I woke up this morning and that damn”jingle” about cotton being “the fabric of our lives🎶” was playing over and over in my head! “The touch… the feel… of cotton… the fabric of our live”. I heard that commercial all the time when I was a kid, I’m talking early 90s but somehow when I woke up this morning it hit different!!! #wakeup
Despite modern injustices, we progress and produce. “As we Build! And Build! And Build! YEA, WE BUILT THIS SHYT.! WE BUILT THIS SHYT.!!” “The touch, the feel of COTTON. Shyyttt.! It’s our lives.!!!”
Here's the meaning of this spoken word. AT FIRST, I thought he was discouraging black people from being materialistic. And saying that the wealthy "musical artist" are in another tax bracket and receive the benefits of the minority being consumers. All the while, reaping the benefits of the rich with one hand and bamboozling their monopoly with the other.
I did not mean to forget the past of our ancestors but to look at and evauate today... because using slavery as a clutch is not gonna get us any where, but more us in circles... because while we worry about our sad pass and dwell on it most of the world wont care so how exactly do we persevere if we are stuck some where else?
I am willing to deal with the past in fact I have already dealt with it And if slavery so certain to happen again how is every African American being stuck on it gonna help us avoid it?
It's true, africans aren't the only one that can relate to slavery, but they are the ones that had to go through the some of the hardest slavery delimas (spelling) and that cannot be denied and i kno everibodi's tired of hearin the slave story but it's true and some things that have happened to us haven't even been documented or have been rarely heard,
I know it's not white vs. black. But that still doesn't negate the message to the black community with this poem. If any other race, or everyone as a whole, feels the need to write a poem about their oppression, I'd feel the exact same way because they need to express what they feel. The prison population is still 72% blacks. Blacks did help build this country. And as a whole we need to keep fighting with ourselves to improve.
As we move for greater prestige and economic status, the government raises taxes and balances budgets on the backs of people who buy the most and work hard. African Americans are the largest consumers in this country. Unfair practices leave hardships and strains on the less fortunate. While America reaps the harvest of the hard working citizens, many issues are desensitized and overlooked like "No Proper Healthcare, No Welfare, and Prisons in Abundance Everywhere."
(Was Text Limited) - "We literally put our blood into building the country." America was colonized before blacks ever arrived (History dates that to be 1619.) Where America was first colonized by the Europeans is typically dated to 1492. When they arrived by ship at the docks of Poynt Comfort; John Smith's maps can show there were already many established towns; docks for the dutch to arrive (who sold the Europeans the slaves). Whites; Blacks; Spanish; Indians ALL put blood into America.
I believe the reason we arent able to start our own businesses as a norm is the banks. We'd have to apply for a loan, and even with great grades and graduating from a good college we (blacks) are less likely to get a loan from a bank then a white person. Thats not to say we never get loans and white ppl always do its just its more likely that a white person will get the loan and a black wouldnt. I hope that answered your question. Let me know.
People are racist over the internet because they know no one will come knock the hell out of them. Its not called being an e-gangsta ... but an e-bitch. You Tube is good at seeing the creativeness of the world, revolutionist, and the racist conscious of people.
@snotice12 No one should ever forgive AND forget. Forgive sure, forget never. When you forget, that it when history is likely to repeat. SHould the people dwell on things of that nature, no. But you have to realize "equal opportunity" is not as equal as you may think it is. I know there are people tired of "white guilt" but I say feel that guilt, and do something productive with it. It should remain there as long as there is White Privilage.
capitalism is about you pursuing your own self-interest. If your not going to pursue it then the government will tell you what to pursue. The history of the world is slavery. I'm not saying their not people who abuse the ability to make money but that shouldn't stop you. capitalism is freedom to pursue your own self-interest. when the gov't steps in, the business suffers and in turn everyone does. the ghetto is still the ghetto because we aren't handling it the right way. If want to help the
I have a very logical and realistic view on life. While I will never pretend to walk a mile in your shoes I can attempt to. Of course racism exists today, in every facet of life and every race. You feel as uncomfortable in a room full of whites as I would in a room full of blacks. Neither may have malicious intentions, but there are known predispositions and misdemeanors of the two races that would cause us to feel this way. That's just reality and I am afraid it will never truly fade away.
It's not minimalizing atrocity, I just view people who dwell on past events seeking pity as pathetic. And yes bringing up slavery is dwelling on it, it is long since past at least in this country. I don't lord 9/11 over middle easterners, like the blacks lord slavery over anyone who will listen. The events were unfortunate, but they are gone you learn what you can from them and you move on. Life is too short to hold a grudge for your ancestors, grow up and move along.
Also for the record; many whites were also enslaved as Indentured servants; some willing some forced through kidnapping. Which is pretty much the same except in the regard that the white Indentured servants were given new clothes and free to leave after their "debt" for the travel was re-payed after years of slavery.
Actually James H if did some reading other than your history book at school you would know that black people have actually been here since Columbus was here him and his crew even wrote journal entries about the black people they brought with them
@allenanb The point isn't missed- but it is poorly stated at best. Slaves had no choice. NONE. We DO. Plain and simple. We have choices because of the sacrifices past generations made for us. Comparing our society to that of the slaves is disrespectful, and horribly uninformed. Not to mention dangerous. Speak messages of positivity when you have something our forebearers didn't. An OPPORTUNITY. I praise and thank them for their imposed sacrifice.
@snotice12 capitalism is all about the maximizing profit. The best form of maximization of profits is to get workers to work for free which is what slavery is. i hope i was able to help you a little
HOWEVER, after watching this a couple of more tymes and reviewing CAREFULLY I find this is not what the artist meant. The artist is expressing with "Dry-clean my Green Gods 'cause their Cotton lined" that money is held in high esteem. The comparison of Slavery to Cotton is obvious. But these are better tymes and the conditions have changed with the work. "Cotton the fabric of our lives...” But now, we take pride in the places we live, trends we set, and the clothes we wear.
@vojtisesesek Cuba has free health care, & education thru college, More schools than prisons, & the peoples "approval rating" for their govt is much higher in Cuba. More than half of their population praises their leadership. You only know what the media wants to think about places like Cuba. You make it seem as if a capitalist system is the best option. There are benifits to communist systems if they have benevolent leadership. Poverty exsists because of Malevolent leadership.
What do you mean people should stop whining about ENSLAVEMENT(not slavery)? YOU should stop acting like it never existed, and realize that is a fundamental cause in disparities of wealth and social stature in america today. It is easy for you to live off the benefits that enslavement brought to non-blacks and then because it is 2009 we are all on a level playing field. WE ARE NOT! The point of the matter is that it happened and we are overcoming the consequences; acknowledge that.
(last statement). - I would simply say that the past does not define us; I am not what the early Europeans were. I would not kill a single Indian; much less cause Genocide and steal their land. I am not proud of America; not where we were and not where we are now. To many evils were committed then and to many are being committed now, i.e. drone strikes, wars. I will never understand Humanity and I am sorry for what my Ancestors did to yours. However I cant change the past only the future.
wow is that all u heard in the poem?Problems in the black community may not concern u so u might not be able to understand, but if that is the case why even comment? If u heard the poem at all you'd know thats not all he was talking about, it seems like u just wanted 2 trivialize slavery all together maybe you'd like to stop hearing about it but its a part of americas history that is a foundation for a large group of ppls lives. these internalized problems have a lot 2 do with problems of 2day
the disenfranchised do not have the power to be racist, racism is the system of advantage based soley on race. so the colors of this nation all together do not have that adavantage. not to say we as people of color dont make it in the word yea we do but in the end the white man still has the advantage....sorry thats the way it is..o it lik that in europe too trust that!
Smh.. yo, really.. while you all are quoting your historical facts On here.. as "SexyTSUMami" stated.. You are Missing the point of the poem. PPL kill me how they can pick up a Book and READ.. but from the words they speak.. they obviously havent learned a thing. get yo mind right please.
stop feeling sorry them and help them by allowing them to make the choice to stay poor or not. you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Welfare, food stamps, and every other gov't program the democrats and republicans have used to "help" the black community has failed. They are blind to the reality that slavery is rare and the more hold on to the thought, the more it will stay. Forgive and forget.
Despite modern injustices, we progress and produce. “As we Build! And Build! And Build! YEA, WE BUILT THIS SHYT.! WE BUILT THIS SHYT.!!” “The touch, the feel of COTTON. Shyyttt.! It’s our lives.!!!”
