In contemporary society, discussions surrounding identity, culture, and empowerment are more vital than ever. This is especially true when examining the experiences and expressions of African women.
Social media is a powerful thing, and it's very telling. In my lifetime, I can't remember black people being more awake than they are right now. It may seem pessimistic to say that but I don't ever remember black people being this "woke."
We live in a period where it's more common in our culture for black women to wear weave than wear their own natural hair. Even more astonishingly, white folks actually seem to embrace black people's hair more than a lot of black people do. Even though I could care less about white people embracing my hair, sometimes I actually feel like they over embrace it. I suppose that to them it's a novelty to see black people embrace their own identity without shame.
Witnessing these effects of white supremacy or as some would rather say, black inferiority, NY has now passed a law that prohibits businesses from being prejudice against black people who wear their own natural hair at work. It's funny, 2019 and we are just now passing such law.
Of course I expect black people to be confused about their identity. A lost people is a group of people who are very easy to control.
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The Quest for Inclusion and Economic Empowerment
These women seem to be campaigning for the same thing our civil rights leaders from the 60's were fighting for, which is inclusion. To me, fighting for inclusion is pointless.
I find myself caring less about his-story and more about how we can influence ourselves and our communities economically. The mighty dollar is supreme and gets worshiped by everyone. Money is also a symbol of power.
If you tell black people they are gods and goddesses or kings and queens, then everyone else laughs. But if you create an economic base that empowers them, you become everyone's enemy. Black Wall Street is the only time in the history of Black people that we were so much of a threat that a bomb was used on us! Any other time they would rather tie us together and push us off of a cliff. Ironically, when you try to uplift black people, even black people will oppose you.
The Overlooked Stories of America's Black Wall Streets | The History You Didn't Learn | TIME
In the 80's we almost put Ebony magazine out of business because they showed us a picture of a Black Jesus. In the 90's it was still considered a sin to not be some form of either christian or muslim. I wouldn't say this was the least woke generation.
Redefining the Narrative
It doesn't make me happy these days when black people get into office. I think this is something that should work in our benefit but we usually end up with a Clarence Thomas or Barack Obama.
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I remember having an argument with my father when Barack got elected. My dad said he would sell out black people and I argued that he at least deserves a chance. I foolishly voted for Barack the 2nd election because I felt maybe this time he could have some type of meaningful impact as far as black people were concerned. Admitting, I only voted for Obama because he appeared black.
I believe that black people play such a weak role in politics, that collectively, the black vote doesn't really count for much. No one caters to black people. Our politicians have realized that all they have to do is sell black people a dream and they will get our votes.
Everyone is on this new reparations thing now which I don't believe we should accept even if they offered it to us which I believe they may do soon enough just to close down that argument. Whatever they do give us, they will get back 80 percent of it within that same year I am certain.
I believe black behavior needs to change. I think black people are too easily led by people who mean us harm. I see hope for us but our agenda has to change.
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