FRANCES CRESS WELSING, ISIS ASCENDANT: TEACHING SELF-RESPECT, REASONING AND RESISTANCE Los Angeles Sentinel, 01-14-16, p. A6 DR.

HE PASSING OF Dr. Frances Cress Welsing Indeed, it is a constant quest for the answer to an T (1935-2016) calls on us to pause and pay unescapable question: what is the etiology, the rightful homage to her—this accomplished and ultimate source, of White peoples’ unprovoked committed psychiatrist, activist-intellectual, au- hatred, hostility, violence and domination di- thor, way-opener and African woman of great rected so ruthlessly and irrationally toward weight and worth in the world. She audaciously Black people and other people of color? and defiantly inserted herself in the annals of Borrowing from Neely Fuller’s work, psychiatry and behavioral science and in the re- Textbook for Victims of , she sistance discourse of Black people with her con- focuses on White supremacy as the “only func- troversial and influential “The Cress Theory of tional in the known universe”. She rea- Color-Confrontation and Racism (White Su- soned it is this globalized system of behavior premacy)”. And she would, amidst continued and practice which opens the way to discovering consternation from some and increasing admira- the source of Whites’ behavior toward peoples tion from others, dare to extend and deepen dis- of color. Moreover, Cress Welsing agrees with cussion of this provocative theory in her major and cites W.E.B. DuBois’ contention that “the work The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors. problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem She chose Isis as the divine, moral and social of the color line”. And she argues that the prob- image and ideal for the title of her major work. lem requires “an adequate analysis of the nature We praise her, then, as Isis Ascendant, herself, of the color line, the exact nature of local and moulder and maker of men, women and chil- global racism”, White supremacy. Thus, she dren, restorer, protector and preserver of the urges an “ever-increasing understanding of the people; she who “admires truth and justice and behavioral phenomenon of white supremacy as a made justice stronger than gold and silver”, as global terroristic power system”. She noted that she states in her preface. “as a psychiatrist, my thinking tended to focus Through her writing and her professional on what possible motivational force, operative at practice, lectures, interviews and debates, she both the individual and group levels, could ac- enriched and expanded our discussion, moving it count for and explain the evolution of these pat- beyond victim analysis and pioneering a bold terns of social behavioral practice seemingly initiative of psycho-analyzing the oppressor and functional in all areas of human activity (eco- his disorder and deficiencies. And she chal- nomics, education, entertainment, labor, law, lenged us to think calmly and rationally, develop politics, religion, sex and war)”. a deep self-respect and engage in serious and Cress Welsing reasoned that the drive for sustained resistance against this psychological White supremacy, like “any neurotic drive for and social disorder which is one of the world’s superiority and supremacy is founded upon a most persistent and pervasive problems, racism, deep and pervading sense of inadequacy and i.e., White supremacy. inferiority”. Moreover, she contended that this Dr. Cress Welsing enters the progressive profound sense of deficiency is rooted in and radical Black intellectual tradition, then, Whites’ realization that the “quality of whiteness reversing the customary order of psychiatric is indeed a genetic inadequacy or a relative defi- study, turning the focus of diagnosis, prognosis ciency, state or disease based upon the genetic and prescription for an identified pathology on inability to produce the skin pigments of mela- the oppressor rather than the oppressed, on the nin which are responsible for all skin colora- victimizer rather than the victims. It is part of tion”. Given that the majority of peoples of the the project of the continuing search Black people world are people of color, Whites, she main- have engaged in since meeting . tains, have this deep fear of genetic annihilation. FRANCES CRESS WELSING, ISIS ASCENDANT: TEACHING SELF-RESPECT, REASONING AND RESISTANCE Los Angeles Sentinel, 01-14-16, p. A6 DR. MAULANA KARENGA

Thus, Whites have “an uncontrollable sense of and relentless struggle to secure free space in hostility and aggression developed defensively which we can develop and flourish. Thus, she which has continued to manifest itself through- says, we must: “get over fear; learn and under- out the entire historical epoch of mass confronta- stand what is happening; begin thinking (deep); tion of whites with non-whites” or people of start getting quiet so you can think; begin ana- color. Here Cress Welsing contends, “racism is a lyzing and planning; learn the meaning and behavioral system for survival of white people” practice of deep self-respect” and engage in “the as well as a drive to dominate. ultimate organizing of all of the appropriate be- Although she had early identified melanin havior necessary to neutralize the great injustice as a key concept in her theoretical framework of the white supremacy power system” and bring for understanding White supremacy, she realized “justice and peace to planet Earth” (emphasis that it was racism, itself, in all its manifestations mine). that had to be confronted, resisted and destroyed. Dr. Cress Welsing advises us that we must Therefore, in an interview, she states “If I had develop and direct our lives toward “the ultimate my way, there wouldn’t be all the discussion goal of liberation and justice”. Therefore, what about melanin. I would say ‘discuss white su- we do in life must be evaluated by whether a premacy’ ”. Again, then, it is racism, White su- given pattern of behavior detracts from or en- premacy as violent imposition, ideology and hances our struggle for total liberation. She institutional arrangement that must be engaged states, “if the behavior detracts from the long- and defeated. range objective, it must be eliminated. If the be- She saw our oppression as “open warfare havior enhances the achievement of the ultimate being waged against the Black collective”, a war goal, it must be reinforced among the people”. which is genocidal in its intention and impact. ike our foremother, Anna Julia Cooper, Dr. And though we might argue about its intention, LCress Welsing teaches and tells us repeated- history and daily life document its disruptive, ly, our struggle is a “joint struggle” with Black disabling, devastating and ongoing impact. Fo- male and Black female. There is no single sex or cusing on the struggle in Ferguson, Dr. Cress gender liberation. Liberation is a collective con- Welsing reaffirms, in the face of post-racial fan- cept and practice which raises up and pushes tasies, the ongoing and aggressive character of forward each and all of us. “When both Black racism, asserting that “all the issues that are in male and Black female take up the struggle for Ferguson are related to racism/white suprema- justice against white supremacy, they are en- cy”, especially the constant killing of Black dowed with the strongest possible (e)nsurance males and creating “living death” in various that they will be united” and succeed, she says. ways. For “they are united in a common effort against She counsels us to remember we are Afri- injustice and simultaneously they express the cans and the standards of excellence this identity strongest possible statement about respect and obligates and encourages us to honor. “Black love for themselves as individuals”. And “they people have to get in their mind frame that confer on themselves the highest possible val- ‘Black’ means dignity and being serious, that ue”—by self-consciously and cooperatively people respect each other” and that “the strength winning and building the quality relationships of Black people (is) valuing themselves, respect- and the ever expanding realm of human free- ing themselves and having dignity”. And as we dom, health, well-being and flourishing they say in Kawaida, we must engage in righteous want and deserve.

Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of ; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCultural Center-LA.org; www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org.