This project was created out of frustration. America's minorities have proven our strengths but progress remains stagnant with so many. Some would rather play the blame game than be responsible. Some look for the easy way out of a life filled with despair. Many are unfocused or place interests in things that do little or nothing for the advancement of our communities. Few appear mature enough to take on the responsibility of creating a community we would all want to live in.
Leaders like Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, César Chávez, Harriet Tubman and so many more fought, organized, mobilized and succeeded in creating a better life for so many. Today minorities can become and are CEOs of major corporations, legislators, doctors, entrepreneurs, and much more. But the images of minorities that seem prevalent today are usually those of the rich rapper boasting about materialism while disrespecting those around him. And this is what many people look up to. Rap is not as much about saying something anymore as it is about being something. Young followers of hip-hop want to mimic this blinged out lifestyle. Growing up I looked up to stars and thought them cool. But I also knew that the images in music videos were simply entertainment. Today it seems to go beyond that.
The ghettos are flooded with "ballers" who can't pay rent or support their children. Responsibility can sometimes be a tough task to take on. It is much easier to blame others, play the victim or look for an easy way out. Kids will be kids, but there comes a time when we have to grow up. I see grown men and women dressing and acting like children while evading their responsibilities to self, family and community. Hip is in many cases the the leader of communities of color today. I just can't help wondering about the path down which we are being led.
The idea of being responsible and successful through means other than hip-hop or athletics is often discouraged in communities of color. "Keeping it real," means being ignorant and striving for a better education and career tends to mean you're not "black enough." In many cases responsibility is equivalent to being white. I see this all as a cop out and excuse and justification for complacency. The time for change is now and it starts with you. Yeah, you.
Leaders like Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, César Chávez, Harriet Tubman and so many more fought, organized, mobilized and succeeded in creating a better life for so many. Today minorities can become and are CEOs of major corporations, legislators, doctors, entrepreneurs, and much more. But the images of minorities that seem prevalent today are usually those of the rich rapper boasting about materialism while disrespecting those around him. And this is what many people look up to. Rap is not as much about saying something anymore as it is about being something. Young followers of hip-hop want to mimic this blinged out lifestyle. Growing up I looked up to stars and thought them cool. But I also knew that the images in music videos were simply entertainment. Today it seems to go beyond that.
The ghettos are flooded with "ballers" who can't pay rent or support their children. Responsibility can sometimes be a tough task to take on. It is much easier to blame others, play the victim or look for an easy way out. Kids will be kids, but there comes a time when we have to grow up. I see grown men and women dressing and acting like children while evading their responsibilities to self, family and community. Hip is in many cases the the leader of communities of color today. I just can't help wondering about the path down which we are being led.
The idea of being responsible and successful through means other than hip-hop or athletics is often discouraged in communities of color. "Keeping it real," means being ignorant and striving for a better education and career tends to mean you're not "black enough." In many cases responsibility is equivalent to being white. I see this all as a cop out and excuse and justification for complacency. The time for change is now and it starts with you. Yeah, you.
