Love, Protect, and Respect the Blackwoman

As Salaamu Alaykum! Hotep! (Peace)!

This is an open conversation with Blackmen:

There is a thing that has been on my mind since yesterday in Newark, NJ. A Black man tried to convince me that it was impossible for Black men, or any man, to settle down to marry Black women. He said to me that Black women have too many problems. He said that although there are many fine Black women out here in the world, he said that he will probably end up marrying a white woman, Latino women, or some non Black woman. He said to me that there are too many other women of different races for me to settle down with in the world. Then he began to tell me about the so-called negative characteristics about Black women, such as having too many babydadies, being too loud, being too high maintenance, being too angry, and having a bad attitude. I said to the brother that when you say, and believe these things, you are perpetuating a racist stereotype about all Black women. I told him that he was right about Black women being fine. I said to this brother that Black women are the most beautiful women in the world. I also said to the brother that Black women are the mothers of civilization. But the most important thing, I believe I said to the brother during our conversation, was correcting him on his negative views of all Black women. I told this brother the he was wrong about all Black women having negative characteristics, like all Black women being too angry, being too loud, being too high maintenance, and having too many baby daddies. I told the brother that the negative character traits in women, and in men, can not be limited to a particular race or culture. He then told me that I was wrong. He went on a rant with me about the “problems” of all Black women. The brother said to me that’s why he has issues with all Black women in the Black community. But I stopped him in his tracks for a minute on the All Black women have problems thing. I again told him that the problems some Black women are experiencing in their character are not limited to a particular race or culture. I told him that any human being can have these character flaws depending on their condition. He said condition? What do you mean by condition sheikh (an Arabic word for teacher)? I told him that some Black women you see demonstrating some “bad character traits” stem from a long line of Black women experiencing slavery, segregation, dysfunctional families, sexism, sexual abuse, rape, and oppression. He told me that I was making excuses for Black women. I told this brother that I am not making any excuses for some Black woman's character issues, but I told him that Black women have had it rough in this world. In America, since the force enslavement of Black people, our Black women had to experience seeing their babies sold off never to be seen or heard from again. Black women had to witness their families being broken up. Black women had to witness the destruction and emasculation of her fathers, uncles, grandfathers husbands, and sons. Black women were forced to experience constant sexual assaults from men in general, particularly racist white men, all the time without receiving any justice in the courts of America. Black women were, and are, consistently overworked and underpaid. In the absence of Black husbands, Black women are being forced to be the heads of the Black family in the Afrikan American community. To protect themselves from oppression, many Black women have had to be tough, and have a little attitude, because she is the most disrespected and the most unprotected woman on the planet earth. He quickly stops me in my tracks to tell me no ahki (an Arabic word for my brother). He said to me that all I said was true, but Black women are the only Black women who continue to harbor these things. He told me non- Black women get over these traumatic experiences to live their lives like normal women. I told him that I hear him, but I told him that is not true. I told him that the Creator did not intend for all Black women to have bad character or be oppressed. Just like I told him that the Creator did not intend for us, Black men, to be dogs, savages, irresponsible fathers, incarcerated men, gang bangers, thugs, beasts, and baby daddies. He then said to me that he ain’t no woke brother. I told him that maybe you should consider becoming Afrikan centric, so that your negative perspectives on Black women can change. Most importantly, I told this brother that the Creator made us to be a helpmate to, not only all women, but to Black women as well. I further told the brother that, unfortunately, oppression, racism, White supremacy, and Black self -hatred forces us to see the Black woman as second class non-human beings.

In many faiths (i.e. the Kemetic spiritual system, the Yoruba spiritual system, Judaism, Christianity, Al-Islam etc), the Creator sent us strong moral codes (i.e. the 42 principles of Ma’at, the 10 Commandments, etc) and many prophets and messengers for us to be compassionate, spiritually grounded, and responsible human beings. In the Creator’s mercy to humanity, the Supreme Being of the universe did this to help us stay on a strong moral and righteous path.

But all faiths warn us of an evil force in the world that will use anything, and everything, to convince us that negatively is good! This is why the Creator gives us the weapons to see the supreme evil one manipulating force in the world. The Supreme Creator gives us the power to fight and overcome evil every time it rears its manipulating self in rap music, drugs, the block, white supremacy, racism, classism, sexism, Black self hatred, ignorance, drugs, poverty, and oppression in the world!

This is why the Creator gives us specific guidance for humanity in spirituality and secular philosophy. As it relates to Black people, if we applied the secular ideology of Afrikan centricity and spirituality to the Black community, we would become a respected people. But in the meantime the supreme evil one has convinced many men, particularly Black men, using drugs, being a drug dealer, going to jail, pimping women, being a baby daddy, killing innocent people, and thugging are the things to be as a men. Historically, we have seen this in world. For example, Just like before the coming of Al-Islam to Saudi Arabia 1,400 years ago, many Arabs were savage in their human conduct. Before the coming of Al-Islam, the Arabs were in a state of jaahiliyyah (an Arabic word that means the era ignorance). They would slaughter their daughters just because they did not like girls! They worshipped many idols. They were alcoholics! They committed adultery! They cursed the Creator! They loved the supreme evil one more than they loved the Creator!

But when Al-Islam came to the Arab world, it lifted the Arabs up and made them a respected people, particularly the men.

When Master Fard Muhammad, the founder of the Nation of Islam, came from Makkah, Saudi Arabia to help liberate Black and oppressed people in America on July 4, 1930 through Al-Islam, he raised up the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as his best student. He required him to read many books, but demanded that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad read and study 104 books on Al-Islam. This was so powerful to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that he said to the early Black Muslims in America that the best book is the Holy Qu’ran. He read and studied how the Holy Qu’ran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) brought civilization to the Arabs. But most importantly, he read how Al-Islam came to protected Arab women. Out of the teachings of Al-Islam, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad created sayings that taught that Black community, in particular, the Blackman to honor the Blackwoman. His famous sayings included the following: Respect and Protect the Blackwoman, the Blackwoman is the mother of civilization, and No Nation Can Rise Above its Woman.

From 1933 to 1975, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad built a massive following that became the largest Islamic movement in America. He placed Muslims, particularly Black Muslims, as the leaders of Al-Islam in America. From the Nation of Islam movement under Master Fard Muhammad and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad came many great Black Muslims, such as sister Clara Muhammad, Malcolm X, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, sister Khadijah Farrakhan, Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad, Minister Abdul Rahman, Minister James Shabazz, Imam Ali k. Muslim, Minister Khadir Abdul Muhammad, Minister Don Muhammad, Clarence 13X-founder of the 5% Nation of Islam, Muhammad Ali, Imam Wahhaj Suraj, Imam Aqeel Mateen, Imam Faheem Shu'aib, Dr. Na'am Akbar, Joe Tex, Marla Gibbs, Carl Sharif, Fredrica Bey, Imam Ali K. Muslim, Captain Yusef Shaw, Ahmed Burhani, Imam Dawud Adeeb, Bilal Philips, and many other Muslim brothers and sisters. But most importantly, out of his loins, came the great Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. In 1975, to the present, Imam Warith Deen Mohammad established the practice of pure Al-Islam and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for Black Muslims in the Nation of Islam. Changing the Nation of Islam into a mainstream Sunni Islamic movement while fighting to maintain a Black identity and a Black voice in the Islamic Ummah.

In 1978, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan left the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed to unify Black people to fight for Al-Islam and Black liberation by reestablishing the Nation of Islam movement. He has led the Nation of Islam under his leadership to continue on the struggle against racism, oppression, and Black self-hatred in America to the present.

Al-Islam makes strong men and women. But it requires men to respect women. The true practice of Al-islam severs the grip of man’s oppression of women.

This is one of the reasons why I love being Afrikan centric and spiritual. We learn from the Creator that if we are obedient to the supreme being, the Creator will bless us with the necessary tools to protect ourselves from the supreme evil one’s manipulating grip on Muslims, the Islamic Ummah, Christians, Jews, all faiths, America, Europe, Asia, Afrika, the Middle East, Arabs, Pakistanis, men, women, the youth, the world, music, rap music, Hip Hop music, the internet, social media, the peoples of the world, my people, Black people, and the Black community!

When you understand there is real evil in the world, then you develop the courage you need to overcome the evil one’s so-called grip on the world. Therefore, I walk fearlessly knowing that the Creator intended me to be a proud Black man, a good man, a good husband, a good father, and a good human being! But most importantly, I know the Creator has made me to be a respectful and loving Blackman of Black Women.

This is the knowledge I offered to this brother as I conversed with him the other day about Black women with so-called bad attitudes. We must continue to challenge all men, particularly, Black men, to do better for women, our families, for Black youth, and for the Black community. If we do not use the tools of liberation the Creator has bless us with to better our condition, then we will stay an oppressed people. We as Black men will not see our Black women as a help mate or a worthy human being to love, respected, and protect.

Hotep!!!

-Bashir Muhammad Akinyele is a history teacher, Black Studies teacher, community activist, Chairperson of Weequahic High School's Black History Month Committee, commentary writer, and Co-Producer and Co-Host of the All Politics Are Local, the number #1 political Hip Hip radio show in America. I can be reached at (bashir.akinyele@gmail.com).
Note: Spelling Afrika with a k is not a typo. Using the k in Afrika is the Kiswahili way of writing Africa. Kiswahili is a Pan -Afrikan language. It is spoken in many countries in Afrika. Kiswahili is the language used in Kwanzaa. The holiday of Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January
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