By Melanated Glow
When it comes to the adopting of laws, policies, and other forms of legislature to control the population, special attention needs to be directed towards the parties that will benefit from the inception of it. Who benefits and who suffers when certain government positions are created and/or policies enforced? What type of businesses benefit from holidays? Which participants lose? When we identify the people that profit off of the activities of the whole, we identify the group of people that the change was created for.
It is common in the Black Community to defend the disproportionate incarcerations of our people by blaming the actions of the accused. The “It is their fault” syndrome. Dr. Amos Wilson discusses in Black on Black Violence the fact that we are more likely to serve time with longer sentences for the same crime as someone of another race. In spite of the overwhelming statistics, we tend to focus on the possible wrong that was done to the accused to excuse the reason the offense is being done, giving way to the “they never would have gotten arrested if they didn’t…” type of conversations. Couple the targeted Black statistics with the difference in opportunities given to our people and we have created a recipe for disaster as our trajectory is concerned.
During all of this time, things seemed as though they were changing entirely for the better when instead they were changing forms. It appeared as though we were free when our physical bodies were no longer captive but we are beginning to recognize that the chains have transferred to our minds. They have found ways to control thought processes, utilize drugs, infuse self hate, and use other intentional propaganda to influence our thoughts and actions. That same influence has always been evident in the form of outwardly in-fluences using television, radio, newspapers, and now blogs, social media, and pod-casts.
The initial agenda of destruction of the Black community is continuing to be successful by transforming into the “next” thing to maintain the level of influence and control while making each generation feel as though their obstacles are different from those that came before. The similarities are so identical that it confirms the saying that there is nothing new under the Sun.
The various communication outlets help develop our culture. We each adopt parts of the culture that we resonate with or that we are familiar with due to our upbringing. As a nation and World, we have different belief systems operating simultaneously. This only becomes a problem when having discussions or debates with those with op-posing principles in regards to religion, politics, education, and the other systems. Other than the mental differences, we operate as one with the sharing of roadways, neighborhoods, grocery stores, walking trails, parks, beaches, restaurants, stores, and other places we congregate.
As a nation, we share culture in regards to how information is disseminated. For instance, it did not matter if you don’t watch television or have social media, there were enough participants of the current system to spread the word so that everyone was aware of Juneteenth being made a national holiday.
As we continue to see things change, we must pay attention to who or what those changes benefit and who suffers. Did we do better by selling our assets of property and gold in the long run? No, but we do it. What does spending money on fireworks and Christmas presents teach our children? What is the long term effects of celebrating gift giving on days someone else determined for ourselves, our families, and our communities? Although others are benefitting from our spending, we lead the nation in holiday purchases.
Everything we do or don’t do is a lesson for our children. They learn by modeling our behaviors after observing them with their active and developing minds. As we focus on the way things need to be in order for our children to be the most successful, we will begin creating those opportunities where we will be able to benefit now and later, even if that requires sacrifice. When we recognize the part we play collectively in the observance of laws, and act based upon what we need for our benefit, we will be able to control our future.
