Summary of the July 1, 2011 Mental Health Peer Group to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy

Summary of the July 1, 2011 Session of the Pan African Mental Health Peer Group to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy.

Shorty after 7pm on Friday, July 1, the session of the Pan African Mental Health Peer Group to Recover from White Supremacy began with Ptah Allah El Mitchell as the facilitator. Ptah, also a gourmet chef, was in the kitchen preparing baked fish and chicken. Brother C came early and was soon joined by Sister K, Brother J and Brother X for a total of five people. Brother X and Ptah noted they were not after quantity but quality, also we are looking for people who will become facilitators and organize groups in their community.

Following the format outlined in Dr. M's text How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, Ptah began the meeting with a call and response reading of X's poem What If, a pantheistic expansion of the Sufi idea that we are in God and God is in us, that God is in all things. The poem attempts to break the mythological addiction to religiosity as it strives to have us recognize the spirit of God is in all things.

All is God

God is All
God is the people
God is the cow
God is the horse

God is the tree
God is the river
God is the fish
God is the child
God is the youth
God is the old people
God is the poor
God is the rich
God is the hungry
God is the sick
God is the dope fiend
God is the alcoholic
God is the sinner
No God but God
What if what if what if
There is no God but God
What if God is the captive you won’t liberate
The child you won’t love
The mama you hate
The daddy you hate
What if there is No God but God
What if God is the fear
You won’t release
God is the pain you won’t release
God is the love you won’t release
God is the tears you won’t cry
God is the lies you tell
God is the mountain you won’t climb
God is the success you won’t try
God is the beauty you don’t see
God is time
Running out the hourglass
God is the body you refuse to heal
God is the mind you refuse to feed
What if what if what if

What if God is ready when you ain’t ready
What if God is ready when you get ready

What if what if what if
What if there is no God but God
What if God is the forgiveness you won’t give
What if God is the denial you drown in like a hog in slop
What if what if what if
What if God is the peace in your house

The love in your life
The joy on your face
The happiness in your heart
The thankfulness of your smile
What if there is NO God but God
What if my life and my death are all for God
Not for woman, not for man
Not over a woman, not over a man
Life and death are all for God
What if what if what if
What if I grieve for nothing
Because God is everything
Whatever God wants I want
Whatever God don’t want I don’t want

Whatever God has I have
Whatever God don’t have I don’t want
What if what if what if
There is No God but God.
--Dr. Marvin

Below is an expanded version of the poem,recited at a concert in Berkeley with living legend Ghasem and his band.