Spiritual African Eyes
“When uninformed young African males and females grow up, we become uninformed black adults who engage in relationships in which love is war.”
- Sister Souljah, No Disrespect
Taking a closer look at this quote makes me think of how I am an uninformed Black, yes I said Black, female. I do not consider myself African, but I do acknowledge them as my ancestors. I do not carry the characteristics of a true African woman, and so until I do then I cannot identify myself as one. That is how uninformed I am. I set myself apart from my true people and place the black, ghetto world in place of them. Even though I do not consider myself to be ghetto, I do feel that I associate with “them” more than I can relate to any African person. I have lost my heritage, but I intend on getting it back. To be informed means having an education: knowledgeable. It means to understand, UNDER-STAND. I do not understand everything; therefore I am not informed which means I am not knowledgeable: uninformed. I want to know more about my African culture. I want to be a gimper, a person who wants or does more than is required or expected. I figure that if I can be a gimper for God first, than I can translate that energy into my community and to others who want to learn more and do more. I can change a whole world by sharing my love through spiritual African eyes that will beam with a passion for God and a love for my African community. I can build up my nation’s spirit and tear down hatred, if only I was informed. If I only knew more about my culture, instead of being in a class full of white students that know more about the Tuskegee Airmen experiment than you do. Or sitting next to an Asian that can tell me more about the Civil Rights Act than you could even remember in one week. I cannot tell you how embarrass I feel when I cannot offer any information on the history of my people; I feel I have betrayed them. I will rise again. I will repent and ask for forgiveness of my people for being so ignorant and I will bring honor to all African American people. They say that you can see a man’s soul through his eyes. Well look deep into my eyes and see that my heart is filled with desire, and my soul is crying for the river of Jordan. I must not ask for only a cup of water, I must dive into the river. I am thirsty for knowledge. I am unfulfilled spiritually, intellectually, mentally, and physically. I am uniformed, but am being reformed.
Chrissy J*
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast All of Your Anxieties Upon the Lord, Because He Cares for You.”