RF23 - We Don't Want To Overcome

RF23 – We Don’t Want To Overcome

I guess if you were in space or found a way to enter some unknown planet in some unknown galaxy, you would have missed the verdict that was issued on the People (Florida) v. Zimmerman on Saturday.  A jury of six women said that the people did not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt and acquitted George Zimmerman, a 29 year old volunteer neighbor watch-man, who shot and killed a 17 year old young man, named Trayvon Martin.    Now we all have our own different accounts of what happened that rainy day and we heard or was told via the news outlets of what really happened that tragic day for both Zimmerman and the Martin family.    It is something George Zimmerman would have to carry for all the days of his life, he may seek and probably receive forgiveness from the Martin family for what he did.  [UPDATE] Since then we've had another tragedy.  On August 9, 2014, 18 year old Michael Brown was shot and killed by Brian Wilson a Ferguson City policeman.  Like Martin, there were a lot of stories that tried to portray the victim as something he was not, but the one thing we can all agree on, is that he was a human being and his life no matter where it may have taken him was his to live.  Like Zimmerman, Wilson will have to carry that for the rest of his life and maybe ask for forgiveness.   It's not unusual for families of the victim to forgive the person who took a loved away,  for those families are the true definition of what a Christian or fill in the blank religion is.  My thoughts go out to both families as they go on different roads of putting the pieces of their lives together.  One having to see the void of missing young men on the holidays and birthdays and the other having to deal with being infamous for a wrong reason.

                I don’t want to spend this time writing about the tragedies because it’s fruitless.  I want to talk about where we as “African Americans; Black Americans” are as a people.  You know the one thing that upsets me is that no matter how tragic the story is or was.  We as a people dismiss the real concrete tragedies of what’s really going on.   It seems that we are stuck in 1865 to 1965 time periods.  We don’t want to overcome, we just want to be a people of victims! forever and ever, amen!  Never mind the triumphs, never mind the victories and never mind the fact that we elected someone of color not once but twice to the highest office in the land.

We’re still victims.

                Nowadays we mock Jesse Jackson, but in the 70’s his “I Am Somebody” poems, were meant to be inspirational, just like he used to be.

Now we’re relegated to being happy as victims.

                In the 60’s, the Original Black Panthers gave us “Black Pride” “Black Power” in their contribution to the civil rights movement in the inner cities.

Now we’re Black Powerless and based on the buffoonery by some blacks in entertainment, black pride is gone.

                And last but not definitely least, the old civil rights song, “We Shall Overcome.”  A song that was meant to tell the young generation that heard it and generations after it that it’s your (our) duty to honor the young negro that was sold into slavery, honor the enslaved black family that were auctioned, sold and separated from their family, honor the brave freed men and runaways slaves that picked up a rifle and manned up in the Revolutionary, Civil War and all the wars after, honor! those men and women who were turned away from voting, told that they were equal but separate!  Honor those innocent young and old men who were lynched not because of a sexual choice, but just for being black! Honor those civil rights leaders who sacrificed IT ALL!! just because they in their heart of hearts, they knew that one day, their son, their daughter they left behind….

Would overcome.

                And as people, we failed.  I failed, you failed, we all failed because we didn’t say no!  We didn’t say no! To the selling and use of drugs in our neighborhoods, we didn’t say no and no more murders of a young black men at the other hands of other blacks.  Oh! we’re quick to up-rise when it’s at the hands of someone not black.  We didn’t say no! To ineffective black politicians, who say they have our interests, but enrich themselves only to show up when said young black person is killed by a non- black. 

                We don’t want to overcome.  We’re happy with the images of being victims to German Shepherds, water hoses and lynchings.  

                Dr. King in his last speech said and knew that he wasn’t going to get to the promise land with us….

Neither are we.