By Vernon A. Williams, Gary Crusader
It just donned on me this week. There are only two kinds of mentalities in American society, maybe even the world—SLAVE and MASTER. That’s it.
And the revelation is that it has nothing to do with money. It has nothing to do with race. It has nothing to do with education. It has nothing to do with social status. Those things don’t even matter.
It’s so simple that it’s ridiculous. Anyone enslaved by word, thought or deed has – by definition – a slave mentality. Anyone who has the capacity to face his or her demons unafraid, knowing that pain precedes victory, and does it anyway—embodies the master state of mind.
Let me illustrate my point.
Donald Trump, the billionaire who would be president, is enslaved. Think about how he has flip-flopped on issues. Think about people he has poured money into in the past that he now feels compelled to vilify in fulfillment of the marching orders of his puppeteers. He is no more than a caricature of the bigot mindset – a figment of hatred’s imagination – the quintessential slave concept.
Keeping it in politics, Richard Gordon Hatcher exemplifies the master mindset. He came to Gary and fought both the white-dominated Gary/Lake County machine and self-hating Negroes – intent on staying in their place – to maintain City Hall in Gary for two decades. During that time, he constantly rejected selling for “jobs” in Washington D.C., instead opting for self-determination.
Let’s bring this conversation out of the political realm into everyday life.
I recently overheard an IUPUI custodian describing to a new person on his staff how he could look forward to the unbridled joy of welcoming new and returning students to campus this fall. No matter what you snobs think, he is comfortable in his own skin. No stroke or heart attack for that brother – a master.
Meanwhile, close friends live in constant fear of losing posh positions at some of the largest corporations in Indianapolis – so they drink too much and experiment with alternate means of escape. They fret children’s private school tuition; never feeling at home in houses much too lavish, with no sense of direction behind the wheels of luxury vehicles. Clearly, slave torment.
Anyone is a slave if obsessed with fulfilling an image or expectations of the irrelevant rather than cultivating the God force divinely planted within their souls. Slave mentality is defined by what you fear. Master’s mentality is just as easily identified by what you dare.
The 2016 Black National Political Convention will be held in Gary June 9 through June 12. You won’t hear much about it on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, ABC, CBS or NBC. They are far too busy helping Republicans get elected in November. But this meeting of the minds is real and important – whether the good white folks that you love so much in the news media confirm it for you or not.
Decide for yourself. Topics include education, economics, women’s issues, health, civil rights, criminal justice, veteran affairs, energy and the environment. If none of those things matter, by no means should you attend. But if either or any are concerns, you should be there.
I know. Some won’t come because they don’t like organizers – like those who criticized the Million Man March. They didn’t like Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan. These self-loathing individuals represent the worst level of slave mentality because their negativism contributes to the enslavement of others. They won’t win.
The urgency of registering for the 2016 National Black Political Convention is a no-brainer, given the tenure of the country today. When we unite, the enemy trembles. The worst nightmares of the oppressor is the awakening of conscience followed by action. Even if you are enslaved today, you can become master tomorrow. The capacity to be free relies on the courage to manifest righteous forces within.
Register for the convention, go to www.thenbpc.com.
Yes, there will be prominent individuals from all walks of life but I won’t name any. Not one. Nobody needs you if you’re coming for the wrong reasons. Go to the Star Theater or local casino boats for entertainment. Participate in the 2016 National Black Political Convention in Gary only if you are serious about not merely talking change but becoming part of it.
Finally, apologies to masters for simply telling what you already know. And, apologies to anyone hopelessly enslaved for wasting your time trying to encourage you to go somewhere your nature fiercely resists. But in this relentless war for our children’s future – I had to at least try.
CIRCLE CITY CONNECTION by Vernon A. Williams is a series of essays on myriad topics that include social issues, human interest, entertainment and profiles of difference makers who are forging change in a constantly evolving society. Williams is a 40-year veteran journalist based in Indianapolis, IN – commonly referred to as The Circle City. Send comments or questions to: [email protected].
