Opinion | the read | Keyona Porshaa`
After I’d forcefully watched George Floyd take his last few breaths under a white man’s knee, I closed my eyes tight trying to envision him instead smiling, black, and breathing freely--that being the only way that I could truly make peace with such tragedy. I just couldn’t close my eyes to the image that they wanted me to digest. The most radical thing I could do in that moment, was highlight him and all other Black men differently.
I thought about the black men in my life, I thought about the space I take up as a young black journalist, and ultimately I thought about my dreams and purpose as a storyteller and I decided in that instance to stand against standard media and newsrooms and narrate my truth, our truth, the truth. Become the change. That said, I affirm and support black men with this simple phrase: smiling, black, breathing.
Smile black man, share with the world your black boy joy.
Breathing, the controlling device to stay alive and compose yourself to hold your head high in this beautiful dark twisted world.
COVID-19 had a way of forcing all of us to take several seats huh? And then throw all of us on the same frequency--that being social media. And then the spree started to invade our homes, and our phones. The program was interrupted to bring us constant terror of black bodies, reprogramming of negative images provided by those who man the system to reinforce why they deemed these Black men that own these beautiful black bodies prey anyway.
The locks, the black skin, the jawline, the language, the style of dress, every ounce of essence became justification for criminalization.
I know that this article is only so big compared to big media but as a journalist, as a young black woman with a voice, who will one day marry a black man, who was raised by an even stronger one, and God willing who may carry one into life, I rather circulate positive images of our Kings.
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I appreciate what you offer to our world in spite of insurmountable odds. To be smiling, black, and breathing is what I wish for you, is what I affirm for you.
The first Black man I want to honor is a very great friend of mine since childhood, classmate, and fellow comrade--Joseph Scott.
Scott is a Staff Sergeant and Combat Arms Instructor for The United States Air Force Reserve and an AT&T Account Manager. Scott is also very confident yet humble, a well-dressed scholar, and an expressive young man. Ever since I’ve known Scott I’ve known him to honor and respect his mom and women he came in contact with, carry himself with dignity and pride, and be 100 percent himself. My fondest memories are being a part of America’s Most Freshest [AMF], our high school fashion friend group including another great friend of mine.
Scott will be deploying in June but he made time to chat it up with me before heading out--on the phone he wasted no time to jump straight into it and we landed on his perspective of the second amendment and gun rights. “They both go hand and hand and should be displayed more--the right way in our community.”
We should be learning how to arm ourselves to not only protect ourselves but our families as well. All the knowledge I gain, I try to share within my community. For the last five years, I’ve done that.
Scott teaches weapons classes for small arms, M4, M9, and heavy weapons as well.
He describes being himself as being perceived one of two ways as a service man--either an Uncle Tom or lazy. He takes pride in being a service man so that he can show a strong representation to not only the organization he is a part of but to younger Black males.
In his position of power he uses his voice to influence young men to do what’s right, pay it forward, and help mentor. Everyone is out to get me is not the mindset he wants to acknowledge. The change starts with knowing your rights.
“Knowing your rights as an African American male, is the [second] thing.”
“Knowing from the get go that you may be seen as a threat to others. Don’t put yourself in a position to give others the opportunity to inflict harm on you.”
He believes that experience is the best teacher. A point he highlights of importance is that you should be looking to learn from the situations that land you in sticky situations and try not to make it a habit. When the opportunity is given, you may only get one chance to mess up.
Understand that you have less leeway when it comes to making mistakes about your life. Usually there are no second chances--in education, judicially. His main objective is to use his knowledge and expertise to give back to us.
In the future he plans to work with his family and their Black Owned Gun Company that provides accessories; rifle and pistol bags, targets, and training devices. Scott will have his NRA license so that he can enrich our community with handgun knowledge.
He noticed that about ⅕ Black women have never touched a firearm and other races have the upper hand with knowing how to operate firearms and firearm safety--women of other races have been taught how to shoot by their fathers, their boyfriends/husbands have weapons and they know how many, they are aware of the nomenclature, and their safety rules. Scott plans to even the educational gap.
Others are focused on the wealth and economical gaps but the handgun educational gap is one that he believes he can contribute building to. He is empowering his community started as early as his second date with his now wife, having taken her to a gun range. He says he was very expressive about his passion for guns--after they got married he gifted her training courses in order for her to receive her certificate for her concealed carry permit and her own firearm.
When asked what his definition of SBB would be--he acknowledges black men. “I understand your situation--black men have mentally gone through a lot. Seeing black men slain on the news, abused by law enforcement, abused by the justice system.” Us as black men want to be treated fairly individually and collectively. “I make an effort to smile everyday and keep a positive demeanor, I know other black men may be watching.”
It means not thinking selfish but thinking about the black men around you, how your actions can influence them. We can be ineffective but I try to put out positivity for us.“You never know who’s watching you and other black men may be looking at you trying to gain encouragement--kids may be looking to be influenced,” Scott said.
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