Bill Cosby, Kanye, and Candace ~ The Colonizers and the Colonized Mindset
To say that this past week was filled with distractions would be a gross understatement. First, rapper, Meek Mills, was released from Prison following a much-publicized and highly organized effort supported by deep pockets and big names. Then Bill Cosby was found guilty on three counts of sexual assault, sending Black people into a complete frenzy. During the same time, Kanye West had another Blackout moment in which he felt the need to come to the aid of Candace Owens and Donald Trump.
If all of these situations did anything, they revealed just how disconnected and misdirected we are as a race. In his book, Black Skin White Mask, Franz Fanon went to great lengths to describe the depths at which colonization had negatively impacted Blacks in Africa. Although chattel slavery was a completely different experience than much of the colonization that took place on the continent of Africa, we must not lose sight of the common machinations used to subjugate Blacks in both instances.
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While physical subjugation and domination came first, by itself, it would not suffice. It is the subjugation of the mind that has the most lasting impact. It was the introduction of the idea that your oppressor and their Whiteness is inherently superior and that White validation is one of the most valuable things to which Blacks should aspire. It was Carter G. Woodson that reminded us that when you can control a man’s mind, you do not have to concern yourself with controlling his behavior. When you convince a race of people that they are inferior, they will without force, take on a position of inferiority.
We live in a nation in which Blacks intrust their oppressors to educate their progeny. The level of idiocy associated with this type of thinking is beyond reasonable comprehension. We are basically cycling and recycling erroneous ideas of who we are and what we are capable of. We are looking to the thinking and standards of the “Eurocentric idea” to give us our bearings and to establish our direction.
When the strongest defense we can offer for Bill Cosby is that White men are getting away with it, and we make that argument boldly, and without shame, then we must admit that we are lost. With more than 60 percent of Black women admitting that they were victims of CSA (Childhood Sexual Abuse), including incest and rape, we must be willing to engage the elephant in the room — not perpetuate the mindset that fuels it. What White men do to their women and children cannot be the standard for us.
We live in a society that has placed a veil in front of Black accomplishment and painted over it with images of savage behavior and diminished capacity. We have very little in the way of readily available records and knowledge of all of the accomplishments of our ancestors to drive inspiration and anticipation in our youth. We must take on the responsibility of holistically educating our youth in a way that prepares and empowers them to enter into a world that is inherently hostile towards them and not simply to compete but win.
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Furthermore, we must be willing to acknowledge the reason why so many Blacks defend the likes of Cosby and O.J. with such great ferocity. We have been emasculated in every area of our existence, and the only way that many of us will ever experience power is by living vicariously through those who have achieved a certain level of celebrity and power for themselves. We become so connected in our vicariousness that any attack on these celebrities is subconsciously viewed as an attack on us.
It is our responsibility to take accountability for our behavior and to hold those in positions to visibly represent us accountable for towing the line. We hand out too many passes instead of holding affluent Blacks to the flame. We must escape the proclivity to judge ourselves based on the standards set forth by the behavior of Whites.
We must focus on the development of superior talent and skills in our youth. History has proven that there is very little force that discrimination can apply to oppose superior skill and talent. We must stop begging for a place at the table and build our own house. Yes, there will be challenges to overcome, but we have the mental, intellectual, and spiritual resources to get the job done. However, it will never happen if we insist on embracing white ideology over the “Afrocentric idea.”