The Kicking and Screaming Death of Eurocentrism and White Supremacy- Celebrating The Life Work of Ma
Today one of my colleagues delivered a sound and challenging presentation forcing the listeners to reconsider the impact of slavery on the Western World. His focus on the sugar plantations throughout the Americas' was compelling. Clearly, he has experienced a conversion experience initially being trained in the European based system of music education. This intellectual transformation led to layered public remarks as his audience realized the usefulness of that all things white are being reconsidered by the world. Dairy, sugar, and leaders exploiting the legacy of Whiteness are being challenged on every level. This symposium was just another example of folks standing up and accurately interpreting the historical world record. The audience, short of gasping mumbled, emotionally and intellectually confronted the documentation inconvertibly demonstrating their lives and the realization that Africanness circumscribes their cultural expression. African genius, endurance, and sacred metamorphosis are at the cornerstone of Cuban, Brazilian,
Central, Caribbean, and South American musical forms. All of these forms of music are laced with and constructed by African culture, philosophy and the peoples from the birthplace of humankind.
The most death-blowing comment dropped from his mouth like an unintended spitball suggesting Latin (African) musical forms cannot be fully comprehended by a European musical notation system. All attempts to do so are counterfeit and the manifestation of the foundational roots of cultural theft. This European "blueprint" constructed by the Catholic Church, Britain, Portugal Spain, and several other other minor European countries continues to devalue the rich legacy of African Descent peoples throughout and around the world. Similar to a powerful "juicer", international policies and acts of genocidal violence have incarcerated, imprisoned and abused peoples of African descent. We have been pummeled, strained of our very souls and our nectar in the form of natural and human resources devoured by those men and women colonizers. Europeans have underdeveloped Africa and sucked us dry. As most of us crawl out from under the rubble of Eurocentrism and institutional racism realizing that with just a minimal of research we unravel the truth that has been housed in the college and university libraries. The wicked process and implementation of misinformation, disrespect for indigenous peoples and the oral tradition remains pervasive. Out of fear and a sense of wanting to belong, many of us defend these acts of hegemony and post-colonial international policy as a legitimate means of human control over grassroots peoples. Some are content and proud to reside at the underbelly and scrotum of oppressive and repressive systems managed by the 1%. A select few demonstrate courage that honors those bodies at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean as we continually challenge educational institutions and pontificators of the biggest lie/scam ever created in Higher Education and the modern world.
As I travel the world, it is clearly a transitional and pivotal revolution taking place. Power is shifting. New alliances are being formed and young people are beginning to realize they must embrace their humanity and work diligently to highlight the intentional and deliberate attempt to camouflage this unity using fear, xenophobia, harsh rhetoric, and name calling. Musical expression cuts through political boundaries, cultural taboos, and desperate men and women promoting hate and fear as they lose their grip on power and control. This is the last curtain call for these tyrants. It is a desperate and frightening time, but what is being plastered throughout the American electronic and print media is meaningless soap opera material for the most part being ignored in the Far, the Middle East, and Africa.
This is the time for the least of us to speak out and challenge anyone or any institution that promotes hate and divisiveness in the world. A team of colleagues and I are committed to offering this generation an alternative to the study of these musical forms and celebrate the architects of this cultural expression. We want to do our part to immortalize these great men and women who have given such a sacred gift to the world. We distance ourselves from the conventional terminology used to further dichotomize African descent musical forms. Jazz, soul, rhythm, rock, blues, hip hop, Gospel, and Africana based contemporary musical forms have their principal roots in the African diaspora. We choose to refer to these forms as a manifestation of HIGHLY EMOTIONAL MUSICAL and cultural expression. These forms all over the world incorporate history, culture, and rhythm in particular as the cornerstone of musical expression. We hope during this period in the world of peril that you will join this movement and offer us your support and advice as we introduce our work around the world. Check us out at www.hemeducation.com.
These countries and people labeled as "murderers" and "the lazy" with "nothing to lose" remain the conscious and soul of the world. As desperate men and women continue in their attempt to thwart this eventual unity that will soar through Africa, the Middle East and America's angry men their wives and children will return the caves they once occupied as new sources of wealth virtual intelligence and cultural expression rise and flourish in the East.
