When I started A HOOD TALKS, it was in response to an Illinois Senator by the name of Barack Hussein Obama and although I had never heard of this man or followed Americas political agenda — his words and the way he delivered them stuck with me and I was formally introduced to the political process, and why it was so important for people like me to get involved.
Never before did I realize how much power the average American had with regards to how things worked in Washington, and I didn’t comprehend how government exercised authority so getting involved was the last thing on my mind. I REGARDED THE WHITE HOUSE AS SOMETHING THAT “WHITE PEOPLE” RAN AND THOUGHT MY VERY EXISTENCE WAS RESTRICTED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH I LIVED.I regarded The White House as something that “white people” ran and thought my very existence was restricted to the neighborhood in which I lived. Although I’ve always dreamed very big it would seem that my family and “my hood” was it; everything I’d become and all that I’d learn could fit neatly into a small box.
It wasn’t until college, that I comprehended there was way more to life than just “my hood” and that big dreams can indeed come true. As I sought out opportunities on enormous scales in college and after college, eventually “life” happened in a way I had never experienced it before; discrimination, racism, sexism and inequality would leave me with wounds that deeply scarred my foundation — causing it to remain shaken and unstable for a long time.
My open wounds triggered anger and resentment, in which I thought it was impossible to ever regain back that childlike purity again. Moreover, I wasn’t given certain tools by my parents that would’ve helped me navigate through the perils of life, as they were so consumed with struggle, survival and anger towards their oppressors which hindered my “life” education. I was a sheep walking amidst wolves and because I was blind to this fact, “my person” became easy prey.
Fast forward to 2008, when the possibility of having our first black president in the history of the United States seemed to wake up sleeping giants (myself included), and intrigued America enough to pay attention to the political atmosphere. It also triggered me to read a lot of history books, as I became extremely curious about Americas racial plight and why 43 presidents later we were just voting in our first black Commander-in-Chief; granted I was fully aware of racism by this point but like I expressed earlier, I just assumed The White House was for white people because that had been the status quo.
Gaining knowledge of American and international history completely blew my mind, and all the dots began connecting like a jigsaw puzzle.
I was not only overcome with emotion and at times anger due to discovering in detail how we all came to be in America, but I also incurred a fundamental understanding of my place in history and why it was so important to make sure that Barack Obama was elected as our next president; not just because he was black but because he comprehended my struggle — our struggle, and his vision and mission was something I strongly believed in. Thus, A HOOD TALKS was born and my political fire was forever lit.THUS, A HOOD TALKS WAS BORN AND MY POLITICAL FIRE WAS FOREVER LIT.
As I acquired community organizing skills by partaking in the election and re-election of President Obama, I veered off course into other topics that interested me such as LGBTQ issues, celebrity gossip and out-of-the-box meanderings. In doing so I’ve learned a great deal about life but most recently I’ve learned, that just because I may have an opinion about something it doesn’t necessarily mean that I should always voice it.
Sometimes just being informed is enough and although many of my articles can be deemed as “controversial”, I still wouldn’t delete any of them because they’re testament to how far I’ve come with my mental evolution.
However, moving forward I’ll try to be less controversial — still opinionated yes, but more inclined to empower verses dis-empower because the latter can be contagious, and I’m at a point in my life where even though I want to keep you thinking I also want to make you feel good in the process. Executing my purpose in life means leading by example tenfold, and not simply half-assing it.
Thank you to all my old and new readers for riding with me, and I hope you’ll stick around for more creative wordplay coming at you from my “neck of the hood.”
#AHT #Testimony #FindingMyVoice #UpFromHere #Ephiphany #LifeLessons
2015 LA
