The picture attached to this article is one of my personal favorites of me and my parents from circa 1972. My father was one of the early members of the original Black Panther Party after having met Bobby Seale and Huey Newton in 1966 in Oakland, CA while a college student. He was good friends with the late Dr. Kwame Toure aka Stokely Carmichael up until his death in Nov. 1998, and passed away one month after in Dec. 1998. That's my lovely mother next to him. He loved her for so many different reasons but he really loved her brilliance and beautiful dark skin for which he unapologetically maintained "the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice." I miss my father's fellowship and wisdom tremendously but he isn't coming back nor are any of the other heroes of our past. We must carry them forward within us, and I will.
Growing up we never had a picture of a "white Jesus" in our home (I still never have and won't ever), and when others were learning biased "American History" at school we were learning "Black History" at home as well as the true Afro-Asiatic roots of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other religions so we wouldn't be raised with what my father called a "slave god mentality". When you walked through our front door you were greeted with a large picture of a Black Virgin Mary holding a Black Baby Yeshua (Jesus Christ), and in the dining room there was another picture of a Black adult afro wearing Yeshua. We couldn't even have white action figures or dolls until long after we had Black ones first because of my father's teachings on the damaging psychology of "Black Self Hatred".
My father also strongly discouraged use of the terms "nigger" or "nigga" by Black folks. I don't even recall other children besides us or those whose parents were closely associated with my father wearing dashikis to elementary school at times where I grew up. Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni have recited poetry to us, Ralph Abernathy visited with us, my father spoke to, debated with, disagreed with at times, stood his ground even if alone, and advised others who were in the spotlight while he thought it best to remain as anonymous as possible and only sought to work at the grassroots level to be the most effective where he was.
When you know where you come from you never let haters, detractors, jealous or envious people, the uninformed, false accusers, know it alls, religious zealots or fanatics, and the ignorant ever make you forget because they don't truly know you. You know what you know and can say what you say not because you just picked it up off of a few videos, some catchy pictures online, some brothers hollering on the street corner, or from others dressed like comic book characters trying to appear more Afrocentric or Black. You have it from a life time of learning and continually learning as a student to make any necessary corrections as you go and grow. I can listen and learn from anyone without feeling the need to compete to be heard. I honor the footprints left by my father and others like him who have been a part of my life because they left a clear path to follow and I'm on it regardless if others understand or not. I'll walk alone with just me and my GOD if I must.
I love all people as much as possible, and am in pursuit of the "colorblind truth" which I believe is only genuine when allowed to color itself in. I don't hate on anybody or think I'm better, but I love my parents and am proud of my heritage. I am somebody not because I say I am, but because The Almighty One says I am and my father taught me who I am; which is exactly why I don't need to nor will argue with others who think they know who I am or are supposedly "waking me up" to be who they say I am. I've been up and walked out of my parents house into the world with my eyes opened and even the more so by The Lord Yeshua Moschiach. We may not see eye to eye on religion or politics, and that's alright with me, because you haven't seen through my eyes or heard through my ears nor will you, and I don't owe you an apology for being who I am or have to defend to you what I believe by faith, history, and experience.
I'm going to continue being who I am according to the will of YAH who called and commissioned me. There's a lot of work left to do before I'm gone for all of us to do. I plan to spend more time building than staying stuck arguing with folks who keep talking about what was built, constantly bantering about who does or doesn't have true knowledge of self, or can't have a passionate debate for mutual learning without devolving into falsely accusing, name calling, or labeling their own people as being deceived by or promoting the "white man" as if black people don't deceive one another also or aren't deceived by their own arrogance and prideful ignorance.
That being said, I have no tolerance for sellouts, coons, or those who proudly call themselves "real niggas" either. The "old landmark" is set and can't be removed, but our lives can be improved and that is what I intend to focus on while laying aside all other personal differences for the common good. Know who you are and be who you are, because that's you at your best for us all and the legacy we must leave for those after us. Shalom. ~ I.J. West
PROVERBS 23:10-12; "Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11) For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee. 12) Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge."
My father also strongly discouraged use of the terms "nigger" or "nigga" by Black folks. I don't even recall other children besides us or those whose parents were closely associated with my father wearing dashikis to elementary school at times where I grew up. Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni have recited poetry to us, Ralph Abernathy visited with us, my father spoke to, debated with, disagreed with at times, stood his ground even if alone, and advised others who were in the spotlight while he thought it best to remain as anonymous as possible and only sought to work at the grassroots level to be the most effective where he was.
When you know where you come from you never let haters, detractors, jealous or envious people, the uninformed, false accusers, know it alls, religious zealots or fanatics, and the ignorant ever make you forget because they don't truly know you. You know what you know and can say what you say not because you just picked it up off of a few videos, some catchy pictures online, some brothers hollering on the street corner, or from others dressed like comic book characters trying to appear more Afrocentric or Black. You have it from a life time of learning and continually learning as a student to make any necessary corrections as you go and grow. I can listen and learn from anyone without feeling the need to compete to be heard. I honor the footprints left by my father and others like him who have been a part of my life because they left a clear path to follow and I'm on it regardless if others understand or not. I'll walk alone with just me and my GOD if I must.
I love all people as much as possible, and am in pursuit of the "colorblind truth" which I believe is only genuine when allowed to color itself in. I don't hate on anybody or think I'm better, but I love my parents and am proud of my heritage. I am somebody not because I say I am, but because The Almighty One says I am and my father taught me who I am; which is exactly why I don't need to nor will argue with others who think they know who I am or are supposedly "waking me up" to be who they say I am. I've been up and walked out of my parents house into the world with my eyes opened and even the more so by The Lord Yeshua Moschiach. We may not see eye to eye on religion or politics, and that's alright with me, because you haven't seen through my eyes or heard through my ears nor will you, and I don't owe you an apology for being who I am or have to defend to you what I believe by faith, history, and experience.
I'm going to continue being who I am according to the will of YAH who called and commissioned me. There's a lot of work left to do before I'm gone for all of us to do. I plan to spend more time building than staying stuck arguing with folks who keep talking about what was built, constantly bantering about who does or doesn't have true knowledge of self, or can't have a passionate debate for mutual learning without devolving into falsely accusing, name calling, or labeling their own people as being deceived by or promoting the "white man" as if black people don't deceive one another also or aren't deceived by their own arrogance and prideful ignorance.
That being said, I have no tolerance for sellouts, coons, or those who proudly call themselves "real niggas" either. The "old landmark" is set and can't be removed, but our lives can be improved and that is what I intend to focus on while laying aside all other personal differences for the common good. Know who you are and be who you are, because that's you at your best for us all and the legacy we must leave for those after us. Shalom. ~ I.J. West
PROVERBS 23:10-12; "Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11) For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee. 12) Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge."
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