Black and voting
Aannddd……. Here we go!
Black people specifically and non-white people especially and white people please read this and at least allow it to provoke you to expand your own perspective.
I as a black person experience, as many blacks do, no direct benefit of voting in elections. This has caused my race to have heated discussions around our "duty" to vote and what it means. Is it our duty because we are Americans, let me reword that - African Americans according to every federal form I've had to fill out? Is it our "duty" because of the beatings and killings our race has suffered in the fight to be seen as human beings therefore citizens? Is it foolish to participate in a system that was created without us in mind? Is it foolish to help put some people in office who don't even "see color" therefore do nothing on behalf of colored people?
I don't know!
What I do know is this - the system was not created for us or with us in mind therefore anything that we do will benefit most who it was created for and with whom its ideals were drafted for. Everyone else gets the trickle down affects. Many convince themselves that it is possible that the system miraculously removed all of the venom filled ideals from itself over the years and transformed into a system for all people. I could also say that many black Christians have been taught over the pulpit that the system is actually founded on God's principles and need to be respected and honored along with all those who rule over it. I don't have enough room to get into that in this post.
What I do know is…
When a group of people gather together around any idea power and momentum began to generate. The elections may not directly benefit us and that doesn't have to be the objective because the system was not created with us in mind anyway. The objective at this time could simply be to anchor the idea that together we can create a new reality. Not necessarily in this system - but if that idea catch fire we can burn down the system all together and erect something new. I look at voting as practice in putting action to ideals with my people in mind. Yes I said my people. Why? Because those whom the system was built for don't need my help… they're good.
If you don't understand what I have written and think that it's wrong…..cool, figure out exactly why you think so. Not based off of some regurgitated information but really think about why you believe what you believe and who it benefits most for you not to challenge your beliefs. We live in a world where hunger exists because those who this system is created for and by cannot be satisfied.