Buy this book for â‚Ź3,- @ www.jmpr.nl and help finance the movie for the next filmfestival, and more translations
1
BLACK PETER By: L. Asamadi Breeveld ISBN/EAN: 978-90-816949-4-0 Prologue "More gold has been mined from the brains of men than has ever been taken from the earth." one of my favourite Napoleon Hill quotes. I also think that every mind is a goldmine. Regardless of race, gender or ethnicity of the one who has it on loan, if properly conditioned. And for me the only acceptable conditioning is the conditioning that stimulates to growth and full utilization of the total consciousness capacity of human. Individually and collectively. But who has the responsibility to bring about change in the collective consciousness of a people? Education? The government? The church? The mosque? One thing is certain changes do not happen within our comfort zones. Growth is uncomfortable. Growth hurts. And –– it can also be frighteningly lonely outside the comfort zone.
2
Let's try to shed some light on the subject along the way of introspection. I will play the role of devil's advocate, and you can play your own character, while monitoring your conscience.
A cold December evening, it's 20:50. According to the legend, an unfavourable time to be alone on the streets. Why not? Because St. Nicholas with his black demons is roaming the streets on December evenings like these, looking for souls to punish. Chills crept along the spine of an old lady walking her dog in an abandoned shopping district while thinking about the legend. It's all nonsense, she thought aloud. "I probably got this from some trashy magazine in a waiting room." She nevertheless regretted the fact that she was out there walking her dog, against the advice of her children. "I must give up this dog, I am too old for this." She felt better already at the thought that she had finally decided to let the dog go.
Tomorrow Fifi will have to leave. Her children had already offered to take the dog. "Let them come and
3
get her," she thought, "so I can now safely stay at home to slip and break my neck in my own bathroom. Luckily I always have my alarm button around my neck for emergencies. So they can find my corpse on time." She chuckled. "O, I'm really positive today," she laughed, "no wonder the self talk of human is found to be negative for more than 80%. Oh but I'm going to miss my Fifi –– you were my audience in the house darling." The shopping district was partly decorated with Christmas Stuff and partly with stuff for Saint Nicholas. "That darn commerce," she began again. "It is not even 5 December yet, but we are already bombarded with Christmas stuff. It’s only about the money." And suddenly they came. Out of nowhere, they appeared. Five dark shadows with hoods pulled over their foreheads. They had pamphlets and buckets of glue in their hands. Her dog started barking like crazy. The shadows came running in her direction and the old lady fell down motionless with fright. The dog tore herself loose and ran whining away to a safe distance to stand barking. The last thing the old lady saw was the hooded shadows pasting pamphlets all over the mall. A shop with black Peter dolls had gotten the full brunt. And in the middle of the street laid the
4
unconscious old lady. Her dog had retreated further away. The leaflets read: Black Peter is JimCrow, and Jim Crow is racism. And suddenly the vandals were surrounded by the police. So quickly? Usually the police never appears that quick? How can this be? The sound of sirens grew louder. The shopping district now swarmed with police cars braking with screeching tires. It seemed like a gate of hell had opened in the mall. The boys were thrown to the ground and beaten in chains. The old lady was brought back to consciousness by ambulance personnel and removed.
An hour earlier that evening somewhere else in town. People sat as observers in a room. The main speaker of the event was going through his papers. His name –– Master P. On the projection screen behind him appeared a text from 1963: H.I.M. Haile Selassie I Speech to the United Nations (excerpt) New York City, NY October 4, 1963
5
"–– until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the colour of a man's skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil ––" Master P changed the picture of his PowerPoint presentation with remote control and now displayed two pictures next to each other.
6
The first photo was of the American Jim Crow, and the second picture was the Dutch black Peter. "Dr. Carter G Woodson once said: 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."
7
The question is, what do you feel when you see these images? Not only do they look like one another, but they are also meant to have the same impact in your psyche. And be honest with yourself, what do you feel? Lea, a lady in the audience stood up got the microphone and said: "I feel nothing sir. I feel absolutely nothing. I know that it is charged with the burden of history, but I consciously avoid all thoughts about it, I make sure that I live a life without inferiority complexes." "I sense the presence of resistance in you. You have to consciously retarget your focus –– a deliberate action is needed to push certain feelings aside. That particular action is not required when you look at a rose for example, you do not consciously need to do or leave something in order to have an interaction with the rose –– you know what I mean? The interaction with the rose flows naturally. Your psyche feeds on the rose willingly without any restrictions –– for it provides you with good feelings, wonderful associations. But when you look at these caricatures, one or more actions of defence are required in your psyche to uphold your dignity." "Those are not my words, sir –– I just don’t feel anything."
8
"There is something to that," cried another lady named Christine, "emotions versus intellect. Mind knows about the history, and emotion paints a picture of pain to the knowledge of the mind. Mind has the power to redirect its focus –– but can’t help reacting to spontaneous associations –– the image of black Peter associates with racism, and triggers emotions of pain. And so you're constantly trying to curb your feelings –– because you are constantly bombarded with the image of black Peter in the media and shopping districts during the period of St. Nicholas feast, and that seems like a tiring activity to me honestly."
Someone else called Muhammad stood up and got the microphone: "Don’t you think that –– with these lectures and meetings –– you are contributing to an inferiority complex with regard to everybody of African descent?" "If I was the inventor of Jim Crow and black Peter, and had linked them to slavery –– then –– you would be right. But of course I understand what you mean –– you mean that it would be so much more convenient for everybody if we did not feel offended by the European Jim Crow, and turned a
9
blind eye to the obvious in the psyche like that woman just said. But –– Jim Crow, and the Jim Crow laws were finally abolished in America, as racist –– how long can Europe still persevere with the Dutch Jim Crow? And how can you contribute to the elimination of racism if you remain silent or look the other way? And besides, mankind should become aware of the fact that there are negative commands programmed into the subconscious mind of human. Destructive commands that never cease to produce ill results in the world. To change the harvest we must consciously sow different seeds –– and the soil must first be re-plowed –– and weeds removed." Another person named Alfred stood up and got the microphone: "How likely is it that the Dutch people are deliberately using this festivities to discriminate? It would be absurd to deliberately exploit the symbols of slavery for what? What would they want to achieve according to you?" "It is likely that the majority of the Dutch population is unaware of the harmful energy they annually spread around in the world with this
10
feast. It is likely that the majority of Dutch people do not know what slavery really meant for Africans. They do not know that African men women and children were daily sexually abused for hundreds of years, financially exploited for hundreds of years, that even the church had brothels opened with African women and children for sexual abuse by their sailors. If they knew all of this, they would not allow their pirates like Piet Hein the status of heroes, with streets named after these pirates and erected statues. If they knew they would not join a feast like the St. Nicholas feast in which elements of slavery are present. I know that some African people are embarrassed to hear that the Africans were treated like animals and that they were daily humiliated, raped and exploited –– but there is no need to be ashamed about the past of this ancestors, they could not do much against the heavily armed criminals. These are things that happen even today in war zones and even in a country like the Netherlands, armed criminals can penetrate a home and hold a family of any race, hostage for daily abuse, and if these acts would be institutionalized –– with the blessings of the church –– than it could just go on for hundreds of years. But indeed, the majority of the Dutch are not aware of the negative energy that they maintain, and the only thing they achieve –– is
11
that more of the same energy is attracted in to the world to work against us all. What you sow you will reap. That is the law of attraction. They will be overpowered by their own negative energy, until we all join hands and break the circle of negative energy in the world." "The law of attraction also works against people like you, sir," said Lea, "because you give attention to the negative energy of racism and in so doing, keep this negative energy in position." "I once read somewhere that racism is a form of self defence for people to keep their race pure. And if that is true, then people will not respond in favour of the call for harmony, is it not?" asked Muhammad. "I don’t think that race mixing is necessary to change the world, and bring peace on earth." Said lea. "Yes but the more mutual respect, the greater the chance of mixed marriages don’t you think?"
12
"Let's stay on the subject please. The question is how do we ensure that Black Peter is abolished. And yes we should focus on the solutions so that the problem does not increase in energy. "Cried Alfred. "I’ve listened and I've been thinking," said a man named Rodrigeuz, "and I think the collective ego will block the progress. It’s not easy for the Dutch people to accept that there are bad elements in this feast –– I don’t see them getting to the point of bringing down the statues of Piet Hein and other looters in the near future. As long as the ego remains the boss in man, there will always be justifications for racism. Otherwise, people would have to flock from their comfort zones –– to reeducate their children and grandchildren –– and risk discord –– or even quarrel within families. Yes only now I understand what Jesus meant by saying that –– it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle –– than for a rich man to go through the gates of paradise. Because the rich cannot give up his comfort zone. And this applies not only to financial wealth, Jesus might as well cold have said, the one who cannot give up his culture, can´t enter paradise, the one who can’t give up his race, his colour, his status, in short his comfort zone –– whosoever can’t give up all this
13
things cannot enter the kingdom of peace. It is impossible! "Decided Rodrigeuz. An old man who introduced himself as Joseph stood up and spoke with emotion in his voice: "We are now in to the age of the consciousness of man –– the mind power. After the stone age, iron and technology, it now is the turn of the consciousness –– we have hitherto unconsciously used or abused it, but now we are entering an era of conscious knowing who and what we are and especially what we are capable of. There is no more room for mental blockades –– and racism is an obstruction to the psyche of man. It's time for the re-education –– and the re-education already begun. Everywhere in the world people are working to reprogram themselves with Vision Boards, and positive affirmations, EFT, Mastermind and meditation techniques –– because the time is ripe for another course. The course –– of conscious use of the creative energy –– the ever-present force that patiently awaits us, to find our way back home as prodigal sons and daughters of all races and colours. I get Goosebumps all over my body while I –– here and now realize this –– it's a great feeling to realize that all apparent problems are pregnant with brilliant solutions. I am glad to be
14
able to make a contribution to the positive energy of love with words of hope –– Love is. The rose and the lily in all their splendour, are only transmitters of love –– love is what they radiate and represent. Yet they also have different phases –– from seed –– to young plant before they are in full bloom –– and man is also here to represent love in different stages. Let us now welcome the heyday of this wonderful transmitter of love –– that we really are. I'm glad to be able to accept the responsibility to raise my awareness –– to share with you in love. Thank you." The man sat down. It remained silent for a while. Until the spell was broken again. "This reminds me of the "I have a dream" speech by Martin Luther King –– but be warned, because this world is not happy with her dreamers." Said Master P. It is really beautiful the way you said it, but there is also such a thing as duality in everything –– there can be no good without evil and I say, we can go two ways with this issue, "either we start discussion groups, and for the next 400 years try to get this racist, fascist system convinced that it is time for a different course –– or we do it my way! And I say we go underground with this shit and stop talking. No media blabla! Let them do the talking –– and the talk of the day
15
will be about the pamphlets on the Jim Crow stores. And if they ask you what you think –– somewhere by chance on the street –– do not say the chickens coming home to roost, say - what a shame - shame for all the beautiful malls. Then shake your head and walk away saddened like a real Tom. " Master P gave an example of how Tom walks, the audience laughed. "What I mean is this bullshit St. Nicholas can be history in the shortest time if we really want to, and as far as I'm concerned you may even sing their song, "Black Peter –– you hear me but you cannot see me" they should not see you coming or going." An old lady in the audience jumped up and exclaimed indignantly: "What are you doing? Are you encouraging our young people to vandalism? Do you want to get them in trouble? Don’t you know that everything we do or say can be followed by the police? And this is also not the path we should take. Our Lord Jesus taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called children of God” –– and you! You want to make them devils!" The woman turned reproachfully to the audience.
16
"Please do not listen to him, I beg you, use your common sense. What do they want to achieve with this bickering?" A young man in the audience shouted. "Respect?" "There it is," began Master P again. This is a fieldbrother, the youth understands exactly what it’s all about. Respect!" "I will pray for you my son, to our Lord Jesus to softens your heart for peace." Tears welled in the eyes of the woman with these words. Master P snapped at her: "Where was our Lord Jesus when our young people were thrown to the ground, right here in Holland, with three cops on top of each, just for saying that black Peter is racism?" A man in the audience stood up and got the microphone. "Hello, my name is Frank, and I have a question for Master P: Isn’t this a bit over exaggerated?
17
There are other ways to Rome, and what I understand –– is that the intention of those young people was –– for the discussion to be launched so the white people would realize that black Peter is racism." "And why is black Peter racism? I would also like to know where they got black Peter from? Is St. Nicholas –– Wodan –– with his demons –– as some Dutch say –– fine, but why do this demons wear frizzy wigs and red lips like the racist Jim Crow Of America? And if the black Peter is just a chimney sweeper, well –– same question, how did he became a caricature of Africans with African-Moorish dress? And if he represents the Moors that were captured during the Crusades, then I would also like to know how and why." Another man in the audience a few seats away got up and got the microphone. "And you suddenly do want to know? All those years they’re celebrating St. Nicholas feast and suddenly it has become so important to everyone? Go back to your paradise if you don’t like it here! You are just being incited. Don’t slide your problems away from your own plate, and project your shit out there. Solve your own problems first!
18
How do you want this feast to be prohibited while we have racism within our own ranks! Urban Creoles and forest Creoles does that ring a bell? And look at the financial side of things, what do black people own here in Holland? Not a damn thing! And now it looks like Black Peter is to be blamed for everything! Begin to ensure that you can keep your pants up, because if you have a big mouth and lose your job today or tomorrow, then we’ll see what black organization will give your black ass a job? They are all begging for funds. They cannot help you. It would not surprise me if those same people would beg to be black Peter for a piece of bread. And my name is Tjado, and I dare you to bring it on –– I like it all raw." Tjado sat down. "You do not need to attack me sir Tjado," cried Henk, "I'm not for violence, I also prefer a lawsuit and a political stand against the St. Nicholas feast. "One thing is clear the youngsters succeeded in their mission." Said Master P. "The discussion has started, but it’s going to bleed to death with these internal bullshit quarrels, there will be no trial, no political position and next year the boat will come again from Spain as they say, full of Jim Crow figures to ridicule Africans. Until you rise up as ––
19
one –– and say no to this bullshit. People think carefully –– we need to protect our youth for inferiority complexes –– these people know exactly what they are doing, they know how to break you up inside with those innocent jokes and parties –– Look how they do on the football fields, when it comes down to it they know exactly what they have to say to you so you get a red card, that is the reality. Even in the so-called top they are telling you the truth. You're here because you're black –– you are not qualified but we want to make a good impression with you, so sit and do what the boss says, give a paw when needed but otherwise –– shut the fuck up, and remember the silverware is counted –– we'll keep an eye on you." "Oh yes –– so the school failures –– the teenage pregnancies, the idleness of black people, all has to do with an inferiority complex that they get here?" Cried Tjado. "That's the power of association dear sir, what was your name again, Hank? Tjado? Tjado sir, when you look at the Jim Crow, even a child feels instinctively that this black caricature is an insult, it is a slave, a clown, a rat bag. It's just Jim Crow. And you're right Tjado, black people must learn to
20
set higher goals in life, but they must first liberate their minds from all these conditionings." "And those same children cannot associate with President Obama?" Cried Tjado annoyed. "The president of the most powerful country in the world is brown like you and me! So what are you talking about?" "Obama? Mr. wake up, Obama is a puppet, window dressing, do you think he determines what happens? Wake up and smell the roses brother. Can’t you see that Africa is still being plundered? And about those pregnant teenagers, thank God, they are making black babies, in a few years the phenomenon of 'Surinamese' in Holland will be a thing of the past –– and these teens are buying time for us. Face the music man, look at all the other races around you who fills the streets with their children, it is a natural law –– the law of the jungle –– you are the strongest when you are in the majority, then you get the best jobs, you are interesting to the market because you have purchasing power –– but let's not digress from the subject, black Peter must go, by all means."
21
The old woman stood up again. Her name was Adina. "Tell me, sir, if black Peter goes sir –– What then? Have we arrived? Are our problems solved?" "It will be a step in the right direction ma'am. It will give our brothers and sisters more confidence to take on other problems. It would be a psychological victory and it will give us wings for a better future." "Young man, let me tell you, our future is in the Lord Jesus Christ, He will connect us all in love and make us colour blind –– just have patience, humanity will all turn to the Lord Jesus to be saved, have faith my son –– they will all understand that we are one in Jesus Christ, without regard to race –– there is neither Jew nor Greek in Christ Jesus, no free and no slave." She sobbed. "So in Jesus there is no border, no passport, no –– my country –– and your country –– if I understand correctly? Madam, you are a mother of children, you know what's good for a child –– do you really think that white people will accept you and me as equals? And that they will sincerely come to the
22
conclusion that the Netherlands and the rest of the world is for everyone? Do you think that white people are willing to give up their culture for a supposedly common culture in which everyone is equal?" "If the Lord Jesus work on their hearts they will love to do that my son." "You're scaring me ma'am –– you know, the Lord Jesus had also worked on their hearts when they went on the rampage, in order to get slaves in the name of Lord Jesus. Jesus was not born after slavery ma'am!" "My son, they had not understood the message, but now it's gotten better anyway?" "Madam, you know what to do if you want to impress me –– you should go to your Christian political parties –– and the church leaders –– and let them take a stand against the Dutch Jim Crow they call black Peter here." Master P turned to the audience. "Brothers and sisters, as I said,
23
Buy this book for â‚Ź3,- @ www.jmpr.nl and help finance the movie, and more translations
24