The Black Man's Burden

As I've said before, I'm black. African-American, pigmentally overloaded or how ever you want refer to it. If you're a little petite white girl, I'm the man your mom's whispered about when you were packing for college. I'm the man you father strictly FORBADE you from talking to when you got to college. The big black guy from the big city. Yep that's me.

Although I'm black, let me destroy all of your preconceived stereotypes of the black male from the city. I'm 33 college educated, i read at least 2 books a month, no convictions, never been shot, never shot any one, never sold drugs, never been in a gang, my pants don't sag (unless i don't have a belt on and that's almost never). I don't wear white tee's. I speak proper English, (although I can be speak and understand the language of the streets very well). I work. No not out on the corner hustling but in an actual office. I pay taxes and and I know who my father is.

Now, with all that out in the open I will always be lumped into the mass of black men who embarrass the shit out of themselves with all the tomfoolery and other idiotic shit they persist in doing on a daily basis. I don't like being lumped into that catergory but its life. Although it shouldn't be. I'm sure you're wondering what has brought this on. Well I have a story. Wanna here it,

Well, here it goes.

Over the weekend I was at a White Sox game. And per our usual, we always find a group of folks to hang with. These groups typically involve groups of women who range in the semi to completely smashed range of drunkenness. They are also mostly white. (Hey don't hate me, its just hard to find black women at U.S Cellular who aren't over the age of 50). On this particular day we ran into a young lady and she decided to talk and hang with me for the majority of the game. No biggie we were standing behind her section any way.

To make a long story short, near the end of the game a rain storm rolls through (again, fucking mother nature, damn woman can't make up her mind) and everyone headed for some kind of shelter. Her group (an entire BUS load) left her. With us. The two black guys from the city. (insert porn music here). At this point she's soaking wet, (HEY get your minds outta the damn gutter I just said it was a raining)so we decided to just leave and call it a night. Us being nice guys decided that we weren't gonna just leave her by her self in an area she didn't know. (I swear this shit does read like a porn script doesn't it).

We make it out to the parking lot and locate her bus. With all the folk who left her. So as we're standing there talking saying good by and what not. You know that general shoot the breeze type of thing one of her friends(drunk) walks up to her and whispers in her ear, ARE YOU SAFE!!!! Notice I said whisper yet we heard her loud and clear. ARE YOU SAFE!! (insert gasps, screeching brakes and crickets)

And there is my problem.. SERIOUSLY!!!!! I'm not one to pull the racism card. Hell I'm actually the last person to pull the racism card but I'm slamming this joint on the table like the set book in a game of spades. That was some insulting and racist shit to say. Flat out, bottom line. Now I could have behaved like a hooligan and called her out her name for the slight but I didn't. I simply bowed my head and laughed. Cause racism is ignorance, and ignorance is funny to me. (Stupid lil tramp).

The sad thing about all of this is, she probably thought there was nothing wrong or insulting with what she said. She was just one friend checking on the "well being" of another. I mean she was genuinely concerned. Even though she left her girl in a ball park, by herself several miles from home with two strange men. She had to have been concerned for her friends safety, especially after those same two men walked her back to the bus, laughing. I mean all black men are heathens and will rape and kill white women and then brag about it in a rap song while sippin a 40'oz bottle of malt liquor. That's what we all do ain't it....Right!?!?!?

I laugh simple because it's a tragic fact of life. Being a black man in this country means we are always guilty until proven innocent. Its not just White America that does this to us. Not just what women. Sista's do it also. OH you think i'm lying. You know when yall go out to the clubs and a man approaches one of your friends. 9 times out of 10 one of you is gonna impinge on the convo cause you aren't sure she's "safe".

So yeah its damn near the cost of being a black man in America. We get blamed for EVERYTHING and get credit for damn near nothing. So from the bottom of my heart and the from hearts of all the GOOD BLACK MEN who go through this shit every day.

FUCK ALL YALL

Now where's my 40 and my gat, FOOLS!!!