In Our Corner: The Bruised Fruit. The Goods We Sell…Serve to Ourselves
“As we reflect during Black History Month, it is important to recognize how these historical decisions still shape our country today. Addressing systemic inequality means acknowledging the past and then taking actions to close the gaps that present.”
The Bruised Fruit
“Sometimes a fruit falls from a tree and rolls so far away from its roots that it is no longer part of the tree. The hard fall, and long journey, bruises the fruit so much that it totally changes it. It’s the same way for some of our people.? This is why some can’t be awakened regardless [of] how much truth you present to them. The journey has totally brainwashed them to such a degree that they’re no longer of the original tree.”
My Dear Readers,
I am writing in “relief” that Black History Month 2025 is over…finally over.? I am not a proponent of Black History.? It’s tokenism and it has been commercialized to sell Black products.? Furthermore, as there is no follow through on what is learned it serves to fulfill the meager desire of Whites to gain token knowledge and awareness of historical facts of Black people. The historical facts being shared are focused on Black success, and contributions. ?It’s ending allows for the return of two items associated with avoidance and “slumberland,” white illusion and Black realness.
The celebration of Black History Month acknowledges the “gift of recognition”. This being extended by a society who’s history is deeply mired in the calculative abuses of others for profit and the proliferation of fear and terror to maintain control. The strategy of Whites, especially leaders of government, corporate, and industry supporting Black History Month is to provide “tokenism” of acknowledgment yet not engaging in the realness of the work associated with diversity, equity and inclusion.
Historically Black people have passively viewed themselves has victims of such tokenism.? The word passively, is being utilized here due to the grumblings of passively accepting yet not wanting to pursue any individual or community social activism in response. ?There is the expectation of “slumberland” and avoidance by White America however, Black History Month 2025 clearly reflects a time in which African Americans joined the avoidance and “slumberland,” of white illusion and black realness.
Black Revisionist History
I am referring to postings on LinkedIn by African Americans downplaying the significance of Black History and in one specific occasion revising the facts associated with Black Wall Street. This revision, titled Black Success, intends to be attractive to the Alpha Generation, the children born in the 21st century. To do so, the individuals created a video of Black Wall Street based on AI imagining from this current era rather than the actual period, the 1930’s. The video with its AI imagining fails to mention or provide information regarding the race riots and the destruction, death and psychological trauma that followed and continues to impact subsequent generations.?
The video included photos of well-dressed men and women, luxurious mansions, private jet planes, bank vaults with bags of cash and money falling from above. The video concludes with the question, “If Black Success was important, why is it not being taught in the schools?”
The video serves several purposes:
The Painfulness of the Unaddressed Question
In responding to the question, “Why Black Success is not being taught in schools?” I stated that there was a simple and valid answer not to teach truths about Black Wall Street. Specifically, Whites fear the natural result of knowledge: motivation and role modeling.
I went on to respond to the question that was not being addressed; that being “If Black Success was important, why is it not being taught in the home? In the community?”
Black Success cannot be taught in the schools because the schools are mired in systemic racism. Black Success cannot be taught in the home because the parents are themselves either uncomfortable or lacking in skills, knowledge and awareness because they too were educated in a school system mired in systemic racism. Subsequently, Black Success cannot be taught in the community because it has been educated in a school system that is mired in systemic racism.
The Painful Realness of Intergenerational Trauma
Intergenerational Trauma is a phenomenon where the effects of a traumatic event experienced by one generation are passed down to subsequent generations. The traumatic event experienced by an individual or group can be transmitted through various mechanisms including:
Divergence, Detour & Distraction… Generation Alpha
In the video Black Success, there was no reference to the destruction, devastation, death, and terror experienced by the Black population during the Tulsa Race Riot of 1930.? Of the five generations, the Baby Boomers are the closest to the event of the psychological trauma that has continued to be intergenerationally passed downward during the last five generations.
Generation Alpha, born in the 21st century, are dependent on their parents and themselves. Both generations share two common themes; they were both educated in a school system that is mired in systemic racism and therefore, were subjected to what the system sought to teach, deny, or avoid… information regarding the history of Black people in America and the role of systemic racism impacting Black Americans.
The Complicity of Others: Awaiting the Passing of Those Who Remember…Truth
As stated earlier, the Baby Boomer generation is dying out. The Black History Revisionists seek to remove the psychologically traumatic events, directing the focus on Black Success in the AI imaging of wealth, clothing, mansions jets etc.? In doing so, they are complicit in seeking to move the targeted audience, generation Alpha and others, into slumber and avoidance of truth which results in the continuance of psychological trauma. ?
Truths Exposed:? The Un-addressing of Systemic Inequality.
In the beginning of this writing, I referred to a posting of a Black contributor on LinkedIn seeking to link Black History Month with addressing systemic racism. The contributor states:
“As we reflect during Black History Month (BHM), it is important to recognize how these historical decisions still shape our country today. Addressing systemic inequality means acknowledging the past and then taking actions to close the gaps that are present.”
This statement amounts to nothing more than a “feel good statement”. In the contributor’s remarks, there are no specifics as to how “our reflection” during BHM or recognition of these “historical decisions” have shaped the country. Furthermore, there are no specifics regarding the “addressing of systemic inequality” or more importantly, clarification of actions being taken to “close the gaps that are present.”
Assuming there is merit regarding the contributor’s assertions of “the success in the acknowledgment”, the actions being taken to “close the gaps that are present”, during this current month in which there is the acknowledgment of Black History month, there have been several historical decisions that reinforce systemic inequality. Such decisions involved:
Concluding Words
“I am tired of being indicted because I am white. I am tired of being banged over the head every week… I just want to come to church and be encouraged.”
My Dear Readers,
The desire of this quote from a White parishioner is the wantonness to avoid the realness of the responsibility, accountability and consequences of systemic inequality.? The same situation exists in the African American community where there are individuals who do not want to respond to historical facts that are psychologically traumatic and impactful. The answer to this problem for both is to become a revisionist of history and in doing so avoiding truths and focusing on “feel good” scenarios.
Black History Month versus Black History 365.
We have sold ourselves an illusion that Black History can be successfully portrayed during the 28 days of Black History Month, while watching White American History being portrayed 365 days every year. We have the illusion that our history should be taught in school however we know the reality that ALL five generations since the Tulsa Massacre have been educated in a systemically racist educational environment in which those in control deny… avoid… ?and limit information and impacts on African Americans.
We respond to the illusions that we live in by creating more illusions that avoid truths as with the AI “retelling” of Black Wall Street; in creating videos of well-dressed men and women, scenes of black wealth, mansions and even jets!? There were no jets in 1930!? This revisionist history is targeting the most recent generation, Generation Alpha.
We congratulate ourselves for our advancement, with well-dressed, designer videos copying the Black Wall Street story, with jets planes that did not exist, along with hundreds of Generation Alphas singing the Black National Anthem, with words that many are ignorant of what the words truly signify.
The Bruised Fruit
Examining the quote at the beginning of this blog, Malcolm X used this quote to describe how some people are so changed by life’s experiences that they can’t be awakened to the truth.?He believed that the hard fall and long journey bruises the fruit so much that it totally changes it.?He used this analogy to describe how some people struggle to find their truth because life knocked them around too much.?
Can’t say that we have been played.? Looking at our actions, we have played ourselves.? It is the goods we sell… and serve to ourselves.
“Did you know?” Did you know the truth?”
Really, how did you know the truth when…
The truth is denied.
The truth is hidden.
The truth is not taught in schools.
How could you know the truth?
When you are taught to value… appreciate… admire … an illusion.”
Dr. Micheal Kane, Clinical Traumatologist
Until the next time,
Remaining … In Our Corner
Educator at KSD
3 小时前Dr. Kane, unfortunately, “WE” (some of us Black folk) choose to remain ignorant. It takes too much effort to pick up a book or two, take a few courses, attend seminars that teach us a little bit about ourselves and our ancestors. Sounds like a cop-out? An excuse? A lame reason? Yep. Right on all accounts. It takes too much time away from our tick-tok IG FB X video games, streamed content, and more for us to learn about what we’ve done, let alone what we’re capable of. The next reality show or sub-plot of a fantasy we’ll never experience is more important that the real life scenarios playing right before our eyes, but we’re trained to be blind so we can not see. Thank you, again. Signed, Don’t wanna be the Captain no mo!