My Mold
...tall, slim, great sense of humor, leader, dependable....Race??? Well, by looks he is African American, but not by his actions, manners or style.
I asked myself and my girlfriend a simple question while watching BET the other day. The video that was being played was Nelly's "Grillz". I asked, "Babe, why do black people pick the dumbest things to make the newest trend?" She laughed, but then realized I was serious. She said, "Because we always want to be the newest and trendiest". It kind of stuck with me, seeing that people, African Americans are advertising the dumbest thing. I mean, really, a "Grill" made of diamonds, gold and platnium? What sense does that make? Why not just chew some coal and call it a day?
I seem to be missing something, I dont know what it is or if the problem is with me rather than society. I see what my people are doing and think it is stupid. I see the wackest fashion, the stupid songs and the dances that go with them, the worst language to be said to any human being. Its not just the people who "live in the ghetto" or have hard up bringings, in corporate american I see my people wanting more money for no reason, wanting a position that isn't fit for them and never happy with the position they hold. Or, better yet, want another job to get stuff that they want, but don't realize that they can have it if they think!
My mold is different, be it that I have a strong upbringing, outstanding friends and a girlfriend who is "my heart"; i depend and get my ideas from them. Not the TV who is stuck on putting the most ignorant stuff on when school kids are home, not the radio who plays "Gimma that pussy" at 730 in the morning (Hell of a way to wake up huh???), not the "streets" cause I am from and will try my best to stay in the 'burbs. Its not a thing of not being "black" anymore, its a thing of being "too black"
Do you think our great grandparents fought for freedom for you to by a '64 Impala? Get some 23' rims and a sound system that can be heard from miles, but have no job, no credit and sling drugs on the block? Or to complain about a job that has but gas in your bucket and food on your plate just cause other people got BMW's and Lexus's??? No, No and once again No.
Just cause my mold is strong doesn't mean that I lost my "blackness", its that I embraces real "blackness" and incorporate the world into it.
How's your mold???
I asked myself and my girlfriend a simple question while watching BET the other day. The video that was being played was Nelly's "Grillz". I asked, "Babe, why do black people pick the dumbest things to make the newest trend?" She laughed, but then realized I was serious. She said, "Because we always want to be the newest and trendiest". It kind of stuck with me, seeing that people, African Americans are advertising the dumbest thing. I mean, really, a "Grill" made of diamonds, gold and platnium? What sense does that make? Why not just chew some coal and call it a day?
I seem to be missing something, I dont know what it is or if the problem is with me rather than society. I see what my people are doing and think it is stupid. I see the wackest fashion, the stupid songs and the dances that go with them, the worst language to be said to any human being. Its not just the people who "live in the ghetto" or have hard up bringings, in corporate american I see my people wanting more money for no reason, wanting a position that isn't fit for them and never happy with the position they hold. Or, better yet, want another job to get stuff that they want, but don't realize that they can have it if they think!
My mold is different, be it that I have a strong upbringing, outstanding friends and a girlfriend who is "my heart"; i depend and get my ideas from them. Not the TV who is stuck on putting the most ignorant stuff on when school kids are home, not the radio who plays "Gimma that pussy" at 730 in the morning (Hell of a way to wake up huh???), not the "streets" cause I am from and will try my best to stay in the 'burbs. Its not a thing of not being "black" anymore, its a thing of being "too black"
Do you think our great grandparents fought for freedom for you to by a '64 Impala? Get some 23' rims and a sound system that can be heard from miles, but have no job, no credit and sling drugs on the block? Or to complain about a job that has but gas in your bucket and food on your plate just cause other people got BMW's and Lexus's??? No, No and once again No.
Just cause my mold is strong doesn't mean that I lost my "blackness", its that I embraces real "blackness" and incorporate the world into it.
How's your mold???
posted by BMass at 23:15
1 Comments:
Wow...that was a powerful post!
I feel that if we as blacks use our power to start a 'movement' rather than a trend, we as a people can move forward. When I say movement, I mean, teaching our kids to buy books rather than video games...insisting on higher education...teaching them to own a piece of the rock(real estate,stocks, bonds, IRAs) rather than a piece of the jewel(diamonds,etc.)...volunteer a rec center... be a tutor or mentor. If kids never see positive, successful,black people and all they see are rappers and movie stars, that's all they'll know.
My parents started out with nothing. Both worked their way through college with 2 kids! Now they are successful and so are their kids. They both worked hard to make sure that we had everything. That means something to me. If more black families focused on their kids future rather than the present, we would have more sucessful generations to come. I really don't think it's about where we come from, it's more about what we aspire to be.
My father used to tell us 3 things that helped us:
1. Don't limp for cripples. Be your own person...
2.Your character is who you are when no one is looking...
3.There is no place in society for a lazy tongue. Speak your mind.
I know I wrote a book...but I guess I had a lot to say.....
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