Growing Up as A People Part I

Growing Up As A People

Part One

A few articles ago, you learned about the political, organizational, aspects of culture on a personal level: that is, to watch the company you keep, and observe the agenda, policies, or codes those who are around you.  The purpose of this is  to form alliances, think-tanks and such, with those on whom you can trust, to aide in your ideas, expand your horizons and widen your possibilites.  After all, we are composites of various forms of ideas based upon our level of consciousness, who we are affiliated with, and the families lines through which our persons are derived from.  These ideologies (which have their origin in the Almighty) are birthed in families that are a continuations of particular trains of thoughts, so it should come as no surprise that each child is an agent for the cause.

Certainly, alliances are formed to achieve something greater.  This is just a reflection of imitating the role of the Almighty one in the world.  Marriages are formed between man and woman, and children populate societies.  Corporations are formed to advance ideologies, expressed by their mission statements--which takes on a life of itself and are bigger than the sum totals of its parts.  And in both cases, these unions are only successful if they are done from the heart.

And then, there are holy and unholy alliances.  In my last article, "The more things change, the more they remain the same," there was an alliance formed from the four Southern Republican presidential candidates: Newt Gingrich being the most outspoken and obnoxious (as well as the one with the most dirt under his fingernails), Ryan--who's political career took-off in a Southern state--the most liberal, and LDS--Utah-based religious candidate who might have lost the race because of his staunch religious and political views--Mitt Romney.  All seemed, by their campaign slogans, to be unearthing something America was thought to have buried a long time ago. 

[ A SIDE NOTE: I would have thought more than 44% of White women would've object to relinquishing so many rights concerning birth control and abortion; which would have been the case, in picking Romney for president.  I guess they were more interested in relinquishing leadership control to another type of people]

And of course, there's the woman, who after assessing that this man can be of use to her (financial and otherwise), selects a Black conscious man to marry--and afterwards, does nothing to support his cultural agenda! 

These are few of the unhelpful alliances you may find yourself in, and it feels like you're alone because you have to do everything!  You might as well be single; because a divided house cannot stand for too long.  There must be many common ways, in the ways both of you do things--otherwise the compatibility will only be based on intimacy.  And we all know, there's more to life than bed and board...  And arguments often makes sex lose all of its zing.

If you ever been in a relationship before--which went bad--then you know that its' no good loving somebody--when they don't love you back.  When you have mutual care for each other, then things are negotiable because you have mutual respect for each others needs and desires.  But when there's no love there (as demonstrated by the 72 and 56%) and you still want to be part of, you are only going to get hurt further because that person does not love you, care for you or respect you--and as quietly as it is kept--you don't love yourself either: Otherwise why would you waste time championing lost causes?  Let's start with loving ourselves first.  Caring for each other first.  Doing for each other first.  If you put more love in yourself, then there will be more love in you.  If you don't love yourself first, how will you know how to properly love anyone else?  Far too often, I've run into people who want more than they are willing to (or can) give--and that is because they are too needy and destitute of love.  And that makes them takers not givers--besides the ultimate true love is between you and the source where all comes from.  When you are hollow there, if you can't see it--that's a job for you and the Almighty; not between you and other forms of expression.  That relationship must be repaired first, before you can properly love anyone else. 

But we, as a people, have to stop pushing up on others who don't love us, then lying to ourselves--saying, "we are overcoming them with our capacity to love."  --Malik Al-Hajj Shabazz. [he phrased it best]

It was in the previous article, "The Cultural Framework (Within an Individual Context),"  that I cautioned my readers to always interview and update themselves, on the policies of the company they keep--for without it you may never know when to part company with folks; particularly after the relationship has gone sour.  But it is all about covalent bonds.

As with all relationships, alliances must be maintained: quid pro quo; something for something--a.k.a., this for that!  So often, people enter into alliances wanting more than they will or can give--concealing their heart (and inability)--using deceit and silence in order to steal their jewels they lust.  Today you have the power to take it, tomorrow you won't have the power to keep--what was gained through unworthy trust.  All bonds must be fed and maintained. Alliances must be renewed by acts of compassion--terms of endearment...  Esteem should be renewed by acts of confirmation.  Something for something.  Quid pro quo.

For some reason, some people believe they can make it on their own: no people, country, or flag--just pure opportunity and that's it.  First of all, if I'm offering an opportunity, it will be to ones whose proven loyal--or those countenance shows it can be loyal.  Singularity like the one mentioned above is flamboyant.  Singularity like that--leaves you open.  And sometimes, thoughts like that can get you killed.  Everybody needs people to depend on.  Man is a social creature and resources are limited.  On the street, if you hustle, singularity will certainly bring on bigger forces--which in the end brings your demise, like the confidence of an oppressor upon the oppressed.  You must have people you can trust.

In the first season of the HBO series, "Boss," the writers offered that Golf is the only sport, with singularity-displayed through the most outrageous looking outfits displayed by "individual" people.  "But sooner or later they become more austere in their taste.  They begin to understand the value of modesty, of group strength, of groups making collective decisions, of keeping your mouth shut and checking up the ranks.  Blacks are the exception." Dealers get crews, street wise guys "hold check" and get "daps" (recognition and respect), the Black conscious ones find diaspora.  These ideas concerning group, unification, and unity transform and take shape, according to the person, and level of development prescribed.

Yes, I subscribe to the concept that we all have a reason for living; a purpose--therefore there are things for you to do and to get to know.  Those things change as you learn more--like that incomprehensible book in your youth that's like child-play, now that you're older.  This understanding is based upon growth and development.

This election gave us a truth we could have otherwise never known for sure: Despite Obama's successes at rescuing the economy and the country for a continuing war-cost concerning "weapons of mass destruction, 72% of all White males and 56% of all White females in America do not want to see Obama in the White house.  The majority of Whites do not want to see Blacks in a rulership position.  I don't care how crafty you are, you could not have gotten such a definitive answer--than the "consensus" reached by way of the exit polls during the last presidential election.  And this is something we will have to live with: despite the numerous years, we are not seen in equal light.

How many of you have taken an oath of secrecy, knowing full well that if you read between the lines--you already knew--yet you continued to pledge alliance to uphold another's dominance over ones who look like you?  A man without his people; a king without country.  What did you think: you were smarter than all of your kind?  More expansive?  Special?  What about the rest of us and your seemingly contempt for us? 
I know you can say "I didn't know" and be speaking a "half-truth: for the clandestine never reveals what's behind the veil until you cross-over.  But what could they offer to you, to relinquish the rights of your people, into the hands of thine enemies (our oppressors)? War shows us that somethings are worth living for and some worth dying for: our way as we knew it, everything sacred, right down to our native tongue was lost.  That oath: a pledge of allegiance;  that is, to adhere to one and forsake another: like Nat Turner or Denmark Vessey's accomplices at the Sunday dinner--feasting, knowing it was their words which betrayed him.  Like Cypher to Neo--like Judas Iscariot--like a bullet in the gun of Robert Ford: the instrument of cultural demise.  Somethings are not worth having--at any cost.

We have an opportunity to be what we are--but it will take trust.  That 72% and 56% do not trust Obama, nor does every Black person.  Ironic that we are often not trusted by the White man, when we were the ones who were hookwinked and enslaved.  If a Black man opened up a business in a 50-50 mixed neighborhood, what percentage of Whites would you say would patronize or support him?  And if you think more that 20% would support him, would it be enough to keep him in business.  Now, I don't know about your circumstances but in my neighborhood that guy would go belly up if not for us.  So, unless he's sheisty, we should give him support.

Which brings me to another aspect:  My love of my life, had to buy tires.  Years ago,  a friend of her parents got a deal on some tires and he told us to have this guy install them.  Since then, Bumblebee turned me on to a book called, "Our Black Year, by Maggie Anderson," co-founder of the Empowerment Experiment.

Anyway, to make a long story short, Bumblebee said, "I need tires and I think I'm going to buy them from this Black owned tire business.  The first thought which came to my attention was "BJ's rotates my tires and balances my tires in their price!" And then, I realised it was my conditioning talking: conditioning (as Marley said) "under oppressor man affliction."  I  grew up in a previously Jewish neighborhood and I know for a fact that they would even spend substantially more, to keep money circulating within their communities.  As long as he is an honest businessman, he deserves our support--maybe even a few inconveniences to get us "on the road."

And when you say that, non-Blacks act like you are being racist.  No, Whites see nothing wrong with moving the best stores in your communities and expect us to come to your stores in your communities because you say putting it in Black areas will attract more theft...  Now, that's racist!  We are only striving to help our own survive--the same as you do when you move your White owned stores in your community.  Besides, spending in your community, takes tax money from my area, and hand-it-over to yours.

If we don't take care of ourselves, who will?

Peace and Love,  

C. Be'erla Hai-roi Myers

And why should rely on others more than ourselves?
(tap on this and listen to the words in this song)