HT to the "Sons of Malcolm" for this wonderful interview. I can't remember when it was that I stumbled upon this young man's site, but it was an immediate relationship -- at least on my part! J. Sakai lays out some very real truths about what being "American" is, and has been about, for the self-determination of all Others in this "land of the free, and home of the brave." Sakai definitely speaks of the MLK I believed in, and additionally, he talked about the Chicano Movement of which, Obama's Latino beard at the DNC, Mayor Julian Castro's mother was a big part (he also hits the nail on its proverbial head with regard to why "Occupy" movements make me leery!)
This, at the 1:09 click, was something else for me:
"And although he didn't say it of course, the Iroquois Confederacy, women had tremendous legal powers, under their laws of government. Um, you couldn't have a war unless 3/4 of the mothers, women who had borne children, voted for the war, for example, under their laws. No men could vote for war."Think about that for a minute!
Please enjoy this -- and I hope you find something, anything, that will help you critically think (and watch out for "the new, semi-trailer coming up in your rear-view mirror, threatening to drive you off the road!").
6 comments:
Excellent Deb!
Additionally, once our women voted in favor of war, they, themselves, would join near the battle to sing, to spur the men on in the fight. Should any of the men retreat in fear, they would be met by the women and severly beaten for running in cowardice.
LOL...Reminds me of the time when I was about 4 years old and I started running home from a bully in the neighborhood. When I had almost reached the sanctuary of our apartment my mother, saw me running for the door, beat me to it and SLAM!!! Locked! Shut in my face. I then had to turn and face the bully....I don't remember what happened after that, somehow I don't remember ever fighting with him though.
Peace!
I want to be clear (Lets Be Clear) that when I say our women I am in no way trying to be something other than black. I beleive and know, that we black people inhabited these Americas, whether some were from Africa or were the original people of this land, we were here.
XI. The NATIVES I shall consider in their persons, language, manners, religion, and government, with my sense of their original. For their persons, they are generally tall, straight, well built, and of singular proportion; they tread strong and clever, and mostly walk with a lofty chin. Of complexion black, but by design, as the gypsies in England. They grease themselves with bear’s fat clarified, and using no defense against sun or weather, their skins must needs be swarthy. Their eye is little and black, not unlike a straight-looked Jew…. William Penn - 1683:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7440
I have other links I will have to spend time to find.
Peace!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alsET_lfH0E
Thanks Amenta! I found it interesingly, straight-forward and have added it to my very long list of "Must Reads" (I thoroughly enjoyed his sarcastic repartee on Japanese internment camps vs German concentration camps!).
"Additionally, once our women voted in favor of war, they, themselves, would join near the battle to sing, to spur the men on in the fight. Should any of the men retreat in fear, they would be met by the women and severly beaten for running in cowardice."
Hah! Shades of Harriet Tubman, right?! The longer I live, the further I see my sisters stepping away from our courage (present company included, a few times over the last three years -- my Mama's probably been spinning in her grave ever since! -- Hell, I'm damned alive and I feel like I'm spinning!).
"LOL...Reminds me of the time when I was about 4 years old and I started running home from a bully in the neighborhood. When I had almost reached the sanctuary of our apartment my mother, saw me running for the door, beat me to it and SLAM!!! Locked! Shut in my face. I then had to turn and face the bully"
I bet every Black kid of our generation and some of he next, can identify with THAT story! :-D I know I can! The lesson of course, was the last bit of the sentence -- facing your fears.
"I want to be clear (Lets Be Clear) that when I say our women I am in no way trying to be something other than black."
That thought never even crossed my mind Brother. Coming from SC, I know we were here, long before the white man chose to document that fact.(one of my beefs with Mrs. O., given her hometown of Georgetown has been able to document our existence there since the early 1500s -- shame's a terrible thing ain't it?. Hell, even Columbus, with his lost ass had Blacks with him in the 1400s!
"They grease themselves with bear’s fat clarified, and using no defense against sun or weather, their skins must needs be swarthy"
Yes, from lard (later Crisco as my elbows and knees remember), to Vaseline, our "skins" were, indeed, quite "swarthy" and oh, so, beautiful! ROFLMBAO at the wonderment that STILL exists among white folk about our "skins" -- so much so, they keep burning their asses up , risking skin cancer trying to achieve it! {smdh}
Thanks for stopping in Brother.
Peace...
LOL everything you said so true. Thank you. So often when I have noted that we are the original people of the Americans I am accused of trying not to be black.
Columbus purposely went to Angola to retain the Pinzon brothers to capatin his ships. He was well aware of where he was going and where he wanted to go. Moors had taught in Spain for over 700 years and taught of their past travels to the West.
The broadcast was good, but always lacking in our claim to this land prior to the advent of Columbus' landing on the "islands" since he never touched what is now the U.S.
Question for you. Have you ever been told there is a difference in Gullah people and Gee Chee people? I know here in Georgia, there is a River not far from South Carolina named the Ogeechee River. Any thoughts on that?
Also, my Wisdom of 25 years is Jamaican I and have become very well aware of the differences between the speakers of the various Caribbean islands and the sound of West Africans. When I hear Gullah talk, I hear a sound and cadence very much similar to Bahamians. Have you ever noticed this? Your thoughts?
Peace
"Columbus purposely went to Angola to retain the Pinzon brothers to capatin his ships."
And we can't forget John Hawkins, captain of "The Good Ship Jesus" (Jesus of Lubeck), who brought plenty Black-like-me people to these shores in 1562!
The last video here, "Priscilla's Story" was a great find concerning the West African/SC link as well: http://lets-be-clear.blogspot.com/2012/02/naacp-image-awards-nod-and-another.html
Nite...
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