We all have to take each other's sh*t at some point or another. If the reduction of public toilets' usage in COVID-19's era made you forget, I'm sure you have the internet--not to mention your own sh*t, to remind you that despite your and my perfections, we come with darkness applied--we are not sure where exactly and we only see it when we are in the light: our shadow.
It is a replica of the soul, and its appearance should remind you that our depths are murky, infinite, and often unknown—so, love via acceptance is a basic social tool; do you have it?
You will find that this is how many people struggle. Their ability to tolerate other people is usually limited and markedly affected by judgments that have roots in beliefs that are often false and incomplete, leading to misjudgments and snubs around.
The thing about beliefs is that they are only rendered worthy when the truth supports them—I mean--when evidence is provided; thus, only the ones rooted in truth go the distance, i.e., stand the test of time.
My entire point here is that judgments are useless when they have no basis, as in being based on lies, and being that people are murky, infinite, and not fully known, judgments are never fully based on the facts, and they limit our ability to connect to others because they create barriers that prevent us from being transparent; they make us snobbish.
On Apple Music, a search for DMX brings up The Best Of DMX, a rap album released in 2010. It has twenty-one songs, and it begins with "Where the Hood At," which begins with those familiar hip-hop tones of the 2000s, capitalized on by Swizz Beats, with horns that breathed excitement and DMX's trademark, no-holds-barred approach, where his anger and irritation overflows into repugnance for anyone who tests his nerves.
DMX's music is catchy and to re-listen to it is to get a sense of excitement, passion, and awe, as his language is charged. He withholds nothing, which in essence makes him a very bright light— that is, his transparency—and truth be told, I just wanted to dance to his music. Still, I also wondered how many people may choose to write him off because of this unfettered delivery of the truth?
I wonder, how many can listen to the album from beginning to end and come away with the messages that he intended? I recommend that you pause for a minute, look up this album and have a listen. Be honest with your assessment of his music. (Do feel free to leave your experience via any of my social handles).
After you have listened to this album, I want you to go to Youtube and search "DMX Prayer 1-5;" after having listened to both, how has it enlightened your point of view of him? I was blown away by his commitment, insight, love, and much more, and I wonder how far this part of DMX has been extended by those who promote his music? My and frequent artists' refrain is that music executives often try to push one-dimensional characters in hip-hop music, and naysayers are usually stonewalled or stymied from progressing freely. DMX is opined as one such stymied musician because of his commitment to his authentic self (see this youtube interview).
To listen to hip-hop music and even to dancehall is to become conscious of the lives that people have lived and are living, and to NOT judge them because of it, but to recognize it as one of the consequences of the racist and discriminatory policies that have been decried heretofore in this country and beyond.
Through this lens, one can find the compassion necessary to think of how you can apply world change and of how you can have a more compassionate view of humans overall as you live in this world.
It is clear that humans are multifaceted, and cancel culture made its fame by blackballing individuals from lucrative opportunities because of trivial issues such as language, appearance, etc., particularly African-Americans. It is getting its buzzcut these days because it has markedly been affecting white men in these times, which only shores up research that notes issues being allowed to run rampant in the black community, but once whites become affected by it, efforts are made to decrease it or to excuse the phenomenon.
Cancel culture made its fame by blackballing individuals from lucrative opportunities because of trivial issues such as language, appearance, etc., particularly African-Americans. It is getting its buzzcut these days because it has markedly been affecting white men in these times...
Think of present-day gun culture. Guns have been terrorizing blacks for centuries, and they have now spilled over in a way that white communities are now heavily affected by them. I learned of this phenomenon in graduate school, and I don't recall if there was a term given to it, but I have seen it pop up in various ways in this country since then; I referenced it in my book, Ode to America, as I've seen whites' unwillingness to properly adorn Blacks with dignity affected leadership and productivity countless times at work and in the world at large, and this is the greater issue that has to be acknowledged as it affects so many people across America.
It happened during the Obama presidency, I've experienced it personally at work, and numerous others have expressed the same to me. It is the basis of "microaggressions" and the significant aggressions that we have witnessed, which is well-documented in this society.
To view DMX as an upstanding, upright citizen of his community should be your intrinsic response to getting to know him, but I have this knowing feeling that the "conservatives" and their supporters would probably try to take steps to distance themselves from him because of his music and his past. (On a side note, what are they conserving?)
This issue, i.e., the issue of whites attempts to usurp other's races' power, has been long documented throughout America (e.g., 7 books about racism every adult should read right now), and it continues to be one that we are actively tackling, through our present and future governmental, social-service interventions.
It really wasn't until this presidency that America took stock of these issues and listened directly to its marginalized constituency. President Obama was handcuffed by the same issues of whiteness trying to surpass blackness because, how else, do you explain some of the democratic losses under the Obama presidency? Many were not bold in supporting his good ideals, and it seemed very much like some wanting to take credit for progress, so they refused to contribute on his terms.
To examine the Obama presidency is to see a president stonewalled at times by whiteness and one that was nitpicked for his blackness. President Obama was calm, collected, patient, and impressively gifted at the presidency, yet his performance did not show it simply because he could not unify the government.
It was not his fault--there is no way that one man can do this without grand support, and to have schisms in government was reckless and lax on the country's part. I have noticed that where the greatest power lies, lies the most contention. During the Obama presidency, I noticed there was considerable contention over many of his decisions; for this reason, he resorted to executive action often to bypass the rigmarole of the legislature. He was eventually criticized for this, naturally, because he did not give in to tactics designed to confuse and create dissonance.
The Obama presidency was obviously difficult and more likely more difficult than we assume, as it is not easy wrestling with a beast amongst its enforcers. President Obama had to demonstrate the new order of respect for Blackness in power while still maintaining yourown identity (i.e., to whites)--how else do you explain his mic drop??
This identity crisis explains whites' culture-mongering, as white people seem to be unable to maintain a sense of self that does not involve denigrating another; that is, they lack self-love, and that is because they are struggling with taking their own sh*t, of being a combination of of good and evil.
It is odd, seeing people who only focus on their good qualities and are so flippant of their bad ones. I truly believe that we are in times of consequences, as what we are seeing and living is real--as life's preciousness is as never before in our modern times. The way covid-19 is wreaking havoc on people is immense, as it has mental, physical, social, and socioeconomic impacts, which can come one or all upon an individual. I cannot overstate the dire state that we are in, as reports have been coming out about the shortage of professionals and their own limited ability to deal with the stress themselves, as they are not fully equipped for the road ahead. Not to mention the media's irresponsible method of pushing hot buttons, which keep people, primed and anxious when they don't consume it sparingly.
If people are not conscious about taking care of their minds and bodies, we see that they are dropping like flies.
The need for a cultural shift has never been greater, and as we bask in this presidency, it would be wise to remember that there is work to do, as the closer that we are, the better, and we have got a long way to go.
The need for a cultural shift has never been greater, and as we bask in this presidency, it would be wise to remember that there is work to do, as the closer that we are, the better, and we have got a long way to go.
Ultimately, this country heals when whiteness and blackness accept themselves--and each other--as separate AND one, yin and yang--able to coexist concurrently and consistently human.
I am confident that as time progresses, white overreach will stop, as it has to for us to be sown as one. Our culture is no longer able to tolerate rampant hatred and violence because with coronavirus still going strong, how will we survive as a species if we continue?
We cannot! Do whatever you want, but I am committed to survival, and I know the tools that it takes to survive.
It truly is a matter of the heart, as honesty goes a very long way towards your goals of growth and self-determination. Every human is self-determining, which is the intrinsic desire to control one's destiny. Armed with the knowledge displayed above, I am of the mind that anybody would want to do whatever they could to keep this thing moving and shaking the way it has been.
We miss our full, vibrant world, and we long to get together again like before. So I say dig in. Become the person you were meant to be. I would bet that it was to be great.
WRITTEN BY
ODETTA FRASER GOD