In the Black community, historically, we have had one cardinal rule that has been passed from generation to generation...
Family First...
You don't go dissin' your "family" to please other folks...
That is something that Senator Obama should remember...
One of the hot news items today is "Obama Denounces Farrakhan" (For the second, third....Oh, I forget..time)
From news reports the candidate is denouncing Min. Louis Farrakhan's support?
What tha....?
How can you "denounce" someone's giving you moral support?
Now, maybe I am a little biased as my articles have appeared many times in the Nation of Islam's newspaper, the Final Call..
But the question still remains, why do black folks always have to feel that they have to denounce other black folks to get ahead ?
People have been denouncing Minister Farrakhan for years and 99% of the people have no idea why...
As rapper Chuck D once said,
"Don't tell me that you understand, until you hear the man..."
Every time that Black folks are about to do something big, here comes the Farrakhan question....
"Well, buddy..We know that you have been feeding the homeless in your community for the last 10 years and we heard about you rescuing that little girl's cat from that burning building....But tell me...How do you feel about Rev. Far-a-can...?"
(And for the last time! It's Farra-khan. You know, like "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan !"
Let's keep it real...
As much as some black folks want to complain about Min. Farrakhan, if you looked outside your window tonight and saw that your crib was surrounded by an army of skin heads and dope dealers, who you gonna call to come to your rescue, Bill, Hillary and Chelsea or the Fruit of Islam ?
That's what I thought...
So, why are we in 2008, still letting outsiders define who are friends are?
Now, I know that Obama feels that he has to say some things just to get in the White House but he's taking things too far...
Just like all the hoopla over him wearing traditional Kenyan garb during his trip to Africa...
What did you expect him to wear, a baseball cap and a baggy pair of jeans exposing his underwear?
He has also seemed to be distancing himself from his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright who some are accusing of having a church that is too "black."
(If you think his church is "black" you otta hang out with me sometimes....I'll show you black !!!)
So, Black folks have always had kind of a code that says "If you turn your back on your own kin folks, how can you expect me to trust you."
We as a black community have to show Senator Obama that you don't have to denounce other black folks to be successful or turn you back on "family," whether it be Rev. Wright, Min. Farrakhan or Uncle Junebug down the street.....
Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283
