Welcome to The Cookout!
I love Black media. I especially love Black social media. Unfortunately, a lot of them are under-developed and under-funded, which usually goes hand in hand. Too often have I been disappointed by the lack of uniqueness and polish with these rising platforms. In the worst case scenarios, they never get enough buzz and end up dying before they can really take off. You can chalk this up to things like marketing and such. But I think there’s another layer to this that doesn't get enough attention. Unity.
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It seems like whenever a good cluster of our people flock to a platform, it’s only a matter of time before the lower-vibrational of us infect it with their sickness. I’ve been bombarded with negative remarks for making statements about keeping peace in our community and loving our Goddesses. You know, just basic courtesies…
I’ve had my name, my company, family, friends, all dragged online in the hyenic pursuit of satisfying the lust for drama and mayhem. People have actually come to my city looking for me! It sucks. To be outcasted by your own people for much of your life and to still not find much comradery in my adult age. But, that’s where The Culture Club comes in.
After years of trying to create safe spaces online and in-person, I’ve come to realize that it takes more than just bringing a bunch of people together. It takes even more than a team of people with the same goals and aspirations in mind. Even if we’re all on the same page as far as our goals, if we’re not equally moving in respect, care, sympathy, and love for each other, nothing we bring together will last. This has been proven throughout modern history. I say modern history because in ancient times, before colonization, our people were much more at peace with each other. In Divine Oneness, as a matter of fact. We lived in harmony, not only with ourselves, but with nature. We were one people on one planet. Why can’t it go back to that?
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It’s not so much that we want to exclude everyone else from our culture. Though, that could help fight against the influx of appropriation. The main goal for The Culture Club will be to bring us together in a more meaningful and family-oriented way. I’m starting it as a Facebook group for now. I’ll link it here.
I intend for this to be a safe, cozy, educational, yet entertaining space for all melanated beings. Outsiders invading our space has been a historical issue. Personally, I don't see it ramping down anytime soon. But what we can do as people, as a race, is start laying the groundwork for something bigger and greater.
In this group, members can connect with like-minded creatives in whatever industry they're involved in. Musicians, designers, arts-n-crafters, historians, ANYBODY. I want to curate a space for us to gather and exchange ideas, knowledge, and other valuable info. I haven't found a group or app like this and I know with some work
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I have some other things I wanted to talk about. Namely, all this devious behavior and backstabbing in the culture. It's sickening. However, it's best to understand that a lot of it comes from our childhoods. So much unspoken trauma and instability are a deadly combo for the Black race. Any race for that matter. But it seems other races have more effective methods of keeping things stable. We've tried and tried but kept getting knocked down.
Well, it's time for a true change. We can start small and grow this into something greater. There's no limit to our power when we unite our strengths and work together to eliminate our weaknesses. We have to keep putting a major focus on ourselves and the betterment and preservation of our culture. As well as the many other cultures from our Brothers and Sisters around the world. Conformity can lead to a pretty comfortable lifestyle, but too much comfort results in stagnation and laziness. We become weak by trying to adopt their “strengths”. Read that last part again….
At the end of the day, you can’t spell “community” without “U.N.I.T.Y”, and There’s no unity without You and I. Peace, y’all. Stay tuned for my next thought.
Sincerely yours, Mr. Mogul 💎
