What's happening friends and haters?! It's been a couple of weeks since I have updated this social commentary blog but I'm back and I have a great topic of discussion that has become, other than the Ebola outbreak which I'll have an extensive amount to say about next week, the most controversial debate within the week. Leave it to my friend and yours, NBA Hall Of Famer Charles Barkley to be in the middle of it.
Late last week, Charles Barkley did an interview, and he stated that Blacks were being targeted by other Blacks in terms of success. He used the terms "uneducated" and "brainwashed" to describe these kinds of Blacks. Here's a quote from that interview:
"For some reason, we're brainwashed to think that if you're not a thug or an idiot, you're not Black enough. If you go to school, make good grades, speak intelligent, and don't break the law, you're not a good Black person."
There has been mixed opinions about that viewpoint from Sir Charles. Many co-signed his stance about self hate within our community, while others felt he was being totally self righteous and demoralizing the Black community. This came off the heels of the rather slanderous accusation that Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson wasn't "Black enough" according to his teammates. Wilson, reportedly, was getting this kind of reaction from teammates of his due to his closeness with the front office and management. There, in tow, lies the problem.
I'm personally trying to see why so many of us are discontented and angry with what he stated. What part of that truth are these people not accepting? As a person that has been labeled as an "Oreo", "Wannabe" and all those derogatory terms due to my educational growth within a majority White, Catholic based institution from Kindergarten through my senior year of high school, I'm a living witness to how self-deprecating our own culture can be because you're still expected to "keep it real" or "represent" or any of those terms that truthfully should've stayed in the early nineties. I was one of those kids that was raised off and on in the hood, but went across town to get my education, my mother's choice, not mine. Some of my own neighborhood friends, while just playing (I think), referred to me as a "White boy", in spite of the fact that I'm actually a dark-skinned chocolate dude (shouts to Michael Jordan and Wesley Snipes for making it easy to be a dark skinned cat out here. You guys are pioneers). I didn't get it. Yes, I had extended vernacular and vocabulary. Yes, I had quite a few friends that were White. Yes, my clothes all came from the mall and were kind of high. None of that was my fault. The crazy thing was that I never threw it up in their faces. I was still "down" with them all, even involving myself in stuff I had no business in doing at times just to fit in. There, in tow, is the ambiguity. Not only am I trying to fit in at school just to have a friend or two, but I also have to fit in with my own neighborhood and community as well.
As I got older and became an adult, I realized how stupid that was. There are those Blacks that don't even like associating with fellow Blacks in no way, shape, or form. Although I completely disagree with excluding your fellow Black man or woman from your life, that's your prerogative and decision. It's not bringing or taking money to or from my wallet. How is it that we're all about "unity" and "coming together" but we still have issues doing just that. We're very quick to protest, scream racism, and all these other beat-my-chest moments to proclaim pro-Blackness. However, we can also be the biggest hypocrites of any culture. We scream success, but you still have to talk crass, wear team jerseys, and do and say other completely idiotic things just to "stay down" or "stay real".
There are certain traits that you apparently must have in order to be considered a "real Black": you must be either an athlete, have lots of children especially out of wedlock, know what's "hot" on the radio, and have some sort of brush with the law. That's not a slanderous comment. That's the view of these ignorant jackasses that continuously feel the need to define what "Blackness" is. There are people that feel Black people should only go to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities for the uninformed), thus completely supporting segregation, something our parents and grandparents were fighting for, and even died over, just so we could at least try and obtain a better life. The funny thing is, our current president Barack Obama is an ivy league graduate, as well as First Lady Michelle. Nobody dares to question his Blackness, even though he's only half-Black (in our culture that's considered all-Black). However, we'll question each other's Blackness because of that same fact of going to and/or graduating from ivy league institutions like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, or Columbia? To those people: GROW UP!
Let's examine this from another perspective. Let's take Chris Rock. He's one of the most famous and successful comedians in entertainment. His early life was portrayed for the world in his wonderful and mostly autobiographical sitcom, "Everybody Hates Chris". His life was almost like mine. Young kid living in Bedstuy, Brooklyn but getting his education across town at an all White school. He was bullied, called names daily, and had to always prove himself to somebody. The only difference between my life and his was that he had siblings and I didn't. I applaud ANY Black that succeeds, without having to answer to the stigma of what being "down" represents. We can be our own worst enemy and the biggest hypocrites out there. We legitimately can be just as big of a threat to our endeavors as White supremacy and that's the honest truth. I don't care if you like it. It's not nor will it ever be my concern.
What Charles said was spot on. I don't agree with some things he tends to say, but he was one hundred percent accurate about his assertion of what I call Black On Black Hate. If you're angry or uncomfortable with his comments, you must be one of those same crabs in a barrel that he was referring to. You just simply need to check your own ignorant selves and access your growth spurt. Blacks, in general, have more than enough mountains that we must climb without our own bringing us down too. The term "too Black" or "too White" are devaluing and shows lack of character. Several people have stated, "If being White means using correct grammar, correct spelling, getting straight A-averages, and staying out of trouble, I'll be the Whitest person I can be." Questionable approach, but definitely the sentiment speaks volumes. Sometimes, hell in fact most times, the truth hurts. It's comfortable. It can be quite unsettling. Often times, it's used for outward and inward clarity. If the truth hurt you about what Barkley said, start asking yourself why. If you have a problem with it, you're the problem. Start with yourself first then proceed from there. We seriously have a character problem within our community and conversations and topics like this are meant to get to the meat and bread of the matter. Stop hating on your own Blacks successes. Embrace them. Stop with the whole "too Black" or "too White" crap. We'll come together when we're the victims of injustice. How about coming together for the uplifting of our successes and the encouragement to move on from our failures. That's all for now folks. God willing, I'll get at you all next week in the social commentary blog.
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