Let me say, I have admired this man physically for a long time. Peeped him in Rihanna's "Russian Roulette" video. I have seen him on Greys' Anatomy. However, I didn't really know him. This all changed Sunday night during the BET Awards. When he opened his mouth, I'm sure most expected an average "Thank you, lets continue trying the change the world" speech but what we got was way more than that. What we witnessed was magic, that was very real.
"This is for the real organizers all over the country, the activists, the civil rights attorneys, the struggling parents, the families, the teachers, the students that are realizing that a system built to divide and impoverish and destroy us cannot stand if we do."
This got my attention. This got everyones attention. At this moment I knew that this wasn't going to be your average thank you speech. Greater was coming.
"Now, this is also in particular for the black women in particular who have spent their lifetimes dedicated to nurturing everyone before themselves. We can and we will do better for you"
When he said this....
Black women are the most disrespected, overlooked human beings to exist. We are told constantly in rap lyrics how we are just for fun and friendly fucks NOT love. How we are often the head of the household because we have no choice. How some of our men denounce us as an excuse to explain their preference for other races. We are often kicked, we are often dragged for filth and we have been forgotten. But Jesse...
He went on to drop more jewels as I'm sure most of you witnessed.
After giving us gem after gem in his speech, why is that people are focusing on his "light skinned privilege"? Now I am not denying the notion that having light skin can get you a bit further. It has been proven. But lets applaud the fact that a biracial man (his mother is white, father is black) was so flawlessly raised by both of his parents and that they taught him his history. All of it. Not that one chapter a year history we got in grade school. They went way further and in depth with it, as any parent should. He is well aware of white privilege just as much as he is aware of the injustice that we have gone through and experienced in this country because of that white privilege and him being half black doesn't take away from the fact that he is very educated on what it's like to be black in America. It seems to me because he called for more black men to be better to us that they have to overlook that statement and discredit that statement by saying "but he's half white". Well Kendrick's been saying it, Tupac been said it, and other fully black men have been saying it for centuries so my question is when are some of ya'll going to listen? We love you, we honor, we need you, but most of all we NEED your respect.
The problem with Jesse Williams is not that he is light-skinned, the problem with Jesse Williams is that he spoke the truth. He made you look deep inside of your self. He made you aware of how this world has you so wrapped around it's finger and you are often times wrapping yourselves willingly in exchange for worthless things.
Jesse Williams is not angry. He is aware. His eyes have been open and he is daring us to open ours as well. He is inspiring. He is beautiful. He is everything that I would love for my son to be. Honestly, if our black men banded together to love us, to honor us and honor our families, and if we supported each other and got on one accord....do you understand how powerful we could be?
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