"Ancestors are hardly given a spit of a thought by most people, but without them you wouldn't be here."
Alonzo Hardy
Hope this doesn't sound "militant" to some of you, but if people don't appreciate their heritage, they are like straw in the wind, taking whatever direction the wind blows and having no purpose. All children, especially those whose families have struggled to better themselves for their future generations, are the materials in a foundation that will either sustain for future strength in the character of a nation, or crumble at the slightest test or challenge of that character.
When it comes to teaching and documenting family history to our children and grandchildren, we all need to be a little more militant. If not, those we claim to love will end up learning at the hands of a law that is at high risk of becoming more martial every day we awake to see. It is a law that will bring their God-designed greatness to its knees.
Read the note below: (emails have been blocked out)
Cynthya Lewis-Reed wrote:
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 23:40:26 -0700 (PDT) From: Cynthya Lewis-Reed Subject: Fwd: Youth ignorant of ancestors-Important!! To: Nana Yaa Asantewaa, Louisville Arts Council
Sis Yaa, hope you are strong in body and spirit. This is a note sent to me by one of my cousins. Perhaps it (the topic of ancestors and art) can be implimented into the next National Arts Summit by Louisville Arts Council.
blessin's to you My Sistah, we're way overdue for a phone conversation. (smile).
cynth'ya
Yahoo! Mail for Mobile Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone.Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 23:35:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Cynthya Lewis-Reed Subject: Youth ignorant of ancestors-Important!! To: Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville
Sis Fronda and Bro. Michael:
The following is a testimony from our family researcher Melvin Collier.Cousin Melvin is in Atlanta working on his doctoral degree. His knowledge well is quite deep, and he helped bring so many people together, as far as family missing linkages. I don't have time to tell you about the amazing stories that, even as late as a month ago, have happened by the grace of God and the determination of people in our race trying to make sense of our fragmented families broken by predestination of slavery and the post-modern cancer of self-imposed greed.
Anyway, instead of attaching the file, this deserves to be shared with EVERY one in the public school systems where any black child is a student. Read Melvin's note, and see why this is critical.
Maybe Ali Center can start the ball rolling here in the midwest. I'd be honored to assist in any way that I can.
A cousin in the Beckley Family recently told me about her son's accomplishments. He's currently attending graduate school at M.I.T. working on his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. He was one of 15 in the nation to receive a fellowship from the Department of Energy.
Anyway...during his freshman year in high school, her son participated in a project at Florida State University in Tallahassee. The professors were so impressed with his presentation, that one of them asked her, "Holy Cow, what are you feeding him? He's doing better than my grad students!" Her reply was, "His History". Cuz is deeply rooted in learning her heritage, and she's being instilling their history in her children every since they were youngsters. Her daughter is a Doctor at Emory here in the ATL. The moral of the story is.... Well, you know.
Today, the Dean in my department was down and out, and she took some time to explain to us why she was feeling so down today. This morning, one of her colleagues asked her to fill in for her because of an emergency. Her colleague was an instructor of the Upward Bound Program with mostly black kids ranging from age 13 to 15. Since she's a professor of African American Studies, she decided that she would talk to the class about some African-American history. To her dismay, few of them had heard about Frederick Douglass; were not aware of the Middle Passage; thought that Brown vs. the Board of Education was a case about a girl wanting to ride the bus; and had no clue about the struggles our ancestors endured in slavery. She was truly kinda depressed about the fate of our youngsters, and how they seemed to not care about their history, had no sense of history, which inevitably will effect their path for the future. Most seemed to be consumed with the modern world of gangster rap and the lifestyles they're glamorizing. In fact, she told us that one of the students told her that when he grows up, he wanted to start an Escort Service. No joke!
Well, I gotta catch up on some sleep. Really...I just wanted to share this "poem" that somebody sent me the other day. See below. Take Care Folks!
Mel
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ANCESTORS by Alonzo L. Hardy
Before the sands of time sink beneath your feet, you should know about your ancestors. Ancestors are dead relatives from long, long ago. You have been acknowledged by them, simply by being alive today. Ancestors are hardly given a spit of a thought by most people, but without them you wouldn't be here.
The very beat of your heart is powered by their ancient blood, like pulsating voices from the past. Your soul is like a caged bird that trusts in your sincerity to deliver his songs. Ancestors know the truth without explanations, they know the future without visions, they know the laws without politics, they know justice without convictions, they know freedom without tyranny and they know religions without dynamics. And they know about you. The apparitions of ancestors take many forms for many reasons and they move about unencumbered and unseen, most of the time. Their presence can be felt and their messages heard if you are willing. Remember to call them by name which is of the earth but also written in heaven.
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