Getting
Our     

Minds 

Right

We should have no difficulty understanding that we live in a place where the people do not have our best interest at heart.  The Native Americans are stark reminder about believing in promises made by these people.  

What surprises me is how we got to be so dependent upon a culture or system which once enslaved us.  Raped us.  The culture belonging to a people which stripped us of our culture.  Wrought us.  A society which inflicted such a thorough misunderstanding of ourselves, that some of us feel so negative about each other, that we might feel almost justified to hate one another; degrade one another; gang war, fight, and kill one another.  In fact, there's enough hate in so many of us, to become jealous of one another—despising one each other, and envying what the other person possess.  Envying enough to  covet another man's wife, or seduce another woman's man—battle each other for a disloyal woman; or develop some false sense of pride in being able to seduce a man from his family (to be with the type of woman that love forgot).  

The nature of the mind is to solve problems and in order to resolve issues like this, connections and correlations have got to be made; and order for correlations to be made—you cannot be afraid to look at your past.  In your past, there will  probably be things that you regret doing—that's true—but in order to have a realization for a better you, you will have to shed-off the skin of the miscalculations you made in the past.  That only makes sense, if you are learning these facts.  As a people, living in this country, that past is the slavery experience.  Sure, you can say, "I've never been a slave!"  But you can have a slave mentality.  And you can never properly stand up for yourself in American society, if you are unaware of the  issues confronting you, within the minds of others, within that society.  

You can also look for others to handle the everyday governing of your life, without registering any input.  You could refuse to vote, and therefore have no justification for your complaints about government—because you let people like me, as well as huge numbers of Whites, determine the type and outcome of government.  You can never find out who and what is causing all this to happen, if you won't investigate the past!  You owe it to yourself to see, how what has happened in the past, impacts on your current day situation.  As George Clinton once said, "Think! Think! It ain't illegal—yet!"  

Yes, these things are a shame; But what is it that makes our hatred for one another so intense, that we would rather step into a lion's den of second class citizenship, degradation, White supremacy, and bigotry—rather than deal with our own sense of cultural and personal pride, communicate and collaborate with one other, and put an end to all this madness?  

Are We that F’d—up, that we’d rather be under the jurisdiction of another people—who have shown us so little mercy though-out our chronological endeavors that—as a group, one would have to deem "these" people unworthy or unhealthy?  Are We that F’d—up, that we have no sense of diaspora—culturally speaking—and therefore believe that what effects Blacks on one part of the globe, has no bearing on us on the opposing part?  

I guess it must be something like that; and maybe that's why we put up with second class citizenship, bigotry, and inequality, directed from the same system which caused our own cultural distain, to begin with—i.e., waiting for others to provide for our needs as a so-called minority group [right along with kinky sexual preferences and women which they hardly listen to]—rather than rising up as a group of people who have a destiny to look after; Knowing—full well—that this government has always had a difficulty enforcing and reinforcing its own legislation when their citizenship decides to do things differently.  I know some of this sounds ugly, but you can't afford to hide from the past, and still expect to move forward in the future.  Better that you know—then you can determine what to do about such things.  

Look at war on drugs.  Look at all the racial killings that has happened in the state of Florida and Texas in the pass couple of years.  Look all the lynchings that happened in the state of Maryland that went by unanswered.  Look at the marijuana usage in this country in the 1960s and 1970s: In the attempt to prohibit its usage,  the government realized there was so much consumption, that it would cost the federal government more money to try to control it, than it would to legalize it; so they considered legalization as a means of regulating it rather than fighting it. . .  

But this wasn't the first time the government decided to handle things in this manner.  The first time occurred during the Prohibition era [from 1830-1933]; When women, combined with religious and moral traditions, brought about the initial restriction of alcohol consumption in America.  Obviously, during this time, there was enough abusive White male alcoholics out there to demand something had to be done, and therefore the Temperance Movement became the first step in producing a diatribe against drunkenness; while appealing to American public to put an end to the violence, due to substance abuse.   However, the more the government tried to fight its prohibit its usage, the more organized crime provided means to do so.  

The lost of revenue in hotels, and various business related agencies, along with the huge cost to regulate the use of alcohol by federal and local law-enforcement agencies—not to mention the sheer numbers of Americans willing to break the law to imbibe—forced the government to legalize alcohol consumption; just a little over ten years after the passing of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution to band it.  So passing the law is not the same as having the power to enforce it—when you have the sheer numbers willing to disobey it, within the citizenry!

Just like when Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King took a huge group of non-violent followers down to Birmingham, Alabama to peacefully protest the inequalities practiced there: The government and local authorities couldn’t stop the violence its White citizenry decided to carried out on those peaceful Black non-violent protesters, could it?  There were just too many members of those White communities willing to perform unsolicited acts of violence; So many in fact, that local law enforcement became ineffective at curbing the activity, and other forces had to be brought in.  Once the state and federal troops were added, the issue became a litmus test of public sentiment: In other words, that activity raised the issue on how does the mass majority feels about this:  How caustic or corrosive is it?  Etc., etc.

When the local gentry decides to do something, a lot of what will happen depends on the sheer volume of the crowd.  It is obvious when a mob develops that things have gotten beyond reason; sentiments are threatening to get out of control!  At that point, local police aren’t going to attempt arresting half the town where they live!

Usually, most of the local law enforcement, within White communities, live near or within the area they serve.  Usually, the police are composed of the same element which live within those communities; ratios and hierarchy, within that  district, usually reflects  that.  This one of the reasons why the Sandusky Incident carried on so long in the Penn State University Campus upstate: There was a culture of activity, within the area, somewhat sympathetic the things going on there.  Money, power, prestige, tradition:  Certain things were just given a “pass.”  Remember, there was an investigation which was held prior to the final one—and no one was found guilty! 

If the area is mainly White, then the police in that area (for the most part are), and it is controlled by the same mind-set of the people who live in that area.  These officers are not going to turn their backs on what fifty percent or more of their own people believes; just to protect the rights of Black folks—whether they are non-violent or any other way.  Most White communities have their own police officers, living right there within the their community, as community members.  They have county seats, neighborhood judges, and high-ranking military officers—and everyone seems to know each other:  The judge may be junior’s father.  Certainly, no outsider is going to disturb that.

Those officers are members of that society—on a smaller scale—and products of what American society produces on a larger scale.  They live in those communities; usually consisting of the same ethnicities, class, practices and social grouping—and they feel similar to, or the same way, that others of their kind feel within that environment.

Bottom line is Dr. King and his followers were beaten severely, but weren’t killed, because federal troops were brought in.  The federal troop were brought in because the nation’s reputation was on the line—the sit-ins and marches were getting  international attention [just as it did with Mahatma Gandhi].  The whole world was watching: But by then, the nature of things was already made apparent to the world; but not necessarily to all of us.  

We faced this fact, during Reconstruction, Radical Reconstruction, and the birth of the Citizen's Council otherwise known as the Klu Klux Klan or the KKK.  These people were of the belief that Blacks and Whites are not equal; and their membership was not only restricted to the South.  After the passing  of Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendment along with the Reconstruction Act of 1867, Blacks felt the Radical Republicans had given them the impetus to get on with our lives—but reinforcing this legislation would be a wholly different matter. . .

I have heard law enforcement officers say, "You must post the law  [like 'No Parking' signs] in order to have us enforce it."  But I  also witness that when too many cars park within "No Stopping/No Parking" zones at the airport grounds—officers had the tendency not to enforce the law [due to the amount of work necessary to enforce it.  Like I said, “Passing the law is not the same as having the power to enforce it,” especially when you have the sheer numbers of its citizenry willing to disobey it!

After the Civil war, many Whites resented and rejected the changes taking place all around them (particularly Southern Whites who were previous plantation owners)—as a result of losing the war, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Reconstruction Act of 1867—and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendment.  The newly freed Blacks were often competing for the same work that poor Whites were after—in a war torn part of the country. Yes, the Reconstruction and Civil Rights legislation was in effect, but it was still up to the government to make White America society to abide by them.  The Birth of the Citizen's Council, and the places that the Council had its' members, served as a litmus test.  The caustic, separatist, environment Blacks experienced in America from 1865 to 1965—further illustrates Whites were not willing to share community nor country with Blacks.  

Right after the Reconstruction Act of 1867, the government sent White Northern troops down to the war decimated South [resultant of where the Civil War was fought] to enforce its subsequent laws.  These troops were met with large resistance—by the White citizens; both hooded (or hidden) and unhooded:

                "During Reconstruction, the U.S. military had to be called in to protect

                 the Black voters, enforced the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and support

                 these Republican reconstructed states against the insurgency of

                 angered Whites.  This proved to be too much of a herculean task for

                 the military, against those determined to win back the world they were

                 accustomed to.  So obviously, the numbers of Whites not in favor of 

                 of giving Blacks equal rights within White society, outnumbered the

                 ones which were—in the South.  Either that, or the Whites in the 

                 military were unwilling to put their life on the line for those persons in

                 Black skin: A statement which doesn't exactly suggest that Blacks are

                 viewed as their brothers and sisters or equals either.  And in 1874, 

                 when Dixie Democrats rose back to power in the house, this act

                 allowed Southern politicians to create laws to reverse gains by 

                 Southern Blacks and put Blacks back into slavery-like conditions—like

                 the Pig Laws and Vagrancy Statues [otherwise known as the Black

                 Codes]."

                

                                                —The Fox and The Geese (dated April 14, 2013)
                                                [My article]

  

Of course, enforcement of the Reconstruction Act of 1867 and the Fourteenth Amendment failed.  The armies were made of the same substance that their communities are made of; groups of White American people who didn't want Blacks in their communities.  As said earlier, “Passing the law is not the same as having the power to enforce it,” not when you have the sheer numbers of its citizenry willing to disobey it!   The task for us is, we—as Black people—have got to stop relying on another group of people, of different descent, to enforce the law and protect our interests; rather than protect our own cause and interests.  That's an oxymoron!  

When these troops faced conflict with their own people to protect our rights—the results were short lived.  That's to be expected.  I would not expect others to go against their own for people me—but I also know their chronicle; while a lot of us do not—thus the reason for the article.

Despite all of these experiences, people like the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Andrew Young, Julian Bond, and various members of the NAACP were integrationists:  Those members of the movement still believed that despite the cruelties they were experiencing, and what treaties had already been broken between  the Native Americans and Whites; that Blacks would fair much better by enduring the wrath and jurisdiction of White folks, and trusting in their sense of humanity and fairness, to be able to share a world with us (of course with Whites meting out the portions of wealth to their advantage without protest).

But what's more paradoxical to me, is that we would rather rely on another people with a history and legacy of terror, violence, and inequality [as demonstrated in their slavery period], to hearken to our needs, after two Civil Rights appeals [1866 and 1965], and learn be fair and equal to us—rather than us continuing to develop ourselves as a people. 

Really, do we really expect Whites to understand us, when it's their ways which is phenotypically the origin of our dilemma?

Is our self-hatred that intense—or is it a misdirected anger—aimed primarily at our own selves; rather than the real culprits?  If we behaved ignorantly to social graces, it is because we had had our culture stripped from us—generations ago—by slavery; and therefore any demonstration of civilization depended upon Blacks mimicking the ways of their oppressors.  If we had had ignorance, it is because no one taught it to us to speak properly—except by means of the whip—as it was illegal in America to teach Blacks how to read and write.  But even if it wasn't, we  would have been learning our oppressor's culture instead of our own.

Now, I could appreciate that some of you have secured your own privileged and higher education through your own resources and ingenuity—or the assistance of your so-called friends; However, just because you recognized the importance of such things—as to dedicate your resources and incentive towards their acquisition; that alone does not entitle you to a platform to be ridicule to those who have not.  Besides, who's culture are you emulating; the ones who caused such afflictions—or a higher social class within your people's cultural standards?

Subsequently, I recognize that not all of our people during that time were slaves; as a matter of fact, there were a few freemen during slavery; some made that way after the ordeal—and few others came from other countries.  But as I recall, freedom for Blacks were never equal to that of Whites and the status of a Black freeman during those times, did not amount to that much more than rights of a slave—you were still being “bossed around,” and constantly reminded of your “place.”

This status of “I may not be White/But I’m better than you-ism” has got to go—if we are ever going to heal from the deeply inflicted wounds of slavery.  Those of us who were fresh out of slavery, and those who were born during the Segregated Era, up till the beginning of the second Civil Rights Movement—knew what they were up against.  They had physical torture, second class citizenship, lynchings and burnings, and actual destruction of their property hurled directly at them; with no signs of relief from the local or federal government—which, by law, is sworn (by the Fourth Amendment) to protect and defend them.  They knew, they had only themselves to rely on. . . 

And they achieved great success during that era.  Black Wall Street was based upon the economics of Blacks in this country during the time from 1900 to 1921.  A Tale Of Two  Cities, is the reality our ancestors firmly accepted, in those days.  They knew they could not rely on the philanthropic sentiments of the colonial Americans—and they had lynchings and burnings to prove it.  So our ancestors built the communities they lived in.  Blacks near Tulsa, founded all the businesses in their area communities.  Blacks policed their own communities, and educated their own people.  They had their own political organizations, newspapers, magazines and media.  

In essence, Blacks believed  and relied only on themselves then.  Blacks created the Black Renaissance, during this time; which sought to define what Black is—within a White world.  During that time, some of us reached out to see what Blacks in Central Asia, or so-called Africa were doing, by following Marcus Garvey and the UNIA. We were defining what it means to be us, without America re-defining it for us. 

So what happened to this 

"model society," for us as a 

people?

America could only define us through ethnocentric prejudice.  We were previously defined and judged in America, by the ones who founded this country.  Based upon such deeds, we were not exactly accepted with open arms.  Because we have a history of institutionalize slavery within this country, we are viewed generally as menial—and therefore a sub-class inferior to White Americans.  We are another people that are mentally and physically different.  It is easy for Whites in America to be bigoted towards Blacks, simply because we appear physically different.  Anytime a Black gets a job and a White doesn't—within American society—some White feels he's lost his opportunity to an outsider.  We Blacks have to define ourselves beyond these parameters and paradigms—if we're never going to be treated as equal in this society.

Here, at this point in history, our people had accepted the True American point of view, and began relying solely on ourselves to remedy our problems; looking out for our own interests.  So what happened to this model society, for us as a people?

First of all, the numbers weren’t there.  There were a few communities—like the one in Tulsa, Oklahoma—affluent and thriving.  The issue is, however, these weren’t the majority of Black towns in the United States. Black entertainers fared better during the Jazz Era (the 1920s), but generally  speaking, both Blacks and Whites were competing for same work—during the times leading up to the stock market crash of 1929.  This incensed many Whites; who felt they were superior to Blacks, and should get first preference.  They also became jealous of Black communities flourishing, while many Whites were not doing so hot.  Areas may have been segregated during this time, but they weren't autonomous.

In the case of Black Wall Street, local and federal authorities could not stop 300 Blacks from losing their lives and 9,000 from becoming homeless—at the hands of White society—and the reason why you didn't learn about it in high school, is because it does not depict American Whites in the most positive light; nor is it in their best interest to depict themselves that  way.  As a matter of fact, the reason why most of these things you learn through my writings weren't learned in school, is because it is not in popular interest to do so.  In other words, American History and Black chronology in this country are taught as separate subjects because it is a minority subject; and therefore this is indirectly saying your growth and development, as a Black person, is of minor issue to mainstream America's growth and development.  Everyone else in America has a second culture attached to their citizenship, but the evolution of your culture and heritage is considered a minor issue to this government: Why else would you be given the shortest month of the year for Black History Month?

What should concern you the most, is that the American government failed to protect its so-called Black citizens and their properties in Greenwood, Oklahoma; when an unruly mob of Whites decided to take matters into their own hands in 1921.  
What should concern you, is that a second Civil War went on between Blacks and Whites concerning civil and human rights—and that the government decided to negotiate with the Black integrationists for a united society and we still haven't gotten equal rights in that society.  
According to what we discussed early, you should know that, Blacks cannot depend on local and federal protection  simply because it consists of the same element (angry White people) which is causing the difficulty to begin with; therefore its members are not beyond reproach!  We have got to protect our own interests, by developing our own solidarity around things important to us.

As you double-click on the word "Black Wall Street" in the previous paragraph and learn about what your people had previously achieved, several questions come to mind.  Number one on the agenda should be; “Why hadn’t I learned about this before now, and why wasn’t that model or examine of Black society maintained or kept up?”

  

        Answer: Because nine times out of ten, you went to a
         so-called integrated school; as a result of the compromise 

         between the US government and the Black Integrationists       

         members of Civil Rights Movement.  This resulted in   

         multi-racial teachers, but unfortunately, in our schools most   

         of them were White; so history was taught from White   

         man’s perspective; but calling it simply racism, is too simplistic

         —and quite frankly, too inaccurate an answer.  

         When you look back towards Segregation Era, you see two
         worlds —one Black and White.  Also within White society you 

         saw two worlds: Northern Whites and Southern Whites.  After  

         the Civil War, America was a people divided; consisting of the  

         winners and losers of a terrible war.  In the North or Union won
         the Civil war, and the Confederate lost.  The war was fought in 

         the South.  Many eras in the South were decimated and in

         desperate need of repair.  Many fortunes were lost.

         No, the war was not fought over slaves; it was fought over
         control of the House, and the right to create of Free or Slave
         states, in the lands acquired in the Louisiana  Purchase of 

         1803.
         Previously, the North had majority vote in the House
         and therefore imposed their will on the South; causing the
         rebellion—which led to the war.  Had the South won the
         Civil war, the South could have exact monies from the  
         government to rebuild the South.  But since they lost the war,

          the North forced the South to collect money from their own to   

         rebuild the south.  Why, even the burying of the dead had to     

         be one by South out of their own build resources, while the        

         North used the Union, aka government funds, to build their  
         national monuments.
         This incensed the South.  A deep-seated bitterness developed
         between the two sides over the years.  This combined with the

         freeing of their “human property,” drove the South to take 

         actions to “bring back the “Old South.”  Let’s not forget,   

         Frederick Douglass brokered a deal with President Lincoln to     

         persuade Blacks to fight on the side of the Union in         

         exchange for freedom.  So when the war was won, the    
         slaves were freed and many Southern Whites lost their             

         free labor.  Slavery was one of the ways the South amassed  
         their fortunes, so they sought to regain free labor through      

         The Black Code laws.  Gains made by Blacks through   

         Reconstruction were reduced through White 

         intimidation and fear.

         Degradation through institutionalized servitude combined with

         natural ethnocentricity did not give Northern Whites a high 

         opinion of us either.  Therefore our assemblage of culture from

         out of the White man’s  ways were always seen as somewhat

         beneath White (or polite) American society.  Besides, being    

         stripped of our indigenous culture as a result of slavery, the 
         only model Blacks had concerning culture, was our

         assessment of the White man’s ways in America—another 

         reason to produce a certain smugness on the part of most   

         White Americans.

         Although there were several approaches presented during

         the second Civil Rights era, Whites felt most comfortable to

         compromise with the Black Integrationists; A view I vehemently  

         disagree with, because once again, this gave Whites leverage  

         in determining the compromise, or the superior position to  

         determine who got what, and how much of; while we settled for

         what gains we got.  While some Black deluded themselves 

         with a false sense of pride about the “pecking order,” or
         hierarchy—as opposed to its’ fairness or equity.

            

When you look at how much we gave away to be accepted by American society, it is pathetic!  Although I greatly respect what Dr. Martin Luther King did in order to expose the disrespect and inequities perpetrated upon the Black communities by numerous White factions in America, I personally think King—and the other Integrationists—set us back in our cultural development by brokering that deal with American society.    We lost more than we gained by trying to being able to "rub elbows" with Whites.  Everything in America is negotiated from a position of money and power.  What Dr. King did, was similar to what a wife does when she exposes her husband's infidelity and abusive behavior—she gets him to make promises he knows he won't keep.  

What we were supposed to be given was power, safeguards and government funds to subsidize our communities, in order to make them equal to Whites—what we got was, "A promise from Sam to change his ways."  "Basic Education Opportunity Grants" and "Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action" opportunities does not build communities, when most of the employment is coming from White society.  That's more like a welfare promise.  Empowerment, in the form of financial and educational encouragement to Black businesses to hire within our own communities, would have been better compensation towards equal rights.  This perspective, along with encouraging and training more Blacks to go into business for themselves within their communities, would have been more of a goodwill gesture.  What integration really did, was make the Black community more dependent  upon White society, and its members more individualistic.  

Even the fact that we don’t learn enough concerning the Black contributions to American society, or how Blacks lived within American society, is due to the agenda of the teachers who teach within our neighborhood schools, or what society deems appropriate; it cannot be simplified to purely racism or ethnocentricity—because often it may be that the perspective never crossed their minds; or beyond their experiences.  They are not in our particular dilemma, we are. 

What matters to one people, may be the oversight, insensitivity, or lack of awareness, of another.  Simply put: Many Whites never truly consider our position while teaching us—because they are not us.  Most of them simply did not think about it, because it never dawns on them.  Sometimes, maybe, because they are incapable of doing so  [You certainly won’t find much in their chronicles to dispute that possibility].  And it maybe unfair for us to expect it of them.

In others words, what we may want, really isn’t where they are coming from, or one of their interests; and expecting them to do so, as teachers, is putting undue pressure the Whites who teach in our neighborhood schools.  The only  viable solution is for us to remedy the situation ourselves by taking over our own schools—giving a damn about educating our children and supporting our own interests within our communities.

That’s not to say that racism or discrimination play a part or may not often “rear its ugly head” as well—I’m just saying, “they,” being different people, plays a part as well.  Meaning, Whites don’t think as Blacks do [although I don’t think the reverse is so true when I watch some of these brainwashed “American citizens”], nor should we be expecting them to.  We should take care of it ourselves.  Sometimes, I think we expect too much from American society—and not enough from us, as a group of people, with our own interests.  It seems like we expect someone else to do more for us, than we are willing to do for ourselves. 

            

So if you, as Black people, rely on Whites to supply you with what you need in order to survive, be conscious or worldly wise, you may find yourself suffering for the same reason: Ethnocentricity, bigotry, and racism, instead of equal consideration.  But more importantly, it is your disbelief in your own people which is the real issue.  It is obvious that you'd rather avoid discrimination associated with being Black in America and strike out on your own, rather than to establish some reliance and comfortability with the people you were born into.

The solidarity I am speaking about is not breaking away from the promise of America, I am talking about a sense of diaspora; a pride in one's people: A sense of working together for the interest of Black people in America—regardless to whatever level of society or location we might belong to.  This, however, is no easy task, because of the years of indoctrination and brainwashing.  That, however, is another article.

Bottom line is many of our schools have more White teachers than Black, because a lot of our best Black teachers are quarreling over the opportunity to teach in White schools; probably because they believe this to be a better way of earning higher income (and maybe a form of disassociation).  That is the same thinking behind integration: A lot of us regard our people, the same way we act concerning ourselves; They’d rather trust an outsider before we would trust ourselves—or each other.  It is like being accepted amongst Whites would truly validate them, and being associated with anything Black or ethnic word condemn them.  They believe it to be easier, and they’re just taking advantage of a good thing or opportunity; But this too, is the product and epitome of degradation brought on by slavery.  They are just avoiding the issue that we will deal with later.

Thank you for your consideration,

C. Be'er la Hai-roi Myers  

 Enjoy the short.