We have chosen a new leader between the lesser of two evils. The problem with choosing between the lesser of two evils is that you’re guaranteed to select evil. The United States has made many promises to African-Americans. Promises made with one hand in support while the other hand held a knife behind its back. Freedom from the fields came at a price. That price was redlining, Jim Crow, the destruction of neighborhoods, the loss of family, and the promise of a bullet, a rope, or prison. That promise was black soldiers fighting wars for the United States and coming back to promises not kept. They’ve made promises and at the same time, laws and policies to contain, restrain, restrict, and destroy.
How many times will Black America be swayed by empty promises? Empty promises from politicians who believe declaring a love for hot sauce, fried chicken, soul food, and dancing to our music is the yellow brick road to the black vote. They show up to church and say “amen” and you will never see their kind again for years. The U.S. has made plenty of promises to Black America. Mortgages to black homeowners came with stricter qualification standards, higher interest rates, restrictions to specific neighborhoods, and were easily foreclosed upon compared to white homeowners. We were promised equal opportunities yet we find it difficult to get hired, easy to be fired, and disregarded for substantial promotions.
African-Americans have to stop waiting for the fat white man to come down the chimney with gifts. We have to do for ourselves and our communities. We have to vote every local election and hold local officials accountable. Black America has to end the gang and drug wars within our communities. Black America has to end the war on each other. We cannot say BLM about white-on-black crime and ignore black-on-black crime. Our savior is not white society and its politicians and promises. Our savior is ourselves and the black power we have within.