miami-imc
Home About Us Contact Us Radio Print Video Calendar
Translate

Search the Site


All the Newswires
Florida IMCs
About Indymedia

Indymedia Projects
INDYMEDIA NETWORK
printable version - email this article

View article without comments

African Americans Are Spellbound
by H. Lewis Smith Sunday, Apr. 06, 2008 at 2:23 PM
admin@theunitedvoices.com (email address validated)

African Americans from all walks of life—ranging from doctorate degree owners, academia professionals, ministers, politicians, or corporate executives, to ill-educated people—share a commonality when it comes to the n-word: They are mesmerized by its hypnotic influence.

Mental enslavement is the act of blindly and deceitfully maneuvering a person into servitude while that person believes he/she is thinking for him/herself. In realizing that one is mentally enslaved, one can begin to constructively take strides toward freeing their mind from the shackles and re-building a solid, intelligible, unshackled, independent mind state. Thus, if one wishes to be mentally freed, he/she must become knowledgeable—informed—and separate oneself from any associations of the brainwashing mechanism.

African Americans from all walks of life—ranging from doctorate degree owners, academia professionals, ministers, politicians, or corporate executives, to ill-educated people—share a commonality when it comes to the n-word: They are mesmerized by its hypnotic influence. Some Black intellectuals look at the history of race and the term n**ger as a basis for arguing against burying the “N” word. They contend that Caucasians have used it as an instrument of fear and inferiority for years, while blacks have taken the term and transformed it into a cultural construction that should only be used by blacks.

However, one must ask: How do African Americans come to accept a word, such as the n-word, as endearing and affectionate? Are these Blacks who embrace the n-word suffering from a mass delusion—put more bluntly—BRAINWASHED? It would seem so as brainwashing someone is to mentally enslave them to one’s desired will or way; the n-word—and all of its associations, attachments, and history—is the key mechanism used in keeping African Americans mentally enslaved.

The n- word was used to dehumanize African-American ancestors; the idiom instilled fear and terror in African-American ancestors’ hearts and minds, and brought physical harm into their lives. N**ger is more than an expression of contempt, more than an instrument of fear, inferiority or even hate. It is an expression of absolute indifference—which leads to disrespect—toward a race of people. Victims were mutilated, castrated, skinned, roasted, burned, hanged and shot. White people traveled from miles away to engage in the lynching and would, as often times reported, frequently walk away with souvenirs—including rope, ashes, buttons, toes, fingers, ears, teeth and bones.

Over the course of centuries, the minds of African Americans were totally seduced and virtually forced into accepting an image of themselves that was counter-productive to their mental health and well being. This image was tagged as a “n**ger.” So why on earth would a group of people be so moved to take the word “n**ger” and transform it into a so-called cultural construction that should not be used by anyone—especially Blacks? A true and justifiable answer to this question has yet to be availed.

During the post-slavery era, no program has existed to manage the past and present massive psychological, economic and social stress endured by Blacks. Because of this fact, a strong argument can be made towards African-American pathologies encompassing such issues as black on black crime, the abnormally high incarceration ratio of blacks, drug problems, poor school performances, and self-hatred, to name a few. These same stresses and psychological deficiencies are passed down through generations of African Americans through use of the n-word.

To understand the present, we cannot ignore the past. Not to say that the descendants of those who committed such horrible, oppressive deeds should be held accountable for these transgressions, but if we are to grow in stature, we must rise above the level of ignorance regarding elements of an obnoxious history.

Far too many Blacks look upon the n-word as nothing more than a slur and/or negative context. Remaining in a state of denial (regarding the seriousness of the term), indifference, or ambiguity to the term’s meaning does not alter the fact that the minds of many African Americans are still securely imprisoned in the racist value systems of a subjugated past. As well, the minds of Africans Americans and their youth will remain in this delusional state until they free themselves from the greatest affliction of all times: the n-word.

Mind manipulation is no joke; it is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly. A mentally enslaved person is, of consequence, a slave physically—for as a man thinketh, so shall he be. Mental enslavement is the worst thing that could happen to a human being—death, by far, seems to be a better offering.

The hypnotic spell can be broken. However, Africans Americans must desire change and be willing to change. James Baldwin said: “History does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.”

“N**ger” cannot be sanitized in any form to make it an acceptable term because of its malevolent history—not unless it is possible to undo all of the violent and wanton atrocities perpetrated upon the subjugated, all of which is embedded in and communicated through this term. “N**ger” is a symbol certifying that brainwashing has worked, that if an ideology is continuously stamped into the psyche of a people, they will voluntarily apply it to themselves. African Americans must elect to break the “spell” of mental enslavement. The first step: eradicating the use of the n-word.

H. Lewis Smith is the founder and president of UVCC, the United Voices for a Common Cause, Inc., and author of Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous Love Affair with the N-Word. Visit UVCC online at http://www.theunitedvoices.com


add your comments


Do we bury the bible because it uses the word "niggardly"?
by Food 4 Thought Sunday, Apr. 06, 2008 at 5:05 PM

Bible quote, "Be careful what you say, lest you be considered niggardly". I don't remember where it says that, but I'll bet you will find out and tell us in the next comment.

Anyway, should we bury the Bible? Or should we just try to OVERCOME.

I am not trying to cause trouble here, I am only following up on what you have presented.

Maybe you would like to elaborate on this?


add your comments


RE: African Americans Are Spellbound
by bladerunner Tuesday, Apr. 08, 2008 at 2:57 AM

It's very gratifying to see that there are African Americans who think very highly of themselves without having to qualify that self-respect with if, ands or buts. It is always a breathe of fresh air when we unequivocally stand up and denounce any and all attempts to relegate African Americans to standards lower than the rest of human-kind. There are many demeaning and degrading words in the English lanuage, but none so low as that of the n-word and a hearty salute to all of those of us who have the decency and decorum to rise above such stench.


add your comments


Miami IMC Newswires
Upcoming Events
All Recent Articles
Article Photo Video Audio
M16 9:53PM
Memorias del “Poder Popular” en la economía venezolana
M16 9:00PM
19 opiniones sobre Israel
M15 10:17PM
Bio-Jet Fuel
M15 7:50PM
Active Auroral Surveillance
M15 7:42PM
The New Slavery
M15 6:43PM
911 Truth's Failed Trajectory!
M15 12:20PM
Layoffs, Pink Slips, and A Plan to Take Back Washington
M14 8:37AM
Welfare State and Inner Security
M13 1:19PM
IS THIS INJUSTICE RACIST,OR JUST CALLOUS NEGLECT ?
M13 10:36AM
Many candidates, corporate media obscures U.S. presidential politics
M13 9:22AM
World Bank and IMF Policies Caused Food Crisis
M11 8:34PM
Pizza, champagne y Menem vestido de sotana en Paraguay
M11 7:18PM
Conscientious Objector Status—Who Should Decide?
M11 11:59AM
The Simple but Powerful Secret to Freedom Is Already Within You
M11 11:56AM
on the path of light
M11 8:55AM
DEL HOLOCUSTO A LA NAQBA(2 Holocustos)
M11 8:04AM
Mission and Evangelization
M11 12:21AM
Will King George NUKE Ron Paul's Revolution?
M10 10:29PM
An Anarchist FAQ is due to be published by AK Press later in 2008!
M10 5:29PM
Rethinking Crimethinc
M10 8:35AM
Limits of Private Property
M10 7:54AM
CUBA: el secreto de la Era de Acuario (1) Comments
M10 12:16AM
War Is Commonsense
M09 9:28AM
Will the Neoliberal Consensus Survive the Banking Crisis?
M09 5:02AM
to bring back the "Clinton years"
M08 11:34PM
Asia century vs war: globalized finance, trade, outsourcing, politics, jobs, culture, law
M08 5:18PM
Two New Publications From Infoshop
M08 7:55AM
Hunger in Abundance
M07 11:20AM
"Mothers Day Proclamation" by Julia Ward Howe - 1870
M07 9:27AM
Robert Reich's "Super-Capitalism: How the Economy Undermines Democracy"
M07 7:28AM
China entrepeneurship: how do 700,000 global and Chinese multinationals, hightech compete?
M06 7:18PM
VOLVERA EL FEUDALISMO A BOLIVIA?
M06 3:04PM
US Media's 'Left Wing' Agenda and the Public's Knowledge of Climate Science
M06 12:17PM
“Committed To Healing: Involuntary Commitment Procedures” : A Fraud
M06 8:15AM
Farewell to Neoliberalism
M05 6:48PM
May Day 2008- International anarchist communist statement
M05 12:05PM
Success Breeds Failure
M05 8:36AM
Warning of the American Friend
M05 12:27AM
Open Letter To My Fellow Apes Regarding Civilization
M04 11:32PM
May Day Strike Against the War Shuts Down All U.S. West Coast Ports
Older Newswire Posts
View Hidden Posts


© 2000-2005 Miami Independent Media Center. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Miami Independent Media Center. Running sf-active v0.9.2 Disclaimer | Privacy