Celactivist

After the shootings of Alton Sterling and Phliando Castille I wrote a status about fighting for the black community on one of my social media sites. Concurrently, I watched in real time my privileged bubble pop, the taped events dragging my complex to the ground and for the first time, gazing at my hands, realizing that they are killing people who look like me in the streets. Lives are being taken without due process. That within itself is unacceptable from a humanitarian standpoint. To not question it, or to find fault in the victim is appalling as everyone within this country should be outraged. To be submissive to the current systems is to adhere to the status quo and that will get us nowhere if we want actual progress. You accept if you're silent. I accepted, but I came to my senses. The dehumanization of blacks within this country is real. That my educational background and the way I spoke no matter made a difference within this country and for me to be silent was in essence to deny myself the rights of being a human being.

My status was a call to the black community to do more, especially if they were going to speak out against the injustices for the very community that supports them. We're fighting two fronts - to raise awareness against an oppressive system which will ultimately require a bit of foundational dismantling from an ideological and systemic standpoint, and in the interim uplift our community through strategy and mobilization. At the rate that the oppressive group continuosly tries, and for the most part succeeds in countering progressive behavior, we've reached the final act and it may be all out brutal. As an example of fighting for the community and requesting that people who look like me do more, I cited Beyonce, which by the vast majority of the American population, is counterintuitive to the god like figure the media has constructed. I implied that if she is able to make a marketable business off of a movement through her formation tour, I should see her in the streets protesting. I should see her on CNN or MSNBC speaking out. That stylized Instagram commentary or websites declaring a call to action were not enough for people who openly call her Queen, yet who are subjected to the cruelty of systems that she has been able to build a lucrative platform, business or album off of. No disrespect.

Quickly, some fans took to my status and wrote about her praise, overlooking my point further reaffirming my beliefs that were not all on the same page in the fight to mobilize and build our community. I should see and hear her do what Jessie Williams did, being unapologetic in his efforts to promote social injustice, realizing his platform and understanding that contributing to the status quo does no good for the community or himself given that all persons in this society aren't equally affected. Career on the line. Snoop and Game openly marched down to the graduating class of cops in my city to start some dialogue this month. So to all those worried about your brand and money, who look like me, it's time to be unapologetic and combine celebrity with activism on a different scale. Celactivist. Celectivism. Go above and beyond and get uncomfortable if your platform affords you to do so. To be quiet in these times is to pander to the community and appeal to the status quo when you cannot do both.

My influence is not as great as those three, but I even said that this fight for the community extends to myself, friends and family that also look like me - and I have unapologetically picked up the baton voicing my opinion to those who don't know what all of this is and have promised to constantly be vocal with plans to implement actionable items on my own accord within the coming months. This is a fight that will require all of the black community, no matter how big or small. But if you are of considerable influence, I expect more. I should see more. But it's not just her, as there are countless other black celebrities who have profited from the black community, repackaging and glorifying harsh realities to build brands, appealing to perception, only to ignore the communities that pushed them forward when they made it.

But I bring up another point. Long gone are the days where a celebrity becomes a celebrity and sits back to collect checks. Social media has transformed the world we live in indirectly and directly bringing celebrities to the forefront of social causes, consequently tearing down carefully constructed personas in exchange for realness. This is a different time. The spiritual awakening of a desire for tolerance, peace and love can be likened to the brief phrase started by black youths, "StayWoke". Mankind is being woke.

As a generalization, if a person is going to be a celebrity, they should strive to be an activist. It's no longer enough to just be known for your craft. It's what you do with your craft and how progressive you are with your communities and the world around you that matters. If you have a burning desire to share your light and gift to the masses, then you should integrate that desire with "doing good" and fighting for the masses - standing for something, unapologetically. I can speak for America when I say that we are a celebrity driven culture (look at the presumptive republican nominee). To use celebrity power in America is in essence to wield a considerable amount of power in a country that fawns over it. But to not use your power to implement actionable items to do good when you knowingly have glamorized or brought light towards an issue, is contributing to the existence of cultural norms that have done more harm than good here. Because if you are not willing to go above and beyond to use your power, your career will end. People are done playing games. Tired. Done being conditioned. So to watch others operate under the conditions that have brought them insurmountable fame and success but silenced their voice, is to watch suicide of a career.

Another example, after Orlando, you couldn't even hear a word from some of the biggest celebrities. The community that was attacked and who continually supports these various artists (some would say without them would be nobody) shelling out hard earned money to watch them share their light watched these celebrities fall silent with no support at all. Whether it be out of fear or loss of endorsement, a celebrity should tread lightly if he or she isn't cognizant of the times nor communities that push them forward; as the fans are seemingly growing distressed with the silence and vague, albeit non-committal verbiage displayed on the internet and social media for support in tragedies. The world is hurting in its shift towards respect for one another. We don't need people standing by. If you're not going to do anything about it, sit down and be quiet and let the others get to work.

Celactivist. Use your platform to roll up your sleeves and do good. Get dirty. Combine your celebrity with actual activism. Get in the streets. Instead of telling people to click and call your representative, go down to Congress yourself. Get creative. Pick a cause and fight. It's no longer enough to embrace endorsements. Sure we must all eat, but explain that to the ones who are dying in the streets unaccustomed to the lives you have that they've directly contributed to, and most likely will never see. What I've learned in this day and age is all it takes is for one meme, post or status to strike a chord with public sentiment and overnight a career can end. Dealing with the politicians is another story as it seems the level of apathy towards the functionality and understandings of our own government is reaching a peak - the consensus being society finds entertainment more satisfying since many feel powerless in a country where our old, grown, adult and educated representatives can't get it right. Look beyond your art and shift the dialogue. Get in the streets and fight. Start somewhere. But fight. And to influential persons within my community, do more. Don't hide anymore. Don't donate in silence. That is the worst offense you can commit at this time. I ask that you be unapologetic and be as loud as possible. We need to hear it, but above all else - we need to see it.