Examining My Blackness Abroad

My “Summer Sixteen” has been very busy and I have been very blessed. I have been having the most insightful conversations with people since I’ve been abroad in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and United Arab Emirates. These encounters enabled the cultural exchange of personal experiences that beneficially shape the perspectives of all involved.

One of my more memorable conversations was with two Nigerian British men in London. They found themselves in awe that I actively wanted to seek out the diverse neighborhoods in London. They were stunned as I became thrilled entering a beauty supply store filled with products that were targeted towards women of color, and they were amused that I was delighted to eat at a restaurant filled with beautiful melanated faces. They did not understand why Americans, like myself, were so color conscious.

“It is sometimes advantageous to be unseen, although it is most often rather wearing on the nerves.” – Ralph Waldo Ellison, Invisible Man

And I’ll admit it, since I’ve been in abroad, I’ve felt somewhat less aware of my blackness.   As I walk by, far less people have grabbed their purses and no one has suddenly grabbed their child’s hand. Few have refused to sit next to me on a tube train, despite its being crowded. Additionally, I can count on one hand how often I’ve been followed around in a store and repeatedly asked if I need some help finding anything.

These type micro aggressions seem small and insignificant, however the accumulation of these experiences over time take a mental, emotional, and physical toll on the health and well being of people of color. These things happen so frequently in the States, but seem to be a rare occurrence for me here. Thus, I did not realize how bothersome and burdensome they really are until I did not have to constantly feel them as much. The feeling has been liberating to a great degree.

“Black boys became criminalized. I was in constant dread for their lives, because they were targets everywhere. They still are.” – Toni Morrison

Take for instance what happened a few weekends ago. I don’t think my new acquaintances realized just how fast my heart was beating, when a pair of English cops pulled up to the Mercedes Benz full of our four black faces, blasting hip hop music at 3am. I am almost certain they didn’t understand the potential gravity of this situation, and the type of fear it evoked within me. Never mind that we were only guilty of DWB – Driving While Black. This fear has been passed down throughout the generations within African American communities. This fear can be paralyzing; it can be catastrophic. However, during this particular situation my fear was unwarranted . To my surprise, the officers asked us to roll down our window, and simply said, “fun night, huh?” smiled and then drove off. I literally had to take a moment to process what had just occurred. I recognized that I am not in America anymore and my blackness is not automatically criminal.

This notion was reaffirmed when one of my new colleagues began to describe his experience driving in the U.K., versus driving in the U.S. He’s an accomplished banker and tended to drive luxury cars, which in the States could render himself even more of a target of undue interaction with law enforcement. Yet, here in the United Kingdom, he said that he could freely question the officer once pulled over asking things like, “What’s the problem,” and “why did you pull me over?” However, as he recalled being stopped in California about a year ago, his sister, a California resident, begged him not to say anything to the cop out of fear. Saying anything, including something as simple as, “why did you pull me over,” can be received wrong and escalate into a life-threatening situation. In America, blacks have adopted and passed down certain behavioral practices of respect that are believed to provide protection against those, who may be potentially harmful, like law enforcement persons. These  politics of respectability are also thought to provide and assist with opportunities for advancement for people of color. However, I often honestly question how effective these behaviors are in protecting and advancing people of color.  Currently in the news, a South Florida police officer opened fire on behavioral therapist, Charles Kinsey, who was aiding an autistic patient.  Kinsey put his hands up, laid on the ground, and was calmly pleading with the officer. Yet, he was still shot, while helping a patient.

By contrast, my colleague argued strongly that as a black man in the United Kingdom, he felt fully assured that his rights protected him. As he said it, I wondered what that must feel like. Imagine how it must feel to fully bask in the rights and privileges that are supposed to be afforded to every citizen. Imagine how it feels to protected under the laws and truly feels included in the pledge’s words “with liberty and justice for all.” It’s just so hard for me to fully fathom what that feels like.

“I’ll tell you what freedom is to me. No fear.” – Nina Simone

At one point my friend commented to me saying something to the effect of “I see you Americans are always chanting Black Lives Matter.” Then later he commented that it seems LGBTQ messages are so “in your face” in America, and he just did not understand the reasons why. I had to explain the necessity of both efforts and movements in a nation that is full of individuals and groups that constantly discriminate, disrespect, and willfully impose “colorblind” tactics upon people who identify with these characteristics that results in unfair application of policies, leaves them unprotected, and their experiences unacknowledged. During this exchange, it became so clear to me how easy it is to misinterpret someone’s message or a purpose of a movement, like BLM, LGBTQ, or feminism/ womanist/ feminista movements, simply because they are not true to one’s own experience.

Ironically enough, during my time here in the U.K., a Stanford swimmer received a light sentence for raping an unconscious woman in California, a bloody massacre happened at a Latino gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and one morning, I woke up to find a shared video of a 18-year-old black female named Genelle Laird being apprehended with kicks, tasers, and a knee to the back, as she’s tackled to the ground with excessive and assaultive force by officers in Madison, Wisconsin. Each of these incidents disturb me in a manner that makes me fear for my life, the lives of my friends and loved ones, and my future children. Ultimately, I do wonder if my life matters, since heinous acts against Blacks, Latinos, women, LGBTQ, Muslim individuals, etc. can occur so frequently with minimal to no consequences.

My experience abroad thus far has been so enlightening. By placing my self in an external context of the U.S., I have been able to re-examine my experiences internally. This is why traveling is so beneficial to shaping one’s worldview. And traveling beyond the scope of a vacation, I am specifically referring to traveling with the aim of discovery. I am thrilled about the insightful things I’m learning thus far, and I hope to learn more, more things that will make me question,
“What is life?” – Victoria Renee

I am not exceptional, I am an example

I recently read an article about a woman who finally recovered from what was referred to as “Black Snow Flake Syndrome”

Here’s the post for your reference:
https://noambien.com/2016/04/18/your-not-like-other-black-people-phase-makes-the-ancestors-cry/
(For the grammar nazis: yes, it’s supposed to be you’re not your.)

I must admit that I too was a mild sufferer of this divisive condition. I used to comfortably sit on top of the pedestal of “exceptional blackness” that I was placed on. I used to bask in the typical compliments of
“you’re so articulate,”
“you write so well,” and
“you have such a professional demeanor.”
I thought that by polishing my ability to mimic the white American standards of excellence, I could thereby classify myself as one of the “Talented Tenth” or “Black Elite.”

I was no stranger to this sense of superiority within the black community. I grew up in Southwest Atlanta, GA, frequenting Camp Creek, Cascade, Campbelton, and Old National. These areas are predominantly black, however, there’s great diversity in the income levels of the residents. Gated communities and newly-built subdivisions often sit right next to smaller older houses, apartments, and section 8 housing residences.

My high school was probably 98% black, but it was not monolithic.
The buppies sat next to the dope boys.
The politician’s kid sat next to the felon’s child.
The doctor’s kid sat next to the child of an unemployed parent.
The kid with the latest Js sat next to the kid in the Converse All-Stars,
who sat next to the kid in the beauty supply store flip flops,
who sat next to kid in boat shoes,
who sat next to the kid in the clean all-white Air Force Ones.
(I’m dating myself a bit here.)
Ultimately, this unique structure exposed us all to how varied black lifestyles can be despite proximity. We were together, but often our realities were separate. “Elite” blacks always seemed to be set apart.

I want y’all to recognize this divisionary concept is as old as slavery and colonialism. Blacks who possessed more characteristics resembling whiteness, including skin tone, hair texture, speech, and ability were purposely set apart from the common black folks. They were treated better and they internalized this notion of being better. I must mention that this is not exclusive to the black community, because ya know, colonization took place all over the world.

But back to my point.

Y’all, I accepted that invitation to sit at the table and drank that delicious kool-aid for the longest. I thought of it all as a performance. “All the world’s a stage,” right? I would easily code switch between a professional and more authentic demeanor. My performance was reinforced both inside and outside the black community. So when I was afforded the opportunity to sit at the graduate school table at Columbia University, I knew I had really mastered my code switching craft. I was considered an “exceptional black person.” I was placed in situations where I would feel so lucky to be one of the black people considered good enough to be present. Constantly I would find myself being the token of groups, where I’d be thrust into positions to serve as “the Lorax” and “speak for the trees,” or in my case, “explain blackness.”

Notably, after awhile I felt drained, frustrated, and as though I was losing myself.
The notion of me being an “exceptional black person” was problematic for me to conceptualize because as I said, growing up I was fortunate to live in a community where I was surrounded by brilliant black folks, regardless of education and socioeconomic status level. So it is extremely difficult for me to believe that I am some sort of exception, or that I am some superior version of blackness.

Now I have spit out the diabetic kool-aid that was provided to pacify me.
That kool-aid was addicting
That kool-aid left me with temporary satisfaction
That kool-aid left me feeling isolated
That kool-aid made me weak
That kool-aid  did not truly quench my thirst…

As backwards as this may sound,
attending Columbia University for graduate school humbled me.

That “exceptional” pedestal I sat on left me feeling so alone. It only provided two views. One was to look up and aspire to a world and lifestyle that I’d never fully assimilate into. The other view was to look down on people who I once dwelled among and resembled me. I decided to hop off of the pedestal that I was placed on. I realized that…

I am not the exception, I am simply an example.

I am an example of those pigmented persons who came before me and left a legacy that afforded me my spot. I am an example of many more talented, melanted people who will come after me to surpass my success. I am an example of those within my community
who fed me,
helped me,
supported me,
prayed for me.
I believe it truly takes a village to raise a child, and I am simply a mere example of all of the excellence within that village. Since this epiphany, I now walk into these token positions, not to bask in the attention of being the only one considered good enough. No, instead, I simply focus on doing my best and serving as an example of everything that is often denied about and disassociated with blackness. Collectively, we emit a continuous legacy of greatness. Together, we all embody the notion of Black Excellence in all of its variability.

Gang Bust of 120 Young People in the Bronx

 

I heard some very troubling news on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 in my HipHop & Cultural Studies in Science Education class taught by Dr. Christopher Emdin and teacher-assisted by Ian Levy. I like to think of this class as my “real world” discussion class because it’s one of the few courses that I’ve had in my entire collegiate career that wasn’t loaded up with antiquated theories that are seldom actually effective for today’s application. Instead, it encourages innovative thinking and practical solutions to effect change in the various fields of the class participants.

The disturbing news was that over 120 youth and young adults were arrested April 27, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
120 children,
sons,
daughters,
sisters,
brothers,
and maybe even fathers and mothers.

The Wall Street Journal reported that these gang affiliated young people are responsible for a host of shootings, slashings, beatings, and robberies since 2007 and they have acquired charges relating to racketeering, narcotics, and firearms.

Issues relating to mass incarceration, juvenile delinquency, the war on drugs, etc. are focus topics for my forensic psychology research, so needless to say, this piqued my interest. After class, I found myself watching the Fox News story, yes y’all Fox News, in addition to reading the Wall Street Journal and New York Times online articles about the “single largest gang takedown in modern New York history.”

Many people seemed to celebrate the fact that these youth were removed from the streets of the Bronx. Among those proud celebrants was special agent in charge homeland security investigations, Angel M. Melendez, who referred to the raid as “a great day for communities.”

I was curious that he mentioned the communities. You see, I was hoping he was going to dive into nature of communities, like those within the Bronx, that cultivate the occurrence of violence in the first place. I mean if he was going to mention communities, I figured he would have done his homework and he’d mention
the low employment rates and lack of job opportunities available,
or maybe he’d discuss the deficient quality of the schools,
or he’d touch on the poor resident conditions of the area,
or the inadequate access to appropriate healthcare…
I mean when you examine communities filled with violence, these are just a few of the reoccurring associated factors that seem to influence the nature of criminality.

I’ll give y’all a quick scenario example to further elaborate.

Say we have a 17-year-old black male named Brandon. Brandon is struggling to complete school and it’s not because Brandon is not smart enough to do it. It’s because Brandon’s mother works two jobs and can barely make ends meet for him and his two younger siblings. Furthermore, Brandon doesn’t see how learning about the Sin, Cos, and Tan calculations in geometry are going to help keep the lights on at his family’s house, make sure his little sister and brother don’t go to bed hungry at night, and ensure there’s enough money left over for his little sister’s medications. Needless to say, Brandon feels he has greater priorities than his education.

Brandon was working at the local Crown Chicken around the corner to help supplement the family income. However, Brandon’s homies are making easy money fast by trappin and card skimming, whereas he was making minimum wage that simply ain’t cutting it for him. Joining his friends is tempting for Brandon because they consistently have money coming in, they provide peer social support for their living conditions, and protection against victimization from others within the community. Being “bout that life” seems normal and Brandon doesn’t know why he’s been holding out like a square for so long. Brandon decides to join his friends so he can feel like he belongs to something that people seem to care about, because when he looks around his community it seems nobody cares.

Brandon and his friends live in socially marginalized and excluded positions and areas within society, and as a result, him and many other actual people have developed adaptation strategies as a form of survival that deviate far from the traditional “norms” of American society. This is because their living conditions simply aren’t “normal.” They have been forgotten, left behind and ignored by the American Dream and it’s principles of “Freedom, Justice, Equality, and Liberty”.

The New York Times quotes police commissioner William J. Bratton saying, the arrests of individuals, like the fictional Brandon, go “a very long way towards ending the historical violence” that has plagued the projects in the Bronx. However, I beg to differ. Until we holistically examine these communities and rid them of their systematic violence by improving things like the schools, housing, living conditions, healthcare, and provide greater employment opportunities, things will continue in a similar fashion. It may quiet down for a bit, but the root of the problem has not been dismantled with this “gang raid.” The 120 young people who have been removed from the streets and placed into the private prison industrial complex will now cost taxpayers millions in associated legal and penitentiary cost. Moreover, those who were locked up will eventually be replaced by new young people on the streets. The cycle of violence in these neighborhoods is not caused by an individual or a group of over 120 individuals. The neighborhoods are not now rid of all of their ailments and despair. The desperate conditions that inspire and foster such malicious and deadly behaviors are still there and until systematic change occurs, people will resort to what they know works for them in that kind of environment.

Law enforcement used this “gang bust” as a way to try and send a clear strong message, as evidenced by the remarks from U.S. attorney, Preet Bharara, “unless you like jail or death, don’t do it.” Similarly, Police Commissioner, Bratton proudly declared, “hand cuffs are needed because some just don’t get it.”
But I ask them and others with shared sentiments,
What if they feel the current living conditions are already dire?
What do you do when many feel jail and death are inevitable “norms” in the community?
What will be put in place to give these young people other options besides criminality to sustain their livelihoods?
How will these actions lead to any sustainable improvements for Bronx residents?

I cannot fail to mention how this contributes to the continued dismantling of black and brown families by mass incarceration. According to the Wall Street Journal, the average age of these young people is 24-years old. I am 24 years old. I am a young woman still in the very early stages of my life. I cannot help but think about how the lives of  these young people and their loved ones will be forever egregiously affected by their involvement with the criminal justice system.
When I think of these young people who were arrested, most of whom were young men,
I think of their parents and grandparents who will mourn for their sons;
I think of the women who will be alone without a partner;
I think of their children who will have to grow up without their fathers;
I think of the catastrophic effects missing black and brown men have on family dynamics and how they cycle throughout the generations.

So when I heard this story I did not share the same celebratory sentiments of so many others. I do not excuse the participating parties for their actions. They are responsible for playing a role in contributing to the angst of an already distressed environment. Families continued to be broken at the hands of many of these young adults, which is deplorable. However, I recognize the overall brokenness of the communities that contributed to cultivation of their criminality. It is vital that that professionals focused on relief, reduction, redirection, and restorative efforts carefully examine the origins of these behaviors to implement effective interventions. What occurs in communities that are suffering from violence, like the Bronx, leaves me with the same feelings of sorrow. There is nothing to celebrate. There is too much work that needs to be done.

 

Sources:
Fox News:
http://www.fox5ny.com/news/133331312-story
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/04/27/bronx-raid-is-biggest-gang-takedown-in-nyc-history-prosecutor-says.html

New York Times:

Wall Street Journal:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/more-than-120-charged-in-bronx-gang-bust-1461767277

 

 

 

 

 

“That’s not just a black people thing.”

Want to know what’s really annoying?

It’s really annoying when a black person reflects and describes some aspect of their black experience, like childhood, mannerisms, habits, expressions and phrases, being the token, etc. and it is combated by at least one person, who’s usually white, who says something to the effect of,

“That’s not just a black people thing.”
“I have done it too.”
“We have done it too.”
“Someone I know, who’s not black, has done it too.”

Well congratulations!
Isn’t it truly amazing that they have realized and stated aloud that we as human beings have multiple things in common and can relate to one another’s similarities despite our different backgrounds. It is true, we are more alike than we are different.

This statement is made because the non-black individual hopes to feel included in the moment that was originally intended to foster a sense of solidarity and camaraderie for black people. This is a simple cry that says, “hey, don’t count me out. I want to feel included too.”
Now I know what you’re thinking. This is a simple cry for inclusivity and attention, but there’s something unique about the dynamics of having a white person insist their participation within a cultural context outside of their own.
*cough* White Privilege *cough.*

*cries White Tears*

This whole simple scenario has a, dare I say it, historical context.
Gather round folks because I’m going to break this down real quick.

But first consider this…
No one interrupts a bah mitzvah or quinceanera and says
“I too have had a 13th and 15th birthday party.”

No one interrupts an Eid al-Fitr celebration at the end of Ramadan and says,
“I too have fasted and prayed.”

No one interrupts Día de Muertos and says
“I too have loss loved ones.”

No one interrupts the Spring Festival of the Lunar New Year and says
“I too have anticipated new beginnings.”

No one interrupts a Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance ceremony and  says
“My people too have endured horrific acts of adversity throughout history.”

And no one interrupts “Black Lives Matter” and says
“All Lives Matt..”

Ooop, well obviously I got a little carried away there.

It seems as though people of various cultures are able to share with one another and celebrate their unique experiences within society usually unattested. However, when black people do it with their own campaigns, like “Black is Beautiful,” “Black Girls Rock,” and “Black Girl Magic,” just to name a few, to combat the negative messages that are constantly beset upon them, they are often countered with sentiments like “Everyone is beautiful,” “All girls rock,” “All women are magic.” As if uplifting one race somehow threatens another. These campaigns are implemented to cease and reverse the ever pervasive messages that declare the contrary.

So then why does this occur?
Well it goes back to the days where this type of exclusivity and encouragement among blacks was viewed as a serious threat to those in power. During the arduous times of slavery, white slave masters constantly feared slave rebellion. Tactics were used to strip slaves of every aspect of their cultural identity and uniqueness and Eurocentric values were imposed upon enslaved blacks. Anything that was unfamiliar to whites could provoke a sense of fear, nervousness, and anticipation of the unknown, and thus, was strictly prohibited.  Enslaved blacks had to abide by many rules that prohibited them to speak in their native tongues, perform native dances, utilize their ancestral talking drums, etc. Therefore, in essence, any congregation, celebration, or elevation of anything black could be subject to the harshest discipline or scrutiny.

For these reasons, often blacks would secretly gather in “hush harbors.” Historically, hush harbors were places where blacks would go to practice their religious traditions away from the public eye, scrutiny, and possible discipline of their white slave masters. Today, hush harbors still exist as atmospheres where blacks can interact with one another outside of the mainstream white society.

However, the scrutiny over blacks gathering together continued well after slavery into Jim Crow laws or “Black Codes.” States established various legislations to keep blacks in line and often regulated how many were allowed to assemble at a given time. The fear of white safety which was present during slavery rolled over into the Civil Rights era and is, dare I say it, still present today.

White Fear Propaganda

 

For the sake of brevity, I will point to one comparison example from the past year. During 2015 numerous protests erupted in cities like Ferguson and Baltimore after unarmed black men were killed. The protesters, many of whom were black, were met with armed police officers, some who used weapons within their arsenal, such as real and rubber bullets, tear gas, tasers, etc. against the usually peaceful demonstrators. More recently, armed white men in Oregon took over a federal building practically unopposed. The first group was described as “trouble makers,” “race-baiters,” “thugs,” and “rioters.” The latter group has been described as “militants” and “patriots.”

White privilege, white fears, and white tears are real y’all.
Is it really that deep though?
I’d say it is. I’d say that these behaviors are learned. The desire to be included in a social setting is natural. The desire and the assertion that your experience is similar, and therefore, invalidates the experience of another is learned privileged behavior.
Moreover, it has a silencing effect.
If one proceeds through life equipped with the notion that “we all do that,” then perhaps they may not share their experiences that they feel may be influenced by their cultural background in someway out of the assumption of “normality.” As a result, everyone fails to potentially learn something about them.

We may have similar experiences as humans, but as someone who is not a member of the race/ ethnic/ cultural background of discussion, it is pretty arrogant to assume empathy when the experience, although seemingly similar, may actually be quite different. My suggestion would be to listen for understanding. The situation may not be as relatable as you might think.

Ultimately, sharing is caring and allowing others to be fully heard helps truly foster that “we all matter” concept that is so heavily professed these days. Lets listen and learn from one another.

“Ambitious” – A backhanded compliment

I’ve noticed lately that professionals have thrown the word “ambitious” at me. So I want to stop and breakdown this word that can evoke both positive and negative feelings for the recipient.

For example, I love Wale’s usage of the word “ambitious” in his poem, “Ambitious Girl,” off of his More About Nothing mixtape from 2010.

Wale envisions his “Ambitious Girl”

“Ambitious girl, your drive, drives me crazy…

…I’m in love with your business
And your productivity is the reason I interest,

Ambitious girl
See, I like the person that you are
But I’m in love with the person that you have potential to be
And all your dreams sharing with me
And your secrets baring with me
And the flaws, you ain’t even got to mention to me
Ambitious girl, you just wanna win, and you’d rather chase your dreams
Than to try to chase these men
That try to chase these skirts
That try to chase these shots with flavors that ain’t even as sweet as her
My ambitious girl,

I won’t forget you
I just reflect on how I ain’t met you, yet boo
You somewhere, getting your life in order
So for this time being, I hope this open scribe might support her
Support her, or work her, she worth it
Go girl [X3],

Ambition…

Wale’s poetry evokes a positive connotation when he uses “ambition” to describe a hard working woman he passionately admires, yet has not actually met.
However, long before Wale’s wooing of wondrous working women (ha, say that 5 times fast), traditionally the word “ambitious” was not used as a term of approbation.

Perhaps my earliest recollection of the word “ambitious” comes from Shakespeare. In the play Julius Caesar, Brutus accused Caesar of being “ambitious” and used it as his reason for murdering him.

“Et tu, Brute?”

Act 2, Scene 3

Brutus: “…but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. 

There is tears for his love; joy for his
fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his
ambition.”

….

Anthony : “The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.

Ambition, in this sense, is prideful, selfish, arrogant, and dangerous; basically, too much ambition can cause your downfall, and unfortunately in Caesar’s case it was said to have caused his untimely death.

Lets break this down…

A desire to succeed is usually encouraged. Young people are taught to “be all you can be,” and “reach for the stars” to achieve the American Dream.

Yet this is the same thing that tends to make people uncomfortable. There is something about an individual going above and beyond expectations and executing plans that actually have good chance of being successful that is, dare I say it, threatening for some people.

There is some type of hypocrisy deep within us that loves to see people to do well, but not so well above our preset expectations for them.

When an individual defies our expectations we have unconsciously set for them, we tend to respond with amazement or resentment. Sometimes it can be a combination of both. So when I received feedback saying that something I’m working on is

“incredibly ambitious.”

When I receive a backhanded compliment…

I process it in the same way as another back-handed compliment I’ve received many times in the past:

“you’re so articulate.”

This statement statement is analogous because on the surface it compliments one’s diction, grammar, and perhaps enunciation, while simultaneously announces one’s amazement for those abilities at a level that surpasses their preset beliefs about those abilities.

I submit that the prior statement is more harmful. (Not physically, because I mean, I am not familiar with anyone being murdered for their eloquence in a major literary work, like Caesar was for his ambition.) Rather, I’m saying, that by saying someone is “ambitious” could transmit as saying that the individual is “out of their league” and this can be extremely discouraging depending on the context. Furthermore, notably in certain contexts, that may be the original intent of using a phrase like this.

Needless to say that the negative usage of the word “ambitious” is more frequently applied to women than it is applied to men these days. In capitalistic America, ambition is useful for a man and even expected in most situations if he wants to succeed. Using the term to describe a woman is comparable to saying she’s too hard, too masculine, and not lady-like; basically, she has stepped way too far out of her expected role of being at the house in the kitchen. There are articles that discuss this gender – power difference, however I will not digress off in that direction. The same “out of your league” occurrence is also apparent for racial and ethnic minorities. Once again, I do not want to go there today. lol.

Without being too long winded about this topic of ambition, I will leave y’all with a few final thoughts.

I say all this to say that ultimately I do not think being called ambitious is insulting, unless it’s done by a friend named Brutus. If that’s the case, run! However, I do think it is important to pay close attention to the context of how the word is being used. If you are around a chocolate brotha with locs who says he wants to read you a poem, you’re in the clear and you should be flattered. But if you are in a school or work situation, you might want to take note of it and be mindful.

In any case, keep pushing forward!

Why I see the Viral Video of the Baltimore Mom Beating Her Son as Problematic

By now, you have probably heard about the Baltimore Uprising, unless you’ve been purposely living under rock for the past week or so avoiding the situation. What I discuss here in this blog is a video of a black mother hitting her son during the Baltimore protest. I decided to blog about this after a class discussion from last night and a Facebook group discussion. I must inform you that I am looking at this from a personal, but also professional perspective, as someone going into the field of forensic mental health.

Since this video has gone viral, it serves as reinforcement for stereotypes and is extremely counterproductive to the entire movement. We have this black mother going upside her son’s head for the world to see. I don’t think the response would’ve been the same if white Becky was going upside little white Jimmy’s head. People always make the argument that black kids are wild because they’re parents are absent or negligent. However, here we see this parent who cares about her son, so she feels she must hit him. To me that reinforces the belief that black kids need especially harsh discipline. They only know violence, in the streets, in their schools, and even in their homes. So policemen observe things like this and able to assume, well if this is how their parents discipline him, then why shouldn’t the justice system be punitive in a similar fashion? So it serves as modeling for police, suggesting that the black population is uniquely different. Violence is what they’re used to and all they respond to. So many cops fearfully interact with black people with the mentality to use force as a first precaution. That is why we see the chokeholds, the neck/ spine snaps, and the fatal shootings and hear these cops say they feared for their lives when dealing with blacks. It’s almost systematically ingrained into training, that “these thugs are dangerous” just look at their communities, you can’t reason with them, protect yourself with aggression, violence, and anything and everything else at all cost.

Furthermore, the mother can be viewed as playing two detrimental stereotypes for the black woman. She serves as the “mammy” and “sapphire”. It’s so disturbing to me that black women are only celebrated on a grand scale when we serve one of three roles, the mammy, the sapphire, or the jezebel. All of these stereotypical roles originate out of slavery. The mammy, ever nurturing, cooking, cleaning, and caring for all. The sapphire, aggressive, possessing a bit more masculine qualities, and just mad at the world. And the jezebel, a seductive woman possessing many desirable physical qualities but is seen as nothing more than a sexual object for Massa, i.e. men. In the video the woman is praised for fulfilling the mammy and stereotype that black women are angry, aggressive, combative, and violent. Many times during slavery the black mother would be especially harsh on her children to please Massa. That is what can be observed in the viral video.

Additionally, historically we have seen white people put black people in a position to police other black people. Historical example: Massa puts a black overseer in charge and makes him be extremely harsh on his own people, by encouraging whippings and beatings. Today: America praises this black woman for hitting her child upside the head instead of perhaps talking to him or engaging in some other form of punishment for him disobeying her. Again I ask, would the public response be the same if mother and son were melanin deficient?

Now I’m not saying the mother should’t discipline her son, by all means that’s her responsibility as a parent. What I’m saying is that the due to the circumstances of the situation it is problematic. I do not know what the boy was doing. Was he there protesting? Was he there rioting? Was he agitating the already fragile situation? I don’t know. The video I saw started with the mother going ham. So simply going off what I saw, I’d say it probably would’ve been best for the mom to not reprimand her son in such a manner with so many observers and cameras around.

Lastly, I am just greatly disturbed by the response of praise, celebration, talk show interviews, etc. for the mother for her actions. It’s not so much I’m mad at the mother for discipling her son, I’m more upset with America’s applause and praise of it.  Especially with everything that is going on in Baltimore, the video that goes viral is a mother violently hitting her son, who is there against the violence that was committed against Freddy Gray.

Praising this violence and ignoring the violence of the police killing yet another black man is problematic.

Uplifting violence in the name/ midst of violence is problematic.

For one to see good and praise this black mother for hitting her black son on camera in a movement against violence is problematic.

Moreover, It distracts the public away from the real issues. It magnifies the uprising and protest and distracts people away from the cause of the uprising.

Raven Symone doesn’t want to be labeled as African American

– Tray Styles from Boyz In The Hood
lol

So by now, many have watched the clip of one of my beloved favorite actresses from my childhood, Raven Symone, discuss how she doesn’t want to be labeled in a sit-down interview with Oprah.

I saw the clip up and down my Facebook timeline and at first decided to keep my views to myself. However, after I read this article by Leslie Robinson on TeaBreakfast.com, I felt the urge to agree with her.

http://www.teabreakfast.com/raven-symone-blackness-cant-silenced/

The following is a comment I left after sharing the above article and I am responding to a former classmate from undergrad. I gave my opinion of the label “African American / Black/ Black American” and how I ultimately feel about the situation.

Identifying as African American:

Some people are have stronger ties to Africa, i.e. are first or second generation Africans, some of us have Caribbean ties, others are black with Latino ties, but we are all members of the African diaspora living here in America. Granted, I was not born in Africa, but it is quite apparent that African blood was born in me and runs through my veins. Furthermore, I know that some of my roots go back to Nigeria. I would love to thoroughly find out everything though. So I do accept the label of “black american”.

Labeling/ Categorizing:

It is human nature to want to categorize people. It is normal to want to know more about a person in reference to their sex, gender, race, nationality, religious views, and cultural ties etc. You can scream “don’t label me” all day but honestly people are going to do so anyway. And when people see Raven, they see someone who definitely has black blood in them. Just like when the police saw Mike Brown they saw a black teen, but that’s another tangent. And historically America used the “one drop” rule so Raven would traditionally be identified as black. I agree with the article when it says being black isn’t just about the physical features, it’s about the history and similar experience we share here in America.

“I don’t see color…”

This leads me to the phrase I loathe, “I don’t see color.” Others can enjoy the privilege of choosing not to recognize me as black, but this black on me is a permanent part of me. So when people say that, they dismiss a huge part of who I am. I am not for ignoring race and culture as a way to end racism. I think education and acceptance of differences is a much better approach to heal America.

I love being black.
And in case one cannot not tell, I love the melanin in my skin and the kink of my hair. I love the rich past and heritage of my ancestors. We are standing on the shoulders of greatness and giants, and contrary to what the media will have many of us believe, I am in the company of talented and brilliant people that look like me. I would never want to disassociate myself from that.

Justice for Trayvon/ George Zimmerman Trial

This entire time I’ve honestly tried to keep my true opinion about everything to myself but this case is too close to home. Last night alone, my brother was stopped, questioned, and basically harassed and baited by the police.  So I will share my thoughts…

I do not know for certain what really happened on that fatal night. No one really knows what happened except George Zimmerman, Trayvon, and the creator. I believe from the facts that I gathered all of this could have been avoided if Zimmerman simply “kept calm” and stood down. If Zimmerman stood down he never would’ve had to “stand his ground.”

I am disturbed by the way the character of the victim, Trayvon, was countlessly attacked throughout these series of events. I know these are common tactics used in legal cases, however, this young man lost his life. A community lost a son, brother, neighbor, student, athlete, citizen. Trayvon not only lost his life in this situation, the defamation of his character will haunt his family forever.

I was accepted into law school, however I have no legal training. But legal training is not needed for me to say I am disappointed in the performance of the prosecution. Many omit the fact that the city of Sanford, Florida never wanted to pursue the case in the first place, let alone let it play out in a courtroom. I listened to many attorneys weigh in and comment on how the prosecution overlooked “this” and the prosecution “should have done this” and “he never brought up that.” I will not comment on case formalities or proceedings, but I do believe as a person who holds a degree in the study of human behavior, that the prosecution did not exert the greatest effort to seek justice for Trayvon.

Trayvon is dead and this case has sparked the most reaction I’ve probably seen in my lifetime. Perhaps, that’s because before I was too unaware of my surroundings, being a young person and all. People have been in an uproar in many different ways with varying perspectives. Everyone has a right to feel the way they feel, as they should. However, this is my blog so I’m going to let you know how I feel about the different reactions.

First and foremost, those who have been making light of this case by “trayvoning” disgust me. Many Individuals don’t understand the severity of the situation, or simply say just get over it. Well let me explain why this case is so severe. It implies that self- defense/ stand your ground can be used even if you are the aggressor. It implies that minorities, particularly, unarmed black men can be stopped, questioned, harassed, and potentially killed and no justice will be served because they don’t matter.  Not only can minorities, black males especially, be targeted by the police, but by anyone who may feel threatened by their presence. I fear for sons, daughters, friends, neighbors, sisters, and brothers.

I am also bothered by statements made by members of my own race who’ve made stated things such as

“What’s the point, people die everyday,”

“It’s only an issue because the parties involved are of different racial backgrounds,” and

“There’s no point, nothing will change.”

I’m honestly glad that Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and many other leaders didn’t have the same “What’s the point” attitude back during their time. I am glad that they didn’t feel that their situation was hopeless and nothing can be done to change it. I am forever grateful for their actions and all the actions of those who came before me and improved my life for the better.

Many people have been upset that Trayvon’s death has received so much attention when there has been ample bloodshed and there are victims all over with similar stories. It makes me reflect on Rosa Parks, surely she was not the first or only black person to not give up her seat and be arrested for it. But in order to take a stance, one case has to be set apart and pursued to serve as an example. It does not make any other case of violence, no matter the race of the parties involved, less substantial. Violence should never be the solution.

Lastly, I am personally sick of members of my own community, who have told others to get over what has happened and what continues to happen. We do NOT live in a post racial society. Ignoring the elephant in the room doesn’t solve anything. If someone is working to bring about change in a positive manner they should be supported, period.  Pessimistic statements made to discourage the efforts of another doesn’t help at all. Anyone can complain, but it takes courage to help. That is why we have to rid ourselves of the “Crabs in Barrel” mentality. Stop telling each other what you can’t do, that there’s no hope for the situation, and all efforts to improve are futile. That is the biggest indicator of a people suffering from internalized oppression. They don’t have to be told they can’t anymore, they will tell it to themselves. And with that message overtime there can be no growth, and this is why we as a people are currently stagnant.

I think it is very important to know your history because it explains how we arrived at the present. “A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect.” With that being said, I think it’s time to “Wake up, Organize, and Act” to find solutions to help heal us as people and as a nation.