Black Men. Similar Journey. Different Destination

 
Individuality, more than just a word
For the second time, Barack Obama has been inaugurated as the president of the United States of America…. As the president continues to jump hurdles, one begs to reflect on the standards that he has set with his presidency.
A man of the people, someone to look up to, an aspiration or goal for the future…
With Barack Obama said to have set a standard for black men, are we as young men suppose to follow his path because we are men or because we are black men?
As young men in this society, we are taught from birth, to be strong and independent.
We have certain standards to uphold; the backbone of the society we live in.
We must grow up learning and gaining the necessary tools that will allow us to one day provide for someone or something and become a prominent figure.
This can be a long road and for some of us.
For those who don’t have individuals in our lives giving us these tools, we tend to be left behind in society or be perceived as inadequate.
The fact is… our environments, interactions, and experiences shape who we are and who we will become as people.
Is the real journey becoming a man or is it becoming a good person who just so happens to be a man?
First, we learn to say mommy, later we learn to say father…then we learn to protect, provide and profess from our father…. but do these lessons really become our own or just masks to our true instincts as we become our own individuals….
There are men who have kids but aren’t fathers.
Millionaires that have money but aren’t providers.
Profound men who intellectual but aren’t motivational speakers.
Do social norms create a perception of valuing material over character as a negative personality trait?
When we go against what we’ve been taught for so long and begin to view the world as it only makes sense to us.
Why can’t we be at peace with our accepted individuality?
If a complete individual is one who has accepted all their imperfections… then a flawed man is on the right path to prominence.
Barack Obama has been said to be the perfect example for the template of a proper black man.
The fact is, he is a politician and no matter his image, he like any other human has simply adapted to his environment (political) with a pigmentation that has been deemed inadequate.
He handles his life and situations how he should allowing the public to view him as a great man. Sometimes these actions also leave him to be perceived as ‘the bad guy.’
Differences and imperfections separate us as men and women and make this world interesting.
Someone once told me, you are your own uniqueness define it for yourself.