International Journalist, Pan-Africanist Leader, Mathematician, Global Mental Health Leader, and Civil Rights Leader, Gabrielle Alexandra Smith journies to Netherland to discuss the injustice and white supremacy issues running rapidly throughout the world.
“In this time period, we as the world are getting answers and going places. Do not believe me? I went all around the world in my dorm and discovered true answers and blatant untrue stories.”
“History was not all accurate or not all the way a lie.
What I learned in the history class somewhat mentally carried me, but when I got to the Netherlands. I was wrong.”
“Every place outside the United States I went, I carried America on my back and shoulders, but when I got to the Netherlands, I dropped them off.”
Our conversation went like this:
GAS: Most of the prolific black figures in my race are not even given a National Holiday. They cannot even get on a dollar bill. There should not be a debate. Their statues are not even their real height. They are lowered to a shortened height. For example, Malcolm X. There are so many people who were risk-takers like the two brothers in this film in my history.
We do learn about them. . . you know what it is 2019 I am going, to be honest.
We do not learn accurately about them in my history. You have black people growing up not knowing their own history.
You have people of my generation trying to talk about black history but go off the stereotype of historical black people supposedly preaching to hate white people. Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr. never said to hate white people. They wanted equality. I do not hate any race. I love it all. It got miscued very heavily. We only get one month. Is it not even a month, but only 28 days? They gave us the shortest month of the year. Is this fair?
Sytze: No. But I also know people here in Western Europe do not know their histories very well. But you have been denied your history. That is something of a different dimension.
GAS: We were told that we were stupid and not smart. But to be powerful? Makes it worse.
Sytze: And you all are still told the same. . . But I see some glimmers of hope since the midterm. I see some people standing up and rediscovering they have a spine. It is sort of a fighter spirit. I am happier than I was a year ago.
