Reparations Means Being Proud of Your True (Tri) Colors

More than 80 years ago, a man saw that a people united by racial oppression - through the remnants of slavery, segregation and colonialism, needed a greater unifier. In response to an extremely popular song of 1900, "Every Race Has a Flag but the Coon," Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA & ACL) created the "Tri-Colors of Africa" aka Black Liberation/Pan-African Flag. On August 13, 1920 the UNIA adopted the flag in Article 39 of the Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World.

Later in 1921, Mr. Garvey stated the importance stated the importance of a flag thus:

Show me the race or the nation without a flag, and I will show you a race of people without any pride. Aye! In song and mimicry they have said, "Every race has a flag but the coon." How true! Aye! But that was said of us four years ago. They can't say it now...

So, Reparations means being proud of your true (tri) colors. Why should we - a free people - be ashamed of the Red, Black and Green? Why should we - a free people - be afraid to display the Red, Black and Green? Why can we not listen to Steele Pulse and "Rally round the flag...rally round the Red, Gold, Black and Green?



Reparations means being proud of your true (tri) colors. I could not help but think about this recently. As I traveled through the South on my way to the ATL, I saw numerous Confederate Flags flying...White folks proud of their Confederate (treasonous) heritage. There are flags on t-shirts, tattoos, flying on flag poles, displayed on bumper stickers...everywhere you look, you can see Confederate Pride. And in Atlanta - a stronghold of the Gay Community - I see Gay Pride in abundance. Yet, everywhere there is Gay Pride. You have seen it...through rainbow flags displayed on shirts, on bumper stickers, flying out-front businesses and etc. Confederates are not ashamed of their flag...they have pride. Gays are not afraid of displaying their flag...they have pride. But, where is the Black man's pride? Where is the Black woman's pride? Why are we ashamed of the Red, Black and Green? Why is our flag not displayed?

Reparations means being proud of your true (tri) colors. And, the Rainbow Flag - and Gay Community - is a great example. The argument against the Tri-Colors of Africa, is that it does not represent a Nation. But, neither does the Rainbow Flag represent a physical nation. It does unite a people and demonstrate their pride. The Tri-Colors of Africa should unite our people, and demonstrate our pride in our Blackness...it should serve as a symbol of our freedom and a proud display should be a testimony of our freedom.

So, rally round the flag...rally round the Red, Gold, Black and Green!

Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means Developing a Black Political Agenda

Based on the last posting, we know that attaining our reparations means that we must develop a Black Political Agenda. We must have a platform of issues that will serve as a benchmark for judging the politicians that seek our votes. We must have an organization with the ability to unite the various organizations around that platform. This means that the planks of the platform must be succinct enough to promote a particular agenda. However, those planks must be broad enough to encompass the various ideas and objectives of those in the struggle for Black Empowerment.

Reparations means developing a Black Political Agenda. We must have a framework from which to work when we are screening candidates for elective office. We must have a standard to which we hold elected officials accountable. That agenda will serve as our rudder. Without it, the Black Community lacks direction. And, without direction we will continue to drift out to sea...a long way from the shores of safety.

So, how does this demonstrate what reparations means? Developing a Black Political Agenda will enable the community to guard against political apathy. It will provide us with a means by which we can rate those who have been elected to represent our interests; if they do not follow to planks of the platform, they should be removed from office. A Black Political Agenda will help us determine who should be running for office in the first place. With a solid agenda, we will only promote those politicians who are solid on the issues that are pertinent to our community.

Reparations means developing a Black Political Agenda. With such an agenda, we will be able to assert our interests into the debate. We will be able to dictate how politicians and elected officials interact with our Community.

But, to develop such an agenda we need your help. So, please sign into our Google Group. There you will find a post asking for your suggestions for the Black Political Agenda. We know there are many brilliant minds out there. And, we hope to benefit from your feedback. So, please let us know what you think. Log onto our Google Group and let your voice be heard! Let us shape the Black Political Agenda. Come and get your reparations!

Reparations Means Barack Obama Should Have to Court Black Voters

So, what does this mean? Why would someone supporting Senator Obama make such a statement?

I see the Obama Campaign as an experiment in what I call "Power Politics" and learning to maximize our votes. We have witnessed how a unified Black voting bloc could change the landscape of American politics. We are now clear that if we found a unifying force and voted as a unit, we would have the power to exert our will and accomplish what we pursue.

Reparations means Barack Obama should have to court Black voters. On Thursday, Senator Obama was in Florida courting Jewish voters. Not only was he present in their community. But, he also laid out his policy agenda on issues of interest to the Jewish Community. He detailed his stance on their concerns and addressed questions they had.

Yet, he has not courted Black voters. He has not laid out his policy agenda on issues of interest to the Black Community. He has not detailed his stance on our concerns; neither has he been present to address any of our questions.

Reparations means Barack Obama should have to court Black voters. But, it is not his fault. Again, the fault is ours. He should have to court Black voters, but he does not have to court us. He can succeed by ignoring our issues. He would not succeed if he ignored the issues of the Jewish Community. We are seeing - by pundit calls that he beef up his image - his efforts among working class Whites ("hard-working Americans") . Where are the overtures towards his "base?"

But, it is not only him. No politician has a "Black Agenda." Who speaks about the racial disparities that exist in this Country? Who among them speaks directly to policy solutions that are designed to combat these disparities? It is simply more striking with Senator Obama because we have been termed: "his base."

So, reparations means Barack Obama should have to court Black voters. We must rise to the challenge before we miss the boat. In the same way that a reparations check would "solve racism" in the eyes of the majority, so too would electing a Black President serve the same purpose. If we blindly elect Senator Obama without organizing a strong political vehicle, the majority will dismiss our grievances as having been solved by Obama's election.

Senator Obama should have to lay out a policy agenda addressing the issues pertinent to the Black Community. Every candidate should have to lay out such an agenda. So now that we have done our part to help him win the nomination, we need to be sure that we receive our reward. For Barack Obama to be a benefit to the Black Community, we must force him to take a stand in support of those issues that are of concern to us. If we do not do this, he will benefit from our votes but our community will gain nothing. If we fail to do this, he becomes nothing more than a figurehead...an anomaly...a glitch in the matrix, alerting of the the sentinel's presence and our looming demise.

These are our next steps in the Obama Campaign. We must defend the community from external forces...but we must also defend the community from ourselves. And as we ride the Obama Wave, we must ensure that we do our part to show that we do not simply amount to a fickle mass of voters who will remain in bondage to the system. We must organize so that we are seen as a force to be reckoned.

Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means Overthrowing the Old Guard

There...I said it. And before me, Darryl Fears of the Washington Post said it.

Everywhere, the discussion is the same. You have said it. I have said it. "They refuse to pass the torch." So, tonight we will discuss the Overthrow of the Old Guard and how we snatch power from those who are hoarding it. Join us at 9pm EST. You can take part online or by calling: 724.444.7444 and entering Call ID: 17254.

The stalwarts of the Movement have been holding onto power...serving their own interests and preventing progress. In his book, The True Believer, Eric Hoffer discusses the stages of leadership. He asserts that a Movement begins with the "Men of Words," moves to the "Fanatics," and concludes with the "Practical Men of Action."

The "Men of Words" would be those who subtly "undermines established institutions, discredits those in power, weakens prevailing beliefs and loyalties, and sets the stage for the rise of a mass movement." Every mass movement has been pioneered by poets, writers, and scholars (philosophers, historians and etc.). From the Black American - Civil Rights Movement - perspective, the era of the "Men of Words" is encapsulated in the Harlem Renaissance.

The rise of "Fanatics" came after this period. And, fanatics are those whose drive is to change the order of things. They seek to turn the status quo on its head. Culminating in the personages of Dr. King, Malcolm X, Kwame Ture, Huey Newton and others, these fanatics took the challenges of the "Men of Words" to the streets and shook the halls of power.

Mr. Hoffer states, "A movement is pioneered by men of words, materialized by fanatics and consolidated by men of action." He says that, "When the same person or persons...leads a movement from its inception to maturity, it usually ends in disaster." And, disaster is the current state of the Civil Rights Movement.

This is why reparations means overthrowing the Old Guard. Most of our Black Leadership has held positions of leadership for far too long. They have not - and are not - empowering anyone to take their place. And, the result is disaster for the Black Community. The result is that the gains made have ceded to rising disparities across the board.

Where are our Practical Men of Action? Mr. Hoffer states: "the man of action saves the movement from the suicidal dissensions...of the fanatics." Yet, the Movement has been marred by the dissensions of Men of Words jockeying for mainstream stature and position, at the expense of the people. He says, "With the appearance of the man of action the explosive vigor of the movement is embalmed and sealed in sanctified institutions." Yet, the Civil Rights Movement has established no institutions to unify our actions. And, this is why we are not ready for monetary reparations...and why monetary reparations would be a horrible idea. With no institutions, where would the money go? And, if the money came who would control it? So, again, where are our Practical Men of Action?

Reparations means overthrowing the Old Guard. Only by doing away with the Old Guard will we see the institutions we need to promote self-reliance in the Black Community. Without our own institutions, we will forever be enslaved to Government institutions. Every other community has their own institutions. Asians share China Town. Jews have hospitals and schools and etc. They have networks of organizations that truly defend them, globally. We have HBCUs struggling to exist and drawing most of their support from the Government. We have an African Union that is powerless to stop the genocide in Darfur without external help. We have Black politicians who are more concerned for the self-interest and perpetuating their careers than standing for the interests of the Global Black Community.

In tonight's Reparative Talk, we will discuss the Overthrow of the Old Guard. Join us at 9pm EST. You can take part online or by calling: 724.444.7444 and entering Call ID: 17254.

It begins with us. As "Classic Mike" would say, we must start with the "Man in the Mirror." So, reparations means overthrowing the Old Guard because we will not see change as long as they are standing in the way. We must work to build the institutions that will support the independence of our people.

Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means Fighting for our Human Rights

Today many bloggers are uniting for human rights. The idea is that bloggers would be ablet o use their platform to push for human rights. I agree wholeheartedly.

Reparations means fighting for human rights. And, there are myriad human rights crises faced by the Global Black Community. The growing - systemic - disparities between Black and White in America; the marginalization of Afro-Latinos in South America (yes, there are African people there...many more than are here in the US); and of course the problems in Caribbean nations like Haiti and African nations like Sudan.

We all could rattle off a list of numerous struggles for human dignity in the African World. But, let us rather discuss why reparations means fighting for human rights. We must know: no one really cares about the struggles of our people.

The powers that be allowed the Rwanda Genocide to happen. They aided the turmoil in Haiti. They assisted rancor in Latin America. They funded diamond wars on the Continent. When it becomes politically expedient, they become magnanimous and oust the tyrannical regimes they once sponsored...then the cycle continues, under new tyrants.

Reparations means fighting for human rights because we will be the only ones to push for the protection of our people. And, they may not be the glamorous issues of the day. But, we must be the ones who keep our issues on the agenda. We cannot allow Darfur to fall off the radar. We cannot allow Haiti to fall off the radar. We must be the ones to hold up our people before those powers that be and demand that something be done.

We are the ones who must begin to develop our own strategies for supporting the human rights struggles of our people. We do not need to wait for Western Powers to "gain religion." We have the tools and the means by which we can develop our own initiatives to end strife. We need to develop our own mediating bodies...to strengthen the African Union and CARICOM...to increase our participation at the Organization of American States.

These struggles drag on because we are not engaged. These struggles can be overcome only as we become more engaged. If we are to see our reparations, it will be for us to manifest. And, we can make it a reality if we are willing to do the work. Let's get organized!

Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means Combating Propaganda

That should be pretty clear.

When we speak to people about the recent Jeremiah Wright Saga, most will say they agree with Wright. However, that is not the sense you see in the "Mess Media." Black pundits have either been whitewashed into a seemingly Black person indoctrinated with the White perspective, or they are (justifiably) afraid of loosing their jobs.

In Message to the People: The Course of African Philosophy, Marcus Garvey says:

The press, cinema, pulpit, schoolroom are all propaganda agencies for one thing or the other...The white man is a great propagandist. he fully and completely realizes the value of propaganda. Therefore, you must organize your propaganda to undo the propaganda of other people; if their propaganda affects your interest...the school book is literary propaganda. The novels and books you read are also literary propaganda, all calculated to bring about certain results beneficial to the propagandist.

So, everything is designed to make us fearful of ourselves. With regards to the Jeremiah Wright saga, DC journalist William Reed says:

The acrimony corporate media created and manipulated regarding Rev. Wright started when their programmers saturated the airwaves with sound-bite clips of Wright sermonizing about the evils of America. When Rev. Wright started his defense, mainstream media’s provocateurs stoked the controversy by over-blowing statements with a stable of black commentators in tow - each professing Wright “didn’t represent their views and blaming him, for, as they saw it, continuing to be an albatross around Obama's neck.

Corporate Media’s endless faintings about “Obama’s pastor problem” illustrates consistent and colluded institutional racism thinly veiled as a defense of American civility and patriotism. Barack Obama does not have as much “a pastor problem" as Americans has a corrupt media problem. The airwaves are filled with "Obama's Pastor Problem" because an irresponsible media pretends that America does not have a race or a division of wealth problem. Black-oriented issues are rarely aired via corporate media.

Reparations means combating propaganda. And, to defend against the attacks of mainstream society we must control our own media...not so-called Black Press, but press which is controlled by Black people. Black Press is largely disrespected and mostly read by Black people - who, themselves, read it superficially. That serves no purpose. What we need is press that is controlled by Black people, which is respected and carries the weight needed to be taken seriously.

Again in Message to the People, Garvey instructs us:

Watch the newspapers, magazines and journals (now TV and Internet) daily for propaganda against your race or your institutions...rush into print immediately a defense of your race institutions and organizations from any attack. Never allow an insult propagated to go unanswered by you. Be ever vigilant to down anything by way of propaganda that dishonors or discredits you.

Reparations means combating propaganda. So, we need to be in a position to defend our independence. That is why I am hopeful to see the launch of the Black Television News Channel. Again from William Reed:

The Black Television News Channel (BTNC) will launch in early 2009 with the nation’s first all-news cable network dedicated to the African American community. Based in Washington, D.C., BTNC is the creation of J.C. Watts, the former Republican congressman from Oklahoma. The network is part of a multi-year carriage agreement with Comcast Cable. Initial distribution will be limited to Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, Atlanta, and Baltimore.

A black cable news network will be a welcome addition to the media world. But, BTNC’s 24-hour news format will be a costly proposition. To satisfy a bourgeois black clientele addicted to mainstream media, BTNC will especially need to put forth a state-of-the-art product. BTNC’s difference, of course, will all be in the perspective it brings to screens. As BTNC brings blacks news from their own points of view, it will stem growth and maturation of black people who will not only be on-air talent but the ones making editorial decisions on what stories actually get covered. Many of those blacks currently forced to prostrate themselves at corporate media altars could become “shot callers” under the Watts paradigm.

Here's a message from JC Watts:


Reparations means combating propaganda. And, to wage a strong battle we need community support. So, I hope you support the Black Television News Channel and other means by which we can control (or at least shift) the image portrayed of our people. Maybe if we can inject our perspective in the debate, people may find black empowerment easier to embrace!

Come and Get Your Reparations!

Reparations Means Embracing Reparations!

Ok, many will wonder: "what's with this title?"

Allow me to explain. In numerous conversations, here is the dialogue: "You know, I agree with what you're saying. " To which I respond, "great! We need you...would you get involved?" And, the answer is usually, "I would but..." You fill in the blank.

Reparations means embracing reparations! We cannot be afraid to take a stand as free men and women. Why should we be afraid of supporting our people? What is fearsome of empowering the Global African Community?

But, many of us are hesitant to put our names on anything pro-Black.

Reparations means embracing reparations! And, pro-Black does not mean anti anyone.

This says a great deal about the need for reparations. The fact - realism - that we as Black people must fear supporting Black people is testimony to the difficult dynamics of race. Many of you have said you do not want to loose your jobs...the very real fact that someone could loose his/her job because of concern for the wellbeing of the Black Community is a testimony to the need for reparations. How can we live free if these are the realities we face?

Reparations means embracing reparations. We can never be a free and independent people if we cannot embrace reparations. Radical Reconstruction was about reparations. The goal of Radical Reconstruction was political, social and economic empowerment of Black people. Yet, that goal was overthrown only to be followed by policies of Black Codes, segregation and integration, neither of which have enabled us to embrace our freedom.

In his best-selling novel, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey speak about the process by which one goes from a state of dependence to one of interdependence. Few will argue that as slaves, we were in a state of dependence...relying on massa for everything: food, clothing and shelter (no matter how meager). Few will argue that the stated goal of integration is an interdependent society. Few will argue against Stephen Covey's theory.

Mr. Covey theory states that to make the choice to become interdependent, one must first be independent, since dependent people have not yet developed the character to be interdependent. So, the first three habits focus on self-mastery...

Now, what is self-mastery if not knowledge of self? And, if it is fearsome to know ourselves...if it threatens society when we as Black people strive to empower ourselves...how free are we? How independent are we? And, according to Stephen Covey, if we are not yet independent we cannot be interdependent. If we are not interdependent, we will never have a mutually beneficial and integrated society.

So, you want to "get along" on your job? You want to provide for your family? Get Yours! Reparations means embracing reparations! And, until we get our reparations we will remain dependent upon White society for our sustenance. And, if we are still dependent we will never be interdependent.

Break free!!! As Bob Marley said, "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds." So, feel free to assert your independence. The world will be a much better place when we do...

Come and Get Your Reparations!