Race a paradox? or Are you ready?

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

There was a program that aired on CNN concerning race. It was worth watching to see the children's reaction to it. It just happened to be about race in the United States. I deduced from viewing it that it may be a wise thing to de-label oneself especially if the label is false and ladened with shards of inferiority.

What was noticeable was even the children see black people as something to be avoided. The only way out of this enigma is to throw off the cloak of inferiority and adorn a cloak of truth. That is not metaphorical, that is factual. It is a paradox because the more one anchors themselves to an inferior label the more they are viewed, treated and behave as inferior people, even though they may not be able to see it for themselves.
That is where one can benefit from a having a good guide, someone who has been through this, to help them see themselves. An authentic guide will not tell you what you see in the mirror, quite the contrary he/she will just point your self deceptions out when they invariably surface. They will encourage you to accept what is as exactly what it is and not what you want it to be.
That is what a good detective does. They collect the facts and read them for what they are, not for what the want them to be. If detectives did that they would never solves any cases. If you continue to do this you will never solve the riddle of how language was used and imprinted on your brains to motivate you to think and act as an inferior being. Moreover, you will never be aware of how you are doing it.

 Is it possible? Not only is it possible it can be proved, but one will have to lay down their pre-dispositional notions and beliefs to see it. Otherwise you will be stuck forever trying to talk your way out of a paradigm you didn't create in the first place.
Think about this, if since 1865 this group you call black people still control less than 2% of the wealth of this rich nation, where you have very few companies that employ over 300 people out of 35 million, when a great deal of your babies are prison bound, when even more of them are ill educated, isn't it obvious you didn't get something right? Isn't it possible and as a consequence even probable that you missed something vital? If the conditions we see, read about and live are as they are and you can honestly say this is the right course, no problem, but if you care, if you really care, what is wrong with laying everything back on the table, your every thought, your every belief, even your blackness, for re-inspection, for critical analysis and examination?????

Those are the questions, are you willing to sift through all of what happened to detect where we went off course? If so you will need use of the methodologies, techniques and tools of a detective, but in this case you will also need the tools of a historian and the mental alchemy of a psychologist to discern what happened and how to right the course. The last question is are you willing?

[Clifford Black]

This is one of the most useful of all of the threads that are to be found on this site.  If those who have the benefit of the information that is located here choose not to take advantage then in fact there is nothing left that can be done to address a problem that seems to only be getting worse.

B.

[Adisa]

This thread brings me to the question, Is the feeling of being a part of a group a human desire or just another belief system.   

[Adisa]

Brother Ali I IN-Joyed your comment. Great viewpoints and questions from each of you. As I reviewed this thread the picture I had in my mind were of crabs in a pot. So much emphasis is put into making sure people are put into their collective "we" categories and any attempt to escape it is considered not loving your own or selling out. Yet, when some in the collective "we" are not doing all they can they are not called out for no self love or selling out. I used to get offended and sometimes found it to be a bit of a responsibility to attempt to answer on the behalf of "my people." Its still stings a little bit when I see, hear or read about some of the actions of so called black people, but I have to reinforce in my mind that these are not my actions or choices I have to be responsible for. There are many cycles I was introduced to from birth that I had no choice in making that I am chosing to break and no longer follow. I also remember in the movie Inception when explained if you do anything out of the ordinary in the dream state, you will be noticed and attacked. Now when people say things to me such as we, us, our and/or black people I want to ask them what exactly do they mean by these terms but if they are already speaking to me in this manner, I know what the outcome will be. I am willing and have already laid down plenty of beliefs, thoughts, feelings etc that I inherited. Its tough to walk away from these things beause I can not blame anyone else or anything else for my actions and choices, but to get to the root of the problems, I have to breakdown the formula to determine how and why I arrived at the position. Much easier to go with the flow and its even more difficult not understanding or even relizing that there is a process.

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

Malkia, I agree and when I finally figured out I could choose the we I was relative to instead of the we being chosen for me I felt so much more empowered.  When one allows someone else to define for them they are in fact being lived and are living someone else's illusion which in turn becomes a delusion. I am not saying illusion is a bad thing, I just prefer that the illusion be of my own making. If you grok where I'm coming from?

[Clifford Black]

This thread is a legacy that I hope will become a heritage that others will see and learn from----these are not opinions, here we find questions and i, for one, am thinking "about time". Finally a reality is being created that I can use for my benefit--THANK YOU to ALL of YOU who are choosing to participate.

(B)

[LaSanta Jones-Teil]

Will do. Thank you all for your insight

[Clifford Black]

An illusion that becomes a reality is in most cases an image that has been created in mirage----you must learn to pay attention in an other way. To get some small bit of insight about this process please watch the movie KIM/THE GREAT GAME.

(b)

[LaSanta Jones-Teil]

Al, I cant exactly place a position or disposition on a 'race' factor when I open my eyes and see diff types of ppl with diff types cultures. True enough there are those who look, learn, eat, dress, smell, love/hate like me but ARE NOT me. Is it possible for an illusion to evolve into a reality??? If not, those of us who fill this place we identify as earth have done a damn fine job of sustaining the illusion referred to a racism.

 

Lumumba, I will answer the question this way; what I am willing to do is educate myself to act accordingly, whatever that 'accordingly' may be. I will always attempt to allow myself breathing room, so to speak, to make and correct errors so that the education that I speak of will manifest and reflect. This is MY power. My question  to you is in what instance is there only YOU and no US or WE?

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

I think this particular topic was about race predicated on skin color, no in fact I know it is. Thus any reference to we is the false notion that a we exists based on skin color, cranial shape and facial and body features or race. 

That is the only we I am referring to. If anyone has any data to refute that then please provide it. 

[LaSanta Jones-Teil]

Although I have a thorough understanding of perfecting the individual before tackling the collective, it is difficult for to accept a concept such as 'there is no we' when Im not the only inhabitant of this planet. You win some , lose, some, help some, hurt some. That's what 'other' ppl are for