“This man is my brother: He has nine and ninety ewes, and I have (but) one: Yet he says, ‘commit her to my care,’ and is (moreover) harsh to me in speech.” (David) said: “He has undoubtedly wronged thee in demanding thy (single) ewe to be added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are the partners (in business) who wrong each other: Not so do those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are they?” Al-Qur’an, Chapter 38: verses 23-24 Yusuf Ali
Before getting into my main topic I want to mention two significant events occurring in March 2025. Sat., March 1 was the first day of the blessed month fasting, called Ramadan. For 29-30 consecutive days, from one hour before sunrise until sunset, the Muslim faithful will not eat or drink anything as we daily read 1/30 of the Qur’an.
Another great March event is Women’s History Month. In honor of women, I am reading the book written by Maria Smilios titled, “The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the (African American) Women Helped Cure Tuberculosis.” It is an exciting yet sobering account of African American women’s greatness, a book on par with Hidden Figures and The Triple-8 Six. And now, let’s discuss, Can’t Gentrify “WOKE,” CRT or DEI.
The word gentrification, as intended originally, is a very good term that meant, “the process of making someone or something more refined, polite, or respectable.” However, and sadly so, the current coinage of gentrification has taken on a sinister usage and application that is described as, “intentionally deprived poorer urban areas being invaded by wealthier folks who move in; mostly privileged folks who improve housing, and attract wineries and coffee shops while displacing residents who have lived in the area for 50, 60, sometimes 70 years.”
The newcomers who gentrify the area are motivated by profit and property; whereas the longtime residents are inspired by people and pride. The arrogance of too many of the incoming gentrifiers think they can take over a community while disregarding or eliminating the current and long-term community norms by replacing the norms with Eurocentric values. Yes, gentrifiers are likened unto the brother who has 99 ewes, who seeks to dominate the life of his brother and take away his single ewe.
This same replacement arrogant mentality is on full display with the current conservative political trends across America. Conservatives have the same myopic audacity to dare try to “gentrify” the phrases and terms of our African American freedom struggle.
Conservatives want to conflate the argument by claiming that WOKE, CRT and DEI are cloaks for liberalism; however, for African Americans, being “WOKE” is a serious concern. We are descendants of a people who were forcefully put into a deep sleep by chattel slavery for over 300 years; yet, under bold and courageous — male and female — leaders, African American began to wake-up and stay WOKE in order to battle against 100 additional evil years of segregation and Jim Crow. So being WOKE for African Americans “Blacks,” is not a mere cliché. WOKE did not fall out of the sky. Being WOKE came with a serious price tag that left Martin, Malcolm and Medgar in the grave.
It is an insult to the African American freedom struggle for conservatives of any race to try to gentrify their narrow privileged thinking upon our decades-old WOKE movement. The same applies to the conservative’s conversation to shame CRT, “Critical Race Theory.” Shame on them! As true Americans who have suffered the worst racism that America has dished out, the descendants of slaves are obligated to independently and critically analyze any and all theories about race in America. Truth be told, with all the suffering we have endured as a people, we are beyond mere racial theories. The pains that we have, and are still suffering, have given us Critical Race FACTS!!
Rosa Parks, George Floyd, Michael Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Black Wall Street, Breonna Taylor, and too many others to mention; those are not theories; they are racial facts that no one can shame us out of analyzing and discussing. Mister and Misses Conservative, you cannot take that “ewe” from us with your harsh speech.
Lastly, is not DEI synonymous with “E Pluribus Unum”? D.E.I., the acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion, and “E pluribus unum,” a Latin phrase that means “out of many, one” — the two expressions are one and the same. “E pluribus unum” is the motto of the United States, and it appears on the Great Seal of the United States, our money, passports, and the seals of the three branches of government. How can you have “E pluribus unum” unless you have DEI?
In closing, we say to our conservative counterparts, keep your meddling hands and your harsh tongue off of WOKE, CRT, and DEI. That is our “ewe”. African Americans more than earned the right to keep that ewe from your greedy gentrifying mentality that makes you think that you know what is best for African Americans. Mister and Misses Conservative, no matter how many laws and policies you enact, remember this one thing: due to the vast suffering of our people for freedom, you can NEVER Gentrify “WOKE,” CRT or DEI.
We earned it with blood, sweat and tears — and Martin, Malcolm and Medgar died so that we may be free!
