It never fails. On many occasions, I’ve shared my thoughts about the black community and how we have many shortfalls that we need to work on. Now any intelligent person could easily understand that what I say never applies to everyone. I’m a big “if the shoe fits” kind of person. Apparently, the “shoe fits” a lot of people. No “glass slipper” issues here.
Just to recap, the issues of the country certainly do not ONLY resonate within the black community. Not even close. However, growing up as a black kid/young man in Baltimore City and obviously living as a black man, our community will always remain near and dear to my heart.
That’s certainly not at all to say that I don’t care about other races. I sincerely hope that’s not the message received here. I apologize if that’s the way it comes across. That is absolutely NOT what I mean.
I’m a firm believer that race really doesn’t have to play a part in really anything. But I’m not naive. I know it very often will.
I’m also a firm believer in taking responsibility for one’s actions.
In reference to the issues our community faces each day, whenever I speak about them, a lot of my fellow black men and women don’t agree with them and they very “maturely” let me know this, by calling me things like “house nigger” and “coon” and “sellout” or whatever else. They also resort to saying that I “am beating down and berating the black community just to get in good with white people.”
Wait…what?
There are a lot of raw truths within our community that we see every single day that don’t at all involve white people. These are truths that many of us can’t seem to accept. Oh…I can, because there’s no way around it. I see it every single day, on top of having grown up around it, along with having family members who fall in the same category. So it’s not like anything I’ve ever said has been made up.
However…to point this stuff out means that I’m “trying to get in good with white people”? How does that even make sense?
Oh, I get it…see, when I post something on social media or even in my blog posts here, a good amount of white people are impressed with it. I’m perfectly fine with that. But somehow, many of our people think that was my entire purpose of writing whatever I did…just to impress them.
Impress who? How do I even know who’s going to read my blog posts?
Aside from that, is there anything I’m saying that’s a lie? Many of the same ones who accuse me of speaking my opinions about our community haven’t said that I’m lying about anything. It’s just that I’m apparently I’m not allowed to say it.
That’s right. They don’t come back with, “You’re not telling the truth at all, Robert.” Nope, it’s all the typical, lame insults and retorts.
Which tells me what I’ve always known: That I speak a lot of truth that our community can’t handle.
I’m not about to berate white people for agreeing with me, nor will I pretend to be ashamed at the fact that they do. I greatly appreciate it, not because they’re white, but because they respect something that even my own community cannot seem to. It’s called rising above the “victim” mentality that has and will continue to plague our community. I refuse to buy into it.
I’m sure that certain white folks are sick of this victim mindset and I don’t blame them. We are not always victims. Society and our own community says this, but it’s not true. Yes, racism against blacks still exist. But that’s not what I see when I look around in our communities.
I see black-on-black crime. Every day. I see people who blame white people for damn near everything. Blacks killing other blacks and for what? Foolishness. I see that those black people who are successful or at least working toward that are berated, mostly by other black people, again, with the ignorant mindset of “trying to get in good with white people.”
For those of you who believe that, what you fail to understand is that that speaks more about your insecurities, not mine or any other black person who looks to be successful.
Speaking of myself and looking to be successful, I have enjoyed a so far 18-year career in the military. I’m hoping to reach 20 years and retire, but my success will hopefully not stop there.
I am also a screenwriter and I am looking to write for movies and television. There are several professionals in the business that I would like to meet in reference to this, but there is one actress in particular (Nashville actress Connie Britton) who I’ve recently finished a script for, and it is my absolute dream right now that this script make its way to her.
She happens to be white. I obviously would love for her to be impressed with my work. Now I think any intelligent person wouldn’t see anything wrong with that. However, within our community, apparently that’s a bad thing. For me to do something looking to “impress” a white person is just so shameful. I have no love for myself and I am “ashamed to be black.”
Yes, I get a lot of that. Doesn’t make sense; only to the small-minded folks who believe this.
Back to this blog post in particular; again, it’s not a surprise that a lot of people who happen to be white would be impressed. They are tired of the bullshit from us and I don’t blame them. They are being berated and put down for things they have nothing to do with. Lord forbid that happens with us and we’re ready to protest and riot all over the place.
Even though certain folks are impressed, again, it’s because they respect me for standing up about OUR community, which far too few of us do. It’s refreshing to see someone say, “Enough is enough. WE NEED TO WORK ON OURSELVES AND STOP BLAMING WHITE PEOPLE FOR EVERYTHING. WE NEED TO STOP HIDING BEHIND THEIR FAULTS AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS. WE NEED TO STOP BEING READY TO PROTEST AND RIOT WHEN A WHITE POLICE OFFICER KILLS ONE OF US FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHILE WE REMAIN QUIET AS WE KILL EACH OTHER AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAT DOESN’T EVEN COMPARE. YES, THEY ARE BAD COPS OUT THERE, BUT THEY SHOULDN’T ALL BE LUMPED TOGETHER; THE SAME WAY WE AS BLACKS DON’T WANT TO BE LUMPED TOGETHER BASED ON THE BAD ACTIONS OF A FEW.”
And I could go on. It’s a shame that something like that is so tough for our community to accept.
However, I’m not going to shut up about it. Ever. Yes, problems exist everywhere. But talking about everyone else’s faults won’t fix ours. Talking about white serial killers and rapists won’t stop black-on-black crime or the other issues that plague our community.
That’s like if you have children and they are failing in school. What would you do? You work on getting YOUR children right, correct? You don’t go up and down the neighborhood to find out what other children are doing poorly, because no matter how much you do that, it won’t fix your own children.
On Facebook last night, in reference to a news story to what’s happening in Chicago, one poster decided to reply to a comment from me “demanding” that I write about crimes committed by white people. Seriously…demand? As in “order” me to do this? This fool has the wrong person. That just made me laugh.
The bottom line is that white people being impressed with what I have to say is a sore spot for a lot of black folks. That’s all there is to it. White people being involved is mainly the only reason it’s an issue. If I was sitting at a table and there were all blacks involved, along with no mention of a white person at all, it wouldn’t be a problem. But for some reason, white people being in the mix is “adding insult to injury.”
Some even go as far as to compare things to slavery and how blacks were back then when trying to get in good with slave masters. However, since no one alive today experienced slavery, they just make idiots of themselves when they do that. End of story.
But the great thing about the truth is that it doesn’t go away just because people don’t want to hear it. I am successful today and hope to continue to be successful, both in my Army career and future screenwriting career, mainly because I can accept responsibility for my actions. I’m not about to point fingers at everyone else when I’m the one who needs the work. I didn’t make it this far by blaming all my problems on white people.
By the way, some black folks, way too many, expect that for other black people to be successful, we have to deal ONLY with blacks. If a white person gets involved anywhere, then the whole notion of “trying to impress white people” is what comes about. That’s when we are “ashamed of our race” and everything else.
But again…that makes no sense. In case many aren’t smart enough to understand this, white people are the majority in this country and by a LOT when compared to black people. So, low and behold, brace yourselves…but there’s a VERY GOOD CHANCE that a white person will be involved SOMEWHERE as we work our way toward being successful in just about anything. I’m not going to stop dead in my tracks once a white person comes into the picture, just to prove that I don’t hate myself or our community. What the hell sense does that even make?
To go back to Connie Britton (who is my favorite actress), the script I wrote is related to her, so why would I NOT want to impress her with it? And why exactly does that equal that I “hate myself” or “hate the black community”? How does that make sense? So I’m “ashamed of being black” because a white person is my favorite actress and she’s inspired me to work on something I love to do (screenwriting)? All I have to do is change her to someone who is black and guess what? I’m pretty sure no one would have an issue then. But I’m not going to limit myself like that just so that my community won’t berate me for it. I refuse to.
Anyway, the truth is the truth and will always be the truth. And I know I’m far from the only black person who feels this way. But when black folks like us get put down and accused of solely “trying to impress white people” all because we’re speaking the truth that you can’t handle, that speaks more to YOUR insecurities than mine…because I’m not changing who I am as far as this is concerned. I have no reason to. I’ve made it this far without having to do so.
As for those of you who happen to be white and respect what I say, I do sincerely appreciate it. I certainly hope you don’t and won’t change because of what some members of my community want to say. I understand exactly why you do agree and can appreciate someone like me to be brave enough (sad that it has to be considered as “brave) to speak up about our community, knowing the backlash I’ll receive from it. It will never change as far as I’m concerned and I will continue to speak my mind on the subject.
Thanks for reading.
People's Court 
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