Happy Monday.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday. As for mine, it was very restful.
I hope you have a wonderful day. May you plan out your day, and your upcoming year. Always remember, in order to KNOW where you are going, you must have a plan to get, or you may end up anywhere.
As I sat at my computer this morning, I wondered why should I write, as I rested lazily on my backside. Then impulsively, I cast my mind back to when I was a little girl, growing up in Detroit, Michigan. I thought about how my father would constantly tell his children to "use common sense". He would reiterate that a little "thought before acting" would prevent many ills Black people were experiencing.
My father shared how he left his birth state, Arkansas, because of the discrimination, and to seek better opportunities. He reminded us of the importance of education, and why we should "take advantage" of it. My dad would say "education is something no one can ever take from you."
Do you ever pause to think for a moment, when change will come to Black Americans?
I had several conversations over this holiday weekend with one particular person regarding the subject of Black Americans. My position was constant, Black Americans are in dire need of attention. I would even say that we have the most deadliest form of cancer. However, others may argue that Black Americans problems are the result of inadequate, and incompetent leadership, or even the U.S. government.
Blame game.
Black Americans ills are because the people themselves have become complacent. They are lazy. They do not want to spend any time investing in themselves. The situation is similar to the over weight woman who badly needs to lose weight but would much rather take the "magic pill" than to do the hard work of exercising and carefully monitoring her diet. It is much easier to take a pill and "wait" for the weight to melt away. Right?
Black Americans have become comfortable living in a fool's paradise. Too many convince themselves that our problems are no greater or worse than any other ethnic group. And the sad fact is that they eventually believe this lie. They tell themselves this lie over and over again, and soon the lie becomes their reality. A reality filled with fiction, as though a "James Cameron" had wrote it for one of his obnoxious movies. Except this movie has no ending. It is infinite.
But I say this to you and every Black American in this nation:
The reason why it seems Black Americans cannot heal, the reason why Black Americans cannot mend, the reason why it seems our condition is so hopeless, the reason why our "leaders" are ailing is you. You, me, we, us, what ever pronoun they use to qualify these things these days notwithstanding. We are the reason why Black Americans cannot heal. We are sick and disgusted at our selves, but we want to pretend as though we are not. We want to sweep our ills under the rug, and pretend as though they do not exist.
For how long are WE; Black Americans, from the so called leaders, celebrities, and the common man, how long are we going to look the other way and decide to see that nothing happens? I mean, even when every one in America see that Black Americans are failing themselves, and most important, our children.
For how long do we pretend? A new year is dawning, should we go on pretending, into 2010?
L. for Love
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