←
III
→
Oppression: the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. Does this word make you feel some kind-a way when you see or hear it?  Do you cringe a lil bit knowing that oppression is part of your life somehow, but cant really express concretely what’s going on?  Thats how I felt at least.  But after reading this book, and the convergence of events in my life & the world lately, I realize that I know how to express the oppression that I experience, I just have to man (rather woman) up enough to say what I really feel.  Then once I say it, do something about it.  This book gave me the theory behind and language for oppression. Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire… I read this book, and did some background research and realized this is one of those books that has some extremely important information.  People have been killed just trying to read this book.  Freire examines the theory behind the relationship between oppressed people, and the oppressors.  The fact that the latter operate and live with their feet on our necks (and if necessary their guns to our backs). “People are fulfilled only to the extent that they create their world (which is a human world), and create it with their transforming labor… If for a person to be in the world of work is to be totally dependent, insecure, and permanently threatened, their work does not belong to them- the person can not be fulfilled.” (F. pg145)  We are not being allowed to be fully human.  Yes, slavery was abolished but we do not own ourselves; we serve a very elite group of people that are drunk with power and will do whatever they need to keep it. Friere explains the theory behind the relationship between the oppressed and the oppressors.  The tactics that oppressors use to control the minds and lives of the class that serves them.  Even down to the things we think we have control of, the victories we think we’ve won; unfortunately we have to realize that these things don’t belong to us. We’ve been stripped of and separated from our true identity, from the culture, beliefs and lifestyles of where we came from.  All we know is to strive for “success” from a view point that is not our own.  This internalizing of the oppressor leaves us conflicted, confused, and therefore weak and open to whatever they feed us. So now that we’ve established that we are oppressed (yes, you are oppressed, take it in and think about it), what are we gonna do about it?  Well, Malcolm said by any means necessary right?  There’s guns in the hood, lets just start taking back what’s ours right?! WRONG (Charlie Murphy voice)!  The road to revolution (yep, revolution) is one of education. “…the revolution undeniably has an educational nature, in the sense that unless it liberates it is not revolution.” (F. pg136)  A liberation, in the true, organic sense of the word, can not happen unless we realize our situation; realize whose responsible for it, and trust ourselves enough to holistically unite to make and take the steps to freedom. Friere emphasizes frequent dialogue among the people because from open, HONEST conversation comes the ideas, themes and reflection that generate the momentum for revolution.  What we have to understand to get to this point though, is that all the hate, divisiveness, mediocracy and bleakness that we allow to keep us thinking that we’re stuck is a ploy.  It is a myth that the way things are is the only way they can be.  It is not a myth, however, that we, if well intentioned and set on true equality, have the infinite power to make things right. Woo, that was a lot to say; and I realize that I may sound radical here.  But please just take a look at what is going on in Egypt right now.  There comes a time, whether you are ready or not, when things just have to change.  This book helped me uncover a lot about this world.  To get the true essence you must read Pedagogy of the Oppressed; there’s no way to sum up the light bulbs that kept going off above my head as I read.  We have a whole lot of fear to shed if we’re going to take ourselves back.  We just need to trust ourselves to lead ourselves.  And be realistic about the situation we are in, what we need, and how we are going to get it.  ”Down us but up us; they hate us but love us… (Whitfield, Cosmic Block)” they had the audacity to set us free, but they still own us.  We literally have nothing to loose, so what are we afraid of? 

Oppression: the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.

Does this word make you feel some kind-a way when you see or hear it?  Do you cringe a lil bit knowing that oppression is part of your life somehow, but cant really express concretely what’s going on?  Thats how I felt at least.  But after reading this book, and the convergence of events in my life & the world lately, I realize that I know how to express the oppression that I experience, I just have to man (rather woman) up enough to say what I really feel.  Then once I say it, do something about it.  This book gave me the theory behind and language for oppression.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire… I read this book, and did some background research and realized this is one of those books that has some extremely important information.  People have been killed just trying to read this book.  Freire examines the theory behind the relationship between oppressed people, and the oppressors.  The fact that the latter operate and live with their feet on our necks (and if necessary their guns to our backs).

“People are fulfilled only to the extent that they create their world (which is a human world), and create it with their transforming labor… If for a person to be in the world of work is to be totally dependent, insecure, and permanently threatened, their work does not belong to them- the person can not be fulfilled.” (F. pg145)  We are not being allowed to be fully human.  Yes, slavery was abolished but we do not own ourselves; we serve a very elite group of people that are drunk with power and will do whatever they need to keep it.

Friere explains the theory behind the relationship between the oppressed and the oppressors.  The tactics that oppressors use to control the minds and lives of the class that serves them.  Even down to the things we think we have control of, the victories we think we’ve won; unfortunately we have to realize that these things don’t belong to us.

We’ve been stripped of and separated from our true identity, from the culture, beliefs and lifestyles of where we came from.  All we know is to strive for “success” from a view point that is not our own.  This internalizing of the oppressor leaves us conflicted, confused, and therefore weak and open to whatever they feed us.

So now that we’ve established that we are oppressed (yes, you are oppressed, take it in and think about it), what are we gonna do about it?  Well, Malcolm said by any means necessary right?  There’s guns in the hood, lets just start taking back what’s ours right?! WRONG (Charlie Murphy voice)!  The road to revolution (yep, revolution) is one of education. “…the revolution undeniably has an educational nature, in the sense that unless it liberates it is not revolution.” (F. pg136)  A liberation, in the true, organic sense of the word, can not happen unless we realize our situation; realize whose responsible for it, and trust ourselves enough to holistically unite to make and take the steps to freedom.

Friere emphasizes frequent dialogue among the people because from open, HONEST conversation comes the ideas, themes and reflection that generate the momentum for revolution.  What we have to understand to get to this point though, is that all the hate, divisiveness, mediocracy and bleakness that we allow to keep us thinking that we’re stuck is a ploy.  It is a myth that the way things are is the only way they can be.  It is not a myth, however, that we, if well intentioned and set on true equality, have the infinite power to make things right.

Woo, that was a lot to say; and I realize that I may sound radical here.  But please just take a look at what is going on in Egypt right now.  There comes a time, whether you are ready or not, when things just have to change.  This book helped me uncover a lot about this world.  To get the true essence you must read Pedagogy of the Oppressed; there’s no way to sum up the light bulbs that kept going off above my head as I read.  We have a whole lot of fear to shed if we’re going to take ourselves back.  We just need to trust ourselves to lead ourselves.  And be realistic about the situation we are in, what we need, and how we are going to get it.  ”Down us but up us; they hate us but love us… (Whitfield, Cosmic Block)” they had the audacity to set us free, but they still own us.  We literally have nothing to loose, so what are we afraid of?