Shared Consciousness

FreeMan said; "So how do we change the people?
This would seem to be the problem.
It isn't racism that is the cause of our malaise - it is the inability to overcome the obstacles put in place by racist institutions in general,
and Black racist institutions in particular.

The common (or shared) consciousness of our Black institutions is one of victimization, or of seeking the material rewards without having done the temporal works, or of surrender.
This view is racist because it assumes a position that is predicated on one's race.

When was the last time a major television bishop or pastor spoke on the second half of the Beatitudes?
Everyone knows the "Blessed is he ...", but what about the "Woes"?
There is a responsibility that goes along with the authority that is desired by most.
There is a responsibility to do for others.
But this message doesn't get ratings. This message doesn't elicit donations. This message isn't glamorous.

I was watching a young cousin clean only his dishes after he'd finished eating dinner ("Supper" in the South.).
When I asked his uncle why the children are taught to only clean up after themselves - "Because I ain't gonna' ", was his reply.
(I had to re-train these kids with the belief that one does something because it needs to be done - not just because one has made the mess.)

But this is the same thinking behind the NBA ball players who are more concerned with "getting theirs" than they are with the team winning.
This is why Iverson can't win a championship.
Even the boring-ass Spurs win championships because they play as a team.
Their slightly better than average group is better than an excellent individual.
(Or better than a group of players who play as individuals.)

This is why ghettos are so dirty and devalued.
People leave trash in the street because it is someone else's job to pick it up.
Kids do poorly in school because it is the teachers job to teach the children.
People don't point out robbers, rapists and killers because it is the policeman's job to catch the criminals.
Everything is "Someone else's job".
Everyone is only looking out for themselves.

Since religion is often used as a control of our shared consciousness - our religions are failing us.
Our religions are leading us down the wrong paths.
Our religions are leading us further down the path of dependence on others instead of having others being dependent upon us.
We are in a constant state of looking to others for the answers instead of having people come to us for the answers.
(Hint; Answers generate money, money generates power and power dictates the terms of peace.)

Ghettos and slums have been in place since there were two groups of people who lived in two different areas.
The more desirable area was the "burbs" - while the less desirable was the "ghetto".
But things are not always static.
When those from the "ghettos" ("Ghetto", in this case meaning low lands, forests, bayous, or any land or area that is less than desirable at any given time.) decided to capitalize on their resources, and market and sell those resources to people from another area, wealth began to flow into and take root in these areas.
As more people became aware of a better way of life - the better life became one that was expected.
This expectation created a shared consciousness of propriety.

But this prosperity wasn't readily available to all.
Some groups of people assumed that prosperity belonged to them alone.
These groups oppressed and subjugated the other groups to maintain their expected way of life.
This dominant group had a shared consciousness of dominance.
Most within the minority groups assumed the position of inferiority.
This group accepted and preached a message of surrender.
Their (the minority group) expectation (and eventual realization) became that of "The Victim".
Even when opportunities became available - most within these minority groups lacked the understanding to take advantage of them.
They had no concept of success beyond what had always been taught in their homes, schools and churches.
This group kept themselves back because they couldn't see themselves as anything other than "Victim".


Many of our schools coddle our children into a false sense of success.
If a group of kids can't pass tests - "Make the tests easier" is the common response from many of our school teachers, administrators and districts.
If a group of firefighters can't pass a test - "Make the tests easier" is the response from our local leaders.
Why not just make the schooling more rigorous?
I'm not saying that this problem is endemic to Black schools - but how many tales of remediation do you hear from teachers and professors at the college level that is required for Black students?
Why are students even graduating if their level of understanding is that of an eighth grader?
Why do we accept this as the norm?

But there are some who are called "Uppity", "Sidity", "Bourgie" or any other pejorative.
( http://theblacksocialite.blogspot.com/ )
This group possessed a shared consciousness of success.
This group viewed their former condition as a challenge.
This group knew that they were more than the limited expectations of the presumptuous dominant culture.
This group chose a life beyond the limited expectations of their friends - many of whom are still stuck on the block.
This group had to overcome the constant pushing by the dominant culture,
and the constant pulling by the submissive minority culture.
This group failed to believe that; Black=Bad.

(@ FreeMan - FreeMan Jr. will be part of this group and he will be called the same names that many call this group today. He will lack the understanding required to live on the block unless he is forced to experience the block. His values will be shaped more by his experiences than by yours. Seeing that you value success more than acceptance, expect him to do the same.
This isn't wrong.
We have no concept of what it is to be a sharecropper, servant or slave,
but our grandparents and our predecessors do.
This is just progress.)

So FreeMan, How do we change the people?
By being honest in our criticism.
By not settling for less from Black people just because they are Black.
By raising our level of shared consciousness.

True Faith

Maybe faith is like the game Mine Sweep - some choices are benign while others lead to death.
While the straight and narrow path is the most profitable - it is also the most uncommon.
But what happens when we stray from our most favorable path?
How do sacrifice, fasting and prayer work?
Do these actions eventually lead us back to our desired path?

I believe in knowledge.
I believe in skill.
But somehow, I believe more in the intuitive actions of faith.

Faith as an action?
Of course.
(Well...usually.)
It takes the action of faith to drive someone to look beyond and strive for a life that is better than that of their surrounding environment.
It takes faith to believe in oneself when everyone else is telling you why something cannot be done.
It takes faith to endure when all hope is lost,
when all one's strength, knowledge and skill are spent,
when the only way to succeed is by going beyond all comprehendable human abilities.

I know, I know... this sounds like "endurance".
But endurance is a huge component of faith.
Endurance is required when the battle is at it's worst.
Endurance is required when all of one's natural abilities are spent.
Endurance is required to reach the supernatural state of performance that can only be sustained for short bursts of time.

Beyond endurance lies exhaustion.
The state of exhaustion leads the weak to faint.
But for the faithful - it becomes a state of euphoria.
A state of unconsciousness.
No, not a state of being unconscious, or asleep, or unresponsive - but a state of awareness so heightened that all of time seems to slow down.
A state of being that turns the largest mountain into a pebble - or a small baseball into a slow floating beach ball.
This is what happens when athletes are "In the zone", or when warriors obtain "Blood lust", or when the religious become enraptured in the spirit.
This is what happens when the stress becomes so severe for oneself that one must go beyond them self in order to perform.
This is what happens when marathoners are said to "have their legs running under them", or basketball players are said to be "unconscious" when every shot seems to be going in,
or when grandmothers can lift cars from fallen babies, or when we make counter intuitive decisions that end up being the only ones we could have made in order to succeed.

It is said that "Faith without works is dead".
I've encountered many people who have prayed from birth to death without receiving their desired request.
But this isn't God reproving their faith.
This is God reproving their lack of faith because they have not done the work required to be able to handle their request.
This is as though God were denying the keys to the Lambo to a four year old.
An immature individual may fast, pray and do all the good works they can manage - but if that same person can't handle their request, the responsible response from God would be to deny such a request.
Actually doing something about one's desires (making preparations to receive) is another aspect of faith.

But what of prayer?
Prayer puts one in the correct mental state to again begin the task of working towards one's desires.
Prayer allows one to focus on what is really important.
Prayer is the tuning of one's spiritual voice to again reposition oneself to be able to acquire one's desires.
Think of it as driving a car in the snow, in the rain, or on a dirt road.
When one begins to slide, they are advised to look in the direction that they would like to be going.
Why?
Because we instinctively (even if unknowingly) drive in the direction we are looking.
Kind of like look-e-loos running over police officers while staring at a wreck on the side of the road.
They don't intend to hit the officer - the officer just happens to be in the path of the driver's line of sight.
Prayer works by facing us in the right direction.

Actually, I don't have any real evidence of how faith works.
I don't have a theory or even a hypothesis.
All I do know is that faith is the first requirement for any form of success.
Faith is our starting point.

Goin' My Way ?

These extremophiles are thought to be hitchhikers on meteors crashed to Earth.
Maybe these are what could have kick-started the primordial soup.
http://io9.com/5317662/extremophiles-i-have-known-and-loved

Great Marketing

They don't usually sell Maybachs, Vacheron Constantine, Prada, McMansions, Versace or Louis XIII in the hood.
These brands aren't even made in the hood.
People in the hood don't even own these companies.
But somehow, many people know about these brands. Some even have the knock-offs.
But how do people, who are thought of as being too poor to advance in society, suddenly acquire the urge to possess these things?
It's not as though they are inherently part of their culture.
Maybe seeing the products in videos on BET has an effect.
These videos seem to be a nice marketing tool to bring such item to the common consciousness of many people who really can't afford them.

Some say that we shouldn't celebrate the rare individual who has overcome the many social, political and racial obstacles involved in making it to a higher level within our nation.
But why not?
If seeing someone else with a large flat screen television can stimulate the desire for one having there own - why can't the same be true of success?

I'm sure some people who were born into slavery were operating under the assumption that that was all there was to life.
That freedom was just some myth, or something only possessed by the bourgie.
That the system was always going to keep them in chains.
But what created enough volition in men like Nat Turner to cause them to attempt such an audacious grasp at freedom?
What caused some to escape through the Underground Railroad?
What caused others to learn to read - even though it was illegal?
Their "culture" was one of servitude.
What caused some to seek freedom and go against "their culture"?

During Segregation, when oppression was legal - what caused some to see past their roles imposed by society to a life of freedom?
Were the Civil Rights leaders "thinking white" in operating under the assumption that all men should be free?
How could they see themselves as more than "their culture"?

Obama is to Polo as Oprah is to Hermes.
Tiger is to Louis XIII as Cosby is to Maybach.
They are not the saviors (We are our own saviors in this sense), they are just the marketing tools that need to be used to elevate the expectations of the culture - of our common conciousness.
They are not "Too Bourgie" - they are the luxury brands.
If people in the hood can spend thousands of dollars on rims, Jordans or Hennessey - why can't those same people spend the same money on Your Baby Can Read?
If people in the hood can assimilate these luxury brands into "their culture" - why can't they assimilate the luxury brand of success?
How are Tiger, Oprah and Obama seen as "Too White" - But brands like Polo, Versace, and Rolex are not?
Maybe we need to redefine our "culture" instead of using one that has been defined for us.

Strike !!!

Hitting a baseball is said to be one of the most difficult acts in sports.
But if we examine the philosophy behind hitting a pitch, we see similarities with how one should approach life.

Hitters like Jr. are able to hit balls that are thrown at various speeds, at difficult angles and over different parts of the plate.
Being able to adapt to the pitch enables such hitters to take control of any situation.

If we use the baseball metaphor as it relates to race, gender, sexual orientation or whatever - we can formulate a process on the best way to deal with each group's problems.
Many bloggers and social commentators have dismissed Obama's recent speeches at the NAACP and in Africa as empty rhetoric, pandering to his audience or as just trying to maintain his white base.

But Obama was (is) right.
Many people wait for that perfect pitch at a perfect speed at their perfect place over the plate at the perfect time of day before making any effort.
Many become angry when a pitch is thrown too low, too fast or is anywhere beyond their strike (comfort) zone.
But one could swing at such a pitch or one could wait for a better pitch.
The results from each decision will be determined by one's acquired abilities and knowledge of their opponents tendencies.
This is just part of the game.

Often, when I hear cries of racism, the people complaining should have never been up to bat in the Bigs in the first place.
For many, their game is still single or double "A".
The Majors require more talent and skill.
These complaints diminish the credibility of complaints of real discrimination and oppression.

The most common complaint among the educated is that they are cheated out of their desired position in life because they are (fill in the "oppressed" blank).
While their assumptions may be true - it may also be true that they lacked the game required to fully take advantage of their opportunities.
It may also be true that they are trying to play a position for which they did not prepare.
(As when an outfielder is trying to be a pitcher.)
It may also be true that each team already has enough skilled players to fill their slots within their lineup.
(Kind of like a company, city or state having enough communications majors but lacking enough engineers.)

So, if one lacks the skill to be the best (adding an incentive to displace those already in the current lineup), and the backup slots are already full - you're not being discriminated against, the team just doesn't need you at this time.

Some people complain that they are overwhelmed by the conditions of the game.
This is what happened with the NBA players trying to compete in International tournaments.
The more talented and skilled NBA ballers failed to understand the nuances of the similar, but slightly different, International game.
While the NBA ballers were use to playing a more one-on-one street style - their International counterparts were playing team ball (and winning).

This is what happens when someone is trained to only hit fastballs.
A curve ball or slider will limit their ability to perform at the Major League level.
This is also what happens when someone is trained only in the ways of the streets.
While they may be use to doing well when things are flying hard and fast - a more controlled pitch becomes harder to hit.
This is not racism.
This is one failing to fully develop their abilities to be able to possess a complete set of game skills.

But what of those who aren't playing in the Majors?
What of those who are still growing or who've reached their peak at less than Big League levels?
That's just life.
Does an uneducated janitor working for an hourly wage deserve to be compensated as much as the highly educated Dean of Students?
No.
Does the guy stuck in the minors expect the Nike endorsement deal?
No. He understands that he lacks the skills to generate the salary and perks of the Big League players.
But somehow, when it comes to race, gender and other issues, this understanding gets lost.

When Obama said "No excuses" - what he really meant for us was not to "strike out looking".
He doesn't want us to settle for a walk.
He is saying for us to have our games at such a complete and dominant level as to diminishes the effectiveness of a low pitch or a slider or a curve ball.
What he was saying was for us to do the work (get our 10,000 hours of practice) to be able to compete at the Major league level (and to receive to salary and perks that go along with that).
He wasn't saying that all the pitches were going to be high and over the center of the plate - but that we should be prepared to hit them anyway.

Old World Order, Worried?

So, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) just finished their most recent conference in Egypt.
With 55% of the world's population and a vast amount of under-exploited natural resources - it seems that the world's underdeveloped countries are trying to form their own New World Order.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-07-16-voa33.cfm
It would seem that Obama is the least of the Old Boy's Club's worries.

No Jobs ?

"It was the worst of times,
and it was the worst of times."
Or something like that. But maybe I need to re-read A Tale of Two Cities.
The Wall Street Journal thinks that things are bad;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124753066246235811.html

Maybe the downturn in the economy will add incentive for those who are under-qualified to become qualified.
Maybe McDonald's can fire all those ignorant ass little kids and hire employees who understand service.
Maybe Home Depot or Lowe's can get rid of all those people who seem to just wander the store in uniform and hire people who actually know about a product and where that product is located.
Maybe the job market will be so tight as to inspire more kids to stay in school past the tenth grade.

But really - the market for jobs is there, just not for the jobs most people desire.
These less desirable jobs are so prevalent that some companies are sinking to the depths of smuggling employees from Central and South America;
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6514945.html

Racism v. Oppression

Jack Celliers ( http://sigaeseblog.blogspot.com/ ) said; "...The only thing I really don't get is why "race" is such an issue. Not even race, but something as difficult to define as the color of the skin.
For me, race is simply a biological thing - something one cannot choose.
'Oppression' is what makes a difference..."

This is probably the most sagacious comment made on this little blog. Not even Pythia herself could have put it any better. If my Spanglish was any better - I'd read his site.

Well... you see Jack - I share the opinion that race is but one of the many symptoms that is evident in the greater illness and cause of oppression. Whether someone likes my "Race" or not - it is of little consequence. But when someone attempts to limit my opportunities based on my race - that is the problem.

Does It Work Both Ways ?

Gary Owen is on BET as more than Katt Williams.

Before this past election - Bill Clinton was viewed by many as the Blackest white guy in America.
Cool enough to play the sax on Arsenio, game enough to handle a thick legged wife and at least one intern, street enough to smoke weed - and enough swagger to get away with it all.
But can white people also be "Too Black"?

Is Kim Kardasian thought of as acting Black for dating Reggie Bush and (like Ice T's girl Coco) possessing the body type desired by most Black men?

Or does it require being more 'hood like Kim from The Real Hoodrats of Atlanta?

Or can it be as simple as playing opposite a number of Black leads as has Julia Stiles?

Are any of these women considered "Black"?

Randy Moss's boy JayWill can almost get away with it.
A weed smokin' basketball player with a street attitude who speaks in Ebonics is usually assumed to be Black - but does this combination make number 55 "Black"?

The soulful voice and style of delivery of Joss Stone are not enough to pass the Black Test.

But what if one adds a relationship with Rick James?

Does Tina Marie get her Ghetto Pass?

Hall and Oats is one of those groups that anyone Black can name at least one or two of their songs.

During the height of their popularity - most radio stations geared toward Black listeners included many of their songs on their play lists.

But that was a different time.

Groups like The Doobie Brothers (With Michael McDonald), Steely Dan, Wild Cherry, Toto and others were commonplace on the Soul Charts.

These groups weren't trying to act Black - they were just playing the style of music that moved them most.

Later in the Eighties - British Soul Boys (Culture Club, Wham, Paul Young, etc.) incorporated the Motown influence into their acts to gain position on the U.K. and American charts.

I really don't need to mention these (i.e. Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love, or Art Of Noise - Moments Of Love) New Wave act's current popularity on the Slow Jams nights or Old School Lunch formats.

And I really don't need to mention David Bowie.

But none were considered as "Black".

Even Robin Thicke (Black wife and all) can't be called "Black".

So how does it work for Paul Wall?

Or Bubba Sparxx?

The Beastie Boys had one (or two) of the most seminal rap albums ever.

The Beasties were part of the first wave of commercial rappers and the Hip-Hop culture that it spawned.

The Beaties kicked it with Graffiti artists Zepher and Dondi White, chilled with the Rock Steady Crew, were part of the Motown-esque Def Jam label (Swatch Fresh Fest and all), and still manage to get old school dance floors boppin' whenever Paul Revere hits the ones and twos.

But the Beasties still managed to be white.

Is Eminem Black?

What about Matsyahu?

Jamiroquai is funky - but not Black (Although his Portuguese father might be able to trace some roots back to Moorish culture.).

Do white people have to add "Ghetto" to a skill set to be considered Black?

Can a white person be considered too Black because they easily fit within certain parameters of a learned Black culture?

Or do the same rules even apply?