With all due respect Russell Simmons, you are wrong. When we rocked Afro’s
and dashikis or platform shoes in the ’60s and ’70s, we were
connecting to our African Heritage. We were recognizing that we were descendants
of Kings. We were attempting to create our own culture and definition of
ourselves in America since we only could go back to slavery before our memories
and stories were stripped and diluted. You are wrong to label Don Lemon as a
modern day Uncle Tom (Inferring that he reflected Fox News or O’Reily and Hannity.
By the way, Hannity and Limbaugh are similar, I do not always agree with O’Reily
but he is not in that grouping. ) Black Americans have always had to swim
uphill in America since we were dragged to this continent. But we are currently
robbing ourselves, killing ourselves, and disrespecting ourselves. When you and
I were green saplings, standing on corners, we shut our mouths and nodded our
heads when a Black Mother or Grandmother walked by. The women in our
neighborhoods were not afraid to get off late from work and walk home. Our styles
was creative, but were not reflective of prison life. In "Pryor
Convictions," Pryor said that he left Africa "regretting ever having
uttered the word 'nigger' on a stage or off it. That was 1979. I acknowledge
that, even today it is hard and unfair to be a Black Person in America. That is
a conversation we need to have. We are behind in America due to our unfair
burden financially socially and psychologically. Also a conversation we need to
have. But we have to stop letting ourselves off the hook. Creative expression, I
am all for that. But emulating prison society by sagging our pants, and then
excusing it by comparing it to African dashikis. Really? Objecting to people
speaking out against our girls having unwed babies. Really? Respecting our own neighborhoods, not vandalizing
where you live, or stealing from a small business trying to provide a service
in the you hood, or throwing trash on the sidewalk where you live. Really? Finish school, get an education, have a
foundation of basic intelligence. Really? I disagree that being a proud Black
Man, which I am means having to embrace the negative. Or excuse it.
