Submited by: Keith Jones...

Submited by: Keith Jones (kdeivo.tumblr.com)/TheNynthLife.com, Editor-In-Chief

*I understand you are a fashion blog, but I think there are certain people who may need to read this. Thank you once again for your support =) #WeLoveBlackFashion

Hello, I understand there may be some issues with the titling of our Black History Month celebration special. On Tumblr, we were fortunate enough to be mentioned by Black Fashion , a site in which several African-Americans use to express their unique fashion senses and show respect for others. However, rather than people accepting our attempts to educate our readers, there were a few rejecting the title alone and consequently the whole idea. Users who voiced their opinions include Momocita, JadoreFashionBlog, Floe239, and Smandberg. I even read where miss Septembre Andersen of JadoreFashionBlog cited the idea as “idiocy” , here’s a screen shot imported from her blog:

The ironic thing about Miss Andersen’s rejection is that in spite of her attempting to express her nationality as an African-American and stand up for her community, she is in fact attempting to humiliate their efforts and even referring to it as “extremely stupid behavior.”

First, I’ll have you all know that I am very proud to be an African-American and want nothing but to honor my fellow brothers and sisters. In fact, I attend Morehouse College; Martin Luther King, Jr. is both my brother and a well-respected figure of society, ergo his presence on the cover.

Now I can understand the issues with the title, if I were unaware of the developer’s intentions I would as well (however, I would neglect using derogatory terms to describe something I could not explain)

I was inspired to use the word “Niggas” in the title for two reasons.

The first being of course a play on the same title Kanye West and Jay-Z used.

The title hadn’t cemented however, until I began reading a selection from THE MAAFA: THE AFRICAN HOLOCAUST IN THE AMERICAS AND AFRICAN/BLACK PSYCHOLOGY. Just in case you didn’t know, maafa is a term describing the global concept encompassing the era of the physical-psychological bondage of African people (specifically the enslavement of Africans by the “New World” enclave of Eurasians)

One question the author of the Maafa poses is“What did the maafa mean culturally for Africans? Did it mean the deculturalization of Africans, or the disruption/ destabilization of African culture? Did it attack Africans’ sense of reality?

Well has it?

Obviously, when we recast the term other people have used to oppress us to define ourselves.

The special, if you’ve even read any of the posts, actually highlights blacks achievements and aims to let the readers know that despite people labeling blacks as incompetent, or niggardly, they’ve done great things for their community and the rest of the world.

NIGGA, within itself, is a word in which has become a term we use to define ourselves, sure; there’s nothing we can do to change that. But if we’re going to call ourselves NIGGAS, why not give it a new definition? Why can’t NIGGA, a word blacks take pride and strict possession in using, be a good word? Why can’t these people who’ve been labeled as NIGGAS be trailblazers?

I call myself a nigga, and guess what? I’m not in jail or the graveyard. I’m in school, maintaining a great GPA, and attempting to enlighten the community. So if nigga is what they choose to call me then I’m fine with that. Because I’m a nigga who’s doing great things.

Don’t be so quick to shoot things down or refer to them as idiocy when in fact you’re the one who’s ignorant to the intentions. That being said, if you would like to further enlighten yourself, check out our special, Niggas In America: A Celebration of Black Musicians in America, at TheNynthLife.com. Also, if you’re a music fan, don’t miss out on your opportunity to hear the story of blacks using the art of music (something we as black people have been a revolutionary part of since we were chained and labeled as chattel). The mixtape will illustrate four eras:

1. European Enslavement of the African

2. Emancipation & Black Pride

3. Re-Enslavement and the Identity Crisis

4. Call To Action

Thank you for your time and Happy Black History Month =)

Keith Jones

Editor-In-Chief, TheNynthLife.com

E-mail: Keith@TheNynthLife.com

This article can be viewed/commented on at TheNynthLife.com/niggas-in-america