The loss of Bankroll Fresh is still on our minds. The destruction of African American males is still assailing our community. Our hearts grieve, our eyes pour out a river of sorrow. Mothers cry out to God in their grief. And yet, despite the display of extreme emotional pain, we soon forget.
The tears flow for a minute but not long enough.
Bankroll Fresh had a talent that inspired many. And yet he, like many Black males, was constantly under attack by unknown sources that seemed to be insidious and sinister.
Bankroll Fresh, Tupac, Biggie Smalls and other fallen hip-hop artists’ deaths were big news, but we forget that there is breaking news everyday about many young Black brothers and sisters who die in altercations, doing drugs deals, committing petty crimes, and those stories too, are destroying our community.
But their mothers’ memories never fade. The baby she cooed to and nurtured will always be mourned,
Something must be done. There must be a shift in thinking and consciousness within the community. These young people must become the primary agenda in the community. We must raise our voices for them.
In addition to complaining about issues within our communities, we must tend to the issues outside of the community that continue to contribute to issues within. We must fight against negative and stereotypical images in the media, institutionalized racism, the school to prison pipeline and joblessness. We must also look at the hip hop music that is built on immature emotions that seize the minds of young listeners. Our artists can no longer be jokesters and pranksters. They can’t support products made outside of the community that cause issues within the community and don’t support the community.
We come from a bright and brilliant community. We must come together to speak truth daily. A litmus test for our community must be one of success and love. Let us not abdicate our intelligence by not understanding that we must focus on knowing who we are and how great we can be without guns coming out. It only maims our future, our children, and our families.
