"Keepin' it real!" (what does THAT mean?)

[Kimmie1913]

what keep it real means being true to yourself. whether you grew up in the PJ's or the suburbs. keeping it real is staying true you yourself and not selling out because someone wants you too. no matter what kinda environment you live in.

keeping it real is being a leader and not a follower.

Amen to that Soror!
The whole who is "real" and who is not thing burns me up. I have had many a discussion (interestingly enough primarily with the 20-30 something Black men in my life when we were in college) about this term. Although they are all college educated men themselves they are quick to accuse a brother who came from a family who did not struggle financially of not being "real". "WTF?" I would respond. If he is doing his own thing and being himself and true to himself, what could be more real about that. Ofen their explanations reflected a belief that if you did not come from the 'hood/PJ's/ the struggle you were somehow deficient as a Black perosn but particularly as a Black man. I saw many a young brother get caught up in that definition and succomb to foolish challenges to show he was hard even though he came from the suburbs at my lily white ivy university (couldn't resist using THAT term! .) I used to cringe and think why are you letting them try to define who you should be.?

I grew up in a fairly multi racial suburb of Baltimore, I went to private school my whole life (Pre-K to 12)and was one of 8 Black children graduating from my class of 82. I went to an ivy laugue school. And I am as real as you could get. I was a Cosby kid. Bt I had parents who always kept their hearts and minds centered where they should be, were not obsessed with material gians and did not fall into the trap of thinking they were somehow better than anyone they had succeeded in outearning. What a difference that made for me and my brohter. I am true to myself, my family, my community and my people. It was by no accident these characteristics brought me to DST. And I do see the impact on the younger kids getting worse ans worse as they are indoctrinated with this foolishness. It just encourages me to work that much harder in the community to hope and show them trusting in their own minds and hearts and learning to lead is what they should be about.