Absolute power creates absolute corruption. When a person is not held accountable, they take that freedom for granted and make others do what they want, and then penalize them (sometimes to the point of death) if they don't. When a person has power and others don't, without proper checks and balances, the person who has power will become corrupt. To fully understand this and the way of humans, we must look at the history of policing.This week, Dr. Venus goes in on slave patrollers in North America. What their purpose was, how they built their power into laws, and how our ancestors took a stand against them. In the present day, we see this clearly by the police knowing they have qualified immunity and the lack of accountability for their blatant abuse of power. But, what if at the source of all the killing - the problem ISN'T skin color, but absolute, unchecked power? Also, what needs to be created such that absolute power was a thing of the past? This is a deep one this week. Let's talk about it.
Key Takeaways:
[2:23] In order to know themselves as powerful, those with the most control often minimize humanity. Which is ironic, because oftentimes they got in the position of power in the first place because they were good with people.
[7:43] Dr. Venus shares how organized slave patrols served as a function to police slaves, especially the "ornery" and "defiant" ones. That means the ones who stood up for themselves and their rights.
The only reason we needed a slave patron is because we were fighting back and standing for ourselves. History makes us sound and weak and gullible, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The truth is that we fought.
[8:11] Knowledge is power, and it's important to know the real history of where slave patrons originated, and what exactly they did. Slave patrols were first established in South Carolina in 1704, they had absolute control over Black bodies, and the laws made sure this was upheld and protected.
[12:23] Slave patrols were designed to "help" White people, and the laws written gave them the absolute power to do anything to the Black body to keep the White people safe. This includes monitoring, controlling, terrorizing, and maiming the Black body.
[14:21] If we look at the nature of human beings in different countries, we see the same breakdown of absolute power. Absolute power is unchecked power. It corrupts people, and it changes them.
[19:21] Dr. Venus breaks down the power and control dynamic between abusive relationships and pimps. It becomes so unchecked that they have absolute power over another person, and it turns into a form of damaging corruption. For the pimps and the abusers, their victims feel as though they need them and they are nothing without them. They are disconnected to humanity and see their power as a way of enforcing their rules.
[25:07] We are dealing with the very nature of what it means to be a human being when we look at what happens when someone gets absolute control. If something is left unchecked, the controller will dehumanize other people in order to know itself as powerful - whether it's a pimp, slave patrol, or domestic abuser.
[29:45] As a human being, without accountability we default into selfishness.
[30:14] What if we can be a human that is being, instead of a human being?
[31:12] Dr. Venus's tech platform is creating a space for Black Women that are healed and who love themselves, and that is the real power. Real power comes from not controlling others, but being able to lift them up and create structures that help everybody win.
[35:06] Ask yourself - where are you using your power to dominate and control? Where are you giving your power away? Where are you contending with power?
Quotes:
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