Will Smith: It's Our Responsibility to Clean Up the Mess in the Black Community

[Ronnie Lott]

I still don't understand what was so significant about what Will said. Anyone who believes that the black community can be saved by outsiders is delusional. Anyone who believes we cannot solve the issues within our community is in fact a racist. To suggest that we shouldn't take ANY accountability for our predicament is dehumanizing and undermines our dignity as a people. We are not a helpless people nor are we a hopeless people. We have many outstanding, intelligent, bright, rational and creative people in our community. Our problem is that we simply do not work together and much less support each other.
We don't come together on things that will really matter in the long run. Economics, education, building wealth etc.

On another note, our culture has become one that fosters the idea of looking out for self and self only. This facet of our culture has become so detrimental to the point that it jeopardizes the future of our children. Think about that.

The main motivator and reasoning behind why other groups (Jews, Asians, Arabs, Indians, etc.) place such a huge importance on education,building wealth, and economics is ensuring a future for their descendants. Each generation strives towards solidifying a better future for their descendants no matter what the sacrifice. I think if we as black people put our children FIRST AND NOT OURSELVES we'd start to see true change. Am I suggesting that ALL black people do not care about their children? Of course not.

We often times either do not have the knowledge or tools to set our children up for success. We think kicking them out the house and encouraging them to be independent at an early age is helping but it isn't. Doing this is counter intuitive because that child is going up against other ethic groups who already have a head start.
If we ALL strive toward the goal of leaving behind something for our children (not debt) we'd be so much better off as a people.

What kind of nonsensical bullshyt is this?

 

[Still Benefited]

I don't like when black celebritys say this shyt in ear shot of white people....The whole whos fault it was part will go right into one ear and out the other,they will only hear the part about us needing to fix our own community....So I don't like that,but at the end of the day its time to realize cacs who want to think that,who use statements like this is validation they are correct in their thinking,were saying that or thinking that before Will Smith said it,before Cosby said it....I can only judge the statement from WIll how it felt,unlike Cosby I felt okay with it. Maybe if he would've said more he would've pissed me off too...But it didn't feel like Will was coming at black folks from that old black elitist angle like Cosby was....Cosbys rhetoric was aimed at poor black people who he feels makes "exceptional negroes" like himself look bad to white folks...Im seein more and more of that type of thinking among black people nowadays which is very divisive....I see it in the mindset of people who frankly aint all that "exceptional" they damn self,but who have been brainwashed that the white mans way is the right way....So anything white people may find unacceptable or "ghetto" they agree,and reject it as well....might even voice they hatred for it louder than cacs....then hide behind the guise of upliftment.

Being that they are black they can always spin it into "Im just trying to motivate my people"....These are people in our ranks we need to be careful of....Their main goal is to erase our identity and culture and rebuild us in the image of the white man...which is not at all necessary for us to be successful in our own way,whatever we believe that to be....just beware,you always gotta read between the lines no matter how "militant" somebody may come off they may be on the same shyt....and a statement that appears c00nish can be innocent and mean well.

 

[havoc]

I don't know Will comes back to Philly every year for that Charlie Mack event. I'm not sure but I think that raises money for things and he does a walk in his old neighborhood. I'm pretty sure just that is more than you've ever done for the black community so I wouldn't be so quick to talk
Ike you Mandela or some shyt. Also what's up with dudes taking up chick talking points about who dudes fukking and marrying? Y'all's dad taught y'all this shyt? This was never part of the life lessons program some of you dudes need to smack whoever got y'all into this thinking.

Aw man not the we izz poor flow? Smfh grown men out here sounding like kids. When it comes to this everybody need all the help in the world but if its was getting some chicks or some other bullshyt cats would learn how to do something to make it happen if nobody helped them. I just don't understand where y'all get these chick like mentality from. I hate having to depend on people so the less I have to do so the better but some on here seem to love that shyt.

All I said we need resource to advance economically as a group, which is true. Quit trying to invalidate this point with irrational rhetoric.

Has a white entertainer ever said shyt about the white community like will did about the black community?

nope

 

[Londilon]

My point is nikkas like you can always sit the fukk back and talk about others when you yourself ain't doing jack shyt but talking. I know you ain't done shyt of note so fukk out here with the I don't know cause it ain't worth a shyt. I don't need to ask myself shyt because I do what I think needs to be done and it works for me.

Like I said before you dont know what I do, worry about WTF you are doing. fukk what you think. If a celebrity makes a public statement it is free to be discussed. Once again you a proving that you are on his payroll.

 

[loyola llothta]

waiting on his pound cake speech

 

[philmonroe]

All I said we need resource to advance economically as a group, which is true. Quit trying to invalidate this point with irrational rhetoric.

nope

I didn't try to invalidate shyt you still going to feel the same way its just a weak way that's all. You can feel free to disagree as you do but invalidating nah not doing that.

Like I said before you dont know what I do, worry about WTF you are doing. fukk what you think. If a celebrity makes a public statement it is free to be discussed. Once again you a proving that you are on his payroll.

Like I said I don't care what you do cause its nothing of note anyway. Also people like you I'm willing to bet that you don't do much and maybe I lose but way more times than not I won't so I'm good rolling with them odds. Also since this is a fukking message board don't post if you don't want shyt but ass kissing responses. If I agree with you on a post I'll post that I agree too. Funny you mention celebrities but think your comments aren't free to be spoke on. If it makes you feel better yep I'm on the payroll now what?

 

[mortuus est]

don't they all come back and show they ass tho

 

[loyola llothta]

king at the Focus premiere in London, the actor hit back at claims and said: "I didn't even think about that really, I can't say I feel negatively about it.I don't really think that it's too much of a problem."


And when asked what he thought of Oprah Winfrey's film Selma - which has received a number of poor reviews - being snubbed at this year's award ceremonies, the 46-year-old said: "Really, my brain doesn't even work like that.

"In terms of what's snubbed and what's not snubbed, people vote for the movies that they want to vote for and they have that right."


just wait on it........another one bite the dust

 

[thekidvoodoo]

Ey, but why I hear more about what these cats think the black community needs to do than about what they're doing in and with the black community?

Media not interested in what they're doing or they ain't doing shyt? Not sure.

 

[Londilon]

I didn't try to invalidate shyt you still going to feel the same way its just a weak way that's all. You can feel free to disagree as you do but invalidating nah not doing that.


Like I said I don't care what you do cause its nothing of note anyway. Also people like you I'm willing to bet that you don't do much and maybe I lose but way more times than not I won't so I'm good rolling with them odds. Also since this is a fukking message board don't post if you don't want shyt but ass kissing responses. If I agree with you on a post I'll post that I agree too. Funny you mention celebrities but think your comments aren't free to be spoke on. If it makes you feel better yep I'm on the payroll now what?

Worry about yourself and if someone makes a public statement it is free to be discussed.

You must be getting paid by Will or you are Will himself. Knowing if someone is getting paid to keep a celebrities image up makes their posts and opinion invalid and bias.

You know nothing about me, worry about what YOU are doing for the black community.

 

[philmonroe]

Worry about yourself and if someone makes a public statement it is free to be discussed.

You must be getting paid by Will or you are Will himself. Knowing if someone is getting paid to keep a celebrities image up makes their posts and opinion invalid and bias.

You know nothing about me, worry about what YOU are doing for the black community.

Yeah you said this before anything else? If not have a great day kind sir.

PS: Stop giving people the ammo to kill you with too. Ex: Don't say if someone makes a public statement its free to be discussed then get pissed when someone disagrees with your public statement we are discussing. Sounds stupid just saying. Lastly I don't care if I know nothing about you I just disagree with you on this topic period.

 

[Londilon]

Yeah you said this before anything else? If not have a great day kind sir.

PS: Stop giving people the ammo to kill you with too. Ex: Don't say if someone makes a public statement its free to be discussed then get pissed when someone disagrees with your public statement we are discussing. Sounds stupid just saying. Lastly I don't care if I know nothing about you I just disagree with you on this topic period.

Your posts an opinion are useless and you come off as Will's pr ferm. Lol talking about I give off shut to kill me when you are doing damage control for a celebrity.

 

[El Bombi]

Any one surprised by the lack of posts calling him a "c00n" is an idiot.
Of course black people should actively attempt to change their communities
for the good but the issue isn't just communal failings, it's institutional failings.

Where your mayor, governor, police chiefs etc. fail to do right by you.
For example : Trayvon Martin and his family for all intents and purposes were middle class
black folks about as far from the worst ghetto's as you can get but he was still touted as a
villain in death and wasn't served proper justice.


These sorts of issues are cultural and no amount of "doin right" will fix that, it takes change
on both sides. Institutional racism isn't some far off thing that doesn't happen anymore
it's happening NOW. When your peace officers can gun you down and get charities set
up for them.
It's happening NOW. When your talks about differences in pay and job opportunities are
swept aside as "complaining" or pointless bellyaching.
It's happening NOW. When you can have discourse on how someone should wear their jeans
but you can't discuss why schools with a certain amount of melanin are receiving less
funding or being closed down and prisons are being thrown up instead.

Rep+

 

[AntiVenom]

I've lived amongst south Americans in inner city Houston who didn't own any of the housing they were living in but they made an effort to keep the communities they don't own clean, it's deeper than ownership, it's also about self worth, if you don't feel a type of way about your community being trashy it's because you've accepted it as the norm, you've accepted that it's normal to live in a trashy environment and that reflects on the people living in the environment and how they feel about themselves.

Im not one to keep comparing us to other groups and what they do. Especially a totally different culture on a different continent. I truthfully think that black americans are going to need something TANGIBLE to invest in to start giving a damn. When weve got some ownership Im confident things will improve. I honestly dont think its the self worth. But we can agree to disagree.

 

[WheresWallace]

I don't know if this is a fair analogy. What if someone continuously scratches your car, like every week. The cost of repairing it to its former condition becomes prohibitive. Then people start to clown you because you're driving around in a jacked up looking car. They even start to blame you for not taking care of your things, even though everyone on the block knows you're being continuously targeted by this mysterious vandal. No one cares though. I wonder how many people would just give up on getting their car fixed.

That is an extremely valid point...but I still stand by my comment because, personally, I can't just lay down and quit but I definitely see where you are coming from because some people don't have that much fight in them.

Also, to add to your analogy...the mysterious vandal is also lying and saying that it was you're black neighbor who is causing the scratches...so the two neighbors are fighting against each other as well.