Martin, Christopher, Barack

January. A month of great men. Certainly, there is the birthday of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr, the release of Notorious, a glimpse into the person of Christopher Wallace, and the Inauguration of Barack Obama-44th President of the Untied States of America. Say what you will, but these three men have made significant contributions to American culture and to the way Black people are viewed by other cultures. What is interesting to me, in the intergenerational impact.

We can look at these three and say, "Wow! There is a figure that speaks to a specific point in time in the history of Black American culture." Martin for the elders, Biggie for the adults, and Barack for the children who will inevitably take the sacrifices forgranted. In a way it's great because they will not suffer the mental and psychological anguish of "it'll never happen because of...". In a way it will be awful if we do not instill in them that these strides were not easily attained but were the result of hard fought battles and incessant crashing against boulders until they became mere stone and pebble. This, I often think has been the failure of those who propsered as a result of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Movements. In an effort to spare their children the hardship and pain, they didn't discuss the struggles and created a world where their children were isolated in worlds of privilege and prestige. With this came the creation and birth of Biggie.

There really was no reason for Biggie to exist. Not in the wake of civil rights and the black power movement, however, he did and that was due to no one really wanting to address the disparities still existent in the worlds of haves and have-nots. Nope. The lower rungs on the climb to success and equality were quite nicely under/over looked until it seemed that the women, black and white were choosing these kinds of men to love and submit to. I like to think that it is due to the roughness these men still possess. That warrior energy that unfortunately was used for the wrong purposes, however, the redemptive qualities of both music and success demonstrated to Mr. Wallace that life is to be lived and enjoyed. For me, this last was really an intense point of reflection. As a recipient of the benefits awarded by the civil rights and black power movements, a female counter-part of the "endangered black male" and proud mother and educator, I give thanks at the privilege of being so thoroughly allowed to witness these mens existence, but moreso, to understand and acknowledge that history is made constantly.

We just never seem to understand that our actions are constantly making and shaping it.