Bamboozled Conundrum

   Tough times are ahead for us as a people—given the climate of what we are becoming as a people.  I would like to say, “as a nation,” but it is obvious to me by now—and I hope that it is to you as well—that we just “live” in this country,  The mores and values of America are and always been, in the hands of the people who so-called “founded” it; Namely—that is—those peoples of European descent who live in this country. . .

   We Blacks would like to believe that our stint in this country (1555-until present) would make equal partners with White People in this endeavor; but the truth of the matter is, we have never have been equal partners in this country called America—despite the fact that we have fought in all America’s crucial wars [the Civil War and the World Wars]; in the attempt to become “equal citizens.”  

   The Civil wars in this country was fought—not over whether or not to free the slaves—as most unlearned believe; but as a “last-ditch” tactic, used by Abraham Lincoln to save the North from losing the war to the rebel South.

   America was originally founded as a “colony of Europe.”  Many of the Europe’s countries at that time—had settlements in the so-called New World. . .  For those who study this, know—eventually—it was the English which gained most of America from the rest of the Europeans, winning the West territories from Napoleon and the French during the brokered and bartered efforts of Thomas Jefferson—known as the Louisiana Purchase.  Both the English and the French descent people currently share Canada; relinquishing Mexico and South America to the people of Spanish descent; but it must be remembered that Europe took these lands from the Native Americans in a brutal attempt to establish a new frontier for their own people within these people’s land—after depleting most of their own resources in their own European homelands. . 

   As I have pointed out to you previously: to “colonize” means, “to send a group of settlers to a place while the rich of that mother country attempt to manipulate that country’s politics, to eventually gain political control over that said country.  When Napoleon sold his territories to the United States, many of the French settlers were still here.  New Orlean’s French Quarter still have remnants of the French government’s failed project (aka French citizens or former French citizens) right here within the United States territories (aka, the people came along with the purchase :) ).

   Generally speaking—the Americas is an evolution of  European settlers in the New World.  There are the French and English controlling the politics above us in Canada, the English speaking people controlling the politics here in the United States, and the Spanish people ruling in Mexico; sharing domination with the Portuguese in South America.  The chronology in these countries represent the evolution of these settlers within these land. . .  The customs, fabs, and trends are influence by these settler’s behavior—the growth and development in America reflects the growth and development of European people who migrated and settled in the New World—and how they treat “others.”

   Now how can I say this?  Because the laws in this country are made like to the laws in England; places in the New World are named after places in the people felt were similar to their mother country: Just think; “How many states have a West Chester, Chester, Dover and York?”   The media reflects popular sentiments of the people who settled here.  Sure, Blacks influence American society through music, entertainment and sports—but the trends in this country reflect their choices and sentiments—thus the meaning of “mainstream” and “ruling class society.”

   Whatever “mainstream society” is going through, the rest of society is bound to affected by it, because their people regulate policy—while giving the illusion of an equal society.  The reason why both Civil Rights Movements (which were orchestrated by Blacks during 1863 and 1963 respectively) failed, was because it had to be endorsed by the mainstream society.  The reason why you have incidents like Ferguson today, as well as the police brutalities and lynchings is because of popular sentiments infused from mainstream society—and subsequently—the way laws get enacted is also because of these same public sentiments.  In America, there is the “majority” and then there’s the “minority”—and the minority is always subject to majority opinions… 

   Right now, mainstream American women are not content with their role; the rich alternative lifestyle of Hollywood (which consists of actors, entertainers and sport celebrities) also want a different publicity than what they had in the past.  The “moral majority” image the mainstream society created for themselves in the media during the 50s and 60s, put its people in a mental straight jacket during the 80s and 90s; and as we approach the 22nd century,  Hip-Hop bolstered a bad boy image that enticed many of the mainstream youth of European descent.  White society wanted to extradite themselves morally and sexually—they wanted to “let their hair down.”  

   The humorous thing about this “thing” is, whatever changes mainstream society goes through—the outcasts of society seem be affected by it—if not implicated in it.  We do not share in the riches and freedoms mainstream society has in America, an yet some of seem to include ourselves as if we do. . .  It reminds me of the all-so-familiar phenomena, where Whites may work at the same job that you do—but consider themselves middle class and some how better than you. . .  I don’t care if they combine their income with their mates. . . The idea is utterly ridiculous!

  

     Post-Europeans have their paths and destinies and we have ours—and though our paths may parallel in spots—the outcomes will be different, because the outcome will be based on our ethnicity and how it impacts or the role it plays within American society.  We hear their sentiments on talk shows, celebrity shows and various forms of entertainment—and the began to consider and include ourselves in the mix of something we are not the authors of!  

   This phenomena is totally different from the way I was raised as a child; but then again, the treatment Whites had towards Blacks was more severe.  I often can remember hearing my mother and father calling things that White folks do—“crazy!”  I also remember us being told to be mindful how we spoke to them, how we had to work harder and show loyalty to those whom we worked for.  Back in the day, mainstream society did not accept us blatantly and openly—including name calling, police brutality and lynchings. . .

  But the truth of the matter is, we were never considered!  There were no Black youth in any shows for us to admire when I grew up—short of Stymie, Buckwheat, and Farina of the “Little Rascals”—and those were stereotypical images of our people.  We were never considered when “Leave It To Beaver” or  “My Three Sons” were created (probably because we were not even in the areas); “What’s Happening” and “Family Matters” was the first time we saw Black youngsters and adolescents; besides the “Little Rascals”—but that was total buffoonery as opposed to situation comedy!  Bill Cosby and Diahann Carroll were two of our only exceptions. . .

   In the 60s, White housewives were not content with their role within mainstream society.  Many of were not in the workplace as they are today and during the 50s, America was a male dominant chauvinistic society.  But Black women did not agree with the sentiments of their White counterparts!  Black women within Black society were always required to work, because the incomes of their men were not nearly sufficient enough to maintain a household; we had to work with the hand mainstream society dealt us.   

But many Black women of today are calling themselves feminists along with their White counterparts; including themselves in mainstream struggles—as if, they were their own; but as Malcolm X said, “Just because I’m sitting at the table, you can’t call me a diner, unless there’s food on my plate.”  And although they may have some parallels, their moves are actually detrimental to our own people’s growth and development when we attempt to emulate their progressions—with our already damaged family structures (due to damage that slavery brought us) and our dependency on White society for gainful employment. . .  Our strategies should be totally different than our White counterparts. . .

  The truth is, we have two different lifestyles and we need to learn to embrace that diversity: Then—and only then—can we fully determine our destiny as a people. . .  Right now, we are confused—we as a people living under America popular opinion—can’t agree on anything as a collectively entity.  We  We suffer from self-hatred and post-traumatic slavery stress syndrome; brought on by a psychosis that America superimposed on us.  Rich Blacks separate often themselves from poor Blacks—as opposed to African Blacks who often send money to their families back home as well as support the less fortunate. Young Blacks often separate themselves from “old school Blacks”—and the once tragic mulatto [as displayed in the 40 films of Oscar Micheaux—circa 1919-1948] has a new role in the Post “Skill-Era Hip-Hop” society: Even grandma who raised the “Crack Baby” of the eighties, suddenly has great grandchildren who doesn’t respect or believe in anything that their great grandparents does. . .  This, of course, is the Black account of such current events and chronologies; Whites would be different because they have a different heritage, culture and resourcefulness (as well as different resources)...

  Our Black families are becoming undone as we move forward in the direction America is heading; led by its ruling class.  Their word is killing us.  The African archetypical deities of grace, beauty, charm and refinement—along with motherhood; usually attributed to women in Africa society; with its fetish dolls and statutes; are largely disregarded by the Western society today; You know, those people who like to use the word “diva,” “divine goddesses,” and “queans” instead of queens:  The deities Oshun and Yemaya are having fits in the homeland, because their folks in America have forsaken their standards of womanhood.   

Our lives, as a people, has to be taken in the social context it finds itself in within American society:  We cannot act as if we are co-sharing rulership here!  We are subject to the White’s outlooks and standards of beauty and legislation—not as co-partners in the establishment and the development thereof. . .  Therefore, it is mandatory that we think for ourselves—which is not to be confused with, “Every man for himself—as though individual efforts will set you apart from the many condemnations American mainstream society puts on the rest of Black society in America. . .  That, my friend, is delusional. . .  

   We must prepare ourselves for a separate future—not a footnote to Americana—especially one which starts out with you being “3/5th of a man; to be included with livestock.”  We must show ourselves to be equal to all nations, with the science of education, growth and development; but first we must show it to ourselves!

  We must do things for us as a people—us as an entity—in the interests of the development of our ethnicity and culture.  We must consider ourselves separate because mainstream has always kept us apart from their social equality: No, that is not racism—it is the acknowledgment that racism in America still exists and we will only get the short end of the stick when we seek racial equality because it is the “other society” that is regulating its distribution.

Be active and proactive—not reactive: You are the authors of your own destiny. . .

Peace

C. Be'er la Hai-roi Myers