Happy February

Its that time again, folks!

February. The shortest calendar month of the year & we all know what that means......Black History Month.

Aside from elementary school programs & Rosa Parks connect-the-dots homework, not much else is done to celebrate. A few commercials about Martin Luther King Jr. & Benjamin Banniker strewn about, & America tells us we should be satisfied for an entire year. How's that for acknowledgment? In fact, is it still P.C. to call anything/anyone "Black"? I'm an African American, damn it!

This year, I propose we do things a little differently. Black History is informative & interesting, but the entire world is well versed on the travels of the African American. Let's celebrate the present, the now. All of the struggle and conflict so far has gotten us here, so let's take a look at what Dr. King died for.

Let us begin with the obvious. The word "nigga/nigger". To most Earthlings, it's the same word. Not to African Americans. MLK's assassination taught us that no matter our accomplishments, the world will always view us as "niggers", & treat us accordingly. But, what he did was make it so that we can decide if you choose to be niggas (Niggers free to do whatever we want, granted it doesn't interfere with what America has going on, or is in some way beneficial to it's "machine"), or niggers (animals without the God given senses a dog has, 3/4 of a human, creatures that deserve to be owned, controlled or destroyed accordingly). Due to popular demand, most of us proudly adopted the "nigga" title, & egotistically flaunt the label, all the while showing the world that the only difference between the two terms is a scant couple letters.

The misdirected pride of being a nigga is overly apparent through music, behavior & cultural differences. The main difference is the backfire mechanism that was born from such pride. Niggas love to be heard, seen & hate to be ignored. The more boisterous, the better, or so it would seem. Many have tried to trace our actions as a people back through the ages, holding our past accountable for our present, but that excuse holds as much weight as the promise of 40 acres & a mule. It is what it is, word to K. Coleman Brown. With the changing of the presidential guard, being a nigga is now classy, with African American's praising the new leadership role we have towards our nation. Niggas fail to realize that a) this isn't, nor ever will it be "our nation" & b) President Obama is not the second coming of Malcolm Luther King X, Jr. He's not here to fight for equal rights & our privilege to vote. That ship sailed long ago. He just happened to be the right man, in the right place at the right time for the job. & he is by no means a nigga. Not even by association.

I don't trust anyone farther than I can throw them, & that sentiment isn't mitigated by color, religion, gender, etc. I despise people on a freelance basis, some for personal reasons, but detest them all the same. My madness knows no method, so it can't be considered an act of racism. Anarchistic, possibly, but rules have no hue.

The days of the freedom fighter are over. It's a virtual free for all. Every man, woman & child for themselves. Truth be told, I don't really mind the separatism. That would just be less cargo bogging down my escape pod.

Whether you think I'm a nigger, nigga, or just a fun-loving African American, I could genuinely care less. Eventually, I'll be dead & all my troubles will pertain to worms, earthquakes, floods & the occasional sadistic grave robber.

Enjoy the couple weeks left, & the next time you watch the latest installment of "Under One Roof" or that "Flavor of Love" rerun, recite the "I Have A Dream" speech. Hopefull it'll rebuke the nightmare.