This is what Black Privilege Looks Like!

Okay, okay, so it’s not really a “thing”… yet!  But I made it a thing as a result of reading through the entire thread of this viral Post on Twitter of this gorgeous black family.  See for yourself!

Captioned Image : @damnjazagain Model: @l.moxey

You can clearly see a BEAUTIFUL photo of a black family, right?  Well, they are obviously gorgeous, or at least intriguing, since they got over 1 million impressions in 2 days on Twitter and soooooo many comments on Instagram.  What were your first thoughts when you saw the image?  I noticed a WIDE variety of commentary about this.

It must’ve really hit a cord with different perspectives because errrrybody came out for a sip of whatever they’re drinking for the evening. Let’s see who came to the party:

The Comedians

The social comedians always come through in the clutch. They gots ALL the jokes!  Some are funny, and some are downright haters ( for lack of better word.)  See for yourself.

The Cheerleaders

Let’s get to some positivity.  Can we just thank God for these people right here, they keep everything balanced and honest, right?

Black America

I LOVE how Black Americans claims every beautiful Black Family as their own… Have we considered that this family might not be American?  Does that matter?  To me, all black excellence if black excellence, but I wonder if other brown-skinned people want to be recognized for their culture also, not just for their skin color…

Political Community

One person said, “He is clearly a Republican!” Wow, how does a Republican look?  Politics around the world are interestingly volatile right now so the comment is not out of today’s norm but, it amazes me how everything is easily turned into something political these days.  Well, I guess the good news about that, is that people of color are engaged in politics.  Sometimes you’ve gotta look at the positive slant of things, eh!

The Truth

You know every good mama, has a good, truth based clap-back under her sleeves. This one was absolutely epic!

A mothers response:

@L.Moxey is just like any other mother. First, she is obviously hilarious, and second, she is raising her family the best way she can; loving her “terms and conditions reading” husband, trying to balance her “Fortnite playing” pre-teen, and caring for her beautiful brown baby doll of a daughter.  All while keeping the dog fed, the house cleaned, meeting her goals at work, growing her personal businesses and loving herself ( the biggest job.)  I know this first hand, because I know HER first hand.

Furthermore, although she is a beautiful black woman, giving Michelle Obama vibes ( *yezz, snaps fingers),  this is not just a “black” woman. This sacred term,”black,” is representative of many nations of black people and does not describe the whole truth of an individual.  Today, there are so many facets of blackness that we should consider, and no matter which side of black we come from, I encourage us all to embrace a global perspective.  This is actually a Bahamian family.  What do you know about Bahamians?  To me, the Bahamas is the modern day Wakanda!  It is a rich land, and an ideal place of refuge and retreat; it has been just that for centuries to political dignataries and regular people just like you and me.  This country is robust with culture, with the first inhabitants being,” the Lucayans, an Arawakan-speaking Taino people, who arrived between about 500 and 800 AD from other islands of the Caribbean. Their ancestors came from mainland South America, where Arawakan-language peoples were present in most territories, and especially along the northeastern coast…  The earliest permanent European settlement was in 1648 on Eleuthera. During the 18th century slave trade, many Africans were brought to the Bahamas as labourers. Their descendants now constitute 85% of the Bahamian population,” according to Wikipedia.com.  You can feel the culture through the cheerful, welcoming spirit of the people who are diverse, talented, educated and lively.  You can experience this spirit in every facet of the country including the sun, sand and sea!  The food is delicious, the music is mesmerizing, and the Junkanoo festivals are colorful and vibrant. This, I also know to be true because my better half is Bahamian, and after 13 years of marriage to him, I am just now realizing the beautiful breath and depth of this culture.

Now, based on a few recurring comments, I feel the need to speak to my people. Black America, let’s not assume every black person is African American and has experienced the same trauma that we have.  Our story is our own, and through God, we have already overcome.  Let’s really look at how we see each other.  Are all well-groomed, clean shaven, black men also Republican men that act like white men?  NO! So, lets analyze the thoughts that are forming first in our hearts and kick out what is not serving us.  Let’s show the BEST side of our culture. Lets show that Black Magic.  If you are African-American, you know what I mean. I’m talking about that ability we have to make something great out of absolutely nothing, that side that is resilient no matter the affliction, that side that sticks together and fights for the freedom of all humanity.  That is our story.  Embrace it, share it, and be willing to learn more from other forms of black excellence, starting now, with this beautiful Bahamian Family.

Finally, some of these comments were downright disgraceful and for lack of better word; filthy!  Is this what social media was created for, or have we turned it into the massive monster that it can be?  I see that a family has shared themselves with the world, and what did we give in return?  Many took one snapshot, of their life and ridiculed what they saw.  I do acknowledge that a lot of love was expressed but a LOT of hate was expressed. Know this, sometimes what you see is a reflection of who YOU are.  The Bible even says in Luke 6:45, ” Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”  Let’s remember that social media images are not always fake characters created for you to poke fun at with no effect.  Sometimes they are images of real people, living real lives, with real challenges and real triumphs.  I will end with this quote I heard from Dr. Tony Roach, ” What you see, is what you say… what you give, is what you get, and what you get is what you ultimately deserve.”  Invest your time, thoughts and words wisely friends.

For more on @l.moxey, click here.

For more on this conversation, click here, here, and here.