What has Happened to the Black American Dream

The dream has never fully been ours, ever. But first let us discuss what this dream is in the first place. The American Dream is the idea that a man, yes literally a man, can pull himself up by his bootstraps and rise to the top. It’s the idea that no matter where you started, as long as you are willing to work, success can be yours. This idea came from men who were nothings in the land they originated. They were not in line to be Kings, knights are dukes, just workers. This oppressed group of people risked their lives to travel to America to be something. They wanted power, fortune and some wanted fame. These men got together and founded this country on the idea that America was the land of the free and full of opportunity. All of this sounds great when you read it in a book, but to see it in practice was another story. Suddenly you had men who never had much true power have a taste of it. Let me just add in now, this would not end well. These white men had it all and a bag of chips, or maybe I should say a sack of potatoes. (See what I did there, lol.) Back to the story. They promised freedom, opportunity and power to anyone willing to work hard. Pay attention to that last part it is important soon. The first big thing on the agenda’s of these freedom seeking men were to enslaved a group of people. Now what’s the irony in that? They enslaved Africans, after many failed attempts of trying to enslave the Natives (the dudes they stole the land from...). Now lets skip all of the parts about them, rapping, whipping, murdering these African slaves (much like America tries to do now), and let’s get back to this American Dream. Okay, so the qualifications for the American Dream were a person (man) who wanted freedom and was willing to work hard. Because, as I remind you, these were the things that the english nothings, oops I meant Founding Fathers established as the main thesis statement of freedom. Unfortunately they left one part out. You couldn’t be black. So a black man could have all of the above, which they did, and still not be able to get the American Dream.

I started writing this as a tale of the American Dream and what it means to Blacks today, but somewhere between the twisted story and the Founding Nothings, I think I have concluded that the American Dream is a joke. There is no American Dream. It was the weak man’s dream. Or maybe the black sheep of the family’s dream. Or maybe a man who wanted so bad to be king but it was not in his bloodline’s dream. This was not a dream by people for people. The men who created this dream, dreamed of themselves and their own situations. They were not focused on freedom, liberty and justice for all. Their all was the people around them. We, meaning blacks, desperately try to fit into a dream that never included us from the beginning. We were oppressed by the dream makers while they were dreaming for freedom for all. The American Dream is nothing more than a twisted fantasy. Blacks have always had the qualifications to fit into this dream, however, there was never a place for them to stand in it. I hate to give out all this hate without some encouragement. So let’s get happy. Blacks who are reading this badly tangled narrative, look at your life and create your own dream. Not the American or the Afro American Dream but the _____ Dream. Put your name and make it personal. A dream created on it’s own can never be deferred by someone who did not create it. We (my dear black brothers and sisters) don’t need the white man’s dream. We can dream something up all on our own.

#Neyci