Lemme preface by telling you this: This article may come off to some as Self righteous, as egotistical, as snide. Good. I’m glad. It’s about time someone has the balls to say what I am going to say about our community. Ugly Truth>Pretty Lie any day of the week. So if you feel a certain type of way about this, then it is time for you to sack the fuck up and change your thought process. For real though. No more getting angry because you are squandering every opportunity that is coming your way. No more being lazy and playing this “dumb negro role.”

Now being genetically predisposed to hardships it has taught us that we as a race, shall overcome. In today’s socially aware culture, it is tiring being the “UNFAIRER SKIN.” Why? Lots of reasons honestly. I’ve debated with myself for the past 4 months or so on whether I want to touch social issues (even with 20 ft poles) due to the bandwagonish nature of the subject. Why did I decide to enter the fray you might ask? Because unlike most people, I know my opinion does not matter and I will tell you from the start that I don’t care how you feel. Logic, facts, and truth can anger us. But I’m here to try to give my stern beliefs on the matter. Please Enjoy

Talking about race in America is a hot topic currently. It sells T-shirts. It promotes fake outrage. It promotes sensitivity. It is a tool of propaganda that the naked eye can not see. The reason I feel this way is because, once the smoke clears I am still a black man in America, and most of those protesters can go home to the confides of their cozy homes. Their issues disappear and to prove that they are socially conscience they might share a link on Facebook or they might take a picture with black people. I’m not talking about the non black americans who really do care about our struggle. I’m talking about the ones who probably does not own 1 black movie that is UPLIFTING in their home. The types where the closest thing to a black film that they will have would be “Rush Hour.” You know the type. In this digital age of transparency, a persons status is bigger than the actual being that created it. Just liking a MLK quote during Black History month, can give you street cred. Or following a certain activist online can prove how down you are with the cause. Like we all know the saying: “Everyone wants to be black until the police show up.” Going to Black Lives Matter rallies is just an excuse to rage out. Tying up traffic is not helping the cause at all. My real problem is these same protesters or demonstrators has the power to fight without being disruptive. They give a false imagery to the youth that as black people, we are secondary citizens. That we are inferior to white people. Basically if a white guy kills a black guy the message I receive is “That white guy should have known better to kill a black man. He’s black for gods sake.” But when we kill each other its just “Business as Usual. Nothing to see here.” I could get killed tomorrow by the same protester of the same skin color as me, that partakes in the Black Lives Matter rallies, and nobody would give 2 shits.  How do we stop the injustice then? Simple. Use your check book. If you are upset, fight with economics. That means no going to the club, no buying ciroc, no buying your hair weave of braids (from the Koreans), no going to the movies. How about reintegrating yourself with yourself. Learn the value of self-worth and knowing that even those these laws were not created for us, that you are a beautiful and powerful individual, with or without the newest pairs of jordans, or the freshest hairlines, or the best indian hair weave. Play a Black board game! Read about truths and lies taught to us since the beginning of our arrivals. Learn how to tie a tie. Craft something at home. Help out your fellow black acquaintance without looking for something in return. Be a credit to your race and not a debt. Guys like me have to work harder to prove to the people that I am just not a dumb negro or coon. And what kills me is a lot of us are really smart. Drug Dealers can easily be the best Legal drug dealers if they became legit pharmacist. Boosters can become repo men. ETC. Just think, whatever you are doing, there is a legal way to do it.

In a time of “unity” a black man should have the same views as the majority of his race, correct? Wrong. Hell look at the civil rights movements in the 60’s. Malcolm vs Martin. Black Women vs Black men due to women’s suffrage. Now why does it feel like if I go against my race than I am Uncle Ruckus? Why can’t our race agree to disagree and just let bygones be bygones without fisticuffs ensuing? There are several problems within our community and everyone has an opinion, right? But doesn’t it feel like if you are not intuitively present within not only the Black but African community, that it seems fake? There are plenty of men and women of different ethnicities to aid and help black Americans with little or no notoriety. (<—–What did this Sucka ass dude just say?) It’s true folks.Not every White Person is bad. Same goes for not every police officer is bad as well. Why do I feel this way? Well for starters not every black man is a Nigga, Real Nigga, Hood Nigga, Street Star, Goon, D-boy or any other slang you want to use to stereotype the black man. The same way we as Black people think that every police officer is a cracker, racist, muthaf%$#, is the same thing that OTHER races feel about the Black Man. It’s true, you know how many times in my life I had people of other races shock because I can read? Or giving me a backhanded compliment like “Ohh you speak so well.” Honestly it is because of the dudes I just mention. And these dudes no longer have a stereotypical look. When you see people wanting or needing to act like a black man, Myself will be glossed over easily for the DBOY. Do you know how many times I got called “Uncle Tom” or “Sell Out” growing up because I didn’t sell drugs. Or because I’ve never been to jail? Several times. I’m immune to it honestly. All because I was different. Because I wanted to skateboard in the projects, or because I wanted to collect marvel cards and listen to Green Day instead of listen to Lunasic or JT Tha Bigga Figga. Did Non Black people know that there is level of blackness? Oh yes apparently to be called a real nigga, you have to do real nigga things. You cant graduate from high school, or college, or take care of your kids, or cry (crying as a black male is forbidden in this fucked up community), or be gay, or be educated, or for god sakes has an opinion that differ from others, or have friends from different cultures or religions. You got to put in that work!

Its things that we as a people must do. Right now if you can, show of hands of you that has an African-American board game? Or know that there are 19 black owned banks here in the United States? Or who legendary Activists Dick Gregory is? Or know about Pan Africanism? Or Visited the M.O.A.D. (Museum Of African Diaspora)? Or has got different spirituality readings from Islam, 5%ers, Yoruba, Maasai or the many native religions that Christianity has tried to erase from our existence. Even though I, Tareau Barron do not agree with Islamic philosophies nor at all the 5%ers. I’ve read about it. To disagree from something a far is easy. I wanted to challenge my spirituality and it was hard. But what did change is seeing how the world views the black man. Yet we are the most emmulated being in the history of mankind. But for bad reasonings. Everybody wants to be us for athletic prowess or for aesthetics, but not for our brains. Not for our foundations and morals. We have little to none. There is no respect in our communities, largely because rap music and crack has torn us apart (Pot meets kettle because my sons are named Naszir & Rayquan). It’s true however, listen to DMX straight everyday for a week and you would be ready to fight every black person you see. Listen to Marvin Gaye or Talib Kweli for a week and your whole outlook will change. What is sad is that as much as I loved rap music, I can see how much damage it has done to our community. People want bullshit, hate, anger, and stereotypical viewpoints that sets us back 1000 years, so that is the reason why Nicki Minaj has 500,000,000 youtube views for “Anaconda” and Ledisi’s “Pieces of Me”, only has 5 million. When it comes to black entertainment in America, I as a black man (light skint black man) knows colorism within ourselves exists.And its far beyond the “School Daze” type of joking.

Any time Hollywood wants a black point of view, thew go to the bi-racial, lightest person they can find. I as light skinned man find this shameful. (Like Zoe Saladana playing Nina Simone) Colorism is real. Although we cannot control our hues, we have to acknowledge that it will always exist. No my brother, the shit is real. I’ll be a fool if I told you that it doesn’t exist. I know that as a lighter skinned black, that I would get preferential treatment. There’s nepotism within our own color structures. People of the fairer skin sees me as less threatening. People of different races will often take my view points (like I’m their token black friend) and somehow implement in their mind that my voice is the voice for 20 million different shades of black America. I wished growing up I was darker. Light skinned brothas like myself were always labeled as stuck up, bourgeois, white boy, and weird. I don’t know how many chocolate sisters would say “I don’t date light skinned blacks.” OUCH!! What even sucked is when I started dating outside of my race, I would get shit from my own community about that. Then sometimes you would get the ladies of different ethnicities that would only wanna date the darker brothas. Where do you market yourself then? Am I supposed to be something I am not, to please a potential mate?  Now I know there are stuck up ass light skinned dudes who hate darker women (talking to you Yung Berg), But the same way people misjudge us as a community, we are the biggest culprits of it. Besides all we are doing is the job of WILLIE LYNCH. That’s what colorism does to us. Look It up if you don’t believe me.

Wealth is something that we must address here as well. It is not talked about within our community at all. How many of times have you seen generations of our brothers and sisters on welfare? I grew up on welfare. And the same crack vials that most of my bretheren were selling, my family was buying. Every 1st and 15th I would get a $10 dollar book of food stamps. I would have to take the $10 dollar denomination and go to safeway to buy a 5 cent tomato. Thus getting back 95 cents in change. If you lived that life you already know what the change was for. Not only was this humiliating but it was tiresome as well. Seeing friends and relatives berate the mail man if the welfare check was late every 1st and 15th is demeaning. We do all that hustling and have nothing to show for it. Black America alone has about an alleged $1 Trillion dollars in spending power. But what do we buy. Drugs, Booze, Rims, Chains, Cars, Jordans, and other dumb shit that doesn’t increase our net worth. Drug dealers deal with money all day and I always wondered that they would be the best Auditors in the history of the US. You cant go to a Dboy with $9 asking for a dime bag. So imagine what would happen to that junkie? No Imagine if that same dboy was an auditor and you didn’t pay yo taxes on time.?? Man that is a scary thought right? I myself am just studying wealth, 401k, IRA, bonds, CD’s, portfolios, assets, losses etc. This shit was not taught to me. Jewish, Asian,White families alike all learn this shit while they are in the 7th grade or so. Not us. Hell we don’t even tip great customer service. We want a deal or hook up on everything. On the flip side as a black consumer, Our people has the worst customer service, business etiquette and accumen. Lets say a black barbershop. How many times has this happened to you? You schedule a 3pm haircut appointment. You get to the barbershop at 255pm. The barber is just starting the client before you. He guiltily looks at you and say “Hey I’m only gonna be like 15 mins, I got sidetracked, is that cool?” So as a consumer is that my fault that you got behind? I come all out my way to make it here on time to not get greeted properly when I walk into an establishment (but let a white guy walks and he gets the best greeting ever. aww man) for you to tell me that you wont be able to cut me till 320pm? So my time isn’t valuable? I don’t have other plans after the haircut? Why should I feel obligated to support black business because of my skin color, when they cant give me ADEQUATE customer service? Food for thought. My black life doesn’t matter then, right (hahhahahahahahahaha see what I did there)?  We need to save money and just try to educate the youth. We are the only race where we need show money or kiss my ass money or walking around money. We love to floss. Why? Is it the age-old of analogy of never having anything?

Look at my city San Francisco Ca. Less than 6% of the population is black. 39,000. A city where it prides itself on diversity, sure has dropped the ball in the black community. I blame our elders. They should have bought as much property as they could of and supported each other. Once the Mahattanization of San Francisco took place, black homeowners (who owned beautiful Victorians) were getting money thrown their way to move out. And they did. Not realizing that the ones who stayed behind, would not be able to fight the future process of gentrification and the “Exodus of Blacks.” Because of this, there is no Middle Clasd or Upper Middle Class black neighborhoods anywhere in San Francisco anymore, Shit I don’t even think there are any left in the bay area. Shit just think Willie Mays couldn’t even buy a home here in the late 1950s because of skin color. Isnt that even more of a reason to hold on to any piece of this 49 square mile area??

African-American Vs. African. Yes I said it. The “They don’t like us mentality” varies from who you talk to. I’ve heard both sides of the coin. Large percentage of Africans believe that we have squandered our opportunity here in America to be better people and to show unity. Are they right? Hell Yea. Just look at when the US treasury announced that Harriet Tubman will be replacing Thomas Jefferson on the $20 bill. Most of the hurtful comments were from black Americans. “Oh she looks like a monkey” “She’s ugly” etc. Uh Hello there, that’s what we all look like. From our artifacts, to folklores, to diety’s, to yes even the people we have those types of features. I’m proud of my peanut head and big nose and lips. How come you are not? Oh that’s white (see what I did there), you’re too busy trying to conform yourself into these unrealistic Eurocentric beauty standards. Skin Bleaching, Weaves, Plastic Surgeries etc. Oh hell no, heaven forbid you cut your hair and wear beautiful micro braids or a nice afro puff or grow dreadlocks. Another reason from my interaction with natives from the motherland is I found out that their work ethic is 10 times harder than ours. They preach education. They preach hard work no matter what the job is. They preach togetherness. Us African American’s only preach it when it is too late. Speaking of too late, I think I will end this topic for now. Please stay tuned for future rants from me about our community. Till then zzzzzzzzzzzzz