Hi all,
This post has been brewing all month, but was lit afire as a result of a conversation I had with my sage grandmother last night. As we near the end of Black History Month for 2011, I find myself with a lot on my mind. During Black History Month we share little known facts about obscure African Americans, we have the children recite a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, and we celebrate with parades and festivals. However, what are we really doing to enlighten this generation of children about our history beyond what is glossed over in their school books (without making them bitter)?
This generation of children have been given both a gift and a curse... Most of them really do not put a lot of weight on race. More and more, our children play with and become friends with children of different races. They listen to music we didn't listen to and they have opportunities to be exposed to people, places, and things we were not exposed to as children. That's wonderful! But at the same time, when they come out of school and enter the real world, they may be applying for jobs and working for people from our generation; some of whom still hold on to slowly decaying biases and racism. Sometimes those biases are conspicuous, but more often than not, they are not. This generation may not see color, but unfortunately they will still have to operate in a world that does. Are we placing them at a disadvantage by not really sharing the history of our lives in this country?
A child I know was recently asked what he knew about slavery. He shared that he was taught about Rosa Parks in school. Do we and should we expect schools to do more than that? Where is our responsibility in keeping our legacy alive? We are not that far removed from our ancestry of slavery. How have we become so forgetful of our past? Do we want to shield our children from those painful memories or are we too busy providing for them? I am not a parent, but I do have children that are a part of my life. What is my responsibility?
Our children are descendants of kings, queens, inventors, doctors, lawyers, etc... that have all hugely impacted the world they live in today. Don't we owe them more than to allow them to look up to people who don't deserve that honor. How do we inspire inventors and entrepreneurs from a generation of children who are awestruck by irresponsible rappers and athletes? How do we inspire a generation of young women who see having a baby for someone famous as a career path?
My answer... Share with them where they come from. Make them read the Willie Lynch Letter. Make them do a report on the Middle Passage. Talk to them about strong woman and men who served their communities and country. Tell them about our memories of injustices and how we overcame them. Ask them about the injustices they see and/or have experienced. Heck, make them watch Roots! OPEN A DIALOGUE!!!!!!!! In the digital age we have lost that connection with our children, but if we don't gain it back we will surely have lost the richness that belongs to our heritage. Teach them the value of hard work and being responsible for one's own actions (something we have definitely lost). Make them earn some of the luxuries we can now afford them. Teach them to respect their elders, especially in the way they speak and behave.
An excerpt from the Willie Lynch Letter:
"I HAVE A FULL PROOF METHOD FOR CONTROLLING YOUR BLACK SLAVES. I guarantee every one of you that, if installed correctly, IT WILL CONTROL THE SLAVES FOR AT LEAST 300 HUNDREDS YEARS. My method is simple. Any member of your family or your overseer can use it. I HAVE OUTLINED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENCES AMONG THE SLAVES; AND I TAKE THESE DIFFERENCES AND MAKE THEM BIGGER. I USE FEAR, DISTRUST AND ENVY FOR CONTROL PURPOSES. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and it will work throughout the South. Take this simple little list of differences and think about them. On top of my list is “AGE,” but it’s there only because it starts with an “a.” The second is “COLOR” or shade. There is INTELLIGENCE, SIZE, SEX, SIZES OF PLANTATIONS, STATUS on plantations, ATTITUDE of owners, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, East, West, North, South, have fine hair, course hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action, but before that, I shall assure you that DISTRUST IS STRONGER THAN TRUST AND ENVY STRONGER THAN ADULATION, RESPECT OR ADMIRATION. The Black slaves after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generating for HUNDREDS of years, maybe THOUSANDS. Don’t forget, you must pitch the OLD black male vs. the YOUNG black male, and the YOUNG black male against the OLD black male. You must use the DARK skin slaves vs. the LIGHT skin slaves, and the LIGHT skin slaves vs. the DARK skin slaves. You must use the FEMALE vs. the MALE, and the MALE vs. the FEMALE. You must also have white servants and overseers [who] distrust all Blacks. But it is NECESSARY THAT YOUR SLAVES TRUST AND DEPEND ON US. THEY MUST LOVE, RESPECT AND TRUST ONLY US. Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control. Use them. Have your wives and children use them, never miss an opportunity. IF USED INTENSELY FOR ONE YEAR, THE SLAVES THEMSELVES WILL REMAIN PERPETUALLY DISTRUSTFUL. Thank you gentlemen.”
Retrieved from: http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Perspectives_1/Willie_Lynch_letter_The_Making_of_a_Slave.shtml
Any of that sound like problems we still struggle against?
We don't want to hang on to the past, but we do need to respectfully acknowledge it in order to continue to rise above it. Until next time, I'm off my soap box and I'm out!
