Many of us have become virtual scholars when it comes to Black history. We can quote chapter and verse all of the atrocities that's been perpetrated against Black people since the beginning of time. We can also make reference to all of the illustrious Black kings, queens and warriors of the past, and cite everything that Black people have accomplished throughout history. But what's the purpose of having all that knowledge if we don't use it to move ourselves forward? We're not doing that. We tend to just sit back and watch the White establishment mount one assault on our culture after another, and then use our knowledge of Black history to say, "Well, there they go again, just like during Reconstruction."
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What good is that doing us!!!? We need to use our knowledge of history to defend ourselves against repeated cultural assaults just like EVERY other culture in America - and the fact that we're not doing that explains why we're on the very bottom of the socio-economic ladder, and newly arrived immigrants step right over us to become our bosses and economic superiors. That's also why whenever anyone needs a victim, they single us out - because they know we're not going to do anything about it but complain. So if we're the product of greatness, let's PROVE it instead of just talking about it. This is no time to talk. It's time to either SHOW what we're made of, or shut up, because at this point, those very same illustrious ancestors that we like to point to with such pride, would be holding their heads down in shame at what we've allowed ourselves to become - victims.
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Now, I realize that life is a struggle for Black people, and many of us have given priority to our personal dreams for the future, but if we fail to give priority to our culture as a whole, we won't have a future. If we don't have a strong and viable culture, we're going to be disrespected and marginalized as individuals, and plucked off one at a time as we're already seeing in Ferguson, New York, Los Angeles and all across this country. America is rapidly becoming the new Beirut. So we've got to wake up and get on top of this, folks, unless we've completely given up on ourselves as a people. Where's that greatness that we're always talking about!!!? There's got to still be some vestiges of it left in us somewhere!
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I've been sending this message out - in this case, regarding the raping of Leimert Park Village in particular (since this seems to be the latest assault on our people) - to the community, community leaders, politicians, and clergy alike, but all I've heard in response are crickets. We've got to do better than this, Black people, or your children's future will be null and void - in fact, in another generation, WE, will be null and void. Look around you. They've already dragged us back fifty years. It's gotten to the point where a young Black man needs a hall pass just to walk down a city street. For the police, just being a young Black male constitutes "probable cause," and if they kill him, the nation's juries view it as a public service.
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So what does that have to do with the gentrification of Leimert Park Village? What's going on in Leimert Park is the latest assault on our culture, so it's past time to come together, organize, and fight back - and in a PROACTIVE way, instead of waiting around and reacting AFTER we're displaced, marginalized, or another young life is lost for simply having the audacity to come into the area. At this point, the future victim is probably a toddler who was born in Leimert Park, but by the time he's a teenager, Leimert Park will be off limits to "his kind." So NOW is the time to get on top of this, because the next young life that's snuffed out, just might be a life that YOU brought into this world, and then, all the demonstrating in the world, won't bring him back.
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FULL ARTICLE:
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The Black Community Is Gradually Being Erased, And Black People Are Being Turned Into Nomads And Cultural Refugees
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- From: Eric Wattree
- To: Cerene WBAI
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- Re: [TheBlackList] Celebrating Our Ancestors, Eric Wattree, 06/04/2015
https://theblacklist.net/
Replies
I think you are right, we need to do more than just gather knowledge, we need to take action.
Knowledge is essential. Knowledge is power. A lot of the reason why these things continue to happen is that we DON'T have the knowledge we need.
Although you have stated that "We can quote chapter and verse all of the atrocities that's been perpetrated against Black people since the beginning of time. We can also make reference to all of the illustrious Black kings, queens and warriors of the past, and cite everything that Black people have accomplished throughout history", the truth is that the majority of us do not have this knowledge. And those that do, often dont know how to put it into context.
Take, for example, the "Black Wall Street" in Greenwood, Oklahoma. We can draw a parallel between the destruction of Greenwood and the gentrification of our communities that has been going on for the past 30-40 years. The Black Wall Street incident was more blatant, gentrification is more subtle, but they both involve the destruction of our communities. How many of us have made this link?
We also need to understand how the detruction of whole countries in Africa ties in with this pattern.
Once we have the knowledge, however, we need to use it. We need to take action.