interesting

The Re-education of the Negro

Posted on by billjohnson2014

The Mis-Education of the Negro is a book written by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1933. Dr. Woodson is credited with black history week which later became black history month. In the book Dr. Woodson challenged African Americans to read and do for themselves so they are not dependent on whites. Dr. Woodson argued that the history that was taught to blacks in school caused them to seek out an inferior place in society.

Michael Brown was shot on August 9, 2014 in Ferguson Missouri and the black community was outraged. What did the black community do? We enlisted the help of a famous rapper, marched, protested, looted oh and a reverend or two spoke. All the major media outlets covered this story right up until Robin Williams committed suicide on August 11, 2014. So I ask did we as blacks are even the community of blacks in Missouri effect change? I heard Malcolm X say once that blacks are the only people that have “peaceful revolutions”. He insists that in every major revolution there has been a fight for land and much blood shed. Land is said to hold great power because land is equated to not only physical freedom but, economic and spiritual freedom.

If you’re keeping score there was something awful that happened to a young black man followed by sympathy and a brief national outcry. The outcry that was so short the shooting can still classified as a “black thing” to the masses. Yes, a black something terrible that happens to the black community that causes sympathy but, does not affect the masses. Then there was a tragic death that refocused our attention i.e. a distraction followed by another distraction. You may remember Joan Rivers died on September 4, 2014.

Now we bring the cycle full circle by tearing down the image of the black man. On September 8, 2014 the complete elevator video of Ray Rice punching his now wife was released to the public. This blog is not about morality so I want get into the altercation I just urge you to look at when it was leaked. It was not an accident. The incident took place on February 15, 2014. On September 13, 2014 Adrian Peterson was booked and charged with injuring a child before he was released on bond. The incident he was arrested for took place in May. Does anyone see that pattern? Again I will not argue morality because if any person black or white does the crime they should do the time. The appearance of the powers that be holding information until they can get the most destruction and create hopeless within the race is real. Media brainwashing is real.

Have you ever heard the compliment “he speaks so well” by some media member or politico referring to a black person? Now ask yourself have you ever heard a white person give another white person that compliment? Go back and listen to some of the things that were said about the president when he was running for office. Have you ever heard what is said when Michael Eric Dyson or Stephen A. Smith speak? In 2010 comedian Chris Rock did a set about Colon Powell running for president. “Colon Powell can’t win”. “Colon Powell has a better chance at winning the bronze in female gymnastics”. White people always give Colon Powell the same compliments “he speaks so well”, “he’s so well spoken”. Speaks so well is not a compliment. Speaks so well is something you say about a retarded kid that can talk. He’s an educated man how is he supposed to sound. What voice where you looking to her out of his mouth. “Umma drop me a bomb today”. “I’ll be prezoodent”. In this piece I highlighted media brainwashing as it relates to blacks but, it is something that crosses racial, gender and socioeconomic lines. I argue that the brainwashing of black happens so early that most don’t even realize that they are being positioned and puppeteered

They say the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist

 

A story on Fear, Motivation and Perseverance

Posted on by billjohnson2014

Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to a nation in his 1933 inaugural address that had fallen on hard times. The Great Depression had turned the nation on its side. The famous quote “my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself’. FDR was telling Americans that there fear and or lack of faith in the economy was making it worse

When I was a child I was taught to use my fear and not to allow my fear to use me i.e. dictate my action. I was also taught that the word’s “I can’t” should never leave a man’s lips. For the most part I would say I have used my fear to make me better by facing new challenges head on. My mother who is a great swimmer told me the story of how she learned to swim when I was a kid. My mom said my grandfather knew she was scared of the water so during one summer day at the lake he decided to throw her in. My mother said it was sink or swim. With the likelihood of drowning my mother remembered the swim techniques that my grandfather had unsuccessfully tried to teach her earlier in the summer. My mother swam that day and she has never stopped.

There was this huge party this fellow attended where he had one to many drinks. As the fellow left the party he had to make the decision to walk or call a cab. The fellow decided that he would cut through the cemetery cutting his mile long walk in half. The fellow made his way halfway through the cemetery when he fell into what appeared to be an open grave. The fellow frantically tried to get out for several minutes but, he eventually gave up. A little later in the night a second man fell into the same open grave as the fellow had fallen in. As the man frantically tried to get out he heard the fellow say “you might as well give up because you’re not getting out”. The man now scared to death quickly made his way out of the open grave.

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”- Confucius

Marianne Williamson authored the 1992 book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A course in Miracles. In the book the author looked at the changing power that accepting God’s love has on the human spirit. A quote from the book has been used by several other authors:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually who are you not to be?

You are a child of God

Your playing small does not serve the world

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

 

All of my fears surround my impact or lack thereof on the world. Did I do my part to reach as many people as I could? What lasting impact did I make? Was I an agent of change or did the world change me? What are your fears? Are they holding you back? Tell yourself today I am motivated to overcome my fear through perseverance.