Mr. Boseman

 He left us yesterday.  He left behind memories of him in the portrayals of positive black male images. Images that as a child growing up in the 1960s I never saw.  Through his movie roles he gave us stories about black super heroes.  The early struggles of black sports figures.  Black entertainers.  Those involved in the legal struggle for the human rights of black people.  I enjoyed the movies of Chadwick Bozeman.  Several of them are in my DVD collection.  We thank God for giving him to us for the time he was with us.  He fulfilled his purpose.  God has called him Home.  We don't always leave this life in a "peaceful" manner.  For whatever reason we leave after a period of suffering.  It is as though this suffering is necessary to escape from this world.  Thank you Mr. Boseman for your body of work through the movies you made.  Thank you for giving black and other minority youth an image they could relate to in the made up world of "super heroes".  Your work included us as being special also.  I waited some 50 plus years to see my black super hero on the movie screen.  It was worth the wait.  Our condolences to your family as they grieve his loss from this world.  Rejoice in knowing he has moved onward to the next level, the final destination we should all aspire to.

Go Back to Africa? Show Me the Reparations Package!

Once in awhile you hear some racist spout that classic racist diatribe to black people, “Go back to Africa!”  My first thought of course would be to respond, “Sure, if you go back to Europe and give the Native Americans’ back their land!”  But, I thought of a new response.  I would now say, “Show me the reparations package and I’ll get back to you with an answer in about 4 months!”

Think about that.  What would I do if the government of these United States of America really wanted to give me a reparations package to compensate me for the past kidnapping of my ancestors from Gabon and Guinea-Bissau Africa?  A reparations package for hundreds of years of family disruption and loss of identity.  A reparations package for economic and social suffering over some 400 plus years.  What would the monetary amount of such a reparations package come to?  At least 40 million I would think.  A superstar athlete can make that much in one year including endorsement money.  I think a reparations package should pay at least 40 million.  What do you think?

We now have a Presidential administration that totally supports European American male domination and arrogance to include misbehavior towards women. So, under this administration it would be appropriate for the United States government to finally give those black people of African descent the reparations package long talked about but never offered.  Forty acres and a mule?  Forget that!  Give me 40 million, throw in a yearly round trip 2 month return to the United States (with Covid precautions), first class airline tickets and hotel reservations included so I could visit friends and family once a year, and I think we might have a deal.  And yes, flying first class is not negotiable.  The original black people kidnapped or bought from Africa already experienced one way substandard transportation in a ship’s cargo hold.  That initial voyage got us to the “land of the free”.  If I’m going back to Africa, I’m going back first class of course, once again with Covid free accommodations and arrangements.

My DNA results from African Ancestry show that I have paternal genetic ancestry with the Eshira and Eviya people living in Gabon, Africa.  Plus through my great grandfather's wife, we have connection to the Balanta people of Guinea-Bissau.  Would I give up life in the United States to return to Gabon, Africa and Guinea-Bissau?  For a decent, life sustaining reparations package yes I would.  I would need to travel to Gabon and Guinea-Bissau to see what my living options would be in the country.  I would like a home in both countries. That’s why I say give me 4 months to decide.  I have not been Americanized to the point that I would not change my current style of living for another option.  You never know what you’re missing, if you don’t know what you are missing. 

What does Gabon have to offer?  Apparently 11% of the country is parklands.  There are white sand beaches, rushing rivers and references to an “Eden” like travel experience. There isn’t a lot of reliable info available on the history of Gabon through the European American media.  If there was I wouldn’t trust a European American developed record anyway.  Apparently in the 1400s Europeans went to Gabon to kidnap people into slavery.  I would take the same considerations for Guinea-Bissau.

I’ve experienced many of the extravagant materialistic things of the American culture.  I was trained since child hood to think like a European American, absent all the rights and privileges.  In the past 20 years or so I have fought through the brainwashing I received on what makes an American successful. The European American education system did a good job of convincing African Americans to pursue the values of European Americans. Through the American education system black people learned what was important to European Americans and adopted many of their customs and beliefs while losing our true heritage in the process.

 I like to compare the experience of blacks in these United States of America to the experience of the indigenous “American” people, the Native Americans.  During the years black people were enslaved in the United States, European Americans did not really attempt to “Americanize” Native Americans.  Instead the emphasis was to rid the landscape of Native Americans through a forceful conquering.  Near extinction of many Native Americans became the result of those efforts.

So, President Trump still has a few months to have his  cabinet secretaries put together a comprehensive reparations package to get “those black people” out of the country.  If a package comes out, I might have to seriously review my options! At the age of 62 I have nothing to lose.  Spending the final years of my life in a country and region in Africa I would have likely grown up in seems like a good way to end my life on this planet.  It would complete the circle of life.  It would be a return to the life that God may have meant me to have originally.  But the laziness and evilness of many European Americans changed my destiny.

I would not miss the gallons of beer available here in the United States that I don’t drink.  I would not miss seeing all the aisles and shelves full of materialistic things in the American stores. Or watch items disappear from the shelves when materialistic people panic shop in pandemics. Maybe a life in Gabon or Guinea-Bissau would make for a better appreciation of the simple things in life.  In Gabon I wouldn’t have to worry, hopefully, about being attacked by some mass shooter here in the United States angry at who knows what.  Or killed while jogging in a neighborhood where some racist lives.  We all deserve to one day go home.  So twitter man, President Trump (I still can’t believe he actually won) tell your people to start working on that Back to Africa Reparations Package (BARP) and have it ready by election day. 

My passport is up to date.  You know I’m going to keep my American citizenship.  Black people have gone through too much nonsense to give that up!  Oh, by the way make that reparations package tax free in any new tax plan.  My ancestors already paid a severe financial penalty over the years for European American greed.  We as black people did help to do much of the hard work in building this country that you all did not want to do!  Lastly, for those black people who want to stay, good luck.  I support your continued effort to rid this country of racism or to blend in. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be an African American if that is your choice.   We have options.