Janelle Monae attends the BET’s ‘Black Girls Rock!’ Red Carpet sponsored by Chevrolet at NJPAC Prudential Hall on March 28, 2015
Janelle Monae attends the BET’s ‘Black Girls Rock!’ Red Carpet sponsored by Chevrolet at NJPAC Prudential Hall on March 28, 2015
I watched Kill the Messenger recently. There are really important lessons to take away from this film, which is about journalist Gary Webb uncovering the CIA conspiracy in which they allowed drug dealers to flood black communities with drugs and used the money earned to fund the Contras in Nicaragua so the
United States could install a government more in line with U.S.
interests.1. Black people should err on the side of believing
conspiracy theories when it involves the United States and what the
nation does to its black population. The U.S. government has an
incredibly long history of using us as their Guinea pigs. So no matter
how ridiculous the conspiracy sounds (“America puts chemicals in Quarter
Waters to sterilize black people!”) believe it more than you disbelieve
it, because time is likely to bring it to bear. Fundamentally, black
lives do not matter to most Americans, and certainly not to the American
government.2. There will always be black people within black communities willing to work with outside forces to destroy black people. The appeal of capitalism, materialism, and white supremacy are incredibly strong. Beware of the Rick Rosses in our communities; they come in many forms (pushers, pastors, pimps, police, politicians, performers, preachers), are eager for their place at the table, and will gladly sacrifice you to white money gods to get there.
3. When you tell the truth about the United States, there’s a possibility that you’ll end up with TWO fatal bullets wounds to the head and they’ll call that suicide and tell the world it’s extremely possible for a man who already fatally shot himself in the head once to pull the trigger and shoot himself in the head again. And people will believe it.
4. Most Americans will not want to know this story. Instead, they’ll flock to see American Sniper, hoping that the lie becomes the truth.
5. This isn’t in any of the American history books. Baldwin was right:
“Education is indoctrination if you’re white, subjugation if you’re black.”
Folds neatly, inserts into envelope, licks, seals, and delivers the package.
I watched Kill the Messenger recently. There are really important lessons to take away from this film, which is about journalist Gary Webb uncovering the CIA conspiracy in which they allowed drug dealers to flood black communities with drugs and used the money earned to fund the Contras in Nicaragua so the
United States could install a government more in line with U.S.
interests.1. Black people should err on the side of believing
conspiracy theories when it involves the United States and what the
nation does to its black population. The U.S. government has an
incredibly long history of using us as their Guinea pigs. So no matter
how ridiculous the conspiracy sounds (“America puts chemicals in Quarter
Waters to sterilize black people!”) believe it more than you disbelieve
it, because time is likely to bring it to bear. Fundamentally, black
lives do not matter to most Americans, and certainly not to the American
government.2. There will always be black people within black communities willing to work with outside forces to destroy black people. The appeal of capitalism, materialism, and white supremacy are incredibly strong. Beware of the Rick Rosses in our communities; they come in many forms (pushers, pastors, pimps, police, politicians, performers, preachers), are eager for their place at the table, and will gladly sacrifice you to white money gods to get there.
3. When you tell the truth about the United States, there’s a possibility that you’ll end up with TWO fatal bullets wounds to the head and they’ll call that suicide and tell the world it’s extremely possible for a man who already fatally shot himself in the head once to pull the trigger and shoot himself in the head again. And people will believe it.
4. Most Americans will not want to know this story. Instead, they’ll flock to see American Sniper, hoping that the lie becomes the truth.
5. This isn’t in any of the American history books. Baldwin was right:
“Education is indoctrination if you’re white, subjugation if you’re black.”
Folds neatly, inserts into envelope, licks, seals, and delivers the package.
Venus Sings by Reza Rites 