In a blog post I completed a few months ago, I started off by saying, "I was raised black...". By saying that, I was pointing out the stark differences in households of color across America versus that of any other American culture. As a child, I was told about neighborhoods that I couldn't venture into after dark, how I should behave publically, and how to remain completely submissive whenever dealing with the police because my being assertive would only end in conflict rather than in an amiable resolution. In many cases, my voicing my own opinion could easily lead to my own demise.
Although we poke fun at the public perceptions black America through comedy, film, and music, we continue to suffer the systematic issues as a culture. This is fueled by the fact that race issues are rarely, if ever, dealt with in an open, public forum. Instead, we huddle together privately and discuss our struggles, air our grievances, and silently lick our wounds. In the centuries that have passed since we were brought here in chains, my parents, their parents, and even their parents-before-them all hoped for a better day.
Today, our history is repeat with lynchings, shootings, high incarceration rates, and civil unrest. It seems as if we, as a people, have been fighting the same battles since the 1800's. Yet, no real strides toward equality are visible.
Nationwide, academic history books have omitted our existence from its pages and our contributions to this "melting pot" society have been marginalized. In order to remember our past, we, as African Americans, have had to rely on our forefathers to verbally repeat the stories of degradation and triumph to the next generation. As we gained access to greater forms of technology, we have learned to chronicle our struggles through the use of cinema.