A Booklet Dedicated to Black Youth
By Brother Tracy Gibson
[This book was culled from
copyrighted source material written by Mr. Tracy Charles Gibson.]
Black youth have been
written about, poked and prodded, pinned to the ground and beaten. This book is
written to lift them up and tell them they are somebody in the true sense
that those words were said by Famed
Civil Rights leader and Humanitarian Doc Martin Luther King, Jr. The White man
has been and is playing a game on us, but we are playing a equally lethal game
on ourselves by not pinpointing our issues as Black People and dealing with
them as honestly and forthrightly as possible in an ongoing, consistent &
holistically African manner. This book
is written in the hope that it will help Black youth the world over take
themselves and their issues more seriously and turn off the tv; listen to Black
intellectuals on You Tube through lectures at Howard University and Lincoln
University (People like Professor Francis Welsling; Doc John Clark & Doc
Ben ; check out movies like ``The Great Debaters’’ and watch the section that
shows How the movie was made; read books
(Write me and I’ll send you a list of pertinent books to read; and selectively
rent movies and videos from the library for free until our Black churches &
Black community can provide the proper private schools for Black youth and stop
pussyfooting with the Jews and others, including Black scholars and Black
Academicians, who really just want a paycheck and don’t care about Black
achievement, Blacks thriving, and Black People prevailing over what issues we
have that have streamed on for years. If
you are between the ages of 12 to 36 and Black please read this book and share
How to get a copy with other Black youth. I didn’t just get on the bandwagon of
helping Black People a few years ago. I was doing this long ago and have
dedicated my life to helping our People. Read on.
WHAT IS MONEY FOR………???
``When money is used
properly it is used to employ & free people, save lives, solve problems,
correct mistakes, purchase necessities, build progressive societies, help
others, & to avert difficulties or help out during catastrophes. It was not
created, in GOD’s mind, I believe, to hoard, exploit others, enslave, oppress,
or corrupt; nor to expand ruthless Dynasties & Empires (We are living in
one), create or trade weaponry, or to hurt and kill people or for violence. ‘’
The Power of Being Black…..And Loving It……
Not enough of us, as Black people, really enjoy or
understand the power and glee of being Black and really relishing in that
fact. The fact of Blackness that cannot
be changed… Not enough of us understand that politically, one of the best
things in the world to be is a Black person, and specifically, a Black
American.
Why do I say this? It has to do with moral and
ethical leverage. We are a people who have historically suffered, but
overcome. Who knew, for example, that
when The Reverend Doc Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4th in
1968 that He would become an international—if not an intergalactic moral and
ethical star—a compass from which other moral and ethical leaders the world
over would be compared to and that King would be LOVed and studied by school
children all over the world. April 4th,
1968 was a sad day and at the time it looked as if we would never survive the
day and get past the riots, let alone flourish and become some of the most
imitated, people on the planet. You might think that other people, especially
some White people really hate us, and some of them do. The haters are a small
minority. Most Whites just don’t understand us and will never see the
importance of understanding… But some of them have tried for generations to do
away with us through starvation, unemployment, lack of economic opportunities
for our small and moderate sized businesses and by putting us on the front
lines of their wars. Yet we have survived and flourished as a people and our
numbers have remained steady. Much of
our strengths has come from what Doctor King has taught us along with hundreds
and thousands of other community leaders and activist, teachers, civic and
community leaders, just plane parents, pastors, doctors, patriots, human rights
leaders, writers, historians, visionaries and others in our community who have
dedicated themselves to the community and our children & youth. Our strengths and resilience has also come
from our sheer ability to read and teach ourselves and each other about the
problems we face and the truth about the insidiousness of the system we work
and live under.
I say we have leverage because we are able to take
our place as we exist in the world today-- including our significant historic
place in history--and pry open the minds of other people—Latin people, Asian
people, curious Whites, Muslims, Arabs and others, and allow them to understand
what importance our existence plays on the world stage. We have ethical leverage that many other people
don’t have. Our past and present
suffering gives Way to us holding the keys to this leverage. It also has to do
with self-love…
What I really wanted to briefly discuss today is
Black love and how we gain so much from loving ourselves and our Black people. When we are proud of another Black person’s
achievements we have a real gift right there in our lap... When we are jealous
we have something deep inside that needs to be dealt with… Chills go up &
down my spine as I write this because this is such a powerful thing that is
right under our noses, and many of us don’t understand the depth and magnitude
of what I’m describing here. There is so
much power in Black love—of one’s self and one’s people. It is a secret weapon that allows us to
create a beautiful colorful prism through which life is seen anew, discovered a
new and lived with new meaning, depth and girth. Being in love with your people, and I mean
just about ALL of your people, is a gift that you can really only give yourself
if you were raised with love in the household, or have read and appreciate
Black people through your own personal experiences. Or like me, you can be filled with so much
self-hatred, anger and self-pity that you experience a series of emotional
upsets & setbacks that require therapy over an extended period. That is largely how I came upon feeling this
love for my people and myself and truly loving what we have achieved and our
great, massive potential as a people.
So, helping build self-love, a love for our people
and respect for other Black people and our achievements is a gift you can give
your children & grandchildren and it is a gift that will last and they will
reap a bountiful harvest from that gift
for generations to come… I hope you will understand the basic importance of
this short article and begin a healing process if you have been deeply hurt by
another Black person. [I was, but I healed from it and learned from it with the
vital help of a therapist over an extended period. I never thought I would get
the benefits I have gotten and they keep coming..] You might need to do some
healing yourself. It may have even been
a parent, an intimate partner, a stranger, a friend, another relative such as
an uncle, aunt, step-parent or grandparent or a brother or sister who hurt,
mistreated and / or abused you. To
really experience life to the fullest you must heal from that pain and move on.
It doesn’t matter if the person who did the abuse is alive or dead. You have to find ways to heal, forgive and
move on… Otherwise you will find it hard to re-direct your life and move your
life in the directions you want to go in.
You will find yourself addicted to food, drugs, money, sex, alcohol or
something else and / or your pain will come out in another way. The gift of healing is a great one and more
of us as Black people need to understand this gift and share it with other
Black people... When you have started on this healing path, you will find
yourself able to talk more frankly and honestly with other Black people and tell
them how you really feel. You will not
mask your feelings with too much marijuana or drink, blow, crack or cocaine—you
will be able to have more open and honest relationships with your family
members, loved ones and that someone special will appear or reappear in your
life and you will have that long term relationship you have always wanted, but
never understood why you couldn’t have. You will have it. I don’t care if you
are five or fifty five; ten or one hundred and ten; it is never too late to
start the healing process. If you don’t
have the money for therapy or have bought into the silly prejudgments and
stigma about therapy, don’t let that stop you.
You can also just find your way to the self-help section of the library
or the book store and let yourself go with abandon. This is a fine way to begin
the healing process. That thing that is
like a 900 pound bear in your life that you don’t understand or can’t talk
about—start right there. You know what it is. If you can’t put your finger on
it try talking to someone you trust and love like a trusted aunt of uncle or
pastor. You will be giving yourself the
gift of love, purpose, wholeness, solitude, peace, self-worth and more stabile
thinking for the rest of your life. The
decisions you make will be clearer, more forthright and more level headed. You will also think in reality and not
fantasy like so many of us do. You will
find yourself becoming a leader instead of a follower. Your opinions will be
sought after and you will insist on living in a cleaner environment and you
will enjoy surrounding yourself with people who are about something positive
and forward moving instead of people who will be unnecessarily critical,
unconstructive in their criticism, negative and who want to hold you back. You
will burn new paths in life instead of follow others like a lost sheep. Just
start by selecting one of the books from my booklist about healing and helping
the world to be a better place. In no
time you will find yourself turning off the TV and reading book after book
after book. Remember I love you and I want to help. I want the best for my
valued Brothers and Sisters. Write me
at: BrotherTracy11@Gmail.Com and I’ll send you the book list. You can even call
me at 1 215 921 2065 and I will get right back to you. I will show you a whole new world of healing,
growth and financial prosperity that you never knew was just around the corner,
just across the street or just around the bend in life…. I want you to love yourself and our
people. It is a gift that keeps on
giving forever…..
Visit Africa…
Take a journey to the Mother Land. Go with some
familiar friends or a tour group or a study group. Whatever makes you feel comfortable? When you come back and have seen her beauty
you may not want to dress and act like a White woman any longer and straighten
your hair or shop at Bergdorf Goodman’s any longer. If you are a Black male,
you might begin to see the shallowness of NFL Football and your desire to buy
that BMW or that Mercedes Benz. . .You will look at Africa in a whole new Way…
You will look at yourself in a whole new Way…
I’ve only been there once, but I plan to go
again. I went to attend the U.N.
sponsored World Conference Against Racism in 2001 in Durbin, South Africa. Next
time I want to visit Cape Town and Western Africa. After studying Black studies in college and
reading extensively about Black people and Africa I was NOT prepared for the
trip. I still expected to find elephants
walking through villages of ``primitive’’ people--not tall buildings, modern
settings, highways & modern automobiles.
I had let the stereotypes fill my head and my reality—blocking out the
truth before I ever experienced it in the flesh.
I have to admit that Durbin and South Africa in
general are not necessarily typical of the rest of Africa. There is more Western influence and more
development in South Africa. But much of
the so-called Dark Continent IS full of development, western oriented
development due to the vast and imperfect influence of the colonization &
enslavement process and the struggles of African people surrounding
colonization and the impact of slavery. There is also African influenced
housing and people dressed in shirts and ties and other Western dress. (Many
people also wear African clothing on the continent.) Africa is, however, also full of dance, love,
laughter, HISTORY and joy, and achievers, doers, believers, builders, scholars,
leaders, progressive thinkers—and African people with a darker hue than we are
used to in North America’s Black communities.
Even our Blackest communities here in North America do not have so many
dark people as over there. . . Africa is
a celebration in the beauty of darkness & dark achievement!! If you go
there, go to be endarkened, not just to be enlightened about the scars of
Africa so often portrayed on TV. So let me endarken you a little bit further!!
I spoke with a cab driver from the Ivory Cost of West
Africa recently and he said Africa is ``NOT ready’’ for any real unity at this
point. He went on to say that the
influence of the ``White man’’ is too great and that Blacks are still pitted
against each other and will never achieve a united front and real unity because
of this.
There are some events in the world that would refute
what this good Brother said. There is an organization called the African Union
(Check out www.African-Union.org and you will discover their works, goals and
their mission) that is pressing for more and more unity among African nations
and African peoples and more respect and assistance for the African continent
& its’ people. There are many, many
African Americans who love being African and having African roots, natural
hair, dark skin, wide noses, thick lips and who want to or have traveled to the
Mother Land many times to discover Her beauty and to help the people of Africa
in what ever Way they can. They travel for business & pleasure, to build
roads and wells, but always come away with a greater, more defined sense of
themselves and their history as African people.
My trip in 2001 lasted about 10 to 14 days and was
filled with excitement, joy and discovery.
I not only learned about the deep impact that real & lasting racism
has had on African people, but that it has also had a very bad and regressive
impact on the rest of the world as well.
One thing I learned was to not fear or feel controlled by White
people. This is important because part
of the mantra of most White institutions is to instill fear and make people
feel they are controlled so economic plunder, social devastation and war must continue.
It will not continue. When people feel
there is no hope—when they see Africans acting corruptly; when they see Civil
Wars that never seem to end; when they see AIDS and HIV out of control; when
they see starving babies with flies on them and swollen bellies; when they see
other people turning their backs and a blind eye on Africa and African
issues—they lose hope and embrace fear, repugnance and their own
oppression. That is how we remain a down
trodden people. But Marcus Garvey, a Native Jamaican said, ``Lift ye Up You
Mighty Race.’’ As you may have noticed,
these are exactly the images of Africa we see on major TV in North America.
(All the negative ones I mentioned here).
There are many other images of what is African. How come the cameras miss our achievements and
the great things in Africa? There is great achievement every day.
I ask you to take time and money to discover or
re-discover Africa for yourself.
Discover that there are women in Nigeria fighting against the Big Oil
companies like Texaco which takes all the oil wealth and gives the people
nothing. Discover that there are people like Winnie Mandela and Nelson Mandela
(of South Africa) all throughout Africa who want to see a brighter decency for
Africans. There are people all over
Africa, in every country, who have
struggled and spent their entire lives working towards peace, love, economic
prosperity & economic parity, real justice, real freedom (not the fake
American brand), and the general betterment of African people and all people
concerned with the Mother Land. Discover
that there are African artists such as Yinka Shonibare, of British-Nigerian
extraction, who are getting recognized around the world for their ingenuity,
talent, intellect, spirit, and craftsmanship and who have contributed greatly
to the entire school of thought of World Artistry and who have made a great
impact on the art world... Discover the
great, vibrant and buoyant music and dance of Africa through doing a little
research: Google ``African Musicians
Profiles’’ and look under profiles.
There are quite a few African Musicians there and I guarantee their
music will give you a different flavor and a different stride in your step….
Discover the dance of the Youssouf Koumbassa Dance Company and you will find
that in much of Sub-Sarah Africa, music and dance are part and parcel of the
cultures—people don’t just go to a dance concert or a music concert for
entertainment—it is a part of almost everything that happens. Music and dance are in the cultural
ceremonies, the everyday life and everything in between.... Discover that there are people in the U.S.
who have gone to Africa to actually build wells and homes and schools and that
you too can help them do this. Discover
the exquisite beauty & flavor of Lake Victoria & Madagascar, (The real beauty not the Disney film
fantasy). Discover the vistas of the countryside & the bustling cities and
the wonderful, vibrant, intelligent, & sometimes struggling people of
Accra, Ghana; Cape Town, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Harare, Zimbabwe; Cairo,
Egypt and Bamako, Mali. Discover that getting off one’s duff and actually
traveling to a place can bring about a drastically different outlook that
reflects the gritty reality not the media version. This can never be stolen
from you once you have stumbled upon it. Discover Africa in ALL its majesty,
greatness, grace & mystery!! And by the way, don’t forget to discover the
foods of Africa!!.. You will see how
limited our thinking in the West is about food and how different is sometimes
better and more healthy!! A visit will blow real life into the myths and flesh
out what you have heard with what is the reality!!
You never know who you will meet or almost meet in
Africa. When I was in Durban, South
Africa, I almost met activist Angela Davis, the Black Activist from California
who went through such turmoil in the 1970’s.
She was about a block away from me and I was about to go up and meet Her
when someone distracted me and wanted something and before I knew it she was
gone. I also missed out on hearing and meeting Jesse Jackson and Fidel
Castro—but I know of these great men’s work and dedication to the cause of real
justice and freedom for the world’s oppressed peoples. So, when you go to
Africa you can look for the stars in the sky (They seems to shine brighter in
Africa) and on the ground (there are African celebrities & stars you
know—such as Djimon Hounsou who was born in Cotonou, Benin and who went on to
star in American films such as ``Amistad’’ (1997); and ``Beauty Shop’’ (2005)
also. You never know who you might meet
or not meet, but you will never know--unless you go!!!
In the Meantime, if you can’t go to Africa for
financial reasons or because of time constraints, there are probably
African-centered cultural events in or near your neighborhood that can give you
some of the spice, feeling and flavor of Africa right in your own
backyard. One such event was that put on
by Crossroads Music of West Philadelphia. The event was held in March of 2010
and was put on at the Calvary United Methodist Church at 48th and Baltimore
Avenue. The church has long been a
stronghold for progressive causes and movements in Philadelphia. This night in March found Crossroads Music
featuring Liberian Music, Dance & Storytelling to a lively crowd of
onlookers and supporters. Among the
featured guest artist was storyteller and program host Gbahtuo Comgbaye who
told a tail of a young boy who got in trouble with slave dealers. Some of the
singers included Fatu Gayflor and Zaye Tete.
The evening included male African drummers vibrantly dressed in Black
& White costumes and much dancing and merriment. Short of a trip to Africa to see the real thing,
this program, supported by grants from the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and the Samuel
S. Fels Fund, was wonderful fit for children and adults alike who were seeking
something different and ethnically cultural for the evening…
Solution: Go to Africa and
see for yourself not only the people struggling, but the majestic beauty of the
countries; the ethnic dance; the fantastic food; the sky scrapers; and the
movement, everyday, towards a more free and democratic continent. There are
tour groups such as www.africangenesis2.org
(A Black Youth-Travel Organization) & www.GlobalExchange.org (A racially mixed, but very progressive
organization). They will take you to the
parts of Africa that have historically worked towards liberation or have other
cultural, historical and or aesthetic and ethnic traditions & significance
& events that you will find interesting & informative. (There are also
many other Black tour groups and touring agencies that travel to Africa quite
frequently. Or who can construct a special tour for you personally or for your
group. One such agency is Palace Travel at 53rd and Chestnut in West
Philadelphia). Another is Umoja Tours at (215) 849.5957. There are the parts of Africa and the
history of Africa that the stories of swollen stomachs on African babies and
the stories of famine DON’T begin to tell.
There is another side to the whole story you might be missing if you
haven’t gone to see for yourself. .. I
have to be honest and also say that there are parts of Africa that are unsafe
to travel in like the Congo because these parts of the Continent are under
Civil strife, war and such. Much of this
strife can be traced back to colonialism, slavery, White Supremacy and other
White-led degradations....
Hatred & Homophobia Hurts Us ALL!!!
By Brother Tracy Gibson…
I just wanted to weigh in on the horrible comments
that the gentleman from Arkansas—a School Board Vice President—made about the
sad cases of teen & youth suicide, as a result of homophobic bullying, we
have all read & heard about lately.
I know how hard it is, but I think and feel the Father
of one of the youths who took his own life had the right idea and
attitude. He forgave the man & hoped
that one day he would know what it’s like to be a true, loving, forgiving and
faithful Christian and have a heart full of love & peace—not a heart full
of hatred, resentment & demoralizing anguish concerning the gay community
and gay & lesbian people.
All the youths that died have shown us that there is
a real problem in America. A problem
with facing the truth about the hatred, discrimination & second-class
citizenship that faces our gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgendered
citizens—including youth.
The President of our country was courageous &
intelligent enough to make it clear that he considers being a homosexual a
natural proclivity—not a choice people make. He made his comments on a youth
program sponsored by MTV and BET. This is something that homophobic people like
many of the Tea Party members will never realize and face with honesty. When we all realize this, we will be better
off. We all need to understand how
hatred happens & we need to understand that the root of the swing to the
right our country is experiencing right now is based on hatred, racism, fear,
homophobia, xenophobia and unwarranted & extremely negative feelings about the changes that need to take
place in our country. We must successfully
bring move into the 21st Century.
Holding our heads in the sands of fear and intolerance will no longer
do. Very little of the Tea Party’s agenda and banner is based on reaching out
with love, kindness and understanding.
The Tea Party needs to be soundly defeated on
November 3rd in the spirit of all those deceased children and all gay &
lesbian people who have to live through hatred, fear, retribution,
discrimination and negativity just to make their way every day in our country.
Let’s all have an open heart and an open mind as we
start a New Year in just a few months and start with forgiveness towards the
confused and angry gentleman who made the terrible comments & statements on
Face Book recently. Let’s all Pray that
if he does lose his job, that he find a new one, even in a job market--such as
it is--in North America today.
Forgiveness is a very healing emotion, but to truly forgive sometimes is
not easy. The country needs a healing.
There is Something Sad About Being Gay…
I know about all the efforts at building self-esteem,
creating gay pride and trying to build self-respect from within the Gay and
Black gay community. Still, however, there is something sad about being the
other, the left out one, the different one, the castigated one, the odd one,
the queer and the kook who likes to make love to the same sex.
People who are heterosexual and White have very
little idea, generally speaking, about what it’s like to be the other. No matter how hard we fight it, or deny it,
or live on the down low or drown the agony in wine, beer, hard liquor or
prescription medicines or illegal drugs—there is something deeply sad about
being a homosexual. Even as we try to
make other people understand or feel empathy or ``relate’’ or feel our pain—it
is pain non-the-less. I think being a
good human and trying to help others is one way of cooling and easing the pain. That is one reason why I have dedicated myself
to social justice work. It is not as
easy as just standing up and saying I’m no longer going to be this one
day. That is like saying I’m no longer
going to be male or Black. It is
clothing that doesn’t just come off…
Liberty vs. Liberation…
By
Brother Tracy Gibson
Most White folk love & believe in
Liberty. It represents, in their minds,
the sustained & established order of White power; it represents what the
so-called ``founding fathers’’ (Who were just about all wealthy, White slave
owners & land owners) wanted; it is what they fight for when they go off to
war to kill the ``Japs’’ ``Gooks’’ & the ``Sand Niggers’’ or ``Rag Heads’’;
it is their White women & their White TV & their White movie culture;
it is what exists now--``Their’’ Liberty. It is NOT what most Black people are
after…
Most Black people don’t relate to such a
concept. Black people want ``Liberation.’’ We want positive, progressive
change; we want the Established Order (of Liberty) to move the Hell out of the
way and we want to establish a new order of progressive, positive and proactive
thinkers and doers that includes plenty of people of color & Black people
in leadership positions. There are some Whites who understand this and want to
be a part of what we want also. They are
our allies and should not be discounted or ignored, but enlisted in this
struggle for Liberation. Black people
also want full employment so no one has to go year after year without a
well-paying job with benefits. We want to pursue the American vision and make
this a reality. We also want an end to putting people in jail for minor crimes,
including minor drug violations. We
insist on alternative sentencing such as community service instead. We want an end to war and an end to the
concept of war being considered a state of normalcy. War is a state of abnormality and is
unsustainable over the long duration. It
defeated the Roman Empire and it will eventually defeat the American Empire as
well. (Unless we quickly change course, but we are NOT doing that). We want Liberation from war. When we as a people wake up, we will realize
this. We can’t expect White people to tell us this. We have to tell ourselves this truth &
this reality. I am just one voice of many. We also want our politicians to be
active & more responsive to the people’s needs—especially their economic
needs. We want more information and more proactive & less frivolous use of
media, especially TV and Movies. But most of all Black people want self
determination, economic control of our own communities and access to the halls
& offices of Power. We are tired of the Established White Order forcing us
to live in poverty & we are tired of being considered human only long
enough for them to take our money—if that long.
We want Capital to create our own power
bases & our own economic clout.
(This time we will not let your burn it down like you did the Black Wall
Street decades ago). We want to have the
right and freedom to assemble, but not so much to be assembled by the White
elite Power structure in the U.S. prison system. We want to freely assemble and determine our
own destiny. We want successful Black businesses & the Capital to make them
have sustained longevity over the duration.
We want something to leave our children & our grandchildren far into
the future so they won’t have to start from scratch like so many of us have had
to do….
This may sound like what White people
want, but most White people already have some or most of these things, but at a
Big Cost to us as Black people. There is
the rub—the place where their Liberty rubs up against our Liberation. This is
where the real friction (& fireworks) starts—the real action. Sometimes
this means one race against the other.
The friction is only going to get wore as the economy gets worse and we
can’t find work. Some Whites can’t find
work either, but the jobs are going to and have always gone to the Whites
first. In some ways, because of this
rub, liberty is totally different from Liberation. Whites crave to maintain
this ``LIBERTY’’ over us as we seek ``LIBERATION’’ from their tutelage &
domination. Liberation sometimes flies
in the face of White Liberty & the ``Founding Father’s’’ often useless
& outdated conceptions of what the country should be. Many Black intellectuals & Black thinkers
feel that the Founding Father’s ideas were NEVER put fully into play because
Blacks were NOT even considered fully human in the U.S. during the 1770’s -- when our Nation was founded. (Reportedly,
Samuel Adams—also a Founding Father--was against slavery and lived the life of
a pulpier until he was financially helped by his fellow compatriots.) If this is
true, he is the exception, not the rule…
The two concepts—which are different
parts of the same root word Liberty—are as different as night & day &
Black & White. But they are related and similar also. I know that sounds
confusing, but read on…
Liberation means a deep-rooted & long
lasting change in the Established Order & the established system of
liberty. It may mean throwing off a great deal of what we have come to think of
as LIBERTY!! Liberty means the retention and continued reign of the Established
Order of White Supremacy; hegemony; CIA & other covert funding for corrupt
governments in Third World & developing Nations around the world; expansion
of U.S. mercenary activities; free reign of the corrupting influences of Right
Wing & Established Order money & its’ power within the existing
corporate structure. All that is ``implied’’ in the word Liberty.. It also
means retention of other structured and existing modalities that take away from
Black Liberation such as Right Wing think tanks & Right Wing lobbying
organizations which interject their concepts & ideas into the Main Stream
of American political thought & discourse.
There are few such modalities among progressives, liberals and people
who talk about Liberation—but there will be more in the future. This is why you
see many, many more conservative talk show hosts on TV on Sunday and on the
radio than you see people like Dr. Cornell West or Dr. Charles Ogaltree or Dr.
Claud Anderson or writer/lecturer bell hooks or Professor Lynn Washington on TV
or on the radio in dominate positions espousing their views about the
liberation of Black people or talking about what they see as solutions for the
world.......
Our proposed ``LIBERATION’’ often flies
in the face of their ``Liberty’’.
Something is wrong here. We
should all be fighting for the same thing, but we are not. This needs to be
made clear by our teachers and our educational systems and the media. That clarity will be forthcoming, but
``they’’ will come to these conclusions kicking and screaming while we, as
progressive-thinking Black people, will welcome such truth.
It is my hope that this proves that there
is a vast & different concept involved in the way most White People &
most Black people think and deal with reality.
We long for Liberation while they, Whites,--for the most part--continue
to crush those hopes & dreams with their concept of Liberty. This is a basic conflict that reaches back
throughout the beginning of the country of the United States and is at the crux
of the Civil War and the Civil Rights struggles also. It is also at the crux of
Black and other people of color’s struggle for economic rights, human rights,
human dignity and some reasonable sort of economic parity… Can the continuation
of their Liberty deal with the introduction of our Liberation? This is an age-old question. Perhaps only
time will tell. One thing is for
sure. Our Liberation is a growing,
living and forward moving phenomenon that is gathering momentum and picking up
support every day, even as they put smoke screens such as President Obama &
much of what he is doing in the way temporally.
Their Liberty (regardless of the outdated and racist loud mouthing of
the Tea Baggers) is regressive, assertive, backwards-moving, hate-filled,
stagnant and certainly not keeping pace with the positive flow of the world
right now... Obama not withstanding… No matter how elections go, you will find
this true if you really think about it….
The concept of Liberation is also international in scope and always on
the minds of our progressive-thinking people.
As I said, maybe only GOD really knows how this basic conflict in nature
spins out, but this struggle is at the crux of the so-called paradigm shift we
hear so much about.
Solutions: Read some of
the books suggested at the end of this book and keep thinking about Liberation
vs. Liberty while doing so. The picture
gets clearer….
Forgiveness…
Forgiveness is vital &
important. Put the negativity behind you and start fresh every day. Even those
who continuously plot against everything you & I want to achieve must be forgiven each and
every day. So I forgive my enemies as I
forgive myself:
All the Hate-Filled South
Africans who want a return to Apartheid; All the Hate-filled White and Black
and other ethnic groups—I forgive you; All the homophobes & Haters
Including: Former President Herbert Walker Bush and his son, Former President
George Bush; Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger;
the Late Former President of These United States & Millionaire Ronald
Reagan; The Former Governor of Alaska,
& Millionaire Sarah Palin; Republican Presidential Candidate, Former
Governor of Arkansas & Millionaire Mike Huckabee; Republican Presidential Candidate,
Former Speaker of the House & Millionaire Newt Gingrich; Republican Presidential Candidate, Former
Governor of Massachusetts & Millionaire Mitt Romney; & All the other
Republican Presidential Candidates who would unravel and do away with all the
progressive changes I and many others have fought for over the years—I FORGIVE
YOU!!! I even forgive Clarence Thomas of
the Supreme Court. [Holding the hatred in only hurt me.] All the Republican
strategists, Republican thinkers, Republican voters, false flag wavers and
false patriots—I forgive you also… All
the Tea Baggers, Republicans, KKK, Skin heads, Haters and Tea Partiers—I
forgive you as well.. Even though Black men, women and babies have swung from
trees in the South and have had powerful hoses aimed at them; and been bitten
by attack dogs. Even though we have been discriminated against, hurt, cheated, blasted, fired, beaten whipped and chained—I
forgive you… Especially if you are filed with hate & resentment for Black
& Latin & Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
& Transgendered People, & poor people & disabled people,
Labor Movement Groups & Progressive Men & Women of every color, race,
creed, sexual orientation, and religion who I have fought for, for
decades. My heart is no longer filled
with hate and distain for you because I understand you and I know that even as
you fight against Labor Rights and Labor Unions—you are no longer an enemy, but
just people I will continue to find disfavor with and work against….Thinking
any other way only eats away at the progressive change I can effectively make
for the groups of people I’m concerned about… I can no longer waste the energy
& time it takes to hate you… The resentment in my heart is slowly melting
away, even as you continue to work against what I want to see for the world… To
be truthful, it will take time for me to truly forgive, but I no longer hate
you as I work towards a brighter and better Africa, a brighter & better
America and a brighter and better World that includes opportunity for the
people you usually leave out. I want to
see an inclusive Africa, America and World that includes opportunity, hope,
truth, justice, trust, freedom and love for everyone. That brings strong and
loving arms around everyone—not hatred, distain, jealousy and resentment as one
group is pitted against and dominates the other. There is hope for the world, but we have to
be about & breathe that hope!!!
With Love,
Brother Tracy Gibson…..
Dealing Positively with Your Anger, Frustration, Rage, Hatred
& Jealousy -- in a Positive Way -- Could
Save Your Life…..and Someone Else’s!!
All The Above… are contributing factors to the
destruction of the Black mind. I don’t need to remind you of what the United
Nero College Fund says about the mind…..
Most of our rage is reserved for ourselves and must
be turned into positive energy that propels us and our issues as Black People
ahead -- forward.…
While we are taking care of all our basic needs for
things such as food, shelter, intimate relations, spiritual renewal and good
friendships, we also need to feed our minds.
If we are suffering from an inordinate amount of rage and anger it is
very hard, very difficult to feed the mind the positive things it needs to
flourish properly. If you are a Black
male, especially, you may have a tremendous amount of anger and rage at the
political system of oppression and exploitation we are living under as Black
people. One thing I have found helpful,
especially when I was younger, was to read about how other Black men dealt with
their own personal rage and anger. I
read ``Revolutionary Suicide’’ by Huey P. Newton when I was very young. Huey
was one of the founders of the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was started on
October 15, 1966 in Oakland, California to confront the oppression the people
were feeling and experiencing on a community level and later during the Richard
Nixon era of the Viet Nam war and Watergate. It was devised to deal with all
levels of racism including that experienced in the job market, on the streets
and in all other places and formations. The Black Panthers came up with a 10
Point Program that they felt addressed all aspects of our oppression as Black
people. I will mention Point 10 here: ``We Want Land, Bread, Housing,
education, clothing, Justice, Peace & People’s Community Control of Modern
Technology.’’ (Please Google The Black Panther Party for a full disclosure of
all ten points and further descriptions of each point.) There was a lot of
turmoil at home and the Civil Rights movement was being transformed into a
Black Power Movement by a younger set of Black activists such as Huey, H. Rap
Brown, Stokely Carmichael (who later changed his name to Kwame Ture and moved
to Ghana, West Africa) and Brother Bobby Seale who was the Co-Founder of the
Black Panther Party.
If you read ``Revolutionary Suicide’’ you will
discover a terrifically calm voice and a tempered demeanor in the writer. This
I found incredible considering what the writer was going through. He did not have rage and anger as he went
about the daily business of liberating his people and setting them free from
the bondage of mental and economic slavery.
I read Huey’s book during college at Ohio State
University. No, it is not about suicide, it is about his life and times as a
revolutionary and why he loved his people so deeply and dedicated so much of
his life to their liberation. The book
is an incredible journey and one I strongly suggest you take if you are young,
frustrated, angry and feeling rage at the machine of hatred and economic
plunder you see and feel in the United States. If you are in other parts of the
world where the economic rape of Black people continues to take place, you may
also want to read this book…. If you are
a young female, you may also find it helpful.
After I read ``Revolutionary Suicide’’ I was much
more ready and able to plug into some of the networks that helped me flourish
and survive as a student at Ohio State. OSU in itself was very racist in how it
dealt with Black students and faculty at the time. (I can guarantee they are
still having racial conflicts on campus even though I haven’t been to Columbus in
30 years.) What the reading of that book did was help me plug into the ``Our
Chocking Times’’ newspaper and the Black Studies department in a more effective
and productive manner. The ``Our
Chocking Times’’ was a small Black paper on campus that served as a radical
Black alternative to the run- of-the-mill news and hum-drumness one got from
the campus paper, ``The Lantern.’’
I was a journalism student and needed press clips and
experience in the field so I took up my pen and pad and went to the ``Our
Chocking Times’’ meetings and met some of the nicest, kindest and sweetest,
most radical and caring Black people I have ever met in my entire life. I did
articles on Black artists, Black college professors, the struggles of Black
people on campus including students, faculty and other campus workers and I
learned a great deal about journalism and being Black in the process. The ``Our Chocking Times’’ newspaper was a
God-sent. I will never be able to re-pay
the staff who I worked with. Nor will I
ever be able to really express the great value the experience was to me as a
budding journalist and evolving revolutionary.
I received an Outstanding Journalist of the Year
award for my hard work and dedication to the paper. To this day I am very proud
of having received that honor.
What I’m getting at is no matter what school, college
or university you are or will be attending; your experience will be greatly
enhanced if you read about the experiences of others who went before you. There is an extensive bibliography included
at the end of this book which will give you some ideas and suggestions of other
writers, activists and other Black people who have valuable experiences to relay
to young people about being Black in America and other parts of the world. There are also books about Black concepts and
thought on our liberation that you will find invaluable and helpful in your
studies.
I know what you are saying: ``That’s all fine and
good but I want some Mother Fucking money to pay my bills, take care of my
family and get me a new rod. I ain’t got
no time for reading any damned books.!!’’
If you have about $12.99 left over from your monthly
bills I strongly suggest you get a copy of a very worthy CD. It is of the sound of the ocean’s crashing
waves against stones and such sounds as that.
Listen to it about three times and get in touch with your inner self.
Nature and Naturalness always help one in getting in touch with who and what we
really are… You will begin to feel the anger and rage dissipate. It could be the best $12.99 you ever spent.
It could save your life and help make you understand and see that you are the
off spring of generations of evolution among Black people. You are not just the person that you see
everyday in the mirror. You are the
living and breathing embodiment of all the years of your people’s existence on
this planet—wherever and whenever that is or was. You are really not just an individual as the
Power Elite would have you believe. You
are someone different, you are the Other, but you don’t have to feel the
ravages of oppression even as you come to realize more and more each day, through
your reading, that you are almost perfectly oppressed by the Powers that Be and
the Established Order in the United States, Africa the Caribbean or elsewhere,…
Even such almost perfect oppression can be crushed & destroyed just as Nazi
Germany was crushed & destroyed. I’m not saying we will have to destroy our
country—we just have to think better and harder at finding solutions to cope
with it and or find & build alternative structures that embellish OUR
existence within it. If you look back at
our history as Black people, we have always found a Way.
When one has terrific and perfect rage one needs to
seek & find terrific and perfect solutions to conquer that rage. Ultimately
you will need to transform that rage into something more readily useful such as
hard productive work towards your betterment and financial reward. These can
then be invested in you and your community for even greater rewards in the
future. I’m talkin’ about a nice home,
peace of mind, a job, security and a good family with strong values and
ethics... First the processes of life needs to be slowed down. You will need to
pull apart your life and get away from it all in some way. The CD of the ocean helped me to a level I
can’t even describe to you here. I can guarantee it will help you also. What is also needed is to think clearly.
Listen to some of the basic CD’s and DVD’s of Minister Louis Farrakhan and
other progressive thinkers in our community as they pull apart the tricks,
lies, deceptions and deceit that have been used by the Established Order and their henchmen to keep us encased in
hatred, anger and self-destruction for decades.
Be easy on yourself as a Black person.
You may also want to go to a progressive church or Mosque—even if you
are not religious—to get a better understanding of what you are going through
and to find solutions for the next days you will be living. This will also help you network with others
who are going through similar problems and situations. The new days ahead will have to be walked
through with a new zest for living, without rage and with a new innate ability
to cope with the problems you are facing.
Even if you are dependent on illegal drugs; in jail; a frustrated,
self-persecuting homosexual in denial; HIV positive; a Baby Daddy; an alcoholic;
or a pregnant young Black girl--there is hope for you. But you have to start by
believing in yourself, and most probably, GOD. But the first thing you have to do is relax
and believe there is such hope. Then you
will be able to reach out for the help and hope you will need.
Lastly, I want to say something about jealousy. I know full well that when you turn on the TV
and see the Rap Stars making millions of dollars as they parade their hateful
and vicious lyrics around with their think gold chains and gyrating half-naked
women in tow you think you want that lifestyle.
Believe me, most of them are punks who are being profited from and used
by the established order to create a culture of chaos and negativity that only
helps keep our community & people oppressed and down. You are attracted to the Bling, Bling, quick
riches, girls, flashy cars and Big expensive houses…. You don’t need those things to be happy. Most big rap stars are not really happy at
all, believe me, and they have family, legal and marital problems up the
wazoo. But the Established media plays
these gangster types as having it all and loving it. Many of them are frustrated and unhappy. They have little inner peace and solace and
are ever more angry and frustrated than you are. They are often motivated by
greed and often end up in jail or in the graveyard much too early. You don’t want to follow in their path.
If you have to be jealous of someone look at the
career of an Arthur Ashe and be jealous of him.
He was able to win all kinds of trophies & get paid Big Time for his
tennis playing along with Wimbledon honors and such, but he also took time to
help many, many Black young people. He
is the type of person you want to emulate.
He was also very proud of his Black skin, Black nappy hair & other
Black features and Black heritage and dedicated much of his life and time to
promoting his people and dealing in a positive and proactive way with finding
solutions to our problems.
But the best way to be is not to have a jealous bone
in your body. If you begin to find
positive Black people to emulate such as Ida B. Wells for our young girls or
Richard Wright for our young boys, be proud of yourself and your
achievements—no matter how small they are—and know that you will make more and
bigger and better achievements in the future. Because you are our future!!!
Solution: Reading the
Above is in itself, a solution!!!
Sports & The Black Man…From Terrell Pryor & LeBron James to Michael Vick and Don’t
Look Back
When I went away to Ohio
State University, in Columbus, Ohio to college I hated sports and I hated Ohio
State football. I took no pride
whatsoever in any of the many, many victories the outstanding football team
under then coach Woody Hayes had at the time.
I saw the players as exploited and I thought the young men should have
been paid something because the school made millions of dollars off the
team. The players were barely given a
fresh drink of water for their troubles.
The players may have gotten scholarships, but in my eyes then, that
wasn’t nearly enough. The issue of
whether college sports players should be paid something for the four years they
play while in undergraduate school had been debated by many. But I had come to
hate exploitation and I just saw the players -- even though some of them went on to get
millions of dollars to play for professional football teams –I saw them as
exploited people.
All I can say right now is
that I’m very happy for Terrell Pryor and the Ohio State team for winning THE
Rose Bowl today, Friday, 1-1-2010—the first day of the year. They won the game soundly 27 to 17. This is a sea change for me. Usually I could care less about the Ohio State
game, but recently I joined the Ohio State Alumni Association and I’m hoping on
working with them on some powerful, positive, proactive projects to help poor
veterans in our community in Delaware (now Philadelphia) very soon. This victory gives me the heads up that
things will work out for me in the coming years. It makes me feel proud as a Black man because
there were so many great Black players on the team including their talented
Quarter Back, Terrell Pryor and so many others.
There is also a sense of pride because it was Ohio State—the school I
graduated from in 1978—a long, long time ago—regardless of the color of the
team’s players….
I don’t know any of the other players and I don’t
even know who the current head coach is, but I am proud of this win. I just wanted to tell you this to let you
know that people can change. It may take
several years, but opinions can change and people can change for the
better. They CAN get their heads out of
the sand and listen to different viewpoints and can even be won over. Like my USANA coach Anne Reid says, you have
to keep dripping on them. Never give up
on presenting me with an idea or your opinion… I am always willing to
listen. You don’t have to agree with me
all the time. That is the great thing
about all the new technology and the electronic networking—everybody wants to
share their opinion. As long as we can
all act like civil human being, this is a great thing. Remember we can agree to disagree. Life is too short to fight over a difference
of opinion. The important thing is to
keep informed and to listen to more than one source for your information…
Again, my CONGRATULATIONS go out to Ohio State, their
Coaches, ALL the players and fans, and their Quarter Back Terrell Pryor for
their BIG VICTORY today!! Go Bucks!!!
Michael Vick
I have come to love
football. The physical attributes of the
men who play is one attraction, I have to admit that right off the bat, but
there are other reasons I like the game.
One is the glee at seeing a team that represents the City of New Orleans
win the SuperBowl in 2010!! I think
everybody was happy except the opposing team and a few of their fans. The reason was obvious. To see the team that represented the most
left out of the left out—New Orleans—where a terrible storm had destroyed so much
a few years back and now see the team representing those people come back and
make it really, really big—that was the BEST. I can’t think of another city
that deserved it more than New Orleans and to be represented by a team called
the ``Saints’’ well, you know GOD must have had a hand in all of this. There is a saying in the Black community that
GOD don’t like ugly and what George Bush and Dick Cheney didn’t do for New
Orleans when Katrina struck was a crime.
But God used them to make an example of how the underdog comes
back. Unfortunately, many people are
still to this day without homes and jobs in the area hit by Katrina. The businesses have come back, but some of
the children still are not getting schooled properly and are having to do
without housing, shelter, food and jobs for their parents. This is a national sin and a shame as we send
troops gallivanting off to foreign soil to intervene in something that is none
of our business at astronomical costs in both money and American and foreign
lives. One day we will learn…..
But there is another
gentleman who taught us another lesson that cannot go unmentioned. One of my football heroes is Michael Vick. He
was the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons when in 2007 he lost everything when
it was discovered that he was involved in a vicious dog fighting ring. His Million Dollar plus NFL contract and all
the money, power and prestige that went with it quickly went down the toilet
and he eventually did time in jail for the crimes. It was discovered that several dogs were
hurt, wounded and some were even killed because of Vick’s activities. Plus such betting that took place during the
fights is itself illegal in the United States.
Vick was down, but not out. What
people don’t understand about Dog Fighting down south is that it is a very
common thing—even an institution. Vick
was doing what came natural. He did us
all a big favor by exposing it and when he paid the price of losing so much, he
also helped us heal from such illegal institutions as Dog Fighting that needed
to be exposed and ended in our country.
I saw a White woman on TV
saying she would never go see another Eagles football game when Vick, after
serving his time, was picked up by the Eagles of Philadelphia… He got a
contract for less than a tenth of what he was making at the Falcons, but she
was still hanging onto his image as a dog fighter and couldn’t give the brother
a break. Vick has a lovely family and
wife and has cared for his mother for years, but none of that was taken into
consideration. I have to take my hat off
to the Eagles Franchise for accepting and forgiving Vick and giving him another
chance. This country gave Richard Nixon another
chance and he proved not to deserve it.
It is my deepest hope that Vick will not disappoint and will continue
touring high schools and community centers to talk about what he did and ask
for forgiveness while serving as a positive role model for the mistakes we
DON’T NEED to MAKE as young people. Vick
seems up to the job and I think he will come back and succeed.
But I have a special message to that White woman who
so coldly gave Vick the cold shoulder.
She just doesn’t understand what his genetic make up has been
through. She is a White woman with all
the prestige and privilege of being White in this still very racist country and
she ``can’t accept’’ Vick who carries around with him the ``curse’’ of very
dark skin. Of course I don’t consider it a curse, but try to buy a house or get
an apartment in an exclusive neighborhood and you will discover that the first
thing they see is the color of your skin—right now in the year 2010!! Vick is a very handsome man and a very dark
man. He will, I hope and pray, go on to
better and greater things. Maybe he will
lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win in 2011 or 2012. Maybe GOD will make an example of him also. But we can all learn from Vick’s
experience.
Recently BET is airing a
TV program called ``The Michael Vick Project’’.
It follows his college experience; his rise to football super-stardom;
his family & community roots; & the root causes of his obsession with
Dog Fighting that earned him jail time, shame and ethical defeat off the
football field. The program, which could be described as a reality show, is
excellent, telling, descriptive, vibrant, vivid and dramatic as it draws in
color to the Michael Vick story. I
strongly suggest that you watch it to learn from this talented brother who had
a tremendous career and an equally tremendous downfall. It really makes you route for Vick off the
field as well as on the field because you know he has a chance of making a
fantastic comeback and is taking every opportunity to surround himself with the
right kind of people to ensure such a comeback.
He is a brother who can once again make us proud as Black people and I
wish him well.
Solution: Black sportsmen
have a tradition of doing well in our nation, but also of having tragic stories
with bad endings. I am hopeful that more
of our players will do well and stay healthy for years and years to enjoy their
hard work and get past the injuries & hardships they suffer.
On Black Fatherhood…
It amazes me that people,
young and even older Black men, are still becoming fathers because they forgot
to put a rubber raincoat on their penises BEFORE they have sex. Yes. It is happening right today, in 2010 all
across America--in Black communities in small towns and Big Cities alike. From
Toledo to Manchester and from Chicago to Los Angeles—it is happening. When the newly appointed Fathers are too
irresponsible to take charge of the new little ones they bring into the world
and want to disappear before they get caught by the court system for child
support (but after they had all the fun)—we all lose out. This scenario has helped what was to some
degree a stable Black community in the 1990’s become overridden with too many
unwanted children and no way to feed, clothe, care for and raise them. It is a scenario that is all too familiar to
Black women. But let’s face it. It takes two to tango and the women, more
often than not, get coaxed into putting their legs up for a fast talking slick
brother who has no intention of sticking around nine months after
conception. But some of these women are
thrilled just to have a child at all.
This represents low self esteem on the part of the woman and a lack of
clear thinking about the future for themselves as Black women and for their
babies. It also doesn’t offer much hope and stable longevity for the child
coming into the world. This pretty
little picture happens to younger and older women alike. Where do they think the $700.00 to $1,000.00
a month it takes to care for a child is coming from when this happens? The woman’s mother is often left with this
burden. This is part of the reason why
we cannot pull ourselves up from poverty.
This burdens each and every one of us as Black people, if we live in the
Black community or not and if we are politically, socially and economically
well off, aware or could care less. How
you ask? Each of those mouths has to be
fed and someone has to do the feeding.
If it is the state that has to do the feeding, then that is tax money
that we all have to pay. If it is grand
mom who has to pay for the rearing of another child, that is less money she
will often have to funnel into getting her own situation together (more &
better education for herself, a nice house, a new car, a better job, a new
career, the feeding and clothing of other already existing children and grand
children etc.). Some grand moms, of many
races including the Black race, are saying no to this picture and putting the
blame and the responsibility back on their daughters and the men their
daughters are shacking up with who made the baby in the first place.
Grandparents are demanding more responsibility from their grandchildren and
children.. This is a growing & noteworthy trend and an encouraging
sign. Now if I was a Republican and went
on National TV and said this, my political career would be short lived in this
era of political correctness and polite platitudes. But I’m not a Black Republican. I generally
vote Democratic, but am increasingly disappointed with the Democratic Party not
taking this baby factory mentality by the horns and being clear and truthful
about it in fear of losing Black votes and ruffling some Black feathers
politically. Our community is teaming with Black youth who don’t know who the
heck their fathers are. Some of you
brothers were around in 1996 when Minister Louis Farrakhan asked you take a
pledge--to step up and make sure this doesn’t happen on your watch. And to really make sure that you treat Black
women and Black families (and other Brothers and Black children as well) with
respect, honor and dignity. Makin a
dozen Black babies from half a dozen different Black women is not respect,
dignity and honor. Maybe we all, as
Black men and potential fathers, uncles, nephews and role models (regardless of
sexual proclivities) need to readdress that Million Man March Pledge given
originally by Minister Farrakhan himself on October 16, 1996 in Washington,
D.C. and get real with that little captain of the ship in our pants—the Black
penis—and make sure it only gets to enjoy life with the vagina when proper
plans and money are in place and, hopefully after wedding bells ring and raw
rice is thrown. Maybe I’m not the one to
be telling young, middle aged and older Black men this, but I certainly don’t
hear it enough from other Black leaders—including our pastors, ministers, Bill
Cosby and even foolish Republicans like Clarence Thomas (The Supreme Court
Justice) & Michael Steele (Head of the Republican Party as of January 30,
2009). The silence is very loud and
costly for our Black community. So, I have said it and I am hoping I have your
attention and your ears Brothers. No
penile excitement without a condom (rubber raincoat), unless you are planning
to take on life as a real responsible father.
You are blowing a hole in an already sinking ship called the Black
community if you do anything else...
Fatherhood HAS to be about something more than a few
moments of joy and pleasure. It has to
be about taking responsibility for a life, paying for a dentist and piano
lessons, food, shelter and a college education.
It HAS to be about taking your children to the library, the ball game,
seeing about report cards, and did I say tuition for college or university? How do we expect our children to amount to
anything when these basic ingredients for a better life are missing? The state and the grand mom network is
already overburdened. Do I have your
attention yet BROTHERS?
Some of our community’s preachers and ministers need
to take this issue on more instead of railing against homosexuals &
prostitutes and talking about the damnation of people by GOD and other things
they seem to find in the Bible or the Holy Koran. Some Christian pastors would
rather talk about money for their churches instead of telling young men how to
live a more ethical, goal-oriented, courageous life and working towards better
education and reasonable achievements for themselves as young Black men. We all have to stop avoiding this 700 pound
gorilla in the living room because he has started picking up furniture and
making a mess of things. Take it a bit at a time. Don’t lay a huge guilt trip on Brothers all
at once, but ask them to take responsibility a step at a time. Let’s catch more Brothers before they
discover sex and get all excited and things get out of hand, if you will. Just take a step at a time. It is not rocket science. Our community rewards men who stand up and
try, even in small ways, to make things better for us all as Black people. President Barack Obama and ALL Black
politicians, especially the Black males, need to address this problem and speak
directly to young Black men more often IN THE PROCESS also.
Are You Just Gaming the
System, or Working your Way A Loose from
Poverty?
By Brother Tracy Gibson
Living in poverty, as we
have for the last several years is NOT an easy thing. Poverty has a specific set of stigmas
attached to it. People, who probably work no harder than we do, have a tendency
to think we poor people or temporarily poor people are lazy and never worked a
day in our lives. I for one have worked an average of 8 hours a day, even
though I am unemployed officially and on disability. I have my own company that does promotional
work to advance Black business, and other work related to education, advocacy,
research, and Public Relations. I put in several hours a day, but don’t get
paid much for my work because I’m temporarily stuck on disability for
depression and some aspects I have of schizophrenia, even though I’m very, very
functional. In fact, I’m more aware of
how our political and financial system works to undermine our dedicated work as
Progressive people, probably more than most poor people and more than most
Black people—generally speaking.
My friend and roommate Mr.
Bill Cody also works quite hard at Starbucks and selling the One Step Away
newspaper, but has very little to show for it after he pays His bills and puts
a little away for food and medicine.
Actually, the system we live under—Capitalism—is really gaming us!! {If
you don’t think this is true please get the film ``Capitalism: A LOVe story,’’ by Filmmaker Michael Moore at the
Free Library and view it and you Will see what I mean.
My friend Bill Cody has a
child on the Way and I worry how on earth that child will grow up with
diminishing returns and cut backs economically and such active disregard for
people’s rights; the environment; our Civil Liberties; creating an effective
education system; and creating a society that is sustainable, peaceful, LOVing
and open to fresh, new, and Progressive ideas.
We, as Black People and
Black youth, male and female, should be either working or in school. We need to
learn how to stuff money away at the Black bank; live under our means; &
disconnect from media and focus on a goal and achieve a goal one after another
until we reach our goals. These things take direction, organization, drive,
focus, and time. Will Smith has a movie that came out some time in 2014 that
features a person who needs to focus, but He has a White girlfriend, which I
believe, is taking him off focus. If you
want to achieve something big you will probably want to learn how to stay
focused for years and keep your eyes on the prize for years. It is doable. Even
if you have to leave your vision to yur children or grandchildren or nieces and
nephews, you can get what you want to get done come into reality. To be patient
is a virtue and a blessing. Don’t take your focus off of what you want to do
and be willing to learn a tremendous amount about how to achieve this goal or
that goal before you really start planning.
It took years for the Williams Sisters in tennis to achieve what they
achieved and their father set their success in motion long before they picked
up a tennis racket. Remember not to give up and focus.
END
Addendum to Black Youth Booklet
Dealing
with your crush on little girls your age is important. When I was a young boy I
had a crush on a little girl named Neecie. I liked Her so much, we spent hours
and hours together. I was only about eight and Neecie was about seven. One day
coming down the steps in Lea Elementary School at 47th and Locust Street my junior cousin Leslie told
Neecie I said I liked Her. Both Neecie
and I knew this already like really like gangbusters, you know . But my whole
world came crumbling apart because I felt exposed and revealed and I was only
eight and I really didn’t know How to deal with this emotional exposure. My Dad
was a great provider, but He had never had that talk with me, His son, about
the birds and the bees and girls. He was afraid to talk with me about girls and
the Birds and the Bees, you know, like sex and intimacy and stuff like that.
Those things were not talked about so much like they are now and they were not
so much on TV like they are now. I think this is part of the reason I had,
probably a large part of the reason I had so much anger and resentment around
or centered on my Father. Now I know I cannot blame Him. It took me turning
almost 59 to realize these things and it took 35 years of therapy to get to
this—the roots of what People think is a mental illness. I Am an OK dude who
was screwed over by circumstances. Those circumstances were the same things
that screw over a lot of Black men and Black little boys. The lack of a
responsible Father who was fearless enough to talk about intimacy, the proper
treatment of girls and women, being emotionally there for your children. This stuff was lost on me and I’m just
getting to this root now. I want you to be able to ask your Father, if He is
present in your household, I want you to be able to ask your Father all the
questions you want about girls and if you have a crush on a little boy, you
should be able to ask about that also. If your Father is not present in your
life for whatever reason, you must be able to talk to another significant male
or a mentor—a Black man who has shown that He cares about you and who you have
build a stable friendship with. You must be able to ask the questions you need
answers to. I don’t care if it is an older responsible Brother, Imam, Pastor,
Preacher, Reverend or a Scout Master, teacher, uncle, grandfather or your
actual Father== or other significant
male in your life like a mentor who is a man, who is responsible or older. It
is important that you choose a man and that you choose someone to confide in
who understands the importance of your being able to be honest and get answers
to your questions. You will, if you
are a little Black boy, you will be able to save yourself years of
therapy—talking to a mental health expert—you will be able to possibly save
yourself talking to a mental health expert and the hundreds of dollars it cost
to get this help. Often, your Mom, Bless
Her heart for trying, but often your Mom will not do. You need to talk to an
older Black and responsible man. If you
have a health teacher at school who you can talk to it is important to be able
to talk to them about this also. Then
you will not be afraid of women’s vagina’s and private parts and intimacy with
women like I Am still to this day, having grown up a homosexual. I want our
Black boys, frankly, to grow up to be heterosexual (straight) and have a chance
to have children and procreate like I was not able to do. This is nothing
against homosexuals, but I feel to just give up without giving your sons or
yourself a chance is not good. Our Black Brothers are important to us. Now if you have a good
relationship with your Mom, Grandmother, Aunt or something like that, you can
talk about this thing also this sex and Birds and Bees, also. But it will not,
in my opinion, be the same. It has taken
me years to absolve , my Father and forgive Him fully, when it really is a
problem of our social structure our society that doesn’t allow men to talk
about such important intimacies as these.
Maybe this is why I’m such a social critic and a social activist and so
dedicated to building good health and good mental health in our youth. Because
I was lost and was denied these things. I was especially denied these things
when I was molested by an older man who was the shop-keeper at a store I worked
at. This was my first serious sexual experience and it really twisted my life
around – the being molested. Again it took years for me to be able to talk
about these things and my Father was really too busy providing for our family
to be much of a listening ear. He was never much for building a stable
interpersonal relationships with me as His Son. I was a disappointment because
I was more of a intellectual – a reader and a writer -- than a person who like to build things with
my hands like my Dad liked to do. He was
a pretty good landlord, but I have learned that honesty at the foundation of a
LOVing relationship between a man and His wife and honesty with the children
(and especially the Sons) is very, very important. That honesty helps stabilize
the Black family. Not having that honesty & that ability to talk about
anything at all pulls the rug out from the foundation of the Black family. We
need stability in Black families. We don’t need to go around calling Black boys
who are effeminate and might grow up liking men or who are masculine and like
to have sex with other men—we do our entire Black community a disservice by
calling such men faggots and being hateful and bitter towards them. We are
actually hating on something deep inside ourselves when we call People such
names. For some men, homosexuality is a
very natural thing and we should not try to stamp it out or turn it back. For
me it has been a rough road to go. I know many Black gay men who have children
from their relationships with women earlier in their lives. If you want
children and want to get married to a man, if you are really sure this is what
you want, in our North American society today these things are being allowed
because the government and governmental officials and even judges have realized
that determining sexual preferences or sexual proclivities is not a joking
matter and that all People must be respected. I don’t like to see our men, if
they are Gay, get dressed in women’s clothing. It is a Pet Peeve of mine –
meaning it is something I really don’t like. I want to see Black men, if they
are straight of gay, I want them to be stand up men and be unafraid to be men. This
is where I am and it reflects my own prejudice and point of view. Others, even
People from the medical community, and the mental health community might
disagree with me. So now you see why it
is so important to be there for those little girls and little boys you bringing
into the world. You are possibly putting ``broken’’ sign on a child when you
are not a responsible man having those children. A responsible man who is able
to be there for His Sons and Daughters and have honest conversations and is old
enough to be in touch with these issues I have discussed here. Otherwise it may, if you are not there, you
are probably dooming the child – your child-- to be like the broken eggs at the
supermarket that nobody wants. It is a fact that I am almost 59 and single because
I’m quite a handful emotionally for my partner to deal with. I still think it would be a mistake at this
late age, for me to be with a woman. I LOVe our Black women, don’t get me
wrong. I regret not having children. It
is one of the biggest regrets I have in life. As you know a regret is something
you wish could have gone another Way. But perhaps I was put here in my
predicament to make things easier for you. God often has a funny Way of working
like that.
Reach the Author of this
book, Brother Tracy Gibson, by calling, 1 215 921 2065 or write him at BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com. For Business proposals write me at BlackExecutive46@GMail.Com. Mr.
Gibson is a writer by trade and a lover of humanity, peace, kindness, a
positive spirit & an Earth Father. He will have other books out soon. To
write him a regular mail letter you may do so at Brother Tracy Gibson; Post
Office Box 42878; Philadelphia, Common Wealth of Pennsylvania 19101-2878. This
book is on sail as an e-mail book for $7.00. I, as the author, ask that you
send in $7.00 and let me send you a copy. (Don’t forget to send me your return
name & address & e-mail address). Some of the money will go to write
other books; feed the hungry Black People in Philadelphia’s Black community;
and for other social programs. I have been a political activist for 35 years
and incorporated my company in 2006. I Am not coming likely or just a few weeks
ago to the knowledge that something big and good needs to happen for Black
young people in North America. My corporation, which has taken nine years to
get to where it is, was founded on helping Black youth and making their stay
here on earth a bright and meaningful solution to many of the world’s problems,
not profiting on their being a problem.
I hope you enjoyed this short book and will tell your friends about it.
Call me to get on my mailing list because there will be other books later. I
can also send you the list of suggested books mentioned in this book if you
wish. GOD Bless you forever.
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