Saturday, February 14, 2009

[don't] shoot the messenger

peace, god. so went the salutation from one five percenter to another. or 1 out of every 4 hip-hop album in '94. conversely, it's the first phrase that came to mind when i stumbled upon an article about the local black clergy finally unifying for reconciliation.
Truce and reconciliation: Setting example, black ministers seek to end 'clergy wars'
By Maria Cramer

It is time, they say, to practice what they preach....After years of disputes and infighting, black clergy from across Boston gathered late Thursday night in Codman Square to start what one minister called their own "cease-fire."
I have often puzzled the peculiar way in which the clergy has been seemingly recognized de facto as the leaders of the black community. Nevertheless, this comes at an opportune time. Far too often, we strive for excellence in others and neglect to push ourselves towards the same goal. Styles P had this one joint at the end of his Time Is Money album called, Leave a Message. In it, he starts off relaying how was trying "to tell these shorties something," but they rebutted that he was just as bad as them. It's a simple point. A lot of cats are smart on the low. Whether they are not man enough yet to be proud to embrace their intelligence or simply want to go down a certain path, street sense does take a bit of common sense. Could these urban youth been tuning out the calls to put their guns down because they saw in plain sight that the old heads were beefing in the same vein? Maybe. That'd be too much of a media-centric perspective. Too simplistic. But it does compel one to ask more questions. Because when you start to ask questions, you go beyond the surface.

About a week ago, I hit up the MFA's African Film Festival to check out the movie, Shoot the Messenger, by Ngozi Onwurah. It was a interesting tale that dissected a variety of topics; black self-image, identity, and mental health. To be honest, I wasn't even feeling the movie in the beginning, but by the end of it, I was fully enthralled and enjoying its meandering plot. Although it has no direct or immediate relation to the clergy article or youth violence, it still raises plenty of questions that are definitely connected; about paranoia, contempt, and forgiveness. peace, god.

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