J. Lindzley – February 16th, 2014
Mr. Lindzley has a really interesting story. He grew up with his twin brother, and three other siblings in Detroit, Michigan, and experienced a lot of hardships during that time. Mastering the martial art form of capoeira changed the course of his life. Mr. Lindzley created a career for himself; his passion has taken him all around the world, and he is currently a professional practitioner and teacher.
We spoke about his travels and how he constantly strives to learn new things about people, culture and his surroundings. Mr. Lindzley discussed the education he received in the States and the lack of emphasis placed on learning about his own history – the African American experience. He learned more about the history of Blacks through his own research, travels and people outside of school. His passion for capoeira, travels and interactions with others inspire him to constantly seek knowledge and become informed about history, his present surroundings and what is going on in the world.
Mr. Lindzley also touched on the disparities between Americans and other countries, and their relationship with their governments. He observed that Europeans he encountered tend to be more trusting of their system, as many European countries are ensured healthcare and decent education. This is not the case in America. All U.S. citizens do not have access to housing, education, and a steady income and several populations outside our country do not understand that, he explained. So in many ways it is not just Americans who are misinformed. Mr. Lindzley feels the inequalities of our country forces citizens to question the government, which in turn gives us the room to become independent thinkers. Yet, as a whole we do not do this enough.
