Hi...I am a Black Man in America.
Hello all, it has been a really long time since I have written anything on my livejournal. I have contemplated killing it, but then I have oddly felt compelled to use the platform to talk about some things that have been on my mind. I have been watching the news (far more now that I am out of school and have much less to do) and I know that we have apprehended Osama bin Laden (which I addressed on Facebook), the NBA playoffs are happening (oh no! no Celtics, Lakers, Knicks), the NFL is in labor chaos and Barack Obama is still black biracial man who is our president. What is the world coming to?
Anyway, since I have your ear after you reading my meandering introduction I want to deal with something that has been on my mind: "What does it mean to be Black in the 21st century?" Why has this been on my mind you might ask? I am glad you asked the question, it started with reading some articles by Boyce Watkins and then reading that Bernard Hopkins questioned Donovan McNabb's blackness. In all of my studying and reading, this question about blackness has been one that has been debated for nearly 3 centuries and I have yet to find an answer that satisfies me. So, I am going to make one up. Blackness is the state of being Black (obvious right?). Black is the color of my skin, but not really (black people are many shades of brown). Blackness is about the soul, (yeah W.E.B DuBois kinda stuff here, double consciousness). Blackness is about the endurance of the soul (put a people through American slavery other than Africans and check the outcome in 400 years).
So, if I am not coloristically (made up word) black, I am a nice chocolate (I like my color). Then I am spiritually and genetically black, my family has its roots in Africa brought here at some point against their will. This is where the endurance comes from--black folks, despite all of our issues and inability to deal with the harsh reality that we perpetuate the horrors of the past, we are indomintable, we forgive, we love hard, we are musical, artistic, rhythmic, creative, we are historic. Blackness in the way that the majority culture wants to define it is angry, out-of-control, pissed-off about nothing, lacking any culture at all, only good to catch, dunk, throw (if you're "smart" enough) a ball. If this is the case, then where does the president or Dr. King or me (a soon-to-be double graduate from the great bastion of Southern Whiteness Wake Forest University) fit. I get angry sure, about things that matter but that doesn't make me an "oh gosh angry black man". I can cut loose and not care and don't turn down shooting a basketball every once in a blue moon. So then, as Bernard Hopkins suggests, I am not black.
Fine...I am ok with this if you are. Maybe I will make my own race like Tiger Woods (any cabalasians around!?) or be the annoying guy in a census that selects the other box for race or I will spend my life redefining what it means to be black. I have chosen the latter because I think its more fun and more useful. Blackness is about the endurance of the soul. If you have the ability to face the crap that life throws at everyone regardless of race, heritage, creed whatever you want to separate yourself by: then you are black. You are black if you chose to forgive those that spitefully use you (yep Jesus was black and pretty awesome at the forgiveness and grace part). You are black if you want more than what you have. You are black if you want to do more than you have ever done. I hope you catch my drift, embrace it and lets be black together because being black is bigger than skin it's about the soul.
Peace.