Here's the fundamental issue. White people (and again, I reiterate that we are addressing the COLLECTIVE history, not a particular individual) have an indisputable tendency due to WHITE SKIN PRIVILEGE (consciously or otherwise) to want to OWN everything. An ingrained sense of superiority entitlement. A child like "MINE MINE MINE!" attitude.
Even when they "discover" something ancient and established by others for thousands of years. HIS -story speaks for itself. This is not an simply an opinion but an observation and experience shared by all people of color worldwide.
In my 25 year trod as a Rasta wombman, I have met a few white people that were truly sympathetic to the struggles of Afrikan people. As long as it's all flowery and full of multicolored rainbows and "one love" chants.
BUT, as soon as it begins to get "too black, too strong", then it becomes uncomfortable. A little too "angry and militant", and the reaction is to want to "appease the angry natives", exercising that inborn sense if superiority by flinging their interpretation of InI culture. Selectively choosing the more multicultural humanitarian quotes by HIM, and casually dismissing, or worse, out right DENYING the Afrikan experience.
That, dear Idren, is the problem.
From the beginning of time, when white people came out of the caucus mountains and we're faced with black gods and a civilization that predates them by THOUSANDS of years, rather then humbly enter our home/temple/lands and learn InI spiritual systems, they stole, plagerized and desecrated our teachings. Whitewashed history to benefit their people.
The same scenario is STILL being played out among RasTafari. We see the pattern every day. In a multitude of ways, overtly and covertly, passively aggressive, sprinkled with that "turn the other cheek" judeo-christian mentality, this coming from a people with the most violent and aggressive natures and history! The irony can not be ignored. It is not in our imagination but a shared collective experience.
I have seen the most "Black heart" white Rastas get uncomfortable when ini discuss the divine function of melanin, or ancestral connection, or Afrikan traditional systems, or talk of liberation.
It's all good as long as we keep it multicultural and flowery.
Not so much when it gets too black.
THAT IS THE OFFENSE TO INI.
|
|
