che’ guevara a racist? a glimpse into his diary

He’s one of the poster children of revolutionaries.  He’s on t-shirts, posters, coasters, the works.  But I have to ask myself, why would any self respecting black person, African American, person of color, self proclaimed nigger, revolutionist or whatever deem themselves, honor or respect Che’ Guevara, after reading the following passage from his diary?

Che’ Guevara a Racist?  A Glimpse Into His Diary 

Words Faraji Toure 

“The blacks, those magnificent examples of the African race who have maintained their racial purity thanks to their lack of an affinity with bathing, have seen their territory invaded by a new kind of slave: the Portuguese.”  

“The black is indolent and a dreamer; spending his meager wage on frivolity or drink; the European has a tradition of work and saving, which has pursued him as far as this corner of America and drives him to advance himself, even independently of his own individual aspirations.”

It hurts reading that doesn’t it? And I’m sure by now you’ve already set in motion the plot to spread the news of what you’ve just learned. Well before you get you daily exercise of flying off the handle, jumping the gun and jumping to conclusions, those passages where written when he was around 24 years old and first had contact with blacks (what an observation to make of a black person after just meeting us, sheesh!!) and in his later years openly confessed that he was a changed person. He went so far as to fight with an all black army as well as pushing for racially integrating the schools in Cuba, years before they were racially integrated here at home.

In an effort to not bore you to death with facts of how much support this man has offered and or given blacks in the fight against inequality, injustice and racism in general. I will give you another passage, from the same mind and man that wrote the aforementioned text.

“Those who kill their own children and discriminate daily against them because of the color of their skin; those who let the murderers of blacks remain free, protecting them, and furthermore punishing the black population because they demand their legitimate rights as free men — how can those who do this consider themselves guardians of freedom?”

I hope that instead of passing on negative news you would pass on the positive. There are so many lessons to be learned from this.