First, just let them children grow, keep them among you, but don’t put the weight of the world on their shoulders. Immerse Black children into an African community, not just liberation work. Black children loving life is their Liberation work. A happy, healthy, and protected Black child is our liberation work. Let em grow, and they will come to you and request a role when the time is right, you don’t to force the movement on them, or bury them in it.
I’ve met the children of many great Revolutionaries and Scholars who want nothing to do with that “African shit,” or the “Black shit,” because they’ve been under that pressure from day one, and they didn’t organically come to it; they were not cultivated, they felt forced.
My oldest is 13 and he is conscious, Vegan, militant, atheist, pro-Black, Pan-African, anti-materialist, etc, etc, etc, but he has his own version of all of that, I didn’t many any demands or push anything on him; I guided and supported. He went through his Spiderman, and Ninja Turtles, he still loves the XboX and those damn Japanese Monster Card thingys, what ever that fuck that dumb shit is. He listens to Future, and my old John Henrik Clarke lectures. He’s been immersed in society while being grounded in his culture with a powerful support bases. He takes it from there. I didn’t set out to make a Revolutionary, that’s not how it’s done.
So, just focus on their overall development, bring them to the garden, let them play sports, let them get into the dumbshit kids like to get into and make sure you set the examples. Your children are watching you, and that’s the best way to guide them; allow them to freely follow, don’t try to drag them along.
I knew a Conscious dude who banned his kids from “White media,” and they were obsessed with White media. I see this kinda shit all over the Conscious Community; we can relax a little and have more trust in our children.
But hey, I’ve never striven to be a perfect or good parent, I’m so comfortable with parental mediocrity, I’m probably the worst person to ask about child rearing. I always tell parents to just relax and lay off. LoL! I think Childcentricity is unhealthy for children and societies.
Now that I’m done giving bad advice, allow me to give some good advice.
Daily Steps to improve the State of the Black Community (I’ll give just ten, cuz a real list could easily go into the hundreds, but I’m sure I’m already eating into you busy day, you being a parent and all.)
- Collectivize: Find like minded Africans in your area and pool your time, talents, resources, and agendas. Help each other on yall individual shit, then come up with a common agenda or project like a cooperative bookstore, cafe, not-for-profit, after school program etc. This is like a Revolution and Statecraft training ground for more ambitions actions. As you build trust and cooperative skills and techniques, you can mobilize for bigger project, and to take control of the local economy, infrastructure, and politics. Then you go regional, then Global.
- Health & Fitness: You have to build up and sustain your health and fitness, I suggest adopting a Vegan diet and a sustainable lifestyle. This work is stressful and very taxing on the mind and body. Also, we need to keep concerned, conscious, and engaged Black folks around for as long as possible. So eat right and exercise, and make sure those in your circle do so as well.
- Ownership: If you own your home, then begin to work on owning commercial property in your area, if you don’t own your home, build up your FICA, and work towards buying property in the Black community. If your Conscious circle is strong enough, buy the property as collective and hold it that way. Then instruct others in the Hood to do the same. I’m a Revolutionary Socialist and I hate saying this because I deplore land and private property ownership, but it’s a game we gotta play at this stage.
- Engage & Radicalize: If you are a member of a Church, Frat, or any organization rooted or operating in the hood, stay active, and inject a more Pan-African agenda into it. Move your organization to the Left and push for more viable and practical plans and policies within the organization. How aggressively you can do this will depend on the organization you are a part of be cunning, and focus on the long-game.
- Arm Yourself: Train with your weapons, and keep them secure and accessible. Encourage others to do the same. On GP.
- Study, Research, Educate: Form a study group, bring Pan-African scholars to town, organize a book club, produce a blog or podcast or some shit, gain info and spread info. We have to fight for the minds of our people as aggressively as we fight for Liberation and our Resources. Create and support the Intellectual Culture in your community. .
- MUCR (Maximum Utilization of Community Resources): If there are any unused or under utilized resources in your Hood, then organize to bring that shit on line, grow food in empty lots, hold Vegan cooking classes in the public library meeting rooms (it’s free), clean up parks and field and hold local track meets, or paintball competitions, or water-ballon fights. Push the mantra: “Live In You Community, Not Just In Your Homes!” When we are out and about in our Hoods, it build trust and connections, then you have fertile ground for Pan-African organization.
- Bike and use Public Transit: When it’s possible.
- Register to Vote: I know I’m sounding like some kinda Integrationist, but local politics are very important, you have to engage on the local policy level. Even if you go 3rd Party, you have to engage your local politics and politicians; it’s more important than National Elections. Even if you never vote, you want that card when you walk into City Hall, the Alderman’s office, or call about a pot hole or overflowing trash cans on the block. We taking tactics and strategies here, not about the vote being our salvation.
- Avoid Petty Beefs and Conflicts: You gonna create enemies but only fight when there’s something to be gained, only fight those with power, cuz it’s a waste of time to fight those without power, even if you win you gain nothing. This is warfare we talking, the dysfunction of the Black community generate power and profit for our enemies and oppressor, so if you try to fix our issue, you will create enemies; that’s why it’s important to have allies, and to know when to fight and when to leave muthafuckas alone and carry on with your agendas.
I feel like this list is inadequate, but I hope it’s a good start, there’s so much more to say; check out Oba T’Shaka’s The Art of Leadership (vols 1 & 2), and Amos Wilson’s, Blue Print for Black Power.
I won’t be offended if you toss my child rearing advice, but I stand by my Black Community Improvement List. LoL!
Forward.
