Teaching Our Children To Interact With White People

[Revolutionary_Student]

Growing up, I was always told to address my "elders" as Ma'am/Ms. and Sir/Mr. I apply this even to today, but only when I'm addressing an Afrikan elder. For example, there was a sistah I used to work with a few years back. She and I were the only Afrikans in the company. She was about 15 years older than me so I always addressed her as "Ms. Jackie". One day she told me that I didn't have to call her Ms. because it made her feel old. That's when I broke it down to her that I always address older Black females and males as Mr./Sir or Ms./Ma'am. She understood my reasoning perfectly. The white people there never questioned why I never addressed them as Ms./Ma'am or Mr./Sir.

This has been on my mind lately because as I am expecting the arrival of my first child. I am constantly contemplating the morals and values that I will raise her with and the guidlines I will give her to live by. I will teach her to ONLY address Afrikans as Mr./Sir and Ms./Ma'am; Do not give yt the satisfaction of being addressed in such a respectful manner. This is what I will teach her but I don't want her to live with any hate in her heart; just to be aware of her surroundings and dealings with white people in general. This is just one way that will allow her- in my opinion- to subliminally see white people as "not so superior" as the legacy of slavery, oppression and our overall history with them has left in our minds.

[BlackQueen]

I was told the same thing growing up,but I don't address whites that way. Before them,our elders have walked this earth in Ancient Africa,of course they deserve nothing but the best from their children. Raise your daughter to have morals and values,but also let her know not to take any bullshit that the devil has to offer. Teach her about strength and Black Pride.

Originally Posted by Revolutionary_Student

Growing up, I was always told to address my "elders" as Ma'am/Ms. and Sir/Mr. I apply this even to today, but only when I'm addressing an Afrikan elder. For example, there was a sistah I used to work with a few years back. She and I were the only Afrikans in the company. She was about 15 years older than me so I always addressed her as "Ms. Jackie". One day she told me that I didn't have to call her Ms. because it made her feel old. That's when I broke it down to her that I always address older Black females and males as Mr./Sir or Ms./Ma'am. She understood my reasoning perfectly. The white people there never questioned why I never addressed them as Ms./Ma'am or Mr./Sir.

This has been on my mind lately because as I am expecting the arrival of my first child. I am constantly contemplating the morals and values that I will raise her with and the guidlines I will give her to live by. I will teach her to ONLY address Afrikans as Mr./Sir and Ms./Ma'am; Do not give yt the satisfaction of being addressed in such a respectful manner. This is what I will teach her but I don't want her to live with any hate in her heart; just to be aware of her surroundings and dealings with white people in general. This is just one way that will allow her- in my opinion- to subliminally see white people as "not so superior" as the legacy of slavery, oppression and our overall history with them has left in our minds.

[Revolutionary_Student]

Originally Posted by BlackQueen7980

I was told the same thing growing up,but I don't address whites that way. Before them,our elders have walked this earth in Ancient Africa,of course they deserve nothing but the best from their children. Raise your daughter to have morals and values,but also let her know not to take any bullshit that the devil has to offer. Teach her about strength and Black Pride.

Of course sistah! My little princess will get nothing but the best education of self within the confines of our humble abode. I also plan to enroll her into the Lotus Academy (an Afrikan centered school) in Philadelphia.

[MsLioness]

My dad taught us to always say,"Yes sir/no sir" and "Yes ma'am/no ma'am." If, at anytime, he heard us not doing that...we'd get a talk about respect and a child's place. This applied to all adults. Also, we were not allowed to look in their mouths when they weren't speaking to us, directly... and when they are speaking to us, to make direct eye contact.

The effect this had on adults was amazing, once I got older and knew why my dad taught us this way... I noticed when I'd say it, adults would be just flattered and appreciative. And, this was to all adults, still.
Its not disrespectful or respectful to say,"Yes ma'am/no ma'am" and "Yes sir/no sir." Its just, when children do, adults appreciate it because they dont expect it. Even if a child did not say it, adults are not offended.

I dont have any children, but if I were to teach my child to always say,"Yes sir/no sir" and "Yes ma'am/no ma'am", I would not make them think that it is a respectful thing to say and if they did not say it, they would be disrespecting an adult.

Also, thinking at that time when I was a kid, my conversation was normally with children my age...not adults, which is normal. I dont have any children, but I am sure their convo will be with other children. And thats to say that,

I would not tell my child to not talk to or hold convo with any child that is not just like him/her. And just like how whitey educates us about their people and it causes our people to feel inferior and insecure... I would educate my children about Our People and it should cause them to feel secure in many ways..(being afrikan at all brings on a large amount of pride).

Then, when my children bump into whitey at wherever they may be and no matter age or whatever else... my kids will KNOW how to handle them and go on about their business. Because they would be well educated about our people and would not really have any care to entertain whitey at all.

[GoodRain]

Eye contact while communicating is not naturally African. It may be more natural for most Caucasians though. Thats another difference among people.

When job interviewing they are asking you to be out of yourself or trying to see how much will you have to do that.

[manifestdestiny]

Originally Posted by BlackQueen7980

I was told the same thing growing up,but I don't address whites that way. Before them,our elders have walked this earth in Ancient Africa,of course they deserve nothing but the best from their children. Raise your daughter to have morals and values,but also let her know not to take any bullshit that the devil has to offer. Teach her about strength and Black Pride.

I agree, internal knowledge of self, personally and ethnically refines the resolve. If you combine this with forsight fuel by historical context, you can handle any threat

[Baba Ahmed]

Originally Posted by Revolutionary_Student

Of course sistah! My little princess will get nothing but the best education of self within the confines of our humble abode. I also plan to enroll her into the Lotus Academy (an Afrikan centered school) in Philadelphia.

Who calls this an Afrikan Centered School? I read nothing in its "About Us" announcement that clearly identifies it as Afrikan Centered. Cleary its name, "Lotus Academy" doesn't show it.

But let me ask you first, for its your child u speak of: what's your view of Afrikan Centered.

My wife & I've struggled with this problem for many years, here in Atlanta. Have y'all asked anyone else's opinion re what represents an Afrikan Centered School (shule)?


Thanks
Kwame

[Legendsway]

Build a castle of knowledge within your seed and she shall always have a place of refuge.

[Bearheart Sharpwell]

Originally Posted by GoodRain

Eye contact while communicating is not naturally African. It may be more natural for most Caucasians though. Thats another difference among people.

When job interviewing they are asking you to be out of yourself or trying to see how much will you have to do that.

What is the African natural way of communication ?

[BlackQueen]

"Teach your children they are direct descendants of the greatest and proudest race who ever peopled the earth."-Marcus Garvey

[manifestdestiny]

Although, caucasian Culture surrounds us here in Amerikkka like a matrix. We need to develop filtering mechanism to protect our children from the influence
For example, Liberated TV, children books, more culturally base education, video games, musiq etc. I know this is alot, but nessesary. Because unlike caucasians, we don't need to interact with them

[Revolutionary_Student]

Originally Posted by Baba Ahmed

Who calls this an Afrikan Centered School? I read nothing in its "About Us" announcement that clearly identifies it as Afrikan Centered. Cleary its name, "Lotus Academy" doesn't show it.

But let me ask you first, for its your child u speak of: what's your view of Afrikan Centered.

My wife & I've struggled with this problem for many years, here in Atlanta. Have y'all asked anyone else's opinion re what represents an Afrikan Centered School (shule)?


Thanks
Kwame

I have seen the school. I have spoken to the director of the school. They teach Kiswahili amongst other things conducive to Afrikan education.

[Baba Ahmed]

Originally Posted by Revolutionary_Student

I have seen the school. I have spoken to the director of the school. They teach Kiswahili amongst other things conducive to Afrikan education.

Please do not take my questions as challenges. I lay no claim as one who always uses "politically correct" language. For OUR children to receive Afrikan Centered education and are enrolled in a shule, we as parents, grandparents and other relatives need to be clear about what is an Afrikan Centered education. This is not to say that there is ONE curriculum above all others who claim AfriCentrism.

If u don't object, I'd like to copy info from the school's operators partial description of what children are being promised and have it examined by two family friends who operate an AfriCentric shule here in Atlanta. One that our granddaughter attends (there're two we directly deal with: Akoben & AYA Institute; and then there is our yung brutha Akyeame Kwame who just continuned Twi and Yoruba classes in Chicago and will offer the same online very soon.). Another reason, I offer suggestions, is bcause the same granddaughter was enrolled in another shule that on one level dubbed itself as AfriCentric. It was a while b4 I noticed a persistent highlight, "academic excellence." No problema. Won't string this out, but we removed our child, tho I do admit that after a few additions to its falcuty things have changed. Tho the promotional literature didn't change essentially, new teachers changed the program a bit. But unless the top operators' mindset also changes, well... And imo this holds true at any AfriCentric Shule.

To plan and operate an AfriCentric Shule is no simple matter. The teaching of one Afrikan language is cool, but there is definitely differences in worldview, teaching "philosophy," the meaning of education/educators and of course methods in teaching. And the "mission," is it clearly AfriCentric? Im not a teacher; simply a parent and worker. So my p.o.v. is unprofessional and bias. Im looking for what I understand as AfriCentric and still learning. In brief, the teaching of an Afrikan language, the wearing of traditional Afrikan attire plus other trappings aren't sufficient for me as a grandparent to place another of our children in just any school who claims AfriCenterness. One major problem is how far do folk go who intend to run an AfriCentric program? Where is there a distinct difference show btween what some of our learned define as AfriCentric and what the Public School system demands for a child to graduate via its programs?

The Priesthood Nana John Henrik Clarke charged us to develop demands the best qualified, armed with AfriCentricism from the cradle to the hereafter.

Again Ima drop some weight on AK ask him about this area. He's also qualified as a teacher and is a very excellent one, even at his young age. He's very busy; but does answer messages.

Allow me to reveal a bit of personal info. All of our married lives together my wife and I've struggled to not only keep our children out of public schools, but also to have them learn from people who were about what we've been about. Its been very hard, no doubt. What happen to us was that at some point we had to choose to enroll most of them into public schools. The folk we knew who were teaching could not teach beyond certain levels. That problem still exists, somewhat in the Pan Afrikan movements Im familiar with. We've not built institutions for our youth to be Afrikan from the cradle into yung adulthood. There are bits and pieces available at separate locations. PLUS a general lack of a deep sense and willingness to SACRIFICE for our children is lacking. Externally, AfriCentric shules have to operate as "Private Schools." Without gov't meddlings.

I do not write all of this to damper your seemingly ardent desire to rear your child to be Afrikan; but to encourage u to examine closely what u've chosen to do. And to be aware there're be difficult days ahead. For as is illustrated at this site, many of us are as scattered brains that Femi Kuti sings about.

To me, the parents must be clear in knowing/living AfriCentric cultures to the best of their abilities. Its not a new problem we today face. Long ago, Black people were calling for Neighborhood control of their schools. That was an implied Black Nationalist call. It hasn't happened and now many of us can understand why it didn't happen. But inanother sense we still struggle to educate our own. We still need to provide the settings, resources both spiritual/educational/materials. To me its never been the "paper" and letters of degrees that mattered; no. Its will my grandchildren be prepared to fight for, to take, protect and maintain POWER. Across life's board of living.

Let me know if u agree to have your school's descriptive literature examined.

Thanks
Kwame Baba Ahmed

[Ghandi's brother]

First off, apparently you'll hate me for not being black. Sorry for that if you do. I was raised in a cult. Very isolated and separate from the "real world". Those of us who were unlucky enough to be captives from birth in this wicked invironment, were all treated equally bad. I didn't grow up understanding racial prejudice. I really didn't even know it existed.

Nobody liked any of us regardless of color. We were all we had. All of us races. We were all of us, outcasts. I don't claim to know at all what your people have endured but I have made up for lost time since I gained my freedom from the cult. I have studied and studied.

Clear back to Babylon, there was hate and slavery. The Babylonians had slaves. The Jews had slaves. Up to this last century, middle easterners and whites took black slaves for their own. Blacks have slaves in Africa to this day. The Hutus and Tutsi conflict shows that all people have the capacity to be evil. Blacks sold their own people into slavery for money.

White scum, took it upon themselves to place themselves in a position of superiority over everyone else. From the Germans to the Saxons, no one was immune from the hatred. But hispanics did exactly that too. The Spanish Inquisitions were one of the worlds' bloodiest events, next to Hitler.

I just had a child too and I struggle with what to teach her. Every race and every religion and every nation and every special interest group, has their rationale for blaming others and hating others.

Don't any of you ever wish you could just have love for people? And not just you, I mean all people. What is wrong with us all? There's no one race that's sacred or one race that's evil. It's just that white's actually took over the world before any of the other races did. White's just got there first. I'm sure that if any race, including blacks had been the first race to dominate the other's, you or they or any of them would have done evil too. I don't believe any of us deserve to be here.

Or maybe that's the reason we're here to begin with. What is this fucking place we call home? Where are we? Who made us? Who made us like this? Who made us so full of hate? So full of rage and so full of evil?

I don't believe in God anymore. There's no way there's some loving kind gentle creator out there that loves us. Any of us.

The worst part is the children that have to live with our legacy of hate. I imagine all people will try to kill each other off, until one day we all go up in a powder keg of nuclear fusion, which I hope we all do. I got free of one cult, that taught me hate, just to escape into the international, worldwide cult of hate.

Couldn't we just teach our children a different path and let them have a chance to not be like us? Do all of you just want anyone with different skin to die? No one has compassion, mercy , forgiveness among you? What if this is our test? What if we get what we give? I don't know the answer to the ultimate questions about our origins and who put us here or why we are here, anymore than you or any other easily brainwashed human virus does.

But I certainly think we should all slow down, take a breath, and talk. I sincerely want to listen. I don't need to be right. I just want to understand, because I don't hate you. I won't hate you. I can't hate you.