In part II of our discussion of the Unconscious Discourse I’ll be going over the manifestations of the discourse within the African American community and how it relates to the separation of community as wells as the creation of an absentee and outcast Vanguard within the community. In the last blog, I stated that man has the inclination to categorize things, put things in order. Another inclination of the human being to this sense of belonging.  Humans are very social beings, that being the case order and categorization can arise peacefully when there is a society or community in which to organize. In the case of African Americans the community is stalled and broken at an integral level of development due to the fact of this Unconscious Discourse. 

     The Unconscious Discourse, in which African Americans and those people affected by the African Diaspora ask themselves the internal questions  of :

who am I?

What Shapes my identity?

and get a void answer with a premature pause, the pause being slavery or colonization, establishes a community of people with no past, or at least not impartial and truthful past. Specifically for African Americans it is a very arduous task to trace back one’s lineage even to the times slavery. Coupled with further oppression in the sense of  today’s African American societies or state of the African American community in the mid 20th century definately contributes to the search within an abyss of tell tales about “home” or Africa to the African American psyche. It is my personal opinion, that for all groups affected by the African Diaspora, whether it be African American descendants of slaves, or post- colonized Africans, the Latin and Caribbean populations of  Central and South America, there is a stop within the past of our culture and history at the time of slavery. The wall (stop) is so embedded into our minds, that even if we know, for example, Africans built the pyramids of Egypt and controlled the Universities of Timbuktu, or even defeated the Portuguese and several other European colonialists on their first breaches of the African continent in a glorious and powerful way, there is sense of  “that’s not us” feeling within these communities. Rather, that was us but it’s different, as if we could never reach such heights again. The manifestation of this unconsious discourse is seen within two interactions. African intellectual engagement with their Caucasian counterparts, and African intellectual engagement with their community. 

 Disclaimer: When I say African, I mean people of affected by the African Diaspora.

Interaction amongst African Intellectuals and their Caucasian Counterparts

     African Intellectuals seek education and prosperity within the realms of which in modern society, and especially in African communities are controlled and have been controlled by Caucasians.  Fanon and W.E.B. Dubois speak of this in several books of African American community. Fanon goes on to speak about how, in Senegalese communities, Africans seek to go to France and master the French language in order to become something other than themselves. The same can be seen within the African American community in which African intellecutals seek to go to College to escape their own communities ,”get out the hood” and live the “white picket fence lifestyle”, they master a craft or the sciences and move in a white suburban neighborhood – Priveleged black folk. Unfortunately, in reaching for these goals they come to find it is not possible to be accepted as French or as an intellectual if you’re African. Comments such as ” oh you’re so articulate” or ” well-mannered”, so on and so forth, let intellectuals know, you’re an exception to the rule and if ever you step out place, well you have a desired place of “nigger” to fit into. 

Disclaimer: I am explaining the Unconscious Discourse. I would not say that All people descended from the African Diaspora who are intellectual go through this our have this discourse but this is…. the Unconscious Discourse.

At the end of the day, failure is the result for intellectuals because they’ll be white or rather never be accepted as ” true intellectuals”, well at least not by everyone and for many of our previous leaders, not until their dead.

Interaction amongst African Intellectuals and their African Community

     When our African Intellectuals go back to their communities, they are ultimately outcasts as if their growth in education has taken away their blackness. So the standard holds true …. you can’t be black and smart. Intellectuals get comments from their community companions such as: ” You talk so white” ” You walk funny” “You’re the whitest person I know” etc. Fanon expresses this with his Senegalese character in the story of when he returns from France to his Farmer family, he is depressed. All of his community seek him out to hear his stories and critique is actions. The first mistake he makes, it is pointed out and scrutinized. In the African American community, this is seen in two ways, one by pointing out the intellectual mistakes, or by the intellectual him or herself being perceived to the community has “holier than thou” or ” you think you better” lol.

All in all, the intellectual of the black community is in a box where he or she is not accepted by their community or their counterpart caucasians, leaving them in a void of where do I stand? Ineteresting indeed, when one asks themselves the question of where did all of the intellectuals go when drugs were being put into African American communities in the 60s,70s and 80s. This leads us to the intellectual role of Vanguard within the community.

The intellectual, because of the experience of unacceptance,is placed in the role of superhero or Uncle Tom, depending on their actions. Oh, you moved out of the hood, don’t give me 5 dollars, the man got his foot on my neck, Uncle Tom ass nigger! or I’m going to spend my entire life waking up a sleeping people – yes you the living dead.  Listen to ” Wake up Niggers” by the Last Poets. Interesting and vaguely comes together with what is being expressed in this paragraph. Such things cause intellectuals to just accept their position or straddle the fence in which in both cases the Vanguard is absent from our communities. Truthfully I don’t think we should rely on our intellectuals. All of us, us being the descendants of those caught up in the African Diaspora or any type of colonization or subjugation of oppression, should individually focues on the betterment of ourselves and our people without relying on one group of people but rather working together strengthening everyone in the community.

This is the state of our communities today, to some extent. In any event, the communities are broken down and there is a heavy sense of belonging for members of our community and such unconscious discourse may being preventing proper communication and unification of the African community.

Disclaimer: All of this I don’t agree with, but much of if is seen. Whether the reasons and factors are the same, the actions are clear. Next is how we fix it.

 I pray I did a proper job in explaining the Unconscious Discourse further. Please if you have any comments or so feel free. I haven’t been on in a while.

AsSalaamu Alaikum

     I personally do not like politics. It’s a frustrating process of lies upon statutes of conjecture formed into laws which won’t be enacted until two years after the law has actually passed. For the past  eight years the U.S. has been subject to one of the most tyrannical and unconstitutional presidencies of U.S. history. While unbeknownst to the majority of the American public, or so it seems, this executive administration has broken and continues to impale the constitution and all that it stands for. This adminstration outright demolished American sense of value, and worth. While in other countries, a faction may just perform a belligerent coup to get to power,American coups come with commercials and soundbytes indoctrinating the people. This administration is still under scrutiny of whether it fixed the previous two elections like a rigged college basketball game! The whole thing stinks, but, who doesn’t know that.

     What concerns me is the American public’s unwillingness to step up to the plate and get into the faces of these so called representatives. We the people, For the people, by the people, or did they mean those capitalist entities who feed money into political campaigns only? Either way, the American public must organize and demand their right to be respected and properly represented. Whoever becomes President,the American public must keep the fire under them ensuring another debacle like this Iraqi War does not happen again. Politicians don’t mind compromising their beliefs and personal goals for office. It may be that is why they seem like puppets of highest bidder. If that is the case then the American people need to buy back their representatives. Speaking of the Iraq War , I think 1 senator’s son is fighting or fought in this non UN sanctioned war against Iraq. Only one politician’s son! If it’s so patriotic to support the troops, which it is, and to support the war, which it is not, then why haven’t more politicians sent their children to fight and die for American interests? If that is the case why is that, soldiers from this and previous wars fought by America not getting their just due? Many times when these soldiers get home, they’re left with nothing. Many of them maimed, mauled and traumatized, they can’t even get proper medical treatment. Has anyone checked the suicide rate of soldiers coming home from this war? How about rape victims? Don’t ask don’t tell huh? Then when the Vice President is told the majority of the U.S does not agree with the war and the administration’s policy, he says, ” So!” So! So!… Okay, this is the guy we elected? or does he know he stole what wasn’t his, twice!  The American people need to take responsibility for their government. We as Americans should hold these politicians accountable for their actions. They are no smarter than we are. We put them in office or maybe we didn’t. If we didn’t then that’s where our major problem lies.

     I am an American citizen, and proud to be one. Allah blessed me to be born on this soil. My ancestors have fought and died, were enslaved and slaughtered in order for this government to be established and to operate.The dealings of the government upon the American people as well as foreign goverments are outright horrible. Women are being scrutinized for having still births. African Americans are still racially profiled. New Orleans levies still aren’t fixed and the New Orleans residencies are still in formaldahyde filled trailors. What progress have we made from the 1950s to now? Civil rights, right to free speech, religion,and so on are still being violated. I guess the processes have changed but it’s still the same method… Madness. As “The Last Poets” so aptly put it ” THIS IS MADNESS!!!”

I urge all American citizens, go do research on these candidates of ours,and question them, make them accountable for their votes and actions. Don’t be complacent with the journalist. Be your own journalist, start a blog, start an organization to meet or to have these candidates, these representatives of ours come speak to the people they represent. Have good character and etiquette, show these people We are The People and they work FOR THE People,in a government By The People. They owe us that. Obama you owe us that, and McCain you owe us that. American people you owe it to yourselves, to take responsibility for who you put in office. This is a democracy. Make it right, because we have that right.

AsSalaamu Alaikum

     In recent times, the global community has experienced a very significant economic crisis. As this article is being written communities all over the world are being oppressed by the detriment of the global economy. Food price riots have swept across a numerous amount countries around the world as people starve for food as well as for freedom.  In the Western world, gas prices are steadily increasing and so is the price for food commodities.  The U.S dollar weakens everyday and more people become disillusioned in the vision of equality and freedom as expressed by the powers that be. They soon come to realize that freedom is not for the average man and equality keeps the have nots with not and the haves with more than half of what the have nots could ever want.  With all these problems, mentioned and unmentioned, what is the best role for us as the people to play?  In my opinion,  the people should make a concerted effort and lifelong intention to revitalize,revamp, and reunite communities all over the world,  If people begin to work together for the betterment of mankind, there would more peace in the world.

     Over the next several weeks inshaAllah, I will be writing several articles discussing the community and some small  techniques one can apply in one’s neighborhood community to strengthen the bonds within a community inshaAllah.

Write now, if anyone reads this blog lol… Answer these questions if you’d like

Do you feel….

1. Your neighborhood has a sense of community?

How…

2. Does your community  dynamic stay intact?

Thanks for your time. It’s not as organized as I like but inshaAllah I’ll get better throughout my next couple of posts.

AsSalaamu Alaikum

Abdul At-Tawwaab