It's A Black Thing
- By Cherrie Webb
- Published 01/27/2009
Cherrie Webb
I have written forever. Currently, my blog is syndicated. I was disappointed in the quality of most news that has been presented in the Black media. There is a side that is sorely underrepresented. I believe that I have the abilities to offer a different perspective on the news.
Back in the 90s, after Spike Lee created and Denzel Washington channeled Malcolm X ( the movie he really should have garnered an Oscar), there was a surge of African American pride. It was a wonderful sight, refreshing actually to walk through the streets and see young men wearing hats and t-shirts
emblazened with a simple "X". We all knew what it meant. And for once in a rare while in African American history, there was a collective pride, a collective sense of accomplishment, a collective love of self. The euphoria lasted a decade. Slowly fading, giving way to One World. What was once needed for revitalization was lost.
I, like many, took my t-shirts with my prideful slogans and collective understandings , folded them and locked them away.
"It's a Black Thing. You wouldn't understand".
"Black by Nature, PROUD by Choice".
" My mother made me a proud black man/woman. If you by her the yarn, she'll make you one too."
"By any means necessary"
"X"
"What would Malcolm do?"
Now the fire has been re-ignited. We have been reminded that we are a proud people. Yes, we have always had to be better than the competition to get the same position. Yes, we have always had to be smarter, better, cuter, more ,more, more...
President Elect Obama is the culmination of our collective perfection, our presentation to the American people. The paradox. Successful. Intelligent yet humble. Non threatening. President of the Harvard Law Review. Community Organizer. Father. Husband. Non controversial. White influence.
Even more than that, there was a story. We always have to have a story to give us an edge to overcome. His white mother left by a black man who Obama had only seen once or twice in his life. Family that he didn't see until was in his twenties. Food stamps. welfare. The sacrifices of white people for HIM. And he overcame. Another triumph.
If he can do it anyone can, right? Wrong. Statistics show that though there have been some improvements since the passing of the Civil Rights Act, we still have long way to go.
I, like many, took my t-shirts with my prideful slogans and collective understandings , folded them and locked them away.
"It's a Black Thing. You wouldn't understand".
"Black by Nature, PROUD by Choice".
" My mother made me a proud black man/woman. If you by her the yarn, she'll make you one too."
"By any means necessary"
"X"
"What would Malcolm do?"
Now the fire has been re-ignited. We have been reminded that we are a proud people. Yes, we have always had to be better than the competition to get the same position. Yes, we have always had to be smarter, better, cuter, more ,more, more...
President Elect Obama is the culmination of our collective perfection, our presentation to the American people. The paradox. Successful. Intelligent yet humble. Non threatening. President of the Harvard Law Review. Community Organizer. Father. Husband. Non controversial. White influence.
Even more than that, there was a story. We always have to have a story to give us an edge to overcome. His white mother left by a black man who Obama had only seen once or twice in his life. Family that he didn't see until was in his twenties. Food stamps. welfare. The sacrifices of white people for HIM. And he overcame. Another triumph.
If he can do it anyone can, right? Wrong. Statistics show that though there have been some improvements since the passing of the Civil Rights Act, we still have long way to go.
