Brilliant article as usual Charles!
Yes, the #PrayForCharlotte is generic & impersonal, and (in my opinion) only floated by local news outlets AFTER the first night of protest (on the first night it was #CharlotteProtest). On the second (and following) days, local news media started floating #PrayForCharlotte and #OneCharlotte when they were reprimanded by Pat McCory (who I am hoping will soon be the Former Governor of North Carolina) for continuing to elevate the situation with their local & social media coverage. And Yes, the Facebook prompt was completely annoying, as if we were under some “terrorist attack” rather than citizens utilizing their rights. (I shared a few written words to Facebook about that as well).
Here’s the thing though: Social Media is a generic, impersonal, and a non-compassionate form of communication, and it is incumbent upon those that truly care about us (friends, family…etc) to reach out personally to see: ‘how we are truly doing.’ This exact same thing happened in Milwaukee, WI in August (where my sister lives) and I called her, just as she called me last week because I live in Charlotte. BUT…guess who Did Not reach out to me personally (nor did I them): The ‘so-called’ professionally assimilated and ‘accepted’ Black men and women (that I know) that work at great jobs with Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Duke Energy, TIAA-CREF, Carolina Health, etc. You know why we did not personally contact each other (and still haven’t) …it’s because we know that NONE of us were down there protesting.
You see, we (the ‘professional blacks’) have deemed Ourselves as the “special black people” because we are college educated with good jobs, and we are not about to join a protest with “those” black people. Because we’ve worked too hard to not be perceived as “those black people,” …we are different. You see, we “different/special Blacks” have the distinct, “mutant ability to smile, swap sugar and "bless your heart" into a false sense of normalcy and content. Each syrupy exchange, however, can be laced with a cold, biting dose of unspoken truths.” -Charles Easley.
We disassociate Ourselves from ‘the blacks’ (and ‘their’ issues) that live in disenfranchised communities like Beatties Ford Road, Central Avenue and Freedom Drive: Because we (“different/special Blacks”) now live in Ballantyne, Dilworth and/or Myers Park, and we ‘wear a special cape over our bodies that disguise all the prejudice that comes with our skin color.’ You see, we (“different/special Blacks”) just wait for liberal-hearted White People to stand up for those “other blacks” that we disassociate from. The only role we (“different/special Blacks”) have to play now is to Tweet and/or Facebook the arbitrary sentiment of, “Praying for Ya’ll.” (#PrayForCharlotte). (I hope you get my satirical point and the capitalizations are on purpose).
As for Kaepernick, I would like to know what well-thought out RESULTS he initially wanted from his National protest (besides all the attention he is receiving)?? I would also like to know what civil rights activism that he has been ACTIVELY a part of before he decided to ‘take a knee??’ Was his entire point that; ‘America disrespects Blacks, so I am going to disrespect America?...
A great Biblical Proverb as quoted by Philosopher-Friedrich Nietzsche: “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster...”
Again, brilliant article as usual Charles! And I am going to stop writing now before I write an entire book on your blog! Lol!