09/24/2021
Where do I begin? The beginning seems like a good enough place...
First, my condolences to the family of , the latest victim of senseless violence in Louisville... No parents should ever have to bury their own children - especially a teenage child...
To be honest, I was officially done with Black media in this city because often my greatest "push-back" was from my own community, when I would attempt to hold "US" accountable...
Notice that I said "US" - because "WE-ALL" - including myself - have contributed to the climate of Black America today, in some shape, form or fashion...
But when I got a call yesterday, informing me that our latest homicide victim, is the son of a friend that I've known for over 15 years - God commanded me to return to the mission that he placed me on, six years ago...
No doubt - the black community has been the recipient of systemic and social racism that has led to extreme conditions of poverty, lack of identity and self esteem - which has resulted in anger, violence and the sense of selfishness survival... These are facts...
Louisville was vividly reminded of these facts on March 13, 2000 - when Breonna Taylor was murdered in her home...
As devastating as her death was - I continued to remind our community that we are facing a dual fight...
We are fighting systemic racism from all angles - and we are also facing a rapidly growing, violent criminal element - within our own community... As a matter of survival - WE MUST VIGILANTLY FIGHT AGAINST BOTH...
Violent Crime in the Black Community is an EPIDEMIC... The failure to acknowledge this, is nothing but fuel to the fire...
Currently I see massive finger-pointing, at the causes for the crisis we are experiencing...
But the reality is that epidemics are not caused by one particular variable... They are caused by a combination of failures in multiple areas - that finally then manifests as the "PERFECT STORM"...
When a person is having a heart attack, the physicians don't have time to point out the causes of the condition because their job at the moment is to save a life...
Black America, we don't have time to point fingers at the causes of this violence epidemic, at the moment - because we have to act immediately to save lives!
Our children are dying while we play the blame game and pointing fingers....
Now is the time for TOUGH LOVE, because that's the only thing that will stop the immediate bleeding...
We must be VIGILANT about accountability... We must be VIGILANT about responsibility... We must be VIGILANT about raising the bar about what social and educational behaviors are acceptable in our community...
While us normal citizens are doing this - our community leaders must focus on forcing legislation and funding that will provide economic and social growth within our communities...
There's NOT just one simple fix... We all must come together and put work in the areas that we can provide the best assistance at...
If entrepreneurship is your thing - DO THAT AT A HIGH LEVEL...
If violence prevention is your thing - DO THAT A HIGH LEVEL...
If Social Justice is your thing - DO THAT AT A HIGH LEVEL...
If education, social work - or flat out, making our politicians uncomfortable, is your thing - DO THAT AT A HIGH LEVEL...
Culture plays a huge part in the identity of the black community... Currently, the gang culture has returned.... It hasn't returned in the same fashion that we remember from the 80s & 90s... It's looks totally different today...
Instead of young people hanging on street corners in baggy clothes and colorful bandannas - the new era of gang bangers hang out in smaller groups and often congregate online...
They engage in verbal wars online... They diss each online... Local rap music plays a major part in the gang beefs, as the disrespect often begins with YouTube diss, rap videos...
The gangs are moreso represented by neighborhood affiliation, as opposed to the traditional gangs, that operated under a larger Parent faction...
Often when two neighborhoods are at war with each other, the attacks are carried out on random young people who live in those communities, who may not necessarily be gang affiliated... They are just collateral damage, based on where they live...
The availability of automatic fi****ms has also changed the game... Guns were as readily available in the 80s & 90s, as they are today...
Guns are literally everywhere, so they have replaced fists, as the convenient weapon of choice...
The West End of Louisville has the reputation of being a violent dangerous community - when in reality, it's really primarily filled with upstanding, law-abiding citizens...
The problem is that the entire community is being held captive by the small percentage of violent individuals, that have no regard for the lives of anyone else residing around them...
This is the reality for many poor black communities across the nation... It's time to stop pointing fingers and take our communities back...
Each and every one of us has the responsibility of bettering our communities... We all have unique gifts that can contribute to community uplifting...
Everyone's gift isn't the same and that's okay... If you don't know how to utilize your gift - reach out to the organizations in your community that specialize in community and social revitalization...
We can do this people... Hurdles will always exist but we are a people that have experience in "Overcoming" obstacles...
Sorry for the long post - and practice loving each other more each day....
