>Like I said in my earlier
>post: we need to put
>away our fears and control
>games, and DO THE WORK
>of learning each other's languages
>and histories. We need to
>understand that these histories --
>and thus our very identities
>and lives -- are completely
>intertwined. We need each other
>if we're going to make
>any progress.

I understand where you're coming from. The basis of my argument lies in the fact that some resources are unevenly distributed. When I was in school I learned american/european history. Most of the people who owned businesses in my neigborhood didn't look like me. The images on television didn't represent me either. The books I was assigned to read for school lacked relevance for me. I've been learning other peoples history all my life. Only in my junior year of high school did I decide to learn about me! I took the initiative a found a whole new world that I was NEVER exposed to in school. I know so many people who don't take that initiative, who don't know ANYTHING about themselves.

I see your point El Rey, but maybe it's me. I'm stubborn. I can't bring myself to believe that the current social conditions are beneficial to a healthy black psyche. The things I presented (schools, business, land ownership) are some of the basic necessities of contemporary existence. For blacks to obtain these things on a mass scale can only be helpful to a community. To obtain these things on a mass scale would require a FOCUSED agenda - a sort of mental SEPARATION from the status quo. An acknowledgement of the fact that we can help ourselves, and help ourselves BIG TIME.

The melting pot idea is good though. I'm down with the Rainbow Coalition too. It's just that all too often black people get stuck where the sun don't shine.

peace...