Brandelyn: Lyrical Contradiction

            I find myself becoming frustrated with the lack of action within the Black community. I’ve always said that I was born too late. I could have totally seen myself as a part of the civil rights movement, but God always knows better, with my smart mouth, who knows where I would have wound up. But right now, in 2006, there is so much complacency within our community and it makes me sad. Predominately black high schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities are losing their accreditation, while brilliant students are roaming their halls earning diplomas and degrees that mean absolutely nothing. Why does it take measures that drastic for schools to get themselves together and struggle to earn their accreditation back. How do we as parents and sibling and alumni even let the situations get that bad? Where is the accountability? Less and less black students are applying to college because they are academically unprepared and trained to think that it is acceptable not to expect more than just barely graduating from high school, and the students who are applying are not trained to think that they deserve to attend a top tier university.

 Suddenly it is alright for people to call Blacks Niggers and there is no real response from the Community except for interesting jokes from Paul Mooney. Why is it that it takes some sort of drastic situation, some shooting by the police or beating by white supremacists in Texas before the black community gets fired up enough to band together and do something? What about the everyday happenings and daily injustices that have become the building blocks for the trouble we are in now? Where is our fire now? Why aren’t questions being asked and our students being prepped to position themselves to become the next leaders? Where are our leaders? We have been resting on Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for so long, but where is the movement? Why is that people in positions of power, positions to make change, reach a hand back and help pull the next generation in, simply are not doing it, having learned that you have to get yours and yours only and that’s just how it goes. Me first and hopefully before its too late, I’ll try and volunteer somewhere. Where is the accountability?

We have gotten so comfortable with the way things are, flying under the radar, accepting what we can get, meanwhile, our right to vote is being placed in question, the decision of Rode Vs. Wade is now being reviewed by the supreme court, Black people are being called Niggers all over television and we are just taking it. Where is the fire? When does enough become enough? Where is the responsibility they used to have back in the day when people actually looked out for each other? How did we get to this place and what can we do to fix it? I’m frustrated and I feel like my fears for the progression of Blacks in this country are my own and that in and of itself is scary.

Peace Y’all

B