I understand what you mean, often times when I started researching and got into this whole online sphere involving refuting and debunking a lot of the mainstream non-sense, I felt as though it was all just mental masturbation and pointless impractical overthinking, doing this with no real tangible reward in real life.
I mean sure learning about this REAL HISTORY AND THE REAL FACTS is great and all and can give you a temporal SUPERFICIAL feeling of pride and satisfaction, but what is the point of it all IF IT IS NOT SPURRING YOU TO TAKE DIRECT ACTION IN REAL LIFE TO CHANGE YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIFE AND AFFECT THOSE AROUND YOU? What is the point of spending energy on it, if it's not actually changing anything in the real world fast enough or not at all? What is the point of doing all this if it's not actually moving you forward at all or those around you?
What is the point of it all, IF PEOPLE ARE NOT USING THE RESULTS OF YOUR WORK AND RESEARCH TO CAUSE A SHIFT IN THE GENERAL MINDSET OF THE POPULATION?
Thinking about all this research and all the argumentation repeatedly, made me feel as though I was some sort of a junkie feeling temporarily satisfied about dicovering or figuring out something novel and getting that dopamine rush, like after you ate some dessert at a good place or winning some video game. However it did not fully cause a giant shift in my own personal life and did not fully change my subconscious conditioning and thinking immediately. And that is to be expected and I don't mind it!
So the best response and advice I can give you in response to this question, is that do not substitute this online research and true history uncovering movement, as some sort of replacement and temporary bandage solution for some sort of a revolutionary change in any part of your life that seems lacking or missing or low or inadequate...
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You make some good points, to which I would add:
1) Every culture project has natural limits as to what you can use or can't use
in the current era. Its the nature of the beast. Plenty of Europeans like to do history
and they fund multi-million dollar museums etc. Its all in the past, and much of it
as far as application now, has limits. That is a universal problem with any history
culture project.
2) Everything you say about applying it- can also be said of European culture
projects. There are thousands of white people for example obsessed with the
Civil War. But how does that translate into real life application? The standard
reply is that learning about heritage is good in its own right, etc, self-esteem
etc etc. OK, well all of that also applies to Black culture projects. So don't let
anyone tell you that Black culture projects are some sort of special case of time
wasted etc..
3) You insinuate the info is not being used. This is not so at all and shows you are unfamiliar
with what is going on, and has been going on for the last 15 years on ES and associated sites.
How is it being used:
--Raising the level of knowledge out there about African bio-cultural history. Just the
large amount of Wiki articles out there with better info, not to mention, books, articles,
blogs etc are examples
--Putting the level of understanding on a more credible basis rather than fake memes and
shaky "ghetto" scholarship, or mystical "spook" memes
--Effectively defending African people and culture against the 24/7 racist propaganda
online and offline
--Taking the battle direct to racists or distorted racial narratives and hitting them hard.
See the many fights over the years by ES folk, using different names, but recognizably ES
people- directly hammering assorted racists on websites far and wide. And they have all
used, or are using the data we have compiled on Reloaded or on ES. And its not only
interactive websites they hit but Amazon book reviews, etc.
--Providing resource base for the above. Info that would have remained buried in obscure
academic journals, or textbooks is now easily available at the fingertips worldwide - and
its CREDIBLE info, not merely somebody venting their own personal rant. We can now easily
spot white right-wing or left-wing BS very quickly and can aggressively respond. I wish
I had had this info 30 years ago. All I had back then was older books thru my local library
or occasional books from "conscious" black bookshops- some of which was off I know now,
but still had value for its time.
--Using this knowledge to teach the younger generation which I am sure many serious people,
call them "conscious" or just call them informed or whatever, have been doing.
--Personal benefit? Speaking only for myself- its had value. I think now on a different
plane than I thought before. I want evidence- I want logic. I no longer accept easy
propaganda. I now know that various authors and people and media narratives and stories
I had put my trust in were wrong, were fake. As my knowledge base has expanded, I am more
skeptical, more able to think for myself, able to analyze better, better informed, mentally
tougher, more confident. And you also find out how much you DON't know, and that the wisdom
of the ages has value- just like the old heads said it did, but you never really grasped what
they were talking about. Now I am beginning to understand. That's solid intellectual growth.
Not saying of course that this area is solely responsible- far from it- but it has opened my
eyes to a lot of things.
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4)Re changing mindsets- it will only be done a bit at a time. There will be no instant results.
Mindsets are tricky. SOme people will not change no matter how much logic or evidence you use.
They are write-offs. Some people think they know everything already- "Yeah, yeah, we already
know this black history stuff" is a favorite line of the young, when they are woefully ignant.
I've seen black history classes where the white students in attendance were more serious paid
more attention than the blacks who were distracting and disrupting.
You also have a variety of competing mindsets. Some are racist, some are into mystical stuff,
some into black supremacist, some into white supremacism, some into lukewarm indifference,
some into only what th media feeds them. Which mindset is the right one? That is a big question
that touches on philosophy and faith. Too big for what is going on this site which is only a
tiny slice of things.
5) Can time spent on this stuff hinder real life? Yes indeed, it can if you let it. Things have
changed some over the years, from when you had plenty of enemies coming to do battle. They have
been defeated on several counts so now they have changed tactics. Now they often avoid substantial
debate and have retreated into their own propaganda forums where they can spout distortions and lies
without fear of contradiction. Another avoidance trend is the use of snark, troll bait and race bait
as a way to avoid any serious discussion, a particular favorite of the "alt-right." Post some NIg&%^%a
memes or tweets and you can create a tempest in a teapot, and divert attention pretty quick.
Part of the intellectual growth process described above is that you can more easily spot propaganda,
lies and distortion. And its never-ending. You can spend 24/7 and you can;t stop the flow
of sewage. Its like trying to empty a full toilet with a teaspoon. Mo sh*&%* keeps constantly coming.
So sure, people can get into a battle mentality all the time, but one has to keep things in balance.
6) People should be willing to adjust their thinking and be open to other points of view,
and better evidence or data, etc. The "white people as albino" argument for example has
several huge holes, pointed out for years, and they are still there.
But anyway to back to my question to Mellomusings, or anyone else who wants to chip in:
What would be some SPECIFIC examples of building and expanding on the legacy?