"THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES" - Dee Lee

 We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery. Look at the

current methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED, and

SELFISHNESS.
 
 Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, "The best way

to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book.

 We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any

subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read.
There are numerous

books readily available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and a href="http://amazon.com/">http://amazon.com/ Amazon. com, not

to mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equality

(which should have been their fight all along), but few read consistently, if at all.

 GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the abolition of slavery, have

had large amounts of money at their disposal. Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during

Christmas, out of their 450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%).

 Any of us can use them as our target market, for any
business venture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it. Being

primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They
continually want more, with little thought for saving
or investing.

 They would rather buy some new sneakers than invest
in starting a business. Some even neglect their children to have the latest Tommy or FUBU, and

they still think that having a Mercedes, and a big house gives them "Status" or
that they have achieved their Dream. They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in

poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities.
 With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that often broadcasts destructive images

into their own homes, we will continue to see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. (Tommy

Hilfiger has even jeered them, saying he doesn't want their money, and look at how the fools

spend more with him than ever before!). They'll continue to show off to each other while we build

solid communities with the profits from our businesses that we market to them.

 SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can

continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois said that there was an innate division in their

culture. "Talented Tenth" he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments of

their culture that has achieved some "form" of success. However,
that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn't read that the "Talented Tenth" was then

responsible to aid The Non-Talented Ninety Percent in achieving a better life.

 Instead, that segment has created another class, Buppie class that looks down on their people

or aids them in a condescending manner. They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness

does not allow them to be able to work together on any project or endeavor of substance.

 When they do get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal. Their

so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any real

change in their community.
 
 They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels, and talk about what they

will do, while they award plaques to the best speakers, not to the best doers. Is there no end to

their selfishness? They steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE

(TEAM)

 They do not understand that they are no better than each other because of what they own , as a

matter of fact, most of those Buppies are but one or two pay checks away from poverty. All of

which is under the control of our pens in our offices and our rooms.

 Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they
refuse to read, continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are "helping" their

communities by paying dues to organizations which do little other than hold lavish conventions in

our hotels. By the way, don't worry about any of them reading this letter, remember, 'THEY DON'T

READ!!!!

Now that you have read this, I want to get an ongoing discussion on the topic. I want everyone

who reads this to post your opinions of this letter. Do you feel that is true. If so, in what ways?

How can us as a black race get away from these sterotypes or accusations that are raised within

this text? The evidence is provided in this letter. Did this letter take you aback as it did to me? Let

me know what you think. Tell your friends to read this also. Remember that in order to have

progress you must address the issues pertaining to your people so please keep this in mind and

educate your friends and most importantly educate yourselves. -----Garrett L. Sawyer: Content

Editor for Pride Magazine
About this entry

You’re currently reading ““They Are Still Our Slaves” Very Enlightening Article. Think About.,” an

entry on Pride Online

Published:
    April 26, 2006 / 6:39 pm

Category:
    Op/Ed, Uncategorized


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    pridemagazine 4.27.06 / 3am

    Black Folks…Get as mad as you like…it doesn’t change the fact that much of this is still so

true…

    If you don’t want to be considered the slave…don’t mimick the activities of the slave…at least

not the house Negro. Be the field nigger…hate the man…and run…

    Salah

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    Concerned Member of Black Community 4.29.06 / 4am

    I agree with your comments Salah and Garrett. I too feel that the comments are completely

true. From just ongoing conversations with people on grounds about the letter, they seem to take

offense to what was stated in the paper. It angers me that people at this university who call

themselves fighting for a cause get mad at this paper, when all it is doing is addressing the faults

of our community. In order for blacks to make progress, they must look at these faults discussed

in this letter and make those changes. Make it so that you no longer fit into these stereotypes.

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    pridemagazine 4.29.06 / 6pm

    I would agree that there are some truths to this piece; however, to totally agree with such

appalling generalizations is also doing an injustice to the Black community. Take this piece for

what it is — an excuse for white supremecists to further justify their own means of oppression and

racial hatred. The descriptions in this piece are not the Black community, yes they do bring to

light things we need to work on, but remember Black leaders in our communities, our parents,

etc. have been telling us these things for awhile now. It is sad to say that such interest in the

problems that plague our people has been sparked by a White man that doesn't really care if we

fix these problems or not. — Steph H.

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    Ang 9.27.06 / 6pm

    Let our actions prove this wrong. Don’t just read, DO. Faith without works is dead. Reading and

then doing nothing with the knowledge that you have gained is not going to solve anything.

Change our mentality and I believe it will change. People are going to treat me the same as I treat

myself, if not worse and I refuse to be anybody’s “n*****.” I hope we all choose not to be, house or

field. We were created for greatness.

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    James H. 9.30.06 / 5pm

    It is difficult for a people to make changes in a world that provides minimal changes…… on

paper the oppurtunity is there… but in reality there is no oppurtunity… the guy who wrote the

article said it himself…. the white race is the one who controls the pay checks with his pen… we

only can develop with what is given to us, or provided for everyone in equal oppurtunity….. you can

build on something when you have no tools to work with…. remember we are all God’s children

and if one race can see the problem then they should be apart of the solution also…..

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    Alota 11.7.06 / 10pm

    Just so you all know the author of this piece is not Caucasian…and the name of the piece is

titled “mental Slavery” and can be found it the author’s book – Read like your life depends on it.

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    Mickey 11.21.06 / 4pm

    While some may feel this to be true. This is not just in the black community. These senario’s

mentioned exist in all races. This is something to try to devide people once again. The devil is

always at work. You can read as much as you want and still continue day to day and not have a

pit to piss in. You have to want to achieve something in life period. This does not make me mad

and i’m a black woman. What makes me mad is the fact the person who wrote this is stupid

enough to think this of one culture. I guess they think GOD gave only Black men large Penis’s

too. The person who wrotes this needs to go travel around the world and come back and tell us

how many more people he/she has found that can’t read and what color they are. Ignorant is the

definition of the person who wrote this article…black or white….

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    Dee 12.20.06 / 10pm

    There has been a rumor going around that i wrotee and read the piece in question. I have the

misfortunate to have the same name as the author/reader in question. I did not write or read the

article. An African American comedian in Philadelphia is the author and read it on his now defunct

morning radio show. The radio station WUSL Power 99 in Philadelphia (www.power99.com ) was

where he worked at the time and he’s gone from that show since 9/03 . He can be reached at:

comedydeelee@aol.com . He is now working at WAMO 106.7 in Pittsburgh. This site mentions

him: http://www.wamo.com/dj_deelee.shtml

    The other Dee Lee

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    Arthur Lewin 12.25.06 / 4am

    Alota, yes, I wrote the piece, and I am not a white man. My name is Dr. Arthur Lewin and I also

wrote “Africa Is Not A Country: It’s A Continent!” The piece is based on an item that was sent to

me labelled as a letter from “The Grandsons of Willie Lynch.” I rewrote that item and added a few

things to make it flow better. I sent it to my email list and included my name and email address.

However, over the years the identifying info was removed and then the debate started. I explain all

this in my book, “Read Like Your Life Depends On It!” Excerpts of this book are on my website

ReadLikeYourLifeDependsOnIt.com I am a member of the Black and Hispanic Studies Dept at

Baruch College of the City University of New York. Contact me at Ramsees7@yahoo.com to

discuss anything at all. . .

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    Blax Excellence 1.2.07 / 5pm

    In response to the Artice that was presented to the world of avid reader…I find this article to be

true in nature ,but sadly the writer is adding to the effect by starting out with the effect(as she

deemed a problem) and not the cause as to why blax people don’t read…When we look

post-traumatic slave syndromes and realize that there has never been any form of social educative

programs designed to remove the defeatist mentality that has been born with in the minds of the

ancestor through their genes, then what we really see is the cause of the worst form of mental

castration that has been used to keep the heroic mindeset alive through sick supremist articles

like this! Doesn’t it seem odd that the writer never mentioned that the pentaly that her forparents

inflicted upon slave was death to the slave master who taught the slave to read and the slave who

learned ? Since the writer love to reveal what she thinks is amazing truth, then why don’t she start

at the cause and then give a solution for the effect and stop babling ingnorance in the face of a

people who was reading in pyramids when her acestors were running around like savages in the

caves of europe (Uropa )a city names after a blax woman……!

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    Anthony Hall 1.8.07 / 3pm

    My poor, sad people; we know what to do but we won’t do it. For every dollar you give a white

man you should be giving two to a black man. But we won’t, we will continue doing the same

thing we always do. We are not changing and we will not change. For the record, the author of the

aritcle is wrong. The majority of Black Americans are middle class and make between 40 –

$60,000 a year. And that is according to ultra conservative Fox News…go figure.
    caprice 1.18.07 / 7pm

    I agree with Mickey because I know for a fact that a lot of people that fit that stereo type are

whites as well. If you buy into what one stupid person has to say about a culture that they don’t

even understand let alone care about to begin with, than you are just as ignorant as they are. Yes

there are things that need to be addressed but every culture has things about them that they are

not proud of or want to mention.
    Nilotic 2.2.07 / 11pm

    We can change in very small ways.
    1. Have pride in where you live.
    2. Teach your children to have pride in themselves.
    3. Stop throwing trash on the street.
    4. Clean your yard.
    5. Park your car in the drive way.
    6. Stop drinking and smoking.
    7. Read a book a week.
    8. Learn your own history
    9. Save your money.
    10. Stop trying to impress others.
    11. Turn the televison off for 2 hour and talk to your family.
    I could go on and on but you get the message. Stop making other people rich. buy generic who

cares as long as you are neat and clean about your person, home and life.

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    .
    Ishmael 2.17.07 / 7pm

    I read this article, and I am disgusted that a white woman has the audacity to write this, but the

sad thing is that this is true and that there won’t be much immediate and consistent change. How

many of us wil go out and share this at the barber shop/beauty salon, at the black-owned

bookstores, at the church on Sunday, or any venue that we congregate at? How many of us will

go shopping right after reading this for Tommy and a pair of Nike’s or other designer gear? How

many of us will go get a gossip/celeb. magazine instead of a Black Enterprise magazine? How

many of us (if we ever get financial freedom) would give seminars on how they did it? The best

way to help our brothers and sisters is to show them how it is done, not just tell them. Our

downfalls according to this article (GREED, SELFISHNESS, IGNORANCE) can be nullified if we

lose other character flaws, such as envy and pride. If this does not emulate itself through our

work, then we deemed the article true again and again.

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    Brie 3.2.07 / 9pm

    all though whoever wrote this article made a valid point its still very offensive, because basically

their grouping black people together as if they are all the same and they are in fact not. We live in

a society today were its hard for black people. We still got those ones who are constantly and

constantly feeding into the stereotypes they put out there on blacks, but white people still got

their own faults. If you look up the term nigga it means to be ignorant, and to me this article

shows there is a ignorant person in every race.
    Lisa 3.7.07 / 5am

    I don’t plan to go back and forth about this issue. I am a black woman living in the United

States in 2007 and I say that with a great amount of pride. Nothing that is said will ever change

my feeling about that. I think what black people are lacking is a sense of pride. It’s the easiest

thing in the world to look at the worst of the worst and point fingers. I agree that some blacks are

still living as slaves but in that case so are many whites. White people who have never been

called Nigger, who have never been whipped, who have never been forced to watch one of their

own killed in an inhumane way. If whites are so much better than all blacks, explain to me why so

many of them are trying to mimick the negative behaviors that were mentioned in the article.

Anybody can select a number of a group of people and say that they represent the whole group.

Not so. I don’t think the person who wrote the article would be pleased if a black person wrote a

similar article about white people but only focused on a select few. The few that we refer to as

trailer trash, the ones who have sexual relationships with their family members. Perhaps the drug

addicts who walk the streets selling themselves for a hit that will only last for a few hours if that

long. Maybe we can call all whites dumb blondes. Maybe we can highlight the fact that the only

reason whites succeed in this world is because of their skin color. We could tell the truth that

white people have no culture or traditions or heritage of their own because all they do is tell

everybody else that they are stupid but then steal all of every other nationalities’ custom and call

it their own. The truth is that the white man has tried to keep blacks down because of their fear of

what we would become – educated and strong minded individuals who don’t need a master to tell

us how to live. So instead of congratulating those of us who have succeeded, one immature

caucasian with nothing better to do sat down with his limited education and attempted to bring us

down some more. MY PROUD BLACK PEOPLE, DON’T LET HIM SUCCEED! WE ARE NO

LESS GREAT BECAUSE HE VENTED HIS FRUSTRATIONS IN A LETTER. Instead of getting

upset and meeting him back with insults just like his, let’s move forward and get more education

and power so they can’t hold us back anymore!
    Laura 4.10.07 / 6pm

    So Lisa… do you feel better now that you have spouted more bs that does nothing but create

more separation between people? And how does it feel to know that “Mental Slavery”, the quotes

being discussed here were written and published by a black male Doctor?
    Jinga 4.12.07 / 6pm

    I just want to say I am a black woman and I read; I read everything I can get my hands on. I

love this “information age because I have taught myself so much.

    I have an I.Q of 200. I am a writer and a independent musician. And I AM NO ONE’S SLAVE!

We need to stop buying whent they sell us and stop picking up whatever they put down for us. I

am the worst enemy of people who think we are they’re slaves, because I teach others about

getting what they need, how to learn in this information age.

    A couple of days ago I heard of this article and this phrase “If you want to hide something from

a black person, put it in a book.” I had never heard before then. What made it come to my

attention was that I read a poem I’d written. It was a poenm I’d written about our present times, it

was about questioning authority and government, and anyone who wants you to stay ignorant. It

was not just to black people, but to everyone. When I finished reading it to him, he told me it was

like an answer to an article he had read, and he told me what the article said. As I mentioned, I

hadn’t heard of the article until them. I wanted to find it, I wanted to get mad and do something

about it.

    We buy whatever they sell us, I mean this metaphorically as well as literally.

    We don’t know our own power, so we give it away, but you do have power,

    Read Books
    The Secrets are in the Books
----------------------------------------------------------------
    Written March 26, 2007 @ 3:48 AM

    Written by. Chandra Villarreal
    to be performed as Jinga Ashes

    They keep the Secrets in the books.
    They make their versions of things easy to access;
    so that you feel no need to look for the Secrets in the Books.

    You won’t look past the Presentation;
    and you’ll over look those operating behind the curtain.
    They’ll fool us with their strategized demonstrations
    of outreach
    and concern for us.
    Everyone is lying, so who can discern who to trust.
    It seems that they are everywhere; or could be anywhere; so the fight against them… many

give up.
    Or simply won’t acknowledge what is wrong.
    What is wrong seems to have existed for so long.
    Who can fight Wrong when its power seems so strong.
    Maybe you feel there’s nothing you can do
    so you just go on.

    I suggest you read books;
    in fact objectively read all things written down.
    Re-read and feed your mind with sustenance
    and then
    pay attention look around.

    But if you wanna know what you’re not suppose to know, I repeat to you my first clue.

    They keep the Secrets in the books, you’ll find things; depending on how you look
    They make their versions of everything easy to access; so that you feel no need to seek the

Secrets in the books.

    Everyone presents a side; to discern what is Truth, learn what they hide and why.

    Copyright Jinga Ashes © 2007
    Jinga 4.12.07 / 6pm

    By the way, Jinga is the name of an African Queen, who led her army against the slave traders.

    Fight!

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    Soulosophy 5.25.07 / 7pm

   
    Respect to all that has been expressed. Many African/Black prominent figures, abolitionists, &

historians have written & spoken of psychological effects of slavery without ever referring to willie

lynch speech or the letter by his grandson. But because we live in a system where the majority of

people are largely spoon-fed by the media it seems we’ve lost the ability to think for ourselves that

as soon as we receive any information we don’t question it but take it as gospel. Not many people

questioned the authenticity of the willie lynch speech & I wonder how many beleive the said letter.

Regardless, what matters to me is how do we as a people expect to move forward if we’re

constantly & so easily held back by certain events of our pasts? How do we help each other to

elevate to a higher level of consciousness? Most importantly, how do we learn to forgive?

    Unless we can learn to forgive then we’re stuck on every level of progression: spiritually,

mentally, physically, economically. I’ve noticed that we tend to keep highlighting what we think

we’re lacking as a people yet failing to realise that by continuing to focus on such lack we’re only

fueling certain energies & giving reality to more “lack” in our lives, ourselves & our communities.

The system may plant the seeds of dissent and propaganda. But aren’t we doing the same with

the kind of messages we’re sending out by insisting that we’re lacking in something or other &

focusing on the faults and negatives of our people? In reality, all we’re doing is sabotaging our own

destinies. How can this be good fertile place to start especially if we want to build & grow strong

minds and hearts and belief in self. “Our destiny is in our own hands. If we would be saved we

must save ourselves or reap the very bitter consequences.”

    From ages past it has always been said “KNOW THYSELF!!” We so often mention about

others having “issues” or having “baggages” But all these baggages & issues are our negative &

unconstructive pasts programming which are all captured within our cipher or its scientific term

“bio-electromagnetic field” which affects how we function, our perceptions & our relating not just to

each other & humanity, but also with the universe & one’s Creator on an energy level. Unless we,

regardless of race or gender, learn to erase or release these negative energies from ourselves,

from our cipher we will continue to be repressed & reactive as opposed to being expressive &

pro-active.

    Everyone who has posted thus far has something of value to say, however it seems like we’re

forgetting one major factor that plays a huge part in our rise or downfall….the remembrance or

forgetfulness of the Creator. What did we (our people) contribute that brought about our downfall?

And so it has been throughout time for many nations – nations rise and they fall. Where are the

Incas, Mali Empire, Swahili Empires, Olmecs, Ghanaian Empire, Ancient Nubia, Songhay

Empire, etc. We’ve come from a race of people who are great & powerful, that others have stolen

our arts & sciences & have improved their societies from our grand civilisations of thousands of

years ago.

    Marcus Garvey says: ” God & Nature first made us what we are & then out of our own creative

genius we make ourselves what we want to be. … …you must teach the higher development of

science to your children;…for in science & religion lies our only hope to withstand the evil designs

of modern materialism. Never forget your God. ” Again he says, “Your allegiance shall be to your

God, & then to your family, race & country.”

    The Holy Qur’an, Bible, Kabbalah, as well as Indian & Chinese philosophies teaches that our

first duty or obligation is to our Creator & to our higher selves (enlightenment). The aim of all

mystical traditions is the same. It can even be said of most major religions that each one started

off as a path to God, containing some esoteric knowledge which tends to get eroded over time.

And with that erosion comes confusion, negativity, injustices etc.

    Everything in existence yields to the laws of nature & so whatever happens in life, be it positive

or negative, can do nothing but yield to its desired effects. Let us then be careful that we are not

taking on the culture and traditions of the europeans & failing to seek higher knowledge & putting

the Creator out of the equasion.

    What has happened to accountability? “If man perceives a dilemma or a situation which is not

harmonious it’s because he’s not seen what has brought about that situation” (Fadhlalla, 1989).

This defines for me being in a state of accountability. We cannot sit back and whinge about what

we think went wrong or is wrong but that we can clearly see what caused the imbalance/s and

make every intention to be part of the solutions. As a wise man once said, “The events which

transpired five thousand years ago, five minutes ago, or five minutes ago, have determined what

will happen five minutes from now,
    five years from now or five thousand years now. All history is a current event.” ~ Dr. John Henrik

Clarke ~~

    We may seem unbalanced as a people but I don’t believe that we should be focusing on what

is wrong in our lives or in the lives of others because in doing so means we will always be figuring

out how to fix it, in which case, we will always find something wrong because that is where our

focus lies. But if we look for what is right then we can only expand and develop on that. Everything

we need is already there and everything is already complete – perfect.
    PEACE…1L

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    Belinda 7.27.07 / 3pm

    I for one, Think that Dee Lee has absolutely no rigt to stereotype black people that way. Of

course this description does apply to some black people, but not all of them! And I’m sure this

description does apply to some white people as well. To me, this article is just another attempt by

some narow minded racist to try and convince people that whites are better than blacks, that

whites can acheive more than blacks. These are concepts that I find absolutely absurde and that

completely infuriate me. But there is one good thing about this article: It gives the chance to those

in our community that are concerned by what is stated in this article to prove Mr Lee wrong. It

gives them a chance to evolve and to show all those who think like Mr Lee that they are wrong. So

I would like to say to all my fellow black men and women who read this article don’t just sit there

and get mad, do someting! make sure that you don’t ever give anyone the chance to stereotype

you this way!

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    Beyonka 8.17.07 / 6am

    “They Keep The Secrets In Books” that was GENIUS!

    As far as this article is concerned the truth hurts! And let’s be honest even if it is true for other

races, mainly the white race whom some of you feel copy “our customs”.

    Remember that they do it for the entertainement value in it. And the fact that like the article

stated, “they are under our control with our pens in our offices”
    They can afford to do it! We Can’t!

    And furthermore, why cry because they said it to you and if refers to other races as well. Take

responsibility for you, and focus on you. Don’t be bitter about the article, but try to see the

insightfulness it inspires. Be thankful that it was directed towards you and if it applies learn from

it.

    If it doesn’t apply to you, be thankful for that also. Be someone who lends forth that knowledge

on to someone who needs it. Don’t keep it to your self…. which is another thing we are guilty of.

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    CRAB IN A BARREL MENTALITY
    Morgan 11.8.07 / 8pm

    This is just a perfect example of eurocentrism in white people. Dee Lee speaks as though she

is proud of continuing to keep up the tradition of oppressing black people. I recommend not taking

this article for what it is. Which is another stereotypical view of a white person on a black person.

This person is just confirming their own preconcieved notion by stereotyping and selectively

choosing negative images of us. People like this forget that they are responisble for the injustice

spread upon black people around the world, especially in Africa. They inflicted hatred, selfishness

and greed unto us. She speaks of greed, when she mentions the benefits of reaping off of black

people, if that does not speak of greed, then I don’t know what does. I am tired of having white

people like this always trying to define their image of us and our community. A word of advice to

black people, always among the most educated, well-travelled and supposedly knowledgeable,

there will always exsit an ignorant person.

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    Ragga 11.15.07 / 3am

    Make sure you are all checking other sources as well as this blog to see if the aforementioned

white lady was the one that actually wrote the piece and not one of us. Nuff said.
    Southen Hoosier 11.16.07 / 12am

    I find this a very confusing article. First it was not written by Dee Lee, it was only read by Dee

Lee. Second it says it was written by a Caucasian. Third, Dr. Arthur Lewin, a Black man, claims

to have written it. To begin with, what gave Pride Magazine the idea that it was written by a

Caucasian? Whatever the origin of the article, it doesn’t matter. What matters is this article

seems to have stuck a raw nerve by the reactions it has provoked.

    “Be the field nigger…hate the man…and run…” Salah, where would you suggest people to run

to? Back to Africa? To the bottle? The needle? Hate the man? Blame all your problems on White

Racism and Eurocentrism? You have been doing that for years and where has it gotten you? If

you won’t read, then try listening to the Rev. Jessie Peterson instead of people like the Rev.

Jessie Jackson. One more thing, quit being so offended over every slight, real or imagined it just

allows others to lead you around by the nose.

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    C. Hillard 1.13.08 / 2pm

    I am shocked to learn Dee Lee is a white woman who wrote this article. However, I am hurt that

blacks are quick to talk about changes, but do not really implement those changes. Thus far, 75

percent of our black married men are married to white women, who mean, the black community

family is being dissolved, and within an hundred years from now, this nation will be loaded with

bi-racial people. We really do not want to help each other. We want to become successful, move

away from our black communities, and talk badly about those who are still living in low-income

houses. We “as a people” need to come together and have workshops in black projects

throughout the United States to train black people to become successful, invest, start their own

businesses in their black communities, built beautiful homes, hotels, restaurants, in black

business. WHO wants to join me? – not to talk about this problem, but to act upon this.

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    Edgar Sanchez 1.19.08 / 8pm

    I want to start this post by saying above all I do believe that the Black community is in dire

need of support, guidance and is indeed still not free. this letter’s truest contribution to society is

that it reveals that there are well respected, educated white who realize exactly how it is that they

have been able to maintain their level of economic, social and political superiority.

    The first claim made by the author is “THEIR” IGNORANCE. I will take this moment to explain

how using the term “their” is the authors way of automatically relieving everyone except for black

from any responsibility they may have had in causing a situation where Black folks could not

educate themselves. The author assumes that anyone and everyone has accessibility to places

like Barnes and Noble, or borders, or even the internet as he also sites Amazon as a place where

Blacks could go to become more knowledgeable. The truth is that rarely if ever do you find any of

those book stores in the black community that actually need them. the black communities that

are suffering from (yes folks I’m going to say it because it’s still true) poverty, unequal education,

and the infestation of drugs. The companies that owns Barnes and Noble and Borders are not

interested in building their bookstores in “those places.” they fear or “know” that they will not

make business there.

    This is due to the very ignorant stereotype that blacks don’t read. Yet we forget many times as

Americans to put history into perspective. When the integration of schools occurred after Brown,

there was also a second ruling called Brown two(look it up) in which the judges declared that the

process of such integration could be delivered with deliberate speed. What does deliberate mean:

fully considered not impulsive. it took till well into the 80′s before the last school desegregated

Virginia(about 25 years after Brown and Brown 2) More importantly while black students were

being bussed to white schools there were no white students bussed to black school. White

parents would not have that. Thus, black school remained unequal in their quality. Whats the

point? That combine that with assassination or unjust imprisonment of many black leaders(or

them being exiled) from SCLC(King’s Group) CORE, SNCC, Black Panthers and many other civil

rights group. yes it was not just king and malcolm that got it done) plus the introduction of crack

in these already impoverished community is in large part why they are in the state they are in.

thus to solely chalk i up to “their” ignorance without illustrating or analyzing how history has put

some of our communities in a position where trying to eat, and get paid comes before a book as a

vital need to survive, is irresponsible.(I do believe that a book can get our communities out of

those situations sadly because of what happened to many blacks in the 70s with drugs and such

that history of reading was lost) Yet again this author would have you believe that we did all this to

ourselves.

    moving on to his second point Greed which he calls a powerful weapon of containment.How the

author was able to come up with those figures is dumbfounding. His source should be asked for

and we should look and see what population of blacks is he specifically talking about. Either way

let’s analyze his statements. He says that it is “our GREED” and lack of investing that has us in

poverty. Not of course the fact that our ancestors worked for free for nearly three hundred years

and then after they were no longer enslaved(that also was done with deliberate speed as many

black were not told) some ended up buying land from the same slave master. but how you might

ask since indeed enslaved folks had no money. well the slave masters were nice enough to give

them loans, which the slave masters wrote up them selves, for the land . Thus Black Americans

were immediately in debt (notice I say enslaved not slaves because our people were not slaves

there were citizens of west African countries that were enslaved)

    Thus again where is the history in our Black culture of investment. Not too many Black

Americans knew how to read back then. And for a people who had nothing we were trying leave

our generation something and we did: we left them our debt. The author is correct BET is sending

negative images to our youth along with many other rap artist and such yet notice that whites are

getting the same images thrown at them and yet though they will appropriate many of our clothing

styles and language somehow they end up faring better then their black counter parts: why is

that? do whites genetically know how to handle their money better as a whole(because ill tell you

about some poor whites that have the same troubles as some of our Black folks)? Or is there

something about not having money, about being impoverished that makes you more susceptible

to not prioritizing your spending(notice i did not say all impoverished folks ARE susceptible but

rather being impoverished increases your chances) By the way BET and MTV are both owned by

VIACOM. Think about that.

    Finally the most absurd point “our SELFISHNESS”. The Author is totally correct with his

statements about the “Talented Tenth” and what W.E.B. Dubois believed should be their task.

Now where the author falls of is in his assertion that educated, successful Black Americans are

not helping the others is because of selfishness. One should ask how did these Black folks get to

that point to begin with? Usually it was about worrying about themselves trying to put all their

energy in getting past more than likely economic and racial obstacle on top of the everyday

obstacles that mostly everyone else faces. Thus, once they reach that pedestal they are then in a

position where they have some decisions to make yet namely these two are made: a) abandon

their fear that there white counterparts will think differently of them if they started fighting for the

“other kind of black people” or sometimes called “the threatening negro”or they will succumb to

their fears further attempt to embrace their new fond sense of security in the white world and be

satisfied being the non threatening negro” yet knowing or maybe not, that their is still a glass

ceiling between them and where white folks stand. Now you could chalk it up to selfishness or we

can dig deeper and investigate what is exactly how is what is happening around them

sociologically affect them psychologically. Is it survival? Is it just not knowing how? Feeling

powerless? If you thought that putting your self out there for certain Blacks who, because of your

status might not be very welcoming at first, would mean losing everything you worked for would

you do it?(i of course believe it should be done no matter what yet I am not everyone and everyone

is not myself) This is not the place nor the point of this post so I will now conclude.

    The greatest error of this letter is the most common error in most arguments made by non

blacks about the black community: it forgets that we all belong to the HUMAN RACE. Thus most

arguments are “how come blacks aren’t helping those poor blacks?” when it should be ” how

come we all people are not helping those blacks?” and the reason why non blacks do not ask that

of themselves is because that is the real truth that hurts. because the answer to that question

contadicts everything we believe in as a modern society. You’ll see white interviewers ask Jesse

Jackson why aren’t Black leaders doing anything and J says why aren’t any leaders regardless of

color doing anything. When children need education we don’t say “well those children should take

care of that problem” when one of own, humans, is ailing we all are ailing. the number of poor,

lower social economic status black folks is higher than their opposite. we can ask the few to do it

all.

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    Edgar Sanchez 1.19.08 / 8pm

    And even if it was Dr. Arthur Lewin, in a desperate attempt to stirs us and awaken us all no

matter how that occurred, we still need to understand the other side to the letter’s argument. In

this country we question the validity or truthfulness of the stories of victims or survivors of rape

instead of pursuing the person being accused. Thus, we treat the issue of race in the same way. I

don’t think anyone would wish their people to be uprooted, enslaved, be denied equal education,

and then would want to maintain a lower quality of life for themselves. how can we ignore how the

past has brought us to this state. Instead of uplifting our own communities we tend to blame them

and scold them for their impoverishment and lack of education. Instead of committing ourselves to

the betterment of each other’s lives. How fitting is it then that in 2008 approximately four hundred

and eight years removed from the first appearance of black slaves on the mainland of what is now

the United States of America, that we are still like the enslaved African of then believing that we

have solely done this to our selves and thus continue the self-deprecating attitudes that have

plagued us before. We cannot rise unless we rise together through support of one another.
    erik thompson 3.7.08 / 4pm

    To explain just how we arrived at this point in our torture history here in American, I ask that

you all check out the a DVD called Goodbye Uncle Tom.

    Be prepare to get some answer to why we are the way, we are.

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    YoungConcernedBlackWoman 3.7.08 / 9pm

    What reason do we African American’s have to get mad??? This is true. WE HOLD

OURSELVES BACK by getting mad when we’re corrected. Like this article. We should take this

and try to change. Make ourselves a better people because by the time I have children, we are

going to be the last race. Asians are scooting ahead by being CERTIFIED GENIUSES . Whites

are ahead no matter what, and everyone else is passing us. I promise that my children will NOT

live in this country, although it’s the land of the free. They will live in another country and be

brought up without the influence of other African Americans in their community to bring them

down. On their own will will they come back here to work. Another thing that gets me. Why do we

insist on calling ourselves N*****s??? 50 odd years ago it was an insult, but nw it’s used as

another term for BROTHER??? No. IT’s still an insult. And wearing your pants below the waist, it

mean that you belong to someone in jail. So go ahead, fellow black people, bring yourselves

down. In the long run, we’re the only ones affected.
    By the way, I am 13 years old.

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