Pro Black: Separating Fact from fiction.

It is a call for black people in this country to unite, to recognize their heritage, to build a sense of community. It is a call for black people to define their own goals, to lead their own organizations. --Stokely Carmichael

Over the last four decades of attrition concerning our sense of community and self-preservation, there has been many active attempts to efface the political ideologies and intellectual discourse of our revolutionary communal activists, the likes of Huey P. Newton, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, Assata Shakur, Angela Davis, Patrice Lumumba, Marcus Garvey, Bobby Seale, etc.

As the torch bearers of these great political giants who fought effortlessly for the advancement of our cause, it is important that we embrace a concept that calls for a more radical approach towards the uniting of our political, social, economic, and educational values as a people. One that makes us become "Pro Black" at the surface but also intellectually aware of the propaganda and brainwashing that is commonly crafted by the oppressor that lends its hand in making sure we downplay and destroy our own mental elevation.

The emphasis of this article is explain the beauty of self-love, self-knowledge, and mental liberation, as well as to disseminate the truth as to why its ok to be comfortable as a "Pro Black" or "Pro African" activist for our people. The disconnect for many about the term "Pro Black" is often clouded in a hail of smoke with rhetoric concerning anti-white sentiments, and ideologies that call for the respect of women as a prerequisite for being "Pro Black".

In an effort to make light of the aforementioned realities I must present a case as to why we must not let, feminism, and or the so called hate of white people distort our perception of this historical movement. It's obvious that since the 60' and 70' this philosophy has gotten lost in its translation as an original concept that is synonymous with activism. Activism, is classified as an effort to promote, impede, or direct social, political, economic, or environmental change.

Times have changed and so has the view concerning communal preservation, as we now have individuals who use the "Pro Black" label as a means to profit, hate other races of people for the sake of hating itself, and to express their disregard for the differing views of black love while still claiming to be "Pro Black".

The truth is we must redefine the concept of being "Pro Black" in relation to what Manning Marable author of Living Black History, "How Reimaging the African-American Past Can Remake America's Racial Future", explains as an intellectual intervention. The founding ideology of "Pro Black" as a side caricature of Black Power reemphasizes the notion to keep the self-determination for people of African and black decent alive. "Pro Black" as a general concept means not being feminist, ridding our consciousness of European teachings, learning about the past historical movements and the current (Black Lives Matter Ideologies), as well as the promotion and peace towards one another.

Various renditions of this political ideology exist but that shouldn't interfere with this powerful strategy, concerning the removal of the oppressive chains that have been placed on the consciousness of individuals of color. Noted Black Psychologist Na'im Akbar and pioneer in the development of an African-centered approach to modern psychology explains that "it is important to understand as a primary rule that the restoration of African consciousness is a process that must be accomplished by African people".

We as a people must see to it that we help aid in the advancement of new social institutions, systems of accountability, and in this new era of self-preservation. This new era of self-preservation is about explaining that's its ok to be "Pro Black", and to embrace the many differing opinions that exist on this subject matter. Is it not ok to disagree and have differing opinions on matters that speak to our own personal growth and intellectual development as a race of people?

I think we can all agree to the fact we must eliminate the excuses that hinder the unapologetic love for our black heritage, and the self-preservation and our 400 years of extraordinary accomplishment here in America. It was George Washington Carver, the chemist who discovered 325 uses for the peanut that said "Ninety-nine percent of all failures comes from people who have a habit of making excuses". So, it isn't enough to point and blame those small pockets of our people who have hidden agendas, and represent their own self-interest. Now that we understand that those realities exist let's focus on the broader issues concerning our future generations.

It is ok to be "Pro Black" and within your own power that helps to advance the social, economic, and political agenda, regardless of the level of consciousness you are representing within the movement. It is ok to say that you are "Pro Black" even if you carry a narrow minded view of its ideology. In moving forward, we must become egalitarians in terms of our belief in the social and economic equality of all people everywhere, but first with an emphasis towards our communal development.

In lieu of the aforementioned discussions the time has come for us as (Black Men) to continue in support of the advancement of our communal preservation and spiritual enlightenment. Regardless, of our spiritual or religious ideologies we must heed to the call towards the architectural development of our own social institutions. It's time to do the work and creatively find ways to pool our physical, mental, and intellectual capital, in order to create a world that our forbearers realized and could see but wasn't given access to enter into too. We are currently living our history and must organize in order to remove the hand of the oppressor out of our minds.

If we must have justice, we must be strong, if we must be strong, we must come together; if we must come together, we can only do so through the system of organization

--Marcus Garvey