the nothing is taking over our world

i need to begin this post by stating how much it pains me to even post this video and have to speak on the situation(s) surrounding it, but it is necessary so i shall proceed.

this incident...let me call it what it is...brawl, at alabama state was recently recorded and virally aired. the first thing that sucks about this vid is that it is one of the most horrible representations of black higher ed institutions and students. second, that the person taping the brawl was overly amused by what was happening. third, that when i searched for the vid i found this one under the heading "black brawl in Alabama State University lunchroom" with comments such as "Higher "education" at it's finest in diverse schools in America. Face it people, Diversity is NOT our strength and never will be!! Multiculturalism is nothing more then a weapon to weaken a country's unity. Just what the jewish nation wreckers want. Divided,and at each other's throats so they can rape,rob, and pillage the world.Just what their doing..Wake up!!" and "Straight up niggers. Acting like wild ass monkeys" and "looks like they can't "get along" even with their own" oh and, " nah. Your kind were enslaving each other before the first "cracka" even arrived. Slavery is still being practiced in remote parts of Africa." with a little bit of "Thank God I didnt see any white people in that disgusting mess..." -----word?

(i'll let yall marinate on those statement while watching...)



so. i'm watching the neverending story right now and in the beginning a man gives a speech in which he tells the people in the world they live in that "the nothing" is taking over their world and ultimately killing them. i chuckled at first, thinking that the makers of this movie had to be trippin on acid or 'shrooms or something but then remembered the moral of the movie and its relevance to my people in the black community today, especially the young black community, especially black collegiate communities. apathy = death, when things don't matter anymore, things cease to exist.

as of late, i have become extremely disheartened by the lack of motivation, passion, perserverance, and persistence apparent in black college students. as an aspiring student affairs professional and student also, i care so much about what happens in the lives of college students, how they develop. especially black students. my best friends and close colleagues share these sentiments and i find myself often immersed in thinking, writing, reading, studying, planning, praying for ways to help and serve this population. my desparity sets in when i realize that many of the students could give a fuck less. as long as they seem fly, get high, or breeze by, they do not care about much else.

i don't expect all of these students to wake up one day and want to save the world. nope. i would love if they did but i'm no dummie. i just want them to at least wonder about, wish for, and work for better things for THEMSELVES at least. nothing. no one cares about what happens to themselves or others, in any setting, at any time, allowing scenes like the one above to take place. and for WHAT? and even aside from the most extreme cases like this, the fighting, the lack of student involvement, low academic achievement, poor campus community and unity, and similar issues, are major results of this apathy within black college students.

now begins my task, and the task of any who care enough to want others to care, and change, and grow. how do we stop "the nothing" from destroying our world?

i'm back.

dear blogspot,

i'm sorry i've been gone so long. i can't really explain why, but so much has been going on in my life there may have been a subconscious fear to actually write about it all. don't worry, i'm not gonna write about it all now. its wayyyy too much, believe me. but i wanna tell you about some of the lessons i've learned recently. ready? ok.

first of all. new year. i omit the "happy" cuz this year didn't start off too joyful for me. my grandfather passed early january and it kinda whirled my fam in life's blender. i won't get into details...but the lesson: you can't choose who's blood, but you can choose whom to love. my ma had a convo with her baby sis about "making your own 'family' outside of your family". i love the family i've been able to create for myself. they are my love and my support system. these people are my best friends.

love. yo, loving someone and liking someone are two different ball games. i have seen these concepts played out over and over in my relationships and those of people around me. i would never have imagined how tough all of this is to wrangle. i just hope for the best for me and those around me. through all of this though, i am aware that i want a monogamous, committed relationship with someone i love, and LIKE.

living. my roomie/best friend/life partner (lolz) is moving. this will be the first time in 4 years (7 if you count years we weren't roomie's but lived in close proximity at kstate), that i won't have her (or any of my best friends) close enough to run to, cry on, laugh with, cry with, gossip to, get gossip from, study with, etc. face to face. this. scares. me. shitless.

learning. grad school got hard yo *wipes sweat from forehead*. this semester i have class, assistantship, internship. whoa. i'm runnin around crazy but after the initial shock of it all i realize that i love what i do (student affairs/development) and am more than excited for what the future holds for me...[sn: at the moment i have a heart and dedication for research on black female college student development, there is a lack of research in this area and i feel that this population can be better understood and served if research is pursued]...i'm pushin it yall.

laughing. i went through a period of depression recently and though i had many reasons to be depressed, i now also understand i have many reasons to feel blessed. i'm trying to be lighter-hearted (made that phrase up real quick) and enjoy the things that are in beside me, forget the things behind me, and embrace the things in front of me!

well, i hope i caught you up a little. i plan on keeping in touch much more often.

peace love