Commentary: Be Yourself But Hate Yourself: Willie Lynch Syndrome Exposed

By Kevon Cottrell

“There is blood on the leaves / We are being deceived / Perceiving this as reality / While we’re seen as fruit / Hanging from a forbidden tree / I’m questioning the story of Christianity / Because the garden of Eden has a stench of curiosity / Commonly seen in the culture of white supremacy.” Ifetayo Al-Din’s poem speaks volumes, addressing the third eye and the awakened consciousness.

Al-Din then ends the poem with powerful lines that inspired me, “It’s hard to understand the state of this nation / Without our story / This pain has been hanging over our head’s for far too long / A Willie Lynch letter story.”

Mental slavery is a subliminal tactic used to keep Africans in America in psychological chains for generations. In 1712, Willie Lynch prophesied this method of control that would push an inferior mentality on the enslaved and eliminate the strength in numbers that unity provided Africans in America. Lynch stated that the correct use of his methods would control these Africans in America for 300 years or more.

We can see that has come to fruition with the help of media today. What has not been fully addressed is whether the press deliberately support the white supremacist agenda or whether media’s participation transformed into something less intentional, but equally dangerous.

For example, in the music industry, they search for psychologically unstable black youth in struggling neighborhoods and create stars. Given the backgrounds of the new stars, they’re more likely to have troubled pasts, and the industry revels in this. These created stars now appeal to youth across America in similar situations. Their songs perpetuate violence and bring allure to self-destruction for their troubled young listeners. Artists like Chief Keef cause our generation to give into assimilation, think irrationally, and hate each other.

This is how America is making sure that the prophecy of Willie Lynch does not die.