I WAS BORN INTO THE STRUGGLE
"Black studies" in my life did not begin in school, nor end with school.
It was a mid-20th century habilitation technique attempted by certain black students in high schools and colleges to equalize, to optimize, to realize the opportunity to acquire full citizenship in a nation that denied it to them and to those like them by its lawlessness.
Other basic habilitation efforts had been previously tried, since the awful betrayal of 11-years's Reconstruction, after 1876. Then "the nadir's" reign of terror, later known as Jim Crow, fell.
Thereafter a push-back against the legal denial of "rights" to blacks, had indeed gained a modicum of tangible incremental success, in time, in black schools, black businesses and black farms . But, these inspiringly notable efforts in land ownership, in business development, in black schools, were later to be stalled, frustrated by that same senseless lawlessness (official & unofficial) that had previously promised the best, then had, later, had delivered the least; certainly much less than than what was promised or what was due. This friction, this disparity, had serially occasioned renewed efforts to redress the difference in the two. Black studies was one such effort.
What was due? That same panoply of rights, privileges, immunities, lands, burdens, opportunities, moneys, no more or less, that were enshrined in the laws, and given solely to whites.
Specifically that to be found in the 13-15 Amendments of the United States Constitution, the cases construing same, and their enabling statutes, and those of its several states; the same that were accorded to "white" people, previously be they: immigrants, prisoners, citizens or not, exclusively, historically, by the race.
In truth, I had always been engaged in the struggle for these rights in my parents' home training. Having been very much energized by its thrilling narrative, repeated to me since my infancy into adulthood by my elders, these family values, my community associations, and endearing friends, did much to enable this me to be me.
I was told early and often about the struggle, and of its heroes like Booker T. Washington, and of Jesus Christ.
I was born into the struggle. I was raised up for the struggle. I was tacitly trained that it was my duty to contribute to the freedom struggle's victory by my hard study in and out of school or church; also by my preparation, organization, courage, love, faith, works, and perseverance.
"Black studies," to be clear, was that rational, national effort to rescue the hearts, minds, souls, bodies, destiny of black folks, from that 'dross of despond' into which they were mired, scholastically, by curricula and personnel after school integration.
The regime that was hypocritically impressed upon them by recidivist, racist, cretinous practitioners of largely white supremacist doctrines, was intended to discount their worth.
These doctrines, constructions, white supremacy cultural paradigms were also relentlessly impressed upon the new-born Freedmen's aspirations, to thwart their extremely rapid material advances, after the Reconstruction.
Ironically, blacks troops won that war, saving the nation which then withheld their rightful spoils of full citizenship! What national ingratitude and shame!
My activist black studies efforts date back to co-founding the Students for Black Awareness and Action, whose ends sought formulation of positive self-identity, self-awareness and self-love in high school. Since this effort in high school the 1960s, I have also followed the same path all through college in the 1970s and later. That same epic struggle continues today.
But one first must "study" for black studies to be meaningful or effectual, fruitful or rewarding . There were too many black students (in and out of school) to whom black studies meant little or nothing, since they had never studied it, or anything else seriously or consistently, if at all. Problematic!
Too many others, being otherwise disposed in their innate gifts, to put the case charitably, either did not like to study, do not have time to study, (but will watch cable tv or movies), so neither do their children, sad to say.
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a work man that need not be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/…
In the absence of study, a "gross darkness " sets in that debilitates. That "gross darkness" is the Biblical ignorance that is decried therein. This gross darkness increases one's vulnerability, susceptibility to ruthless exploitation, rancid incarceration, mental indoctrination, & termination.
http://biblehub.com/kjv/isaiah/60-2.htm
My former concern with "race," has segued, having devolved to "truth" not race, in light of these deficits.
My studies have revealed to me that racism is rooted in the calculated venal, purposeful abnegation of the truth. Substitutions, or excuses of all types have displaced the truth, have waylaid the truth, have drugged the truth, have tinctured truth's purity, in the damnable dung of human deceit .
Meanwhile, conversely, those people who abstemiously, continually, would repress, suppress, dispossess blacks of their innate right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness do study the amazing blacks. Like the Philistines did to Samson, studying unceasingly!
Truth is mutual verity, exemplified in nature, in geometry, in mathematics, in chemistry, in art, in astronomy, in physics, botany, biology, music, in us.
Truth is objective, raining on the just and on the unjust, without distinction.
So, where "blackness " was formerly a desired end, the assassinations of Patrice Lumumba, of Malcolm X, of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the earlier deportation of Marcus Garvey to Jamaica & other historical atrocities or traitorous acts like those who are "black like us," i.e. , killers, muggers, thieves & any knaves, have shown that "blackness" the paradigm is also largely useless as a criterion of distinction, to discern good from evil.
Except as a restorative, or historical, palliative, "black studies," per se, is of limited utility, except to those people who are so seriously injured that they are so truth-averse, cannot sense the "truth," that enables & surrounds us.
Other than that using black studies on a limited basis, as in a palliative paradigm to restore, it is as useless to us, as is white studies to them!
Both 'black' and 'white' are symbolic cognomens, cognitive constructions. Neither has intrinsic meaning, alone, apart from those imposed on them.
In fact, truth subsumes "blackness," and "whiteness." But truth threatens wickedness, which any color may evince culturally even color purple. Truth transcends colors and forms being energy tied to divine cosmos.
Truth liberates. It does not alienate, nor obfuscate. But, it is not now self-executing ; that is, the truth must be proselytized with like passion akin to those who ignore it, who repress it, or remain still not receptive to its virtue.
"You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32.
Beyond 'blackness,' my province has now been blessed to be the truth: in any form in which it may ever appear.
Truth is my paradigm, regardless of the identity of whomever produces or promotes it, or wherever I can find it.
Monday, May 2, 2016
I WAS BORN INTO STRUGGLE
I WAS BORN INTO THE STRUGGLE
"Black studies" in my life did not begin in school, nor end with school.
It was a mid-20th century habilitation technique attempted by certain black students in high schools and colleges to equalize, to optimize, to realize the opportunity to acquire full citizenship in a nation that denied it to them and to those like them by its lawlessness.
Other basic habilitation efforts had been previously tried, since the awful betrayal of 11-years's Reconstruction, after 1876. Then "the nadir's" reign of terror, later known as Jim Crow, fell.
Thereafter a push-back against the legal denial of "rights" to blacks, had indeed gained a modicum of tangible incremental success, in time, in black schools, black businesses and black farms . But, these inspiringly notable efforts in land ownership, in business development, in black schools, were later to be stalled, frustrated by that same senseless lawlessness (official & unofficial) that had previously promised the best, then had, later, had delivered the least; certainly much less than than what was promised or what was due. This friction, this disparity, had serially occasioned renewed efforts to redress the difference in the two. Black studies was one such effort.
What was due? That same panoply of rights, privileges, immunities, lands, burdens, opportunities, moneys, no more or less, that were enshrined in the laws, and given solely to whites.
Specifically that to be found in the 13-15 Amendments of the United States Constitution, the cases construing same, and their enabling statutes, and those of its several states; the same that were accorded to "white" people, previously be they: immigrants, prisoners, citizens or not, exclusively, historically, by the race.
In truth, I had always been engaged in the struggle for these rights in my parents' home training. Having been very much energized by its thrilling narrative, repeated to me since my infancy into adulthood by my elders, these family values, my community associations, and endearing friends, did much to enable this me to be me.
I was told early and often about the struggle, and of its heroes like Booker T. Washington, and of Jesus Christ.
I was born into the struggle. I was raised up for the struggle. I was tacitly trained that it was my duty to contribute to the freedom struggle's victory by my hard study in and out of school or church; also by my preparation, organization, courage, love, faith, works, and perseverance.
"Black studies," to be clear, was that rational, national effort to rescue the hearts, minds, souls, bodies, destiny of black folks, from that 'dross of despond' into which they were mired, scholastically, by curricula and personnel after school integration.
The regime that was hypocritically impressed upon them by recidivist, racist, cretinous practitioners of largely white supremacist doctrines, was intended to discount their worth.
These doctrines, constructions, white supremacy cultural paradigms were also relentlessly impressed upon the new-born Freedmen's aspirations, to thwart their extremely rapid material advances, after the Reconstruction.
Ironically, blacks troops won that war, saving the nation which then withheld their rightful spoils of full citizenship! What national ingratitude and shame!
My activist black studies efforts date back to co-founding the Students for Black Awareness and Action, whose ends sought formulation of positive self-identity, self-awareness and self-love in high school. Since this effort in high school the 1960s, I have also followed the same path all through college in the 1970s and later. That same epic struggle continues today.
But one first must "study" for black studies to be meaningful or effectual, fruitful or rewarding . There were too many black students (in and out of school) to whom black studies meant little or nothing, since they had never studied it, or anything else seriously or consistently, if at all. Problematic!
Too many others, being otherwise disposed in their innate gifts, to put the case charitably, either did not like to study, do not have time to study, (but will watch cable tv or movies), so neither do their children, sad to say.
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a work man that need not be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/…
In the absence of study, a "gross darkness " sets in that debilitates. That "gross darkness" is the Biblical ignorance that is decried therein. This gross darkness increases one's vulnerability, susceptibility to ruthless exploitation, rancid incarceration, mental indoctrination, & termination.
http://biblehub.com/kjv/isaiah/60-2.htm
My former concern with "race," has segued, having devolved to "truth" not race, in light of these deficits.
My studies have revealed to me that racism is rooted in the calculated venal, purposeful abnegation of the truth. Substitutions, or excuses of all types have displaced the truth, have waylaid the truth, have drugged the truth, have tinctured truth's purity, in the damnable dung of human deceit .
Meanwhile, conversely, those people who abstemiously, continually, would repress, suppress, dispossess blacks of their innate right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness do study the amazing blacks. Like the Philistines did to Samson, studying unceasingly!
Truth is mutual verity, exemplified in nature, in geometry, in mathematics, in chemistry, in art, in astronomy, in physics, botany, biology, music, in us.
Truth is objective, raining on the just and on the unjust, without distinction.
So, where "blackness " was formerly a desired end, the assassinations of Patrice Lumumba, of Malcolm X, of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the earlier deportation of Marcus Garvey to Jamaica & other historical atrocities or traitorous acts like those who are "black like us," i.e. , killers, muggers, thieves & any knaves, have shown that "blackness" the paradigm is also largely useless as a criterion of distinction, to discern good from evil.
Except as a restorative, or historical, palliative, "black studies," per se, is of limited utility, except to those people who are so seriously injured that they are so truth-averse, cannot sense the "truth," that enables & surrounds us.
Other than that using black studies on a limited basis, as in a palliative paradigm to restore, it is as useless to us, as is white studies to them!
Both 'black' and 'white' are symbolic cognomens, cognitive constructions. Neither has intrinsic meaning, alone, apart from those imposed on them.
In fact, truth subsumes "blackness," and "whiteness." But truth threatens wickedness, which any color may evince culturally even color purple. Truth transcends colors and forms being energy tied to divine cosmos.
Truth liberates. It does not alienate, nor obfuscate. But, it is not now self-executing ; that is, the truth must be proselytized with like passion akin to those who ignore it, who repress it, or remain still not receptive to its virtue.
"You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32.
Beyond 'blackness,' my province has now been blessed to be the truth: in any form in which it may ever appear.
Truth is my paradigm, regardless of the identity of whomever produces or promotes it, or wherever I can find it.