Married Black Men

1. HipHop

While the industry is thriving and our souls are dying i’m happy that our beacon of hope called hiphop has grown up into a beautiful Golden calf. That rappers preaching about the sanctity and beauty of our culture have found suitable names such as nigger, bitch, and pimp to identify and endear us to those that follow their path and the world at large. It feels like yesterday, that hiphop was a gritty movement inspiring a people toaction, but thank goodness we’re at a point in time where such things aren’t necessary. Because, life *must* be good, if all we have to talk about is money, hoes, and clothes.

2. Progressive Actions
Thankfully, there are so many of us doing so well and beyond the need for help, education, and financial stability that we can squander our money on rims, shoes, and $500 purses. Today, we are all gainfully employed and our kids are enthusiastic about a future that has them striving for degrees earned with grades higher than C. It’s almost seems like yesterday, that our only way out was through buffoonery and talking about randomness instead of issues crippling our community *wipes brow*. I’m glad we made it to the mountain top.
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Let me first state that I think that we can be the most romantic individuals on the planet “when we choose to be”, which is probably part of the issue for many women. I have drawn baths with rose petals, I have created indoor picnics, and I have planned romantic weekend getaways for my wife. However, let me tell you that the quickest way to shut down the romantic tap – is to tell me I need to do x, y, and z in order to “show you some romance”. (continue reading…)

Dear Racism,

You sure have been around a long time and even when I think you begin to lose momentum you seem to manage to revitalize yourself. Long are the days where you prevented me from freely choosing a seat in a  restaurant or bus, but today, just like technology you seem to get more sophisticated every 18 months. I guess like the Devil you’ve managed to make people believe you no longer exist. Since, it seems it’s not only the white people that want to abolish affirmative action, but ourselves as well. Really, you’ve done a good job at showing how useless it is. Kudos with getting Black people to delight in calling themselves nigger more than white people do. I can say that you’ve given me hours of ceaseless debates over issues such as free speech, satire, and popular culture, but all the while it’s been you masquerading as some “just cause”.

You know what’s funny, is that even though you’re hiding in plain sight (brilliant move) we still seem to act as though you’re not there? Have you managed to pollute our minds so completely that you serve as the underlying reason as to why we kill ourselves at such an alarming rate? I’ve often wondered at what point in our relationship, because I believe that’s what this is, that we so lovingly embraced our batterer? I guess these are questions i may never get answered, but you are one clever companion.

However, despite all those things, I think i’m going to leave you behind. I’m tired. Listening to music infused with your messages, tolerating conversations that bare your insignia, and watching us ignore the impact of your presence has become too much. So, i’m going to leave and don’t bother trying to lure me back with seductive beats, graphics, or cleverly masked entertainment mediums. If that means shutting off the radio, shunning the networks, and reducing (or eliminating) friends so be it. At some point I will have to take a stand, and that might as well be now.

Sincerely,
Kuro