During class this week I watched and discussed The black power mixtape. Shot by swedish filmmakers, we got to see the view of someone from the outside looking in on the African american community from 1967-1975. During this time the black culture were put through a tremendous amount endeavors, because they we were frowned upon like animals and treated like criminals. This documentary took us on a deep and dark path of just a number of things that were happening in america regarding the black race. And if i would have to say what stood out to me the most about this documentary was hearing it come from great role models like; Talib Kwali, Quest Love and Erykah Badu. Growing up listening to their music, you can hear the knowledge and wisdom they have from continuously being indulged into the black community and understanding what's going on. Unlike many today who have lost sight of the importance in the quality of their life because they have been sucked into social media and celebrities they think life is a fairy tale, being caught in mainstream culture of TV life. When on the other hand you have people like Angela Davis still traveling across the world speaking about state penitentiaries and our young black men. I believe a lot of the issues like black on black crime, education issues etc in the black community now are remnants of what happened and are still happening in the black culture today. This documentary pointed out many things and people I've never heard before. And on the other hand cleared up questions I've already been asking. For example i have never heard of stockley carmicheal but his message was extraordinary. His passion and courage surpasses many today. I have seen kids and adults throwing their life away everyday because they're scared to face the world and the challenges of being a black male or female in america, so instead they become stagnant. Forgetting who we are and what we've been through.
The part of the video that hit me the most was when they spoke on drugs being introduced into the communities. Growing up in New York City I seen first hand the effects of drugs. Not being able to walk or play in certain parts of the playground because that's where the drug addicts hang, kids getting snatched in the staircases of my building by drug addicts. I have seen people watch their parents die from overdoses but continue to use drugs because that's the life they were witnessed too. I have several family members whose lives were destroyed by drugs and are suffering till this day for mistakes they have made. It brought clarity to why my community was thriving on drugs. I've lost many friends and family to the system and drugs but this film has inspired me to think about the issues my community has faced that are partially not our fault. 50% is the race that wants and intentionally have been trying to destroy us the day they knew stealing us from africa was a mistake. They realized we are kings and queens, who lips brains and skin intimidated them, so what better way to destroy something you're scared of? You inject chaos and havoc into their lives. you caged them like animals in jail. Like Stokely Carmichael said in the film “I was born in jail”. You make it seem like being a black person in america is a crime. You tell them their hair isn't straight enough, your skin isn't light enough, you're just not strong enough when they know were stronger than they can ever be. And the other 50% is our selfs. A Lot of kids today don't have enough self confident to even complete an assignment in class. Just like a lot of adults don't believe in themselves to speak out about how they feel. If you hold no confidence or ambition in yourself how can you speak to your culture and encourage them to be great? Sometimes hope and faith in yourself and the future is just enough to push you to make a move.
I would always agree with Dr. Kings approach of nonviolence he adapted from Ghandi. It will always be effective to me because people will sooner or later give into what you ask because it won't go away until it's dealt with,no ultimatums. Dr king stuck to his goal and most importantly he seen a brighter future. Being enrolled in a HBCU and watching documentaries like this one gives you a sense that being proactive in creating solutions for present-day problems or issues in our community is not optional, it's mandatory, because as long as our skin is still beautifully brown we will always have to set the way for each other and the generation of blacks to come. Knowledge and wisdom are keys, if I take the initiative to educate and mentor my culture as I grow we will continue to thrive as a culture becoming more aware of what’s still going on in america.
