Kings Speech

Welp, it's that time of year again kids.  Where we all take a moment to remember the King of Love.  We climb to the mountain top to take a peek at our martyr, our leader, our King.  News media outlets run clips from famous speeches. A myriad of people are interviewed about what it was like to kick Jim Crow square in the dick. Furniture stores knock 20% off all furniture painted black, and we all get to feel good because we're now living in a post racial society! My ass. If I called up many of my non-black friends and said "hey come meet me for some fried chicken on King Boulevard", they'd nervously giggle and break the date immediately. Why? Because most MLK boulevards in cities across America are in under-served communities--translation: the ghetto. Now, I'm being facetious of course--we all know white people will go any place they damn well please. They have to. Colonizing and sense of entitlement is in their blood.  If white people didn't venture into ghetto's then, we'd have no Venice, CA or Bucktown in Chicago or Forte Green in Brooklyn.  Yay Pinkberry!

I can't be bested on this argument though--Most MLK roads, streets, and boulevards are peppered with crime, segregation and arrested development.  These communities are built for chicks (birds not women)  who are foolishly encouraged by "the man" to use their muscles to fledge for gold, cell phones and death food instead of freedom & social justice. It kills me that apart Martin's message was to fight for the rights of all people.  If that's the case, why are the streets only commemorated in black neighborhoods?  Blacks were not the only people to suffer bigotry and discrimination during the mid century struggle. That's like me thinking Caesar Chavez didn't give a fuck about what veggies I ate.  Or Yuri Kochiyama saying "hey you're not Japanese, so don't learn about the WWII Internment camps." And if I could think of a Polish hero, I would...wait--Pulaski. I'm pretty fucking sure Casimir Pulaski was thinking about my black ass when he fought against the Russians.

The Jim Crow signs may be gone, but believe me WE ALL have light years left to travel in order to free our minds, for our asses to follow.  I don't take for granted my luxurious life style.  I get to make fun of white people without fear of a cross being burned on my lawn.  Because Dr. King and his band of eagles taught me that my wing span, reaches far beyond man's law.  I don't embrace post racial thought, nor do I encourage it. People are still fighting mean struggles y'all. Just because you're not Mexican by nationality doesn't mean the border war doesn't affect you.  The word nigger has become such a trademark, that you hear it when your dining in swank restaurants, and shopping retail. I hope you don't take my views to be petulant--but my mama taught me not to take wooden nickels for a mothafucking thing.

When I'm able to meet a pal for coffee, conduct business, and have soiree's on King Boulevard without a hiccup maybe I'll feel a bit more hopeful.  Going to see a movie on Marcus Garvey Way or having a spa day with my girl friends at that place off Sojourner Truth Parkway--I can breath a bit easier.  But for now, the class and race segregation is still very much alive.  And when you grow up in the hood, it's more of a nightmare, than a dream. But I know that is not OUR truth.  I know we have fight left in us.

We shall overcome, because no lie can last forever.

*Bows deeply to the King. Pumps fist in the air.

ciao fuckers,

x

NEXT BLOG: The Assassination of Hip Hop.