nation was divided along racial ideologies. Just imagine how quickly that flag would have came down or not been raised at all if it was a banner honoring the devastation and loss of life during the World Trade attacks of 1993 and 2011 or a flag paying tribute to the Nazis during the time of the holocaust was displayed at a federal building!
The fact is especially in the United States of America, the value of black and brown lives for the past 500+ years has been considered exceptionally low so much that for centuries black and brown citizens were treated as insignificant property. Even the suggestion that when unarmed brown citizens are beaten and or killed by a cop or armed wanna be, they some how deserved it and its not a big deal since blacks kill blacks (as if to imply that whites don't kill whites) is disturbing. That line of thinking insinuates that black and brown lives are somehow less valuable than their beige counterparts and their mistreatment and deaths are acceptable which is in itself completely unacceptable. But again everything is relative to our perceived realities. Now I am not calling for aggression or mistrust against police officers because there are more GREAT officers that sacrifice everyday to protect and serve (TO THE COURAGEOUS AND NON-CORRUPTED MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BADGE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!) than those that abuse their sworn duties. I am just asking those with experiences or views that have led them to believe that racism doesn't exist, there is no issue and black and brown people should just get over it, I implore you to look at these situations from a different perspective.
As a young brown man who was been told all his life to stay out of trouble because I wouldn't be afforded the same luxuries or benefits that persons with a lighter hue would be given, I have lived as a "model" citizen out of fear. Because even living right comes with inherited risks because every day I leave my home I can still be a justified victim of racial profiling. Viewed as a menacing threat which could lead to me possibly being laid out in the street in handcuffs or covered with a sheet surrounded by the screams and cries of my wife and daughter just because I was born and live daily in a beautiful brown skin tone. I remember years back crafting a paper in college on which I wrote on the topic of Race in America. My point of topic was to answer the question..."How can I have faith in a justice system and country that barely 50 years ago viewed me only as property that wasn't worth having basic human rights?". It's sad that today I still have to ask that question. Now I don't know what is like to live as a woman or a beige person so I cannot give testimony to either but I do know what it's like to live labeled as a black man. I am made aware of the color of my skin every day by the media, by coworkers snide race jokes or remarks, on the streets and in the history books. In all honesty I'm tired of the daily constant reminders of what color my skin is.
During the height of the protests in Ferguson and New York, I remember reading the following in an article. I remember thinking that it was very accurate and profound. "As a white person, until your skin turns black or brown, you will always have guaranteed privileges and freedoms, which in your case includes the privilege of ignoring the fact that you have them. If you deny this fact, it's only because you don't want to acknowledge the advantages you have as a white person over someone whose pigment is darker. Ask the police who they're going to harass more - poor blacks or poor whites. Ask bank lenders who they deem as more trust worthy black or white consumers. Ask employers who they are more likely to hire black felons or white felons looking to be given a second chance. That is your privilege. The privilege of being born with the complexion of protection and promise." That may seem harsh to some but there is so much truth in the statement that it cannot be denied or ignored.
Now I want to stress again, that the point of this chapter is not to bash beige and peachy (my daughter's word) folks OR excuse black and brown folks, the purpose is to help you open your eyes to the inherited benefits and difference of consequences that are afforded or withheld from you all because of the beautiful brown or beige hue you're in. So the question still remains...do black lives matter? The answer is a thundering YES! Absolutely they do! Just like ALL THE LIVES OF ALL PERSONS OF VARIOUS HUES MATTER! But the reality of the truth is that black lives only matter to a certain few of the "majority" vs the mass of the "minority". But we can change that and in time racial harmony can be a reality. But until our experiences in life unite us instead of dividing us, there will continue to be movements such as the Black Lives Matter campaign. Movements that push for equality of living regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual preference will continue to occur because as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke, "A riot...is the language of the unheard."
"You are either the greatest contributor...or the greatest threat to your own happiness." - TWIL
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