Re-emphasizing that [too many shiny objects] and bad cultural investments will not save a culture that’s preyed upon by wicked systems and the people that back them. When will black culture redirect and redistribute its collective wealth to support systems and people who’d be its gatekeepers?
Likewise, too many of us with the wherewithal are afraid to act for fear we’d step on the wrong toes, or because we’re indifferent, or because willful ignorance prevails, or because the old ways of the status quo continue to haunt and consume us. Hence, we remain at the mercy of systems filled with a lack of empathy, hidden biases, racism, and greed. Young folks, it’s time to invest in your cultural wellness and existence. The overabundance of shiny objects [i.e., homes, cars, precious metals, jewelry, clothing, etc.] is a cultural Achilles’ heel in that individual wealth is not sturdier than cultural wealth, and so the indoctrinated ways of thinking about how to keep black culture strong financially perhaps need a fundamental overhaul.
When we are self-interest-driven wherein our investments do not influence our cultural buoyancy and strengths, then such collective attitudes ultimately contribute to a weakened culture that exterior cultures find amusing. The results manifest themselves through a dependency on programs and systems that are not designed to fully and justly embrace your needs or the needs of black culture. Black culture’s needs are pressing. Let’s turn off the shiny objects’ noises and wake up!
Header Photo By: Spencer Davis on Unsplash
1 Comment
Leave your reply.