Why Don’t You Care?
Just the other evening I was speaking with a non-Black friend when I took the opportunity to inject some racial humor. It might surprise you to learn it was at the expense of Black people (yes, Your Black Friend has a sense of humor). It wasn’t mean spirited per se but let’s not kid ourselves, when it comes to Black people, there’s plenty of material. Anyway, I felt comfortable so I didn’t think it would be an issue. But in hindsight, I think she was afraid to laugh (it was funny) and instead decided to “check” me on my race-centered perspective. Her method was to ask: why I care so much about race? Another common variation of this question is: why does everything (with you people) have to be about race?
Hmmm…I can see why you might think that given that I wrote a book offering opinions on questions about Black people. But consider for a moment that this book couldn’t have been written without the material provided in the form of actual questions. And I’m okay with questions as long as they’re honest and lead to some understanding. With me, it’s all about honesty, understanding and equality. But the equality part is missing – and that’s why I care.
That led me to ask her: Why don’t you seem to care? Melting pot, Black President, crossover hip-hop, blah, blah, blah. None of that has led to equality – race is still a hang-up. Don’t believe me? Have a look at the progress being made in our drug sentencing laws. That’s an outright acknowledgment of bias against Black drug users. And while you may not care about drug users, it is illustrative of the way we have yet to go before we get to equal. And I’m sure you would care if you (or someone in your family) were treated differently based on their status (gay or disabled). I care about that too. But it so happens that I’m Black (something I wouldn’t hide or change) so I also have a stake in the equal treatment of Black people.
Each of us has a right to expect equal treatment. I mean ladies c’mon – perhaps one day we’ll be worthy of earning a dollar for each dollar a man earns. And since you know things are NOT equal – why don’t you care? We see people losing their minds over the treatment of animals (see Michael Vick and PETA) and we have environmental activists defending the planet. Isn’t your fellow man worth so much more consideration? Why aren’t YOU willing to go to the mat to ensure that all people are treated equally? I keep saying, the quicker we get to equal, the sooner those who have a stake in division are made irrelevant; AND the sooner you’ll get Black people to stop complaining – okay, so that’s not going to happen (it’s a joke people). But seriously folks, I do wonder why people don’t seem to care – more.
3 Responses to “Why Don’t You Care?”
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Nashieqa,
Read your article and liked it a lot. It was great to mention the drug sentencing laws and to emphasize what you’re saying. Those laws seem to show a racial bias as well as health disparities (which makes it disturbing that President Obama Health Care Reform doesn’t place enough emphasis on that which is disturbing to me even if I support a lot of good things in the bill). The judicial justice system and prison industrial complex are other examples to site as reason’s to care more about race. Great job and keep the articles coming. They’re a pleasure to read.
Good points. I think that anymore the separation of races through most means may not actually stem from the old-fashioned racism that our parents/grandpartens knew, but I’m sure that influence is still there. The argument can be made that our elitist politicos find great wealth and control in keeping people separated and at each other’s throats. Society encourages us to “celebrate diversity” but no one ever makes friends with those with whom they have nothing in common. I find that in protecting life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the rest takes care of itself (as long as people take that seriously and understand what it actually means).
I think I’m about to turn this into a personal rant, so I’ll stop here and go earn my paycheck.
Keep up the good work Nashieqa!
There are so many ways to comment on what you’ve written. Africans were unwilling immigrants to America. Long before the transatlantic slave trade, West Africa had a number of kingdoms and Empires just like other civilizations around the globe. Mansa Musa of the Mali Empire comes to mind. There were also Empires that were in place before his reign. Anyway, what I’m driving at is this. Even ancient African societies had social structures that placed the wealthy in charge of the poor. Europeans could not have removed so many without the help of Africans. That is to say that even Africans were helping with the slave trade either by assisting with kidnapping or just flat selling members of their own community.
Europeans at the time lived in fear of slave revolts. After all there were plenty of them because many of the captured were warriors and soldiers. One arriving on the shores of America. King George of England passed a law that said, no more than three Africans can be together at one time. This was in an effort to prevent revolt. However it did not stop revolts. U.S. History tells us the stories of Nat Turner (slave revolt), Fredrick Douglas (Revolted through his education), Booker T. Washington (Revolted through education others), W.E.B. Dubois (revolted through challenging the philosophy and distortion of African history), Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X (Revolted by challenging America’s morality through the Civil Rights movement), Barak Obama (Revolted by becoming the first black president of the United States). Africans just like other ancient societies had brilliant leaders. However, in this country our history, contributions and self worth are constantly under attack. Not only from those outside the community but from those lost souls who are within it.
I write a teen series that features teen characters of diverse cultures. So that I change and educate as many young minds as possible. This is why I travel across the country speaking at high schools, universities, and literary events. I am a fighter, a warrior and a leader. Just like those who came before me, I will fight to free minds so that we can continue to move forward not only in this country but around the globe.
Best,
Earl