At times like these we’re faced with another issue of playing a remarkably on-going “blame game.” For weeks now, I’ve been going back and forth in my head about what kind of editorial I want to write for my Hip-Hop community. Should it be about the issues of young, Black America versus our older generation or should it about the self-compromise that woman make for themselves for Hip-Hop? Or should it be about what the true meaning of being from the hood is about. Neither one of those will I attack because this editorial is going to be short and to the point (however, I will be getting back to that hood s**t later).I remember when injustice in my community used to be taken by it’s putrid arms and thrown out because we weren’t going take racial prejudice anymore. I remember when groups of emcees, male and female, would create songs about “Self-Destruction.” I remember when it was less about how much money a n***a was making and about how many lyrical eargasms could be bestowed upon his or her listeners. But what happens when we get so wrapped up in ourselves for materialistic possessions? Things and people tend to get forgotten. Just like the Jena 6. Now give me a few moments because for those that don’t know, I’m going to provide a quick update. Last fall, in Jena, Louisiana at Jena High School, one Black student sat under a tree on campus grounds that apparently a group of White students sit under. One young White student told him to leave. He didn’t. The next day at school, there were three nooses hanging from that same tree. There was no question about who did it; therefore, the six young Black men beat up the White student. Yes, he was injured but was released from the hospital the same day and went to a school function the same night. The White student’s parent pressed charges and now six young Black men are awaiting a trial for aggravated assault. Only a step down from the previous attempted murder.If Hip-Hop was built off of consciousness and being aware of crimes against humanity in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the issue of protest and awareness has become a forgotten element to the music. This ain’t about no six little hood n***as from the block that got into a fight. This is about six young Black men – children honestly, that are being forcefully sent to trial for a longer period than an adult life combined. Why is that every Black or minority child in America must be tried as an adult in our judicial system? What did we do to deserve these things? What did we do to become less than the rest of our American counterparts? I know this country was built on hate and racism but damn, even 300 years later, a n***a still can’t catch some sort of form of a break. But when will we?If I haven’t typed about it here for you to read, would you honestly have known about this issue? Or would you just continually spam my MySpace account with more and more bad Hip-Hop music? (Yes, I openly called some people out. If you took offense that, you must be one of the ones). All I have left to say now is when we make a difference with our lives, our actions move farther into the future than anyone will ever notice. We need to stand up and create a better legacy for ourselves that to leave this Earth knowing openly that we just might have that dismal future of constantly permanent incarceration in front us. C’mon on now, men. I know you’re stronger than that. Please.For more information, visit http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/main.html and get educated.
