A panel of respected inmates, differing in age, background and viewpoint, was assembled on Thursday, February 21, 2019, to discuss issues and address questions from the audience on the origin of Black History Month, and the critical state of affairs confronting the Black Community. Within the time frame allotted, this panel fared well. Naturally each panelist felt that he could have done better and perhaps will do so should a future opportunity present itself, but the comments that were made, and the statements and answers given were insightful and thought provoking. One panelist in particular gave a heartfelt account of his encounter with his son, at a time when both were inmates, highlighting as it did an acute dysfunction within the Black Community, that is, the dire state of the Black family. Because, how much more regrettable can it be than for a learned father to have to spend quality time with his son as inmates in prison? But, as this panelist so poignantly brought to the attention of the audience and fellow panelists, his having been the victim of miseducation, and indictment against the inferior education fed to his generation of Black parents, and having to come to prison to be reeducated, his fatherly advice was of little value to his then incarcerated son in terms of keeping him out of prison, and enabling him to benefit from right guidance. With tear-filled eyes, this father gave us just one of many examples of the crippling and seemingly insurmountable afflictions affecting the well-being of the Black Community.
More discussion was wished for regarding the definition of a Black man. Is he to be defined in terms of his skin color, his common link to having been enslaved in America with other Africans, or the content of his character? Thinking as I do that a Black man’s true identity is in the content of his character, what then, should be the “ingredients’ of that character by which he is to be known, or can be identified as a Black man? In other words, or questioned from its opposite angle, can an individual be considered a Black man if he steals, sells drugs, rapes, commits murder or other crimes, regardless of the dark complexion of his skin color, or link with other Africans whose ancestors were also slaves in America?
Likewise, more discussion was wished for on the subject of culture. What is culture? What should culture be? The so-called American Negro, Colored man, Black or African American continues to suffer a nebulous state of thinking regarding a true and concrete definition of “Black Culture.” Is there such a thing as Black Culture, peculiar to African Americans, from which they can draw strength?
Undeniably, Black people in America have been a subjugated people from “jump-street.” Wiggle, squirm and protest, despite it all, they have been unable to free themselves completely from this subjugation, the concerted efforts of white people–commonly referred to as racism–that keeps them under control: psychologically, socially, politically, economically, religiously and “culturally.” Hence, the “culture” that Black Americans have developed, and taken so much pride in striving to maintain is, of a necessity, a subjugated culture. How can it be otherwise?
The development of true and genuine culture requires freedom, the one indispensable component of any authentic, genuine culture that Black people in American have never had. When the Greeks developed their culture, there was no one looking “over their shoulder.” When the Romans built and established their culture, there was no one looking “over their shoulder.” When the Chinese and African developed their cultures, when the Arabs, following the example (leadership) of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) built and established an Islamic culture, and when the American white man built his culture, neither had anyone looking ‘over their shoulder.” Each had the freedom to “be himself, ” to do “as he pleased.”
Not so with Black people here in America. They have never had the freedom to “be themselves,” or “do as they please,” possessing the freedom to develop, build and maintain a truly Black culture from which they could draw strength, especially during stressful times. But, because African Americans are a subjugated people, the development of their “culture” has been controlled, kept weak and ineffective, deceitfully engineered from a source of moral, psychological, social, economical, political and religious strength. Were this not so, there would never have been a movement started, following dreadful displays of public humiliation perpetrated against African Americans, meant to remind America that “Black Lives Matter!” One’s culture, alone, says as much because genuine culture is meant to be a profound statement of a people’s worth and value to humanity. Had the panel’s discussion been more in-depth on this issue of Black Culture, I would have been more pleased with its overall presentation. Perhaps next time!
All in all though, I was pleased to have been asked to be a member of the panel, of this year’s Black History Month presentation of events that are affecting Black people here in America. Unfortunately, however, the term Black History Month (as the term is commonly understood) is a bit misleading, I think, for I suspect that most Caucasian Americans are turned away from what, in reality, is American history, even though the focus, and rightfully so, is on a specific group of Americans. In fact, had this been subject-matter for this year’s presentation, white inmates and staff in the auditorium might have left, having been given a better understanding of their history. Perhaps next year, the organizers of Dixon’s Black History Month’s programming will include in its scheduling of events reasons as to why all Americans should take an interest in what is currently termed Black History Month because it is their history!
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