For some of us, the seventies would be remembered not only for its soulful music but also for its Black-conscious movements. In the seventies, for instance--Black became synonymous to beauty, pride, hip, style and cool. During this era, Black became remarkably fashionable and marketable as well. As a result, Caucasians began imitating the Black culture. Some Caucasian women, for instance, began experimenting with the Afro hairdo. Some Caucasian men wanted to be Black. Some of them, I believe, would’ve turned Black had it been possible. In fact, it was also during this period of time that interracial-marriages became trendy. Caucasian women were crossing over, and they were doing so literally. Black men became the desire of their affection. Then again, who could’ve blame them? After all, aren’t we Black men handsome to look at? I mean, look at how we sing, dance, and walk in rhythm. Look at how we provide and protect our family with all that we have got. Undoubtedly, some Caucasian women took notice of this.

Of course, the redefinition of the Black man in the seventies had its precedence in the early fifties and sixties. This period of time saw the emergence and takeover of Black intellectuals and revolutionists. Ironically, these Black intellectuals and revolutionists had one message in common. The message was; the Black man shouldn’t allow himself to be walked over. He should stand up and be counted on his own ground. More importantly, the Black man shouldn’t subject himself to ridicule or laughter. In his achievements, he should make the Black woman proud of him, just like how the Caucasian woman is proud of the Caucasian man for his achievements. A message rooted in Black love and pride. In Ghana, for instance, Dr kwame Nkrumah was preaching the gospel of African unity. He understood that without economic unity amongst the African nations, poverty would drift Africans apart in spite of the continent’s enormous wealth. As consequence, Nkrumah made it his life’s work to liberate the African continent from imperialism. Today, almost four decades after the passing of this giant, the notion of Africa unity remains. The only question is; how committed are Africans to the realization of this idea?

Malcolm X belonged to the Black intellectuals, who emerged in the early sixties. As you all know, he was labelled a racist due to his affiliation with the Nation Of Islam. However, to me, he was anything but a racist. If anything, Malcolm X was a humanitarian, who spoke the truth and nothing but the truth. Like the rest of his contemporaries, Malcolm X was all about Black love and pride. As a result, he spent his whole life educating Black people on their own importance. It was Malcolm’s defiance and almost uncompromising nature, which emboldened other Black men to demand change for the better. Malcolm X, in my opinion, was a saint amongst sinners. He was our handsome Black prince, who spoke his mind freely without fear. Many years from now, people, especially Black people would come to see Malcolm’s life’s work as their own. They too would strive to uplift the condition of the less privileged in their midst. They too would say no to the evils of racism, tribalism, homophobia, sexism, ethnocentrism, capitalism, and imperialism.

Of course, there were other Black revolutionists and intellectuals such as W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther king Jr, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, Miss Rosa Parks and many others who redefined the term Black. These men and women, more than anything, wanted to uplift the Black race. So much so that they were wiling to lay down their lives. Today, these brothers and sisters of ours may longer be in our midst. Some of them exited from amongst us before their time was due. Sadly, untimely deaths, as a result of betrayal, became most of these men and women. By no means does it imply that they are dead. According to me, they would only die if we forget to remember what they truly lived for---Black love and pride. Wouldn’t you say that we, as a race, need it more than ever? It seems that every time a messenger is sent to help build the Black race, he/she is either betrayed or slaughtered in cold blood. As a result, the Black race continues to linger in abject poverty, ignorance, mental slavery, despair, and self-destruction. So, I would dare ask this question; what has the White man done to us that we should continue to betray one another to further his cause? In the words of Bob Marley; how long shall they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look?

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