self confidence the basis of a brigher future

Once again I am struck by the words “We black people can’t organize ourselves” announced by one of the village youth leaders yesterday after she heard about some confusion regarding a community meeting.
I respond, “So what do you mean ‘we black people’?” and the conversation follows:
“Yes we”, my friend says firmly, “You don’t see how we in the village like confusion too much”
“So you think black people the only people who like confusion?” I ask.
“Well this is what I know and see and I don’t know about other places” she responds.
“Confusion is a world wide phenomenon” I reply
My friend laughs and says “Yes but black people especially”.

I hear negative and destructive words regularly on the radio, in the bus, in the mouths of children, community leaders and even Theo (village angel) succumbs to this attitude when he is frustrated and struggling with village people’s hardened attitudes. In the Village the adjective black is interwoven with the adjective village: “we village people are confusion people” or “village people ignorant too much”, or “village people cursed.”
I recall a few months ago when my brother in law announced in frustration, “We black people no good. You see your type of people you is different. White people are different then black people. You all can organize yourselves. We black people are selfish and ignorant too much”
I spill out one black persons name after another within the Village, Grenada, Caribbean and worldwide to prove his thinking faulty. My brother in law laughs and says “you not easy. You real not easy!”

Yesterday I read Dali Lama”s introduction to An Open
Heart he writes: “developing self confidence is the basis of a brighter future”. He writes this in response to a story he shares of a teacher from Soweto, South Africa who he met while visiting. The Dali Lama and the Teacher discussed the negative impacts of racial discrimination. They agreed things were different today in South Africa and that black people now had new opportunities and that “true equality had to be worked on daily by education and hard work”. The Teacher responded with great sadness and said he believed black African brain to be inferior. He did not believe “black people could match white people”

The Dali Lama was shocked and saddened. He said, “If that kind of mental attitude exists then there is no way of transforming society. Impossible.” The Dali Lama argued with the man and spoke of his own experience and the successful human communities the Tibetan people were building in India. He told the teacher, “We are equal! We have the same potential! We are all human beings! The difference in the colour of our skin is minor. Because of past discrimination, you didn’t have opportunities; otherwise, you have the same potential.” The teacher began to cry and assured the Dali Lama that he now believed we were all the same in being human and sharing the same potential.

I guess anyone in the presence of the Dali Lama and hearing these words would transform his or her way of thinking on the spot. Relating this message from someone like me, a white humble dreaded lady who paints pictures of love and hope and teaches peace-building skills to children is a different sort of messenger. One without much pull but one, who spills out her thoughts anyways.

Have a safe mindful celebration saying goodbye to 2009 and making room for new beginnings. Joyous and justice filled new year.

One love.