In this corner, we have sexism:

1) Double-Standards when it comes to sexual activity: The prostitute and the pimp. The hoe and the rapper. The slut and the player. Men and women can do the same thing when it comes to sex and it will be seen as a positive with the men and negative with the females. Women are expected to remain to remain virginal or not sexual (clitoris disproves that), while men are expected to “sew their wild oats.” How many male artists do you hear singing in a song crying over their girls who cheated on them or left them for other men, and then turn right around and sing about how many girls they slept with. Ewww! How would you feel if some guy came along and treated your girl, your wife, you mother, your daughter like she was a hoe, but you have the right to treat the girls outside of your personal contacts like that. She is still someone’s daughter, someone’s wife, someone’s mother.

2) Double-standards in intellect, politics and the workplace: In politics and the workplace, a man’s leadership skills, intellect and voice is respected more than a woman’s skills, intellect and voice. In some cases, a woman can give orders, but those orders will not be executed until a man comes along and approves them. If a women is just as aggressive as a man in the workplace, she is considered a b****. On the other hand, a man is just considered a man. For centuries, this notion of women belonging at home and in the private world and not in the public world of businesses, education and politics has made women feel like second-class humans with no importance to society except to give birth. Also, this notion has perpetuated less wages for women and less consideration for day-care services and proper maternity leave.

3) Double-Standards in beauty images: Why is it he can have a beer gut, but she gains 20 pounds and is immediately criticized for being fat? When it comes to beauty standards, women have a lot more weight (excuse pun) put on them to “look good.” The whole beauty industry is mostly dedicated to the one-dimensional beauty ideal for women: straight long, and blonde hair, skinny, tall, fair-skinned, blue-eyed, wears dresses, wears make-up, acts girly, dumbs herself down, etc. Even worst, men keep reinforcing these ideals by choosing the on-dimensional beauty and making the rest of us feel inadequate or ugly. So, we go through these extreme measures to “look good” for men instead of them telling us we look good the way we are. Yet, generally, they do not have to do much in ways of image because they control images.

4) Taking advantage of male strength: We get it! Men have muscles and generally, you are stronger. However, shouldn’t they take their strength to protect us from harm not cause it. Physical abuse, rape, sex trafficking, prostitution (thanks pimps!) are still in large numbers. Constantly, I hear stories of women and girls who are sexually harassed by guys as they pass them by and other guys just stand around, either ignoring or laughing. My cousin told me a story about her friends who were trying to ignore a bunch of guys cat calling them and they started to throw Snapple bottles at them. What?! Nice way to show your aggression, boys! If you want us to treat you like Kings, you need to treat us like Queens first!

5) Objectification of women: My previous points add up into this. Sometimes I feel as if women are not treated as human, we are treated like objects to be had. As my teacher said, some men act as if they are the doers and the aggressive ones, and we are just the objects or passive members (again, clitoris and testosterone in our blood proves we can be sexual and aggressive) in the society. It is clear in language in which the plural involving men and women together only reflects men and lyrics in music in which male artists sing or rap about how they have cars, chains, rims, grills, houses, cash and hoes (or girls, to be nicer). We are just trophies of their accomplishments or their entertainment to relax to and the more the better! If we get mad or emotional, it is not because we actually are, it is because we are hormonal or on our period. We do not have a mind, we are just things to toss around or become emotional for no reason. To some men, collectively we do not count and that is sad!

Bonus point: Blame the Victim! Some men actually blame women for all these things. If she dresses like a slut, it is her fault because she does not respect herself (Ice Cube actually said that). Really? I think a lot of men forget that the reason why we do things we do is to get men’s attention. We do not dress overly sexy, wear make-up, try to be super-skinny, straighten our hair, dye our hair blonde, wear heels, shake our butts, dance seductively, for our own enjoyment! We do it because we think that is what men want and men promote it by selecting those who comply with those things more often (ex. complimenting or looking at girls who look like that more often). Moreover, the women who do not respect themselves may have never received respect in their lives, so they act like that for attention. It is up to real men to show them what respect is even when they are looking or acting like that, so they can learn to respect themselves. It is a 50/50 responsibility between men and women. So, do not give us that excuse; only people who are in denial about their power and privilege do that.

And in this corner, we have feminism:

1) Overemphasis of the idea that men and women are completely the same, when they are obviously not: Yes, men and women are equal, but we are also equally different. Despite what some may want to believe, biologically, physically, mentally and psychologically, men and women are not the same. Men have penises, testicles, and sperm while women have vaginas, ovaries, eggs and a uterus that carries the baby. Males have more testosterone than females and females have more estrogen than males. These hormones have a huge effect on our physicality, how our brains are wired, how we think or feel and several other aspects of gender/sex. Why do you think it is easier for a man in general to tackle a woman than the other way around? The answer is men, in general, are biologically stronger because they naturally have more muscle mass. Also, it is not a coincidence that usually men are more visually attracted to things (hunters) while women are usually more emotionally attracted to things (nurturers).

2) The anti-man or “all men are dogs” sentiment among radical or extreme feminists: One of the reasons why I do not love the word “feminism” is because of the “ism” attached to it. I know I may be stretching this, but sometimes I feel that the word along with the words and actions of some feminists are another form of sexism. Instead of gender equality, they are trying to prove that “all men are dogs” and all women are innocent victims of men. I have heard of political lesbians, who are not really attracted to women, but would rather be with a woman or be celibate than to be with a man. Some men are dogs, but the good ones do exist, just as in the female population. Men and women are both equally significant in this world; we cannot have one without the other.

3) Chivalry is dead! Hmmm, I wonder why?: It is hard for a man to act like a gentleman when no matter what he does it is seen as him trying to get in her pants. If when he opens a door for her, pulls out a chair for her, pays the bill for her, buys a present for her, lifts something for her, protect her, does anything else nice for her and her response is “I am an independent woman! I don’t need you to do that for me, I can do it myself!” What else is he suppose to think? His response will be “fine, I am not going to do anything for you anymore, do it your damn self!” Then when she does need his help and he is not there for her anymore, this is the consequence. She complains that chivalry is dead, but she told him that she does not need him! If you do not need him, then why is he there? Yes, a woman can do a lot on her own, but if he wants to support her and help take care of her because he cares, why not let him sometimes.

4) Placement of focus on a set of social rules, instead of a right to choose your path and maintaining the main ideals of the movement: I do not think this was planned to come out this way, but these are some of the messages I receive from women who go overboard with feminism: a) do not wear dresses, make-up, or hairdos because those are creations of man, b) staying home and taking care of your children is disloyalty to the feminist movement and you are a slave to your husband, c) having children is more of a hindrance or curse (to my career, to my life) than a blessing and on and on. First, this way of thinking can be just as domineering as male chauvinism. Also, if a woman strips herself of everything that was considered feminine (some good, others bad), it might lead her into the opposite direction of imitating men. Some feminists have made it seem (again, probably accidently) that in order to equal to men, we have to be just like them in every way (a weird form of assimilation). Instead, they should have focused on showing that women are human (not objects), have minds, have important things to say, can contribute to society and still be proud of being women in the sense that we hold the key to life and are beautiful.

The ideal of feminism should be focused on a woman’s right to choose and whichever way she goes, she should be treated with respect and admiration. If a women chooses to stay home and take care of her children, that is her choice, as long as she feels fulfilled, respected and appreciated. She should not feel pressured that she has to work to feel satisfied in life. The same idea should happen in the workplace; her position should be seen as just as important (pay, promotions, work tasks, etc.). It should be that either way she chooses, it is still encouraged. Feminism goals should be fighting for equal wages, equal status in the workplace, business, politics, media, social worlds, and all over the world, stopping trafficking of women for sex work, fighting for justice for rape victims, fighting for better medical care, etc.

5) Failure to see the how racism and classism affects feminism: The Pedestal vs. The Auction Block view Next post….

Remember Brown vs. Board of Education, the landmark case in which schools were supposed to be desegregated because “separate does not mean equal.” Another reason the case is so memorable is the famous doll test by Dr. Kenneth B. Clark in which most of the black children chose the white doll over the black doll, gave good attributes to the white doll (good, smart, pretty), gave bad attributes to the black doll (bad, dumb, ugly) and in the end stated how they looked like the black doll, implying that the held all the attributes of the black doll that they just said. It has been 55 years since that case and what has come of it? Most school are still not integrated and the doll test has been redone numerous times over the years with basically the same results.

What does this prove? Yes schools are the gravy of the situation, but it did not solve the meat of the problem, which is self-esteem issues and images of black people within our society. I have a few theories on why education for black people is not very encouraging. First, neither segregation nor integration in school works because black people still feel inferior in each situation. With segregation, black schools were not given the same adequate resources as white schools. With integration, black students are not often given the same adequate attention, resources and encouragement as the other students. Usually, black students in lower education are typecasted as unwilling to learn, slow to learn or troublemakers without even a chance given to them.

Second, the American school system is biased in the favor of Eurocentric history and viewpoints. It is hard for black students to feel as if they are important, can offer something to the world and have self-esteem, if they do not have a sufficient amount of self-images and examples of their own people who have made many accomplishments surrounding them. Black and African history are barely taught in school, instead assigned to the month of February (not surprisingly, the shortest month of the year) when it is discussed sparing amounts. Even when it is discussed, people often revert back to the typical heroes in Black history, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, etc. Most can count the number of significant black figures they can name on their hands. Moreover, it is only taught that Blacks were important in the Civil Rights Movement and that is all. However, we are more to history than just the Movement, even tough it is an important Movement. Many people cannot name a lot of Black inventors, scientists, doctors, teachers, revolutionaries, writers, artists, musicians, poets, prophets, actors, actresses, kings, queens and the list goes on. These people are not the exceptions to the rule, they prove that we have contributed a lot to the world. Today, everyone thinks of Africa as a poor, violent and diseased continent, but barely anyone mentions how it was once so mighty and valuable to the development of the rest of the world. Most of the people I learned about from African and Black History I came across on my own, through enlightened teachers or when I began college. It feels as if our history has been misconstrued or parts erased in order to appear that we did not contribute anything to society except fight for our freedom and rights.

Since most of society and government will probably not be willing to help with this problem, we are going to have to do it on our own. A few ways in our history can be more known is through more books, films, documentaries and one very significant way, African schools. No, I do not believe in segregation, but since black people do not make up a large percentage of the population, society is not going to start teaching this anytime soon. So, just as other races have specialized schools (several of my friends went to Chinese schools on Saturday when they were younger), we need them too, even if it is only for certain days while students attend regular school. One such school (a full-time one) already exists in Philadelphia, called the Lotus Academy. The school’s mission is a “commitment to ground the Lotus Academy program in a cultural environment that enhances our students’ sense of self-confidence and self-esteem by nurturing them with a celebration of their African heritage.” Without this celebration of our heritage, the black children who were involved in the doll test and others who feel the same way will always feel inferior. If we have to learn about Louis XIV, we should also learn about Queen Anna Nzinga; if we have to learn about Walt Whitman, we should also learn about Phyllis Wheatley; if we have to learn about Edward Hopper, we should also learn about Jacob Lawrence. Our history is American history and world history, too, and it deserves just as much recognition and not to be pushed to the side.

Lotus Academy website: http://www.lotusacademy.org/index.html

List of Black Inventors: http://www.blackinventor.com/

The Isis Papers: Covering Black and African History: http://www.theisispapers.com/

Ever heard the term, “acting white,” “speaking white,” “oreo” (white on the inside, black on the outside). Well, I have several times. Growing up, I was always known as the “smart one,” “teacher’s pet” or “goodie two shoes” and teased for it. Even in college, one of my friends implied that I was not black because I did not act accordingly to the stereotypes of black people (speak a lot of slang, loud, have an attitude, roll my eyes, swirl my neck,etc.) The funny thing is that while they were trying to insult me, they were actually insulting themselves. Basically they were implying as a whole, black people are stupid and in order to be smart one cannot be black. Across the world, the ongoing stereotype is that black people are not synonymous with intelligence. We have been portrayed as buffoons and idiots and eventually some of us have internalized this thinking.

My parents have always taught me the importance of education. At first, I did not understand why, but now I do. As I entered my second year of college, I have realized that education has broaden my horizons. It helps me to make better judgments because I can observe various perspectives on life. No one can use my race against me by saying that “you’re black, so that automatically means that you are not smart.” I can immediately prove them wrong. Too many times, people put us in this bubble of “black” and have this tunnel vision when it comes to who we are. We sometimes think that if we do what other races do, it makes us exactly like them; the truth is we will never be like them, we are uniquely us. I love our culture, but that is not all we are; a bigger world lies out there. I am a well-rounded person because I can do both; I can love who I am as a black person, from the way we look naturally to our own culture, and I can appreciate and learn about others, too.

To Be Continued…

I don’t know where I’m from
I can’t even begin to fathom
What family I use to belong
All of that has been long gone

Lost at sea

Don’t know the roots to my name
Another man’s I had to claim
If I went back, I’d be unrecognizable
So I stay here where it’s comfortable

Lost at sea

Yet I always feel out of place
My real self I will never trace
I just hold onto pieces from her
While here I remain a stranger

Lost at sea

Floating aimlessly, not knowing
To return or just to keep going
I was stripped and whipped from me
So I guess I will always be lost at sea.

…And a few actions and skin color does not define a person as a whole.

After the incidents involving Kanye West and Taylor Swift at the VMAs and Serena Williams at the US Open, I have noticed how some people have called Kanye “the n-word” and said he should be lynched and how some have called Serena “an angry black woman.” Also, I read one comment that said how Kanye makes the rest of us (i.e. Black people) look bad. While I do agree that what both Kanye and Serena did were rude and inexcusable, but at the end of the day, they are human like everyone else. Some of the responses that I have seen as a result of these two events have been just as or even more despicable as the outbursts. Why can’t people just see this as isolated events in which two human beings were acting foolish instead of bringing race into it and once again stereotyping the black race.

The constant uses of the “n-word” to say how stupid Kanye was at the VMAs was ridiculous. Several people claimed that there is a difference between black people and n***ers. What? This is why I believe in the importance of studying history. The “n-word” was created as a word to describe black people in general as being stupid. It was not used as a word to say one black person is stupid, it was a word used against all black people. Now, it feels as if it is a behavior-based usage of the word, meaning that if a black person acts wrongly, he or she is a n***er, but if he or she behaves, he or she is black again. Why do you need to disrespect someone because he disrespected someone else. What made these comments worse were how some people said he needed to be lynched and even be lynched by the KKK. Seriously?! Those comments irked me because it reminded me of Emmett Till, who was rude in whistling at a white woman, but did he deserve to be beaten and murdered for it? No! I know what Kanye did was wrong, but people are acting as if they never did wrong in their life. Also, why do you have to resort to such drastic, violent and racially insensitive words for something that should be forgivable. Maybe Kanye is racist, I do not know, and he is annoying with this being his third outburst, but people have no right to stoop to his level and call him a n***ger if he is. Moreover, stop acting as if he committed the worst crime in the world!

This also applies to Serena Williams angry outburst at a judge during the US Open. Serena was inappropriate in that moment but people need to understand that this was a big game for her and she was under a lot of stress; in addition to that, the judge was wrong in his call. Basically, she just got heated in a tense moment and that was it. Her behavior that day does not define her as a person and anyone of any race would have been angry if the judge made the wrong call. Besides Serena was given a fine and did apologize for what she said. Why is it when a black person behaves in a certain way, the behavior represents the person as a whole or the race he or she is as if other races do not act like that sometimes too? Why is it that our behavior is so heavily looked down upon as if we are not human too? When Joe Wilson interrupted the President of the United States and called him a liar, there was not as big of an uproar and it took a longer before they decided to punish him for it. Wilson may not have jumped up on the podium where Obama was speaking or used profanity, but what he did was rude just the same. Some have called it passion, however, the same could have been said for Kanye and Serena (considering that a lot of people were thinking what they were thinking). As for Serena, how many athletes have had tirades during games (e.g. John Mcenroe). She was just another who momentarily lost her self-control. That is it! Yet I did not hear racial slurs and stereotypes used against others as I have heard with Kanye and Serena.

In the end, I have forgiven both Kanye and Serena (and even Joe Wilson), and when both of these incidents happened, I did not, nor did people I know, go to the extreme of using their race as a reason why they were acting like that or using their behavior in those two moments to decide if they are a n***ger or an “angry black woman.” Also, I do not see their behavior as a reflection on me. I should not have to feel embarrassed because Kanye and Serena are the same race as me. I am an individual and I expect to be seen as such just as I see everyone else like that. For example, most serial killers are white people and all of the members of the KKK are white, but that does not mean that I see all white people as murderers or racists. It would be stupid to think so. Therefore, I expect the same treatment by other people. Yes, what Kanye and Serena did were wrong and Taylor Swift and the judge did not deserve disrespect, but if anyone of them were of any other race, it would still have been just as wrong. Look past race and just see them as human beings who do make stupid mistakes just like everyone else. So, stop with the racial slurs and move on to more important issues!

I am in a love affair with my Hair

But I use to be in a relationship with Cream
He would abuse me, damage my self-esteem
The man was not even good enough to stay
So every few weeks he’d come, then go away
Why did I ever fall for Mr. Silky and Smooth
I got use to him, without him I couldn’t move
Still he wasn’t my friend, in it for the money
And when he left, once again I felt ugly
Yet my Hair, always there, said he was the one
So, I had to tell Cream that I was finally done

I am in a love affair with my Hair

Yes, my Hair is often unruly and wild
He’s not type to sit down and be mild
Every now and again, I do look at him
And say, “What is wrong with you?
Why don’t you do what I tell you to do?”
He replies because I am like you
And I have always liked being free
So don’t lie to yourself, girl, and
Especially, don’t give that lye to me
My Hair, I know, he is the truth
So, I let him rise up, I say “do you”

I am in a love affair with my Hair

I love to feel him, rub him down in oil
Love it when he wraps me in his coils
He keeps me warm because he so wooly
Ignores when others stare because he’s kinky
And when he’s feeling a little too dry
I give tender loving care and with him I try
I remember I was forced to keep him a secret
But now we’re out in the open, so I don’t forget
How every day I wake up feeling like a Queen
And I don’t care anymore for that guy Cream

Because…

I am in a love affair with my Hair

When did it become uncool
To think for oneself
Everybody wants to be
Like everyone else
The old saying is now true
You jump off the bridge
Then I’ll do it too
Because I want to fit in
I want to belong
Even if I am right
And the rest are wrong

Just say go and I’ll say ok
I’ll accept anything
You have to say
Does it defy my values
Does it defy my reason
Maybe, but if feels right
Even if only for a season
I am just gonna sit back
Since I am not too strong
To stand-up and act
I’ll join in the mob mentality
Things will still change
Even with my complacency

Anyways we all walk around
Behaving like drones
Act like we are one
But really are alone
If we realized, found out
We’re all walking about
Thinking everyone’s into it
When no one is at all
Just a bunch of us
Copying each other’s falls

Maybe I should stand-up
I should stop being weak
Decide to learn, to think
Have the courage to speak
To say, I am not everyone else
I am me, I am myself.

Are you lighter or darker than a paper bag? I know I am darker than one. Well, this has been a supposed skin tester for the black community for decades. If you were lighter than the paper bag, you were considered better, but if you were darker, you were not good enough. This tester and continous others in our race goes back to the days of slavery, when the house slave versus the field slave dichotomy started. What some black people do not realize is that when the words “house” and “field” are removed, the word “slave” still remains. Even if they were able to get in the house, they still were not free and still treated like a slave. All of us were victims. In the eyes of the racists, all of us were still “n***ers.” Emmett Till was light-skinned and he was still murdered for whistling at a white woman and Rosa Parks was light-skinned and she was still sent to the back of the bus. Just as the fake “Willie Lynch” letter mentions, the tactic of using skin tone to was meant to divide us as a people and to keep us weak, but after slavery, we still kept dividing except this time by our own hands. We constantly attack each other; lighter African Americans call darker ones “tar-baby,” “you pretty (or handsome) for a dark-skinned person,” “mandingos or hos” (dumb muscular guys and over-sexual women), “jigaboos,” “ghetto,” “loud” and “too black,” while darker African-Americans call lighter ones, “whitey,” “light bright, damn near white,” “high-yellow,” red-boned,” “uppity,” “wannabes,” “think they all-that,” “must be mixed or biracial” and “not black enough.” With these terms, black people are showing themselves to be no better than the oppressors who discriminated against us!

However, we do need to acknowledge that a lot of the division stems from somewhere and on several instances from our own people. Everywhere I witness this conscious and subconscious thinking of many African-Americans and the effects of it. We have lost that idea of “Black is Beautiful” and “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” includes all African-Americans, not just light-skinned African Americans. Our media shows it, from the leading ladies in Hip-Hop and RandB music videos (usually bi-racial, light-skinned African American or of another race) to the mouths of the actual artists (Yung Berg and his comment on how he does not do “dark butts, Lil Wayne mentioning how they like lighter-skinned females in lyrics) to who gets the most face-time on magazines, shows, movies and other medium (usually lighter-skinned African-Americans). For example in our pop culture, who are the women are most promoted – Tyra, Beyonce, Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, Rihanna and other lighter-skinned beauties. But do we see darker-skinned beauties, like India Arie, Angela Bassett, Gabrielle Union, promoted as much? One of the only dark-skinned females who is promoted a lot is Naomi Campbell, but mostly for her bad behavior. For music videos with darker leading ladies, I have to go to reggae artists (Tarrus Riley, Gyptian, Richie Spice, Buju Banton) and a few neo-soul artists are the only ones to show their appreciation for African women of all skin tones. In lists for the top beauties, very few, if any, dark-skinned beauties make the lists or are high on the lists. Even worst, magazines sometimes airbrush photographs of African-American women to have their skin appear lighter, although some are already light-skinned. Other incidents have included: 1) parties offering lighter-skinned women free admission (reminiscent of the fraternities, sororities and social clubs that admitted people who were lighter than a paper bag), 2) thinking darker-skinned black men are only good for sexual and criminal activities (and other stereotypes of black people), 3) casting calls for only lighter-skinned people in photo shoots or commercials, 4) a lot of white and lighter-skinned black dolls, but few darker-skinned black dolls (and with natural black hair), 5) in some workplaces, lighter-skinned blacks discriminating against darker-skinned blacks (Applebee’s incident:http://www.workplaceanswers.com/News/EEOC-Settles-Color-Bias-Suit;-Dark-Skinned-African38.aspx), 6) treating skin color like a trend (light-skin is in and dark-skin is out), 7) not befriending someone or teasing someone because their skin tone is different from you, lighter-skinned people having to prove that they are black enough and the list goes on.

These constant negative reinforcements are not helping. Black people look different and we need a greater representation of that range. More and more darker-skinned African-Americans are using skin bleach creams and skin whiteners to try to make their skin lighter, foregoing realizing the dangerous effects of using these products just to achieve a standard of beauty. Go to a local store in any black neighborhood and one of the products listed are skin whitening creams. Some mothers even put these creams on their own children! In our world, some are actually believing that lighter-skinned is automatically more beautiful, no matter what the female actually looks like (she could actually be ugly and some will still say she is more beautiful than a dark-skinned woman). “You’re pretty to be so dark” just reinforces the idea that some people think dark skin and the features that usually accompany it are naturally ugly and that is not true; there is more than one type of beauty. Unattractive and attractive people exist in every color. Stop using skin tone to define beauty! The sad problem is that this notion has spread worldwide, from countries in Latin America and the Carribean (which is leading to the Latin Americanization of America) to countries to countries in Asia (India has a big market in skin lightener creams) to countries in Africa. Skin bleaching is now a billion dollar business and many people feel as if they have to do this in order to get ahead in life, even if it kills them, and commercials (see them below) and other media encourage this practice.

Why have we internalized the hate that has been put on us? It is foolish of us to perpetuate an idea that was not even ours to begin with and was done against us. There is enough hatred in the world, why do we have to be so divisive and increase that hatred. Outside forces should not determine how we feel about each other and ourselves. If you are lighter-skinned person who gets better treatment at times, you should not let that be a reason for you to feel better than a darker-skinned person. As for darker-skinned person, you should not let how others feel about you determine how you feel about yourself and try to gain confidence in yourself. That is their thinking, but it does not have to be yours. We need to have more acceptance of ourselves and the full range we have in skin tones as a whole before we can get any acceptance from any place else. It is up to us, not the media, to break the cycle of self-hatred. In order to be stronger, we need to come together as people and support one another! Let us stop the cycle!

Colorism in the Black Community

Skin Whitening Commercials:

Skin Bleaching in Jamaica:

“The Civil Rights Movement” ended only 50 years ago and I feel like we need another one because so many of us have forgotten about it! Today, I came across this video on Black Voices and it really spoke to me and confirmed some of my beliefs. Yes, Obama’s presidency has shown America has changed, but we need to change ourselves, too, as the Mayor of Birmingham, Larry Langford said.

Read the creator, Reginald Bullock’s statement on vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/3686946 and here:

This video was created to inspire young at-risk African-Americans not to fall prey to some of the problems they face in society.
This video should not to be used to divide people (Black and White).
This video should not be used to criticize all aspects of hip-hop culture.
This video should not be used to degrade the millions of children that do not have the proper educational resources offered in their community.
This video should not be used to scare Black youth into a position of change.
This video should not be used to allow the rest of society to escape from their responsibility, to reach back and help with financial & academic support.

If used properly, this video will allow our youth to see some of the horrific conditions that our ancestors fought through and some of the horrific conditions we face today.

All Americans should be upset at the alarming homicide rate in many cities.
Many have asked “Why should I care?”…but can you imagine, the first person to find a cure for cancer, could be living in one of these areas, that we are afraid to reach out and help.
The use of the voice “Master of Darkness” represents the abstract concept of evil.

A War For Your Soul-Birmingham version from Erisai Films on Vimeo.

How many times have I heard someone say that and “I am not racist, I voted for Barack Obama,” or any other line similar to those two. One of the worst phrases regarding race that was ever created is the term “color blindness.” Unless someone is actually blind, there is no way that one cannot see what color another person is. I cannot actually go up to someone of another race and say “I have no idea what your skin color is,” because it is most likely obvious. We use skin color to describe everybody in so many situations that it would be impossible to say that. Yes, people often use it to say that they are not racist, but to me that term just refers to another kind of racism. Our society is so focused on race and pretends that it is not at the same time.

In our society color blindness does not equal color acceptance. It is a type racism that allows you to ignore or be oblivious to actual problems of race, refuse to have honest discussions about race, and be way too politically correct (it is about respect, not oversensitivity). Moreover, the “colorblind” term allows our culture to be more of a melting pot than a salad bowl. What do I mean by that? A melting pot means that I have to blend in and dilute my own individual characteristics and culture to the point that they are hardly recognizable; on the other hand, a salad bowl would be people coming together, still keeping their own individual characteristics and culture and would still be acceptable to mainstream society. However, our society expects you to fit perfectly into the mainstream mold and when you do not, you are punished or ostracized. It is not like seeing any color, it is a form of whitewashing (for lack of a better word).

Instead of honestly talking about the issues of race, such as not all races are on an equal level (despite many thinking this way and feeling that we are in a post-racial society), and that most of the problems in our society stem from the residual effects of a systematic social racist structure not individual flaws within a race, we like to tip-toe around it and do all we can to avoid it. James Baldwin said “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Admitting our racial/cultural prejudices and stereotypes and recognizing the social problems that still exist would help us to move on.

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, a sociology professor, stated how racism still exist minus slavery and Jim Crow laws and with civil rights legislation: 1) the increasingly covert nature of racial discourse and practices, 2) the avoidance of racial terminology and the ever-growing claim by whites that they experience “reverse racism,” 3) the invisibility of most mechanisms to produce racial inequality, 4) incorporation of “safe minorities” to signify the non-racialism of the polity or the racial agenda in the discussion of political matters avoids direct racial references, and 5) the re-articulation of some racial practices characteristic of Jim Crow period of race relations. Avoidance of saying the race or skin color of a person in front of them (I have stupidly done that before) or taking some sort of racial terminology out of context and saying it is racist (e.g. a guy used the world “tribal” to describe indigenous people and they hounded him) are two examples. The claim of “reverse racism” is incorrect because if you are in the privileged group, you do not have a racial system that is meant to keep you down and racism usually refers to a structured system. Yes, any race can face prejudice or discrimination, but most of what minorities do are reactionary prejudices and discrimination. “Safe minorities” are those who look less menacing to mainstream society, i.e. I would not be one of them, especially with my darker skin, my locs and with most of what I am saying now. Other examples are how politicians often do not have in-depth talks about race, most times it is superficial, how there is an informal segregation that exist in housing and neighborhoods and how many schools are still segregated and minority schools are often inadequate.

These days, racism is hard to see. Immediately, we label things as being racist that are not really racist but just the truth at times and things that are racist we label as just another normal thing. I feel we jump to conclusions way too fast and do not think the situation through. Some people explain the cause as an economic, education and any other reason besides thinking about or wanting to think of underlying reason of race. Yes, I would love for everybody to be equal, but in the real world, not the abstract world, not everyone is on the same footing (that is for those who think affirmative action is “reverse racism”). Some of us need a little boost to get to the same level (but that does not mean one should act like a victim), while others tend to forget or pretend to forget the past and current discrimination and its effects, as if they are actually blind!

As far as racism goes, we have come along way since the days of slavery, Jim Crow laws and other overt forms of discrimination. However, the day when true color acceptance has yet to come. When we get to the day that we can look at people, notice their physical and cultural features that define race and ethnicity and not have any stereotype or expectation attached to it, it will be nice, but probably far into the future. What we can do now is, according to Bonilla-Silva, “make visible what remains invisible” and take the dust out from underneath the rug. We are all humans, but we are all different, too, and the “colorblind” ideology implies that everyone is the same, which we are not. Until we realize that and come together as people with both sides working hard and keeping it in mind to achieve it, we will not get the change we hoped for. Yes, it will hurt and it will not be easy, but that is the only way. We are all part of the problem and we all need to be part of the solution.