Book Excerpt Of The Week: Part 2- “Medical Apartheid” By: Harriet A. Washington

“All these precepts of scientific racism, although convenient for the slave owner and physician, were highly illogical articles of faith. So was the supposed inferior intelligence of blacks, because planters and doctors behaved in many contexts as though they held the abilities and judgment of blacks in high regard, enjoying slaves in responsible positions as nurses, cooks, herbalists, midwives, overseers, leaders of work gangs, accountants, and operators of farm and factory implements. Owners reaped profits from the many patents on slave inventions, and physicians used slaves as skilled apprentices, who often went on to practice independently. While households depended upon the specialized skills and discernment of slaves, not the other way around.” -From, “Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to The Present” By: Harriet A. Washington

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Book Excerpt Of The Week: Part 1- “Medical Apartheid” By: Harriet A. Washington

“Within a century, reproductive coercion had taken a 180-degree turn for black women. During slavery, black women had been forced to procreate, but now they were being forced into sterility. The consistent factor was white control.

Women were also forced into sterility by governmental welfare programs…While a social worker in upstate New York during the 1980s, I learned from old case files that during the 1960s and 1970s, social workers conducted frequent late-night raids on the homes of aid recipients. If a man was discovered, the family’s aid could be cut off unless the woman agreed to sterilization.” -From, “Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to The Present” By: Harriet A. Washington

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TODAY IS BUY BLACK FRIDAY

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:
The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.

The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.

As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.

The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.

The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”

BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:

Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].

To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.

ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.

I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.

-Elsie Law AKA Starface

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Dr. Joy DeGruy Lecture

This is a great lecture by Dr. Joy DeGruy. I only wish the video would show the visuals of her power point presentation. However it was a informative and interesting presentation nonetheless.

In this presentation, Dr. DeGruy discusses: cognitive dissonance, lynching, Hurricane Katrina, how having a Black president in America hasn’t transferred power to Black people, post-traumatic slave syndrome, and various other topics.

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Dr. Amos Wilson Discusses Black People & Our Relationship With Money

“Money is mis-spent to relieve pain.” -Amos Wilson

“The spending for getting over an inferiority complex involves spending the money with the person who gave it to you in the first place.” -Amos Wilson

“The essence of controlling people is to provoke a desire in them, and then, of course, have the control of the satisfaction of that desire…That’s the foundation of the capitalist system, and economic system.”

[SIDEBAR: The book that Dr. Wilson mentioned, “The Destruction O Black Civilization,” is a must read.]

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