I’m going to start this off with a fluff, half-assed definition of hotep from Urbandictionary.com:
The irony is that these folks are nothing but fluff fodder. There’s nothing real or credible about the (mainly) nonsense that they spout. So, maybe an Urbandictionary definition is fitting. But again, it’s just a frame of reference.
I digress.
My rant and recent disdain for this group of folks stem from a brief fwb-ship I had with a man who I initially thought was super smart and conscious (in a good way) of the injustices that shape Black life in the United States (and across the Diaspora, for that matter). Relatively soon into our situation (I don’t even know what to call it), I discovered that he was a misguided soul, seeking some sort of deeper knowledge and understanding. And, to put it plainly: a hotep nigga.
It started with comments about white people being devils. Though I challenged this extreme way of thinking, I naïvely chalked it up to him pontificating on the devil that is white supremacy. Boy, was I wrong.
It progressed to him sending me bizarre (in my opinion) and misogynistic videos of “lectures” from the likes of Umar Johnson and Bobby Hemmitt — the latter of whom he referred to as his “spiritual father”. My challenge of the content was for naught.
But keeping it all the way real, the brother was fine, and we just had a casual relationship. So, I wasn’t overly concerned with his misguided & weird social thought. I am a college instructor by trade, and folks, my time spent with him was off the clock. Meaning that I was not interested in spending time enlightening him and setting him straight. Should that have been my agenda? Perhaps. But, no.
Nevertheless.
Our conversations got increasingly weird and homophobic. He brought up a strange conspiracy theory rife with a homophobic hotep trope about Black actors in Hollywood only becoming A-list after either playing effeminate roles, or having sex with other men.
That really should’ve been my cue to exit left, but the straw that finally broke the camel’s back was him bringing up the hotep favorite documentary “Hidden Colors” and the hotep queen, Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing (and her bullshit book the Isis Papers). I immediately shut that nonsense down.
Ironically, I had a copy of the Isis Papers (back from when I was an impressionable undergraduate) that I told him he could have (because it littered my library). I gave him the book, we had a chill and enjoyable evening together.
Then, that following Monday, I got the most bizarre text (out of nowhere).
Like what the fuck?
A bit of background. I am a biracial Black woman. Dad is Black, mom is white. My social philosophy and metaphysical reality are rooted in Black consciousness and power. He knew that. However, that notwithstanding, his comment was clearly a low-blow dig at my racial makeup.
Yo.
That pretty much ended my involvement with him. It really forced me to pause and reflect on the parts that created this bizarre sum (his Egyptian medallions, gifting me some incense, calling me “queen”, referring to the pineal gland, all the other aforementioned red flags).
My consciousness was assaulted.
I spent some time attempting to wax poetic on what nut jobs these wackos are. I mean, how can I go from being a “queen” to a “white devil” a few days later?
Then, upon further reflection, I started to question my own elitist way of thinking. I, in NO WAY, cosign any of the misogynistic, homophobic, or prejudiced diatribe they spit. That said, however, pa(ma)ternalistic this may sound, I think these hotep creatures are misguided and just need some critical literacy training. What’s a reliable source? What is accreditation? Why does using biological determinism for the purposes of addressing oppression make no sense? Is a YouTube video a reliable source of information on which to base your entire spiritual philosophy? Does a documentary about Black power made by a self-proclaimed womanizer who wrote a book called The Art of Mackin’ seem a credible source from which to gain empowerment & racial uplift?
I could go on.
So, yeah.
One of many bottom lines: don’t call me queen — i want no part of your kingdom.
** The article above provides interesting context and tips for how to identify a hotep. I wish I would’ve found this sooner.
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