Winter in America

Winter in America:
Black Heroes and Black Homicides

Paul Scott






Back in 1974, Gil Scott-Heron recorded a song called "Winter in America." No, he wasn't talking about the Arctic like weather that we have been experiencing for the last couple of months. He was mourning the death of activism after the Civil Rights/Black Power Era.

I thought about those lyrics during a lecture that I recently gave in front of a group of black male teens regarding black leadership. I had almost finished discussing the assassinations of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr when I was interrupted by one of the young men.

"You guys are always telling us to be leaders but all the black leaders get killed ," he said. "How can we be strong black leaders and still survive?"

Good question.

Being a black leader has been the hardest job in America for the past 300 years. The earliest black leaders in this country were those who led slave revolts such as Nat Turner , Denmark Vessey and Gabriel Prosser. The leaders of those rebellions and their co-conspirators were rewarded with hangman's nooses. One must also not forget writers such as David Walker, whose "Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World' resulted in a $10,000 bounty being placed on his head. In 1830, Walker was found dead in the doorway of his shop.

Lerone Bennett in his book, "Before the Mayflower" wrote that during the Reconstruction Period of the late 1800's , "at least 5,000 Negroes died for their political beliefs."

Beginning in the early 20th century J. Edgar Hoover's Bureau of Investigation (later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation) targeted black leaders such as Marcus Garvey, Paul Robeson and WEB Du Bois. Later, under its Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) many black leaders, such as Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, were targeted by massive disinformation campaigns to "prevent the rise of a black messiah who could unify and electrify the militant black nationalist movement," according to Kenneth O'Reilly in his book, "Black America: The FBI Files." COINTELPRO and its affiliate programs contributed to the deaths of many young African American leaders like Bobby Hutton of the Black Panther Party, barely 18 years old when was murdered by Oakland, CA police.

This led into the Richard Nixon Era, as his "get tough on crime" policies finished off what was left of groups like the Panthers.

Although, the COINTELPRO program had been "officially" over for more than a decade, during the the early stages of the Hip Hop movement of the late 80's and early 90's, rap artists like the members of Public Enemy, Sister Souljah and Ice T were targeted for their outspoken political stances.

Although, some would like to write off the late Hip Hop artist , Tupac Shakur as just some common street thug, author John Potash makes some pretty convincing arguments in his book "The FBI War on Tupac and Black Leaders" that Shakur was not targeted by law enforcement for being a "gangsta rapper" but because of the possibility that he would follow in the footsteps of his mother, Afeni Shakur and extended family members Mutulu and Assata Shakur, who were members of the Black Liberation Army.

This is why many of the rap artists of today find it safer to rap about gangs, guns and girls instead of black empowerment.

Although, many folks (especially Conservatives) are quick to blame the various pathologies facing black youth on Hip Hop, unwed mothers and absentee fathers, they refuse to acknowledge the calculated societal factors that turned revolutionaries to gangsta rappers.

As much as people like to talk about Freedom of Speech, for black men and women speech has been anything but free as, even today, there are still consequences for daring to speak truth to power.

Whether it be sacrificing that six figure dream job with the great retirement plan or knowing that your uncompromising style of writing will never get you a Pulitzer or even that coveted columnist job at the daily paper, the price of Freedom has been too much for most to be willing to pay.

Only a choice few have been willing to put the needs of future generations above their own. Their only rewards being the possibility of pictures on postage stamps or streets in the hood named after them long after they are dead and gone.

Why go through all the hassle when it would be just as easy to look the other way and adopt "Don't Worry be Happy" as a personal mantra?

Maybe it's the voices of the ancestors that whisper to you in the still of the night, urging you to keep on, keepin' on. Or the sense of responsibility as you walk through neighborhoods filled with young men who will either wind up in jail or the grave before they are 21 years old unless some one intervenes.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown of thorns.

But how do you explain that to a 15 year old?

Perhaps Scott-Heron was right. Maybe "nobody's fighting because no one knows what to say."

As I started to wind down my lecture, the young man interrupted me, again.

"But you didn't give me an answer to my question!"

Truth is... I didn't have one.

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Dedicated to the memory of those who died so I may write.

What's in a Name?

What's in a Name? :
The Various Shades of Terrorism

Paul Scott




What's in a name?


I have heard Joseph Stack, the guy in Austin Texas who slammed his plane into the IRS building, called many things today; angry, suicidal, PO'd.

Funny, the term "terrorist" has not been used too much, as media outlets were quick to point out that the crash was not linked to any terrorist organizations.

I don't remember hearing about too many red or orange alerts, either.

Also, the images of the smouldering IRA building have not dominated the news. There was much more coverage of the guy who blew up his Hanes trying to blow up an airplane a while back, as that story dominated the news for weeks.

So, I guess while the airport security people were busy searching suitcases for Qur'ans, Stack, quietly, revved up his plane and jetted off.

If Stack's last name would have been "Abdul" or his middle name "Hussein," you could have kissed tonight's coverage of the Olympics, goodbye.

See the media have there own special way of defining folks:

Black = "gangbanger"

Latino= "illegal allien"

Muslim = "terrorist"

Those are the images that they pimp to the public. So when the Tim McVeighs and Joseph Stacks come along the Right Wingers don't call them "terrorists," at worst they are considered "patriots with slight anger management issues."

If Stack would have had a name that sounded in anyway "Middle Eastern" you can bet that the Right Wing talking heads would have been burning the midnight oil trying their best to blame the Obama administration.

Heaven forbid if somebody on the Left has the audacity to suggest that the climate of hate that the Tea Party and others is creating could inspire a Joseph Stack to take such desperate measures.

If the web reports of Stack's Manifesto are accurate, I do agree with him about one thing,

"The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

"The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed."

Karl Marx couldn't have said it better....


Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283

40 Acres and a School

40 Acres and a School:
Reading, Writing and Reparations

Paul Scott



"As long as you can be convinced that you never did anything, then you can never do anything"

Malcolm X




There is something called a self -fulfilling prophecy. If you promote an idea long enough, it will become reality.

So it is with the notion that black males are doomed to academic failure.

It was announced a few days ago that the Durham Public School System will receive a grant from the National Association of Educators for 1.25 million dollars to, once again, engage in the never ending quest to save black males from falling into the dark abyss of educational obscurity.

Yet another bureaucratic attempt to solve societal problems by throwing a boat load of money at it.

While this is a novel idea, there is just one itty bitty little problem...

It never works.

Despite the best intentions of those who cried through "The Blind Side" and came of out the theatre vowing to save black kids, the money never quite makes it from point A to point B. By the time they pay some out- of- towner big bucks to administer the funds, pay the rent for his office and the note for his company car, the poor black kids will be lucky to get a #2 pencil out of the deal.

(Look at how much money has been spent to solve Durham's "gang problem.")

According to news reports, the scraps will be used to do things like allow teachers to visit the homes of troubled students.

(Note to the brainiacs in Raleigh. If you use some of that educational lotto money to pay teachers a decent salary so they don't have to moonlight taking orders at Big Bob's Burger Barn, maybe they will have time to chill out with Lil Tyrone Johnson's family in the evening.)

No diss meant to the Ph.D card carrying DPS administrators but to use text-terminology, ITSS. (It's The System, Stupid!)

To truly close the achievement gap we must first have the courage ask the fundamental question, "how did we get here in the first place?"

The reason why this question is rarely posed is because to get to the answer we have to wade through the murky waters of institutionalized academic racism.

The truth of the matter is that black children are in their present state because, for so long, African Americans were denied educational equality and thusly, economic opportunities.

For many years, African Americans have fought for reparations for slavery, an effort to gain compensation to repair the damage caused by centuries of free labor. If any restitution must be given, it must start with the educational system and it will cost a whole lot more than a million dollars and some change per school system.

What would be required would be a total revamping of the entire educational system. There must not only be a radical redistribution of resources but a change in the national curriculum that has too long downplayed the achievements of people of African descent and over exaggerated the achievements of Europeans.

This is the only way to turn gang members into college graduates. Trying to teach troubled black youth without taking a systematic approach is like putting a band aid on a bullet hole. Yeah, it will stop the bleeding for a while but...

Now, I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for Thaddeus Stevens' promised 40 acres and a mule carrying a set of encyclopedias on its back. So, until then there are a few things that can be done, immediately.

First, we, as a community, must at long last have that long delayed open and honest conversation on race and how it has historically impacted the education of African Americans. If we don't put black underachievement in the context of the African American experience then all the positive press generated by the receipt of the grant money will only serve to propagate the idea that African Americans are innately, academically challenged.

Secondly , all African American children should be required to take a course in Afrocentricity. Every black child should know bits of information like despite the negative stereotypes of Africa as a place filled with ignorant savages , according to researcher Basil Davidson, during the 16th century, Leo Africanus said "more money is made from the book trade than any other line of business." Contrary to the belief of some members of this generation, the crowning achievement of black culture was not Jay Z performing at the World Series.

Lastly, it is a worn out cliche but administrators must learn to think outside the box. They must have the courage to support those who dare to take the road less traveled in order to reach our children. Therefore, DPS must not simply hoard resources but must share them with organizations outside of the traditional school system that work with black males, like the Rights of Passage and New Horizons Training for Success. Since Martina Dunford's Training for Success program helps guide many black males, who are victims of the mis-educational system, it will be a travesty if her program doesn't receive a big slice of that million dollar grant pie.

Until we take these steps we'll just be throwing money down a bottomless pit.

The Beatles once said that "money can't buy you love."

Unfortunately, It can't buy you knowledge, either.


Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com For more information about the Intelligence Over Ignorance Campaign visit ioimovement.com

Intelligence Over Ignorance Campaign Lecture Tour 2/13/10

The Intelligence Over Ignorance Campaign Comes to Winston Salem NC. TRUTH Minista Paul Scott lectures on Black History or Hip Hop History

Presidents Day 2010: Right Wing, Racism and Reconstruction

Presidents Day 2010:
Right Wing, Racism and Reconstruction

Paul Scott



In Tennessee, a group of disgruntled white folks held their first national conference with the aim of snatchin' back their country from the undesirables, whom were bringing it to ruin. The conference ended with a roar of applause as the keynote speaker made an impassioned call for a revolution. No, I'm not talking about The National Tea Party Convention of 2010, I'm referring to the first Ku Klux Klan Convention of 1867...

Although, the two events took place almost a century and a half apart, I am sure that the sentiments in the room must have been, pretty much the same; white supremacy must be preserved by any means necessary.

Last weekend, the Tea Party folks held their first national convention, the $100,000 show stopper being Sarah Palin's announcement that "America is ready for another revolution."

Although, most Conservatives would deny it to the bitter end, many of those who hate President Barack Obama's guts do so because (dare I say it ?) he's black! And a black man as head of the free world just doesn't sit well with some folks whose dealings with African Americans are limited to the kid at McDonald's asking them if they want cheese on their Big Macs.

While it may be a tad bit unfair to label everybody who attended the convention as bigots who ritually, relieve themselves on the grave of Thaddeus Stevens, to say that the Tea Party hoedown wasn't the choice vacation spot for racists last weekend is a little naive.

See, when these guys start talking about being "patriots" and "defending the Constitution" you have to understand the code words. They are talking about the original version of the Constitution that referred to a dude like me as only 3/5th of a man. And the "patriot" they talk about rallyin' isn't your friendly neighbor, Mrs. Robertson with the giant American flag hanging over her rose garden. Naw, they are after the dude with the Confederate baseball cap and the gun rack in the back of his pickup blastin' Lynard Skynard.


Although, the Convention got props from the Right Wing media, I wonder what their reaction would have been if a black leader called for the overthrow of the government at the all African American "Black Coffee, No Sugar, No Cream" Convention. You can bet that the talking heads on Fox News would be labeling him a terrorist and calling for a thorough investigation by the Justice Department.

Forgive me if I come off a little presumptuous but we, black folks, have seen this movie before.

Back in 1866, following the end of the Civil War, there was a dramatic surge in African American political power courtesy of a couple of handy amendments added to the Constitution. For the first time African Americans began to hold political offices, at what seemed for some to be an alarming rate.

Needless to say, just like after Obama's historic victory, November '08, some folks weren't exactly jerkin' for joy down Main Street.

Referring to Southern whites, historian Vincent Harding in his book "The Other American Revolution" writes, " by every possible legal and extralegal means they organized to oppose the new developments." Much of the extralegal activity was carried out by the KKK who, ironically, also held their first convention at a Nashville hotel.

Also, in his book "Before the Mayflower," Lerone Bennett wrote, " to justify the revolutionary methods by which these governments were overthrown, Southerners manufactured and perpetrated the twin myths of corruption and ignorance." Negro politicians, so the myths run ,were corrupt or ignorant."

Also, it must be noted that some historians have labeled the Civil Rights Era as the "second Reconstruction Era." The leaders of this era were also demonized; accused of trying to turn America into a Socialist (then the buzz word was "Communist") state.

Funny how the more things change...

While some will argue that it was the Democrats, not the angelic Republicans who were responsible for the end of Reconstruction. The truth is conservative bigotry is nonpartisan and changing a political party is as easy as changing socks. The Dixiecrats of yesterday are the Ultra Right Wing Republicans of today.

The Right Wing media have been riding Obama's back since day one. Ever since he took office he has been the nappy headed step child of American presidents.

The Rodney Dangerfield of DC...

The Charlie Brown of the....

Aw, you get the point.

The movers hadn't even finished unpacking Michelle Obama's shoes before the attacks started coming from the Conservatives.

To borrow from an old joke, if the reporters saw President Obama walking on water, the headlines the next morning would read, "Obama Can't Swim!"

Not only that, but the Right has continued an unrelenting, unmerciful attack on the whole Left Wing, branding them as an Obama inspired environmentalist cult waiting for the second coming of Karl Marx.

Now I'm not an Obama groupie but I, like many other folks, am tired of the Tea Party and the other Conservatives running around like the Broadstreet Bully jackin' nerdy Left wingers for their lunch money.

So, inspired by the success of the Tea Party, this Presidents Day, 2/15, I have decided to start my own political movement, "The Kick Rocks Coalition."

I am asking that those on the Left who don't wet their pants every time they hear the intro to Rush Limbaugh's radio show join me in telling the Right Wingers that we are sick and tired of their ruthless fear tactics.

It is past time to tell the Conservatives to get over it, Obama is the Prez and if you don't like it you can...

Well...kick rocks!


Paul Scott is a author of the blog, No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com

"Back to Africa" Lecture Tour Starts 2/8

The Intelligence Over Ignorance Black History Month, "Back to Africa" lecture tour will kick off 2/8 at the Stanford L Warren Library in Durham NC with a lecture by "TRUTH Minista " Paul Scott called "Hip Hop History or Black History."

For more information or to schedule a tour date contact (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Black History Flash back '94

This is a skit from my mid 90's public access show, "The Scoop from the Stoop" about Black History Month.