At the gathering of the Diasporian People in Seattle, I attended only a short segment and then was with the attendees for dinner which was a wonderful filling of the Pettigrew home with good energy, hungry stomachs and an expanse of interesting conversations. It ended for me with passing out on the floor and awaking to find my keys had been given to Joye.
I was alarmed at the language and words used by these people who are custodians of Afrikanisms. I even found myself pushing back against and verbally rejecting phrases in conversations such as "we are like crabs in the barrel." "White people do not allow us to be in developmental phase only survival. , "we are just survivors" "our leaders don't..."
We know for an assurance that if anything is said long enough and with conviction it becomes a reality and controls thinking and observations. If someone tells you you can not get to the other side of the river and with conviction because they do not want you to get to the other side of the river and you listen long enough your conversation will be filled with reasons you can not get to the other side. Man, that is the widest river in the entire universe (even if it is not untruths get uttered as truths) Hey, I'm not crossing that river, I can not swim. (forgetting that you can learn to swim.) Don't use those boats, they are leaky, and hard to steer. (The boats are state of the art) Fifty years ago, a woman tried to cross that river, and they were attacked by sharks (even though sharks do not swim in rivers and time has passed and actually people have crossed safely) We as a people must not look to the other side of the river they are using those new fangled things over there, we need to be happy where we are.) They will not let us on shore even if we make it across the river and those on shore really are not doing what needs to be done. (Even as we see people building great communities and the children thriving.) Even as these words are uttered the majority can swim, saw boats to get those who can not swim across, when arriving at the other shore though may not have been greeted with great acclaim, they were not stopped from using space, or doing what people want to do on the other shore.
Actually most will cross the river in the boats that have always been lined up in the shore, or learning to swim, build bridges, some will take a long time on poorly build rafts and we will see the buzzards hoovering, then others when getting tn learning how to swim with precision and how to use personal energy, others built boats, and trained their young to build boats, to learn about the tides.
Everything about the conference presented these African people as more than just survivors of the ills perpetuated by whites. I would say it was the indication that Africans are in the realm of developmental. The location of the conference at Antioch U came about from developmental thinking not survival thinking. Did we build the campus, no but we are not stopped from using it as our own, what would we have done different if Antioch was built, attended, and run only by African people? It is a school filled with whites, but none came to bother or interfered with the work of
The intergenerational attendance from 2 years to 92 with all age groups represented demonstrated the knowledge of keeping our families to. former and current State Rep. to greet and feed you in a beautiful home that is always open to guests and conversation over god food, we cook. this is reality more often than we might want to express and we know we still have those who suffer great indignities.
But I would think that the nature of the work this conference and gather exists to accomplishment, such negatives would cease to be. How do we elevate our young with words of "the white man will not allow" allow what and how is this accomplished? They sent a message and a messenger centuries ago with so much intent that, without even being present in a stately home of a State Representative, and in the midst of some of the most brilliant minds in the world, we hear such a phrase as "The White Man will not allow us to move into the next phases of development as a people." My God, what language is this to use in the presence of our young?
I reject such language and this does not mean that I reject any of the wonderful messages expressed in my short time with you. I loved getting to know each of you and to be in the collective energy of the conference. Thank you for acknowledging my accomplishments and for the compliments on the greens. Not a leaf was left uneaten, we are pleased.
On Sun, Sep 13, 2009 at 12:28 AM,
Hello Honorable PADU Elders,
i am michael bell;once recognized as a "New Jack Scholar" in 1995. i was
encouraged to attend the weekend events by our late brother C.J. Osandu
Farr. i am very glad that i yielded to his advice. i understand why he was
so optimistic about my attendance now; he saw the spiritual synergism of
our dreams. Please allow me to introduce to you
my dream & disciplined passion: www.adyaeffect.org
This stands for Afrikan Descent Youth Affairs (ADYA) and the effect we
seek to leverage is simple...Community raised above and leveraging economy
for the betterment of the Afrikan Descent Community.
The focus is our youth learning the nuances of finished goods (blue
jeans)...how this effects the micro & macro aspects of community.
The focus is our youth learning the nuances of strategic decision making
in an annually sponsored youth congress.
The focus is our youth learning to deconstruct the artificial boundaries
between them whereas alliances can be forged to stop foreign depletion of
our intellectual and natural resources.
The focus is our youth wielding technology in quarterly Global Online
Video Conferences to ensure the continuum of dialogue may be held
accountable to our Elder Advisors and provide those visible markers of
progress over time.
My PADU Elders...please take the time and see our blog as well
http://blog.adyaeffect.org/ and let us know of your counsel.
GOD bless!
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