La Kajuana Blues

Has everyone seen La-Kajuana Blues?? Yeah, I know that’s not how you spell it. But whatever. This is The Kajuana Show and I reserve the right to place my name in the entry any way I see fit.

First, I adore S. Epatha. So anything she does, I’m usually all over it. And in this movie, I thought her acting was wonderful. And she looked beautiful. I mean, not in the mainstream way, but in the middle aged motherly Black woman way.

This movie isn’t new. But I just got to see it. What? I didn’t have HBO. Kajuana = Cheapy McSpend-Thrift. I’d hear lots about it. But when I asked people about the plot of the movie, I got two answers. Some people said the movie was about how this woman took in this child and raised him. Other people said it was about how integration stopped Blacks from maintaining and building our own stuff. Interestingly enough, the opinions were split down the middle with the people under 40 giving the first answer and the people 41 and older giving the second one. For the sake of this post, I shall focus on the second answer.

I’ve been told that integration hurt us more than it’s helped up. And it was always told to me by older people who remember and lived pre-integration. People whose families owned stuff. People whose livlihood was tied to Black people supporting each other because they had to. People with and without college educations.

Whenever we have this discussion, the arguments, from Black people, about why integration was a good thing usually include as their basis that our things were sub-standard. Our homes sucked. Our businesses weren’t as fancy as the white ones. We could try on clothes in department stores. Our schools sucked. We deserved rights to the same public services whites got because we paid taxes too. The only argument I can embrace is the one about taxes. But everything else, Pish-Posh! Could our things have been sub-standard because they weren’t as developed? Would they be if they were given more time? We just don’t know.

I know we were all taught about integrating the schools. But people fail to realize that allowing children to go to the same school really means nothing! Integration would be for those kids to mingle outside of school. Would be for those kids to eat lunch together. And guess what folks! That’s still not happening. It would mean more than me and most ofmy friends getting used to being the only Black person in our offices. Successful integration would mean so many things we don’t see today.

I grew up in a predominately Black city. Good old Detroit. Went to predominately Black schools. Were there white kids there? Sure. Were they my friends? Yeah. But it happened naturally. There was no forcing. But I guess since our parents weren’t big old racists, we weren’t predisposed to hating each other just because our skin looked different.

I went to Howard University. HBCU indeed!!! Most of my friends went to Black schools too. When my kids (which I don’t have) are college age, I can’t imagine writing tuition checks to anything but an HBCU!!! At least for undergrad. This is because I see the value of it. I have friends who went to white schools and they say that going to a white school doesn’t reflect the real world. So then why is it that those who went to HBCU’s are just as successful as those who went to Chez Whitey University?? It’s the same with sororities and fraternities. I can’t see my children pledging anything not a part of the Pan-Hell!!! Why? Because I see the value in what is OURS!!!!!!

I was in San Fran earlier this year. My girl and I were at a spa. I was outside lounging reading a book, The Polished Hoe. This old white woman was laying beside me and I could see her glancing over. Who wouldn’t when seeing a title like that? I was hoping she’d say something and she did. I engaged her for a moment. But I could tell she was completely shook when I told her I was a member of a co-ed book club. Yes B*tch, Black men read! She pressed on asking what types of books we read. Translation: Do you only read Black books? Hell yeah. We only read books by BLACK authors! Does that mean that on our own time we don’t read books written by anyone else?? NO!!! But before we support others, we’re focusing on supporting our own. For me, I even try to buy the books at Black book stores!

I’ve even had Black people question our choice of authors. But do they run up and through white book clubs asking why they don’t read books by Black, Hispanic, etc. authors? I think not!

I’m not one to get pissed cus you won’t let me sit at your lunch counter. It might not be the ‘right’ thing to do. It might not be something I would do. But. That’s your right. I’m not one to beg you for a chance to get in, even if I have to go through the back door. I’m more of the type who would rather focus all my energies on building my own damn lunch counter. It might not be as fancy as yours yet, but it will be mine! If the whites want to come, their money is green. But my first concern is me and mine!

Am I a racist? Uh…NO! Cus anytime any person talks about the value of their people having their own shyt, they’re labeled a racist! Give me a break! I have nothing against white folks. However, I believe there’s value in having our own. This doesn’t mean I believe we have to bring white folks down or exclude them. Every other group in America seems to recognize the value of having their own shyt. But we don’t as a whole. Why is that??