If Black Is a Color, What Is Melanin?

By Marian Olivia Heath Griffin

ABOUT THE BOOK: Our nation has taken great pains to cover up the history of the Black man, Africans, and the significance of Melanin in humans. Even our White forefathers politically ran this country from before the Declaration of Independence to this very day – the twenty-first century. When Thomas Jefferson constructed the Declaration of Independence, other persons such as John Adams and Benjamin Franklin made several changes. Ben Franklin even denoted in his writings “the no more Africans should be brought from Africa because Whites were already out numbered in this country.

“All men created equal” included only White people, since African slaves were brought to this country - America - only for the labor the slaves could produce as well as their knowledge, talents and expertise in building this nation.

All people are given air to breathe as a gift from God and must value themselves and all others. It appears that we will struggle for justice and equality for a lifetime and let a moral voice be heard for generations to come. “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” are a starting point. There are many changes coming, no situation is perfect, but with our faith and willingness to accept each other’s talents as gifts from our Creator, we will prevail as a “whole nation”. God has his finger print on us, He’s not pleased with us, but He has the power and love to rebrand us in His own image.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669837305

Marian Olivia Heath Griffin

Marian Olivia Heath Griffin lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her husband of fifty-eight years. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and College Administrator (retired) for thirty-six years, the last seven years as Director of International Student Affairs. After she retired from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she decided to utilize her degree in Mass Communication and Photography to tell her people’s stories and history. Griffin graduated from Delaware State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Psychology, a Master’s Degree program in Atlanta University School of Social Work, a Master’s Degree program at Gammon Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. She received her Master’s Degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Psychological Counseling and Social Work. She received a Master’s Degree in Educational Supervision and Mass Communication and Photography from Southern University. She did further study at Louisiana State University and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She studied Genealogy at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library in Baton Rouge. She has traveled over the fifty states of the U.S. and six of the seven continents. She has written eighteen books in two years, published them with XLIBRIS and compiled and published two photo books with MYCANVAS BY ALEXANDER. She is proud of her three children: Rev. Bertrand, II (Rev. Kotosha Seals Griffin), Karen G. Phenix, (Keith Phenix) and Dr. Michael (Tracie Haydel Griffin). She adores her eight grandchildren: Nia, Kiara, Christian-Paris, Michael, II. Amelia-Grai, Victoria, Olivia and Sophia – all Griffins and one god-child, Whitney White, one great grandchild – Keomi Phenix, one great- godchild, Amelia Pleasant and her brother, Warren, six great- nieces, Whitney Foucheaux, Amoree Sanders, and Danee Heath, Tikia and Lentia Brown, and great nephews: Bobbie, Jr., Enrique and Alberto Garcia, Tyler Heath, Lauren and Kee Kee Dennis, Arshawon Brown (recently deceased), Willie, Jermaine. Brown, Michael Martin and sons, and Devonte Walker.

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Copyright © 2022 by Marian Olivia Heath Griffin.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Rev. date: 07/12/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

842703

OTHER BOOKS

By

MARIAN OLIVIA HEATH GRIFFIN

CULTURAL GUMBO OUR ROOTS OUR STORIES

A DIARY OF LETTIE’S DAUGHTER

THEN THERE WAS NIA

BORN IN A SHACK DID NOT HOLD ME BACK

CHATS WITH MY THREE OLIVIAS

MAMA FANNIE

ENCHANTMENT IN ATL

WATCH YOUR STEP, YOU ARE SOMEONE’S HERO

EACH DAY A NEW HIGH

A LOAF OF BREAD AND A CUP OF TEA,

KEEPING YOUR MARRIAGE ALIVE

THE DAY I MET NANO

A VOICE CALLS IN THE NIGHT, FIND

MY PEOPLE, SAVE MY PEOPLE

ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

OF AFRICAN AMERICANS

BEFORE AND AFTER THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

A BLIND HEART AS I SEE IT

LOOK TO THE LIGHT, SISTERS

TALK TO MY HANDS

I KNOW ME

SUFFER THE INNOCENT CHILDREN

MEETING AT THE FIRES

IN HIS OWN IMAGE, HOW I GOT OVER

STRAIGHTEN UP, AMERICA

NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS, ALWAYS THE BEST

PICTURE BOOKS

THE FAMILY OF HATTIE DRUCILLA WISE HEATH

THE FAMILY OF MARIAN OLIVIA HEATH GRIFFIN

DEDICATED TO

ALL OF HUMANITY: GOD’S CREATION-

THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT

CONTENTS

DEDICATED TO

FOREWORD

AUTHORS NOTES

BROKENNESS IN THE WORLD

A SONG CAN LEAD US HOME

INSTINCTS ABOVE TRADITIONS

TEACHERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

STUDYING DARWIN

EUGENICS

THERE’S PEACE IN WRITING

DISCUSSING THE SUBJECT MELANIN

THE WORD MELANIN

CHATS WITH MY EIGHT GRANDCHILDREN

THE ENLIGHTENMENT ERA

A TEACHING MOMENT TO YOUNG BLACK MALES

ALMOST RAPED

THE JURY IN A TIME TO KILL

WHAT LEGACY ARE WE LEAVING?

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON, LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

BLACK: BLACKNESS, DARKNESS

MELANIN

CONSCIOUSNESS

CHAPTER 1MELANIN IN THE LIVING UNIVERSE

MELANIN- A COLLECTIVE TERM

COSMIC MELANIN

PLANETARY FAMILIES

VEGETABLE KINGDOM

ANIMAL KINGDOM

HUMAN ANIMALS

WHERE IS MELANIN FOUND?

ORIGINAL MAN

THREE TYPES OF MELANIN

DEFINING RACE BY SKIN COLOR

THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND RACE

BIOLOGISTS CLAIM OBJECTIVITY

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE – CHARTER OF FREEDOM

MORE HISTORY ABOUT INDEPENDENCE DAY

THE NEGATIVE ASPECT OF MELANIN FOR BLACKS

BACK TO MELANIN

MELANIN MOLECULE AND STRUCTURAL PROPERITIES

CHAPTER 2WHAT IS MELANIN?

THE CREATION STORY

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE CREATION STORY

LESS EUMELANIN GAVE WAY TO

HATEFULLNESS IN ANIMALS AND PEOPLE

SCIENCE AND RELIGION

A RECENT DISCUSSION ABOUT MELANIN

A VERY DIVISIVE TOPIC

WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU?

THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN YOUR HEART

PLANS FOR YOU

CHAPTER 3MELANIN IN THE EMBRYO

HOW CAN WE VALUE OUR GREAT BLESSINGS?

MELANIN PRODUCED IN A CELL KNOWN AS MELANOCYTE

THREE TRIMESTERS OF PRENATAL GROWTH

VALUING OURSELVES

SECOND GRADE TEACHINGS

NEUROMELANIN AND BRAIN GROWTH IN BABIES

HUMAN BRAIN ADVANCES

CHAPTER 4EUMELANIN AND PHEOMELANIN: VARIATIONS IN SKIN COLOR

HOW CAN MELANIN BE MEASURED?

THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF MEASURING MELANIN

MEASURING DLMO

CHAPTER 5MELANIN CONNECTED TO PHYSICS

PHYSICS

A MATTER OF MATTER

MATTER OVER ANTI-MATTER

THE STANDARD MODEL

MELANIN AND PHYSICS CONNECTION

RACE BASED ON SKIN COLOR

INTRODUCING SUPERCONDUCTORS

MELANIN TREATED AS A USEFUL TOOL

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY

CHAPTER 6THE PITUITARY GLAND VERSUS THE PINEAL GLAND

MELANIN AND THE HUMAN BRAIN

LOTUS COERULEUS

MELANIN: NATURAL CHEMICAL IN BLACK PEOPLE’S SKIN

PEOPLE OF COLOR

MYTHS AND THEORIES

CHAPTER 7THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PINEAL GLAND

THE GOOD IN MELANIN

CHAPTER 8DOES SKIN COLOR AND RACE REALLY MATTER?

WHY WERE HEBREWS ONCE ETHIOPIAN-EGYPTIANS?

MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE WORLD

MOTHER’S TEACHINGS

BLACK PEOPLE: TO KNOW YOURSELF IS TO KNOW MELANIN

CHAPTER 9WHEN DID RACISM START UPON BLACK PEOPLE?

WHY WE CAME HERE

HOW WE ARE TREATED

GUN CONTROL

RED SUMMER IN TULSA

EXODUS

WHAT ABOUT NOW!

CHAPTER 10THE MELANIN AMENDMENTS

FORTY YEARS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SYMBOL

THE TURN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

JIM CROW LAWS -HOW AND WHY

EUGENICS NOW!

CHAPTER 11INFLUENCED BY A WELL- KNOWN PROFESSOR

MY FAMILY INTERACTED WITH THE LOCKE FAMILY

KNOWN AS A STUDENT

LOCKE’S INTERACTION WITH WHITE STUDENTS

PROGRESSIVE ACADEMIC AND A MAN OF THE PEOPLE

SUPPRESSED BY INCLUSIVE DISCOURSES

PHOTO SECTION

CONCLUSION

EVERTHING MATTERS

EVERYTHING CHANGES

RESTRICTIONS FOR THOSE, NOT US

PREPARATION FOR THE NEW GENERATIONS

BLESSED ARE YOU, UNIVERSE

SELECTED REFERENCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

RESOURCES

FOREWORD

When Marian asked me to write a forward, I jumped at the opportunity! From her first book on (Cultural Gumbo), she has been passionate and diligent about the research she has employed to share about family and ancestry. Marian loves to tell the stories of various family members, others who have accomplished great achievements in their respective fields of endeavor, and how religion intersects it all.

This discourse on melanin is thorough, insightful and thought provoking as it exposes a plethora of societal, political and religious issues concerning how melanin is viewed around the world. It also emphasizes the need for broader and continued conversation about all the ramifications of how people of different hues have been viewed throughout history.

I may be biased (after all, Marian is Mom to me), however, after reading the variety of chapter topics, the intersection of science and religion is intriguing, since I am both a chemist and minister. The two are not mutually exclusive and it allows for further discussion among all who read this book.

It has been a privilege to call Marian my mother, and a distinct honor to share a glimpse of what I have learned over my lifetime of knowing her; she is primed to share her heart with all who have intersected their lives with hers. You will be blessed!

By the way, Happy Mother’s Day!

- Bertrand Griffin II

- Senior Pastor

- Aldersgate UMC Norfolk

AUTHORS NOTES

I learned as a child that the one thing that man fears most is the unknown. What is unknown to us is our greatest adversary. Who or what is our adversary? Do we know our adversary? Perhaps not!

Our adversary may use other people or institutions as instruments to accomplish its (his) purpose. Our adversary has been clearly identified by our Creator.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, {human beings} but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers, of darkness of this world, against wickedness in high places {demonic beings and forces}. (Ephesians 6:12, KJV).

As children, we used to say, "What you don’t know won’t hurt you. That’s the greatest untruth ever told. Right now, there is so much uncertainty in the world. Day after day, month after month, the morale of many Americans is low even though our lives are becoming busier and busier and more creative.

BROKENNESS IN THE WORLD

There are many broken people in the world. The problem is, they affect so many others in their brokenness. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. We never think of things (broken pieces) that can be made whole.

God took our brokenness away with his perfect son, Jesus. He broke him in order to make us whole. That is God’s way.

It is clear that there is significant confusion and chaos in our communities, our nation, our world. It is not due to infrastructure as much as it is due to factions. We are fragmented by many issues; now more than ever, we need to make connections between each other as we are in trouble spiritually.

Someone said that, Friendship is essential to the soul. As we trek through the wilderness, we need mentors, friends and the love of God because we cannot walk or talk alone. Our main calling is to trust God, deepen our love between our neighbors, ourselves and God. Things are changing in our lives, and no matter how frustrating our lives are, we need to ask for help. And yet, we must develop a spirit of independence and creativity.

We need more understanding of ourselves and others. We can receive life-bestowing gifts while in the wilderness. Mentors will seemingly come from nowhere.

A SONG CAN LEAD US HOME

Sing, O Heavens! Be joyful, O Earth! And break out in singing, O Mountains. For the Lord has comforted His people and will have mercy on His afflicted. (Isaiah 49:13, (NKJV).

So, Paul in his letter to the Church in Corinth states in I Corinthians 12:12-14, we are one body with many parts. The body is a unit, though it is made up of parts, and though all the parts are many, they form one body.

Paul appeals to us for all times that all of us should be in agreement and that there should be not divisions among us, as in strife and confusion, but we be united in the same mind and same purpose. As we are one body with many parts, each part has a function, but all parts of the body with working parts causes the whole body to be healthy. When one part is unhealthy, as one political party is against another, neither party can function properly.

When one part is unhealthy, or hurting or suffering, then the whole body suffers. The whole body functioning properly makes the church, community, nation, world healthy and freedom abides among us.

We have one purpose in life, for existing. We are all connected to those who have gone before us and will come after us. We need each other to survive because we are all of God’s creation and one body. We are designed to fit God’s purpose and live in harmony and friendship. Friendship is the window of the soul.

It is not always easy to face an adversity and be patient with yourself or proud of yourself, as the Will Smith/Chris Rock Syndrome happened while the whole world was watching: whereby Chris Rock insulted Will Smith’s wife at the Oscar Awards and Will went to the stage of the Oscar Awards and slapped Chris. The slap was heard around the world.

There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. (Ecclesiastes 3:5, NJKV.)

Zora Neale Hurston, the author of several books, once said, There are years in our lives that ask questions and there are years that answer them.

I am thoroughly intrigued with her writings, especially the notable and unique way she expresses herself with the history of African American, especially in, YOU DON’T KNOW US NEGROES.

Hurston also wrote in a statement on What White Publishers Won’t Print, I have been amazed by the white man’s lack of curiosity about the internal lives and emotions of the Negroes or any non-Anglo-Saxon people within our borders above the class of unskilled labor. (xv).

This lack of interest is much more important at this time, even more than in the past. Myles Munroe states in his book, SEASONS OF CHANGE, If the Creator calls you to leadership or a career, the first issue you must consider is not how well you are going to live but how willing you are to die. Are you willing to die to your opinions, your rights, your will and your way? Ultimately, you may even have to give up life itself to remain true to your Creator. (p.46, para).

Stacy Abrams, a political activist from Georgia, said, Saving democracy is not an overblown call to action – we are in trouble.

We want to save our democracy and keep improving the lives of the American people. We do not want history to repeat itself: with the Trump family running the White House again.

Many people enter a career by rigging the system because of the glamour or the trappings of wealth that can afford them a better life. If you are not willing to sacrifice your personal comfort, you shouldn’t be involved in that career. We must protect our purpose for life, not our traditions.

"Traditions may change, but purpose is permanent. The traditions of men, regardless of how sacred you may think they are or how long they have been in effect, are usually not worth dying for. Generally, traditions mean the passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation or a body of unwritten precepts. (Munroe, p. 47, para).

The English word TRADITION comes from the same Latin word that denotes trade and transaction. Trade implies an item that has been patterned. That’s why you can trade it. Whenever an individual or business develops a trade, they have patterned something that they wish to export to other persons or businesses.

Even though most cultures, religious systems and businesses have something that’s good and worth trading, we must