Let me start off this post
by biggin’ up the OG Shea Butter Jones, along with the whole THC family! I
expressed in Culture Wars the need for us to create, develop, build &
sustain our own vehicles in which to distribute our cultural contributions
& The Hood Collective is doing just that. It is an honor to be building
with like minds who share the same vision. It's even better to be doing this
for the streets, reppin' the urban proletariat, bringing to the forefront a perspective which will no longer allow itself to be silenced! I made it clear in The Rebirth that
this blog will be a safe space for those who express progressive ideals. I'ma
make it plain in this one that this is a product of THE HOOD! My worldview is
from the lens of the ghetto. Though this environment was created with a
pre-determined destiny, who says we can't change that destiny into something
that will benefit the occupants of the inner city?
Whether
you know it or not, we are all bound together by a particular destiny, which exists contradictory to the socialized one that's been subscribed to us by this fascist hierarchy of capitalist patriarchal white supremacy.This destiny links us to the past, is with us in the present & can shape our futures collectively.
From the ghettos to the gardens of middle-class neighborhoods, we’re only going
as far as our belief in each other will take us. I honestly believe that we all
must use our talent and skills to help those in our communities who aren't able
to fully develop theirs. As Black folk, if we’re not re-investing in our
people, empowering them to become the best human beings they can be, we're only playing into the individualism that seeped into the movement
of the 60s. Better to keep them divided than united, right? Especially if
they're making their intentions clear about obtaining Black Power (not that
patriarchal Black Power, which was just an imitation of patriarchal white
supremacy. I'm talking about all-inclusive Black Power, no intersections left
behind Black Power)
I used
to dream about leaving the hood, on some American Dream shit. Upper middle
class, caviar dipping, power broker mingling, ascot rockin' mobility type of
lifestyle. I'd still drop by the hood to visit, hang out, involve myself in
community uplifting projects & whatnot. Then I realized something: Why
can't I be successful & still live in the hood? Why can't I have that
salary which enables me to invest in my people without leaving? Why isn't that
possible? Why can't we in the hood define success on our own terms? It's not
because cats in the hood are envious of somebody that got more than them. The
fact that mah'fuckas are quick to dip once they get a little paper is the
reason why niggas in the hood be on that "Fuck You" shit once they
leave! You take that paper, leave the hood, go live amongst those in your tax
bracket (adding MORE TAX REVENUE TO
THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS), then turn around & wonder why the conditions over
here are so fucked up! These folk don't believe in the potential of the people!
We don't believe in each other as much as we should! That's why they so quick
to leave! I'm putting it out there! No one wants to struggle for the collective
good of the community. Nobody is trying to invest time, energy, or money. They
stackin’ & saving for the sole purpose of getting enough money to get the
fuck out of here as soon as possible. Everybody think they're the exception and
folk gotta get on THEIR level before they decide to put forth that energy. With
that kinda attitude, no one, including the people who posses this way of thinking, is going
to prosper. If we not opening each other's minds & hearts, we're limiting ourselves to stagnicity. We won't even give new possibilities the legit chance to manifest itself into our minds & into our existence. We'd be cheating ourselves & dooming the next generation behind us to repeat our mistakes.And that won't be too difficult, cause as of right now, most of us are not even taking heed to the mistakes our elders made over the last century (Yes, they made plenty of mistakes. If we focused more on being objectively unbiased instead of romanticizing it to sound like a fuckin' Disney story, this would be clearly acknowledged & understood)
We
don't need to be coddled by condescending individuals with selfish intentions
& righteous indignation, whether they come from within or outside the
community. Yes, we need to be educated on a wide spectrum of subjects, however,
don't assume that we will allow ourselves to be taught by someone who doesn't
have genuine intentions, along with the patience to stick with the process
& invest in the community. And we most definitely don't need to be boxed in
by rigid gender roles & respectability politics.
I've
made the conscious decision to dedicate my life to the uplifting of my people.
I have no reservations about using my skills and talents to aid in the progress
of our lives. I rather build community power than integrate & assimilate
into a society that only wants me as a token in order to prop up a myth of
meritocracy. You want to leave the hood? Go ahead. Leave your ghetto pass on
the table. I'll stay here & help make it better for my peoples. No
more coming in & out as you please, choosing when & how you want to
partake. You either with us in building up our own shit, or you ain’t. It’s
just that simple.
It’s a new day, niggas.
And guess who’s volunteering to do a shift as Gatekeeper?
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