WE HAVE MOVED! http://oneimagination.weebly.com/

One Imagination empowers the current and next generation of leaders through written and oral expression. As a collective based in the Long Beach/South Bay area, we believe that through conscious artistic programming, community education and outreach, and leadership development, we can cultivate a world free of hatred, ignorance, injustice, inequality, and oppression.





Thursday, November 22, 2007

Day of Resistance

A celebration of one of the greatest genocides in history, or Thanksgiving as the traditional American refers to it as. For those who see the festivity of this so called holy day as a mockery towards the actions committed to the indigenous people of this land, others criticize the resistors calling them heretics and unappreciated of the positive aspects that today has to offer.
As much as I am appreciative of families coming together to give thanks for everything they have I cannot deny the atrocities that inspired this holiday to exist as a facade to mask the truth behind the 500 year holocaust that still takes place today - maybe not as harsh as it was before, but the process of border patrol is parallel to the ethnic cleansing being committed by supremacists claiming to own this territory they believe they alone pay taxes for. It is not money that is the root cause to all evil, but it is greed and corruption. Greed for land, greed for power, and greed for money.
Like Christopher Columbus, these minutemen harm innocent people attempting to cross the invisible border, perhaps innately as a calling to reclaim the land which was forcefully taken from them. Is it so difficult to embrace their arrival like the Arawaks did when Columbus arrived to what was soon to be called the states? Or are we so afraid of disturbing the economy run by capitalism, corrupted politicians, and paper money?
Some may say that I am too sensitive about worldly issues but I would argue that many of us have become insensitive since we have come to accept what has happened in the past and neglect how it affects us now. Because of this, history repeats itself in different forms. Often times it is inevitable, but if we recognize the patterns maybe we would be more conscious of the similarities to the root cause of these impositions. Then what?
It is not my desire to change the minds of the masses, but for you as the reader to ask yourself if you have truly mourned for the millions of lives that have been lost due to greed and domination. This greed led to the first illegal immigrants of America, the Europeans settlers, to exploit and exterminate the Native Americans with ruthless actions unimaginable- from stripping their skin from their bodies and cutting off females’ breasts to enslavement and deadly disease. But who is it they call illegal now? We are celebrating this day based off of false history but we use family values to wholly justify ourselves. This is not just a day to mourn the loss of the population which used to make up 100% of this whole nation and now makes up less than 1% of CSU Long Beach, but to mourn the physical and cultural genocides from all over the world - anywhere from Rwanda to Cambodia. The drive for these genocides has stemmed from the same force as it will always be for future ones. Is there a real solution to what can be done to change the way we celebrate this holiday?
I cannot ask you to do anything that you truly do not want to do. The way you commemorate today is based off of your own decisions, and it is your choice to acknowledge the truth or to brush it aside. However, the change needs to be greater in thought rather than action, so it is not necessary to feel guilty about eating or celebrating unless something within you much deeper drives you to do so.
As for my own outlet, I have chosen to fast in solidarity with the remaining folks who mourn the loss of their people all the way on Plymouth Rock. Rejecting the food offered to me is not to be rude, but it is a personal decision I have chosen to follow for personal and spiritual purposes. Am I changing the world because of this? If changing my inner being to better myself mentally and spiritually is a step to changing the world, then yes. But other than that, the choices that we make are the benefits of free-will so it is up to you to find what is right for yourself. Will we regain the empathy that has been lost in our textbooks? It is solely up to us to develop a critical consciousness of the world around us, for we percieve our own realities through personalized lens.
So with that being said, give thanks to your life and loved ones. And if you have room in your day, honor those who have been lost through thoughts and prayers. May your tears water their soiled graves to nurture the seeds that will provide for us shade in the heat of corruption.

And despite manifest destiny, I am thankful to be able to speak in the same tongue with my friends who are of a different ethnic background than me.

In solidarity, I love you all

Jumakae

0 comments: