Culture Shock - Decendants of Kings and Queens (Finding Identity in a Foreign Land)
I call you King & Queens --------------------
Trying to inspire and motivate our fellow Kings & Queens has been difficult for us all to grasp, but for others, it's a true disconnect and the mere thought of being uplifted instead of objectified produces an unconscious fear; this fear is formed from over 400 yrs of demoralization of the African and the "Making of a Slave" mentality (Willie Lynch, 1613) that turns us away from our culture of dominance and power but to be reduced so much by social indoctrination and colonialism we accept our oppressors terms for our daily language. I say to you King & Queen change the way you interact with one another. You are much more than what we display and it is not now nor has it ever been unacceptable to uplift one another with the native tongue of our ancestors; words of power. As a man /woman thinketh so is he. As a youth advocate in 2016, I focused primarily on changing my clients’ outlook of themselves in the world vs making excuses for actions and circumstances. What we know as the original people, is that we have adapted and endured the impossible. 400 plus years of slavery and systematic oppression enabling Africans in America the right to protest for their rights. Having gained that small freedom during WWII, some 50 plus years later we still face inequality and injustice. It can be discouraging at times to be Black in America but also reassuring knowing you are cut from the purest African cloth. Our miseducation about African history before slavery is not visited in your social studies or history course. It must come from the communities in which we live. Our self-education must combat the negatives we are taught about ourselves in media, school, and history. We have accepted the negatives about ourselves. What is a nigga? What is a bitch? It’s the standard in which society holds us and what we perceive ourselves to be. Given the social norms, our reality has been composed of negative stereotypes and reinforced throughout our interactions whether with friends, on the job, or at school. The never-ending struggle in finding an identity to claim. Dr. John Henrik Clarke, revered scholar, and historian spoke of the inner struggle we have as a people of color but no origin. What is black? We are the only people who associate ourselves with color and not a place. There can be copper-colored Haiwaians or Italians. But thats merely a characteristic, not describing a place of origin or nationality. If blacks in America were given the option to leave and return to their country of origin, who would identify with Africa? We seek to go to all other countries looking for culture and heritage and neglect our origin and legacy as the original people. No history, no culture. Know history, know the culture.
I call you Kings and Queens.