An Afrocentric Valentine Message

This is for the Brothers out there who feel that you have managed to liberate your minds so much that you don't have to give in to America's slave culture. You don't have to follow cultural trends created by the White Man. You ignore "Christ's Mass" (Xmas) and remember the mass murder committed against Black People in the name of Christ. You ignore Independence Day because they know that Black People in America have not yet won our true freedom. Yes, to coin Bob Marley, you have emancipated yourselves from mental slavery by not being afraid to wear dreadlocks, African clothing, speak in Ebonics, and adhering to a vegetarian or near-vegaterian diet.

That's all good, Brothers. My hat goes off to you. You are what many black men aspire to be. But there is just one thing:

You better get your woman something for Valentine's Day.

I don't care how Pro-Black She Is

I don't care how Afrocentric she is, on February 16th, your black ass better have some flowers for her or there will be hell to pay. And why not? If she's good enough to be your "African Queen", your "Earth", your "Nubian Goddess", then she's worth the 40 plus bucks that you better be spending on Valentine's Day if you know what's good for you. A woman who overlooks Xmas for Kwanza, sees Thanksgiving as "Thanks-Taking" (and in "Thanks For Taking Our Land and Freedom You Quaker Bastards"), and sees the 4th of July as just another day off work, will buy into one mainstream cultural celebration: Valentine's Day. That day is the day where a lot of the women they know will be getting flowers and candy from their men. At best, she will feel a little left out if she doesn't get anything that day. At worst, YOU WON'T BE GETTING ANYTHING THAT NIGHT IF SHE DOESN'T GET ANYTHING THAT DAY.

And besides that, she deserves it. She puts up with YOU doesn't she?

What Better Way Is There?

What better way is there to say how much you love her, than with a big box of plants that will only die a few days later, or a hunk of jewelry that eats up half of your paycheck? Those dead flowers and those new monthly payments on a diamond are a perfect reminder of one fact: love requires maintenance. The truth is that Black Women have been sacrificing for Black Men for years. They reared us, they have our children, and some of them even rear children on their own, bail some of us out of jail, and take care of some of us when we don't have a job. So why can't they get a little attention on a day that is really set aside for ALL women to be appreciated? I bet if the White People got together and said Valentine's Day is NOT for Blacks, the Pan-Afrikan organizations would be picketing left and right.

So You Don't Have a Lot of Money?

Don't have a lot of money? Where here are some things that you can do for your woman (or girls you happen to have sex with that may think you have a relationship or special bond: gee, they think that just because you SLEEP with them? Go figure) that cost little or nothing but still say "I Love You":

• Cook her dinner
• Buy her a Teddy Bear
• Buy her some flowers
• Buy her a SINGLE rose or a half-dozen
• Write a song (not a rap that goes "You Are My Bitch, Ho, and I Loves You 'Doe", but something with a MELODY, or at least like LL Cool J's "I Need Love")
• Play a song for her on an instrument
• Sing her a song (hey, you know how musical we are supposed to be)
• Give her a massage
• Make her breakfast
• Take her out on a picnic
• Buy her some candy
• Write a poem for her and recite it (not a rap that goes "You Are My Ho, Bitch, and I Loves You 'Doe". You can also spare her the whiny imitation Last Poet's delivery as well.)
• Get her a card
• Get her a pretty scarf or other piece of clothing that she likes. If you are as bad of a bamma as I used to be, get a woman you know that has some CLASS to go shopping with you. She won't mind. In fact, she will probably be glad to do your girlfriend the favor. (Now if you have more than ONE girl, don't ask the classy woman to pick out a gift for each one, unless the woman is your sister who happens to cover for you anyway. In which case, you already KNOW better than to show up empty-handed on Valentine's Day.)

So, My African-American-Asiatic-Nubian-Original-Hamitic Brothers

You can call me whipped. You can say that it is just MY woman--that I married a sister who is insecure, brainwashed, and in need of superficial validation (which I did NOT). You can argue that a "strong black woman" doesn't need those things. You can even say I've fallen for a trick of the White Man who puts too much emphasis on Romantic Culture.

Yeah right.

I have only got one thing to say to you:

IF YOU DO NOT DO SOMETHING FOR VALENTINE'S DAY AND SHE HATES YOUR STUPID ASS, YOU WILL HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF. BESIDES THAT,

SHE IS WORTH IT!!!!!!!!

The Creative Brother,