You're An Example Whether You Want To Be Or Not

Read this quote somewhere when I was surfing the web and it stuck with me:

"The misdeeds of any black screw-up are attributed not just to that lone screw-up, but to black people as a whole."

A much as I hate to admit it, the above quote carries some validity in my opinion. Whenever the troubles and mistakes of a black person or persons are splashed in the media, I often feel that I am under intense scrutiny by other non-black peoples that I come into contact with. It makes me quite uncomfortable actually. It's a lot of pressure to have to ensure that I am not anything like the negative images associated in the media. Now I could be semi-delusional or paranoid, but I really do think that when one idiot screws up, attention is usually drawn to the black race as a whole.

Your white neighbor just watched Real House Wives of Atlanta and saw the shiteous displays of 'classy' black women... whether intentional or not, she's going to look at you and compare.

Your Asian American co-worker read about the Derrion Albert fatal beating and wonders if your children might possibly have the same inkling towards violence at their school.

It makes me downright mad for a number of reasons:
1) The media does happen to pick up on a lot of minority violence. It's skewed ever so favorably so that 'those poor violent black people' are always in the news.
2) Why can't black people just get it right?!?! You know damn well we're all under the microscope. One person can mess it up for all of us.
3) Everyone is so quick to point out the statistics like minorities are the only ones that are screwing up... let's be real, people of all races are effing crazy nowadays. The crimes being committed are atrocious.

It's like our (and by our I mean the ordinary blacks next door) intelligence and character come into question whenever someone screws up and happens to be black. And once they screw up, I have to work effing overtime to prove that I'm just as intelligent, well-mannered, respectful and non-threatening as the average joe. Damn it man.

I know, it sounds ludicrous. Ridiculous. Impossible. But it happens... and most of the time, it's not even on purpose or in a hurtful manner. It's almost like a reflex. See blacks in the news, you compare what you see in the news to blacks that you come across everyday. Is it unfair? Heck yes. Is it going to change? Realistically, heck no. So I continue to overcompensate for negative images in the media, by being the exact opposite. I'm setting an example that not all blacks are the same. Whether I want I choose to or not, I'm an example.

What say you?! Have you ever felt that you carry the race on your back when you're in the professional setting or just in everyday ordinary activities? I know I can't be the only one. Thoughts, comments, questions appreciated.


Humble Narcissist

Being Uninformed Aint Cute in 2009

Last night, like millions of people, I watched the President's speech in regards to his proposed healthcare reform. As usual, he displayed himself to be a superb and moving orator. In terms of presentation, great effing speech. However, as I engaged fellow citizens on twitter last night, I realized that many people were so awestruck by Obama's oratory skills that they failed to grasp the overall message.

The healthcare debate is real folks, and guess who's voice is missing in the debate...? Young people. The same demographic that overwhelmingly supported Obama in his quest for election have failed to opine or even show interest in the healthcare debate. Supporting Obama's reform efforts just because he's a great speaker, he's the first Black POTUS, or because he has good intentions is NOT sufficient. People pledge blind support to Obama w/o truly understanding his policy ideas. I support most of his plan but I comprehend it too. So let me ask you....

Do you agree with the public option?
How is Obama's healthcare plan going to effect Medicare?
How does the proposal address people already insured versus those who are not?
Do you agree with the individual mandate? How's the proposal going to be funded?
Can healthcare reform really exist without adding to our national deficit? doubt it

O... you have no clue what I'm talking about do you? No worries. I'm going to break down the basic tenets of his proposal in my next blog post, this was just a warm up...a prequel if you will, of what is to come. For the intellectual types, you're lucky I decided to put my exemplar academia on display. For the not-so intellectual types, I'd tell you to just skip the next post BUT keep in mind, knowledge is power. I'm not saying you need to be able to quote his policy ideas verbatim but at least have an informed opinion. You can't disagree or agree with something without knowing what it entails. Get it poppin bro'hams and bro'ettes.

Currently laying my hilarious ignorant social commentary aside and drafting a run down of Obama's healthcare reform in laymen's terms, just for you.

Humble Narcissist

Hood Hierarchy... (if there is such a thing)

I was talking to a co-worker this AM about her Labor Day weekend and she mentioned that she traveled down yonder to her cousin's house in the hood. She clarified that her cousin's house is in the hood-hood, not the bougie hood. Of course, me being uneducated on such hood-speak, i tilted my head in my classic befuddled expression: "I thought hood...is hood. Regardless." Look I'm a surbanite...I make jokes about being in the hood, when in real life I wouldn't survive 24 hours. "Hoodbridge", Va aint got one bit of hood in it. Keep it funky. She then began to break down the two basic types of hood.... I listened, I took notes, I blogged. Here's the jist of the convo:

Bougie-hood: My co-worker called this a more conservative type of hood mentality if you will. Definitely not the Boyz in the Hood landscape. ...by the by, why come Ricky couldn't run a little bit faster to dodge that bullet?!? Won't he an athlete in the movie? Set up... Conservative in the sense that while these people live in the hood, they are planning to get their deluxe apartment in the sky...eventually. Therefore, they're frugal. They may live in the hood, but they are planning ahead. They're truly of the "work hard til we make it out the hood" mentality. They keep their nose, they don't overindulge with the the latest fashions, unnecessarily large chains, or every pair of new Jordans like their hood-hood counterparts. BUT the downfall of these hood-ites is that they frown upon what they percieve are their ignorant, dead-end hood-hood counterparts. Quintessientally, they are bougie... yet still in the hood. Bougie-hood. Understand?

Hood-hood: These are your stereotypical hood-ites to which we all have come to known and embrace thanks to the stereotyping of the mainstream media. Picture Crenshaw, Compton, Baltimore, Detroit....with all the friendly faces you saw in Don't Be a Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. (Message!!!)Those are the people that live and subscribe to the hood-hood mentality. My co-worker characterized such inhabitants as displaying your standard ignorance. She further went on to say, that such people believe success = materialism.

If you buy: 50leven gold chains, chinchilla/leather combo hoodies , a shiny new flat screen tv for every room, Jordans and AirForce 1's for your 3month old, 24 inch rims with spinners for your 1999 Camry, 3+ dinners a week at Red Lobster, Sizzler or Shoney's... BUT YOU STILL LIVE IN THE HOOD and can barely afford your rent and damn sure are living paycheck-to-paycheck.... you are of the hood-hood mindset. This assbackwards concept of success is only perpetuating a vicious cycle of hoodfab. You may look fab with your materialistic objects but your ass aint rising up out the hood anytime soon. Correct that. Do better. Eeeemediately.

I try to make it to the hood once or twice a year, you know...'to keep me grounded', grateful, and all that ish. I usually try not to go around the holidays because there's a little too much 'merriment' going on (especially on the 4th of July. If I have to ask if those were Fireworks or gunshots...we got a problem). And if this is a pre-arranged excursion to said hood, I usually put on my best hood outfit which includes: some type of sneakers or workboots, jeans, a FUBU sweater and in cold weather, a North Face puffy jacket. However, there have been times that I have been taken to the hood against my will on short notice whereby I stand out quite noticeably in my dress/cardigan combo with foot apparel including but not limited to: Crocs, Uggs or Passions-of-the-Christ Sandals. I pretty much stick out like a sore thumb regardless, though I've been working on my hoodaccent and lingo. I digress.

I originally thought that hood inhabitants were all one and the same. However, is it possible that there's two distinctive hood subcategories? In light of this conversation that I had with my co-worker, I will now remember categorizing all hood residents as simply 'hood' is not an accurate description of the collective 'hood inhabitatants' instead I will remember that hoodrats deserve classification too. There's a difference. I'd hate to disrespect anyone and think they're a bougie-hoodrat instead of the hood-hoodrat that they really are. Forgive my ignorance, I now see the light.

Insert your comments, soundbites, opinions. Are there differences? Does it even matter? I mean whether your bougie-hood or hood-hood, you still IN THE HOOD... and it's 2009. Grind and shine folks. Grind.And.Shine.


Humble Narcissist



Editor's note: this is in no way condescending to the intellect of hood dwellers. Just a piss poor social commentary worth noting. Keep thieving, trickin, hustling and bustling and all that... in short, do your thing. Hoodie hood.