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The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors

by Frances Cress Welsing

by Frances Cress Welsing

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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Isis</strong> <strong>Papers</strong><br />

is a living death <strong>to</strong> be a school drop-out It is a living death <strong>to</strong> walk <strong>the</strong><br />

streets as a prostitute. It is a living death <strong>to</strong> sneak around <strong>the</strong> street as a<br />

thief. It is a living death <strong>to</strong> suffer <strong>the</strong> depression of unemployment<br />

because you are uneducated and unskilled. It is a living death for a child<br />

<strong>to</strong> be attacked by teachers and o<strong>the</strong>rs for being "bad," meaning his/her<br />

behavior is unsocialized. It is a living death for a child <strong>to</strong> be confined <strong>to</strong><br />

a psychiatric hospital. It is a living death <strong>to</strong> spend. a lifetime locked. up<br />

behind <strong>the</strong> bars of a juvenile detention center or a pnson cell. Depress10n<br />

that results from not having had sufficient, patient and confident mo<strong>the</strong>ring<br />

is also a living death. Many of <strong>the</strong>se syndromes of living dea~ l~ad<br />

<strong>to</strong> forms of actual death such as suicide, drug overdose and hoffilclde.<br />

More often than not, <strong>the</strong>se deaths are <strong>the</strong> direct result of children parenting<br />

children.<br />

All of <strong>the</strong> above are related directly and indirectly <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> dynamic of<br />

white supremacy, which necessitates Black functional inferiority. However,<br />

many of <strong>the</strong> above patterns of living death can be controlled,<br />

countered and combated effectively only if <strong>the</strong> Black community - <strong>the</strong><br />

entire Black collective - is determined <strong>to</strong> re-program its individual and<br />

collective knowledge, understanding and behavior <strong>to</strong>ward <strong>the</strong> <strong>to</strong>tal<br />

elimination of Black child-parents. This re-thinking will increase <strong>the</strong><br />

educational and emotional maturity levels of all Black parents maximally,<br />

f'mt by elevating <strong>the</strong> acceptable (meaning, acceptable <strong>to</strong> Black people)<br />

chronological age of Black parents for first births. In this way, B~ck<br />

people consciously can start <strong>to</strong> neutralize <strong>the</strong> emotional and psycholog1cal<br />

basis of Black functional inferiority that can begin as early emotional<br />

deprivation based on parental emotional immaturity. By solving <strong>the</strong><br />

emotional and psychological basis of Black functional inferiority, we will<br />

be placing ourselves in <strong>the</strong> best possible position <strong>to</strong> solve <strong>the</strong> socio-~olitical<br />

basis of Black functional inferiority- racism. By flrst consc10usly<br />

controlling <strong>the</strong> emotional and psychological basis of functional inferiority,<br />

Blacks can begin <strong>to</strong> consciously and scientifically control and<br />

determine <strong>the</strong> future of <strong>the</strong> Black collective.<br />

All age groups in <strong>the</strong> Black population must understand that <strong>the</strong> ~ost<br />

critical fac<strong>to</strong>r in <strong>the</strong> development of a child is <strong>the</strong> level of emononal<br />

Black Child-Parents<br />

maturity achieved by <strong>the</strong> parents prior <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> year of birth of <strong>the</strong> first child.<br />

This level of emotional maturity is proven by tlle parents' mastery over<br />

<strong>the</strong> external conditions of racism, as expressed through patterns of behavior<br />

that are self- and group-supporting in all areas of people activity.<br />

<strong>The</strong> levels of emotional maturity of <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r and fa<strong>the</strong>r, coupled witll<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir levels of functional respect for and cooperation with each oilier<br />

provides <strong>the</strong> foundation upon which emotional and psychologic~<br />

development occurs in <strong>the</strong> child. <strong>The</strong> level of emotional maturity in <strong>the</strong><br />

motller determines <strong>the</strong> degree of sustained patience witll which she can<br />

relate <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> infant. <strong>The</strong> level of emotional maturity achieved by <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />

prior <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> birth of <strong>the</strong> child determines tlle level of emotional support he<br />

is able <strong>to</strong> give <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r so tllat in tlle fust several years of life she can<br />

give high-level emotional support and attention <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> child. This support<br />

will allow <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>to</strong> meet <strong>the</strong> child's dependency demands completely.<br />

Also, it is important that <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>r is capable of exercising patience<br />

with <strong>the</strong> child and capable of meeting <strong>the</strong> child's dependency demands.<br />

For example, oftentimes a person 14 <strong>to</strong> 18 years of age has achieved<br />

only three or fewer years of emotional maturity, particularly in <strong>the</strong> Black<br />

population where <strong>the</strong>re have been many child-parents in previous generations<br />

and where many single mo<strong>the</strong>rs must leave young children in poor<br />

~are in order <strong>to</strong> go <strong>to</strong> work. In <strong>the</strong> event that <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r is emotionally<br />

Immature, she will be incapable of meeting <strong>the</strong> dependency demands of<br />

tho nh;l-1 cl·~;larl 'f th c •'- . . 1 .<br />

'"" """"· 0 uu y, 1 e 1au1er iS emotional y Immature, he will experience<br />

<strong>the</strong> child's dependency demands as an irritation and will fmd<br />

himself competing with <strong>the</strong> infant child for <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r/wife's attention.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se two immature parents often place inordinate demands upon one<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r, as each is looking (unconsciously) <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> oilier <strong>to</strong> be <strong>the</strong> idealized<br />

mo<strong>the</strong>r that he/she never had. <strong>The</strong>se demands cannot be met, and thus<br />

<strong>the</strong>se two child-persons end up witll extreme frustrations and irritation<br />

<strong>to</strong>wards one ano<strong>the</strong>r. Not only were <strong>the</strong>y urutble <strong>to</strong> provide emotional<br />

support for one anotller at mature levels, but <strong>the</strong>y were unable <strong>to</strong> provide<br />

a basis for <strong>the</strong> emotional and psychological growtll of <strong>the</strong> new generation.<br />

If <strong>the</strong> parents lack <strong>the</strong> emotional maturity 11eeded <strong>to</strong> meet <strong>the</strong> dependency<br />

demands of <strong>the</strong> new born child throughout its early years of develop-<br />

268<br />

269

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