Reparations and the Black Family

What will this image do for your children? How will this make you feel, against the backdrop of history that goes into being Black in America?



Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Mean Not Drinking the Kool-Aid (or the Malt Liquor)

Kudos to Jack and Jill Politics for posting this.

Personally, I have never agreed with the sentiment the Bill Clinton is the so-called first Black President. Why? Because he cheated on his wife? Because he smoked marijuana and lied about it? Because he plays the saxophone? Because as Andrew Young said (I love you brother - but you wrong), Bill has "slept with more Black women than Obama?" Maybe it's because he gentrified Harlem?

Crazy: Reparations means not drinking the kool-aid and believing the hype. Reparations means not looking to White folk for an example of Blackness. Are the only positive Black folks White? Reparations means debunking the madness. But, I give you the words of my other brother - Dick Gregory...maybe he can put this in perspective for us. He's got his reparations.

Got Yours?



Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means Remebering the Struggles & Repairing Black Women

An Alpha brother of mine emailed this to me and I thought we should all take a look and get our minds right.

Reparations is easiest explained, "repair nations." To repair the Black Nation, we must repair our women...brothers, to repair our women we must repair ourselves. Let's Educate Ourselves...



Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means Deflecting Subtle Racism

Ok...

You would think they would learn from the experience of South Carolina. But, I guess not...the Clinton Campaign is at it again. There can be no excuse; there can be no saying that we are over-critical; there can be no cries of misinterpretation.

If Bill Clinton is the "friend of the Black Community" and "First Black President" that people claim him to be, he must understand. We witnessed Bill Clinton's antics in the South Carolina Democratic Primary. And, now it seems we must further realize how pervasive the the racist undertones of this election are.

Today, Hilary Clinton said, "shame on you, Barack Obama." She told him he needs to meet her so she can talk to him about his "behavior." Are you SERIOUS?!?! Is this 2008 or 1908? Maybe have a debate about his tactics...ok - patience. But, about his behavior? As they would say in Britain, "surely you jest!"

As one political strategist said, "this is nothing more than a savvy way of calling him 'boy.'" Reparations means that in the 21st Century we will no longer accept the condescending tone of seemingly benevolent people - White, Black or Brown (or any other shade for that matter). Reparations means that we contact the campaign and let them know - tactfully - that we do not appreciate her tone...that we expect an apology.

I'm not even saying you have to support Obama. Even those of us who may not support him - of all races and all political persuasions - can see the negative tones of such comments. And, all of us should be disturbed by such comments...they have no place in post-Jim Crow America. So find the Clinton Campaign location nearest to you, and give them a call.

Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means Being Engaged in Kenya's Crisis

For almost two (2) months Kenya has been in crisis. We heard about the issue a great deal in the beginning, however media coverage has waned. But, the crisis still rages. As it stands, over 1,000 people have been killed and more than 300,000 are now homeless.

"The most effective way to get these issues solved is for the leaders to feel pressure from their own people," US President George W. Bush said on his way home from an Africa tour where the crisis was on high on the agenda.

Reparations means that we are their own people. Whether we are from the US, the Caribbean or the Continent, we are all African people.

What can we do?

• Contact the Embassy: Let them know we - Africans in America are watching the situation. Let them know we are concerned and offer our assistance in resolving the crisis.
• Contact the U.S. State Department - Bureau of African Affairs: Let them know we expect them to give great attention to this crisis, and we hope the remain engaged. Find out what their plans are in assisting the Kenyans resolve this crisis.
• Contact your Friends: Let them know about this effort and encourage them to become involved. Forward this posting to your networks.

Reparations mean we must be involved! Go Get Your Reparations!

Reparations and our Black Leadership

In this age of performance enhancement, steroids and human growth hormone (HGH), we learn that it affects our black leadership as well. For quite some time, there has been a problem where we have worked against ourselves, to prevent others from rising above us. We call it: crabs in a barrel. When you put crabs in a barrel, you do not have to put a lid on the crabs...they will keep each other in the barrel. As one crab tries to climb out, his fellow crabs will nip at him and pull him back down. We are witnessing "crabs in a barrel" on steroids.

Black politicians rather support the establishment than one of their own. And, I do not say support him because he's Black. I say support him because what he embodies is the epitome of the Civil Rights movement. What he is doing is why we have struggled. What he is doing is why many have been beaten, imprisoned and lynched. What he is doing is why many have died.

John Lewis was bludgeoned. Andrew Young felt the fire. Our ancestors fought so that we might be able to elect our own representatives. Yet, they did not die so that these so-called leaders could shirk their responsibility to the advancement of Black Community. We live in the land of freedom. Why must our freedom come at the hands of others? Are we not capable of setting ourselves free?

People speak about waking up from Obama's words to the reality of his experience. What about waking up from the myth of Hilary's experience to the reality of her opportunism? She has been planning on being president...that is her life goal. Her campaign is not about America. Her campaign is about her being the first woman president. The ONLY reason she was able to become the Senator from New York (where she hadn't lived), was because of Bill Clinton, and his moving to Harlem. The ONLY reason she chose New York for her Senate seat was because it would provide her with the media spotlight that would make her a national figure, assisting her in this presidential bid.

Maybe opportunism is also in our nature...that's why our leaders support Hilary. They feel that the Clintons have more grease for their pockets. Our Black leaders feel that the Clintons can do more for their personal ambitions. They do not care about Black people. Kanye West missed the point - I see it now - it's not that Bush does not care about Black people...that does not even matter. The problem is that our Black Leadership does not care about Black people. They have forgotten: the movement has moved from the streets to the halls of Congress. Now we wish to move it from their to the White House. But, our leaders have forgotten. So, we must remind them.

Here they are:

1. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.)
2. Del. Donna Christensen (D-V.I.)
3. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.)
4. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)
5. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.)
6. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)
7. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)
8. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.)
9. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)
10. Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.)
11. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.)
12. Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.)
13. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.)
14. Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.)
15. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-Ohio)
16. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)
17. Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.)
    

There is also a petition going around from Color Of Change. If you sign this petition you will send letters to each of these members and work to convince them to switch their allegiance. Sign the petition.

Reparations demands that we defend ourselves - not from "them" - from ourselves. Now, we must remind these Black Leaders who they are leading. We must remind them of their responsibility. We must let them know that we will not stand by and watch them kiss up to the establishment while the people suffer.

They argue that we need better role models, then they refuse to support that role model. We speak about uniting people and transcending race, yet we work against the ONE candidate capable of uniting folks from across various persuasions and the ONE candidate who transcends race. Our leaders need to know that we are watching and that we will end their careers if the prove to be enemies of the Black Community.

Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means We Must Rise Above

We as a people have a habit of blaming "the man" and "the system" for our plight. And, yes there is a history of injustice and a culture of oppression that we must combat. No one can deny that the Black American experience has been very difficult; it will become more difficult if we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot.

I read a news article today about Bryant Purvis. He is one of the defendants in the Jena Six debacle. The Jena Six case is a revealing one of the injustice and racism that still permeates our society. Over 20,000 people descended upon Jena Louisiana to protest this injustice - only to have more racist acts exhibited. Our people coalesced on the issue and threw our support behind the boys in this cast. Yet, did we prepare those boys for the responsibility they now bear?

Try as they might, they cannot return to life before Jena Six. God has placed it on them that they will forever be marked as "one of the Jena Six." They have become examples: for good or for bad on the issue of racism and the divisions in America, and of the need for Reparations. Did we speak with those boys to let them know they can never escape that marker? Their only choice is to wear that badge with honor or bring it to shame.

Reparations means we must rise above our situations and, indeed, above ourselves. We must know that after certain instances we will be regarded with greater scrutiny. It may be difficult, but who are we to resent the Cross given for us to bear? May we bear our Cross - heavy though it may be - with joy and gladness...boldly giving ourselves to something greater than ourselves!

Come and Get Your Reparations!