To the excuse-making Brotha's: Now What's your Excuse?

To the excuse-making Brotha's: Now What's your Excuse?
Current mood: inspired
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Alright Black men who have talked about the world being against you. The honeymoon is over for all of you who complain about not being able to navigate through the world because of your gender and your skin color. Now that the country has elected a Black man into office as the leader of the free world, what will be your excuse as Black men now? Not to say that racism and sexism has spontaneously and completely disappeared with the election of Obama. But now you have to admit that there are good black men who have paved the way for you to work the system. Now you have to admit that with hard work and determination you can excel at whatever you want to do.

When you can't find a job will you say that it's because you're a Black man or will you acknowledge that everyone is in a shitty space because of this economy? Will you consider that it may be the "manly" chip on your shoulder, your mental anticipation of not getting the job that prevents you from getting that job or will you blame the interviewer for not wanting to hire a Black man?

When you choose to have a relationship will you be selective and only engage with the quality women you know you deserve or will you "get with" any woman with poor morals and values, low-self esteem, that can easily be manipulated? Will you allow yourself to be emotionally available and defer to her advice at times because you know you picked a good one who has her shit together, or will you remain distant and stoic in the relationship thinking yourself to be the lone leader? When you lay down with a woman, will you take full responsibility for your choice of partner or will you call her a ho AFTER you sleep with her? Will you take responsibility for not wearing that oh so essential rubber, or will you blame the woman for tricking you into it? Will you man up and not just "take care" of your child but also pay the child support the child needs or will you accuse the mother of being a gold-digger when she drags you to court? Will you go through the necessary legal channels to fight any choices made by the mother that are, in your mind, bad decisions for your children (cause I ain't even gonna deny that there are trifling, scorned women out there) or will you complain and withhold financial support? Will you now get serious and focused on being a good father and husband with a good woman because now you know how very possible it is or will you continue to "play the game" never really making yourself emotionally open to, trusting, respecting, honoring, or committing to a good woman?

When you are wronged by someone or some organization (cause you KNOW that ain't going away overnight) will you internalize the injustice, take your own revenge, or will you go through the proper channels to make the system and the world better for everyone else that has to deal with those same problems?

When you have someone criticizing your dreams or who you are, will you strive to do better to prove them wrong, or will you believe them and use the verbal bashing as an excuse to keep doing what you're doing? Will you accept the challenge of striving to do better in this new post-Obama age or continue to live a life of mediocrity out of fear of trying? Will you take the responsibility of being a good role-model for those within your community and abroad, or will you continue the minstrel antics the entertainment and mass-media dictate to you?

Now that Obama has proven that it doesn't have to be like that, now that we know that many White folks aren't as ignorant and fearful as we thought they were, what will your excuse be now?

I'd love to hear from you. I'd love to get one of these for the Black women in a post-Obama world. Bring it on!