Reparations is easiest broken down: Repair Nations. Not speaking from a Christian perspective makes reparations seem selfish. Not speaking from a Nationalist perspective is paramount to wishing to be fixed by someone other than ourselves. Our perspectives are skewed & we're about to launch another "we shall overcome" type movement, marching & looking for additional handouts. Reparations is an issue of self-sufficiency, not finding some new crutch on which to lean.
I was listening to the news this morning when @bdkreviews stated that he rated the movie 2.5 out of 5, because the dialogue reminded him of the coon-ish satire: "Don't Be A Menace!"
How in the world does a movie about real-life heroes remind anyone of the buffoonery displayed in this Wayans' Bros. satire? I don't understand. I challenged @bedreviews on this, via twitter (@Jah_Bread), and he told me he wasn't comparing the movies...just the dialogue. But, I wonder (and asked), even ifRed Tails is bad...and I'll determine that tomorrow...how can you conceive of DON'T BE A MENACE as your comparison. @bdkreviews was either trying too hard to be cool, or simply a victim of deep-seeded racism.
But, see, tomorrow I will watch Red Tails: Operation Repair Nations...the final mission.
What am I talking about? Well, the producer (George Lucas, i.e. Star Wars) said Holloywood didn't want to fund this movie because of its all-Black cast (see here). Not essentially because they are (overtly) racist. But because they don't feel a movie with an all-Black leading cast would make any money.
It's as if the Tuskegee Airmen must fly one final mission to prove that they are a worthy part of American History. No one questioned whether Saving Private Ryan would be a hit. Yet, a movie about some other critical war heroes who happen to be Black Americans is seen as "not wort the risk."
I'm going to see the movie tomorrow with my Fraternity Brothers, our families and friends. Good, bad or simply "aiight," we will see and support this movie because it is our history. And, when I say "our" history, I don't specifically mean Black History...although it is indeed that. Yet, it is AMERICAN HISTORY and ought be honored as such.
If Red Tails is bad, then it certainly will be no worse than all of the garbage that Holloywood consistently puts out. And, certainly, if we can stomach a love story about a War Horse, we should be able to make room for Red Tails...unless America is trying to tell us that a HORSE is more of a hero than Black men!
Perhaps it is not unfair to say that black nationalists, more than any other group of Afro-American ideologists, have been able to combine in terrible and uneasy tension the most devastating criticisms of, and the most sublime faith in, their people.
- Sterling Stuckey, The Ideological Origins of Black Nationalism
What can I say? I hope for too much of our people. And, I root it in this question: how can a people beaten into the image of inferiority by the collective ass-whooping of Slavery, Colonialism, Jim Crow, Apartheid and economic tyranny simply be satisfied with an individual accomplishment? It is the anti-Invictus, where head bloodied and bowed under these bludgeonings we have said: "what White people have said about us - as a people - is true," for we stand justified by a sense of individual accomplishment.
Maybe I too need to succumb to that "reality," and cease from thinking of Black people as a great people. Maybe I should be converted to the Prosperity Gospel of personal salvation, where all I need to do is "get mine." Maybe there's no hope for repair...
Because, REPA(I)Rations means not settling for mediocrity.
To consider it laudatory that there are successful Black businesses (and there are many that are successful), when they're not on the "Fortune 500" is to admit that such an arena is reserved for Whites. It implies (barring some other tool of incompetence) that we, of some racial deficiency, cannot grow a business to overtake any of the businesses on that list. Maybe a given individual doesn't have that aspiration; maybe a given individual is satisfied with where there business is. This is a free Country and that is every individual's right to be so satisfied. But what remains is still a conundrum that begs the question of whether or not Black people - as a people - can compete on the level of the "Big Boys."
Reparations means not settling for mediocrity.
Accepting that a degree from the "Black Harvard" carries no greater stature than a degree from a Tier 3 White Institution is tantamount to saying that the "Ivy League" for Black people is AT BEST comparable to the calibre of Michigan Technological University! Again, I know many absolutely brilliant people who graduated from HBCUs. But that is them as individuals. As HBCUs, those institutions are representative of us - as a people. And to me, the fact that the best we can offer ranks #115 is an indictment serving to confirm the thoughts of those (Whites) who said we are inferior.
Reparations means not settling for mediocrity.
But, maybe I hope for too much. Maybe it is enough is the fortunate few, of which I could easily be part, achieve. But it seems to me that if that be the case, all I would be is an exception to the rule of Black inferiority. And, I just refuse to accept that.
Yet, I am criticized as one who simply hates my own people. Maybe it's that I love my people too much. Maybe it's that I hope for the day when we will find it beneficial to our existence - as a people - to prove to ourselves - as a people - that we are not what they think we are.
It's funny: as individuals we are driven to ambition and success to prove the naysayers wrong. However, we have lost the ambition to prove our collective naysayers wrong. Maybe they're right...and maybe I'm just in denial. :-/
In all things there is a silver lining. Take Sarah Palin...
Many people see her as a strange pick and question her qualifications. But, there are positives to Sarah Palin. What are they? What benefit can be accrued from her candidacy?
Personally, I feel that American can learn a great deal about Black Women from Sarah Palin. What she has done by choice, Black Women have done for generations out of necessity. It is rare that Black Women are able to choose between career and family. And, the womanhood of Black Women has been called into question by those on the Right - who believe a family woman should be at home. Black Women have also faced attack from those on the Left - who believe a career woman shouldn't be beholden to a family. (Extreme generalizations, yes - but, a snapshot of the issue.)
While at the RNC Convention, I was asked what I thought about Sarah Palin. Thanks to Johnnie Morgan out in Cali for finding this clip for me.
What do you think? I would love to hear from you! Come and Get Your Reparations!
At times, you'll hear people arguing against reparations. They'll say: Reparations aren't needed...this stuff happened so long ago. Why can't you people just get over it?
Well, here's a retort: "why can't you people just get over it?!" It seems as if there's still need for repair on both sides of the color line. Did you see this:
Obama Effigy Hung From Noose
It seems to me that reparations is still needed. Minds still need to be changed. Christianity is supposed to be a religion of love. Yet, still our beloved faith is perverted by those who would use it as a bludgeon to oppress others. Christ calls us to be reconciled, one to another in love. Yet, this gentleman spews his hate. As Dennis Brown said: "Love and Hate Can Never be Friends"
Dennis Brown 'Here I Come'
Here folks, is your proof that reparations is still needed. All we need is to look at the anger and hatred that is being uncovered by the prospect of a "Black President." Just like an unhealed wound, Obama's candidacy is the curious child picking at a scab...the wound now throbs with pain.
If we are to truly see CHANGE in America, we must begin "Taking Steps Towards Reparations." If we do, we will reap beautiful fruits. Let's get to work - for the sake of our Country.
Today on Public Radio, I heard an interview with famed Investigative Reporter Greg Palast. He and Bobby Kennedy, Jr. produced a comic book entitled "Steal Back Your Vote."
You can download a copy of the comic book for a donation of any amount. In this comic book, the authors detail ways in which the powers that be are attempting to suppress the votes of Blacks and other minorities. It also details suggestions for how people can "steal back their votes."
Why is it that after the 15th Amendment, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and numerous subsequent provisions we are still talking about voter suppression? Why do we need a so-called "Help America Vote Act" and Election Assistance Commission? Why is it that with every problem, we enact more bureaucracy only to create further problems? This commission was established to deal with the problems of the 2000 Presidential Elections, only to result in the problems of the 2004 Presidential Elections.
Democrats will tell you the fault belongs to Republicans. But when asked why the Democrats won't stand strongly against these tactics, Greg Palast said both Parties are complicit. In a blog post entitled: "The 2008 Election Has Already Been Stolen," it's clear:
BuzzFlash: Then why do you think –
Greg Palast: — why don’t Democrats stand up?
BuzzFlash: The U.S. House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats. It’s like saying, well, $320 million is missing from a bank but we’re not going to investigate that.
Greg Palast: You’re forgetting it’s not about the two parties. Vote theft is mainly a racial issue in America, and it’s a class issue. The white caucus is a lot bigger than the black caucus. They don’t call the Congress a millionaire’s club for nothing. There aren’t many guys in there — or women — who are not millionaires. So it’s the millionaires versus us. It’s the white caucus versus the black caucus, which is of great concern. So the vote is along racial class and economic lines, not along party lines. Party lines are pretty much meaningless. There’s pretty much one party — the party of the cash. But I’m not one of these people that says there’s no difference between the Democratic and Republican Party. The question is: is the difference meaningful? That’s all. When it comes down to voter issues, remember that the Democrats in power there were elected under the racist, broken, classist system. If you fix the voting system, a third of those Democrats could never win a primary. The last thing that they want is poor people to vote.
Now, let me put a picture of Mr. Palast up here so you can see - he's a White man.
I have repeatedly stated that Reparations is a movement of Liberation - of Liberty. When will enough be enough? Reparations - again - cannot be had from external Acts of Congress. Reparations comes from a people freeing themselves from the whims of these thieves.
Behold the Second Amendment - the Right to Bear Arms. Jesse Ventura reminded us at the Rally for the Republic:
It's not about hunting and fishing. If our government gets out of control, we have the right to take it back.
The true purpose of the Second Amendment, as noted by Judge Silberman in his opinion in the appellate court, is to ensure that we the people would have the means to protect our inalienable rights, among those rights are life, liberty and our individual pursuit of happiness, against an oppressive government. And if our government were to violate our social contract, the people would have a moral obligation “to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
The Second Amendment is the ultimate voter protection. And, this is why that Amendment exists. Embrace the Second Amendment and watch voter suppression dissapear.
Vote fraud is an infringement upon our Constitutional Rights. It ushers in the tyranny of government against the governed. So long as we are unarmed, the powers that be are able to keep us away from the polls. Then to keep the wool over our eyes, they (Democrats) enact legislation to deepen the myth that they are "on our side."
Where is the Black Panther Party? Abiding by the law, they embraced the Second Amendment and armed themselves to defend the community from government tyranny. If they were still around, do you think we'd be talking about voter suppression? If there were armed Panthers standing outside of polling stations across the Country, do you think Blacks would be illegitimately turned away?
Firearms bans do serve a purpose in the Black community. But, it's not to protect us from crime. Criminals don't need the law in order for them to carry guns. So, don't be fooled that these laws keep guns off the street. They serve to prevent us from embracing Liberty and defending our inalienable rights. And, it will continue so long as we continue to allow it.
O God, may we, the Church, by acknowledging manifold sinfulness in the support of slavery and its associated evils, hereby pledge to adopt a new spirit and application for freedom and respect, leading to redemption and reconciliation, and may we, the Church, henceforth and ever, value and love others as we do ourselves.Here from the closing prayer of the opening litany for the Service of Repentance of the Episcopal Church, we find the formula. First we must acknowledge wrongdoing. Then we must pledge to change our ways. Lastly, we must take actions that lead to redemption and reconciliation.
Today, I attended the Service of Repentance at African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia, PA. Let me start with this: I am a skeptic. One of the things which prevent me from being part of the Western Church is the hypocrisy in its absolute refusal to acknowledge its participation in the sin of slavery. If, we as Christians, are to be reconciled one to another, this denial is the ultimate apostasy, and an affront to the Gospel of Christ.
But, in taking steps towards reparations I must explore possibilities.
So, when I was informed about this "Service of Repentance" I had to see for myself - is it real? And, that remains to be seen. I will say this: I was humbled by the level of self-deprecation in the "Litany of Offense and Apology." With such a profound expression, I couldn't help but wonder if people were really hearing what they were saying.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, we are gathered here to express our most profound regret that the Episcopal Church lent the institution of slavery its support and justification based on scripture, and after slavery was formally abolished, continued for at least a century to support de jure and de facto segregation and discrimination. We gather to repent, to apologize for our complicity in and the injury done by the institution of slavery and its aftermath and to amend our lives, to commit ourselves to opposing the sin of racism in personal and public life, and to create communities of liberation and justice.
To me - this is the basis for why reparations! Again, this is not about money. But, it is about the true Christian work of reconciliation. And, this is the work of the the Church for clearly the Church "lent the institution of slavery its support and justification based on scripture."
So what is the reparative principle? Well for one, it means that the Church now has a duty to work to lend its support and justification based on scripture to ending racism wherever it exists. And, since the Church "continued for at least a century to support...segregation and discrimination," this commitment must not only be confined to "ending racism," but also - and most especially - to combating the disparities caused by the institution of slavery and the legacy of that institution (discrimination), on down to the present day.
In apologizing for her "complicity," the Church cannot simply say: "I'm sorry." As with personal scenarios, an apology proves futile if it is not accompanied by suggestions of what one will do differently in the future. That is taking steps towarsd reparations: having acknowledged wrongdoing, we must work to make things right. It is this "making things right" that helps to both "amend our lives" and "create communities of liberation and justice."
Reparations is absolutely necessary, and is the natural next step. Bishop Jefferts-Schori continued:
Therefore, I invite you to join me in recalling the lamentable events that scar our past and the wounds that continue in the present. Let us seek God's forgiveness that we may be transformed more fully into the Body of Christ witnessing to God's abundant love.
Many folks - especially Whites - on both sides of the color line are afraid to revisit the events of the past. The principle of Sankofa symbolizes one taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. It is embodied by two different symbols.
I think these symbols are telling. Of course, we look back in order to understand our past and not repeat it. But, we look back in love - and with love, and for love. It is looking back, and taking ownership of what was done that will cause us to be transformed as a people and as a society.
If you are near an Episcopal Church (even if not Episcopalian), I challenge you to approach the Church to see what they have done and are doing in response to Resolution 123A. The question still remains: is it real? Is this going to be more than a perfunctory gesture to superficially absolve the Church in the eyes of men? Or will this be a truly committed effort to attain absolution in the eyes of God?
After speaking with Bishop Schori, I believe it is her intentions to see this be a committed effort. But, only time will tell if other forces will defeat "the best laid plans..." The battle is difficult, for this service was supposed to be held in the spotlight of Washington, D.C. in the National Cathedral. But, objections drove this effort out of the Nation's Capitol to the outskirts of Philly, where it could happen - almost - in secret.
In future pieces, I will further analyze the litany for you - detailing what it means for us as a people. I will also analyze Bishop Schori's sermon, and the striking things she said. As many have said, our hope is that the word "reparations" is no longer seen as a dirty word, but that people would embrace it as a means by which we can all come to be reconciled one to another, by the Grace of God.
Today marked the commencement of the Episcopal Church's two-day Service of Repentance. (See article here.) Despite a mandate for the service to be held in the National Cathedral in DC, the service has been hidden away in a historic Black church in Philadelphia. As Dr. Harold Lewis noted, the legacy of slavery is a National Problem - not a Black problem. To deny it the gravitas of the Cathedral and our Nation's Capitol is not a good start.
When asked why they did not hold the Service of Repentance in the Nation's Capitol, the excuse was that it would be too expensive to use the Cathedral. In other words, it would be too expensive for the Church to use its own facilities?! Honestly, that smells fishy...I think we know the real reason for avoiding Washington, D.C.
Nevertheless, there is great work being done in certain pockets of the Episcopal Communion. For instance, the Diocese of Mississippi has formed a Committee on Racial Reconciliation that is recording Church History in the State as it relates to the institution of slavery. There is the Diocese of North Carolina that has conducted its own "Truth and Reconciliation Commission." And, there is the Diocese of Maryland with the Commission on Reparations for Slavery - yes, in Maryland.
As I think on what's been said, I begin to understand the way to relate the importance of this theme. There were churches that profited from slavery...churches that owned slaves. There were priests and bishops that owned slaves.
Resolved, That we express our most profound regret that (a) The Episcopal Church lent the institution of slavery its support and justification based on Scripture, and (b) after slavery was formally abolished, The Episcopal Church continued for at least a century to support de jure and de facto segregation and discrimination...
So, the Episcopal Church has at least acknowledged that it was complicit in the sin of slavery. They have further acknowledged that, that sin has had (and does have) a profound effect upon our society.
This conference took place after the Race and Reconciliation in America Conference that was hosted by former Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen and his wife - actress and playwright - Janet Langhart Cohen. At that conference, it was made clear that "reparations will bring about racial reconciliation." And at this conference, we see the crucial role that repentance plays in all of this.
One White person responded that the discussion was depressing, to which Dr. Lewis said: "the truth sometimes is." A later commentator - also White - reminded us that "gold is refined by fire," and that we must embrace the pain in order to reap the reward.
Reparations is the work of everyone - and it is legitimate (and much needed) work. Reparations should not be a dirty word. It should be a humbling word that helps us to own are faults so that we might truly repent and ultimately reconcile.
So, don't be afraid - Come and Get Your Reparations!
Here's an article reprinted with permission of Mr. Bill Reed:
Under Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s prolonged and persistent pressure for justice, Libya became the first African country to receive apologies and compensation from a former colonial power. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi recently apologized to the North African country for damage Italy inflicted during 40 years of colonial rule and signed an agreement to pay $5 billion as compensation to resolve colonial-era disputes.
Libya’s leader said the settlement opened the door to partnership between the two states. Long a pariah among Western powers, Gaddafi called the treaty “historic” and that it “marked the defeat of colonialism”. Gaddafi said "Tyranny has a price which must be borne by the perpetrators," while Mr. Berlusconi said the deal ended “40 years of misunderstanding”.
Italy was a minor player in European whites’ “Manifest Destiny” of domination over lesser races to shape the world in their image. During their Colonization Period European nations extended their sovereignty over territories beyond their borders by establishment of either settler or exploitation colonies during which indigenous populations were directly ruled, displaced, or exterminated. For almost a century European countries engaged in systems of direct political, economic, and cultural intervention and hegemony over weaker, and almost always non-white, nations. Italy invaded Libya in 1911. It also invaded Ethiopia and occupied Eritrea and Somalia.
When Italy invaded the North African country that borders the Mediterranean, much of the European thinking was that colonialism was legal. Rome and Tripoli Rome have spent years arguing over compensation for the colonial period. But, Gaddafi doggedly pursued reparations and labeled colonialism as “crimes recognized in international law”.
Although the Italian Reparations have numerous self-serving tenets, African leaders are pondering: “Will the move set a precedent?” And, “Whether other former colonial masters will pay reparations for the civil wrongs and human rights abuses they visited on former ‘subjects’”?
Until Italian confession and penance, former colonial powers had refused to acknowledge the legal and moral basis for reparations for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, human rights abuses and other international injustices they committed in Africa. Mr. Berlusconi told Libyan journalists that the $5 billion compensation was a “material and emotional recognition of the mistakes” that Italy had made during colonialism. But, many said say that the deal has much more to do with Italy’s concern about oil and immigrants.
Mr. Berlusconi said he’d pay $200 million for infrastructure projects over the next 25 years, including a coastal highway across Libya from Tunisia to Egypt - to be built by Italian contractors. There will also be a colonial-era mine clearing project. Italy also returned an ancient statue of Venus, the headless “Venus of Cyrene”, taken to Rome during colonial times.
Italy has been swamped by thousands of African migrants trying to reach its shores by boat and Berlusconi wants Gaddafi to crack down on African migrants and Italy is to pay for $500 million of electronic monitors along Libya’s coast as part of the compensation package.
“In this historic document, Italy apologizes for killing, destruction and repression Libyans during the colonial rule,” Col Gaddafi said. Gaddafi has pushed for the United States of Africa for years. Libya is a North African country that borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north and lies between Egypt to the east and Sudan to the southeast, the former Ottoman territory is an area of almost 700,000 square miles, 90 percent of which is desert. Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa by area, and the 17th largest in the world. Oil was discovered in 1958 and has transformed its economy. The capital, Tripoli, is home to 1.7 million of Libya's 5.7 million people.
Now that Libya has been compensated by its former colonial master, who will follow suit? France, a major ex-colonial force in Africa, downplayed the treaty as "strictly an arrangement between Italy and Libya to enhance relations between Libya and the international community, including European".
Proper restitutions will begin when all Europeans acknowledge they benefited from colonialism and that it was a crime against humanity whose consequences are still with us.
If they can do it, so can we. What do you think? Is it possible for other African countries to get their reparations? Is it possible for us? What do you have to say?
I was thinking about this song, and the rallying cry of M1 and Stick. We as a people, have been saying we want freedom...that we are still enslaved. And, I thought of it in light of this:
If freedom is what we want, it is ours for the taking. Let the revolution begin. -Ron Paul, The Revolution: A Manifesto
This has been the aim of Black Liberation - freedom. And, here's someone stating that - in America - freedom is ours for the taking, if we want it. How could that be?
In the conclusion of his book defining the path to Liberty, Dr. Paul says:
Ours is not a fated existence, for nowhere is our destiny etched in stone. In the final analysis, the last line of defense in support of freedom and the Constitution consists of the people themselves. If the people want to be free, if they want to lift themselves from underneath a state apparatus that threatens their liberties...and spews forth endless propaganda about how indispensable it is and how lost we would all be without it, there is no force that can stop them.
Basically, the theory of this book is that if people return to the Constitution they will find the tools to ensure their Liberty. So, it should be said that if we embrace the Constitution we will fin the tools to ensure Black Liberation...because if we want to be free there's no force that can stop us.
Now, of course some will say I'm naive and that the government stops us, or the system stops us, or racism stops us. But, you know something?
Excuses are tools of incompetence. They build monuments of nothingness and bridges that lead to nowhere. Those who specialize in excuses seldom excel in anything else.
And, as I read Dr. Paul's book I had to face the harsh reality. The statement still remains, "if freedom is what we want, it is ours for the taking."
So, what is stopping Black Liberation? What is preventing Black people from securing Liberty? Could it be that we don't really want freedom? What do you think?
Let the revolution begin. Come and Get Your Reparations!
And, then look how he tries to use Clarence Thomas to validate his argument.
The only problem with O'Reilly is that Clarence Thomas is Black and he felt as though he was being lynched. We have some waking up to do! What do you think of this issue?
People say, "why can't we just move forward? Why can't people just forget?"
Well, this is a classic example of why we can't move forward, and why we can't forget. And, these aren't just the sentiments of a Black man. These sentiments are shared by President Bush.
Did you hear his comments in the first clip? If you didn't pay much attention to them, please listen again. They're very powerful, and I think they have great application to the Jena 6 mess. What do you think?
I fear that a Black president would be an excuse for some to say, "We've paid our debt," and to avoid the much harder work.
Today we commemorate the 45th Anniversary of the so-called "I Have a Dream" speech. I say "so-called" because the speech was over 2/3 complete before Dr. King starts speaking about a "Dream."
Forty-five years ago, Dr. King mounted the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to demand justice. As he said, he came to "cash a check." Forty-five years ago he said, "when the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to every American was to fall heir.
"This was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation."
Watch and listen to the speech as you read on:
Forty-five years ago, Dr. King did not simply espouse a Dream where "little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little White boys and White girls and walk together as sisters and brothers." Racial reconciliation is the culmination of this Dream. But, in Dr. King's "Dream" this reconciliation cannot happen until this nation rises up to "live out the true meaning of it's creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
You see, Reparations will help us to realize the Dream.
We will not all be created equal until the child born in the ghetto has the same chance to achieve greatness as the child born in the suburbs. We will not all be created equal until a Black person going to a hospital has the same chance of survival as the White person in the same hospital. We will not be created equal until "Black Culture" is part and parcel of American Culture, and not treated as some sort of "sub-culture."
Reparations will help us to realize the Dream.
The dream is not realized simply because a Black man stands as the Democratic Nominee. And, the "fierce urgency of now" is this: the opportunity for us to make progress on overcoming racial disparities is slipping away.
You hear pundits, preachers and politicians alike declaring that this moment marks the "Post-racial" era. They want you to believe that Obama's nomination will open the flood-gates of opportunity for Black people. But, the National Urban League tells a different story.
Take the housing crisis for example. Urban League President Marc Morial states:
In fact, according to 2006 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, more than 50 percent of blacks received subprime loans compared with less than 18 percent of whites.
People will use Senator Obama's nomination (on the Anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" Speech) as a testament to the "progress" that's been made. They will all be proud of the "Color Blind Society." But, United for a Fair Economy states in their "State of the Dream 2008" report:
Because people of color are disproportionately poor, many individuals will be helped by some of the proposals. But the "color-blind" nature of the policies will not have any effect on closing the racial economic gap. In fact, race is conspicuously absent from the Democrats' agenda.
Reparations will help us to realize the Dream. Affirmative Action has failed us. And, Black Presidential candidates are not the solution. Yes, it feels good. But, feeling good "don't pay the bills."
Those who have read the entire text of this "I Have a Dream" speech realize that he's arguing for a form of reparations. Yet, while we compare Senator Obama to Dr. King on this (now doubly) important date in history, we're faced with the fact that Senator Obama is against reparations. He says:
If we have a program, for example, of universal health care, that will disproportionately affect people of color, because they're disproportionately uninsured," Obama said. "If we've got an agenda that says every child in America should get — should be able to go to college, regardless of income, that will disproportionately affect people of color, because it's oftentimes our children who can't afford to go to college.
Yet, United for a Fair Economy says again:
Moving everyone one rung up the ladder won't change the fact that those on the lower rungs are disproportionately people of color.
And, those on the lower rungs will continue to be on the lower rungs...moving the ladder up higher doesn't manifest equality - only a higher standard of inequality.
Tonight, you will hear them speak of racial progress. Yet, as Bill Reed points out:
White households’ average net worth of $468,200 is six times that of black households’ $75,000. Blacks’ plight is not being represented in political parties’ platforms and if nothing is done to accelerate black progress, it will take blacks 6 years to close the high school graduation gap, 71 years to close the disparities in college graduation and 581 years to close gaps in per-capita income gap and 1,664 years for the one in home ownership.
If you haven't seen enough, here are some more sites:
All of this, and they lull us to sleep by saying that Barack Obama is the realization of Dr. King's Dream.
Now, my problem is not with Obama. This is the mainstream and the media using this situation to their benefit. This is the mainstream using this historic moment as another opportunity to further neutralize the political power of the Black community.
Reparations will help us to realize the Dream.
Forty-five years ago, Dr. King did not speak out simply so that Black men could run for President. Dr. King spoke out demanding equality. So, I say to you today, my friends, that the dream is yet to be achieved. I say that we still have much work to do. I say, go ahead and support Obama if you like. Yet regardless of your choice, to realize the dream we must become vigilant. We must organized if we are to protect ourselves from those who will day that "racism is dead."
In a 2004 questionnaire, Senator Obama told the NAACP, "I fear that reparations would be an excuse for some to say, 'We've paid our debt,' and to avoid the much harder work."
Well, I agree. And, I fear that a Black president would be an excuse for some to say, "We've paid our debt," and to avoid the much harder work." So, let's get to work!
A few days ago, the UHURU Movement challenged Senator Obama at a rally in St. Petersburg, FL. Here's the video:
Reparations will address specific Black concerns. Senator Obama will not address the concerns of the Black Community, until more of us challenge him as these brothers did. In order for us to challenge him, we must have an agenda. And, once we challenge him we must be able to hold him accountable for his response. Here's the link to some more background on his response, from SleptOn Magazine.
Reparations will address specific Black concerns. We can expect no political figure - Black/White/Other - to think about the Black Community until we force the issue. On our Google Group, we invite you to help us put together a viable program for reparations.
Reparations will address specific Black concerns, but we are the ones who must develop the plan. Let's see if you have some ideas to move this forward...
Last night, we were to discuss the Rising Tide Theory and Senator Obama’s stance on reparations.In our response, we called Obama’s position naïve.Well, some people have considered our response a bit harsh and unfair to Senator Obama.Some say that we ought to wait until he wins the election before we start making demands.So, to address this issue we scheduled last night’s Reparative Talk Radio program: “Does a Rising Tide Really Lift All Boats?The Obama Doctrine.”
We were all set to discuss the issue and present the foundation for a viable reparations plan that could be promoted by a presidential candidate.I think it is quite possible to extend such a tax exemption for the same amount of generations as were enslaved (i.e. four generations of slaves = four generations of exemption).What do you think?If you don’t mind, would you enter your thoughts here?
Yesterday, technology struck: difficulties with our internet service precluded us from completing the show.So, I would like to apologize to all of you for the confusion and hope you will continue to support our efforts.
Ok...if you read the blogosphere you'll see many people outraged that Obama has voiced his opposition to Reparations. Now, I definitely understand why he made that stance. As Jeremiah Wright said, "Barack Obama is a politician, and he does what politicians do." How can we believe that he would say anything different?
Now, what Senator Obama says sounds nice. And, frankly as US President that is the most we can - and should - expect him to say. Nevertheless, we must understand that in this instance a rising tide may raise all boats, but some boats will still be sinking.
Black people are at a disadvantage. Those in the race of capitalism do not need any head starts. If indeed the race goes to the swift, why not find ways to put everyone at the same starting point and let competition determine who wins?
Yet, I am not one to call for greater government intervention into the affairs of Black People. I believe that greater intervention comes at the detriment of our community. Ultimately, the solution will come from within ourselves. Especially being of the minority, there is no way that the Federal Government will ever do anything for the distinct benefit of our interests.
We must remember, Senator Obama is running for President of America...not of Black America. And, he will not do anything specific for Blacks simply because he's Black. The only way he will be justified in doing anything specific for Blacks is if the Black Community is active and engaged, forcing Obama to address our concerns.
The best response for obtaining reparations comes from the Late Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie:
The people themselves must come to realize their own difficulties in the development of their community and try to solve them by collective participation following an order of priority and taking their potentiality into account.
It is well known to you all that recognizing one's problems and striving hard to challenge them is a mark of an attempt at self-sufficiency. Self help in the benefits to be acquired through education, will save the individual from asking someone's assistance.
It is our responsibility to do the work necessary to obtain reparations. To be fixed by someone else would only replace one form of dependence with another. So no, I do not want Senator Obama to endorse a government sponsored reparations plan - not yet. We're not ready...and frankly that would let society off the hook. But, I will say that the Senator's public statement is quite shortsighted.
This past Thursday & Friday, I had the honor of covering the Race & Reconciliation in America Conference. It was hosted by former Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen and his wife - actress and playwright - Janet Lanhart Cohen.
The conference was amazing. And, on your behalf we conducted many interviews: Louis Gossett, Jr. ("Fiddler" from Roots), Noel Ignatiev (Author of How the Irish Became White), Peggy McIntosh (scholar on White Privilege), former Secretary of the Army Clifford Alexander, Simeon Wright (Emmitt Till's cousin), and the Cohens. All of them spoke to us about Reparations and the need for Reparations.
Reparations will bring about racial reconciliation. Like the Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey stated, we work to "conserve the rights of our Noble Race, while respecting the rights of all mankind, believing always in the brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God." Ultimately, we are to be reconciled. And, in order to have true reconciliation we must have truth. But, some "can't handle the truth!"
Yet, truth was the spirit of this conference. And, the Cohens did a great job at starting the discussion. When we analyzed the "Meeting David Wilson" documentary, the downfall was the discussion afterwards. It was far too academic - even the two Davids had that opinion. We need discussions on racial issues, and that discussion must be at the level of the community.
At the Race and Reconciliation Forum, people were very open. Discussions became intense at times, but were always conducted in love. It was a great step - but it must be carried forward. Follow up is crucial if any true headway is to be made.
This is just an intro post. In the days and weeks to come, we will dissect these interviews and observations to give you more insight. So, brace yourself - there were some very surprising comments on reparations...all leading to one conclusion.
Reparations will bring about racial reconciliation. But, that will only happen if we have honest discussions about the rift. What do you think needs to be discussed? What topics need to be addressed? You can post your comments here or in our group.
After a long hiatus, last night we had the re-emergence of "Reparative Talk Radio!" The topic for discussion was: "Must We Wait Until They Die?" And, the issue at hand (born of Jesse Jackson's comments) was how to deal with the hoard of misleaders and irrelevant organizations of the Black Establishment that are preventing the progress of the people. The answer is that: reparations will free us from the burden of misleaders.
I do not know if you have seen this. But, watch it first - then we will talk...
Reparations will bring Blacks better leadership. We have talked on a couple occasions about crabs in the barrel. And, it affects us at every level. A few months ago, I spoke with a prominent Black Congressman and Obama supporter who described this problem. And, it resulted in this posting. This Congressman told me that the reason other prominent Blacks are not supporting Barack is that they are Crabs in the Barrel. He said they feel that Barack has not paid his dues - that they have been around longer than him and he needs to wait.
This is indicative of the larger problem that is stalling our community. Black Leadership that refuses to pass the torch to the younger generation. These Civil Rights Stalwarts believe that because we have not walked with Dr. King, participated in Bloody Sunday, had to endure segregation or faced any other of those ills that we are not entitled to take the reins of the Movement. They want us to sit by and watch them lead us into greater and greater disparities.
But, reparations will bring Blacks better leadership. Our current leaders place the emphasis at the wrong point of the problem. These are the same leaders who guided us into greater racial disparities than faced at any time since slavery. These are the same leaders who - as the masses became poorer - enriched themselves from the struggle.
So, now - as they told Bill Cosby - they tell Barack Obama that he is "talking down to Black people." These are the same misleaders who lull us to sleep while society runs amok, utterly destroying our community. They are the ones who have us all confused.
Reparations will bring Blacks better leadership, leadership that will stop us from waiting for the Government to do something for us, and inspire us to do for self! Self-sufficiency is what we need, not more Government programs and greater Government dependence. We need freedom!
Why wait for the Government to help us? Do we really trust them to be benevolent? Do we really believe that they will act out of the goodness of their hearts to do what needs to be done in order to better the Black Community?
So, why must we be concerned about what the Government is or is not doing to improve racial disparities? What are we doing to overcome racial disparities? Or, are you saying that we do not have the ability to solve our own problems?
It is futile to wait for a negligent government to start caring. It is pointless for us to hope that a system built to work against us will magically - without our effort - begin to truly embrace and support us. It is ludicrous to expect that more money or government programs will erase the damage that has been done to the Black Community.
Current Black Leaders are little more than substitute teachers...stand-ins to carry us from the era of Dr. King and Malcolm X to whomever will step in to fill the void. They have been complaining about the same problems for about 40 years. Ever since King and Malcolm were assassinated, nothing has been done...the same problems persist.
It is time to snatch the torch from these stalwarts and set some of them out to pasture. Those who leave willingly would be more than welcome to serve as advisers because we cannot forget our past, and their lessons are invaluable. But, if we do not act now the jealousy and complacency of these misleaders will bring us to destruction. The people are counting on you...
This posting was sparked by a few events. First, I was in attendance at a "RoundTable" discussion entitled, "Politics and the Pulpit." It's a precarious topic because I do not agree that the Government, Political Parties or any organization can empower the Church. The Church's Power - and empowerment - comes from God alone. And, although I disagree with that premise, I honestly thought it was a commendable effort by the group's founder to engage Black Hill Staffers and others in discussion about issues of substance. Yet, the speech by Senate Chaplin Barry C. Black was indicative of foundational problem affecting our people.
Chaplin Black spoke of what he called our "dual citizenship" in heaven and on earth. And, you could tell from the subsequent discussion that many were uncomfortable with what was said. It reminds me of some of those plantation preachers who consistently and singularly preached the slaves obedience to his master.
Reparations will give you a proper understanding of Holy Scripture. And, with that proper understanding we will understand the importance of our role as a people. It is the preaching of misleaders that has us throwing away the Holy Bible as "a book distorted by White People for the subjugation of all others." It is the twisting of the Word of God that leads us to try and discredit Christianity as "the White Man's Religion."
The Holy Bible teaches submission, not subservience. Christ preaches meekness, not docility. There is no "dual citizenship." We owe our allegiance to earthly authorities only as they are in submission to God. Yet even when they are out of line, we do not resist their "authority" out of our respect for God.
There can be no "dual citizenship," for St. Paul tells us in Philippians: "our citizenship is in heaven." And, Christ tells us that "no one can serve two masters...for he will either love the one and hate the other, or hate the one and love the other." So, to tell someone that Christian Faith demands us to be "patriotic" is a perversion of the Truth.
Reparations will give you a proper understanding of Holy Scripture. And, it was that proper understanding that drove countless many of the Ancient Church to submit themselves to mutilation and martyrdom under Diocletian and other tyrants of old. It was that proper understanding that comforted numerous American slaves as they endured mutilation and tyranny of America's Diocletians and despots. And, it was that proper understanding that culminated in the "Era of American Martyrdom" that we refer to as the Civil Rights Era. (You may wish to read Wade in the River to learn more about this.)
Allow this clip to put things in perspective:
See: reparations will give you a proper understanding of Holy Scripture. And, by no means is this a political posting. I place that clip her for this purpose: how can on (Dr. Dobson) be so arrogant as to speak of someone twisting words of Scripture when Western Civilization itself was built on a perversion of Scripture? Do not accept this perversion! Take Action!
St. Paul also instructs us that we are to follow the Gospel as it was preached by the Apostles...and that any preaching of the Gospel (Scriptures) that is not in alignment with those early teachings must be regarded as invalid. When we do this, we will understand our role as a people...and as humanity.
We have been doing a great deal to build the network/reach of Reparations PAC. And, kudos to Mr. Ready from Maryland, whose volunteer research laid the groundwork for this connection.
Recently, we made contact with Dr. Joel A. Freeman who co-authored the book Return to Glory: The Powerful Stirring of the Black Race. Speaking with him, reading about returning to glory, and watching the DVD have only served to reinforce the point:
Reparations will help Black people return to glory. I think on what my father would say: you (in the so-called movement) trumpet the great civilizations of the past. Yet, what good is that if you cannot reclaim that greatness?
Reclaiming that greatness is what we as a people must do...and that reclamation process begins with breaking the chains of mental slavery that say Black people have not done greatness. But, I cannot say it better that the DVD so, watch this:
Reparations will help Black people return to glory. And, it is clear that we have the power to provide ourselves with our own reparations. We do not need to wait on the benevolence of incompetent and negligent authorities. We need only to take our place as ordained by God.
Along with Return to Glory, there are two other books I recommend that you will very insightful. You can find them in our bookstore, and in the link to the right of this screen. Be sure to at least check out the synopses.
Don't stand on the sidelines and miss your moment. Stir yourselves into action.
Today, I read a blog posting by Washington Post Blogger Darryl Fears. And, it is funny that even among our so-called leaders we see crabs in a barrel being displayed. But, there is hope.
Reparations will neutralize the crabs in the barrel. No more will you have to look over your shoulder for the Lamb Chop Sing Along Negroes trying to cut you down. Once we dispose of these misleaders, we will be able to see progress regardless of political persuasion.
Frances Rice is a prime example of why we (so far) must be proud of Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell. Her and I actually had an "e-argument" over the Obama issue (read it here). Despite their stature, they have refused to be used as a pawn against their people. Many believe Colin Powell will officially endorse Barack Obama - eventually.
And, Condoleeza Rice has raved about his candidacy and what it means.
Yet, we continue to be our own worst enemy. Using promises of self-gain, "the man" always searches for one of us to sell out and serve as validation for their attacks. And, some of us oblige...
Reparations will neutralize the crabs in the barrel so that we can finally understand how that "rising tide raises all boats." Reparations will neutralize the crabs in the barrel so that we might finally see some progress in the Black Community.
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