Black Women Are The Black People of Black People…
A Rant About Kehlani, Trump & Why This Shit Is Your Fault
I hate that I’m uttering this name in this context but I wrote this because, Kehlani.
I keep having the same conversation over and over again. The topic comes up and immediately the focus turns to Kehlani being cyber bullied. It turns to Black men and how they don’t support Black women. It turns to how suicide is “taking the punk way out”. But what is always brushed over again and again is the actual fact that a Black woman in our community was hurt. But instead of being supportive to one of our own, we pick them apart or blame them or create a martyr out of them. Or a hashtag.
You’re Voting For Trump and You Don’t Even Know It
Ask anyone. No one wants Trump to be president. Ok “they” do. But you know who “they” are. “They” are the nation’s untouchables (as well as those who just think they are untouchable). Yet the exact reason Trump has gone so far in this political race is because he’s pure entertainment. He’s a riot. He’s boisterous and “honest” — which really just means he’s loud and tactless. He turns podiums into the Sally Jesse Raphael and Geraldo Rivera stages of the 90's. Big awkward hair, dead eyes, half sentences riddled with crowd baiting.
Asking questions like “isn’t it fun to be at a Trump rally?”
The other day I watched this…
The thing that stood out to me is that everyone on the panel seemed to gloss over Trump’s political passivity on issues affecting Black people all because they’re impressed by his overall presentation. Because fuck substance and reason…bring on the side show.
“Everybody gonna inslave you. But the main important thing is…how much I’m gonna get paid while I’m inslavement. Ya know?”
Eh?
I Digress…
We’re entertainment obsessed. And I get it. I’m a content strategist. I do this for a living. Tweets, likes, follows. Hustle on. But at some point we have to stop half Blackness.
What she say?
I said HALF BLACKNESS. And I don’t mean Mommy or Daddy had jungle fever. I mean allowing your Blackness to be swayed away from its focus. Our focus is to progress as a community.
Right?
Show of hands?
So if that’s our focus, why are we tearing each other down just to fire up the mentions?
As soon as there is an opportunity to clap-back or criticize — it’s taken. It’s taken by other celebrities, and random nobodies. And then when the target cracks — we get to slap their backs and say…
“Learn to take a joke, nigga.”
But. Like, Sis down. Kehlani (and all parties concerned) needed a hug and a prayer and instead she got dragged on social media. Instead Chris Brown told her to “stop flexing for the ‘gram’…” Instead people tossed her name around as they debated whether or not she was a hoe. Freedom of speech is yours to take. Always. But question why you choose hateful speech instead of uplifting your own people. Then take a look at how that shit comes back to you.
Because if you get to throw hatred at people just because you have “the right”…
So can Trump.
So can disgruntled police officers.
So can discriminatory law practices.
If you’re for Black people, be for Black people. Don’t just throw your fist up when Beyonce writes a song or when it’s trending or when Being Mary Jane comes on BET. Don’t be so entertained that you turn every element of the culture into a joke. Because then you become the thing we’re trying to over come. Then you become that bullshit.
At some point the Black community has to become impenetrable. Because we all know the White community is.
Until we’re ready to hold hands and sing kumbaya…feel free to kick back and enjoy the oppression.
