Festivus for the Rest of Us, The Kwanzaafication Factor

The Leap into True Communication

Racism is ugly.

espect and Truth

Yesterday's post drew a couple of comments that deserve a detailed response, so here it is. Basically, my feeling is that whenever a White criticizes anything to do with anything Black, the whole burden of history is laid on his/her back.



Despite our society's penchant for calling Whites racist who criticize Blacks or, again, anything to do with Blacks or Black culture, this should not deter anyone from being honest. This blog is about truth. I don't write the blog to be loved. I don't write it to be politically correct. I write it to tell the truth. If you want me to patronize you, you're at the wrong blog.

I owe you, my Reader, whether you are White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, whatever, only two things: respect, and the truth. I respect you, but I can only treat you as an equal, which is what I want to do, by speaking what for me is the truth. I'm not like the patronizing liberals who tell you everything you want to hear. I tell it like it is. You can handle it. You are adults, and we need to battle these things out, with words. Here are my comments to Anonymous from yesterday's post about Kwanzaa.

Dear Anonymous

Anonymous, thanks for your comments. You said:

My man, I have to take serious exception to your criticisms of Kwanzaa, not due to your opinions of course, but due to your gross misunderstandings of the holiday.

I'm willing to listen, although I got my info directly from Wickepedia, among other sources, hardly a conservative source, and usually accurate.

1. "The emphasis ought to be on being Americans." Would you tell an American Jew that the emphasis of Hanukah celebrations in America "ought to emphasize being American?" or that they should speak in English during their prayers rather than Hebrew?

Actually, I do have issues with any sect totally walling themselves off from others. I've seen orthodox religious of all religions do this. Of course I want to be tolerant and let people behave as they want. On the other hand, I think it would be ideal if people could both practice their individuality and separateness, plus contribute to society as a whole, and to the country they live in.

Racism ought NOT exist and had America as a whole been kinder towards Black people historically, this wouldn't be an issue. Kwanzaa emphasizes the celebration of African heritage, not a separation from America.

In the interest of fairness, I'm open to hearing this. I sense otherwise, though. It appears that the prevailing belief among some Blacks is that Whites are so bad that they need to insulate themselves from them. As I said, which you seem to ignore, Kwanzaa does seem to have many beautiful things about it, and these I applaud.

Eyes on the Prize

2. It wasn't/isn't African Americans who had/have a misunderstanding of e pluribus unam. Remember the 60's now- the fire hoses, the German Shepards, the fire bombings, the KKK, the impossible poll tests, the segregation, the economic oppression, lynchings, etc, etc, etc. At a time when most Black people were actively TRYING to become equal partners in American society and live out the true meaning of "e pluribus unam" it was racist/prejudice White people and American GOVERNMENTS at the federal, state and local levels who fought vehemently to keep us separate and socially/economically disenfranchised.

Hey, you've identified yourself a bit, as African-American, which I like. I understand what you're saying, but I think things have changed dramatically in the U.S., and that Blacks actually had a better way of seeing the world back then. Unfortunately, you're right—this better attitude I remember and see on all the news footage, movies, shows, etc. got "beaten" out of much of the Black race in America. They gave up or changed tactics, more towards Malcolm X and away from Martin Luther King. These tactics worked, but they are no longer useful. I also don't think there is any further use for seeking out racism everywhere anymore either. Things have changed.

The need for certain organizations grows and wanes, depending on the threat. We don't so much need to separate ourselves anymore. That maybe was good for a time. Now, it has the opposite effect—making things worse.

FestivusA Holiday for the Rest of Us

Kwanzaa is not a "movement" nor is it separatist. The holiday came about to instill historical pride and forge a culturally African holiday tradition that had up to that point been missing from Black homes. You and 98% of the White people living in the US can trace your family ancestry to a specific country of origin and relate to it's culture in some way, even visit distant relatives in Europe if you want. You have the CHOICE to celebrate a Polish/Irish/Italian/English/German version of holiday traditions if you wish and take historical pride in it, but for 98% of Black people that's not even an option. Kwanzaa and it's African traditions are the closest Black people will come to a "traditional" holiday celebration.

Black people are welcome to participate in Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, the Fourth of July, and even President's Day. They can even drink green beer on St. Patrick's Day. They are welcome at all our holidays. These holidays are their holidays. If not, then I guess we ought to have "White" holidays too, just for Whites. Kwanzaa, though, as I've said, is welcome. If any group wants a holiday, that is their right. We all need a Festivus I guess, for the rest of us.

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Ancestry

It's sad to think that I have to judge my worth based on knowledge of my ancestors. My ancestors were English, and Irish, and German. Some English, Irish and Germans were good, but some of them weren't. I don't even know their customs anymore, and if it weren't for the fact that I am a writer and filmmaker, I could care less.

My self-worth comes from being productive and living a good life, and contributing to society, to Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and all of the people. Somebody handed you a bill of goods by making you think you need to know your roots in order to be fully human. You are fully human because you are a child of God, just like me; or, if you aren't religious, you are fully human because you are a child of the universe. Being Black is nice, but it shouldn't mean that you are more human knowing where you came from. I don't even know where my ancestors lived. Does that affect my life? I don't think so.

I paid to have a DNA test conducted to find MY specific heritage (read 4/18 and 4/19 on my blog archive) but ask ANY Black person what their country of origin is and you will get a look of dismay and scorn because most don't know and probably never will. That my friend, is something you will NEVER understand or relate to.

What blog archive? You sign as Anonymous and there is no link to your site.

Getting your DNA checked? Sounds a bit racist to me. I guess I should have my "White" DNA roots checked too. I guess that will make me a better person knowing what percentage "White" I am and exactly where my "White" ancestors lived. You are the one obsessed with color, my friend, and genes. I don't mind the scientific recent best guess that every human on earth now is genetically related to one female, nicknamed "Eve", who was, yes, you guessed it—African American. So, Anonymous, it's official. MY ROOTS ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, but I don't know from which village exactly.

Plus, my friend, I could care less what country I originated from. Yes, it's interesting to me to see things about the Irish, the English, and the Germans, but so what? I wouldn't die if nobody ever told me I had these three origins. I'm an American. I'm a Hoosier from Indiana. I'm a member of the human race.

Evil, Racist America

Though you believe that it was established to "create a unified society", it did so by SEPARATING White settlers from Native Americans, and using a SEPARATED enslaved African population to create a strong economy, at one point considering a slave only three-fifths of a human. How horribly were Asians treated in the early 1800's? It was "unified" if you were part of the White majority, but you were thought of as virtually less than human otherwise.

Our country was, like most countries on the planet at the time, involved in slave holding. Blacks in Africa were kidnapping Blacks to sell to the White traders. Those were evil men, those White AND Black slave traders.

The United States fought a war to end slavery, and this war was preceded by millions of Americans who voiced their opposition to slavery. Instead of being a rogue nation at the time, we were actually one of the first to fight to end slavery.

You paint a broad brush about Whites, which, if I'm not mistaken, is the definition of racism. My ancestors, as you would like me to think about—did not even live in America at the time of slavery. Yet, I am painted with your broad brush when you talk about "Whites." My family, as much as I know, was always pretty decent to people of all races.

Remember Those Who Fought and Died for You

In fact Kwanzaa was established just two years after the Civil Rights Act made it illegal to discriminate against people based on religion, race and gender. Mathematically, it took nearly 200 years to lay just the groundwork for a "unified" country. How quickly we forget history....

Yes, you're right. You forget the Abolitionists. You forget the people who died to end slavery. You forget the White Civil Rights workers in the 50's who stood right alongside Martin Luther King, and those that gave up their lives. You forget what your greatest leader said, that you should judge a man by the content of his character rather than by the color of his skin. You do forget quickly.

Historical Context

You're taking the seven principals of Kwanzaa and applying them to a modern context. These principals were created in the 1960's and I don't think I need to remind you what foul types of things were happening to Black people in the 1960's. The "philosophy" was rooted in the idea that the government was not protecting Black peoples' rights, nor supporting Black causes but was actively usurping them and it was up to the community to protect itself culturally, economically and socially. American society was for the most part treating the Black population as a separate group so Karenga sought to make that population as vibrant as possible.

Finally a position we can agree on. Yes, that's exactly my point. Both the NAACP and Kwanzaa were necessary at one time, and maybe still are—but things have changed, and both these manifestations of the golden era of the Civil Right's Movement need to grow and change.

Unity of Whom?

Despite this, Karenga made the FIRST principal Umoja which "strives for and maintain unity in the family, community, NATION and race." He wasn't talking about Nigeria, Togo, and Ghana, he was talking about the USA.

What community was he talking about? What nation? What race?

Racism Today

Again, Anonymous, thanks for your passion and your comments, but I sense the racism is coming from comments like yours, and not from questions about Kwanza. I am not calling you a racist, as I don't want to get personal, and you have avoided calling names, which I respect. I just think your comments reveal an attitude about "Whites," which to me is a racist way of looking at things.

Most "Whites" are good people, not racist, including their ancestors, like mine, and had nothing to do with slavery. As much as you might imply, we don't inherit guilt. If we inherit guilt, then we also inherit merit—so, we inherit the spirit of Lincoln and the Abolitionists.

America is a nation in progress. It is a living evolution. We've come a long way. Now is the time for the kind of attitude Blacks had in the fifties. Now America is ready for it. It's time to stop wallowing in the past and get to work building a better society.

Them Versus Us

Keep Kwanzaa; it's a good thing. There are a lot of wonderful things about it, as I said. The rituals, the African roots, the laughter, dance and song, these are all great. Anything that adds beauty to life is from God.

I'm not talking about these. I'm just commenting on the "them versus us." There's no need for this anymore.

Just please stop branding all Whites as racists and at least consider the idea of joining with us in fighting to battle injustice, and continuing to make this great nation of ours even greater.

America at the Vanguard

Instead of condemning America as past and present racist, consider the idea that America was at the vanguard in the evolutionary leap away from slavery, and away from racism. All peoples on the face of the earth, not just America, owned slaves at one time in their history. Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and yes, Africans—Black Africans—owned slaves. It has always been wrong.

Finally, one nation, the United States of America, did something about it. We fought the longest, bloodiest war in our history to end it. I'm proud of this.

People shed their blood to get us where we are now. In the space of 200 years we came from slave holding to the Civil Rights movement. Then, in the space of fifty years, from the 1950's until now, we advanced from the water hoses and dogs to African-American Secretaries of Defense and State and a presidential candidate in the next election—one who has a fair chance of winning. Open your eyes. Things have changed.

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How to Succeed in America Today

Let me tell you the "Secret of Success in America" in the 21st century.
You take any man or woman—any man or woman—put him/her in good looking clothes, put a smile on his/her face, have them talk intelligently and respectfully, have them study and work hard; then—I guarantee you—I bet you my life savings on it—that this man or woman will succeed—REGARDLESS OF COLOR.

Have that same man or woman wear sloppy clothes, earrings in their nose, tattoos, with a frown on his/her face, talking with bad grammar and disrespectfully, with a chip on their shoulder, avoiding study and hard work; then—I guarantee you—I bet you my life savings on it—that this man or woman will fail—REGARDLESS OF COLOR.

The only racism I see where I live these days, is reverse racism. I know this isn't true all over the nation, but it sure is in the media, including radio, TV, print, and most of the Internet; on the streets where I walk; and at the workplaces I frequent.

I hate racism period, reverse or forward. God does not approve of it, and neither do I.

Happy Kwanzaa.

Rock

(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)


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