You Make It Hard To Be Black

Blacks make it hard for other Blacks to be their version of Black.

There.

I said it.

*exhales*

I don't think ya'll know how hard it was to type that.  Like, my inner Black Panther was screaming out NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO with each keystroke.  See, my inner Black Panther is much like David Banner - that whole "let's address our issues with each other privately" mentality.  But this is my issue - Blacks are not quiet with the criticism of things that aren't....."black".  Black America has a very group think mentality.

WE ALL HAVE TO FOCUS ON THIS AT THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW AT THIS TIME!

WE ALL HAVE TO HATE/LOVE THIS ONE THING AT THE SAME TIME RIGHT NOW!

YOU HAVE TO LIKE THIS ARTIST RIGHT NOW OR YOU AREN'T COOL/HIP/WOKE.

IF YOU LIKE THESE THINGS, YOU ARE AN IDIOT/STUPID/CHILDISH/A SHEEPLE.

Excuse me while I read these uppity and judgmental Facebook post.  

Example. One of the biggest games in the WORLD right now.

Hold on. Let me catch this Mewtwo right fast.

Got his ass. Ok. Now where was I? Oh yea.  Now, no one is denying that people have gotten hurt while playing the game.  No one is denying that the places that have become "Poke Stops" is downright offensive. Or that people have used the game for some fucked up reasons.  But for one second, can we as Black folks let other Black folks live?  See, there are a lot of us that are using this game to cope.  Being Black has been kinda hard lately (if you hadn't noticed) and you don't know someone's level of mental stability.  So if a grown, 25 year old, job having, boyfriend having, sexual active red blooded Black American female wants to play Pokémon go, Then dammit SHUT UP AND LET HER. 

See, many Blacks want us to be so focused on one thing that we are supposed to ignore the rest of what is going on in our lives.  I'm not going to apologize for having various interest.  Yes, I believe in social justice.  I'm vegan when I have the money to afford it. Yes, I am a BIG TIME feminist who believes that my Blackness and my womanhood are two of the most important things I have (My ovaries and my word, fam) Yet, I also love anime. I love video games.  I LOVE ALL THINGS SPORTS.  I love make up and play it in often.  I think the snap chat filters are adorable as hell, and I'm annoyed by white privilege and Blacks who want to be among the ranks of the oppressors.  But that's the thing about being black - about being human.  I'm allowed to be all those things at once. I'm allowed to be me because in this world, all I have is my humanity and my version of it.

You wanna build the black nation? We wanna become a strong community.  Let's start with the first rule - it comes before economics, religious thoughts, sexuality, all that.

Rule #1 - I will NOT interfere with or judge my fellow Black person for being themselves.