No, the “N” word is N-O-T cool!

 

Nigger: – “used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a black person.” – Merriam-Webster

Let me preface this blog by stating candidly, and as emphatic as possible, I have NEVER uttered what I will refer to subsequently as the “N” word. There are myriad reasons for not doing so to include, but not be limited to the manner in which I was raised and as well as my personal experiences.

The very first time I recall hearing the “N” I was a sixth grader at McKenzie Elementary in Florence, South Carolina. During that school year, I was one of fifteen African-American (Negros was the acceptable moniker at this time) students to integrate the school system. This was the year immediately after the Civil Rights Act was signed.

One day during the first week of school, I was walking with a friend, Theodore Lester, up a flight of stairs, when a white kid blurted out “Look, there are two ‘Ns.” Before I could gather myself and decide what my course of action would be, Theodore responded in-kind by asking “Where, where?” The white kid, who obviously wasn’t bright, was so flabbergasted by Theodore’s response that he froze in his tracks while we continued on our merry way.

A few weeks after this incident, another friend, James Lawrence Smith, and I met during recess. He had a puzzle look on his faced and I inquired as to what was wrong. He then presented me with a note which read: “You ‘Ns’ better not show up to school tomorrow because the KKK will be here.” The note also had a rather crude depiction of a confederate flag on it.

I asked Lawrence where he had gotten the note. He pointed out a chubby white kid by the name of Carl Hill. Being the military brat that I was, I did my proper due diligence and then waited until I could get an opportunity to meet with him alone. The opportunity presented itself later that afternoon; I asked Carl what time the KKK was going to be at the school, because I wanted to insure that both the Black Panthers and Black Muslims were there as well. Needless to say, the KKK did not come.

I incurred no more incidents with respect to the “N” for the remainder of the school year; with one exception, which did not occur on the school proper. During the spring of that year, I made a little more history within the city by becoming the first African-American kid to play in the Dixie Youth Little League.

Before our season began, we scrimmaged against a team from another league. On that day, I was playing shortstop when I went very deep in the hole (for you non-baseball aficionados that would be the area between shortstop and third base, abutting the outfield) and made an outstanding back-hand snag of a grounder, pirouetted and threw a bullet to first in time to get  the batter out.

Within seconds of the play, a kid who was scheduled to bat next yelled out “who does that “N” think he is? I ignored him and as I walking back to our dugout, I was met by my coach, Tommy Johnson, who is now a Hall of Fame Basketball coach in the state of South Carolina, and he put his arms around and asked if I was alright.

I remained cool, calm and collected because I was prepped by family, friends and others to expect things such as what had occurred. I was also aware of the indignities that the great Jackie Robinson and others of color had experienced in the major leagues while playing the sport which I truly enjoyed. That being said, I asked Coach Johnson if I could pitch the next inning.

The first batter I faced was the kid who called me the “N” word. I “accidentally” beaned him on the second pitch. Prior to leaving the dugout, I told two teammates (twins Joe and Jim O’Connor) what I was going to do so that if things went south, I wanted to quickly have access to a bat or two. The batter went to first and that was the end of it.

At the beginning of my junior year at McClenaghan High School, also in Florence, I ran for president of the class. There were four individuals on the ballot, three blacks (Terry Alexander, Lawrence and I) and one white guy (Ricky Rainwater). Conventional wisdom would lead some to believe there would be no way for me to win as the blacks would split their votes which would allow for an easy victory for Rainwater.

What Rainwater and others did not know is that I could count! I knew that if I received 40% of the white vote (which was attainable, because I knew that a lot of the white kids didn’t like Rainwater) and get 35-40% of the black vote I would win. I also employed two campaign managers, Debbie Paige and Michael Capotowski – a black and white, respectively).

Long story short, I got elected. Word came back to me that Rainwater pronounced that he was seriously perturbed because he lost to a “N.”  Last year, the former mayor of Midland, Alabama, after losing her election to an African-American posted on Facebook a derogatory message similar to that of Rainwater’s declaration.

There are many among us, especially those who are enamored with the rap genre, which seems to think that using the “N” is cool or should be accepted within the American lexicon. I am not, nor will I ever be, an adherent to such folly.

The truth of the matter is the “N” was an invention white folks here in the United States. James Baldwin says it so poignantly and I respectfully suggest that the use of the word and/or any of its derivatives, no matter how they are spelled or pronounced, should be eradicated from daily usage and be spoken – NEVERMORE!

Racism: It’s the system – Stupid!

 

Racism, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is prejudice, discrimination or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s race is superior. That being said, I find it almost laughable, well actually not really, when I watch white Americans falling all over themselves declaring not to be racist.

It seems after every incident which manifest itself as obviously one which appears to have been racially motivated, there is a progression of those, from all sub-groups of the white demographic disavowing the act(s), while simultaneously remaining eerily silent on the cause. A recent example of this phenomenon manifested itself last weekend in the aftermath of the horrific incident which occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia.

There is no question this incident, in all probability, will prove to be one which was executed by a deranged individual who adhered to the ideologies consistent with those of a racist. This incident resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, a 32 year old white woman and the injuring of at least 20 others.

But what is truly baffling is to see politicians in particular and others in general, fail to even address what some of their fellow citizens have known seemingly forever. And that is racism, in and of itself, is driven by a system which promotes the belief of racial superiority.

Speaking truth to power, this began long before the United States became a republic. The Native American and later, the African, were subjective to a system which almost annihilated and enslaved them, respectively. Most historians have agreed that racism was a factor in both cases.

To support and maintain the enslavement of an entire race of people, laws were enacted to maintain hegemony. One of the very first laws enacted came from my home state of South Carolina.  Subsequently, other states passed similar laws which were passed for the sole purpose of intimidation, fear and the maintenance of the abhorrent policy of slavery.

Both the legislative and judicial branches of government worked in concert to maintain this system. The Supreme Court rendered many decisions to include, but were not be limited to the Dred Scott and Plessy v Ferguson cases. In these cases, their decisions basically reinforced the belief that Blacks (slaves) had no rights equal to those of whites (see: racism).

On March 6, 1857, Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote he believed the framers of the Constitution felt blacks “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect…” A few days ago, Larry Hogan, the governor of Maryland, ordered the removal of Taney’s statue from outside of the Maryland Statehouse.

The system has allowed for the atrocities recorded throughout our history. Reconstruction, Jim Crow and legalized segregation all gave legitimacy to the pseudo myth of racial superiority. I maintain it is the same system which today allows police officers to shoot unarmed persons of color and not be held accountable.

It is also this system which allows Ben Rothlisberger, a white professional quarterback, who was twice accused of rape to still play in the National Football League. While on the other hand, Colin Kaepernick, an African-American professional quarterback, is being blackballed for merely having the temerity to protest the aforementioned killings by bending his knee during the playing of the national anthem.

This same system allows Donald Trump to not speak to our nation concerning the tragedy which occurred in Charlottesville until 48 hours after its occurrence, while tweeting within hours of a similarly horrific incident which occurred in Barcelona, Spain. The only difference between these two incidents appears to be the color of the alleged perpetrators.

I would like to think that the vast majority of Americans are, to paraphrase Fannie Lou Hamer, a Civil Rights icon, sick and tired of being sick and tired of always talking about and seeing the disruptive and divisive nature of racism. At some point, we must truthfully acknowledge that these and similar acts may be done by individuals, but it is the system which gives them cover.

Until we accept and acknowledge the obvious and change the culture and system which breeds racism, we will be seeing more and more occurrence of the same, especially given the toxic political and social environment we are presently faced with. We, as Americans, constantly pontificate about our greatness, or to the fact that “we are better than this.”

We must change the system; if we do not, we will continue to do what James Brown, the late Godfather of Souls crooned: “Talking Loud and Saying Nothing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B-O-Y-C-O-T-T

 

 

 

“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” – Norman Vincent Peale

 

Throughout our recent history here in the United States, the boycott has been used effectively to enact both social and political change. I am reminded of the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was spearheaded by a young and charismatic preacher by the name of Martin Luther King, Jr.

This boycott, some would argue, is what precipitated and ultimately lead to the signing of both the Civil and Voting Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, respectively. More recently, a large segment of the American population boycotted sponsors of the Bill O’Reilly Show. The boycott transpired as a result of multiple women alleging O’Reilly had sexually assaulted them.  Subsequent to the boycott, O’Reilly’s contract with Fox News was terminated.

On August 23, 2017, a group of organizations have scheduled a rally at the National Football League (NFL) Headquarters in New York City. The purpose of the rally is to garner and show support for Colin Kaepernick. Kaeperick is a professional football player who most recently played quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.

Last season, prior to the 49ers third preseason game, cameras panned in on Kaepernick as he took a knee during the playing of the national anthem. The purpose of his gesture was to protest police brutality. Specifically, he wanted to protest the number of deaths of unarmed persons of color by the hands of those who are sworn to “protect and serve.”

As was to be expected the backlash was swift and furious. It seems as if everyone weighed in on this topic. President Trump, who was a Republican presidential nominee at the time called for Kaepernick to leave the country. Former Republican presidential candidate, Senator Ted Cruz, R-TX, remarked: “To all the athletes who have made millions in America’s freedom: stop insulting our flag, our nation, our heroes.” But they were by no means alone with their rebuke.

I, for one, am extremely supportive of not only Kaepernick, but also of those who have stood before him, and if necessary, those who will come behind him to stand for something they truly believe in. As a young boy, I was filled with pride as I watched Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their black-gloved fists during the playing of the national anthem while they received their gold and bronze medals, respectively at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Lest we forget, protesting is as American as hot dogs and apple pie. The Boston Tea Party was one of the first organized forms of protest experienced within the fledgling republic which became the United States. Then as now, the protests were for cause. So that begs the question: is there a double standard with respect to acceptance of certain protests?

Having asked that question, I must state emphatically that I am NOT supportive of the upcoming rally for myriad reasons. First and foremost, rallies in and of themselves, will not resolve the multitude of concerns relative to professional sports in general and the NFL in particular. There is a dearth of minority ownership within the three major sports. Until this changes, individuals like Kaepernick will always be the rule rather than the exception.

Similar to others, I maintain there is NO reason for an individual of Kaepernick’s talent and skill set not be on an NFL roster. The NFL, like their contemporaries in baseball and basketball, is, succinctly, a monopoly!  And that, in and of itself, should be a cause for concern. There’s a reason one-party rule is not a good thing upon the American politic (see: GOP control of White House and both branches of Congress).

I have been espousing for years that African-American players should use their elevated platforms to draw attention to social causes. Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, the aforementioned Smith and Carlos, Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul Jabber were a few who saw the necessity to be “down for the cause.” Kaepernick is merely following in the footsteps of these giants.

As I alluded previously, I am not supportive of rallies per se; however, what I am in support of is a completely different paradigm. I am of the school of thought the only way to get the attention of a capitalist is to quit spending your dollars and cents! I propose a complete boycott of any and everything to do with the NFL. I realize this may just be a bit much for some to fathom or entertain, but as Trump quipped: “what do you have to lose?”

And for those who just can’t do without professional football, here’s food for thought: what would happen if individuals of color pooled their resources and started a league of their own? … There is precedent from not too many years ago when the Negro Leagues in baseball was not only filled with amazing talent, but also played consistently before sellout crowds at major venues.

I declare without hesitation, reservation or equivocation that if persons of color started a league, it would not take long before the all-white club of the NFL owners found a way to admit those who do not look like them. But then again, who would patronize the NFL if the best talent was playing elsewhere? Hmm…

Anti-white bias? Says Who?

 

At a time when enrollment of white students at traditionally Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) is at an all-time high, the United States Department of Justice is planning to implement a project for the express purpose of investigating and, if applicable, to sue universities over admission policies that discriminate against white students. When I first became cognizant of this initiative my first reaction was – here we go again.

I was immediately reminded of the Supreme Court case, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. In this case, Allan Bakke, a thirty-five year old white man twice applied for admission to the University of California Medical School at Davis. He was rejected both times. The school reserved 16 places for “qualified” minorities as part of the school’s affirmative action program, in an effort to redress longstanding, unfair minority exclusion from the medical profession.

According to court documents, Bakke’s qualifications (college GPA and test scores) exceeded those of any of the minority students in the two years Bakke’s applications were denied. Bakke contended, first in the California courts, then in the Supreme Court, that he was excluded from admission solely on the basis of his race.

Subsequent to this case, the Supreme Court has already ruled that schools have a compelling interest in creating a diverse student body and may use race as one of multiple factors in admission decisions. The court endorsed this view as recent as June of last year, ruling 4-3 that race-conscious admissions policy at the University of Texas was unconstitutional.

It appears, once again, this Administration wants to solve a problem which does not exist. I respectfully submit the president and his Justice Department should spend a little time finding out why African-American students are seriously underrepresented at the major universities around the country. That, I maintain, is where the real discrimination exists. It’s a standing joke among some that if you took away the athletes of color at these universities, there would be hardly any diversity on these campuses.

As a young boy I, along with the entirety of our country became quasi-familiar with George Wallace. During his campaign for governor of Alabama, he famously quipped, “segregation now, segregation today, segregation forever.” In June of 1963, Wallace stood in the doorway at the University of Alabama in an effort to prevent two Black students (Vivian Malone and James A. Hood) from being admitted. It’s no coincidence that the president’s Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, who’s in charge of implementing this directive, hails from Alabama.

To be clear, I emphatically declare that this project is not occurring within a vacuum. It is part of a concerted effort by this administration to rollback gains that many fought and some even died for.

Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division under former president Barack Obama stated the project is “an affront to our values as a country and the very mission of the civil rights divisions.” Perhaps this is the reason an inordinate amount of professionals (non-political appointees) within the Justice Department decided against working on it.

As an unapologetically proud graduate of the greatest HBCU (Johnson C Smith University), I watched from afar as Virginia Union University (VUU) in 1978 made what I considered to be an unforgivable decision. Specifically, they hired Dave Robbins to be the Head Coach of their men’s basketball team. My only problem with their decision was that Robbins was white.

That decision caused me angst especially due to the fact that at that time I could have counted on one hand all of the African-American coaches who were and/or had coached at a non-HBCU. They were: 1) John McLendon, Hall of Famer, Cleveland State, 1967; 2) Ron Mitchell, Boston College, 1971; 3) Frederick Snowden, University of Arizona, 1972; Bob LeGrand and Bill Cofield, University of Texas-Arlington and Wisconsin, respectively, 1976.

Robbins distinguished himself with aplomb, following the traditions of other great coaches who had patrolled the sidelines during games within the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. He concluded his 30 year coaching career at VUU with an enviable 713-194 won-lost record. His list of accomplishments included three (3) national championships, 14 conference championships and induction into the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Former NBA players Charles Oakley, Terry Davis, Ben Wallace, AJ English and Jamie Waller were a few of his standouts.

I’ve determined, over time, that we, as a country, are much stronger when we are united. The project being promoted by this administration is not only without merit, but is also an attempt to intimidate. Period. End of discussion. It didn’t work for Wallace, and I am of the school of thought that it will neither work for Messrs. Trump or Session.

 

 

 

 

I am an African-American

 

 

“A race of people is like an individual; until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own self-hood, it can never fulfill itself.” – Malcolm X

 

As an American of African descent, I declare emphatically, without hesitation, reservation or equivocation that I am unapologetically pro-Black! I can’t begin to tell you how often I have heard this pronouncement emanating from the lips of Americans of African descent: I am Not African!

There was a time when I would have gotten perturbed with the conveyor(s) of this sentiment. However, as I have matured I realized that the vast majority of these individuals espousing this sentiment were/are ignorant and/or apathetic, or worst yet – both!

This ignorance or apathy is not endemic to any one particular sub-group of African-Americans. I have heard this statement from the least to the most educated; from the young to the old; from those who reside in urban and rural areas and from both genders as well. So, one must ask, why do these individuals whose ancestries originated from the continent of Africa disavow the obvious? That I maintain is the million dollar question, to which the answer is not easily discerned.

Unlike a lot of my contemporaries, who came of age in the South during the Civil Rights era, I experienced interactions with white Americans at an early age. I was able to do so due to the fact that I was a military brat, was one of a group of fifteen African-American students who helped integrate a public school system (Florence, South Carolina) and also attended the only integrated church in the city (Saint Anns Catholic) which afforded me the opportunity to regularly come into contact with whites.

It was doing these interactions I learned that whites were, for the most part, proud of their heritage. At an early age I became cognizant of the differences between the Italians, Irish, Germans, Poles, Greeks, et al. All of these ethnics at times manifested themselves to me either at school, church or on the military installations.

It was during the Civil Rights period that there was a reawakening within the African-American consciousness with respect to their heritage. Prior to this period, African-American were generally referred to as Negroes. During the “Movement” the term Black became en vogue.

From a historical perspective it’s interesting to note that the 1890 United States census form gave the Negro four ethnic labels to choose from: black, mulatto, quadroon and octoroon. But nowhere on that census was there a category for African.

This was obviously done by design. When the Africans were extricated primarily from the west coast of Africa, a systematic and concerted effort was undertaken to deprive them of their history, culture and religion. This was done for myriad reasons, but mainly for control purposes. The slavers knew that by denying the Africans any semblance of who they were, and more important their history, it would be easier to maintain hegemony.

I am reminded of the scene in “Roots” where Kunta Kinte was whipped unmercifully do to the fact that he refused to say the name given to him by his plantation owner. Kunta, unlike the vast majority of African-Americans of today, knew where he came from and never forgot.

The early Africans, who endured the harsh and brutal experience of slavery, never forgot where they came from. An example of this is reflected in the naming of one of the first Black institutions which was the Black church. The first Black church in the United States was the First African Baptist Church which was established in Charleston, South Carolina in 1777. Subsequent to that, the first all-Black denomination was the African Methodist Episcopal Church which was founded by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones in Philadelphia in 1816.

Today there are elements among us who wish to promote, to varying degrees that racism is over; we should move on as we are all Americans. I submit that for the last 400 years, most African-Americans would have loved to be accepted as Americans. But the harsh truth is America has never accepted the African as American.

From its very inception as a fledgling nation, the United States was born of a lie beginning with the Preamble to the Constitution: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

For approximately 240 years, the African-Americans were systematically denied any semblance of citizenship. It took the Civil and Voting Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, respectfully before the aforementioned words began to have meaning within the African-American demographic. Prior to that time the African-American was indeed in a very peculiar place within America.

Dr. William E.B. DuBois in his The Souls of Black Folks posits “It is a peculiar situation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at oneself through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of the world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.”

To all Americans of African descent, even those who do not claim connectivity to the Mother Land, the truth of the matter is America did not accept the African as one of her own voluntarily. It took a civil war, legislation and legal battles (which included the court of public opinion) to force America to accept the African. Given this history, I find it almost incredulous beyond comprehension that any American of African descent would deny their heritage.

To the individuals who boastfully claim they are not African-American and/or African due to the fact that they have never been to Africa, I respectfully suggest you should cease and desist immediately with this argument. As former President William Jefferson Clinton would quip “that dog won’t hunt.” The vast majority of the white Americans belonging to the aforementioned ethnic groups have never been to Italy, Ireland, Germany, Poland and Greece. But they will declare in a heartbeat they are Italian, Irish, German, Polish or Greek. I’m just saying…

Beware of the Political Industrial Complex

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his farewell speech given on January 16, 1961, warned of the burgeoning Military Industrial Complex. It would be an understatement of herculean proportions to state that his forewarning have gone basically unheeded. His speech was both prescient and foreboding.

In its 1998 issue of The Atlantic, Eric Schlosser reported on the nearly two million Americans incarcerated. The one common thread between both the Military and the Prison Industrial Complexes is profit. Not only has the United States seen a proliferation in the number of individuals incarcerated, it is now housing an inordinate amount of these prisoners in for profit prisons (see private).

The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, but yet it houses approximately 25% of those incarcerated globally! This is a tragedy of epidemic proportions. These for profit prisons are concerned with neither justice nor rehabilitation. Their only concern is – profit! To that end, they have been driving the inmate population forward while simultaneously corrupting the political process.

It seems most Americans are cognizant of both the military and prison industrial complexes, whose advocates abound both for and against the same. However, these same Americans seem apathetic with regard to the most disturbing of all complexes. And that is the Political Industrial Complex.

The political industrial complex is not new by any stress of the imagination. It has been driven by consultants, lobbyists and paid pundits since the dawn of the fledgling democracy known as the United States of America.

James Callender, an 18^th century Irish immigrant was paid to uncover a sex scandal involving the first US treasurer, Alexander Hamilton. But he was not done, for he is the same individual who broke the story of President Thomas Jefferson’s multiple trysts with his slave, Sally Hemings. History confirms that Thomas fathered at least six children with Hemings.

Callender worked for peanuts relative to the amount of money bandied about within the political industrial complex of today. And with the advent of the Supreme Court ruling in 2010 in the Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission, in which the Justices declared unconstitutional the government restriction on “independent political spending” by corporations or unions, all pretenses of government for, of and by the people became a mockery.

Even before the Citizens United ruling, politics had morphed into a multi-billion dollar industry. No one ever said democracy would be easy or cheap. But seriously, in 2016, the election price tag: 6.8 billion! And what did we get for that astronomical sum? Succinctly, are a more divided country; a toxic political environment; gridlock; extreme partisanship and the potential for another looming government shutdown?

Who’s to blame for our present state of political affairs? Both political parties continue to blame each and other for obvious reasons. By doing so, it allows them to maintain the status quo which benefits the leaders of the respective parties while simultaneously adding to the astronomical sums of money flowing through their respective camps.

The vast majority of all politicians, irrespective of party affiliation, especially those on the national level, are the puppets of moneyed interests. One only has to look no further than the politicians voting records to confirm this fact. We are no longer a democracy of, for or by the people. The days of majority rule seems to soon follow the way of the dodo bird.

There are many things we can do to recapture our democracy to include, but not be limited to, the following: 1) Have non-partisan elections; 2) make all national elections publicly funded; 3) eliminate paid lobbyist; 4) immediate implementation of term limits and last, but definitely not least, require all individuals who wish to hold elected offices to have worked in some capacity somewhere in the “real world.” The pipeline from college direct to the halls of government does not bode well for our governance.

It seems as if most politicians are enamored with the military. I respectfully suggest that military service should be a requisite for anyone seeking the Office of the Presidency. Additionally, there are many other areas in which prospective politicians should be required to have worked before their eventual foray into elected offices.

Once we get the right politicians elected; those who are not bought and paid for, and really are concerned with the will of the people, then we can truly address the abhorrent proliferation of both the military and prison industrial complexes. Until this happens, its politics as usual, and that I maintain will lead to the eventual downfall of our experiment with democracy. It becomes not a matter of if, but when.

 

 

 

 

 

If only the Democrats had a little Courage

 

Like most American kids who grew up in the 1960’s, I waited with bated breath for the annual showing of The Wizard of Oz.”  This along with the The Imitation of Life was must watch television within our household. While I enjoyed the entirety of the Oz, one of my favorite scenes was when the Lion got his comeuppance from Dorothy.

Fast forward to today and after just having watched the swearing in ceremony of Supreme Court Justice Neal Gorsuch, I could not help but reflect upon how the Democratic Party of present is so reminiscent of that old lion – if only they had some courage. Similar to the lion, the Democrats for the last forty-odd years or so seem to lack the courage to do what is best for the majority of the American populous.

Specifically, I make references to all of the times they have lacked the courage to stand up to the idiosyncrasies, obstruction and intransigence of the Grand Old Party (GOP). But this is not a new phenomenon. During the Great Depression, comedian Will Rogers referred to President Herbert Hoover’s attempt to stimulate the economy as trickle-down economics.

Opponents of President Ronald Reagan also used that term to ridicule his economic proposals as well. As a matter of fact, one of his primary opponents, George H. W. Bush, went so far as to refer to them as “voodoo economics.” And what were the Democrats doing these times? For the most part, they went along to get along.

More recently, we have witnessed the GOP for eight years obstruct and insult the nation’s first African-American president. Even before Barack Obama took the Oath of Office, members of the opposition pronounced vociferously, early and often, their main goal was to “make Obama a one-term president.” True to their word, they did everything within their power, both legal and otherwise, to effect that.

During one of his last speeches, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took to the senate floor to decry the insults and obstruction the GOP levied upon Obama. But what was and still is the case, that public rebuke from Reid fell upon deaf ears. Because unlike their Democratic counterparts, the GOP has consistently shown a proclivity to care less for what is right. For them, both past and present, it is all about POWER!

During Obama’s tenure, the GOP literally took pride in morphing into the party of no. From the nonsensical birther issue, to the self-inflicted debt ceiling debacle and finally to an actual government shutdown, they exercised their willingness to exert their power, because to them it was all about power. While all of this was occurring, the Democrats were harrumphing and stomping their feet, but at the end of the day, similar to the lion, they lacked the intestinal fortitude to challenge the GOP.

Last year, Obama exercised his constitutional right when he nominated Merrick Garland to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated “there will be no Scalia replacement Supreme Court replacement under President Obama.” Worse yet, during a town hall meeting McConnell said, “One of my proudest moments was when I told Obama “you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy…’”

Both Obama and by his extension, his fellow Democrats, lacked courage when faced with such intransigence. Obama could have appointed Garland as a recess appointment and the American people who align themselves with the Democrats should have demanded that their elected officials take a page from the GOP play book and do whatever was necessary to get Garland seated permanently.

The GOP has proven they lack the temperament, desire or willingness to govern using the age-old principles of concession, compromise and compassion. With them it is their way or the highway. It is way past time for the Democrats to except this truism and govern themselves accordingly.

Absent that, they will continue to be like that cowardly old lion. And truth be told, our country cannot function effectively until they realize this and get a little courage, because it’s way past time for the GOP to get their comeuppance. I’m waiting for that ROAR, or will it be another whimper? Time will tell…

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

“Blacks had no rights for which the white man was bound to respect…” – Roger B. Taney, Supreme Court Chief Justice

Respect is defined as a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. That being said, I find it almost incredulous beyond comprehension why any White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) man would not show respect to the descendants of former slaves within this country, especially given the trials, tribulations and troubles they had to endure at the hands of the same.

But history has painfully proven that was not and still is not the case. I could cite an inordinate amount of examples, both past and present, by which African-Americans have been systematically and summarily disrespected for no other reason than because of the color of their skin. These acts of disrespect began long before the aforementioned slaves set foot on the shores of South America, the Caribbean and what became the American colonies.

During the diaspora, the African female slave was subjected to some of the worst atrocities one could imagine. Rape, unfortunately was a rule rather than the exception on these voyages. And these indignities have continued to the present.

Approximately eight and one half years ago, our country elected its first African-American president. With the election of Barack Obama, many within our nation felt that we had actually turned the corner with respect to race relations. The term “post-racial” was bandied about as was this mantra: Racism is over, can we stop talking about it? The answer to that query, succinctly, hell no!

For eight years, we watched a segment of our population show total disdain and lack of respect not only to Obama but also to the office which he occupied. The vast majority of those displaying such animus happened to WASP men. Speaking truth to power, their actions had nothing to do with Obama’s character, qualifications or abilities. To them it was all about the color of his skin.

But as previously mentioned this is not new. On the April 4, 2007 edition of MSNBC’s Imus in the Morning, host Don Imus referred to members of the Rutgers female basketball (which was comprised of eight African-American and two white players as “nappy-headed hos.” Most people do not realize that Imus was only reiterating what the show’s executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, had said previously when he referred to the team as “hard-core hos.” Both Imus and McGuirk were white men.

A few day s ago, Bill O’Reilly, of Fox News, while commenting on a floor speech being given by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA had this to say: “I didn’t hear a word she said, I was looking at the James Brown wig.” But the lambasting of Waters by Fox did not stop with O’Reilly. Eric Bolling had the unmitigated gall to state: Congresswoman, you saw what happened to Whitney Houston, Step away from the crack pipe, step away from Xanax, step away from Lorazepam because it’s going to get you in trouble.”

Needless to say, the outrage came fast and furious. It prompted O’Reilly to extend a less than convincing apology, while nary a sound has emanated from the lips of Bolling. This begs the question, what is wrong with these white men? I would wager without hesitation or reservation that none of the aforementioned comments would have been pronounced if the women were white as opposed to women of color.

While I concur wholeheartedly that these comments were abhorrent and showcased, for the entire world to see, the true nature of these white individuals, we should be mindful of the fact that prior to and since the election of Donald J. Trump as the 45^th president of the United States, these white men and their ilk have become more emboldened. Things being said publicly, which, in the past, were usually reserved for behind closed doors have become more blatant, aggressive and conveyed in public environs.

As much as there are those among us who wish to promote the fact that we are post racial, I am not one of them. However, I am of the school of thought, as the Staple Singers gave us; don’t expect others to respect you if you do not respect yourself.  It’s a given that, as American history has shown, there will always be white men who will never respect African-Americans no matter their station in life. It doesn’t matter if they are POTUS, a U.S. senator or Congresswoman.

As often is the case with me, I like to use all incidents that I can as teachable moments. One of the things I would wish to gleam from these episodes is that African-Americans must demand, as Aretha Franklin gave us, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. But that respect must begin at home. And we can begin by respecting each other.

Once we begin respecting each other, others will have no alternative but to do the same. So here’s my challenge to all my African-American brothers, let’s protect and demand respect for our women. After all, they are our mothers, wives, sisters, grandmothers and aunts.

Like some of my fellow white citizens, I too long for yesterday when, I could walk a block and not hear people of color addressing each other as b…., ho, n…..; we do not need to give the white man, who never respected us, an opportunity to continue to disrespect us. They will do that on their own as evidenced by their history. But, I believe, as Sam Cooke gave us, A Change Is Gonna Come.

South Carolina shows it true colors – Again!

 

As a native of South Carolina, having spent the majority of the first third of my life in the state, I can state without hesitation, reservation or equivocation that I was NOT at all surprised by the verdict recently rendered in the trial of Michael Slager. Slager is the white former North Charleston police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott, an unarmed African-American in the back, as he was running away.

This incident was captured on video and clearly shows, without question, which Slager did indeed shoot Scott multiple (8) times as he was attempting to flee. Last week I conveyed, via twitter, that there was no way in hell a jury in South Carolina was going to convict a white police officer of killing an African-American, regardless of what appeared to be indisputable evidence presented in the case.

The video clearly shows Slager shooting Scott in the back as he is running away. After he shoots Scott, Slager then handcuffs him and runs away to retrieve what appeared to be a Taser, which he then returns to Scott and appears to drop it by Scott’s prone body. What is even more disturbing is that another officer, who happens to be African-American, is on the scene when Slager drops the Taser! It raises the question as to if this officer was questioned by the prosecution during the trial.

As what has become standard in similarly related cases, Slager stated he feared for his life. To add insult to injury, Slager had the temerity to state “I fired until the threat was stopped, liked I was trained to do.” What threat was he referring to? The video clearly shows Scott running away!

The composition of the jury was eleven whites and one African-American. The one white juror who caused the mistrial stated “I can’t in good conscience approve a guilty verdict.” I wonder if the question was asked of this individual if he/she could vote for a guilty verdict prior to being selected as a juror.

What’s ironic is that the only African-American on the jury was chosen to be the foreman. Additionally, the trial was presided over by an African-American judge. At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Clifton Newton read the foreman’s note stating that the jury could not reach a verdict which resulted in the mistrial. After hearing that, the first thought that came to mind was a quote attributed to Groucho Marx, but was actually spoken by his brother Chico: Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?

In South Carolina, the answer was made explicitly clear on Monday with the case being declared a mistrial. Eleven of the jurors believed the evidence which was presented in the case. However, one juror did not believe his “lying eyes.” To say I am perturbed by this verdict would be the grand mammy of understatements.

There have been far too many incidents of white people, both civilians and police officers, not being held accountable for committing murders against African-Americans in the state of South Carolina. When I was a very young boy, my uncle Sammy was shot and killed by a white individual in South Carolina after a verbal altercation at a traffic light. The assailant was acquitted by an all-white jury.

So I speak from both a historical and personal perspective when I avowed that Slager would not be convicted. South Carolina has a long history of racism and perpetuating violence against people of color. It was also the first state to leave the Union to preserve the institution of slavery. So while others may have been surprised by yesterday’s verdict, I am not one of them.

With the advent of both the federal trial and a retrial, justice may eventually be served. But on yesterday, unfortunately, South Carolina showed its true colors – Again!

The Problem with America is White People

The political pundits, commentators and talking heads are still coming to grips with the realization of a soon-to-be Donald J. Trump presidency. For the past week, they have all been analyzing how Trump won the election. There have been many theories bandied about to include, but not be limited to the following: 1) Voter apathy, especially among the younger Democratic voters; 2) Voter suppression and the 11^th hour intervention of FBI Director James Comey.

While the aforementioned, and other reasons may all have some merit, I contend that the election was won by Trump due to, succinctly – white people. Specifically, white men and to a lesser extent white woman aided immeasurably to Trump’s victory. It does not take a Rhodes Scholar to discern that white people, irrespective of party affiliation voted overwhelmingly in favor of Trump. How else can you account for what happened in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and still, amazingly enough, yet to be determined, in Michigan.

Historically, these states have consistently voted for the Democratic nominees, but in this election they opted to vote Republican. After the dust has settled, the deciding factor was obviously the white vote. In this election, unlike the previous two presidential elections, white voters apparently opted for whiteness over the best qualified candidate. These numbers substantiate my premise:

* 61% of white men voted for Trump

* 53% of white women voted for Trump

* 61% of college educated men voted for Trump

* 49% of college educated women voted for Trump

So much for the theory that the majority of Trump’s voters were non-college educated whites (see Deplorables). In normal times, this presidential contest should have been a no-brainer.  We are all cognizant of the fact that these are not normal times. Our country is very much divided to say the least. On the one hand, you had a candidate (Hilary Clinton) who served the country as a United States Senator from New York as well as Secretary State. And let’s not forget, she was also a First Lady as well.

The other candidate, now President-elect Donald J. Trump, had no previous governmental experience of any kind. His only claim to fame, other than being an entrepreneur, was to lead the Birther charge against President Obama. A claim he fostered and perpetuated for years until recently when he finally acknowledged at the opening of his hotel in Washington on September 16, 2016, “Hilary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it. I finished it, you know what I mean. President Obama was born in the United States. Period.”  Mea culpas be damned.

So this begs the question, why did white Americans overwhelmingly vote for Trump? Actually, the answer is not as complex as the pundits would have you to believe. It started a long time ago when only white men of property were deemed fit to participate in the new, fledgling republic’s governance. Over a period of time, and after many years of trials, tribulations and troubles, those same men begrudgingly allowed women and African-Americans to participate.

Not too long ago, no white person, if they were being truly candid, could have EVER imagined an African-American would not only have the temerity to run for the highest office in the land, but to get elected and re-elected! Subsequently, the sheer audacity of a woman to attempt to achieve that same office was just too much for the white male’s physic to handle. And for this to occur concurrently, well it just would not do.

So white America circled the wagons and determined that this was to be their “Battle of Hastings” to a degree. Their White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant male ego had already been trampled upon when the country elected Barack Obama as its first African-American president in 2008.  Those egos were further damaged when he was re-elected four years later. There was no way in hell they were going to allow a woman to follow, as Rick Santorum would quip, “a Bla..” into the Oval Office.

Once again, white America reverted to their natural inclinations of misinformation, obfuscation and flat out lying to prevent the best qualified candidate from being elected. So as not to be misunderstood, let me state emphatically that this was not just a Republican thing. Trump would have NEVER been elected without white Democrats either crossing over or worse yet, refusing to vote at all.

This had nothing to do with low voter turnout among people of color. It was all about white voters, primarily Republicans, with assistance from white Democrats who has created this problem. And yes, America, it is indeed a problem, as evidenced by Trump’s first appointments. His selections of Michael Flynn, Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, R-AL and Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-KS for National Security Adviser, Attorney General and Central Intelligence Agency, respectfully to put it bluntly, gives the finger to people of color, women and most sane Americans who truly care about the future of our country.

These nominations, in concert with his selection of Steve Bannon as a Senior Adviser within the White House should serve as a clarion call. However, the skeptic in me says it won’t. Especially, with respect to the white liberals and/or progressives, who, for so many years have been, in the vernacular of James Brown, the late Godfather of Soul, ‘talking loud and saying nothing.” It is way past time to cease all talk and put your words into action as did John Brown, Viola Liuzzo, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and other whites have done.

So, yes, white America, you have been summarily called out. What say ye? Are you going to help us fix the damn thing or watch as the country dissolves? Don’t wait too long to answer; our nations sovereignty can’t afford it.