Below is a usage of the words "black" and "Afrikan" interchangeably since one comes from the other. Menticide is the control and undermining of a persons mind, the conscious and unconscious, to ones knowledge or ignorance. That is my definition of something that is going on in the entire world and even though people of all backgrounds are effected by this I will focus on the effect it has on black youth it has today with a basis on my experience and my experience with my peers.

In order to find a solution, or varying solutions and buffers, one must have a knowledge of the history of a complex such as menticide, which is one of the MANY things that we are dealing with. It did begin with the beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to my knowledge.

If you can recall the Willie Lynch letter that is known today it should shed light on what went on despite the debate in the "scholars realm" about its authenticity. Repeated rape of young boys and girls, the murder of their parents in front of their eyes, and the brutal chattel slave system all played a key role in "breaking in" our ancestors as they grew.

Notice how relevant it is today, the media is always yelling around the world that "black kids are dumber than white kids" which has a 2 way effect, to empower their white youth and to discourage the black youth. The fact the many of our people have fallen into the cracks and end up being hooked on drugs, selling them, or both.

The former U.S. ambassador to Iraq (John Negroponte) was once Ambassador to Honduras from 1981 to 1985 and gave millions, with the permission of the U.S. government, to Honduran armies that would be loyal to the U.S. which eventually led to them obtaining crack cocaine from the Contras and eventually selling it to gangs primarily in Los Angeles, NYC, Chicago, and Miami.

What does that have to do with your mind you ask? The drugs fueled gang wars and the wars caused death and more jail time for the gang members, they were locked up in boxes going through hell and back year after year. Many drug dealers (some I know personally) did not sell for the hell of it but rather as a means to make quick money and get out of destitution, all to often it backfires. The fact that many parents were addicted to drugs meant that their children had to deal with the outcome, which means a mental and spiritual death of the parent.

It goes much deeper today, today many Afrikans in the Diaspora do not want to visit, live, or identify with their Afrikan heritage but rather worship and stay loyal to the country they live in. I can comprehend the fact that since our Afrikan ancestors blood, sweat, tears, and fears built capitalism and the Western nations of today one would not want to disrespect their hard work, but you must remember that while one generation of Afrikans fought to be treated equally, an earlier generation fought to retain their Afrikan heritage and then some.

The current world powers got and are receiving their strength from neo-pillaging so-called third world countries as well as instituting corrupt leaders and assassinating great ones in those so-called third world countries. I spoke with a Sudanese woman once who said that: "Since those in the Diaspora may not understand those on the continent, a divide occurs and since their is a divide one side accuses the other side of something and vice-versa."

I constantly hear talk of how many of the young ladies today have downgraded themselves to sex objects in terms of how they dress when the weather is nice, I will let the reader be the judge to that. Another thing is the fascination with the light skinned Afrikan woman by some of us Afrikan men, a term constantly used to describe these women is "red-bone" like they are a piece of dry meat.

All of this could dramatically change if the things we were presented, by the so-called black networks that are on white payrolls, would wise up to the situation. Rather than change things like they should they just re-iterate the slave masters fantasies about the gorgeous Afrikan woman's body and enforce the mindset on the people, with help from a few lame musicians who cannot see anything that is not in front of their face as well as being modern day monkeys with the "bling-bling" according to Shaka Zulu's philosophy. Their are some of them who are "wide awake" so to speak but their ideology threatens the power of the rest of the industry.

How can we change this? Some may ask that question, I am young so my answer is still forming and since we are different as individuals it may be inadequate for some, but I can tell you the world around you (in terms of its past, present, and future) will make no sense if you have no knowledge of self.

© July 2006 By Afromerica