Bigger Than Just Being Called “Ni**er” [Editorial]

Original Story Posted February 15, 2010

With the recent “foot in the mouth” moment from singer/guitar player John Mayer, there has been a minor backlash from the community as some have lost faith over his usage of the word “N*gger” in regards to him having a hood pass.

While many continue to be simply affected by the audacity of a white person using the racial slur in their presence the issue is much bigger than that.
[Peep the video after the break]

African Americans continue to deal with more hardships than just being called outside of their name which need to be addressed and given more spotlight as the issues seem to have heightened since the nation decided to elect its first Black President, Barack Obama.

There seems to be heavy emphasis on issues, such as this, which might not be as crucial, while problems that need dire attention are frequently pushed to the side.

Education, employment, leadership and residence are all different aspects of the African American culture which seem to be dwindling, especially within the youth.  Having their lives being dictated and directed more by what they see on the television screen instead of a parental figure, the youth, as of late, have been traveling a destructive path.

While there are many active political figures that are more than equipped with the necessary knowledge to instill in the new day of Black America, there still seems to be a void or barricade that will not enable the message to seep through the cracks and touch the young generation.

What seems to be sticking and being embraced, unfortunately, is the negatives aspects such as violence, drugs and committing random acts of crime whether it be through peer pressure just the feeling that there is no other way to get by.

It's time to take more responsibility.  Why not speak up when it's Black on Black because if it was Black on White, it would be a completely different story.

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of Blacks within the country, but how often is it televised or spoken about within the confines of a classroom or any other outlet for higher learning?  Why is it that Hip Hop sites don't use such a vehicle to further promote knowledge as opposed to what is expect on a daily basis?

There is no need to complain on how ignorant some Black people act if another willingly accepts it as just being some ni**er Shyte as though that's the norm.  No one should ever be able to be okay with ignorance because it will only heighten with future generations as more acts aren't being seen as being an issue.  It's been going on for way too long.

For the record, being and acting stupid isn't something cool.  Babies having babies isn't just something to do nowadays.

How can we come to take a step forward if we are unwilling to be the first to just take the chance and go outside of the norm?  There will never be a solution if everyone is unwilling to face facts with the problem instead of addressing things like John Mayer saying the word “Ni@*er”.