Social Debate: Blacks don't read, they are still our slaves!

[Reality Check]

I think Angie stone said best when she did that song Brotha :

 

"He's misunderstood, some say that

He's up to no good around the neighborhood

Well, for your information

Alot of my brotha's got education

Now check it

 

You got your Wall Street brotha

Your blue collar brotha

Your down-for-whatever-chillin'-on-the-corner brotha

Your talented brotha, and to everyone of ya'll behind bars

You know that Angie loves ya, my my"

 

That's all I got to say about this nonsense of an article!

[MD]

yes u might be around many educated african americans...but they r few compared to their population...!!!

Agree 100% honestia, I believe somewhat the article is true, I was reading some article long time ago where they surveyed young children/teens from project houses..they were talking about how all these young children want to become famous someday by rapping, singing or even becoming a movie star couldn't believe what i was reading.. it's time for them to wake up and realize they need education. I believe this was all planned out my them white folks ok ok gotta stop now before y'all think i'm paranoid..The dude/dudette who wrote this was probably angry and stating couple of true facts

[mojam]

This letter is too general but it seems like its been written by a black person ... not a white.

[Dhimbil]

Very honest introspective article, but i have a hunch black americans will get defensive and brush it off as a racist article, instead of examinning the article and working on how to better themselves so this kind of articles don't became true in 10 or 20 yrs from now.

[Modesty]

Somalien you said it perfectly, I don't even have to respond!

[Saynab]

Salam to all,

 

It was very much interesting to read all of your comments on this very controversial letter. In my opinion, there are few visible facts raised by the author, however I will be damned if I agree with it.

 

How can I or any of you for that matter agree with such remarks, especially if it is coming from a white person? That would be pure disrespect to my soul and mind as a Somali-Black-African Woman! (let me use a good friend's expression there!)

 

Please to all of ya people, Somali brothers and sisters who think they aren’t Blacks, you better see how the system, whether in Britain or America sees you. No matter how hard you try to disassociate yourselves from other Black people, you are still going to be labelled as Blacks, Africans, Ethnic monority. It is good to know your own history, your ethnicity but the fact and the matter is that you are described as a Black person once you have left mother land Africa.

 

The statement “Blacks don’t read” is too superficial and simplistic. The question to ask is what kind of literature was /is available to Black people? We grew up with biased, prejudiced, and racist writings that have only one specific aim: Make us confused, brainwashed and believe in something that goes in the favour of the white folks and give them credit they don’t deserve.

 

While getting my primary education, we worked on text books written by French people for those they thought “don’t need to know nothing else but how great was the French republic”. I was taught French, Italian, German, American history, geography, scientific discoveries, but nothing from my home country…nothing admirable, enviable from Africa.

Black writers, such as Leopold Sedar Songor who said “I am darker than the sole of my shoes but I teach French to French people” and many others, had enormous difficulties to be heard, recognise and valued…even by their own people who after decades of brainwash, miseducation, misinformation, and mental slavery ended up losing their self-esteem and identity.

 

Now that I am mature enough to question/analyse and critically evaluate what I read, I am able to look for the truth behind the white man’s ideology. All the books (historical, cultural and political books) that I have tried to read revolt me because of the non sense they contain. You will read these books and you will see Africa as a land without civilisation, inhabited by people no better than animals, to whom the white man brought civilisation! Crusades, colonialism, slavery have all been dark periods in white history but still portrayed as Black people misery. Ask yourselves, who took credit for the Abolition of Slavery? White men! No word is said for the millions of African people who revolted against there “Masters” using there own means against them. Who took credit for the independence of African countries? White men, again! We are told that they suddently felt it was immoral to enslave and colonise other human beings! Please, tell me that the reasons for the end of slavery and colonisation were purely and simply economical and political and you will get all of my attention.

 

Why is there so much emphasis on the calamities suffered by Africans in Africa or those stolen from it and implanted in foreign lands? Is that the only thing we managed to bring to the world? What about our civilisations, resources, our labour and sweat that made the West what it is now? Rich and advanced!

 

WHO IS GOING TO RECOGNISE OUR OWN CONTRIBUTIONS IF WE DON’T…don’t wait for the system to do that for us and do not wait for a provocative statement to learn that we do need to do our home work. It is just not that simple and that straight forward.

 

One of the very, very rare white people I so far agree with is Michael More who wrote “****** white men”. Please, do read that book and you will be less judgemental of yourselves.

 

We do have plenty of well educated, smart people who do read and will not accept to bow their head or nod to agree with what a white man says is true…his truth cannot be ours!

 

Peace and love to ya all

 

Saynab

[Rahima]

Saynab- So true sister. Couldn't agree more with you, excellent piece!!

[Lefty]

This is a good letter and I think it's a wake-up call for all Afro-Americans. Besides, There's nothing to be angry at cause it's full of facts & reality unless you're blinding yourself.

 

This letter is from another black person and I totally agree with those who think that way.