what
do people mean when speaking about freedom? freedom is an ecumenical term. if
one is making decisions free of punishment, the one is exercising a form of
freedom. but most communities are speaking of privileged freedom/s, where the
one has the opportunities, the luxuries of prospering in such a way that
liberties are not hampered nor conditioned by limitations.
most
desire education, but cannot afford it, rather, they do not want to go into
debt for an education without promise—plus, the work, the politics, are unsettling.
we take an African refugee, oppressed since birth, he or she comes to America,
works diligently, the one flourishes, in six to eight years working in a
reputable position, making pertinent decisions—while many naturalized citizens
are refusing what the refugee calls freedom of exercise. in another instance,
and I believe this is the freedom African Americans are referring to—a person
is raised in a fair home, riches are stable, he or she is endorsed by their
government, he or she is raised without life altering complications, expected
to flourish, goes to college, graduates the varying levels, gets a more than
decent job, and is supported universally. this is the freedom souls in slums
are fighting for.
in
music, considerably, rap music, there is a phrase that has become popular, that
is, “I got it out the mud.” this is the agony that supports and stands behind
one becoming successful, where he or she has only known poverty.
many
would argue that African American success stories carry an edge of flamboyance and
showmanship. this is true. it comes from the struggle certain entrepreneurs
have undergone to become the radiance we see. it comes from the universe
expecting failure and the individual flourishing, nonetheless. it comes from
those moments a person wanted to die, as this feeling turned into a drive to
win, and the triumph that comes from what most perceive as an overnight success—the
diligence, the naysayers, the political red tape, the abuse and tragedy—the witnessing
of myriads dying, succumbing to hopelessness. we cannot omit, a certain
countenance that falls on people that have underwent severe travesties—mother unstable,
father unbalanced, environment unsteady—many euphemisms!
one
will dismiss the variance that we see. many will assert that freedom is the
same for each hardworking man or woman. shucks! many took issue with
Affirmative Action. nevertheless, it becomes networking, in an intimate sense.
it becomes having certain pillars, resources, examples. I have not spoken to
the tremors most African Americans undergo. we come to witness a need for
community, where the lack thereof, points to a level of defeat prior to getting
an opportunity to wrestle. one might say, “This is all fair to affirm, (we
sense resistance), but what is the solution, aside for what many have argued in
history’s language, as “more handouts?” simply put, education must be modified
on scales, where the one can at minimum obtain the M.A. without accruing high
debts. The next level might be left to the individual.
