The Gantt Report, by Lucius Gantt
Once upon a time, long, long ago, millions of Black sheep were stolen from their Motherland homeland, shackled and shipped to work in American pastures.
From sun up to sun down, the Black sheep worked to enrich every person that “owned” them. If they didn’t produce in an amount that pleased their captors, the Black sheep were whipped, beaten, raped and hung. Sheep families were separated and sold to the highest bidders.
It was hard out there in the pasture for the Black sheep. They were not treated the same as the pale faced white sheep.
But the Black sheep survived. They had to stick together, live together and help each other.
The Black sheep felt safe in the Black sheep pasture. That was the only place in their new world where they could worship, learn, laugh and play.
But, you know, that was not enough for some Black sheep. Some of them longed to be like the white sheep. Black sheep freedom and white sheep freedom was two very different things.
The Black sheep were not welcome in the white sheep pasture. They were ostracized, they were exploited, denigrated, disrespected and, oftentimes, denied!
The Black sheep loved their brothers and sisters that wandered away from their own pasture to be with sheep that really didn’t want to be with them. They wanted the “lost” Black sheep to come on back home.
It is dangerous when Black sheep run away and become led astray. They face resentment and physical attacks sometimes by sheep and by bloody-jawed wolves that wear wool outfits (sheep’s clothing).
Sheep are not natural born fighters. However, there is an African proverb that says, “An army of sheep, led by a lion can easily protect themselves from an army of lions led by a sheep!”
The defender and protector of the sheep is the shepherd. Everybody will wear wool sweaters and eat lamb chops if the sheep decide not to listen to and take security advice from the shepherd.
The Black sheep in the pasture, the Black sheep in the projects, the Black sheep in the gentrified Black neighborhoods and the Black sheep chasing their white dreams in the white pastures and neighborhoods all need attention and advice from the shepherd that loves them.
The Black shepherd will protect and serve the Black sheep and it does not matter what political party the Black sheep prefers.
How will the Black sheep know when the shepherd is among them? Well, it is a pretty sad Black sheep that can’t recognize the voice of the shepherd!
The sheep know very well that the shepherd is not on CNN, FOX or MSNBC because freedom fighters don’t get jobs on network news shows.
You, and the Black sheep, can find the modern-day, 2020 shepherds in Black and African communities. The shepherds are in the streets, they patronize the Black businesses, they stand up for Black causes and they speak out on issues of importance and concern to Black sheep and other Blacks.
Yes, the Black sheep can wander and roam around in “Candyland” with sheep catchers and sheep patrols but if the sheep want to progress and live respectfully, they have to unite in the pasture!
Lucius is a contributing columnist to NNPA newspapers around the nation, and the author of “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” available on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere.