The direct link:
http://daghettotymz.com/current/deficiency-difference/deficiency-difference.html?sms_ss=facebookThis is in reflection of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's April 27, 2008 speech at the NAACPs Freedom Fund Dinner] by Deficiency and Difference - M'Bwebe Aja Ishangi.
"Because they (Afrikan people) learn from a subject, not from an object... They have a different way of learning. Those same children who have difficulty reading from an object and who are labeled EMH, DMH and ADD. Those children can say every word from every song on every hip hop radio station... Why? Because they come from a right-brained creative oral culture like the griot's in Afrika who can go for two or three dayz as oral repositories of a people's history... That is a different way of learning. It's not deficient, it is just different."
xxxxxxxxxx— Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Over the last several weeks, white America heard two eloquent perspectives of america from an Afrikan-in-america point of view. The first bein' presidential candidate Barak Obama's March 18, 2008 speech on Race and in response to his affiliation with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, with the second comin' from Rev. Wright himself on Sunday, April 27th as he addressed the nation via the NAACPs Freedom Fund dinner in Detroit.
The theme of Rev. Wright's speech was that Afrikan people are not deficient, we're different. His response was fueled by 'massa'-media's unrelenting attack on him for citing what they (the media) still refuses to credit as wordz from a white politician who made comments condemning America for its role in civil and foreign unrest. And although I'm no christian, muslim nor believer in man-made religion, as I tuned into CNN, I listened with an open mind.
Rev. Wright revealed some serious jewelz that Sunday evening. The difference in learning modalities was a topic that had never been discussed on prime-time tv. Not only did he mention educated research by hedz like Dr. Janice Hale on the distinct scientific differences of the way Afrikan people learn opposed to whites, he touched on it scientifically,
"What Dr. Janice Hale did in the field of education and what Dr. Geneva Smitherman did in the field of linguistics, Dr. Eldon (Katter) did in... the field of music... African music is different from European piano music. It is not deficient, it is different... We were taught a European paradigm as if Europe had the only music that there was in the world. As a matter of fact, if you just say the term, classical music today, most here, use of that term will automatically refer to Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and already cited Mozart and Handel... From grammar school to graduate school, we are taught in four, four time. That the dominant beat is on one and three. Our band directorz, our choir directorz, our orchestra director start us off how? 'And ONE, two, THREE, four. ONE, two, THREE.' Now, that's the European dominant beat. For Afrikan and Afrikan-Americanz, it is not one and three, it is two and four... Listen to black people clap to this song. Glory, glory hallelujah, you are clapping on beats two and four. If you got some white friends, they'll be clapping like this (on one and three). You say they can't clap. Yes, they can. They clap in a different way... Afrikanz have a different meter and Afrikanz have a different tonality. European music is diatonic, seven tones. Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do... In west Afrika and south Afrika,... it is pentatonic with five tones. Wintley [Phipps] points out that if you want to know black music, just look at the black keys on the piano. Do, re, fa, so, la. Just those five tunes. Those are the only five notes you'll hear..."
An additional jewel was when he said,
"...Here in Michigan, look at and listen to the University of Michigan and Michigan State University bandz at half-time. Their bandz hit the field with excellent European precision... Now go to a Florida A&M and the Grambling State Band. It's different. And you can't put that in no book."
Yo, you had to see him demonstrate this, it's so true... so true!!
A difference does not mean you are deficient. Rev. Wright blessed us with madd jewelz and for it to be televised made me envision that change is upon us. My only problem is that in the year 2008 — nearly 150 yearz since the Emancipation Procrastination (Proclamation) — we're still takin' the "I wanna be down" approach in the fight for liberation, havin' to explain again and again, generation-after-generation, askin' for YT to accept and treat us equally.
Why haven't we realized by now, the likelihood of this happenin' isn't worth continuing to exert energy towardz?! What has delayed us from goin' back to doin' what our immediate Ancestorz did before the Civil Rights era? Why hasn't there been a Black Wall Street since the one that was burned to the ground by jealous whitefolk back in 1921 (the Tulsa Race Riot)? Afrikanz around the globe have been in this state since we substituted self-reliance and self-determination with the burning desire to be accepted by euroepanz, even if it meant bein' less of ourselves naturally (How oxymoronic is it for Afrikanz to be afraid of tanning in the summer sun or wearing blue-colored eye contacts and dyeing your hair blond?!!?).
Since this paradigm began, we've witnessed the continued exchange of what I like to call, "the Great Cultural Sell-off", where we find Afrikanz literally givin' ourselves to the world with the only want in return being equal acceptance — how about ownership/patenting?! This mindset of 'Afrikan-invention-morphed-into-european-control/profit' today feedz off the creation of urban music (from Bebop to Hiphop), culture (now blue jean companies make saggin', low-pocket jeanz like urban youth wear) and language (Newt Gingrich actually said the word, "diss" when talkin' about Rev. Wright disrespectin' Obama on the show, The View!).
If you really look at it from a global/historical perspective, who has alwayz gone against the majority? CAUCASIANZ!! And for those white folks readin' this (and even black folk who still suffer from the 'please-don't-beat-me-massa' syndrome), don't try and flip this into some reverse-racist argument; and no, I'm not speakin' individually, I'm talkin' collectively as in the historical white race in general.
I'll accept that there are some less than savage white folk, and in return, won't dispute there are some wicked blacks (like the Boule'). Herein lies the difference, for every white person who believes they shouldn't be associated to somethin' their immediate ancestorz did, take a look at how you still benefit from their misdeedz. In addition, don't sit here and act like racizm and enslavement no longer exists! Institutionalized slavery is more powerful than ever and it's global! As a member of the white race, you benefit from it simply because you're white. What's more, there aren't enough (if any) white organizationz who denounce their forefatherz. And lets not even mention if they'd raise fundz as a sort of payback (like the 40 Acres and 2 mules we still haven't got!).
In a world full of all kindz of people, white folk still project themselves as the majority — not in number, but intellectually and financially — which is divisive tactic that creates a superior/inferior complex. Now create a system [composing the fieldz of education, entertaiment, economics, labor, law, politics, sex, religion, war and health—called the 9 Areas of People Activity, plus 1 (health) theorized by Drs. Neely Fulller and Francess Cress-Welsing] that magnifies this, and you end up producing people of color with less esteem due to lack of opportunity, and whites with confidence because of privilege. Call it a coincidence if you want, I call it a generational systematic and effective plan!
A plan like this in todayz world is more subliminal than right in your face. A perfect example can be seen simply by turnin' on your television or by flipping through the pages of publicationz (magazines, books, etc.). For every one person who's not white, there's at least 8-10 who are. Go 'hed, flip the channelz/pages and count how many white folks you see versus Afrikan people (or other people of color).
What's more sublime are the roles we see people in. Look at anything that has to do with beauty and entertainment, like the Miss America pageant. Of the 50 contestant's involved, you can count on one finger (yeah, that's right, I said finger and not hand!) how many are Afrikan versus white. Or take a look at how many politicianz or memberz of congress are white versus non-white. Still think it's a coincidence? I could go on, for dayz naming scenario's.
Yes, we are in the majority of some thingz, like sport jocks, but certainly not in the ownership department! But we're not fairly represented as cheerleaderz! Take a look at all the professional sport cheerleading squadz. This is deep because its systematic, or duplicated around the league's trickling down to the college ranks! It isn't by coincidence that the majority of cheerleaderz are white. The decision makerz (who I bet are mainly white) are defining what they want to be perceived as beauty and they actually feel they are doin' justice by sprinkling a token American-Afrikan/West Indian, Spanish or Asian chick to lessen the blatant racist preference; and we, the public are too blinded (and appreciative of inclusion, no matter what level) by their snail-paced (say delayed) effort for ethnic equality.
We're even doin' it to ourselves! Tyra Banks show, America's Next Top Model is the perfect example of self hate. Notice how many Afrikan women start out on the show versus how many actually win! In addition, she constantly berates our sisterz for not walking or posing 'european', not to mention the consistent gay male presence like that maama-mon (gay) 'Miss J'!
When we are on center stage, we are often depicted in a manner they convinced us to accept as "art". Did you see Vogue magazine's April 2008 cover of LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen? If you looked at conceptual artwork of the original 1933 King Kong movie, you'd see a close resemblance... or is this just a coincidence?
YT not only sees anything not white as deficient, it's seen as divisive 'cause it goes against the control of what they want it to be, and they've proven throughout time that they're willin' to do whatever it takes to have thingz in their favor — even if it meanz some of their own will be oppressed! If Fox news will keep this link up, peep what a white priest (father pfleger) defending Rev. Wright and Farrakhan as well as his thoughts on the double-standard white america has comparing how whites who criticize america are seen opposed to Afrikanz-in-america:
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?videoId=1fd1c0cf-5c80-4d75-996f-bd53b2461ae0&sMPlaylistID .
Remember the ol' sayin', "When in Rome, walk like the Romanz"? Who was the first to say it? I'm willin' to bet they were of european descent! Ask yourself, has the sayin', "When in Afrika, walk like the Afrikanz" ever been honored? Oh, when YT came to Afrika, they did walk like the Afrikanz. In fact, they wound up impersonating our Ancestorz, plagiarizing everything Afrikan and calling it theirz (study the persianz, romanz and greeks to name a few, or read 'Stolen Legacy' by George GM. James).
See, to them, it is a matter of survival. Never in the recorded history of europeanz have they lived in harmony with any race, not even their own! They can't function unless they are in control. And its this egotistical mindset that has prohibited the human race from living together, peacefully.
It may shock you to know that white folks are not the majority. This isn't me just sayin' it, it's true! When you take into account the people's of the world. In fact, research states they are a dying breed. Ask yourselves, who created artificial insemination and In-Vitro fertilization; what race invented cloning?! The even better question is why did they create these?!!? Don't see it, or better yet, don't wanna see it? Let's travel back in history...
HISTORY FOR HISTORY'S SAKE
When the founding pirates, I mean, "fatherz" arrived in North America, it was already populated; it just wasn't by them! Dark-melanated beingz that look just like the dark-skinned hedz on the continent of Afrika were here well before the erroneously called "Indianz" or "Native-Americanz"! [The earliest chiefs of many tribes would've been thought to be Afrikan because they looked like Afrikanz, but can't be called that because they were in North America, not Afrika. Additional proof of an early "Afrikan" presence are the countless ruinz that have "Afrikan" features like the Olmec Headz found in Mexico as well as pyramid structures and underground passages said to be found in the state of Indiana (look up Ancient America magazine). This bringz into question where did the first inhabitants of this planet originate from and that's a whole 'nutha piece that will be addressed at a later date—(hint) look up Pangaea].
The first europeanz in the "New world", were the different one's, not the hedz who were already here! And what did they do? Did they try to adopt and learn the customz of the original inhabitants? Yes and no. It's just like you havin' someone come from another state or country and stay in your house and they bring with them their home habits, not even considerate enough to learn the wayz of your household first before basically "housin'" your house!
This is what YT did then, and what they do now; alwayz have, and likely — if we use history as our measuring stick — will continue to do! Ask yourselves, how is it the United States military have bases nearly all over the world but there are no foreign bases within the United States that are from Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, the Ukraine, not even Mexico or Canada! Y IZ Dat?! What race decided to split the continents up into territories and borderz, makin' it so you have to have citizenship and passports to enter and leave places on this place we all live on called Earth?! I mean, ain't we all Earthlingz before anything else?!!? Let that jewel marinate for a lil' bit...
Need more examples? Look at chronic disease's sudden rise in China. The culprit? How 'bout all those McDonalds' outlets that sprung up — and I'm not even counting the increase of softdrinks (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, etc. which also usher in the worldz most addictive substance, refined sucrose aka white sugar - watch two Video Articles on White Sugar on DGTv) [SIDEBAR: why is it called 'soft'drinks when the amount of sugar in soda can eat away your teeth?! Another jewel... marinate on that a bit as well...].
Or how 'bout the guerilla warfare tactic of sendin' christian missionaries, who for yearz, have gone (and still go) into Afrika, converting Afrikanz — who created spiritual systemz millenniumz older than christianity — to this faith that was mandated to the world [thanx to Constantine the (not so) Great], that convinces hedz they're born in sin. Ever heard the short parable, "when the christianz came into Afrika, we (Afrikanz) had the land and they had the Bible. They convinced us to close our eyes and pray to their God. When we opened our eyes, they had the land and we had the Bible!" Yes. That's another jewel... take your time with this one!
Not good enough? How about the western hospital and pharmaceutical syndicate that went into this same area and tricked the inhabitants into believing their natural herb-using doctorz were witch doctorz and that they (YT) had better drugz, which didn't cure you, it just masked the pain (which usually brought on additional ailments); all this in efforts to control the mind, body and spirit (belief system) of whom they refer to as 'Third World' people.
Peep the tricknology, picture a witch doctor... now picture a doctor. What are the first images of each that come to mind? The witch doctor is some savage with a bone through his nose dawnin' a necklace full of teeth screamin' in a language you could swear was a cousin of the caveman; whereas the doctor in over 90% of hedz mind is a white man in a clean, pure, "white" coat. Echoing Rev. Wright, "we're not deficient, just different!"
This piece isn't to bash religious believerz. On the contrary, this is to show the genesis of who actually sees difference as deficient versus who's been convinced they're deficient, not different, and because of this, fights to be accepted by someone who hasn't proven capable of even accepting themselves!
The work of the co-conspiratorz of global white supremacy have kept the world blind for some time now. Today, we are witnessing the erosion of that pact, for as they say, nothin' lasts forever. But this device called global white supremacy won't just roll over and die. As the discussion of race, the imbalance of historical perspective and impending future dawnz upon the next generation, these culprits are workin' overtime to hold on to the benefits of their misdeedz as long as possibility will allow it. They are determined to be divisive; with them bein' on top of the food chain with a healthy gap between the next, of course.
The fact is, there is no difference in deficient or divisiveness; they actually go hand-in-hand. When we look at white-folk, we see whenever they're in a situation they're not in control of, or can't comprehend, it makes them feel deficient, so their instinctive plan of retaliation (although retaliation isn't even needed) is divisiveness. See, to them, anything non-white is a threat; as if blending or merging harmoniously with other ethnicities would literally 'whiteout' their existence (sorta like how the color white is fundamentally an inferior color to all the other colorz of the rainbow. Just blend it with any color and white becomes almost absent. Use a dark hue like black or brown, and it's totally engulfed — oh, they've studied this as well! They call it 'Eugenics'). I even dare call it a defense mechanizm. And why would they be so defensive? Because of all the ill deedz they've done to people the world over. They know karma could be right around the corner!
With that theory bein' said, they still refuse to practice humility and continue on with their wayz creating hierarchies, classes, deciding what (who) is of value and what (who) is not; all this, because they cannot handle not bein' in the driverz seat at all tymz. It's not until they are confronted that they show a sliver of shame.
I'll give you a personal example. The very next day after Rev. Wrights speech, I'm gettin' dressed one afternoon after workin' out at a gym in New York City. My attire was business casual, wearing a button-down shirt with brown pants and brown shoes. This older white guy chooses a locker across from mine and beginz to laugh under his breath. I paid him no mind. I guess my ignoring him gave him some courage as he uttered to me laughin', "You know what would be funny?... If you was a lawyer! With your (dred)locks and all; you'd be a rasta lawyer!" Because I wasn't wearing jeanz saggin' past my ass and a backward baseball cap, I was a (corporate) threat to him.
He's laughin' waitin' for me to laugh with him. Now, in any other situation, I'd go Dave Chappelle on his ass, but I'd be seen as the one in the wrong. In addition, he probably didn't even realize there was nothin' funny about what he just said. I paused, thinking before I spoke... turned around, lookin' him square in the eyes and replied, "you shouldn't be so afraid; but then again, I understand why you would be..." His smile turned to a look of embarrassment, as his eyes searched for his jaw that was on the ground. He mumbled under his breath, "I guess that wasn't so funny. I'm glad you said that," as if he wanted me to see his acknowledged foolishness. Trust, I wanted to say (and do) more! But what I said was enough to change his vybe. And it made me think of Rev. Wright's speech.
Am I sympathetic to white folks 'cause they can't handle hedz that are 'different'? At tymz, on an individualistic level like this encounter, yes; but when I look at this and see this is a microcozm of a macrocozmic and historical way of thinking white folk have had for everyone non-white, the answer is no, not at all...
Maybe now we can realize there's the urgent need to change our focus from acceptance to defining ourselves, first and be understood by otherz, second; for the other way around continues to empower the very oppressor we're tryin' to defeat.
About the author:
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Deborah Martin · Top CommenterWhy does this article not mention the fact that Addidas founder and his brother who founded PUMA were once Nazis? Why does this article not mention the fact that Timbaland once told Blacks they didn't appreciate their product being associated with urban youths? Why does this article go past the fact the Cristal didn't like their product being associated with rap artists and the lifestyle?
Floyd Webb · CEO at Straight Out of A Comic, LLCDamn, must we always focus on the obvious and miss the message.The MESSAGE is that is concrete capital value to Black Culture and life. Let's run and tell THAT. NOW, how do we, the producers of this AWESOME culture, seize control and monitize it on our own in our best interest?
Ed Dunn · Top Commenter · Atlanta, Georgia
