D. Tyler Robinson - Former ONDP Scarborough-Centre Nomination Contestant

My Black History Month Reading list cont'd:

Always good to revisit the works of 's George Dei. Our elders and scholars have been setting the path; we simply need to follow☝🏾

Full reading:
https://journals.sfu.ca/cje/index.php/cje-rce/article/view/2729/2033

My BLACK History Month Reading List, cont'd: Feb 15th, 2024:

The beauty and simplicity of Bob Marley's body of work.

Most relevant to me right now are these lyrics:
'Hear the children crying. Hear the children crying'

Let our actions here, abroad, and in Gaza, come from hearing the children crying.

This madness needs to stop.

Black History Month pushes us to take an honest accounting of the human condition.

While I am in support of ALL coursework and curriculum changes that lead us towards a more holic, multicentric, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and decolonized future, I. DO. NOT. ACCEPT. BABY. STEPS. WHEN. BOLD. BIG. BOY. MOVES. ARE. REQUIRED. by our Minister of Education, .

We are not blind.

We are not placated.

BIG. PROGRESS. IS. THE. GOAL.

A schooling system where young people need not be 'othered', and Black youth disproportionately so, because we've intentionally and painstakingly done the work of un-learning & is the goal.

Anything less falls short of what young people deserve in a truly democratic society.

Onwards.

As Dr Molefi Kete Asante & Dr Nah Dove tell us, we must move beyond the race paradigm, towards the human paradigm- and these baby-steps by the Minister of Education, is not IT.

My BLACK History Month Reading List, cont'd: Feb 6th, 2024:

What I love about Dr Molefi Kete Asante ( / ) and Dr. Nah Dove's latest work, is that, as cherished elders, they continue to lead and educate all of us, who care about the dismantling of racism and anti-Black racism specifically, and more broadly, all the ways we humans create oppression, in what it looks like to envision a legitimate post-racial society (an idea we have not grasped, but are capable of envisioning).

In this work, while Dove/Asante approve and support the work of their former student, Dr Ibrahim X Kendi, in working towards an Anti-Racist lens, they go further here and envision what is necessary to move "beyond the race/racism paradigm" and into the "human paradigm". For this, "We (must) reject this (social) construction (of race) as false, illusory in the end, and poisonous to the core in human relations. In fact, one cannot find Maaticity by following the path that has led to the destruction of good relationships with other humans, and the pollution of the air, ground, and water that we need for life. Maaticity does not bring the dehumanization, exploitation, and deception that we have seen in the patriarchal and hierarchal "racial" and "religious" regimes. All claims of universalism and normative authority that make some see themselves as humanists at the same time as they are dehumanizing others, that make them see themselves as worthy while others are deemed unworthy, must be rejected as we become human. Khepera, "the becoming," is what brings to life the transformation that we have sought in our own quest to dethrone all epistemic injustices and prevent the corruption of a new force for human freedom."

Powerful. 💪🏾

Black History Month Reading list:

Feb 4, 2024: Dr Joy Degruy's, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome.

One thing I loved about this book the first time thru came right at the beginning - that Massai warriors (Kenya/Tanzania) greeted each other with the phrase "Kasserian ingera", meaning, "And how are the children?". Degruy shares that even Massai Warriors with no children what ask this question and respond "All the children are well".

Massai society understood the priority of caring for the young and indefensible.

As we look out on the world now, here and abroad, and in particular, looking at the plight of Palestinians and what the ICJ has deemed a plausible genocide, we would do well to recall this ancient African wisdom, and allow it to guide all our actions:

And how are the children???

Use this phrase when you greet people. And let's all recall our primary responsibilities ☝🏾

Sending love and light to those kids, and all kids (and grown up kids too!), near and far🙏🏾

Celebrating Blackness year round, but definitely using Black History Month to learn and reflect

Today's reading- Feb 2, 2024:
Cheikh Anta Diop's seminal, 1967 book, "The African Origin of Civilization", where the late historian, physicist, and philosopher breaks down the Black/Negro origins of Ancient Egypt, and therefore the origins of math, science, theology, astronomy, physics, architecture, engineering, and so on.

This work, lays the foundation for understanding that the Ancient Greeks, were relatively young in human history, and that African wisdom outdates the Greeks, Romans, and so "Western thought", by THOUSANDS of years.

An excellent starting point for UN-learning the ills of Eurocentric education, that position Blackness as 'at the margins', as opposed to being central to the human story and experience .

Highly suggest you grab this one ☝🏾

THIS. IS. WHY. IT'S. IMPORTANT. TO. UNDERSTAND. that many media outlets, certainly , have a difficult time engaging with facts & truth, and really are in the business of peddling conservative opinions and hot-takes.

To be clear, South Africa went to the ICJ to have the court issue provisional measures to halt what South Africa, and a wide range of international scholars, deem to be genocide occuring is Gaza.

"75. The Court concludes on the basis of the above considerations that the conditions required
by its Statute for it to indicate provisional measures ARE MET. It is therefore necessary, pending its
final decision, for the Court to indicate certain measures in order to protect the rights claimed by
South Africa that the Court HAS FOUND TO BE PLAUSIBLE (see paragraph 54 above). "

Now, prosecuting a claim of genocide will take years, but given that South Africa has met the requirements at this early stage, the case will continue, and Israel must abide by 6 certain provisional measures. You can read them in full here:
https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20240126-ord-01-00-en.pdf

So, What's the lesson hear kids?

Go to primary source documents to seek to determine truth; or, at very least, find news outlets that demonstrate strong journalistic values. ☝🏾

And always, believe what your eyes tell you.

And, all movements for liberation are tied together 💪🏿💪🏾💪🏽💪🏼💪🏻

Remember what the great Lilla Watson said;

"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting yor time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."

It's not every day that you get to celebrate your lady's birthday ( ), see her pregnant glow so very bright, find out that you're going to be blessed to become a girl-dad x 2, watch your only-child burst with the anticipation of becoming a big sister to a little sister, be reminded by your 4 year old that you're now outnumbered 3-1, break bread with family, & have the honour of having privately chef a 5⭐evening (they're opening a restaurant on Queen E shortly btw).

But when it happens, you make a little space joy and soak it in... even if you busted up your leg trying to do a good deed.

The universe has a way of evening things out.

Here's to another year babe, and all of the good things in 2024 and behind. 🫶🏾🙏🏾

MLK Day always makes me think of my Pops.

Here's a story for y'all:

On April 4th 1968, my father's all-Black band, in the image above, was playing at an all white bar, in either New Jersey or Virginia.

My pops was a horn player, so, you know he was killin' it. I used to joke that I could do anything better than him; it was a lie, nobody I've ever heard was better on a trombone.

Anyway, while his band was playing, a news bulletin came over all radio and TV channels announcing the assassination and death of MLK Jr. It was a deep blow to Black folx everywhere, and all those who understand that our collective liberation is tied together.

What made it worse, the all-whjte audience broke out into high fives and cheers. Classic white supremacy.

My pop's bandmates, and he, were stunned. They didn't know what to do. So they played on...

All these years later, that story stays with me. There was resilience in that group. They didn't know what to do, and so they played on.

I am of the next generation. Their resilience and survival has enabled all the opportunities of my generation.

We are fortunate to no longer be required to "play on".

Instead, WE. DON'T. PLAY.

We need not appease.

We need not fear discomfort.

In fact, we invite discomfort because we understand that discomfort is sometimes a critical component of learning.

And while some school districts seek to stifle uncomfortable discourse, others continue to learn to embrace it, because of course, nothing worth having comes easily.

We confront anti-Black racism directly, and confidently. Sometimes it's ill-intended; usually it's unrealized. And so, we educate- with love, and without fear.

And slowly, building off all of those before us, we create a better world for all our kids & for all kids.

And we dismantle the great lie: that there are racial rankings that prioritize some lives over others.

Race is a long-told myth. Nothing more.

The entire race- all human beings- are of Africa. Our collective souls originate there.

And so, as MLK told us in :I Have a Dream', "Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force."

Stay Soulful ✊🏾

Sadly, the daughter of a family friend near Coquitlam, BC is missing.

Especially if you have family, friends, and/or contacts in BC, please share widely.

Sending love and light to Sade and her family, and hoping for her safe return soon 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Merry Christmas all.

Don't forget Jesus was a pacifist ☝🏾

My student presented me with this today 👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾

Love me some Black Santa🖤♥️