Black
people today are not really looking at whom and where they came from. These vague references to slavery are tired…and
that’s not even scratching the surface.
Hearing the word “slavery” from a 2012 black person is disturbing.
Not a single black person alive has experienced slavery in the way it was
practiced over 150 years ago, and not a single white person living today has
been a slave owner. Both races are now free to work at whatever vocation
they find the most pleasure in pursuing, free to live anywhere they choose, and
marry whomever they choose…..a huge departure from slavery, and subsequently,
Jim Crow.
What I find most disturbing, despite
black people’s freedom from oppressive restrictions, is how eager and willing
they are to play the victim role…..especially where it is inappropriate and
disingenuous. And I think all of that
comes down to lack of knowledge of history and culture. Moreover, I discovered that many black people
ARE JUST PLAIN NOT INTERESTED in acquiring that knowledge….only to find out
later that this lack of knowledge is why they are not effective competitors in
the marketplace of ideas or why they cannot forge out positive interactions
with others. When you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know where you’re
going, as the saying goes.
I am challenged to find out whom and
where I come from for exactly that reason…to REALLY know where I come from…and
not use nebulous slogan-engineered references to inform my understanding. Without getting all emotional and
butt-hurt, like a lot of black people tend to get when discussing issues that
impact us collectively, I want to know how my ancestors lived, what resources
they used to carve out a meaningful existence from, and, if available, what
other activities they engaged in. Were
they social activists? Community
leaders? Professional people? Farmers?
What were they? I am committed to
knowing exactly what my history and culture is and how it was played out. I want to collect and preserve my family
history for myself and the next generation of family so that WE ALL can
interact with the world in a positive, optimistic way.
