Blackness 101: 10 Things All Black People Should (At Least) Be Aware Of…
I came across this article by, Panama Jackson and couldn’t help but chuckle.
These are his sentiments:
“I can’t believe we haven’t done this. We’ve done movies that all Black people should know. We’ve done songs that all Black people should know. We’ve beat into the ground the Black in America series. For goodness’ sake, we’ve mentioned Flavor Flav on this site at least 100 times. It only seems natural that putting out the definitive list of all things that Black people should (at least) be aware of would be the order of the day. But no, I blame
Jim Jones Lil Mama Kanye for this Shawne Merriman Chad Ochocinco Whitney Houston little orphan AnnieLil Wayne for this.”
1) Roots
We’ve talked about movies and I’m sure this was mentioned, but really, if you’ve not seen this, or don’t know who Alex Haley is (no plagiarize), (or have no clue what I’m even talking about) somebody in your life has deprived you of a vital part of your Blackness. You should be upset about this.
2) Kool-Aid
I’ve found Kool-Aid to be a very polarizing part of Black culture. And yes, I’m calling it a part of Black culture. Almost everybody I know grew up in a Kool-Aid house, or they didn’t because they’re parents specifically didn’t want their kids drinking Kool-Aid. If that ain’t some Black sh*t, I don’t know what is. You know some of us love to think we’re too good for stuff, even if we do live in the projects. Then again, I suppose being the most well off of the broke is something worth bragging on. I suppose.
3) Spades
Anytime I meet a Black person who can’t play spades, I’m perplexed. I don’t judge, I’m just perplexed. I don’t even remember learning how to play spades. I just…played. A close second to this is tunk. And quite a few people will throw bid whist into the mix, but spades reigns supreme. Nobody plays bid whist on the hood of a car.
4) The Autobiography of Malcolm X
I’m not even saying you have to have seen the movie, but I feel like this book is required reading for all Black people. Even folks whose sole reading experience rests in the realm of Donny Goines novels have read Malcolm X.
POP THE HOOD TO READ THE REST…
5) Coming To America/The Color Purple
Over Labor Day, I found out that one of my close friends had never seen Coming To America. Coming to America is the Jay-Z of movies. There are so many quotables in this movie. It’s just one of those movies that all Black people see at some point and I think should be mandated. Heck, I’m trying to figure out at what age to introduce my daughter to it right now…and losing sleep over it. Same goes for The Color Purple, which is really a comedy if you think about it.
6) Michael Jackson (RIP)
I don’t care if you think he’s a pedophile, you should at least know, by heart, Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad, and be able to do at least one dance from the Thriller video. I saw a 72-year-old woman hit a Thriller move this past weekend. I also saw a 6-year-old do the same. This is required.
7) What’s Going On/Stevie Wonder’s hits/Motown
Marvin Gaye made arguably the most important album in music history. It makes lists that only white people create. And don’t get me started on Stevie. From “As” to “I Just Called To Say I Love You”, if you haven’t heard Stevie, your life is incomplete like a Sisqo song. And Motown is Motown.
Soul Food (actual food, not bad TV series or serviceable movie)
This one is debatable because Southern white people eat it as well, but really, who was cooking for them? Black people. It’s part of Blackness. Eat some collards, gangsta.
9) Nation of Islam
You ain’t got to be apart of the FOI or anything, but I firmly believe you should know what FOI stands for. From Farrakhan to Muhammad Ali to The Honorable Elijah Mohammed (and of course brotha El Hajj Malik Shabazz), agree or disagree, the nation has played a large part in Black history.
Much like…
10) The Black Panthers
I used to want to be a Black Panther because before crack, they cared. Plus one of the most famous cartoon characters in Black America is named after him (Huey Freeman).
submitted by: Dawn Dai
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I’ve still never seen Coming to America *walks away with head down in shame*
I can’t play spades ):; never seen Roots; never finished watching the Color Purple==guess I should make my self sit through Color Purple and watch Roots huh, I mean since I’m black.
Umm, Roots! Yes I started to watch it and I never got to finish it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I plan-and this is no joke- to get copies of Roots and Amistad and hand it out to young blk ppl or @ least give it to youth groups where young ppl can watch it! Its POWERFULL!
I agree with everything but the spades cuz Idk how to play :’-(
I guess I’m truly black , seen all these movies and had Kool -aid up and through my house .. I also know how play spades and any other hood card games …. Power 2 the ppl…..
SMH!!! Now I was glad to find that I am through and through a sista, but UM ~why did I have to Google … FOI. I am so ashamed that I didn’t know that without looking… Hmm
Hmm, does this mean that im black, I grew up on kool-aid(if it was colored and made with sugar we called it kool-aid), my grandmother cooked all kinds of greens(collards, kale, dandilion, spinache), I have seen both the color purble and roots(when it originaly aired as a serial on tv), I can play spades tunk and dominoes, have seen the movie about malcom x, laughed my ass off watching coming to america(with eddie murphy) and the documentary coming to america, grew up watching the black panthers on tv(news), knew the michael jackson songs by heart and had stevie’s songs on LP(get with your parents(or grand parents in some cases) if you dont know what an LP is). WOW wont my parents be surprised that thier white as snow baby is really black. lol
I grew up in Kansas, and in 4th grade when we learned about the civil war and slavery, we watched Roots. I remember as I was walking out to recess, this sweet white girl in my class was crying and telling me that she was sorry. I told her that she didn’t do it, and she didn’t need to cry. So, at least if you went to McCarter Elementry, white or black, you’ve seen Roots (well, that’s if your parents signed off on the permission slip).