Black Man Stand Up!  Pt.1

The call for Black men to stand up may seam redundant and outdated to some, and yet irrelevant to others. In either case, the call has lost much of its power and momentum, swept away by the winds of violence, drugs and poverty—reality! Much like the energy surrounding President Obama’s historical campaign run for election, The holiday celebration effect takes precedence and now celebrating Black History Month or even Kwanzaa has become somehow insignificant and outdated.

     From the grassroots to the tip of the social, political and economic iceberg, standing up or stepping up to the plate directly involves men from all social classes to transform and improve the current conditions we live under collectively. All bullshit to the side, look at yourself, then look at all the Black men around you and be honest—how does it really look for the home team?

Just ask Black children about their Black fathers and see what they say, if they even know who they are. Then, ask Black women about their thought on todays Black men and see what kind of responses you get.  Then, ask yourself about how you feel about other Black men around you and why? Do you love them? Do you trust them? Are you a living example of what you want your son to be like? Do you model what your daughter should look for in a man?  Lastly, if every male over 17 claims to be a man, what is the criteria? What is the standard?

     I am not going to waste your time pointing out problems about us that you are already aware of. My intention is to stay motivated and encourage other Black men to stay motivated and step up. It is not a question of why, but why not? I offer only a few why’s to meditate on from my very limited knowledge: (M is for Meditation)

M1 To see if we measure up:
Think about the valor of those many men and women who decided it was more honorable to stand firm, stand up and struggle for what the were entitled to instead of sitting on their asses complaining or just flat out laying it down. Part of being a man means being able to bounce back or get back up after being knocked down—right? Well, in order to be knocked down, we must first be willing to stand the fuck up! You may be at one of the lowest points in your life right now, question is, how well will you bounce back?

 M2  It’s what we were asked to do:

 Just name a Black leader revered and/or celebrated by the masses and I bet I can point to a book or a speech where that person instructed us to stand up and man up! Like parents of bosses asking their children to respect the family legacy; like a coach explaining to his or her team about their winning history as a motivation tool; or like runners in a relay hoping that whoever they pass the baton to will give his/her 100% effort towards victory! Out of respect and appreciation, we must stand up, strive and obligate ourselves toward individual and united improvement. We’ve done enough clapping and celebrating to last for centuries. What can we say about our pro-activity and progress?



M3 The criteria of manhood must be clearly defined in our lives:
 The traditional role of man in our society and the role of man prescribed by religious faiths concede that it is our duty to maintain responsible dominion and authority in our world. We are by natural law, responsible for maintaining and raising the standards of manhood. Instead of acting like boys stuck in boyhood and wanting to be treated like men, we must act like men and be worthy of being treated as such!

    The time I right now! We don’t want to work, we want to play!; we don’t want to be educated, we want to be entertained! We don’t want to have to struggle; we want our blessings right now! If that’s what’s up with you, please stay out of the way of those of us who understand the urgency of growth and development and equipping ourselves with the tools which will allow us to live like we want to live.  Nobody cares about our excuses or what were going through right now. All people want to know is what we are going to do about our right now. I feel that it is important to reflect on the following:  (R is for Reflection)

R1 To Become a force: 
We must make our presence felt and respected wherever we go. Reality is, the majority of our peers aren’t willing to go the extra mile which gives those of us who are willing a chance to shine!  Those whom we strive to be like, are those who had the balls  and patience to do what it takes to win. Don’t front, you too want to be relevant and loved by the people who matter in your life, and you want to be appreciated by those whom you love. We must discover our true purpose and live our lives accordingly.

R2 To produce something worthwhile and timeless:
As men, we must be able to influence our environment. Ask yourself, who was the last person you had a positive influence on?  Our minds have the capacity to produce empires, movements and timeless knowledge. We must be able to turn our ideas into tangible realities! In order to do so, our minds have to be connected to the right things. We must focus and pay close attention to the right internal and external stimuli. Our potentials and hidden talents can only be maximized when we commit to self-mastery.

R3 Immortalize ourselves:
Tupac and Biggie have been physically deceased for well over a decade now, but yet, continue to be reborn every time their music is blazing through a speaker. How is it that individuals can be copied, talked about and still have a major influence on millions of others hundreds and thousands of years after they have passed? Theses are the peoples shoes who had been left virtually unfulfilled and whose work is considered unparalleled. We have to raise the bar the same way they did. The legacy of our ideas and deeds can live on forever through others from one generation to the next. Anybody can fuck up, not work, go to prison, etccc… It is easy to do, right? Not everybody has the balls to stand up and be a responsible father, husband, man, and/or role model!

    Our true worth is not defined by material possessions, but by what we posses in spirit. How does one born and raised in the projects, slums, ghetto, barrio, etc.. Become a doctor, lawyer or the CEO of a large corporation ---or even the president?! Will power! If your in prison—with or without a release date, if you are an ex-dope fiend, ex-con, ex-whatever, you can achieve the highest levels of success!
We are designed by God to be  MEN! It is my honor and duty as a 33 yr. old Black Man to stand up and encourage others to do the same! In the midst of a recession, who do you think will suffer the most? Where is the murder capital of the U.S. and what does its population look like? Who has the baby mamma plight? Who is filling up  the jails and prisons?  What are you? What is your purpose? While you are thinking about the answers to those questions—Black Man Stand Up!

Pamoja Tutashinde!

(Let The Black Nation Rise!)

By Kenyatta Sadiki