Ok, so just a random rant that I thought would be willing to share. Topic: As a people, we're dumb... Reason (For this particular post): Space exploration....
Now don't get me wrong, I am all for space exploration to a certain point. The universe -or multiverses, if you believe in that type of thing, which is actually a pretty crazy concept, but I digress- is beautiful and full of insane phenomena that we should explore, to a certain extent. My problem? Spending hundreds of millions/billions of dollars to create satellites and fund different programs in order to search for a planet that's habitable.
I was talking to a good friend about something like this, and she said, "What do you think life forms would be like from other planets? Do you think they'll be smarter than us?" My reply, "Yeah, they'll be smarter because they won't exhaust all of their resources destroying their planet and searching for another one that's somewhat close, but still inhabitable for their species."
So my thought for the morning, what if we took all of the money that we spent on satellites searching for "the next Earth" and start working on the real deal first? Because at this point the highest ESI (Earth Similarity Index - something that compares planets to Earth) is like .84... and it's like hundreds of light-years away... And even though it's really cool that we keep finding these types of planets, (nah foreal though, it's cool as shit; there's like 4 or 5 planets that are over .80 which is wild, digress) it's damn sure not going to happen where we find a planet that is 100% in our universe. So let's take that billions of dollars that we're discovering the heavens with and use it to make our world a little more habitable. You know, purify some rivers, save some wildlife, not have people dying of hunger across the world or depending on corporations for every single need, etc.
As a human race, we need to start working on our planet because at the rate we're going, there's not many generations left that'll actually have actual beautiful places on Earth to cherish. They're slowly being destroyed by us, while we look outward instead of focusing internally...
Just my thoughts.
Marcus J
Friday, June 27, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Which Seems More Achievable?
What's good people? New day, new post, same thoughts that came from a random occurrance in my life lol. If this is your first time reading the blog, Welcome. I hope what you read can spark some thoughts for you. If you're reading because you've somehow become interested with how I think, welcome back. Either way I appreciate the love.
SO today, the thought came from a dinner with one of my friends at a Golden Corral. Seems simple right? Check out where it goes though... lol
So we're at Golden Corral, chillin and eating the mounds of food that an all-you-can eat buffet affords for its customers and my mind goes back to my childhood instantly. When I was a kid, every holiday would be spent at Golden Corral. Birthdays, Celebrations, sometimes even holidays such as Easter if no one wanted to cook, but it seemed like we were always at Golden Corral. So the thing that got me thinking was the steak, of all things. I thought about how, when I was a kid, the best steak would come from Golden Corral. (Sidenote: These are all of my personal opinions on any restaurant metioned, I represent no one and have a right to my personal opinion... Don't need any lawsuits coming my way... lol) But, anyways, I loved Golden Corral food, man, it was always on point. Unparalleled to me. Except for Ryan's sometimes, because their mashed potatoes were crazy good, but I digress.
SO I start thinking about the conference I had just got back from, and all of the different things I've experienced since I've left for college. The wealth that some people have, the upbringing of some people, the experiences and my mind has a field day. What was my main thought? My neice's grandfathers. I'll explain why. And this is how I think about many things so pay attention.
Thinking back to my childhood, my dad was always the big dog, man. We went to Golden Corral and he would eat 3 plates of the steak, extra satisfied with every one, maybe a slight comment of how it was cooked but always content with the steak. (I'm assuming you got the fact that my dad is one of my neice's grandfathers and then her other one will also be mentioned.) We never even noticed how low quality the food was. Either because my parents were always satisfied or because we didn't know higher quality, the food was majestic in our (me and my siblings) minds right?
Then, I thought about the other grandfather. And I'm not using any names, just to make it easy for me. But this guy is ballin, right? It seems everytime I see him, he wants to go to the most expensive steak house around. On top of that he always pays for everyone, $50/$60 meals for the whole table... "You wanna beer too?" If you know me you already know my response, lol. But thinking about him in contrast to my father, it was crazy. He's the type to get the steak and if it's not perfect he might have a nice talk with the waiter and request another one (Which makes complete sense if you're ordering a $50 piece of meat). Now, if you are unaware, the steak you get for $50 is a lot different than the steaks which you receive at the golden corral lol. And somehow there's a complete contrast between the two styles. Then, I thought about how my sister's boyfriend has acted once and how we were taught to act. One time we were out to eat and he didn't like something he got so he sent it back, which may not seem like a lot to you all but to me, we were taught never to do that and if we ordered it we better like it. Whatever I'll get back to my point.
But this is how I assume my sister's boyfriend grew up. Not an all-you-can-eat buffet with low quality food that fills you with all this steroid infested food, but with steaks from cows who graized in fields made of the highest quality grass and wheats. (a tad of an exagerration but you get my point, lol) And now, somehow, my neice is the connector between these two types of men, right?
So, I was thinking about this and began to wonder, what makes people satisfied. Clearly there are people who live in poverty who are not well off, but they are happy with their lives. Then there are the kids who parents make tons of money, or the people who make tons of money themselves, and they completely hate their lives and always want more. I know money doesn't automatically equal sanity or a good life, but it definitely takes away the problems of the poor, and that's a shit load of problems.
While thinking of this my mind was racing, really trying to decide what made people the happiest, and if people as a whole could ever be happy at the same time, some type of Utopia, right? Is it possible at all? Or are people naturally not satisfied? And are we headed further and further away from this point of balance? You know, since all of these fuckin reality TV shows depict these fuckin idiots in these big ass houses with their designer clothing and surgeries to make themselves look fake af to have people admire them and directly brainwash half of the nation to sale their morales for money to aspire to be like said fucking idiots and never settle with what they have in material possessions... but I digress.
So my mind led me everywhere, even slept on it last night, then today I woke up and researched the beginnings of the term. Figures Thomas More made it up in England. Thomas More is a G too, King Henry the 8th really did some dirty shit to him, but you can look that story up though. Any ways figuring out all of this stuff about Utopia obviously led me to look stuff up about dystopia as well. And looking at the contrasts in the two along with thinking about the contrasts that I mentioned before I began to think, which of these seems more realistic for society? A utopian society or dystopian society?
So this is all I have been able to think about for the past couple of days, right? Which of these is realistically more attainable? And as optimistic I would like to stay about the human race, I could not even fathom a utopian society. A place where money is the least of people's worries and people only consume what they need and redistribute wealth in order to people who need it. A place where the main concern of the human race is perserving the planet that we inhabit in order for future generations to prosper and grow. (Even the other day some scientist wrote a paper proving that the world is on the verge of the next great extinction, look it up it's crazy as hell) But in thinking about everything that happens in the world today, I could never convince myself that people will ever get it. And even if some do, the false majority will not, and that is what will drive us to the latter.
For those who don't know, a dystopian society is something like The Hunger Games series. A place where the richest have perfect lives, perfect to the point where they're not sure what suffering really is, but behind the scenes is near slave labor. The poor work, starve, die while the rich party, waste and destroy everything, and reap the benefits of old money. And through my thinking, I believe this would be more likely for the world that we live in today.
If you've read my old posts it's evident that I believe in the disconnect between the rich and poor throughout the world, not just in America. I mean shit, affluenza is even a "disease" now that can get you off of murder trials if you were brought up too rich and priveledged... digress. But clearly with the lust of money and material possessions growing at a rapid pace and the appreciation for life and creation dwindling... I'm afraid utopia will never actually even be a thought.
Feel free to disagree with me, but in a world where it's easier to be praised for making a sex tape rather than finding cures for deadly diseases, or put in the spotlight for "twerking" instead of graduating I believe that our society is headed for a modern day Dark Age that will only lead to death and destruction...
I do, however, believe that someday, that will most likely not be in our lifetime, people will snap and be enlightened and recognize that every breathing thing in this universe is connected through something more powerful than anyone can comprehend. There will be a time when people aren't separated by religion because they understand there is no religion, simply because the human mind can't fathom the works of God. We won't be seperated by language or race because people will finally understand that we are all beings that come from the Almighty, and to hate anyone is equivalent to hating your souls reflection in someone else. We'll stop stripping the land for everything it has because, whenever it will be, we will recognize that everything on this planet breathes and has just as much of a purpose as the richest man on Earth. From the trees in the forest, to the millions of animals killed by moving vehicles, down to the homeless people that people often ridicule, we'll recognize the Godly power in every living thing and somehow make a change...
Until that day, though, we're just going to be remembered in history as the generation that destroyed the planet and led our race to one of the darkest periods in known history...
I believe there is time left to change it, but I also doubt people are willing to sacrifice to change it (see my last post)... Hopefully I'm wrong though... I pray that I am, but whatever I'll get out of my hippie mode now haha...
So, as always, feel free to comment, question, rebuttle respectfully... I appreciate any and all feedback... at the end of the day I'm just trying to expand my mind to different perspectives...
As always, these are just my thoughts folks...
Marcus J.
SO today, the thought came from a dinner with one of my friends at a Golden Corral. Seems simple right? Check out where it goes though... lol
So we're at Golden Corral, chillin and eating the mounds of food that an all-you-can eat buffet affords for its customers and my mind goes back to my childhood instantly. When I was a kid, every holiday would be spent at Golden Corral. Birthdays, Celebrations, sometimes even holidays such as Easter if no one wanted to cook, but it seemed like we were always at Golden Corral. So the thing that got me thinking was the steak, of all things. I thought about how, when I was a kid, the best steak would come from Golden Corral. (Sidenote: These are all of my personal opinions on any restaurant metioned, I represent no one and have a right to my personal opinion... Don't need any lawsuits coming my way... lol) But, anyways, I loved Golden Corral food, man, it was always on point. Unparalleled to me. Except for Ryan's sometimes, because their mashed potatoes were crazy good, but I digress.
SO I start thinking about the conference I had just got back from, and all of the different things I've experienced since I've left for college. The wealth that some people have, the upbringing of some people, the experiences and my mind has a field day. What was my main thought? My neice's grandfathers. I'll explain why. And this is how I think about many things so pay attention.
Thinking back to my childhood, my dad was always the big dog, man. We went to Golden Corral and he would eat 3 plates of the steak, extra satisfied with every one, maybe a slight comment of how it was cooked but always content with the steak. (I'm assuming you got the fact that my dad is one of my neice's grandfathers and then her other one will also be mentioned.) We never even noticed how low quality the food was. Either because my parents were always satisfied or because we didn't know higher quality, the food was majestic in our (me and my siblings) minds right?
Then, I thought about the other grandfather. And I'm not using any names, just to make it easy for me. But this guy is ballin, right? It seems everytime I see him, he wants to go to the most expensive steak house around. On top of that he always pays for everyone, $50/$60 meals for the whole table... "You wanna beer too?" If you know me you already know my response, lol. But thinking about him in contrast to my father, it was crazy. He's the type to get the steak and if it's not perfect he might have a nice talk with the waiter and request another one (Which makes complete sense if you're ordering a $50 piece of meat). Now, if you are unaware, the steak you get for $50 is a lot different than the steaks which you receive at the golden corral lol. And somehow there's a complete contrast between the two styles. Then, I thought about how my sister's boyfriend has acted once and how we were taught to act. One time we were out to eat and he didn't like something he got so he sent it back, which may not seem like a lot to you all but to me, we were taught never to do that and if we ordered it we better like it. Whatever I'll get back to my point.
But this is how I assume my sister's boyfriend grew up. Not an all-you-can-eat buffet with low quality food that fills you with all this steroid infested food, but with steaks from cows who graized in fields made of the highest quality grass and wheats. (a tad of an exagerration but you get my point, lol) And now, somehow, my neice is the connector between these two types of men, right?
So, I was thinking about this and began to wonder, what makes people satisfied. Clearly there are people who live in poverty who are not well off, but they are happy with their lives. Then there are the kids who parents make tons of money, or the people who make tons of money themselves, and they completely hate their lives and always want more. I know money doesn't automatically equal sanity or a good life, but it definitely takes away the problems of the poor, and that's a shit load of problems.
While thinking of this my mind was racing, really trying to decide what made people the happiest, and if people as a whole could ever be happy at the same time, some type of Utopia, right? Is it possible at all? Or are people naturally not satisfied? And are we headed further and further away from this point of balance? You know, since all of these fuckin reality TV shows depict these fuckin idiots in these big ass houses with their designer clothing and surgeries to make themselves look fake af to have people admire them and directly brainwash half of the nation to sale their morales for money to aspire to be like said fucking idiots and never settle with what they have in material possessions... but I digress.
So my mind led me everywhere, even slept on it last night, then today I woke up and researched the beginnings of the term. Figures Thomas More made it up in England. Thomas More is a G too, King Henry the 8th really did some dirty shit to him, but you can look that story up though. Any ways figuring out all of this stuff about Utopia obviously led me to look stuff up about dystopia as well. And looking at the contrasts in the two along with thinking about the contrasts that I mentioned before I began to think, which of these seems more realistic for society? A utopian society or dystopian society?
So this is all I have been able to think about for the past couple of days, right? Which of these is realistically more attainable? And as optimistic I would like to stay about the human race, I could not even fathom a utopian society. A place where money is the least of people's worries and people only consume what they need and redistribute wealth in order to people who need it. A place where the main concern of the human race is perserving the planet that we inhabit in order for future generations to prosper and grow. (Even the other day some scientist wrote a paper proving that the world is on the verge of the next great extinction, look it up it's crazy as hell) But in thinking about everything that happens in the world today, I could never convince myself that people will ever get it. And even if some do, the false majority will not, and that is what will drive us to the latter.
For those who don't know, a dystopian society is something like The Hunger Games series. A place where the richest have perfect lives, perfect to the point where they're not sure what suffering really is, but behind the scenes is near slave labor. The poor work, starve, die while the rich party, waste and destroy everything, and reap the benefits of old money. And through my thinking, I believe this would be more likely for the world that we live in today.
If you've read my old posts it's evident that I believe in the disconnect between the rich and poor throughout the world, not just in America. I mean shit, affluenza is even a "disease" now that can get you off of murder trials if you were brought up too rich and priveledged... digress. But clearly with the lust of money and material possessions growing at a rapid pace and the appreciation for life and creation dwindling... I'm afraid utopia will never actually even be a thought.
Feel free to disagree with me, but in a world where it's easier to be praised for making a sex tape rather than finding cures for deadly diseases, or put in the spotlight for "twerking" instead of graduating I believe that our society is headed for a modern day Dark Age that will only lead to death and destruction...
I do, however, believe that someday, that will most likely not be in our lifetime, people will snap and be enlightened and recognize that every breathing thing in this universe is connected through something more powerful than anyone can comprehend. There will be a time when people aren't separated by religion because they understand there is no religion, simply because the human mind can't fathom the works of God. We won't be seperated by language or race because people will finally understand that we are all beings that come from the Almighty, and to hate anyone is equivalent to hating your souls reflection in someone else. We'll stop stripping the land for everything it has because, whenever it will be, we will recognize that everything on this planet breathes and has just as much of a purpose as the richest man on Earth. From the trees in the forest, to the millions of animals killed by moving vehicles, down to the homeless people that people often ridicule, we'll recognize the Godly power in every living thing and somehow make a change...
Until that day, though, we're just going to be remembered in history as the generation that destroyed the planet and led our race to one of the darkest periods in known history...
I believe there is time left to change it, but I also doubt people are willing to sacrifice to change it (see my last post)... Hopefully I'm wrong though... I pray that I am, but whatever I'll get out of my hippie mode now haha...
So, as always, feel free to comment, question, rebuttle respectfully... I appreciate any and all feedback... at the end of the day I'm just trying to expand my mind to different perspectives...
As always, these are just my thoughts folks...
Marcus J.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Marcus J's 50 Year Theory
What's good everybody? As stated in my most recent post, I'm back on my game. Studying history, science, religion, the universe and all it entails, and once again making my opinion and thoughts known to the world.
So I know you see the title and you're probably like, "Oh, so now this nigga makin' theories??" Well, indeed I am. And as always, if you have anything to respectfully say to it, please leave a comment and we can discuss. I respect all open thought as long as it is respectful and well thought out, as all of my posts are.
So some back ground on this new theory that I've been coming up with for the past couple of months. It began as I took a trip to my hometown of Dayton. I'm riding through my neighborhood and it seems that all I see is beat down houses, closed businesses, and men and women who look defeated. Yes, defeated is the only explanation that I could use to describe the looks in their eyes. So I begin thinking, as I usually do, why is life like this for us? (It's my hometown, a neighborhood I've lived in since I was 3 so yes I will be saying us, even though I was blessed to make it out) Haven't any of the people here just stopped and thought about the power that lies in numbers? (I'll have anothe post about the power in numbers so I won't go ham right now)
So through all this thinking I think of all of the research I've done on the Black Inferiority Complex and African-American propoganda and how we are taught to hate ourselves from birth, basically, through the American system. (This is a point where I don't really care about your opinions, this is damn near factual) But the thing is, it's not just blacks. It's whites, hispanics, any type of immigrant who is living in poverty. Well shit, any person living in poverty basically. Whatever.
So this led me to thinking about organizing our communities, right? I thought, "Why do we not just organize as a people and demand changes? Nobody enjoys living like this..." This led me to researching "Social Reforms" and revolutionaries, right? And this was the basis of my theory.
Let's take it back to slavery. There were major slave rebellions like every 30-40 years around the world, but that's because the oppressor was physical and apparent so I will start with the American Civil War. The 1860's, full of steps forward for the USA right? Emmancipation Proclomation in 1863 (not sure about that date, but pretty sure) aboloshing slavery from the Union. Abe Lincoln fuckin' shit up "fighting for blacks" (Even though I believe he was just as racist as the next man, he just might've realized it was morally wrong to OWN another soul... or maybe he started the whole thing trying to get votes from the North and purposefully created a rift in the nation, look up the different theories they're actually crazy.. lol digress though) Point being, the 1860's had many things from American black's to be proud about....... Until the nation began to restructure itself with institutional slavery....
So just like that my theory begins, right? I know I haven't said my theory explicitly but hang in there, you'll figure it out. SOOOO, institutionalized slavery. Make niggas free, but poor as shit and dependent on their rich white slave masters to survive and do the work for what may have been cheaper then the slave trades anyways, right? But TELLING these black people they were free was good enough for them, because they had the HOPE of becoming more than slaves someday.... And this is just speaking for America, all types of bullshit was happening in Africa too and the colonization of the kingdoms and blah blah, but I'll focus on America because I'm not too knowledgeable about the African history...
Well about 50 years passes right? And it seems that a whole generation of people begin to realize.... Hold up... We're still just as dependent on the white men as we were when we were slaves... Now remember, some blacks had already been rich through a lot of things, there was a Upper Black Class, if that's what you want to call it, but the majority of blacks were still dirt poor and dependent on white men's crops and corporations. So, the leader emerges, right?
Man by the name of Marcus Garvey starts an organizaion called the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) and rallies this generation. Does everything for black people, but actually nothing at the same time right? He was just the ultimate visionary. Travels across America and gives speeches to black crowds. Telling them that they are a powerful people and when united they can conquer all. I'm not gonna do a whole history lesson but Marcus Garvey was that nigga man, held it tf down. Unites blacks across the world, starts a newspaper that was published throughout Africa and Europe and plans to unite Negroes across the globe. And WOULD HAVE done it, but this fuck boy named J. Edgar Hoover, "American Hero", starts this project called CointelPro. Remember this for later. Hoover basically implanted agents in the UNIA to disrupt everything and cause the organization to fall to shit, causing it to go bankrupt, all plans to fail, and Marcus Garvey to go to jail and catch a sickness which led to his death. Score 1-0, THE MAN.
Forgot to mention the UNIA was founded in 1914, about 50 years after the end of the American Civil War. So although the UNIA was disrupted in the major plans, it showed the government that minorities could rally together for a cause. They gained small things, you know, a small say in things here and there and it was enough to satisfy that generation because, again, it was more than what they started with. Were they still equal? The WHITE ONLY signs on the doors could dispell that immediatly. That's extra fucked up btw, but I digress.
So what's 1914+50? 1964, right? except it happened a little bit early this time. But although I will talk about the Civil Rights Movement, I don't plan to dwell to much on Dr. King. Mind you he was a fearless leader, who CointelPro also had hands in his assassination, but he was just one man. And he was an older, wiser man. Who I will talk about who came to power to rally the black nation is the Black Panther Party. We all know who the Black Panther Party was, and what they did, but little do people know their ages. They were college students for the most part. Shit, Fred Hampton went to jail when he was like 18/19 and was assassinated when he was only 21. Another operation by the government, but I digress. The Black Panther Party were a group of people, led by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, who were conscious of the opressor against their people, their neighborhoods, their families, right? They were people who saw the nation for what it was and demanded a change. But, like I said this isn't a history lesson.
So, let's jump 50 years from the 1960's, since most progressive black activists groups lost power before the 1970's, thanks again to CointelPro, I'm tellin you man look up the operation it's crazy! Some say it even had Tupac murdered just for the simple fact that he was unifying gangs across the nation with his Thug Life brand, but they got to him before he changed his rap career to revolutionary.. digress again.
So my theory is, that our generation must take our stand against the evils that are taking place in our country. Every 50 years, it has been placed on the generation that was far enough removed to be conscious of the systematic trials that they are placed in. If you are one of the people that think it's not that bad anymore, then you're clearly not who I'm talking to at this point in my life, because you're living in ignorance and I'm sure it's blissful. For those of you who have been stopped and frisked, who have had cops pull guns on you and your friends, who have been recepients of systematic racism in any realm, YES I am talking to you.
And all the signs have been there, man. Trayvon Martin and the disgusting shit white people did after the trial (Reference the black face paint they did for Halloween and thought it was funny) to the uncharted unemployment for black males in this country, or at that matter the unemployment in inner cities in general, or just how America still continues to fight wars over seas looking for more dirty money instead of investing in our communities which are struggling. Man, if you don't see the need for change get out the fuckin way cuz clearly you're blind. I digress.
I know this post is getting long and y'all might be getting tired of it so I'll wrap it up here soon, but just know it is upon our generation to begin making requests. We are living in a generation where kids don't know who Fred Hampton is but they know Chief Keef, they don't know Huey Newton but they damn sure know some fuck nigga off of one of those reality shows. It is our obligation to educate ourselves on the past in order to oragnize the people and begin making changes, because I fear that if something does not happen within the next decade, it might be too late and there is no coming back.
We cannot just let our culture and society slip into a dark ages where niggas are stuck at the bottom of the totem pole, with no ambition and no liberation. We need to realize how dependent we are on the rich white corporation owners and rally against them. So explicitly, I believe, my theory is, that every 50 years there is a shift in the universe as we know it. The oppressed people of the world are able to focus their anger and agression to people other than their own people, and turn it into a progressive movement. We saw it with the Arab Spring, we saw it across the globe, but yet as African-Americans we are still complacent. As lower class Americans we continue to slave to the richest people in America who run the corporations and spend money that could rebuild cities on mansions and speedboats.
It's up to our generation to become aware, and make a change.
Feel free to comment if you would like to discuss anything or have a different, respectful point of view.
As always, these are just my thoughts...
Marcus J.
So I know you see the title and you're probably like, "Oh, so now this nigga makin' theories??" Well, indeed I am. And as always, if you have anything to respectfully say to it, please leave a comment and we can discuss. I respect all open thought as long as it is respectful and well thought out, as all of my posts are.
So some back ground on this new theory that I've been coming up with for the past couple of months. It began as I took a trip to my hometown of Dayton. I'm riding through my neighborhood and it seems that all I see is beat down houses, closed businesses, and men and women who look defeated. Yes, defeated is the only explanation that I could use to describe the looks in their eyes. So I begin thinking, as I usually do, why is life like this for us? (It's my hometown, a neighborhood I've lived in since I was 3 so yes I will be saying us, even though I was blessed to make it out) Haven't any of the people here just stopped and thought about the power that lies in numbers? (I'll have anothe post about the power in numbers so I won't go ham right now)
So through all this thinking I think of all of the research I've done on the Black Inferiority Complex and African-American propoganda and how we are taught to hate ourselves from birth, basically, through the American system. (This is a point where I don't really care about your opinions, this is damn near factual) But the thing is, it's not just blacks. It's whites, hispanics, any type of immigrant who is living in poverty. Well shit, any person living in poverty basically. Whatever.
So this led me to thinking about organizing our communities, right? I thought, "Why do we not just organize as a people and demand changes? Nobody enjoys living like this..." This led me to researching "Social Reforms" and revolutionaries, right? And this was the basis of my theory.
Let's take it back to slavery. There were major slave rebellions like every 30-40 years around the world, but that's because the oppressor was physical and apparent so I will start with the American Civil War. The 1860's, full of steps forward for the USA right? Emmancipation Proclomation in 1863 (not sure about that date, but pretty sure) aboloshing slavery from the Union. Abe Lincoln fuckin' shit up "fighting for blacks" (Even though I believe he was just as racist as the next man, he just might've realized it was morally wrong to OWN another soul... or maybe he started the whole thing trying to get votes from the North and purposefully created a rift in the nation, look up the different theories they're actually crazy.. lol digress though) Point being, the 1860's had many things from American black's to be proud about....... Until the nation began to restructure itself with institutional slavery....
So just like that my theory begins, right? I know I haven't said my theory explicitly but hang in there, you'll figure it out. SOOOO, institutionalized slavery. Make niggas free, but poor as shit and dependent on their rich white slave masters to survive and do the work for what may have been cheaper then the slave trades anyways, right? But TELLING these black people they were free was good enough for them, because they had the HOPE of becoming more than slaves someday.... And this is just speaking for America, all types of bullshit was happening in Africa too and the colonization of the kingdoms and blah blah, but I'll focus on America because I'm not too knowledgeable about the African history...
Well about 50 years passes right? And it seems that a whole generation of people begin to realize.... Hold up... We're still just as dependent on the white men as we were when we were slaves... Now remember, some blacks had already been rich through a lot of things, there was a Upper Black Class, if that's what you want to call it, but the majority of blacks were still dirt poor and dependent on white men's crops and corporations. So, the leader emerges, right?
Man by the name of Marcus Garvey starts an organizaion called the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) and rallies this generation. Does everything for black people, but actually nothing at the same time right? He was just the ultimate visionary. Travels across America and gives speeches to black crowds. Telling them that they are a powerful people and when united they can conquer all. I'm not gonna do a whole history lesson but Marcus Garvey was that nigga man, held it tf down. Unites blacks across the world, starts a newspaper that was published throughout Africa and Europe and plans to unite Negroes across the globe. And WOULD HAVE done it, but this fuck boy named J. Edgar Hoover, "American Hero", starts this project called CointelPro. Remember this for later. Hoover basically implanted agents in the UNIA to disrupt everything and cause the organization to fall to shit, causing it to go bankrupt, all plans to fail, and Marcus Garvey to go to jail and catch a sickness which led to his death. Score 1-0, THE MAN.
Forgot to mention the UNIA was founded in 1914, about 50 years after the end of the American Civil War. So although the UNIA was disrupted in the major plans, it showed the government that minorities could rally together for a cause. They gained small things, you know, a small say in things here and there and it was enough to satisfy that generation because, again, it was more than what they started with. Were they still equal? The WHITE ONLY signs on the doors could dispell that immediatly. That's extra fucked up btw, but I digress.
So what's 1914+50? 1964, right? except it happened a little bit early this time. But although I will talk about the Civil Rights Movement, I don't plan to dwell to much on Dr. King. Mind you he was a fearless leader, who CointelPro also had hands in his assassination, but he was just one man. And he was an older, wiser man. Who I will talk about who came to power to rally the black nation is the Black Panther Party. We all know who the Black Panther Party was, and what they did, but little do people know their ages. They were college students for the most part. Shit, Fred Hampton went to jail when he was like 18/19 and was assassinated when he was only 21. Another operation by the government, but I digress. The Black Panther Party were a group of people, led by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, who were conscious of the opressor against their people, their neighborhoods, their families, right? They were people who saw the nation for what it was and demanded a change. But, like I said this isn't a history lesson.
So, let's jump 50 years from the 1960's, since most progressive black activists groups lost power before the 1970's, thanks again to CointelPro, I'm tellin you man look up the operation it's crazy! Some say it even had Tupac murdered just for the simple fact that he was unifying gangs across the nation with his Thug Life brand, but they got to him before he changed his rap career to revolutionary.. digress again.
So my theory is, that our generation must take our stand against the evils that are taking place in our country. Every 50 years, it has been placed on the generation that was far enough removed to be conscious of the systematic trials that they are placed in. If you are one of the people that think it's not that bad anymore, then you're clearly not who I'm talking to at this point in my life, because you're living in ignorance and I'm sure it's blissful. For those of you who have been stopped and frisked, who have had cops pull guns on you and your friends, who have been recepients of systematic racism in any realm, YES I am talking to you.
And all the signs have been there, man. Trayvon Martin and the disgusting shit white people did after the trial (Reference the black face paint they did for Halloween and thought it was funny) to the uncharted unemployment for black males in this country, or at that matter the unemployment in inner cities in general, or just how America still continues to fight wars over seas looking for more dirty money instead of investing in our communities which are struggling. Man, if you don't see the need for change get out the fuckin way cuz clearly you're blind. I digress.
I know this post is getting long and y'all might be getting tired of it so I'll wrap it up here soon, but just know it is upon our generation to begin making requests. We are living in a generation where kids don't know who Fred Hampton is but they know Chief Keef, they don't know Huey Newton but they damn sure know some fuck nigga off of one of those reality shows. It is our obligation to educate ourselves on the past in order to oragnize the people and begin making changes, because I fear that if something does not happen within the next decade, it might be too late and there is no coming back.
We cannot just let our culture and society slip into a dark ages where niggas are stuck at the bottom of the totem pole, with no ambition and no liberation. We need to realize how dependent we are on the rich white corporation owners and rally against them. So explicitly, I believe, my theory is, that every 50 years there is a shift in the universe as we know it. The oppressed people of the world are able to focus their anger and agression to people other than their own people, and turn it into a progressive movement. We saw it with the Arab Spring, we saw it across the globe, but yet as African-Americans we are still complacent. As lower class Americans we continue to slave to the richest people in America who run the corporations and spend money that could rebuild cities on mansions and speedboats.
It's up to our generation to become aware, and make a change.
Feel free to comment if you would like to discuss anything or have a different, respectful point of view.
As always, these are just my thoughts...
Marcus J.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)