Doctor My Eyes

Lately, I've been concerned that my perspective on race is unfounded. How could I possibly think I'm seeing the things that are before me? 

On the issue of race today, it seems a huge majority of blacks and a good number of whites are seeing something else compared to what I'm seeing.  In the Zimmerman case, people see a man playing judge and executioner on an innocent teenager because of his color.  I see a tragedy within a tragedy.  I see the result of a culture that's extremely out of control with crime and violence and THAT should be addressed with high priority. It appears that if you acknowledge that as a problem, you're a racist, or if you're black, a Tom.

So I concede to being a "Tom".  I should point out that I don't find the title offensive anymore.  Seriously, what does it take to be a 'Tom' these days anyway?  The same thing it takes to be a racist these days, absolutely very very very very little.  

   

• "You don't agree with the rest of us? You're a Tom."  

• "You think blacks need to get their house in order? You're a racist." 

I'm trying to understand a race that has established some exclusive, yet questionable standards for itself.  

For example:  

- "Nigger" is supposed to be a despicable word. No other race can use this word, but WE can. Oh, and there's a difference between "Nigger" and "Niggaz".  

This is a lame rationalization at best, don't you think?

Only children can get away with this. 

"Cool. Let's address ourselves as such and put in it our music too.  That's right, we're a PROUD people."

- I'm also trying to understand yet another questionable standard:

 No other race can kill us without the scope and scrutiny of the nation and the attention of a raging populace, but we can. We can murder our own, in massive numbers if we want. And guess what? We do.

Don't even think about talking about it.  Don't protest about it. Don't be enraged. Don't cancel your gigs because of it. Don't report it.  
Just let the media dictate or manipulate what your concerns should be, the outcome of which is clearly to THEIR benefit. 

I am concerned that I must be deadly wrong about all of this.  

What I'm I missing here?  What's wrong with my eyes? 

Off To The Races

It's sad that it seems almost pointless to speak candidly, preach or pontificate about anything of significance these days, because no one is listening.  Initially, one of my concerns about the whole rap/hip-hop thing was, everybody is talking and everybody has something to say, but nobody is listening or looking beyond themselves. The only thing being listened to and looked at is the dollar. 
It's puzzling to me that courtesy the Zimmerman trial, everybody is talking about race problems, but not about the ingredients in the  complication.  Blacks and whites are screaming "injustice" and now everyone is talking about the Stand Your Ground Laws.  I'm not saying that these things are unimportant, but in my eyes, all of this is avoiding the real issue. Yes, racism as we know it, is going to be hanging around for too many years to come.  But today, triggered by this trial, we're dealing with something that's a little different.  Racism vs. "Hey, I'm not blind."  It's one thing to hate someone because of their color, it's another thing to be afraid, to be cautious of a 'people' because of the same reasons that that race is afraid, cautious and concerned of it's own. 

 No one should pull a trigger on anyone, but chaos breeds more chaos and fear. What are folks to do? Pretend they don't read and watch news reports? Yes, profiling is wrong, but black or white, would you feel comfortable walking in a black neighborhood at night? Why not? If you're approached by someone wearing a hoodie, would you say "hey nice color, where'd you get that?" You wouldn't be afraid, right? Not everyone wearing a hoodie is a thug. There are many exceptions, but not enough. The exceptions are not the problem. 
 So here we are. Post Zimmerman trial. How's life in the inner city, better? Is life back to normal? Has there been any murders? Has only one life been taken? How old? How young? Were whites involved? Drugs? Guns?  Will Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton disappear until the next tragedy that makes the headlines?

I don't know what it will take for something or someone, what used to be called a leader, to speak out about what's really going on and the cause and effect of a our civil problems. 

On the subject of personal and or societal growth, some of the more profound questions one could be asked might be :
"What are you contributing to your inability to succeed?" 
"What are you contributing to your problems?"
 Listen...

My Little World

Over the years, there's one thing I've observed about race issues, if you're looking for problems you'll always find them.  

At first, while traveling from state to state  I was highly aware that I was a BLACK man.  Everywhere I went people would look at the BLACK man walking up the street, The BLACK man shopping at Piggly Wiggly's, The BLACK man putting a coin in the parking meter.  And who's looking at the BLACK man? The WHITE man.  My little world was black and white.

If I were to go out to dinner with folks not of my persuasion and they excused themselves for the restroom, I was convinced that they were sitting on the toilet plotting against my people.  Somehow I figured that white people were spending all their waking and sleeping hours thinking up dastardly deeds.  This wouldn't give them much time for anything else, would it?   I guess it could explain why racists are so stupid.

After meeting so many people and making so many friends, a funny thing started to happen,  people were becoming just people and I was becoming just a person. 

There would be an occasion such as in Jasper, Indiana, when you're walking across the street and someone in a pickup truck passes you and shouts "Get out of the street nigger."    You're shocked. And you realize… "Oh right. I'm black. I almost forgot. Thanks. What did you say your name was?"  

Black awareness was at it's peak whenever I was back home in Philly.  There would be these wholesome moments  when the family would all sit together at the dinner table and we'd talk about the Phillies,  the WHITE man, the BLACK man, the RED man and the YELLOW man, but mainly the WHITE man. "Hey ma, there's a spaceship landing in the backyard!",  then we'd talk about the GREEN man.   

Then there's my step-dad standing at the head of the table, personifying Samuel L. Jackson. "Boy, don't you come to this table dressed like that, looking like the WHITE man. Where the F*** is your Dashiki??!! "    "Sorry dad, I'll go get it. Right on."

One thing for sure, people are fascinating. My little world was expanding.

If you prefer to listen to audio click below

My Little World