One of my favorite film quotes goes a little something like......

“I am Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”

This shit used to give me chills as a boy. This film also single handedly drug me from my first form, of being a couch potato, to exploring the ancient corridors of Rome. Which in turn slung me throughout Europe.

However, I didn’t bring you here to chat you up about a Russel Crowe film.  Instead, I wanted to speak to you on my understanding of positivity, in today's world.

Some days back my artistic director and I had to do a little shopping for a short film we intend to shoot this weekend. A piece centered around the story of the refugee crisis that plagues the world and those who survived it. All art isn’t happy art. Getting paid to portray the life of the down trodden ain’t that sweet.

We’re having lunch at an overpriced burger joint in Berlin and she says to me, “what if dance doesn’t work? what then?”

Old Resse would have gotten up and excused himself from the quandaries of anything negative that challenged his outlook on life. In most cases this is the best way to handle the negative oppression of personal ideals from an outside entity but I stayed.

I answered “I have total faith in myself. I’ve already made it as a dancer”.

She replied “Well I don’t have that kind of faith in myself”.

Most humans can deal fancily with those humans who have negative outlooks on life. It’s almost as if there’s a Rumi poem waiting on you in the off chance that you are hurting so deeply that no man understands you. The thing is, I find it rare that a majority of people can handle an individual who thinks highly of them themselves. Which is an interesting place to stand. Considering we live in a time where so many talk about self-love but you rarely see humans that actually physically, emotionally, and mentally embody this. It’s as if, we’re just quote producers for hallmark cards and we really aren’t that happy nor content with life.

Let’s go.

I am son to an abusive father (my oldest memories). Son to a brilliant, kind, healing mother. Brother to what I all most consider a son, named Clyde Moore. Brother to Zechariah Bracy, who in some ways reminds me of Cain from the bible, as we always fought to the death like him and Abel, as boys.

I have watched people die with my own eyes as a boy. I have had cousins and family murdered in the streets as a boy. I have almost been murdered on a multitude of accounts by police officers and white men.

Most would attempt to pray for me. Some would throw their arms around me. Excusing such a “terrible” life but what’s more terrible than a horrid past, is not learning from it. What is the purpose of surviving if not to evolve? In so many ways I’m completely unbothered by my past. Mom tried her best and killed it. Dad wasn’t there but it taught me to be a better man, and future father. I could probably raise my own kid because I spent so much time protecting Clyde. I take NO shit because I spent so much time fighting Zack.

That’s called perspective KIDS

Still, there are humans in this world (especially those refugees we interviewed) that have it far worse. Some, the last of their name, if they never reproduce. Some stuck in a system that could care less that their system is actually the reason for the dismantling of foreign soil.

Colonization disrupted these people’s lives and we have to start admitting this. We have to start talking about this. No one (YT people) want to discuss the fact that the reason their world is so beautiful is because they made ugly everyone else’s world. No trade off. No shame. No nothing.

The kicker being, most brown continents gave freely their goods to the West yet the west didn’t like their cut because they needed to have it all. (YT people) created the bomb, the machine guns, nukes, atomic weaponry, racist legislation, gender roles, shit education, the slums, ghettos, race, homophobia, capitalism, and a long list of other chilling aspects of this realm but can’t seem to understand why the world is fucked.

Even worse, (YT people) seem so unhappy. For what!? You own it all. You have it all. You are protected under a flag of white skin. Yet, you can’t seem to find your way.

Don’t take this as anger however if we’re going to talk about it, lets talk about it. For I have spent too long wondering as to why I had to cover up my brilliance and those like me had to do the same. It’s still very dangerous to be an intelligent nigga. Ask MLK, ask Hampton, Malcolm, ask Ali, ask Prince, ask Jackson, ask Lauryn Hill....DAVE CHAPPELE

If the (YT) world didn’t kill them, it destroyed their character and turned them into beast without tongues.

In closing, it’s not arrogance. It’s not an over inflated sense of ego. It’s perseverance. I survived, WE survived everything you have thrown at us. Dealing with the terrible turned me into everything that I am.

*Hands To Heart