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The fight for equality during the pandemic has caused division within the Black community. Our issues with each other have reared its ugly head and we have allowed the false narratives placed amongst our community to cause fractured discourse. I believe these narratives have detrimental effects and can slow progress towards Black liberation.
The initial goal was and still is to have the basic right to exist, yet the trap has been laid and we continue to fall right in. We must not fall for the divide and conquer tactics, as history has shown us Black freedom movements become co-opted and separated from within. COINTELPRO is the leading example of manufactured dysfunction to tamper down expectations and relieve any external responsibility.
Unfortunately, we do have men and women within our community that are toxic and live in ignorance when it comes to Black people who they do not consider as “normal.” Those are the people who we do not need to entertain or give a voice to express their views, as they are a detriment to our progress. For the rest of us, we care not who one confides in and we are able to live a life where we may not agree with their lifestyles internally, but treat them as family or a friend externally. Mainstream media has once again pitted us against ourselves when the objective is liberation for all Black people, no matter the lifestyle.
We must continue the fight for us and refuse the distractions of division, because our LGBT brothers and sisters are a part of us, too.
There has also been an uprising among Black women who feel that black men do not defend or support black women with the same vigor as they do when they support Black men. It goes without saying, however, that we have males in our community who do not know how to respect a woman through actions and words, but I believe that is not the majority of Black men, compared to what is promoted throughout social media. For every abusive and ignorant Black male, there are 100 Tyrone Muhammads that will defend Black women without a second thought.
There are Black fathers, brothers, cousins, friends who make it their mission to exact revenge on any wrongdoing done upon a female relative or acquaintance. This is the narrative that must become mainstream and we must not let certain incidents become a catalyst for a faux-movement. As a Black man, I can speak for the rest of my male companions and affirm that we care for both Black women and individuals within the LGBT community and will do anything to protect the honor of them with the utmost respect and dignity.
