BlackHistory101Class#9 The Future: Will Black People Be Prepared?

Black History 101 Textbook: Ten Lessons: An Introduction to Black History.

Instructor: Mba Mbulu

Class #9

Read Lesson #9 and Lesson #10. Outlines #9 and #10 appear below. Be able to expound on the following issues:

(1) Do today's world events have any influence on Black People in the United States?

(2) Do activities of Black People in the United States have any influence on world events?

(3) What do Black People need to do to be prepared for the future?

(4) What is time?

(5) What is vision?

(6) What separates Black and white people that is not likely to be bridged equitably?

(7) The following paragraph (p. 203) was written more than 20 years ago.

Do you know what it relates to? What does it have to do with Black People in the United States?

"Today nearly all of North Africa is controlled by the Arabs. The United Arab Republic, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Tunisia, Morocco and Sudan are countries that fall into this category. These countries are all clearly part of the African continent and belong to Black People. As such, Black People are justified in wanting to regain control of these areas, and the desire to do just that will increase as Black People successfully struggle against exploitation on other fronts. In the Sudan today, a civil war is being fought between the Blacks in the south and the Arabs in the north. This Sudanese War represents two things at once; it represents the final stages of a struggle Black People seem to have lost, and it represents the beginning of a struggle Black People believe they can win."

Questions? Email aset@asetbooks.com and list your course title as the subject.

[BlackHistory101][BuyBooks][TheBlackEye][Top]

LESSON 9 OUTLINE (From Ten Lessons: An Introduction to Black History)

I. World History Today

A. Revolution, Self-Determination, Destruction of Neo-Colonialist Structures and Policies

B. Counter-Revolution, Political/Military Extremism (Repression) C. Confusion D. Race War

II. The Future: Will Black People Be Prepared?

A. Political Immaturity B. Political Irresponsibility C. The Hangover Effects of Our Cosmogeny

1. The whites have ordered a world that We have not adequately adjusted Ourselves to.

[BlackHistory101][BuyBooks][TheBlackEye][Top]

LESSON #10 OUTLINE (From Ten Lessons: An Introduction to Black History)

I. Synopsis II. Excerpts

A proper study of history reveals the development of two extreme approaches to life and principles related thereto. One approach was molded into Black People who developed under natural conditions that were rough but conducive to humane considerations and feelings of economic security. The principle related thereto will be called the pleasure principle. The other approach was molded into white people who developed under natural conditions that made economic security a near impossibility and contact with others for sociable reasons an exceptional (infrequent) event. The principle related thereto will be called the business principle. Neither principle is more or less valid than the other and neither represents a superior or inferior degree of intelligence. Both are simply human responses to conditions that greatly influenced a particular people's quest to survive. No more or less, insofar as relative merit is concerned, need be said.

Whether human activities, human intercourse and the social order will revolve around life as a rewarding, enjoyable experience or life as a struggle to survive is the basic question addressed by each of these principles. Those who developed and functioned according to the pleasure principle were able to view life as an experience that should be enjoyed. They recognized that certain social functions (economic, governmental, judicial, etc.) had to be organized, that rules of conduct and responsibility had to be established and that certain roles had to be defined, etc., but their basic contention was that these functions could be carried out adequately without taking the joy out of life. Those who developed and functioned according to the business principle did not have the opportunity to experience and develop a real appreciation for life as an enjoyable experience. To them life was a struggle to survive first and foremost, therefore the social functions that were recognized as necessary and the roles that had to be defined were done so with survival in mind. There was little, if any, time for fun, play and relaxation, and no room for a casual attitude. Life was primarily business, and those who failed to keep busy struggling to survive would certainly meet up with disaster.

[BlackHistory101][BuyBooks][TheBlackEye][Top]

Whether human activities, human intercourse and the social order will revolve around life as a rewarding, enjoyable experience or life as a struggle to survive is the basic question upon which Black People and white people differ today. It is the issue upon which the two have differed from the beginning, and white people's efforts to reduce their feelings of insecurity by imposing their solution to this question onto other peoples of the world has forced them to develop strategies and theories that justify white approaches to life and ridicule all other approaches. White people's inability to "hang loose" even in the midst of plenty and their insistence on organizing the productive energies of the world's peoples for the benefit of white people have led them to rotate much of their educational system around "scholarly" teachings and doctrines that are not consistent with nor supported by an objective interpretation of human history. For white people, the purpose of education is not to report the facts in order to develop minds properly, but to present information that will mold a train of thought that justifies what white people do. Thus, persons who have been directly or indirectly educated by white people have a distorted view of history and a distorted view of the people white people have taken advantage of (particularly Black People).

These distortions make it difficult for people to tell right from wrong and keep people from accurately evaluating history. The failure to accurately evaluate history keeps people moving three steps forward and two steps backward, then two steps forward and three steps backward; that is, seemingly making progress but actually never doing so. The failure to accurately evaluate history also keeps people holding onto narrow prejudices that have no validity outside of a certain set of circumstances. Inasmuch as this is the case, it keeps the different peoples of the world from accepting each other as equals and sincerely working toward a world order that systematically discriminates against nobody.

All told, these distortions serve the purpose of prolonging the economic and psychological domination of the world by white people. However, that period of domination has been stretched to its limit, and strides are being made by people of color that are tearing the basis of white world power apart. Many of the people of color who are changing the world order are not advocates of the pleasure principle; they have adapted many of the ways of white people in order to compete with whites effectively. But, the advances that are being made by Black People are definitely strides toward an efficient and humane but enjoyable way-of-life. Because other people of color are less inclined to take the business approach that white people take, other people of color will adapt the pleasure principle approach to life as Black People become more influential and white people less so.

[BlackHistory101][BuyBooks][TheBlackEye][Top]

A gigantic task rests upon the minds, spirits and bodies of Black People. That task involves the perpetuation of human forces that will steer humankind in the direction of the pleasure principle. We must make it possible for people to realize that life is supposed to be a joyful process, and make it possible for people to reject ideas and innovations that are not consistent with this principle. As was stated earlier, this principle does not assume that life is a period of irresponsible fun and play; it simply contends that the social functions, rules of conduct and areas of responsibility can be efficiently carried out without taking the joy out of life. Since white people have imposed conditions that make life a struggle, and since this in itself is unnatural, it is necessary that a group or race end this living hell and create conditions that will allow people to live and function according to Nature's scheme of things (in peaceful co-existence and harmony with all of Nature's constituents). Black People are best equipped to so do.

But, We must deal with first things first. The reality of today's world is that governments and the people they supposedly represent are not concerned about all of humanity. Particularly in white countries, the tendency is for a given group of people to go all for themselves as single units or as part of a power bloc. As a result, in order for Black People to effectively represent Our interests, We will have to be able to defend Ourselves against white people and people who have seriously adapted the white principle of life.

In other words, We must concentrate on making Ourselves powerful before We can afford to function for the benefit of humankind. Black People all over the world must work toward becoming part of an international Black Power bloc that adheres to a philosophy of international Black Power first and foremost. Conditions necessitate that We become Black-centric and remain so until the basic needs of Black People are righteously and systematically satisfied. If such a course brings on cries of reverse racism or whatever, then so be it. Hopefully, We have matured enough by this time to not be concerned about accusations made by Our enemies and people who fail to think objectively or intelligently.

The future of Black People lies in the hands of Black People. What WE do or fail to do will be the determining factor in Our immediate condition and Our long range condition. If life once again becomes a joyful process (relatively free of mental, spiritual and psychological stress and strain), We will need to look no further than Ourselves for the reason why. If life continues to be a living hell, We will need to look no further than Ourselves for the reason why.

[#10][BlackHistory101][BuyBooks][TheBlackEye][Top]