For months I've struggled with what to put here to describe this blog. I have found the words. This is a journey of a man who has done so much, yet so little, who has been crucified and resurrected, who has a lot of stories and no stories.
All while keeping it obviously, Straight, No Chaser
One of my favorite movies of all time is The Untouchables. Now unless you've been living under a rock, and totally devoid of any popular culture sense, then you know the premise of this movie as it revolves around Elliot Ness's campaign to capture Al Capone and tell how both sides fight to ensure their agendas reign supreme.
Perhaps, though the most significant line of the movie is when Malone (Connery) tried of Ness (Costner) pontification and moral tirades simply asks "what are you prepared to do".
What are you prepared to do? It's a simple question but one whose answers have a wide range of implications.
You see, as the Prime Minister of a sect of Black Studies here in Chicago, I have come to realize that we are losing because we never really asked ourselves what are we prepared to do. We never asked ourselves how are would we go and what are the wins and loses. I think we got so tied up into moral arguments and doing what's right and honor that we actually handicapped ourselves. I don't think any groups of Black folks at any time really have asked tried to answer this question.
Consider: Did slaves truly know what freedom meant? Did they understand that they now had to create an economy for themselves and set up other social networks to survive? Or was freedom simply to them the ability to come and go, live and love as they pleased?
Consider: Did the civil rights activists consider what happens at integration? Or was it simply the goal to be able to choose where they could take a shit. Did they ponder what integration meant?
Consider: Did the Panthers and other Black Power advocates really understand what revolution was? Did they really think that the power structure wouldn't fight back? Or did they just do what needed to be done?
Consider: Did we at OH do all that we could to protect the Emperor and our institution? Did we consider the implications of our actions? Did we really do everything we should have done? Or did we assume that people would support us because we are right, good and true?
Resolved: We did not do everything we could have done. Like Ness, we were more concerned with doing what is right, than doing what we had to do to win. We were so afraid of being like "them" that we became inept, weak and stagnant. We played fair. They played to win.
And it looks like they did.
Politics and war have nothing to do with right or wrong. Those things depend on ones point of view. No these entities have everything to do with power. One group has it. The other covets it.
What is one willing to do to get it?
This new battle is a test ground for my theory. I believe we have so been oppressed that we can't fathom playing to win. No we need for somebody, some force to help us win: be it god, the moral code of our enemy, the white man, a savior, a leader etc. The other thing is when we do fight it's with the goal of looking good while losing. The church calls that fighting the good fight. We hope that in our "sacrifice", our defeat others rally to the cause: martyrdom I believe it's called.
That's a flawed concept though. I mean people like the underdogs for a time, provided they can pull out a win here and there. But constant defeats, for whatever reason, make you a loser.
Nobody likes a loser.
I am not really interested in fighting the good fight. Those fights, by design, always end in defeat. It can be nothing else. It's based in the Christian ethos, i.e. suffer for the cause.
Naw, I'm interested in fighting to win. Suffering for the cause is over rated.
We need to look at this shit like a chess game. All the pieces matter and nobody except the king are more valuable than the next. We all are expendable. I submit we should have been playing people and situations to our benefit.
The game is about power, not morals. Once you acquire power you can dictate the morals.
Think I'm lying. Ask the Jedi.
They understood Morals; the Sith understood power. The results: one helluva ass kicking.
Put it another way: less Dr. King, more Marlo Stanfield.
Faith, Hope and Love. And the greatest of these is love ~Apostle Paul
I opened the Friday (1-11) Chicago Sun Times business section and I read something that I found humorous and at the same time utterly disturbing. It seems that Mattel and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc (AKA) in all of their infinite wisdom opted to create a Barbie doll to commemorate AKA’s centennial.
A Barbie doll. For the AKAs. Sweet Jesus. First it’s Hilary, now Barbie? It seems AKA has a white woman fetish that would make Uncle Ruckus blush.
The jokes write themselves. Never have truer words been spoken to me.
Outside of the problematic of this probably going to be AKA’s only real contribution to the world, (well outside of the formation of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.) I can just see this slightly darkened Barbie model, devoid of any African features and dressed in white girl clothes being sold as some kind of milestone in Black America. I mean you think that they would launch an Obama doll or hell even a Condie Rice doll, but instead we get AKA doll. You have to wonder what board member of AKA who works at Mattel (or what Mattel Board member who is an AKA) thought that this would be a good idea.
Somebody should have told them that everything that looks good on paper isn’t good in real life. Some stuff needs to remain a dream, thought only during your darkest moments and said in confessionals. This idea was one of them.
While I was reading this article and sighing in disgust, a friend of mine told me “You just mad Mattel would never invest in a doll of for Zeta”. I sat back and thought. When you’re right you’re right. I nodded in agreement and said “Yeah. But Zetas wouldn’t allow that. They are better than that.” I don’t think Mattel would fancy having to make a true doll that represents Black women, with hips, lips, asses, and breasts. I don’t think they would fancy having to make one with natural hair.
But more importantly, dolls like the color pink, is for girls.
Women, specifically Finer Women engage in ideas and activities far deeper than being made into dolls.
Happy Founders Day to my lovely Sorors of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.
88 years in the game. Jesus, each year it gets better. There were some scares in ’07. But like soldiers and finer women that you are, you pulled through. In personal life and in business Zeta shined brightly. As I continue to heal and understand Sigma, it is your love, like the love of a mother, sister and wife that keeps me close to the table of Blue, and makes sure the dove always stays near and dear to may heart. I pray that this love continues to grow and develop for many years to come.
This blog is dedicated to you, to express in the strongest terms possible that I love you and my loyalty and oath is as real today as it was on that early April morning in 2002. It’s no secret to anybody who knows me that my relationship with my frat brothers has been iffy (but I admit its getting much better), yet my relationship with my Sorors (outliers notwithstanding) has been phenomenal. Throughout my various ups and downs, Sorors have been the constant support and it has been the Sorors who have helped me through it all. It was a Soror by my side during the era of Nicole (my pledge mom), it was a Soror who called me nightly to make sure I didn’t snap at the beginning of the long night (Lillet), it was a Soror who helped bring me out of that mess and pressed me to strive harder (Nickia) and it was recently a Soror who showed me how to get my career back on track (Noelle). These are just a few examples as to why I feel I need to state publically what Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.means to me.
Sorors this dedication is for you.
To the fallen soldiers of Zeta, like my friend Lisa Ray, you will be missed. Please look after my father, as he is prone to get into stuff all the time. I’m sure heaven has a play ground and he will be there. Keep him out of trouble as you kept me out of trouble.
To the insight full Sorors like Amber and Joy: I appreciate your words and you thoughts. I thank you for helping me walk away from drama when I clearly was missing a sign or too. Thank you. Amber I wish you and Mark many more years of happiness and Joy, you’ve only just begun.
To the chat Sorors: I know I irk yall, but there have been many nights when our conversations and fights helped turn my evening from a boring mess to one that made me think, laugh and even cry sometimes. Ok not cry, but definitely think and laugh.
To my former Padawan Katina: The game has changed for you, as you now have a responsibility bigger than Zeta or your needs. You are now directly responsible for the life of another human being. I pray you keep this in mind always.
To my attorney Lillet: We don’t talk like we used to, and truth be told we don’t need to. Our bond is a genuine as a brother and sister can get. I appreciate you coming to get me in DC. I appreciate you making sure the love was there when pops died, and I appreciate your constant encouragement.This year was rough for you, but do know it only gets better.
To Rev. Dr. BJM: I get it. Before you proclaim everything under the sun to and for a person make sure you know a person. Really know a person. Really know a person. I also will never allow anything to fester that long that it infects me or the people around me.
To my Soror Cretia: My arrogance was my undoing. I appreciated the critique and I understand. My loyalty to these transcends all personal responsibilities. Yeah, I’m coming back better.
To my Cali Sorors: It’s been a minute since we’ve spoken, but do know the love is still there. I aint forgot. I never will forget. I am phone call, email, or text away. Believe that.
To my Tau Psi Zeta Sorors: I have never forgotten Dec. 22 2006, and I never will. If there is one group of Zetas who got a lil more suction than the Cali Sorors is yall. Anytime, anyplace, anywhere, just call email and text and I will be there.
To my Dear Sister AJ: You know I’ll be there front and center when you and Ben take that walk. I will be there laughing and crying, happy because we talked about this day for both of us for so long. Do you really think ATL will be able to handle us? I didn’t think so either.
To my new Soror Noelle: My minister of the interior, a good friend who helped make the end of 07 on point, and helped get ’08 off to a good start. I have come to appreciate your quirks, candor, dedication to this bond and to education. I appreciate your help in getting me in the right circles, and I damn sure appreciate your countless nights given up listening to me babble on in pseudo drunk tirades about her, Obama, the frat or anything else. I am glad to have you as my friend, confidant and mentor. We gone do big things in 08.
To the Greatest Zeta of them all Nickia: What can I say that hasn’t been said a million times in a million different places. By now the world knows you saved me. By now the world knows the comeback missions were originally implemented as a means to win you back. Everybody knows that you trump 95% of the population. Everybody knows. But in the past year, you have gone from being a goal to a true friend. You have gone from being someone I desire to someone I understand, respect, and adore. I am your biggest fan and your biggest headache. Indeed, it seems we didn’t have an exit strategy after all. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do.
To my Sorors world wide, on this day represent and do that damn thing. After 88 years in the game, I think you’ve earned the right to. Indeed, I have faith that the next 88 years will be just as good as the first, hope our bonds will continue to grow, and I will continue to love you all through the entire journey.
Oh, back to the doll. I was gonna order it just to laugh at it one day years from now. But after writing this, I think I’ll pass.
Why do I need a shitty doll? I got the greatest bond a brother could ask for.
