The DIVIDED States We Stand...
Please note that this post was typed out of anger and frustration. That's how I want to express it and that's how it'll remain.
All over Facebook with the current events of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and many more people, blacks and whites, who have been shot and killed by police lately, I see anger, people in fear, and so much more. Most of all, I see broken hearts.
We live in an American society where this country, supposed to be built and made for the freedoms and liberties of all people, do not align with it's morals and standards it has set up and made us to believe. It was ideal, it sounded good, and it'll help one accomplish "the American Dream". In reality, it continues to contradict these morals, values, and standards they promised its people. In reality, these freedoms and liberties were granted to a certain few, the superior or elites.
I see some of my white counterparts posting things like "they want us to be divided" or "don't listen to the media" or "spread love" or everyone's personal favorite "ALL LIVES MATTER" (whole other blog post that I will not DARE start up today). This blog post will tackle the status of "they want us divided again".
My thoughts are: 1. Who is they? If "they" is meant to represent the media, then is the media not a reflection of society or is society a reflection of the media? After all, who controls the media?
2. Were we ever united to begin with? If so, then where? Because all my life I was told I'm pretty or smart for a black girl, or I'm an oreo, or I am somehow reminded either through conversation or simply watching TV that I am different and lower than everyone else. By being black, I saw that it meant acting how you're supposed to act, do as you're told to do, and do not be who they don't want you to be... BLACK! Every time I tried to not be black, I was told I was too white and could not fit in and when I was "being black" I was told you're too black or "teach me how to twerk". So someone please tell me where we were united? "Don't bring up the past; the past is the past" I keep hearing. So what is the present? I barely see black people on TV so who I am supposed to be? A criminal? A video girl? Someone dancing or playing sports? Because that's all I see and in the streets, I see black people being shot down like dogs and is told to obey and not show my color but that's all everyone else seems to see when they look at me.
Side note: when someone asks for a description of someone else, race is the first description they typically say, then it's gender, hair color, eye color, etc.
3. When were we ever united? Once again, told "let the past be the past; don't bring it up". But regardless we cannot start at the foundation of this country, we cannot start after the Civil War, and oh, let's not start after the civil rights movement. "Where did this come from all of a sudden?" people might ask themselves. I'm going to answer how I've always answered, "IT'S BEEN HERE". Growing up not just for me but for a lot of African Americans and black people, we did not know what to say or how to stand up when we heard these comments like "pretty for a black girl" or "teach me how to twerk". I knew that those comments were not only pointing out my color but once again reminding me how I'm supposed to talk different, walk different, and act differently than everyone else and that being black was a bad thing.
4. How will we ever unite? I simply do not know or have an answer for certain but I know a step is people, white people, realizing that when they throw All Lives Matter in someone's face, it's used to tear down and silence others and say "you should not be focused on you or your people's lives; focus on everyone else's" when it wasn't everyone else's who was the focus to begin with! Ever thought that maybe race was an issue when you tried dusting it off your shoulder or conscience? Ever thought maybe it was because he/she was black? Realizing your own prejudices and realizing that this has been underlining and in your face this entire time will cause you to wake up! You've been ignoring everything this whole time! Realizing that the history, structure, and foundation of this country is embedded within systems, our governmental policies, and within our minds. A lot of problems African Americans STILL face today is 300 years worth of oppression and slavery embedded in the American people! Want blacks to "stop playing the victim"? Then stop making us one!
So if you see the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the people claiming that as "people causing division" then YOU are missing the point and it's YOU causing the division within your ideologies, statuses, and mindset. The media is not the one to blame for causing division. It's the people who do not see how we have been divided from the very beginning, all along... But realize and recognize that and how flawed we all are and instead of looking for something or someone to blame, look in the mirror and ask yourself what have you done to help people feel equal? What have you contributed or prided yourself on in this country? What have you done or said that was offensive or prejudice in its root/core? What have you done to change the minds of the things you have just denied within yourself? Regardless, united we never were but it'll take all of us, black, white, and in between, to STAND!
All over Facebook with the current events of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and many more people, blacks and whites, who have been shot and killed by police lately, I see anger, people in fear, and so much more. Most of all, I see broken hearts.
We live in an American society where this country, supposed to be built and made for the freedoms and liberties of all people, do not align with it's morals and standards it has set up and made us to believe. It was ideal, it sounded good, and it'll help one accomplish "the American Dream". In reality, it continues to contradict these morals, values, and standards they promised its people. In reality, these freedoms and liberties were granted to a certain few, the superior or elites.
I see some of my white counterparts posting things like "they want us to be divided" or "don't listen to the media" or "spread love" or everyone's personal favorite "ALL LIVES MATTER" (whole other blog post that I will not DARE start up today). This blog post will tackle the status of "they want us divided again".
My thoughts are: 1. Who is they? If "they" is meant to represent the media, then is the media not a reflection of society or is society a reflection of the media? After all, who controls the media?
2. Were we ever united to begin with? If so, then where? Because all my life I was told I'm pretty or smart for a black girl, or I'm an oreo, or I am somehow reminded either through conversation or simply watching TV that I am different and lower than everyone else. By being black, I saw that it meant acting how you're supposed to act, do as you're told to do, and do not be who they don't want you to be... BLACK! Every time I tried to not be black, I was told I was too white and could not fit in and when I was "being black" I was told you're too black or "teach me how to twerk". So someone please tell me where we were united? "Don't bring up the past; the past is the past" I keep hearing. So what is the present? I barely see black people on TV so who I am supposed to be? A criminal? A video girl? Someone dancing or playing sports? Because that's all I see and in the streets, I see black people being shot down like dogs and is told to obey and not show my color but that's all everyone else seems to see when they look at me.
Side note: when someone asks for a description of someone else, race is the first description they typically say, then it's gender, hair color, eye color, etc.
3. When were we ever united? Once again, told "let the past be the past; don't bring it up". But regardless we cannot start at the foundation of this country, we cannot start after the Civil War, and oh, let's not start after the civil rights movement. "Where did this come from all of a sudden?" people might ask themselves. I'm going to answer how I've always answered, "IT'S BEEN HERE". Growing up not just for me but for a lot of African Americans and black people, we did not know what to say or how to stand up when we heard these comments like "pretty for a black girl" or "teach me how to twerk". I knew that those comments were not only pointing out my color but once again reminding me how I'm supposed to talk different, walk different, and act differently than everyone else and that being black was a bad thing.
4. How will we ever unite? I simply do not know or have an answer for certain but I know a step is people, white people, realizing that when they throw All Lives Matter in someone's face, it's used to tear down and silence others and say "you should not be focused on you or your people's lives; focus on everyone else's" when it wasn't everyone else's who was the focus to begin with! Ever thought that maybe race was an issue when you tried dusting it off your shoulder or conscience? Ever thought maybe it was because he/she was black? Realizing your own prejudices and realizing that this has been underlining and in your face this entire time will cause you to wake up! You've been ignoring everything this whole time! Realizing that the history, structure, and foundation of this country is embedded within systems, our governmental policies, and within our minds. A lot of problems African Americans STILL face today is 300 years worth of oppression and slavery embedded in the American people! Want blacks to "stop playing the victim"? Then stop making us one!
So if you see the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the people claiming that as "people causing division" then YOU are missing the point and it's YOU causing the division within your ideologies, statuses, and mindset. The media is not the one to blame for causing division. It's the people who do not see how we have been divided from the very beginning, all along... But realize and recognize that and how flawed we all are and instead of looking for something or someone to blame, look in the mirror and ask yourself what have you done to help people feel equal? What have you contributed or prided yourself on in this country? What have you done or said that was offensive or prejudice in its root/core? What have you done to change the minds of the things you have just denied within yourself? Regardless, united we never were but it'll take all of us, black, white, and in between, to STAND!
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