Here's the monkey wreck with that. While we do have prominent & successful black folks who try to give back to the black community in an effort to counter the downward spiral, too many black people have basically turned their backs and don't care about the black community because they don't see themselves as part of the black community or don't even believe in a black community. Not that leaving "the hood" is a bad thing, but too many black people who make it out then adapt the self serving attitude that they no longer owe anything to the black community because they made it out and falsely believe that they are somehow "elite/chosen" among black people because of that. Some do not even view themselves as black due to their "success" until of course other black people are plastered across the media spectrum doing something stupid or fucked up . Then they are angered or embarrassed that someone whose skin color is the same as theirs is possibly making "them" look bad in the eyes of all the non black people they associate with and offer nothing but criticism on how "the black community" & "it's leaders" are failing and how they should be more "responsible" like they see themselves as being. They are just as culpable for the state of the black community as the ignorant fools in "the hoods" who victimize and destroy their own, because just like the thugs,drug dealers,pimps and wannabes who choose those lifestyles, all they care about are themselves. So no matter what the Al Sharptons or Jesse Jacksons (who both have been falsely elevated to black leadership positions by conservative loyalist and media IMO) do or don't do to help the black community, the problems will still persist and continue to deteriorate as long as a majority of black people believe that the black community as a whole is not their concern or responsibility.
absolutely correct. A million people doing one tiny thing is better than one person doing one big thing. We can all help by being more outspoken against destructive cultural values, such as "I'm the baby-maker, the woman-taker, I'm the cold-pussy lover, the heartbreaker" or "I'm a motherfuckin p.i.m.p." stuff. Don't get me wrong - overmacho attitudes are a part of all cultures of young men. However by letting our kids establish their own values insteading of guiding them to embrace more productive values, that overmacho stuff grows out of hand among young black men, like a weed or a plague. Simply being a little more outspoken against idiotic stuff like that goes a long way, and emboldens other young black men to say it's idiotic instead of following the overmacho party line. Make it the subject of ridicule even. Show it for the clown shit it is and people will start to "conform" in the opposite direction. tldr: we are all examples and we are all role models.
Okay Iggy. :smt006 You are exactly the kind of self serving don't give a shit negro I'm talking about. So the black folks who found a way off of the plantations back during slavery and played a part in forming the underground railroad and other ways to help free slaves and escape from plantations should have just said "Fuck It" and just lived their lives because they had their freedom right? Or how about all the people who played a part in the civil rights movement and decided enough was enough. Guess they should have just said "Fuck It" too right? Then of course your ass would be able to "live your own life" in the same way you do now. That's the BIG difference between black folks then and black folks now. Black folks now believe there is no more reason to fight because they are now able to do many things they once couldn't. But here's the kicker. As long as the negative stigma in regards to being black still exist the fight is not over. But as long as you have "you's free" it all good, right? :smt011
:smt011 Its easy to just turn your back but how long do you think the easy street will last?You think the police won't target you or you won't eventually have to deal with racism?Look at how the Jewish did it. They raised each other out of ghettos and built communities instead of running into WASP communities that hated htem.
And let's get something straight. Outside of Oprah and a few of the smarter rapper and athletes who have invested rather than waste money on bullshit & broads, blacks folks can't even claim to be "rich". When we actually have multiple American black men & women on the same level & name recognition as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, Paul Allen or even those ignorant Koch Brothers, then black folks can act like shit's all gravy and not give a fuck. Until then.....
You think my example of slavery is dumb because you can't come up with a rational point to dispute truth. Personal responsibility? Okay. Riddle me this? You went on about black parents needing to be more responsible in making sure their kids are educated. What about those who do make sure their kids are getting educated but the public educational system, especially in the inner cities is fucked, because no one wants to pay takes or as you and your ilk call it "welfare" for a properly functioning educational system in those areas. Who should have personal responsibility in those instances? *Waits for yet another self serving bullshit deflect response if any is given at all* FYI : Thanks for proving just how much of a self serving individual you are by claiming that you donate to charity (and more than I do at that) in order to prove that you're clearly not self serving. Pure genius on your part. :smt023:smt081
I hear what you are saying here, but there is progress being made, not all athletes either....http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/06/ri...nss-billionaires-richest-black-americans.html
The very fact that you seem to think it's about giving MONEY speaks volumes. The very fact that you continue to want to place blame and don't seem interested in doing anything else besides patting yourself on how great a figure of a human being you think you are also speaks volumes. Since you and others like youself have such a hard time understanding, never mind caring, let me break it down for you. What all of us black folks who actual do care about what happens to the Black Community as a whole should do is give of ourselves in some way to help correct all this "kids just don't care/it's the parents fault" you only want to focus own. There are no positive role models or leaders for a lot of these young black youths today. Rather than place blame on why just shut the fuck up and help provide inspiration and a better path for this young people, because not all of them or of the don't give a fuck mind set. Stop focusing on those that are and start focusing on the ones who are not and need a hand or a voice to help them to follow the right path. That does not mean give money to the black community. Again give time and of yourself. That does not mean you have to physically go in to the crime ridden neighborhoods even though that's desperately needed and would be the most effective. Volunteer yourself or your time to a Big Brother/Big Sister program or a Boys & Girls club or some other outreach/mentoring program to reach some of our in need youth. You may not want to be a "role model" but maybe some young black male or female out there is and unless someone helps them to reach their potential they may never become one. They may be inspired to become the new century MLK, Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, Marcus Garvey or other great inspirational black figure that helps to lift the black community from it's current state and back on the positive path. That won't happen by sitting back and placing blame as you & others of your self serving ilk chose to do. It was easy for you to dismiss the point I made about slavery & the civil rights era in an earlier post being that you're one of those black people who clearly never interact with any black people other than immediate family members or other like minded black people, so the logic I used was/is beyond you. The black community is current in the sorry shape it is in due in part to black folks like yourself whose grandparents or parents for some reason got that arrogant attitude that they were clearly better than other black people and as soon as the Civil Rights Act was passed allowing black people to finally be acknowledged as rightful citizens of the United States (and not the dredges of society that you and other blacks like yourself continue to do in order to maintain your own self serving sense of superiority) ran their nappy black asses as quickly & as far away from the black community as they could and never looked back. So now here we are a few generations after the Civil Rights Era where black people spent so much time trying to get theirs at any cost (just like your greedy self serving white heroes Mitt Romney & Donald Trump) The Strong Black Community that had existed since slavery & up to the Civil Rights Era died due to black people for all intents coming to believe that we don't need a Black Community because we have come up and have been accepted into society giving birth to no give a damn Black Community we see today. That's both the knuckleheads acting stupid in the hoods and the self elevated "rugged individualists" like yourself, who surprisingly weren't so "rugged" or quick to make shit happen for themselves prior to the end of the Civil Rights Era being that they were so much more than other black people. But keep on being preaching that "personal responsibly/not my place to care or help" nonsense if it makes you feel better about yourself, though.
We still have some work to do. We still need to get to the triple digit billionaires status, never mind the top ten richest American & Global business leaders. And once we have somebody or bodies trying to influence politics ala the Koch Brothers in the last couple of elections, then we're good. :smt023
Well I agree that no one should be forced to help someone. But people like Al Sharpton are self-serving bastards. I'm glad people like Cornel West called him out. Al Sharpton saying that he won't criticize anything Obama does so it won't empower his critics.Obama has been a huge failure for the black community. Yea he got elected but that was about it.He hasn't addressed issues that concern black communities but he did for Hispanics,gays,etc.And any blacks in his administration have been thrown under the bus.