More Comments on the question posted in the March 9th edition:

Although a little bit late, I thought these comments were surely worth the space to put in here this week too. I hope you all enjoy these perspectives as much as I did:

#1: Al comments:

however, in difference to the slight response, i have decided to break the silence, ever so humbly.

i live in the Detroit area, and i can tell you that the black awareness of such matters rivals any group or any local on the planet. there are numerous workshops and meetings all the time. the girth of this informational behemoth lies just under the surface of most conversations. anyone interested in such matters can easily tap into the motherload of data,....simply for the asking, and Afro-Americans are privy to the same info that other groups can acquire, and ....even more. or it certainly seems that way.....!

as to why this is generally unknown outside of the Detroit area....i would say it is the same as with so many other areas of thought and discipline, people often have contrived opinions and concepts of the inner workings of the black community, but these "theories" bear little or no resemblance to the realities of me or my people. some of the most knowledgeable and articulate speakers i have heard were blacks, and it gets deeper, the native Americans that came and spoke in the "hood", were even more "up on it " when it came to the UFO question. and in short order the word got out, and UFO gatherings hosted by Afro-Americans became the rage. also, the psych of the Detroit area prepares and procurers us to be for-open to new technology and revolutionary science and advanced prototypes.

in fact, a major auto company subtlety alluded to some connection in the development and building of sucdevelopment UFO-like craft.

sorry i didn't mean to preach...

in conclusion, i say to the world,.....we are out there, we have been out there for a long time, we may or may not show up on your virtual social radar, but as it is said, "look closely at the forrest and maybe you too will see the trees.
...........PEACE...........
......da bro is outa here.........
...al...

Heidi: I always love your comments Al, insightful! I had no idea about the involvement you speak of going out there in Detroit, I wish I saw more of that...wow!! But I know what you are saying, this topic is no different from any other, that all types of people are involved.

As for the Native Americans, I'm aware of much of their folklore surrounding around interactions with beings that they claim they spoke with and some even claim to be seeded here from them. It's like casual conversation to them, because it's been around their culture so long. Hope someday it will be just as common to speak of with everyone else.

#2: Grover comments:

Although a bit late, I do have some comments on the African-American presence/interest in UFO phenomena.

Historically speaking there have been some. The famous UFO abduction case involving the interracial couple in New England in the sixties (Betty and ?, the husband was black) comes to mind. (Grover's referring to the famous Betty and Barney Hill abduction in 1961 - see http://www.farshore.force9.co.uk/hills.htm - great point Grover! - Jim) Also, I think there was a black noncom involved in the Roswell incident.

But overall African Americans don't involve themselves in the UFO issue. I think this is due to:

1) Strong belief in the Judeo-Christian religious concepts. Black Americans today rarely question why they practice Christianity, it is just sort of accepted. However this religion was forced onto them by the slave master, and failure to accept it could have meant death. Also, the Christian church allowed blacks to socialize and meet without raising too many suspicions of their owners. Most of the early black leaders came from the church. So it's easy to see that any concept that challenges the standard Christian program will be met with much resistance from the African American community.

2) Economics. Since blacks in America have usually been economically challenged moreso than whites, much more time is spent trying to "make it." Whites collectively speaking have more resources and more leisure time to think about and participate in other things.

3) Acceptance. The underlying motive of the black progress movement since the end of slavery was to prove the worthiness of black folks so that they would be able to participate as full citizens. Since the establishment does not publicly acknowledge the existence of UFOs, the collective black mindset realizes to publicly admit belief in such a thing may jeopardize their ability to make a living and be accepted by the larger society. In short, in ain't worth the risk.

So to be African-American and publicly and enthusiastically be involved in the UFO/alien phenomena involves too much risk. There is much to lose under the current set of circumstances. However there are a few things to be encouraged about. There have been some acknowledgment by some scholars that the Dogon tribe in West Africa actually had knowledge of astronomy that they could not possibly have had. And there is a bishop in South Africa that appears to have some knowledge of the Reptilian issue.

Anyway, my two cents,

Grover (covert African-American Ufologist)

Heidi: Glad to hear from you again Grover!!! Very interesting points you made for sure. I knew for certain that the Christian aspect was a big part of why as a whole, many look at it as not being a good Christian practice to look into UFO's. And you are right, amongst African Americans, Christianity is not questioned much at all.

As for the economic thing...for sure!! It is twice as difficult sometimes for African Americans to get ahead. I know that first hand, being the only one in my college graduating class. In my career field you could say there aren't many of us in it, and man was it apparent in how my school dealt with me and my supervisors in my internships. It was a tough road, and it sucks when somehow, many others believe that all African Americans get free rides for college. Ha...I got nothing, it always goes according to your economic standing, no matter what color you are. Struggling to make ends meet can surely limit your time for other things, since I've finished school/internships recently, I've been in this stuff a lot more now.

Acceptance is of course a big issue, widespread!! We are indeed social bugs, and to have something like this hanging on you, could add to a bit of ridicule. And if you are a people that is trying to make a name for yourself in the public eye, it would be a tad more sound of a position to go with something a little bit more accepted.

I've heard of that Dogon tribe and how advanced they were with such things, that's surely something I need to look into more for sure. Thanks for the insight!

#3: Alex comments:

Heidi: That's cool Alex. But that's odd at the same time. They will talk about it over there, but then say not to dwell on it and just go to church? They must regard it all as being a bad thing then, as if going to church will take it from their minds or protect them from it. Hmm, interesting though.