Previously on ‘Black Twitter’: English Frank said some racist stuff and black folks got their feelings hurt. Some even threatened to run up in English Frank’s yard.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, some of us shrugged and said: “you reap what you sow”.
Well, some (especially in the music biz) have given so many white friends a ‘black pass’ calling them nigga and allowing them to return the favour. We buy music that frequently uses the term nigga and pits one shade of black over another in music videos.
Worst of all we play out our “in-fighting” in open forums; Africans disparage people from the Caribbean, particularly Jamaicans, (How many times have you heard Jamaicans have no father disses?). English Jamaicans are happy to deny their African ancestry not realising how uneducated they appear. So if we are showing the world that colonialism is still #winning and that as a people we are still very divided, why is it not okay for our white friends to stand with us against whoever we don’t like?
It’s not OKAY! Whilst some are fighting verbally on social media and physically in the streets, there are people working towards ending racism in all forms. They can’t do this if a finger can be pointed that asks us about our prejudices.
So whilst English Frank enlists the help of Olivia Pope to get his career back on track, why don’t we stop and think about what we can do to prevent this crap from happening again.
Revoke all ghetto passes
It’s way past time that we stopped handing out Jafaican and Afaican passes. Just because he or she is your bestie that really doesn’t mean a white person should be allowed to joke with you publicly or privately about our in-fighting. Don’t let them use the word nigga/nigger to you or about anyone else. If they show racist behaviour call them on it or drop them.
Check yourself and know yourself
If you are one of those people who dislikes Africans/Jamaicans ask yourself why. What is your dislike based on? is it based on myth or fact? Can you turn it around? If you learn about other people’s struggles it’s easier to understand and empathise with them. Start with YOUR history because at the end of the day, like it or not, we all came from Africa.
Shadeism and pigmentocracy
If you have team light skin and team dark skin in your social media profiles, ask yourself why and then write something more worthwhile. Colourism is used to keep us down, don’t perpetuate it.
For too long we have allowed this internalised racial self-hatred to fester. It’s time to heal and grow people. There is no skin shade better than another. We are all beautiful and should celebrate that not continue to divide and denigrate.
Hit ’em where it hurts
Finally, stop buying music that denigrates women and black folks. Nigger is not a word for brother. English Frank lost a lot of fans this week, show black artists that it could just as easily be them if they don’t stop the nonsense.
Good article my Parents where from the Caribbean and their ancestors where from Africa, for me its impossible to hate Africans without realizing you are hating yourself. Know yourself.
There is no black or white, only human. Quit this skin colour nonsense.