“The Misrepresentation Of An Entire Culture Was Indeed Intentional”
Misinformation & Representation
In my honest opinion, the African American Population has been one of the most if not the most inaccurately depicted ethnicity on the planet. In regards to our respect and admiration for one another as Human beings. Our willingness to serve, sustain, provide for and protect our individual families as well as our communities, and last but not least our commitment to honor the integrity as well as intentionally provide and maintain the structure of a two parent household. These are all very important factors in regards to the ethical/moral treatment given, and received within or outside of a particular community.
Propaganda
In turn, almost all of the components that makes up a fully functional and self sustained society, for the African American diaspora have been weakened and compromised by falsities, misinformation and countless stereotypical narratives negatively depicting our culture, then globally propelled through the propagation of Western Media. I often find myself cringing during sittings of certain cinematic viewings and at the sound of distorted harmonic resonances or “lyrics” that subconsciously depicts, promotes, advocates and assists in the international destruction and destabilization of the African American population.
These forms of so called “entertainment” also helped to subconsciously embed and reaffirm multiple stereotypical ideologies that the ‘Western World’ has used to disenfranchise, ridicule and undermine the African American Race for centuries.
Cultural Genocide
The term ‘Cultural Genocide’ is a phrase coined by lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1944 as a component of genocide. Though the precise definition of cultural genocide remains contested, the Armenian Genocide Museum defines it as “acts and measures undertaken to destroy nations’ or ethnic groups’ culture through spiritual, national, and cultural destruction.” — Wikipedia
Also Cultural Genocide involves the eradication and destruction of cultural artifacts, such as books, artworks, and structures. All of which have taken place, and are historically documented to have been committed against the African American population for centuries.
Solutions
With all of these factors in consideration, my suggestion to African American communities across the continent would be to energetically, finically and resourcefully invest into the development and upkeep of your communal infrastructures, businesses (small and large) and most importantly the dissemination of information through the owner/partnerership of media outlets. Newspaper companies, television programs and social media platforms are all very powerful tools in today’s society. Therefore we’ll have the ability to provide institutions for learning and technical skills, job opportunities and creative direction for POC (People Of Color) and other minority groups. Enabling them the ability to politically represent themselves, publicly voice their opinions and artistically express themselves as individuals and as a collective.
We have to reclaim responsibility for our narratives, depictions and portrayals. Although we can’t prevent or alter someone’s opinions, beliefs or judgments of us, we do have the ability to change how we perceive ourselves.
So with that being said, once our collective traditions and cultural values are remembered, reclaimed, ceremonially re-enacted and revered, only THEN will we have the ability to correctly reprogram our predecessors and progressively redirect our descendants. Asè.
