A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

Since the Proclamation of Emancipation it has been the policy and standard practice by the American institutionalized systemic to maintain control over the Black African-American community by encouraging dissent and disruption between them thus to this very day Black America is a dysfunctional and fragmented group. In politics and sociology, divide and rule (or divide and conquer) is gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into pieces that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.

The use of this technique is meant to empower the sovereign to control the oppressed, populations, or factions of different interests, who collectively might be able to oppose the oppressor, in this case Black African-Americans.

Black African-Americans are the only group on earth who do not think in terms of group survival, although in the 60’s the group survival instincts were indeed there. However, now, totally consumed by individual successes and “getting my own,” Black America has allowed itself to be blinded by the entrapment of integration which has obliterated all instincts for group survival. Moreover, many within the Black community are delusional as a result of 400 years of mind control, and with all the happenings in the world today, it is not impractical to believe that the Black community is doubly oppressed.

On top of the Black community dealing with needing to break away from 400 years of mental enslavement, with the threat of a class-war, the American government has seemingly begun to devise strategies of chipping away ALL Americans’ civil liberties. The further reduction of civil liberties will lead to withholding even more of Black Americans’ freedoms. Making no excuses, this dual dilemma could be another solid contributing factor to the disillusionment and confusion that runs rampantly throughout the Black community.

If the black community is to experience rejuvenation and cultural strength, the group must realize the significance of collective progress. Once the community begins to think on one accord, each of the individual members or individual contributions will begin to mesh together, growing at an exponential weight to eventually become a walking, unstoppable giant. However, the first step is in establishing racial unity; that unity can only be found in removing all things that preach and promote disunity in the Black community.

Black people, as a group, must learn to take charge of their lives and those of their children, we can’t leave this for other people to do, because they simply are not going to do it. Sitting around, moaning and groaning, pointing fingers at everyone and never at ourselves is counter-productive.  The time is getting late especially for our children and if we are to ever become self empowered, self-autonomous and have the conditions change which prevents us from doing that—we must change in order to combat those conditions.

To be self-autonomous, self-determined means that we as a group must have within our control the means to assure survival. Cannot depend on anyone else to do that it simply isn’t going to happen plus that is not how the real world works.

The struggle for survival in America is the handling of a never-ending tension between the institutional values of race, gender and wealth which give undue and unearned privileges and advantageous to some so that others cannot compete on an equal basis for the resources of this country.  This is a game with Black African-Americans being used as pawns.  Resources include land, money; and politics is an instrument used for the passing around of the resources, if you don’t have the resources you are not in the game.  To the contrary there are naïve, simple-minded black folks proudly boasting about how they OWN the n-word, how proud they are to be a n**ga. These black folks have no clue as to what any of this is really all about. Use of the n-word serves a purpose and that is to help keep Black America dumbed down and divided.

However, there is an n-word that Black America has been conditioned to refrain from using or thinking about…Nationalism.  Cultural artifacts, language, religion, traditions, art, music, style, values all form a bond of cohesion which if properly nourished becomes nationalism; but it has to be nourished and has to be by us as a [group]. How is this accomplished?  Through family, church, school, organizations and institutions not depended on white funding.  Once we as a group become nationalistic we then as a [group] become strong enough to create economics in which people can strive to make a living, in other words under capitalism we must become producers and not continue to be just…consumers.

African-Americans spend an incredible amount of money and yet claim we have no money, but will spend hundreds of dollars on tennis shoes, gold chains, clothes, etc. It’s estimated that the black community spends more than a trillion dollars a year and where does all this money go?  It goes into the pockets of other groups!  When immigrants arrive in America they recognize one thing and that is to survive they must do so as a group NOT AS individuals.  They are nationalistic in their thinking enabling them to create an economy as opposed to just being consumers.

If we are to survive and become self-empowered as a group, we must change our way of looking at things.  Our culture is no longer functional because we have lost so much of it that use to save us.  We are not paying attention to our youth who are presently, misguided, misled and misinformed, the minds of our youth is the wave of the future which presently doesn’t bold well for Black America.

Other groups come together because of their strong common culture, separatism and not integration—saves them from being victims of capitalism.  Black Americans are afraid of such terms as separatism and nationalism and our oppressor wants us to remain afraid. Hispanics have replaced Black African-Americans as the largest minority group in America and are presently benefiting from the Civil Rights Movement—as well as women and the LGBT movement—more so than black folks.  Unobtrusively, Black Americans have become 3^rd class citizens and should there be a movement to increase the Asian population Black African-Americans will find themselves becoming 4^th class citizens.  And the irony is that so-called black leaders are quick to advance the cause for Black America to help the very people who are replacing us for we are being systematically replaced.

Next to the Cosmic Forces of the Universe many of whom refers to as God, nationalism is the most powerful organizing force known to man other than God.  Black African-Americans have better wake up and wake up in a hurry the hour is getting late, no one is going to draw you pictures.  As a group we are lagging behind everyone else thus have become expendable and superfluous.  We either come to our senses and change directions now or face the dire consequences.

H. Lewis Smith is the founder and president of UVCC, the United Voices for a Common Cause, Inc., http://www.theunitedvoices.com author of Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous Love Affair with the N-Word, and the recently released book Undressing the N-word: Revealing the Naked Truth, Lies, Deceit and Mind Games https://www.createspace.com/4655015  Follow him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thescoop1

Harry Belafonte comments on his last conversation with Martin Luther King, Jr.

Midway through the Civil Rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. realized that the struggle for integration would ultimately become a struggle for economic rights. I remember the last time we were together, at my home, shortly before he was murdered. He seemed quite agitated and preoccupied, and I asked him what the problem was. “I‘ve come upon something that disturbs me deeply,” he said. “We have fought hard and long for integration, as I believe we should have, and I know that we will win. But I’ve come to believe we’re integrating into a burning house.”

That statement took me aback. It was the last thing I would have expected to hear, considering the nature of our struggle, and I asked him what he meant. “I’m afraid that America may be losing what moral vision she may have had,” he answered. “And I’m afraid that even as we integrate, we are walking into a place that does not understand that this nation needs to be deeply concerned with the plight of the poor and disenfranchised. Until we commit ourselves to ensuring that the underclass is given justice and opportunity, we will continue to perpetuate the anger and violence that tears at the soul of this nation.”

I would like to see black America honestly examine where we are at this point in history. We must stop relying on Democrats or Republicans or institutions that oppress us, and take responsibility for ourselves. Whenever we’ve stepped out to assume responsibility for our future, we’ve succeeded in our mission. White America didn’t give us the gains we’ve made. Through various movements we went out and fought for our liberation and made ourselves a better people, and the world a better place. I am far from disillusioned. Deep in my soul, I know there are more Rosa Parks, more Dr. Kings, and more Ella Bakers ready to emerge. Perhaps we are the firefighters who can save the burning house. Martin would have embraced such a thought.