Commentary submission by Project 21
Juneteenth is the June 19 anniversary of the day in 1865 when the black residents of Galveston, Texas learned about the Emancipation Proclamation and their freedom. Today, its commemoration is a reason for parties and celebration nationwide.
More importantly, however, Juneteenth is a time to reflect on where we as blacks have been and a time to conduct an azimuth check on where we are going. It is a time for clarity. It is a time to count the ways in which we are free and a time to take stock of the chains that bind us still.
Juneteenth is a time to take measure of ourselves — as men, as husbands, as women, as wives and sons and daughters. It is a time to plot a course of freedom from debt, immorality and lethargy.
No one ever truly freed a man but himself, and no one ever really enslaved a man but himself. Bob Marley, the late and great reggae icon, said it best: “None but ourselves can free our minds.” With that freedom, he believed we can move on triumphantly. Obtaining freedom from physical chains is an easy task. This “free mind” thing is a little trickier.
It is unfortunate that some black bloodlines have gone from having members whose very existence was bound to a slave master to now being bound by government and to the sorrowful empathy of others for their very sustenance.
There are no chains, but is their existence truly free? If our history teaches us anything, it should be that the fullness of absolute God-given liberty should be jealously guarded. We should see any infringement on our inalienable freedoms as an infringement on the Spark of the Divine that is within us all.
Frankly, it should not have to be the Ron Pauls, Newt Gingrichs, and Ronald Reagans of the world leading us grudgingly to a future where our biblical talents can be shone freely and unencumbered. It should have been black America.
Free men do travel among us. I consider myself among them. We seek to map a better course. And, while any journey first requires an understanding of where the traveler is, its continuance requires necessary self-assessments and subsequent course corrections.
We must periodically face hard truths. Blaming others provokes nothing but pity. Blaming oneself begets little but shame. Face these truths and learn from them. There is no need to blame anyone. What’s important is knowing where we are as a people and charting a course toward a freer future.
Haven’t we outgrown the leftovers from the 1960s yet? Haven’t failed nanny states run their course? When will we truly be tired of black women having babies out of wedlock over 50 percent of the time? Isn’t it sad and pathetic that, without out-of-wedlock childbirth, the black community in America could not sustain its numbers? Aren’t we sick yet with politicians who take us for granted or sometimes ignore us? Why aren’t we more fed up yet with the club-to-church-to-club lifestyle?
I am personally tired and sick and sick and tired of seeing a worn-out old slave mentality rear its ugly head in the form of “fathers” who don’t take care of their kids, “mothers” who have kids without bothering to find and keep a husband and young people without the nurturing or self-determination to reach beyond the situations into which they were born. The list goes on.
Nonetheless, celebrate Juneteenth!
Right now is not be the time to mark this solemn commemoration with just barbeques and parties — though barbeques are never a bad thing. Instead, this is a time for calm and reasoned reflection and honest and soul-centered introspection.
R. Dozier Gray is a member of the national advisory council of the black leadership network Project 21.
afrospear.wordpress.com 
OK, here we go. The same tired azzed descriptions of black America.
“I am personally tired and sick and sick and tired of seeing a worn-out old slave mentality rear its ugly head in the form of …..”
What in the hell is a “slave mentality” ? I remember learning that the slaves wanted freedom! I learned that they fought until death for it, made alliances with other races for it, ran to the swamps and hills, and Canada, and Mexico for it, founded cities in the most arid God forsaken places in America for it, joined in war for it, killed for it, stole for it, bid their time for it…must I go on?
“…fathers who don’t take care of their kids,…”
What about circumstances that the father has no control of forcing him to be jobless, thereby being unable to take care of his kids?
“…mothers who have kids without bothering to find and keep a husband….”
Is it possible that an unmarried black woman can actually raise well-rounded children, even if she is poor? Is that remotely possible?? Or are all “single parent children” doomed? If so, then I better go and warn Obama and Oprah that they’re gonna fail.
“…..young people without the nurturing and the self determination to reach beyond the situations into which they were born…..”
I was watching the local news this past week, and as they will do during this graduation time, they go to the ghetto to find those “success” stories. They go to Martin Luther King Academy, and watch with surprise as the entire class graduates and tell the story of how all the brown and black kids have 4-yr scholarships waiting for them, because of the hard work of the entire staff and the dedication and time they put into the kids lives and the work the kids put into their studies.
The kids themselves are shocked that they succeed.
Or they follow a few kids from the ghetto who made it to Morehouse and are actually graduating. One young man is in shock and is jubilant that he actually is graduating.
“Why aren’t we more fed up yet with the club-to-church-to-club lifestyle?
One gets the feeling that this guy is watching too much Christian television and believing everything those pastors are preaching.
What irritates me about these kinds of articles is the fact that they are so one-dimensional. As though the children of women who are single parents (or men for that matter)
are doomed to be losers. Or even as though all black children are from single parent homes. Or that all blacks in America go through a “club-to-church-to-club experience. He has the nerve to criticize some peoples’ journey to the Lord!
The author R. Dozier Gray seems hell bent on focusing on the glass being half empty! Regurgitating all these tired assed “anti black sentiments” that we’ve heard a bazillion
times before! Black folks like him who think they have blacks in America all figured out and have neatly set us in the dysfunction box.
Failed Nanny states? Leftovers from the 1960s? I’ll leave that alone because I don’t know what he’s talking about.
This brother considers himself to be free. Really?
“Frankly, it should not have to be the Ron Pauls, Newt Gingrichs, and Ronald Reagans of the world leading us grudgingly to a future where our biblical talents can be shone freely and unencumbered. It should have been black America”
This brother’s mind is bound up in ways that he’ll never understand! Either that, or he’s pandering like a slave. Ronald Reagan, New Gingrich? WTF!!!!!
As I think about this it just becomes sad. Many of us are bound in shame by those who hold our “pathology” over our heads. So we are always on the defensive, always behind, always at the mercy of those others, always fearful of our “lacks”– of morality, intelligence, humanity, ability, etc. Some of us never consider that those who are shaming us are full of shame themselves. Some of us “free” black people never are able to conceptualize black people outside the box of dysfunction. R. Dozier Gray doesn’t even bother to reach beyond the slavish situation
into which he put himself!!
If this is freedom, then give me that ‘ole time slave mentallity.
http://black-folks.blogspot.com
Whew! Did he get a little under your skin Sis. Anna? lol! Well argued on your part. You bring up very pertinent points in your rebuttal!
Jus a little bit ;-D
@ Anna
The black community has issues. Ignoring them is not doing us any good. It’s true that the issues he brought up may have been overly simplified. However, I think his main point was that for as far as we have come, we still have a lot of work left to do. That’s my take anyways.
The problems have not been ignored, there is a lack of persons willing to put their feet on the ground and work with those that these problems effect. Any of the political figures mentioned in this post had not done or would ever do this. I hardly ever hear these Black folk who blame, saying that I am doing such and such in the community, will you join me. They speak of less government, but say if you would only consider or follow the policies of these government leaders we would be better off. If they are such capitalist, why aren’t they providing capital and infrastructure for business and manufacturing to thrive in our community. As I see it, this post was only designated to make us feel shame. It is not introspective nor solution oriented.
Ours is not a specific moral, ideological or political problem in the sense that we can just elect someone or go to the right church or believe in the right world view. Blacks cannot define ourselves by the “nuclear family” which only existed in fifties TV, criminality or by familial dysfunction: no other group of people does this.
It’s not that I want to ignore the issues that black folks have. It’s just that we tend to go overboard about being pathological. We tend to buy into the hype that we are right on the precipice of self destruction!! If we are, then the whole country is. Yet we’re still here and we’ve been here, and we’ve gone through much worse in our history in this country!
We need to settle down our spirits and get in alignment, and work to deal with our issues from whatever gifts we have, and not let these ridiculous reports blow our minds again and again.
I would venture to say that paying attention to all of this and re-reporting this stuff in the black blogosphere is more destructive to our spirits than the issues we face, because these reports tend to foster despair and hopelessness.
But that sister girl, and that brother man who are working in the community from their own place, not listening to all this crap are more effective, in their place, in my opinion.
What’s so interesting about the whole thing is that there are those black folks who deal with the problems from their place, we don’t always hear about their activism. There are those black people who have stepped over the problems, on to their higher level, there are those black people who talk about the problems and do nothing, there are those black people who do alot, but ARE NOT talked about, neither are they talking, there are those black people who do alot and ARE talked about.
We all tend to look out at the situation from our vantage point and assume that it’s the same from every vantage point. I like educating from my small small place. Should I assume that all people should be educating from the same place, and if they arent then nothing’s happening in the black community? I can’t possibly see the entire picture, so why should I assume that nobody else is doing anything?
I think that when we feel that no one else is doing anything simply because we can’t see or hear anything from them comes from a place of not having faith that we have the ability or compassion to help ourselves.
What irks me about this is that people tend to take the easy route and latch onto some report of statistics compiled by the capitalists or whomever that don’t have our best interests at heart and quote that stuff and accept it as the full gospel! Can statistics truly capture all of black America, or black people, worldwide? Can they really? Why do we put such faith in anybody’s ole statistics anyway? Is it possible that the statistics are skewed? Are statistics fail proof? I believe that they are an inexact science, and for that reason, weak at best. Then add to the fact that they are ALWAYS used against black people, well then what?
I did a post a while back at the Black Culture Blog about a brother who created a fake CNN report, that focused solely on white pathos. By the time it was over, one could conclude that all white men were a bunch of serial murderers, thieves, thugs, and drug addicted malcontents. They truly looked debased!
http://black-folks.blogspot.com/2010/02/cnns-love-affair-with-black-pathos.html
Anyway, I got to keep on fighting the good fight. We have got to stop viewing ourselves through their eyes. The double consciousness is killing us!
Thank God for the Afrospear and for each and everyone of you my brothers and sisters who are fighting with words at your own blogs.
A luta continua….
you can read more of my opinions at http://www.nationalcenter.org/bios/P21Speakers_Gray.html
thanks for the comments
Blaming others provokes nothing but pity. Blaming oneself begets little but shame
“Blaming” seems to be the total intent of this post.
@ Hathor
“If they are such capitalist, why aren’t they providing capital and infrastructure for business and manufacturing to thrive in our community.”
Great point!
@Hathor
I will agree that we don’t see nearly enough solution-oriented dialogue. However, a lot of black people don’t want to deal with criticisms even if they are valid. It’s hard to get around to discussing solutions if we refuse to even acknowledge problems. I think that plays a part.
And frankly, I don’t think politics/politicians are or will ever be the answer to what ails the black community. Black people, collectively, are the answer. As long as we continue to hang our hopes on politicians, regardless of which party it is, we will be sorely disappointed.
“However, a lot of black people don’t want to deal with criticisms even if they are valid.”
This is so true! It’s easier for some black people to throw all of what ails us at the foot of the white man. Then there is no self accountability or responsibility to take control of our own destiny. Hence I agree whole-heartedly with your statement that:
“Black people, collectively, are the answer.”
@ Sis. Anna:
There are lies, damn lies and then statistics.
whoa! I loved Anna Renee’s response! It left me speechless.
(And truly, why rain on a day of celebrating? Perhaps, a day of general mourning should be established, just to reflect, repent, renew efforts, etc. that way it won’t be done on celebratory times).
My quote of the day:
“I would venture to say that paying attention to all of this and re-reporting this stuff in the black blogosphere is more destructive to our spirits than the issues we face, because these reports tend to foster despair and hopelessness.”
Thank you!
(p.s. may I quote this on my blog?)
w/due credits of course.
Of course, sister!