There Is No Black (Remember Sleeping)

For the longest time we have been “running off our mouths” referring to non-white peoples by a host of derogatory “insensitive” names, and yet, much to our astonishment, they have “engaged” with us and bothered to respond, many times even confessing their hurt and arguing with us. In our minds, we thought that black folk would have many more things they could be doing than trying to correct a couple mouthy people having “rants” and yet, this has not been the case. Even more, many times, having heard our racially explicit language, we have even been accused of being racist, however, never once have they provided a coherent concept of detailed definition of a racist, meaning, their remarks have been largely invalid and void. It is, of course, no surprise, for in many ways, it is to be expected. In fact, the funny thing is, these people are deeply troubled by our sloganeering and yet, they have not, for once, stopped to think and ask themselves the question of what it means to be black, especially in terms of duties, roles and responsibilities. In many ways, they are locked in a losing game, having been told who they are and then dictated to on what they ought to be offended by rather than “liberating” themselves and becoming “self-determining” enough to dictate the terms of their own existence, and design the blueprint for their fate. beyond that, even if we were polite, and “nice”, would there issues suddenly cease to be? Evidently not, so what are they asking for?

They want as few troubles as possible, or at least, that is how it seems. They dont want to be reminded of The Situation, even if they like to surround themselves with attractive literature and have pseudo-progressive posters paraded on their prison-block, project-walls. They want to say “hotep,” “peace to the gods”, “black power” and “tendai mwari” but would be ever so reluctant to engage in a serious programme which involves designing strategies and blueprints for liberation. They cant read “Woodson” because he is boring, and they can’t tolerate “Ani” because she is difficult, and yet, they can regurgitate some empty rhetoric gleaned from a “Minister Martin” advert, or echo the disenchanted expressions of the largely dispossessed who rave about being “oppressed”, but fail to ask themselves how they might go beyond such instances and environments. In many ways, it would be difficult to any group of people to just evolve into such a joke; its almost as if this pathological mediocrity and prototypical gullibility has been precision engineered; as if the black has been created. Moving forward, it would help our cause if we maintained perspective and realised that We Can’t Do This No More; we can’t keep doing this; repeating errors, and remaining in circles. At some point, we need to remember sleeping, however, this will only come about through the revelation of utter embarrassment and shame;’ the shame of realising one has been taken for an absolute fool; the shame of realising the ongoing insult; the shame of realising you were lied too and especially gullible because you were in a desperate, vulnerable state.

For the longest time, we have been appeased with lies, and so, it is really no surprise when traducers emerge from out own ranks and try to get a piece of the action by cashing in on the fun. Foremost, if this decline is going to be reversed, and we are going to get a foothold, we have to be honest, and after that, get serious. Our agenda has to be to take note of the previous agendas.* These are only ten “processes” and yet, if we implemented the suggestions these people, long made, we would have already gone a long way – and note, we haven’t even included the word of the Black Panther Party For Self Defence or the The Lost-Found Nation Of Islam. Our point then, is to study where it is that we went of course because we cannot improve on these people – the current flock of farcical fanatics testifies to this notion. We are not engaging in a desperate nostalgic reminiscence, we are digging up the giants who saw through, and lorded over these questions because they were head and shoulders above the others. If we are serious, we will honour or thinkers and that means completing their work. If we build over it, were committing deeds of sabotage and betraying our legacy. If, as Marimba Ani advances, we are thinking within a mode dictated by whites, we cannot claim to be about liberation, dignity and aspiration. Unless we are seriously demanding quality, we are still playing.

If we are not supporting and building parallel institutions to accommodate and advance the work of our scholars, theorists and academics, and creating forums to further examine, discuss and explore their ideas, we are not serious, and if we are not serious, we should not be complaining, otherwise, others will hear us, but then look at us and scoff: “we stand in our shadows and then wonder why it is dark”
Carter Woodson, “Miseducation”
Neely Fuller “Code”
Marimba Ani “Concept”
Erin Reya “Ministry”
Eugenes Rivers “Trust Funds”
Asa Hilliard “Systems”
Marva Collins “Pedagogy”
Kimathi Carr “Nationhood”
Amos Wilson “The Blueprint”
Henrik Clarke “Nation Building”