Our Behaviors Didn't Start Out As Destructive - They Were Protective

A recent discussion with friend proved to be rather eye-opening.  When looking at others within our culture, we are quick to point out "ratchet" behaviors and shy away from them.   Actually, I look at these same cultural irregularities and try to reason with myself as to why these things exist in our neighborhoods.

Have you ever seen a mother belittle her child when he/she is praiseworthy and wonder why?

Think about the fact that the smarter, more agile, stronger children were often taken away from their mothers for hundreds of years during the slave trade. As a natural parenting instinct, slave mothers who wanted to keep their families together would only speak poorly of their children although they wanted to praise them. If they spoke highly of them or if they were seen as smarter, faster, or stronger, the slave masters saw more work, more money, and capital gain from their “stock”. Naturally, we learned to belittle one another as a way of securing family ties; not destroying them. However, this learned behavior now has no place in modern day society but old habits are hard to break.

Have you ever wondered why we speak in slang / broken English? 

Slaves would sing songs that would tell each other where to meet, what time to be there, and what was happening after the master went to the “big house”. Many Negro spirituals are actually songs about running away, secretly meeting, or relying on the strength of others. Much of the colorful language we continue to use is “our own language” and it keeps others around us from knowing what we are saying – just long enough for us to accomplish a new goal. These colorful terms continue to change because (once they become mainstream) we have no use for them.

Have you ever wondered why we are so spiritual? 

Melanin connects us to the earth’s biorhythms and science has proven that the darker you are, the more “in sync” you are with everything around you. 

It wasn’t until the Vietnam War that scientists discovered the fact that the pineal gland grows and continually functions in darker skinned people across the globe. In Euro-Americans, this same gland calcifies around the age of 12. The melanin produced by this gland is the key of life. It connects us to a harmony no one can feel. It makes us one with the earth and its movements. All of our senses are more heightened and we have access to that mystical “third eye” that allows us to connect with the God within us. 

Although our ancestors were forced to denounce their religious beliefs, the umbilical cord that connects our spirituality was never severed. No matter what you call your Messiah, the message remains the same. From Egyptology to modern-day Christianity, our ability to CONNECT with the spiritual truths defy the boundaries of a singular religion. Our very essence is spiritual. Our connectivity allows us to persevere against incredible odds. 

When we are at our lowest, we still show our best. Sometimes, I just look around and say, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last”. It is amazing how much prophecy is in the simplest of sayings we grew up with…

So, I do not believe us to be reactionary. I believe that we are still “in the dark” about who we truly are. America has changed our identity repeatedly throughout the years as a way of keeping us from realizing that the Moors who traveled the world actually came from Africa. Our ancestors taught math, science, astrology, and written language to the Greeks, Asians, Jews, and Hebrews. The Negro went to Spain and taught them painting, art, music, and more. The Blacks went north and spread education throughout Europe by establishing Universities for higher learning. The Coloreds built America’s roads and highways, railways and skyscrapers and only asked for respect in return. Now, the African-American is taught slivers of his past in the history books of America; yet, we rise to be capable of so many deeds that – by all rights – should elude us.

Reactionary? No. I say resilient. 

Why has history deceived us?

America media only shows you the negative but, every day, I have the honor of looking at my own family and seeing nothing but generations of “grace under pressure”…  You see,  no matter what you call us, the NEGRO exists as an inherent part of every race.  We traveled the globe and embraced, nurtured, and educated it long before the Europeans traveled the same globe and started doing just the opposite... 

If you truly want to know history, you have to travel back further than 1742 - which is oddly enough when American history begins. For over 700 years before Columbus, black rulers who served as teachers and royal visitors to Europe were actually rulers of the land.  Crowned as kings and queens all over Europe, black Moors ruled peacefully and spread knowledge and prosperity around the world.  There was even trade with the same continent that Columbus would later "discover" and yes, the natives of that land were red and black.

But - I hope I have only piqued your interest at finding out more for yourself.... Because, after all, this is just ONE Man's Opinion.... What is yours?

#itsunclesean