I don’t think any other living creature on this planet knows how it is to be a Black Man in America in 2019. A bold statement I know but lets count up the strikes against us. In a country where we have only been free and given rights for the last 50/60 years, and still have those rights taken away if we look threatening or are big, black, and the opposing person feared for their life. In a nation that would rather see a black man in jail than in a classroom, or on a workforce, or in a lead position how can one not feel oppressed. Not to mention; when, or shall I say, if we get in any of these positions we have to “act” a certain way or that position will be taken away. But before any of that pseudo success happens lets speak on the childhood trauma that every black man goes through…

“Be a man!” *yelling at 13 year old boy” This is how black boys are told to deal with their emotions… As a Black boy in america, nobody grows up faster than us. Taking responsibilities you shouldn’t have to worry about at the tender age of adolescence. Emotions are unheard of for some black men, and I think it is an issue in our community. In no way am I advocating for cry babies, but there should be some type of emotional comfortability within our culture for emotions to be expressed without attaching weakness to it. Some of us have been “grown” and taking care of home for as long as we can remember. Single parent households, living with grandparents, shit, I even know some niggas that raised themselves with their siblings, alone. You’re the Man of the house but you’re not even a man yet, that pressure busts pipes.

Lets talk about the environment we grow up in, how our neighborhoods are food deserts with no local grocery store for miles, but theres a Wackdonalds, Liquor store, and Carryout on every street corner. It has been proven that most health issues our community faces is due to poor eating habits and lack of nutritional value in our diets. Living in Projects and hoods that look like third world countries. One fucked up family living on top of another raising a generation of more fucked up situations. Fighting everyday for a piece of property thats not even yours to own. Watching your back in a paranoia cause you don’t want to get caught slipping. Plagued with drugs and alcoholism our neighborhoods are war zones. We really are roses growing through the concrete. Fucked up petals and all. The world asks why? when you should be asking how? How can You survive through this bullshit and still hold it together? Its the hardest task in the world I promise you.

Being a Black Man in America you develop PTSD immediately, and most don’t even know it. Most Trauma we go through isn’t diagnosed as that, its just life. Fathers not around, mom working two jobs, nothing to do but get in trouble. Life has never been fair for Black people period. We were enslaved for 400 years and the 50/60 years that we’ve had rights in this country they’ve skewed the rules to put us in prison instead of cotton fields. The 13th amendment is real. And the chances of you beating the court system are slim to none. So you’ve already been dealt a bad hand and the moment you make a mistake you’re life is over. A life of fear is what most live as a black man in america but you’ll never know. I haven’t even gotten to the senseless violence, Police Brutality, Sexual Abuse, or the Human trafficking epidemic going on today. Kids can’t go to school without practicing for a school shooter which makes no sense to me, he’s in the school practicing with them! Women can’t walk down the street without worrying to get snatched up, Police pressing people out over nothing just to be too scared to treat the person like a human being and will shoot you over the slightest movement. So even if you doing right there’s still a fear of making a mistake and losing everything you’ve worked, sacrificed for.

What about your goals, what about that dream of making it to the NBA/NFL and when it doesn’t happen you’ve wasted 20 years on dreams. What about your aspirations of becoming whatever you wanted as a kid only to be told in high school you’re better off getting a regular job where none of your god given talents can be shown off, but you gotta provide so that dream you always wanted is crushed before you’re even old enough to choose what you want out of life. Thats if you make it out of your teens alive in the first place. I was lucky enough to make it to 31, and find purpose in life, but I still understand everything our young men and women are going through these days because I haven’t grown old enough to not care about the things going on around me and still care to help those coming after I’ll be long gone. Something I wish more people would understand.

I stumbled upon this clip of American Gods breaking down the plight of the black man/woman in america and how Slavery and Human Trafficking is a cult. Powerful scene that I think everyone needs to see and take notice to these atrocities plaguing our communities by the powers that be.

So, how do you combat this, how do we grow to become a better human race? How do we reverse the PTSD? how do we unpack the many years of “free-oppression” that we’ve lived in fear disguised as freedom? How do we fight this Disorder? DO we subscribe therapy from a stranger? do we self actualize and take accountability for our roles in allowing these atrocities to occur? do we gracefully bow out and allow the raping, killing, and pillaging of our people and culture to continue? How do we Get out of these negative situations? How do we protect our communities and grow toward sustainable living and work for Black folk? How do we solve homelessness? It won’t be from serving a country thats yet to serve us the way we’ve been forced to serve it for over 400 years… It won’t be by continuing to kill and harm our brothers and sisters. It won’t be by any other means than by helping each other and loving one another despite your trauma or background, or cultural differences, and by building bridges not walls. But I digress, hopefully this think piece will do just that and get someone thinking past their PTSD and onto change for the better and for the future generations.