As described in the previous post, this is the first in a series of rant's by Huey..
(*Disclaimer - There will be superfluous use of derogatory terms, curse words, and racial slurs.. but it is all for the sake of art and creativity. I really don't speak like this, actually I do but for the sake of being politically correct let's say I dont..and Oh..Black women may not like this first part)
Man, Deuce, I've had it for real. I'm done looking for the right girl; there just aren't any eligible, beautiful, intelligent, humble, afrocentric, and classy African American women out there. It's like they might satisfy one of the qualities I'm looking for, but they can never live up to the full spectrum of the qualities a good African-American woman should possess. They all seem to be about the same shit; they all own at least one trait that most niggas would consider negative, but still wonder why niggas treat them like shit. African-American women are actually starting to fit the profile of a fucking rap video - they are ego-centric, narcissistic, ignorant, promiscuous, weak-minded, shallow, materialistic, money-hungry.. and the list goes on. What happened to the fucking Maya Angelou's, Erykah Badu's, Taraji P. Hensons, the Michelle Obama's?? The only bitches I meet are hoodrats, skeezers, or bourgeios wanna-be fucking divas - and yeah, thats right, Bitches! They degrade themselves amongst eachother, will bump and grind to the lyrics "Bitch, give me dat pussy!", hunt for money so they can get new Louis Vuitton handbags, and rotate niggas as often as they change clothes - yet we are all meant to respect them and approach them like they aren't bitches, and ho's?! Fuck that, I only respect a woman who respects herself; call me a hypocrite if you want. I might as well go fuck with a white chick.
Riley's ignorant ass loves it; they cater to exactly what that nigga wants - a mindless female to do as he pleases. To hear that nigga talk about his girls' is like hearing Snoop's "Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)" on repeat all day. I can't even berate him for it; these women make it easy, it's like this nigga might learn something if these bitches would demand that he treat them the right way. I am in a constant struggle with my identity. I want to stand for my morals and what I represent, but it's becoming impossible, sometimes I find myself doing the same shit to women that Riley does. This diva shit particularly makes me nauseous; if I could count on my fingers how many bitches I've met that had the nerve to boldly proclaim themselves a diva, I'd need thirty fucking hands. You a diva huh? Then how come I heard you've satisfied more horny men than Heidi Fleiss??! It's like, shut the fuck up! Be humble, be secure, be classy - there's nothing wrong with exuding confidence.. just do it silently. If you were really a fucking diva you wouldn't feel the need to shout it from the rooftops; the finger-wagging and bobble heading is fucking unnecessary, all your doing is making yourself look like an imbecile.. You ain't fucking Beyonce.
I'm sorry, I just went on an impromptu rant. In all seriousness, contemporaneous African-American culture has typecast our relationships with each other to the acting out of three, equally ignoble roles - the pimp, the ho, and the trick. You've got your pimps - the Riley's of the world, praised by their peers for their bastardly, undignified behavior; defined by the degradation, and manipulation of our women. You've got your ho's; defined by their own insecurities, promiscuity, and lifetime of hurt at the hands of the pimps. Lastly, the tricks, who are there to fulfill the ho's sick desire for vengeance; endlessly, and blindly "trickin" on the ho's restoring their fractured self-worth. My complaint is about more than the demeanor, and lifestyle African-American women portray - it's about the system that has made this behavior so widespread and acceptable. I can't just blame the women, I would be downplaying the real issue if I did. The underlying predicament is the lack of intellectual, moral, and head-strong African-American men and women, looking for a significant other characterized by the same endearing virtues; and the plethora of pimps, ho's, and tricks. Until that changes, my search for the right woman will continue to be a discouraging task.
Alright I'm out, Riley's talking about going to the strib club and making it "rain more than Hurricane Katrina". I gotta go watch his dumbass, you know how he can get.
Huey
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Introduction "The Grown, Really Pissed Off Huey"
Since I've been back in Liberia I haven't been watching that much television, as you can probably imagine. Satellite television is nicknamed "fair weather tv" because it goes out when the weather is shitty, and Liberia is in its rainy season. Plus, television here sucks anyway, besides decent movies here and there and great reruns of Cheaters - it doesn't offer much else.. and no this post isn't about the incompetency of Liberian satellite television. I barely watch TV anyway besides news and sports news..unless I'm with my girl. I find myself developing a guilty pleasure for reality television such as Tough Love, For the Love of Ray J, and Tyson's Beckford's Make Me a Supermodel (I guess I should say No Homo after that..so, No Homo) because of her ass; it sickens me to my stomach.
Enough with the rambling. Point is, when my girl and I got bored the first week we were here before I started work, we watched countless episodes of The Boondocks. She recently bought both seasons on DVD, and it is one of the few times we both can mutually enjoy a television show together. We are both huge fans because we agree with the premise behind Aaron McGruder's inspiration for the animated series. See, McGruder hates his own people, but in a loving kind of way. As an African-American he wishes we all could see our potential; in the process he is highly critical of our present state. It is a social satire that I personally feel is ingenious; using comedy as a backdrop, McGruder manages to provide the most accurate assessment of the current ills, and plights of the African American community within the greater context of American society. My connection to what The Boondocks represents is what provided the inspiration for this post.
I am going to give you all a little bit of background info just to give you an idea of what this post is about. The series revolves around the lives of the Freeman family - ten year old Huey, eight year old Riley, and their grandfather Robert. Huey's character was named for the famous African-American revolutionary Huey P. Newton, co-founder of The Black Panther Party, and his personality is a reflection of his namesake. Huey is defined by his intelligence, contemporary Afrocentrism, and his support for any cause related to the struggle of African-Americans. He laments African-American pop culture popularized in the media for glamorizing excessive extravagance and ignorance. Huey narrates the show from a cynical, angry perspective, wishing his people would look in the mirror and see how mindless they portray themselves; He never smiles. Riley is the polar opposite; despite being bright and artistic, he loves "Gangsta Rap" and African-American pop culture and this influences everything in his life - from his choice of language, to his clothing, to his lifestyle decisions. Essentially McGruder uses Riley's character to display exactly what is wrong with the African-American community; Huey to demonstrate his own sentiment. The show is a battle between the conflicting personalities of the two brothers; Robert Freeman is there to reign in his grandsons.
Now with that background information in mind let's hypothetically assume Huey has grown up, is my age - the ripe old age of twenty-two. Nothing has changed in our community; Huey is still pissed off, but lets amp it up a couple notches. Ain't shit changed, Huey's angry, still cynical as ever - and I am going to take on his persona and give him a means to express himself through my blog. A guest blogger, if you will. Now, there you have it.. "The Grown, Really Pissed Off Huey", so let's get to it...
(If your into race-related humor check out the show, it's hilarious)
www.boondockstv.com
Enough with the rambling. Point is, when my girl and I got bored the first week we were here before I started work, we watched countless episodes of The Boondocks. She recently bought both seasons on DVD, and it is one of the few times we both can mutually enjoy a television show together. We are both huge fans because we agree with the premise behind Aaron McGruder's inspiration for the animated series. See, McGruder hates his own people, but in a loving kind of way. As an African-American he wishes we all could see our potential; in the process he is highly critical of our present state. It is a social satire that I personally feel is ingenious; using comedy as a backdrop, McGruder manages to provide the most accurate assessment of the current ills, and plights of the African American community within the greater context of American society. My connection to what The Boondocks represents is what provided the inspiration for this post.
I am going to give you all a little bit of background info just to give you an idea of what this post is about. The series revolves around the lives of the Freeman family - ten year old Huey, eight year old Riley, and their grandfather Robert. Huey's character was named for the famous African-American revolutionary Huey P. Newton, co-founder of The Black Panther Party, and his personality is a reflection of his namesake. Huey is defined by his intelligence, contemporary Afrocentrism, and his support for any cause related to the struggle of African-Americans. He laments African-American pop culture popularized in the media for glamorizing excessive extravagance and ignorance. Huey narrates the show from a cynical, angry perspective, wishing his people would look in the mirror and see how mindless they portray themselves; He never smiles. Riley is the polar opposite; despite being bright and artistic, he loves "Gangsta Rap" and African-American pop culture and this influences everything in his life - from his choice of language, to his clothing, to his lifestyle decisions. Essentially McGruder uses Riley's character to display exactly what is wrong with the African-American community; Huey to demonstrate his own sentiment. The show is a battle between the conflicting personalities of the two brothers; Robert Freeman is there to reign in his grandsons.
Now with that background information in mind let's hypothetically assume Huey has grown up, is my age - the ripe old age of twenty-two. Nothing has changed in our community; Huey is still pissed off, but lets amp it up a couple notches. Ain't shit changed, Huey's angry, still cynical as ever - and I am going to take on his persona and give him a means to express himself through my blog. A guest blogger, if you will. Now, there you have it.. "The Grown, Really Pissed Off Huey", so let's get to it...
(If your into race-related humor check out the show, it's hilarious)
www.boondockstv.com
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Public Service Announcement
I'm going to use these Public Service Announcements to put my boys on, and introduce ya'll to shit that I'm feeling. My boy Justin Leonard has been getting his feet wet in the poetry game, and since I'm a fan, and this blog was inspired by a book of poetry; I wanted to give him an avenue to share it with ya'll. So check it out, and let him know what ya'll think.
Thoughts to Ponder…
What would life be if mom and dad never split
and we remained a family?
What would life be if there was no self-expression
no true individuality?
What would life be if my eyelids shut blind
unable to see the worlds beauty?
What would life be
if I was born into a life
forced to live in poverty?
What would life be if everyday I woke
I witnessed tragedy?
What would life be
if all nations
lived in perfect harmony?
What would life be
if people forgot
the essence of humanity?
What would life be
if bombs scorched the earth
and our existence was lost in history?
What would life be?
Thoughts to Ponder…
What would life be if mom and dad never split
and we remained a family?
What would life be if there was no self-expression
no true individuality?
What would life be if my eyelids shut blind
unable to see the worlds beauty?
What would life be
if I was born into a life
forced to live in poverty?
What would life be if everyday I woke
I witnessed tragedy?
What would life be
if all nations
lived in perfect harmony?
What would life be
if people forgot
the essence of humanity?
What would life be
if bombs scorched the earth
and our existence was lost in history?
What would life be?
Sports Chatter
Allow me to re-introduce myself..! lol.
I'm back, I know it has been a minute. I was so busy catching up on school work that I procrastinated on all semester, preparing for graduation, graduating, celebrating(a little too much), moving out, moving on...etc, that I didn't really have the time to sit down and write like I want to. Now, I'm in Liberia for the summer - plotting my next move, working, studying for the LSAT, and mooching off my folks (c'mon, you know you all did it at some point). I've got nothing but time on my hands to search for inspiration and get my creative juices flowing - so on to the post..
I used to want to be a sports journalist - the next Michael Wilbon - until I realized to be successful it required more harassing, annoying, and pissing people off than I was willing to do (I've got this disdain for media types in general, definitely wasn't my cup of tea). However, my fascination with sports has not diminished at all. I probably spend more of my day looking up stats and reading sports articles than I do anything else (if you ask my girl she'll probably tell you that I spend more time on espn.com than I do with her..lol). This blog would be incomplete if it did not encompass my sports' obsession, so 'Sports Chatter' is my first foray into sports blogging - sports geeks should enjoy..
The NBA Playoffs has been dominating the sports circuit for the past month or so, with the prevailing topic of discussion being the anticipation of a dream finals matchup between Kobe and LeBron. David Stern is salivating over it, all fans (besides Nuggets and Magic fans) want it, and the media is begging for it. There is the vitamin water ads, the MVPuppet commercials, the countless atricles online and sports shows debating who's the better player.. really in the past couple weeks, I guarantee even if you hated basketball and avoided it like it was the bubonic plague you still have managed to see something pitting Kobe Bryant versus LeBron James.. and that brings me to the question.. Who is the better player?
Ultimately it's a matter of opinion, and if you ask any of the niggas who hang around me they will probably say my opinion is biased. So with that being said.. YES, I am a Kobe dick rider, and proud of it. If I was a white woman working at a hotel in Colorado and Kobe came in I would've willingly let him rape me, lol. At least I can admit it, some of my boys meat-ride LeBron so hard it borders on the fine line between heterosexuality and homosexuality, yet they claim to be just casual fans (Yes, you PJ....naah sike, you my nigga). I still feel like I can objectively debate the merits of the arguments for each player, so here goes..
See, The Black Mamba, is the definition of beauty on the basketball court. Bryant's work ethic, intensity, myriad of moves, impeccable fundamentals, and exceptional footwork is what seperates him from LeBron James and every other basketball player on the planet. I would argue that you could rank his footwork up at the top in terms of the best of all time. He has grown into an incredibly cerebral player, no longer just relying on his athleticism. However you want it, Kobe can give it to you. You can't resort to fouling him because he's wet from the charity stripe (Sidenote.. *Wet- lingo my boys and I use to describe just about anything.. a silky smooth J, how drunk we are - "Damn niggas was WET last night!", the degree of a female's arousal.. you get the point). To top it off, Kobe has the mentality of a mass murderer - he is Charles Manson on the basketball court. That killer instinct combined with his skills make him such a dangerous basketball player, ask just about anyone in the league who they fear most in games that matter and the answer would overwhelmingly be Bryant. He is as close to a lockdown defender as you'll get in an age of pro basketball defined by rules changes to boost offense (Even though surprisingly I think his defense is a little overrated - he roams too often, doesn't collect that many steals, and has a tendency to disrespect his man.. it's like c'mon Kobe these niggas are in the NBA, they can hit an open 12-footer. He's lockdown, but nowhere near lockdown in an M.J. or Scottie sense, or an Artest sense for that matter). Kobe's only weaknesses are himself and his sometimes questionable shot selection. His shot selection I can live with, I blame it on overconfidence; he attempts difficult shots because he feels he can make them (which a lot of the time he can), fact is though, that kind of shot selection isn't always conducive to efficiency on the basketball court. I can't live with his attitude; his attitude is what holds him back and gives credence to the arguments of his detractors. He has quit on his teammates, can become disengaged in any given game, and is quite frankly, universally recognized as an asshole.
Now on to LeBron. He is the only nigga who could tattoo "The Chosen One" on his body, and it literally be legit. It's as if God sat around one day and was like "Im bored, I'm going to create the prototypical basketball player - Jordan was an asshole, anyway". He is huge, strong, and fast as shit. Seriously, the man is probably 6'9" 270 pounds, and basket to basket with the ball in his hands might be fastest guy in the league. His athleticism is just fucking ridiculous - there is no way to even describe it, he's just a beast. Combine that with an incredible feel for the game, excellent court vision, unlimited range, and a love for the team concept and you've got the basketball Jesus. The man can play all five positions on the floor, defend all of them - and do it WELL. Everyone thinks I hate LeBron but I really don't (he is going to be better than Kobe to the point that it won't be an argument anymore, it's not a matter of if but when). He dominates games like we haven't seen since Shaq was in his prime. The easiest way to get a bucket is a dunk or layup, and LeBron can get to the hoop pretty much whenever he wants, making LeBron an incredibly efficient basketball player - Kobe doesn't have that luxury. However, I see it as a gift and a curse. LeBron gets so many easy buckets because of his athleticism that I think it is hindering the development of his overall offensive repertoire. While as when Kobe can't slash to the hoop to get easy buckets, he can kill you with his post game and the mid-range, LeBron can't do that.. and don't even get me started on the free throws (I just feel like for a player of his caliber it is inexcusable to shoot less than 80% from the free throw line..he missed five free throws in the fourth quarter of the last game, five! In a hotly contested game you can pretty much guarantee he'll start to brick them from the line, soon your going to start seeing Hack-A-Bron, you heard it here first). His offensive skill set is still somewhat in it's rudimentary stages.. his footwork definitely could use some development. His killer instinct is somewhat lacking in comparison to Kobe also - while LeBron treats games as if he is doing his own skit show, Kobe has the face of a gladiator in the coliseum. LeBron is by leaps and bounds a better teammate though, and can give you a lot more on the court than Kobe. He is a constant triple double threat, and will probably be the only player to even come close to Oscar Robertson's incredible feat of averaging a triple double for a whole season.
What the argument boils down to is the beauty or the beast, and in my case I've got to take the beauty. While you can attribute a lot of LeBron's skills to sheer athletic ability, the same cannot be said for Kobe. One game, One shot, One series.. in every hypothetical sense I'm taking Kobe over LeBron. But that's just me, the argument for LeBron is just as credible, and eventually at the end of his career we will be asking who is better Jordan or Bron Bron? ..but right now, The Black Mamba is still the king of the jungle.
What do you think? Check out this article, great in-depth piece, a couple of bloggers debating the arguments for each - http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-40-80/The-State-of-the-Great-Debate--Kobe-vs--LeBron-2009.html.
I'm back, I know it has been a minute. I was so busy catching up on school work that I procrastinated on all semester, preparing for graduation, graduating, celebrating(a little too much), moving out, moving on...etc, that I didn't really have the time to sit down and write like I want to. Now, I'm in Liberia for the summer - plotting my next move, working, studying for the LSAT, and mooching off my folks (c'mon, you know you all did it at some point). I've got nothing but time on my hands to search for inspiration and get my creative juices flowing - so on to the post..
I used to want to be a sports journalist - the next Michael Wilbon - until I realized to be successful it required more harassing, annoying, and pissing people off than I was willing to do (I've got this disdain for media types in general, definitely wasn't my cup of tea). However, my fascination with sports has not diminished at all. I probably spend more of my day looking up stats and reading sports articles than I do anything else (if you ask my girl she'll probably tell you that I spend more time on espn.com than I do with her..lol). This blog would be incomplete if it did not encompass my sports' obsession, so 'Sports Chatter' is my first foray into sports blogging - sports geeks should enjoy..
The NBA Playoffs has been dominating the sports circuit for the past month or so, with the prevailing topic of discussion being the anticipation of a dream finals matchup between Kobe and LeBron. David Stern is salivating over it, all fans (besides Nuggets and Magic fans) want it, and the media is begging for it. There is the vitamin water ads, the MVPuppet commercials, the countless atricles online and sports shows debating who's the better player.. really in the past couple weeks, I guarantee even if you hated basketball and avoided it like it was the bubonic plague you still have managed to see something pitting Kobe Bryant versus LeBron James.. and that brings me to the question.. Who is the better player?
Ultimately it's a matter of opinion, and if you ask any of the niggas who hang around me they will probably say my opinion is biased. So with that being said.. YES, I am a Kobe dick rider, and proud of it. If I was a white woman working at a hotel in Colorado and Kobe came in I would've willingly let him rape me, lol. At least I can admit it, some of my boys meat-ride LeBron so hard it borders on the fine line between heterosexuality and homosexuality, yet they claim to be just casual fans (Yes, you PJ....naah sike, you my nigga). I still feel like I can objectively debate the merits of the arguments for each player, so here goes..
See, The Black Mamba, is the definition of beauty on the basketball court. Bryant's work ethic, intensity, myriad of moves, impeccable fundamentals, and exceptional footwork is what seperates him from LeBron James and every other basketball player on the planet. I would argue that you could rank his footwork up at the top in terms of the best of all time. He has grown into an incredibly cerebral player, no longer just relying on his athleticism. However you want it, Kobe can give it to you. You can't resort to fouling him because he's wet from the charity stripe (Sidenote.. *Wet- lingo my boys and I use to describe just about anything.. a silky smooth J, how drunk we are - "Damn niggas was WET last night!", the degree of a female's arousal.. you get the point). To top it off, Kobe has the mentality of a mass murderer - he is Charles Manson on the basketball court. That killer instinct combined with his skills make him such a dangerous basketball player, ask just about anyone in the league who they fear most in games that matter and the answer would overwhelmingly be Bryant. He is as close to a lockdown defender as you'll get in an age of pro basketball defined by rules changes to boost offense (Even though surprisingly I think his defense is a little overrated - he roams too often, doesn't collect that many steals, and has a tendency to disrespect his man.. it's like c'mon Kobe these niggas are in the NBA, they can hit an open 12-footer. He's lockdown, but nowhere near lockdown in an M.J. or Scottie sense, or an Artest sense for that matter). Kobe's only weaknesses are himself and his sometimes questionable shot selection. His shot selection I can live with, I blame it on overconfidence; he attempts difficult shots because he feels he can make them (which a lot of the time he can), fact is though, that kind of shot selection isn't always conducive to efficiency on the basketball court. I can't live with his attitude; his attitude is what holds him back and gives credence to the arguments of his detractors. He has quit on his teammates, can become disengaged in any given game, and is quite frankly, universally recognized as an asshole.
Now on to LeBron. He is the only nigga who could tattoo "The Chosen One" on his body, and it literally be legit. It's as if God sat around one day and was like "Im bored, I'm going to create the prototypical basketball player - Jordan was an asshole, anyway". He is huge, strong, and fast as shit. Seriously, the man is probably 6'9" 270 pounds, and basket to basket with the ball in his hands might be fastest guy in the league. His athleticism is just fucking ridiculous - there is no way to even describe it, he's just a beast. Combine that with an incredible feel for the game, excellent court vision, unlimited range, and a love for the team concept and you've got the basketball Jesus. The man can play all five positions on the floor, defend all of them - and do it WELL. Everyone thinks I hate LeBron but I really don't (he is going to be better than Kobe to the point that it won't be an argument anymore, it's not a matter of if but when). He dominates games like we haven't seen since Shaq was in his prime. The easiest way to get a bucket is a dunk or layup, and LeBron can get to the hoop pretty much whenever he wants, making LeBron an incredibly efficient basketball player - Kobe doesn't have that luxury. However, I see it as a gift and a curse. LeBron gets so many easy buckets because of his athleticism that I think it is hindering the development of his overall offensive repertoire. While as when Kobe can't slash to the hoop to get easy buckets, he can kill you with his post game and the mid-range, LeBron can't do that.. and don't even get me started on the free throws (I just feel like for a player of his caliber it is inexcusable to shoot less than 80% from the free throw line..he missed five free throws in the fourth quarter of the last game, five! In a hotly contested game you can pretty much guarantee he'll start to brick them from the line, soon your going to start seeing Hack-A-Bron, you heard it here first). His offensive skill set is still somewhat in it's rudimentary stages.. his footwork definitely could use some development. His killer instinct is somewhat lacking in comparison to Kobe also - while LeBron treats games as if he is doing his own skit show, Kobe has the face of a gladiator in the coliseum. LeBron is by leaps and bounds a better teammate though, and can give you a lot more on the court than Kobe. He is a constant triple double threat, and will probably be the only player to even come close to Oscar Robertson's incredible feat of averaging a triple double for a whole season.
What the argument boils down to is the beauty or the beast, and in my case I've got to take the beauty. While you can attribute a lot of LeBron's skills to sheer athletic ability, the same cannot be said for Kobe. One game, One shot, One series.. in every hypothetical sense I'm taking Kobe over LeBron. But that's just me, the argument for LeBron is just as credible, and eventually at the end of his career we will be asking who is better Jordan or Bron Bron? ..but right now, The Black Mamba is still the king of the jungle.
What do you think? Check out this article, great in-depth piece, a couple of bloggers debating the arguments for each - http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-40-80/The-State-of-the-Great-Debate--Kobe-vs--LeBron-2009.html.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Confessions of a Martian, Part. 2
The martian is back, sorry for the delay. I've been experiencing what I would call "blogger's block" (really I've been drinking entirely too much in the past week to say anything intelligent, shout outs to Alpha Ball '09). What I really needed was some inspiration and I found it chilling with one of my boys last night, sipping on a couple of Olde English forties. In our drunken stupor we actually managed to have an incredibly deep conversation about the tension between African immigrants and African Americans. While trying to explain to him my passion for the word African-American and my disdain for the connotation "Black", he began an impassioned rant into why he feels the exact opposite way. The insight he injected into the argument was so eloquent and profound that it made me stop and think, "I've never really heard it put that way." - and I couldn't help but to somewhat agree with him. What I am going to do is provide ya'll with the gist of the conversation, so listen up while I drop some knowledge.
"Akata"
- a word derived from the Yoruba people of West Africa and it simply means "fox". It is widely used loosely by African immigrants to the United States to describe African-Americans and their descendants, and over time it has come to have derogatory connotations due to tensions between Africans and African-Americans. (I love wikipedia)
This word defines what many young Africans, like my friend, are taught to think of their African-American counterparts.. and if you look at the simple meaning of it, "fox", you can see where the derogatory connotation of the word comes from. Used as a verb "fox" literally means to deceive or trick. So essentially Africans are taught not to trust us, to look down on us. My boy, as an immigrant to the U.S., explained to me why he learned quickly to feel this way and only as an adult did he finally begin to quit being so naive. Growing up in the city, African-Americans did nothing but disparage Africans. They called them stupid names like "African booty scratcher", and wouldn't associate with them. The tension would oftentimes lead to all-out fistfights. In an effort to make an excuse for my people, I blamed it on ignorance; the media's unsound portrayal of Africa.. simply, most of us just don't know any better. They made my boy feel like I used to, like a fucking Martian.
Your probably wondering how all this relates to the "Black" vs. "African-American" argument, so here it goes. Frankly, I hate the usage of the word "black". To me, all it represents is nothing more than a color (if you ask a scientist though, he'll probably tell you black isn't a color), and I represent so much more than that. I have African blood, I am of African origin, I love African culture, I have African ties.. Why would I dare let you insult me by calling me something as mundane and trite as "black"?! We are descendants of a beautiful race of people, and our description should symbolize that; we should be proud to call ourselves "African-American". Therein lies the problem however, and this is what my friend brought to my attention - see, most of us, aren't proud at all. We don't give a flying fuck about Africa. We think they are nothing more than "African booty scratchers", tribesman, savages, weirdos... What gives us the right to use the term "African-American"? We are so ignorant that we do not devote the time to even learn about where we came from, in fact we disgrace it and disrespect it.
In my friend's opinion, we aren't deserving of the term. Growing up all he met were African-Americans who wanted nothing to do with Africa, who felt they were better than Africans - and you know he is 100% right. So fuck it, I can't even be mad at the term "black" until we all learn to embrace our roots; our heritage. Black is a perfect term - it's simplicity exemplifies our feeble minds - we want to be nothing more than that; nothing more than a color.
Think about it.
The Martian.
"Akata"
- a word derived from the Yoruba people of West Africa and it simply means "fox". It is widely used loosely by African immigrants to the United States to describe African-Americans and their descendants, and over time it has come to have derogatory connotations due to tensions between Africans and African-Americans. (I love wikipedia)
This word defines what many young Africans, like my friend, are taught to think of their African-American counterparts.. and if you look at the simple meaning of it, "fox", you can see where the derogatory connotation of the word comes from. Used as a verb "fox" literally means to deceive or trick. So essentially Africans are taught not to trust us, to look down on us. My boy, as an immigrant to the U.S., explained to me why he learned quickly to feel this way and only as an adult did he finally begin to quit being so naive. Growing up in the city, African-Americans did nothing but disparage Africans. They called them stupid names like "African booty scratcher", and wouldn't associate with them. The tension would oftentimes lead to all-out fistfights. In an effort to make an excuse for my people, I blamed it on ignorance; the media's unsound portrayal of Africa.. simply, most of us just don't know any better. They made my boy feel like I used to, like a fucking Martian.
Your probably wondering how all this relates to the "Black" vs. "African-American" argument, so here it goes. Frankly, I hate the usage of the word "black". To me, all it represents is nothing more than a color (if you ask a scientist though, he'll probably tell you black isn't a color), and I represent so much more than that. I have African blood, I am of African origin, I love African culture, I have African ties.. Why would I dare let you insult me by calling me something as mundane and trite as "black"?! We are descendants of a beautiful race of people, and our description should symbolize that; we should be proud to call ourselves "African-American". Therein lies the problem however, and this is what my friend brought to my attention - see, most of us, aren't proud at all. We don't give a flying fuck about Africa. We think they are nothing more than "African booty scratchers", tribesman, savages, weirdos... What gives us the right to use the term "African-American"? We are so ignorant that we do not devote the time to even learn about where we came from, in fact we disgrace it and disrespect it.
In my friend's opinion, we aren't deserving of the term. Growing up all he met were African-Americans who wanted nothing to do with Africa, who felt they were better than Africans - and you know he is 100% right. So fuck it, I can't even be mad at the term "black" until we all learn to embrace our roots; our heritage. Black is a perfect term - it's simplicity exemplifies our feeble minds - we want to be nothing more than that; nothing more than a color.
Think about it.
The Martian.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Conception - An Ode to My Hero.
"words and hugs
were not my daddy's tools
life was about work
hands were made to think
he communicated like his father
silently erecting monuments of
pauses
even his gestures had commas
in his private workshop
behind a wall of resurrected TV sets
and engine parts
collected from the side of the road
he spent his spare time
polishing granddaddy's old saws
chisels and hammers
reconstructing junk and found objects into miniature antique furniture
and scale models of his dreams
just piddlin', he'd say
deflecting accusations
of creating something beautiful
no one ever called this man
an artist
no book spine whispers his name
yet everytime I open my mouth
I can hear him sing"
Frank X. Walker
It is amazing how much I resemble my father. His mannerisms, loner attitude, and bipolar outbursts have all become apart of my personality. Growing up I never realized the similarity. I didn't want to be like him, matter of fact I wasn't even sure if I liked him. He was nothing more than an authoritarian figure, and one who's authority I didn't respect. Everyone would always say, "Deuce you look so much like your father", and I would scoff at the notion. I wanted to create my own path, my own identity, show him that I didn't need to be like him. I was young, rebellious, and a champion of my own destiny. He was so consumed by work, I never understood why he couldn't just relax, kick his feet up a little bit, smoke a cigar, live the good life. The trips he made me take to North Carolina, working all summer or on my spring breaks - fixing up houses, cleaning the family cemetery - I saw it as his way of just making me do bullshit work, to keep me from partying it up like everyone else.
As much as I tried to lessen his influence on me, I ultimately failed - it was inevitable - it is innate in every son to want to please their father. The more time we spent together - the more I began to respect him. The more I heard people talk about him - the more I admired him. The more trips to bumblefuck North Carolina - the more I began to appreciate hard work and peace of mind. The more graves I cleaned - the more I began to appreciate my family history. There is a reason why Michael Jordan's sons play basketball or Archie Manning's sons are great quarterbacks. My father is no superstar athlete though, he's a hard-working man from a small town in North Carolina, who has earned all the good fortune that his come his way. He's a true rag-to-riches story, someone who was so poor yet wouldn't let that hinder him. He was driven to succeed like a mad man. Despite possessing no college degree, he can put a computer together from scratch. In fact he is one of the most intelligent people I know. He has never forgotten where he came from, always looking to help those who are less fortunate. He loves his family making sure to do whatever he can for his 107 year old grandmother. He loves his wife, quietly playing a secondary role, supporting her as her career has climbed to incredible heights. Everyone who has ever worked with him praises him. He doesn't possess a selfish bone in his body. His best qualities are diligence, empathy, compassion - How could I not have admired this man? How could I have been so blind?
As a kid I was so caught up in the fact that my father wasn't your prototypical "great dad". He was moody, unapproachable at times - it was difficult for him to express his emotions. I don't even know if he told me loved me until I was an adult. It distracted me from seeing his more endearing qualities - while not the greatest dad, he was a great person. I know he feels as if he failed me as a father sometimes, that perhaps I would've turned out differently if he had been able to develop a better relationship with me. The fact is though he was the best father a son could have. Why?
Because I want to emulate him. The great qualities he has, are all qualities I hope people see in me. Too many young black men have no quality father figures to look up to - I did, and I consider myself fortunate. I figured the best way for me to start this blog off would be to give you a little bit of insight into who I am and who I plan to be. I am Lafayette Masteen Greenfield II, and I plan to be just like who I'm named after. I am moody, unapproachable at times - but deep down a kindhearted person. I look down upon no one, and I will never forget where my family came from. I will clean up that cemetery until the day that I am no longer physically able to do so. I plan to work hard and value everything that is given to me. I am driven to succeed, failure is not an option. I love the country, there is no better place to achieve serenity of the mind - I may move out there someday. I want to be defined as diligent, empathetic, compassionate - just like him.
My Hero.
were not my daddy's tools
life was about work
hands were made to think
he communicated like his father
silently erecting monuments of
pauses
even his gestures had commas
in his private workshop
behind a wall of resurrected TV sets
and engine parts
collected from the side of the road
he spent his spare time
polishing granddaddy's old saws
chisels and hammers
reconstructing junk and found objects into miniature antique furniture
and scale models of his dreams
just piddlin', he'd say
deflecting accusations
of creating something beautiful
no one ever called this man
an artist
no book spine whispers his name
yet everytime I open my mouth
I can hear him sing"
Frank X. Walker
It is amazing how much I resemble my father. His mannerisms, loner attitude, and bipolar outbursts have all become apart of my personality. Growing up I never realized the similarity. I didn't want to be like him, matter of fact I wasn't even sure if I liked him. He was nothing more than an authoritarian figure, and one who's authority I didn't respect. Everyone would always say, "Deuce you look so much like your father", and I would scoff at the notion. I wanted to create my own path, my own identity, show him that I didn't need to be like him. I was young, rebellious, and a champion of my own destiny. He was so consumed by work, I never understood why he couldn't just relax, kick his feet up a little bit, smoke a cigar, live the good life. The trips he made me take to North Carolina, working all summer or on my spring breaks - fixing up houses, cleaning the family cemetery - I saw it as his way of just making me do bullshit work, to keep me from partying it up like everyone else.
As much as I tried to lessen his influence on me, I ultimately failed - it was inevitable - it is innate in every son to want to please their father. The more time we spent together - the more I began to respect him. The more I heard people talk about him - the more I admired him. The more trips to bumblefuck North Carolina - the more I began to appreciate hard work and peace of mind. The more graves I cleaned - the more I began to appreciate my family history. There is a reason why Michael Jordan's sons play basketball or Archie Manning's sons are great quarterbacks. My father is no superstar athlete though, he's a hard-working man from a small town in North Carolina, who has earned all the good fortune that his come his way. He's a true rag-to-riches story, someone who was so poor yet wouldn't let that hinder him. He was driven to succeed like a mad man. Despite possessing no college degree, he can put a computer together from scratch. In fact he is one of the most intelligent people I know. He has never forgotten where he came from, always looking to help those who are less fortunate. He loves his family making sure to do whatever he can for his 107 year old grandmother. He loves his wife, quietly playing a secondary role, supporting her as her career has climbed to incredible heights. Everyone who has ever worked with him praises him. He doesn't possess a selfish bone in his body. His best qualities are diligence, empathy, compassion - How could I not have admired this man? How could I have been so blind?
As a kid I was so caught up in the fact that my father wasn't your prototypical "great dad". He was moody, unapproachable at times - it was difficult for him to express his emotions. I don't even know if he told me loved me until I was an adult. It distracted me from seeing his more endearing qualities - while not the greatest dad, he was a great person. I know he feels as if he failed me as a father sometimes, that perhaps I would've turned out differently if he had been able to develop a better relationship with me. The fact is though he was the best father a son could have. Why?
Because I want to emulate him. The great qualities he has, are all qualities I hope people see in me. Too many young black men have no quality father figures to look up to - I did, and I consider myself fortunate. I figured the best way for me to start this blog off would be to give you a little bit of insight into who I am and who I plan to be. I am Lafayette Masteen Greenfield II, and I plan to be just like who I'm named after. I am moody, unapproachable at times - but deep down a kindhearted person. I look down upon no one, and I will never forget where my family came from. I will clean up that cemetery until the day that I am no longer physically able to do so. I plan to work hard and value everything that is given to me. I am driven to succeed, failure is not an option. I love the country, there is no better place to achieve serenity of the mind - I may move out there someday. I want to be defined as diligent, empathetic, compassionate - just like him.
My Hero.
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