Professional Documents
Culture Documents
OVERCOMING
INAPPROPRIATE
BEHAVIOR PATTERNS
Go Back to Go Forward
Acquire a “Black Consciousness”
GO BACK TO GO FORWARD
The road to the future begins in the past. The ancient Black civilizations of China,
India, Kush, Southern Arabia, Mesopotamia, Sumeria, and Egypt laid down laws of
philosophy that made up the scientific, spiritual, and moral fabric of their societies.
Under the dark shadows of Western world domination, we have forgotten who we
are, where we have been, and most importantly, where we are heading. Black people
have fallen prey to a revised view of history. We have given up our willingness to
learn, to seek, our own truth rather than being told by others what that truth is.
In doing so, we limit our reality, thereby losing our roots, as well as opportunities to
benefit from systems of mental, moral, and spiritual conviction currently attributed
to our ancestral, older, wiser cultures.
Our present becomes increasingly intolerable, full of pain and suffering. From this
chronic grief arises a model of the past bound to the present to create the future.
The model will help remove the blockage to reality caused by Slavery Conditioning
and keep us from the self-defeating behavior of Inappropriate Behavior Patterns
never seeing truth. Winston Churchill probably said it best, “The farther back we
look, the further forward we’ll be able to see”.
In America, many ethnic groups have struggled to survive. Those who have success
have wisely maintained their ancestral roots. Survival of the African mind, body
and spirit can only be achieved through the use of an African-centered value
system that makes the study of the successes and failures of the past the highest
priority.
It is time for people of African descent to move from IBP to a Black consciousness.
The change will generate an increased awareness of the power that exists in our
individual self and collective group.
It is helpful to realize our ancestors avoided the perils of unconsciousness long ago.
“This state of affairs”, our African ancestors would say, “is due to lack of
self-knowledge”. The ancient proverb, "Know Thy Self", was given paramount
consideration when dealing with worldly matters. It’s been given much attention
lately however; little has been done to understand its true meaning.
Knowing yourself deals with more than tracing the family tree and taking a course in
Black history. A people who do not see themselves as a group may not act in their
own best interest. Therefore, the only strategy we can provide is to analyze and
evaluate our culture (the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of our
being). That includes understanding the mind, body, and spirit realms of those from
whence you came. It means analyzing and evaluating their belief systems, the places
they lived, what they did, what they ate, and how they saw themselves relative to
family, community, the world, and God.
Alignment with culture provides the thoughts that lead to feelings that lead to
actions that lead to Black consciousness.
A long awaited, important and highly readable book, Chains and Images of
Psychological Slavery, by Dr. Na’im Akbar, addresses the questions of:
A good text for understanding the core aspects of Black life (culture) is The
Destruction of Black Civilization, by Chancellor Williams. It covers the great issues
of race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D. and should be the basis for all studies of Black
culture.
Dr. Na’im Akbar has written another book, Know Thy Self, that is our responsibility
to study because it contains thoughts and teachings that truly guide us towards
self understanding.
Another source that enlightens the melanin personality is From the Browder File,
by Anthony T. Browder. Browder’s critical interpretation of systems of mis-
education and mis-information bear witness to the need for positive actions for
change.