By Dior Ginyard
The Troy Davis story has taken over the social media platforms and news air waves over the past couple of days. Everyone, from college students to politicians have weighed in their opinion on what many have called a catastrophic failure of the justice system. My opinion is far beyond the justice system and the Troy Davis execution. My problem is with society as a whole.
Many people took to twitter to express how messed up the government is, how ignorant others have reacted, and how horrible the world has become. What hit me the most about the reaction of some is how these opinions have been pointed at others. I believe that this type of matter is the perfect time to re-evaluate self. The world may be messed up, but we have to understand that we make up this world. So if we change ourselves then the world as a whole will change. This change will not occur today or tomorrow, this process will take years but it starts with us. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the world, and broke the chain that society had on black people at that time. He re-evaluated himself and noticed that he had the strength and courage to take on this daunting task. But now, it seems as though once again as a black community we have become prisoners of society, and we have to change this.
Being a prisoner of society means giving into what society wants us to think, and how it wants us to be. Many people in the black community have become self-centered because society said this acceptable. Society has taught us over time to be all about me, myself, and I. This type of thinking has made the world what it is today. If Martin Luther King Jr. was all about self then segregation would still exist. If we want to change this world we have to stop this type of thinking, and we can start by re-evaluating ourselves. Re-evaluating yourself means looking in the mirror and critiquing yourself, just like how some of us critique others. The minute you start to re-evaluate yourself you start a process of progression. You start to figure out that you’re not satisfied with who you are and where you are in life. You start making goals for yourself, you become more positive, and you start having peace of mind. Most importantly during this re-evaluation period you find out talent you have that you never noticed you had. This talent that you find within may lead to you becoming a politician or holding a position on the Supreme Court. This how you break the chain that society has on you, and in turn you instill this type of thinking in your kids, and then your kids will do the same. That is how you change the world. You can’t change the world yelling at your TV or screaming into your phone. So many African Americans have yet to tap into their talents because they refuse to re-evaluate self and challenge where they are in life.
In times like this, we must not react to the Troy Davis situation. We as black people must choose to respond. I will not become a prisoner of society and give into its selfish self-centered way of thinking. If you want the world to change you won’t either. We must get out of the chokehold society has on us, and once we start changing ourselves we change the world.
Dior Ginyard
HBCU Buzz Staff
