From chains to Clicks: How We’ve Learned to Divide Ourselves,Problack

From Chains to Clicks: How We’ve Learned to Divide Ourselves

There was a time when unity among Black people was seen as a threat so dangerous that those in power used every system available to destroy it. Slave owners banned Black marriages—not because they believed in morality or law, but because they feared what love and loyalty among us could build. They feared the strength that came from a bonded, protected Black household.

Fast forward to the 20th century—names like Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan come to mind, not just for their presidencies but for their roles in weaponizing institutions against Black families. Welfare policies were crafted to remove Black men from the home. The FBI and CIA actively surveilled, discredited, and dismantled movements that aimed to uplift and unify us. This wasn’t accidental. It was policy. It was strategic. It was about weakening our foundation.

But today? No systems required.

No surveillance.

No agents in dark rooms.

We divide ourselves—for free.

Every day, we log onto social media and do the work once assigned to federal agencies. We pit Black men against Black women. We reduce each other to memes, sound bites, and TikTok trends. We debate our worth based on income, looks, body counts, and height—publicly, relentlessly, and without mercy.

All the while, our true enemies get to sit back and watch us undo centuries of struggle, sacrifice, and solidarity with nothing more than a swipe and a post.

I’m not here to debate race pride. I’m not here to argue ideology.

I’m not pro-Black.

I’m pro-Black woman. That’s it. That’s the tweet. That’s the position.

But I also mourn the unity we’ve lost. Because once upon a time, the state feared our togetherness. Now, we fear one another. We distrust each other. We shame, blame, and cancel each other. And the worst part? We do it willingly.

So as we celebrate the 4th of July in a country that was never truly designed with us in mind, I can’t help but reflect on the irony. The founding fathers are probably rolling in their graves—watching us fumble the very thing they feared most: unity. And maybe that’s why this message is resonating with 32,000 others. Maybe we feel the fracture more deeply than we let on.

I hate this for us.

But here we are.

Happy 4th of July, I guess.