Last night, for the first time in many years, I tuned into the Oscars to hopefully see a few historical moments. Little did I know that the beauty and majesty of the night would be overshadowed by violence. Anyone watching Will Smith’s face could see that the moment wasn’t even about Chris Rock at all. That moment was about all of the anger and rage Will has been holding in due to the public humiliation he suffered through a marriage with a facade for the public only. His personal life has been fodder for a while now for everyone to break down and tear apart. First his wife’s affair with August and what we all saw when we watched them talk about it on the red couch. That was a moment I wish I had never experienced just like last night. What we saw on Will’s face that day is what we saw last night. Her eternal love for Tupac has bothered Will for years and for some reason, that conversation crept back up recently. Last night, Will was a man with deep-rooted issues that came out in a violent attack on Chris Rock for the world to see. It was done on a night that was made for celebration. The world is trying to get back to some semblance of normalcy and everyone came out and sat in a festive atmosphere. Women graced the stage, people of color were behind the scenes, in the audience, and on the red carpet. It should have been a night of nothing but greatness. For parents who decided to watch the show with their children in hopes to see some iconic moments to be proud of, instead have to craft an explanation for what their child saw and remind them to never choose violence. They watched a star who had everything to be proud of on a night that should have been a high peak in his career allow the worst of himself to be on display. He ruined the image that made him famous. He ruined a moment that should have been about Quest Love. He used that time to release the hurt and anger he’d been walking around with for a long time. His truth came out via his hands last night when he should have been on someone’s couch getting through his issues. I have people who have done things to me that I didn’t like. I have had things said about me that were hurtful. Deep down, I will never believe that violent attacks against anyone is an answer to anything; ever. I know there are people who will say that Will did nothing wrong because he was protecting his wife – by using violence? That’s the same as saying a child who shoots up a school is justified because he was bullied; that’s saying that it was okay for the attack on January 6th because the ex-president lost an election and so the only way to get back at those who didn’t support him was by way of violence. None of it is okay. I was embarrassed for Will Smith because he fought hard in his career to get to last night and it was marred by his neanderthal behavior. He should have been better than that. He speaks of love, but didn’t display that. I don’t remember him racing to the stage to attack Regina Hall when she made a joke about his marriage not being a real marriage but one in name only – something we all already knew. No, he waited until a black man hit the stage and decided he was willing to risk it all for a reaction that will be remembered over the fact that he won an Oscar. Nothing is worth sliding that far down from a career that has made him a rich man. I know Chris Rock won’t choose a legal route, which he has every right to do and which he should choose. There should be repercussions for Will’s actions last night. Kids are watching; the world is watching. Last night should have been about the wins for everyone, yet instead, the news will now focus on a man’s destruction as his demons came to the surface and he chose violence instead of dealing with it in a mature manner after the cameras were off. I choose romance, I choose love, I choose to let people live in their lanes, thrive in their truth. That never means laying hands on anyone in any way that is violent. I’m not perfect. I’ve done and said some things I’m not proud of. Last night was a tragedy and it was rewarded by Will winning an Oscar, but that won’t be what people will remember. They will only remember that he attacked a black man on live television. When people wonder why our people are never invited to the table, remember last night and thank Will Smith when they’re never invited back again.
Monthly Archives: March 2022
I Know Who I Am
Black women are created with an extra-strong spine. You didn’t know? Hmm, you better ask somebody! What may kill and take others down, we tend to fight our way through and rise. We may get a little dirty, perhaps there’s some tarnish, but be careful once we get back up and clean ourselves off. You will wonder why we keep getting up. Why? Because we know that there is work to be done for ourselves and our families. We will push and pull, hustle and grind, stomp and pound our way to success. Oh, you will try to push us low, hold us down and bury us deep, but in the end, when you gather with your friends to laugh about how you did us, you’ll look to your right and your left and see us waving at you. We may even give you a little wink. It’s not about playing up to you; it’s about telling you that you were not worth us staying down. As strong as you thought you were, we are stronger. There are too many reasons left for us to shine! So, move out of our way! Try someone else. You are and will always be in the presence of greatness when there’s a Black woman around, whether you want to be or not. We don’t care. We will always stand. We don’t have a choice because we carry so much on our backs. Trust me, we saw you coming and were prepared for your wrath. We know the plan for our lives and it’s to remain steadfast and unmovable. Our strong spines were made to do just that!
@ Copyright 2022
Cheryl Barton
Its About the Love 