Before I get on my soapbox about the nonsense of "Black Friday", let me just say I have shopped on the "so-called" Black Friday, in the past, looking for the best deals for Christmas but for the past five years I have not.
Black Friday is an insult to Black America. For 51 weeks and 6 days, the word black has a negative meaning. Blackmail, blackball, blacklist, blackmarket, black cat, black people are all examples of what the majority of society sees as negative. And we, as Black people, are constantly targeted with racial bias, violence, hatred, insensitivity and downright meanness on a daily basis.
But on one day (and now weekend) during the year, the word black is celebrated as a day when retailers look to capitalize on our hard earned money by dangling carrots (so-called sales) in our faces to take back the pennies we get paid in wages. And we certainly don't disappoint. We line up at midnight or wake up during the wee hours of the morning to make sure we are one of the first in line to get some of those carrots. And some of us act a fool in front of the TV camera by fighting, others get trampled upon and even killed in order to be a part of the frenzy. And worst yet, the majority of us would rather patronize big businesses than to support our own small, hard working, struggling, minority-owned businesses. Perhaps we can learn from our Latino brothers and sisters.
Yes, I know this blog is written AFTER the fact, but perhaps if we start thinking about our actions now, we can send a clear and concise message to the retailers from this moment forward AND we can teach our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren about the value of the dollar and the importance of keeping it in our own communities.
There is actually a Black Boycott of Black Friday going on right now. Did you know that? I bet you didn't hear about that on the news, did you? Why not? Because whites control the majority of the media and their friends are the advertisers who are trying to take our money.
There's an old saying: Money talks and BS walks. Let's stop serving those who don't and never had our best interests at heart.
To learn more about the Black Friday Boycott, click here: BOYCOTT
Success is a state of mind. If you want success you have to start thinking of yourself as successful. A positive mental attitude can go a LONG way especially when it looks like everything around you is falling apart.
A few months ago I came in contact with a young man named Andre Boyd. He never had much to say but when he spoke, his words were empowering. To those who have never taken the time to get to know him beyond his few words, he would come across as arrogrant and cocky. But I saw someone who was digging down deep to uncover his true identity.
And then one day he sent me a poem to read. I was blown away by it because it was at that moment in time that I believe I understood him and his quest and respected him for the journey he has taken. I could see him digging deep down into the crevice of his soul to find the answers he's been seeking. When I asked him why he wrote the poem this was his response:
I was working at the Wake County Detention Center. Amidst all of the depression, violence, and insanity within the confines of that facility, I began to question all of the decisions I made in life that landed me in this position of employment. I felt that I was better than my surroundings. This poem crept into the forefront of my mind as a conscious effort to motivate myself to move forward and to vanquish the pessimism surrounding my regret for the path I chose.
And here is the poem he wrote.....
Ramifications of remembrance, stemming from errors we wish nonexistent
Dwelling within a subconscious realm tucked underneath reminiscence...
Here lies that shadowed doubt. Could success be gained without falter?
With hindsight appearing in perfect vision, how so would our paths be altered?
Yet the challenges lie within mystery, for omniscience shall remain unattainable
If granted the wisdom of infinity, would the joy for the quest be sustainable?
Would there be such a term as motivation? Or an innate desire to persist?
Because if we really knew then what we know now, our NOW would never exist.
So whether or not you understand this poem, understand this: If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it. Just ask Andre.
