i miss you Malcolm and black men like you. with all that i am.
you should know that the message cointelpro sought to violently send was well received. revolutionaries will be dead revolutionaries. the fear now paralyzes black men and puts them on their best behavior. most are stunningly well adjusted to oppression as a result.
you, however, struck fear in the hearts of oppressive white men and women. you gave them cause to pause and re-think their course. thank you.
it seems our men today are either elders, corrupt, morally bankrupt, inter racially dating/married and focused on just "living their stress free lives", or so complacent that resisting oppression and the mention of it is more than they can/would like to handle. you know there are even black men that will loudly assert, when given the opportunity that they have achieved due to their merits; not the efforts of men like you, or worst of all they are shameless, false revolutionaries.
one sexist, media seeking, conk wearing (incredulously yes-he still conks his hair) false revolutionary in particular has behaved so disrespectfully, shamefully, and treacherously recently that all black men should feel ashamed and galvanized into action. sadly enough, i don't think most black men noticed or care so complete is their self hatred and destruction these days.
furthermore, our rapists, abusers and murderers yesteryear were mostly white men, today they are black like you. i would venture to say that some black men today, hate us more than any white man or woman could. the hatred they feel for us sometimes permeates the air when we are in close proximity, it saddens me to report.
today, there is still mainly only concern for the suffering of black men by black men; as if they could get to the planet and be nurtured without black women. record numbers of black men have absolved themselves not only of their responsibilities to their women but to their children as well. i think the notion of real, honorable, respectful, protective black love left the collective black consciousness not too long after you left the earth. brothers violently turned on themselves and now their sisters, mothers, and daughters. there is no balance. i am sorry to bring such disappointing news. i really wish it were different, that we were in fact living your legacy.
the upside is that black women can no longer deny the need for us to save ourselves.
Malcolm, i know you would not have been so quiet, polite, or silently stood for black queens and princesses to be disrespected, degraded, and violated. your self respect and manhood would not have allowed it. i could also see your love for black women in your choice in life partner.
you were gone before i got here. i love and miss you anyway. i wish i could have known you personally. you know what i admire the most about you? you knew what you thought without needing a white man or woman to tell you. i miss that. the opposite holds true today.
case in point, the value of black women. white men and women have assigned black women no value; due to the fact that they understand we are essential to the survival of black people. because black men recklessly disregard our history, refuse to think for themselves , refuse to act collectively in black best interests at all times, and are taught to not appreciate, trust, love nor protect black women---they don't. how...child-like, obedient and self destructive. far be it from me not to point it out. out of sheer embarrassment i will spare you the gory details of the complete belief of most black men that white and white-like women are as white men have declared the epitome of value. i feel at times a lot like the female version of pre-Mecca you, with all due respect. i realize that post Mecca period must have been an extremely trying time for you.
thank you for the hope with which your life journey fills me. i know, like spirited men will organize themselves, stand up, and resist. in the interim, i won't/can't wait for black men. i am sure you understand.
thank you for your courage. thank you for your example. thank you for your sacrifice. i know you have heard it since you left, i will say it nonetheless---job well done.
SELF LOVE~SELF ACCEPTANCE~SELF RESPECT
13 comments:
Focusedpurpose,
You shine!!!!
You are so committed to the truth that it pours from your soul in such a way that your words move from the page into my soul. You are a Black woman with more power than even our Black male leaders…notice I didn’t mention “Men”… because I don’t know where we have gone. It takes a determined amount of “TESTICULAR FORTITUDE” and responsibility in caring for your Black woman, Black children, and Black families & community to be a MAN! In self loathing, no regard for self and disillusionment…we flail as if helpless, in a pool of ignorance and disregard for our success and relinquish any self determination we had when Malcolm was here. You are the truth! You speak it, and it is evident that you have had years of experience speaking it. I know that I need soldiers fighting next to me in the trenches…to make a difference…so I can NOT even begin to say I have an understanding as to the void you may experience in your pro-Black existence. I wait for your focus and clarity to guide me to the truth…or at least point my eyes in the direction of truth. On “black Women Vote”, I got a greater understanding of the art of war… expressed through the game of chess. Malcolm understood it…and so do you.
Thank you “Queen”
For one who was born post El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz you have a great deal of insight.
B4B-
thank you for your kind words of encouragement and support.
you are right, i am committed to speaking the truth as i know it. as well as challenging myself to make the necessary adjustments when appropriate. that is the key.
i am encouraged by the full understanding that universal truths are rarely met with mass approval:-) that is why so few speak it.
i love "testicular fortitude" Dr. Muhammad was onto something. i sorely miss him, too. i think i used it in one of my pieces. it doesn't go over so well a woman says it:-)
i am thrilled that you took the time to check out black women vote! shecodes drops mad knowledge over there and her way is warmer and fuzzier than mine. she makes me want to hug her:-) truly our strength is in our differences. donating and getting others to donate to the Citoya fund is crucial.
i think the solution is to take our love, acceptance and respect and give it to ourselves. we are dying for the lack of it. to start and focus on ourselves is more than half the battle.
men can assist the efforts of conscious women by doing the heavy lifting of "checking" publicly and privately violent, mysogynistic, criminal, amoral, abusive black men. they are damaging not only women and children. they are damaging black men as well. life is a circle and it is all related. truly injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
also, black males would do well to train themselves to listen to the voices of black women. applying wisdom of course. most men don't get it because there is a refusal to listen to women. to our collective detriment. for what it is worth to you...
i look forward to hearing from you again soon.
blessings!
T.I.C. thanks for joining me and taking the time to offer your kind words.
all glory to God.
i am a living witness that if truth is what one seeks, truth is what one finds.
truth, love, wisdom, faith, power, victory- it all emanates from within. we are "it". already. our refusal to love, accept and respect ourselves-personally and collectively-renders us defeated.
it is my fervent prayer that my gift will be used to breathe the truth into the spirit of my people.
i look forward to hearing from you soon. i will check you out as well. the "community" is one of the reasons i transferred my blog from typepad to blogger.
abundant blessings to you!
Hi. I really enjoyed reading your comments at PVWs blog. You brought up some interesting points!
I am so interested,but it will take me a while to catch up reading your blog!
I do have a question: in the PVWs blog you wrote:
"other people worship images that reflect them back to themselves and reinforces the God in them."
I grew up Christian, but left pretty early. and didn't really delve into things and was wonder if you posted about this already?
I also hope you take a look at my blog. Its not as insightful (lol) but it may be interesting at least.
...powerful words from your soul & heart. I appreciate what you have to say. You lay out a challenge for brothers to do right and be right. I look forward to experiencing the flow of your blog more in the coming days and weeks...
peace, Villager
Miriam-
welcome! i am so glad you paid me a visit. i will definitely come and visit you. my journey has taught me that there is something to learn from everyone:-) our strength is in our differences.
my story of my friendship with Jesus is interesting. it requires a little background information.
i am blessed with a mother that bucked tradition and from the time that i can remember, remembering anything she told and taught me the truth as well as history.
she never told me that there was a fat white man coming to my house in the middle of the night bearing gifts. instead, she told me that if white men came to the house in the middle of the night they were bringing trouble! and that by law i could shoot to kill.
i didn't appreciate her at the time for ruining christmas at all. with experience i have come to know and respect the fact that she is brilliant. it now makes me laugh even.
easter bunny. lie! tooth fairy. lie! land of the free home of the brave. lie! all men created equal. lie! ignorance is bliss. lie!
my mother told me to reject lies and accept only the truth. she warned me that digesting lies will make you crave lies and reject the truth.
she urged me early on to make my peace with not fitting in. she warned that the objective should not even be to fit in; because according to the prescribed white standard it would be impossible for me. my mother gave me permission early to be an authentic beautiful black me rather than a counterfeit white attempt at me.
and then she proceeded to teach me historical facts that would corroborate her position. it was in childhood that i developed a love of the history of black folks.
i realize the blessing of this now---i had a wealth of information to beat down "the program" my mother sacrificed to pay to have the nuns work to put me on and package as "education". my questions had me declared "lacking in faith" by the nuns. that still cracks me up.
i was taught that i was black and beautiful early on. i was taught to love black. i did not play with dolls at all. if i had, i am sure they would have been black like me. (i was a play in my mother's closet type of child; i could do that for hours:-)
she told me the truth about the prophet Jesus. the fact that it was impossible for him to be a white man. she taught me that the famous white guy was actually a relative of whoever the artist was commissioned to do the rendering--michelangelo, if my memory serves correctly.
at that time she was a member of the nation of islam. when she no longer felt like being oppressed by virtue of her gender assignment, she turned to buddhism. she taught me to respect other people's relationships with God since there was only one God that was simply called by different names.
at no time did she force me to be any religion. her position was that your religion was a sacred personal matter and no one could make you be anything. i was cautioned that religion was often times used as a means of control---hence the bible toting missionary first when europeans sought to oppress people of color worldwide, and the gun toting mercenary when that tactic failed. as a result, i am to this day wary of people that presume to tell me what to believe, how to believe, and what my relationship with God should be. it awakens within me the suspicion that there is more in it for them for me to believe therefore behave in a certain way, than there is for me.
i never grew up in a house with images of white folks everywhere. to this day, there are no white images in my house. frankly, home is where i come to find peace and get away from them:-)
i don't feel bad about it either. especially, when i visit white people's houses i don't see them with black religious figures and pictures plastered prominently, their images are white unless you count the mammy cookie jars (that they scramble to put away when i make a point of commenting on it and i do:-) when i visit asian people's homes, again no black people. they have asian images. healthy people surround themselves with their image.
i don't worship white people. i refuse to worship white people.
Jesus as i have come to know him is more spirit for me. if i had to assign an image it would be a loc wearing, rich, deep complexioned man or woman. yes, i pray to MotherFatherGod in the name of Jesus. it works for me.
i don't profess to know anything other than my truth as it is revealed to me. i am always learning.
i know for sure that i moved to los angeles and had a life altering experience when Jesus and i met. i mean really met in a way that resonated with me. he occupies the throne of my heart and has gifted me with the Holy Spirit that guides me.
i am thankful that i was not taught to worship the famous white guy---i am not sure where i would be.
i have not blogged about religion. i have not been led to do so just yet.
blessings!
fousedpurpose
Villager-
thanks for stopping in. i am glad that you feel the challenge and pray that we will rise as black women and men to meet our individual and collective challenges.
we have to lose exactly what we have to gain---our lives. (i like to ask myself what's the worst thing that can happen for most any situation, it usually comes back to that:-)
thanks for visiting. you are welcome anytime.
Keep on speaking the truth. I love your blog. You are refreshingly unapologetic in your love for black people. Thanks for saying what needs to be said. God Bless.
Anonymous-
thank you. i will continue to speak, walk and act according to the truth as i realize it. i have no real choice as i see it. come and visit again. you are always welcome.
blessings!
focusedpurpose
that was so well said, i miss him too, and try to live intellectual as he did, but i fail miserably but keep trying
welcome torrance-
thanks for stopping in. thank you for your kind words. i appreciate it and am humbled.
i visit you often and am inspired by how well written and researched your blog is. i am an unabashed wikipedia girl!
i follow the paths that you lay out and have had a truth sharing blast as a result:-) mr incogman is hilarious, to put it mildly! thanks!
keep exercising that Malcolm X muscle. black women need the support of conscious, fearless, outspoken, black men of action desperately, to have our backs as we move forward powerfully to r-claim our birthrights.
blessings to you and yours!
focusedpurpose
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