Postponing King's Post Racial Dream:
Exaggerated Rumors of Racism's Demise
Paul Scott
The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday usually ushers in the season when America turns black. The period between MLK Day and the end of February has, traditionally, been the one time of year when black history is taken out of the closet and placed, briefly, in America's living room. However, during an era when many folks are parroting the line that we live in some sort of a "post racial America," the glow of black commemorative celebrations seems to be fading into obscurity.
Some argue that with the election of America's first black president, the glory days of the annual American collective group sing along of "We Shall Overcome" have come and gone. To hear the homies on the Right tell it, racism in the "20 dime" only exists in the minds of a few disillusioned, radical extremists who just can't let go of the past.
Contrary to popular belief, the idea that Americans have somehow, outgrown throwing racial temper tantrums did not begin on November 5, 2008 with the election of Barack Obama. To hear some folks tell it, this country has been "post racial" every since Abraham Lincoln delivered his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
I am sure that the newly emancipated slaves were hit with the post racial argument when they dared to argue for their 40 acres and a mule.
I can hear Bill O'Reilly's great, great grandfather yellin' , "Hey, you pinheads got your freedom; stop your whinin' !"
Shortly afterwords, during the short lived Reconstruction Period, the fact that black folks won political offices in the South, for many, was proof positive that they had reached the proverbial Promised Land.
Unfortunately, those advancements were quickly rendered null and void by the Compromise of 1877.
Oh well, back to the drawing board.
During World War I, many black soldiers believed that if they picked up a rifle and risked life and limb to fight for Uncle Sam, they would be welcomed home as heroes instead of returning to the sight of black veterans hanging from trees still sporting their uniforms. This was followed by the Red Summer of 1919 and some of the worst racial unrest in American history. Hardly evidence of a new era of racial equality.
The election of John F. Kennedy signaled to many the death of racism but events like the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four little black girls and the antics of Bull Connor reminded Americans that the rumors of racism's demise had been largely exaggerated.
When Rev. Martin Luther King Jr called 250,000 men ,women and children to Washington DC in 1963 for the big love fest, many believed that, surely, freedom bells would be a ringin' from "the prodigious house tops of New Hampshire" to "every hill and mole hill in Mississippi" and all 'hoods in between. However, an assassin's bullet and days of rioting slapped America back into reality.
Following King's assassination, neither the Johnson Administration's poverty programs nor Richard Nixon's "minority" economic development initiatives prevented Ronald Reagan's "voodoo economics" of the '80's from putting black folks back in the poor house.
The 90's euphoria of the election of the saxophone playin', "honorary black" president Bill Clinton, served only to soften African Americans up for the Republican backlash that resulted in Bush II and such calamities as the Hurricane Katrina aftermath.
Even in today's superficial world of entertainment, some believe that white kids blastin' Lil Wayne on their stereos and wearing their pants hangin' down to their ankles somehow signifies that we are truly one big happy (though slightly dysfunctional) American family.
Last year, Attorney General Eric Holder ticked a lot of people off when he called America a nation of cowards when it comes to discussing race.
Americans aren't scared to discuss race, they just find it more politically expedient to ignore the issue all together.
So, we sit around waiting for the next racist boot to drop or as Dr. King's rival, Malcolm X put it, continue "sitting on a powder keg." Then one day, somebody like Senator Harry Reid makes a bone headed racist comment or some yahoos in Columbia SC go around painting racist graffiti on buildings to disenfranchise black voters. Only then do we feel obligated to yell out the traditional response of mock surprise,
"I can't believe that this sort of thing is happening in 2010 ! " (As if 2009 or 1963 would have made the events more socially acceptable.)
So, as I prepare to sit around the house on January 18th watching the Dr. Martin Luther King documentary for the umpteenth time, I can't help but think about how the more things change, the more they stay the same....
Free at last. Free at last?
Not yet Doc. Not yet.
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com To join the campaign to bring the No Warning Shots Fired column to your local newspaper, contact the editor, today.
Showing posts with label Martin Luther King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin Luther King. Show all posts
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Monday, January 19, 2009
Congress to Abolish Black History Month
Congress to Abolish Black History Month
From Staff Reports
January 19, 2009
WASHINGTON DC (NWSF News) -In a surprising bipartisan move, last week, Congress passed legislation to abolish Black History Month. If the bill is not vetoed by the newly elected president, Black History Month could soon be history.
The reason for the legislation is that after the election of this country's first black president, many Americans no longer believe the celebration of black history is necessary. Some even have gone so far as calling for a ban on the teaching of black history because they say it is divisive.
Although many white Americans, especially the Right Wing, have questioned the validity of a month set aside to honor one racial group, there are many blacks, as well, who would like to bid Black History Month a adieu. For some African Americans black history has been seen as a stumbling block; just another barrier that has kept them from enjoying their piece of the American pie. Many black people strive their whole lives to detach the word "African" from "African American."
"Ain't no need to be talking all that black stuff. That's just another way to divide us," says Carletta "CJ" Walker, owner of New City Beauty Salon in Atlanta. "We need to stop living in the past."
The problem of having to be African and American, simultaneously, has plagued African Americans since the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a paradox that WEB Dubois described as "a double consciousness" that black folks had to have in order to survive in a white dominated society.
During the early 20th century, the issue was bitterly debated by those who wanted inclusion into American society like Dubois and his Talented 10th and those who wanted separation like Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association.Later, during the 60's and early 70's there was a constant ideological war between the Civil Rights activists and the Black Power activists that personified itself in the forms of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Dr. King believed in a dream where all Americans would be treated as equals but Malcolm X envisioned a nightmare where African Americans would forever be treated as second class citizens.
For many young African Americans, black history has been replaced by a Hip Hop pseudo culture that has long abandoned any connection to black culture. Instead it has embraced a false ideology that music and fashion could end 400 years of oppression. Some of the rappers are even claiming that they are no longer black but they are "Hip Hop."
"I don't care what color a dude is. As long as he keeps it gangsta, he's cool with me," says New York City aspiring rapper Tyrone "T-Boogie" Johnson. "How is learning about black history gonna get me signed to a contract ?"
The disconnection of the youth can partially be blamed on an educational system that has helped to promote institutionalized white supremacy under the guise of preparing African American children to be able to make it in the real world. Any attempt to add Afrocentric studies to a curriculum by black teachers is often met with dire consequences.
CG Woods, an 8th grade social studies teacher in Jackson, Mississippi, recently was suspended without pay for instructing his students to read "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" by Walter Rodney.
Some say that the lack of appreciation for black history is due to the fact that what is usually celebrated every February is not black history at all but the relatively brief history of black people in this country; a history of emancipated slaves. Few have paid attention to the rich history that African people had prior to 1619. This is mostly because the white corporations that have become the major sponsors of black history events have confined any discussion of black history to the boundaries of America.
Perhaps the people most affected by the end of Black History Month will be African American businesses, especially black book stores. Shaka Nzinga, owner of Black History, Inc, the world's largest distribuor of Afrocentric material has already announced that he will close his doors at the end of February unless business picks up.
Although, some African Americans have decided to allow black history to fade into obscurity, there are a few activists across the country who are not going out without a fight. They have started the Black History Bailout Campaign. The group is asking the black community to come up with their own socio-economic stimulus package as a last ditch effort to save black history.
Although the activists hope that the movement gains momentum over the next few weeks, as of yesterday the only people protesting in front of the Capitol were an elderly man with a Marcus Garvey sweatshirt and his young grandson holding up signs that said,"
"A people without knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots."
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com
From Staff Reports
January 19, 2009
WASHINGTON DC (NWSF News) -In a surprising bipartisan move, last week, Congress passed legislation to abolish Black History Month. If the bill is not vetoed by the newly elected president, Black History Month could soon be history.
The reason for the legislation is that after the election of this country's first black president, many Americans no longer believe the celebration of black history is necessary. Some even have gone so far as calling for a ban on the teaching of black history because they say it is divisive.
Although many white Americans, especially the Right Wing, have questioned the validity of a month set aside to honor one racial group, there are many blacks, as well, who would like to bid Black History Month a adieu. For some African Americans black history has been seen as a stumbling block; just another barrier that has kept them from enjoying their piece of the American pie. Many black people strive their whole lives to detach the word "African" from "African American."
"Ain't no need to be talking all that black stuff. That's just another way to divide us," says Carletta "CJ" Walker, owner of New City Beauty Salon in Atlanta. "We need to stop living in the past."
The problem of having to be African and American, simultaneously, has plagued African Americans since the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a paradox that WEB Dubois described as "a double consciousness" that black folks had to have in order to survive in a white dominated society.
During the early 20th century, the issue was bitterly debated by those who wanted inclusion into American society like Dubois and his Talented 10th and those who wanted separation like Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association.Later, during the 60's and early 70's there was a constant ideological war between the Civil Rights activists and the Black Power activists that personified itself in the forms of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Dr. King believed in a dream where all Americans would be treated as equals but Malcolm X envisioned a nightmare where African Americans would forever be treated as second class citizens.
For many young African Americans, black history has been replaced by a Hip Hop pseudo culture that has long abandoned any connection to black culture. Instead it has embraced a false ideology that music and fashion could end 400 years of oppression. Some of the rappers are even claiming that they are no longer black but they are "Hip Hop."
"I don't care what color a dude is. As long as he keeps it gangsta, he's cool with me," says New York City aspiring rapper Tyrone "T-Boogie" Johnson. "How is learning about black history gonna get me signed to a contract ?"
The disconnection of the youth can partially be blamed on an educational system that has helped to promote institutionalized white supremacy under the guise of preparing African American children to be able to make it in the real world. Any attempt to add Afrocentric studies to a curriculum by black teachers is often met with dire consequences.
CG Woods, an 8th grade social studies teacher in Jackson, Mississippi, recently was suspended without pay for instructing his students to read "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" by Walter Rodney.
Some say that the lack of appreciation for black history is due to the fact that what is usually celebrated every February is not black history at all but the relatively brief history of black people in this country; a history of emancipated slaves. Few have paid attention to the rich history that African people had prior to 1619. This is mostly because the white corporations that have become the major sponsors of black history events have confined any discussion of black history to the boundaries of America.
Perhaps the people most affected by the end of Black History Month will be African American businesses, especially black book stores. Shaka Nzinga, owner of Black History, Inc, the world's largest distribuor of Afrocentric material has already announced that he will close his doors at the end of February unless business picks up.
Although, some African Americans have decided to allow black history to fade into obscurity, there are a few activists across the country who are not going out without a fight. They have started the Black History Bailout Campaign. The group is asking the black community to come up with their own socio-economic stimulus package as a last ditch effort to save black history.
Although the activists hope that the movement gains momentum over the next few weeks, as of yesterday the only people protesting in front of the Capitol were an elderly man with a Marcus Garvey sweatshirt and his young grandson holding up signs that said,"
"A people without knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots."
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
NWSF Bullet: Martin, Barack or Biggie ?
There's something important happening this weekend. Something of great importance to African Americans.
Let's see...
Martin Luther King's birthday weekend?
No..
The weekend before the inauguration of the first black president of the United States?
Naw..
Oh, yeah. "Notorious ," the Biggie Smalls movie comes out!
I don't know about you but I can't remember the last time I have seen a movie hyped up this much. You can't go five minutes without seeing the Notorious trailer during commercial breaks .
It doesn't even matter which channel you're watching, either. Even the Country Music channel.
"The Conway Twitty Story will return after these messages...."
"NO...NO...NOTORIOUS!"
Now, I've seen my share of black movies over the years but I can't remember "Do the Right Thing" gettin' this much attention.
Especially, since most of the white suburban ticket buyin' public don't know Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace from Kris Kross.
Am I suggesting the release of Notorious is some grand conspiracy to divert our attention from the Inauguration?
Nope. But one has to wonder why the marketing execs chose this weekend. It's not like folks haven't known that Obama was gettin' sworn in on January 20th for months. Also, MLK Day has been the third Monday in January for a while now.
Maybe Fox Searchlight Films thinks that black folks will either go see the movie after the MLK Day Parade or will catch the flick on their way to DC for the Inauguration.
Sometimes our priorities are just jacked up.
I guess while the rest of the world is anticipating "change" this weekend, Tyrone will be at the concession stand waiting for his...
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com
Let's see...
Martin Luther King's birthday weekend?
No..
The weekend before the inauguration of the first black president of the United States?
Naw..
Oh, yeah. "Notorious ," the Biggie Smalls movie comes out!
I don't know about you but I can't remember the last time I have seen a movie hyped up this much. You can't go five minutes without seeing the Notorious trailer during commercial breaks .
It doesn't even matter which channel you're watching, either. Even the Country Music channel.
"The Conway Twitty Story will return after these messages...."
"NO...NO...NOTORIOUS!"
Now, I've seen my share of black movies over the years but I can't remember "Do the Right Thing" gettin' this much attention.
Especially, since most of the white suburban ticket buyin' public don't know Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace from Kris Kross.
Am I suggesting the release of Notorious is some grand conspiracy to divert our attention from the Inauguration?
Nope. But one has to wonder why the marketing execs chose this weekend. It's not like folks haven't known that Obama was gettin' sworn in on January 20th for months. Also, MLK Day has been the third Monday in January for a while now.
Maybe Fox Searchlight Films thinks that black folks will either go see the movie after the MLK Day Parade or will catch the flick on their way to DC for the Inauguration.
Sometimes our priorities are just jacked up.
I guess while the rest of the world is anticipating "change" this weekend, Tyrone will be at the concession stand waiting for his...
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com
Thursday, January 1, 2009
NWSF Bullet: Playin' the Played Out Race Card
I have always hated the term "playing race card." The accusation usually comes out of the mouth of a white America that holds the Queen of Hearts, the Jack of Diamonds and all the rest of those suckas.
But I have to admit that when I heard the comments that were being made about disgraced Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich's, nominee for Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, Roland Burris, on CNN, I yelled, "I'm so tired of you people playing the darn race card" before I could catch myself.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/31/senate.appointment/
Now don't get me wrong. I am a firm believer that racism, bigotry and white supremacy still make the Euro-centric world go round but in some cases playin' the proverbial race card cheapens the value of the whole deck.
This is one of those cases.
Now, nobody is hatin' on Burris because of his credentials; former Illinois Attorney General, nice suit. But it was clear from the jump that anyone who the fallen angel chose to be Senator would face more scrutiny than a tone deaf American Idol contestant wearing a "I hate Simon" t-shirt.
So why put Burris in that predicament?
Maybe, Blagojevich thought that in this new era of change it was only right that there be a black Senator in congress to champion the rights of poor and oppressed people, everywhere. To fulfill the dream of the Right Reverend Martin Luther King Jr when he said....
Aw, who am I kidding?
This was the manipulative action of a typical white male egotistical maniac using black people for personal gain !
There are thousands of cases of racial discrimination all around us, everyday, where black folks are being denied opportunities or being persecuted for merely being black at the wrong place at the wrong time.
There are also many black political prisoners still being held today for standing up for the rights of African Americans.
If we are really concerned about "the race card" we should be championing the causes of black political prisoners like Dr. Matula Shakur and Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These are examples of people who truly did not deserve the hand that they were dealt.
But I have to admit that when I heard the comments that were being made about disgraced Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich's, nominee for Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, Roland Burris, on CNN, I yelled, "I'm so tired of you people playing the darn race card" before I could catch myself.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/31/senate.appointment/
Now don't get me wrong. I am a firm believer that racism, bigotry and white supremacy still make the Euro-centric world go round but in some cases playin' the proverbial race card cheapens the value of the whole deck.
This is one of those cases.
Now, nobody is hatin' on Burris because of his credentials; former Illinois Attorney General, nice suit. But it was clear from the jump that anyone who the fallen angel chose to be Senator would face more scrutiny than a tone deaf American Idol contestant wearing a "I hate Simon" t-shirt.
So why put Burris in that predicament?
Maybe, Blagojevich thought that in this new era of change it was only right that there be a black Senator in congress to champion the rights of poor and oppressed people, everywhere. To fulfill the dream of the Right Reverend Martin Luther King Jr when he said....
Aw, who am I kidding?
This was the manipulative action of a typical white male egotistical maniac using black people for personal gain !
There are thousands of cases of racial discrimination all around us, everyday, where black folks are being denied opportunities or being persecuted for merely being black at the wrong place at the wrong time.
There are also many black political prisoners still being held today for standing up for the rights of African Americans.
If we are really concerned about "the race card" we should be championing the causes of black political prisoners like Dr. Matula Shakur and Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These are examples of people who truly did not deserve the hand that they were dealt.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
My Friend Bob: The Limits of Liberalism
My Friend Bob: The Limits of Liberalism
Paul Scott
"Beware of the hand when it's comin' from the left
I ain't trippin' just watch your step."
Can't Trust It- Public Enemy
You know Bob. He's the cool white dude that can quote the latest rap lyrics. He's the one marshmallow in a sea of Coco at the annual Kwanzaa Festival. Bob is always down to start a water cooler monologue about how well the black quarterbacks are playing in the NFL this year. Yeah, Bob's an alright dude. That is until that one day you bring up the subject of black self empowerment. Then mild mannered "Bruce Banner" Bob morphs into an Incredible Hulk of indignant rage.
With Liberals you can do anything that you wanna do but when you start talking about black folks acting and thinking for themselves it's like you just stepped on their liberal blue suede shoes with football cleats on.
The relationship between the Left and African Americans has been like the relationship between Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. As long as black folks parrot the party line they will always have a spot on the stage. However, they will never control the dialogue.
Evidence of this is when the Liberals got their panties in a bunch over the California Proposition 8 vote. The Left's confusion over the support of Proposition 8 by black church folks is an indication of ignorance of black culture and the black religious experience. It is a known fact that is constantly ignored by Liberals that, the race issue aside, most black folks are more conservative in their theology than white Evangelical Christians. While Aunt Ruth may not have studied Marx's theories on class struggle, she does know her Bible and a bunch of yahoos holding up protest signs on television ain't gonna change her mind about what Pastor Jones says on Sunday morning.
And you're not going to win any friends among black folks by making threats or insulting the "First Baptist Methodist Pentecostal African Church." You will just find yourself headed for a "Bible beatdown" courtesy of the usher board and senior choir.
And the idea that theologically conservative Rev. Martin Luther King Jr would have taken a pro same sex marriage stance at the risk of alienating his power base made up of millions of black folks just like Aunt Ruth is the same faulty historical revisionism that the Left is infamous for using to manipulate African Americans who have not studied their history.
No matter how many times a Liberal watches Roots he will never truly understand what it means to be an African in America.
What most folks on the Left fail to realize is that the college educated, community organizer with whom they had breakfast at Starbucks, this morning, does not represent the entire black community. We are not monolithic but there are certain cultural norms that black people have just because of shared life experiences. This is something that most white people don't understand.
Historically, there has always been a division between the Left/Liberals and the masses of black people going back as far as the Harlem Renaissance. While this period is hailed by many as one of the greatest periods of black cultural expression, it is seen by others as a plot by the Left to undermine black nationalist movements such as that of Marcus Garvey. Many people are not familiar with Marcus Garvey because his Universal Negro Improvement Association did not allow white entry. This is why any mention of his name is excluded form history. Anyone whose message does not have color blind, universal love as its centerpiece is usually considered persona non grata by the Left. This is not limited to Garvey but any black person who has dared to speak honestly about the race issue in this country. Although James Baldwin's alternative lifestyle may be celebrated by the Left, his harsh critiques of Liberalism are not.
For further historical documentation of this division, I suggest you read Harold Cruse's "The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual" and Kwame Ture's (Stokley Carmichael) speech "The Pitfalls of Liberalism" as well as his Berkeley speech.
.
For most black folks there is little difference between a right wing Conservative and a left wing Liberal. They are both after one thing:
The control of resources (ie social, political, economic power.)
To borrow from Kwame Ture' the bottom line is white people (even the most Liberal) are fighting for power. Black people are fighting for survival.
Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/
Paul Scott
"Beware of the hand when it's comin' from the left
I ain't trippin' just watch your step."
Can't Trust It- Public Enemy
You know Bob. He's the cool white dude that can quote the latest rap lyrics. He's the one marshmallow in a sea of Coco at the annual Kwanzaa Festival. Bob is always down to start a water cooler monologue about how well the black quarterbacks are playing in the NFL this year. Yeah, Bob's an alright dude. That is until that one day you bring up the subject of black self empowerment. Then mild mannered "Bruce Banner" Bob morphs into an Incredible Hulk of indignant rage.
With Liberals you can do anything that you wanna do but when you start talking about black folks acting and thinking for themselves it's like you just stepped on their liberal blue suede shoes with football cleats on.
The relationship between the Left and African Americans has been like the relationship between Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. As long as black folks parrot the party line they will always have a spot on the stage. However, they will never control the dialogue.
Evidence of this is when the Liberals got their panties in a bunch over the California Proposition 8 vote. The Left's confusion over the support of Proposition 8 by black church folks is an indication of ignorance of black culture and the black religious experience. It is a known fact that is constantly ignored by Liberals that, the race issue aside, most black folks are more conservative in their theology than white Evangelical Christians. While Aunt Ruth may not have studied Marx's theories on class struggle, she does know her Bible and a bunch of yahoos holding up protest signs on television ain't gonna change her mind about what Pastor Jones says on Sunday morning.
And you're not going to win any friends among black folks by making threats or insulting the "First Baptist Methodist Pentecostal African Church." You will just find yourself headed for a "Bible beatdown" courtesy of the usher board and senior choir.
And the idea that theologically conservative Rev. Martin Luther King Jr would have taken a pro same sex marriage stance at the risk of alienating his power base made up of millions of black folks just like Aunt Ruth is the same faulty historical revisionism that the Left is infamous for using to manipulate African Americans who have not studied their history.
No matter how many times a Liberal watches Roots he will never truly understand what it means to be an African in America.
What most folks on the Left fail to realize is that the college educated, community organizer with whom they had breakfast at Starbucks, this morning, does not represent the entire black community. We are not monolithic but there are certain cultural norms that black people have just because of shared life experiences. This is something that most white people don't understand.
Historically, there has always been a division between the Left/Liberals and the masses of black people going back as far as the Harlem Renaissance. While this period is hailed by many as one of the greatest periods of black cultural expression, it is seen by others as a plot by the Left to undermine black nationalist movements such as that of Marcus Garvey. Many people are not familiar with Marcus Garvey because his Universal Negro Improvement Association did not allow white entry. This is why any mention of his name is excluded form history. Anyone whose message does not have color blind, universal love as its centerpiece is usually considered persona non grata by the Left. This is not limited to Garvey but any black person who has dared to speak honestly about the race issue in this country. Although James Baldwin's alternative lifestyle may be celebrated by the Left, his harsh critiques of Liberalism are not.
For further historical documentation of this division, I suggest you read Harold Cruse's "The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual" and Kwame Ture's (Stokley Carmichael) speech "The Pitfalls of Liberalism" as well as his Berkeley speech.
.
For most black folks there is little difference between a right wing Conservative and a left wing Liberal. They are both after one thing:
The control of resources (ie social, political, economic power.)
To borrow from Kwame Ture' the bottom line is white people (even the most Liberal) are fighting for power. Black people are fighting for survival.
Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Gay Rights Ain't Civil
Gay Rights Ain't Civil:
You've Got Your Troubles...
Paul Scott
Back before I was born, a group called the Fortunes had a hot hit with "You've Got Your Troubles I've Got Mine." Although the song, has now been relegated to late night infomercials, it could still be used, today, as the theme song for African American and Gay community relations.
Since the passing of Proposition 8 on the West Coast, a lot of people have been comparing the struggles of the homosexual community with the historical trials and tribulations that torment the souls of black folks.
To me that's like comparing an apple to an orange. (Or in this case a Big Mac to quiche.)
To compare the African Holocaust (Trans Atlantic Slave Trade) to the Same Sex Marriage Rights Movement is an insult to the millions of my African ancestors whose bones are resting at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Can anyone say with a straight face that there is any similarity between being stolen from your homeland to work in the sweltering heat on a Georgia Plantation and the right to open a gay bar in Houston?
I don't recall reading about any slave ships being docked outside of San Francisco waiting for the next round up of homosexuals.
Some have even gone as far as to compare the Gay Rights Movement with the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's. How many pictures have you seen of racist Alabama sheriff, Bull Connor sicing German Shepherds on Gay Rights demonstrators? How many Gay Rights activists have been shot down in their driveways ,like Medgar Evers, as their families watched in horror ?
Homosexuals are not the first to hijack the black struggle for equality. Our tactics have been either used or stolen by any advocacy group that came along from the women's rights groups to the animal rights organizations. The gays and others have used these tactics with greater success than those who shed their blood, sweat and tears to implement them. The reason being that while gay unity has been accepted at least by homosexuals, black unity has often been frowned upon by many blacks whose philosophy has been that African Americans have to shed their blackness and blend in with the white majority in order to achieve social and economic equality. While gay people were being encouraged to come out of the closet, we were being told to put our blackness back in the closet. Also, if the tactics that are used by other ethnic groups had been used by blacks they would have been quickly denounced as evidence of "racism in reverse."
From the perspective of many blacks, homosexuality is more readily accepted in this country than racial issues. The homosexual white male who contracts HIV is looked upon with greater sympathy than the heterosexual African American male who contracts HIV from intravenous drug use or unprotected sex. Yet they both contracted the disease by lifestyle choices. On the world scene, concern over the AIDS epidemic of white males in America has trumped the concern over AIDS in Africa.
While some may view the gay rights argument in strictly theological or moral terms, this is not the case here. What is good or evil depends on which religious text you are reading and your interpretation or misinterpretation of it. While my own religious point of reference does not condone homosexuality, this would be relevant only if we were living under a Theocracy. While a Theocracy contains certain dogmas that demand strict adherence, the mantra of a Democracy is "If it feels good do it, just don't hurt anybody." Especially in America.
That does not mean, however, that one has to be pressured into condoning another person's embrace of an alternative lifestyle.
Just because I choose to blast my old school Run DMC album at 3am every morning does not mean that my 90 year old neighbor should be forced to share my taste in music.
The attitude of most black folks is "live and let live." We don't have the time nor energy to devote to gay bashing. In case you haven't been watching the news, we have our own problems to deal with.
Therefore, the idea of "black homophobia" that is tossed around every time black folks don't run to the front of the line at Gay Pride Parades is over exaggerated. I don't see too many black men ducking for cover when "Dancing Queen" blasts over the intercom system at the mall. For most, homosexuality is met with indifference. (For years, I thought Liberace was just a snazzy dresser who liked to play the piano.)
Although Hip Hop has had homophobia lumped in with its multitude of moral transgressions that does not reflect the reality of the nature of the subculture.
With songs like like "My Girl's Got a Girlfriend" and the embrace of Lesbianism in some Hip Hop videos and magazines, one can charge exploitation but not homophobia. Also, most rap artists are slow to offend a large segment of their fan base and financial backers for economic reasons, if not moral.
There is, however, a concern that the Black Empowerment Movement will be co-opted by the Gay Rights Movement. There is a real fear that one day someone will interject the line "when little gay boys and gay girls will join hands with straight boys and girls" into Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream Speech."
So the issue for black folks is not the rights of gays to marry or anything else but the way those rights infringe upon the movement for African American equality. If you think that it's hard being gay, you should try being black for a day.
To borrow from that oft repeated line of prose:
"I once complained about my pink paisley tie then I saw a man with a noose around his neck."
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
You've Got Your Troubles...
Paul Scott
Back before I was born, a group called the Fortunes had a hot hit with "You've Got Your Troubles I've Got Mine." Although the song, has now been relegated to late night infomercials, it could still be used, today, as the theme song for African American and Gay community relations.
Since the passing of Proposition 8 on the West Coast, a lot of people have been comparing the struggles of the homosexual community with the historical trials and tribulations that torment the souls of black folks.
To me that's like comparing an apple to an orange. (Or in this case a Big Mac to quiche.)
To compare the African Holocaust (Trans Atlantic Slave Trade) to the Same Sex Marriage Rights Movement is an insult to the millions of my African ancestors whose bones are resting at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Can anyone say with a straight face that there is any similarity between being stolen from your homeland to work in the sweltering heat on a Georgia Plantation and the right to open a gay bar in Houston?
I don't recall reading about any slave ships being docked outside of San Francisco waiting for the next round up of homosexuals.
Some have even gone as far as to compare the Gay Rights Movement with the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's. How many pictures have you seen of racist Alabama sheriff, Bull Connor sicing German Shepherds on Gay Rights demonstrators? How many Gay Rights activists have been shot down in their driveways ,like Medgar Evers, as their families watched in horror ?
Homosexuals are not the first to hijack the black struggle for equality. Our tactics have been either used or stolen by any advocacy group that came along from the women's rights groups to the animal rights organizations. The gays and others have used these tactics with greater success than those who shed their blood, sweat and tears to implement them. The reason being that while gay unity has been accepted at least by homosexuals, black unity has often been frowned upon by many blacks whose philosophy has been that African Americans have to shed their blackness and blend in with the white majority in order to achieve social and economic equality. While gay people were being encouraged to come out of the closet, we were being told to put our blackness back in the closet. Also, if the tactics that are used by other ethnic groups had been used by blacks they would have been quickly denounced as evidence of "racism in reverse."
From the perspective of many blacks, homosexuality is more readily accepted in this country than racial issues. The homosexual white male who contracts HIV is looked upon with greater sympathy than the heterosexual African American male who contracts HIV from intravenous drug use or unprotected sex. Yet they both contracted the disease by lifestyle choices. On the world scene, concern over the AIDS epidemic of white males in America has trumped the concern over AIDS in Africa.
While some may view the gay rights argument in strictly theological or moral terms, this is not the case here. What is good or evil depends on which religious text you are reading and your interpretation or misinterpretation of it. While my own religious point of reference does not condone homosexuality, this would be relevant only if we were living under a Theocracy. While a Theocracy contains certain dogmas that demand strict adherence, the mantra of a Democracy is "If it feels good do it, just don't hurt anybody." Especially in America.
That does not mean, however, that one has to be pressured into condoning another person's embrace of an alternative lifestyle.
Just because I choose to blast my old school Run DMC album at 3am every morning does not mean that my 90 year old neighbor should be forced to share my taste in music.
The attitude of most black folks is "live and let live." We don't have the time nor energy to devote to gay bashing. In case you haven't been watching the news, we have our own problems to deal with.
Therefore, the idea of "black homophobia" that is tossed around every time black folks don't run to the front of the line at Gay Pride Parades is over exaggerated. I don't see too many black men ducking for cover when "Dancing Queen" blasts over the intercom system at the mall. For most, homosexuality is met with indifference. (For years, I thought Liberace was just a snazzy dresser who liked to play the piano.)
Although Hip Hop has had homophobia lumped in with its multitude of moral transgressions that does not reflect the reality of the nature of the subculture.
With songs like like "My Girl's Got a Girlfriend" and the embrace of Lesbianism in some Hip Hop videos and magazines, one can charge exploitation but not homophobia. Also, most rap artists are slow to offend a large segment of their fan base and financial backers for economic reasons, if not moral.
There is, however, a concern that the Black Empowerment Movement will be co-opted by the Gay Rights Movement. There is a real fear that one day someone will interject the line "when little gay boys and gay girls will join hands with straight boys and girls" into Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream Speech."
So the issue for black folks is not the rights of gays to marry or anything else but the way those rights infringe upon the movement for African American equality. If you think that it's hard being gay, you should try being black for a day.
To borrow from that oft repeated line of prose:
"I once complained about my pink paisley tie then I saw a man with a noose around his neck."
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Black Leaders...You're Fired !
Dear Black Leader,
As the unofficial self- appointed representative of the people whom you are supposed to work for, I have a bit of bad news. As of MLK Day 2008....You're Fired!!!
It's not that we don't appreciate your hard work and dedication in fighting for our civil rights and everything. We know your bio, which you always share with us anytime we ask you what have you done for us, lately. We know about the marches, the demonstrations, the police dogs and the jail stays. But that history is lost on this generation. They are desensitized to the "going to jail thing." My cousin Clyde, the Klepto can do a 10 year bid standing on one hand. As far as the police dogs, Lil Tyrone has to deal with stray pitbulls everyday coming home from school. So the tales from the past just don't move Black folks like they used to.
Accounting is concerned about the expense account that you've been runnin' up. They say that you have been abusing the company's Bank of Harlem Black Card. Is it really necessary to wear $2000 Brooks Brothers suits and $1500 Itallian leather shoes, everyday while the people you work for get their clothes from WalMart and Pick and Pay? (Work rule # 4081, never out dress the boss.) And how about the first class airline tickets and the 5 star hotels? Also, the board of directors thinks that the $5000 honorarium that you charge historically Black colleges for 45 minutes of your wisdom is a little excessive. Especially when you are going to ask the strugglin' college kids to break you off $28.99 for your latest hardback after the lecture?
My "peeps" in the street are also tired of seeing you flossin' on C-Span more than they see you in tha hood, homie. They want you to step your rap game up and come with something a little fresher than a remixed "IHave a Dream" speech, every year. At least Jay Z and them can bust a funky freestyle off the top of their heads. And stop criticizing their spinning rims and platinum teeth when you are bling blingin' more than they are. And for the record, they said that they ain't gonna stop using the "n" word as long as you keep referring to Black folks as "minorities" and"colored people." The Boyz in the Hood want a chance to shine on the cover of Ebony and on the radio, too. My boy, Tre said that he was in the newspaper one time and his mom's said that he looked real good dunking the basketball in the Cross City Championship of '95. He once dropped some serious science after the Jena 6 thing in the middle of Mr Luther's Barber Shop and got a standing ovation and a free hair cut! Brotha's got some real talk for the people but NPR won't holla at him, though.
The interns who have been running around getting your coffee and filing your papers for the last 20 years are getting tired of being passed over for promotions. Word around the break room is that they are planning a hostile takeover if changes aren't made soon. I know that you always thought that the main threat to your job would come from the Conservative cats on the 5th Floor who you play golf with every weekend but you underestimated the Brotha in the Red, Black and GreenT-Shirt that you had in the field picking up garbage. You didn't know that the old school Public Enemy pumpin' in his IPod headphones and the books on Garvyism that he was reading during his lunch break would give him grand ideas about taking over the company.
We tried to get your pension straight, but funny thing, no one in Human Resources remembers hiring you. It must have happened during the race riots of '69 when the Brothas were handlin' their business in the streets. When the smoke cleared all the rest of the Brothas were doing long prison sentences but you were at the front of the line to be the first negro to integrate Whiteman and Liverpool Inc.
To find a suitable replacement we have decided to launch our own reality show "America's Next Black Leader" and we will be going through hoods across America with a camcorder to see who is actually out there feeding the people, fighting the power and doing all of the other things that you preached to us that we should be doing for the last 40 years.
So we thank you for your years of service and we know that you will have no problem finding a new job with your white corporate sponsors.
Best Wishes
Min. Paul Scott
Min. Paul Scott's blog is nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283
As the unofficial self- appointed representative of the people whom you are supposed to work for, I have a bit of bad news. As of MLK Day 2008....You're Fired!!!
It's not that we don't appreciate your hard work and dedication in fighting for our civil rights and everything. We know your bio, which you always share with us anytime we ask you what have you done for us, lately. We know about the marches, the demonstrations, the police dogs and the jail stays. But that history is lost on this generation. They are desensitized to the "going to jail thing." My cousin Clyde, the Klepto can do a 10 year bid standing on one hand. As far as the police dogs, Lil Tyrone has to deal with stray pitbulls everyday coming home from school. So the tales from the past just don't move Black folks like they used to.
Accounting is concerned about the expense account that you've been runnin' up. They say that you have been abusing the company's Bank of Harlem Black Card. Is it really necessary to wear $2000 Brooks Brothers suits and $1500 Itallian leather shoes, everyday while the people you work for get their clothes from WalMart and Pick and Pay? (Work rule # 4081, never out dress the boss.) And how about the first class airline tickets and the 5 star hotels? Also, the board of directors thinks that the $5000 honorarium that you charge historically Black colleges for 45 minutes of your wisdom is a little excessive. Especially when you are going to ask the strugglin' college kids to break you off $28.99 for your latest hardback after the lecture?
My "peeps" in the street are also tired of seeing you flossin' on C-Span more than they see you in tha hood, homie. They want you to step your rap game up and come with something a little fresher than a remixed "IHave a Dream" speech, every year. At least Jay Z and them can bust a funky freestyle off the top of their heads. And stop criticizing their spinning rims and platinum teeth when you are bling blingin' more than they are. And for the record, they said that they ain't gonna stop using the "n" word as long as you keep referring to Black folks as "minorities" and"colored people." The Boyz in the Hood want a chance to shine on the cover of Ebony and on the radio, too. My boy, Tre said that he was in the newspaper one time and his mom's said that he looked real good dunking the basketball in the Cross City Championship of '95. He once dropped some serious science after the Jena 6 thing in the middle of Mr Luther's Barber Shop and got a standing ovation and a free hair cut! Brotha's got some real talk for the people but NPR won't holla at him, though.
The interns who have been running around getting your coffee and filing your papers for the last 20 years are getting tired of being passed over for promotions. Word around the break room is that they are planning a hostile takeover if changes aren't made soon. I know that you always thought that the main threat to your job would come from the Conservative cats on the 5th Floor who you play golf with every weekend but you underestimated the Brotha in the Red, Black and GreenT-Shirt that you had in the field picking up garbage. You didn't know that the old school Public Enemy pumpin' in his IPod headphones and the books on Garvyism that he was reading during his lunch break would give him grand ideas about taking over the company.
We tried to get your pension straight, but funny thing, no one in Human Resources remembers hiring you. It must have happened during the race riots of '69 when the Brothas were handlin' their business in the streets. When the smoke cleared all the rest of the Brothas were doing long prison sentences but you were at the front of the line to be the first negro to integrate Whiteman and Liverpool Inc.
To find a suitable replacement we have decided to launch our own reality show "America's Next Black Leader" and we will be going through hoods across America with a camcorder to see who is actually out there feeding the people, fighting the power and doing all of the other things that you preached to us that we should be doing for the last 40 years.
So we thank you for your years of service and we know that you will have no problem finding a new job with your white corporate sponsors.
Best Wishes
Min. Paul Scott
Min. Paul Scott's blog is nowarningshotsfired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
