Dominoes

Being Black.

The second most powerful book in the world defines black as soiled and stained with dirt, but we have come to know black as domestic worker, taxi driver, gardener and security guard. Being black means your colour is automatically guilty by association which is propagated by words such as black eye, blacklist, blackmail; the list is infinite. Ever heard of birds of the same feather flock together? White however is defined as pure, refined and light. How?  The white man has since the beginning of time stolen, murdered and exploited and he is associated all things good?    

Being black in the 1600’s meant being meant being hunted, chained, caged and shipped abroad, for the purpose of feeding the white man’s greed for power. This exercise of humiliation proved fatal in the white man’s plan because he didn’t know that by shipping the black man over the seas, he was dispersing the black seed worldwide.

Being black in the 1900’s meant being forcibly removed from places they called home and crammed in cold and unfamiliar match boxes, it also meant carrying around a pass, a stamp or rather badge of ridicule. It meant being silenced with the threat of imminent violence and all your thoughts being banned. This exercise erupted the fire that was burning in the oppressed hearts. This fire which the smothered realised would only be quenched by the reliasation freedom. This freedom which came at a grave price.  The people who heeded that call couldn’t have possibly died in vain. Their sacrifices will surely resonate through the memories of the chosen to live the life fought for.  

Being black in the 21^st century means I get first preference to a good school and good job, some say this is reverse apartheid, but in my parents eyes its JUSTICE.  With all this preferential treatment I receive on the basis of my skin colour, the question is, is this freedom just a mirage or is it just borrowed to us? The answer to that is quite frankly CAPITALISM. Capitalism is an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS and CORPORATIONS.   This freedom is not objective.  Just as all the slain men and women heeded the call to emancipate us from the confinements of modern slavery, we need to heed the call to emancipate ourselves from economic deprivation. Economic freedom in our life time is the new struggle; we need to be up in arms. Afeni Shakur says “if you haven’t found something to live for, and then find something to die for.”

The debate is, will we lose what has been entrusted to us, the answer is found in a game of pool, the black ball might win the game but it only does so after being hit by the white ball.”

 

 

- This was in actual fact something I wrote and recited in Grade 12 for my oral exam. I hope it was a good read and with it you understand the responsibility you have inherited.

Regards

Ms_Curvy