(Jan. 15, 2023 ● Oslin Pierrette)
We need new institutions. We need to create institutions that accommodate us, build a structure that complements who we are, what we love, that are for us. We need to be in places that value us, and that’s it, we can’t accept anything less.
I think it’s important to bring up Dr. Martin Luther King in this. I remember there were black people around the time of Dr. Martin Luther King, who didn’t like or opposed him. And I’m like, what??? How can you not like Dr. King? And I understand now that integration had very harsh impacts for the black communities. I love that we were able to have civil rights acts, anti-discriminatory acts passed. But where integration hurts us, is where you have black people wanting to be accepted too badly into these institutions that don’t want to accommodate them. Wanting the access to integrate in places where they’re looked at as garbage.
Integrating into those institutions led to destruction of black institutions. It led to their destruction of self reliance. Yes, the black institutions weren’t as great, but it could’ve been built up better. We could’ve created something for ourselves that would’ve accommodated our humans. Instead of integrating into institutions where we are not respected as such. Always being the bottom of the totem pole in those institutions.
I’m sure Martin Luther King was well-intended, but the results weren’t the best, even to his own admittance. According to Belafonte, King responded, “I’ve come upon something that disturbs me deeply. We have fought hard and long for integration…, but I have come to believe that we are integrating into a burning house. I’m afraid that America has lost the moral vision she may have had, and I’m afraid that even as we integrate, we are walking into a place that does not understand that this nation needs to be deeply concerned with the plight of the poor and disenfranchised. Until we commit ourselves to ensuring that the underclass is given justice and opportunity, we will continue to perpetuate the anger and violence that tears the soul of this nation. I fear I am integrating my people into a burning house.” I understand Dr. King’s plight of wanting to integrate humans, it’s a very human plight, just very overly optimistic, and prematurely integrating black people into these institutions. Just think about it, many black owned places at the time, like schools, housing, restaurants, pools & parks, etc. were underdeveloped and under-resourced. So of that time, lot of the youth would have rather been in white-owned spaces, “more valuable”, have the proper resources, and properly functioning. Leaving the black owned places disadvantaged, and underserved. You can see this through the decades after and even before that, be subconsciously perpetuated within black communities, that white or Eurocentric values and things are “better”. People wanting to follow the white or corporate socioeconomic values, and climb that. And it’s not like I have a problem with white or whatever the correct adjective to describe these institutions. They just don’t properly value others, especially black people, they have not been accommodated properly.
And it’s like I’m tired of it. You can’t keep treating us like charity cases. Like we’re not good enough. When we are definitely more than good enough, but still get painted as charity cases with things like affirmative action and diversity & inclusion. When we’re definitely valuable enough to get those positions. We keep being rejected and told we’re not good enough. So things like diversity & inclusion make it seem we are only there because we’re charity cases, when we’re exponentially beyond that. Also we simply don’t get respected and put in our proper light. We will always be less than and charity cases in these institutions. Why accept that? Why accept less? Why try to prove yourself to these people? I never understood, “I’m gonna show you guys that I’m good enough” mentality, to people who just illustrate utter disgust to you, or don’t care to value you in your proper light. Why do you want to integrate to a table that looks at you with disgust, or don’t care to respect you as you should, to prove you’re human to them. Obviously you are human, if people don’t care to respect that, then move on. Just go to a table or create a table that accommodates you as you are and that also accommodates your beauty. Create houses and communities around that foundation. And don’t ever budge, especially for institutions that never valued you as human or in your proper light. I don’t care how good those benefits are. Selling out isn’t worth it. The guy who sold out the Black Panthers and Fred Hampton couldn’t live with himself.
Like I hate the saying you have to be twice as good(and honestly sometimes better than that) to get half the benefits. And it’s like why? Why accept that? Why do you have to be super excellent for what others can be very mediocre at, why? And it goes back to, why would I want to be a part of an institution with those values? Why would I want to be accepted at that table? When we can go create our own table and be accepted as human. Where your excellence will be put in proper lights. And we can’t be outshined by mediocrity, that is absurd, and I will not accept absurdity as reality. Also I don’t like the multi-decade long complaints of not being seen in our proper light, or for not being accommodated. If for decades we have seen, these people clearly do not want us to be accommodated. Like that’s insanity on our parts. For decades complaining to the house for the injustices that they keep enacting on us, not accommodating us, then going right back into the house that did that to you and people like you for decades, then complaining when it happens again. We have the answer, they will not accommodate us, so why do we constantly keep going back.
We can’t wait for things to get better for us. No one is going to offer freedom on a platter for you, you have to create it. Another quote by Dr. King that I agree with, “Freedom is never given voluntarily by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” I agree with this sentiment, but I’ll take it a step further. Freedom will not be given, it must be created. You’re wasting time complaining about your injustices, that will not be properly corrected for you by just demanding and complaining about it. Freedom and all your answers will not be spoon fed to you, or put on your plate. You have to create it. That has always been the answer. Yelling at the face of “your oppressor” is understandable, but at the same time insane. If your oppressor is the entity that caused your egregious oppression. Also if you understand the other egregiously absurd injustices they have directly created themselves, you would not look at those people and expect mercy, or for them to give you better days ahead.
Let’s take a look at how integration looks. Especially for black people. Now they have to adjust to a society that doesn’t accommodate their natural being. So they have to get “cleaned up”, look proper enough, and be able to “fit in”. Erasing their natural essence because it isn’t valued. Then take whatever is on the lower end of the totem pole. Probably excel and be amongst the top of whatever they do, and still earn less or get less respect than other mediocre people. Because even though they’re excelling, the institutions do not care to respect or accommodate them. But they stay, because they want the white validation so bad.
Then you have your token blacks. These are a small select few amongst the black population. Like in the entertainment industry, they get to live this luxurious lifestyle. Be able to finally make it. In exchange for the ability to have that extreme comfort and luxury, they have to be a representative for the institution, to show that the institution is diverse. And some, and sometimes many black people will receive it like big changes are happening for black people, progress. When in reality, that person is completely controlled, to purport whatever the institution wants them to. They are used to quiet the cries and complaints of the black masses, when in actuality nothing has changed for them. A black person being chosen means nothing to the change of the institution. It was always a terrible ideal and overly optimistic, that black people can change and correct these institutions by going inside them and changing some things. The design is working the way they wanted these institutions to work.
Institutions also have plants to control the black image and culture how they want as well, whatever suits the institution agenda and interests the most. The black masses look at these plants, and aspire to have what they have. And when a select few get the opportunity to be one of them, a lot of the time, they buy into being the token, and adjust themselves to “fit in”, and purport whatever the institution wants them to, just an instrument of the institution. And there have been cycles of this. Where the institution has amassed a huge amount of influence on black culture. And the whole time, these plants were living a facade. They were always under control, or else they would have to deal with whatever consequences coming their way, especially from the dark industry. One of them being lost of that comfy support, that the plants were very institutionalized in, that led to a lot of them staying in line.
Just think about black art and creations. Think about “black” culture. All those things that black people have created and generated. You can go back many years, and decades worth of creations. Black people do not own those things.
People wanted so badly to be accepted, that they sold away all their rights. And it’s really not many creatives’ faults, it was done unknowingly, with extreme levels of manipulations. But there has been this culture of black entertainers and musicians knowing the dark side of the entertainment and music industry, and letting other black creatives go down that abyss. Not warning them of the egregious manipulation to come. And now look at what that has done.
Black people don’t own the majority of black music. They don’t dictate the black image or culture anymore. It’s all a commodity that the corporations and labels run. Look at everything they generated that could’ve been used to spark an economy and sustainability within black communities, but all that wealth is in the hand of others. Gave it all to these institutions that don’t value them at all. Don’t care about black culture, Hip-Hop, their well-being, but use and egregiously abuse it for their own self interests. Now look at today’s product of Hip-Hop, and black culture. It’s basically completely sold out, it’s a full-on commodity. It’s a self destructive gimmick. Sometimes there’s cool stuff, but never really anything that evokes the amazingness that used to be attached to Hip-Hop, turned into a more monotonous, apathetic, repetitive, and regurgitated culture. Honestly it’s looking like Hip-Hop is near death, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Hip-Hop is not black owned, black people do not have an executive decision on what’s dictated within it. Whatever image, sound, or whatever within black culture these institutions want to run, they can get any black “creative” to sell their likeness to them and perpetuate whatever they want them to. And now we have black people complaining and asking these institutions if they can be viewed in the media & art in a better way. It’s not ours to dictate. This shouldn’t be the way.
Your culture, your names, your likeness, your music, your image has been decimated by these institutions that never accepted you, or care to respect you. They used you up, and dried you out. Just accept that, and move on. Let those things go. Whatever is left is a commodity that anybody can access, for their use, however they want to, whether they respect it or not. It’s time to build something new. Something that accommodates you. That you can’t sell out, because we already have the answer to what happens when that occurs.
I know this mainly has been directed to black people, but I’m also pro-beauty, pro-creative, however they come, as they are. As long as they have care, have aspirations, have passion, can display a skillset, but also respect the ones aspiring and want to put in the work to build a skillset. I’m all for that and those people, again, however they come. I believe if we get together and build within, keep it in the family basically. That’s how you properly structure the foundation. You need creative attributes and aspiration to be a part, keep anything else outside. No vultures allowed. Put all the resources together to build houses together, and be able to build strong communities. Also be run by a meritocracy, based on skill, talent, and quality of work. People’s work, work ethic, and passion will do the speaking for their progression in their fields. And don’t let anything unreasonable, especially outsiders break up the family.
Like I look at this where Ye was building a super team, before any of the controversy happens that started with him going to the hospital. He gathered the best designers, creatives, models, celebrities, artists, etc. working towards common goals and visions. A super creative movement would have spawned from this. One that would not be owned by the institution. That would not only rival, but decimate anything that would’ve challenged it. That’s where you see the institution get worried, and do what they always do. Like from my other piece, they started corporating and playing those games they constantly play. They manipulated that situation, divided, conquered, poached, changed rules, just completely messed up the game board to their advantage. They couldn’t by any means let that movement happen. And a lot of those people went to flourish separately. Basically what happened to the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden Thunder. What if they all stayed together, that would’ve been scary for the industry. But the family got broken apart. The institution can handle them all separate, but together they would’ve been a different beast. The institution probably saw their own demise within that. And that’s the answer, creatives need to band together and stay together, never sell out.
Sentiments like this will lead to people being seen in their proper lights. This will lead to people receiving their just due. This will build a more healthy and growing economy in the arts, that aspirers will have access to, which will allow them to build something for themselves. They will be able to join a house and community that accommodates them as they are. This is what everyone should aspire to build.
I was also thinking about how certain movements should be revamped. But I don’t think that certain movements will pop. But then I had the thought, why does it have to. Why is there this addiction for things to work in the mainstream as a sign of success? Some movements are sometimes for the niche people that rock with that. And the people who appreciate it, will come. And that’s all that matters. Not everything has to appeal to the masses, and that’s not a bad thing at all sometimes. As long as the niche accommodates you, that’s all that matters.
Also connect with with your likeminded peers and contemporaries. Bring your resources together to accomplish what you need. You don’t always have to resort to asking the “higher powers” at be for a life force. You can connect with the people around you to create the life force, and it’s better that way. You get to work and create something with the people, where the real life is at. People that actually have the ability to see your vision, and it’s more gratifying to work and build with your people, and creating something for yourselves.
Now to go back to black institutions. And I’m just running ideas that I think will work, if done properly. You hear a lot about black people not being accommodated in these institutions, whether it’s education, banking, healthcare, etc. Like you see a black person can’t graduate unless they shave off their locs. You’ll see black women not get tended to in hospitals, because doctors and healthcare workers don’t believe, respect, or care about their pain or well-being, which is egregious. You hear a lot about black people being denied loans, which is denying them the opportunity they may need. There’s a lot more instances with things like this. And this is for any group of people. If your community doesn’t like how certain institutions operate, you can ask them to change it, but if they don’t want to, they don’t have to. They can operate their institution however they want, even if they don’t want to accommodate you. After a while it’s insane to complain to an institution who won’t budge, stop protesting. Why don’t your community as a group, put all you can together and build another institution. You don’t like the way you’re getting fed, gather some people and create a farm. Think about it, some households are probably spending thousands of dollars on chicken a year. Why don’t multiple households put that up to create a chicken farm, or whatever it is. Now a community can have food that accommodates them, while creating an economy that the community can invest in. And if that idea seems too out of pocket, the community should come together to build a bank together. A bank that will accommodate the black community, their ideas, and their businesses. And the community is coming together as a group, to build certain institutions, putting all their resources and credit together, I’m pretty sure you will have more success. That will lead to more success in creating more institutions that will accommodate those black communities, and again generating more of an economy for them. And you can do that for the education system within the community, and putting a heavy emphasis on that, also an education system that includes how to build & grow communities, and economies within them. Then growing healthcare institutions within the community, and having homegrown people that care about the community, placed in these institutions. Build black supermarkets(which would probably be a good idea, with these soaring food prices) and restaurants. Build black creative centers. I don’t know a way a community can lose, when they build as a community. And I’m using black communities as an example because they are the most disenfranchised people. Other people can do it too. I just really want black people to finally have institutions, and be able to have something to resort to that actually accommodates them. I would love to see the day that one black community becomes the blueprint for this. And I’ve seen black neighborhoods that are very close-knit and family oriented, I know some neighborhoods have the ability and trust to come together. We can’t wait for it to happen for us, the world has told black people enough times that they don’t want to accommodate us, we have to create it.