In response to my last blog post, a colleague from the West Indies shared the following statement regarding his experience of Western Colonialism and modern Eurocentric Enslavement:
...I grew up in the West Indies, and got introduced to modern day enslavement when I popped out of the womb! It wasn’t called enslavement back in those days, it was called imperialism (post-Colonial Colonialism) !! It’s alive and well all over the Third World!! And, it’s nearly impossible to block out its calls out of our heads...Until some smart dude (like Satoshi Nakamoto) creates an alternative system of barter & wealth transfer, we will all be de facto slaves of the contemporary systems (banks, NBA, NFL, jobs, etc.) that continue to enslave us...
While I am appreciative of my colleague's willingness to weigh in here, I am not persuaded by his conclusion of the matter. Some 'smart dude' and alternative bartering system notwithstanding, this will not eradicate the years and even centuries of self-hating niggerization internalized by peoples of color under the dominant Eurocentric Western Culture. One of my Heroes and Ancestors, the renowned Freedom Fighter and Anti-Slavery Abolitionist, Harriet Tubman, once stated
...I led a thousand of my people from slavery to freedom and would have led a thousand more if they only knew they were slaves...
Smart dudes and alternative bartering systems are welcomed and necessary agents to correct the systemic challenges presented by Enslavement 2019 Style. They are however insufficient on their face to correct the wounds, hurts, scars, and damage to the conscience of people who have suffered under the brutality of this Eurocentric and racist system for these many years. This work is the heavy lifting and game-changing work of creating a social, cultural and psychological paradigm shift. This work won't happen over night nor will it be accomplished by a few lone actors, their best intentions to the contrary. But, we gotta start somewhere, so bring on the smart dudes and alternative bartering systems. We'll take that as a positive chink in the armor of Enslavement 2019 Style. Thanks for the post response and your input here!!
