ClydeStyle

Tag: equality

  • Aren’t we tired of Black history month?

    As a Black man in America, it is difficult to continue to deal with Black History Month. It’s not because Blacks haven’t done many noteworthy things, nor is it that our contributions weren’t significant. But it has to do with purpose. Maybe I’m missing it, but I don’t see the benefits.

    For years, we have had telethons, walk-a-thons, and other various fundraisers for all types of ailments. Diabetes, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, breast cancer, MS, lupus, dementia and many others. We have been finding a cure for so long that most of the money raised is to really help us cope with the reality of the disease.

    We know already that many of the degenerative diseases are caused by the Western diet, but if you listen to the diet advice from the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association, they will tell you to eat everything in moderation basically. The point is: Why raise money to fix something that you really don’t want fixed?

    Our country is good for giving the natives “busy work” to take their attention away from the real issue. No gatekeeper in American wants to get rid of any degenerative disease.

    This is significant because I think Black History Month is more busy work, just like MLK day and the Juneteenth celebration. Busy work design to get Black activists to feel as sense of accomplishment and get them off the real issue.

    Instead of Black History, we need to tell the true American history story. Celebrate the good, bad, and ugly because it is truth. By doing this, it becomes easy to challenge the status que in talks of reparations. Many people still believe that reparations is about slavery. We don’t need reparations for slavery. Far worse scenarios have happened after that. Every decade since slavery could qualify for reparations. Instead of celebrating Black History Month, let’s talk about that for a month!

  • Are we even seeking higher ground?

    Let’s talk about purpose. Not purpose from our country as a whole, I’m talking about individuals. We the people who live and dwell in this Christian society, are we seek higher ground?

    By higher ground, I mean a different space than the one we occupied that had a need for a civil rights movement. Higher ground meaning a created space where everyone is treated equally, and you can tell by the way they all prosper.

    A space where opportunities are abundant and there is no need to punish people for crimes of poverty. A place where various races see each other as a benefit and we work together in a way that benefits all.

    The need to hate is done away with in this space. Struggling to make ends meet is a thing of the past and freedom rings.

    This higher ground is especially for the disabled, the mentally challenged, those who are sick, and those who are weak. There is no bullying there.

    Innovation and education lead, and everyone there can read. In this space, the oldest politicians are in their 60s, and getting elected has nothing to do with your finances.

    Laws are made to help society advance, and we take care of home before helping other countries.

    It is said that this is the season to make dreams come true. I guess I’m looking for these things to take place someday at Christmas!

  • Columbus Day should be put out of its misery

    We welcome October with a plea to the government to put an end to the big lie surrounding Columbus Day. Everyone already knows how far the truth was stretched to cover up the evil that this day represents.

    Even if some turn a blind eye to the offense of this federal holiday, others have already begun to replace the celebratory part of the holiday with something called Native American Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

    Originally, Columbus was credited as the discoverer of America despite the fact that millions of people were already here. Columbus made four expeditions to the Caribbean and South America enslaving and decimating populations paving the way for European colonization.

    The White House made a proclamation last year to the holiday, and sadly, it gave the true history of the holiday. In speaking about Italian-Americans, it says, “Things have not always been easy; prejudice and violence often stalled the promise of equal opportunity.  In fact, Columbus Day was created by President Harrison in 1892 in response to the anti-Italian motivated lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans in 1891.  During World War II, Italian Americans were even targeted as enemy aliens.  But the hard work, dedication to community, and leadership of Italian Americans in every industry make our country stronger, more prosperous, and more vibrant.  The Italian American community is also a cornerstone of our Nation’s close and enduring relationship with Italy — a vital NATO Ally and European Union partner.”

    Now, I agree with these sentiments regarding Italians, and there are other cultures that contribute to many positive things in America. However, I can make a powerful argument that African-American contributions far exceed the others, and despite having Republicans and Democrats make promises of change, Black people have continued to struggle.

    Columbus Day is a slap in the face. It needs to be a part of some museum where we put our troubled past away forever. I love the idea of celebrating the originals. And paying homage to the true innovative beings that dared to follow scientific theories to get to the New World.

    It is as if you can’t believe anything that was told to us in “American history.” With so many lies, it makes you wonder what else they are hiding.

  • Knowledge really is power

    The older I get, the more I learn what I didn’t know. So much information that was originally given to me is turning out to be false.

    The level of trust we give our original source is huge when they have not been vetted. Why would we trust like that? We trust as if no one has a reason to lead us astray.

    It seems that in America, our original history is so bad that we would be appalled if we knew the truth. That beautiful story about how the early settlers came over here seeking a better way of life, wrote the constitution, and started America didn’t quite happen like that. In fact, it was nothing like that. I won’t spoil the research for you, but you need to challenge everything.

    The most interesting part of all of this is that the truth is out there. It’s contained in resource books and professional journals. I read a professional journal that had an interview with Fredrick Douglas, and he was discussing the character of the man we know as Abe Lincoln. The title of the article says of Lincoln that he is a man, but not a brother.

    We were told he was this great emancipator who freed the slaves and strived to create an America where everyone was free. False! Not even close!

    Lincoln freed the slaves to win the Civil War and wanted to deport the slaves back to their homeland, knowing that they would never truly be free. He was always for the advancement of his race. He believed in reparations, and he made sure that every slave owner received $300 per slave for their troubles. That $300 in 1865 is the equivalent of $5626.21 today. Image how much that is if you had 50 slaves. Then, instead of taking your reparations and purchasing more land, these slaveowners kept the money and took the land the slaves had, and of course, the slaves couldn’t report this to authorities.

    Surely you have heard about the 40 acres and a mule phrase? Well, that was a reality for a few slaves until the white man showed up, seized the land and shot the mule, and burned your house down. No government intervention at all – thanks, Abe!

    So if knowledge is power, it is up to us to pick up a book, learn the truth, and act accordingly.

  • A thing that can’t happen

    I’m not sure if this will be a new series or not, but there are certain things that just can’t happen. It needs to happen, but by the way we are as a country, it would cause an even greater divide if it did.

    I’m specifically talking about a scientific discovery of longevity. Imagine the level of greed and covetousness that would ensue if we discovered a way to extend life by hundreds of years. I’m talking about a new life expectancy of 250 years.

    I would imagine that our biased country would want to decide who is worthy of this. It would not be something that everyone could experience. I’m not even sure what the price tag would be, but definitely, anyone lower than wealthy would not have access.

    There would be billionaires trying to corner the market on this gift. As the African proverb states: “When the elephants rumble, the grass suffers.” We are the grass.

    Imagine some of the world’s dictators living longer: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump,Joe Biden, and Xi Jinping all live another 160 plus years. Would the world be a bitter place if that happened?

    Longevity would give us more time to be greedy and selfish. If it were available to everyone, then it would give the poor and downtrodden another 200-plus years of poverty, stress, sickness, and depression. Giving the world more time would not at all help the poor — it would extend their already horrible sentence.

    It would do us no good to imagine the world as a better place because more time would increase the intensity of who we are today — and it’s not a pretty sight!

  • Still not a fan of Black history month

    Well, I couldn’t let February exit without mentioning something about the concept of Black history month. I just don’t understand the purpose of it.

    Black people are probably some of the most talented people on the planet and it seems that in everything they take part in they end up taking it over. This is not something to brag about, it’s just a fact. In the sciences, Black people have been behind some of the greatest innovations known to man. And in most cases, some white guy took the credit because Blacks were unable to hold patents. Research all the inventions Thomas Edison is credited for and when you do you will just call him a thief.

    In the medical field, Blacks have also dominated the industry starting with the first Black man to practice medicine in America. Dr. James McCune Smith was the first in 1837; Dr. Charles Drew changed blood transfusion storage; Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed one of the first open heart surgeries and founded the first Black-owned hospital; inventor Otis Boykin improved the pacemaker; and everyone knows what Dr. Ben Carson did.

    Of course, in sports, there are way too many to name but the greatest boxers, basketball, football, baseball, soccer, tennis, track and field competitors and golfers are people of color. Before the NHL was formed Canada already had the Colored Hockey League (CHL) and many of the innovations in hockey came from that league.

    Cooking, business, construction, you name it, but throughout history, there has been a great fear coupled with the mistreatment of people of color. Exclusion, inequality, racism, and the like have been embarrassing to this country. So it seems to have a month to celebrate the contributions is a slap in the face.

    Some of the greatest movies, music, art, poetry, and entertainment have always come from people of color. Yet somehow in all of these fields, Black people have still not benefitted financially from being the best.

    It would be better to just not have a month to discuss any minority contributions. We should just compensate them properly for their contributions and move on!