Who is to Blame?

10/24/2018 Reflecting on Walker - 18.FA.HIS.1105.5B0 AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY

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A Generational Curse

Walker clearly articulated that unless the circumstances (slavery, racism, disenfranchisement) of the 19th century were changed, the consequences to the black community, and therefore the nation as a whole, would be not only devastating but generational. . . . then if they had left them [African slaves] entirely to the Lord, and add to their miseries deep down into which they have plunged them, tell them, that they are inferior and distinct race of beings, which they will be glad enough to recall and swallow by and by.

To put Walker's statement into a modern context, think of it this way. If someone is told their entire life they are inferior, stupid, ugly, and worthless, what happens? Gradually the person's psyche, their very soul begins to internalize the negativity. Over time, the child begins to see him or herself as less than and inferior to. Now, think of that person growing up with this complex. What is the likelihood they will raise a child who has a high self-esteem? Not necessarily impossible, but unlikely. And, each generation embodies the sense of worthlessness that is rooted in preceding generations. That is what David Walker was saying - that at some point African descendants will internalize all the negative "stuff" they were told. Not only will they internalize it, but they will keep hitting the replay button so the negativity is replayed over-and-over-and- over again, and then pass that baggage onto the next generation, which will pack a few more items into the luggage and pass it on to the next generation. In a continuing downward cycle that would ultimately destroy the soul of the black community. His fear is that generations will suffer as a result of the crap used to keep them in a mental state of bondage.

Deliberate Mis-Education?

In this section of his manifesto, Walker asserts that the history of Africans is a history of intelligence and creativity. That knowledge from Africa was shared with the Greeks who used it and modi�ed it. Ignorance was not the natural state of African descendants as the Americans try to make us believe, but these are the misfortunes which God has suffered our fathers to be enveloped in for many ages, no doubt the consequence of their disobedience to their maker. . . for I must say, that ignorance, the mother of treachery and deceit, gnaws into our very vitals. In other words, ignorance was the root of the betrayal of Gabriel Prosser or Denmark Vessey's revolts, or the situation he recounts from Portsmouth, Ohio. Ignorance that gnaws on and destroys the very soul of individuals and the black community.

Walker questioned the educational system for Blacks in America. Arguing that what Blacks learned in their schools was de�cient to what others learned, Walker demands an explanation from the educators charged with the responsibility for teaching in the black community. Unable to speak properly or to write grammatically correctly, Walker sensed that these were fools who had just enough education to make them pompous yet not enough education to be any real threat to a world that wanted to keep them subservient.

Carter G. Woodson later refers to this as the Mis-Education of the Negro. Woodson in his 1933 work entitled The Mis-Education of the Negro stated: When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will �nd his proper

10/24/2018 Reflecting on Walker - 18.FA.HIS.1105.5B0 AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY

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place and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special bene�t. His education makes it necessary.

Though stated differently, and 104 years apart, the arguments of these two men were nearly identical. The educational system for Blacks taught, programmed, the community to think in a particular way that is nonthreatening to the existing power structure. Both men called for a recognition of the limitations of structured education. Woodson put it this way: History shows that it does not matter who is in power... those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they did in the beginning.

Backstabbing, Over and Over Again

Directly related to ignorance, Walker saw the disunity within the black community as a major source of concern. Unfortunately, he looked back into history and saw that a major obstacle to African success was disunity or betrayal. I give it as my candid opinion, that had Carthage been well united and had give him [Hannibal] good support, he would have carried that cruel and barbarous city by storm [referring to Rome].. But they were disunited, as a coloured people are now, in the United States of America, the reason our natural enemies are enabled to keep their feet on our throats.

The disunity and jealousy within the black community was for Walker the reason the black community could not organize behind a leader with the power to position the community for change. The person whom God shall give you, give him your support and let him go his length, and behold in him the salvation of your God. God will indeed deliver you through him from your deplorable and wretched condition under the Christians of America. . . I charge you this day before my God to lay no obstacle in his way, but let him go. David Walker had witnessed the rejection of black leadership by the black community. He argued that unless black citizens stopped blocking black leadership the circumstances for the community would never change. ..for while they are working for our emancipation [black leadership], we are, by our treachery, wickedness, and deceit working against ourselves and our children - helping ours and the enemies of God, to keep us and our dear little children in their infernal chains of slavery.

In other words, Walker stated that the disunity, backbiting and disloyalty of the community was directly responsible for the continued hardship in�icted on it by Whites. He took the position that most, if not all, of the efforts to organize against slavery had failed because of other Blacks who failed to keep secret plans as they were being developed.

Sights Set too Low

The author does not hold Blacks blameless and actually sees many as complicit in their state. He was particularly critical of educated Blacks who turned a blind eye to the conditions of the community and demanded they join him against injustice and inequality in the nation. Complacency was a major issue for Walker. He recounts a black man who cleaned boots for a living. When approached about the deplorable conditions and circumstances of the black community, the man responded that he was happy as long as he had enough boots to clean. Walker was taken aback at such a response! He understood that for free Blacks opportunities were limited in America. HOWEVER, his disgust with the boot cleaner's response

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was not with what job he took to support his family, but his satisfaction with such mean and low objects. Walker understood how the world could look down with disdain on a people whose ambitions were so low and therefore give them just enough to keep them from dissatisfaction.

From a modern perspective, I suspect, Walker would question our national fascination with material wealth. He likely would have questioned the sense of contentment many of us get when we get stuff - a sense of ful�llment that replaces our desire to do better in life and to achieve more. There are many examples of modern fascination with Walker's mean and low

objects. To avoid offending, I'll leave those examples for you to ponder. What I ask you to think about is whether his point is valid today? Does the commercial world we live in leave us to buy into a mentality that as long as our basic needs (maybe wants) are met, we dare not dream of possibilities beyond what is staring us in the face? His statement seems to suggest that one can not expect to be treated with high respect or as an equal if one's satisfaction comes from such mean and low objects, from less than is deserved.