Communities On Code
In the past few weeks, I’ve mentioned multiple times that when dealing with an empire, one must be on code. That means communities, parents, and kids. I often reference one of my favorite articles from A.A. Akom where he discussed oppositional culture on involuntary immigrants. In short, there was a group of girls that was part of the Nation of Islam that pushed back on everything at their school while still getting some of the highest grades in the building. These girls knew who they were and what role that particular school played in their lives. These young Black girls were “On Code”.
This is important because these little girls knew something that most act like they do not know, the United States is an empire. I say that with no judgment, just facts. As someone that studies empires, it is pretty obvious. One of the most important things to know about empires is that their schools’ jobs aren’t to educate, it is to indoctrinate. This makes being on code all the more important. You cannot show up with a great checkers strategy for chess.
As I have been watching all of these misdirection spats on Critical Race Theory (CRT) led by the likes of uber conservatives and Fox News, this talk of being on code has come back up for me. CRT has never been the official curriculum to my knowledge yet it has become the 2021 version of the boogeyman to conservative America.
When you are on code, you are a critical thinker. You ask different questions. Why is something that has never actually been applied in American classrooms en masse all of a sudden under attack? Who is leading this charge? Why?
To me, it is clear. It is a rallying cry for folks that want to keep America how it has always been. Meaning teaching us history where Columbus is heralded and Mansa Musa is never mentioned. It means softening language around slavery but never exploring just how we came to expand the United States to the west.
Here are a few fast tips for raising kids and communities on code:
Know thyself. To the best of your ability, learn your own history outside of the school walls. As a Black man, this has been difficult for me but it matters. Breakthrough and read things that you’ll never ever find in a textbook.
Think critically. What is to be gained for this country by only discussing MLK on a superficial level and acting as if he was loved by all? Really think about it. If your school mentions his “I Have a Dream” speech without exploring King’s pondering of whether he was integrating his people into a burning building, then I call shenanigans, son.
What is the goal for your child/you at their school? Meaning, being clear that everything this school teaches ain’t necessarily the truth. It means assessing what the school does well and what it does poorly and finding ways to supplement. Not just for purposes of a good grade, but for your own humanity.
Know your “code” so you don’t react to everything irritating thing that happens. I truly think that the deep right is using this attack on CRT as a strategy. I think this strategy is a way to rally white folks across the country that may feel disenfranchised or left out. I think it is a dog whistle to them that Black and Brown folks are coming to rewrite history in which they all are the bad guy. I think it is a strategy to hold up Black and Brown media in a way that they are constantly put on defense. It is time to play offense.
Talk to your kids. Talk to your community. You are not crazy. These schools are inadequate. White people used to own Black people. California and Texas were part of Mexico. Natives were slaughtered. America is an empire. It is what it is. No, we do not plan on leaving en masse, especially since it was built off a ton of free labor from people that look like us. I do not hate America. I enjoy my freedoms. There are still injustices here that need to be rectified. Literacy growth was largest for Black folks right after slavery ended when our collective wealth was not large but our will was and is golden.
I’ll add to this later. In the meantime, join in this very conversation on our podcast, Common Grounds for Self Determination every Friday at 3PM PT.
