Diversity is More Than Inclusion

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Relentless

RELENTLESSDAILY Aug

8th, 2013

DAILY

Diversity is more than Inclusion

Diversity is more than "Inclusion" it's also "Exclusion" (a lesson in Self-Esteem by Relentless Aaron) In life we all gravitate towards the things that we want and desire, yet aren’t we also supposed to “reject” the things that hurt us or impede upon our progress? I’m thinking that we’re not all-the-way clear about what we “accept” and what we “intentionally” attract to our lives. For much of my childhood and even into my early 20’s, I thought dark-skinned people were worse-off than I was. I thought they were less virtuous, less-gifted, less blessed; I thought they were the “apes” in the human equation and that I was of the “chimp” breed. Yes, in other words, I felt I was smarter, better looking and even more entitled to resources. But forget what I thought! That actually went a step further/into actions??? I would call my sister’s dark-skinned bestie all kinds of horrible names, all because of the foundation that was force-fed to me in media, whether they were early TV shows, books, magazines or other nuances that were shared between people. All of this transpired because of my lack of awareness, education and my thriving ignorance. Years later, after I came to learn more about people (in general) through travel and human interaction, I would come to marry a very dark sister. Go figure. And don’t you dare get at me or judge me (the reformed-asshole) about my past decisions because nobody is perfect; that goes for you who chose the only love available to you at the time #convenience; or you who grew up to marry your high school sweetheart #jurisdiction. Or how about those “play dates” that your momma set up, pairing you with who they wanted you to marry? And then you did it? #suggestive Damn gravity. But your reality is your reality, win/lose/draw. And I’m sure I’m not the only one that would testify to that reality/the circumstances that pair us off, minus the diversity. Meanwhile, today I’m more educated on the “processing” we do as humans. I didn’t say RELENTLESS DAILY IS A PUBLICATION OF EAST ATLANTA MULTIMEDIA, INC East Atlanta Multimedia, Inc http://www.eastatlantamultimedia.net Email: info@eastatlantamultimedia.net


RELENTLESSDAILY Aug 8th, 2013

that I have extreme control over my own! But I try! Still, I find that many times, some of the things that we find attractive, (those things that we've been taught or trained to want and desire) are actually keeping us from the things that we might otherwise find greater need, satisfaction and enjoyment in. Case and point: As men, we want the perfect woman, but what we assume is the perfect woman is most times fictional/an image that's been force-fed & pre-determined for us through the decades. (Those images I spoke of) So, if a man is constantly bombarded with images and nuances of what is universally considered “beautiful,” including that oh-so-perfect jaw line, eyebrow arch, body shape, weight or hairstyle, then (in my opinion) most of us are diverted from other options available to us. Sure, there’s the Law of Correspondence which supports the idea of “like minds,” “like appearances” and “like practices” attracting, but unless we are locked into some kind of cultish stronghold, religion or other tradition, we can fall into the trap of blocking-out other options, and we do it by default on account of our experiences and what we’ve grown to embrace and agree with. Something like my hating okra. I recall tasting that when I was a child. It made me regurgitate then, and the mere thought of it

now still offends my senses. I’ll never eat okra again. So then, don’t you (the Black woman) feel that way about Black men? And don’t you, (the White woman) have an apprehension towards White men, or Mexicans? Of course, I’m being outrageous, and I know that those are “blanket statements,” but you get my point. How about the geographic differences that separate us? That woman has a Southern drawl, versus your (so called) perfect English, and you take that as ignorance or inferiority. There are the suits vs the white tees. There are the haves and their opinions of the havenots. So many differences separate us; these are differences and references that we’ve held onto since—yes—childhood. References that feed our bias and prejudice; bias that discourages growth and understanding of others, other tastes and diversity. So what is the underlying psychology that causes us to think and act this way? What is it that fuels the hate and dissension? On one side, we are hungry and want food but our impulses are reached by some kind of “feel-good” advertisement, and we wind up making a stop at a fast food franchise as opposed to a different reach for something more nutritious; a piece of fruit or even a homemade meal.

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RELENTLESSDAILY Aug 8th, 2013

doesn’t change the fact that this is something that's getting worse and worse. Another man down; another family broken, or another woman w h o ’ s s o l d h e r b o d y, surrendered to humiliation but for the tornado of these selfper petuated practices. Somebody, somewhere says “this is it. This is the way.” “The norm” Its an altogether different discussion how we've accepted violence in movies, in music, and in print, excusing it all under the guise of “art and Diversity is more than Inclusion... expression,” as opposed to Magazines, TV, music to talk about the digression of what it really is: tensionvideos, the Internet, movies morality in the choices and the relieving activity. Yet, if and even the trends that we've ideologies that are pitched to finances are stockpiled to grown up to embrace; all of us… I don’t wanna get into them are pre-determining and how “soft” we are (like What is your music “diet projecting images consistently, sponges, really) embracing, l i k e ? ” W h a t a r e t h e as if this is the way it should r e p e a t i n g , m i m i c k i n g . inferences, innuendos and be. Hey, it’s on TV! So, it Nevertheless, the truth is we’re ideas filling your ears day in must be true! And some of the victim lambs of the and day out? Could that be you would deny up and down monster advertising engines “guiding” or influencing your actions? And is that that TV influences you, and that could care less about our really what you’re after? Do yet, you are the same ones that mental/physical well-being. you even care? spend half your workday You already know that life is repeating crap dramatized on digressing before our very eyes, reality shows. And that’s the right there on CNN & TMZ same damned thing! In other every night, how we’re being w o r d s , w e a r e b e i n g fed BS as if it was important; brainwashed folks! Not only as if it were real news. And we are we brainwashed by those eat it up like crackheadwith the initiatives that are addicts. After all, this is the well financed, but these reality today. It doesn’t hafta ideologies have also been self- be, but it is. We all don’t work perpetuated through the past in unison to achieve the same few ad-intensive decades. And goals/too spread out and on I don't want to take this time our own agendas. But, that East Atlanta Multimedia, Inc http://www.eastatlantamultimedia.net Email: info@eastatlantamultimedia.net


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Diversity is more than Inclusion influence and intoxicate us in our ying & yang decisionmaking process, aren’t the odds against those less aware? If we’re constantly fed what might be considered “sexy or appealing” because the advocates know how to reach into our mind’s “pleasure center,” all with the intent to

So many differences separate us; these are differences and references that we’ve held onto since—yes— childhood.

touch emotions of the female's emotional triggers, or otherwise the male testosterone sensors, then aren’t we merely victims or guinea pigs of these activities a n d p r a c t i c e s ? Fo r i f advertisers and marketers (and even so-called artists) can consistently tap into that level of our psyche, like your favorite songs can, they'd no doubt earn the release of our dopamine; and once the dopamine is released then everything sexy takes place, and of course it all leads towards making the connection between their product, service or message. Is this why we’re screwed up? Is this why we’re desperate to insulate our children from all the media? Is this why we can turn on CNN and witness the aftermath of the latest mass m u r d e r ? A r e n’ t a l l t h e messages of sex & violence winning the fight for our conscience since its all on the radio every morning, on TV all day, and on the web “pushing” the data to us the instant it happens? Now with those same publications, TV commercials and other forms of multimedia promoting

the glitz, the shine, the sexy and the sensational attractions in life... and since we’re eating it up (so to speak), it makes it all seem so “acceptable” as if buying into this constant imaging is okay. It makes it seem as though if you do not possess, embrace and applaud these images, you are “going against the grain,” you’re not worthwhile or with the “in crowd.” You might even be considered “out of touch,” or "in denial.” I laugh when I see the same church folk from Sunday, reciting songs about oral sex and multiple partners in the club the night before. This is the reminder to me that we are all but victims of the flesh. And of course there are some that have disciplined themselves so that they could be immune to the nonsense. B u t t h ey a r e N OT t h e majority. The majority shows every Monday morning in the news, when the numbers are projected from the weekend box-office receipts. Or when the radio deejays come on the air and praise the weekend they had in this or that club. Nonsense; nothing significant to inspire a better workweek. Nothing substantial to grow on so that you might one day escape the trappings of the 9 to 5 you don’t want.

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And all of this nonsense influences our decisions in real-time, such as your search for the sensational soulmate? What does he or she look like/ sight unseen? What celebrity does your soulmate look like? What singer or actor? Are you a woman who’’s been looking for Mr Tall/Dark/Handsome? If you can answer that question, you’re probably in the trap too, with your beliefs systems dictating the type of life-partner you desire/not necessarily the one that’s good for you, or whom you are good for. Maybe you’re already there, and you either got exactly what you were after and realized all that glitters ain’t gold, or things that appeared attractive to you (thanks to idioms that were pushed at you), well, you’ve probably forced yourself to accept the outcome; your

choices After all, it is cheaper to keep her, right? And I’m not perfect; I’ve also been with the big-busted, round assed bombshells, because that was the focus; that’s where my mind was. Exterior. Superficial. Boom. Pow! And you know what I got when I reached for the superficial? I got tick-tickboom! She was all-amazing on the outside, but her mind wasn’t right. Her insides were torn. She had been seeing a psychiatrist for her mental issues. And she woke up in the night screaming and shaking and OMG! When she was awake she was an extortionist by day. Point is, you don’t always wanna judge a book by its cover, because shit might not be all that pretty inside. As well, many fanatic women go around talking about, following and bedding the

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football players, basketball players and rappers; you know, the ones they see on TV, who look appealing, alluring and accomplished. Even that has become a trend among younger, available women. And wouldn’t that be expected in such troubled times when a woman can’t even count on baby-daddy-money to arrive on time? Isn’t this the practice, to do whats necessary to accumulate available resources just to eat, especially when one has no specialized skillset? Sports stars earn large sums of money, as well as they gather some fine toys. Those are professions that take much less work and much less intelligence to achieve then, say, a doctor, or an astronaut, or even a professor, and yet its one of those desirable professions to many. Oh sure, you can make

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the argument that being a great football player or basketball player takes Incredible talent and hard work. But more than likely, all those professions require is speed, coordination and agility, skills that are supported by nothing more than muscle and brawn. And what does it take to achieve muscle and brawn? Perhaps a healthy diet in your childhood? Maybe your parents had those good genes? Or maybe its that you were brought up and raised in a community of strong men? If that's the case then how far is this from being handed your career path on a platter? And if only a few are handed their career on a platter, based on their brawn and their muscle and their speed and their agility, and their hereditary genes, what does that mean for the rest of us? Does this mean that if you are not born and bred with a strong body that you are not relevant in the bigger picture? Does this mean that you are not worthy of the high-paying salary, the dream girl or the toys t h a t attract us? Is this the reason that civil service workers like teachers and trash collectors and street cleaners are not paid as well as ballers and shot callers? Consider the cashier at McDonald's or a shoe salesman or the guy that dries your car at the car wash. Are they less worthy, and are those jobs less important? If thats the case, does that mean the individuals who people these career paths are less important? And if the guy

working at the car wash, the street cleaner the garbage collector and the teacher... If they are less important, are these positions that young folk are likely to look forward to? Or, are they simply looking at the flashy positions in life? Moreover, are we even respecting folks that are positioned in serviceoriented careers? Are we even clear about these flashy positions in life? Do we know that these sensational positions and career paths are tough and sometimes short lived? Have we been noticing how some people in these positions abused their discretion and the freedoms that their careers afford them… Have we noticed them making poor judgments and now no longer claim these career paths? Haven’t we seen them taking the “perp walk” just about once a week? Don't many of these Johnny-comequickly celebrities in sports and entertainment… Don't they take on and assume a godly presence, to the degree that everybody else is beneath them? Surely, there are isolated situations where men and women Are very humble and giving and respectful, with great humility. There are many who have overcome the most insurmountable odds and who never fall victim to the spoils of success. Some even have a talent that is incredible and unreachable regardless of physical strength and genes.

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But what of the majority? Where do you go when you fail in sports? Or when you fail in the music business? Or in the drug business? Where do you go when your body is no longer bottle-shaped and begins to sag and erode and weather? Do singers and rappers and models stay hot forever? And how many singers rappers and models can we indulge in before their pay also withers away?

optimistic and strive to reach your goals; goals that add up to your life’s purpose. Just be wise and don’t accept everything that’s fed to you, and try and think twice before making those decisions that a part of the default you’re caught in; geographical defaults, color/ religious/racial defaults. The boy or girl next door doesn’t hafta been your only choice. That one bad experience you had with a Black man doesn’t mean that all Black men are like him. Stereotypes>unlearn them. #newrules

#relentless

Don't think it can't be done, because already, the entertainment industry has taken a tremendous hit and singers can no longer look forward to the huge paydays that came along with a (so called) record deal But at the same time, still be .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................

GOD BLESS MR.GEORGE DUKE FO ALL THE PRICELESS MUSIC HE HAS CREATED FOR US GEORGE DUKE: January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013

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