The music we record is also a record — audible documentation of the callous treatment of our own sensitivities and how we discredit and devalue ourselves and each other. During my travels throughout the course of the day I remain resolved, poised and positioned to thwart attempts to malign what I hold dear or offend my well being. It is here, in this moment that I am acutely aware that in this environment I presently find myself in, those that have do not walk these streets. It is in this particular urban terrain one needs faith and conviction to guard against the inevitable temptations of fast cash and easy exits that prostitute the thinking — and with it the bodies — of those with less education, less resources and less fortitude to steady themselves in turbulent times.
Be prepared to venture forward, avoiding obstacles strewn along the streets of despair and dejection and reject ride offers which are veiled intentions to hi-jack souls in search of solace. Spiritual hitch-hiking is a detrimental practice which may have grave consequences. The reality is that a life may be snuffed out at the hands of a perpetrator disguised as a reputable citizen driving a fancy German-made car. And it is imperative that responsible adults are vigilante about protecting our naive sons and daughters from the depravity that prowls the streets in search of an unsuspecting victim.
The stories that we share with our precious charges are often not as riveting as Precious — but they are real. Any critical and honest examination of the tragic upbringing of that fictional character, but that dialogue begs the question of how will we identify ourselves going forward. Will African Americans forever be known as a tragic people or will we come to be know as a dynamic people capable of overcoming the long-standing images of suffering and sub-standard living.
The status of African Americans ebbs and flows in a dubious tide of praise and acknowledgement for black Fortune 500 CEOs which is countered by the legions of black coaches who are continually ignored and denied a collegiate level berth by the NCAA decision makers.
The incongruous nature of recognition and racial credibility defies reason and resonates on the cultural footprint. While we claim great advances as a people,
we continue to march out of step in terms of self-actualization and concerted organization.
Peace.
