For Black Men Slavery and Freedom is Still Based on Direction

By Kenray Sunyaru

As a Black man I’ve learned the importance of direction in my own self-determination. Historically, direction has been critical for Black men and Black people. Being enslaved in America primarily in the South for 246 years, southern America was the directional location of slavery and northern America – North was the so-called direction of freedom.

For Blacks enslaved in the South going in the direction toward freedom in the North was illegal. Even when Blacks escaped to the North they could be re-enslaved by the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Historically in America up until this day white male supremacy has been very influential in controlling our direction thus determining our destinies.

Too often in life too many Black men are headed in the wrong direction due to miseducation, racist media stereotype propaganda, social engineering, and socioeconomic deprivation’ that leads them to dependency, debt, destitution, detention, defeat, and death!!!!!

Regarding the racist media stereotype propaganda directional influence Carter G. Woodson the founder of Negro History Week now Black History Month stated: “If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.”

Every day as a Black man you should question the education and media images you've received and ask yourself what direction are you headed in? You have to ask yourself are you ‘inner’ directed or ‘outer’ directed? Do I have a moral compass and positive goals that dictate my directional choices? Do I have self-direction in my life?

It is critical as a Black man to ask these directional questions because your direction determines your destination – your destiny! Still today for Black men in America slavery and freedom is about direction!