Do black lives really matter? A question we, people of color, should ask ourselves in depth. Following recent events of unjustified murders of Negroes by law enforcement and citizens with the right to bear arms. The “black lives matter” hashtag was forged. In light of the repeated offenses, the hashtag transformed into a movement of social conciseness of the unjustified treatment of black people. Since its inception, the hashtag has grown significantly and has become a mighty defense in the face of social injustice and human decency.
According to history Negroes were believed to be half-humans and were relegated to slavery and animal-like treatment based on those beliefs. This is one reason why the fight for equality is an uphill battle for people of color. The other reason is a combination of three lacks in the black community unity, respect, and black culture. This is primarily why the fight for social equality for negro people vs. other races and ethnicities are three-fifths away from becoming a reality.
We are treated as if we don’t matter because we don’t treat each other like we matter. Actions speak louder than words. If we did value each other, we wouldn’t kill, rape, abuse, or belittle our fellow negro brothers and sisters. Black Lives Matter is a powerful banner to stand under. But that is all it will ever be until we come together as a race.
We need to address the three lacks in the black community.
1.Unity
Even the weak become strong when they are united.
Friedrich von Schiller
Division makes us powerless. Unity makes us a force. For some reason or another, it is difficult for us as black people to stand together and support each other’s causes. Perhaps this is a side effect of slavery. Segregation, aka divide and rule, is the oldest and most effective strategy against unification. Slaves were classified into two groups, field slaves and house slaves. This was based on physical appearance and relation. The same form of segregation still exists in the black community today.
People of color live by a brother and sisterhood code. This means once you have the African gene, you are related. It also signifies unity. But we still don’t support black businesses, schools, restaurants, etc.
We are not together as a people. That is why we are losing the fight for equality. Social injustice will always nip at the feet of people of color until we unite.
2.Respect
“Respect yourself and others will respect you.”
Confucius
There has never been a truer statement. We can’t demand respect from other ethnicities and don’t show respect for our own black brothers and sisters. We can’t denigrate another black person for the shade of their skin, make fun of their living conditions or family heritage. And don’t expect those who believe they are superior to treat us any different. When we disrespect each other, we teach others how to treat us collectively.
Moreover, we commonly refer to each other as canines in the black community, a double entendre. Black men are referred to as dogs, and black women are referred to as the B-word. The ambiguity is depending upon who says it or how it is said. Regardless of friend or foe, we have to stop labeling each other with these demeaning names that denigrate us as a race.
3.Black Culture
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
Marcus Garvey
Culture is what makes us, us. Culture is the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society. In a nutshell, culture is our identity.
A person who lacks an identity has difficulty progressing through life. This difficulty produces a loss of purpose, a desire for significance, and living someone else’s perception of you.
Dario M. Gardiner
If this sounds familiar, it should. It describes our race. This also means we, as black people have a lot of work ahead of us. We face the herculean task of restoring our identity, which we lost during the years of slavery and segregation.
Restoring our identity is the key to unlocking true black culture. But before we get into what true black culture should be? Let’s look at what present black culture is. Currently, black culture is Negro tearing down Negroes. We don’t support each other socially. Unless there is an unjustified killing of a negro by law enforcement, then the black lives matter shirts pop out. But the irony is that Negroes are killing Negroes every day.
Subsequently, present-day black culture also actively imposes the systematic mental destruction of negro people. This is mental manipulation through no fault of our own. This mindset has been engraved in our people since slavery and persists today. For example, listen to the music produced by some black artists. Songs about killing fellow Negroes, selling drugs to negro buyers, degrading black women, sisters selling their bodies, and sexual desires. And what is most devastating about this? Is that negro children are influenced by this type of music and behave according to the message ingrained in their psyche. We are destroying each other and future generations by passing on this type of culture.
True black culture
True black culture builds each other up and shares our history, pride, togetherness, and love. Authentic black culture will lead us to stand together on social issues, support black businesses and institutions. Fight for black history to be a part of the educational curriculum and equality. That sounds like a black culture and community our Civil Rights heroes were fighting for.
Carrying the torch
Every black person living in the twenty-first century owes a great deal of gratitude to the Civil Rights movement heroes. And because of their contributions, we can enjoy a lot of the freedoms we have today.
Our Civil Rights heroes started the race, and now it’s up to us to finish it. The only way we can achieve this is by building a community of togetherness—a community of unity, respect, and true black culture. We can’t shout black lives matter until we ask ourselves the introspective question, do black lives really matter? The answer to this question is yes. But it should matter to us first.
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