See that pic up top? That’s a soup line during the great depression. Peep the complexion? Me too. In this day of “Post Black” America, which I’m still trying to understand what the fuck cats like Toure is talking about, New York City continues to keep it real. I love New York’s former sense of realness, be it the crime valley that was 42nd Street and Times Square or how quick one could get juxed in the streets of Brooklyn after dark. The harshness of the city’s sub standard quality of life conditions was a valued training ground that helped in keeping a brother sharp and on their toes.
Shit starting feeling weird though, when New York became a much “safer” city for some to live in. What with Times Square becoming a metropolitan Disney Land and white feeling more comfortable skateboarding and dog walking all up and down Nostrand Avenue and at all hours, the seemingly improved life quality conditions didn’t seem quite right. Sure, New York has had it’s share of random crime related incidents, but you know how kniccas like to get out of pocket every now and then. Sometimes, all them darkies need is a good shooting in the back, just to keep them in their goddamn place, and for good measure.
So now I’m hearing that New York might actually be one of the most racist cities to live in according to a recent New York Times article. Well, not racist like getting called all types of nigga to one’s face or like having a private surburban swim club turning away Black kids for fear of changing the complexion of its pool, but racist in how white is able to maintain a job far better than Blacks. According to the Times, “while unemployment rose steadily for white New Yorkers from the first quarter of 2008 through the first three months of this year, the number of unemployed blacks in the city rose four times as fast, according to a report to be released on Monday by the city comptroller’s office. By the end of March, there were about 80,000 more unemployed blacks than whites.” Wtf? And here I am thinking I was funemployed for going on a year by choice while all my white friends have been able to maintain their dope cushy jobs in cool fields like film, publishing and television. Talk about not getting the memo.
Still, and no offense to my nine to fivers, jobs is just another word for modern day slavery. Few people I know ever got rich off of having a job. Do you know anyone with a 9 – 5 that’s rich, or what some would consider wealthy? As a matter of fact, most people I know with jobs have done a better job at creating personal debt than me. The way I’m thinking, if I had a job now, there’s no way I’d be able to blog on the Daily Mathematics, there’d be no way I’d be able to create the wonderful opportunites I’m currently seeing. So eff the New York Times for even insinuating that New York City is even in the least bit racist, I’m not buying that she doesn’t love me the way I love her. All New York is giving me is tough love, and isn’t tough love the best kind of love to have?
About Combat Jack
Attorney, author and radio personality Reggie Ossé is an established authority in all things urban entertainment. He is considered the first in today’s new wave of savvy attorneys well versed and nurtured in Urban, Hip Hop and Popular culture. He is the author of “Bling, The Hip Hop Jewelry Book”, a cultural anthropology coffee table book which provides an in depth and entertaining study of man’s fascination with jewelry spanning back to the birth of civilization.
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