Re: @abelleinbk "Where's the Love"

Aug 23, 2011

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There are few things in life that annoy me more than the comments under Youtube videos (i.e., "the 15 people who disliked this must be deaf"). One of those things is certainly indifference, or in Demetria "Belle" Lucas' words - “active indifference”.

Belle recently wrote an article entitled “Where’s the Love” basically saying that black women often defend black men in their struggles but rarely receive reciprocity. As a result, black women should essentially dial back their support and focus on the issues that primarily affect women.

After reading her post, I quickly realized that this apathy movement is spiraling out of control and everyone is in a race to see who can give the least amount of f*cks about everything! I began to consider a few things...
  • What if Branch Rickey chose to practice “active indifference” instead of agreeing to a contract that would allow Jackie Robinson to break the color lines and play in the major leagues, thus changing the Jim Crow policies of baseball? 
  • ...or James Peck who practiced nonviolent resistance alongside the Freedom Riders, suffering a brutal beating at the hands of Klansmen? 
  • ...or James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, all murdered by other white men after trying to register black voters? 
  • ...or the thousands of other white civil rights activists who took a stand against injustice, not because they stood to gain something in return, or because they were personally guilty of perpetuating inequalities, but because it was the right thing to do. 
The idea that you should only care about the issues that directly affect you is flawed. The idea that you should only take a stand for injustice when the people affected have the wherewithal to return the favor is flawed. The idea that in order to raise awareness about an issue (which in this instance, is men’s lack of support for black women) one should practice the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” (women should stop supporting black men) is FLAWED. FLAWED. FLAWED. FLAWED!

Besides “active indifference” is an oxymoron. How does one ACTIVELY lack feelings about something so pervasive? If you make a conscious decision to overlook an issue that you VERY WELL know is wrong, you ain't ish I truly wish you well in life. I really do.....

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