Trendy Notes: Don Lemon and the Racial Divide

Trayvon Martin could never have imagined the impact his young life would have as he walked home in the dark carrying his bag of skittles that fateful evening.

The tragedy surrounding his inexplicable murder has opened up a wound that never quite underwent the healing process and the reactive effects are staggering.

As expected public personalities have staked their claims and expressed their sentiments about the racial divide that is clearly still plaguing our society.

So far nothing that has been said seems to hinder on the unfamiliar, the air is charged with opinionated declarations but it doesn’t seem to resonate with the masses. Where is the disconnect stemming from?

Perhaps the war of words raging on the airwaves makes it that much harder to internalize the hidden messages or maybe we remarkably are still unwilling to validate and accept the ugly truths that are coded in the present struggle.

The most vilified of battles is currently ensuing between CNN anchor Don Lemon and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. Lemon released a very stringent adage to Bill O’Reilly’s already weighty assessment about the plight of black Americans.

Lemon didn’t hold back and took the plunge with a guttural love letter that he volunteered on a segment of his show No Talking Points. He demonstrated some of the reasons why the African American community hasn’t made considerable progress despite a multitude of opportunities at their disposal. Lemon highlighted the importance of education, the elimination of the N-word and reducing the number of children born out of wedlock.

Not necessarily a tall order but perhaps a little rough around the edges for a community that has been inherently bruised and continues to reel from the repercussions of generations of brutality that despite passage of time, doesn’t seem to initiate any hints of reprieve.

Lemon delivered his solutions with perfection and it all makes sense; the disease eroding the black community is a detrimental lack of instinctual respect. Slavery is a practice that no longer holds significance for modern day America but in all honesty it never quite loosened its grip on the victims of trade. The aftershock is still quite prevalent and no matter what the results are, from studious observations, the issues are deeply embedded and remain unfazed.  Lemon’s words stung and elicited a strong response, but perhaps people like Russell Simmons need to step back and examine the fine print before lashing out at the messenger.

Yes, the state of affairs is deplorable but it’s going to be an uphill progression mainly because it’s simply impossible to completely eradicate the consequences that arise from being ceremoniously harassed.

It would be such a relief if Lemon’s required mandate could eradicate the energetic chaos, but unfortunately it’s easier said than done. The fracture is definitely a lot more embedded and will require extensive therapy to produce satisfactory results.

It’s so easy to map out the route that leads to success but a lot harder to dissect the individualistic requirements to get there.

One man’s journey is another man’s oblivion, and the best solution is to practice empathy and patience.

We will certainly overcome. It’s just going to take a lot longer than anticipated.