I'm black and I'm proud........ but why???

I remember sitting in my dorm room, thinking of workshop ideas for my fraternity during Black History Month and the phrase “I’m black and I’m proud” popped into my head.  I started thinking of all the reasons why I was proud to be “black” and the impact my people have had on America.

After minutes of thinking, I realized that blacks no longer make as great of an impact in the world like we once did.  I tried to think of the social and political impact that we have made in the past 20 years or so and it’s kind of depressing.

Yes, we have done SOME things over the years.  I don’t want to minimize the progress we have made but look at the things past generations have accomplished before us.  The tremendous obstacles and fierce determination they had to make a change. 

When we say “I’m black and I’m proud”, it seems that we’re still riding off the coattail of what our predecessors did and not so much of what we are doing now. 

At one point black people -and I hate using this term; what exactly is a BLACK person?  We are too diverse and multi-faceted to be confined to this one controversial word but I digress- were accomplishing great things in the world and making changes within their communities. 

The Civil Rights Movement was started, the NAACP was making great headway in the political arena, more and more people were becoming educated and inventors created new ideas and technology that would change the world forever.

The term “I’m black and I’m proud” was coined in 1968 by James Brown with his funk song of the same title.  The song spoke of the prejudices towards blacks in America and the need for black empowerment.  It was a hit!

Blacks everywhere were banding together, speaking out and started a more militant approach to accomplishing their goals; the Black Power movement had begun.

Powerful organizations like the Black Panther party and the Nation of Islam were founded.  They achieved national and international notoriety; the Black Panther party even had a hand in US politics.

When we refer to great people of black culture and the things that we’ve accomplished we think of these people and these organizations.  Name some accomplishments that have we made in the world lately?  Even better, please name a POSITIVE black stereotype that everyone could agree on.  Don’t worry.... I’ll wait…..

I love my people and I love our history but I just feel at times that we haven’t kept the momentum going.  Yes MLK would be happy to see his dream of desegregation throughout America come true but think about all the other things that he would frown upon now. 

The good fight for equality, respect and opportunity has turned into gold chains, baggy clothes and thongs.

 

We’ve made it! Of course that’s debatable but compared to life in the early 1900’s, we have equality, respect and opportunity.  Our great ancestors tried and died so that we wouldn’t have to.  Let’s continue to honor their dreams and their legacy by leading and staying focused.  

We’re no longer in the heart of the forest but we’re still in the woods people.  Let’s continue to be great, to do great and to educate ourselves not just in the classroom but in life.  Rims and weave can’t be our legacy!