Not Since Brenda!

I didn’t have to drive in to the office all week last week. The mailbenz thanked me. But today, it all ended. I am quite pissed today. Just being reminded that my commute is a PMS-ing b*tch! But whatever. It is what it is! How was your holiday?? Mine? Awesome. I had a really great time!!

Manfriend and I were watching CSI last night. And I should add that he hates the show and pointed out inaccuracies at every turn. I told him it was just for entertainment but he continued to look for flaws. Anyhow, last night’s episode was about some blonde haired white chick getting chocked-the-f*ck out in Miami while on vacy. Needless to say, it seemed like the entire CSI team was working this case. And even though it looked like they had the case wrapped up in a day, it did feel like a lot of effort for one chick. When her body was discovered, the red-headed guy was all undone. Hurt, like he knew her.

This brought back to my mind all that crap about the Aruba chick. Now look, I sympathize with anyone whose kid goes missing. Hell, I do have a heart!! Small and pumping lemonade, but a heart nonetheless. And I got to wondering not how the media down-plays, don’t show, or don’t know when a Black child/person goes missing, but how our community reacts. The dude on CSI: Miami was visibly shaken that this young white chick was dead. But I wonder how we react when one of ours ends up dead?? Are our men shook when a young Black girl is found dead after an evening of under-age drinking and sex?? Aside from a monumnet of teddy bears at the scene of the crime, what do we really do?? Are we hurt to the core? Are we really thinking, “What a terrible waste.” Or are we thinking, “Oh. Well.”

This line of thinking led me to wonder, as high as the white men seem to hold white women, do Black men hold Black women in such a high regard? I have heard off-side comments about White women being seen as the definition of feminity, the prize of any successful man-white, Black, or other. At the same time, I’ve heard a lot of Black men say that the only woman for them is a Black one. So then why are there so many things being said and done to lead us and anyone paying attention to believe, Black women are a mere afterthought to Black men?

Should we blame it on broken family structures? Should we blame it on socialization? How about hip hop? Or what about my very favorite, slavery? When we wash up on beaches or are found in alleys why aren’t our men leaning over our bodies teary-eyed?? I’m not saying I don’t feel the love. Because really I do. But I also know that my reality doesn’t always fall in line with what’s going on in other circles. I can watch the interactions of the kids, people on the street, etc. to see that. Not to mention the videos.

Is identifying the cause enough? A lot of people don’t see there’s a problem. A basic lack of respect and human decency. Please don’t give me that, “This happens in all communities. We just don’t see it.” line because I don’t care what goes on there. My first priorities are as follows: my house, my community, my city, my state, my country, and so on. Ego centrism–it’s the new black! How do you get people to see that what they have been doing, and doing well, is a problem? Maybe it’s only a problem to me.

If Tupac can read an article about a deap hooker and be moved to write about Brenda and her baby, then why can’t non-celebs get upset when little Shawnkeitha gets shot outside of a Black club in DC?? I’m talking upset to the point they are moved to do something? To the point where her parents and friends are willing to hit the pavement and do their own investigation and get the media and cops more involved?? To the point where the Black cop leans over her body and is sincerely moved, disturbed even, like he knew her?