Muhammad Rasheed - Black Americans don’t have a hive mind. They don’t all think alike or even share the same dreams. They don’t share the same ideological worldview. I don’t expect to be able to identify on every level with every Black American I run into. What I do is celebrate the accomplishments and victories of those Black Americans because of the general, high-level ties I have with them. This is very important, and is a component to the survival and prosperity for our people that we all claim to want. We all need to come together on a greater, national level. We don’t need to focus on the small stuff that separates us into tribes and cliques.
We need to start seeing ourselves as a nation within a nation. Strong and independent, but willing to work with other nations for our mutual benefit, and with a commitment towards peace.
Raven Whmy - Africans are naturally COMMUNAL. Whatever the hive mind is, it isnt that. The idea that collective thinking is bad and individusl thought is good is a western dichotomous assumtion thst causes us more hsrm than good bec it is anti africsn AND pretends to ignore how human thought actually works. Thought is first and foremost CULTURAL which is a communal or collective humsn process thst no humsns on earth live without. Either we are practicing and thinking in our own natural cultural modes, we have been forced to follow somone elses which is what hsppened during slsvery amd colonialism , or we are practicing some hybrid--which is what "african american" means to me. All collective thought is not mindless following. Okay? If black americans are all that you say above it is bec we were FORCED out of our natuRAL COMMUNAL CULTURAL MODE.
Raven Whmy - I hear your points in total Muhammad, but NO LONGER sharing the same ideological world view was forced on us by the lash and is the worst thing that ever happened to us. It is the result if TRAUMA, not something to defend or celebrate.
Muhammad Rasheed - Raven Whmy wrote: “Africans are naturally COMMUNAL. Whatever the hive mind is, it isnt that.”
The “hive mind” concept is based on the idea that all people of a particular race, or ethnic group, think exactly alike. Uniformly sharing the exact same ideology, creeds, and worldview. It’s a component of stereotyping, is a racist view, and is absolutely negative.
Raven Whmy wrote: “The idea that collective thinking is bad and individusl thought is good is a western dichotomous assumtion thst causes us more hsrm than good bec it is anti africsn AND pretends to ignore how human thought actually works.”
Whether each form of thinking is good or bad is dependant upon whatever message they represent. If the collective are thinking in a particular way that helps stifle growth and development, then it is bad to belong to that collective thought group. If the individual is operating out of a thought package that will sow only destruction in the lives of those around him/her, then that individual’s thoughts are also bad and must be crushed.
Raven Whmy wrote: “Thought is first and foremost CULTURAL which is a communal or collective humsn process thst no humsns on earth live without.”
“Culture” is but one of the many filters (albeit a significant one) that the individual’s thought is processed through. But those thoughts start at the individual level. When we aren’t thinking, and operating on our default setting of however we were raised, then our culture will guide our thoughts. But when we take the time to think about our actions, cultural bias/preference becomes but one of the options in the critical thought process.
Raven Whmy wrote: “Either we are practicing and thinking in our own natural cultural modes, we have been forced to follow somone elses which is what hsppened during slsvery amd colonialism , or we are practicing some hybrid--which is what "african american" means to me.”
Following a hybrid would be best in my opinion. A system composed of an eclectic mixture of systems and thought processes that have been proven to work in various environments, and for various peoples’. The people of the world are different so that they may learn from one another, both in what to do and what not to do, for our ultimate survival and prosperity as a species.
Raven Whmy wrote: “All collective thought is not mindless following. Okay?”
True. Some analyze the collective thought doctrine and deliberately decide to be a part of it, considering it a good fit for them as an individual, and look to make a meaningful contribution to the whole. Others, by contrast, simply became conscious and found themselves in that system, following along because they found the people around them following along. In that case “mindless” is quite the accurate descriptor.
Raven Whmy wrote: “If black americans are all that you say above it is bec we were FORCED out of our natuRAL COMMUNAL CULTURAL MODE.”
We didn’t all think alike when we were in Africa either, Raven. That continent is vast, and we are very, very old. The ancient land is composed of many differing viewpoints, opinions, worldviews… well before the European showed up drooling and lusting for the fount of Massa Musa’s gold. Sure individual tribes perhaps practiced their local communal thinking, but our people had their epic battles, songs of great heroes, dastardly villains, and many interpretations of the tales to be told, all of their own. The human species begins at the [cellular] individual level and branches outward. The individual is the most important aspect of the whole. If he/she is sick, then the whole shebang will be sick and corrupt. If the individual is happy and assured, the the entire community will be strong and resilient.
Raven Whmy wrote: “I hear your points in total Muhammad, but NO LONGER sharing the same ideological world view was forced on us by the lash and is the worst thing that ever happened to us. It is the result if TRAUMA, not something to defend or celebrate.”
What that ideological worldview actually was, that you believe was forced upon us, is worth exploring and analyzing. Tell me.
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