Cultural Awareness - DrCornelWest's Blog

It is my strong belief that when the people of African decent begin to understand the greatness and weakness of our ancestors from past to present and move toward African centered thought and practices the world and reality that is built on 10% of our ancestors knowing will cease to exist
This enlighten will have a profound and changing impact on the visions and thoughts of the world. What we falsely accept and believe is our reality will crumble. It is the enlightened mind that will not only affect America but the world at large and go beyond economics.

Wouldn't that be nice to embrace all the cultures and communities that comprise America, but it seems a bit like a utopia that is unattainable, particularly since we are still the race people love to hate.

I think this topic starts off conversationally off course, as it maintains an assumption that America is culturally unaware. I anticipate that since this is BLACK Planet, that the reference must be made in relegation to a BLACK perspective. If so, then the discussion is not that we are culturally unaware, or in the position needing to be recognized for our lack of culture, or existence thereof. I think the problem, at is root, is that however culturally aware we are as a people in the USA, we are still not treated, respected, revered, or serviced as equal citizens. I prefer not to confuse the issue of race and privilege with the connotation of my citizenry and my rights. In addressing my rights as a BLACK citizen, this question only gains relevance to me - not on the basis of racio-ethnic denegration in deference to my ability to be culturally immersed - but in the ability of THIS AMERICA to accept that it has taken an overly active, injurious, disingenuous, and even combative position on the rights of citizenship of BLACK peoples. This, we stand denegrated for on both the existence of pigmentation and race. Culture? Certainly, there is a need to identify and engender the abrogation of our rights relevant to the selectivity processes that have been employed to segregate OUR rights from our personages as BLACK citizens. But, where no other culture has suffered at the hand of this nation, any level of abuse that "trumps" equating us to animals (or lesser); usurping our voting power (wherein we were THEN only counted as 3/5ths of a vote, AND 3/5ths of a person); and THEN making and taking the extraordinary and (by the way) unconstitutional opportunity of passing a Civil Rights Bill, as a guise to "fixing" the slavery problem, the equal rights of BLACK citizens problem; the lie about the "40 acres-and-a-mule" promise; the institution of slavery; its false claim to having "abolished" these ills...just doesn't work for me int he structure that Professor Emeritus Cornell West articulates. It's just not appropriately targeted as an issue. But I digress.

Looking forward to commentary that adds relevant substance to my position. Blessings!

Jazz

That's a tough question, America is made up of many cultures, and to many of us don't even understand our own culture. This is an interesting topic and I would like you to go deeper into it. From some of the comments I've read I don't think some know what Cultural awareness is.

I would say teach the benefits of each others cultures. Sometime it's a matter of not understanding the reasons behind some things. When you understand , (just for example) Japanese eat Sushi and I can't stand it, or that the original Voudou was /is an amazing medicinal system thousands of years old, or the history of the hillbillies who moved up there due to discrimination. There are many examples. When we realize we need to treat each other as 1 nation, like a family under God. Like a family who has it's quarrels and differences, but come together during a crisis. If an alien landed to destroy us all, would that help?Also capitalism must be controlled. Everything "ain't" for sale!

It most definitely can!! America is a rich multicultural nation and by collectively organizing our strengths and resources, we can overcome these difficult times and build a more cohesive, unified, and stronger nation. From a larger spectrum, it can only be achieved through equality, equitable access to resources, education, and the redistribution of wealth. Collectively as group, we can start by educators, professionals and specialists informally training others, networking and sharing resources. In peace and solidarity.

There was a lot of real cultural awareness during the 60's and we just regressed back into the 'jerry-curl' 'Me Generation'. Cultural awareness won't do diddly squat. Africa and the Caribbean are more Culturally aware of who they are than African Americans, but economically they are worse off than Americans who wallow in self pity about racism and segregation. You have generations of African Americans who are raised 24/7 on images of White American life as the only thing that is relevant. We want what they have. We want to be like them: RICH. Capitalism is going to HELL in a hand basket but we still refuse to help our own people. We are the most privileged people in the world; even poor American live better than most people in 3rd world countries. But nobody wants to be responsible, self-reliant and self-sufficient, to fix up and clean up our own homes, streets neighborhoods. Let the government do it. Let the Landlord do it. It's their JOB. All the while you get fat, diseased and disabled to even help yourself even if you wanted to. We have a generation today of African Americans who would die by the millions if ever a disaster like or worse than KATRINA happened throughout the USA. This is a time to go into Survival mode and going back to a segregated society would be a good thing. That's my opinion.