I often find myself debating with black men who espouse the ideologies of writers and artist the like of: Iceberg Slim, Donald Goins, Bishop Don Juan, Luther Cambell, Charles Avery Harris and Snoop Dog, and their patently dishonorable life styles i.e. Pimp Culture or ‘come up on a Hoe mentality’. In all honestly I also was influenced by those writers, one of the first books I ever read was, “Whoreson”, by Donald Goins, I believe that I was about 10 years old. My older sister Shajuana was a subscriber to Jive Magazine, a publication marketed to young black females in the 1970’s, they had some type of agreement with the publisher of Black Experience Novels’ where they would send four sample novels to the magazine customers, glamorizing the exploitation of sisters via prostitution. In my youthful exuberance I devoured the books and as a natural, by-product, I acted out of a ‘Player consciousness’ in my interactions with my peers and members of the opposite sex. Before we go any further allow me to qualify myself, I grew up in Compton, California the eldest son of Queen Ester Johnson. Those of you who were adults in the 1970’s might remember her as the original “Los Angeles Welfare Queen”.
From the time I first started walking, I have been exposed to serious GAME THEORY, these techniques used by players to persuade an individual to adopt one’s own way of thinking. I have been sexually active since I first entered elementary school and for a long time viewed the mental manipulation of unsuspecting females as a validation of my own manhood. By the time I was 13 years old, I had seen “The Mack” and “Superfly” at least twenty times a piece and was well on my way to being irredeemably indoctrinated. It was almost like the media and my environment was programming me to hate sistas. However, the love I had for my own mother and sister acted as a balancing influence and preempted any real idea I may have entertained of becoming a professional pimp. As a matter of fact I never “liked’ the idea of exploiting females and by the time I entered high school, the pimp was a weak character in my mind. Around the time my graduation I began to really pay attention to the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I was completely enthralled by the dynamic oratory displays of Malcolm X and eventually Minister Louis Farrakhan whose words moved me in ways the Donald Gains, the Mack and Superfly never could have. They taught me that “a Nation can rise no higher than its woman,” if she is held down then every member of the Nation will be down because she is the primary teacher of the children, thus the people.
It has taken me half a lifetime coupled with a Life Sentence in prison to unlearn the lessons of my up bringing and early indoctrination to adopt this new view/perception. I have studied the Dynamic of Male/Females relations and how those dynamics affect the inner working of our individual households or what the sociologist call the nuclear family, as well as society as a whole. I have heard the horror stories of domestic abuse experienced by so many sistas in the forms of physical and verbal torture, raging from beatings and incest to murder and forced prostitution. I have read about the sacrifices our women made during slavery, how she would put herself between “Master” and socially impotent Black men, exposing herself to repeated sexual violations to save our lives or lessen various other punishments. And I have watched her struggle to raise children fathered by men too overwhelmed or weak to stand firm and soldier alongside her for the family’s survival and social development.
Some times I find myself at my wits ends searching for words to express my gratitude for her steadfast dedication to our survival and rise as a people against all the odds. As I said in the beginning I had thought a lot about a general apology, however the next thought is always, what for? Although I recognize the in justices perpetrated against Black women by various individuals, media and even the government. I do not believe I am qualified to make the apology that she deserves. (Look at it as one more reason we must all support the movement for REPAPATIONS). When a person apologizes, that person is also to a very high degree accepting responsibility for the state of ability for the sate of affairs or condition he/she is apologizing for. Not to say that I do not personally owe some Black woman an apology, I do and I am taking care of those issues, but the overall condition has root causes far exceeding my individual culpability.
I was born into this misogynistic society and the crimes perpetrated against the sistas were not committed by me. I have never raped, pimped, killed, robbed or slandered Black women or any women for that matter and I literally despised those who do. I simply wish that I’d known better so long ago when I accepted the negative depictions, views and images with out fighting for her honor. When I was coming up a person could not make a negative comment about any female member of my family without it turning into a fist fight at the very least.
Had I known a little better I could have stood up for Black women with her testament of loyalty, spiritual resiliency and selfless sacrifice for her captured nation. If I would’ve known better I would’ve argued the superiority of our civilization when Africa was governed by Matriarchal systems and how peace reigned as a result. I could’ve informed them about the courageous exploits of Harriet Tubman who planned and executed missions worthy of the U. S. Navy Seal or F. B. I. Hostage Rescue Team, using covert tactics that freed hundreds of slaves from the clutches of the Southern Planters. I wish I’d known about sisters like Sojourner Truth, Angela Davis, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Winnie Mandela, Athena Susulu and Assata Shakur.
The hip hop nation must maintain a standard that celebrates the excellence of us and our women. The Don Imus’ of the world feel free to speak of our Queens with disrespect because of the false belief that they are reflecting the attitudes of Black men toward Black women. The sad part about it is there are quite a few brothers who appear to hate Black females. It is mainly due to not knowing better and negative psychological self-image.
When we lack knowledge and act contrary to what is righteous, positive and progressive, we act from what is known as IGNORANCE. The old saying goes, “When you know better, you do better”. Now I know that a significant majority of African-American households are headed by African-American females.
While working as a youth counselor in one of America’s oldest maximum security prisons, Louisiana State Prison, better known as Angola. Daily I came into contact with sistas who to my amazement are holding down multiple jobs, raising their children and supporting their parents. Along with my brother/comrade Robert Richardson, I have interviewed literally several hundred Black women displaced by Hurricane Katrina who return here from states as far away as New York to maintain their connections to family, friends and husbands being housed here. After viewing these constant displays of love and dedication I have realized Black women are not necessarily as in much need of apology as they are in need of PRAISE.
In the book, “Salvation: Black People And Love”, the acclaimed visionary author and intellectual Bell Hooks writes, “If black leaders, mostly male, continue to ignore the valuable contributions to the stability of Black family and life made by caring single mothers, they will undermine and ultimately destroy the valuable and essential contributions single mothers make as they strive to create healthy homes for themselves and their children”.
My own theological studies have taught me that, “Paradise lays at the feet of the Mother”, and the secret to the Kingdom of Heaven is inside of the woman. Recent genetic research has uncovered that the DNA or genetic markers of every person alive on earth today can be traced back to a singe African female who lived approximately 200,000 years ago, they call her the Mitochondrial Eve. So the next time you hear that the Black Woman is the Mother of Civilization, know that it is not just some cute catchphrase, it is the indisputable TRUTH.
Black women are worthy of praise and should be praised much because first and foremost with her, there could be no us, black, brown, red, yellow, nor white. They are Queens in our midst, whether we find them in public housing projects in New Orleans or Mansions in the Pacific Palisades. No one has done what they did or do what they continue to do. They have broken the ‘glass ceiling’ of corporate America and amassed fortunes the envy of Greek shipping tycoons. They graduate from Colleges and Universities in record numbers, some of the most profound scholars, intellectuals, politicians, teachers, and scientist are my sisters. African-American Warrior Princesses. They are clever creatures who through sheer drive, creativity and vision are bringing about a new social consciousness in the United States that will ultimately re-order the planet. They are Oprah Winfrey with her display of entrepreneurial zeal and mother with, Kathy Hughes who is Radio One/T.V. One empire is competing with the titans of the industry. She is Cynthia McKinney, who demonstrated true courage when she alone voted against giving President Bush virtually unlimited authority in prosecuting his ‘war in terror’. She is also Debra Lee, who as president of BET is redefining how Black woman are depicted in Mass Media, she is Terry Mcmilllian, Exhaling and getting her Grove Back.
Her name is April Meshelle Davis, extending love and support to her man locked away in prison. Her name is unique, it is , New African, born of dreams of a better tomorrow, we call her Quanisha, Porche, Alexis, Lexus, Mercedes, Diamond, Hope, Khadjah, Lawanna, Tasha, Shannon, Kamiyah, Sade, Aiesha and Jasmine. She is a young woman named Terquandelyn Kimble, who has lived her entire life without knowing the true love of a Black man because her father is trapped in the bowels of the Louisiana’s Criminal Justice System. The Black woman continues to weather many storms that this world’s life has to bring, and out of the material scraps we have left her with, she is creating PEOPLE poised and ready to assume the position of ruler ship promised to us in Biblical text. This African-American female is mercy from God to all of us, I am forever grateful to her and very proud to be her father, son, brother, husband and lover. It is my solemn oath and declaration to Respect, Love, Honor, Cherish and Praise her to my last breath. I DO LOVE HER, and whomever has anything negative to suggest about her, know that you are a coward and a punk and I am at you cause the bottom line is SHE’S MY SISTER. All of them.