The Rosewood Movement?

Kanye West is back, on the scene, and stirring up the pot yet again. Now we all know that Ye, sometimes is just plain rude, but hey we all have our vices right? I say, he suffers from "only child syndrome"...lol...you know when its all about you. You don't have to share or really consider others, and you straight do what you wanna do and say what you wanna say. Oh, and you think your always right and most often than not don't heed to advice. For a lack of a better term, let's just say "a rebel without a cause."

Anyway, Kanye was invited to perform at this year's VMA taking place Sept. 12, 2010 in LA. I really think that he's learned from the whole Taylor Swift episode, but I'm almost sure he'll still make the papers the next morning.

In true Kanye West style, he has started a new trend. Its formally called the Rosewood Movement, which includes himself, Don C, Virgil Ablah, and Jaleel Williams (pictured above). The movement consists of these men wearing suits (designer ones at that I may add) everyday. FS is usually light and fun, and super visual, but lets take a moment and dig deep on this one.

Kanye may just be on to the new fashion fall trend, which is a more tailored, sophisticated, polished look referencing the 50's and 60's. On the other hand he could be reminding people, Blacks specifically, of the Rosewood tragedies that took place in history's earlier days.

Rosewood was a remote town situated in North Central Florida, that was a thriving community for blacks in the 1920's. Although slavery was formally abolished by this time, racism, and the deep hatred for Blacks was alive and well.

Apparently, on New Year's Day 1923, a young bride by the name of Fannie Taylor who lived in the white town about three miles down the road, claimed that she had been assaulted by a black stranger. This event, was the spark of the "nigger riots". The white men were infuriated. They constructed a mob, leashed up the hound dogs, and went hunting for a "nigger"; anyone at that. They reeked havoc on the whole town. Wrongly accusing several black men that they'd rounded up, there was no trials, no evidence. If you were black, you looked guilty, held back information, and/or dared "sassed" a white man, you were dead; murdered, shot, lynched, blood shed. The deaths was written off as killings of "hands unknown", case closed. This incident, literally destroyed Rosewood. The town was burned down, spiritually, mentally, and physically, it was broken. There were a few brave souls who took a stand and fought back against the violent attacks with a gun battle or two, but were ultimately over powered.

What do we learn from this? What is Kanye making us aware of? As a black woman, I get history from this story. A story I was unaware of. It did make me remember, how hard its always been for a Black person in America. We've always have been hated for the color of our skin. I'm blessed that I can read, and work, and eat, know who my family is, and go where I want. Back in the day Blacks couldn't do that. My grandmother couldn't do that. That's right Kanye, as African Americans we need to be aware of what we've been through as a people. To finally unite, and build each other up. To look presentable, conduct ourselves with class, and to reinvent, in a positive way, what is means to be a Black person in America.
Maybe its all a gimmick; a PR stunt so we all go out and by his upcoming CD. But think about it, its Kanye West, most of us are going to cop it anyway. Just maybe Kayne is helping us "colored folk" to be more aware of ourselves, and using his power to unite us on an even deeper level. "The things things that make you say, hmmmmmmmmm......"