The Promised Land is Here, why can’t we find it?

On my way into work today (kinda annoyed behind that) I was able to hear the "Mountain Top" speech that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the day before he was murdered. This like many things lately it made me think. The dream of Dr. King is here. At least in my life it is. My skin color has never been an impediment to anything I've ever tried to do. The most racism I've ever encountered was being followed around in a store in Boston (eff the Pats, Go Giants!) which I still haven't forgotten. No beatings, no lynchings, not even being called a nigger. I have to attribute my life now and all the opportunities I've been given to everyone who fought for equality in the Civil Rights movement, the Christians, the Muslims, the Jews, the whites, native americans, latinos, everyone and I for one greatly appreciate it because if we as a people had to fight now, good lord, I don't even want to think about it.

I say the promised land is here because life will never be perfect for anyone. There will always be a few ignorant folks that will try to stop you from living your life because they are miserable human beings. They come in all races. I can honestly say that as much as I acknowledge race it doesn't affect my daily life. For a long time I was the only black person at my job and I wasn't once treated like "the black girl" I was always treated like Sharise, the Admissions Coordinator. Even my daughter who is totally color blind gets treated like the best friend not the black friend. I think it's wonderful.

Life for black people now is the greatest it's been since before the first wave of colonialism that started the race based slave trade. I feel that the government has given us all it needs to, equality. When black people are treated like full and equal citizens what more do we need? Because lets face it, even white men get wrongly convicted and attacked in this country. The fight isn't over because we have to make sure we're always treated equally and any attempts at injustice should be swiftly addressed and punished.

Thinking about the message of Dr. King it bothers me that it's been distorted by the black leaders and "liberal" politicians that followed him. Bare bones the message was that we need to lift ourselves up and demand equal treatment, because as Americans we deserve the same opportunities as every other citizen regardless of skin color. Who doesn't agree with that? This is why he was a Republican, before the parties got all convoluted and mucked up. No special treatment, just give us the opportunity and it's up to us to take advantage of it. Looking at the blacks of this country a great many of us have taken the opportunities and ran with them. It takes work to do well, there is no such thing as a lazy success.

Dr. King also preached tirelessly on the the need to get education wherever it may be. He preached that we as black people should love one another and help each other. What happened? Bob Johnson, that's who. I'm not going to blame the current state of black america on one man. I'm going to blame us. I'm blaming myself, my friends, my family, my people.

As Dr. King said, you have to stand up straight to get ahead, a man can only ride you if you're bent over. Right now we're on our knees. The few of us that are living the dream are so far removed from the "others" that we don't even look like the same race of people. When I say removed I mean idealogically. You can be siblings, cousins, best friends with an ignorant, lazy, brainwashed negro. Those of us who want change, face the daunting task of reversing the mentality of many of our people. How to compete against what the country tells you, you're supposed to be? It was easy to rail against the sambo, large featured watermelon eating pickaninny. We knew for the most part that wasn't us. We often shunned those who made it worse for the rest of us. You know the ones who act like natural koons at a job, so everyone thinks we're really like that, so why hire them? That thought process is wrong, but at the same time don't support the stereotype.

Every black person is a representative of their race because we're a minority. During or before the Civil Rights movement black people from the affluent to the very poor carried themselves with pride. Because we are a proud people, and rightly so. We may have random issues with complexion, materialism and "selling out" but as a whole there is much to love.

This brings me to the real sell outs of our race. They are often seen as blacks in corporate america, black republicans, blacks who marry outside of their race, intellectual blacks. But these are the ones who refuse to have backward societal rules brainwash them. Black people who often "act white" are chastised relentlessly by their own people. Black people who defy convention are seen as anti-black. Even now the loudest voices proclaiming Obama can't win are coming from people that look like him. If it wasn't for Martin Luther King and others in the movement refusing to just sit back and be what society told them to be, where would all of us really be? I'm sorry Mrs. Clinton but if we waited for the government to enact civil rights legislation without severe pressure from society my grandchildren would still be awaiting the promised land. It took a war to stop slavery, not the 13th Amendment. Slavery could have been abolished easily in 1860 or before but it took a complete upheaval in society to bring about drastic change.

People have to want change. Change doesn't come easily or swiftly. Change is thrown around so haphazardly in this current election. What does it really mean? If a woman or a black man is elected president what will they really change other than a footnote in the history books? I want change in the black community, desperately. Change in my community will drastically improve the rest of the country. No one other than the unabashedly bigoted want to see black people murder each other. This, like all other drastic changes in society has to start with the people it effects directly. As Dr. King knew, you can't wait for someone to help you, you have to start in your own community. You have to fight and be willing to give your life for the future.

The message has been pushed so far to the back of peoples minds it's almost forgotten. We learn about the Civil Rights movement and Dr. King in school, but the one's who it needs to touch have been so brainwashed that the message means nothing. Peace in our communities, love for oneself, equality for all Americans. It's so simple a child could understand it. Thinking beyond yourself, your life, what you are "supposed" to be, opening your mind has nothing to do with the quality of our schools. The strength is gone. Weakness and laziness has replaced the determined, hardworking soul of the black person. We're in a daze right now. When we finally wake up, all of us will be able to see the promised land. But will we put in the hardwork to reach it?