Welcome to CulturalConscious.com

In a world that is rapidly changing, where the advancements of technology create larger and larger gaps between generations, some things still remain the same. Technology is bridging the gaps between cultures throughout the world, bringing them closer and closer. Yet, our cultural subconscious fights to keep them apart.

Culture is defined as the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. Conscious is defined as aware of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.

I define cultural conscious as being aware of your culture, while still being able to understand other cultures and the differences that exist between them. Unfortunately, most people do not reach the state where they are using their cultural conscious. People respond to and formulate opinions of cultural differences via their sub-conscious, meaning they form a response or an opinion without new thought. The problem here is the sub-conscious is developed based on one’s own culture, so any opinions are going to be based on a cultural bias until an experience occurs that changes the subconscious. Unfortunately, the subconscious is not easily changed.

On a daily basis, we all struggle with our subconscious. Situations arise where we formulate thoughts about other people based on stereotypes, media portrayal, "what we heard", appearance, ignorance, etc. Because decisions are made in the subconscious, we are unaware of any wrong doing unless someone else points it out to us. The goal of this blog is to point out areas where our conscience should override our subconscious.

These are my thoughts…This is my Cultural Conscious.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

All Star Weekend

I attended the NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas this past weekend and all I have to say is, “OH MY GOODNESS!!!” Black Peoples, we are in a world of trouble! Actually, after seeing what I saw this weekend, I am no longer considering myself Black. I am officially Asian! If anyone asks, my mom is from the Philippines and I don’t know who my Daddy is! This may sound bad for me to say, but if you were there, you may understand where I am coming from.

Vegas, on any weekend attracts a huge amount of visitors. But on this weekend, the huge amount of visitors happened to be Black and boy, did they show out! I arrived in town Thursday afternoon and by Friday, the world renowned Las Vegas Strip was transformed into “DA HOOD”. How can a group of people, the majority of which were Black turn all the luxuriousness associated with Vegas into the ghetto? I just don’t understand it.

I know a lot of people may think I am being hard or that it couldn’t have been that bad, but it was really a horrific site to see. Any progress that you think may have been achieved as a people has all been washed away within a single weekend. Black People have been transported back to the Dinosaur Age, and if we don’t do something soon, things are just going to get worse! If you don’t believe me, just do a Google search on “all star weekend las vegas news.” Some of the articles you will see…

5 Shot During NBA weekend in Las Vegas

NBA treading on dangerous ground with All-Star Weekend culture

Shootings, arrests spoil post NBA-All Star Game Party

All Star Weekend – 362 arrests

One writer described it as a “house party in the projects”

My biggest problem, and the problem that faces most of us, is the impression that this one weekend left on all the hotel staff, dealers, waitresses, and citizens of Vegas. I always say that there is a negative image of Black people in the media, but it doesn’t help anything when we glorify that image. The next time you are in Vegas and enter a restaurant, the staff is going to take a look at you and decide what level of service you are going to receive based on their recollection of what happened All Star weekend. Is this right? Hell, no! Is this reality? Hell, yes!

I stayed in Vegas until Tuesday evening, so I stuck around after most visitors returned home. I heard numerous complaints from dealers, waiters, and bartenders about how they wish the city never had an All-Star game again. This is a city that lives off tourism, and their job depends on it, but they were quick to point out that they did not want a certain “riff raff” as tourists. Am I “riff raff”? Are you “riff raff”? The answer is probably no, but to them, you got the same color skin as the “riff raff” that came down and turned their Strip into a ghetto. Is this what it means to be Black?

I’m thirty-one years old, and maybe it’s just a generation thing. But the children are our future, and if the future of the Black Race in America is what I saw on the Strip, then I will be the first to say, the future is not bright! Let me ask a few questions…

How did the attire of the youth become one 2x of 3x White Tee, 1 Pair of Air Force Ones, a hat with a flat brim covering up a durag, tattoos, and, of course, jewelry consisting of Jesus pieces and grills? Why do we feel it necessary to show wealth? Why drape a huge chain with glittering diamonds over a $10 White Tee? Don’t get me wrong, I like nice things just as much as the next person, but there is a line I draw. A gentleman had on a jacket that read “Rich Bastard” in diamonds, while another gentleman had a huge stack of $20 dollar bills and walked around the casino with them in his hands. Why? Aren’t they inviting someone to rob them? Are women really impressed by that? Is this What Being Black Means?

Why can’t we just be wealthy? Why can’t we buy stocks and bonds instead of diamonds? Why can’t we invest in minority businesses instead of spending money on designer clothes and establishments run by non-minorities? This is Black History Month, but this generation in no longer making history. We need a revolution. Not a physical revolution like in the sixties. This one needs to be mental, where we change the status quo, change the stereotypes, and redefine What Being Black Means.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm feeling ya!

Anonymous said...

I totally agree I live in Cincinnati, Ohio and when I first moved here other races were not accepting because of the history between them and blacks.

However, when people got to know me as an individual that change. It is a shame that people still stereotype individuals based on the previous experience that they encountered with that race. African Americans are guilty of being stereotypically also including myself.

When I meet someone who is wearing a 2X or 3X white tee or have a grill in their mouth I automatically assume that they are ignorant and extra GHETTO. Most of time I am right but sometimes I am not.

I am also 31 years and I don’t know what happened to the younger generation. I don’t know when it became cool to wear clothes that are 2 to 3 times bigger than your actual size. People may think that having "bling bling" represents who are but what people don’t understand is that all the jewels you have, the cars, the money and houses can be gone in an instance but an education will last forever. That is not to say that everyone should go to college. College is not for everyone however if you do not get a college education you should at least have a trade. A high school diploma means NOTHING now, everyone has one.

Lastly, every time I read or hear about events like the one in Vegas it is an embarrassment to me and my race. It seems like every time our race as a whole takes a step forward something happens (i.e. all star weekend at Vegas) that puts us 2 to 3 steps back. Something has to be done to stop this. What, I don’t know but nothing.

Anonymous said...

Obviously, you are entitled to your own opinion, but I think a better way to address the state of African Americans is to reach out to these individuals in a manner that would suggest a better lifestyle as opposed to degrading them on public media. Did you gain anything by doing so besides airing your thoughts?

Is the state of Black America in trouble? Yes, indeed!! Perhaps you can re-direct your dissatisfaction via another channel such as the R&B industry, BET, or radio/TV to implement a change in the negative images of black people as opposed to generating a bunch of useless discussion. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, but what good will it do for Black people? I may be coming from a different perspective because I have been taught if you can't say anything to uplift someone, then don't say anything at all.

Anonymous said...

I think part of it comes from us as a race still trying to understand who we are. Every other race have a plot of land to say is theirs. They know where they come from. When they come over they think like a majority. Blacks think like a minority with no home. With this thinking you limit you success. I think it will take more oprahs, tiger woods to step out of the pack and be an example. If we would have more step and save a few misguided ones effentually we would change.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the article. I have heard a lot of stories regarding the All-Star Weekend in Vegas. The article speaks about the men in white-tees but lets talk about the women. Women need to step up and act like women. We are suppose to be the Afircan Queens of this race but rather be labled as the girl with the "BIG ASS" or the woman that is trying to get SOMETHING for nothing. These women were dressed like they were going to bed. Why is that? Why do women need to dress in a certain way to grab the attention of a young entrepreneur. Am I suppose to teach my daughter that you will become unnoticed because you are not showing enough skin? Please do not get me wrong, there probably were a few that dressed with class but the majority had it all hanging out. WE need to get it together!!

Projection Identified said...

Keep the dialogue open. Change is birthed from debate in the marketplace of ideas. http://movemakers.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

WOW, What passionate writing. I have recently discovered that I am not truly "black" as well. My coming to terms with this realization happened while I was shopping at the grocery store in the hood. I was visiting with friends and stopped in a gocery store to pick up some wine and cheese. I could not find my favorite wine, Robert Mondavi, or my port wine cheese ball, brie cheese or imported Danish cheeses that I loved. Their only specialty cheese was CHEEZE WIZ! My grandparents on both sides were of Native American Indian heritage...color me RED!