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Title of Course: Philosophy 101: "Black Race Matters" Instructor: Mba Mbulu
Textbook: Essays by Mba Mbulu are provided online.
Read the following Essay. Think about the questions below
and explore them more fully.
(1) Do you agree with the author's presentation of "little
minds"? Is that a valid concept?
(2) What does the author mean when he says "the ideological
reality of individuals with little minds is provincial, not universal"?
(3) How might "a limited sense of history and human development"
be associated with a little mind?
(4) Does the author suggest that individuals with large minds
never take advice from others or learn from the experiences of
others?
(5) Can individuals with university degrees have little minds?
(6) Do you have a "litle mind"?
Class #3 "Little Minds"
To achieve Black Nationhood We must be able to recognize
and overcome those individuals with shortcomings that hinder Our
progress. In an earlier essay, I identified some of those shortcomings
as (1) self interest (2) a little mind (3) an intimidated spirit
and (4) a lazy body. In this essay, little minds (little minded
individuals) will be addressed.
Individuals with little minds are dominated by the particle nature
of circumstances and events. They are overly influenced by what
their eyes see and ears hear. They are overwhelmed by numbers
and statistics, but fail to objectively analyze those numbers
and statistics. They do not realize that human events, like all
other by-products of Nature's processes, are dominated by energy
that is not visible to the polluted eye, not heard by the damaged
ear, not discernible to the battered mind and beyond the control
of human intrigue. In other words, they learn that one plus one
equals two, but they do not realize that two can represent a thousand
different possibilities. The well developed mind is ever aware
of this principle.
The ideological reality of individuals with little minds is provincial,
not universal. Having the ability to close your eyes and feel
the pulse of the universe helps equip one to understand the direction
the affairs of human beings should be taking. When the owner of
a little mind closes his eyes, he sees his community, his province
or his state, and how he fits into that tiny arrangement. His
experiences, range of possibilities and senses of belonging and
not belonging are restricted to that tiny arrangement. He has
yet to discover that the real world is much larger than that tiny
arrangement.
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Individuals with little minds fail to trust their own intelligence
because they have been convinced that some other persons are smarter,
some other persons know better, some other persons are more qualified
to address the issue, etc. This lack of self confidence is projected
onto a larger stage, which is why little minded individuals can
always come up with a reason why something can not be done. Thus,
a little mind gets overwhelmed by the thought of overcoming a
status quo; after all, succumbing requires less effort and rests
on more familiar ground.
Individuals with little minds tend to have a limited sense of
history and human development. Even as they parade their degrees
and proofs of their scholarly accomplishments, it is clear that
they have not acquired an understanding of what was there to be
understood. They are seemingly unaware of the slew of occasions
when overwhelming odds were overcome, when the "impossible"
was done, when a surge of energy turned perennial losers into
winners and disinterested bystanders into shakers and movers.
They disregard such developments, fail to recognize the common
thread present in each such progression, and keep themselves confined
to a realm of possibilities that can only benefit their abusers.
Black individuals with little minds are geared toward forcing
themselves into a social schema that does not want them. It's
a shameful manner of conduct, and they know it, so they rationalize
and expound lofty sounding phrases that camouflage as intelligence
and concern for Black People. For instance, a Black professional
might say, "At some point in your career you are the first
or the only [African American] at what you do . . . Because of
that, you feel that you have less room for error, so that others
are able to come in behind you." Only a little mind could
make that statement because it assumes that what is done is not
valid unless it is within the context of a white environment.
Personally, I can't think of anything at anytime that only one
African American was doing at a very high level. In 1947, Jackie
Robinson was not the only African American playing professional
baseball, but he was the only one playing with white people. Does
that mean that the other Black baseball players were not high
level professionals? Does that mean that the other Black baseball
players were not as good at what they did as Jackie Robinson was?
Definitely not. But, if you listen to little minded individuals,
that is precisely the impression you would get.
Additionally, is that Black professional implying that he is sucking
up to white people because of his concern for Our race, for those
who might follow in his foot tracks? I think he is implying that.
The truth though is that he is just looking out for his own rear
end.
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Why must Black People continue to bear pressures that white
people don't have to bear? Why try to prove to white co-workers
that you are a superhuman? Certainly, that might open the door
for another Black individual, but that individual will have to
prove that he/she is superhuman also. Isn't that too much pressure
to put on an individual or a race of people? I think so. Conditions
like that might result in an individual keeping a job, but accepting
those terms is demeaning. And, the stress generated by those conditions
will damage that individual and every individual who attempts
to follow in his/her footsteps. Such individuals need to start
thinking on a broader level.
Another Black professional reportedly said: "Some people,
while trying hard to be part of the larger set, also don't want
to completely abandon their subset." This Black professional
tries hard to be a part of "the larger set," but she
doesn't want to "completely" abandon her "subset".
What a little minded individual she is! To her, Black People,
her people, are a "subset". She doesn't want to "completely"
abandon her own people, but she doesn't try hard to be a part
of her own either. She does try hard to be a part of "the
larger set," the white world. Why? Because in her little
mind, white is legitimate and Black is negligible.
I will not use the term stupid to refer to these type of "educated"
and "successful" individuals. Instead, I will leave
you with the following maxim: If you make the lesson too easy,
little minded individuals will not be smart enough to learn it.
They will have to be taught the hard way.