America, and Black America in particular, is at a crossroads. It is only a matter of time before it will become painfully obvious that a major change will be necessary in order for the community to thrive. A broadening of perspective is needed, one that will allow us to look backward in order to look forward. This Sankofa vision will help us gain a better perspective of the problems that face us.
One of the first things that we must do is to re-define ourselves. Black people in America have traditionally been viewed through the lens of slavery. This is extremely myopic. Based on evidence unearthed in numerous places around the globe, Black people have been fundamentally involved in almost everything that has occurred on this planet. It is even said that the first sentient humanity was a Black woman found in Africa nicknamed “Lucy.” As of late, this notion is being challenged, but what is not challenged is that Black people pre-date other humanity. Sheer numbers alone can attest to this fact. There are far more people of color on Earth than there are white people. This means that either they came from us, or from somewhere else, because, according to Mendelian genetics, you cannot get white people from Blacks unless some type of intervention happened. The late head of the Nation of Islam, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, said that a Black scientist, Yakub, who lived 6,600 years ago, “grafted” white people into existence on the island of Patmos. Of course, many people, Black, white, or other, consider this a preposterous supposition. The truth is that there is a mystery involved in the relationship between white people and Black people on Earth, and there may be evidence of deliberately hidden information.
A great African mystical philosopher once wrote that there is a tradition that says Black people were once technically advanced, but that they misused this power and helped to destroy civilization in the remote past. The seemingly “backward” tribal societies that we see today are a result of the “in-between” times wherein there is a backlash against technology because of the previous misuse. This also may sound like a fairy tale of sorts, one that is unbelievable.
Black history is far more glorious than is previously thought. The fact that Black people can, and have, mastered every endeavor that has been seriously sought is proof that intelligence is not the purview of the dominant white global culture. In fact, there are differing manifestations of intelligence, and the technocracy that we find ourselves in nowadays is just one facet of it. For example, those who have recently demonstrated the greatest technical prowess have used it to destroy things, not to enhance life on this planet. The atomic bombs that decimated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with the murderous genocidal quests of Nazi Germany, bring these ideas closer to understanding.
It is important, now, more than ever before, to have a paradigm shift in our manner of thinking. We create the world through our thoughts, actions and deeds. Unfortunately, the dominant culture is focused on apocalypse, on the “end of the world” scenarios as seen in movies and popular culture. These thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies that can end in destruction. We must craft a newer scenario, one not mired in the consciousness of poverty, slavery, oppression, violence and destruction. Already there are stirrings of the rise of a new mindset among Black Americans. The highly anticipated new movie, Black Panther, depicts a glorious past in which Black people were beautiful and technically accomplished. It is sparking the imagination of Black people all across America, and promises to promote a mentality that is opposite the current slavery paradigm, one of the Black super hero. It can usher in a new way of thinking in Black America. We are in special times, admittedly threatening, but the best armor against adversity is the same that has been touted forever, unity. Whatever occurs, we can meet it together, because there is strength in unity! A Luta Continua.
