I am currently working in retail at a men’s fashion clothing store. My co-worker and I see people throughout the week and we notice different types of styles. However, some of the styles we see are absolutely ridiculous and it is an ignominy to our race as a whole.
The type of people I’m talking about is our people, black people. We normally hold long discussions about our people dress appearance. From what we observe daily, the majority of the people who enter the store make a huge scene. Not only do we notice this buffoonery and foot-shufflin’ madness within the store, but we also notice this throughout everyday life. We have young black MEN, according to Kenny Bunch, a writer for The Blue and White Flash at Jackson State University, entering college classes with do-rags tied, and pants sagging with pacifiers in their mouths.
So my brothers, in the immortal words of the late Chad “Pimp C” Butler, “take that monkey s— off, it’s embarrassing us.”
We see our young Black Beautiful WOMEN wearing some of the most obscene things that only draw negative (sexual) attention to themselves. Excuse me sisters, but once again Butler’s words come to mind.
This problem is not only within my generation. Some of our respected elders are wearing the same nonsense.
For example, we have so called distinctive preachers throughout Black America preaching to the masses about virtues and wisdom with a Steve Harvey suit on!!! How can anyone take a “Man of God” serious wearing a baggy long purple zoot suit with neon orange pin stripes, with a matching orange shirt with a purple tie and purple gators? How you doing Rev., but can you please, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost please, take Pimp C’s words to heart?
We also notice our older women wearing tight fitted clothing such as, Apple Bottoms, Baby Phat, and Rocawear ,which is supposed to make them look sexy, but what is a 60-year-old woman doing trying to look SEXY anyway? You’re OLD!!! With all due respect ma’am, listen to Butler’s words.
History shows us that we, as a people were dignified people and we showed that dignity by the way we dressed. If you look back during the 1930s through the 1960s, Black America was fresh. Black MEN were the neatest people in America during that time. Even if they had a blue collar job, they made themselves look presentable by tucking in their shirts and wearing their pants around the waist. Black WOMEN presented themselves as dignified LADIES by wearing clothing that actually covered them. They still looked sexy because they had swag, which was known back in the day as CLASS.
During this time, we presented ourselves seriously in every aspect of life. In college, we knew we were supposed to be scholars; therefore, we dressed like scholars. In church, we knew we had to praise the Lord with humble hearts and a serious attitude which was also presented by the way we dressed. My mother always told me God is not to play with so you better wear this suit and tie. (I own to this day only solid subtle color suits) If we look at our prominent leaders in Black America back then we see that Martin Luther King and Malcolm X only wore solid color suits. We see Shirley Chisholm and Maya Angelou who wore clothing that covered up. Those people were on a mission to conquer social/racial injustice and since progress has been made, it seems as if Black America has taken the struggle of receiving equal rights for granted. We need to examine ourselves and ask ourselves the question every day, “Why am I wearing this?” Black America, it is time for a REVOLUTION in our appearance. Black America, just listen to Pimp C before you leave the fitting room.
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Take that silly stuff off
November 13, 2009
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