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Alot of people agree that blacks need to stick together. But how many people take the time to simple say hi to next black person on the street. Why do we seem to act invisible or pretend not to see our brothers and sisters in public? But on the internet we can suddenly appear empathetic? Is this not the first step to building our community?
Posted By: Harold Causey
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 11:24AM
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Hmmm..
I agree and disagree.
First off, I am from Wisconsin, born & raised. Throughout the years we have had a large number of African-Americans come here looking for handouts..and why do I say that? Because MOST are showing no signs of trying to better themselves. I am all for helping a sista out, but if sista girl would rather sign up for food stamps than sign up for school.. then I cant help ya. I understand YA GOTTA DO.. WHAT YA GOTTA DO! But when do you start to do what you really NEED to do? Times are getting tough, and benefits such as health care, food stamps & subsidized housing are few & far between. We need people.. BLACK people out here.. trying to help and advocate for these people.. not keep them in the same messed up position which is taking them NOWHERE inevitably. I unlike many havent grown up with a spirit of defeat..African-American`s are SETTLING for NOTHING at an alarming rate and if someone doesnt stop this soon, we will have nothing. We should reach out to one another, we should stick our nose up at the next person "just trying to make it" you know? But its the easiest thing to do when YOU have your **** together finally..you know.. and you dont want to deal with anyone else`s.. As hard as it is out here.. I feel that is the mindset that most people have.
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 12:22PM
Chamieka House
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I'm all for advocating for people trying to help themselves. I have a hard time mentoring to sistas who have become so comfortable with having little or nothing that it sometimes leaves a knot at the pit of my stomach. It's disheartening.
And then there's always the situation where if you WANT to do better and do something more than hang out on the corner all day and let little boys holla in ya ear and succumb to the peer pressure that says, "You should be doin' what I'm doin' or else," then you get backlash from your own communities because they believe that you're trying to "be white."
That SO frustrated me as a child. I spoke in complete sentences and expressed complete thoughts, so I always got ridiculed that I was just tryin' to be white. And the whole time I'm wondering and asking them and myself, "Who told YOU that only white people were intelligent and had something to say that is worth hearing?" It's passed from the first hopeless generation to the next that amounting to anything more than a hooker or a hoodrat means that you're no longer welcomed among your own family.
Growing up, my mother and grandmother had to undo all the would-be brainwashing and planted the same seed over and over again: "I don't care what this world says. You can be ANYTHING. This life is not yours." They didn't say, "It doesn't have to be yours." They said, "It's NOT yours." We were raised by God-fearing, praying, persevering, longsuffering women and they didn't play with us about our grades, didn't allow us to run the streets at all hours of the night, didn't allow us to talk back, didn't allow us to succumb to the pressures presented by both peers and the adults raising them. They did the dang thing and batted an average of 100%.
I agree with the previous post. If I'm helping someone get up to go in a better direction, I'm all for that, but I won't help anyone stay down. I can only encourage so much and plant so many seeds. I can't MAKE a person DO.
I do what I can because I can do something. And then I pray to God that what I said or did reached at least one of the many.
Blessings...
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 12:39PM
Dee Gray
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I think it's basic 'behavior modification'. First, we've allowed a culture of negative icons to hijack who we really are and what history tells us about our community. We continue to enable violence--the do not tell faction--, drugs and s*x without responsibility to color who we are. Secondly, we don't want the white power structure to think that we are associated with that culture. Third, we don't want to appear to have the brotherhood fraternity of kinship, necessary in past generations for social movement, for fear that we will lose any social or financial grounds we'e personally made. That 'behavior modification' was constructed, primarily, by the power of the media by creating a negative profile in being black associating with blacks and being in harmony with blacks. We need some grassroots work in taking back who we really are, and sometimes, giving a pat on the shoulder, a handshake or a smile and a nod to blacks we just come in contact with daily. Handle this the way you want, I mean, if you don't feel comfortable doing this exchange with someone wearing baggy pants, then don't. But, as for me, whenever I come in contact with any brother or sister, I give them acknowledgement, because no matter what, we all need to be encouraged and feel that we have common problems and concerns...and that we care about each other.
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 1:23PM
g smallwood
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I have learned that if you can't change the world change yourself. If you speak, nod or smile at a Black person passing you, most will respond in some way. But you have to be able to recognize the gang mentality that might take that as a challenge. Don't feel discouraged if some don't respond because most will. Check out my documentary, The Vanishing Black Male. Its on the video menu for this site. You can watch the entire movie for free. I'd like your comments.
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 2:35PM
Hisani DuBose
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It has a lot to do with our mental state. We suffer from an inferiority complex, thinking we are less than rather than equal to white people. This attitude causes us to avoid each other out of fear we may displease white folk. "Lord forbid they see a bunch of Negroes' acknowledging each other. Must be a conspiracy going on."
We need to stop trying to please white Americans, start acknowledging the beauty within Black America. We should be breaking our neck to say hello to each other. No one else is.
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 2:51PM
J. A. Faulkerson
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well there is alot of reason why we were are not together... my parents are from east africa and when i come her just because in mot American "black" as i was told in school im not allowed to be back they would even make me say African American like all the white ppl or i would be offending them.... so i think that if ppl would stop being racist with in the race [ light skind dark medium mocha or african w/e] once we got over that obstacle we can over come much more as a whole
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 6:29PM
Layla Jackson
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Harold, one day you will realize that it is easier to trust someone when your communicating from a distance. Why do you think that so many people get taken or keep falling for unrealistic scams. We want to trust people, but we know in our hearts, we're afraid of betrayal.
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 8:50PM
Helen Lofton
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Harold, one of the answers to your question is why have allowed main stream media (I pray is wher eyou got this idea)to define who we are and our Black values. For example,as a student at UCdaivs(a college town that Black students may not get served in a local cafe or be allowed to live off campus in safty) Iwas asked by a White students if all of the Black students know each other, because we always spoke or gave some type of recognition to each other? I explained that we did not actually know each other but that we did this to show unity because there were so few of us on campus.
At the same time the suudents who were from Africa never even acted like we existed on that campus. So we printed in the school paper that we would be having a get together and pot luck with the students from Africa on a given day and at a given place. To our total surprise all of these African students had been sponsored by White people. They had been told how we were there on Affirmative Action and not serious students so stay away from us. One of the biggest surprise that I got was (in 1991) one of the African females told us how surprised she was when she got to New York and say so many, many Black people. The only thing she knew about African-Americans was what she saw in the movies and she saw very few Black people in those movies. Now, with this as a fact about being Black in America just how much misinformation do you believe that CNN was able to produce all over this planetwith those Black in America, experienc specials????
But, maybe one day(but at 66 yrs. old and counting,I do not believe I will live to see it)that Black people like me from the ordinary Black community will be able to say this to the world as an answer to what you are thinking about a "WHOLE" race of people via CNN/Fox. about Our race.
And, by the way all of us are not Christians. I stopped being one when I learned all Black people before slavery will not go to hearen because they are not human.
Please take special note that I said, "I" and not that I am against Christians or any religion on this planet!!!I will say that I do not violate any of the 10 commandments and because I believe in Cause and Effect, i recognize Jeasus Christ as he is what Christanity is all about. to me Logic trumps emotions any day.
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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Oh, Harold, one more thing.I have never and will never pass a Black person and not speak to them or show that I know they exist as a part of the planet.But, like not following the Christianity requirements, I do not allow White people to call me "sister" nor do I allow all Black people to call me. "sister"for example, until those African-Americans like O.J. Smipson refuse to believe that they have crossed over into being accepted as nonBlack until they "prove" that a mistake has been made by being allowed to beable to 'act White; White without giving up that VIOLENT, distructive behavior of the Black gene,etc.They Can never call me Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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Harold, I have just given up trying to reply to your questions, so will answer on your post.
1. I did not deem Africans as non human therefore that legal and moral law came from the Vatican, not me!!! To bring put "Chatel" slavery as the only way to get Africans a soul so that they could enter Heven,came from a Bull(or Papal decree) A P-O-P-E did this thus making slavery in America legal in the law and the laws of the Christian Biblein America. Making this country the only place on this planet to have slavery for life or Chatel slavery. I am sure that you have heard how the Bible talks about the more you 'suffer' on earth the better the reward is in Heaven? again, this did not come from me.
As for if I am being logical as better than emotion. Well, here goes. I am one of the first generations in the deep south that it became the norm to call us Miss, MR. MRS and not uncle, auntie,etc to avoid this recognitation as say, EQUAL? Logic for me is not to take my race backward by not requiring the MRS. title of respect at least for one's Black elders! You can call me "sister" if you like and I will be privliged for you to do so, but because I believe I am old enough to be your grandmother, MRS. will do.(smile) Unlike O.J. Simpson you have never cause harm to me or my children because of the meantality that can not see those of us with Black skin as individuals. I suffer every time Simpson forgets that we have not yet gained equal justice in America. He is a poster child for the continuation for us to be labled Violent! and, he has never even been in prison!!!!
I leave you with this as a fact that does cause me to be emotional. The first Africans put into Chatel slavery(or slavery for life only done in America) had paid their passage from Africa to Va. They unlike those Africans before their arrival came after this Bull(law) by the Pope. You see the more one learns about our history the more proud we becomeand more resistance for it being misleading then rubbed in by reminding us we do not go any place but to prison, drug dealers. Me. I look at slavery to prison to the gettho as a place to surviveand rise above for at least your future grandchildren by using that culture we brought from the Mother Land to do just thisalways and no matter the obsticles thrown you path. Much like CNN/Fox. Survival is the first law of nature of all living things and beings.
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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It is my "Dream" that one day what we are saying on the net right now will cause more and more of our people to resist by any means necessary any thing/person trying to educate out of us our culture /our own cultural identity. for, example in a class taught from our African-centered point of view, I will forever regret that as a child I told my grandmother,"Why don't you speak English"! almost 45 years later I learned that being in the south we tend to use more African based words than "Standard English". We say 'chunk" not throw. We say "uses" not "our"or "we" as this is what we brought with us from the Mother Land. So the way that I show my shame and regret for using a European-centered public school education to make me ashamed of my proud African heritage, I now fill out my forms that ask what is your first language with "Ebonics" as the real and true answer. And, the demand for respect for our own language is being forced on public schools teachers in Oakland,Ca.( I live two hours north of there) It is called Ethnic sensativity. It is a start in bringing back pride and retaining knowledge for our next generation in who we are.
I admit it is not a match for the identity that CNN is convincing this planet about who and what we as deendants of africa but it is a begining.
And, little by little voices like mine will be able to carry on the education of our people by way story telling until Oprah's network on cable Tv. in '09 is followed by more and more African-centered voices in America.In 8 more years who knows may be both Oprah and Obama may be able to get freedom of choice of religion in this country and return to the "Church" of their choices; where they both met learing how to be proud Black people no matter the :fame, money or political/social powerthose like them must not give in to, e-v-e-r!!!!! Right now America is trying to make up their minds if these two are not Marxist because they were members of Trinity in peace until the main stream media decided thay could not do so in P-E-A-C-E any more!!!! I am glad that the middle-east is reacting to Obama as if he is a Muslim or have none of you caught on to this. Say the price of gas before and after Obama's trip to the middle-east. Or how Obama went to Europe because their news papers have been demanding this since he began to run. They call him the Black JFK since the Kennedys indorced him. (cable news limited education again?!?)
Wake Up America and watch how Whitney Huston can not sing a standard English version of the Star spangled Banner nor could Jimmy Hendris play it on his guetar. And, why Jazz it self came into being and because still to this day only Blacks can do justice to this form of music....It is all being taught in our Black Liberation churches and our Black liberation African- American study department "music" classes today not yesterdays!!!
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA
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