Dear Black Man

In the upcoming blogs, you will hear from me and some of the trusted voices in my life speak on matters from an African-American view to the African-American community as well the people we are connected to. DON'T WORRY, you are NOT excluded, I made sure that I prayed and got something for everyone in this series. The series is entitled, "Letters from a Black". With that being said, let's jump right into the first letter for the black men.

Dear Black Man,

How do I even start to address a widespread, diverse amount of people? Do I start by saying, I am sorry? Do I start by proposing a solution to modern day climate of the world concerning you? However I start speaking on the situation, it could be the difference between if I am heard or not. Let me be respectful and start by saying this:

HEY BLACK MAN!

I'm starting off this series with you! Why you, you ask? I'm so glad you asked! You are what seems to be the target of prosecution and violence in the recent times and current events. Whether you can take on the title of father, brother, son, mentor, teacher, impactor, whether you are a quarter, half, or three quarters black you fall into a category that some call dangerous. You have so many so many reasons to be pissed, upset, worried, anxious, so please feel what you feel! Do not allow anyone or anything make you discount what you feel and why you feel it. You are allowed to feel what you feel. I give you permission There will be times where you transition in and out of peace and mental turbulence right now and in the upcoming days.Guess what?!?! THAT IS JUST FINE! It is normal, but what is not normal is that holding in action you do every so often, let it out fam! Let me charge you to do another thing to.... CRY, it will be okay, and if anyone judges you tell them to find the closest seat in hell. There has been this hovering stigma that men, especially African-American men can not show or feel emotion. This stigma literally strips you of your freedom to feel and speak. Remember the whole freedom of speech situation? Yeah consider hat gone, do the research, most conversations we have have some type of emotion in it whether we realize it or not. HELLO PASSION IS AN EMOTION! Kill that stigma! OFF WITH ITS HEAD!

Too many of us are dying whether it be black on black, white on black, or the one that has been shockingly increasing, blue on black, it's happening. I'm here as a 6'3", black, 19 year old, male who has learned a few things (before you discredit me because of my credentials, hear me out):

• Be able to be adaptive!: Not every space and atmosphere deserves or even desires to see all of you. Understand, there is a time/space for you to get naked... just not here and in front of them. Be able to adapt to your surroundings. I am not telling you to change your personality/habits, I'm asking you to be able suppress some things that are culturally acceptable, but society curses. "When amongst kings, do as the Kings do".

• Respect Yourself: You should have no reason why you should have your pants to your ankles! Unless you have zero to no money, please sir, go buy yourself a simple belt, and even until you get a belt do not me embarrassed by a string through the belt loops. If you do not have the money honestly, communicate with someone you trust that does, and I'm sure they would be willing to help. If you have the ability to, dress to where you are going, not to where you are currently at. That's the scoop on clothing, as it pertains to next step to show that you have respect for yourself is showing verbal restraint. Understanding, that your vocabulary is imperative for your future, you would take it a lot more serious than you do right now. Do yourself a favor... Use the word "nigga" when you are with the homie, not in public when you do not know who is listening.

• Be Aware: Black man, please wrap your head around the fact that there is a group of individuals around the wold that want to see you dead. There is also a group of people who look like them that want nothing but the best for you. PLEASE DECIPHER WHICH IS WHO OF THE TWO. From a black man who went to predominately white schools his entire life, I have seen both of these groups. I have some people who only love me at my school , because of my athletic ability I brought to the school, and then I have my two best friends who are white that love me for me. Pay attention to the ones who stand by the whole, "I don't see color"... DROP them they are dangerous. Let one wrong person that is of color do something to them and I bet they'd see color then. If they cannot see color, they cannot love you to the fullness of who you are. If you did not know, your skin is apart of who you are. Regardless of what I say, keep your eyes on the people who are like onions and have multiple layers to them. Do not fall in love with the first two levels when the core is rotten.

Black man, in a world where it is easy to get stressed and depressed it is very important that you affirm yourself and other black men in your community. I'm going to end this first episode of this new series, Letters from a Black, by giving you a short list of affirmations to say to yourself and one another. To affirm means to state a fact; uphold; defend. When you start saying these it will cause a change in the black man's esteem and mental space.Dear black man , I love you and I am routing for you.

Signed with love,

Dashaun Archer

Affirmations - Black Man

• I am needed

• I am strong

• I will live, and not die

• I have a purpose & destiny

• I matter

• My black is not a consequence

• I am powerful

• Every black man connected to me is covered

• Poverty does not belong to me

• Wealth is in my hands

• I will change the world

• I am loved

• I am supported