For Blackness sake

As I ride around the City of Detroit, one thing is apparent: Detroit is in trouble. And there is one little phrase that got us here: For Blackness sake.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm down with the Panthers, Africana and Kenthe Cloth, but I can no longer stand idly by while our city goes to ruins for Blackness sake.
Since the early 1970's there has been a consistent theme in Detroit: For Blackness sake. For Blackness sake every mayor since that time period has been Black. For Blackness sake we can't elect Freeman Hendrix, he's not Black enough.

Why is it that the people of Detroit believe in order to serve south of 8 Mile Road, you have to be black? The citizenry of Detroit blindly follow criminals and those unqualified to lead for Blackness sake. We've elected entertainers who consider their elected positions secondary for Blackness sake. We've apologized for convicted ex-politicians for Blackness sake. We even ostracize those who can help for Blackness sake.

For Blackness sake, we can't have them coming in trying to take over our city. For Blackness sake, we can't allow them to take our jewels (incidentally why do we stereotypically equate anything of value with jewelry). For Blackness sake we belittle the academic accomplishments of some of our young people while celebrating the prison release of others. And will someone please explain to me how a person can sound white or like white music?

We envy the school systems of the surburbs, yet we pick a school board with a member who changes his name to Reverend to get elected. And guess what, in Detroit it works. And yet we blow a fuse when our voting record is called into question. Of course that is all based on the predications of 30 odd percent that actually votes.

For Blackness sake, we complain at the beauty and barber shops. We complain on the radio, on television, in the news papers and even in blogs (for the record I have pounded the pavement for campaigns, I have worked with voter registration and education and I continue to try to raise awareness for a Detroit of which we can all be proud). For Blackness sake, our solution to our troubled city is to move away. It galls me to no end that the very people who can bail out this sinking ship that is Detroit, are the first ones to abandon ship.

We continue to elect "Baby Girl" and "Brotha Man" out of some warped sense of race loyalty regardless of the fact that the aforementioned politicians continue to wrong us. They misrepresent us; they steal; they lie; they use and abuse; and they embarass us. And yet we continue to put them in office, for Blackness sake.

"For Blackness sake, it's okay if my brotha or sista skims a little off top. White folks have been doing that forever." Whatever happened to "two wrongs, does not make a right?"

Let me bold this next comment: NO MORE PEOPLE WITH QUESTIONABLE MORALS IN PUBLIC OFFICE. Let's demand better for ourselves, our children and our city. We should no longer elect on names, or buddies or neighbors or because someones production company throws a good party.

On election day the word ACCOUNTABILITY should be on everyone's mind. "For Blackness sake, nobody's perfect. Let's forgive and forget." On the contrary, we should forgive but never forget. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting different results.

Good leadership should not be determined by color. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Black leadership. I just have a problem with corrupt, ineffectual, amoral, self serving Black leadership.

Public servants are supposed to serve the public not pretend to be kings and queens or lords and ladies. "For Blackness sake" should be a positive phrase. From this point forth, let's use it as such.

For Blackness sake, let's stop the crab mentality by lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down. For Blackness sake, let's be proud instead of ashamed of Detroit. If we as it's current and former citizens continue to run the city down to anyone who will listen, we will eventually begin to believe our own bad press.

For Blackness sake, white people are not evil because they are white. People who live north of 8 Mile Road can and should care about what happens in the city. And just because someone lives in the city limits, that does not automatically make them what's best for the city.

For Blackness sake, let's make ourselves better. Let's make Detroit the best. We have the knowledge, we have the power. Let's take the time.