This will probably be the longest, yet most significant post I've ever made. Ever since the Tea Party movement the right wing has been winning elections by screaming about leftist cancel culture. Today. those same folk are attempting to erase, not only speech coming from the left, but also any speech that's contrary to their MAGA 2025 agenda (many people are calling it a fascist agenda), However. let me digress. Make no mistake, it is my profound belief that Charlie Kirk was the poster child for white supremacy. He could have very well be the face of a billboard in my home state town of Smithfield, NC that read, "Welcome to Smithfield" This is Klan Country: Help us fight integration & communism. It was put up in the late 1960's and remained until the mid-1970's. The speech of Charlie, though disguised in the cloak of freedom of speech, it was the kind of speech that throughout American history has led to my people being tarred and feathered, hanged, and all kinds of misery being visited upon us And the Charlie Kirks of the world had the audacity to disparage us and admonish to stop referring to ourselves as victims. I've never referred to myself as a victim. I've been victimized. There's a difference. I consider myself to be a revolutionary

We’ve heard all the voices on the right and all the capitulation of mainstream media Addressing Charlie Kirk's Statements and Affirming the Value of Black a Response to Harmful his harmful Rhetoric:  now it's time to hear an African American Perspective

In a media landscape saturated with noise, opinion, and the ever-present undercurrents of racism and Addressing Charlie Kirk's Statements and Affirming the Value of Black a Response to Harmful Rhetoric: An African VoicesAn African American division, the words that public figures choose to carry immense weight. When someone like Charlie Kirk, a well-known political commentator, chooses to use his platform to spread misinformation, harmful stereotypes, or hateful rhetoric about Black people, it is not just an affront to the individuals targeted, but a blow to the fabric of American society itself. As an African American, the need to respond is not only a matter of self-respect but a call to stand in solidarity with all those who value justice, truth, and the principles on which this nation claims to stand.

Throughout history, the Black community in America has been subjected to a barrage of hostile, dehumanizing narratives. Whether through pseudoscience, debunked stereotypes, or outright lies, words have been used as weapons to justify everything from segregation to voter suppression. The echoes of the past are never far away when a figure like Kirk engages in the kind of rhetoric that demonizes or diminishes Black people. His words are not an isolated incident, but part of a persistent thread that has been woven through American discourse for centuries.

To answer such hateful rhetoric is to engage in a tradition of resistance that is as old as the struggle for Black freedom itself. From Frederick Douglass’s speeches to Ida B. Wells’s journalism, Black Americans have always responded to slander not with silence, but with truth, reason, and resilience.

When Charlie Kirk makes derogatory or misleading statements about Black people, the harm is not limited to abstract debate; it trickles into real lives, real communities, and real policies. The perpetuation of negative stereotypes leads to discrimination in education, employment, healthcare, and the justice system. It emboldens those who would do violence—either physical or structural—against Black bodies and Black dreams.

Words matter. They shape perceptions, harden prejudices, and, when repeated often enough from positions of power, they become part of the status quo that the Black community must struggle to overcome every day. Dismissing or ignoring these statements is not an option

One of the most insidious effects of hateful rhetoric is the way it attempts to strip away the complexity and dignity of Black life. In responding to such negativity, we must assert the full humanity, creativity, and resilience of Black people. Our history is not one of victimhood, but of overcoming. From the Harlem Renaissance to the Civil Rights Movement, from the election of Black leaders to the everyday triumphs of ordinary people, the story of Black America is one of contribution and achievement.

Affirming our worth in the face of such attacks is an act of self-preservation and collective healing. Black excellence and resilience are not just responses to adversity—they are the foundation upon which the American story is built. Our achievements, often made in the teeth of systemic opposition, speak not only to our capabilities but to an enduring spirit that refuses to be diminished.

In every field, from the arts to the sciences, from the classroom to the courtroom, Black people have contributed immeasurably to the nation’s growth and soul. Our joy, our creativity, and our perseverance are themselves forms of resistance—living proof that we are more than the distorted images others project onto us. To affirm Black humanity is to celebrate the fullness of our lives: our laughter, our struggles, our triumphs, and our dreams.

It is not enough to merely rebut falsehoods; we must also assert and uplift the true narratives of who we are. This means cultivating spaces where our stories are told by us and for us, where the richness of our identities is honored rather than reduced, and where future generations can see themselves reflected with pride and possibility.

We are artists, scientists, teachers, entrepreneurs, parents, and children. We are dreamers. We are builders. We are voters. We are thinkers. We are human beings, deserving of respect, dignity, and the opportunity to live our lives free from harm

It is necessary to challenge not only the content of hateful statements but also the hypocrisy behind them. Too often, those who decry “identity politics” are quick to weaponize identity when it suits their purposes. When Kirk and others attempt to define what Black people should think, believe, or aspire to, they deny us our individuality and agency. They perpetuate a monolithic view of Blackness that erases the incredible diversity of experiences and opinions within our community.

Let it be clear: Black Americans are not beholden to any single ideology or political party. Our voices are as varied as the nation itself. We reject attempts to pigeonhole us or to use us as props in someone else’s narrative. The right to self-definition is a cornerstone of our freedom.

No hateful statement can erase the power of community. Across the country, Black families, organizations, churches, and activists continue to work toward a more just and equitable world. We support one another, lift as we climb, and find strength in unity even as we acknowledge our differences.

Solidarity means rejecting attempts to divide us by class, generation, gender, or any other line. It means standing together not just against hate, but for hope—for the belief that America can live up to its highest ideals.

Painful as it is to hear public figures malign our community, we can transform that pain into purpose. Every hateful word offers an opportunity to educate, to organize, to vote, and to build. Our response is not just defensive, but creative. We answer attacks with art, with protest, with scholarship, and with love.To every young person who hears someone like Charlie Kirk and wonders if they belong: You do. You are part of a proud legacy and a brighter future. Do not let anyone define your worth or limit your vision. Stand tall, speak out, and know that you are not alone

Responding to hateful rhetoric also means demanding accountability from those who platform or enable it. Media consumers must be critical, informed, and unafraid to challenge misinformation wherever they find it. Sponsors, networks, and social media platforms must be urged to take a stand against hate, not just with words but with actions.

Accountability is not censorship. It is the insistence that public discourse be rooted in truth and respect for human dignity. Let us use our collective voice to make it clear that bigotry has no place in the American conversation.

In the end, the response to hateful statements is not just about refuting lies; it is about reclaiming the narrative. It is about telling our own stories, on our own terms, and refusing to be silenced or defined by those who wish us harm. We answer hate with hope, ignorance with knowledge, and division with unity.

The legacy of Black America is not one of defeat, but of defiance. We have faced the worst, and still we rise