The Longgame

I often refer in my posts to what I call the Longgame.

This concept originally comes from my mentor, John O Killens, who often complained that blacks were not longdistance runners (that was before the Kenyans dominated the marathons of course) and that we had to conduct ourselves in our lives in a manner that facilitated lifelong struggle and precluded burnout and in our political strategies to think in longterm effect.

I translated that as The Longgame. Because as a wouldbe hoodoo visionary and ideological orchestrator I have to think in generations when making my moves.

(Cast your vision young hoodoo as far as you can see. Determine the challenges the tribe will face. Prepare the tribal soul to meet them.)

In shaping the generations and in ideological conflict the longest and most comprehensive game wins. I try to take the games of other ideological orchestrators into mind when I construct mine so that their efforts feed mine. If your vision and your game is comprehensive enough everybody else's game becomes part of yours and their efforts empower yours. If you truly understand the Board of Destiny, young hoodoo, everybody on the planet works for you.

It behooves blackfolk to start thinking in generations, both in their personal lives and in their cultural strategies. It should always be about how many generations can we shape and how do we shape them.
My ultimate game is to ensure that blackfolk are never on the bottom ever again. My goal is that blackfolk be so strong in spirit, so powerful a people that no matter what the governing system we find ourselves part of - no matter where in the world/cosmos we find ourselves in the foreseeable and unforeseeable future - that blackfolk not only survive and prosper as a race and culture but that they are illuminated and empowered, forces for justice and righteousness in whatever type of social system they find themselves. Or create.

Politics is shortgame, basic defense, the longgame is always a spiritual one, trying to shape the initiation of the soul, trying to grow and evolve. This goes for cultures as well as people, (bear with me I will bring it back to earth in a minute) or in the case of African American culture, trying to shape our generations into what we would like them to be.

For instance AIDS. Once it became clear that AIDS had a special affinity for the souls of blackfolk, there should have been a way to communicate that to our people with the kind of cultural authority that enables timely adaptation to a cultural emergency. A cultural authority that would identify and finesse cultural crises in their infancy.

Immediate AIDS shortgame should have been to identify the cause and change community behavior accordingly and immediately. In this case - education, monogamous commitment, safesex, drug outreach, pharmaceutical research&pricing policies, etc.

But that’s just Shortgame. Defense. The corresponding longgame should be designed to harness the karmic power generated by a cultural crises of this magnitude to make health of primal importance in our culture. Once again we see the penalty of bad health. Both in the States and around the world blacks are sicker than other folk - we die earlier, we suffer longer, we have paid in stunted lives and stunted generations. We desperately need to use this cultural hammer to make nutrition, health, sanitation and healthcare a cultural imperative. We need to be a healthfreak culture.

AIDS has ravaged blackfolk throughout the Americas and Africa has damn near lost a generation. It is incumbent upon us to use the karma generated by a crises of this magnitude to make health an ongoing concern. Exercise, nutrition, lifestyle and compassionate healthcare policies are a must. The (v)ital lifestyle must become second nature to us. A cultural trait. Then we will have transformed adversity into strength. Worked the counterspell. Otherwise its just a tragedy. Just a tragedy.

(Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. Try to live a healthy and ital lifestyle in every way you can. This is both an individual and a cultural responsibility.)

It is in that vein that I express appreciation for the work of Kenny and Faatimah Gamble, who have used the monies theyve earned with The Philly Sound to support our community. Sister Faatimah founded The Wellness Of You Program, a comprehensive Health and Wellness Program based in Philly, while Brother Kennys Universal Companies has facilitated effective development of his South Philly neighborhood.

These efforts are commendable on so many levels. Rich black celebrities giving back to the community in a manner consistent with our greatest needs. I commend them both. I proclaim them both honorary Masters of the Longgame.

Comments

[Cross-over]

When I was a little girl, I became very disturbed after seeing several programs on television where the white man told the blackman that if he didn't like something, that he should go back to Africa. I made up my mind then that when I grew-up I would go back to Africa if I didn't like what was happening. Twenty-six years ago I got mad and purchased a one-way ticket. The white clerk that sold me the ticket asked me did I know anyone overthere and I said in an angry tone. "I won't know anyone until I get there!" Well before the time of my flight, I got robbed, such a strange coincidence, that the only money I had left was the ticket that I had to cash for the refund. For some odd reason I have only been financially able to survive.