ClydeStyle

Tag: power

  • TN lawmakers embrace racism, gay hate while banning song: Eve was Black

    Racism used to be a covert operation. Racist folks wanted to conceal their identity so as to not receive backlash from their choices. Now, it seems that it is fashionable to embrace racism just as the Tennessee lawmakers have done recently.

    It appears that Tennessee is the testing ground before policies go national. Recent focus has turned to the banning on a Grammy award winning song by Allison Russell titled Eve was Black. The song links all races together and challenges the hate that is demonstrated by some seemingly because of race. It is bold, honest, and challenging.

    The song holds the claim of the leading hypothesis among scholars in this area that the whole human race entered the world through the legs of a dark-skinned woman. Not Black, not Egyptian, not Hebrew, as there wasn’t a race back then, but the first humans were Black.

    This truth bothers some people enough to ban the song in the state. Until we deal with the sin of racism, we are doomed to keep recycling it in our society. The following is  the lyrics to Eve was Black.

    Allison Russell

    “Eve was Black, haven’t you heard?
    The Mother of All was Dark and Good
    Eve was Black, didn’t you know?
    Is that why you hate my Black Skin so?
    Is that why you hate my Black Skin so?

    Does it remind you of what you lost?
    Do you hate or do you lust?
    Do you despise or do you yearn?
    To return, to return, to return

    Back to the Motherland
    Back to the Garden
    Back to your Black Skin
    Back to the Innocence
    Back to the shine you lost
    When you enslaved your Kin

    Why do you try to touch my hair?
    Do you hope to find a blessing there?
    Why do you try to keep me down?
    Do you hope to sow this barren ground
    With my black blood, black magic blood
    With my black blood, black magic blood

    Do I remind you of what you lost?
    Do you hate or do you lust?
    Do you despise or do you yearn?
    To return, to return, to return

    Back to the Motherland
    Back to the Garden
    Back to your Black Skin
    Back to the Innocence
    Back to the shine you lost
    When you enslaved your Kin

    What do you hope for as you tie the rope?
    What do you hope for as you hoist me up?
    What do you hope for as you watch me swing?
    Will the Witness Tree Salvation bring?

    Do I remind you of what you lost?
    Do you hate or do you lust?
    Do you despise or do you yearn?
    To return, to return, to return

    Back to the Motherland
    Back to the Garden
    Back to your Black Skin
    Back to the Innocence
    Back to the shine you lost
    When you enslaved your Kin

    Oh, my Sister, oh, my Brother
    Oh, my Mother, oh, my Father
    Oh, my Cousin, all my pale Kin
    Can’t wash this sin
    Can’t wash this sin
    Can’t wash this sin
    With my Black Blood
    With my Black Blood”

  • Appropriate: Building character even when only God is watching

    There was a recent journalist who shared her sexual harassment story in a new podcast. This was the first time she had spoken openly about it, and even after a few years, she was still shaken by the events that happened.

    She did not say exactly what hurt worse, but the person who did this to her was a trusted colleague, and she never saw it coming. He made references to her private parts, and, to me, it appeared he was “shooting his shot” with her.

    She is a beautiful woman who has always displayed a professional demeanor and definitely not the type to invite such behavior. She ultimately left her job over this and never reported his inappropriate behavior.

    We live in a country of blurred lines. Private things should remain private and likewise for things public. When you blur the lines, it supports inappropriateness.

    For men specifically, we need to develop an inner governor that safeguards us from inappropriate behavior. We need to be able to halt this behavior during the thought process. This way, the actual corresponding behavior never comes to pass.

    This is a moral issue. Whatsoever a man thinks in his heart, so is he. If we surround ourselves with the wrong things and we allow for negative energy to remain in our inner spaces, we are doomed to fail.

    Some of Donald Trumps comments regarding women come from a sense of entitlement and having the power and wealth to, for the most part, do what you want to do.

    It is for men to protect our women by maintaining appropriate behavior at all times. It is difficult to write this without sounding too preachy, but we need a stronger all-out effort to make our society as safe a possible k e for our women and children.

  • Jesus — The Light of the World

    Jesus made what was then a very controversial statement in ear shot of the Pharisees when he said, “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

    This was viewed as arrogant by the establishment for how can this Nazarene be the light of the world? They understood Jesus as saying he was perfect and that all should follow after him. The disgust of Jesus’ “I AM” declaration was not about spirituality for those who opposed it. It was about how much would this effect the livelihood of the establishment.

    You see, if people took heed to what he said and believed he was in fact “the light of the world” well then that would lead to discipleship. Jesus would then be able to accumulate more followers and more followers would mean more power and more power would mean more control.

    Jesus’ statement should have been glad tidings to the people who understood that he was not only stating a fact in John 8:12, but he was giving them an invitation. That invitation, if they chose to accept it, would change their lives forever.

    The only people who kick against change are those who feel they stand to lose something if the current condition are altered. This is played out on many levels from religious sects to politics to the workplace — everyone is leveraging to control.

    What I hear Jesus saying is this: What you seek is within me and if you stay in me you’ll never be wanting. Outside of me are the things stacked against you. Inside of me is love, understanding, prosperity and hope. The choice is yours.

    Surrender to him. It’s cool inside!