OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN "POWER"
Yesterday, I shared a video clip by a young African man in Sierra Leone.
In his encomium of us, he extolled the appreciable "power" of African American "people" repeatedly; as our "power" was perceived by him and his fellow native Africans.
He began by saying that African Americans were the only national sub-grouping of blacks on Earth with the term "African" attached as their formal name and identity symbol. He said that our compound name readily distinguished us from other black people in Britain or in Brazil, who were not so-honored, thus not so "powerful," as we. He mentioned how we African Americans were more believable, credible than were other black people to Africans.
He said that native Africans were enamored of African American movies, music, mannerisms, which they copied as the best globally. He mentioned all of these, and others, with a wonderful wistful sincerity and love.
I was greatly moved by his video of us, in honor of our "power." Too often, growing up, we had heard that Africans did not "like" African Americans, by persons who had never been to Africa; by persons who were liars and dimwits for being credulous repeaters of lies.
We had also been told that we had no "power," another lie! Power has many forms, has many friends.
Our power can be measured by the amount of power that it displaces in our nation's history, in order to thwart it, to keep it in check. "Give a nigger an inch and he will take a mile!" many white oppressors used to joke and quip about our "power."
The Civil War is evidence, is proof positive of our displacement power. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950-60s; the Black Power Movement of the 1960s-1970s, is more evidence of our displacement power. The election of Barack Hussein Obama twice as President of the United States of America is more evidence of our displacement power. All other heroic and unknown acts that were required to produce, to sustain, and to protect us, by our forebears from 1619 unto to 2017 is evidence of our African American displacement power!
Our oppressors have long quipped, joked, commented, in their indirectly oblique tributes to our amazing "power " to make something big out of practically nothing! Terms like "nigger-rigged" ironically reflect this fact.
American state and federal laws, indeed our United States Constitution are all based upon an idea of arresting our development, but, still, harnessing our power, to develop their power, institutions, businesses, wealth, government!
Laws, police, courts, judges, juries, media, education, culture, trade, mythology, lies, lynching, brutality, financial chicanery, discrimination, racism, literature, religion, military, movies, music, have all been used attempting to thwart our lawful complete empowerment, our complete national and personal fruition as African American people, an rightful citizens. We are still seeking, still, in 2017, our natal well-earned, full, complete citizenship rights at home in the United States of America!
I thank God for using this young man to make us, to help us, finally realize our power!
Thursday, September 21, 2017
APPRECIATING AFRICAN AMERICAN POWER
OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN "POWER"
Yesterday, I shared a video clip by a young African man in Sierra Leone.
In his encomium of us, he extolled the appreciable "power" of African American "people" repeatedly; as our "power" was perceived by him and his fellow native Africans.
He began by saying that African Americans were the only national sub-grouping of blacks on Earth with the term "African" attached as their formal name and identity symbol. He said that our compound name readily distinguished us from other black people in Britain or in Brazil, who were not so-honored, thus not so "powerful," as we. He mentioned how we African Americans were more believable, credible than were other black people to Africans.
He said that native Africans were enamored of African American movies, music, mannerisms, which they copied as the best globally. He mentioned all of these, and others, with a wonderful wistful sincerity and love.
I was greatly moved by his video of us, in honor of our "power." Too often, growing up, we had heard that Africans did not "like" African Americans, by persons who had never been to Africa; by persons who were liars and dimwits for being credulous repeaters of lies.
We had also been told that we had no "power," another lie! Power has many forms, has many friends.
Our power can be measured by the amount of power that it displaces in our nation's history, in order to thwart it, to keep it in check. "Give a nigger an inch and he will take a mile!" many white oppressors used to joke and quip about our "power."
The Civil War is evidence, is proof positive of our displacement power. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950-60s; the Black Power Movement of the 1960s-1970s, is more evidence of our displacement power. The election of Barack Hussein Obama twice as President of the United States of America is more evidence of our displacement power. All other heroic and unknown acts that were required to produce, to sustain, and to protect us, by our forebears from 1619 unto to 2017 is evidence of our African American displacement power!
Our oppressors have long quipped, joked, commented, in their indirectly oblique tributes to our amazing "power " to make something big out of practically nothing! Terms like "nigger-rigged" ironically reflect this fact.
American state and federal laws, indeed our United States Constitution are all based upon an idea of arresting our development, but, still, harnessing our power, to develop their power, institutions, businesses, wealth, government!
Laws, police, courts, judges, juries, media, education, culture, trade, mythology, lies, lynching, brutality, financial chicanery, discrimination, racism, literature, religion, military, movies, music, have all been used attempting to thwart our lawful complete empowerment, our complete national and personal fruition as African American people, an rightful citizens. We are still seeking, still, in 2017, our natal well-earned, full, complete citizenship rights at home in the United States of America!
I thank God for using this young man to make us, to help us, finally realize our power!