I must ask (again), to those who see no need, or value in Revolutionary Struggle, or need to establish independent institutions that are counter too, and in direct opposition to the current institutions of the State and Corporate Powers; what is your threshold?
What conditions or occurrences do you imagine would drive you from agreement, and cooperation with the State and Corporate Powers, to act in opposition to them?
What particular thing do you imagine would cause you to question your lifelong plans, and your dreams for your children?
If you take the position that there is nothing that could ever drive you to Revolution, to open or subversive opposition to the current Powers, or to simply seek to divest from the current Way of the World, and attempt to organize a new Way of Being; why?
Is it adherence to a belief that the world will continue as it is no matter what anyone else does? Do you think that the Powers that be are so powerful that no one, or collective can stop or end them? Do you hold to some Religions prophecy that simply instructs you to be good, and wait for powers beyond you, and this world to change or end things?
This is a sincere question, I’d really like to know the answer. I’ve been organizing since I was 14 and I’m almost 40 and in no time in my life have I ever had an abundance of African people who were serious and committed to work with to organize with. Not once. Only 20 or so here, 2 or 4 there. Just small numbers of over worked and under appreciated people is all I’ve even been able to muster.
I know we have the ability to come together in mass numbers for protest, demonstrations, religious, and social gatherings. We spend months planning everything from birthday parties to award ceremonies. We are able to rise to the heights of sports, academia, and even government bureaucracies. We have proven that we can earn, invest, and grow money, but none of that has manifested in Black Power. Black control of any community in this nation, Black control of any fundamental resources or industries within this economy; we don’t even have a controlling interest in music, sports, or Black hair care product production and distribution!!
It seems the (recent) acquisitions of riches (not wealth) for a few of us has only resulted in increased consumption of stuff we don’t really need. It has allow us to rub shoulders with the White Power Elite, but has gained us not real power as a people.
I saw a woman post online that she earned $8,000 in one night doing stripper, jello wrestling in an inflatable tube here in Chicago. Now, if that’s how people are entertained, fine; but what about the rest of the week. We make it rain in the club on Fri, then walk through blighted, undeserved, impoverished communities that we don’t own or control for the rest of the week. With those kind of numbers (8Gs in one night!) we could drive out every single parasitic business and organization from South Chicago, and build and own all of the institutions we need to nurture and cultivate our children without asking the government or charities for a dime.
I have to wonder, am I doing something wrong? Is there something I don’t see. I see so many Black radicals, Revolutionary, Spiritualist, etc., online and throughout the community, but I do not see those number reflected when it comes to doing the hard, day-to-day work of liberating a people.
I’m well beyond taking such things personal, or attacking the masses of the people for not posing any opposition to the agendas of our oppressors, but I am still curious. Why?
There are those who outright reject Africa, their Africanity, and African Liberation, and even Black Unity. Then we have those who are good people, but are simply content with getting by, and taking care of ‘their own.’ We also have those who profess to know whats going on, but take no piratical or unified action to address the problems they claim to be conscious of, and finally we have those who know what going on, and prefer to do what they want to do instead of what needs to be done. Why?
It is the 50th Anniversary of March On Washington and all of the problems of that era are still with us, most have worsened, and we’ve encountered brand new challenges that weren’t even dreamed of back then; yet we have damn near the same ineffective leaders, and even worse, that same ineffective responses; from marching to protesting to voting.
What’s it gonna take to get YOU to cross the line? To be willing to engage in different behavior, endurance new challenges, to take more responsibility, and embrace greater risk?
If you can’t answer that, please tell me what the hell it is that I’m missing, what I’m doing wrong.
Are we not under a campaign of genocide, are we not losing generations of our youth, are we not living on a planet that is rapidly losing its capacity to support our way of life if not human life in general? Am I crazy, is the need for Revolution just a personal delusion.
As far back as 6 years old I began to see and recognize injustice, by the time I was 14 I was professing to be a Black Revolutionary Socialist, by the time I was twenty I had moved beyond rhetoric and into rational, and pragmatic organizer mode. Now, at almost 40, I look back and see so no real progress in the African Diaspora.
Is it me, perhaps I’m not just not talented enough to do this job. I’m in this to win, total and permanent liberation; not for anything else. If I’m not willing, if I’m not even progressing, then what the hell am I doing?
I take a lot of time to read, research, contemplate, and share info with my Fb and social media community, I hope you’ll reciprocate and give me some answers to my questions.
Forward and Thank You.
