Dr. Frances Cress Welsing (3/18/35 to 1/2/16): Black Rebel and Undeceiver. Rest in Peace.
/Dr. Frances Cress Welsing was not a Black revolutionary, she was a rebel. And there is a big difference.
Bhagwan Rajineesh explains; “the revolutionary is part of the political world. His approach is through politics. His understanding is that changing the social structure is enough to change the man.
The rebel is a spiritual phenomenon. His approach is absolutely individual. His vision is that if we want to change the society, we have to change the individual. Society in itself does not exist; it is only a word, like ‘crowd’, but if you go to find it, you will not find it anywhere. Wherever you will encounter someone, you will encounter an individual. Society is only a collective name, just a name, not a reality – with no substance. The individual has a soul, has a possibility of evolution, of change, of transformation. Hence the difference is tremendous.
The rebel is the very essence of religion. He brings into the world a change of consciousness – and if the consciousness changes, then the structure of the society is bound to follow it. But vice versa is not right – and it has been proved by all the revolutions, because they have all failed. No revolution has yet succeeded in changing man; but it seems man is not aware of the fact. He still goes on thinking in terms of revolution, of changing society, of changing the government, of changing the bureaucracy, of changing laws, political systems. Feudalism, capitalism, communism, socialism, fascism – they are all in their own way revolutionary. They all have failed, and failed utterly, because man has remained the same.”
The rebel trusts you to create internal change; the revolutionary has no such trust in the individual.
Dr. Welsing's entire effort was internal. She sought to change the way black people thought – to ultimately transform our consciousness. Black people have been conditioned to have the lowest consciousness there is. Black people are easily deceived and will believe almost anything white people tell them to. We are tremendous believers in all sorts of programming such as Christianity, Democracy, Capitalism, fairness, voting, American progress, justice, upward mobility, non-violence, changing white people, color blindness etc. Amos Wilson explains,
"The principal ideological goals of the ruling White male elite in America and of the White American nation taken as a whole relative to its domination of the Afrikan American community, are to legitimate and justify their superordinate position and power; generate the evidence which substantiates their claims to power and legitimacy; have their rule and domination appear inevitable and "natural," i.e., not the result of deliberate, perhaps malicious intentions on their part; gain the "freely given" consent of Afrikan Americans to subordination to White Power; and to continuously reproduce the conditions of Afrikan American community dependency and relative powerless-ness. The "manufacturing of consent" of the Afrikan American community to its own subordination — i.e., the ideological indoctrination of the Afrikan American community in such ways as to neutralize its capacity to realize its potential power, to liberate itself from EuroAmerican domination — is achieved not solely through the White ruling elite's ownership and control over all the major ideological vehicles in the society, e.g., the electronic media, print media, educational and socialization institutions and processes.
The receptivity of the Afrikan American community to White American ideological propaganda is chiefly the result of having been socially and mentally conditioned by the systematic control of its concrete living conditions by the White American nation. The sustenance, control and organization of Afrikan American life by EuroAmericans permit them to significantly shape the perceptions, experiences, capacities, expectations and interests of Afrikan Americans so that justification for the rules of White power appear credible. EuroAmerican control of the Afrikan American historical and contemporary social and experiential context is such that it is extremely difficult for many Afrikan Americans to mentally position themselves outside that context so as to compare EuroAmerican propaganda and rules of power with alternative ideologies (specifically Afrikan ideologies) and rules of power and challenge their apparent plausibility and credibility." [MORE]
Also from birth we have been programmed to hate ourselves and to aggressively work against our own interests. We are programmed to think of ourselves in the same way that white people think about us; with hatred and contempt. Many of us look at our selves with the same venom that white people have when they look at us. Eyes filled with thoughts that prevent us from seeing reality as it is. Dr. Welsing wrote that 'black people must understand that that they are being led by the dynamic of white supremacy to inflict extreme damage upon themselves and the Black race.' How else could 10% (white people) of the world's population control the remaining 90% (non-whites)? Then and now, we are programmed to serve white folks and their interests. There is a “Matrix” is in your mind - it is control of your mind with stupid beliefs – it is your prison. There is no need for chains, whips, coercion or surveillance.
Like Amos Wilson, Welsing believed if a Black individual could change his consciousness that that person would have a new awareness and understanding of reality and subsequently change his relationship with white people. Once enough Black people similarly changed their consciousness, Black people's relationship with white people would never be the same. Such individual changes would terminate the societal master-servant relationship that presently exists between white and non-whites across the globe. Eventually, a new society would exist.
Welsing explained, 'once non-white people understand the fundamental reality that they are in a global power system of mass oppression (racism/white supremacy), the ultimate organizing of all the appropriate behaviors necessary to neutralize the great injustice of the white supremacy power system will only be a matter of time. The length of time required to neutralize global white supremacy will be inversely proportional to 1) the level of understanding of the phenomenon; plus 2) the evolution of self- and group-respect, the will, determination and discipline to practice the appropriate counter-racist behaviors–on the part of the non-white victims of white supremacy.'
Rajineesh told a story about sheep that is analogous to Black people and the condition that we are in. BW doesn't know if Dr. Welsing ever heard the story but she probably would have appreciated it.
“There was a magician who used to live in faraway deep forests, and he had many sheep because that was his only food. In those deep forests he was keeping all those sheep just to kill them every day, one by one. Naturally, the sheep were very afraid of the man, and they used to run into the forest being afraid that any day can be their day. Their friends are gone, there is no reliability… tomorrow they may be gone. Out of fear they used to go far away, deep into the forest. And to find them was a tedious job every day.
Finally, the magician did a trick. He hypnotized all the sheep, and told every sheep, “You are an exception; everybody may be killed but you can never be killed. You are no ordinary sheep; you have a divine privilege.” To some he said, “You are not sheep at all; you are lions, you are tigers, you are wolves. Only sheep are killed. You need not hide yourself in the forest; that is very embarrassing, because a lion hiding himself in the forest in the fear that he will be killed… only sheep are killed.” And in this way, he managed to hypnotize all the sheep in different ways.
He even said to a few sheep, “You are men, human beings, and human beings don’t kill each other. You are just like me. Never be afraid and never escape out of fear.” Since that day, no sheep escaped and hid in the forest, although they all saw every day that one sheep was being killed, slaughtered. But naturally everybody thought, That must be a sheep; I am a tiger, a lion, a human being. I am special and exceptional, I have a divine privilege…. So many different stories he put in their minds.
George Gurdjieff says that unless you realize the first thing — that you are in prison, that you are the prison — then there is no hope for freedom. If you already believe that you are free, you are a hypnotized sheep which believes himself to be a lion — exceptional, there is no need to be afraid — which even believes he is a human being. He goes on seeing other sheep being killed, and still remains in a hypnotized state, never being aware of his actuality. To be free, if you already know that you are free, there is no problem.”
Like the sheep, non-white people, especially Black people are in a hypnotized state in this system of white supremacy. Dr. Welsing dedicated her life's work trying to undeceive Black people. Thus far, all the Black revolutionaries with all their great external, courageous efforts, including Malcolm, MLK, Marcus Garvey and the BPP have utterly failed. Dr. Welsing explained in a system of white domination non-white people “are in a continuous state of checkmate” and Black people are currently in a “losing streak that is centuries long.” The magician [operating system of white supremacy] goes on hyptnotizing the sheep [Blacks] - programming our minds continuously with new stories [beliefs, personalities and desires in support of white domination/control]– such is the refinement of white supremacy/racism.
Unfortunately, Dr. Welsing did not show Black people how to drop our programmed minds or transform consciousness and servant thoughting. The aquisition of knowledge and information such as codes may help an individual identify and analyze the problem of white supremacy/racism. However, such external information cannot be transformative because it is external - it is outside of your being. On such a level a non-white person is still just reacting to racism - it still functions as a strategy to dominate your mind. This intellectual approach unravels on a rollercoaster or as you are falling out of a tree - in other words it unravels in real life; what good is your guide or code as you hit the branches on your way down? (To react means you are acting unconsciously. White people are manipulating you. They say something or do something, and you react. The real master of the situation is white people. A white person comes and insults you and you react, you become angry. A white person comes and praises you and you smile and you become happy. Both are the same. You are a slave and white people know how to push your buttons. You are behaving like a machine. You are an automaton, not a human being yet. A plaything in the hands of white people. [MORE] and [MORE].)
As such, theory/knowledge/logic do not enable an individual to spontaneously respond to racism/white supremacy in actual reality - in the present moment as things happen around you and whenever the phenomena presents itself in your mind. A blind man could become a PhD about light or a preist could pretend not to be moved at a strip joint. Yet the blind man would have no real understanding of light and unless transformed, that priest would remain haunted/controlled by what he saw. Realizing that you are in a system of white supremacy does not transform your being - as you become more undeceived about it, it makes you angry.
An actual response to racism/white supremacy requires an inner transformation. That is, it is to be done by you for you within your own mind. One method to drop this mind with all it's racist programming, beliefs, logic, false personalities and unlimited idiotic desires is through meditation. As George Clinton has explained, when we deal with our own mind and drop this mind - the rest will take care of itself. You can free your mind of all this bullshit through meditation.
Dr. Welsing was a friend to BW and passed out our articles from time to time. If we had had one more opportunity to talk to Dr. Welsing we would have answered a question she posed to us during a meeting; she asked us, “what is justice? What product does the criminal court produce?”
At the time we were stumped. Since then and based on our actual, direct experience of observing and participating in hundreds of criminal cases in court we have concluded the following:
The court produces nothing but the appearance of justice. The [white] 'powers that be' go through great effort to produce this show of something called “fairness” and the court's emphasis on “procedural due process.”
This production of the appearance of fairness leaves out no detail. Along with the traditional plastic flags, oaths, black robes, elevated judge platform and high ceilings found in a courtroom, more necessary props are; Black defense lawyers and prosecutors, Black judges, Black courtroom staff and probation officers and of course, occasional acquittals for Black criminal defendants. As we know, there are a disproportionate number of Blacks in the criminal justice system. So how would a courtroom look if all the lawyers, judges, security and court staff were white and the defendants were all Black? It would look like a racist courtroom during the 1950's. This is no knock against hard working, passionate Black lawyers and judges. But they are part of the deception – part of the strategy. They are like the team that plays against the Harlem Globetrotters or a boxer in a fixed fight. The harder they work and more passionate they play - the more real it looks. However, unbeknownst to them, the criminal justice system is rigged to begin with. Whether they like it or not, Black judges and lawyers are necessary participants, players in this racist system game of domination - a necessary illusion.
Dr. Welsing insisted that Black people study Nazi Germany and frequently compared our condition with the genocide of the Jews (who she said were also non-white and therefore destroyed). So in considering Dr. Welsing's questions we thought of Nazi Germany. The courts in Nazi Germany were central in its deception of Jews – who thought of themselves as fully integrated Germans and had a thriving professional class of Jewish leaders called the Judenrat (Jews selected or approved of by Germans in power). Think of the people in those Nazi courtrooms. The attorneys and judges were licensed and highly educated professionals. Through their logical machinations those judges and lawyers rationalized, justified and upheld Nazi law and policy assisting in the destruction of Jews and their property. Logic is a whore. The courts smoothed it out and it probably looked and sounded “fair” to all those who wanted to be deceived. The courtrooms in Nazi Germany also created something they called justice – but we know it was only the appearance of justice.
Certainly the appearance of justice is necessary for any system based on the rule of law. For instance, if parties generally believe a court has made a just decision but are not confident in the random or arbitrary manner it was achieved or processed then the rule of law would be weak - as the court's decisions would not be binding and people would have no confidence (perception) in the law and their “selected leaders.” Naturally, a system that is in fact just would have to appear to be just as well. In such a system substantive due process and “fairness” would result from procedural due process and “fairness” - it would look real because it was real.
However, like the courts in Nazi Germany, courts in America do not produce justice. Justice only exists in a civilized society - something the western (white) world has yet to achieve. Believing itself to be already civilized, the western [white] world gives up even trying to be civilized. Born on third base white people think they have hit a triple! What western man calls justice is nothing but revenge and violence. Watch white Hollywood's movies and television shows – more than half of the stories are about people getting revenge/violence about this or that and then so-called feeling better when revenge [justice] is exacted. This justice is simply rationalized violence against people who are not obedient to society's rules and conditionings. Consider the law of Christianity, Judaism and Islam - one unforgiven sin means eternal damnation. This is nothing but revenge and violence masquerading as justice.
Justice as revenge in court fits in well with the white supremacy concept because white people's relationship with non-white people is based upon comparison. And comparison to others is another form of violence. White people relate to us and everything else in the world through comparison/violence. Dr. Welsing's color confrontation theory explains that 'white people have a different appearance from the rest of mankind (90% of the world is non-white) and they dislike this difference.' Consequently, whites have an uncontrollable sense of hostility and aggression towards non-whites, especially Blacks which has led to the development of certain defense mechanisms.
Many white people gain their identity by comparing themselves to non-white people and feel elevated in this way – idiotically believing they are superior, better, more moral people than non-white people because of their white skin (lack of skin color or melanin). This pseudo identity is created for them to feel good about themselves (especially when we go along with it and play this role). Such an idiotic way of perceiving themselves and the rest of the world ensures that such a mind is a barrier to seeing reality for what it is. How would they feel about themselves if no non-white people existed? How would white people perceive themselves if Black people possessed a different consciousness which rejected this idiocy? What would happen to the system of white supremacy/racism? Could such a system still be maintained without our acquiescence or mental participation?
Justice requires the elimination of the causes of injustice. White Supremacy/Racism is the cause of problems such as poverty, economic inequality, lack of economic development, unemployment, drug addiction, infant mortality, AIDS, chronic welfare dependency, lack of affordable housing, gentrification, homelessness, servant education, the unequal administration of justice, police brutality, jim crow like incarceration and much more. Dr. Welsing explained, "racism/white supremacy is the major and only problem facing Black and all other non-white peoples throughout the world. [MORE].
Yet simply an intellectual understanding of this information does not liberate your mind - it does not change you. If anything it will make you angry. Racism has been Black people's kryptonite. It is external phenomenon that renders most Black people incapable of helping themselves. Under its spell of anger, frustration and fear Black people are in a state of mindlessness and circular thought that has led to an "other directed" struggle - "protest" actually in cooperation with and submission to white supremacy/racism. [MORE]
Until black people meditatively transform their consciousness they will likely remain as reactionaries, victims - helpless to do anything about racism/white supremacy. Always analyzing events after the fact, deferring or hoping for things to be better in the future and always being overwhelmed by the present moment. Meditation may enable us to drop this mind that has been given to us in service of our own domination. A real revolution could then take place in your own consciousness. This rebellious inner transformation of a critical mass of Black people could enable us to create justice once and for all.
Thank you Dr. Welsing for trying to show us this reality and allowing us to see it for ourselves through our own experience. We will miss you.
