Malcolm X once said, "Before you were anything, you were Black." Tonight I felt like writing about something I am, but instead I'm writing about how I feel about what I am. There is a great difference. If I wrote about being Black, my entry would simply say, "I am Black." and that would be the end.
When a stranger looks at me, they know nothing about me outside of the fact that I am Black. They don't know my parents, my level of education, or my occupation. They only know I am Black. At times, that fact chills me because in 2010 I think the misunderstanding of what it means to be Black is greater than ever. With a Black president comes the interest in what it means for today's Blacks to be Black in America.
Race is an evolution, not a cycle so there is no simple answer. Also, the president is not looking to create a Black America, but the stamp of his color is without a doubt a shadow accompanied with his political work. Like never before, we are forced to talk about how race effects our politics and how much it effects our votes and support for our leaders. We are forced to look at ourselves in the mirror of the America we think we live in and determine how we see ourselves. Americans are no longer hiding their views, preferences, and even their ignorance because of the fears many people carry with them. This goes for both Blacks and Whites. Usually people fear a politician after their policies are put in places, but with Barack Obama, his race and color were the threats and he was faced with an America no other president has seen.
America didn't live in a George H.W. Bush America. Nor did we live in a Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton America. Unfortunately we lived and may continue to live in a George W. Bush America. In 2000 we felt like a country divided and damned to the flames because of chads, but on September 11th we all united until feeding our families became a problem. I have not figured out if we are living in a Barack Obama America because race has been at the forefront of his presidency since day one. He was crowned the 1st Black president instead of being inaugurated as the 44th president. This was a huge problem because his audience was set. Some chose to listen, some chose to judge, some chose to rebel and ignore.
Black men everywhere face this same challenge. When I catch the attention of an unoccupied salesperson and they let me browse through the store only to let me exit through the same door without an offering of help I conclude it is because they dismissed me as someone that wasn't in their audience.
They say writers have a core audience, and that is true. At the same time, writers have an audience they go after and I decided my audience is anyone who is willing to read. If a man, woman, or child doesn't know how to read, but would like to learn to read to my material, that is an enormous honor. That is the aim of my reach.
The disconnect between any group or individual happens when they are incorrectly judged more than they are appreciated, and the beginning of a group's distruction is when they believe their incorrect judgements. As people, it is our job to not abuse the power we have to invite others into our world based on who they are. Let's not simply look, let us observe and after we disagree let us not judge, but work to make things better. It is possible. Peace yall.
