If you have ever spent any length of time in the comments section of the Post and Courier or Live 5 News, you will see many horrible remarks regarding the black community. People have a tendency to sit behind computer screens, where they grow balls the size of the Ravenel Bridge and spew hateful words towards people and ideas they don’t have the capacity to understand. Then of course, you have members of the black community who also sit behind computer screens preaching about the ills of their own communities, but never try to do anything about it. It’s a never-ending fight to try to get people to comprehend that these issues are deeper than just black against white, or pulling up your pants.

If people would take the time to get from behind a computer and attend some of the community rallies and protests, and neighborhood meetings, they would understand that the two Mike Brown rallies held on November 26^th , were not just about the Mike Brown case, but it was a rally for change in our own communities and in our society. People who use Facebook and Fox News as their only source of information cannot understand that during these meetings, we not only discuss the thoughts and feelings that were birthed from the Ferguson case, but we also discuss many of the issues we have going on in our own communities across the nation.

The rallies yesterday were not just about fighting for Justice, but it left us with wanting to implement a plan of action in our community and a drive to want to continue discussions on how we can prevent Mike Brown, Trayvon, and Jaba from happening again.

On yesterday, Rev. Nelson, Rev. Johnson, and Rev Darby, and Pastor Dixon along with a crowd of supporters gathered in front of the Federal courthouse in downtown Charleston to discuss the importance of addressing the frustrations in the black community when it comes to the continuous bad blood between young black men and women and the police who are placed throughout urban communities; and how OUR communities need to strive to govern themselves accordingly.

On last night, Thomas Dixon along with more supporters gathered at Riverfront Park in North Charleston, SC in the rain, in reverence to Mike Brown and to discuss a plan of action detailing how we can work on improving community relations from within our own neighborhoods and with the police department. There was a valuable discussion from many of the members of this group regarding why they believe in 2014 we are still dealing with intense racial issues. Some believe it’s due to our disrespect of our own culture and others believing that the violence and tension we experience today is based on the historical oppression of blacks and these Mike Brown, Trayvon cases are due to a society who has continued to put band-aids on war wounds. The conversation from the day’s rallies will continue via meetings and social network, and hopefully some positive action steps will result as well.

Over the past week, I have seen some of the most judgmental comments coming from all sides regarding the ills of the black community, knowing full well that our entire nation, both black, white and other ALL have many issues that need to be addressed. African Americans however, feel the full brunt of these judgments and it’s unfair. If people would just take the time to log off Facebook and come out in to their own communities and pour wisdom, help and creative ideas into our neighborhoods instead of disparaging commentary, what a difference this would make. Come on people, don’t just talk about it; Be About It.

Nina Grey