NAVI ROBBINS MEN OF FAITH
FEATURE
Happy New Year !! It ’ s 2017 , we ’ ve finally made it to a new year . 2016 is in the rear view and let ’ s be honest , 2016 wasn ’ t very kind to the poor or minorities , especially for African Americans . And as the days of 2017 progress , it appears unless we wake up , I mean really open our eyes , 2017 will be worse . Since Dr . King ’ s great speech , African Americans have envisioned a dream , a utopia where this country will finally see our worth and humanity and begin to give us the fair chance we so desperately need to not only succeed , but survive . But on November 8th 2016 this country gave us the answer to the following questions , “ Were they really listening to Dr . King ’ s I have a dream speech ?”
“ Did they give us civil and equal rights
because they agreed we deserve them ?” and
“ Are we really considered equals ?”
The answer was a resounding NO ! But this isn ’ t about the election of Donald Trump , this is about what are we going to do now ? Will we continue to slumber and dream the impossible dream ? Or will we once and for all decide that if we don ’ t do it for ourselves , our future , no one else will . We ’ ve looked towards the black elite and famous to be our voices and we watched in horror as they turned their backs on us , either in silence or in support of our oppression . Things were said and done that black
America should never forget or forgive by those of us that
“ made it ” and as 2017 matures those transgressions should be
addressed as publically as their betrayals .
Harsh ? Unforgiving ? That is one way of looking at it , but when you consider how this country has treated Snowden for his betrayal , black America is well within its right to adopt a similar course of action . We ’ ve been so forgiving of those that have murdered , embarrassed , betrayed and deceived us that now the general consensus is , Black America is weak and an easy target of unbridled aggression and oppression . We are the crash test dummies of every vile idea this country conjures up and 2017 is the year we have to put our feet down in unison and yell … ENOUGH ! Now , I ’ m not advocating violence or destructive behavior , but I am advocating consequences for anyone that treats us like second class citizens , even if they look like us . It ’ s a new year and there should also be a new outlook , because America is in the process of making itself great again and any scholar of American history understands “ again ” for black people isn ’ t necessarily a good thing . It ’ s time to take the lace off and see our reality in the nude and I can tell you it ain ’ t pretty or sexy . The dream is a beautiful dream , but it ’ s our dream , not theirs and if we want to see it come to fruition ; we have to toil for it . Sacrifice for it and yes some of us may have to die for it . Dr . King , Malcolm , Huey , Marcus and countless others gave the ultimate sacrifice and in order for us to take the next step forward , the dream may require more sacrifices . It ’ s not pretty , but it is what it is . 2017 is the Chinese year of the Rooster , and what does the rooster signify ? An awakening , an alarm , a new day dawning . It ’ s time to wake up , rise , shine and grind . It ’ s time to see things as they are and not how we want or hope them to be . It ’ s time . WAKE UP !