Tag: Racism

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The Ghetto Life…What the World Looks Like When?

JusMee
The ghetto life
Basketball player training outdoors

The ghetto life — typically poor, predominantly black neighborhoods — have become microcosms of racial tensions and social injustice.

There is nearly 1.5 million Black youth in the U.S. living in areas considered “statistically high risk” for social, economic, and cultural failure.

For Black youth living in urban ghettos across the country, their experience with racism is more than just an abstract concept or a history lesson—it’s their everyday reality.

 It can be especially difficult to navigate this world as a young person of color whose experiences are often alienated by society or invalidated as unimportant.

 Even

Sidewalk
Sidewalk

within marginalized communities, it can feel like you’re the only person who sees things differently — then you’re the only one who feels so alone and misunderstood. 

The isolation that comes with being different from your peers can be incredibly destabilizing and alienating.

The ghetto life…here’s what it looks like to be a Black youth today!

https://jusmeetwo.com/being-black-in-america/

Everyday Racism: What It Feels Like to Be Black in America

The most frustrating part about being Black in America for many Black youths is that it’s a struggle that never really ends. 

While there’s certainly value in reflecting on racism and racial inequality history, it’s also important to acknowledge that today’s issues are alive. 

Everyday racism is the feeling of being profiled by law enforcement, given a cynical eye from a store clerk. 

Unfortunately, it’s always been this way, but there are more occasions where people openly ridicule or make jokes about race nowadays- especially since Donald Trump got elected president!

Everyday racism is the feeling that you’re always under surveillance, receiving a side-eye from a stranger on the subway, and being the only Black person in the elevator or the feeling that you’re always the outsider.

The Ghetto life..Discrimination Is Inescapable

Being Black in America often means that you’re being actively discriminated against. 

And unfortunately, this discrimination often occurs in places where you’d expect it to be least tolerated;

That said…discrimination can be both explicit and implicit — it can be intentional, but it can also be unintentional and subconscious. 

Black youth experience discrimination in all of its forms. It takes many forms, including the disproportionate discipline of Black youth in schools;

The under-representation of Black people in the workforce, leadership positions, and the racial biases of teachers or other authority figures. 

Discrimination also plays out in the form of stereotypes and harmful assumptions about Black culture. 

the ghetto life…You’re Constantly Being Judged Based on Your Appearance

The ghetto life
Couple of hip-hop afroamerican on undergraund

What’s more,  blackness is often associated with being “thugged-out,” wearing gold chains, having braids or dreads, or having tattoos covering your body. 

The insidious stigma around our Blackness often creates a certain aesthetic expectation for people to fit; and for many Black youth, these expectations can feel restrictive and judgmental.

Additionally, it can be incredibly isolating to be judged based on your appearance rather than your character — but it’s important to remember that you are so much more than the way you look. 

You are beautiful, powerful, and enough — no matter what other people think.

The Ghetto Life…People Are Afraid of You — Even Strangers

Nonetheless, stereotypes associated with Black people often make white people uncomfortable and trigger an instinctual fear. 

Which leads white people to treat Black youth like they’re dangerous or aggressive — even when walking down the street. 

This implicit bias is one of the most frustrating parts of being Black.  Likewise..it is  frustrating to watch people cross the street when you walk past them or to struggle to get a taxi ride home because drivers see you as a threat. 

In spite of , how racism make white people feel afraid of you, no matter where you are… studying in the library or shopping in a store …non of that reflects negatively on you.

Good News Is Rare, and Bad News Is Normal …The Ghetto life

The fact that you are Black means that you are more likely to be poor, more likely to be incarcerated, more likely to be unemployed, and more likely to experience a lower healthcare quality. 

These unfortunate realities can make it difficult to find good news to celebrate. And the sad fact is that when we look at the statistics, the conclusion is that things will get worse. 

Therefore, if you’re Black and want to succeed in school, you have to fight against these statistics. You have to be an overachiever to meet the standard of success. 

The Police Are Always Out to Get You

The ghetto life
Police steel handcuffs lying on dark blue jeans background

By comparison…being a Black youth in the United States means that you’re more likely to be stopped by the police,  more likely to be arrested, and more likely to be killed by the police. 

As such, it’s important to remember that the police aren’t your friends — they’re meant to serve and protect the people of your community.

Unfortunately, the police don’t always follow protocol or treat Black people fairly, which can be incredibly frustrating. 

And it can be especially frustrating if you’re a Black youth who has been taught to be respectful and polite to authority figures — but those authority figures aren’t always respectful in return. 

The criminalization of Black youth can be particularly harmful when unfounded suspicions lead to stereotyping.   It also can be scary to think that you could be thrown in jail for doing something as simple as …walking down the street. 

For a black person , it can be difficult to prove that you’re innocent when the police are coming after you — especially when they’re racially biased.

Conclusion

Being a Black youth in America is difficult, but it can also be empowering. 

It can be empowering to know…

  • Your history and understand the strength of your ancestors.
  •  To appreciate your culture and the experiences that make you who you are. 
  • To find a community of people who understand what you’ve been through 
  • And know what it feels like to be a Black youth in America. 

Although being a Black youth in America can feel isolating, so many people go through the same thing as you. You’re not alone — and hopefully, this article can help you understand that.

Thanks for Reading!

The Shooting Of Ahmaud Arbery Was “Murder”

 

… Continue reading

Sojouner Truth
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Sojourner Truth…Is What They Call Her 2

JusMee

Sojourner Truth 


They called her Sojourner Truth, but in actuality, her name was Isabella Baumfree. She was born in 1797 in Ulster County, New York, to James and Elizabethan Baumfree.

Along with her parents, she spent her life on the Johannesburg estate as a slave.

Sojouner Truth

Dutch was her first language since Dutch people enslaved her.

Despite everything, when she turned nine years old, she was sold away from her family to a man near Kingston, New York, named John Neely; He purchased her and some sheep for one hundred dollars.

For the most part, Sojourner was held by John Neely’s until 1808;

then, he sold her to Martinus Schryver of Port Ewen, New York, where she stayed for only 18 months.

Next, she was sold again to John Dumont of West Park, New York. There she remained his property until 1826. As a result of being sold over and over, she decided to escape.

All the more reasons to escape while at the Dumonts, Sojourner was not liked by John Dumont’s wife Elizabeth, experienced tension and harassment from her, and was raped by John.

What is more, through all of the turmoil, Sojourner met and fell in love with an enslaved man named Robert from a neighboring farm in 1815. Simply put, Robert’s owner beat him to death for meeting her against his wishes.

Sojourner Truth…It was Frightening and Horrific.

Sojourner had the pleasure of meeting another enslaved man named Thomas Years later, she had three children, Peter, Elizabeth, and Sophia, with Thomas.

Besides, before Thomas – her first child, James, died as a child. Her second, Diana, was the child of rape by John Dumont.

Shameful…they were still enslaved until adulthood. That law was useless.

That said, New York State passed a law for the gradual abolition of slavery. After July 4, 1799, children born to enslaved women were, by legal definition, free but required to work for their mother’s owner until they were in their twenties (28 for males and 25 for females).

Meanwhile, according to the law, those born before July 4, 1799, were considered indentured servants. The Truth is, in reality, they continued to be enslaved for life.

John Dumont promised to free Sojourner before the final emancipation date of the 1817 law in which all slaves in the State born before July 4, 1799 would become free on July 4, 1827.

Nonetheless, in 1826, before the date, Dumont had a change of mind. To that end, Sojourner freed herself by running away with her infant daughter Sophia.

She would later work to emancipate Peter after Dumont sold him to someone in Alabama in defiance of the law. Read More

Meanwhile, Isaac and Maria Van Wagenen’s in New Paltz, New York, gave Sojourner and Sophia refuge in their home and paid Dumont $20 for her labor until the emancipation day, July 4, 1827.

Straightaway, while staying with the Van Wagenen’s, Sojourner focused her attention on finding her son Peter; with her hosts’ assistance, she filed a court case for a legal hearing to get her son back to New York.

Amazingly, in 1828 the court ruled in her favor for Peter to get him back home to New York. Afterward, in 1829, she and Peter left New Paltz and moved to New York City.

There, Sojourner found a job as a housekeeper, but once again, there was trouble. She was accused of poisoning and stealing from her employers.

In due time she was acquitted of both charges.

Finally, in 1843, Sojourner became a Methodist, called by God, left the city and “testified across the countryside spreading her Truth; took the name Sojourner Truth; touring the country, speaking against slavery.

In 1844, she moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, and wrote a book, named The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: a Northern Slave, which Garrison published.

Eventually, she bought a house in Northampton. She paid off her home three years later by selling photographs of herself captioned, “I sell the shadow to support the substance.”

At the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron,
in May 1851, she spoke “Ain’t I a Woman?”, one of the most famous lessons on African American and women’s rights.

Sojourner Truth travels the United States speaking on matters relating to African Americans and women’s rights and the right to vote.

During the Civil War, Sojourner recruited African American men for the Union Army.

In 1864, while working at the National Freedmen’s Relief Association in Washington, D.C., she met President Abraham Lincoln; and rode on public streetcars in support of desegregation.

Soujourner Truth African Americans’ needs continued to travel and speak as her health declined. Sadly, She passed away in Battle, Michigan, at her home on November 26, 1883, at 86. She was laid to rest in Battle Creek’s Oak Hill Cemetery.

In her life, she tirelessly advocated for African Americans’ rights, women, and numerous reform causes, including prison reform and against capital punishment.

Source of Information
Sojourner Truth (U.S. National Park Service)

 

Thanks for Reading!

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Understand What Is Your Purpose

JusMee

understandI never understand the purpose of anyone’s hate carried in their hearts for people of color. They are cruel, heartless beings. And the way they got rich is even more brutal still. But what can be said about a being who is heartless even though they possess one?”

People seldom talk about how primal emotions have pushed U.S. History where race and tribe are concerned. And yet, it has always been there. It stripped the Native Americans from their ancestral lands, forcing them onto reservations, and forced Africans to work sunup to sundown while being treated as less than human.

African slave families and marriages were not recognized by American law. Owners were free to sell husbands from wives, parents from children, and brothers and sisters. Never to see each other again.

Women and girls were raped and impregnated.

Yes, lack of information has its position in all of that. As does greed, as does hate. But let’s now not overlook fear. Fear of pure white blood, getting tainted. Fear of attack. Fear of being replaced.

Fear of reprisal, a situation that gave power to the “minority,” will deal with the majority as the majority have dealt with the minority.

That soon, no white racial crew will be in a function to declare numerical dominance.

Some white people are horrified, envisioning not calling all the shots..not being in charge. And horrific things have a tendency to occur when white human beings — specifically white men— get scared.

Hence, there are more mixed-race people than white people. Hence, Pittsburgh, Charlottesville, and Charleston. Accordingly, the spike in voter suppression. Hence Donald Trump.

And, consequently, a mob of essential white, commonly men, smashing thru the sacred house of the U.S. Capitol. Economic anxiety? Who’s extra economically anxious than Black and brown people? And how many Capitols have they breached?Read More

Senator Tim Scott, how could you say America isn’t Racist? What rock have you been living under?

Wake-up America is full of Racism.

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The insane, the stupid, and the lousy

JusMee

The insaneThe insane, the stupid, and the lousy weather destroy, spoiled,
by the so-called Conservative mindset.

Is aid to the poor a movement towards equality, or is it an inequitable burden for the middle and upper classes?

Does permission for abortion defend American women’s freedom, or does it promote the end of human life?


Or elected officials representatives of the people, or is it only for themselves? These and many other issues reflect a wide range of political attitudes that shape the way Americans participate in government and politics.


Are you a Liberal? What are you, Conservative?

Political labeling becomes unclear as to the boundaries between liberalism and conservatism fade. Some people think all in one category or the other.

The words “liberal” and “conservative” mean different things to different people, but they generally describe contrasting political ideologies, worldviews that reflect an individual’s values and ideas.

In general, a Liberal ideology favors the government’s power to regulate the economy and ensure fairness and equal opportunity.

For the most part, liberals believe that the government should do more to help minorities, the homeless, women, the elderly, and society’s “have-nots.” They also think that the government should provide foreign aid to countries in need.

Additionally, Liberals are generally supportive of a tax system that taxes the wealthy more than the poor, while the Conservatives care more about protecting their wealth by paying fewer taxes.

The Conservatives may have at some point in time believed in justice and equal opportunity for all.

However, today’s CONSERVATIVES believe that individuals are primarily responsible for their well-being; and the only responsibility of the government is to ensure people have the freedom to pursue their dreams.

In the real world, how do you pursue dreams when you lack the resources to do so? It’s a known fact that most people live paycheck to paycheck without extra resources to attempt following any of their damn dreams.

Meanwhile, why is that government support come from the local and state levels, preferably from families and private charities? It’s tax dollars that fund the government; therefore, it should be tax dollars that support the have nots.

In the eyes of a Conservative government, it infringes on individual rights. The RICH MAN RIGHTS TO BE EXACT.

Election scandals and apathy…The Insane

Most recall the public’s skepticism about the Watergate scandal that shook America in the early 1970s. Then, former President Richard Nixon said goodbye as he embarked into his helicopter following his resignation in 1974.


Since the mid-sixties, Americans have become more and more frustrated with the government? The negativism is attributed to the disillusionment caused by the government’s handling of the issues.

Former President Lyndon Johnson was accused of lying to the public about the progress of the war. In contrast, former President Richard Nixon got caught in a web of deception in the cover-up of the 1972 break-in of the Democratic Party’s campaign office in the Watergate building.

The IRAN-CONTRA SCANDAL tainted former President Reagan’s administration, and former President Bill Clinton was charged with obstructing evidence in a civil lawsuit against him.

. The past presidents have made mistakes that once had an enduring impact until the Trump Administration was sworn into the White House. All of the past scandals became mute and less harmful to the country. Trumps’ scandals and inundated the airways creating a more significant impact on the people and the government.

He gave racists a platform and strength to come out of hiding. They did it gleefully and openly, with no white robes and masks hiding their faces.

The media is responsible for reporting information on government and politics.


Back then, it was the 1974 Watergate hearings broadcasted on television. Millions of Americans followed the procedure and anticipated responses to essential issues. “Like were top White House officials involved in the deception, and how much did Nixon know about what happened? Did he lie to the people?

Fortunately, Nixon was forced to resign due to the overwhelming public opinion of him. Not so for POTUS 45. Twice impeached, twice not convicted, incited an insurrection based on nothing but INSIDIOUS lies that poisoned the minds of gullible stupid lunatics and tried hard to disenfranchise millions of people of color votes with STOP THE STEAL madness.

In conclusion, the insidious lie continues to loom overhead with bumbling elected politicians engaging in catastrophe terrorist activities without any accountability.

It is SCANDALOUS

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White Couple Goes Uncharged

JusMee

A Connecticut woman is demanding justice after being attacked by a white man and his girlfriend while working at the front desk at a Quality Inn. …

White Couple Goes Uncharged After Savagely Attacking Black Woman

To bring light to the stupidity of white people that seem to feel like its open season on black people …just because you want to do it.

That being the case…I want to say this WHAT THE FNK is wrong with you mindless ignorant ass people, attacking black people for no dam good reason. In case you don’t know, our lives do matter.
Despite what you may have been taught by your parents…being born white DOES NOT MAKE YOU THE SUPERIOR RACE. What does it give you the impression that you can do what you want without being held accountable?

That’s a troubling thought. You might not think so, but I certainly do. There have been to many black and brown people attacked, injured, and murdered by you.

Let’s get something straight right now, and not all black people are criminals, lazy, and looking for handouts. Bullshit!

Every individual has the right to be treated equally and with kindness. And let me be clear about something I am now just talking about the racist. I am talking about our black and brown people that share your views.

The article above is a repost from Essence magazine. It pissed me off how that couple felt the need to attach her, and the police do not take action!

I do believe that one day people will be able to look past the color of the skin, and only see the person for who they are.

Finally,
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

Nelson Mandela