The microscope: ”Anything black not good”- no jive

A group of black people
A group of black people (Photo credit: Vonecia Carswell)

The pessimistic undertone relating to blackness, in my view, stems from a deliberate plan to ceremoniously dishonour the human spirit of the dark pigmented people of the human family. There is a tune sung by the late, great Lou Rawls in the late seventies 1977 titled “Trade Winds”. In the song, there is a stanza that speaks to a person observing the behavioural traits and attitudes of the then generation – despondency and isolation fully clad in a contemporary grin, “Unhappy people living in sin and shame, Reflections of myself, life is no easy game” an additional line in the tune says, “Young girls would soon become … streetwalkers in the night, … young boys, the restless breed, And they’re looking for a fight… Children rich and poor …They’re searching for the truth, And if they don’t find it, God help tomorrow’s youth ” These two stanzas set the tone of my views this week.

The word “Black”

The definition of the word black has a sinister construct to it when compared to other colours, even though I was taught in art class that black is not a colour but a shade reflecting all other colours and that black is dominant. However, the word black is associated with negative impressions and information Let me outline a few as I seek to tighten the gap between the 1977 song “Trade Winds” and our current times. Here are a few of those negative connotation. Black Magic refers to false notion put into practice, Black Log – a person that works during a strike, Black Spot – a dangerous place, Black list – a group of untrustworthy persons, Black Friday – a day of bad luck, Black market – the illegal selling of goods or services and Black Cat – a sign of bad luck. These are but a few of those negatives. However, do they translate to the negatives that the songwriter spoke of in the Black community? Well, what say you, are you caught up in this trade wind of today? Oh, by the way, a trade wind is a wind that blows on a regular course that is, goes continually in the same direction.

Perilous times in the Black community

Over the last two weeks or more, social media has been bombarded with some negatives. First, it was the shenanigans of Pastor Smith and his followers. Then, there was the shooting of an administrator at the Excelsior Community College premises. That incident was followed by an armed robbery of an electrical store caught on the store’s security camera and which was posted in the social media space, as well the broad daylight robbery of an unsuspecting youth strolling down the streets with a cell phone in hand. Two men riding a motorcycle stopped, alighted from the motorbike, took out a weapon and pointed it at the young man took his phone went bank on the motorbike and rode away. My question is, which of the winds is trading as an idea or a combination of the Black negatives that seem to be pushing us back to the dark ages, maybe I should have said Black ages but wouldn’t I be wrong, since this seems to be a post-slavery condition?

Black camps and God’s Intervention

Right or wrong the songwriter said the youths are searching for some truth and if they don’t find it God help tomorrow’s youths. But we who are yesterday’s youth would also be caught up in the Trade wind or as Marcus Garvey said the “world wind”. I am of the view that education should have dealt with the issues of the “Blacks”. We have more Doctor of Philosophy (PhDs) nowadays than we did in yesteryear, plus more pastors, gurus sages, still the trade winds blow unabated.

I close this week by blowing my wind. Black neighbourhoods are weapon camps. The news networks report daily about Black persons being killed by other Black persons. I have grown wedded to the idea that war is no longer fought as it used to be fought. War is now urban and while I’m not sure how the government will be dealing out the tactics and strategies on their war on crime, we have heard statements coming out of the corridors of power and we have also heard the cry for “God’s intervention” but are they gone with the wind? Life is no easy game.

David R. Muhammad is a former morning host on Visions Television and a former member of the Palace Amusement Media Movie Review Committee. He is currently the Student Protocol Officer of the Nation of Islam’ study group – Jamaica.

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