"...We are Africans, and we happen to be in America. We are not Americans. We are a people who formerly were Africans who were kidnapped and brought to America. Our forefathers weren't the Pilgrims. We didn't land on Plymouth Rock; the rock was landed on us."
-Malcolm X
Salutations world,
Normally I try not to touch on topics that deal with race and politics, because there is never any clear cut or correct answer. But I feel like with the recent comments made by Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard about the National Anthem, I started thinking "Does Josh really have a point?" First, lets check out the footage..
Now, before I defend or justify what he says, lets take into account the history of our illustrious nation, as well as the "African American" history in this nation. I started off this post with a well known quote by Malcolm X, in which he says that we cannot be African Americans because we were "Kidnapped and brought to America." So does Josh have a point? Should blacks really embrace things such as the National Anthem or Independence Day when we were brought to this country against our will?..
Of course slavery is a strong reason why many blacks do not feel attached to this nation, and some people would even argue that it is time for blacks to get over that and embrace the patriotism that is exhibited by whites. I then say, even if we try to "forget" the ills of slavery and the civil rights era, what about the state of the black nation now? I currently reside in North Philadelphia, and everyday I see visual proof that blacks are still overlooked and mistreated in this nation. The fact that I can see a 40oz. spot on every corner and kids wandering the streets at all times of night (and even the day when they are suppose to be in school, schools which are severely understaffed and poorly funded) is mind blowing to me. How can I sing a National Anthem, when I am a young black man and I see these crimes committed against my people on a daily basis?
So do I agree with what Josh said? Well, yes and no. Yes in the sense that he is correct. As a young black man, I feel like we are always fighting an uphill battle for equality. But I am not fully sold on the way Josh expressed his feelings. He could have chosen a better avenue to express himself as well as a better choice of words. But hey, sometimes when you feel strongly about something then it has to be said. So, what do you think? Was Josh right? Should black people exhibit love for a country that has historically oppressed and overlooked them?..
"It is necessary to understand that Black Power is a cry of disappointment. The Black Power slogan did not spring full grown from the head of some philosophical Zeus. It was born from the wounds of despair and disappointment. It is a cry of daily hurt and persistent pain."
-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
-Yeezy
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4 comments:
OBAMA FOR MANKIND!
Hello friend. When the media decided to attack Josh Howard, I found it interesting that J.A. Adande and Steven A. Smith, basketball journalist of ESPN fame wrote stories about this man. While I understand that it is necessary to cover the basketball news, I didn't like how they as black men ignored what it really means to be black in America. They in my mind missed the REAL point and just went on the offense to bring him down.
It is refreshing to read your post to see why Howard and others from a similar background might have an unpopular stance on the history of black people in the USA.
Yes it was done in poor taste, but we have to ask why he feels that way, and not why he said it.
When it comes to technicalities, he was definitely entitled to say what he said -- the song was written at a time blacks were property and thus had no rights or freedoms. It was also sung by BOTH sides in the Civil war of which we know was in large part over slavery. It was dubbed the National Anthem in the 1930s when blacks were still being lynched... so why should/would we have any loyalty to it? I highly doubt they were thinking about blacks singing it in the opening of the world series.
But because African Americans have to work 10 times harder to live above stereotypes, which are inevitably drawn, we can not say what we feel, regardless of its validity, because it defiles anything of purpose and/or truth we should say going forward...
So I guess, if you care to be heard and understood by any ignorant opposition, it's a catch 22. You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar... isn't that the saying.
Personally I am proud to be an American, even of African descent (and much more than that). It's not a perfect situation for those who look like me here, I know that. This country hasn't always been good to us, and unfortunately much of the racism, prejudice, and ignorance that plagues us and hampers our progress continues to this day.
What's great about this country, you ask? The fact that Josh Howard can express himself anyway he chooses, and that there is a media to report on it, and even attack him. In keeping with the theme of sport, we still aren't too far removed from the Olympics, so let's ask ourselves what the medium of protest there is. There isn't. Freedoms of expression and the press? Not found in China. A few weeks ago, a group of Chinese peasants got the nerve to leave the countryside and go into Beijing planning to protest the illegal land grabs by the government. Snitched on, they were arrested in an apartment they were hiding in and are still held in custody.
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered. We have come, treading our path throught the blood of the slaughtered. This is the story of our people, a proud, strong, resilient people, how could I not love this country?
And like Barack Obama says, our stories are stories that can only happen in America.
Good work here, gentlemen.
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