I love black people, ok?

I want black people to be free, that’s all that matters to me. – “Umi Says” Mos Def.

The other week I wore my new favorite T-shirt (actual image to the left) to my sister’s house. It reads “I love Black People.” My sister said, “you have on a radical T-shirt.” And I immediately responded, “why is it radical for me to love my people?”

And it has got me stoked, over the past couple of weeks I keep thinking about that exchange. And isn’t that a quintessential expression of oppression? To condition a person so much to the point that a simple expression of love for one’s own people is considered to be radical?

Now I know, I know… that if the counter was posed, an ‘I love white people’ Tee-Shirt would be considered racists, but that would be a form of the ‘Imus argument.’ And that would also be a side-step of the point.

That point is that African-American’s have been taught to hate each other and nihilism has been the order of the day so much that to hear someone say that they love black people it almost sounds counter-intuitive.

It goes without saying for most ethnic groups all have the utmost in pride for their heritage. Talk to anyone from the Virgin Islands or any one from the Continent, especially those from Ehtiope… they love their people without question, but blacks that were born in the continental U.S., there is a question mark.

So how about you; do you love black people?

(Side note, I found out recently that Umi is actually Mos Def’s mother.)

Father's day

My present from last year just keeps getting better and better every day.