this was pretty much the ending of something i wrote during black history month, 2 yrs ago...

"What we really need, though, is a cohesive vision, something to rally
around--a focal point not as immediate or "black and white" as
segregation or colonial occupation, yet with more substance than the
Confederate flag. We need to get people thinking of Africa in all
tenses. What it was, what it is, and what it will be. Maybe we can
make March the Black Future month. No, it doesn't have to be
sponsored by Burger King, there doesn't need to be a TV special
hosted by Tiger Woods and we don't need commemorative postage
stamps. We can keep it grassroots. Instead of having our children
memorize Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech (and paying
royalties to the King family), we can encourage them to write their
own speeches, dream their own dreams. We can gather our best
minds and have them try to find real solutions to the great problems
that loom over us nationally and internationally.

Folks like me can put as much effort into learning the current map of
Africa as we do studying the trade routes of the Malian Empire or the
temples of pre-dynastic Kemet. With the increasingly globalized
economy, we can actually meet and interact with the many brothers
and sisters who have immigrated to the United States from the
continent and share experiences with them. With the aid of the
Internet, we can dialogue across the diaspora and figure out mutually
how we can best help each other.

Perhaps then we'll ensure our collective future, disprove all the sci-fi
movies that show only one token black face on those huge spaceships
in the 23rd century. Beyond that we must recognize that what we do
now for ourselves globally will determine how our generation is
viewed when it becomes a part of black history. "

peace & blessings,

x