S. Samuel
Feminist writer Kimberly N. Foster has come forward with an op-ed following a controversial article penned by rapper Homeboy Sandman over people not doing enough when it comes to protesting.
In a piece entitled “Who’s the Coward?: The Flawed Logic of Faux Revolutionaires,” Foster points out the misconception of having to make life-or-death decisions to bring about change.
“Most of us do what we feel we can afford to do. I am grateful for the heroes — the Fannies, Rosa and Ellas just as I am grateful for my mother and grandmothers — the everyday people who made my existence possible because they survived. We could all do more. Everyone thinks they’re a revolutionary until it’s time to put their own life or livelihood on the line. It’s far too easy to critique what someone else should have done when you have nothing at stake. If you believe “cooning” and cowardice to be Black America’s greatest problems, then you have imbibed the toxicity of white supremacy.” (For Harriet)
Foster also goes on to ask people like Sandman to reconsider who they single out and to think about their own personal lives.
“I celebrate those who do the work everyday. I hope that we will all fight for liberation and pray that when those who experience oppression see opportunities to disrupt the status quo, we will take them. But before you point to someone else’s inaction, be real about your own ability to make the hard decisions. Reflect honestly on what you’re willing to surrender and if you have the ability to do so. Racism is not a Black problem. We cannot dismantle it ourselves. Calling on those who have the most to lose to take the most dramatic action isn’t noble. Peddling Black pathology doesn’t make you a truth-teller. Chastising black people for being human doesn’t make you a hero. If you want to see a change, make it. Take the lead, but don’t you dare argue that we are not free because we didn’t fight hard enough. Spare us.” (For Harriet)
In his article, Sandman referenced how much power people really have if they would put fear aside and make public stands.
“Let’s step it up. If every NBA player who wanted to stand up against racism vowed not to play until the Clippers’ owner resigned, it would be announced that he resigned before you were finished reading this. If he didn’t want to, someone would make him. If we boycotted every night spot that spins music about how much we love killing each other and taking and selling drugs, every single one of them would have new DJs by next week (don’t even get me started on these new DJs. The new drug dealers. Admitting that they know what they’re giving people is bad for them but caring more about getting paid).” (Gawker)
After moving away from the argument of Black people being “cowards” and putting human beings all under that category, Homebody admitted his issues were deeper than the current Donald Sterling controversy.
“So make a decision between cowardice and courage, and if you choose courage, step it up. Step it up in any of the myriad of ways that are available to us. I’ve named a few. Name a few more. Leave a few suggestions in the comments section. Call up your friends. Tweet. Facebook. Then start doing them. If you can’t convince anyone to do them with you, do them on your own. Start right away because we’re running out of time. I hear some states are fining people for sagging their pants. I’d never sag my pants, but if we begin to allow people to be penalized simply for attributes that we’ve allowed to be associated with being black, we’re going to find the water getting even hotter very soon. We’ve been cowards for a very long time. We have a lot of catching up to do. Let’s start right now.” (Gawker)
