CHILDREN OF IGNORANCE
Ignorance and its children: hate, envy, avarice, resentment and pride are alive and well.
The real problem is that they live among us. It’s bad enough that they have survived throughout the history of mankind; much worse is that they now threaten our very existence.
Why am I sounding the alarm again? It’s because ignorance and its children are ravaging our community so badly that the “chatter” in the blogoshpere and everywhere else is that if you want to hide something from Black Folks put it in a book.
When I first saw that opinion and others like it, I was offended and deeply hurt and one of the children—resentment by name—began to build up in me. Being an analyst by training, I took the proverbial “Chill Pill” and looked at the problem rationally and behold: I proved Bill Cosby right and I concur 100% with Dr. Joy Leary, researcher and clinician who opined that we are heirs of the Post Traumatic Slave Disorder. Let me hasten to add however, that the seminal work in this genre was done by the Osiris Group in the book titled “Post Traumatic Slave Disorder” by Mims, Higgenbottom and Reid
I am going one step further to say something publicly, that I have always said in private. That is – we the black family have no choice but to forgive white folks Arabs and our own people for the Holocaust of Slavery.
WE must expunge from our hearts the most virulent and pernicious child “Hate”. It is ironic and deeply troubling to me that so many practicing religious people continue to spew hate. This goes for Christians, Jews and Muslims. These groups claim to represent the modern and enlightened view of Religiosity, yet all too often are the purveyors of hate.
To my mind, there are four main groups that need to contend with and address ignorance and it’s offspring if we are to begin the long climb to self-respect, self-love and harmony which provides the catalyst of upliftment.
These groups in order of importance are: (1) The home (2) The Church/Synagogue/Masjid, (3) Civil Rights and sundry Community Organizations and (4) The school system mandated by city or state to provide optimum education in a safe environment to its citizens.
The sole objective of these four groups should be to call for a designated period of reconciliation, very similar to that reconciliation strategy in South Africa in the 1990’s to begin the healing process in that nation.
Yes, I am aware that any call for such a symbolic event will meet with derision from ignorant people and the establishment of Eurocentric clinicians and opinion leaders. I am prepared for that, as long as the groups I mentioned display the vision and courage to call forth such a time of reconciliation.
A Symbolic National period of reconciliation is the reparation we need. I personally find the whole notion and symbolism of 40 acres and a mule repugnant and by any economic metrics ridiculous and impractical. Let’s also be mindful that we would certainly have to join the never ending line of Native Americans whose entire culture and people was systematically decimated.
The reparation WE need is one that restores us psychologically and spiritually so that we can reconnect with our higher selves and take our rightful place among the nations of the world.
The basis for my call for reconciliation can be found in the work of some outstanding clinicians in the Black Community who are known as the Osiris Group.
In part, their thesis regarding the Post Traumatic Slave Disorder proposes that – after slavery, no period of mourning was observed, no remorse, grief or regret was displayed for the physical and psychological violence on the psyche of African People. Their thesis continues to say that the unresolved psychological trauma still endures and there is still no effort to start psychological healing.
This is the basis of my call for reconciliation as reparation. Our lives and the lives of our future generations depend on the actions we take now. The new Civil Rights Platform should be the eradication of IGNORANCE and it’s offspring of HATE, ENVY, AVARICE and SEETHING RESENTMENT.
Maybe, just maybe, a new day is dawning with a possible Barack Obama presidency that will propel the winds of change in America. His presidency promises bringing the two Americas together, maybe then we can pursue reconciliation.
‘Cause that’s Whereitzat
CLIVE
