I'm in LOVE...

...That's right, I'm in LOVE.....with bLaCk PeOpLe!!!

"These kids are gettin' worse", sighed a dear friend of mine, as a school bus filled with 'urban' youth yelled obscenities, such as "f%& you nigger (not niggah)!", while throwing pens and paper into his car. My friend said that the way that the word was shouted to him,with a deep,red-neckish,South Georgia twang, by young people of his,our, own ethnicity cut deep and hurt.
Not that I am proud of this, but I often times use the 'n' word in jest when conversing with friends and family. But after hearing and feeling my friends disgust, I started to reconsider my incessant use of the dreaded word. I am starting to connect with the onset of the attempts to abolish the deragotory word.
Speaking of the abolishment of the 'n' word leads to the intended purpose of this post. Rapper David Banner has taken some less than friendly stabs at Black leaders, namely, Oprah, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. He [Banner] is angry at the fact that these key figures in African American culture are speaking out against the verbiage that some hip-hop artists tend to use in thier lyrics. They [Oprah, Jesse and Al] are disgusted with the way that some of the artists are expressing themselves. My friend was frustrated with the 'urban' youth that were taunting him, the urban youth were teasing him for whatever reason. I am upset with the darker skinned woman for being mad at me because the hue of my skin is lighter than hers. I am also annoyed with my 24-year-old, African American co-worker who does not think twice about using the 'n' word in the presence of 'mixed' company...and the list goes on and on.....sound familiar? It does to me...
I credit it all to this one man....Willie Lynch! Lynch's savvy ploy to keep us mentally enslaved worked! We continue to work against each other instead of working together, we continue to internally hate one another because one's skin tone is darker or lighter, because one is older or younger, because one is educated and the other lacks a GED or a Bachelor's degree.
Ok, so I've identified the problem, we all know the problem...Let us work on a solution! Oh Lawd! A solution??? A solution!!! I'm a solution oriented person, but sometimes just the thought of trying to come up with a solution for the state of my people, just gets down right overwhelming. I get angry and hopeless...but I want so much more for us!! However, if we want to improve and have an overall sense of camaraderie, we have to be solution focused.
What can I do?? I can first and foremost identify the true feelings that I harbor within the crevices of my soul about my people. I can take time out to educate a misguided or misinformed soul. I can speak up and speak out about what I would like to see happen and take a proactive stance and DO something. I can offer a word of encouragement and empowerment to my brother or sister when I see them struggling. I can tell that little black girl that she is absolutely gourgeous. I can write a blog, leave a comment or even sing a song!I can do something! But it starts with me!

FIGHT THE POWER! Share the Knowledge! Stop the Cycle!

"I thought this was the most appropriate time for ALL OF US to re-read, remember and NEVER FORGET, the speech given by Willie Lynch a slave owner who over 300 years ago devised a plan to help keep Black people divided..."

GENTLEMAN:
I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First I shall thank you, the Gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies where I have experimented with some of the newest and still the oldest methods for control of slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King James, whose bible we cherish, I saw enough to know that your program is not unique. While Rome used cords of wood as crosses for standing human bodies along the old highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasion.
I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree a couple of miles back. You are not only losing valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed, gentlemen...you know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them.
In my bag here, I have a fool-proof method for controlling your black slaves. I guarantee everyone of you that if installed correctly it will control the slaves for at least 300 years. My method is simple, any member of your family or any overseer can use it.
I have outlined a number of differences among the slaves, and I take these differences and make them bigger. I use fear, distrust, and envy for control purposes. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies, and it will work throughout the South. Take this simple little test of differences and think about them. On the top of my list is "Age", but it is there because it only starts with an "A"; the second is "Color" or shade; there is intelligence, size, sex, size of plantations, attitude of owners, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, East, West, North, South, have fine or coarse hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action--but before that, I shall assure you that distrust is stronger than trust, and envy is stronger than adulation, respect, or admiration.
The Black Slave, after receiving this indoctrination, shall carry on and will become self refueling and self generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands.
Don't forget, you must pitch the old Black vs. the young Black male, and the young Black male against the old Black male. You must use the dark skinned slaves vs the light skinned slaves, and the light skinned slaves vs. the dark skinned slaves. You must use the female vs. the male, and the male vs. the female. You must also have your servants and overseers distrust all Blacks, but it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us. They must love, respect, and trust only us.
Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control, use them. Have your wives and children use them. Never miss opportunity. My plan is guaranteed, and the good thing about this plan is that if used intensely for one year, the slaves themselves will remain perpetually distrustful.

"The letter above is one of the major problems of the African-American race today. And with this knowledge we as a race can and will over come. So with this letter still in your mind I ask that you enlighten someone else and send this letter to as many brothers and sisters. We as a race must start somewhere in learning our problems what better place than the document that started the destruction of our MOST POWERFUL RACE!!! "
Power, Peace & Blessings!

seeking

let go
let GOD
don't obsess and don't stress
don't lose sight of GOD and his will, way and purpose for your life
stay focused and motivated
pray and trust
trust and pray
execute faith and hope
pray and trust
let go &let GOD

no time for doubts and fears and insecurities
these things do nothing more than take up time and energy
energy that can be used for something fruitful
seek peace and acceptance and find it...for if you seek you will find!
keep seeking and asking, it will surely come
persistence with prayer, faith and hope are imperative....no matter what the situation is.
even if it appears impossible. nothing is impossible when you seek Divine guidance!

Its so pointless to let the temporary stressors of this world bog us down, especially if there is nothing we can do about it!

Dear GOD,
Please grant me the serenity to accept the things
I cannot change
the courage to change the things
I can
and
the wisdom
to know
the difference
~Amen
~serenity prayer