Nigger is a persistent and rebellious word in the history and vocabulary of the
United States of America, and plays a significant role in centuries of terrorist acts
against African Americans. Yet, within the Black community, a curious familial
bond with the word has existed through generations of slavery until today. Nigga
Please!!! Remember Who You Were Before You Were Told Who You Should Be,
presents a theory grounded in ancient and present day Ethiopian nobility which
may explain why this is so, and why the ruling class found it necessary to corrupt
its original sovereignty.
Nigga Please juxtaposes this theory against the blasphemous language and
behaviors of Rap, Gangsta Rap and aspects of Hip Hop culture intersecting
with multi-ethnic versions of nigga being exploited and abused worldwide to the
detriment of African American youth, young adults, and our communities.
vRemember Who You Were offers a basic metaphysical model for re-imaging
America's most enduring dilemma and a prescription for healing from
generational traumas as we move towards restoring our people to our original
greatness. The Honorable Marcus Garvey believed that "if we as a people
knew the greatness from which we came, we would be less likely to disrespect
ourselves." Black survival and the rich musical legacy African Americans have
contributed to the world gives us cause to celebrate our humanity and creativity.
Gangsta lyrics give us nothing to be proud of.
Patricia Meade Leonard is an educator and
world traveler with special interest in the arts
and spiritual traditions practiced in West African
and African Diaspora societies. She is the
founder of Sankofa House Education which
develops and presents media programs for
teens, young adults, and lifetime learners.
Dr. Leonard is a graduate of the City College of New York, and The American
Institute of Holistic Theology. When not travelling, she divides her time between
Harlem, New York and Ghana, West Africa where numerous forts and slave
dungeons stand as evidence of the trade in human beings known as the African
Holocaust.
