Archie Shepp on Obama's "Race" speech of 2008

"Mr. Obama- Barack- is attempting to confront-and resolve -a dichotomy between his political oratory and the simple reality of being a Black man..."
(originally posted 6/8/08)




Dear friends,

Soon after I sent him the text from Senator Obama's now famous speech on "race" that the candidate made, in Philadelphia (2008), the following letter was e-mailed to me, by an old and dear friend (who is also my chief music mentor). He is more commonly known as a legendary leader in the musical idiom known as "jazz". In any case, with the generous permission of this elder, I am sharing the aforementioned letter with you. It appears below.
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Re: Obama's defining speech on "race" in America

Thank you Bro' Bumpus . Perhaps the question is "What Is an American"? Notwithstanding the fact that America is a continent not a country; moreover, that places like Arizona, California, and Texas used to be Mexico and now "Americans" wish to build a wall to keep out the former occupants.

Mr. Obama- Barack- is attempting to confront-and resolve -a dichotomy between his political oratory and the simple reality of being a Black man. He has even fessed up to enjoying a fiery lecture on a Sunday morning, (one worthy of - Jesse- I might add - or the lesser known"Pork Chop" Davis), and why not? The latter are telling our story and they "run it down".

Is it so difficult to be Black and still to admit that fact with all its implications? What would the American cultural landscape look like without the children of the Sorrow Songs, Armstrong, Bird, 'Trane, and "Duke", Mahalia, Nina , Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson? No other people did it-make music the way we do -dance the way we do. We don't have to apologize for being who we are, nor subtly- one might say -subserviently merge our identities with others- ashamed to acknowledge a rich and incomparably diverse history.

As you have yourself rightfully pointed out, we Black folks are proud because we have fought long and hard for freedom going all the way back to the time we were enslaved. Our experience has formed the basis for ensuing struggles- including the fight for women's rights. We don't have to become Americans. We were ready for full citizenship when we arrived in the 17th century. It was they who called themselves, 'Virginians', or Carolinians', who murdered their Black fellow citizens during the 19th century riots in New York. They were not ready for a united people of America.

When Ray Charles sings "God Bless America" I become an "American". It takes a Black man to sing that song, to understand its words. Black folks are as American as the soil along the Misssissippi delta. We built the cities of New Orleans, Charleston and Atlanta. We constructed the East Coast railroads and picked the cotton, which were responsible for the bourgeoning industry in the North.

We sing original folk songs like "John Henry" even 'til today, to commemorate our toil. Richard Wright, the great African American novelist who wrote the book "Black Boy" (very controversial for its time, but went on to become a literary success) indicates 10 subjects - that are taboo when a Black man speaks to a "white" man. The three that stick out in my mind are white women, politics, and race. White people can and should solve the problems that only they themselves can resolve -peacefully - we pray - for it is after all they who have created the chaos in which the world is mired.

Best Wishes,
Bro' A Shepp

Editor's Note: Relating to what Brother Shepp has mentioned above, long ago, Dr. W.E.B. DuBois wrote: "The discovery of personal whiteness among the world's peoples is a very modern thing...The ancient world would have laughed at such a distinction...by emphasis and omission to make children believe that every great thought the world ever knew was a white man's thought, every great deed the world ever did was a white man’s deed..."darkies" are born beasts of burden...Such degrading of men by men is as old as man and the invention of no one race or people...It has been left, however, to Europe and to modern days to discover the eternal worldwide mark of meanness - color!". - "The Souls of White Folks" Read full post

War - To Proselytize, Murder, and Rape

Dear friends,

 Many ordinary people, especially those who have never served in any kind of military capacity, are unaware of the acts of rape and murder combined as being "traditional" behavior in human warfare. Of course, it is well-documented that around 2500 years ago, Hebrew/Jewish armies murdered and raped people, and burned the books of the villages that they attacked, then forcibly converted their victims to Judaism.

The "believers" of Christianity - a religion that grew out of Judaism - which itself influenced the birth of Islam, always acted in the same way that their Hebrew predecessors did. Therefore, raping and proselytizing those who survived the heinous assaults is the rule, rather than being the exception.

Even worse, such victims/new converts, sometimes, became the next group of conquerors themselves. As a matter of fact, during wars, considering the amount of rape victims who are not killed and become pregnant, the lunacy of Adolph Hitler with his fantasy about there being an "Aryan race" is totally exposed. After all, if one simply goes to the literature, s/he will find that the dark-skinned Mongolian Huns, who were originally led by a man named Attila, raided much of the area now known as Europe, for centuries, murdering the male inhabitants and raping women and little girls, in the process, making "mixed" children. 

Of course, Amer-Asian children from the Vietnam war era are proof of the continued savagery of some American soldiers and others who keep the incredibly despicable murder/rape tradition intact, now followed by troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet, while it is not always rape, per se, unfortunately, we see the results of this same type of inhuman and vicious sexual impropriety here-to-mentioned, from politicians, actors, athletes, musicians, and other "celebrities" who have both broken the hearts of and abandoned women and their children, spread around our country - and the world. 

 Finally, rape happens right here in the states to women in the armed forces, perpetrated by their own male "comrades" - all of the time. Not just when they are in a war. Again, please go to the literature. I challenge you. If you are unaware of that simple fact, then you may have a different view of how this country has been run,, since its inception. To be sure, this says a great deal about the overall direction that we need to be heading. President Obama's signing, and subsequent re-authorization of, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is an important start.

 One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
Read full post

What is an American?

"Human progress has only occurred due to the efforts of many different peoples. No one body of folks deserves credit for all human accomplishment to this date. Surely, no such group ever will."

Dear friends,

Human progress has only occurred due to the efforts of many different peoples. No one body of folks deserves credit for all human accomplishment to this date. Surely, no such group ever will. In a book written two generations ago called The Study of Man, author Ralph Linton summed it up best when addressing the question, "What is an American?" He wrote:

Our solid American citizen awakens in a bed built on a pattern which originated in the Near East...throws back the covers made from cotton, domesticated in India...goes to the bathroom, whose fixtures are a mixture of European and American inventions, both of recent date...washes with soap invented by the ancient Gauls...Returning to the bedroom - puts on garments whose form originally derived from the skin clothing of the nomads of the Asiatic steppes, puts on shoes made from skins tanned by a process invented in ancient Egypt...Before going out for breakfast - glances Through the window, made of glass invented in Egypt...stops to buy a paper, paying for it with coins, an ancient Lydian invention...At the restaurant - (the) plate is made of a form of pottery invented in China...has coffee, an Abyssinian plant, with cream and sugar. Both the domestication of cows and the idea of milking them originated in the Near East, while sugar was first made in India...finished eating - settles back to smoke, an American Indian habit...while smoking - reads the news of the day, imprinted in characters - invented in Germany...and, if - a good conservative citizen ,gives thanks to a Hebrew deity, in an Indo-European language, for being 100 percent American.

All peoples have played or are playing a role that contributes to human progress, regardless of their continental origins, much less the colors of their skins. Moreover, at the basis of human civilization is a cooperative effort to co-exist. In fact, it is only within the context of our association with others do our lives have meaning. After all, we know that "value is a social relation". In other words, to sit in a room with a billion dollars of currency means absolutely nothing, until one either leaves that setting and associates with someone else, or, in modern times, transacts by computer with another. Therefore, at least to me, as opposed to that which we possess, it is that which we share amongst all of us (i.e., human beings) - ideas, emotions, spirituality, and muscles) which is most responsible for and essential to humankind's proliferation.

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Ronald Reagan's administration conveniently re-wrote the definition of Racism

"If racism is only a xenophobia, then why was it so important for Reagan and his bosses to end any hopes for maintaining peace around the world, by forcing the UN to dissolve?"

Dear friends,

Until the Eighties, the word racism was used almost exclusively by Black intellectual and social activists. The more moderate members of society, including most African Americans, still used the term "racial prejudice".
In fact, the term racism was offensive to the overwhelming majority of European Americans, as it was synonymous with White Supremacy. Now, along with groups like the accommodating NAACP, the government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media have re-defined it as a xenophobia or disease of some sort, making it very convenient to have fingers pointed at Us - African Americans, the historic victims of racism. Neat trick. Eh?

Finally, I mentioned the Eighties, because that period coincides with super-racist Ronald Reagan coming into office. This is the same Ronald Reagan who held back US dues owed to the United Nations, almost crippling that body, until they withdrew the proclamation that "Zionism is Racism". Once again, as is the case with Iran, the murderous Israeli government and its American sponsors prevailed. If racism is only a xenophobia, then why was it so important for Reagan and his bosses to end any hopes for maintaining peace around the world, by forcing the UN to dissolve? In any case, after the UN retracted its position about Zionism, the US government and its sponsor corporations then re-defined racism..WE must not let our enemies define our conditions. If we do, then we'll never free ourselves from the endless oppression.

"Dare to struggle - Dare to win" - Frederick Douglass

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Knowing Yourself - the greatest human wealth

Dear friends,

A lot of people get on social media like Facebook and "mouth off". That is, not having to actually face anyone, or their own insecurities and inadequacies, such people confidently, or at least seemingly so, project themselves as a person who really knows himself or herself and, therefore, has something worthwhile to share.

Knowing yourself has nothing to do with how much material wealth you possess or how high your social status is like with what academic monikers are attached to your name such as MD, JD, or PhD for example.

That is, knowing yourself within the context of having a'"sense of self" - the greatest human wealth, can only come from having had many and varied experiences in life where you have had to confront your own insecurities and inadequacies, especially when being in physical danger. For only then will you know yourself, because only then will you be able to show to yourself whether o not you have the integrity to keep a promise to yourself by not allowing any other person or nonhuman creature to make you lose your composure by cowering and/or begging for mercy, as opposed to maintaining your well-being by fighting back, or in some cases, simply running to get help of some sort.

After all, those who will cower and beg, no matter how much income or social status they hide behind really have no knowledge of self, sense of self, or dignity.

G. Djata Bumpus
Read full post

Dr. Barbara Love on Hollywood and media negative images of African Americans

Dear friends,

In the paragraph below, My longtime, dear friend Dr. Barbara Loveb comments about Hollywood and media negative images of African American people...She writes: 

 The negative images that we hold about ourselves did not originate with us. We internalized the false images that were created to support and justify racism. Several things are true: bad images hurt us; we did not create the bad images that hurt us. When we internalize the negative images created about us to justify the oppression of us, we act out and reflect those negative images. Because we act out and reflect those negative images does not mean that we create the negative images. The negative images existed before we internalized them. And yes, we can say with certainty that if Zimmerman lived more than one day in U.S. society, then he was exposed to negative messages about Black people. If he lived more than two days in U.S. society, he internalized negative messages about Black people without ever having met or interacted with a Black person. Every person in U.S. society- Black, white and all others- are taught by the daily socialization of U.S. society to hate Black people. That is the foundation and sustenance of racism. To our credit, so many of us, black and white and others, resist the message to hate Black people. to our credit, many of us, not only resist the message to hate Black people, but manage to love and cherish Black people. To our credit, many of us figure out how to help other people become aware of the messages of hate and use that awareness as a shield against the daily assault on our minds about Black people. And to our everlasting credit, many of us are trying to heal from the damage done to our minds and to our hearts by the messages we receive to hate Black people. Read full post

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALCOLM - A Real Leader!!!

"...one of the chief pioneers of the Black Consciousness Movement."





born May 19, 1925

Dear friends,

In light of all of the frauds who are called "leaders", both in academia and the streets, and at a time when the government- and corporate-controlled mainstream media put the centuries-old liberation struggle of African American people to gain equality, dignity, and justice, in the context of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, especially for our youth, We need to keep them aware of the fact that it was the Black Consciousness Movement (@1965-85) that brought the most significant changes to the US - and continues, including the election of Barack Obama.

Moreover, while We can't forget so many others, We must always remember that Malcolm X was one of the chief pioneers of the Black Consciousness Movement, in modern times.

One Love, One Heart, One Spirit!

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Parents and School People should know why we need Youth Sports

"Our youth, aren't alien creatures. They came from us.."

Dear friends,

There’s an African proverb that goes, " To live together is to have a common fate." In other words, as a community, in the grand scheme of things, as it were, we need each other, regardless of either physical or social differences. 

But if people, in any specific community, share a common fate, then it only seems fair that all parties involved should have a voice in their destiny. Unfortunately, for all of America’s brave words of " freedom and democracy", when do Our children ever experience these lofty ideals, particularly, democracy? 

What young people actually feel is that they are controlled, having little or no input, regarding decisions that directly affect their existence. They feel powerless. As a consequence, they become angry and frustrated. Moreover, in their feeling of powerlessness, quite intelligently, they rebel.

Yet, the problem with much of the rebellion of Our youth, particularly, in the inner city, is that young people often protest in ways that are self-destructive, largely due to the types of options available to them. 

Even worse, Our responses to anti-social behavior by Our youth are themselves often destructive, counter-productive, and mean-spirited. For example, " zero tolerance" in schools and harsher sentences for youthful offenders may feel good to some, but not even those punishments or " more jobs", for instance, will change the situation, if we ignore the anger and frustration that Our youth must necessarily express in a negative way, if we don’t afford them opportunities to make good choices. 

Consequently, it seems that our efforts need to be concentrated on building Our community better from its most basic unit – the non-adult human being. Clearly, if there is one thing that we humans need in the world today, it is community-building skills.

Youth sports, more than anything else is about community building. After all, Our youth have a great deal to learn in order to competently replace us and, in turn, pass adequate knowledge and ability on to those who will follow them. 

Sports participation allows young people to resolve the anger, fear, sadness, and frustration which results from their feelings of powerlessness, through the personal strength of positive energy and group support, instead of various expressions of anti-social behavior. Mastering skills in most activities, whether for business or pleasure, requires using energy in a positive way, relying upon inner powers like memory, discipline, focus, and concentration. Activities like  sports are no exception.

Finally, Our youth, aren't alien creatures. Rather, they came from us. Their language, and, therefore, their thoughts, along with their actions are all based on behavior inherited from us. They are part of Our community. To paraphrase the great philosopher Kahlil Gibran, " Before one is willing to get rid of an oppressor, s/he must first get rid of the oppressor from within." 

Cheers! 

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Capitalism and "Youth Culture"

Dear friends,

Capitalism has been so attractive, because it is, thus far, the only type of economy that has afforded total political freedom to its participants, as workers. That means that a person can "flip the boss a bird", as it were, and walk away, being "free" to find another opportunity for employment. This was certainly not the case in either slave or feudalistic societies. So-called “Socialist” countries do not allow that kind of freedom either, since everyone works for the "State" and, therefore, must work where he or she is assigned, more or less.

The downside of total political freedom for workers within the capitalist political economy is: The "market” then controls all economic and, , social relationships, based upon the notion of "supply and demand", whether for the human commodity - labor, or non-human ones (commodities). Unfortunately, since, the end of World War 1 or so, the "market" has taken control of what we see as culture. As a result, the definition of culture, which historically, has referred to all of the actions by a specific population group, has become anything that the market determines it to be. Consequently, the notions of “youth" culture (clothing, hairstyles, piercing and tattoos, books, magazines with ads sold in them, and so forth), "Hip-hop" culture (drugs, guns, gangs, and so forth), and “gay" culture (weddings, nightclubs, exclusive recreational venues, magazines and newspapers with ads sold in them, and so forth), are, totally, market constructs. Additionally, while there are social constructs like “race” and gender, for example, those social structures were not created for the appetite of the market. Rather, they serve the purpose of establishing social relationships within society itself that will allow it (said society) to last for hundreds or even thousands of years.

The idea that a culture can develop without any connection to the past (except its increased availability of consumables) is a contradiction in terms. Hence, the notion of "youth culture", for example, is designed to exploit the vast and seemingly endless energy and enthusiasm of young people. Yet, it seems, at least, to me, that the energy and courage of Our youth should, actually, serve the purpose of moving society forward - but only under the guidance of that part of society (parents and other elders) that has both the experience and understanding to recognize the values that maintain both Our humanity and spirituality.

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

A Happy Mothers' Day salute - for all adult females!!!

"...long live the symmetry of nature, in its never-ending expression of females protecting and nurturing but letting go of their charges, that makes female humans maintain the integrity of all aspects of human existence..."

Dear friends,

Today, not to trivialize the hard work of females who have both born and raised offspring, I must “Holla!” - Happy Mother’s Day!!! –to all females who have mothered other people - whether you birthed them or not, or even other living things that you have mothered like non-human animals, plants. or even causes.

Moreover, long live the symmetry of nature, in its never-ending expression of females protecting and nurturing but letting go of their charges, that makes female humans maintain the integrity of all aspects of human existence - which makes life so worthwhile. On the link below, Will Downing says it best.

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEOKmd1mIlw Read full post

Love on the Bill Cosby Show

Fear friends,

This one and a half minute or so long video below is unfortunate, because Claire Huxtable's attitude was give-and-take, as opposed to explaining that the two of them were committed to sharing care and concern for each other, trying to always understand each other, and feeling responsible to each other. Otherwise, the relationship is not really based upon love for each other, but instead, they simply have a well regulated business-type partnership.

G. Djata Bumpus

Claire Huxtable's feminist rant.wmv

Read full post

From an Elder of mine (91) to me, from earlier this year (1/26/14):

"Birthday greetings to Djata Bumpus....Hi, my good young friend....have a great day. My gift to you today is a simple reminder of what you already know. The present is the sink of all that has transpired in the past. It is the "black hole" into which the entire past events are swallowed up and archived for all who care to analyze for abiding principles of truth. At the same time the present is the fount, the source of the future. It pours forth the events of the future along a trajectory already formed out of the events of the past. That trajectory is not random...it is deliberately aimed at specific targets that define the future. Sink and source...depository and provider...simultaneously functioning at all times.

I remind you of these facts because I know you to be a devout observer and analyst of the past and a passionate proposer of policies that enhance the human condition. Keep up the good work. Tweak those who take the future for granted. Provide a continuing bruising of the conscience of those who would betray or otherwise stifle the aspirations of working people throughout the land. Set your sights on the real enemy of the people's struggle for a decent existence. It is generally not the ordinary working people whose organizations may be socially and politically backwards or who may be co-opted by evil forces in the society. The real culprit is usually those who privately accumulate the wealth of the society which is always and everywhere produced by the labor of the working people. Stores of wealth in the hands of the few are nothing but a reflection of the devastating poverty of large segments of the people.

Go forth and do good work as usual....lloyd
" - Professor Lloyd Hogan (ret.)

Yes, Sir! Read full post

Re-visiting THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN: An African Perspective

"...the most significant one being: People who are filled up with Western culture have no right to assume that their understanding of the problems of people from other cultures are even relevant, much less valid."

Dear friends,

Below, I am sharing a book review that I wrote in 1995, for the now-defunct African World magazine (publisher - Chinua Achebe, editor - Okey Ndibe). The book itself helps put the conditions and relationships of the people of the continent of Africa, as a whole, in a more realistic light.

Finally, Male Supremacy rules even in places where White Supremacy doesn't. And it was in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America long before Europeans, the babies of human civilization, knew little more than how to create a heap of garbage. We must end Male Supremacy! That is, if we are genuinely interested in liberation for all people.

One Love, One Heart, One Spirit,
G. Djata Bumpus
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Book review, by G. Djata Bumpus

THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN: An African Perspective (102 pages)
by Florence Abena Dolphyne

Ghana Universities PressAccra, Ghana (1991)

Printed by Assemblies of God Literature Centre Limited, Accra

"What is Africa to me:
Copper sun or scarlet sea,
Jungle star or jungle track,
Strong bronzed men, or regal black
Women from whose loins I sprang..."
Countee Cullen, African American poet

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In spite of its imperfections, this small book is quite important. For it introduces genuine dialogue as well as plans for action in its description and promotion of solutions to the plight of the female preservers of African cultures - that is, African women. With a good deal of the focus on Ghana, the author, Professor Florence Abena Dolphyne (University of Ghana), highlights the International Women's Year in 1975 and the United Nation's Decade for Women (1976-85) as the initial springboards that helped launch a movement that has been slowly making its way through Africa for the last 18 years. Undoubtedly, this publication is a tough "pill" for millions of African men to swallow.

Moreover, Emancipation does several things. They are: 1) It firmly establishes that Western feminists do not have a monopoly on theories pertaining to the oppression of women. 2) It asserts that African women have solutions to their problems within the context of their own cultural backgrounds. 3) It emphasizes action over pretense.

Dolphyne insists that the guiding force for African women, regarding issues relevant to their survival, should be action for change. Thus, she avoids succumbing to the cultural hegemony of fanciful Western feminists. Furthermore, Dolphyne maintains, "I never considered and still do not consider myself a 'feminist', for the term evokes for me the image of an aggressive woman who, in the same breadth, speaks of a woman's right to education and professional training - as well as a woman's right to practise prostitution and lesbianism." Many African American women too complain about the connection between Western feminism and lesbianism. Perhaps, Western feminists' lack of respect for the diverse sexual as well as other cultural practices of non-Western women explains why female circumcision (specifically, clitoridectomy) is their most prominent concern - even amongst many African American women - when analyzing the oppression of African women on the continent.

At times, Professor Dolphyne's perspective is confusing, however. For example, in the introduction (preface), she shares, "... there is the Palestinian woman who has to bring up her children in the violent environment of a refugee camp... Then there is the South African woman who has to cope with bringing up her children single-handed in a squatter camp...There is also the woman in an African village who watches helplessly while her child dies of malnutrition and preventable diseases...For all these women, the issue of women's emancipation cannot be separated from the politics that brought about their situation." Obviously, at least at this point of her work, Professor Dolphyne appears to be employing an inclusive writing style (later in the book she even mentions that young African boys need mandatory and free formal education as much as their female counterparts.) Yet, for whatever reasons, the author absolutely never draws a connection between African women on the continent and their sisters in the Diaspora.

Not surprisingly then, Dolphyne makes no mention of the relationship between Pan-Africanism and the worldwide liberation of all African people.
On top of that, although Professor Dolphyne herself represents the legacy of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, she deliberately took a swipe at the great statesman and philosopher by calling his government, on her first mention of it, a "regime".

Some of the problem seems to rest in the author's use of the "discipline" of cultural anthropology for her theoretical basis. Perhaps, this may help explain some of the book's shortcomings. For cultural anthropology, at least to me, is a euphemism for racial science. It recognizes trivial aspects of any given people's existence while ignoring the necessary relationships that folks must enter into in order to feed themselves. As a result, the culture of a people is defined (sophisticated or unsophisticated, that is, inferior or superior) within the context of its corresponding features or lack thereof with the "higher aspects" (i.e., visual art, music, religion, and so forth) relative to those fabrications that are identified as European cultures.

The subject matter of the text is divided into three chapters. In the first chapter, called "Traditional Practices," the author gives the reader an overview of the psycho-socio as well as economic factors of familial relationships between males and females in African cultures, revealing the status of most - but not all - women in African cultures as property. However, Dolphyne makes it clear that, unlike European cultures (which are not very old), African cultures are steeped in long traditions, many of which (for example, polygamy, child marriage and female circumcision) are quite acceptable to the practitioners. She, therefore, sees one of the real solutions for combating social inequality as, "...it is crucial that basic formal education be made available and accessible to both boys and girls in all (African) countries if any headway is to be made in eradicating, or even modifying the traditional practices that continue to keep women in subordination in Africa." Dolphyne also points out that many of the decisions that African women have made historically regarding their personal relationships have been based on economics. As a result, she sees it as pertinent to African women's emancipation that they have the "independent" ability to care for themselves and their children.

The second chapter, "Promoting Women's Emancipation through Specific Activities," details some of the methods and programs instituted - in this case, Ghana specifically - that have helped to raise "self-esteem and self-confidence" in many women. Moreover, Professor Dolphyne asserts that while there are some women with respected status in African nations, "Such hereditary position of authority is, however, not accessible to the majority of women." The author then continues to reiterate the need for formal education and economic independence for African women as a major step towards emancipation.

Unfortunately, Dolphyne does not provide readers with a clear understanding of certain concepts - such as role model, formal education, and economic independence - that she uses repeatedly throughout this chapter, particularly, and the book, generally. After all, the meanings of most social terms are not the same for everyone. That is, a member of a particular social, political, and economic class will necessarily have an entirely different understanding of or appreciation for a specific social concept than a member of another class, even though both persons live in the same society.

Anyhow, the final chapter, "The Way Forward," mainly identifies, uncritically, those organizations or groups that have participated in providing assistance to Ghanaian women in the past 15 years or so. One of the groups favorably mentioned (more than once in the book, regrettably) was US AID. To be sure, AID (Agency for International Development) - a U.S. government bureau - has not been good for Africa, either economically or environmentally (see America the Poisoned, by Lewis Regenstein). Yet, here Professor Dolphyne seems to be playing the role of being a "pragmatist" - one must suppose. Is it wise to attain "freedom at any cost"? In fact, is said freedom acquired at any cost, really desirable?

It may be instructive for us to refer to an article by Elizabeth Schmidt that appeared in a journal called Food Monitor-No. 5 (July/August 1978) during much of the same period that Dolphyne points to as being relevant to some African women's economic progress. The article is about the effects of OPIC (Overseas Private Investment Corporation), another U.S. government "aid" agency. Created in 1969 by an amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act, according to its architects, OPIC was intended to "serve as an impetus to private investment in developing economies". Actually, their claim is misleading. As Schmidt recorded:

Although it would be unfair to write off all OPIC-sponsored projects as detrimental, their actual developmental impact is negligible. In 1976, an OPIC loan helped to establish the Pioneer Food Cannery in Ghana, a joint enterprise of Starkist Foods, Inc., and a Ghanaian businessman. The cannery, a renovated Russian mackerel cannery, has the capacity to annually produce 206,000 cartons of canned tuna and 67,000 cartons of tuna cat food. Nearly all of the tuna is exported to Western Europe.Sorry Charlie, but something here is not right. It looks as though the purpose of OPIC, judging by its actions as opposed to its rhetoric, has been to insure that Western "transnationals" maintain control in the so-called Third World. As the late Walter Rodney taught us some time ago in his classic, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, and Lloyd Hogan informed us in his equally important Principles of Black Political Economy, whether male or female, African peoples cannot possibly expect to have meaningful political or economic freedom, without control over the manner in which we acquire access to a food supply along with the "artificial" or human-created needs which result from the prolonged existence that adequate nutrition provides.

In summary, Professor Dolphyne has articulated the particularities of the African woman's often powerless condition. Also, THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN: An African Perspective is a healthy contribution to the current dialogue regarding this matter. Yet, the omissions mentioned earlier involving Dolphyne's lack of clarity when presenting certain ideas as well as her unwillingness to challenge the harm still being done by transnational corporations to the development of a united Africa should not be taken lightly.In other words, although this book is highly recommended, not only for Africans on the continent, but those in the Diaspora, as well, Emancipation does have a number of noticeable shortcomings. Nevertheless, there are some extremely important messages delivered in this work. Perhaps, the most significant one being: People who are filled up with Western culture have no right to assume that their understanding of the problems of people from other cultures are even relevant, much less valid. Read full post

On Having and Being

Deart friends,

This 22 minutes-long video by the great Erich Fromm is actually a perfect Sunday sermon… In this market-driven, possession-oriented society of ours the idea of "having is the most important concern of the average person.

Yet, whether speaking of today, yesterday, or antiquity we see that some of the world's biggest scoundrels either have or have had a great amount of "possessions", as it were, while not possessing any measure of human decency.

Moreover, Masters of living like Kan Kan Musa, Confucius, Moses, the historical Jesus, and Muhammad were not fooled by the glitter of gold or trinkets and baubles. For African American people particularly, and humanity generally, the vile and perverted political economy or process of social reproduction called Capitalism deliberately intends to deprive people of their dignity by having the latter constantly prostitute their powers to create and produce/work, as opposed to using their inner powers to market and manage their own skills and the products of their labor for the commonweal, without neighbors and fellow citizens using each other as means to ends.

G. Djata Bumpus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzpT1mZf718 Read full post

Boys - and Girls - need Fathers too!

"It's not just every BOY who needs a great Father - every GIRL does too!"


Dear friends,

It's not just every BOY who needs a great Father - every GIRL does too! And when I say "great Father", I mean a REAL MAN...That is, one who, in spite of his relationship to the child's Mother or whether or not She is even around, will show love to his child(ren), by educating himself in many areas, constantly, then teaching and guiding him/her/them through any number of issues on life's journey to adulthood, so that each one of his progeny is able to develop a "sense of self", as s/he grows up to be his or her own parent, while always being able to reflect, in moments of either confusion or inexperience, and say to himself or herself, "What would Dad do?" 

 One Love! 

 G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Is Fatherhood an African American Problem?

Dear friends, 

 There is, constantly and consistently, talk about the need for more fathers in African American households (as if European American and other households don't have a problem with their young).

However, at least to me, the problem with far too many of the guys of my generation, that is, World War II baby-boomers, is: too many cats are confused about being mature adults So what do you expect their sons (and daughters) to be like? 

The two photos here show images that are not only stored forever in the unconsciousness of every person who is looking at them, but more importantly, they are etched just as permanently in the minds of both the fathers and their sons here. 

 Moreover, because the "market" determines both the values of our society, as well as how we acquire the material means by which We subsist, it also affects how, why, what and when We consume whatever it is that we either need or desire.

For example, most of today's television sitcoms, from Two and a Half Men to The First Family To The Big Bang Theory show silly, immature males as the "latest models" for young men and women to consume/emulate. This whole idea of boys and girls never growing up also plays itself out in the behavior of many of Our professional athletes these days. 

To be sure, this is lucrative for those who control the "market". However, once We learn how to build genuine communities that are based upon nurturing Our youth in a way that makes them know that they not only have a vested interest in the continuation of the culture, but, as well, will further the process by preparing for those who've yet to come, then the tables will be turned and the "market" will reflect the values of Our society, instead of the exact opposite as it does right now. Ya dig? Peace. 

 G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

INTERGENERATIONAL ACTIVITIES for AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH in PHILADELPHIA and elsewhere

“We must convince Our young (and allow them) to not only share in controlling their own destinies, but, as well, to prepare for the generations that will follow them.”

Dear friends,

We must end the murders and other overwhelmingly inhuman actions that leave Us always on the receiving end of suffering. In order to do so, We must convince Our youth to cease their current behavior, whether it is legal (like gangsta rap) or illegal (like robbing and/or stealing from, and killing one another). Politicians who now call for more police and additional funds for crime and "community courts" programs have no plan or clue. In fact, these same people have witnessed the decline of Our community, on their watches. Period! Therefore, it is up to the community itself to solve this problem. We must convince Our youth that they have a stake in the continuation of Our historical experience.

A people’s culture determines the manner in which We transmit and share both behavior and ideas to present and future generations. However, the first thing that We must understand about culture is that it is largely tied to a people's resources. That is, social status and income as well as materials to produce what people need or desire determine how, why and through what medium folks can express themselves as a distinct group.

African American culture has contributed quite positively, and in a large way, to the development of the United States of America. However, the legacy of chattel slavery that was bestowed upon Us by both European American and African American slave owners has left Our culture in shambles. Worse yet, much of the problem of the lack of community amongst Us is based upon cultural habits that are made all too obvious by the sense of disenfranchisement that many of Our youth both feel and display.

There’s an African proverb that goes, " To live together is to have a common fate." In other words, as a community, in the grand scheme of things, as it were, We need each other, regardless of whatever extent that We are physically-able or whatever social differences that We have - like gender and age. But if people, in any specific community, share a common fate, then it only seems fair that all parties involved should have a voice in their destinies. Unfortunately, for all of America’s brave words of "freedom and democracy", when do Our children/youth ever experience either of these lofty ideals, particularly, democracy?

What young people actually feel is that they are controlled, having little or no input, regarding decisions that directly affect their existences. They feel powerless. As a consequence, they become angry and frustrated. Moreover, in their feeling of powerlessness, quite intelligently, they rebel. Yet, the problem with much of the rebellion of Our youth, particularly in the inner city, is that young people often protest in ways that are self-destructive, largely due to the types of options available to them.

We should no longer ignore the anger and frustration that Our youth must necessarily express in a negative way, if We do not provide them with opportunities to make good choices. Consequently, it seems that Our efforts need to be concentrated on building Our community from its most basic unit - the non-adult human being. After all, Our youth have a great deal to learn in order to competently replace Us and, in turn, pass on adequate knowledge and ability to those who will follow them.

Participation in both the decision-making and application processes of building Our community will help young people to look inside of themselves and resolve the anger, isolation, fear, sadness, and frustration which results from their feelings of powerlessness, through the personal strength of positive energy and group support. Mastering skills in most activities, whether for business or pleasure, requires using energy in a positive way, relying upon focus and concentration - each being human powers just as energy itself is. We must help Our youth develop these skills.

By the way, while many adults are quick to write off Our youth, as if they are lazy and selfish beings who came from another planet, it is important for Us to remember that Our youth are not alien creatures. That is, they came from Us. Their language, and, therefore, their thoughts, along with their actions are all based upon behaviors, both good and bad, inherited from Us. Notwithstanding, to paraphrase the great philosopher Kahlil Gibran: Before one is willing to get rid of an oppressor, he or she must first get rid of the oppressor from within.
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Ore of the ways that we can provide them with options to make positive choices, is for Us to have intergenerational programs in which they can engage,

Monitoring the Elderly

One of the most important aspects of youth-oriented programs are their intergenerational activities. This would more likely be successful by forming youth clubs, for the elderly. That way, you could have peer monitoring, to make sure that elders were being watched and cared for and more importantly to make sure that they were not being mistreated or taken advantage of. You do not want young people stealing from their houses, bullying them. borrowing money from them, and so forth. Their has to be a strict system of etiquette monitored by peers. Youth in churches would be good for this and the churches could identify elders who would take advantage of the service while keeping track of those elders to make sure the service was as intended.

1.) "I'm Okay" Program

Teenagers could get small stipends to volunteer services for their elderly neighbors - like running errands, or keeping an elder company, by reading to him or her. The money earned from the stipends could go towards their college funds. Regarding intergenerational programs, a dear friend of mine who lives in Florida who saw a rough draft of this proposal wrote back, “When I worked in a low income housing development here in Florida, we used to have a program where the elderly would put a sign in their window every morning saying "I'm Okay". As the kids would go to school they would look for the signs. If there was no sign in the window, they reported it. Every other month their would be a "social" for both groups to dance or sit and talk. The kids loved it and the senior citizens felt like someone cared.”

We need an “I'm Okay” sign program in Philadelphia. In other words, if elderly folks have signs in their windows that say “I'm Okay”, then they are left alone. However, if the sign is taken down, then that address would be reported to a designated person who after contacting that particular elderly person who is not “Okay” (for reasons other than medical ones), said designator would then assign a teenager to take care of the problem, whether it be grocery shopping, being read to, just wanting some company, or whatever.

Now, I will admit that the idea of a sign in the window would have worked well for Our generation (Baby-boomers and those before Us), because We were taught to stop and help an elder carrying heavy bags, and so forth. This generation is getting very little of the "manners" education. Neighbors are much more alienated from each other than Our generation. (In the wealthy neighborhoods, they do not even bother to make sidewalks anymore.)

2.) Grandparents Read Too

It will be valuable to include some Elementary school program with elderly as well. There are some schools around the country that have a grandparents' breakfast each week. Elders are invited to come and have breakfast with the kids, even if they do not have grandchildren there. However, mostly kids invite their own grandparents. Additionally, elders can help with reading, after school homework, and classroom projects.

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To be sure, there is a generation raising children that is so steeped in this market-driven, possession-oriented culture that ideas of community, and so forth, represent the folklore of generations past. Additionally, it is hard to steer the imagination towards humanity, community, and the common good in a society that holds individualism as paramount. Individualism has its place, but given too much emphasis, it can encourage greed, selfishness and petty materialism, creating serious identity problems along the way. For instance, there already exists a vulgar mimicry of genuine individualism that has young African American males wearing pigtails, earrings in each ear, along with placing jewelry and tattoos at bizarre points on their bodies.

However, We must convince Our young (and allow them) to not only share in controlling their own destinies, but, as well, to prepare for the generations that will follow them. Therefore, and ultimately, if Our youth are to be Our future, then it will only happen if We as adults, particularly parents, take the reins of this present culture and provide Our children with both an historical and social conscience, and set the example for them, by informing identity through recognition of the connection between generations and defining human life in a meaningful way (as opposed to basing who they are upon unstantiated claims regarding with whom they are having sex, or what "gang colors" they're wearing). That way, Our society will someday benefit from the "leadership" of Our youth.

At any rate, connecting to institutions where youth already participate, rather than trying to form new ones, is essential, for any hope of success. Church youth groups, school clubs, athletic teams, specialty learning centers (like boxing, karate, art, trade schools, and so forth), as well as college groups will all have interest in community service on some level, whether for positive publicity or to give concrete application of their principles. Eventually, even gangs could be convinced to act more as social clubs, giving their members a more positive sense of purpose.

By the way, instead of being “anti-gang”, perhaps, We should consider getting gangs to identify with positive behavior, at least, under some circumstances. After all, who would have ever thought that the famous biker gang known as the “Hell’s Angels”, originally out of California, would be connected to philanthropic activities, although their name continues to, sometimes, be connected with criminal activity? Even the infamous Blackstone Rangers of Chicago, at one point, became known for actions other than their violent ones. This can happen with the Crips and Bloods, as well.

Still, for all that has been discussed thus far, the proverbial bottom line is: Capitalism has been so attractive, because it is, thus far, the only type of economy that has afforded total political freedom to its participants, as workers. That means that a person can "flip the boss a bird", as it were, and walk away, being "free" to find another opportunity for employment. This was certainly not the case in either slave or feudalistic societies. Socialist countries do not allow that kind of freedom either, since everyone works for the "State" and, therefore, must work where s/he is assigned, more or less.

The downside of total political freedom for workers within the capitalist political economy is: The "market” then controls all economic and, social relationships, based upon the notion of "supply and demand", whether for the human commodity - labor, or non-human ones (commodities). Unfortunately, since, the end of World War 1 or so, the "market" has taken control of what we see as culture. As a result, the definition of culture, which historically, has referred to all of the actions by a specific population group, has become anything that the market determines it to be.


Finally, culture has no meaning once taken out of the context of a reproductive process. A people who cannot reproduce themselves as a people will cease to exist as a people and become part of something else. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. For example, the culture that held Africans in slavery, in this society, could no longer reproduce itself in that form and had to change, because of the well-deserved hostility and resistance it engendered.

To be sure, the idea that a culture can develop without any connection to the past (except its increased availability of consumables) is a contradiction in terms. Hence, just as We hear about "Hip-hop" culture (drugs, guns, gangs, and so forth), and “Gay" culture (weddings, nightclubs, exclusive recreational venues, magazines and newspapers with ads sold in them, and so forth), the notion of "Youth" culture, for example, is designed to exploit the vast and seemingly endless energy and enthusiasm of young people. Yet, it seems, at least to me, that the energy and courage of Our youth should, actually, serve the purpose of moving society forward - but only under the guidance of those of that part of society (parents and other elders) who have both the experience and understanding to recognize the values that maintain both Our humanity and spirituality.

So let Us stop asking children what they want to be, in the context of what they will possess, when they grow up. Instead, let Us ask, what they want to be, regarding their relatedness to others. Let Us ask, "How will you help the community when you grow up?" Let Us ask, "What kind of work will you do to help people when you grow up?"

If We are to become a real community and stop the murdering, thievery, and other improprieties that We direct towards one another, We need the will and actions of a community. Obviously, We do not have either right now. Still, it seems that it is equally apparent, from the current standpoint, that We definitely have the resources and can provide the options for Our youth to develop a loving and prosperous African American community here in Philadelphia, and in any other locales across the country. Let's do it! Peace.

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

"...this is a White Supremacist nation! So what's really the beef?"

Dear Friends,

At least to me, it is interesting that so much attention is being paid to a nasty, old, demented man, as opposed to the real issue here of a young woman, as every other young woman in this society starting at The very early age of being a toddler, finds her self-worth in receiving approval from others, especially boys as well as men of any age.

To be sure, Ellen DeGeneres and other wealthy older women, under the guise of being "lesbian", are certainly just as culpable as Sterling and his ilk.

Besides, why are African Americans so upset about words from a flighty-minded elderly man, but afraid to denounce the fact that so many scores of millions of European Americans mean-spiritedly pit themselves against millions of their fellow citizens, by making the phony claim of being "White" thus forming an artificial "majority" group, while calling the latter just mentioned "minorities"?

I mean, that's why this is a White Supremacist nation! So what's really the beef? It's just the usual drivel from the useless to us, but useful to the rulers, mainstream government- and corporate-controlled media.

Liberation!

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Being Role Models for Youth - both Male and Female

Dear friends,

I think it's sad for anyone to base his or her decisions about his or her career on how much money s/he will make. This type of value judgment shows a shallow way of looking at life, to me.

It is no different than a businessperson who is more concerned with making profits than creating customers. In both cases, the dominating factor in decision-making is greed for such people. Greed is always shortsighted, from the cheating spouse to the BP oil spill.

Moreover, while it is important for both young males and females to have male role models, female role models play no less an essential part in how young people relate to others and themselves, male or female.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
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Why Erotic Love is not Unconditional

"...through your five senses you are attracted to the other person by the way s/he looks, smells, sounds, feels to you and makes you feel, and even how s/he takes (kisses, and so forth)"

Dear friends,

Erotic love, a relationship that is based upon sexual intimacy, can never be unconditional as, say, love between a parent and child, or two or more siblings, because it is based upon conditions that are difficult to maintain (please see Erich Fromm's "The Art of Loving"). For example, through your five senses you are attracted to the other person by the way s/he looks, smells, sounds, feels to you and makes you feel to him or her, and even how s/he tastes (kisses, and so forth). Yet, even then, as we have feelings about anything, there are conflicting feelings at the same time .

Moreover, the standards for either familial or close friend relations are not so scrutinized. Worse yet, in a market-driven society such as ours, there seems to be a tendency for individuals who live in such a social formation that requires people to always be looking for the “latest model”, whether dealing with human beings or nonhuman consumables like cars and clothes. Hence, we are witnessing shorter and shorter lengths of time that couples are staying in erotic love relationships today, because people desire a “new” lover/latest model, just as much as they want nonhuman consumable like car s,clothes. and so forth.

Of course, all of this mentioned above has been made more evident than ever with the market construct that began in the 80s which turned homosexuality away from its rightful diagnosis as a mental health problem to an alleged "gay culture" that is not based upon a reproductive process - like that of African American, Latino, Indigenous, Asian, or European-American cultures, but simply refers to an increased availability of consumables (gay nightclubs, gay magazines, gay marriage, gay this, gay that, etc.). Let's face it. People, "famous" or otherwise, who feel that they need attention are now coming out of the woodwork (not the closet) claiming that they are gay/the latest model.

Perhaps, as we continue to evolve as a species we will all be able to appreciate our fellows within the context of our/their humanity, as opposed to using each other as a means to an end, by seeing each other as objects for consumption. For then, it seems, at least to me, that having unconditional love for a girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, or husband will not be so difficult, since the love will be based upon showing care and concern for, trying to understand, and feeling responsible towards that special person in a committed way, and not surrendering to the illusion called "ego"that makes us "want" something, just so that we can say that we have it.

One Love, One Heart, One Spirit !

G. Djata Bumpus
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"THE FOUNDATION FOR LIFE IS LOVE" by KT TERRY THE POETIC QUEEN

THE FOUNDATION FOR LIFE IS LOVE

BY KT TERRY THE POETIC QUEEN

Try surviving without it. 

You have to love yourself to even care to survive.

 The world is full of folk who end it all 

because they no longer can find the love in themselves 

to reach for hope, for possibilities, for change and for a purpose to live. 

The power of love teaches us to be kind to one another, 

to care for our sister or our brother. 

It is that power that causes us to fight for what is right, 

that what uplifts the land and our fellow man. 

Without love our goal is to destroy everything in our path 

as long as we get what we want. 

Love disciplines us to be selfless and gracious. 

If that were the flow for the generation we live, 

everyone would have just what they needed. 

There would be no poor and no middle class 

and folks wouldn’t be intimidated 

to give others a pass - to their futures. 

There’d be no need to feel superior, 

but satisfied with one’s own interior. 

Because of love when we leave our place most likely, 

we won’t get knocked upside the head 

by a loveless being. 

Yes, love is supernatural and protects us.  

It restrains us from acting in a way that causes chaos 

and the demise of others. 

It promotes a sense of well-being and support, 

a sense of worth and purpose. 

An example of an entity that operates without love, 

unfortunately, is our government. 

Surely there is no loving act in vetoing healthcare for those 

who cannot afford the high cost of recovery. 

Love is lost as soon as war is declared on another nation of people 

or as a third party selling weapons to other nations to help them destroy their own communities. 

Secret projects that cause more pain than pleasure. 

The loveless run on ego, arrogance, selfishness, greed, or anger. 

Suppose this was the norm for every citizen you meet. 

You’d have a heck of a time just walking down the street. 

Diver’s eyes and divers tongues would surely weaken even the strongest one 

under the oppression of such a loveless journey. 

Love is not a sentimental erotic emotion; 

it is not a fleeting fancy of a visionary thrill. 

It’s not a negative four letter word. 

It is the sweetest expression of the human soul. 

It is as deep and powerful as the hatred that destroys lives. 

It is the ingredient that keeps a man and woman together when circumstances surrounding are out of kilter. 

Love is the ultimate shelter for ones heart. 

Without love we couldn’t even connect with the creator, 

as God is the ultimate example of unconditional love. 

Love is the invisible blood that permeates throughout the air. 

Love is in the blood and many times blood is in the love we share. 

Ask Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who shed his blood trying to teach a nation respect through brotherhood. 

Ask Malcolm X who shed his blood trying to raise the consciousness of a community - 

he died for the love of unity. 

What about Gandhi? That gentle spirit who gave up the ghost for the love of peace. 

John F. Kennedy who resisted the status quo trying to bring equality to every race; 

a parent who would face a bullet to protect their child.  

The most profound and important bloodshed for love 

is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ 

who died so that we could all have the opportunity 

to renew our souls and to reconnect with the ultimate love for eternity. 

Make no mistake about it 

bling and those other fleeting things are not the fruits of life. 

The greatest gift flows through the heart from above. 

My sisters and brothers of every race, creed and color, 

my fellow Americans the foundation for life is love.

KT TERRY THE POETIC QUEEN
FOUNDER & ORGANIZER, HOMELESS NOT HOPELESS POETS FOR CHANGE
PLAYWRIGHT, AUTHOR, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
CONTACT:
610-905-0802
vauntee23@gmail.com
hnhpoetsforchange.weebly.com

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