Activism is insignificant? Judas and the black messiah review-
Jesus according to the bible fed thousands and healed the sick. Only for him to die on the cross afterwords. Like Jesus, Fred Hampton has seen as a Messiah, an “Anointed” one like Hampton and Jesus would be betrayed by someone close to them. Jesus crucified on a cross by Roman soldiers and Hampton crucified by bullets by modern-day roman soldiers.
Furthermore, both knew their demise would be sooner than later even at 21 for Hampton. The black panther party fed people and intellectually healed them from the mental illness of systematic oppression. However, what we could learn from both is not to be of this world and complete our duty in life. Is activism is insignificant? Our Judas and the black messiah review.
Our internal riot series revealed the neglect that activists and the average person have in terms of how they respond to injustice internally. Injustice will always exist. and we constantly respond impulsively and emotionally. Even with the 400 years in America of injustice we still have to learn to cope. This isn’t saying deny and turn a blind eye but to understand its history repeating itself, over and over.
Every organization has a Judas or one in the making, you just may not realize it. The story of Jesus and Fred Hampton are over 2,000 years apart yet have similar betrayals and circumstances.
When Jesus died on the cross did his expectations and ambitions, as infectious as Hampton’s ambitions were could it have been the very thing that led to his assassination.
The year after Hampton’s murder Chicago had over 690 deaths 620 of them were black killing each other. Today Chicago is no different and is assumed to be in the worst shape, due to lack of leadership. While Hampton was a revolutionary messiah, there were street messiahs in Chicago as well. Jeff forte and Larry Hoover who have been incarcerated for decades resembled Hamptons power and influence on a street level.
So at the end of the day How attached should we be to our results of activism?
The more we try the bigger target we become in the scope of racism. There’s no amount of persuasion that will rally people 100%. Our activism has no control over the outcome, essentially were rolling the dice and taking a chance. It could be a need to help, feel important, or for fame or a mixture of all three.
Detachment to the results of our advocacy is never discussed. There are thousands of local leaders in your community that the world will never know existed. Just as Jesus wasn’t the first to sacrifice himself for his beliefs. The whole concept or an “anointed one” reflects the ignorance of the oppressed more than the oppressor?
As the film shows, Black panther membership and donations and decreased while Hampton was in jail even in activism entertainment has to be injected into our souls to convince us to save our lives.
Many youths in Chicago today may not even be aware of Hamptons. Our reach to inspire isn’t linear. It can skip generations, influence other races or remain a mystery. Are aware of this during our fight against injustice or are we in solitary confinement as prisoners of the moment?
In conclusion, leadership is a personal spiritual relationship within yourself. Our celebrity culture loves martyrs and want’s us to focus on the events of the real world to keep us distracted. 2,000 years from now there will be another movie about a black messiah and a Judas. Even today they exist all over the world. Impulsively responding to the world’s crises keeps our energy and attention of this world. And in order to transcend, we have to detach from it.
What are your thoughts on worldly involvement of activism in terms of spirituality? Let us know in the comment section below.