Responsibility

Yesterday, my family had a gathering that began with a memorial to our ancestors, and ended with a conversation discussing commercial hip hop and it's effect on youth. This was a very telling series of events. It brought me to the statement that so many hip hop artists make to defend themselves when this topic arises: "It is not my responsibility to raise your kids." I hate this statement. It is a cop-out, a way to not take responsibility for one's art. And truly, it's just not true. Because see, no matter how much we might support artistic license, here's the rub: It is the responsibility of every adult, every Black man and woman, to raise this community. It is not a responsibility that one can accept or reject. It is not one that a person can choose or not choose. It simply is. Our ancestors did not choose the responsibility of ensuring a people's survival through the Middle Passage. They did not choose the responsibility of keeping a people's head held high through enslavement and Jim Crow. But had they not lived up to it, where would we be? These are the ones on whose shoulders we stand. If we would only take a moment to look up (look up! look up!), we would realize that, whether or not we like it, there is a generation or more of beautiful African brilliance, standing on our own shoulders. It is when we do not live up to our responsibility to them that the sky falls. Look up!

Odabo!