I am going to post Dr. wilsons notes here. Kaba Hiawatha Dr. Amos Wilson…Culture and Identity…African Echoes DR. AMOS WILSON…CULTURE AND IDENTY…AFRICAN ECHOES Conspiracy -By the time you find out, it’s too late -Our ability to defend ourselves should happen before the fact -Conspiracies feed on themselves -Information public not secret -Translated into plan of action, not for titillation, but strategy and tactics given design and Approach -Conspiracy only part of overall program Literacy -Need for writing and reading -Not just lectures/oral -We must be involved in publishing information -Read beyond African-centered books -Limit perceptions Propaganda -Not negative -To propogate, noun-move information, to cause to spread -Propagandize, verb -To communicate, to persuade -Oral tradition based in persuasion Greatest Challenge -Gung-Ho African-centered, hot, fired up nationalists -Middle-of-the-roaders easier to deal with Theory and Abstraction -Develop theory or abstraction provides conceptualization -A way of measuring progress African Transformation -Purpose of transforming African men -To what extent -Connection to African liberation -Reward and reinforcement Intentionality -Economics, politics intention to overthrow other groups’ domination -What is warrior? -Realize we are at war…mentally, physically and spiritually Two-Sided Thinking Cultures evolve…Use all knowledge while maintaining the essence of the lesson Conquer new ground, create new African framework African thought is a two-sided thought…African thought is curvilinear as well as linear Linear – analytical, abstract, logical, objective… Curvilinear – intuitive, holistic, spiritual, subjective… Two-Sided Brain Nerves are on both sides of the brain and they communicate with each other Science is based on intuition…saturate the mind with content info/experiential. Then leave the mind to develop the other side instinct/inspiriential The unconscious mind sweeps info into the conscious mind and the scientific method logically rationalizes info, scientific experiments concretizes info and feeds it back into the unconscious mind only to start the process again. Our advantage will be to use all of our brain/mind…left to right/right to left Star Trek Style Spock-Logical-Left Bones-Analogical-Right Kirk-Ma’at-Balanced Brain Thoughts/Info must be open to all; however, we must Africanize/Customize wisdom for our purposes. Destruction of Black Civilization, Dr. Chancellor Williams – is not a history book; it contains case studies that analyze African Cultures continent-wide. Looks at ways Africans succeeded and failed. We must be critical of history and culture no matter where it leads us. Culture -Culture occurs when a group of people develops a set of rules and procedures to meet Their needs and solve their problems. These rules and procedures are always accompanied by supporting ideas and profound values and principles. Culture evolves and only comes into existence to systematically solve problems and meet needs of its members. When culture no longer meet the needs, and solve the problems of its members it must be transformed and transmuted to do so. -Culture is represented in the minds of its people. Culture does not exist outside, it is a mental entity. It creates a way of thinking, a framework for response. It receives, categorizes, orders, processes and evaluates the world. -When culture is distorted, disarranged and disordered, the problem in education becomes a political issue and many of the challenges express themselves educationally. It took Dr. Carter G. Woodson 30 years to overcome the damage done to him by his American education. -Culture patterns relations and interactions among people. These patterns create a unified cooperation and economic power becomes an historical product set within their geographic location and environmental boundaries. Identity -Identity is the social/personal outcome/product of an identification process. New responses are required/acquired in existing patterns of behavior. The result of these responses modifies, transforms and transmutes the previous behavior. This result occurs because of the member’s subjection to direct or indirect conditioning procedures. All cultures condition and modify the behavior and habits of its members. Culture creates measures of rewarding and punishing its members. -We must get control of our children, becoming their primary rewarders and punishers for their behavior (Enslavement). We must determine the condition under which they are socialized if we want to create the types of people we need. -Identification with a culture is the result of approval/disapproval by the group that it benefits and the individual him/herself. Cultural identity patterns feelings/thoughts/actions. -Models/methods of behavior not in hands of African people. We must answer questions, Who am I? what am I?, what do I do with my life? Identity is cultural…there is no such thing as the individual. Individual is the synthesis of a social experience, a unique combination of having interacted with others an in a unique way respond to this experience. -The concept of individual gets it’s meaning in definition within a social structure. Society creates the individual. -Identity is culture made flesh. Identity expresses cultural power. -When an individual identifies with a culture, he/she becomes an instrument of that culture. -Man/womanhood is a social definition of the culture it represents. When a person defends his manhood/her womanhood, they defend their culture. When they become detached from that culture they will prey on it and ultimately destroy it. -Black on Black violence, identity is a cultural expression. Has impact, expresses its power, defends itself as a culture, it defends its members and humanity as well. When people become detached from culture, they stand alone and are undefended (alienated). They become vulnerable. Self-Concept shapes politics, economics, social ethic, psychology, motives, ideas, interests, principles, values, desires, tastes, etc. Satisfying these entities maintains social power and social relations. Social power determines social relations. Cultural identity creates values and ideals -Without understanding cultural identity and its role in ritual will not allow group to meet its major goal/needs and will not solve the groups challenges/problems. Without understanding this group behavior will be superficial. Its tastes, passions and interests will not be transformed, despite its attraction to Africa/Kente clothe/ankhs, etc. Other cultures will continue to penetrate their oppression. -You must reject multiculturalism. African-centeredness must be taught to children. Philosophy and religion are not aspects of tradition. Honorable Elijah Muhammad -The Honorable Elijah Muhammad changed the emotions/feelings of African people. Whether true or not, whether right or wrong he changed the thought process of African people by teaching that the white man was a devil/demon. This philosophy was functional and plausible. Myth organizes a people’s perception of himself or herself and creates a sense of destiny and immortality. Myth organizes and arranges their social relations so they can achieve particular points and particular ends. Now that European culture is dominant, they are now admitting the truth, able to discard the myths. -Elijah Muhammad changed the power relations among African-Americans. He changed African-Americans tastes, eating patterns and clothes. -By demonizing European-Americans, he moved African-Americans away from wanting to be like them; changing values, interests and principles -Today, the freer, the more enslaved and impoverished -Culture is an instrument of power -Africans become more enslaved the more universal they try to become Cultural Identity -Questions to be asked–Who taught you, what did they teach you? Why did they teach you? These are functional questions -Religion must serve humanity. God must serve his people. He/She has a sacred contract/covenant with his/her people -Cultural identity has a prescription for behaving, relating to each other in a particular way. It develops a way of seeing self, each other, God, world, nature and everything else so that it acts in the interest of the group. -Africans must focus on the accumulation of capital, savings, investments, business, schools, etc. Africans must make investments in power. Power=Wealth in America. --- -Free mind to move in world, produce for self, enhance African wealth and status in the world. -Africans must study the political economy of Black Culture -Colin Powell defines European domination. -Africans were recultured, rearranged, restructured not uncultured, unarranged, unstructured…Africans are newly created beings Children’s Education -Teach more than history, geography, culture, etc. -Raise self-esteem, avoid multiculturism -re-restructure, re-reculture, re-restructure…return to own cultural common sense -African culture has been traumatized by discontinuity. Africans on continent must also restructure themselves. -Reclaiming of our youth requires an appropriate, thorough, pragmatic analysis of the Conditions of African-Americans. -Children not responsible for their condition…good black/law abiding person, blacks who don’t see color…who want to be loved by others. -Who would have faith in a person, who doesn’t have faith in him/herself? -There will be no racial peace for at least the next 20-30 years. We must get used to tension -We must control our behavior. Behavior must be directed towards the acquisition of power -We must realize that white supremacy is a major problem. It is a major problem. African Nation Building -Nation building is cornerstone to African thought -Education of children begins out of nation building -Nation building defines overall goals. It also creates aspirations To solve problems -Education of the people will overthrow white supremacy mentally, physically and spiritually -We are a nation within a nation -We must study, where are we going? What are our national and international goals? -Our consciousness/awareness must be integrated to all other African people worldwide -There is a crisis in white global supremacy -White supremacy is in decline -U.S. presidency losing power -U.S. economy is out of control and in debt -Race/Culture/Identity/Class based on singularity -Only sick Negroes feed other people’s children before feeding their own Black Economics -We must create our own jobs -We must create our own economic system -We must capture our own economic infrastructure -We must accumulate Black capital -We must have our own National Administration that inclusive of all potential groups -We must create trade networks, distribution systems, supermarkets, manufacturers, etc. -We must look at the Caribbean as an African-American nation of many languages -Matah (Grenada) -Importation of African diasporian products must become part of U.S. Foreign Policy -Stimulation of economic system of Africa -Tariffs must be lowered for the African diaspora, in order to create market for African products -It was Japan’s economic relationship with U.S. that stimulated Japan’s economy Thanks to Walter Demmings -U.S. taught Korea how to do business Conclusion African-America is the center of movement of African world. We must use accumulated Capital to capture Black Economic Market. We don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Without a working Pan-African system, we will be locked in to outer system, without control of African products. A Realistic African Cultural Identity will enable African people to reclaim and control their own world. Questions/Answers/Comments -Angry people in African movement not productive, they sometimes through rejection still harbor Eurocentric idea(s) -Enter Think Tank freely, buying into the idea/concept that what you are doing is the right thing to do -Move away from Religious Religiosity and Secular Secularism and move towards secular religion (Sacred Science) -Don’t come to lectures (Per Ankh) for spiritual rush like church. Come prepared to do work. -Power – search for self-implementation from Egyptian system -Power is everywhere -If you are living, you are exercising power -We must become readers, writers and thinkers -Export/Import for African continent -There is a great amount of data -Develop Black Policy makers -Create/Develop Analysis with Depth Perception Books Cited During Dr. Amos Wilson’s Lecture on Culture and Identity Dr. Chancellor Williams, Destruction of Black Civilization Dr. Harold Cruse, Crisis of the Negro Intellectual Plural but Equal Koto, Nation Building
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 09:04:03 +0000
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