The Dis-Ease of Racism: MONKEYpox?

Monkey Business From The Original Monkey Man

WHO?

Monkeypox has changed its name. Rarely do I start a column with an interjection, but I suppose there is a first time for everything; though there is nothing new under the sun. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Particularly to the disaffected.

Two days ago, World Health Organization (aka WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus “has determined that the upsurge of “Mpox” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).

Dr. Tedros’s declaration came on the advice of an IHR Emergency Committee of independent experts who met earlier in the day to review data presented by experts from WHO and affected countries. The Committee informed the Director-General that it considers the upsurge of “Mpox” to be a PHEIC, with potential to spread further across countries in Africa and possibly outside the continent.”

Before we get down to the monkey business of Monkeypox, and thus the title of this treatise, we must first explore some monkey language. That is no monkey shine, and I am not monkeying around. I apologize (not) should I appear to be monkeyish.

Perhaps it is my nature, or yours.

Monkeys are found on five of the seven continents; the four largest, including the isthmus of Central America. Monkeys are found in Japan, Borneo and Spain. Brazil has the highest population of monkeys and the highest diversity of primates. Somehow, and surely through some strange cosmic machination Africa and, thusly, black people are always associated with monkeys. How quaint.

There was a popular "novelty" dance in the early 1960's called the The Monkey. What is now known as "R&B,” used to be known as "Race Records." During this time R&B artist Major Lance had a hit song named "Monkey Time." Within months, R&B act The Miracles had a hit song named "Mickey's Monkey." In homage, I have played both songs whilst dancing The Monkey simultaneously staring at a photograph of Michael Jackson and his chimp pal "Bubbles.” Are you laughing yet? I hope not, because this is not, even remotely, meant to be funny.

Be mindful what was happening at that time in terms of the so-called civil rights movement. While you are doing that, understand that the producers, managers, record companies and anyone else that green-lit a musical act was entirely European-American (white) with the exception of Motown’s Berry Gordy and he was neutered because he, ultimately, had to rely on Europeans for airplay. The radio station owners were "lily" white and had the power to advance musical themes. Anyone that has managed to get this far in this column without laughing and has read this far possesses the intelligence to comprehend what is about to go down, here. As for madmen and idiots, I am not interested in their audience. If you are reading this it is because you are supposed to be.

If it weren't so tragic, it would be funny.

There were two main reasons that my Alkebulanian ancestors were forbidden to speak in their native tongues as well as learn to read and write a language that was alien to them. The two reasons were both strategic and tactical. The first reason was that the languages were complex and ranged from Arabic to Swahili. There was Somali, Berber, Amharic, Oromo, Igbo, Hausa, Manding, Fulani, Yoruba and others. The sounds and phonetic structure of these languages were beyond the comprehension and linguistic capacity of the Europeans. It would be extremely dangerous for these Alkebulanians to communicate in a manner that the European was incapable of understanding given what he had done, was doing, and continues to do to them.

The second reason is as simple as the first (perhaps more so) and that is the universal fact that knowledge and information is a weapon. This was peculiar to only the Alkebulanians kidnapped and brutalized. Even my Original American (so-called Native American) ancestors were taught to read and write English. Though, granted, they had no desire to for the most part which is why their languages did not disappear from them entirely; but their condition and circumstances were very different than that of the enslaved Alkebulanian in a plethora of ways.

The AIDS virus invaded the planet in the early 1980's. Since that time, it has killed tens of millions of people. AIDS allegedly came from monkeys in Alkebulan (aka Africa). AIDS caused a great deal of public fear and panic. The Ebola virus invaded the planet a few years ago. It killed thousands of people. Ebola allegedly came from fruit-bats in Alkebulan (aka Africa). Whenever I think of Ebola, I think of the wood ebony. Perhaps I am just overcome by the Black Plague of "Ebonics.”

News coverage was wall-to-wall. Yet, there were a paltry 11 cases in the United States, two people died. Ironically, both victims were Black People in the United States and medical doctors. The Ebola virus caused a great deal of public fear and panic. The Black Plague (no, the other one) came from Alkebulan according to scientists reviewing "both genetics and circumstantial historical accounts although the dating of its arrival remains to be confirmed.” The Black Plague was also known as the Black Death and the Bubonic Plague. I wonder if bubonic is a close relative to Ebonics; one never knows.

I wish it were humanly possible for me to make this shit up.

The Spanish flu virus struck from 1918 to 1920. It is estimated that the Spanish flu killed almost 20 million people. However, the "Spanish" flu came from the United States according to most scientists and epidemiologists. The Covid Virus invaded the planet four years ago. It continues its invasion; mutating and morphing from time to time.

Covid, like Bird Flu and SARS, allegedly comes from China because Chinese people eat bats (good grief). Covid alone has killed millions of people. Oddly enough, the country with the most deaths per capita and managed the pandemic the poorest is the United States. Black People in the United States suffered a disproportionate level of mortality, of course. The Covid virus, or the pathetic response to it, caused an unprecedented level of fear and panic. It disrupted the national economy in ways that may never be repaired and caused societal consequences that will last for generations.

Now we have Monkeypox which, quite naturally, comes from “Africa.” Yep, Monkeypox. Monkeypox is sure to cause fear and panic. That is certainly unfortunate given that the United States continues reeling from the devastation of Covid, staring at an economic meltdown, domestic chaos and a world on the brink of massive conflict. The timing couldn't be worse, could it? Too bad, here cometh yet another malady from some non-palefaces to victimize the innocent U.S population.

Aside from outright murder and genocide of both my Alkebulanian and Original American ancestors, many millions of them died due to diseases that the Europeans carried. Some of those diseases had names, some did not; many of them sexually transmitted. Throw in rape and you get a bunch of dead folks. But one thing is most certain and that is the European takes no ownership, in either name, deed nor origin.

When European-Americans look so ever wistfully at their wig-wearing founding fathers, I wonder if they know that there was a reason those dudes were wearing wigs (aside from some Hooveresque tendencies). They were wearing wigs because they were infested with syphilis, which caused their hair to fall out. By the time I graduated from high school, I had taken three years of German and several years of Latin. Knowing the value of deciphering the code, I demanded that my youngest child who is a recent college graduate that I raised entirely alone, take three years of Latin in high school.

However, she one-upped me, because she took a year of Swahili in her Junior year of college. I admire the brat for that and am very pleased that she truly understands the weapon of language. She knows how to use it and she knows when she is getting hit with it. If I could do one thing for Black People in the United States it would be to get them to have this same understanding. For, if they did, the landscape would immediately change.

Just like the dance, the songs, the derisive colloquialisms and the national imagery, Monkeypox descends at a time when Black People in the United States are being attacked and vilified beyond the normal. And just like it was not a coincidence then, it is not a coincidence now. It is also very, very politically convenient in terms of subliminal cueing, fear and public distraction. The unstupid better be wondering, and I am sure they are, what is really going on? I trust we will soon see. Hopefully, you know what just happened to you.

With a distracted, non-thinking and mostly illiterate public, combined with a relentless "news cycle" that has been monetized, it is an incredible challenge to be ahead of anything. The here today, gone tomorrow cesspool of media lunacy is truly distressing for the few in this society who are able to think and have been trained to do so. As one swims through the whirlpool of journalistic fecal matter masquerading as news, along with that which is truly significant, journalistic vertigo ensues. It must, which is the purpose.

Today, it is some weird politician making "news" because of his dysfunctional marriage, tomorrow it is North Korea conducting another live nuclear test. Today, it is the dysfunctional spouse of the aforementioned politician claiming victimization, tomorrow dozens will die in a school shooting, at a grocery store shooting or god knows where else. God does know, doesn't she?

The point is, it is difficult to sift through the relentless deluge of media excrement and address the substantive issues and be timely, let alone get ahead of them; to be a pioneer, so to speak. I will, undoubtedly, have a number of people tell me that I am an outlier. That I am "reading things into things" (which is part and parcel of what intelligent people are supposed to do). Most of my detractors, unsurprisingly, are European-Americans. Perhaps I am guilty of "reading things into things.” But, apparently, a whole lot of other folks have been reading stuff too, which is why the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to change Monkeypox's name.

I am the worst nightmare to many Europeans, the original cave dwelling, disease riddled Monkey Men. I am a Black Man in the United States educated and trained by them that remains Black. I go into debate knowing that the first thing that will be attacked is my credibility and personhood. 

So, through these decades, I continue to refine the art and ability to approach debate under the assumption that I have no personhood, that I have no humanity, that I have no credibility. That leaves, particularly when engaging the European, only undisputed facts in which I clothe myself. The facts will either mandate a confession from the defendant, or relegate them to silence; aka “fifth-amendment privilege.” I am satiated with either they choose. I may be an outlier just monkeying-around, but I am a formidable and pioneering one.