Interview with the average (black American) Joe part 2

Interview with the average (Black American) Joe is a presentation of questions and answers put to and answered through a characterization of an average American black man in today’s society.Joe may not be real but the feelings and thoughts of the character express the reality of most black American men striving towards making a better way of life for themselves and their families. These questions were presented in relation to social, political and personal viewpoints from Joe.

Interviewer: A question was asked on a social media page, are you tired of movies about slavery?

Joe: It would be best served to all in and outside our community if they would put real history back in our schools that covers the period of slavery and the civil rights movement. The advancement of blacks in our society is one of honor. We come from more than prancing around a stage with pants sagging shouting the N-word like some badge of honor. I remember back in the seventies there was black slave exploitation movies like "Nigger Charley, Mandingo; well it seems Hollywood has decided once again that there is money to be made from the pain and suffering our ancestors endured through slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. Even Russell Simmons lost his mind to the point he thought exploiting the greatness of Harriett Tubman’s legacy was okay to do. Twelve years a Slave may be a great story to be told but is the movie maker telling it as a reminder of what blacks went through during this era or to just generate dollars to increase their wealth? Is Hollywood using blacks as pawns by exploiting our emotions merely for financial gain? I hope there was not some big board meeting and this idea was hatched because there was a lull in creativity and good scripts; if so "Lord forgive them for they know not what they do".

Question: What frustrates you the most about the depiction of Black Men in society?

Joe: That we are shiftless and lazy. This B.S. is being spewed all over the air waves by the media especially in television and radio. The A-hole host who propel division for capital gain. Then there are the people who watch or call in with their stereotypes of Black Americans especially black men. They see us only as gang bangers and drug dealers or addicts. It's like the more ignorant the commentary the more ratings and dollars they generate from it. In politics we are ridiculed for political gain.

I’ve worked my tail off to barley get a sniff of a decent life for my family and I know there is a long line of us who have pride in themselves for providing for their families and being role models to young black children in our communities. There are bad elements in all walks of life (races and communities). I'm sick of the baby daddy or no daddy stigma that has cast aspersions on Black Men. Any boy can have a baby but it takes a man to step up and raise one. The misconception most people make is that it is the legal age of adulthood that makes a man but the truth is a boy becomes a man when he understands that he must take responsibility for himself and that responsibility extends when he has a family of his own. A man is accountable, dependable and strong in his convictions. He stays on point by knowing the difference between right and wrong.

Purposeful, prideful caring and strong that's what means to be a man.

Do you really want some truth?

Interviewer: Yes (pause) please.

Well here it is: The most feared black American Man is one who has a purpose, a goal and the tools to obtain it.

We are great sons, husbands and fathers etc. Black men have visions and dreams as any other race of males in this country, we work hard. We strive to be good men; we seek quality education and the opportunity to be successful in our chosen fields but most of all we are men of Pride. No one gets to paint us as anything less.

To quote Bruce Lee from the movie Chinese Connection- “We are not weak men”

Look for more interviews with the average (Black American) Joe coming soon.

Interviewer: Unknown