The Fourth of July has passed in the USA. The celebration ceremonies are over and the fireworks have been disposed of. American citizens have celebrated the ratification of The Declaration of Independence. White people can celebrate independence because in the USA they have it. Do African Americans even understand the concept of independence?
Independence means the state of being free from of the influence, control, authority, or jurisdiction of others. With this in mind should African Americans have been watching or exploding any fireworks on the 4th of July? African Americans have not scratched the surface of the concept of independence mentally or physically in the USA. A large faction of African American people do not have a concept of what independence looks or feels like.
Independence from tyranny, unjust taxes and laws was the basis for the creation of The Declaration of Independence. In 2023 African Americans complain about undue harassment from law enforcement. Why? African Americans are not independent. Look at the drug laws that were/are in effect in every state of the Union. Many of these laws were designed to target the type of crimes/ situations African Americans would find themselves involved in. Research the differences in sentencing for crack cocaine and powder cocaine during the 80’s and 90’s. I won’t even go into the tax aspect of African American harassment over the decades. Look up poll taxes and African American voting.
African Americans do not have the independence to control their own minds in the USA. The programing that goes into African American minds is designed by people who simply do not care to see African Americans succeed. The education system is one aspect of this racist manipulation. No matter how smart an African American becomes in the US education system, they become ignorant of their true self. This is why there are so many educated African Americans in 2023 and the race is in a worse mental state than it was in 1920. If independence means controlling your destiny, then African Americans are nowhere near this. Many African Americans do not even have the mind to think of their own concept of destiny. This is another effect of the education system on African American minds. Since African Americans do not understand destiny, white people supply one for them that ensures white control.
Many African Americans purchased new outfits for the 4th of July. The consumer-instead- of-producer mentality is one white people created for African Americans. African Americans have no economic base in the USA. African Americans have no industry where they have cornered the market. African Americans are totally dependent on white people. The majority of the clothes African Americans purchased to celebrate The 4th were created, manufactured and sold by white-based companies. The majority of the ribs and spaghetti consumed by African Americans on The 4th were purchased at white-owned supermarkets. The liquor, weed and drugs were furnished by white-controlled interests. Now where is the independence African Americans were supposedly celebrating? Whose independence is a better question.
African Americans, it is never too late to become independent. You can decide to create your own Declaration of Independence. I am not talking about a document for the masses of African Americans. I am talking about each individual African American. Start thinking about where you are in life and how you got there. Start analyzing your thoughts and why you think the way you do. Decide that if you can’t be physically independent of white people you can keep them out of your head. If four out of ten African Americans do the previous suggestions, the African American community would change for the better. Then on July 4th 2024, African Americans would really have a reason to shoot off fireworks.
Frank James IV © 2023
beingfrankwithfrank@gmail.com.
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or HT Group, LLC, its staff or management. “Being Frank” is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.