I’m In Love With A White Woman

I’m in love with a white woman. Her smile, her generosity, her positivity, her love of life, her selflessness, her ability to empathize with me, her willingness to understand me and her spirit. If she was black, Asian, green, purple, orange or f*cking Martian I’d still love her the same! I’m not in love with her for her ‘colour’ (race is a construct devised by Blumenbach, to create a hierarchical system, which in part allowed for the justification of slavery, it could be strongly (very strongly) argued that this system is still in play throughout society today. But that’s for another blog post ;) ), I love her for her!

Despite my unapologetic love for her, I’m also unapologetically pro-black. ‘Pro-blackness’ does not equate to ‘anti-whiteness’ and ‘black love’ does not equate to ‘white-hate’. I attended a BlackLivesMatter protest in London in May of this year. People of all races, religions and cultures were in attendance. The protest’s aim was to raise awareness of and give support to the numerous black people who had been slain by police (many of whom were caught on camera doing it) for menial offences, such as selling cigarettes (Eric Garner, rest in power) or having a broken taillight (Sandra Bland, rest in power). Furthermore, many of the victims were not in any way shape or form resisting arrest before they were murdered.

The system in America is made for certain people to advance, and for certain people not too. I encourage you to watch the film ‘13^th’ on Netflix. The title ‘13^th’, relates to the 13^th amendment, which post abolition, stated that slavery was illegal, unless it was used as a punishment for crime. It shows how many people, mainly of black and Latino origins, have been arrested and sentenced for minor offences, but then served lengthy jail-times (i.e. for J-walking). It also highlights racial double-standards. For instance, middle-class white people who have been arrested for cocaine possession have served substantially less jail-time (if any at all) in comparison to black or Latino people for crack-cocaine possession. Different jail-times for drugs made from the same ‘ingredients’? One predominantly found in one type of neighbourhood, the other predominantly found in another. The same drug, but different jail-times (I’ve said that already, but repetition, remains in the memory!).

What’s more pertinent to know, is that there are many private prisons in America. Prisons make money dependending on how many inmates are behind their bars per year. Additionally, many well-known corporations, ‘hire’ inmates (paying many less than $1 an hour), to produce the products that are sold in their establishments. This could explain why the ‘United States is home to five percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of the world’s prisoners’, (Barack Obama). The connection between the corporations, prisons and some politicians is via ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council). ALEC is a group that creates legislation for so called ‘lawmakers’ of state. Many American ‘laws’ are not even made by ‘lawmakers’! These ‘laws’ are in place for corporate gain.

This is by no means an exhaustive explanation, but hopefully this piece can awaken you to that fact ‘that there are companies making millions of dollars off the punishment of human beings’ (Ava DuVernay, director/writer of 13^th). Specifically, I would argue, black human-beings.

Whether it be politicians like Hilary Clinton, calling young black men ‘super-predators’, whom needed to be made to ‘heel’ (which aided her husband Bill Clinton’s ‘crime bill’ which further increased mass incarceration of Americans), or Donald Trump stating publicly that a group of black and Latino men, should be given the death penalty, without evidence might I add (for raping a white woman. All of accused were acquitted, and DNA evidence proved that none of these man had raped the accuser), aggressive tactics have been used to portray black and Latino men in America in a negative light, increasing the fear towards them, further justifying and creating public demand for mass incarceration.

This fear and negatively towards black (and Latino) people, is also why I feel many people are numb, unempathetic and in some cases, welcoming of the murders of unarmed, unresisting black men. When people have been told via the newspaper, radio stations and television, that black people are ‘super-predators’, ‘thugs’, ‘gangsters’, ‘thieves’ and ‘uncivilized’ (many of the stereotypes that have been used to describe black men), so often then they might just start believing it (hence the lack of empathy to these murders). Us humans, are like individual computers, being subconsciously programmed by the words and the information this we receive.  When someone says the word ‘Muslim’ what’s the first word that you think of (be honest!)? I’ve tested this on people that I know, and many people will say ‘terrorist’. I feel this is because the media use the words ‘Muslim’ and ‘terrorist’ so interchangeably, that it has become one in the same in many peoples thinking. Yet when Dylan Roof, a white man who murdered 9 black people in a church in Charleston, was in the news, was he ever called a terrorist (before you say terrorism is only descriptive of the killing of people in the name of religion, please do yourself and I a favour by researching the definition of the word ‘terror’)? No! He was called a ‘lone-wolf’ or ‘mentally ill’. If he had been Muslim, just think how much more intense those adjectives would have been. Furthermore, think how much more intense the negative generalization of the Muslim religion would have been. It seems that in the eyes of the mainstream media, in society and in human consciousness, that there is one rule for one, and one for another.

Anyway, back to the protest. I am a shy and unconfrontational person much of the time, but this something that I had to confront, something that I had to do. I don’t want my future child to learn about these times and think that their daddy did nothing! Even so, protests alone are not enough. As described briefly above, people (to describe oppressors as people in being used in a loose context!) are making huge sums of money out of the oppression of fellow human-beings. Expecting the oppressors to change their minds based on a peaceful protest, would in essence require the oppressors to have a heart and a conscience. I wouldn’t hold my breath on them having either of those! If you look at history the ways in which the oppressed have risen from oppression is via extreme violence or via monetary means/economic strength, not from benevolence from the oppressors. For instance, the Haitian revolution 1791-1804, where the enslaved fought back and took their freedom, which subsequently sparked empowerment of others worldwide, thus getting the abolitionary-wheels rolling! Or the European Jews, once hugely discriminated against under Nazi rule, now combining their money and resources and becoming leading figures in politics, film, media and business and having a sustainable independent community. Even though I do not agree with monopolizing the media (99% of the world’s media is controlled by less than one percent of the world’s population), or the occupation of Palestine and Israel receiving over $30bn over a ten-year period from the US (which is illegal under UN laws). Which has aided the oppression of and war against Palestine. I am merely highlighting that unity and economic muscle can bring about power.

In my heart, in my core beliefs, all people are equal, but unfortunately, we are not all treated equally. Our race, religion, sex and culture (I could go on!), will determine how we are treated in many instance, and will also determine the privileges that we will be able to experience.

For black people, yes self-defence is key, and I understand that in the example of the Haitian Revolution, that if that violent uprising had not happened then I might not here today, using my literacy skills to write to you all (as all enslaved humans were prevented from reading and writing), but for me this would have to be the last resort in this day and age. The game has changed, racism and oppression has become sophisticated and has evolved. Violent uprising, could incur martial law and/or increase mass incarceration. I am by no means an expert, there are people out there with more knowledge than me, and I am by no means saying that passivity is the order of the day, but I do feel that economics is the key. Consciously, trying to buy black, create black businesses and combine black monies together so that black dynasties, conglomerates and corporations can be built, will mean that black people have more of an influence in politics. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to just have a black president. For me, he like most presidents and prime ministers, Obama is just the face. The people in the background are much the same, as those in the Bush administration. The last presidents that wanted to make real positive change, well we know what happened to them!

Dame Dash, co-founder of Roc-a-fella Record, stated that the wealthy American-European Jewish people call black people ‘liquid money’, because a black dollar will circulate in black communities for a few hours, before it is spent in other ethnic groups stores and or communities. Whereas a European Jewish dollar will circulate for about a month! Herein lies the message, money is power. Black spending power and in America and worldwide is huge, but it is not being spent effectively. I feel if used collectively, many of the problems that black people suffer could be significantly reduced.

Before people think this is an attack on white people, well I just want to say ‘get over yourself!’. Not all white people are racist, or agree with the murder or oppression of people who are not white, and I am fully aware of that. There are many white people, who do more for the empowerment and betterment of black people than black people (please take the time to do a Google search on Jane Elliot)! This post is about me giving you ‘facts’, on what oppression is, how it’s been overcome in the past, how it may be overcome today, and also racial double standards. Also, I hope this is explained why I am, I will always be, and will always have to be PRO-BLACK!

Yours,

Ashley Samba.