Racism Is More A Consciousness Than An Issue

In 1968, after listening to Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, I decided to actively participate in the war on racism. As Chairman of Black Students for Black Action, at Lake Forest College, I was involved in the threat to take over the administration building if demands for a black studies program, black instructors, and a tutorial program for black elementary students were not met. The administration conceded and a major battle had been won.

My personal conviction continued to manifest itself in both subtle and obvious ways, but it shifted when I became the only black apprenticed millwright at the Chicago Assembly Plant. My realization that the white apprentices knew more about machinery than I did, simply because they had been exposed to it more than I had, suddenly alleviated the sense of inferiority that I had unknowingly harbored for many years. My consciousness then shifted from competing with others to learning more about myself.

It is no secret that racism still exists and that black people are the most publicized victims of  this illusionary reality. I call it illusionary because all the negativity associated with black folk permeates the lives of white and other folk as well. By traveling to different countries, and seeing the similarities rather than the differences, I have found how connected we, the human race, really are. It was a 'white' guy in Amsterdam named Wilbert de Joode however, that brought new meaning to our   'oneness'. He, through his sharing, illustrated how racism is not an issue but a consciousness. When we view our lives through the lens of racism, it hinders us from seeing people for who they really are. If we can shift our consciousness then race can cease being an issue. 

Wilbert's father left home when he was 4, and he said that he was very uncomfortable seeing him when his mother died 12 years later. Although his younger sister longed for her father's presence, they did not hear from him again until he was near death. Wilbert expressed an undeniable love for his mother, and was certainly hurt and disheartened by her unexpected transition. He was proud of how she had raised him and his two sisters on a meager income, while bothered by her always having a boarder in the home to make ends meet. I'd heard this same story countless times before, but this was one of those rare times that I truly felt a white man's pain.


Wilbert is a bassist who plays improvised jazz, which I define as spontaneous   synchronicity. During our recent stay in Amsterdam, he performed with my wife Nicole and two other musicians, Hamid and Peter. When I asked him to comment on their performance he said that each of the four instrumentalists sent their musical thoughts up to an invisible fifth player; who synchronized these thoughts, sent them out to the audience and back to the instrumentalists. This produced an ongoing circular energy that every one present was a part of and participated in. It didn't matter that Nicole and Hamid were black, that Wilbert and Peter were white, or that the audience was literally comprised of people from all over the world. What mattered was that each musician had something to say. These individual stories were perpetually received and synchronized by the 'one' storyteller, and then shared as 'one' story by all who wanted to hear (feel) it.


I had heretofore seen racism as an issue to be dealt with, instead of as a state of mind that can negatively influence my interaction with others. I am black nonetheless, and until racism is non-existent, I will continue to see things from a black man's perspective. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. There are other stories however, in varied colors, and by allowing myself to hear them I can experience the 'oneness' that permeates the universe. My consciousness has been altered if not expanded, and now I can look forward to seeing myself as a part of rather than apart from the 'One' that is us all.

Thank you Fred Hampton and Wilbert de Joode for being you, and for helping me to see me.

Seeing Me In You

Everyone we look at and pay attention to is a reflection of us. 'We have to be it in order to see it'; so whatever we see in another, is an  exemplification of us in a perhaps exaggerated form. If we don't like what we see, it's an opportunity to work on our own shortcomings and defects of character. If we like it, then we have created an invitation to celebrate growth and illumination.

I had an opportunity to attend a rally and book signing hosted by Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornell West Sunday afternoon, and realized that I am very proficient in pointing out what I deem as flaws in others. Cornell West and Tavis Smiley are two of the most intelligent, articulate and foresighted men on the planet, yet I entered their event with the preconceived notion of hearing a lot of rhetoric, without receiving a viable and solid plan of what to do next. I saw them in the same way I saw Jesse Jackson. He coined many wonderfully pertinent phrases such as "Down with dope Up with hope", but what he had done to visibly contribute to the long running, so-called 'war on drugs' remained a mystery to me. I maintained that same sense of talk and no action, during the rally's question and answer period, when the response to the question of "What do we do next?" was answered with the implication that it's up to each of us to configure our own course of action.

All of a sudden, while sitting there, I realized that what I was doing was focusing on someone else's seeming inadequacies. What I was actually seeing however, was the discontent I had with my own sense of limited, personal activity. I'm writing this blog on a weekly basis, and earnestly believing that something positive is being expressed. However, because of the limited response to the blog, I feel, at times, that I'm not doing enough. So when I envisioned Tavis, Cornell, and Jesse as being lax in their actions, I was really seeing an expression of what I deem as my own shortcomings. I had looked at them and seen me.

Through this blog I have attempted to awaken the consciousness of the readers, to recognize how we may unwarily inflict injustices on ourselves and one another. I am so grateful that my own consciousness has been awakened in the process, and I am now aware that knocking what others are doing or not doing is of no avail. When I view others through the lens of love however, things will inevitably get better in relation to the steps I take to make them better. Behavior does not change overnight but I'm going to purpose from this point on to respect rather than begrudge, to relate rather than compare, and to build up rather than tear down. Implementing these things will help me to keep in mind  that whatever anyone is doing now is all we can do now, because now is all we have. Let's not hate, let's appreciate ourselves and each other. 

Mr. Smiley and Dr. West recently traveled to 18 cities in 11 states to witness the rampant poverty that exists in this country, and have written a book entitled 'The Rich and The Rest of Us', to share their findings. I know that you, the reader, are doing what you can to improve the well being of others beside yourself. I am also aware that we, and people all over the world, are doing all we can from the basis of what we have to work with. Everyone has an opinion on how to do what's 'right' and I, for one, must at least appreciate if not support that opinion. It is only then that I can focus on what I'm doing, with the realization that together, in different ways, we can eradicate everything that does not embellish our collective well-being.


In retrospect I have recognized that Cornell, Tavis, Jesse, You and me, have been blessed with an opportunity to see ourselves in each other. If we don't like what we see than there's more work to do on our self. If we like it then we've all progressed to another level, and it's time for gratitude and celebration. Recognizing that a mirror is always available to monitor my progress, I'm going to do my best to do me, while respectfully allowing you to do you.  

What the World Needs Now Is You

Everyone on the planet has to deal with the concept of good and evil whether we believe in duality or not. Christians believe in God and the Devil, while Hinduism supports the belief that there is only good and that evil is only an illusion sparked by desire. Conspiracy theorists purport the Illuminati and Reptilians as contentious forces that have to be reckoned with, because their downfall is the only hope for mankind to experience more than a merely palatable existence. Whatever our personal belief, we all can agree on one thing, whether evil is the opposite of good or only an illusion, whether there's a concerted effort to alter or diminish our lives, our collective human condition can and should be made better than it presently is.

Truth, light, and love can collaboratively provide a means for bettering our condition, and practicing them in our everyday experiences will make a difference in not only how we co-exist with one another. Furthermore, our employment of these realities will give us renewed access to the unheralded beauty that our universe provides, allowing us countless opportunities to live lives of uncompromising well-being, peace and joy.

 The truth inherent in our present way of life, is that we react to situations rather than being proactive in our dealings with ourselves and one another. We respond to the conditions of others, who we deem as being better off, by getting upset. We focus more on what others have that we don't have, instead of looking at we do have and determining what we can do with it to better the lives of others, and our own lives in the process. We envy and talk about others because we're looking at who we think they think they are, rather than who we already are and who we're capable of becoming. We feel that we're being treated badly by others because we're more concerned with what we can get out of a situation instead of what we can put into it. The truth is that we want to be recognized as being right and want those who do not contribute to our 'needs' to know and admit that they are wrong. We'd rather be right than do right. We react on what's going on around us rather than actively seeking to do something about it.

We are all sources of light and we should purpose to bring that light to our every encounter with others. Rather than bringing disdain and disfavor to a conversation about Whitney Houston's drug use, or attitudes of malice and revenge to discussions of Travon Martin, maybe we should share our thoughts about the bigger picture. We can talk about on how drug trafficking and lax gun laws, perpetrated by the love of money might be what needs to be addressed and how anything else is only a distraction from the truth. When involved in more personal matters, such as confrontations with family, co-workers, and friends, instead of responding with bitterness and tears, maybe we should try and sense what the real deal and not take it personally. In most cases when people are experiencing discomfort, it has nothing to do with the person being lashed out at, they just happen to be there. We should try and offer what we think would resolve the confrontation and/or excuse ourselves from it. Negative energy fuels dislike and separation; and the concept of divide and conquer, whether purposed or not, will prevail if we don't stop focusing on being right rather than doing right. Light will uncover the truth and our bringing it will pave the way for everyone involved to be set free to love each other more.

Love is the realm of oneness that pervades our spiritual being, and needs to be made manifest, to a greater degree, in our secular existence. To become as one we must stay focused on our purpose for being here, that purpose being our attempt each day to make another person's life better as a result of having encountered us. Most of us seek fame and fortune, which opens the door to greed, lustful thinking, and despair. We look for a way out through a means of superficial gratification nd find ourselves addicted to a material substance or another human being, neither of which provides us with the love we were really seeking because we sought it through another means. Let's not look for the good and the bad, the right and wrong in our lives but find the joy even in the sublime. Making concessions rather than fighting back. Standing strong, while bending, as a tree in the wind. Let's offer hope where there was once despair. Let's make every effort to live that highly significant, little Sunday School ditty, ' This Little Light of Mine'.

Whether we believe in what's called 'duality' or not, of one thing we can be sure, evil can not exist in the presence of truth, light, or love. Each of us doing our part in putting them collaboratively into the universe, will serve to insure that the world had been made a better place as a result of our being here.


You can respond by clicking on comments, or by e-mailing your response to  grace.calvin187@gmail.com

Wake Up And See What's Real

There are two things that my father told me that I'll never forget. The first was: "Your boy, Abraham Lincoln didn't really free the slaves." The second: "White folks always say...Let that nigga sleep."   Now I was about 13 at the time, thought that he was testing my intellect, and certainly wasn't going to let him know that I had no idea what he was talking about. Today I am grateful to know that my father's objective was 1) to let me know that things are not always what they seem to be, and 2) those who want to maintain the status quo, will not awaken persons of lower hierarchical positioning to the

truth. 

Whether one believes in conspiracy theory or not, of one thing we can all be sure...the prevailing consciousness around the globe is: 'it's all about me'. Competition is the mainstay of that consciousness and we're competing in school,  in church, on our jobs, and even in our homes. Regardless of whether it's purposed or not by 'the powers that be', the prevailing consciousness is still causing us to focus on the I rather than the we.

The movie, 'The Hunger Games', depicted a futuristic televised event in which teenagers killed one another until only one remained. The media is a means of promoting thoughts on a grand scale, and this particular movie perpetrated the theory of 'survival of the fittest'. The universal truth is that we are all one and that our collective survival is dependent on collaborative efforts to support each other emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Now the movie was interspersed with scenes that reflected this sense of oneness, but it didn't seem that the producers' primary focus was on this truth. 

 Yeah, it's only a movie, but it's also a major box office draw attracting millions of viewers. My contention is that the movie is reflective of what appeals to us today...semblances of power, greed, 'all eyes on me', and 'I got to get mine'. Whether purposed or not, it supplants into the viewer's sub-conscious a thought that never leaves and might come to the surface at some point. That thought is that if this is what the future will be like, I'd better be prepared. Viewing the movie was another opportunity to see our societal state of mind, and subsequently, a catalyst for the writing of this blog.

While at the movie I noticed that most of the audience was under 30, and that many were intoxicated in some form or fashion. I noticed because I was intoxicated for a major part of my life, and it's second nature for me to see it in others. When I got high I was disillusioned, and the continued use of intoxicants kept me with a deaf ear to my true consciousness and what was really going on around me. Even when not intoxicated I was going through withdrawals and, figuratively speaking, 'this nigga was always sleep'. What about the viewers of this film, were they asleep as well?

Drugs like heroin and alcohol certainly have their negative effects, but the harmful side effects of even a seemingly harmless drug like marijuana might outweigh the benefits. After smoking weed one goes through withdrawal, and experiences some, if not all of the following symptoms: loss of appetite, headache, inability to sleep, nausea, aggression, irritability, anxiety, mood changes, and paranoia. They subside substantially after 2 or 3 days of not smoking, but remain, to some degree, for a much longer period of time.

Accompanying these symptoms is a detachment from what's really going on and a longing for superficial gratification. It becomes more of what can I do to make me feel good now, and less of how will what I do now affect what happens later on. If I get high on Saturday will I be completely capable of acing a test on Monday? Will getting high really make me more creative or merely raise my self esteem momentarily? Will intoxication make me more confident, or will it repress who I really am while expressing who I think I am or who I think someone else wants me to be? My hope is that our youth take advantage of the knowledge that's available to them, and make a conscious decision as to whether or not to use intoxicants.

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes made 'Wake Up Everybody' popular, and I'm imploring all of us to manifest those words in our everyday lives. Let's look at all we do and understand that we have the obligation and the opportunity to make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. What we do inevitably affects those around us, and our intent should be doing what benefits all. Let's quit celebrating what seems to be and wake up to the joy in knowing and expressing what really is.

Thanks Daddy for exposing me to that option.



Holla back by clicking on comment at the bottom of the page or e-mailing me at grace.calvin187@gmail.com.

Who You Really Are

Isn't it funny how we inadvertently focus on what we think others think of us, rather than on what we think of ourselves. Isn't it strange how we try to be who we think others want us to be rather than who we really are. Is it no wonder that by the time we reach 70 years of age, we have become so full of pent up desires from not having said what we really wanted to say for the past 67 years, that we say whatever we feel like saying, or don't say anything at all.

On the other hand, isn't it refreshing to witness someone who isn't concerned with what others think of them. Isn't it wonderful to be in the company of someone who doesn't compromise their honesty and integrity while letting another person know what's really on their mind. In paraphrasing the words of the incredible Bernie Mac, "I say what ya'll are scared to say,"

I must add that we should be tactful in expressing ourselves, because it's not what we say but how we say it that's important. However, we shouldn't withhold the expressing of our true feelings because we think it will jeopardize our relationship with another. In reality, it's best to express how we really feel, because it's probably imperative that the person we're talking to really hears what we have to say.

We're talking to somebody who has food stuck in their teeth or a booger in their nose and we say nothing. We listen to one friend's incessant gossip about another friend and nod our heads in agreement, or add some of our own questionable information to the conversation. Then when we look in the mirror and see an obvious remnant of sleep in our eye, we wonder why nobody said anything to us about it. We hear that one of our friends talked about us like a dog the other day, and wonder how could they, we never talked about them like that. It's universal law ya'll. Participating in what goes into the universe, sets us up to receive what comes back.

The question is how willing are we to expose our true selves in order to be free of unwarranted obligations to others. Communication is one of, if not the most important of all our assets. Talking candidly about what we see, and how we really feel about it, helps us to empower ourselves and others to do what needs to be done.

I invite everyone reading this blog to comment on whatever I might say or have already said. By so doing, you will allow me an opportunity to reflect on both my assets and shortcomings, and give yourselves the chance to practice being 'straight up' with others. I suggest that we begin to no longer be afraid of telling our children how we really feel about the way they're treating us, and/or that we don't hesitate to tell our parent(s) the truth about ourselves and how we honestly feel about their behavior toward us (teenagers be tactful). More importantly, let's not cry or complain when we become the recipients of not so comforting comments.

We must give and accept constructive criticism, and we must do it with love. There's enough lies, trickery, and deceit going on in this world. Enough inhumanity, unfairness, and discontent. It's so important that we share our feelings, like one of my sisters did when she texted me early this morning to say I love you. But it's also a must that we put each other in check, and not allow mudslinging, backbiting, and expressions of malcontent interrupt the joy and peace that we all seek and are entitled to.

We all have God Given Gifts that are given only to us. Let's use them for the benefit of others rather than lose them in doing what we think others want. Let's be who we really are, and make this world a better place in the process.



Comments can be posted directly on this blog, and will be responded to in next week's posting, or they can be e-mailed to: grace.calvin187@gmail.com.

Feed The Need and Ignore the Greed

On the way, by train, from Paris to the French town of Lyon Part Dieu, I marveled at the French countryside. No matter where one goes in the world, it is truly remarkable how God has created so many landscapes of such unheralded beauty and plentitude. How unfortunate that some of us are not intent on sharing what we see however, and are focused on claiming the components of it for ourselves. This infectious attitude has initiated a competitive furor around the globe, setting the stage for social and economic upheavals everywhere.  The subsequent development of racial and social hierarchies has inevitably ensued, and the strife to be on top has increased exponentially. There’s certainly adequate sustenance for all. Why is it that everywhere one goes the fruited plains abound, yet people feel that there’s not enough to go around, and the struggle is on to ‘get mine’. Be it France or the United States, grapevines or amber waves of grain, what could or should be may not always be what is.

A couple of days ago, while in Long Beach, California, I met a white woman from Deerfield, Illinois. She shared that her being Catholic caused ostracization from the predominant Jewish population in that particular suburb, and that she had moved to Long Beach to save her daughter from the same adversity. The only pertinent information found on the Jewish factor was that"... after World War II, Highland Park allowed the largest number of German Jews to immigrate there." Relatively, the 2000 census lists Highland Park as having a "...91.2% white population with a median income of $113,350 per household." ¹ Wow I thought, migration and displacement is capable of manifesting anywhere and affecting anybody regardless of race, religion, creed or class.

During my first trip to a wealthy neighborhood in Paris, I was taken aback by how Africans in that area treated this African American (me) with a degree of disdain, even though the same type of treatment had been experienced at home from both Africans and African Americans. A degree of comfort was felt on this present trip however, because on the other side of town there was a warm greeting administered by a couple of Africans. In an attempt to cherish the moment, I did not allow their intent to sell me drugs diminish the heartfelt sense of connection and oneness.

While seeking information on race relations in France, I found the following excerpt concerning the migration of Northern Africans to that country in search of employment: “Sincere and effective steps to ease tensions and alleviate grievances need to be taken now or else France will be well on its way to replicating our own country’s [America] darkest piece of history—economic and social subjugation of an entire people based on racist and xenophobic inclinations.” ² This article shed light on the historical implications of the racial dynamics in Paris. It also brought to mind how the thought of another getting a piece of the pie causes fear and dissent from Paris to Highland Park.

What we’s gon do ya’ll. Catholics, Jews, Africans, Arabs, Asians, Hispanics...all brimming in different areas of the world…at one point victims of and now participating in a worldwide fear of those outside their inner circles. Although racism and social status are obvious components of it, they are not what this situation is really about. It’s about a consciousness that stems from a sense of lack, a fear of not enough to go around. A consciousness that maintains the status quo. A consciousness that feeds the greed and ignores the need. Something or somebody’s got to give. 

My suggestion is that we be that somebody by developing and maintaining a consciousness of abundance. A passage in the Bible implores us to ”...seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” ³ The Kingdom of God is Love, and love is the act of being one with another. If we strive to be assertive in the endeavor to love one another, then we’ll be able to witness Jimi Hendrix’s affirmation that “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”  We definitely have enough or we wouldn’t be here. By sharing what we have with others we will be demonstrating an assuredness that everything we need is available to us right here and right now, and that we need not worry about what tomorrow may bring, because our sharing has opened the door for more. This assuredness that there’s more than enough for all can be contagious and we should do everything in our power to spread it around.

Feel me? Don't feel me? Holla Back anyway to: grace.calvin187@gmail.com 

and your responses will  be posted on the next blog. 

¹ "Highland Park, Illinois," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Park._Illinois -
²  "Race and Maghreben Immigrants: What France Can Learn From the US, Sarah Alaoui, Project
   Journal of International Affairs at UCSD, April 13, 2010, p.1
³  The Holy Bible, King James Version, Matthew 6:33

Reader's Response To March 12 Post: Sharing The Power Of Desire

        Gal 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Gal 5:8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

Wow!  What happened?  You were running so well.  You had your focus on Christ and your aim toward elevating the glory of God for the sake of our young men and building them up in faith so our communities would have a strong backbone of young men.  Wow!  What happened?  You seemed to have moved back into the “all roads lead to heaven” movement.  It also seems that this “power within us” is nothing more that pride, self-adoration, and the danger of Nebuchadnezzar which is self idolization (see Daniel 4).  Boy do I wish that I was wrong.  I have read the blog over and over, hoping for a sign that I was mistaken but the only time God was invoked was to rub His lamp and make a wish to fulfill the lusts of man and not praise, thanksgiving, or surrender.  How about the power of desiring the will of God? 

You have always said that I was harsh.  I truly am not trying to be but I would much rather be lovingly harsh with your eternal wellbeing in mind than to sit by and allow you to lose the precious ground that you had gained.  We are not able to “help ourselves or save ourselves” apart from submission to God through His Son, Jesus.  There is not power within us to draw from.  If we are so powerful, why should we ever have to pray?  Why don’t we just use our own power to grant our own desires?  Nevermind.  If I remember correctly, we have been through all of this before.   

     

I hope and pray that you are able to read these words from a friend who glorifies in the saving grace of God towards you.  Apart from glorifying God through His Son, Jesus, I have nothing to say. 

I hope you can write me back and tell me that I got everything all wrong.  If not, know that I love you and your family and I will continue to pray for you and your vision as long as God is the sole director of it.

     

Jud 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

       Jud 1:25  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion

       and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 From timetohollaback

 Greetings,

I truly appreciate your response and hope that all who misinterpreted my message will read our interaction. I’m still totally aware of the fact that nothing…nothing…nothing is accomplished without the Grace of God.  My intent is to remind the reader, especially our youth, that all of us have been given the power and obligation to share the attributes of love such as peace, joy, and understanding with one another.  My prayer is that we make it a conscious desire.

From the perspective of being an Interfaith minister, I see this blog as an opportunity to bring attention to the Oneness of the universe and to inspire people to see themselves in each other, regardless of the road on which they travel. This focus on Oneness--all of us being connected to the Source of Life and to one another--is where I stand.  We may not all focus on invoking the Name of God in our conversations.  However, it is certainly imperative that we demonstrate, as Jesus did, unconditional love through our actions.

Neither of us is right or wrong, and there’s true beauty in sharing diverse perspectives. I invite everyone to read and respond as we travel this road of happy destiny, so that we can expand our consciousness through communication. We are all made perfect for the Creator’s Purpose. It’s up to us to use what we have been given for the benefit of others. 

Blessings


Feel me? Don't feel me? Holla Back anyway to: grace.calvin187@gmail.com and your responses will  be posted on the next blog.