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9NOVEMBER2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSRecentlytheNFLhasbecomethestagefortheexpressionofsociopoliticaldramaintheUS.Domesticviolencechildabuseandnowthecon-troversyofracialpolitics.Lastweeksomemem-bersoftheSeattleSeahawksfootballteamalleg-edlycommentedthattheirSuperbowlwinningAll-proquarterbackRussellWilsonwasnotBlackenough.Thecommentssparkedafire-stormofresponsesmostnotablythoseofformerNBAgreatCharlesBarkleywhoexpressedhisdisgustbyindicatingthatitsadirtylittlesecretintheBlackcommunitythatwequestioneachothersBlacknessifwereintelligentandwespeakwell.HewentontosaythattoomanyofusdefineBlacknessbybeingthuggishhavingcriminalrecordsandnotbeinginvestedineducation.Inotherwordswetakesomeoftheworstcharacter-isticsofsomepeopleintheBlackcommunityandthenmeasureeveryoneelsesBlacknessbythosecriteria.AsubtlesuggestionhereisthatRussellWilsonsoundsWhiteandtoooftenunfortunatelytheBlackcommunityhasatendencytocharacter-izeeducatedexpressionsasWhitebehavior.WeallknowaboutthestorieswhereBlackyouthareviciouslyridiculedforcarryingbooksdoingtheirhomeworkandpursuingacademicsuccess.ThisphenomenoniswellknownintheBlackcommu-nityandCharlesBarkleyechoedthedirtylittlesecretloudandclearinarecentradiointerviewwherehescoldedtheBlackcommunityforcom-mittingpassiveresistancewhenourkidsgetconditionedtobelievethateducationandpropergrammarisWhitefolksbusiness.Truewehaveperpetuatedviciousideaslikethisonewhichisultimatelyself-destructiveanditleadstothefalseideathatrealBlacknesscanonlybedefinedbythehood.TruthissomeoftheSeahawksplay-erswerehatingonWilsonbecausehewasgettingproductendorsementdealsthattheywerentget-tingandthereasonhastobebecausehereflectsWhitenessIfthatstruethenShaquilleONeilMagicJohnsonPDiddyandMikeTysonwouldneverhavegottenendorsementdeals.NowWhitepeoplearegettingdeeplyinvolvedinthedebateonlineclaimingthatitsBlackrac-ismtosaythatreflectingWhitenessisanega-tivegesture.FirstofallanyonewhosbeendownSouthforexamplecantellyouthatintelligencegoodgrammarandmoralvaluesarenotaWhiteidea.WhiteskinandWhiteculturedonotequalrighteousnessorbetterhumanity.Andthecon-verseisalsotruewhereBlacknessdoesnotequalbadness.Theissueofimageisaverycriticalsub-jectthatgetsbymostpeoplebecauseweallknowthatapictureimageisworthmorevaluablea1000words.Inotherwordswhatyouseeyouexperienceandwhatyouhearisjusthear-say.Imagesare1000timemorepowerfulthanwordsandwhoispromotingtheimagesthatthesesuperBlacksareconsumingIncontemporarymediathefaceofdomesticviolenceisaBlackmanRayRice.ThefaceofchildabuseisaBlackmanAdrianPetersonthefaceEbolaisaBlackmanThomasDuncanfromLiberiaandthenwehavethelocalGovernorsracewherecandidateBobBeauprezhaslitteredtheairwayswiththeimagesofaBlackmanNathanDunlapasthefaceofcriminalbehavior.WeallknowthatHipHopmusicisntcontrolledbytheArtistsitscontrolledbythefivemajorrecordlabelsSonyUniversalBMGEMIandTimeWarnerdominatewhodominate85ofwhatgetspublished.Healthyhiphopmusicdoesntdominatebecausetheconsumersdontdemanditandweallknowthat70ofRappmusicispurchasedandconsumedbyyoungWhites.Thepointisthatwehavetothinkcriticallyaboutwhythemostvulner-ableeasilyledastraymembersofourcommunitywouldthinkthatBlacknessisntequatedwithandimaginedaseducatedarticulateprofessionalpoisedandpreparedThetruthisBlackpeopledidntcalleachothertheNwordbeforewecametoAmericaTheNwordisanAmericaninventionbyTheManandtodaythesesameBlackyouthwhosayRussellWilsonisWhiteactingneedtolookinthemirrorbecausetheNwordisaWhitethingTodaythesesuperBlackyouthhavekilledmoreofeachotherinoneyearthentheracistWhitemaneverdidovera10yearperiodduringtheheightoftheKKK.WhosreallyactingWhiteIfaBlackcatcrossesyourpaththenitsbadluckifitsaBlackdaythenitsabaddayAngelsfoodcakeisWhiteDevilsfoodcakeisBlackWhosreallybuyingalltheseignorantideasandthenclaimingImarealBlackmanWhatsrealThatstheproblemwedontknowthedifferencebetweentruthrealityandfalsehoodunreality.Forexamplemanyofusclaimthatsmokingweedchasingsexanddrinkingalcoholisgoodordesir-ableandthenwesayreadingbooksbeingaveg-etariangoingtothegymandturningoffthet.v.isbadorundesirable.LikeMalcolmXsaidyouvebeenbamboozledhoodwinkedandledastray.Webeliethatwhatisrealisfalseandwhatisfalseisreal.TherealquestionhereiswhatdoesdefineBlacknessInadditionwhoorwhathastheauthoritytodefinewhatitmeanstobeBlackespe-ciallywhenconsideringallofthediversitythatexistswithintheracialcommunitytheContinentandtheDiaspora.FirstofallwewouldultimatelyhavetoadmitthattheconceptofbeingBlackisindefinablebecausethereisnouniversalobjectivetruthtoanideathatisaculturalconstruct.Thus224inanylanguageandthatmeansitsuni-versallytruebutBlackasaskincolorisnottruebecausethevariationsofBlacknessrangefromjetblacktowhiteskinblondehairandblueeyesalbinos.IfaBlackmanWhitewomanhook-uplikethesesuper-blackProfootballplayersliketodo-ImjustsayingwhatwouldbetheraceoftheoffspringbiologicallyMixedrightThenthenextquestioniswhoisntmixedYouseesciencedominantrecessivegenetheoryconfirmsthatyoucangetwhiterecessivegenesfromblackdominantgenesbutyoucantgetblackfromwhite.PlusscientistsconfirmedthattheoldestdiscoveredhumanremainsbonesbelongedtoaBlackwomanfromTanzaniathattheycarbondatedtobeingoverthreemillionyearsold.InotherwordseverybodycamefromaBlackwomansowhosnotmixedCultureisavalidrealityandatlastcountthereisestimatedtobeover12000differentpeoplegroups.HoweverRaceisaconceptthatdidntalwaysexist.ItisaEuropeancon-ceptthatcantbeconfirmedassci-entificallyvalid.Inthe17thCenturytwoGermansnamedJohannF.BlumenbachH.S.ChamberlininventedtheideaandplacedtheworldpopulationintofivemajorgroupsBlackAfricanWhiteCaucasianYellowMongolianRedIndianBrownMalayanandthenassignedtheirowngroupthetitleofmasterrace.HereyouhavethescientificevidencethatracialpoliticsdidntstartwithBarackObamaTheworstofracializedpoliticsthatledtotheholo-caustslaverytrailoftearsetc.IfwelookatBlacknessfromtheperspectiveoftheologywedoknowthatallhumanbeingshavethepotentialtoreflectthenatureofGod.IfwelookatBlacknessfromtheperspectiveofsociol-ogySlimShaddyVanillaIceandBillClintonareBlackerthanIam.IfwelookatBlacknessfromtheperspectiveofacademicachievementeverythingthatthegreatGreekscholarslikeDemocritusPlatoPythagorasSocratesetcet-eraintheareasofmathsciencereligionlawpoliticsbiologyandmedicinetheylearnedatthefeetoftheBlackmaninancientEgypt.EuropeanadvancementsintheforwardmarchofcivilizationisthestoryofaStolenLegacy.AndifyoudidntknowthatsthenameofabookbyGeorgeG.M.Jameswhereyoucanreaditforyourself.UnlessofcoursereadingandknowingyourhistoryisnotBlackenough.IdontknowwhatbeingBlackenoughisbutIdoknowwhatitsnotByRandallCravenLPCCACIIIDefiningBlacknessIfwelookatBlacknessfromtheperspectiveofacademicachievementeverythingthatthegreatGreekscholarslikeDemocritusPlatoPythagorasSocratesetceteraintheareasofmathsciencereligionlawpoliticsbiologyandmedicinetheylearnedatthefeetoftheBlackmaninancientEgypt.EuropeanadvancementsintheforwardmarchofcivilizationisthestoryofaStolenLegacy.SERMONRandallCraven