So many young people and those who did not witness black folks being water housed and attacked by bigots and their dogs mistakenly assume that racism and its many incarnations and offshoots are a thing of the past.
Our collective ignorance is so great that it is just astounding.
I often fantasize that King, Malcolm, Hamer,Rustin and the like are looking at all of the shenanigans that pass for entertainment and feel:yes my life was worth this.
The aforementioned cultural and political icons would be pleased at the political progress we’ve made (President Barack Obama)and marvel at the strides we’ve made in social change and entertainment masking as such(Oprah Winfrey and her empire).
They would also be sickened and visibly upset viewing the things we’ve allowed our young people to engage in by either silent resignation or outright denial which allows behavior to go unquestioned and unchallenged.
The net and public libraries are powerful because they provide an amount of access for everyone to acquire and utilize knowledge.
Without resources and a decolonized and healthily functioning mind, we are left struggling in our own thinking and unproductive behaviors.
With a clear cut objective (for all community members)that involves becoming and staying emotionally healthy, we can collectively move forward and demand that those with power share it.
In order to take on this daunting and most worthwhile task, I suggest we look at nine things that hold us back and keep us mired in pathologies and prayer as our only strategy for change.