Cocktails and Conversation

In a conversation with a friend regarding Richard Sherman’s comments about the merits of the Blacklivesmatter Movement it amazed me how stark the difference can be depending on your perspective and your belief regarding Power and who has it.  I mentioned to my friend that I found nothing wrong with Richard Sherman’s comments, nor did I see where it took the focus off the issue of police brutality.  However, it did put the issue of Black on Black crime and how we as a community address it or not. 

First and foremost allow me to say that I am well aware of the fact that people kill who they have proximity to therefore, not only do blacks kill blacks more often than anyone else, whites kill whites just as much.  Matter of fact according to the Department of Justice, 84% of whites who are killed in this country are killed by someone who looks just like them.  That being said the backlash Richard Sherman received was indicative of the level of sensitivity we as a community have when someone from within floats commentary that seemingly goes against the collective mindset.

I went on to suggest to him that while I am personally, emotionally and spiritually sensitive to the lives that are lost at the hands of law enforcement I am even more impacted at the lives that are lost on the blocks and in the hoods at the hands of people who look just like me.  I went on to explain that I feel this way because it is on those same blocks and in those same neighborhoods I see the greatest reflection of my own story both good and bad.  Therefore, it is my opinion that there is a greater accountability there because when you see me you should be seeing a reflection of yourself.  Yet daily many young black and brown men die on the corners and streets across this country and no one marches, no one protest and in many cases vows of not to snitch are taken and as I argued to him the pain is just as real. 

A family’s pain is no less painful when their son or daughter dies at the hands of Officer Friendly or at the hands of De Bo.  My friend disagreed in terms of his belief that we have learned to live with one while the other is completely unacceptable.  One is an outcome of structural racism and the other is because of a learned behavior regarding self.

My friend’s position rested in the Power and Responsibility law enforcement has versus everyone else.  While I tend to agree I also know that Power by in large rest in Perception and having Responsibility does not automatically make you Competent to have any of the aforementioned.  I did suggest to him that what the Blacklivesmatter Movement has done through the aid of technology is galvanized people around the ghost in the machine relative to police behavior in communities of color and how that behavior can and has led to death for many people of color at the slightest provocation or lack thereof. 

I further suggested to him that police behavior or lack thereof in communities of color is about Power and the ability to enforce that Power simply because of who and what they represent, sorta like the Overseer on a plantation. Matter of opinion I think we give away our God given Power way to often to our very own detriment and that act of surrender leaves communities of color vulnerable to many things including the bullet, the Bible and the ballot.  However, I personally refuse to acquiesce my own personal Power to the Power of anyone simple because they have a badge, Bible or anything else so I guess I will simply die with my Chuck Taylor's on and a clean consciousness. 

That’s my truth and I AM sticking to it…

I AM 

Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen

Beef

I like most young African American scholars grew up admiring Cornel West and his scholarly aptitude and his unrelenting commitment to stand in the face of the Ivory Tower and boldly and openly criticize it.  Therefore, the public lambasting of arguably one of the GREATEST academicians in our lifetime is a tad bit disheartening.  While I do agree some of his public criticism of the President has come off as petty and small and his self-anointment of himself in the vain of Dr. King and Jesus Christ is a bit modern day “preacherish" to me.  However, I do think his lifetime social and academic deposits specifically warrant him a level of respect and far exceed any withdrawals he can make at this point.   

   

Has Dr. West lost a step academically maybe, but so have Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.  What I mean by this is we all hit a point where we are not what we used to be and intellectuals are no different, but to have your intellectual credentials questioned simply because you choose to be unafraid in your questioning or critique of the President is small in my opinion.  Furthermore, there has only been one person to date with the feat of walking on water and to openly criticize the President when the larger African American community feels we are in the mist of it happening again (walking on water that is) takes courage.  But again going against the collective grain is never popular nor is it easy ask any African-American Republican. 

Is Dr. West bitter as Dr. Dyson attest maybe, but age, vitality and the consciousness of one’s own mortality and awareness regarding all of the things you did or did not do has a way of making us all a little testy.   Is he searching for the limelight that he once use to own exclusively due to his academic credentials, maybe so, but so is Al Sharpton relative to his space and countless others.  In my own personal space I was called a whipper snapper and grass hopper when I challenged an elder. 

If there is any light that can be shined down upon this situation it is that the African-American is by no means a homogenious community.  Two, we all don’t think President Obama is Little Baby Jesus and are afraid to be critical of him even though it may get shrouded in pettiness.  Three and probably most important to me is there are African-American men in our community who have academic merit.  We are not all limited in our aspirations and for some their aspiration extends to be public intellectuals.  Four and the one that I hope my pistol packing, driveby shooting, beef having young brothers see is that there can be beef where no one dies a physical death or add to the prison population. 

That’s My Truth and I am sticking to it…

I AM

Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen

                                                                                               

The New Normal

In preparation for an upcoming talk to some young men I thought about how the paradigm for normalcy has been shifted for young boys of color.  What I mean by that is I personally don’t think there is anything abnormal about being educated, not incarcerated, having a job (non-athletic or non-entertainer) or better yet being socially responsible.  Yet somehow this narrative puts me and many of my peers in elite status.  Although, I do recognize that only about 20% of African Americans hold college degrees and to go even deeper less than 1% have a doctorate degree, but this message is not solely about academic credentials.  I also am keenly aware of the urban myth regarding black men and prison.

Urban Myth

There are more black men in prison than in college…

If I were to reflect just upon my social circle both now as an adult and when I was a kid I would venture to say I know more dudes who became truck drivers, longshoremen, work at the Post Office or are school teachers in some capacity than I do in jail, the league (NFL or NBA) or in the studio with Rick Ross, Kanye or Jay Z.  However, the launchpad to a quality life has been co-opted to the two aforementioned entry points (sports or entertainment) and anything short represent failure.  What this further suggests to me is the perceived economic windfall that comes from such career pursuits trumps any focus on real world options that may allow many of our boys to evolve into to functional young men much less feel good and optimistic about being something other than a ball player or a hot rapper. 

The all in approach of sports leave many young men of color degreeless and broken economically without a functional skill that’s applicable to the real world and the repercussions of the music game I would offer are even worse. The requisite narrative in order to be considered “hot” and even get a semblance of attention requires you to profess to a lifestyle that goes counterproductive to the greater good of any potential beneficiary of your success (see Bobby Shmurda).    

What we have to do is say to young boys of color your ability to drain a 3, fly through the air and dunk, catch a pass or run like the wind are quite limiting relative to the totality of your life and this is just a moment and skill set in time.  Therefore, use that skill as the jump off to educate yourself and develop options.

And to those young boys of color who see their microphone proficiency as their gateway from the mean streets of wherever they come from they have to be reminded that there is no romanticism in the conditions that create oppression. 

You know it's hard out here for a pimp
When he tryin' to get this money for the rent
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent

Three Six Mafia

Their words have become antiseptic to a harsh reality that allows the struggles of many to go unnoticed or at the most taken for granted.  Furthermore, those very same words normalize the hurt and pain relative to premature death and prison and ain't nothing normal about that.  Matter of fact your narrative has evolved through your lyrical experiences (both real and imaginary) created an entire industrial complex that thrives upon your destruction.

There is NOTHING wrong with being able to fix, analyze or develop things, nor is there anything wrong with driving a truck or any of the other honorable professions that allow you to be free physically and mentally of harm.  Matter of fact I would say that’s more normal than anything.

Shout out to all the dudes working normal jobs…

That’s My Truth and I am Sticking To It…

I AM

Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen