August 5, 2013Dear Sir,I would like to comment on an issue which lies somewhat as a subtext to the comments “black blackity black”, made by Sylvan Richards, MP.To some extent Don Lemon, the CNN news anchor, got hit with similar ridicule for his comments when he supported Bill O’Reilly’s remarks about what ails the black community. The attitudes engendered from both Richards and Lemon’s comments, reveals an axiomatic disparity in thought within the community about what both black history and black progress means.The issue is inescapable. We are each drawn, and compelled to view history, either analytically with a level of detachment or to view it subordinately.I have my own bias and both positions spill over into our current perceptions on where we are and how we think, to move forward.Ideally, the somewhat detached analyst type, should view history as an experience through which we are evolving, taking the universally progressive elements as tools and information to move forward, which means at times being self-critical and not beholding to tradition or popular historical positions.The sentimentalist on the other hand, feel a connection with the history of struggle as if it were a single continuous rope, hence criticism of the past will often be judged through the prism and the context of yesterday.Yesterday’s heroes and positions will be held as sacrosanct by the sentimentalist, but in the minds of the progressive conservative, will be considered inappropriate and even useless, in some cases, for our current generations axis going forward.Speaking in the extremes, the sentimentalist will cloak themselves in the same armour of yesterday, to fight today’s battles. Conversely the extreme that needs to be avoided by the conservative progressives is that of forgetting the struggle and sacrifices made, as a link to where the world is today.While the pain of emotional and even physical scares emanating from yesterday can be understood and appreciated, in the minds of the progressive conservatives, they should only operate as fuel to propel towards a better world.More importantly, as a beleaguered people, we must look at all examples where human progress has been demonstrated and utilise positive examples and strategy to make progress. While we cuddle our weaknesses we cannot become beholding to them to the extent that progress is made impossible. In that regard, it doesn’t matter what arenas or even movements that we have fostered on the road towards emancipation, everything must continually be up for introspection.Everything from family values, cultural tendencies, music, politics, unionism and religion all feed into areas of introspection to help find the proper ingredients to manipulate for human progress. Rather than react and be in denial of criticisms we should analyse the criticism as useful information.I take the view that the enemy to our progress is not outside of us, but resides in our minds. In the words of Marcus Garvey, later popularised in song by Bob Marley …”Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds”.KHALID WASIPembroke