The "EveryBody" Insider
Communicating the Concerns of Black People

Paying My Debts
By Bahati Osayimwese
August 25, 2003

The Aug. 28, 2003 40th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom represents an appropriate time to reflect on the social status of the nation in general and of Blacks or African Americans ( formerly Negroes, formerly Colored People, formerly slaves
or freedmen, formerly non-citizens with no rights "that the White man was bound to respect") in particular.

Dr. King Jr. delivered an eloquent talk about the failure of America to live up to its promise to ensure freedom, justice, equality and
the pursuit of happiness to ALL of its people including Negroes who suffer mistreatment, poverty, police brutality, obstruction of voting
rights in one state and apathy to voting in another, denial of lodging based on skin color, and the indignity of the presence of
"for Whites only signs" in the South.

He mentions that many of those in attendance suffered "trials and tribulations" just to get to the march. Blacks and Whites had gone to jail and been battered in those days for actively participating in the movement for change.

The scars of endured injustice, brutality, pain and sacrifice were worn as though badges of honor by those marchers in 1963. King mentioned
that "unearned suffering is redemptive." He offered that upon leaving the march that the poor go back to the slums and ghettos knowing somehow that the situation can and will change.

In spite of the "difficulty of tomorrow", he states, "I have a dream."

Forty years later there are still cases of police brutality and racial profiling which now extends to Arabs and folks that "look Arabic". There is
still poverty and homelessness in a land with great wealth and resources.

Voting rights are ensured except for felons. And, sometimes there are problems and misunderstandings at the polls. Some folks can't figure out where the poll is located and when/how to get to the poll or what to do about "chads". 

Lodging is now largely a matter of economics and choice. However, employment in the managerial ranks is an object of debate.

The visible "for Whites only signs" are now museum pieces and historical photo opts for books and news articles reflecting on the past. Yet, real estate literature may list ethnic makeup and test scores for neighborhood schools and other socioeconomic data used by home seekers in deciding where to live. Poor test scores often translate into lower property values and higher crime rates. And, "ethnicity" is sometimes cited as the culprit. There is the coined term "White flight" in use/action today. Then there are Blacks in pursuit of the Whites "in flight". We don't need the physical sign posted on a store window to give us directions. We read our social compass by the light of consciousness within our own hearts.

We have also coined the term "Black on Black crime" as though all crime is not created equal. We see that there may be police brutality against Blacks but also Black brutality against Blacks. Of course, there is White brutality on Whites as well.

King would point out that violence and brutality are physical forces which should be countered with spiritual force. He taught us to confront hate with love. I would submit that he would direct us to combat ignorance with education, cowardice with courage, selfishness with community action, and violence with non-violence. He would direct the youth in the manner in which they can be constructive so they won't have TIME and practice being destructive.

Some would argue that we have made some progress. If this is the case then we must be accountable for what we gained or profited. How did we invest the funds and opportunities that we were given? Did we get drunk with the wine of the world? Did we sleep for forty years? Did we clothe the naked and feed the poor? Did WE heal the sick and visit those who were in prison? 

Did we educate the youth or just dress 'em up real cute and PLAY with them? Did we encourage them to master the game of life in all of its complexities? Do we teach them to master the world and its problems? Did we teach them how to just survive as well as WHY
to survive?

If we had a penny of "progress" dropped into our piggy bank of hope we are held accountable to the Almighty for how we use/used it. Do we dare to bury it in our backyard or to squander it on a loose living?

Take that penny and invest it well. Squander it not. That penny was paid for by the sacrifices and lives of those like Dr. King and of those like you and me. We are indebted with the responsibility to invest what has been handed to us in this relay of perpetual life on this planet. We may be poor in physical dollars ( and some of us don't lack much in that respect either); but, we have that penny of hope that God has entrusted to us to show our love for God and for other brother.

Some may turn that penny into an Uzi or a knife. Some may turn that penny into a rock of crack. Some may turn that penny into a 40 oz. of beer. Some may turn that penny into something I shouldn't write in this family oriented publication. The point is that there is really nothing wrong with a penny. What is wrong is what we DO wrong by it and fail to do right with it.

We can restore balance to our mind, body and spirit with that penny if we are wise and prudent investors.

God asks us to love our God above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

How much money does it cost to love God? Do you have to be a trillionaire?

How much money does it cost to read these words?

Dr. King dreamed that justice, freedom and equality could be realized by all in this country. But, it didn't end there. He dreamed for the end of racism and the end of ALL evil on earth. He dreamed so big that you can say he dreamed the impossible. I ask - what's wrong with dreaming big if you are going to dream? What is wrong with a big dream? What is wrong with dreaming that the earth, stars, moon, planets, suns, gases, voids, liquids, solids and life forms of the universe are being aligned and maintained in perfect melodic harmony. If you dream why should it be a little bitty teeny weenie itsy bitsy dream? Why not go for the gusto?

But, King did more than sleep. He worked to fulfill his big dream of the ending of all evil on earth. He worked for the day when wars would subside, former enemies could be brothers and the needs of people could be justly met.

King was a man of peace and was recognized for such with a Noble prize. However, he was clear that the prize was not the important thing. The work or the mission on earth was the important thing. He hoped to make good investments on the penny which God entrusted to him.
He was a spiritual warrior propelled by the spirit force.

How much money does it cost to understand his message? 

We have profited from the work of those who have gone before us. We have profited from their labor, tears, and blood spent or spilled for our benefit. African Americans have been denied equitable share in the profit from the blood, sweat, and tears of their ancestors in this country. The lion's share of the profit went to the descendants of those who enslaved and in some cases mistreated those ancestors. Dr. King didn't ask about the economic theft of the African descendants' birthrights. King addressed their civil rights.

Today, folks want to know about the birthright and the civil rights. One gentleman has coined the term "silver rights". People want to know about getting the money right. I would argue that we first need to get the self right. We already have a penny that we can't figure out how to use. How are we going to know what to do with a bigger penny or a multitude of them? Will a Lexus or a Hummer solve all of our problems? Will a Big Mac or a Whopper do the trick? Can a trip to the boat take us to the Promised Land?

We must improve our minds, heal our bodies, and be guided by our spiritual commitments.

We are in a battle with evil. Material objects and aims can confuse our higher mission in life. We must be guided by that spirit force.

In this publication we get as spiritual as need be. This is part of the mission and part of the dream. We hope that God will look favorably upon our investment. And, I hope that the children will forgive/overcome our debts and errors. 

Some of us may think that the ancestors worked hard so that we don't have to work. We are in some sort of early retirement. Freedom means freedom from having to work. It's too hot to work. I do feel some ways tired. In fact, I do feel always tired. Well - guess what? We don't know the day nor the hour but the great auditor is coming to look at our books.

The auditor is going to ask us for an accounting one day. "I see here that on the Xth day of Y month in the Year of our Lord that the breath of life was blown into your lungs. I see that you had the obstacles of XYZ thrown in your path and the tools of ABC thrown at your feet. And, I see ..... that you inherited one penny from the blood of your fathers and mothers as passed on from age to age. I see that there were other assets liquidated, sold, stolen, gained and redistributed but that still left you with one penny. Okay, that seems to be it - one penny. Let's talk about that penny. What is the disposition, condition, whereabouts, travails and travels of the penny - that is your penny not your brother's or sister's or cousin's or in-law's or outlaw's or your kid's or spouse's, friend's or significant other's but - YOUR penny."

I hope that we have a clean set of books on that day. I hope that we as a people can show a profit and proper accounting on that day because what little we think we have could be taken away. Today we have that penny; but, there is no guarantee that it can't be lost or taken away. Today it may be relatively easy to replace a penny or to find one dropped on the sidewalks of life. But, tomorrow even a cent in the land of riches may be harder to come by than a typhoon across the desert.

We owe a debt to our ancestors for leaving us one penny in the Black. We also owe a debt to our children to keep us in the Black and to return some compound interest on top of that.

Let's use some spirit force to make more out of little. No one suggests that it is easy but it is required. We should work like we're in the deepest of debts until the day that the great auditor arrives knocking on our door.