Confessions of a Martian, Part. I

This is the first part of what will probably be an endless series of my reflections on issues dealing with race, social stigmas, politics, and whatever happens to be on my mind. It's entitled "Confessions of a Martian" because you would think I was a fucking alien the way people look at me sometimes. . and this leads to the point of this post.. What defines being "black"?

It's a question that is often discussed among the African-American community, and we are quite distinct in that regard. We are the only ethnicity that places so much value on the authenticity of its members - in order to be recognized as genuinely "black", we must fully represent our "blackness"... and this "blackness" is something that we have quantified. Simply put, we must not act "white".

What defines acting "white"?

The way we tend to see it, it's speaking proper, sounding intelligent and educated. Authentic black folks don't do this; they speak in a sort of street jargon that is characterized by the frequent use of vulgarities and the word "nigga". It can be defined as being a Republican, because authentic black folks are Democrats (this will probably be examined in more detail in a future post). Hell, if your a Republican and a proud one, you can pretty much guarantee that a couple of your peers have labeled you an "Uncle Tom"... and boy you sure don't want to be labeled an "Uncle Tom" because you transcend from acting "white" to "kissing the white man's ass". The cross-eyed Republican strategist Ron Christie, who is always on some news channel, has probably been called an "Uncle Tom" more than any black man in the history of America. All of the words, expressions, and phrases we use to label an individual's "blackness" symbolize one thing - ignorance. It's crazy how we see ourselves as just as bad as a racist would see us.. but we make it a good thing. Why as a community have we placed so much bearing on ignorance? Is ignorance truly bliss? It can't be.

Is it the rappers' fault? Yeah they probably deserve some of the blame. I mean they did make it cool to murder, rob, and sell narcotics.
Is it an issue of parenting? Yeah, single parent homes and no good "baby daddys" couldn't be beneficial.

And no, I am not about to go all Bill Cosby on you. In my eyes, it is more an issue of two things: education, and history. Education is the vehicle to advance the mind; problem is, a great education costs money.. and with about 25 percent of all African-Americans living in poverty.. you see where I am going with this. A quarter of us live below the poverty line and the public education system in poverty stricken areas can be described in one word - despicable, just take a look at the D.C. school system. Combined with a history of oppression by the white race, you can see why it is so taboo to "act white". (the last officially recorded lynching was only 41 years ago folks, long time.. but not that long)

Here's my dilemma.. all my life the white people who haven't met me, are intimidated by me, because I am big, black, and I guess scary looking at times (if they only knew I was softer than a cupcake). The black folks question my authenticity - "He sounds white", or "He thinks he is better than us", or my favorite, "Oh, you got books, fuck you doin' readin' nigga?". Eventually I just gave up - I mean what can I do? I am big, black, scary looking to some, intelligent, well-spoken, different - hell I listen to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers as much I listen to Jay-Z. Coming back to the U.S. was such a culture shock to me, I was always disliked by somebody. Only recently have I grown comfortable in my own skin - I could give a fuck how you feel about me now.

See my "blackness" isn't defined by ignorance - it is defined by my thirst for knowledge, my respect for my heritage, my awareness of the progress we have made as a race - and the progress that we still must make; my love of Africa.. shit, in my eyes, that's as "black" as it gets. Being "black" isn't acting a certain way, it is a state of mind - knowing your history, knowing that because of it you have to work that much harder than the next man, knowing that there will always be someone who looks down on you because of the color of your skin. Shit, "act white"! That is how we should be representing ourselves. This is why I am such a huge fan of the Barack Obamas and the Kanye Wests - they are making it cool to be African-American, intelligent, and different. We need that balance, to give young black children something else to aspire to be. Obama has changed the perception of what a black person can become and we desperately needed that. Even if you hated every one of his policies, you cannot deny his importance to us as a race (and you can't tell me that Obama isn't swaggerific).

Times are changing, but we still pigeon-hole ourselves into these off the wall definitions of "blackness". It has to stop - and hopefully we are in the beginning of a revolution to change the conception of what it means to be black. What do you think?

Alright, I'm sick of writing, and my stomach is begging me to feed it. Until next time readers. I'm logging out.

The Martian