Tag Archives: Black Men

Serena Williams is proof white supremacy runs deep

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Serena Williams

Recently a picture surfaced on the internet of a woman claiming to be Serena Williams. The post was on her ig page. Her name was by the caption and when you squint your eyes really tight you might be able to make out a vague silhouette of the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen.

In all seriousness the woman in the picture above looks about 5 shades lighter and her eyes are a different color. It begs to question. Is Serena Williams bleaching her skin?

If she is then clearly it is problematic. What kind of message does this send to millions of Black girls around the world? What kind of message does this send to her own daughter?

Many are saying that this is the work of a horrible make up artist. The thought that the lighting is making Serena look like a totally different woman is also floating around. These reasons are disingenuous and misses the point as to what causes this type of action.

White supremacy is a real thing and it is embedded in the DNA of Black people around the world. The effects of torture, raping, killing and pure disregard for Black skin travel in our DNA and presents it self in so many ways.

Racism, colorism, Black men not protecting Black women, Black women not respecting Black men are all ways that this idea of White supremacy rears its ugly head.

White supremacy is not diminished by the size of someone’s bank account or their notoriety. When you are Black, white supremacy oozes out of every crevice of the world around you. It is because of this that we must call it out at every turn and work towards a healing and destroying white supremacy at its root.

Serena Williams deserves the benefit of the doubt and heaps of grace, not because she is the greatest athlete in the world but because she is a Black person who is a victim of this poison known as white supremacy.

-Precise

Stream “Speak Life” by Precise below

Ben Gordon opens up about suicide attempt ‘ I thought about killing myself every single day’

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Former NBA player Ben Gordon submitted an essay to The Players Tribune. In that essay he details the struggles he has with mental health. He also speaks to a failed suicide attempt.

In 2004 Gordon made himself eligible for the NBA draft after winning a national championship with the University of Connecticut. He was picked by the Chicago Bulls.

In 2005 Gordon won Sixth Man of the year as a rookie. His NBA career ended with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2017.

“There was a point in time where I thought about killing myself every single day for about six weeks.” Gordon wrote

He shared that in the season right after his last year in the league he would start having panic attacks.

Gordon details the feelings of despair and loss of identity he was plagued with daily. He shared that he felt as though he was in purgatory. Describing the feeling like a black cloak suffocating his soul.

When it became unbearable Gordon took matters into his own hands. “I took one of those heavyweight jump ropes — the thick rubber ones — and I tied it around my neck. Got a chair. And I hung myself, for real.” Gordon wrote.

He did not die in the attempt because in the midst of it he recognized that he wanted to live.

Gordon admits that this illness has been with him since he was a child. He was left wondering who created God since God created everything. He shared that it was a loop going on in his mind.

Gordon has since gone to therapy and appreciates being able to share his thoughts.

“It helped me work some things out. But more than anything, I think it helped me embrace the fact that — it’s like, Yo, B, you’re different. And that’s alright.” wrote Gordon

According to The National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Among men aged 18–44 who had daily feelings of anxiety or depression, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic men (26.4 percent) were less likely than non-Hispanic White men (45.4 percent) to have used mental health treatments.

The NIH also report that suicide is the third leading cause of death for African American males ages 15 to 24.

The national suicide hotline website is below.

suicidepreventionlifeline.org

For help with mental illness go to nami.org

Stream “Speak Life” by Precise