- Feb 7, 2004
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In the Spirit of Sankofa,
.......Brother Keita, I fully understand your position as conveyed. On the one hand, you acknowledge a right to personal private beliefs, and that there can be no external victory with internal fighting; because everyone is needed to wage war against the common enemy. Yet, there is one thing that shifts your tolerance of personal beliefs; and that is the impact such belief my have on the Black Race.
To resolve this conflict and it not be construed as contradictory, "Those Christians" that oppose the betterment of the Black Race need to be identified and separated from those that are like Adam Clayton Powell. For example, there is no way I condoned what you describe the Christians and Hebrew Israelites did to block a rally on Reparations.
First I want to thank you for at least understanding what it is that I'm saying as opposed to thinking that I'm JUST ATTACKING CHRISTIANS or HEBREW ISRAELITES or anyone for that matter. The issue is resolved within myself because I understand that I or those of us that are conscious are not going to be able to move one inch against these people as long as there are those so called influential elements of our people who are protecting and defending them. I can't identify those Christian elements because I'm not involved in the church anymore. It would have to be Christian church members who clean their own house or expose those who are not with us as a means of reducing the conflict....but what's the chance of that happening???
For example, there is no way I condoned what you describe the Christians and Hebrew Israelites did to block a rally on Reparations. That move was absurd, even when I first heard of it from a close East Coast associate on the Conscious Plat blog show.
And this is what I'm speaking about, because if a person wasn't there, they would have sworn that I was lying about what happened. Mind you, that's just that level as there are many...but the point remains the same; We may as well lay down and throw some dirt over ourselves because we can not get to them without having to go through our own people first...who in some instances are ready to die and kill us for the same people who are killing us in more ways than one.
Our immediate problem is that you and some others don't make a distinction between so-called conscious Christians, and those that are blind. If you cannot acknowledge that there are some Adam Clayton Powell's, still; then we will continue to have this problem when you blanket All Christians in the same bag.
I don't lump all Christians in the same bag at all. There are some who understand that from the inception of the religion that we have been continuously fighting against the same people who will call themselves by the title of Christian without one once of it in them even though they are largely controlling it. I can give you a heck of a history on the radical ministry in this country only to find myself asking the question of; "What Happened"??? Black radicals and others once had no fear of the black church at all simply on the fact that we and they KNEW WHO OUR ENEMY WAS...again, what happened??...as if I don't actually know.
This sort of says that we have a long way to go and a short time to do it. Once again, thank you for understanding what it is that I'm saying as opposed to taking it someplace it didn't belong.To your last point: Which is easier to get, the means or consciousness? Again, to not contradict yourself, both are needed... the Conscious need means and the Christians need means and consciousness enough to recognize the cause of their plight.
Peace In,
And again, I guess Abraham Lincoln got his wish;
There is an unwillingness on the part of our people, harsh as it may be, for you free colored people to remain with us. Now, if you could give a start to white people, you would open a wide door for many to be made free. If we deal with those who are not free at the beginning, and whose intellects are clouded by Slavery, we have very poor materials to start with. If intelligent colored men, such as are before me, would move in this matter, much might be accomplished. It is exceedingly important that we have men at the beginning capable of thinking as white men, and not those who have been systematically oppressed.