Happiness: Defending against the onset of depression
Author: Cherry Speaks
I Am.
I do not want you to think like me. I just want you to think to think.
DEPRESSION? GET OVER IT.
It’s been a pretty uneventful week; well, uneventful as far as writing goes for me anyway. I’ve had a crazy case of the writer’s block, its kind of like chlamydia, but worse. Instead of feeling like I’m pissing razor blades, my mind feels like I’ve been listening to Plies speak on loop all day. I don’t think I have enough RAM up there for all that. Not that I would know what pissing with the clap feels like by the way. Chlamydia is the clap right? Or is it syphilis? Wikipedia says that it’s gonorrhoea, who cares what Wikipedia has to say when I can ask my friend Vi…, you know what, lets forget about that one.
After a long day of watching Omar (The Wire) testify and talk about shooting the boy Mike Mike in his hind parts, and looking after my little brother and his annoying little friend…
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Just stop saying it?!
Last month, former CNN host and British journalist Piers Morgan decided to write what I consider a lazy and arrogant attempt at addressing black America about the use of the ‘N-word’. Sorry I got all politically correct there, Nigger!!
Titled “If Black Americans want the N-word to die, they will have to kill it themselves.” Morgan attempts to solve a very complex issue with a very simplistic solution: Stop saying it. Why Thank you Piers. If only we had thought of that ourselves. Thank you for saving us from a lifetime of oppression and inequality.
As a black woman and an amateur writer I know that opening a dialogue about such a socially complex word isn’t easy. This article reeked of an egotistic white-saviour mentality afforded to a “high profile white person”.
That’s not to say that what he was saying doesn’t hold some merit, but all he has done is regurgitate what black activists and leaders and the general black community have been saying for years. I expected someone with his journalistic capabilities to have approached this with more intelligence and depth. This just sounds like ‘It’s you’re fault. Sort it out yourselves!!’. His motives were summed up entirely for me when he wrote:
“…And they enjoy the freedom of being able to say it now in the knowledge that it’s become taboo for whites to do so.”
Aaawww!! We’re so sorry (not sorry) that you’re not allowed to say it Piers. Sorry that this is the one thing that someone in your privileged position isn’t allowed to say. Boo hoo!!
Enter Swiss.
Last month, former So Solid rapper Swiss debuted his critically acclaimed new single “Nigger” on BBC1Xtra. DJ Semtex dedicated his show to debut the song mainstream radio and to have an open an honest conversation about it with Swiss and the songs producer, Sky.
When I first heard the title & saw the artwork for the single I was sceptical because I wasn’t sure what angle Swiss was going to approach this. That quickly disappeared as I remembered this is the talent who brought us the classic ‘cry’, an introspective look at life on the streets. The song opens with quotes from movies at the words inception; slavery. A time when it was changed from an adjective to a noun. Then, throughout the song, Swiss explores the origins of the word and explains how it’s evolved throughout history.
The song has no doubt attracted some controversy. DJ and TV broadcaster Edward Adoo has criticised 1Xtra saying “The BBC’s playing of this black protest record is still racist” for airing the unedited version. He criticises BBC for the the use of the word on mainstream radio and asks, “Has youth culture been dumbed down to the extent that we have to accept these types of records being played just to make a point?”
Well in my opinion, yes!! It’s not so unreasonable to come to the conclusion that the youth are so far removed from the negative connotations that they simply don’t understand the dissonance and thats exactly the gap that Swiss is trying to fill.
There’s no hiding from the message Swiss is delivering, dubbed by BBC 1Xtra as “The Most Important Hip-Hop track for the last 15 years”; unlike Morgan’s poor suggestion, Swiss wants to educate everyone about the word and it’s history so that:
“Everybody should understand the historical picture, before we ever choose to use the word Nigger!!”
You see, what Piers has failed to understand is that there’s no need to call us Niggers anymore. We are in the era of the ‘new nigger’ where people use other words that imply it. Many media outlets in the US reinforce the public’s racial misconceptions by presenting African Americans and Latinos differently than whites – both quantitatively and qualitatively so words like ‘aggressive/thug/violent” are often used in replacement.
During an interview on BBC’s Newsnight, Swiss and author Colin Grant were invited to discuss the word. Colin rightly points out that
“If we try to excise words, we’re in danger of forgetting what those words meant when they were used.”
And I have to agree. By trying to sweep it under the carpet, over time, its forgotten and therefore no responsibility can be taken for it – something which I think Morgan was trying to achieve. Guilty conscience maybe?!
Racism in America is deeply imbedded in in roots and systems. America is a country that was founded on the genocide of its natives and built by by the blood, sweat and tears of African slaves. You cant expunge a word from the English language that holds so much power, without first acknowledging it’s dreadful past. Or the fact that, in America, young black men are 21 times more likely to be killed by cops than whites. Just ask the families of Eric Garner or Trayvon Martin or Mike Brown or Tamir Rice if they believe expunging the word will do much for Civil rights in America.
I’ll leave this here with the words of one of our greatest leaders, Malcolm X:
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
The full BBC 1Xtra interview: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/30159631
N*Gg*r is now available to buy via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/GB/album/n*gg*r-single/id943047758?ls=1
To purchase via SMS text NGR to 85888
THINK… ITS STILL LEGAL!!!
The revolution will be digitized!
“We lived on farms, then we lived in cities, now were going to live on the internet!”
Sean Parker (Character) – The Social Network
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you would have noticed that we have gone through a digital revolution. In a decade, social media has revolutionised the way we communicate, buy and the way in which we do business. What was once considered a trend has fast become a new way of life. We are now connected to the world 24/7. Erased geographical boundaries; we can now share our photos and lives to anyone in the world. all from our smartphones.
Detox
Last week I decided to do a 7-day social network detox. Going back to the traditional ways of communicating; phone and text. The main reason for this was that we have become so reliant on social media. We are constantly connected which is owed to the smartphone craze. Sharing has become the new religion and privacy has taken a backseat to the notion that every thought or act should be published.
I’m not psychic but It’s likely that i can tell you the first thing you did this morning and the last thing you’ll do tonight? The same thing i do and millions of others – check our timelines. For the first time in a long time I haven’t checked my phone first thing in the morning and after only one day, my quality of sleep improved. No longer did it take me an hour to fall asleep after getting into bed. So it was no coincidence that in the same week, there were reports published in the papers linking insomnia to us using our phones in bed at night before we go to sleep. The time not spent on Twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook allowed me to occupy myself with books. Allowed for less distraction; I finished 2 books in a week.
I must admit, I did miss Twitter the most. I wanted to share the things I had read and seen. Especially during the Champions League game with Bayern Munich v Manchester United. Twitter is a wonderful place during football matches; the banter is 2nd to none. Rather than watch the timeline, I called a friend and we chatted for longer than I have for a while on the phone.
Overall, my detox week wasn’t as hard as first anticipated. I made more phone calls and enjoyed more conversations instead of simple chats. My phone battery lasted an entire day where I would usually have to charge it at least twice day. I wasn’t glued to my phone everywhere I went, it stayed in my pocket unless I needed to make a call or read a message. Perhaps I wasn’t the best person to conduct this experiment on as I’ve always been very aware of my presence on social media and I take great care in not allowing it to take over my life, but for some, it’s a different story.
In the digital age where the increased reliance on technology diminishing the need to physically interact with others. Has the word ‘social’ lost its true meaning?
SOCIAL; -adjective. 1. Pertaining to, devoted to, or characterised by friendly companionship or relations 2. Seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly, sociable.
Humans are naturally social creatures. We have a need to be connected with others. Yet in the west we are fixated on individuality; measured by individual wealth, a career, self-image and consumerism. The platform of social networking has allowed this obsession with the self to manifest. We can manage our entire social life effectively -connecting with friends, and family, but we are replacing quality with quantity and reduced deep, meaningful friendships and conversations to chats and ‘Likes’. The average Facebook user has 200 friends – how much quality can you put into them all?
We’ve become obsessed with personal promotion where hyper visibility is the new symbol for status and power. Andrew Keen, who wrote a book ‘Digital Vertigo’ warns that what he calls this “cult of the social” is jeopardising both our individual privacy and liberty. He says we are “living in an age of great exhibitionism”. We can build and perfect our personal online profile, carefully selecting our words and grammar for the 140 character tweet. Upload dozens of filtered selfies, only posting what makes us look our best.
In an article for Psychology Today, doctor Pamela Rutledge says that the obsession with selfies can be detrimental to a person’s mental health and that indulging in them is indicative of narcissism, low self esteem, attention seeking behaviour and self-indulgence.
Of course, social media isn’t all doom and gloom. It just depends on how you use it. It can be great for your personal life. According to the dating site match.com, 1 in 4 relationships now start online. And in 20 years, it is predicted that half of all relationships will start online. It’s a necessary tool for networking as you are able to engage with your audience directly. Just look at the numbers. If Facebook were a country it would be the 3rd largest – we can potentially connect with more than 1 billion people from the comfort of our own homes.
Is the social media revolution turning us into a bunch of self-centred narcissists? Or is it a revolutionary tool able to completely erase geographical Honestly, I think it can be both. As with anything, there are negatives and positives – It just depends on the individual. You are responsible for yourself therefore you have to take full responsibility of how you [ab]use social media.
“When we change the way we communicate, we change society.”
Clay Shirky – Writer, consultant and teacher on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies.
Ill leave you with a short film called “The Anti-Social Network.
THINK… IT’S STILL LEGAL!!!
I am not your Nigger, NGR!!
Reader discretion is advised. This blog contains language that may offend.
Can you remember the first time you heard the word Nigger?
I remember the first time somebody called me a Nigger. I was in primary school, probably 8 or 9 years old at the time & it was by someone whom I had considered a friend. We were play-fighting and from what I remember I punched him in his arm, then he exclaimed,
“Ouch! You stupid Nigger!”
As soon as I heard it, I froze. Time stood still for that split second felt like a few minutes. I was considering my reaction, because I had never heard it said with such anger and malice. Of course, this was not the first time I had heard this word. It was just the first time it offended me. Whenever I had heard it, it was coming out a black persons mouth.
Nigga is prevalent in Hip Hop today. Artists such as Nicki Minaj, Jay Z & Kanye West use it so loosely in the context where it’s now acceptable for anyone to say it. The most notable song would to be Niggas In Paris by Jay Z & Kanye West, taken from their collaborative studio album WatchTheThrone released in 2011.
Niggas In Paris – Jay Z & Kanye West
Nicki Minaj has caused upset recently with her recent unofficial single ‘Lookin Ass Niggas’. Not for the use of the word, but for the unofficial cover art which was the famous image of Malcolm X standing by his window with a rifle. This was at a time when he realised the Nation Of Islam and the Government were conspiring to have him killed. This shows an incredibly low-level of respect for one of history’s greatest black leaders, a word in which he despised and gave his life to educate. Here’s a quote of Malcolm X speaking on ‘The N Word”:
“Afro-Americans must reanalyse and particularly question our own use of this term, keeping in mind all the facts. In light of the historical meanings and current implications, all intelligent and informed Afro-Americans and Africans continue to reject its use in the noun form as well as a proper adjective. Its usage shall continue to be considered as unenlightened and objectionable or deliberately offensive whether in speech or writing.”
Nicki Minaj Unofficial Cover Art for ‘Lookin Ass Niggas’
The BET department at VIACOM now owns music channels dedicated to giving black music a platform such as BET, founded independently in 1980, from 2001. Since its takeover, this channel perpetuates and justifies racism by enforcing the negative stereotypes held about black people, and also by affecting the psyche of its young viewers through its bombardment of negative images of blacks. This can also be said by the fact that there are particular artists who are banned from being played on BET. Conscious artists such as Mos Def, KRS-One and Raekwon, have all been banned from ever featuring on BET – For whatever reason, i’ll allow you to come up with your own conclusions.
It hasn’t always been like this. When rap was first introduced, it had a conscious message; the message of the revolution and collective consciousness. Artists like Public Enemy and KRS-One were the pioneers of this movement.
Nigger (noun): an extremely offensive word for a black person
Cambridge Dictionary Definition
Nigger is considered the most offensive term in the English language but it hasn’t always meant what it does today. Language is always evolving – every language changes, it’s a part of our continued evolution and Nigger is no exception. It has been traced back to the 16th or 17th century, at the time when the Transatlantic Slave Trade was taking place. Etymologists believe that it derived from Latin – The mother of all European languages – which meant black; Negra (adjective). It was around the 17th century that the word evolved; from Latin to Spanish to French to English – It had transcended language and its function deceptively changed from adjective to noun. In intentionally changing it’s function, its application would be used to portray persons in a position of objects or things; a sub-human. A slave.
Further studying, however, will take you as far back as the Ancient Egyptians. It is well-known that the Ancient Egyptians didn’t use vowels in their language so it would be written NGR pronounced ‘en-gar’ which means GOD. In his book, The Hieroglyphic Dictionary famed Egyptologist E.A. Wallis Budge has at least 14 definitions of “NGR”.
“The root word NGR existed in ancient Egyptian Sacred writings and hieroglyphs…and has divine origin and meaning.”
Ernie A. Smith, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Linguistics and Doctor of Internal Medicine.
N-ger-s refers to …The Goddess Neggur (Hathor) who is one of the oldest female deities of ancient Kemit (Egypt) who was worshipped thousands of years before Genesis and the Bible existed.
Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, (1857-1934), Egyptologist
Goddess Hathor – One of the most important deities in Ancient Egypt.
So – from this, we can clearly see that the origin of the word doesn’t have any negative connotations. It was a sacred word – A beautiful word. It started as a symbol of spirituality. What had happened is the Romans who invaded Egypt had misunderstood the Egyptians, who would describe themselves as a NGR (noun) but they understood it to mean black (adjective) and then introduced it into the Western societies. It was then introduced as a word constantly associated with pain and suffering – the context had completely changed.
Today, Nigger/Nigga means different things to different people. The word can be categorised into four main definitions:
1) NIGGER – As an insult; usually said by non-blacks to a black person to indicate they were of inferior caste, Non-human.
2) NIGGA – A term of affection – Usually used in this context with a group of friends/family. For example “What’s up my Nigga?”
3) Blacks Vs. Niggas – Used to differentiate from the ‘good’ blacks from the ‘bad’ blacks. Chris Rock famously had a segment in his ‘Bring The Pain comedy stand-up
4) Universal – Hip Hop culture has made Nigga socially acceptable amongst all ethnic groups. They do not see it as an offensive term.
Actually, I’ve thought of one more definition
5) Real Nigga vs. Fake Nigga – Used by some of the black community. Real Niggas tend to be the blacks that have been to jail, particularly for ‘not snitching’. Quite simply, you’re not a real Nigga unless you’ve been arrested, cheated on your woman and/or you have an education beyond secondary school.
Be mindful of where this word has come. Not everybody will accept the use of the word in its context that it’s so widely used today in popular culture. When an elder tells you that you mustn’t say it, it’s not because they’re trying to ‘kill your vibe’. It’s because the definition of the word, the context hasn’t left their consciousness. Whenever they hear it, they associate it with pain and suffering.
Since I started writing this post. I have changed my mind about the status of the word. Initially it was clear-cut for me; take the word out of the English Language. But would erasing it really do anything to change things? No! Merely enhance the power in a word from a time we much rather move away from.
I will leave you with a piece of poetry by an artist named Dean Atta. I hope you enjoy. Its called ‘I Am Nobody’s Nigger.
THINK!! IT’S STILL LEGAL.
I Am Black, I Am.
Are you #TeamLightskin? #TeamBrownskin or #TeamDarkskin?
Sound familiar? How many of you are sick of this ‘battle’? I open Twitter or Whatsapp everyday to see yet another image or tweet pertaining to this ‘battle’.
I’m not going to be a hypocrite & say some of these ‘memes’ don’t make me chuckle, but what concerns me is the ignorance behind the ‘banter’. In a society where racial prejudice thrives in politics, communities, institutions and popular culture, it’s easy to see how and why some ethnic groups may start to absorb the messages that we are being bombarded with from every medium.
I am 1 of 5 sisters, 2 of whom are mixed race. We have all grown up together despite us having different mothers. Something which I sincerely thank my dad for; I know a lot of ‘step families’ who don’t have that close sibling relationship they may have liked to have.
When I meet someone new my siblings always come up in conversation, almost at the first instance. As I start to explain my diverse family tree, I get interrupted with “can I see a picture of them?” The reaction is almost always the same:
“Aaawww, they’re so pretty, are they really your REAL sisters?”
After explaining & having to proving beyond reasonable doubt that they are, in fact, my biological sisters as appose to ‘sister’ being a term of endearment. This is quickly followed by:
“… But you’re pretty for a dark skin woman”
If I had a pound for every time this has been said to me, I’d be a very wealthy woman!! This is something I have unfortunately had to just get used to.
Dark Girls
COLOURISM; prejudice or discrimination based on the complexion of the skin. Generally a phenomena occurring within one’s own ethnic group.
I don’t know about you, but the last time I checked we were all black; many, many shades. And they are as beautiful as the other. So why is there this internal battle? Why do some have this sense of superiority just because of the complexion of their skin?
Lets go back in time…
Now, of course I know this isn’t a new phenomenon. The issue of colourism (a term coined in the US by Alice Walker in 1982) has been around from the history of European colonisation. With the global colonisation came not only a physical, but also a cultural invasion, which completely shifted the perspective of people by creating a new sense of beauty, identity & superiority. Colonisation spread the idea, the system of white supremacy.
The act of giving better treatment to the lighter skinned slaves served as a tool for the slave owners to keep a divide & tension between the two sets of slaves. The light skin or ‘mulatto’ children were the by-product of slave owners copulating with their slave women. They were treated better than the African slave, but still beneath the slave owner, never really fitting into either society.
House Slave
Darker skinned slaves, or those with more pronounced ‘African features’ would usually encounter more difficult living conditions on the plantation. They were usually housed far from the plantation house, and in close proximity to the fields that they were forced to work. Dark skinned slaves were given the most demanding jobs, the most basic living quarters, and the least appealing clothing. These are but some of the factors that have contributed to growth of this cultural divide.
Field Slave
The Impact…
After extended periods of mistreatment all blacks reached the point of psychological exhaustion, and began to accept the belief that there was a racial hierarchy based on their skin tone; colourism. This psychological conditioning has been passed down from generation to generation. So not only do we deal with the external prejudice, but the inherited belief system causing internalised racism.
The mainstream media continue to reinforce the ideal that the Eurocentric standard of beauty is the epitome. This is reinforced not only by the under representation, but also the misrepresentation of black people. We are also seeing a growing number black stars being ‘whitened up’ to adhere to the European standards of beauty.
Nicki Minaj
Recently, ex The X Factor contestant Hannah Barrett was racially abused via Twitter for being ‘too dark to win The X Factor and claimed the abuse came mostly from people from her own race people. http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/too-dark-win-x-factor
Have you also noticed the growing number of cosmetic shops set up in ‘urban’ areas stocked up with more and more varieties of skin bleaching/whitening creams? Despite the risks that come with the excessive use of these products, including Cancer, it hasnt stopped people wanting to have lighter skin to be considered ‘beautiful.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-428541/Dying-whiter-The-black-women-risk-lives-lighter-skin.html
Beauty comes in many different shade, no matter what race you are. How can we possibly subscribe to 1 standard of beauty when there’s so much diversity in the world? The very standard of beauty that has being forced on us by the very same system that enslaved us & conditioned us to believe that white meant superior and black was ugly!
Now I’m not saying I have all the answers… Sorry Kanye, you’re right, I don’t. In order for us to continue to break down more barriers that society puts up, the first thing we need to do is to educate, love and build ourselves and to understand our entire history in real terms to make it relatable today; not a white-washed version. With that we’ll rediscover the value of community and our collective consciousness, for the saying goes ‘United we stand. Divided we fall.’
“If you want to change a person, you must first change the awareness of themselves” – it starts with consciousness”
Cheryl Grills – President at The Association of Black Psychologists
THINK… IT’S STILL LEGAL!!!
Cherry Speaks 