What is a Homie?

Since I’ve chosen to name this blog Helping Others Move In Excellence for Truth (H.O.M.I.E.4Truth) I guess the first order of business is to address why I chose “homie” for the acronym.

Society has a tendency to over simplify what it doesn’t care to understand. This is why you have Merriam Webster defining “homie” as: “a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang” while Urban Dictionary says it means “close friend”.  The word “homeboy”, for which “homie” is short, has been in use in the US since the 1940’s. Originally it referred to someone from your hometown but by the 1970’s it was synonymous with “friend” in urban America.  As hip-hop became a major influence on popular culture around the turn of the century the word “homie” became part of everyday language for young adults Nationwide. We have all seen the “Jesus is my Homeboy” shirts and most remember when 11 year old reporter Damon Weaver declared Obama his homeboy after a 2009 interview. 

With all that said, I do have an issue with how the word is used in certain circles. In the most violent of our communities you are either a homie or an enemy, both of which often have dramatic consequences. A homie is expected to go along with whatever the rest of the homies have going on. A homie is greater than a “friend” in the sense that you can always count on a homie to be by your side and have your back. This doesn’t mean they are gangbanging, though they may be. I know a young man, an honor role student and non violent, who is now facing LIFE in prison because he gave his “homie” a ride and never stepped back as gunshots went off.

The use of “homie” as peer pressure is no different than the age-old manipulation of, “If you were really my friend you would..(insert craziness).” The problem is there are a lot of voices public and private to tell us that that person is not being a real friend because a real friend will only support you in good things etc. They do not question that you should have friends, they just question what a friend is. When it comes to homies we have music and movies that mirror and/or give credit to the unhealthy peer pressure of low income communities or we have people who state “homies are bad”.  Rarely is there common sense middle ground. Young people are receptive to challenging what a real homie is but they get understandably defensive when they hear “homies (friends) are bad”. 

My friend Dr. Joe Marshall (Omega Boys Club/Street Soldiers founder) defined a friend as one who “never leads you to danger”. I am pushing for us to embrace that as the definition of a homie as well. Better yet, a homie is one who “Helps Others Move In Excellence! If your "enemies” want to see you hurt or in jail, but riding with your homie is going to bring the same results, its time to redefine what a homie is-if for no other reason then the preservation of our youth. If we don’t, it becomes increasingly difficult to argue with ol’ Webster.  

*Thanks for taking an interest in my blog. I am open to suggestions, feedback and further conversation. If you enjoyed this please help a homie out by spreading the word!