“She’s Gotta Have It”: My Thoughts and Reflections on Black Sexuality in a Eurocentric Paradigm

by in "She's Gotta Have It", BLACK MAN-BLACK WOMAN, black sexuality, Conscious Artistry, Entertainment Industrial Complex, Food for Thought, Randomness... | 4 Comments

From the Melanin Man:

Note: This post is not a review of the show entirely, but more of a dialogue on one of the show’s major themes of Black sexuality.

Recently I watched the entire Season 1 of Spike Lee’s modern reboot of She’s Gotta Have It on Netflix. Rarely do I even watch TV let alone binge watch an entire season on anything, yet I was intrigued by Spike Lee’s update of his first-ever feature film, especially since I did watch and enjoyed the original.

For anyone not familiar with the film, the story centers around a beautiful, intelligent young Black Melanin-Dominant woman and budding artist Nola Darling (played by Tracy Camilla Johns in film, DeWanda Wise in the Netflix series) from Brooklyn, NY and the sexual relationships she has with three Black Melanin-Dominant men: the kind-hearted and well-meaning Jamie Overstreet (played by Tommy Redmond Hicks in the film, Lyriq Bent in the Netflix version), the self-absorbed Greer Childs (played by John Canada Terrell in the film, Cleo Anthony in the Netflix version) , and the geeky and callow Mars Blackmon (played by Spike Lee in the film, Anthony Ramos in the Netflix series.) Unlike the film, which came out the same year that I was born in 1986, the Netflix series version expanded upon the world of Nola, all of her quirks and idiosyncrasies, what really makes her tick and tock in her life. Of course, we get to explore more on the backgrounds of her male counterparts as well as her family, friends, and the neighborhood she lives in (Fort Greene, Brooklyn).

As a young man with a gift of the pencil and sketch pad, it was a delightful treat to see Nola’s artistic talents on display, where her art primarily illustrates her perspective on the beauty of Blackness. I admire and respect Black artists (no matter the medium i.e. music, painting, poetry, writing) who are able to freely express themselves without compromising their African-centered perspective. I was glad that Spike Lee (even though he may be an agent) was able to insinuate that in detail in the Netflix series versus the film version. Also, considering that I’m a huge fan of the old-school, I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack of timeless R&B melodies that were used in the series.

In regards to the main character Nola Darling, there is very little difference between the film version and Netflix series. Nola was a young and vibrant woman who has no qualms in expressing herself with no holds barred. Whether it’s through her honest transparency with those in her circle, her art, her political and social viewpoints, and especially her sexual exploits, which is the main focus of this post. Nola enjoys the fact that she is able to express herself sexually with multiple men. In the Netflix series, Nola even goes as far as expressing herself sexually with a woman, the understanding and straight-forward Opal Gilstrap (played by Raye Dowell in the film, Ilfenesh Hadera in the Netflix series) whereas in the film she did not even entertain the idea whatsoever.

You can say that in essence Nola fits the definition of a free spirit.

But is she really free?

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Does sexual freedom really signify that an individual is free?

What does sexuality look like for Black people in today’s society?

What does sexuality suppose to look like for the Black community when not subjected to the ideals of the Western European philosophy?

I understand how sex is viewed from the Church’s perspective. Sacred. An embarrassing topic to discuss in public. I also understand how sex is portrayed in the media. A guilty pleasure. Simple recreational fun. The truth is in the middle, I think.

A little personal history:

I honestly never had an interest in casual sex irrespective of the fact that I was raised with a Christian background. To get a little more personal, I never had an interest in masturbation either (knowing what I know now, I’m glad I didn’t.) At the end of the day I could not see myself having sex just for kicks and giggles. Even though the Church (and religion as whole) may be flawed in many, many ways, especially when it comes to the reluctance to discuss and be open-minded regarding sex, I did agree that sex has a sacredness to it that is not fully understood by nor promoted to the masses. I had that cliché, yet noble, idea: waiting for the right one.

There were young women who had eyes for, yet the feeling was not mutual. Nevertheless I stayed steadfast and unmovable to hold out for that right one. And eventually it happened within my mid-20s. And unsurprisingly I married the same woman I first gave myself to, with two daughters in tow.

Life is interesting, ain’t it?

I appreciate and admire that a women, especially a Black woman, such as Nola is able to be open with her sexuality. Trust me, I do not adhere to the tired axiom that a woman who sleeps with multiple men (in Nola’s case, and woman) is “freak” or a “hoe.” Nor do I think men who have multiple partners, WOMEN PARTNERS, are necessarily “players.” The situation is more complex than it seems.

And I’m of the stance that if you lack a knowledge of self and inner love for self, the pursuit of sexual gratification will only lead you even more lost in this civilized wilderness.

In Nola’s case, specifically in the Netflix series, I noticed a insecurity within her spirit that permeated, for instance, through her interactions with her male companions. To protect and keep herself from developing feelings any one of three men, she maintained control by feigning the customary acts of courting and engaging in sex only in her bed. Acts if perpetrated by a man would be frowned upon by the majority of women. Although she show a vulnerability with her female peers, she refuses to do so with the men i.e. her initial refusal to inform them of her sexual assault that occurred in the second episode of the series. Even in the film version, Jamie forcing himself sexually (rape) on Nola was a feeble and ill-advised attempt gain control and submission from Nola that she had been reluctant to relinquish to the men individually.

In my opinion, it illustrates that Nola fears losing her freedom by being in the possession of a man. She mentions her disdain for “being the possession of a man” in both iterations of “She’s Gotta Have It.” Obviously, Nola believes that Black men are of the same ilk as her white males which we know is not the case. Unbeknownst to Nola and those women of her ilk and color who hold that same opinion, Black Melanin-dominant men, in essence, do not have the power to oppress nor possess women of any hue in this society. Black men in this society who attempt to operate in such a manner unknowingly are practicing a doctrine that is against their true nature. Both our men and women are living under a acidic Western, European philosophy that holds ownership and possession sacred, or as its said by the powers-that-be, “possession is nine-tenths of the law.” And whether we realize it or not, that way of thinking affects every facet of our lives: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It appears that Nola is unaware of this, thus demonstrating a lack of knowledge regarding the real social status of her people.

Nola’s behavior reeks of a typical contemporary feminist. She thinks her sexual freedom is proof of an elusive independence that is not available to the Black female today. A woman who is one with the Creator knows that real freedom is rooted in understanding and living out her true feminine nature, which is EVERYTHING that goes against the feminist agenda.

In short, Nola is NOT free as she THINKS she is.

The portrayal of sex in the series, not unlike many other shows that broadcast in this day and age, is counterproductive and spiritually dangerous. The concept of casual sex is stealthy encouraged, as long as precautions are taken i.e. Nola confides with her therapist that she practices safe sex, as well as the “rules” she sets in place for her male lovers. Although sex is natural to our being, to this day the majority of the masses are still lost on what sex is about.

I have had numerous conversations with friends and loved ones who’ve had their share of casual sex experiences. Regarding the physical aspect of the sex, I’ve heard the good, the bad, and the ugly. When it came to the emotional/ spiritual aspect of all those experiences, I noticed a common thread: there wasn’t any. It was purely physical. That’s what I picked up with Nola in her trysts with her male lovers. I could sense a lack of intimacy, a lack of an authentic emotional/spiritual connection. To be frank, Nola had more of a connection with lesbian lover Opal. Due to Nola’s willingness to be more forthcoming and open with female comrades, it makes sense.

If we are to adhere to the rules of Nature, we should know that coitus (sexual intercourse) cannot exist between two individuals of the same sex, even if the encounter between Nola and Opal seemed genuine and loving. It’s veiled masturbation at its finest. Due to the emotional/spiritual connection Nola lacks with either Jamie, Greer, or Mars, you can classify these relationships with Jamie as such as well. In a nutshell, that is what causal sex is.

From a metaphysical standpoint, sex is not only an physical expression, but also a spiritual act, where the male and feminine principle entities intertwine for an energy exchange. The energy an individual can receive can be positive or negative. None of this information is taken to account when sex is casual.

Sidenote: I highly recommend getting the book The Science of Love by John Baines. Although the book is over twenty years old, it does a great job of explaining this information in detail.

Yet casual sex has been widely accepted as the norm.

When sex is only based on the physical realm, it can be animalistic, impulsive, detached, and self-serving. That is how Nola unintentionally (or intentionally) is depicted, hence the term “She’s Gotta Have It.” Her male partners are not exempt from scrutiny, but since the show is based off the female perspective, the focus is on her.

Blacks have adopted a perverted concept of sexuality from the Western, European doctrine that has aided in the destruction and degradation of our community. We all know the story: the increase of single parent homes, sexual transmitted diseases (STDS), contentious relations between Black men woman in general, etc., etc., etc. And I believe all these calamities have their origin on the spiritual realm. Blacks are by nature spiritual whereas the Western, European idea of sex lacks that element. When Blacks engage in sexual activities minus that spiritual component, we get the previously stated results.

Simple cause and effect, which is a important principle of Nature.

Another Sidenote: Also read The Kybalion. It discusses the seven main principles of Nature, also called the Hermetic Principles, which is what the book The Science of Love is based off of. (FYI, the great heralded philosopher Hermes, which is who the principles are named after, studied in Egypt for many years. So of course this information was first discovered by our fellow Black Melanin-Dominant ancestors.)

By and large, the white, European, Caucasian is an individualist by nature. Blacks operate as a collective by nature, although we are encouraged against that by seen and unseen forces. When Blacks can live in a situation where we can truly walk and operate in our nature, sexuality can be very beneficial and life-giving (not life-taking) for both male and female, especially when spirituality is involved. They will not feel the need to possess one another nor feel threatened whatsoever of the possibility that a mate/lover has a genuine connection with another. All forms of relationships that adheres to principles of nature (i.e. monogamy, polygamy) will be celebrated, respected, and accepted. But this is only possible when Black men and women understand their truth and THE TRUTH, thus loving their culture and ultimately themselves.

Sounds like illusions of grandeur, huh?!

Then you underestimate the power we truly have if and when we decide to get our act together.

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To sum it all up, neither the film or Netflix version of “She’s Gotta Have It” is revolutionary to Blacks (Duh, right?!) Although it may be odd and refreshing to see a Black woman so “open-minded” about her sexuality, it is the same attempt, in 1986 and 2017, for women think that they can what act as a man and even do it better. Feminism has been on the forefront longer that I’ve been on this earth, yet I understand the game that is being played on our women. As a Black man I don’t condone a lifestyle of Western-influenced casual sex, no matter the gender, that is basically fruitless and devastating to the physical and spiritual realms our people. We as a whole do not have a self-identity, so it is useless to portray a reality (on the TE-LIES-VISION for that matter!) that we can’t fully practice in the mindset of Eurocentricism.

So, thank you Spike Lee for continuing the narrative of Black feminism (that’s an oxymoron!), veiled as “Black female empowerment.”

Stay on your Ps and Qs fam. Deception is at a ALL-TIME HIGH!

Peace and Love to my melanated family,

The Melanin Man

One final note: At one time I thought Spike Lee was a revolutionary director. I loved his work because it caused me to think and it appeared unapologetically Black. His work still causes me to think, which is what sparked me to write this LONG ASS POST. But I’ve gotten wiser over the years as well, and my opinions have obviously changed. I still have mad respect for my brother and his accomplishments, but as we know for those of us who are in the spotlight, he and his work have been COMPROMISED!

Such as life, such as life.

a repost: Thank CNN for the Slave Auctions in Libya

by in Did You know?, Politics from a Black-Concious Perspective, Randomness..., Reposts | 4 Comments

Article originally posted on Black Agenda Report (click link for original)

 

Thank CNN for the Slave Auctions in LibyaThank CNN for the Slave Auctions in Libya

“Zero context is given as to why the slave auctions exist in the first place.”

On November 14th, CNN produced an “exclusive” report about the slave trafficking of migrants in Libya. The report detailed the devastating conditions of migrants fleeing from crisis in nations across North and East Africa. Smugglers, as CNN calls them, capture and terrorize migrants before selling them into day labor. Libyan authorities then detain the migrant laborers and repatriate them back to their nation of origin. CNN emphasizes the horror of the slave auctions with the caption “I was sold” underneath a picture of one of the migrants, Victory, whose story is told in the report.

CNN’s coverage of the matter is typical of the corporate media. Zero context is given as to why the slave auctions exist in the first place. It is as if the horrors in Libya had just been discovered because of CNN’s investigative journalism. The underlying assumption of the report is that slave markets are a fetter of the past completely foreign to the enlightened audiences in the US and Western countries. Yet we have CNN to thank for the emergence of slave relations in Libya.

It was CNN that took part in the most slanderous of lies in cooperation with the US-NATO war on Libya in 2011. Libya was bombed for over seven months while CNN provided media cover all along the way. CNN produced opinion pieces explaining why the invasion of Libya was a just war . Reports from CNN described Libya as a nation ruled over by crazed dictator Muammar Gaddafi who suddenly found the appetite to murder “his own people.” The so-called “impartial” media monopoly spread absurd lies about Libya on behalf of the Pentagon and NATO, including the twisted rumor that Gaddafi supplied his troops with Viagra to rape women and children.

“We have CNN to thank for the emergence of slave relations in Libya.”

Of course, nothing that CNN and its corporate media partners reported about Libya ended up being true . US-NATO countries had in fact been supplying foreign proxies with the necessary military and logistical equipment to foment a crisis in Libya in 2011. Many of these groups, including the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) were affiliated with Al Qaeda. Libya’s “rebel” militias described as revolutionaries by the likes of CNN have long since been found to have committed heinous crimes against humanity in their quest to overthrow the Libyan government. Email leaks of Hillary Clinton’s correspondence with a trusted advisor revealed that the former Secretary of State had full awareness of the crimes the rebels were committing against the Libyan people.

She, and the rest of Washington, supported them anyway. Washington and NATO’s band of terrorists would take power in October of 2011 after the ruthless and illegal assassination of Muammar Gaddafi. The Libyan state was destroyed. With the destruction of the state also came the eradication of the conditions that protected Black Libyans and other migrants. And rival militia groups have continued to sow chaos in a country that was once the most stable on the African continent.

Yet it took six years for CNN to report on the slave auctions in Libya. Libya, like the rest of Africa, is not worth media coverage unless it is mired in chaos. CNN was nowhere to be found when Libya was developing the most prosperous nation in Africa between 1969-2011. There were no CNN reports detailing Libya’s free health coverage, universal subsidized housing, or equal rights for women codified in the constitution. CNN’s corporate executives thought little of Libya when the nation announced plans for a continental military and currency just prior to NATO’s mission to destroy the African country.

“The so-called ‘impartial’ media monopoly spread absurd lies about Libya on behalf of the Pentagon and NATO, including the twisted rumor that Gaddafi supplied his troops with Viagra to rape women and children.”

The same can be said about all developments on the African continent. Corporate media outlets wasted no time portraying Zimbabwe’s recent unrest as a coup even though the same ruling party remains in power after Robert Mugabe’s formal resignation. Zimbabwe has made headlines nearly every day now that their leader, who is despised by the imperialists, has stepped down in response to internal conflict. Zimbabwe’s achievements in education, healthcare, and land reform are not merely afterthoughts to the corporate press. They are a problem. Hundreds of thousands of formerly unemployed and peasant Black farmers have resettled on formerly white-owned land since the early 21st century. Zimbabwe is one of the most educated countries on the African continent and sports a declining a HIV rate as well.

An African nation that isn’t compliant with imperialist-imposed underdevelopment reaches the airwaves only when in duress. The corporate media has little interest in delving into Africa’s positive achievements. Corporate outlets such as CNN are nothing but mouthpieces of the US imperial state which requires endless war to maintain legitimacy. To CNN, Libya’s descent into slave relations is an embarrassment to the civilizing mission it helped carry out alongside the US-NATO alliance. Libya’s abject condition is the starkest example of the loss of control evident in every aspect of imperialism. War is a prerequisite to imperialism’s continued dominance, yet in the present-day war only results in chaos and ruin.

“Corporate outlets such as CNN are nothing but mouthpieces of the US imperial state.”

For many in the military apparatus, chaos and ruin are the goals. Libya’s demise set into motion a regional wide crisis that has served as a self-fulfilling justification for military intervention on the continent. AFRICOM’s expansion reached a climax with the destruction of Libya. The former Arab socialist republic was one of three nations that refused US military assistance. Arms that were placed into the hands of Al Qaeda affiliated “rebels” in Libya traveled to terrorist groups on both coasts of Northern Africa directly following the demise of Gaddafi. In 2015, it was reported that the US had conducted 674 military operations continent wide, which included a steep increase in drone warfare.

CNN doesn’t report the casualties of drone warfare in Africa. It doesn’t report on AFRICOM or its attendant military operations, either. CNN is the mouthpiece of regime change. Its parent company Turner Broadcasting is interested in nothing more than a larger profit share for its investors (capitalists). As the media in the US has monopolized into private hands, journalism has become less reflective of public opinion and more of a weapon against the consciousness of the people. Corporate media coverage of US involvement in world affairs is nothing more than a press release for the Pentagon. Many media corporations regularly clear with the Pentagon prior to airing information about US military operations.

“Arms that were placed into the hands of Al Qaeda affiliated “rebels” in Libya traveled to terrorist on both coasts of Northern Africa directly following the demise of Gaddafi.”

That is why the CNN report of Libya’s slave market in no way traces the development back to US designs to destroy the independent African nation back in 2011. This type of criminal negligence is pervasive in the corporate media across all topics that relate directly to the poor and oppressed. Few corporate outlets have covered with any urgency the new report that just three billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of the US population . In fact, the corporate media and their partners in Washington actively wage war on the truth. Russia media outlet RT has been repeatedly attacked by US intelligence for allegedly sowing division in the US through its coverage of fracking and police brutality in the US.

Trust in the corporate media is thus at a low point in the US. The corporate media is now seen as illegitimate by the majority of the population. That’s because the corporate media’s image as a “legitimate” source of information has been damaged by a long record of blatant lies and half-truths. Corporate media such as CNN are the vehicles of misinformation that the ruling class desperately needs to reproduce the rule of imperialism. At no other time has this been more apparent. So even as CNN reports on Libya’s slave auctions, we can thank the corporate media for producing the deplorable conditions that exist in that country and much of the planet in the first place.

Danny Haiphong is a Vietnamese-American activist and political analyst in the Boston area. He can be reached at wakeupriseup1990@gmail.com 

Food for Thought: Please Do a Double Take on the Zimbabwe situation

by in african sovereignty, Food for Thought, mugabe, Randomness..., Reposts, Zimbabwe | 4 Comments

From the Melanin Man:

I’ve had a funny feeling about this situation in Zimbabwe. Anytime anything involving Africa or the African Diaspora catches the interest of the mainstream media, something is amiss.

From what I’ve read and gathered about former Zimbabwean President Mugabe, I believed he truly cared for the welfare of his country and people. He may not have been the  the-always-righteous-at-every-waking-moment leader people deservedly, and undeservedly, demand for, but I think that belief is valid. To stomp for self-sufficiency for your nation and actually put it to action i.e. the  land reform act in the 1980s where Mugabe through Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) sanctioned the exchange of land from white Zimbabweans (Zimbabwe was once Rhodesian, a former English colony) to Blacks.

That was bold. You know big brother (The United SNAKES of America and the European Union) were not going to have that.

Remember…NO AFRICAN SOVEREIGNTY ALLOWED ON THIS PLANET WHATSOEVER!!

When the U.S. and Europe decided to place sanctions on Zimbabwe in the early 2000s, that was the sign that Zimbabwe was an “enemy” to the status quo. When you’re not kissing the ass of the big dog, eventually you get bit. For those of us who seek to break away from our masters and the-powers-that-be, to be labeled enemy of the state should be viewed as an honor. Don’t be ashamed of that. Like I’ve mentioned plenty times before…

DO NOT TRUST THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA FOR ANYTHING!!!

You might as well watch “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” or “Love & Hip-Hop” (doesn’t matter which version, they’re all TRASH!!!) If you gonna be brainwashed, at least watch something a little more entertaining, and more ratchet (don’t lie, you like to see ratchetness from time to time) At least get your money’s worth.

Don’t believe the hype on the Zimbabwe foolishness! You don’t realize we’re being played.

**in my Denzel “Alonzo from Training” voice***

“This is CHESS, not checkers, fool!”

 

Check out this read from Black Agenda Report (click link for original):

 

Clearing the Smoke and Mirrors Around ZimbabweClearing the Smoke and Mirrors Around Zimbabwe

 

“The West, led by Britain and the U.S., have been engaged in a regime policy against the Southern African nation for the last 18 years.”

Reasons for examining what is happening in Zimbabwe are many but few to none can be found in accounts by major news media or from liberal progressive pundits. Such accounts are busy reinforcing the over simplified and misinforming narrative that forcing out former 93 year-old president Robert Mugabe marks the end of 37 years of brutal dictatorship that has driven the country into economic disaster.

The over simplified version being fed to the general public is that everything kicked off after Mugabe fired a disagreeable vice-President. Zimbabwe is to be seen as just another African country with a long reigning dictator who presides over the repression and impoverishment of his own people who really are unable to govern themselves without the aid of the benevolent West.

Since the November 14th reports that Zimbabwean army tanks were seen heading towards the capital Harare in the middle of rising tensions between President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF and the military, led by one of Zimbabwe’s Vice-Presidents, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ultimate political outcome is still unfolding. In short, the story has seen Mugabe first put under house arrest by the military, many of his high level supporters arrested, and eventually, after initially appearing to refuse, Mugabe was pressured into resigning to be replaced by Mnangagwa who was sworn into office last Friday.

“Greg Elich also challenges the portrayal that ‘All Zimbabweans… are happy at the turn of events.”

Unsurprisingly, these new political developments reawakened the Western news media’s fixation with Zimbabwe because the West, led by Britain and the U.S., have been engaged in a regime policy against the Southern African nation for the last 18 years. The accompanying media campaign makes it necessary to look for an honest examination of “What’s Behind the Military Coup in Zimbabwe ” — as in the recent CounterPunch.org article by Greg Elich. Using an assortment of sources that include a September Reuters report claiming to have obtained hundreds of internal documents from Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organization, Elich dispels distracting narratives like the claim that the coup was to prevent maneuvers by Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace from becoming his successor. Elich also challenges the portrayal that “All Zimbabweans… are happy at the turn of events,” explaining why photos and footage mainly showing demonstrations in the capital Harare “aren’t necessarily reliable. Opposition backers predominate in the cities, whereas Mugabe’s support is heavily concentrated in rural areas, where it can have little political effect.”

The rural areas are also where Zimbabweans have most benefited from the fast track land redistribution policy initiated in 2000.

Liberal progressives like activist Bill Fletcher , who also hosts and produces the Washington DC based radio show ARISE, gives progressive cover to old and misinformation and falsehoods about Zimbabwe. In these portrayals it is acknowledged that Mugabe and many of the ZANU-PF leadership are not your typical “African dictator” variety and instead arose from the liberation struggle. But on the November 24th show of ARISE Fletcher buttressed old and refuted lines straight from imperialism’s talking points.

Among these points are the claims that ZANU-PF’s 2000 fast track land reclamation was a failure and only benefited cronies of the party and President Mugabe; that the political and economic mission of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is unclear; and that the dire economic conditions of the country are due solely to the corruption, irresponsibility, and mismanagement of Mugabe.

“Bill Fletcher buttressed old and refuted lines straight from imperialism’s talking points.”

It would have been difficult for the show to feature any other angle, given that one of the guests was Scott Taylor, professor at Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service, whose credentials include serving as a consultant for USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development), the African Development Bank, and the World Bank.

Flecther’s other guest was Nii Akuetteh, founding Executive Director of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), an arm of George Soros’ “network of foundations.”

Much of the misinforming propaganda being resurrected by Western media and reinforced by liberal progressives has been refuted in the 2010 major study, Zimbabwe’s Land Reform: Myths and Realities , by Institute of Development Studies Fellow Ian Scoones, with Zimbabwean colleagues Nelson Marongwe, Blasio Mavedzenge, Felix Murimbarimba, Jacob Mahenehene and Chrispen Sukume. The book challenges five myths through a detailed examination of field data:

Myth 1 – Land reform has been a total failure

Myth 2 – The beneficiaries have been largely political ‘cronies’

Myth 3 – There is no investment in the new resettlements

Myth 4 – Agriculture is in complete ruins creating chronic food insecurity

Myth 5 – The rural economy has collapsed

The book uses evidence to argue that the land reform program may well be the foundation needed for broad based economic efficiency and new livelihoods in the fight against poverty.

The study finds that while production crops for export declined, other crops “such as small grains, edible beans and cotton” for domestic use increased or remained steady. “A core group of ‘middle farmers’ — around half of the population in the Masvingo study areas — are generating surpluses from farming.”

There is substantial agricultural production on small farm holders, with the majority producing enough to feed their families and sell to local markets in good rainfall years.

“Significant investment in the new land has included plot clearings, well digging and home building. In addition, schools have been built, roads cut and dams dug. New market connections are being forged, unleashing a dynamic entrepreneurship in the rural areas.”

“A core group of ‘middle farmers’ — around half of the population in the Masvingo study areas — are generating surpluses from farming.”

We can be sure that the major factor impacting the Zimbabwean economy was not the shopping habits of First Lady Grace Mugabe. This is not to say there was no mismanagement of the economy on the part what is a parliamentary government. The major factor responsible for the spiraling inflation is, however never mentioned by the major media. That would be the pervasive EU and US sanctions against Zimbabwe — a type of warfare without guns and bombs. The hypocritically entitled “Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001,” a.k.a. ZIDERA, is the U.S. sanctions legislation that explicitly designed to damage the economy by denying any extension of credit and loans to the government or any balance of payment assistance by international financial institutions. They also actively dissuade investments in, or trade with the country. This has had devastating effects on the ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe in multitude of ways, a fact that Western media and liberal progressive pundits never fail to ignore.

The symptoms of these sanctions are pinned on “Mugabe’s economic mismanagement.” Rarely does anyone ask scrutinizing questions like those of Ugandan journalist, Timothy Kalyegira: “Before the Mugabe Government started uprooting the white farmers in 2000, his Government kept inflation at 5 percent, 8 percent (or 11 percent in difficult years.) How, then, does a country with all the same factors and leaders from 1980 to 2000 suddenly (because the white commercial farmers have been uprooted) see inflation soar to world record levels in a space of just six years starting in 2000? And how is it that a stable Zimbabwe has an inflation rate 1500 times higher than Somalia, a country without a government since 1991?”

“The major factor responsible for the spiraling inflation is the pervasive EU and US sanctions against Zimbabwe — a type of warfare without guns and bombs.”

The Western press is notorious for largely ignoring Africa. So we should ask why Zimbabwe so easily makes breaking news and headlines when the repression and rape of countries ruled by U.S.-allied leaders like Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo goes virtually unnoticed.

The renewed attention is because imperialism’s protracted strategy is apparently bearing fruit. Unable for a host of internal reasons to raise its hegemony through the opposition party MDC, which they literally created and poised to usher in a neo-liberal agenda, current developments seem to bare out the assertion of former U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell who in 2007 wrote in a leaked Wikileaks cable , “Our policy is working and it’s helping drive changes here. What is required is simply the grit, determination and focus to see this through. Then, when the changes finally come we must be ready to move quickly to help consolidate the new dispensation…”

We now seem to be witnessing a “say it ain’t so” moment. Since the resigning of Mugabe and the instatement of Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s President, a number of foreign officials have paid “courtesy calls” to the new president, including Britain’s Africa Minister Rory Stewart, who pledged that Britain is ready to strengthen its relations with Zimbabwe and, “On sanctions, I have to be clear, there are now very few sanctions on Zimbabwe. Sanctions are left on a few individuals. The only outstanding question here is of international financial assistance from organizations like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, but we have already begun discussions to have the embargo lifted.”

Imperialism would hardly make such a commitment unless they were certain their economic interests were secured.

“We should ask why Zimbabwe so easily makes breaking news when the repression and rape of countries ruled by U.S.-allied leaders like Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo goes virtually unnoticed.”

Amid rumors that that land would be returned to large-scale white farmers, Emmerson Mnangagwa declared to the contrary that “the land reform program was unavoidable and shall not be reversed.” But he promised that those white farmers who lost property would receive compensation.

At the moment it looks as if one of only two of Africa’s remaining hold outs from imperialism’s world domination has succumbed to pressure. But there is much more to unpack and the people’s struggle is a story that never ends.

The lessons for the international struggle for self-determination, justice and against capitalist imperialism are always more complicated than we can get from the most readily available sources.

The people of Zimbabwe and the whole of Africa must find a way to forge an expressly anti-capitalist mass movement toward processes of participatory democracy where the people can devise and implement their own social programs that benefit the most disenfranchised classes. Much like the movements that emerged in Latin America and were attempted in Burkina Faso under Thomas Sankara. It would seem this is best safeguard against the aggressions of imperialism. We must concede that the land reform and “indigenization acts” were inadequate measures toward economic empowerment that kept capitalism and imperialism intact. We hope we’re wrong, but the neo-liberalism that now appears to be on the horizon has always in the long run ended in deeper and more sustained misery for the working class and rural poor populations of Africa and the world.

Netfa Freeman is an Analyst and Events Coordinator for the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), a longtime organizer in the Pan-African and international human rights movement, and former Liaison for the Ujamma Youth Farming Project in Gweru, Zimbabwe. He also hosts and produces the radio show Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM.

 

 

Psychology Differences between the Melanin-Dominant (Blacks) and the Melanin-Recessive (Europeans, Caucasians, whites)

by in "we are not the same", black vs. white, Food for Thought, Metaphysics, Randomness... | 8 Comments

 

 

Image result for black and. white psychology

 

From the Melanin Man:

If we only had the opportunity, AND the environment, to  be who we REALLY are. In every single facet of our lives, EVERY SINGLE DAY,  we practice the European-Centered Thought patterns that contradict our TRUE NATURE.

Time to REPROGRAM back to our original programming!

 

Courtesy of African Holistic Health (Llaila Afrika)

Melanin-Dominant (Black-Africans)

(African-Centered Thought)

 Melanin Recessive (Caucasians, Europeans, whites)

(European-Centered Thought)
-Equally uses right and left hemisphere of brain and mid-brain. -Characterized by unholistic Egotism, illogical use of left mind, non-spiritual individualism, rationalizations and non-creative.
-Characterized by right-minded spiritual concepts, love, affection, and sharing. -Rationales based upon conflict between evil subconscious and good conscious. Military logic and predator nature.
-Time exists in the “now” and is eternal and cyclic. Future, past and present are combined. -No present tense of life. Life exists in the past and future; this results in time conflicts and places no value on present.
-Time is based on the beginning and ending of an event and is composed of the seen and unseen (spiritual, God manifested) causes of an event. Commonly called colored people time. Time is fixed by the event. For example, the seasons of spring, summer, winter and fall start according to nature’s (unseen) clock. -Time is a fixed abstract measurable duration. The seasons start according to a fixed calendar and not according to nature.
-Thoughts are concept oriented. The meanings of thoughts as well as of words are based on the story (situations) they are used in. For example, the word “bad” can be meant as good, modern, intellectual, excellence or bad. Consequently, this gives rise to statements such as “that’s a bad car.” -Thoughts are linear oriented. The meaning of words are fixed and based upon static logic rationales. Consequently, a “bad car” means a car unacceptable instead of the Afri-Centric meaning of an excellent car.
-Culture is based upon Maat, the family (extended) marriage, ancestors, harmony with nature, spirituality -Culture is based upon creating evil to control good and creating good to control evil.

-Have a pride-type family (similar to animals).

-Control of nature.

-Religions are political systems used to manipulate the powerless.
-Communal. Family-centered. -Self-centered.
-Property owned by society; shared resources. -Property is owned by individuals; no sharing of resources.
-Marriages: Predominantly polygamous included polygyny and monogamous marriages. -Monogamous and the practice of polygamous relationships as sexual recreation (illegalgamy).
-Sex is reproductive, regenerational, and spiritually used to serve Maat. -Sex is a physical activity, recreational, and reproductive.
-Individual’s value in society is based upon what the individual contributes to society or “you are what you do.” -“You Are What You Own.”
-Economics. Abundantly sharing your goods, talent, labor, child rearing, and knowledge with society. -Economics based upon scarcity, consumerism, or the creation of shortages. Thus, only an elite few can gain access to goods, resources, talent and knowledge.
-Science is wholistic and controlled by Maat. -Science is rational and abstract based upon one group (the elite) controlling a system.
-Religion. Monotheism (belief in one God). -Belief in many Gods. God created the Devil. (Evil type God).
-A person is born to achieve their highest level of humanism. – A person is born in sin.
-Life is based on sense (seen) and NON-SENSE (unseen) and is beyond the power of the mind. -Life based upon seen, measured, touched or abstracted knowledge.
-Humans belong to God (no slavery). -Humans are owned by man (Full Slavery).

 

 

Peace and Love to my melanated family,

The Melanin Man

ED vs. EL: The Anatomical Differences of the Melanin-Dominant (Black-Africans) vs. the Melanin-Recessive (Caucasians, European, whites)

by in "we are not the same", #fuckintegration, black vs. white, Did You know?, Eating to Die vs. Eating to Live, Everything Melanin, Food for Thought, Randomness... | 6 Comments

Image result for black and white people

From the Melanated Man:

Are we really the SAME? By looking at this chart, who does integration ACTUALLY benefit in the long road?

Check it out and decide for yourself.

Courtesy of African Holistic Health (Llaila Afrika):

Black (Melanin-Dominant) Whites (Melanin-Recessive)
Melanin -high content

-Increase color absorption in eyes

-Increase sound absorption in ears

-Acts as a polymer

-Converts energy

-Acts as a computer

-Controls sleep

-Controls growth (rate of puberty)

-Reacts to gravity (electromagnetic forces)

-Highest storage of information

-Processes largest amount of information in mid-brain -Processes left-mind thoughts in right and left hemispheres of brain

-Can taste full range of flavor of foods due to melanin in cells

-Can smell the true aromas has the broadest range of smell identification

-Highest psychic ability

-Absorbs most electromagnetic energy

-Highest civilizing ability due to high melanin content

-Increased memory to memory transfer of stored information

-Process most information in corpus colostrums

-Evolve highest spirituality due to melanin content

 -Least amount-causing albinism

-Least ability
Skin Melanin (Black Pigmentation) -Allows protection from sun’s ultraviolet rays

-Allows protection from extreme hot and cold temperatures

 -Least of all races, causing white skin
Buttock (Stetobygla) -High muscular development

-Allows extensive hip and thigh movements

 -Flat, limited mobility
Legs -Longer in proportion to upper body

-Allows better movement for walking and running

 -Short
   
Blood -When heated (burnt) forms complex pyramids

-Allows better storage and transmuting of energy

 -Less pyramidal
Liver -Slightly large

-Allows increased cleansing and energy storage

 -slightly smaller
Hair -Least amount of body hair caused by heat insulating effect of melanin

-Broadest color spectrum bands in hair

 -The most hairy of all races
Hair Type -Curly and brown

-Allows quicker transmission and receiving of electrical and magnetic energy similar to an antenna

-Hair shaped like galaxy (cross section shape)

 -Flat and limp, weak antennas

-Least color bands

-Hair is closes to fur

-Hair has a kidney shape, slightly divided appearance
Alcohol -Higher amount naturally made by body.

-Helps to cool body.

 -Lowest amount.
Ammonia -Lowest amount naturally made by body -Highest amount, makes then slightly warm when in cold temperatures and problems in hot temperatures

-Sun can cause cancer
Eyes -Farthest apart

-Allows increased field of vision (peripheral)

-Eyes are brown, due to Melanin content

-Allows better reception of Sun’s color light heat which results in higher stimulation of pineal and pituitary glands

-Absorbs full color, can see the true color of objects

 -Closer together, narrow field of vision

-Eyes blue, gray, and green because veins are seen in black of eyes

-See paler colons
Nose -Broad and flat

-Allows angular contour to air columns causing it to vibrate at higher frequency. Thus, stimulating electromagnetic energy.

-Allows wider field of vision for each individual eye

 -Raised chiseled bridge blocks field of vision and separates and divides images (sees world divided) limited field of vision
Women’s physique -“T” shape similar to men, broad shoulder fossils indicate superior muscular structure.

-Allows more independent muscular movements and counterbalance for hips and pregnancy weight

-No “T” shape, narrow shoulders, hips wider than shoulders, poor counterbalancing ability
Nerves -High melanin content in nervous system

-Allows nerve messages to travel faster and protects against disease

 -Least amount of melanin of all races
Jaw -Wider arch

-Indicates diet high in vegetables

 -Narrow; similar to flesh eating animals
Arms -Longer in proportion to body

-Allows better counter balancing

-Short, limit balancing ability
Lips -Thick

-Allows wider face muscular field and better extraction of juices from plants

 -Thin
Voice -Wider range of speech tones; high and low sounds

-Melanin allows melodious and rhythmical speech

 -Limited range with flat speech tones, tones no rhythm, lacks melodious sounds
Ears -Small and stationary

-Allows better center of sounds

-Fluid different in weight inside air

 -Large-can move them
Stomach -Has the most flora (Fungi, Yeast and bacteria that live in stomach, entire digestive tract, uterus, vagina, eye, ears, etc.)

-Is specific and unique only to Blacks, have slightly more than 3 pounds

-Allows food to be broken down (metabolized) at a greater nutritional level

 -No vast variety of flora, limits food metabolism. Tends to have a worm population
Vagina lips -Larger

-Allows tighter seal and increases flora lifespan

 -Smaller
Vaginal shaft -Longer

-Allows increased muscular activity

 -Short
Penis -Length slightly longer -Shorter
Skull -Sagittal contour flat (top of head) -Round
Face Height -Low -High
Eye -Orbital opening rectangular -Angular
Nasal -Opening wide (nose) -Narrow
Lower Nasal Margin -Wide base -Sharp
Facial Profile -Downward slant -Straight, no slant
Palate Shape Skin -Wide

-Absorb greatest percentage of colors.

 -Narrow

-Reflect colors
Color -Eyes darken with age -Extremely rare
Sacral Spot -Birthmark on lower back and/or buttocks) -Extremely rare
Breath -Deeper (characteristic of right-minded thinking) -Shallow breath (Left-minded)
Skin -Processes more Vitamin D (high amount owing to melanin) -Poor processor of Vitamin D
Calcium intake -Lower (High amount of Vitamin D created by melanin stabilizes calcium, reduces need for high intake) -High Calcium intake required
Sternoclavicular muscle -Allows mobility for swinging from one tree limb to another similar to monkeys; rare -Found abundantly
Pores of skin -Widen with age -No change
Muscle -Fast twitch, highly responsive to stimuli, fast action, muscle is light in color, body has lowest salt content – Slow twitch, less responsive, slow in action, muscle is dark in color, body has high salt content
Skin -Has the most skin pores of any race

-Better cooling

-Most skin surface in relationship anatomy

 -Least pores

-Inadequate cooling

-Least
Nutrients -Highest nutrient density (most vitamins, minerals and amino acids per square inch) -Least

 

 

Peace and Love to my melanated family,

The Melanin Man

Food For Thought: Throwing Out the Word “Compromise” Vicariously

by in #compromise, #consequences, #marriage, relationships, Food for Thought, Randomness... | 5 Comments

 

 

 

Image result for compromise

 

From the Melanated Man:

 

Through my own life experiences, I’ve been IN-SPIRED to write about a subject that is very touchy when it involves all types of relationships.

Whewwwwww… MANNN!

I’ve been itching to write this post for over a year now and I feeling have the motivation to do it. Everyone in some capacity know a little something something about this word. I personally have great internal conflict when an dispute incurs between certain loved ones and I and the word is mentioned (99.9% of the time I’m not the one saying it) effortlessly without giving much though to what happens when it occurs.

Compromise. SMH.

It’s something we have to do to simply exist in life, in every facet of this life,  in THIS reality. From the day we are born we have to compromise, we WERE compromised i.e. if you consider the fact we were infected with vaccinations under the premise of “protecting us.” We have to compromise to prolong relationships at work, in marriage, friendships, you name it, just so they can survive,though not necessarily blossom.  For those of us who are Black Melanin-Dominant, melanin-rich, hundred of years even before the days of America’s birth, we’ve compromised our culture and identity just so we can “live another day.”

What kind of PARADIGM have we, brothers and sistas, compromised ourselves to be a part of?

Have you ever took a deep look at the definition of compromise?

 

Definition of compromise, by way of Google dictionary:

noun:

  1. an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions.

verb:

  1. settle a dispute by mutual concession.
  2. accept standards that are lower than is desirable.

 

In my most humble opinion, this is THE MOST divisive act to the development of ALL MAN and WO-MAN!  No matter the amount of melanin content in and out of your body.

When it boils down to it, each and every one of us are the sum of our relationships, specifically the quality (not quantity) of them. Yet the quality of the relationship that you have for yourself is what matters the most in determining the quality of your life. And each time you decide to compromise your  overall essence to appease others and “protect yourself,” you are unknowingly killing yourself spiritually so not to offend others.

Now, I’m not referring to compromise when it comes to the trivialities, silliness. I’m talking about concerns (i.e. belief system, lifestyle choices, etc.) that are foundational to any relationship.

If you really, truly love yourself (not a love that is SELFISH) that emanates from within you, and is grounded in the TRUTH, THE REALNESS OF LIFE, you will seek those  external relationships that will only ENHANCE the love that you already have within YOURSELF.

For example, my brothers and sistas…

  • If you value family and community, you’ll seek a spouse(s?) that value procreation, “be fruitful and multiply,” aspects of life over the mundaneness of career advancement and accolades.
  • If we value our MELANATED TEMPLES the way we ought to, we would at best skeptical of what goes in and on the surface of our  bodies.
  • If we were aware, let alone valued, who, what, and where we truly came from, there would be a MILLION THINGS we wouldn’t tolerate as a people from others.

 

 

 

Image result for compromise black people

 

 

You WILL NOT COMPROMISE yourself out of F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real) of  inclusion, loneliness, rejection, ridicule, extinction. And the list goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on…

It’s based of the illusion of fear. This is a MIND GAME (rather MIND FUCK!) we’ve been duped into playing.

On a more personal note, recently over the 9-10 months, I’ve come to the conclusion that some relationships, whether marital, familial, non-familial, etc. are in your life for a season (no matter the length of time) for a reason. If you’re lucky enough to have realized your purpose in life, you have to align yourself properly to walk in that purpose, no matter the circumstances. That may mean letting go of certain relationships you hold near and dear. Husbands, wives, parents, siblings, friends and in some cases, your own children. Trust me, typing that last sentence was tough. That’s a hard pill to swallow.  As I’ve become the man that I need to be, I have inadvertently created some tough decisions that I will have to make later down the road. I’m almost certain of that.  Yet at the end of the day we all individually have a destiny and we have a responsibility to walk in it. Some of us are fortunate enough to know our paths, and others are even more fortunate enough be attached to others that share that same path.

Birds of a feather truly flock together. Where there are those who are of ONE MIND, compromise DOES NOT exist.

 

A compromise is an agreement whereby both parties get what neither of them wanted

 

On a broader scope, family, there may be some people that we may need to let go to truly thrive individually and collectively. Hey, there are those of us who don’t see the benefit of altering their consumption in ALL areas of our lives. There are a multitude of us who don’t give a DAMN about their melanin-rich skin,  Black-African culture and MY-STERY, or Black-African solidarity in general.

Simply put, there are too many of us who don’t WANT  TO AWAKE FROM OUR SLUMBER!

And you can’t help those that won’t help themselves. Does that mean you should compromise your character and integrity to keep the relationship afloat?

HELL NO! But that’s just me.

Yet stay positive and hopeful for better days for those relationships you decide to move on from. There will always be a connection, and you never know, yours paths may cross once more. And things may be different the next go around. Life has a funny way of throwing boomerangs at you!

Know who you are and stay true to yourself, fam. Consider removing the term compromise from your vocabulary altogether.

You’d be doing YOUR SOUL a TREMENDOUS service.

 

Peace and Love to my melanated family,

The Melanin Man

 

Sending you off with some more quotes!

 

If you constantly compromise things in your life how will you ever realize your full potential1

 

 

Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of retaining another - too often ending in the loss of both. Tryon Edwards

 

Whatever you compromise to gain, you will lose. Myles Munroe

 

Image result for compromise

Relationships are to be earned not Compromised for

Fine, we'll compromise. I'll get my way & you'll find a way to be okay with thatAll compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. Fo… Mahatma Gandhi

 

Don't compromise even if it hurts to be yourself. Toby Keith

Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got. Janis Joplin

 

 

 

 

a repost: ED vs. EL-Hey McDonald’s — Just Because You Have A Vegan Burger Doesn’t Mean Vegans Will Eat It

by in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

 “BUYER BEWARE!!!! McDonald’s cannot be trusted.”

 

Article posted on Collective-Evolution (click link for original)

By Alanna Ketler

As a teenager I worked at McDonald’s. I became an expert in the drive-thru and even received a round of applause from the staff once during a busy lunch rush for taking every order effectively and without making a single mistake. I loved this job at the time, as it was a lot of fun. Yet I remember the day I questioned why we didn’t have a vegetarian menu, to which my manager responded, “People who don’t eat meat wouldn’t want to eat at McDonald’s even if there were a vegetarian option.” And you know what? I couldn’t agree more.

Not So Fast

I know some of you vegetarians or vegans are out there saying, “Speak for yourself, I’d definitely eat this,” and that’s totally fine. People go vegetarian or vegan for many reasons, and health isn’t always one of them. In fact, being vegan or vegetarian doesn’t always mean being healthy, as you can take on the lifestyle while still eating primarily processed foods like imitation meats made from soy and artificial flavourings, fried foods, vegan sweets, etc. For such people, being vegan or vegetarian is strictly a moral choice, made out of concern for the environment or animal welfare, not in hopes of achieving better health.

However, I think a greater number of vegans and vegetarians gave up animal products in order to improve their health, in addition to their concern for animal welfare. Moreover, strict vegans would not eat this McVegan burger because, even though it does not contain animal products, buying it would still mean supporting a massive corporation that is responsible for the death and slaughter of MILLIONS of animals each year. Essentially, nothing coming from McDonald’s could ever truly be “vegan.”

Vegan for Health Reasons?

It’s unlikely that anyone choosing this diet and lifestyle would want to eat anything from McDonald’s in the first place, except maybe out of curiosity. If Mickey D’s wasn’t a place people went to for health food before, why would it be now? Yet McDonald’s is clearly trying to cash in on this growing market, and some consumers, at least, are happy about it.

The McVegan was launched in Finland last week because customers had been requesting more plant-based and meat-free options. Accompanied by a signature vegan “McFeast” sauce, the burger runs for around the same price as their regular beef or chicken burger.

According to the Marketing Director of McDonal’d’s Finland, Christopher Rönnblad, “We will consider launching the McVegan in all McDonald’s restaurants in Finland in 2018. The decision will depend on our customers opinion on McVegan. The very first test sales results, customer feedback, and the attention the product is getting in different vegan communities are very promising,”

McDonald’s also introduced the Le Grand Veggie Burger in France, which was the first of its kind in the country. This burger features a patty made with carrots and root vegetables, which definitely sounds like a healthier option. There is a growing trend of people choosing to eat less meat in France, and again, it seems like McDonald’s didn’t want to miss the boat on this opportunity. The McVeggie was added to its menus in locations across Norway as well.

The Other Side of the Coin

Perhaps it is a bit too harsh to judge McDonalds for introducing these items to their menus. I mean, at least they are trying, right? Is this a step in the right direction? By giving their customers a vegan option, are they encouraging a plant-based diet? It’s tough to say for sure, but when it comes down to it, it really seems as though McDonald’s is not doing this because they care for the environment, animal welfare, or the health of their customers — they are doing it to tap into a growing market that they traditionally couldn’t access.

So, will these veggie options come to North America? And if so, would YOU try the McVegan or the Le Grand Veggie burger? Let us know in the comments!

 

a repost: ED vs. EL-Breatharianism: Science Examines People Who Claim Not To Eat & Here’s What They Found

by in Eating to Die vs. Eating to Live, Randomness..., Reposts | 7 Comments

Refer to ED vs EL: The Five Different Eating Diets Discovered by our Melanated Ancestors

 

Article posted on  Collective-Evolution (click link for original)

By Arjun Walia March 28, 2016

Breathariansim refers to the practice of sustaining oneself without food. This concept is not new; in fact, for thousands of years, various cultures around the world have written of this ability. In the third book of the Yoga Sutras, for example, approximately 25 Siddhis are listed as having extraordinary abilities. This is a common theme throughout Buddhism, and various other spiritual traditions as well. Clairvoyance and psychokinesis are just some of the special traits attributed to the Siddhis, as is the liberation from hunger and thirst.

Though modern day science has seen evidence of extended human capacities like telepathy, remote viewing, and pre-cognition, very little work has gone into examining breatharianism. Some brilliant minds do believe it’s possible, however, including Nikola Tesla. In 1901, he made the following argument:

My idea is that the development of life must lead to forms of existence that will be possible without nourishment and which will not be shackled by consequent limitations.  Why should a living being not be able to obtain all the energy it needs for the performance of its life functions from the environment, instead of through consumption of food, and transforming, by a complicated process, the energy of chemical combinations into life-sustaining energy? 

Liberation from food and hunger does indeed sound unrealistic and, from what we know of modern day biology, impossible. But the history of science has shown us many times that the impossible can become the possible in an instant. A great example of this is the recent discovery that humans can actually influence their autonomic nervous system using the power of the mind.

Let’s take a look at what happened when people who claimed that they don’t eat were examined by science.

Breatharianism

The Qigong practice of Bigu, and other -Qigong practices (which include the liberation from food) examined by science have yielded some extraordinary results. A study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, as seen in the the US National Library of Medicine, demonstrated that a woman with special abilities was and is able to accelerate the germination of specific seeds for the purposes of developing a more robust seed stock. This is one example of many; you can find the study and read more about it here.

The Catholic Charism of India also involves the claim of living well without eating food. Dean Radin, Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, explains the concept in his book Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities:

The implication is that the human body can transmute ambient energy into nutrients, and through the practice of cultivating this ability one can live comfortably for as long as one wishes without food, and possibly without drinking water. This is described as a siddhi in the Yoga Sutras as Pada 111.30: liberation from hunger and thirst.

This flies in the face of a substantial body of medical knowledge, which has established that the human body can last about five days without water, and a few weeks at most without food. Beyond that, you’re dead. As a result, despite a host of historical examples of people lasting for years without eating, and sometimes without drinking, most nutritionists and biochemists regard such claims to be ridiculously impossible, and the people who make the claims—currently dozens to hundreds worldwide—to be seriously delusional. Some of those claimants may well be delusional. But all of them? 

Prahlad Jani

Prahlad Jani is a local of Ahmedabad, India, who claims that at the age of 11, the Hindu goddess Amba appeared to him and told him that he would no longer have to eat food. He has apparently lived in a cave since the 1970s, and claims not to have eaten anything for most of his 81 years (as of 2012).

Jani was tested in 2003 and in 2010 at Ahmedabad’s Sterling Hospital by Dr. Sudhir Shah and his team of doctors. Dr. Shah is a consultant neurologist who has been practicing for 20 years, as well as a professor and Department Head of Neurology at KM School of PG Medicine and Research.

During the first test, which took place in 2003, Jani was monitored 24/7 by hospital staff and video cameras, where it was confirmed that he neither ate nor drank. He also did not show any physiological changes — a fact which, according to modern day medicine, should be impossible. This test took place over a period of 10 days. Although it might not seem like a significant amount of time, to go 10 days without food and water and not experience any physiological changes is actually quite astounding.

He was tested again at Sterling Hospital in 2010 from April 22 to May 6, observed by 35 researchers from the Indian Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, among other organizations. This time, Jani did not eat or drink for two weeks. As with the previous test, he exhibited no ill effects from this abstention.

This truly is unbelievable, and goes against everything we know about both human physiology and the nutritional requirements of the body.

As one might expect, neither these tests nor their results were published in medical journals.  The studies have also generated a lot of criticism. The main arguments against these tests were, however, quite weak in my opinion. One argument holds that Jani escaped the scrutiny of the hospital staff and video cameras with the assistance of his disciples, and that he did in fact eat/drink something. Yet hospital staff maintains this is impossible because he was monitored around the clock, as per the requirements of the study.

Even with these criticisms, the evidence is solid and appears to correspond with a known Siddhi.

A statement from a scientific group (which included the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences) given to ABC News back in 2012 reads as follows:

We realized that, if this whole phenomenon really exists in a human being even for 15 days, it would have immense application in unraveling secrets of medical science and its application for human welfare.

Instead of ignoring this case, we selected to investigate further, in a rational and scientific way. We again make it clear that the purpose of this study was not to prove or disprove a person, but to explore a possibility in science and study a new phenomenon. 

Michael Werner

Another case comes from a doctor of chemistry named Michael Werner, who is the managing director of a pharmaceutical research institute in Switzerland. This man claims to not have eaten any solid food since January 1, 2001. He was studied in a 10-day observational test in October 2004 by the intensive care unit at a hospital in Switzerland, and as with Jani, displayed no significant or dangerous physiological changes. These results have yet to be published, however.

Dean Radin offers an insightful explanation for why these results might never be published, and for why so little attention has been given to this phenomenon:

Perhaps the most curious aspect of the breatharian tests is the in-your-face nature of the claimed phenomenon and yet an almost complete lack of interest from the scientific community. If it is possible to live well without eating food, this ought to be easy to demonstrate, and if it held up, the scientific and social consequences would be astounding. 

The fact is, as with many other observed phenomena that science can’t explain, most researchers regard things like this as ridiculous and extremely unlikely, and therefore don’t even take the time to look into them. They dismiss the claims out of hand rather than approaching them with scientific neutrality and curiosity.

Another reason for this silence could be simple fear; researchers rely on funding from various parties, and they know it will be denied them if the topic seems too ‘out there.’ They also know what kind of criticism they would face from the mainstream scientific community should they go ahead and publish a study on something so esoteric.

Werner learned of breathariansim from an Australian spiritual teacher named Jasmuheen, who teaches how to transition from eating to not eating. And Jasmuheen has also been the subject of a study, but she began showing signs of stress, high blood pressure, and dehydration after just 48 hours.  As most of you reading this know, this is not something you can just go and try without any preparation. It can be very dangerous, and there have been multiple reports of deaths occurring as a result of people engaging in this practice. Clearly, there is much more involved than simply refraining from eating or drinking.

The Science of Fasting

Science is now showing just how beneficial food deprivation can be. Mark Mattson, the current Chief of the Laboratory of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging and a Professor of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, gave a great TED talk on fasting in 2014. This practice has been shown to generate new stem cells, repair DNA, fight cancer, fight both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and more.

It’s also interesting to note that all caloric restriction models in animal studies have shown significant health benefits and improvements, including a longer life span.

To learn more about the science of fasting, you can read a more detailed article and watch a TED talk by Dr. Mattson here.

“Am I a Capitalist by Nature or by Nurture?” – The Case for Cooperation over Competition for the Black Melanin-Dominant Man/Woman

by in Food for Thought, Having a Moment, Metaphysics, Politics from a Black-Concious Perspective, Randomness... | 1 Comment

 

Image result for black unity

 

From the Melanated Man:

Recently I joined a burgeoning co-operative named ULU: Us Lifting Us, based in Atlanta, GA but geared specifically to the Black Melanin-Dominant community. This is the second cooperative (Sevananda Marketplace in Little Five Points of Atlanta) that I have chosen to join in the past 18 months. Both are ran and owned by a majority Black-Melanin Dominant populace, yet ULU only allows those of Black-African decent to purchase ownership.

I really do love and value my individuality, which is what gave me the confidence to create The Melanin Man blog. Yet when it comes to the task of uplifting my Black Melanin-Dominant brothers and sisters around the globe, I am only one cog within a larger apparatus. Which is why their are many more Black African minded bloggers besides myself to share the load as well. And that conviction is only magnified further by my personal decision to join within cooperatives that will directly benefit my peoples economically.

I have touched on the idea of entrepreneurship for the Black-Melanin Dominant once before. And to elaborate even further, I am of the opinion that entrepreneurship in its modern form is NOT NATURAL to the archetypal Black-Melanin Dominant men and women.  When it comes to “doing your own thang”, starting your own  business/company, one must first question their motives and intentions.

I know you may be working for a company that doesn’t value your TRUE worth, making kibbles and bits while the company continues to make millions off you. I know you may be tired of “dealing with white folk” on a daily basis, playing office politics, steadily trying to climb that ever elusive corporate ladder. I know you want to break away from the corporate version of the PLANTATION.

Trust me, I GET IT.

But besides the potential financial freedom that could be available to you and your immediate family, is your decision to delve into this Europeanized version of entrepreneurship really going to benefit your community? Our community, brothers and sisters, is NOT a charity nor a measly donation.

It is OUR responsibility to care and nurture it.

Again, is  capitalism by way of entrepreneurship the way to build up our community, brothers and sistas? For the longest I have had a huge ideological conflict with conforming to capitalism, even before I became more aware of the precarious conditions of the  Black-Melanin Dominant populace on the world stage. At times I’d ask myself, “Is this  really the ONLY effective way to make a living?”

For capitalism to thrive, not only do you need to develop new markets but you need to preserve your current markets as well (i.e. “keep them happy and coming back for more.” ) I don’t believe perpetuating, let alone participating in, a system that takes advantage of another. People’s needs can easily be manipulated, and they have been, just to keep the wheels rolling. Even the simple, sacred occupations that we choose to take up and we insist our children to do the same have been defiled by capitalism:

-Doctors in Western society won’t remain employed if their patients don’t get (and REMAIN) sick (see a repost: Medical Doctors: Are They Killing Us?  )

-There would be no reason for engineers to design the latest and greatest  (from cellphones to cars) with small incremental changes year to year if people as a whole decide to drive and keep the devices and contraptions for longer periods of time.

-Lawyers can’t make a buck while exploiting the law through a bias and corrupted justice code, and taking advantage of Western-induced stressful relationships through the current divorce racket.

And the list goes on and on and on and on…

Capitalism has been embedded in every fabric of our society, effecting the Black Melanin-Dominant man and woman the most, in  my opinion. We have been forced to embrace an acidic ideology, knowingly and unknowingly screwing each other over like crabs in a bucket just to “make a living.”  And when you began to embrace capitalism, TEN TIMES OUT OF TEN you tend to compromise your skills, your talents, your creativity, and ultimately your integrity to make a buck.  Are we rightfully serving the Black Melanin-Dominant community this way? Or are we simply just a group of BLACK-FACED small businesses in competition with one another? Our participation within this paradigm is hindering our progression toward true  SELF-DETERMINATION and SELF-RELIANCE.

 

There was once a time not too long ago where the idea of cooperation reigned supreme amongst our people. Within ancient African culture, the first and only one that matters when it comes to the world’s origins, it was THE foundation of our culture. It was expressed through the arts, education, economies, the family…all aspects of life.  It was understood that the individual was crucial and important to the stability of the collective. Yet at the end of the day, NO MAN OR WOMAN was greater than the collective. Not to say that it was perfect by any stretch of the imagination. More than likely our ancestors had their fair share of issues (i.e. past and present African tribalism)  amongst themselves. Nevertheless, it was (and still is) the essence of our DNA. Despite any incremental intricacies amongst any given tribe or nation of us, at the end of the day, we are still ONE people (check out the African constitution written in  Chancellor Williams “The Destruction of Black Civilization.” It accurately illustrates the core tenets of our culture once upon a time.)

Do you find lions organizing with hyenas? Do you see bears conversing with wolves? (If you have see any of this with your own naked eyes let me know.) I say this to say that we family need to stick together and be prejudice when it comes to taking care of business and one another, no matter our  personal background and circumstances. You may not agree with me, but I personally believe I have more in common with a drug dealer or serial criminal offender who is Black Melanin-Dominant than the guy/gal working in a cubicle next to me who is Arab/Asian/Caucasian with a seemingly kosher lifestyle. The only REAL difference between me and the drug dealer/serial drug offender is our response to the European colonialist construct we have been pressed to endure in spite of TRUE NATURE as a melanin-rich people.

Collective consciousness is indeed rising around the glove. Yet, the cream of the crop must take their rightful place on top.

My brothers and sisters, you are NOT my competition. You are my allies, my family. We must begin to work along, for, and with one another to reclaim that top spot once more.

It’s time to turn those words, the rhetoric we have been preaching, into tangible action.

 

 

Peace and Love to my melanated family,

The Melanin Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graduating from “Thank Ya” Jesus

by in Everything Melanin, Food for Thought, Having a Moment, Metaphysics, Randomness... | 5 Comments

 

thank-you-lawd-jesus

 

From The Melanin Man:

From everything that is going on in the world these days, from the Las Vegas “massacre”, the shenanigans protests of the NFL, the undercover manipulation erratic and hectic hurricane season, YOU NAME IT, I can honestly say it is extremely difficult to keep attention on your own personal affairs. Granted, I have empathy and sympathy for those who were/are deeply affected by such travesties (minus the drama surrounding the NFL, which is a load of crap.) But there are just so many distractions in this paradigm that the most disciplined individual can get deeply side-tracked from their own development if they’re not careful.

Hence, which is part of the reason I am typing this long overdue post.

I have written many iterations of this sensitive topic, in my head. Some iterations were a little too emotional. Others were too safe and conservative. Then there were some iterations that were totally out in left field , totally off topic.

But now I feel like the one I am typing now fits my current perspective the best. And here goes…

 

Like the majority  Black-Melanin Dominant folk born and raised in the Deep South, I was well-versed on the story and miracles of JEEEEE-SUS.

Jesus walked on water.

Jesus helped a blind man see.

Jesus turned water into wine.

Jesus fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish.

Jesus died on the cross to save a wretched world from its sins… and resurrected three days later for kicks and giggles.

And just like the majority of Black-Melanin Dominant folk in the South, I was pressed to aspire to be like Jesus, in all facets of his life. (remember those WWJD? bracelets?) I was encouraged to call out the name of Jesus in my times of trouble, to ask for his protection and guidance in those moments when I needed it the most.

From the dinner table to the bedroom. You know the life, fam.

I could not EAT A MEAL at the dinner without first giving reverence to the man. I remember those many, many nights I was on my knees before I went to sleep, giving him even more reverence as if I did not just do the same at dinner only a few hours earlier.

“Can I get an AMEN, family?”

On the surface, there is nothing wrong with this lifestyle….honoring Jesus’ existence, constantly thanking him for his sacrifices to humanity as a whole,  aspiring to be like a man who was essentially God in the flesh! That sounds like a stable upbringing to me. My parents and elders trained me in the direction that I should go. This seems righteous and just…on the surface.

That upbringing sustained me through a complex childhood to the early years of an even more complex adulthood. So it had to have some validity to it. Right?!

Even though “Thank Ya” Jesus held me down during that time, I had unconventional questions that I could never answer with my conventional mind and thinking process, such as…

Who were God’s parents?

Why was God lonely?

What does God look like?

And the list goes on and on and on and on…

My life experiences (some of which are mentioned in the My Transformation post series and my impending memoir) and newfound desire for knowledge altered my perspective on not only on Mr. “Thank Ya” Jesus Christ, but Christianity and religion as a whole.

By unearthing a far-too-long neglected appreciation  for my Black-melanated skin,  for a very brief moment I was on the “Jesus is actually Black” tip. But that didn’t hold water with me for long because I knew their had to be more involved than simple skin color.

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My thirst for more truth led me into stumbling upon the little known fact that ALL world religions, from Buddhism to Judaism, owe its existence to the ancient African spiritual systems (see Ancient Egyptian mythology.) Which led me to an even more well-kept secret that the story of Jesus has an eerie similarity to other sacrificial savior-like tales such as those of the Egyptian God Heru, Buddha, Krishna, etc.has an eerie similarity to other sacrificial savior-like tales such as those of the Egyptian God Heru, Buddha, Krishna, etc.

 

With all of the information available in the world that makes a pretty convincing case that Jesus is more fairy tale like the Easter Bunny than actual factual real to the realest, common sense started to take over. And then one day I came to this realization…

There was one (if he even existed) Jesus Christ, and there will never be another.

There is only one me (I am NOT a robot and I DO EXIST!), there will NEVER be another!

This may sound like blasphemy to my God-fearing, Jesus-loving readers, but to those of you who are gifted with an abundance of melanin and are considered Black by the general public, YOU ARE AS GREAT AND IMPORTANT AS THE DEIFIED JESUS CHRIST!

Quick tidbit: The Bible, the GOOD BOOK, is not a literal interpretation of past events and simple morality instructions of. It is an  ASTROLOGICAL, METAPHYSICAL, SCIENTIFIC text detailing the inner workings of the Black Melanin-Dominant body/temple and it’s relationship between it and the cosmos.

“As above, so below.” Remember? We have to disregard the propaganda that has been pushed on us since Day 1.

We are not the CURSE of Ham!

We should be not obedient to our slave masters, seeking our riches in “heaven” after death.  (And no, slavery has not ended. It has only evolved into the “modern rat race.”)

The Bible was written by Ancient Africans THEMSELVES, in such a way that could not be detected by outsiders and intruders (Non-melanated individuals!) They foretold of a fall from grace that was upon us and is currently tragically playing out. They wrote in code through parables and tales to remind us of how we can retrieve our that GOD-self and our rightful position on this planet, through our BLACK-MELANATED temples.

This is OUR story, family. Truly I believe with all of my heart and might that it is. And Jesus is only one of many examples (in the Christian canon and not) that reminds us of how we can return to the GOD-self that is within US! 

Turning water into wine? What happens when you breath in oxygen to your lungs.

Helping a blind man see? What is the current state of Black Melanin-Dominant Man and Woman?

Dying on the cross, saving us from our sins? Sounds similar to shunning your flesh, your earthly, mundane desires to seek the God within yourself!

Trust me, there is many, many more interpretations.

Jacob’s ladder? How about the rising of the Kundalini  energy?

The seven seals mentioned in Revelations? Aren’t their SEVEN chakras, fam?

 

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Let me stop. I can go on and on. I give special thanks to the Elders who were able to decode the knowledge bestowed upon us by the ancestors that I am sharing with you…Dr. Valentine, Bobby Hemmitt, Dr. Blair, and that list goes on and on as well. I am grateful to have came across this perspective. Although I’m forever being enlightened and learning everyday, I think this is THE TRUTH. It resonates with me to the infinite percentile.

Because of its resonance, I’ve ceased to give reverence to a reference that is referring to me. I have graduated from mere external worship and turned my attention inward to uplifting myself toward a God-like frequency.  I, we, can obtain the kingdom of Heaven right here on Earth once again if we stop looking outside of ourselves for the answers we seek.

We must begin look within ourselves INTO THE NOTHINGNESS we have been gifted with.

We have the DARK MATTER within us to reach our limitless potential.

We are the TRUE, REAL essence of the Creator.

 

Jesus may or may not have been real, but you most definitely are (AGAIN… if you’re not a robot reading this lol.)

And that should mean something.

 

Peace and Love to my melanated family,

The Melanin Man