6A
NEWS / The Charlotte Post
Thursday, November 20, 1997
Sacrifice a lost concept
Foreparents had it
right; we don’t
quite comprehend
MELODYE MICEHE STEWART
In the
spirit of
Ma’at
Sacrifice.
A concept our foreparents prac
ticed in hope for a brighter fUture
for their children. From the
Middle Passage to the Civil
Rights Era, sacrifice was the sta
ple in a diet of racism and its
menu of subjugated dreams and
aspirations. Tb give of one’s self
for the sake of another - sacrifice
- was routine in black families,
striving to provide a better life for
black children. Whole communi
ties sent the first African
Americans to college; fimds came
from family, extended family,
church family, neighborhood fam
ily. Miss Annie Mae would press a
few wrinkled dollars, made from
scrubbing white folks floors, in
your hand and tell you, “Be a
credit to your race. Make us
proud.”
Sacrifice.
[ Tbday, because of the sacrifices
1 recorded and unrecorded in our
I history, African Americans have
! more than our ancestors ever
1 dreamt possible. We have more
I money, more education, more
i opportunity, skills, resources and
! access, but less will and less
: vision. Our tragic lack of will, crit-
j ical thinking and analysis paraly-
I sis, as well as a severe case of
! vision deficiency has brought
, hard-won progress and its price of
sacrifice nearly to a halt. Black
people desperately need to learn
the lessons of our history.
At the Million Woman March, I
advocated rites of passage pro
grams for our children, but adults
need it, too. The reality is that our
entire community must shake off
the chains of mixed-education so
that we might use our consider
able wealth and resources to do
what no others will do for us. Like
the phoenix, we must rise from
the burnt ashes of slavery, segre
gation and integration to create a
new consciousness for liberation.
An African proverb states, “If
you don’t know where you came
from, you can’t know where
you’re going.” We must do sanko-
fa; look at the past to envision the
future. Tb assist us in a new col
lective vision, many historical
episodes must be studied an^
learned as a foundation to recre
ate ourselves. We must reconsid
er American values and ideals in
light of our actual historical
sojourn. I call it an exercise in
self-knowledge.
For example, if we take the time
to exercise critical thinking and
analysis skills, we will reevaluate
the efficacy of individualism as an
American ideal that works for us
as a people. Looking at the histor
ical example, if Harriet 'Bibman
saw herself as an “individual,”
there would have been no need for
her to return, walking, to the
South some 19 times to free 300 of
her fellow enslaved brethren.
Harriet 'liibman and the other
“conductors” of the Undergrovmd
Railroad lived lives of sacrifice to
our people in far more difficult
times than these. Bottom line; as
“individuals,” we could still be
picking cotton today, but our col
lective agitation changed the
course of history.
Clearly the lesson here is that
we must reclaim our communal
birthri^t and make the sacrifice
of being our black brothers and
sisters’ keeper and, again, change
the course of history.
MELODYE MICERE
STEWAKTs column runs every
other week.
All Pro Contractors
General Construction & Renovations
Total Home Improvements
• Remodeling • Additions • Garages
Vinyl Siding • Windows • Driveways, Etc.
100% FINANCING
BAD CREDIT • GOOD CREDIT
NO PROBLEM
Debt Consolidation • No Income Verification
No Equity • Self Employment
FREE ESTIMATES
(704)556-8117
Sienf Sxmat 3i
S’ASJtget 3t
Call Geor0uiOit^fP^2iSMdi order your
Dinner
S-, Succulent Roasted Turkey
^ \J (10-12lbs)
Savory Southern Style Dressing
2 Fresh Baked Sweet Potato Pies
oniyc M F OO
S45.
ORDERS IN BY NOV. 24TH
Pick Up on Thanksgiving Day between 10am-12pm
Other Rems Available upon Request
0
L
COME WATCH THE CAROUSEL PARADE WITH OS
ll«»f • Hot FhiNNilato • Hot Toffee • Cookies
601 N. Tryon St. • Charlotte, NC
JKQi
HMM19
mmtnMtecAJD
—
Tom'I\a*keY'
15-22 lb. Avg.Wt
Hen Turkey
10-141b.Awg.Wt
USX>A. Grade A
Frozen-Self Basting
Harris Teeter Hen or
Tom IVjrkey
Wn^ile or Half
Spiral Sliced
in Ham
Cnsp CaJxforma.
Celery
Bakery Fresh
S"I>ump4dn
1/2 gallon Hunter
All Natural
Ice Cream
ILUE LAKC
Cut Green
Beans
VIC
snjciAi.
r> a«i«Atlaast
CutGi
4tf
3S'39 oz.
Hanover
8 oz.
CcxAWhip
WHiip Toppi^
I^ririk Feattore
In THe Bakery
2 liter
Piet Coke
OrCbcaCola
In the bakery 12 Count
Dinner Rolls
With
VIC
Card
Prices Effective Through November 25,1997
Prices In This Ad Effsctive V\fadnesday>fc>v. 19 Throu^ Ntv 25.1997 In Our Charieston Area Stores
Only. Reserve The Ri^t lb Limit Quantit)e&. ^fone Sold lb Dealers. VNfe (Sicily Accef^ Pederal Fbod Stamps.