I’ve been thinking… why in the Black community do we sometimes call people ‘legends’ for selling poison to their own people, making a bunch of illegal money off the same block they grew up on, going to prison for years, and then coming home like it’s a hero’s welcome?
I get it…some of y’all will say it’s about surviving a system that’s never been for us. I understand the history, the lack of opportunities, and the fact that many hustlers looked out for their communities when the system didn’t. But let’s keep it real… the same folks we glorify also contributed to the destruction of those same communities.
We have to start redefining what makes someone a legend. Feeding families without poisoning them. Building wealth without building a prison record. Creating opportunities that outlive us. Because a real legend isn’t just someone who “beat the system”…it’s someone who changes the system so the next generation doesn’t have to hustle the same way.