Quote:
Originally posted by 1 Woman of Virtue:
However, it is BECAUSE we have all of these things oppressing us that we must TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR OUR ACTIONS. Now if doing the little things, like challenging us to examine where we buy our hair care products will cause people to get their toes stepped on(?!?!?!?) then, what hope do we have of taking control of our destiny? Now, you may rejoice over the high GNP that Black people may hold. And, truly, I think that is great. But let us understand that those numbers are in NO WAY REFLECTIVE of the majority of Black people in this country. Just because a few of us happened to do well for ourselves, is in no way indicative of the collective prosperity. As I, a supposed member of the so called "Talented Tenth" look around at the horrific state of affairs that the remaining 90% of our people are in, I cannot rejoice that a small middle class has made it. So if I inadvertantly (sp?) step on some toes in an effort to liberate my people, then so be it. Liberation is not a comfortable issue. No one likes to do it, but that is life. Someone earlier, I can't remember who, said that the point of this thread, no matter what position one takes, is to challenge our behavior w/ regards to supporting Black businesses. Now,many people felt that they were being personally attacked, and I am sorry that they felt that way (if this does not apply to you, than disregard it). But if asking us to examine something that small, is going to cause hurt feelings and bitterness, then we have a long way to go. No matter how high our GNP, try driving a car that is reflective of your high income status (not you personally) like a Lexus or Caddy through I95 (MD, DC, PA, NJ) and see how quickly you will be pulled over. What does a high GNP matter if police can instantly view you as a common black crook? There is a danger in rejoicing so much over the small successes that we miss the bigger picture.
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Much respect for being for capturing everything I have been trying to say so eloquently.
Truly understanding what we as a people have to do to get "out of the bucket" is not a tea and cookies issue. If discussions on hair products can get you upset, what do you do with big issues???
When I was small I used to take riding lesson. When we were in the fields learning how to jump our horses over obstacles (logs, fences, large rocks, etc) my teacher always said the same thing over and over.
"Concentrate on what you see coming towards you. As soon as the horse leaves the ground don't get excited and stop thinking about the next 6 fences you still have to hurtle. If you do that you're sure to loose your balance and fall of the path. You must keep the focus on your tasks until you have done them all. Then celebrate..."
That's the same approach I have towards my people. I can smile for a moment each time I see some of us taking flight, but I can't ignore the fact that we still have many fences to jump. It's easy to get distracted by the positive things...
Recently I brought some college friends home with. When they got to my neighborhood they couldn't believe that such a pretty area was so nice and so BLACK. *lol* When they got to my house they all just stood in the middle of the hallway. When I asked them what was up, one of my friends said that they were afraid to move in fear they'd mess something up.
That's not the first time I have heard such things from black friends of mine. As Woman of Virtue said, how can we truly be excited that a few have made it when so many are still near or below the poverty line?
[This message has been edited by Poplife (edited January 22, 2001).]