Last night while watching “Latino’s Growing Influence Shaping America’s Future” I felt a little uneasiness within my spirit. Then I started wondering why I was feeling this way and it hit me like a ton of bricks. WOW! Time and time again I have been reading and hearing about how the Latinos are the majority “Race” within the United States now and how so much should be done for them to make sure that they are able to have a decent quality of life. That’s wonderful, but where was that concern for my people (African Americans)? Truthfully, this country was built off of the beaten and scarred backs of my forefathers. Their blood, sweat, and tears are in the soil of America’s earth. This country was birthed off of the pain that was lashed upon my forefather’s whipped and scarred backs but now we are considered not to be of any worth to this country except to fill their jails and prisons. WOW!
I guess some may be wondering where is “All” of this weariness coming from and why is it even in existence? Truthfully, it’s coming forth due to what I see going on all around me. Before I go any further let me say that one of my best friends is a Latino lady and we have been friends for over twenty years. I love her like she is my sister but I have also been exposed to negative behavior coming forth from some Latinos. A very close friend of mine shared with me something that really pained my heart. She was close friends with a Latino gentleman but he would not introduce her to his family due to the fact that his family did not like “Black” people. WOW! That really left a lump inside of my heart. Truthfully, I’ve heard this before from other African Americans. WOW! This mindset is very troubling due to the fact that most know and realize that the powers that be are the ones that have birthed this horror of “divide and conquer” mindset. They cannot afford to allow the African American and Latino communities to “Sincerely” unite because that would cause “Them” to be the “Minority!”
How long, how long is this “Racial” separation and madness going to continue? How long are “We” going to allow ourselves to be separated and divided? How long are “We” going to continue to allow ourselves to be used as pawns in the hands of the very people that truly loves neither one of us. Cannot we see and realize that the powers that be cannot allow us to love one another for then they would not be able to remain in control. They would be the “Minority” and we would be the “Majority” which is the major thing that they fear. The powers that be “Cannot” allow the two of us to both come together striving towards bringing “Peace” and “Harmony” in our midst. They have to keep us separated and divided to ensure that they can still remain in power.
We can no longer allow “Them” to control us. Racism has been the driving force behind the decimation of both of our cultures. The prisons are filled with mainly “Our” children. Much of the violence in our cities today is the bitter fruit of a tree the white race cultivated in the soil of racism and slavery. In America today one in four Black and also Latino males over twenty-one are in some form of incarceration. And the highest cause of death among Black and Latino men under twenty-five is homicide. We must wake up and start realizing that both of our cultures have been, and still are being deeply affected by “Racism?” Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!
We must not continue to allow ourselves to be caught up into a game that keeps us separated and divided which only continuously allows them to stay in power. There are consequences of racism. Racism releases the curse of death indiscriminately from one race upon another. The Lord said that it is the spirit of death which is destroying our cities, and it has for its entry point the stronghold of racism and cultural contempt in the people. We must wake up and realize that we African Americans and Latinos have the power to bring about significant positive changes within both of our communities if we can only learn to strive and work together. What we are experiencing in our cities is our will being done, and we are reaping hell.
To my Latino sisters and brothers we must wake up and realize that together we can rise, but divided we will reap the results of our being separated and divided. Although throughout society we point to drug abuse and gang violence as some of the strongholds in our society, in most cases these are but symptoms of the greater problem of racism. In the genealogy of our cities’ violence, cultural pride and envy begot racism, racism begot oppression, oppression begot fear, futility, and hatred; these have produced the current chaos in our cities.
The fact is that the African American and Latino communities “Must” band together for if not we will both continue to be manipulated and misused by the powers that be. I should “Love” you and you should “Love” me for that is the way that our Heavenly Father planned things to be to bring peace and love and harmony throughout our society. Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Yes! Yes! Yes!
This is “Lillie’s Point Of View” and I’m just having my say! Now you can have yours!