I’m going all in today so buckle up, this is going to be a rough ride. I can’t tell you just how excited I am about all the wonderful changes I see coming out of our community and how we are getting back to Black.
Have you seen the headlines? Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings show they’re tuning out; CNN and MSNBC’s ratings slashed in half, collapse to their lowest levels in nearly 30 Years! Remember when I told you guys, let’s not get white folks’ issues confused with Black folks’ reality?
I know we still live here in America, and some of you are foolish enough to believe that you’re an American. Well let me say this, you do know just because a chicken can be born in an oven, that don’t make it a biscuit. We may not be Americans yet, however outside of the Indigenous people, we are the best America has produced.
I’ve always said that Black people read mainstream newspapers, and watch mainstream media, only to see what White folks are talking about, then we pick up the Los Angeles Sentinel, tune into KJLH, KBLA, KPFK and other Black and socially conscious media outlets to get the truth about what these folks are talking about.
Malcolm X taught us that, the media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” I’m so excited that we, as a people, are taking our minds back and we recognize Artificial Intelligence (AI) or should I say American ignorance.
We are getting back to our grapevine for our information, Black ministries that are once again focusing on social justice, and less on personal prosperity, pastors speaking not just about Jesus, but having the courage to speak truth about this country and the world—that’s how we take back our mind. I’m seeing community-based organizations, local and national groups that have a long history of fighting in the trenches for justice speaking truth and not just selling their dignity and forgetting their mission statement for the next grant—this is how we take back our mind.
We all know that I would be derelict if I didn’t mention the hub, hinge and heartbeat of the Black community, the Black barbershop and beauty salon. Both of these places are where the playing field is completely level. Everybody’s opinion counts and matters because there is no hierarchy in the shop.
It’s in places like these that we say, the hell with FOX, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS and other misinformed media outlets, it’s where we speak our truth, loud and proud and you don’t have to be politically correct in your speech, you just have to come correct in your commitment to what you say.
After the election, we were able to “peep” their hold card only to find out that so many Americans had absolutely no integrity. We saw major newspapers, media outlets and individuals that had harsh critiques and criticisms of Trump, not only during his presidency, but they continued to eviscerate him after he left office. Well guess what? Those same people are standing in long lines as if they were waiting to get on the Matterhorn at Disneyland, these same people are now standing in line outside of Mar-a-Lago waiting their turn to kiss every body part Trump is willing to make available to them. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t continue to pay attention to what they’re saying and doing in the media—I’m just saying that we must follow-up with what our communities recognize to be the truth.
In taking our minds back, Black people, it’s also going to be very important that we question our lying eyes; what we see, hear and read on all these so-called social media sites. Trust me, after they are done cannibalizing one another, and whipping those, “let’s just forgive and forget and live together as Americans,” fall-in-line white folks, they’re coming after us!
They’re coming via Artificial Intelligence (AI), social media misinformation, BS stories, news articles and negros looking for acceptance from their master. I told you I’m coming hard; are you still there?
No, I’m not old school nor am I a luddite. I embrace new technology. It’s just that I read somewhere, “What the devil meant for evil God meant for good.” Let’s embrace the best of what this technology has to offer. I ask that we make a Black New Year’s Resolution!
Here’s the ask – let’s ask our faith leaders to begin every worship service with something good and Black coming out of our community, something we can be proud of as a people. Let’s start every meeting that we attend with a positive affirmation quoting one of our ancestors.
I know some of us love to use the N word, and for those of you that just can’t stop cold turkey, can you just start using the word Negro? It’s not like I don’t understand. I’m in a 12-step program for cussing. I’ve cut those words down to hell and damn, but it takes time.
I know our phones, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, are like crack to so many of us — we just got to have it! No, I’m not going to ask that we stop using or looking at social media but let us just use it to and for our benefit, not to spread insane propaganda or pathology about ourselves and our people.
Let’s see if we can post just one good thing a day about ourselves, our family members and the good work coming out of our community. As I said, they are going to come hard after us with American ignorance, let’s be ready to respond with African intelligence, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela.
Let’s get it done Black people.
