Not Guilty...Now What?

As an African-American man that has spent his life just a few hours away from where Trayvon Martin was killed and George Zimmerman was subsequently acquitted, I am saddened by the verdict, but I am not surprised.  I am angry, but not amazed.

At age six, I was overtly shown that my value had limits in this society.  I was man-handled and handcuffed, thrown into the back of a police car, and told "shut your little black ass up."  That incident, along with countless others over my decades of living, leaves me cynical regarding the ideal notion of true equality in this country.

Yes, the klan isn't lynching black men for the egregious act of looking at a white woman, anymore?  And that's a good thing.  But how far is that practice of yesteryear from happenings surrounding Trayvon Martin's murder?  Not very far.  How far is that practice from the outrageous "stop and frisk" practice implemented by the NYPD?  Not very far, at all.

And while these overt, unconscionable incidents occur far too often, much of the country's racial problem is of the implicit, subconscious variety.  These implicit racial biases permeate America and result in countless incidents of horror.  Should we be ANGRY?  Yes.  Should we want to be HEARD?  Yes. But the real question is, "NOW WHAT?"

Whether Zimmerman's acquittal reinforced or shattered your belief in justice or the system, what are you going to do about it, now?  And tomorrow?  And next month, two years from now?

Are you going to become a informed voter?  Are you going to follow what's going on in your community, city, state, AND the nation?  Will you seek out information to make knowledgeable decisions?   Will you make wiser decisions with YOUR life to make sure your RIGHT to vote isn't taken away by doing some dumb shit?

YOU MUST!

That is where the change will take place.

Will you vow to be a father to your children?  Will you sign up to be a mentor to any of the young people who are in dire need of some direction?  Will you be an active member of the educational community to ensure the success of our children?  Will you put as much time into the possibility of your son becoming a Supreme Court Justice (Thurgood Marshall) as you put into the idea of him becoming the a supreme athlete (LeBron James/RGIII)?

YOU MUST!

That is where the change will take place.

And remember, this is a capitalist country.  Your money has a voice.  If you do not like the stereotypes many people have of your cultural group, then stop watching the shows that perpetuate those stereotypes. Stop watching those channels: they cannot survive without the advertising dollars. Stop supporting the artists that rap/sing these stereotypes into the ears of EVERYONE.

And what about the athletes, entertainers, moguls out there?  Will you use your voice to inspire a movement?  Will you use your dollars to demand a change?  Will you use your platform, influence, status and contribute more than an Instagram photo donning a hoodie?  Or are you more concerned about your brand or your bottom line?

You've tweeted about it; now what?

This is a deeply emotional time, but it is not a time for aggression.  However, it is a time for AGGRESSIVE ACTION. Be diligent in your work to make improvements.

So I ask you...NOW WHAT?

Ahhh...to be Young

I have always echoed long-standing platitudes like "Age ain't nothing but a number" and "You're only as old as you think you are."  And I do not feel "old" by any stretch of the imagination.  However, there comes a time in every man's life when he realizes that he isn't as the spry young man he once was.

Recently, I engaged in a few events that reminded me that I was no longer 18 years old:

1)

So, because I am such a giving person and noble friend, I agreed to take part in a charity basketball game.  My team was comprised of a group of men who remember when NBA players' shorts looked like they came from Victoria Secrets.  And our opponents were a bunch of 16-19 year-old boys hyped up on Red Bull and Lebron/Blake Griffin dunks.

Now, while I was never NBA-caliber with my skills, I could always hold my own on the court.  I won intramural championships in college, and played basketball on, at least, 80 percent of my days as an undergrad.  But that was a few years ago. 

Now, I make it a point to keep myself in pretty good shape.  However, as the game began, I realized my "grown man" shape is quite different than "young man" in shape.  The first few plays were cool.  My team was scoring and defending well.  We were getting back on 'D' and contesting shots.  But then it happened, and it apparently happened to the entire team at the same.  I suddenly became "Old Dude at The Park".  You know, the guy on the neighborhood basketball court who is years past his prime and results to bully techniques- grabbing, pushing, holding; rather than using skills.  On my childhood court, "Old Dude at The Park" usually played with 40 oz beer in hand or within reach.  I became him.  I pulled t-shirts instead of making it past half-court.  Attempts at blocking a shot were replaced with forearms to the mid-section.  And you could easily find me "resting" and waiting for an easy basket to come my way.

Needless to say, after a bevy of bricks and air balls, and a virtual track meet by the youngsters, we loss.  And the pain of defeat was nothing compared to the pain that permeated my body when I woke up the next morning.  This ain't college.

2) 

A friend of mine gave me a call on a Saturday afternoon.

Friend:  Yo, what's up?
Me:        Chillin'.  You?
Friend:  Nothing much.  What you got going on tonight?
Me:       Man, I dunno.  What's up?
Friend:  I have these concert tickets wanna slide?

The only concert that I was aware of was the Alicia Keys concert.  So, I was a little hesitant to respond, because I couldn't see the two of us in the arena belting "This Girl is on Fire."  Before I could ask whose concert it was, he allayed my concerns but sparked more confusion by saying, "It's Busta Rhymes and Kendrick Lamar."  He furthered his perplexing invitation by adding that the concert was open to college students only. One of his wife's friends happens to be the event planner at the university and gave tickets to her friends.  Well, after a little convincing, I decided to go.  What else was I gonna do?

Fast forward to the concert - well, before the actual concert.  As I walked to the venue.  I found myself constantly looking away from the scantily-dressed teenage girls around me.  I felt like that older guy hanging out in a club or party that was at least a decade to young for him. Wait...that's exactly what it was.

I'm old enough to remember the spry, rambunctious Busta Rhymes with dreadlocks and over-animated gestures. This Busta was a little more Barry White than the Busta I remember.

TANGENT:

The new Busta reminds me of wrestling icon Junkyard Dog (J.Y.D.).




Busta Rhymes and his hype-man, Spliff Star did about a 40 minute set.  Ten minutes of the set was yelling at the sound man to "fix the mic, Son."  Ten more minutes went to general conversation between the Busta and Spliff and the audience.  The rest of the time was devoted to performing parts of his hits and misses.

I think maybe the older you get the less sense Rap concerts make to you. When Busta was rapping, I had no clue what he was saying until he got to the chorus. I'm thinking there must have been a dog whistle effect going on, and rap concert lyrics become inaudible after a certain age. Because I, and everyone I was with, was clueless.

And Kendrick Lamar's performance was like listening to a speech by unmotivated motivational speaker with loud music in the background and everyone yelling the speaker's word back to him.
He didn't have live music, a booty shaking crew, or even a hype man.  It was just him.  All 4'7" of him.

I've enjoyed Jay-Z, Kanye, and the Roots in recent years. Jigga and Mr. West have expansive catalogues and engaging energy on stage; the Roots are a tour-de-force in a category of their own.  But give me Jill Scott, Ledisi, or Kem, any day.  You couldn't have gotten me sit at a Kem concert when I was in college, but I've matured.

So, what did I learn? 

Most of my basketball games from now on will be with a 30+ league.  Nothing makes you feel young like a mean crossover on someone who's had hip replacement surgery.

Ahhh...to be young...

Relatively speaking.

I Resolve

I know it's been  a while since I've posted, but I've vowed to do a lot better this year.  And this post is about just that, vows for the new year, more widely known as New Year's resolutions.




The last few days of December are filled with people making lists, typing 1, 5, or 10-year plans, and updating their vision boards.  Inevitably, getting in shape or losing weight is at the top of most of those lists.  Just ask the membership counselor at any gym.

But why do we make these resolutions at all at the beginning of the year?  It doesn't make much sense.

Allow me to propose a few scenarios:

#1

A young woman sits at home with her three-year old daughter on a lovely afternoon in October..  The daughter approaches her mother and says, "Mommy, I'm hungry."  No response.  The little girl tugs on her skirt and with more desperation laments, "Mommy, I'm soooo hungry."  The mother looks down at her starving little girl and smiles. 

"Hold on, baby."  She gets up and walks to the kitchen.  She opens a drawer and pulls out a piece of paper and a pen.  As she scribbles onto the paper, she looks at her daughter and says, "I know you need to eat.  I'm gonna make sure I start feeding you at the beginning of the year."

#2

A bachelor, let's call him Joe, sits in his apartment watching ESPN .  Joe is a bit of a Renaissance man, therefore he has prepared a meal for himself: fettuccine with a seafood alfredo sauce.  After the delicious dinner, he falls asleep watching the game.  When he awakens he rushes out to work.  When he arrives home that afternoon and opens his front door, he is greeted by the wonderful smell of all the preparation of last night's dinner that he forgot to take out.  What does he do?  Does he immediately take out the trash and douse his with Febreeze?  No.  He goes to his vision board and looks at a picture of a pristine kitchen that he cut out of Better Homes and Garden and thinks "January 1st...January 1st."

My point is - if you know that there is a change you need or want to make in your life, you should start working the very moment you realize it.  Imagine the progress you can make between the time you you know the changes you want to make and the beginning of the year. 

There is truly no time like the present.

So, I resolve to better myself sooner rather than later.

Happy New Year!
(When is it too late to say Happy New Year?  I'm thinking after January 4th.  So, I take it back.)

Happy New Year! 

Hello there.