COURSE COMING SOON!!!
KNOW THYSELF
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Here is Socrates, the mentor/elder of Plato and Aristotle given the death penalty in an ancient Greek civilization that would later reclaim him as the “Father of Philosophy”. Alexander and the Greek military had forced its way into North Africa, assimilating what it could of Black male, priestly wisdom of the Socratic type. “Know Thy Self” was the Socratic dictum and it carried an obligation to contemplate as much as possible alongside prioritizing our soul. By better defining ourselves, the benefits from becoming are self-evident: greater consciousness begets richer confidence and a more conscientious dynamic is introduced into all relationships. Loving is central to the soul’s destiny; loving ourselves can only occur as we become deeply familiar with the various ways in which our self-concepts limit and define the boundaries of our manhood. Social roles as sons, brothers, fathers, uncles, elders, mentors and models enrich us.
W.E.B. DuBois brilliantly distinguished the “double consciousness” carried by African Americans in order to survive American apartheid under Jim Crow. As Black men, we must think at least twice at all times: one mentality carries our self-interest and objectives, another must think about the consequences and tactics needed to manage what others in the privileged white social norms might make of our interests and behaviors. HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS AUTHENTIC FOR OURSELVES WHEN WE ARE FORCED TO ARGUE WHATEVER WE NEED, DESIRE AND PURSUE FOR OURSELVES AGAINST PREVAILING RACIST STEREOTYPES THAT ALREADY DEHUMANIZE AND DEGRADE OUR HUMAN DIGNITY? To truly know and understand who and what we are, therefore, requires intimate and focused introspection and exploration. Black men continue to survive against all odds from overwhelming forces that have been terrorized by our strength and endurance to the point of institutionalizing racist forces intent upon our destruction. In the crucible of negative pressures like racial profiling, police abuse, employment discrimination, purging of voter rolls and outright disavowal of our right to be angry at any of it, our positive power and creative genius has led us to invent everything from the original telephone technology and dry-cleaning to medicinal steroids. This course takes you on an inward journey in exploration and discovery of deeper dimensions of self. We will go from what it means to be a Black man today, down a discourse that distinguishes sexuality from genotype, gender from phenotype, and ethnic, racial and social norms that reinforce faulty notions of precisely what it means to “Take It Like A Man”! Join us and be surprised at what we learn, unlearn and affirm so vitally for Black men, together! |
