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Black Lives Matter

I love being African, and my black melanin rocks! But, the gruesome reality is that not all black is bold and neither is celebrating blackness always a glitz and glam affair. If it all goes unnoticed, black might be the epitome of darkness. Your head might now be spinning as you are probably getting lost in your thoughts as to why I have such notions. My views are neutral, and highly based on my observation of different individuals. After studying my fellow brothers and sisters, I have come to the realisation that:

Actions matter MUCH more than words…

Yes, Black Lives Matter, and our own African culture advocates for brotherhood and having your neighbours back at all times. But the ugly reality is; being black is not all rosey and with the advent of injustices, the lines of its beauty are slowly fading. I have observed with shock how black on black exploitation is taking a toll on many people. If you are an employer, ask yourself how many times you have cared for the welfare of your employees. Needless to say, the economy is in turmoil, but some employers are blessed to be sailing in the storm. The painful reality though is that: most employees are living lives of endurance whilst sitting at a fellow brother/sister’s table. So, what matters are your thoughts and actions, not words. If you can give to Ceaser his dues, extend that same hand to your brother/sister too!

The SOUL has an outer radiation…

Being a keeper is also being real and doing reality checks from time to time. Just because your business partner X believes that a person ‘s existence is highly dependent on basics doesn’t mean that you should use that same standpoint. A lot of house helps are being exploited left, right and centre and needless to say, those girls and women have families too. As you’re reading this, I want you to step back a bit, stroll to the supermarket and assess the price of sanitary towels. Afterwards, calculate just how much that lady’s salary is worth. Just remember that the soul has an outer radiation, and no matter how good your speeches are, if they’re not put into action: you sound like a Broken Record.

 

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How would I ideally describe myself, in an interview or first date? I need a description that will represent who I am in a nutshell. One that would paint a picture and leave no questions to be asked. Mmmmmmh….”Young, gifted and black.”

Yes that is it!

For I can say this proudly, without a shadow of doubt nor fear. These three words describe just who I am! Young, Gifted and Black! However, I just cannot help but go back to that gloomy yet sunshiny day in 1969, as I picture it in my head of course lol! That time in the studio when Nina Simmons thought to pen the lines, “To be young gifted and black, oh what a lovely precious dream”.

A dream, for in that world she had grown up in, being black was nothing to be proud of, being “gifted and black” did not go hand in hand in a sentence. God forbid it, it was something unheard of! Popular belief was people of color could never be better or more intelligent, sum it up “gifted” than their fair skin counterparts.

Now decades later that is to a point a thing of the past. We now have a lot of young gifted and black individuals who are thriving. Unfortunately, we still do struggle with racism till date hence the rise in Black Lives Matter movements. Black Lives indeed matter that is a no brainer! Fundamentally, don’t they need to matter “first” to us as Black Africans though?  Should this not be the case before the rest of the world can get onboard and appreciate the true essence of the Black African society?

Xenophobia for example, took the world by storm, no one saw such an injustice coming. How can fellow black man fight, kill and torture one another? How can we as a society of African Black people kill each other solely because we do not share a language or culture? Ludicrous!  Are we saying black lives matter only when we feel a white person has treated us unfairly? Are we just in a habit of pulling the racist card at the white man but fail to question our fellow brother or sister’s actions when they torture and kill another fellow African man?

“You can’t hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree. You can’t hate Africa and not hate yourself.’ Malcom X

Malcom X directed this to each and every race in the world including blacks, when we kill, torture, rob, rape, falsely accuse and exploit our fellow African men, we go against our heritage and who we are. Certainly, we cannot do this without actually hating the man we see in the mirror.

It is against this background I wonder if being young, gifted and black will continue to be something admirable in future.

For I question what legacy we are leaving behind for our offspring? Will they be proud to be young gifted and black or they will struggle with a seed we as their forefathers and mothers have planted? One where we have double standards and are hypocrites when dealing with a black and white man. One where we as a society (African) cannot love, help and seize exploiting one another.

Being, young, gifted and black has seized being merely just a dream when we consider how far we have come as black African people. Let us not then make the struggle for freedom which was fought for us by our heroes be one which was done in vain.

To be young, gifted and black, let us live it, breathe it and set an example of how it ought to feel and be, by being kinder, loving and more caring to our own. Once we achieve this, the rest of the world will follow suit.

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