[img]583|left|||no_popup[/img]Second of two parts
Re “Message to Black America: Our History Lies Before Us”
The fact that we are a new culture doesn't mean that we are anything less than the older cultures.
It means our greatest contribution to man lies before us. We don’t have to look back to antiquity to find a source of pride.
All we have to do is study the life and times of our parents, our grandparents, and that generation of black people born between the turn of the century and World War II
In less than 50 years, the black people of that generation went from housekeepers and flunkies to the board rooms of multinational corporations. In less than 50 years, they went from playing washboards and tin cans on the side of the road, to become some of the greatest musicians the world has known. In less than 50 years these people have gone from the defenseless and nameless victims of public lynchings, to laying a foundation, along with their white supporters (who must not be forgotten), that led directly to Barack Obama becoming the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth — and that is a chapter in history that is verifiable.
What Is Distinctive
The most cursory glance demonstrates that there is something unique about this new culture. While social scientists have postulated that all minority cultures must assimilate, dilute and subordinate themselves to the dominant cultural soup, there is clear evidence that the African American culture has had a much greater impact on the dominant culture than is the reverse.
Members of the dominant cultural group under 50 years of age have more in common with the African-American culture in attitudes, style and personal taste than with their own grandparents. Black music — jazz, blues, rap, and, yes, rock ‘n roll — is the predominant music, not only in the United States, but in the entire world. Every time a rock group goes onstage, they sing a tribute to nameless slaves moanin’ in the fields — and just to turn on a radio or television set anywhere in the Western world, is to pay a tribute to Duke, Bird, Miles and Diz.
In addition, the United States of America has honored only four men in history by declaring the day of their birth a national day of celebration — Jesus Christ of Nazareth, widely accepted as the father of all mankind; President George Washington, the father of this nation; Christopher Columbus, the man credited with discovering the Americas (along with the native Americans who were already a part thereof); and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man whose forebears were brought to these shores in chains.
The Message
That says a lot about that humble black man—and just as much about his people. In spite of the fact that Dr. King began his life burdened by the inherent disadvantages of being blessed with black skin in a Jim Crow environment, his words, his intellect, and his deeds so inspired the heart and soul of humanity that America saw fit to set aside a day for this nation, this world, to thank God that he was allowed to walk among us.
His was a soul with such strength that it served to lift the rest of mankind to a higher level of humanity. That is not only a testament to one black man’s ability to pull himself from the dust of his humble beginnings, it is a testament to the capacity of his people to meet the test of greatness. That is a history that is verifiable.
We must take pride in our own personal journeys and realize that in our own journey through life, history is being made. You don't have to be a world conqueror to have an impact on the history of mankind. You just have to make decisions in your personal life that enhance and move your people forward, towards their appointment with destiny. Every time you face life’s obstacles with courage and perseverance, you meet the challenge. You don't make decisions in a vacuum. Every decision you make becomes a public decision. People are watching. Your children are watching. If you nurture your children, they will make the character of your decisions an indelible part of the public record.
The character you reflect in your daily conduct carries the seed your children will bear with them for generations. For that reason, I don’t regret one moment of my youth that I spent stumbling through Watts on whatever drug happened to be convenient. Those years were part of a personal journey that stands as a monument to who I am today. Of course, I related those struggles to my children as stumbling blocks to be avoided. But they were related as examples of perseverance. The determination to overcome the obstacles in my life allowed me to relate those experiences with as much pride as the white culture relates the experiences of Gen. Patton to their children. George fought his battles. I fought mine. As far as my children are concerned, one was no less heroic than the other. Thus:
Neither scholar nor the head of state, The most common of men seems to be my fate; A life blistered with struggle and constant need, As my legacy to man I bequeath my seed.
More fertile, more sturdy these ones than I, This withered old vine left fallow and dry; The nectar of their roots lie dormant still, But through their fruit I'll be revealed.
And that is verifiable.
Eric L. Wattree is a writer, poet and musician, born in Los Angeles. A columnist for the Los Angeles Sentinel, the Black Star News, a staff writer for Veterans Today, he is a contributing writer to Your Black World, the Huffington Post, ePluribus Media and other online sites and publications. He also is the author of “A Message From the Hood.”
Mr. Wattree may be contacted at wattree.blogspot.com or Ewattree@Gmail.com
