Endangered Species

"If you take away what we love we all would be Joe Paterno"

That quote is a lyric from Joe Budden. Metaphorically or literally, throughout history we've seen this to be true. Whether in Joe Paterno's case, or a married couple who spent 50 years together and passed away a couple weeks apart, life without love is death. I take this into real consideration when I look at black women in 2014. The son of a beautiful black woman, the grandson of one, and the father to the son of one, its safe to say I love black women. So I look at the vast majority of them in my generation from that perspective. Not with blinders on at all, I know they're a handful and a half but sometimes you have to look deeper than that. Can you think of another group more abused and neglected than black women? You and I would both be hard pressed to do so. I think back to the slave owner abuse stories we've heard, to the domino affect of the crack era of the 80's that led to decades of fathers leaving families, to the promotion of black women being trophies more so than gifts and I kind of understand their plight. I'm not here for sympathy or pity, most black women, or victims period, normally don't seek pity. That's why rape and abuse victims normally don't tell anybody. They would prefer just for someone to try to understand their struggle. Someone to help the wounds heal. Someone to make them feel like they aren't alone. Someone to remind them what LOVE feels like. Black women are the lowest group of married women. That's a fact. That constant reminder only gives light to the disappointment that then turns into fear, that then turns into resentment, that then turns into anger! One of the first things you'll hear a hurt black woman say about a black man marrying an outside race is "He just couldn't handle a strong woman". Pure ignorance because the idea that being black is a requirement to be strong is wrong. Or that always arguing, being loud, stubborn, and using profanity no matter the time or place is being strong is also wrong. I don't agree with any of it. And on occasion I may laugh and joke on twitter about it but I honestly look beyond the mask of fake toughness and beautiful brown skin, smiles and intoxicating curves and see the pain. They say that because they see strength as the amount of pain and rejection they have survived. Pain that hasn't been nurtured by the world or the very black men that should protect them and I understand. The feel no one else is fighting for them so its them against the world. I UNDERSTAND. It takes a lot of work to love a black woman, I would say more so than any other race of women, because that pain is deep rooted, it's passed down to daughters of scorned and neglected women. Daughters that are fatherless. Daughters that develop their gorgeous shapes at an early age and are preyed on by men. Daughters who weren't taught the right qualities to look for in a man so they fall victim to the games of boys all too often. We rarely see that Cosby love in black families these days. It's sad but it's it true, but black women I'm here for you. Even a diamond has to be polished first! It's time we start back loving our women before the pain kills them!

Just my thoughts,

Travis Cochran

Twitter: @ImMrCochran