As Black people, we typically live our lives based on tradition or how we were raised. We eat, raise our children, and behave in a manner that is usually comfortable but NOT in a way that has been evaluated to be the BEST! Let’s look at some of the institutions of America.
The IRS is not supported by any laws in this country. It is considered “unconstitutional”. We have been paying taxes to the IRS for so long; we think it is right/lawful.
The medical community in this country is considered to be the best in the world. Based on what? We die from heart attacks, which are preventable problems, more than any other country on the Earth. We have more high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and cancer than any other country. What is the evaluation based on that concludes we have the best medical system?
The educational system in America is producing students that are ranked amongst the lowest in comparison to the industrial countries on the Earth. However, in America, we lead in murder, prisoners, homosexuality, rapes, child molestation, drug addiction, and the homelessness. The whole world is encompassed with war, disease, famine, and corruption. We should conclude that this world is the antithesis of GOD.
What about the recent earthquakes taking place all over the world? The Scriptures (Matt. 24:7, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:11) say: Matt 24:6-8, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. All these are the beginnings of sorrows.” II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” If we believe in scriptures and we agree that they are true, then we know that we are living in the times that are described in these scriptures.
So what does “all things are to become new” mean? I don’t claim to be a scripture expert, but I believe it means that someone would bring us information that would allow us not to be apart of the famine and pestilence. Revelations 18:4, “ And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”
Black people being in America is the result of slavery. For those who believe that what was done three and four hundred years ago is over with, need to do further research on what the science of slavery was to produce. Our actions as a people prove that the practices in slavery will continue to manifest themselves for three hundred (300) to one thousand (1000) years. On the slave ships, our people’s teeth were knocked out of their mouths so they (the slave masters) could force them (the enslaved) to eat pork and other thought-manipulating foods. Now we are 145 years out of physical slavery, but we still eat foods that we did not eat until slavery. Pork, black eyed peas, lima beans, pinto beans, chitterlings, hog head cheese, pig feet, chicken feet and yams, to name a few, are all foods we did not eat prior to slavery. These foods are either not fit for human consumption or they were animal foods. We began eating them because we were starved. Why have we continued to eat them, 145 years later, with numerous alternatives that are more healthy and beneficial? Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge…”
Another practice we have continued from slavery is the lack of understanding of how to mentally, emotionally and spiritually heal from a traumatic event. Most might think that traumatic means something that includes loss of life. Trauma includes divorce, loss of employment, betrayal, medical diagnosis etc… During slavery we had NO time for this process. The general public either has heard or knows the different stages of grief. They include: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. During slavery, the average age that a slave lived was less than 30 years.
Malnutrition, because of the aforementioned diet and the severity of the work, were the main culprits because we were enslaved due to our strong nature. 50% of babies didn’t live. Mothers worked usually until delivery and had to be back to work in a few days. They weren’t allowed to breast feed for more than three to four months. Because of these conditions, we lost a lot of children and adults. The conditions of slavery did not allow us the ability to grieve. If a family member or friend died or was sold to another plantation, we had to get up the next morning and get our Black selves back to work. 145 years later, we still handle our problems in the same way. Some of us believe that counseling is a ‘white thing’ to do. The advice WE give to those who we know, who are going through tough situations, is to ‘stay busy’. That may be right, but it is the minority of advice that should be given. We need to slow down and think our way through our pain as well as let the normal process take place.
Healing is a process that takes time. Staying busy and trying to forget our problems is not a healing process. The only way to heal from an emotional, spiritual, or mental problem is to talk, think, and plan through the painful situation so that we will not continue to be pathological years later in a worse condition. The counseling process does NOT include medications. Speaking with a person who is an unbiased third party can help you delve into the aspects of pain that the pain blinds you from. We must open our minds to research some ways of healing that will allow us to move into a new realm of improving from our negative situations. We can look at our current condition and practices and see that the aim of slavery was to destroy us, and we are definitely in a terrible condition with much need for GOD’s intervention.
Speaking of all things new, in the Nation of Islam we believe that we have a body of information that came from GOD Himself!!! The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad met with ALLAH (God) in the person of Master Fard Muhammad!!! WE believe we can prove this from many perspectives. Their Next-In-Command is the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wrote a set of writings entitled, Self Improvement: The Basis for Community Development. This set of divinely revealed and introspective study guides are the basis for improving oneself regardless of the issue at hand. First, we should be willing to appropriately assess that there is not a physical, mental, or spiritual problem that can be solved overnight. In particular, when it comes to mental and spiritual difficulties, we should expect there to be a methodical and calculated improvement.
I would challenge everyone reading this article to test themselves to seek assistance with Sister Ebony Muhammad and Hurt 2 Healing for a counseling session, and she can guide you to the appropriate study guide. Eating of the proper food, drinking enough water, and keeping negative information out of your mind are also very important in your mental and spiritual healing. I would be happy to assist in any way that I can. I pray that the information in this newsletter is not rejected because of the package! Thank you for reading these few words!
Your Brother,
Dr. Akili Muhammad
Dr. Akili conducts a series of seminars called the How To series for approximately 7 years now. These seminars include: How to Eat to Live, How to Shop to Live, How to Cook to Live, How to Exercise to Live, How to Deal with Stress, and How to Be a Teen.
For more information, please visit
www.bnhealthyisbnfree.com and follow him on Twitter @Keystro
