How Do We Make Racist Children?

*This article appears on the Five Percent Media website*

 

“Ignorance.” That is the short answer to the question, “How Do We Make Racist Children?” With all of the intelligence, expertise, lip service, and resources addressing this issue in America you would think that we would have figured this out by now. But no, we continue to grow children who become the kinds of adults that we saw desecrating the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday, January 6th. These are the same kinds of adults we saw in Wilmington Delaware in 1898, one hundred and twenty-two years ago, who violently overthrew a duly-elected government. For me, this behavior is not surprising. I could literally write about historical instances of violence perpetrated by Americans against their own citizens EVERY DAY for the next three years and still not exhaust that content. That is only 1,095 days. For 1,095 days I could exclusively write about lynchings and never have to discuss another topic. This is America and make no mistake about it, violence has been a staple of this society from its inception. Some people have been on the historical receiving end of that violence, while others have been its historical perpetrators.

Following the storming of the U.S. Capitol building by Pro-Trump supporters, we have heard both Democrats and Republicans proclaim, “This is not who we are” -which is one of the most disingenuous statements one could make, especially at a time like this. It is a boldfaced lie that denies the obvious existence of historical dissatisfaction, division and devilishment we have witnessed in this country. IT IS who you/we are… and until we can accept that uncomfortable reality we will not be able to perform the institutional autopsies needed to determine the cause of this cannibalism.

 

As an early childhood educator, I am always thinking about ways to foster the kind of growth and development that enables our youth to become caring critical thinking adults. From my experience and research, children are not born racist, sexist or etc. Babies are born into a societal womb that reinforces institutions, social norms and an economy that nourishes racist, sexist, ageist and other ideas just like blood vessels in a womb support the growth and development of a fetus. These ideas help set a child’s cognitive trajectory and contributes to shaping their worldview. We were all socialized like this, regardless how we ultimately grow up to define ourselves. A critical part of our growth and development journey is constantly performing a self diagnostic to check the bullsh*t ideas we have knowingly/unknowingly adopted along the way. Another important part of that journey is helping support others to do the same. Treating these racist, sexist or etc. ideas like they are harmless only creates a larger problem later on. For generations these problems of race, sex and etc. have been outright denied, ignored, minimized and treated as minor by the dominant society. This is the same dismissive way the garden snake was treated in Genesis until it grows into a fire-breathing dragon once you get to Revelations. Like Revelations, January 6th was a day of reckoning for America to face its uncomfortable truths.

So what can we do about this as adults? First and foremost it is important that we model the type of attitude, behavior and citizenry we would like to see and celebrate in our children. Because our youth are growing up in a society that promotes ideas that may not coincide with a worldview of freedom, justice and equality, we must be invested in helping them successfully navigate around, beneath, above and through racist, sexist and etc. ideas. Part of that means helping them develop their “spatial awareness”; one of the critical cognitive skills children start to learn in early childhood.

Spatial awareness is our position in space relative to the people, places and things around us. In early childhood, children start understanding the concepts of location, direction and distance which enables them to physically navigate their environment. They also begin to understand where they are; their point of origin and how they are oriented. For example, recognizing that a toy is across the room on a couch or the direction of a window in a room. When a child has challenges with spatial awareness they have difficulty navigating their environment, reaching destinations and understanding their position in relation to the people, places and things around them. When a child or even an adult does not understand their point of origin they will lack a sense of orientation. Without a sense of orientation, it is impossible to determine direction. This disorientation makes a person more prone to being lost and easily led in the wrong direction. Make sense?

What makes racism, sexism, ageism and etc. so insidious is these ideas distort a person’s spatial awareness and sense of orientation. These ideas pervert reality and warp a person’s ability to understand their socioeconomic position in relation to the people, places and things in society and their capacity to reach their goals. Consider how something like segregated drinking fountains twisted a person’s spatial awareness. Where an object only steps away had to be rationalized as being more distant than the Moon. What about women who have earned a certain position based upon quantifiable data but are consistently passed up for a promotion by unqualified men. There is no way to rationalize how those positions in society and distance to other people, places and things are what they are. In both of these examples, accessibility and the landscape that they see IS NOT what it truly is… While black and brown people are often told all they need to do is work hard to successfully get from point A to point B in life, it is more like the game Frogger. Some will argue that we all have challenges reaching our goals and that is true. What is also true is there have been and still are institutions, government policies and socioeconomic obstructions that have impeded the progress of specific segments of our American population. In other words, some frogs are facing an entirely different obstacle course that other frogs have never seen and will never see in their lifetime. Understanding and navigating a society that distorts our spatial awareness is difficult for adults. So just imagine how difficult it is for our children. The growing mental health crisis and expanding education on trauma-informed care in this country is a clear example of this.

To some people, this warped reality of racism, sexism, ageism and etc. puts them in an inferior position of disenfranchisement. This makes it difficult to navigate this environment, reach destinations and understand their position in relation to the people, places and things around them. To other people, this warped reality of racism, sexism, ageism and etc. puts them in a superior position of privilege. Thus they are able to navigate this environment, reach destinations and understand their position in relation to the people, places and things around them with relative ease. We are all socialized this way the moment we take our very first breath.

   When children are taught to be culturally competent, when we respectfully expose them to different worldviews, it encourages them to become caring critical thinking adults. They learn that everyone has something to offer of significance to this world and your skin color, gender, age or etc. does not make you superior or inferior to others. Teaching children the obvious ugliness of America, as well as its beauty, is also a vital part of this educational process. IT IS who they/we are. For some of us, America has been more of a nightmare than a dream. America has only existed for 244 years yet my ancestors were legally enslaved and segregated against for 189 of those years. This means that 78% of the time black people have been in America we were legally denied the right to participate in American society and have equal access to its resources, institutions and economy. In regards to spatial awareness, many of my people literally lost their lives… and still lose their lives… for “not knowing their place.” We will continue to make racist children, who become racist adults, by lying to them about this American landscape. They need to know what they are inheriting; good and bad. They need to be spatially aware and know their true position relative to the people, places and things around them. There is a short answer for that also. In my culture, we say that understanding is seeing things for what they are, not what they appear to be.

Peace,                                                                                                                                                    Saladin

Is Bill Cosby Innocent or Guilty?

Is Bill Cosby

Innocent or Guilty?

Since the rape allegations against Bill Cosby have come out, people have also come out on both sides offering their perspectives on his innocence or guilt. Some have framed it as a white supremacist witch hunt to destroy the black father image. Others have viewed it as a man getting off easy, pun intended, because of his celebrity status. What many are not saying, or taking a look at, is the cultural context or backdrop these alleged incidents happened on or the mainstream medium they're being discussed in. What do I mean by that?

When you look at Bill Cosby's comedy career, on different occasions he's done comedy bits about slipping women a mickey; drugging women. He did it in live stand-ups, on his comedy album it's true! it's true! and on Larry King Live in 1991. This doesn't mean that he actually did these things but it does mean that this was something that his audience related to; it was an obvious part of popular culture, especially in Hollywood, going back to the 1960's where these incidents date back to. In terms of popular American culture, some of its background music historically reflects this notion about its drug culture. Here's a very popular song covered by various rock, country and etc. artists called Quaaludes Again you can listen to below. The artist even explains to you what Quaaludes are.

  



Quaaludes Again covered by Pork

Post WWII in the 1950's America saw an expanse of drug use that was articulated in a popular Hollywood film called The Man With The Golden Arm starring Frank Sinatra, who was speculated to be a cocaine business partner of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Even when you look at the backdrop of 1960's drug culture, including Jazz music, it's rare to find jazz artists who didn't have contact with drugs. Many died from this. In the 1970's you see it's continuation with popular heroin addict songs like Neil Young's The Needle And The Damage, Gil Scott Heron's Home Is Where The Hatred Is and novels like Faggots where the characters are constantly doing Quaaludes as a party drug used in New York gay community before the popularization of AIDS. Even in the 1980's you see it the popular film Scarface when Tony referred to his wife's drug addiction, the coming of crack and President Reagan's so-called War On Drugs campaign. This type of popular American culture continued on into the 90's and 2000's and cannot be trivialized or overlooked when considering the context of the Cosby allegations. Being a Hollywood staple for many years, Cosby and many others most certainly had contact with the drug culture. Hollywood wasn't in a vacuum nor a place in an alternate universe disconnected from popular American drug culture. Because of this, it's rare to find any comedians, actors, musicians and people working in the entertainment business who didn't have contact with drugs. With the new designer drugs of today, coupled with various drugs of yesterday, I think it's still rare to find comedians, actors, musicians and people working in the entertainment business, especially in Hollywood, who don't have contact with drugs. This has been a part and continues to be a part of popular American culture. A popular American culture that some of the present day corporate sponsored rap artists have now become one of its biggest advocates of.

Herein lies a fundamental problem; Popular drug culture is superimposed over a racist and sexist [misogyny and chauvinism] American backdrop. This is a problem that many of us overlook, ignore and ultimately fail to address. What this translates into are people of color and women being victimized in/by a system we may or may not choose to participate in. In the case of Bill Cosby we see this being played out on two fronts. First we see him being used as the face of popular American drug culture, which he is not. Yes it's possible that he sexually assaulted women in his past and got away with it because of his celebrity status and the fact that he is a male. It's possible that some of these women were active participants or outright lying. It's also a fact that various others were doing this, especially white male celebrities, yet they have not been demonized in the same way Cosby is. Take Roman Polanski for example, the famous director, producer, writer and actor who drugged and raped a thirteen year old at Jack Nicholson's house. He plead guilty to the charge of "Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a minor" and in 1988 he agreed to pay her $500,000 plus interest based upon a civil suit. This and countless examples show you there's a contradiction here.

Secondly we see the marginalization of women living in a misogynistic society that mirrors ancient Rome and women in the Victorian era. Because of this, females/women are devalued, objectified and their issues trivialized. Take for example the recent public outrage surrounding the Rick Ross album Black Market that was pulled from Walmart's website because the song Free Enterprise had Anti-George Zimmerman/Donald Trump lyrics. In it Ross raps, "Assassinate Trump like I’m Zimmerman/Now accept these words as they came from Eminem." This is the same Rick Ross who was slapped on the wrist for his rape rap verse, "Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that/She ain’t even know it" on the Rocko song U.O.E.N.O. While he was kicked off of the public campaign to represent the Reebok brand at the time, he is still the face of its Rebook CrossFit training program he remixed as #RossFit. What this and various scenarios sadly demonstrate is that females/women, especially ones of color, being violated, unacknowledged and not protected comes along with the territory in a historically sexist [misogynistic and chauvinistic] society. Now I've heard the argument that some or many of the women accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault are hoes who were trying to f*ck their way to the top. Well even if this was the case, based upon your definition of a hoe or even a woman who proudly calls herself a hoe, even a so-called hoe has the right to be conscious and coherent while she's f*cking her way to the top. In other words, at no point is it alright to take advantage of any female/woman or male/man, without or even with, their consent, period. Unfortunately, this attitude towards human life has gone on since America's unsavory inception, up until today. In addition to looking at what's happening with these allegations, another problem is people don't want to look at the sick system that helps produce, protect and perpetuate these dysfunctional behaviors.

I don't anticipate or expect this narrative to be discussed along with the Cosby sexual assault allegations. Nor do I expect some cataclysmic shift in the American culture that continues to produce, protect and perpetuate dysfunction. This would require a system to indict itself. Has Bill Cosby received celebrity privileges surrounding these allegations? Absolutely, and this is a problem. Is he being treated differently than his white counterparts who've had sexual allegations or plead guilty to sex offenses? Absolutely, and this is a problem. Are victims or alleged victims of sexual abuse, especially females/women, blamed for what happened to them and/or slut shammed? Absolutely, and this is a problem. Has there been a popular American drug culture going on since the 1960's up until today that has shaped every aspect of this society, including the commentary surrounding these allegations? Absolutely, and this is a problem too. In analyzing what's going on I would encourage people to not get sucked into an emotional game on a lopsided field governed with unfair rules, covered by unfair commentators and funded by unfair sponsors.  In the end, nobody wins but them, unless we're wise enough to not play their game. Whether Bill Cosby gets convicted of something or not, the popular American culture is still here and we'll see more people like him in the news. Whether some of the women who've accused him of sexual assault are proven to be true, the popular American culture is still here and we'll see more people like them in the news. As we critique these allegations and determine what needs to be done based upon the findings of facts, we must also examine the areas in this cultural system that need to be revamped that makes drug and rape culture acceptable. This is especially important for our youth -who are being shaped and molded into the image and likeness of this kind of culture.

Peace,

Saladin



Of course 'All Lives Matter'

According to US Census data, females outnumber males throughout the United States between 50 percent and 56 percent. Niagara and Erie counties are both 51 percent female. Have you ever wondered how females are defined as a minority even though they’re actually the majority of our population?

Demographically, it doesn’t make sense. Maybe issues concerning females are a minor concern of the dominant society. Maybe it’s because females don’t share the power, opportunities, rights and privileges as their male counterparts. Here’s some facts to consider:
                              
• Even though females are out-graduating males in college they’re still under-earning males in almost every degree.
                                                                                                                                                                         
• Females earn about 75 cents on the dollar compared to males.
                                                                                                                                                                          
• Unlike many countries, the U.S. still doesn’t have a national law to guarantee paid maternal leave for females.
                                                                                                                                                                           
• Females make up only 4 percent of the CEOs of the S and P 500 companies.
                                                                                                                                                                         
• There has never been a female vice president or president of the U.S.
                                                                                                                                                                
Because of this historical and present day reality affecting our female population, there have always been people, organizations and movements dedicated towards establishing human/civil rights and fair economic opportunities for women. The facts I’ve shared, and other statistics, show a historical sexist and misogynistic sentiment that has pervaded American society since its 1776 conception. Females lives matter and we cannot diminish, minimize or trivialize this. That would be equivalent to going to a woman’s rally against domestic violence and arguing that they need to stop talking about this because “All Lives Matter” and men are DV victims too. Some may even advocate that dogs lives matter because x amount die every year protecting their owners from home invasions. 
                                                                                                                                                                  
Whatever a person’s reasoning is for hijacking an important narrative like this, and redirecting attention away from the main concern that females lives matter, it’s one of the main reasons institutional sexism persists. The same lack of consideration and engagement also applies to the infamous “R-word” — Racism.

 On Dec. 13, in conjunction with an International Day of Resistance, there was a rally held at Legend’s Park to bring awareness to the disproportionate instances of police brutality toward African-American citizens. The rallying cry was, and is, “Black Lives Matter.” According to data from 1999-2012 from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice on police brutality:
                                                                                                                                                                     
• A black person is killed extra-judicially (unlawfully) every 28 hours by law enforcement.
                                                                                                                                                                      
• Black men between ages 19 and 25 are the group most at risk to be shot by police.
                                                                                                                                                                         
• Black youth are 4.5 times more likely to be killed by police than any other age or racial group in America.
                                                                                                                                                                           
• Black people comprise 26 percent of police shootings we only makeup 13 percent of the U.S. population.
                                                                                                                                                                         
Like females, and various segments of our population deemed “minorities,” African-Americans are also disproportionately affected by socioeconomic conditions including police brutality. Although some of you would love to believe these issue are because black people are on welfare, criminals by nature and/or uneducated, many times we are discriminated against simply because of the color of our skin — the same way many females are discriminated against because of their gender. This also gives you some insight into the degree of scrutiny, bullying and outright attacks black women, double minorities, have historically received when they play prominent roles or hold executive positions within this society. Of course “All Lives Matter,” including females and black lives.
                                                                                                                                                                           
In this critical day and time it’s important to understand that in the U.S. there are still marginalized segments of our society, deemed minorities, that are outright disrespected and discriminated against simply because they’re female, they’re black or both. These problems specifically affects these groups, not all people, and it must be discussed and resolved because whatever is allowed to happen to the least of us eventually affects us all. We share neighborhoods. We are your co-workers, doctors, public officials and prepare your food at restaurants. We are your children and grandchildren’s peers. We are your family members through marriage or birth.
                                                                                                                                                                            
Learn more about the plight of your fellow citizens and what you can do to be a positive agent of change. Knowledge empowers you to “know” the “ledge” or limitation of certain ideas that no longer reflect our changing societal landscape.

Marquise de Merteuil and Cécile de Volanges

 

Misogyny = Misandry

 

Western Society, without a doubt, is historically and presently Misogynistic, Male Chauvinistic, Sexist, and Gender Oppressive. I've never supported this and have always been a firm advocate of Equality, regardless of gender. Many others also bear witness to this inherent problem with Western Society yet the important question to ask ourselves is, "What are we doing about it?" For females, this question is even more critical to answer because through her is potentially born the solution to these social ills.

There are females who have taken and are taking successful steps to solve this problem via embracing Cultures that are non-Western, engaging in the Political Process to create legislation that brings about levels of Equality, and creating their own Institutions/Businesses that promotes Gender Equality. At the same time you have other females who haven't taken successful steps to solve this problem. So instead of addressing Misogyny they become Misandrists; an unhealthy response to an unhealthy situation.

Misandry is defined as "hatred or strong dislike for males, boys, and men". The word "misandry" didn't appear in most dictionaries until the mid 1900's and in the 1970's it was considered a new term being introduced into mainstream American English (language). Misandry, as a concept, still hasn't been totally aknowledged within mainstream Western Society because if you were to go to Microsoft Word right now and type in the word "misandrist" a red line will appear underneath it meaning 'this is not a word' or 'this word is mispelled'. The point here to consider is that words, and their function, still shape our reality -even if Microsoft Word doesn't acknowledge them. It's also important to consider that just because words are not common within mainstream American English, it doesn't mean they don't exist, they're harmless, or neutral. In fact, oftentimes it's those things that appear nonexistent, innocent, and indifferent that actually end up being the most real, harmful, and political.

There are many reasons, in addition to a Misogynistic Western Societal atmosphere, that females become Misandrists. Sometimes they were raised by Lesbian Parents. Othertimes they may have been taken advantage of or abandoned by the males in their life. Maybe they were influenced by a Feminist. Perhaps they were in relationships with serial cheaters. Regardless what their rationalization is for this contempt for males, it doesn't solve their problem of reconciliation. Over the years I've watched females group together based upon mutual pain and insecurities. Many of these support groups are often nothing more than bitch sessions to trade war stories about mental, emotional, and physical abuse. Many of these groups do not even consider or explore healthy ways to reconcile a dysfunctional family unit and bring males and females back together. Oftentimes their Mission Statements are "It's all about my sisters" and the background music is the Covergirl, Queen Latifiahed Theme from Living Single. There's nothing wrong with Sisterhood; I think that's very important for our families and communities! Yet when these girlfriend pow-pows are not providing females with effective/healthy ways to come together with males to advocate one common cause of (re)building a family and community, that's a fundamental problem. Whenever I engage a group of females who're advocating any kind of Woman's Group I always ask them what is their plan of action and goal in regards to coming together with males/men for the purpose of family and community. If they don't have a plan, goal or even try to rationalize their Mission as "focused on what females/women need to do for ourselves" I know right then and there that I, as a male/man, am not an essential part of their plan or goal in regards to family and community. This mentality and approach is no different than the plans of action Western Society has historically advocated with no goal for coming together with Black/Brown families and communities. In other words, Caucasians as a group in America, have historically and legally kept Black/Brown apart from their own social equality from 1776-1965; 189 years of America's 237 year existence. Instead of finding healthy ways to address this alienation/seperation, many Black/Brown people have adopted the same mentality and approach towards eachother. So many of us keep eachother apart from our own social equality based upon cultural, ethnic, religious, academic, economic, gender, and etc. differences too. One of these differences I am pointing out is along gender lines; where Black/Brown females, in response to the 'blackfaced misogyny' that may/may not have been directly/indirectly perpetrated against them by Black/Brown males, are now promoting Misandry. 

Many females don't even realize that deep down inside they're holding this contempt for males, boys, and men. One of the biggest indicators is when the bulk of a their conversation is about how worthless males are and how men are beneath them. It reminds me of this female having a conversation with me about how dudes just wasn't on her level, as if she was The Last Unicorn. I perfectly understand the frustration of socializing with 'some' people; I've gotten frustrated myself. Yet to take a position that "males", "men", and "dudes" are ALL a certain way is deeply problematic. The females who think and feel this way about ALL males have basically reduced themselves to three abiological options in life:

1.) Denounce all males and become a Lesbian.
2.) Denounce all males, become a female eunuch, and promote Fratricide/Patricide.
3.) Use males as a tool and also as a slave.

While the issue of Gender Equality is a legitimate concern for any female (and males), these three abiological choices are not a healthy response/answer to the problem of Misogyny. They're not legitimate solutions because they do not demonstrate a female's commitment to assist in (re)building families and communities for our future generations. For without males there are no children or future and a Society without offspring will cease to exist; just like Societies without females to bear offspring will also cease to exist. So ceeing that these three options are obviously not a healthy response/answer, what is a legitimate solution to the problem? Do these solutions insure the production, provisions, and protection of a future Society?

I think before we even answer that question we have to be aware that we, as Black/Brown people within North America, are not the primary architects of this Society. We were given legal permission to participate in this Society about 48 years ago -even though America will be celebrating it's 237th Birthday this year. So we as Black/Brown people are not the status quo nor does this Society we reside in primarily reflect our Ancestors culture (core values, language, customs, traditions and etc.). Because we reside in North America and were subjected to its cultural conditions, all of us in some form or fashion have adopted many of these core values, language, customs, traditions and etc. We we all assimilated and some of us are striving daily to recapture our culture. So this is the lens we should be looking at eachother through; a filter of consideration for being made other than ourselves from eating the wrong cultural foods. In other words, present day Black/Brown males who perpetuate Western Society's Misogyny, Male Chauvinism, Sexism, and Gender Oppression were taught this from the most Misogynistic, Male Chauvinistic, Sexist, and Gender Oppressive people on the Planet. Likewise, Black/Brown females whose unhealthy answer to Misandry (and Misogyny) are also perpetuating a Western Ideology. Realizing this gives us the ability think about and seek answers outside of the Western box many of us are stuck in. In thinking outside of the box we must ask ourselves: How did we relate to eachother as Black/Brown people before July 4th 1776? How did we relate to one another 1200 years ago? What about 10,000 years ago? The further we go back, the resources/references we have to solve the problems of today. In many cases we'll come across practical solutions from people who thought about our problems many moons ago.

In closing, I want to encourage my sisters (and brothers) to realize that whatever problems we face as a people today doesn't exist in a vacuum. Also, the problems we're thinking about today are problems we have already considered; Archeologists have documented us as being here hundreds of thousands of years so that's alot of thinking about life and living. In striving to solve our problems, any solutions we come up with MUST involve a  commitment to assist in (re)building our families and communities for our future generations. If this bond is  not present, our lives will continue to be broken. Again, we've been documented as being here for hundreds of thousands of years so there are plenty of examples to put our theories to the test. Misogyny and Misandry is flawed logic; there is no life that has ever come from that. Hatred, strong dislike, or disatisfaction with one another only breeds dissention. This dissention causes division and before long we make Devils. Ladies, yes there are males who need some work, just like you do, and we need to work it out together. It's an excellent idea to come together as women/sisters to address issues related to females b.u.t. don't forget about us males! -smile- We need your insight and answers about ways we can (re)build our families and communities; our future generations depend on us providing these answers, together.

Peace,
Saladin