Obama to minority men: no excuses | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram
Obama is doing what a black person talking to black people in his position should do. Encourage.
There's enough people, black, white and otherwise who spend their time telling inner city folks, outright and subtly, they can't come up. They don't see many people who aren't lackeys of 'the man', sports stars or entertainers that get that big money. The Cosby show went off the air years ago, and the only middle class black people you see are clowns in sitcoms. And here's a little secret nobody might tell you about trying to get out of the ghetto- it can be dangerous. Not because of racism and oppression, but because of other black people.
People tricking off their lives on purpose can't stand seeing people do right. In fact, there are so many people that live off doing wrong in the hood that people who get out become their worst enemies.
You get clean? better not start getting your homies clean cause you're getting in some drug dealer's pockets. Start doing okay, and found a way to make money that isn't illegal? Better not spread that too far, you start taking boys off the corner and them gang boys will come and straight jack you, steal your shyt. After all you're all sold out to the man now, you're a target. You try to live your life right? That means being honest- but don't get so honest people think you might start talking about all the dirt you've seen done. Then you're a snitch. Snitches get stitches.
It gets to the point you can't communicate with your old people anymore, they're thinking on such a different level that it's like you speak different languages. They're suspicious of you, think you sold out, became the man, some even want to do you harm over it. It gets so bad that eventually those that get out just..stay gone.
Y'all can talk about what you believe all you want, and you can make excuses for folks who choose to listen to all the negativity out there. There's so much it's hard not to believe it, trust that. But the people who live in that world know what's up. And if they were watching that man, the first president that looks like them and does things they do, tell them to get off their ass and act right, some just might do that.
It's in that way, somewhere, the cycle is getting broken. Someone is going to ignore his mama telling him he needs to make moneynow instead of dreaming about college. He's gonna walk by the dudes with thick rolls of bills in their pockets, bad boy tempers and loaded pistols to back those attitudes up. He's gonna resist the urge to just say 'fukk it' and get blissfully high. He's gonna laugh at all those silly people on Tv (and places like this, turns out) who claim to know how easy it is to get out, who don't have to explain to 'dem boys' why he's not 'down for whatever' like he used to be. He's gonna fight those ignorant dudes who claim he's sold out. He'll even lose some of those fights, and have to solemnly consider his path while he heals. He'll live with the fact that he doesn't and can't have the newest gear and hottest bling, and can't buy enough hot shyt to get the local hoodrats to give him p*ssy. He'll watch his teachers, counselors, family and friends half-heartedly mumble their agreement, or worse yet, roll their eyes and laugh like he just said he was gonna grow wings and fly. He'll watch too many of his friends try and fail at doing just what he is. He'll cry too many tears, go to too many funerals.
He wiil not flow, ball or slang. He won't get scholarships, sign contracts or start labels. All he will do is not quit. Day in and day out.
And after being that "brainy, square broke-ass snitchin' sold out p*ssy" for way too long, he will finally find his way to someone who believes in him. And he's gonna get out. He might find other people like him in college and will never forget where he came from, but he's not going back. He's gonna live his life, become the invisible 70-some % plus of black people who live semi-normal lives and who you never hear about.
And hopefully, Obama will keep talking and keep telling some other kid he can do it, and out of every 10 he tells, one might. Then, magically, one day, it'll be two. That's the point.
Be as cynical and dismissive as you want, talk about his authority or right to say anything, but the truth is, if you have the luxury of being cynical and dismissing his words, you're not who he's speaking to. You're not raising, teaching, policing, or living those lives. I'd like to believe the people that are heard him. And he's saying what he's always said, basically...
"yes you can".
The real question is, now what do you have to say? Can you do better? Or are you just another hater, excuse maker?
Obama is doing what a black person talking to black people in his position should do. Encourage.
There's enough people, black, white and otherwise who spend their time telling inner city folks, outright and subtly, they can't come up. They don't see many people who aren't lackeys of 'the man', sports stars or entertainers that get that big money. The Cosby show went off the air years ago, and the only middle class black people you see are clowns in sitcoms. And here's a little secret nobody might tell you about trying to get out of the ghetto- it can be dangerous. Not because of racism and oppression, but because of other black people.
People tricking off their lives on purpose can't stand seeing people do right. In fact, there are so many people that live off doing wrong in the hood that people who get out become their worst enemies.
You get clean? better not start getting your homies clean cause you're getting in some drug dealer's pockets. Start doing okay, and found a way to make money that isn't illegal? Better not spread that too far, you start taking boys off the corner and them gang boys will come and straight jack you, steal your shyt. After all you're all sold out to the man now, you're a target. You try to live your life right? That means being honest- but don't get so honest people think you might start talking about all the dirt you've seen done. Then you're a snitch. Snitches get stitches.
It gets to the point you can't communicate with your old people anymore, they're thinking on such a different level that it's like you speak different languages. They're suspicious of you, think you sold out, became the man, some even want to do you harm over it. It gets so bad that eventually those that get out just..stay gone.
Y'all can talk about what you believe all you want, and you can make excuses for folks who choose to listen to all the negativity out there. There's so much it's hard not to believe it, trust that. But the people who live in that world know what's up. And if they were watching that man, the first president that looks like them and does things they do, tell them to get off their ass and act right, some just might do that.
It's in that way, somewhere, the cycle is getting broken. Someone is going to ignore his mama telling him he needs to make moneynow instead of dreaming about college. He's gonna walk by the dudes with thick rolls of bills in their pockets, bad boy tempers and loaded pistols to back those attitudes up. He's gonna resist the urge to just say 'fukk it' and get blissfully high. He's gonna laugh at all those silly people on Tv (and places like this, turns out) who claim to know how easy it is to get out, who don't have to explain to 'dem boys' why he's not 'down for whatever' like he used to be. He's gonna fight those ignorant dudes who claim he's sold out. He'll even lose some of those fights, and have to solemnly consider his path while he heals. He'll live with the fact that he doesn't and can't have the newest gear and hottest bling, and can't buy enough hot shyt to get the local hoodrats to give him p*ssy. He'll watch his teachers, counselors, family and friends half-heartedly mumble their agreement, or worse yet, roll their eyes and laugh like he just said he was gonna grow wings and fly. He'll watch too many of his friends try and fail at doing just what he is. He'll cry too many tears, go to too many funerals.
He wiil not flow, ball or slang. He won't get scholarships, sign contracts or start labels. All he will do is not quit. Day in and day out.
And after being that "brainy, square broke-ass snitchin' sold out p*ssy" for way too long, he will finally find his way to someone who believes in him. And he's gonna get out. He might find other people like him in college and will never forget where he came from, but he's not going back. He's gonna live his life, become the invisible 70-some % plus of black people who live semi-normal lives and who you never hear about.
And hopefully, Obama will keep talking and keep telling some other kid he can do it, and out of every 10 he tells, one might. Then, magically, one day, it'll be two. That's the point.
Be as cynical and dismissive as you want, talk about his authority or right to say anything, but the truth is, if you have the luxury of being cynical and dismissing his words, you're not who he's speaking to. You're not raising, teaching, policing, or living those lives. I'd like to believe the people that are heard him. And he's saying what he's always said, basically...
"yes you can".
The real question is, now what do you have to say? Can you do better? Or are you just another hater, excuse maker?
u think she got killed for being successful?
I completely disagree with it, thankfully
