Finally, we are being heard

On Friday October 2nd ABC’s 20/20 aired a program about albinism. I first thought it was going to be a sensationalized account of the life of the poor thing albino. I was very pleased to find that in my opinion this was (for the most part) not the case.

There were some profiles of children and the trouble they had in school. There were some profiles of successful adults.

The most powerful part for me was the segment about how albinos are being killed in Africa. Poverty has created a violent and bloody outbreak of murders. Children are being hacked apart in front of their families. And sometimes the families are the culprits. I told LIB about this a year ago. Some did not want to believe I was telling the truth. Here is proof. Someone has heard.

Someone has heard and answered the call. There is an organization called Under the Same Sun that was formed to help what I consider my people: my family. They also help provide sunscreen, sunglasses and hats. The sun is poisonous to our skin, and we are extremely sensitive to light.

On Sunday, October 18 two more shows were aired. One was on The Learning Channel and was called Albino Island. It also spoke of the violence going on the Congo. It spoke about how albino children are being protected by housing them in camps. Adults are also being treated as if they (we) were an endangered species.

The other show was on animal planet and was a bit less flattering. I only mention this show because most people don’t now anything about albinism. I am as fascinated by albino animals as anyone else. This show featured a white dolphin, a nest of white alligators, and several other beautiful creatures.

What both TLC and 20/20 failed to say was that there is another myth going around about albinos. If you have sex with an albino she will remove your AIDS. Albino girls are being gang raped at a high rate.

For more information on the 20/20 show and to see some videos go to this website:

For information on TLC’s Albino Island go to this great post

To find out what you can do to help go to Under the Same Sun

Also go to Albinism Aid

Virginia
The Golden Child

Tags: Africa, Congo, killings, South Africa, Tanzania, TV shows

Albinism in the movies again

10,000 BC the movie.

Give me a break

I just rented 10,000 BC on DVD. Good grief. We are well into the new millennium and Hollywood is still exploiting albinos as monsters and oddities.

Unlike the rest of the 6 billion people on earth, I actually liked the movie. Of course it was stupid. Of course they cast Whites as the lead characters. Of course none of the CGI people realized that pachyderms such as mammoths don’t gallop. But, hey, it was a fantasy. If you can watch Stargate, you can watch this.

Of course the scenes I liked most were the ones with people with albinism in them. In reading some of the less insulting online reviews I see that no one took these scenes seriously. How could you? That is, unless you are a follower of Dr. Welsing who believes the White race was fathered by a race of African albinos. Talk about fantasy.

Anyway, why do the albinos have to be blind? We are not blind. We have crappy vision, but we are not blind. The All Powerful head albino was so hideous and fearsome to look upon that he had to wear a veil. His subjects covered their eyes rather than look at him. Even when he fell in death the veil only showed his chin and not his eyes. For some reason our eyes must freak pigmented people out. I guess because they think we all have pink or white eyes. Give me a break.

In case you missed it, the blind slave who spoke about the so called Gods was also a person with albinism.

We PWA still have a long way to go in the entertainment industry. We will have to endure a lot more of these exploitation movies before we are accepted as real people. But then again, people in wheelchairs are still depicted as evil or pitiable or super human, and people of short stature are still playing Santa’s elves.

All that being said, I thought the young albinos in the temple were beautiful. I tried to find a movie still but I haven’t yet.

Tags: Essays, media, movies, opinion

Some people get it

A few weeks ago I spoke to a man who had become upset and confused by the accusations that somehow pan-Africans with albinism were responsible for the birth of the Arian race.

The man, who calls himself Remi, contacted me after continually reading the words of other pan-Africans that Blacks with albinism are the cause of White people being on the planet and ruining everything. He thought it was ludicrous when people used the phrase “Whites/albinos” to describe the actions of the Arian race. He read further and was horrified to read that phonies had actually written books with fake histories of how albinos were thrown out of our homes (all on the same day, I am guessing) in Africa went on a million year hike to the North, and bred ourselves to each other to breed a race of “White albino mutants.”

In Remi’s words, “The theory that the White race came out of African Albinos is pathetic and from the look of it, a lot of (people) do agree with that joke.” He went on to tell me that the Isis Papers is “a bloody pathetic science fiction from the round about head of a jobless somebody…, which I received in my mail, and I must confess it’s a waste of money from the look of it.”

He wanted to hear from an authentic albino voice so he went to my Golden Child site to get some real history and insight as to whom we are as a people. That’s when he contacted me and we started talking.

My new friend is right when he says that we (pan-Africans) find ways of blaming and attacking ourselves. He was right when he said we are sometimes our own worst enemy. We have found yet another way to divide ourselves while talking of unity. I have found this to be true many times when I join a group of so-called progressive Black people.

Not only do I find some Black social groups albinophobes, I find them to be homophobes, color struck and/or sexist. It turns me off in a big way.

Remi has people with albinism in his family and thinks that one or more of his children will be, “blessed” with albinism.

At least (and at last) somebody gets it. Thank you, Remi for your intelligent insight.

Maybe together we can spread the word that we are being force fed a pile of… well… something I don’t find very tasteful.

Tags: Essays, myth, opinion

The revolution has been televised

I have spent the almost the entire day watching the inauguration.

I woke up this morning and turned on the radio. Although it was only 6:00 my time it was several hours later in DC, my old stomping ground. I went back to sleep and dreamt I was there. I could hear the radio in my sleep so as the commentators were describing what was going on I dreamt myself right into the action.

When I finally woke up for real I turned on CNN so I could see what was going on. I was fascinated by the enthusiasm of the millions on the mall. That used to be my neighborhood in a way. I used to walk those streets and go into those buildings for my job.

A friend had invited me over to watch the swearing in. I would have been happy to sit right where I was but I knew this was something you wanted to share. So we spent a couple of hours together watching, discussing, giving each other tidbits of information and clapping at the good parts. Then I went back home to continue watching the parade.

Another friend called me and asked if she could come over. She wanted me to help her create something on my computer. Was she kidding? Today was not the day. Obviously a Republican or something.

I watched until it grew dark both where I live and in DC. I watched until the parade was over and the new First Family left for their night of inaugural balls. I wasn’t too interested in the parties. I finally took off my Obama T shirt and sat down to write this blog entry.

This is the beginning of a new era of enlightenment. Obama is not the cause of it. Obama is a small personificationof of a new consciousness going on in the world.

I must say, though, of all the beautiful things I saw today; by far the prettiest sight I beheld was the butt of that airplane flying off into the distance. Good riddance.

I may run out and grab a newspaper tomorrow but I don’t know. There will be plenty of books, magazines and DVDs to buy. I’ll think about it. Right now, I’m just going to sit back and smile.

Peace.

Tags: CNN, inauguration, Obama, President