Black Culture and Oppression in 2015...Have things really changed?

By the urging of my son in Miami, I went and saw 'Selma' a week early taking advantage of the film being shown in LA and New York before January 9th, 2015.  There were so many elements in the film that haven't changed much in today's society. 

• Killing or maiming a person of color has little if any merit when 'warranted' by [Privileged] law enforcement.  
• The media is extremely influential in the process of getting the information out to the public.  Many times sparking involvement and change.
• In opposition, the media can also portray an incident of unrest and violence as deserving of retaliation.  Many times, part of the story is told and the public isn't privy to know the history of the oppression.
• Government involvement with activists of interest may turn out to be martyrs before their time.  Much of the time, an unexpected death by authorities can create a martyr even if those same authorities wanted to set an example. 
• When blacks attempt to tackle an injustice on their own, it is less effective without the inclusion of other cultures matching the 'majority' that is active in oppression.
• The U.S. has a history of pegging its citizens against each other.  Claims that someone else needs to go somewhere else or to where they belong, when the whole premise of America is the "United" States.
• Most embarrassing for me and probably other people of color where the education system was limited in cultural studies, seeing a film like this almost appears like a new experience.

Bottom line, I realized this past weekend that there is a lot to celebrate about my Black heritage.  Ava DuVernay is a Black director that helped Selma's message come to life on screen.  I was born in 1966 and although the events were a couple of years before my time, I feel cheated that I didn't know the specifics.  Living in the Mid-West in Denver, CO you would need the assistance of a civil rights background or at least active historical presence from elders that had the story straight.  My parents were from Oklahoma and Kansas and there were just some things you didn't talk about if it wasn't affecting you at the time. 
But if you have Black skin, there is a history and brave examples of people of color that need to be celebrated for their sacrifices.  For what our children today take for granted, we as survivors need to be the "Griots" of the day.  We need to make sure that we know the story as well.  The most important element is to not include a story of revenge and hate.  Our survival is because of our faith, adaptability and perseverance not for helping the cause by ridding our race of the strong and willing to make a better life for our children.
Keep in mind however, oppression in any race is an injustice.  In the weekend prior to seeing "Selma", I was honored to see the film "Unbroken", the biopic of Olympian and Italian-American POW Louis Zamperini.  It is a crime for any American family trying to live a better life, while being subjected to living in a separate, sanctioned, geographic area, with substandard conditions, rise to the top and their struggle still unacknowledged and overlooked.  Stories like these from every culture need to be told even if they aren't included in traditional American history.
If you are born and raised in the U.S., you find out early in life that to become an honorary member of the acceptable majority, as people of color, we refer to our dark members as more violent and less desirable, and lighter skinned people of color deserving a privilege for their mixed heritage.  By society's standard, living in an environment of poverty and violence affords you the title of 'deserving' to be harassed, killed and tormented instead of being proven guilty.  Being of color can mean the difference between my son being shot (even with unproven cause) and a white mother's son being taken in for questioning, being charged, released; my point is, going home alive.  And lastly, my loc's, may be perceived as a type of rebellion when in fact, I embrace natural hair because man-made straightening products are harmful to my health.    
In the upcoming weeks, I will be showcasing a black pioneer or group that I have never heard of and share their story.  Our culture is rich with royalty, doctors, leaders, activists, musicians, inventors and artists whose names and stories aren't offered in modern day history courses, even though their contributions changed our lives like other past Americans who have been recognized and positively noted.  It is long overdue that we as a people are only synonymous with what is dark and negative and not for our accomplishments and additions to this great country's history.
God bless,
Chelle