I Got To Be Me   

   As I tell this story, in the background, there is a tune playing inside my head by Frank Sinatra called, "I Got To Be Me" and that statement is, in essence, of what this particular blog (writing) is all about.   Black consciousness is written from the perspective of my aspect of what a Black consciousness is, living inside a human form—the ethnicity of which is Black (which is not an indictment of other ethnicities but a story and legacy in and of itself—which is in need of distinction within this culture).

   Never forget that what this being is, is the means through which the conscious can express itself though; it is merely a vehicle through which consciousness is expressed—and is not the origin of awareness nor consciousness because that came from a more alpha and universal source—with no inbred limitations or boundaries; And this perspective is very difficult to maintain in a culture (and a people) which teaches "we are human beings" (but we must bear in mind that their outlook is only one cultural perspective).  

   I am sure that our ancestors and our people from other lands do not have that outlook, even though same or similar social issues may appear as they do in this country (which is another subject altogether), which is more than likely this way due to the perceptions, deliberations, ideas, and sensibilities of the people is quite different elsewhere—depending on autonomy or the colonizer which colonize which ever group we are discussing; Which is one of the unique reasons why I even write this blog; the part concerning "the differences in Black perspectives"—that is, you can have Black folks in other places in contradistinction to Black people here in America—and yet, when you view us collectively, you can see more similarities with Blacks who function outside of the White man's dominance or dominion, with Black folks who are firmly under other Western cultural influence, than you will with the indigenous Blacks or other Westernized Blacks in contradistinction to Blacks in America. . . 

  This is because Black folks in America were taken from our point of cultural origins by abduction or force—that is, from a place where we have existed and prospered for a long time--into a place and environment where our cultural perspectives were totally suppressed or obliterated (even down to our language), and our folks became culture-less, and ultimately subjected to the White man's perceptions and philosophical perspectives at the same time (due to the culture-less vacuum the institution of American slavery created upon the psyche of our people during our sojourn here in America).

  This perspective not only sets Blacks folks or "Africans in America" apart from other members of our peoples in the diaspora in general--but within those Blacks who exist within other spheres of Western dominance as well—and this phenomenon exists solely to not having a culture perspective or language to call our own within the American environment (current Black culture in America is a manufactured reaction TO White cultural aggression in America).  We can say that most—if not all American music is derived or a spin-offs of Blues—or that Jazz music is America's only true Classical art form; simply because American culture produced all of the conditions that created the new musical phenomena (that is to say that America produced all of the conditions that Black people responded to when we created the Blues and Jazz).  The truth be told concerning this perspective, other Black folks in the diaspora have outlooks in which we in America do not (aka Blacks in the diaspora have more remnants of our original root culture and structure than Blacks do in America)—and these elements have been elusive to a lot of us here in America. . .  That is to say, Black folks in America have the unique distinction of being usurped by one group of people from our mother continent (i.e. poacher-like Black neighboring tribe opportunists from Central Asia in response to the demand for European slave trading) trading members of their own ethnicity to another stock of people (White slave traders); who no longer share the same ethnicity or ideology as the other descendants of original Central Asian peoples.  But at one time all ancestry of the planet earth originated from this very same continent around the Red, Black, Mediterranean and Caspian Seas. . . 

   To explain this aspect of things (i.e., the evolution of White people from Black folks in so called Africa) would take a considerable amount of time (not to mention addressing the myriad of  theories); however most of the world does agree that life started in Central Asia.  This point continues to be needed to be explained and restated over and over again because people today, in schools and such, rarely want to accept this genealogical perspective, because it smashes most concepts of race superiority. . .  But its all good, because it coincides with this story that I'm telling about your True Self (or as Frank Sinatra keeps insisting—"I Got To Be Me"). . .  

   If you are a Black person (and I take it that if you're reading this blog on Black Consciousness that maybe you are) following along with this train of thought, more than likely looking you are for the reason of why you exist in this world—or why do you exist in this place (and by this place I mean in America)—and this perspective is something we both share in common—and equally something which needs clarification in order for us to behave as our true Self. 

   Without question, this perspective must be established—not because we want White folks to recognize our people as the first people on the planet; but for our own folks to recognize their own legacy and greatness.  And in viewing life from this auspices, we could possibly tap back into that power source and perform great things.  

I am of a certain mindset that if I know these things [Western culture with its scientists, anthropologists and genealogists know this as well], we would be able to achieve great things for our people...  Which is why (in all probability) that it is not publicly known—simply because it doesn't serve the Western agenda with its colonial and supremacist themes.  And besides--aware people do not make very good slaves. . .

Missing Links

—aka "Footprints in the Sand"

   Existing in America, there's a unique story being told about a group of people who might have come here as indentured servants initially (you could be from the group that came to this country before or after it was established by the colonists or pilgrims this country) but wind up being condemned to life of servitude in the establishment of America. . .  

Now, either one of these perspectives leaves a people being cognizant of the facf of being an entity which resides in black skin (a black human being)—living within a culture which is not your own (aka not constructed by your folks)—being subject to the swagger and arrogance of their overseers; while perceiving the world through their oppressor's colonizing cultural eyes. . .  Being dubbed as a race of fallen Kings and Queens who can't stay out of their way, allowing "Johnnie-come-latelys" to make a fortune off of managing their greatness; Allowing hordes of immigrants to leap-frog past them in social status.

   Black folks constantly vie for social acceptance and equal or civil rights, only to be turned down by the inheritors of America.  Living among factions of royalty and rich elites who usurped Black folks, draining them dry by drinking their blood; forcing them into a life of servitude or slavery and allegiance to their elitist regime.  And our folks' outlook on life gets perceived through whatever level of development the ruling class people are currently in: Superimposed over top of this unique perspective is a prejudice; crowding Black thought with feelings of incompetence and inferiority—forces which are embedded into American culture—with both barrels aimed at Black folks, with obscene gestures that resonates throughout society towards our everyday existence.  

   And this is part of the American cultural complex; implicit because of the early colonialist themes, cultural indoctrinations and such—which comes from White people observing Black people in subservient position within their society for so long: "We took them out of the jungles—they were ignorant and savage before—we gave them a place in the modern world. . ."  Designed by the elite, systematically sprinkled in articles and periodicals; subliminally ingrained into the other's psyche—creating an American posture towards the rest of the non-western world: A justification for why these things must and should exist in THEIR world. . .

   What I mean by this is, if the outer environment in America continues to interact with Blacks in such a way, as to imply superiority or viewing you as ignorant, hostile or untrusting long enough; eventually you'll have to come to grips as to why this is being done to you concerning them; which in essence incorporates their issues inside your head: This in turn fragments the psyche, creating several mindsets and psychoses, which inevitably affect your self-esteem and outlook towards society.  

   I have established this distinct perspective, simply because this is the perspective is what all black people have to deal with when living in America with the so-called Americans—especially those who date their ancestry parallel with our ancestors those who were brought here in 1555: By that I mean, those Whites who came from England or other parts of the Western world and those Blacks who either came on a boat from England because they were part of those Black people who might have been part what we recognize as the United Kingdom, traveling to this land with the original companies sent here to establish the colonies for England within the New World.  Most who travelled to the New World were Christians; if you were not, it was possible that you could be enslaved by those who were.

   Or you might have wounded up in England from the original invasions of England by the Romans, when Rome conquered the "Britons" as they called them.  You might have been a servant or a navigator for the Romans and descended down to the time when the English government decided to colonize America.    That would make you one of the people who were traveling to this country as part of the settlers.  You would then be expected to work off the cost of your transportation through indentured servitude.

     Now if that was the case concerning your origin, then there would come a time in your ancestry when your relatives would have been subjugated to the decision of the legislative body in the Colony of Virginia; called the Governor's Council for the Colony of Virginia.   Three indentured servants ran away from Jamestown, Virginia and headed to the Colony of Maryland when they got caught.  Hugh Gwyn, Virginia planter and member of the House of Burgess legislative branch for the colony, was the person these three were indentured to.  Hugh found the three and brought them back to the colony to stand trial before the Governor's Council for the Colony of Virginia.  The Governor's Council for the Colony of Virginia [the upper house of the legislative body for the colony of Virginia with the House of Burgess being the other], handed down a verdict to these fellows  during the month of July in 1640.  Victor the Dutchman and James Gregory the Scot received lenghtened servitude durations for their infraction of running away, while John Punch, the Blackman, received a lifetime of servitude to the colony and crown.  And that verdict created a precedent that would determine the future of Black people in the annuals of what would later be called the United States of America.

  What is important for you to grasp here is the factors at work: Most of us have a hard time deciding who's responsible for our predicament: It is not the pilgrim or settlers whom you should focus your attention on.  In the case of a colony, there are only the workers (indentured servants), the businesses and the ones responsible for sending the expedition: These companies (as they were called) were sanctioned by the kings, queens of European lands.  These were businesses and they were venture capitalists.  A venture capitalist is a speculator who makes money available for innovative projects; in the case of the colonies, many of these capitalists were members of the royal family or wealthy businessmen.  The founding of colonies in the New World was one such adVENTURE.  For example, William Penn was made governor of Pennsylvania—because the king of England owed him money; this was the king's way of liquidating a debt.  But in all cases, colonies were controlled by the royalty of the parenting country.  All decisions were approved by the King or Queen.  Queen Isabella of Spain financed Christopher Columbus' exploration.  This was all about Europe expanding their range of control and influence, enterprising and making money.  

The Significance of Slavery 

—aka "Slave of Mental Death and Power"

   A significant concept for all my readers to grasp is, "Racism without power or influence is not really racism at all."  Racism is not really significant until you can deny a person of something that they need or you can force your will upon another.  You can have prejudice, discrimination and even antagonism directed against someone of a different group of people than yourself or even feel that your people are superior—but it isn't really significant until you can influence or make those biases felt by another.  As far as colonies are concerned, the image we get is that they were all indentured servants working off a debt; which can only mean that racism or prejudice could only be applicable from the business or plantation level or from the governing or lawmaking body (or the royal family)—since that's where the power lies to demean, cripple or disenfranchise lies. .  . 

 The image that the Western world gives us about the New World is that Jamestown, Virginia is the first established colony of England, and that slavery was started for Blacks in America at around July of 1640.  But full disclosure reveals, this story has several holes.  Number one, there are accounts which places an English expedition under a company under Sir Walter Raleigh, further south in the Roanoke Islands, in the late 1580s and an attempt at settlement in Newfoundland (an island further north off of the eastern Canadian border) by Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583; But the story we commonly hear of "Colonial America" is a story about the English colonies on the Eastern seaboard.  By the time Englishmen begun to establish colonies, there were plenty of Dutch, French, even Russian and Spanish colonial outposts already.  Some say Europeans would not enslave any ethnicity who accepted Christianity.  Others say that the European settlers tried enslaving the Native Americans before trying this behavior out on our people. Some even state slavery in America started in 1619, when a Dutch ship brought twenty African slaves ashore in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia.  But I have an account which states that slavery started in 1555 in Jamestown, Virginia, when the "Good Ship Jesus" unloaded its human cargo. . .  

Whose to say which account is the "official" account?   Whose to say what the official status was of John Punch was, before he and the two indentured servants fled to Maryland Colony?  Who should accept that any account coming from Western or European society as accurate or "official" when it comes down to their inhumane treatment of other non-White ethnicities?   

   The person was named John Punch, and the perspective of the Governor's Council, had to be phenotypical among English with power or authority during those times or phenotypical of how the European venture capitalist who colonized the New World regarded Central Asians [so-called African] descendants who represent the Black population of indentured servants, because there was nothing that came afterwards to challenge his decision morally or ethically.  Mind you, these types of decisions always made its way back to English Royalty (namely Elizabeth I and James III of Scotland who became James I of England) which already had trading posts in the jungles of the Central Asian continent (so-called Africa) since the middle of the 15th century.  Admiral Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595) was Queen Elizabeth I slave trader and alleged relative to the queen during that time period.  Could that decision by the Governor's Council of Virginia be part of a master plan by James I & Co. which led to the devastation and depopulation of Africa, and contributed to the wealth of Europe from the fifteenth century until the end of the nineteenth century?  You make the call. 

   All we can say is it is the attitude of the rich, which trickles down to the poor wannabes.  However the rich of a particular society may regard others of different ethnicities, you may find similar attitudes implied in the common man, but be mindful about what I said concerning racism and the rich or wealth entrepreneur (or rich slave maker of the poor who wants to you as a tool and make himself rich from your labor.  You could see it in the way the English treated the Irish in Ireland; which was England's oldest colony. . .   So whether you came here on the Mayflower, the Good Ship Jesus (a slave ship) or the colonies as an indentured servant—or whether you came here later on as a slave; the attitude that many White Americans have towards blacks in America is one of subjugation, an inferior role where all Whites are superior even when the work the same job as you do because the attitude is indoctrinated:

It is a status which believes that the White person is in a position that is above the status of the Black man and thinks White people are the ones who established these colonies for the expansion of the White race to conquer new frontiers (since Europe's resources were already rapidly depleting).  The verdict of the Governor's Council for the Colony of Virginia set a precedent throughout all the English colonies, which eventually lead to the act of subjugation towards all Blacks who were brought over to this country (from 1555-1965) has become the predominant cultural attitude and undercurrent in America thinking, even to this day.

   I often wondered why the other European countries (the Netherland Dutch, France Russia and Spain) gave up their colonies in the New World; but do know the story of the thirteen colonies (Virginia, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut,  Delaware, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania,  New Jersey, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island) was the English colonies that came together to form the United States (and how little regard they English had for the original inhabitants).  This period in world history is called Expansionism.  Expansionism used to be called "Imperialism" but since it has bad implications they call it expansionism.  It's when a country exerts influence over another country or invading someone's land.  The method most used is colonialism: A system in which one country creates an empire (aka The British Empire) by taking over lands (like Kenya-South Africa-India-Hong Kong) and making them into colonies.  Colonies don't have power over themselves and the mother country takes resources and money from the colony. 

   Didn't the Original Thirteen Colonies here complain of taxation without representation, until some colonist decided to rebel?

  So blacks in America are subject to the cultural confines of America and educated along these lines: Working for American business, going to its schools, learning world events from the American perspective, watching American shows and digesting American media. . .  Since slavery obliterated any evidence of the culture that the indentured servant may have had before he or she came here, or that the culture captured slave may have bought to this country initially.  Legislation was put in place to confine all Black kind brought here; slave laws to regulate how he would intermingle with others of his kind, laws to control how he could congregate, laws forbidding slaves to be able to read, etc. Acts which systematically obliterated the rich cultural heritage that each of the various tribesmen brought to this country; all done through the systematic act of marketing human cargo.  

   In essence, the institutionalized system of slavery in this country attempted to control Black people thought about things, since Black people in this country was somewhat of a commodity, property, a beast of labor and the American government made laws to regulate the order of things—that is, how to mechanize a group of people; how to make a slaves of mental death and power: After all, we were sold on the stock exchange. . .   Some say that our lack of family cohesiveness and wantonness can be traced back to our regard during slavery.  Many say we still suffer from post traumatic stress affiliated with slavery.  How our ancestors looked at life, self worth, self-identity and our point of origin through which they came into human existence in this form, was denied to the first black man who lived under the institution of slavery in America; it is a form of unshakable racism: That is, unless he or she who is a Black person in America devotes themselves to the truth about their people through extensive and sincere research—in order to establish who he or she truly are and stop taking roles assigned to us by others.  And this is the reason for writing this blog. . .

Research and Development 

—aka Doing your Homework for Self improvement

    Now it is a known fact (if you do your research) that all life started in Central Asia (as the European calls our continent "Africa," many the indigenous people of the Central Asian region call this continent, "Alkebulan").  It is the birthplace of all nations which populate the earth in real time.  This is something that the whole world admits (whether reluctantly or straight out in the open).  Alkebulan is connected to the Arabian peninsula by the means of the Gaza strip.  The so-called Jews have had battles over the land with the PLO of the displaced Palestinians to form the country of Israel.  The Suez Canal is a man-made divide in which over 10,000 so-called Egyptians (Khamau) lost their lives helping the Europeans create a passage way to navigate the globe.   

   All life came from an original group of people whose skin happens to be Black.  And through the act of slavery, many of the descendants of the Mothers and Fathers of Civilization have been separated from their root, through a hostile takeover.  And so this means that anyone who considered this—and took the time to research it—no matter what nationality they are;  should know that Black people are the original people.  And through the passing time that position has changed from being the fathers and mothers of civilization, into a place in which one of the youngest descendants of these original people (the White man or Westerner) now rules over the known world. . . 

And I say youngest simple because, while the Zen Buddhists Japanese, Chinese, and Indians of India can lay claim to 4,000 years of doing things in the same way [and that's 40,000 for the Ancient Khamau and 10,000 years for the Yoruba of Nigeria]; the Vikings, Romans and Greeks of Europe cannot (although those cultures represent unifying and stabilizing cultural forces in Western legacy). Nonetheless, this European/Western way—with its idiosyncrasies and xenophobic tendencies—now dominates the cultural playing field: Colonizing, manipulating and eradicating cultures whenever it can, for world domination.  [And if this doesn't remind you of JRR Tolkien's, Lord of The Rings, then I don't know what does. . .] 

  What we have to appreciate here, brothers and sisters, is as long as we allow Western ways to be our dominant cultural operating system, our aspirations as a people will be deferred—even obliterated by such notions.  We've been doing things in the American way for long (which is the pseudo Anglo-Saxon way amalgamated from the Viking/Greco-Roman way—with a little of sprinkling of Nazi & Neo-Nazism/White Supremacy); some Blacks have even forgotten our folks have no chance of maintaining cultural identity or self-esteem in this current machination:  This occurs—despite living through and knowing about Jim Crow and Black Code laws—aka the Segregation Era.

Do you know why? 

   Because in the back of our minds, most of us don't want to believe America can be so cold. . .  Wee don't want to believe that when the President says, "My fellow Americans," that he doesn't mean you; or when he says, ". . .Protecting America from its enemies—both foreign and domestic" that he could be speaking about you; You who fought so hard to be accepted. . .  But there stands the Native Americans. . . They stand as an example of what happens when you show love to another group of people, or the powers that be—and those other folks don't have it in them—to recognize the love and favor to their cause and return that loyalty: It was not in colonist's agenda to share; The English aristocracy their entourage of hired people to take the Native's land and resources; and they did. . .  And now the Natives sit in pocket reservations, running casinos for welfare money; wishing they'd never help the settlers survive the winter. . .  The powers that be don't believe in being sentimental or the moral thing to do: It's a business—nothing personal in their nature to want to rule over everything else: It's how you play your hand and your pokerface; but love has nothing to do with it.  You can never love the devil—regardless to how long he studies. . .

  During the period after the Emancipation Proclamation, the Southern aristocracy or elite in American society tried to counteract the accomplishments of Frederick Douglass—aka his relationship with Abraham Lincoln--by creating legislation to retain slavery-like conditions in prisons and orchestrating legislation to entrap Blacks--such as the Jim Crow, Black Code, and Segregative laws: Our people's leaps and strides were met with suppression and oppression by racist elements within American culture, by way of the law and social media—and no relief came until the Civil Rights and the Black Power Movements asserted their impetus. . .

Conclusion

     Now it's up to us: Not as researchers to create a composite culture by extracting the best of what our traditional cultures and societies have to offer—but to incorporate and emulate their wisdom by forming communities to disseminate our findings among those of us who love ourselves and willing to give back to the collective: It's a "We-Us" thing.  That's how culture evolves: Loyalty, dedication and devotion to our people; Not secret societies and becoming free and accepted into a "politically correct" society that only feigns acceptance into their colony of users and vampires. . .  You'll only wind up being used.  Knowledge of self is not a personal acquisition, but a recognition of a collective Self and a belonging to those advocated for the same common cause.  Too often, like the Civil Rights Movement, we try to be all inclusive and wound up diluting our effectiveness and impetus by trying to take on too much, too fast and wind up losing by weight overload.  Start out with your own folks; we are ones most in need of our love.  Me is We; right-side up. :) 

Peace

C. Be'er la Hai-roi Myers