by Gloria Dulan-Wilson
The following is the official transcript of President Barack Obama’s speech to the audience and guests of the Caucus. You may have read headlines in many newspapers stating "Obama tells Caucus to "Stop Complaining" The headlines of the “meanstream press” obviously focused on the very last sentence of his speech, totally negating the relevance, significance and necessity of the foregoing 28 minutes. You will recall that most of the headlines and the sound bytes from the “meanstream” media quoted one line, while totally ignoring everything else he said. I call this deliberate distortion, disingenuous, biased racist reporting. I have been covering the CBC for 36 years, and have watched as the meanstream (read mainstream) press has either ignored the event all together, or gotten it consistently wrong. It's just not in them to be truthful.
However, I am not surprised, given the fact that these people have a vested interest in making sure that he does not get re-elected next year. What I am surprised at, however, is that a few of our elected officials (notice that I never call them “leaders”), actually made asinine statements in reference to his speech, which, in the main, shows me that they either do not understand where he is coming from, or they have succumbed to the brainwashing.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters is reported to have said that he “would not made such statements to the Jews“. To which I would respectfully respond, “Most likely not, since he isn’t Jewish, and he was addressing the CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS, which is facing a different constituency and a different set of circumstances and challenges.”
Let’s get real. The hardest hit with poverty, health issues, and employment challenges happen to be who? AFRICAN AMERICANS!!! To ignore the 99% of the speech for a line that represents less than 1% of the entire context seems to indicate that we’re not paying attention to what’s up. Time to wake up, and step up the program, or there will be an even larger majority of rep-ugh-blicans in DC in 2012.
If anything, they had better be putting together the means by which the JOBS ACT that Obama has proposed is passed. The big thrust has to be making sure that they stay on point and on message with President Obama, or end up being one trick ponies and the laughing stock of the world for having fumbled the ball twice: once, when they were in the majority for the first time in a long time, and not being able to get things done because of infighting; two, when they limped through the mid-term election, and allowed the Rep-ugh-blicans to become the self fulfilling prophesized majority during the second half of the term, as opposed to holding the line and increasing their numbers.
By the way, this criticism is not just leveled at our elected officials, but at those of us who do the electing - the voting; you and me -we, us!! So the buck is not being passed - it stops right here with all of us. This is what President Obama basically said in his speech - and I back the Brother up all the way. He spoke truth to power, if someone felt it stepped on their toes, so be it. Now, they say that Black folks don't read. It's a new stereotypical form of brainwashing that has been going around for quite some time to dis those of us who do, and who had the value of an education. But on the off chance that some of us might have bought into that pejorative and are now officially part of the sound byte, video streaming generation, you can also VIEW THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS ON YOUTUBE - hellooooo! So you can check it out for yourselves instead of letting meanstream media give you a snow job.
This marks the fourth year that Barack Obama has addressed the Congressional Black Caucus. First as Senator Barack Obama, considering a run for the Presidency, and the three consecutive years that he has addressed them as the President of the United States. First Lady Michelle Obama attended this year for the first time. The Phoenix Awards Dinner is part of the 41st Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and looked gorgeous as always!
The Caucus which officially runs for 4 days, basically starts the week end prior to the open forums, with most of the intense workshops happening during the four-day conference. This year it began on Wednesday Sept. 21, 2011, with the theme “iLead | iServe”, and a focus on “the value and impact of leadership and services within the community. The Caucus is held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, with participants and elected officials from all over the United States, parts of Africa and the Caribbean in attendance. It is one of the most important and prestigious events for African Americans, not to be sullied by some two-bit meanstream report that seeks to undermine its significance. It provides a blueprint for elected officials to follow for the upcoming year, as well as addresses issues unique to the African American experience.
That said, this is the official transcript of PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’s speech at the 41st Annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner, Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Saturday, September 24, 2011.
8:30 P.M. EDT
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: "Hello, CBC! (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. Please, everybody have a seat. It is wonderful to be with all of you tonight. It’s good to be with the conscience of the Congress. (Applause.) Thank you, Chairman Cleaver and brother Payne, for all that you do each and every day.
Thank you, Dr. Elsie Scott, president and CEO of the CBC Foundation, and all of you for your outstanding work with your internship program, which has done so much for so many young people. And I had a chance to meet some of the young people backstage — an incredible, unbelievably impressive group.
You know, being here with all of you — with all the outstanding members of the Congressional Black Caucus — reminds me of a story that one of our friends, a giant of the civil rights movement, Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery, told one day. Dr. Lowery — I don’t think he minds me telling that he turns 90 in a couple weeks. (Applause.) He’s been causing a ruckus for about 89 of those years. (Laughter.)
A few years back, Dr. Lowery and I were together at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma. (Applause.) We’ve got some Selma folks in the house. (Applause.) And Dr. Lowery stood up in the pulpit and told the congregation the story of Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. You know the story — it’s about three young men bold enough to stand up for God, even if it meant being thrown in a furnace. And they survived because of their faith, and because God showed up in that furnace with them.
Now, Dr. Lowery said that those three young men were a little bit crazy. But there’s a difference, he said, between good crazy and bad crazy. (Applause.) Those boys, he said, were “good crazy.” At the time, I was running for president — it was early in the campaign. Nobody gave me much of a chance. He turned to me from the pulpit, and indicated that someone like me running for president — well, that was crazy. (Laughter.) But he supposed it was good crazy.
He was talking about faith, the belief in things not seen, the belief that if you persevere a better day lies ahead. And I suppose the reason I enjoy coming to the CBC — what this weekend is all about is, you and me, we’re all a little bit crazy, but hopefully a good kind of crazy. (Applause.) We’re a good kind of crazy because no matter how hard things get, we keep the faith; we keep fighting; we keep moving forward.
And we’ve needed faith over these last couple years. Times have been hard. It’s been three years since we faced down a crisis that began on Wall Street and then spread to Main Street, and hammered working families, and hammered an already hard-hit black community. The unemployment rate for black folks went up to nearly 17 percent — the highest it’s been in almost three decades; 40 percent, almost, of African American children living in poverty; fewer than half convinced that they can achieve Dr. King’s dream. You’ve got to be a little crazy to have faith during such hard times.
It’s heartbreaking, and it’s frustrating. And I ran for President, and the members of the CBC ran for Congress, to help more Americans reach that dream. (Applause.) We ran to give every child a chance, whether he’s born in Chicago, or she comes from a rural town in the Delta. This crisis has made that job of giving everybody opportunity a little bit harder.
We knew at the outset of my presidency that the economic calamity we faced wasn’t caused overnight and wasn’t going to be solved overnight. We knew that long before the recession hit, the middle class in this country had been falling behind -– wages and incomes had been stagnant; a sense of financial security had been slipping away. And since these problems were not caused overnight, we knew we were going to have to climb a steep hill.
But we got to work. With your help, we started fighting our way back from the brink. And at every step of the way, we’ve faced fierce opposition based on an old idea — the idea that the only way to restore prosperity can’t just be to let every corporation write its own rules, or give out tax breaks to the wealthiest and the most fortunate, and to tell everybody that they’re on their own. There has to be a different concept of what America’s all about. It has to be based on the idea that I am my brother’s keeper and I am my sister’s keeper, and we’re in this together. We are in this thing together. (Applause.)
We had a different vision and so we did what was right, and we fought to extend unemployment insurance, and we fought to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, and we fought to expand the Child Tax Credit — which benefited nearly half of all African American children in this country. (Applause.) And millions of Americans are better off because of that fight. (Applause.)
Ask the family struggling to make ends meet if that extra few hundred dollars in their mother’s paycheck from the payroll tax cut we passed made a difference. They’ll tell you. Ask them how much that Earned Income Tax Credit or that Child Tax Credit makes a difference in paying the bills at the end of the month.
When an army of lobbyists and special interests spent millions to crush Wall Street reform, we stood up for what was right. We said the time has come to protect homeowners from predatory mortgage lenders. The time has come to protect consumers from credit card companies that jacked up rates without warning. (Applause.) We signed the strongest consumer financial protection in history. That’s what we did together. (Applause.)
Remember how many years we tried to stop big banks from collecting taxpayer subsidies for student loans while the cost of college kept slipping out of reach? Together, we put a stop to that once and for all. We used those savings to make college more affordable. We invested in early childhood education and community college and HBCUs. Ask the engineering student at an HBCU who thought he might have to leave school if that extra Pell Grant assistance mattered. (Applause.)
We’re attacking the cycle of poverty that steals the future from too many children — not just by pouring money into a broken system, but by building on what works -– with Promise Neighborhoods modeled after the good work up in Harlem; Choice Neighborhoods rebuilding crumbling public housing into communities of hope and opportunity; Strong Cities, Strong Communities, our partnership with local leaders in hard-hit cities like Cleveland and Detroit. And we overcame years of inaction to win justice for black farmers because of the leadership of the CBC and because we had an administration that was committed to doing the right thing. (Applause.)
And against all sorts of setbacks, when the opposition fought us with everything they had, we finally made clear that in the United States of America nobody should go broke because they get sick. We are better than that. (Applause.) And today, insurance companies can no longer drop or deny your coverage for no good reason. In just a year and a half, about one million more young adults have health insurance because of this law. (Applause.) One million young people. That is an incredible achievement, and we did it with your help, with the CBC’s help. (Applause.)
So in these hard years, we’ve won a lot of fights that needed fighting and we’ve done a lot of good. But we’ve got more work to do. So many people are still hurting. So many people are still barely hanging on. And too many people in this city are still fighting us every step of the way.
So I need your help. We have to do more to put people to work right now. We’ve got to make that everyone in this country gets a fair shake, and a fair shot, and a chance to get ahead. (Applause.) And I know we won’t get where we need to go if we don’t travel down this road together. I need you with me. (Applause.)
That starts with getting this Congress to pass the American Jobs Act. (Applause.) You heard me talk about this plan when I visited Congress a few weeks ago and sent the bill to Congress a few days later. Now I want that bill back — passed. I’ve got the pens all ready. I am ready to sign it. And I need your help to make it happen. (Applause.)
Right now we’ve got millions of construction workers out of a job. So this bill says, let’s put those men and women back to work in their own communities rebuilding our roads and our bridges. Let’s give these folks a job rebuilding our schools. Let’s put these folks to work rehabilitating foreclosed homes in the hardest-hit neighborhoods of Detroit and Atlanta and Washington. This is a no-brainer. (Applause.)
Why should we let China build the newest airports, the fastest railroads? Tell me why our children should be allowed to study in a school that’s falling apart? I don’t want that for my kids or your kids. I don’t want that for any kid. You tell me how it makes sense when we know that education is the most important thing for success in the 21st century. (Applause.) Let’s put our people back to work doing the work America needs done. Let’s pass this jobs bill. (Applause.)
We’ve got millions of unemployed Americans and young people looking for work, but running out of options. So this jobs bill says: let’s give them a pathway, a new pathway back to work. Let’s extend unemployment insurance so that more than six million Americans don’t lose that lifeline. But let’s also encourage reforms that help the long-term unemployed keep their skills sharp and get a foot in the door. Let’s give summer jobs for low-income youth that don’t just give them their first paycheck but arm them with the skills they need for life. (Applause.)
Tell me why we don’t want the unemployed back in the workforce as soon as possible. Let’s pass this jobs bill, put these folks back to work. (Applause.)
Why are we shortchanging our children when we could be putting teachers back in the classroom right now, where they belong? (Applause.) Laying off teachers, laying off police officer, laying off firefighters all across the country because state and local budgets are tough. Why aren’t we helping? We did in the first two years. And then this other crowd came into Congress and now suddenly they want to stop. Tell me why we shouldn’t give companies tax credits for hiring the men and women who’ve risked their lives for this country — our veterans. There is no good answer for that. They shouldn’t be fighting to find a job when they come home. (Applause.)
These Republicans in Congress like to talk about job creators. How about doing something real for job creators? Pass this jobs bill, and every small business owner in America, including 100,000 black-owned businesses, will get a tax cut. (Applause.) You say you’re the party of tax cuts. Pass this jobs bill, and every worker in America, including nearly 20 million African American workers, will get a tax cut. (Applause.) Pass this jobs bill, and prove you’ll fight just as hard for a tax cut for ordinary folks as you do for all your contributors. (Applause.)
These are questions that opponents of this jobs plan will have to answer. Because the kinds of ideas in this plan in the past have been supported by both parties. Suddenly Obama is proposing it — what happened? (Laughter.) What happened? You all used to like to build roads. (Laughter.) Right? What happened? Reverend, you know what happened? I don’t know. They used to love to build some roads. (Laughter.)
Now, I know some of our friends across the aisle won’t support any new spending that’s not paid for. I agree that’s important. So last week, I laid out a plan to pay for the American Jobs Act, and to bring out — down our debt over time. You say the deficit is important? Here we go. I’m ready to go. It’s a plan that says if we want to create jobs and close this deficit, then we’ve got to ask the folks who have benefited most — the wealthiest Americans, the biggest, most profitable corporations — to pay their fair share. (Applause.)
We are not asking them to do anything extraordinary. The reform we’re proposing is based on a simple principle: Middleclass folks should not pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires. (Applause.) That’s not crazy — or it’s good crazy. (Laughter.) Warren Buffett’s secretary shouldn’t pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett. A teacher or a nurse or a construction worker making $50,000 a year shouldn’t pay higher tax rates than somebody making $50 million. That’s just common sense.
We’re not doing this to punish success. This is the land of opportunity. I want you to go out, start a business, get rich, build something. Out country is based on the belief that anybody can make it if they put in enough sweat and enough effort. That is wonderful. God bless you. But part of the American idea is also that once we’ve done well we should pay our fair share — (applause) — to make sure that those schools that we were learning in can teach the next generation; that those roads that we benefited from — that they’re not crumbling for the next bunch of folks who are coming behind us; to keep up the nation that made our success possible.
And most wealthy Americans would agree with that. But you know the Republicans are already dusting off their old talking points. That’s class warfare, they say. In fact, in the next breath, they’ll complain that people living in poverty — people who suffered the most over the past decade — don’t pay enough in taxes. That’s bad crazy. (Laughter and applause.)
When you start saying, at a time when the top one-tenth of 1 percent has seen their incomes go up four or five times over the last 20 years, and folks at the bottom have seen their incomes decline — and your response is that you want poor folks to pay more? Give me a break. If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a janitor makes me a warrior for the working class, I wear that with a badge of honor. I have no problem with that. (Applause.) It’s about time.
They say it kills jobs — oh, that’s going to kill jobs?? We’re not proposing anything other than returning to the tax rates for the wealthiest Americans that existed under Bill Clinton. I played golf with Bill Clinton today. I was asking him, how did that go? (Laughter.) Well, it turns out we had a lot of jobs. The well-to-do, they did even better. So did the middle class. We lifted millions out of poverty. And then we cut taxes for folks like me, and we went through a decade of zero job growth.
So this isn’t speculation. We’ve tested this out. We tried their theory; didn’t work. Tried our theory; it worked. We shouldn’t be confused about this. (Applause.)
This debate is about priorities. If we want to create new jobs and close the deficit and invest in our future, the money has got to come from somewhere. And so, should we keep tax loopholes for big oil companies? Or should we put construction workers and teachers back on the job? (Applause.) Should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires? Or should we invest in our children’s education and college aid? Should we ask seniors to be paying thousands of dollars more for Medicare, as the House Republicans propose, or take young folks’ health care away? Or should we ask that everybody pay their fair share?
This is about fairness. And this is about who we are as a country. This is about our commitment to future generations.
When Michelle and I think about where we came from — a little girl on the South Side of Chicago, son of a single mom in Hawaii — mother had to go to school on scholarships, sometimes got food stamps. Michelle’s parents never owned their own home until she had already graduated — living upstairs above the aunt who actually owned the house. We are here today only because our parents and our grandparents, they broke their backs to support us. (Applause.)
But they also understood that they would get a little bit of help from their country. Because they met their responsibilities, this country would also be responsible, would also provide good public schools, would also provide recreation — parks that were safe, making sure that they could take the bus without getting beat over the head, making sure that their kids would be able to go to college even if they weren’t rich.
We’re only here because past generations struggled and sacrificed for this incredible, exceptional idea that it does not matter where you come from, it does not matter where you’re born, doesn’t matter what you look like — if you’re willing to put in an effort, you should get a shot. You should get a shot at the American Dream. (Applause.)
And each night, when we tuck in our girls at the White House, I think about keeping that dream alive for them and for all of our children. And that’s now up to us. And that’s hard. This is harder than it’s been in a long, long time. We’re going through something we haven’t seen in our lifetimes.
And I know at times that gets folks discouraged. I know. I listen to some of you all. (Laughter.) I understand that. And nobody feels that burden more than I do. Because I know how much we have invested in making sure that we’re able to move this country forward. But you know, more than a lot of other folks in this country, we know about hard. The people in this room know about hard. (Applause.) And we don’t give in to discouragement.
Throughout our history, change has often come slowly. Progress often takes time. We take a step forward, sometimes we take two steps back. Sometimes we get two steps forward and one step back. But it’s never a straight line. It’s never easy. And I never promised easy. Easy has never been promised to us. But we’ve had faith. We have had faith. We’ve had that good kind of crazy that says, you can’t stop marching. (Applause.)
Even when folks are hitting you over the head, you can’t stop marching. Even when they’re turning the hoses on you, you can’t stop. (Applause.) Even when somebody fires you for speaking out, you can’t stop. (Applause.) Even when it looks like there’s no way, you find a way — you can’t stop. (Applause.) Through the mud and the muck and the driving rain, we don’t stop. Because we know the rightness of our cause — widening the circle of opportunity, standing up for everybody’s opportunities, increasing each other’s prosperity. We know our cause is just. It’s a righteous cause.
So in the face of troopers and teargas, folks stood unafraid. Led somebody like John Lewis to wake up after getting beaten within an inch of his life on Sunday — he wakes up on Monday: We’re going to go march. (Applause.)
Dr. King once said: “Before we reach the majestic shores of the Promised Land, there is a frustrating and bewildering wilderness ahead. We must still face prodigious hilltops of opposition and gigantic mountains of resistance. But with patient and firm determination we will press on.” (Applause.)
So I don’t know about you, CBC, but the future rewards those who press on. (Applause.) With patient and firm determination, I am going to press on for jobs. (Applause.) I’m going to press on for equality. (Applause.) I’m going to press on for the sake of our children. (Applause.) I’m going to press on for the sake of all those families who are struggling right now. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I am going to press on. (Applause.)
I expect all of you to march with me and press on. (Applause.) Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. (Applause.) Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We’ve got work to do, CBC. (Applause.)
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America." (Applause.) END
8:58 P.M. EDT
Now that you know the truth, I do hope you will make it your business to share this speech and the video with all your friends, relatives, associates, co-workers, enemies (especially them); clergy, educators (who should be playing it in school, or after Sunday Service). If we can watch all the other madness on TV, we can certainly take the time out to check in on what OUR PRESIDENT is saying first hand.
Other ways to keep up with what is actually happening with President Obama is to log on to the White House. They give a daily briefing and update of the President's activities, speeches, and proposed legislations. We cannot afford to be spoon-fed poison from those who would rather see us subjugated to pre-civil rights, voting rights era when we were at the back of the bus, the bottom of the heap, the last to be, do, have anything. We either seize the time and opportunity now, or pull the dirt up over ourselves and save them the trouble of burying us alive.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
RACISTS IN SOUTH EXECUTE TOY ANYWAY - SO MUCH FOR JUSTICE
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Just received this notification from Ben Jealous that Troy Davis was executed in Georgia. And I had a "why am I not surprised" reaction to the news. Even though I had signed the petition to save this brother's life, I knew these racists had already set their minds on killing him. It's an interesting game of pushme/pullyou - the more we beg, plead, present arguments, reason, and logic, the more pleased they are that they have a certain power, and the less likely they are to be - what - "merciful, reasonable, compassionate" ?? They love it when we beg, it makes their "no" even that much sweeter to them. They could give two sh-ts about justice when it comes to Black people, and they've proven it over and over and over and over... you get my drift.
So this is the response I penned to brother Ben Jealous, at 5:00 AM, September 22, 2011:
Cut to the chase Ben:
It was the racist south thumbing their noses at Black people, showing who and what they really are - for all the world to see. They still hold to their statement that a Black man has no rights that a white man is bound to respect. And so it goes on and on and on. We have to stop anesthetizing Black people to this b.s. and get them to see the evil for who and what it is.
Two cops in New York City, who were patently guilty of rape, were set free -- and they were seen on video tape!!!!
A french "duplomut" was allowed to walk after accosting a Black African woman who stood up for her rights as a woman. Their excuse, she told too many stories. Oh, really??? Let her have been a white woman and he a Black diplomat - they would have detained him until hell froze over.
I know you get it my brother. I know you understand exactly what happened here. But it's hard to admit that 40+ years after the Civil Rights Act was passed in these United States, that the beat and the racism goes on unabated.
What drove it home for me was the percent of Black people living in the US. When I was a kid in high school, we were 23% of the population -nationally - we have, in 40 short years gone from 23% to 12%. Where are the other 13%? Did they evaporate? Did they move out of the country? Where are they? or rather, where are we? Between drugs, accidental shootings in the back; diseases we never heard of before; medical mal practice, environmental racism and a whole host of things, they have managed to quietly decimate the Black population. (Of course, some of this is self inflicted, via Black on Black crimes, gang activities, abortions, etc.)
I guess I was kind of hoping against hope that the red necks would back off for once in their little miserable lives. They've been so busy lately. But apparently they never tire of making other people's lives miserable. (Sorry, I'm being a little blatantly Black - I'm also quite infuriated that they had the audacity to go forth with the execution. So, in reality, I'm writing with a great deal of restraint - I have other more graphic terms, but it would sully my Blog.)
So, no Troy's name won't be forgotten - But more importantly, let's not forget what the circumstances were, and who had a hand in making it happen; as well as who did nothing to prevent it from happening. Time to take a new tone - take a new stand - come to a new reality - overcoming some day is definitely not soon enough. I also want Black Americans (as well as the rest of our Black people) to also begin to really screen the stuff they watch on TV. There is a not-so-subtle form of brainwashing going, and we're buying in to it. No more Vampire shows - we got enough blood suckers in Congress - spend your time on how to exorcise them. No more just allowing them to feed you their version of the "news". Time to question motives, reasons, options, and what it means to, for, and about us.
And we have to change the verse to the song "We Shall Over Come". It puts our victory in a perpetual state of futurity - We need to; must; have to; had better over come NOW!!! Some Day ain't soon enough.
Later will definitely be to late. They are like dogs; once they bite you and taste your blood, they never stop, because, quite frankly, they enjoy it.
Also, any and all individuals who do not support Barack Obama for re-election in 2012, may as well take the gun and shoot themselves in the foot now - and it doesn't matter which one, right or left because you will be just as lame regardless. Don't sit there and let these vultures in the meanstream media convince you that the President is not doing his job. It's all part of the propaganda to show that "the white man's ice is colder" and you don't have the complexion for the connection (got that from Paul Mooney).
Time for the New NAACP to move the agenda forward.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Ben Jealous's Letter Follows:
On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 12:09 AM, Ben Jealous, NAACP wrote:
NAACP
Dear Gloria,
Tonight the State of Georgia has killed an innocent man.
In recent weeks, we fought hard for the commutation of Troy Davis' sentence. More than one million of your petitions were delivered. Protests, rallies and vigils were organized around the globe. Tonight, we fasted and prayed together as a community.
I have spent the past week with Troy's family. He wanted the world to know that he understood that this struggle goes beyond just one man. Troy was prepared to die tonight. As he said again and again, the state of Georgia only held the power to take his physical body. They could not take his spirit, because he gave his life to God.
Let's remember and heed Troy's words: We must not let them kill our spirit, either.
Troy's execution, the exceptional unfairness of it, will only hasten the end of the death penalty in the United States. The world will remember the name of Troy Anthony Davis. In death he will live on as a symbol of a broken justice system that kills an innocent man while a murderer walks free.
The world will remember Troy's name, as the death penalty supporters who expressed doubt in this case begin to doubt an entire system that can execute a man amidst so many unanswered questions.
The world will remember Troy's name, as death penalty opponents who remained silent in the past realize that their silence is no longer an option.
The world will remember Troy's name because we will commemorate September 21st each year as both a solemn anniversary and a call to action. The night they put Troy Davis to death will become an annual reminder that justice will not be achieved until we end this brutal practice of capital punishment.
"This movement," Troy said, "started before I was born." After tonight, our movement will grow stronger until we succeed in destroying the death penalty in the United States once and for all.
I know you will join me. Together we will secure his legacy, and the world will remember the name Troy Anthony Davis.
In solidarity,
Ben Jealous
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Just received this notification from Ben Jealous that Troy Davis was executed in Georgia. And I had a "why am I not surprised" reaction to the news. Even though I had signed the petition to save this brother's life, I knew these racists had already set their minds on killing him. It's an interesting game of pushme/pullyou - the more we beg, plead, present arguments, reason, and logic, the more pleased they are that they have a certain power, and the less likely they are to be - what - "merciful, reasonable, compassionate" ?? They love it when we beg, it makes their "no" even that much sweeter to them. They could give two sh-ts about justice when it comes to Black people, and they've proven it over and over and over and over... you get my drift.
So this is the response I penned to brother Ben Jealous, at 5:00 AM, September 22, 2011:
Cut to the chase Ben:
It was the racist south thumbing their noses at Black people, showing who and what they really are - for all the world to see. They still hold to their statement that a Black man has no rights that a white man is bound to respect. And so it goes on and on and on. We have to stop anesthetizing Black people to this b.s. and get them to see the evil for who and what it is.
Two cops in New York City, who were patently guilty of rape, were set free -- and they were seen on video tape!!!!
A french "duplomut" was allowed to walk after accosting a Black African woman who stood up for her rights as a woman. Their excuse, she told too many stories. Oh, really??? Let her have been a white woman and he a Black diplomat - they would have detained him until hell froze over.
I know you get it my brother. I know you understand exactly what happened here. But it's hard to admit that 40+ years after the Civil Rights Act was passed in these United States, that the beat and the racism goes on unabated.
What drove it home for me was the percent of Black people living in the US. When I was a kid in high school, we were 23% of the population -nationally - we have, in 40 short years gone from 23% to 12%. Where are the other 13%? Did they evaporate? Did they move out of the country? Where are they? or rather, where are we? Between drugs, accidental shootings in the back; diseases we never heard of before; medical mal practice, environmental racism and a whole host of things, they have managed to quietly decimate the Black population. (Of course, some of this is self inflicted, via Black on Black crimes, gang activities, abortions, etc.)
I guess I was kind of hoping against hope that the red necks would back off for once in their little miserable lives. They've been so busy lately. But apparently they never tire of making other people's lives miserable. (Sorry, I'm being a little blatantly Black - I'm also quite infuriated that they had the audacity to go forth with the execution. So, in reality, I'm writing with a great deal of restraint - I have other more graphic terms, but it would sully my Blog.)
So, no Troy's name won't be forgotten - But more importantly, let's not forget what the circumstances were, and who had a hand in making it happen; as well as who did nothing to prevent it from happening. Time to take a new tone - take a new stand - come to a new reality - overcoming some day is definitely not soon enough. I also want Black Americans (as well as the rest of our Black people) to also begin to really screen the stuff they watch on TV. There is a not-so-subtle form of brainwashing going, and we're buying in to it. No more Vampire shows - we got enough blood suckers in Congress - spend your time on how to exorcise them. No more just allowing them to feed you their version of the "news". Time to question motives, reasons, options, and what it means to, for, and about us.
And we have to change the verse to the song "We Shall Over Come". It puts our victory in a perpetual state of futurity - We need to; must; have to; had better over come NOW!!! Some Day ain't soon enough.
Later will definitely be to late. They are like dogs; once they bite you and taste your blood, they never stop, because, quite frankly, they enjoy it.
Also, any and all individuals who do not support Barack Obama for re-election in 2012, may as well take the gun and shoot themselves in the foot now - and it doesn't matter which one, right or left because you will be just as lame regardless. Don't sit there and let these vultures in the meanstream media convince you that the President is not doing his job. It's all part of the propaganda to show that "the white man's ice is colder" and you don't have the complexion for the connection (got that from Paul Mooney).
Time for the New NAACP to move the agenda forward.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Ben Jealous's Letter Follows:
On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 12:09 AM, Ben Jealous, NAACP
NAACP
Dear Gloria,
Tonight the State of Georgia has killed an innocent man.
In recent weeks, we fought hard for the commutation of Troy Davis' sentence. More than one million of your petitions were delivered. Protests, rallies and vigils were organized around the globe. Tonight, we fasted and prayed together as a community.
I have spent the past week with Troy's family. He wanted the world to know that he understood that this struggle goes beyond just one man. Troy was prepared to die tonight. As he said again and again, the state of Georgia only held the power to take his physical body. They could not take his spirit, because he gave his life to God.
Let's remember and heed Troy's words: We must not let them kill our spirit, either.
Troy's execution, the exceptional unfairness of it, will only hasten the end of the death penalty in the United States. The world will remember the name of Troy Anthony Davis. In death he will live on as a symbol of a broken justice system that kills an innocent man while a murderer walks free.
The world will remember Troy's name, as the death penalty supporters who expressed doubt in this case begin to doubt an entire system that can execute a man amidst so many unanswered questions.
The world will remember Troy's name, as death penalty opponents who remained silent in the past realize that their silence is no longer an option.
The world will remember Troy's name because we will commemorate September 21st each year as both a solemn anniversary and a call to action. The night they put Troy Davis to death will become an annual reminder that justice will not be achieved until we end this brutal practice of capital punishment.
"This movement," Troy said, "started before I was born." After tonight, our movement will grow stronger until we succeed in destroying the death penalty in the United States once and for all.
I know you will join me. Together we will secure his legacy, and the world will remember the name Troy Anthony Davis.
In solidarity,
Ben Jealous
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Saturday, September 17, 2011
BLACK INDIANS: The Ancestors Will Trouble Our Dreams and Shorten Our Days If we Don't Stand UP
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Many a Black person has had the occasion to say, proudly, at some point in their lives, “I have Indian in my family.” It has been known for hundreds of years that Blacks and Indians in the US intermarried extensively, from the East Coast, the South West, the Wild Wild West, and to a small extent, the Northwest.
Certainly the largest numbers of Black and Indian marriages and family lines emanated from the South (Georgia, North and South Carolina, and parts of Florida) and Oklahoma.
Those of you who have been reading either the Black List or my gloriadulanwilson.blogspot have been keeping abreast of a heinous matter roiling out of control in Oklahoma (my homestate)- a state that started out as deeded Indian Territory. Some of you have even heard of the arduous “trail of tears” over which the Cherokee, Seminoles,and other tribes, along with their Black slaves and intermarried wives, trudged in a fierce winter, and died in the early 1800’s, as the result of being given blankets infested with a highly contagious form of smallpox (thanks to famous redneck Andrew Jackson - then President of the US).
From the outset the Oklahoma Territory was inhabited by Blacks and Indians, many of whom had intermarried, built homes,raised families, opened and ran businesses, communities together. Initially, whites were forbidden to go there; and were kept out for 85 years. As a result, we thrived, and built lovely homes, communities, educated our children. We were kool.
To this day, the state of Oklahoma is still inhabited by Blacks and Indians, many of whom are still married, and have homes, businesses and family ties and communities together. But now, things are not as kool as they used to be.
This latest insult on the part of the Cherokee nation, misled by (--I have to say it - wait for it - ) a half-breed whose white ancestry has obviously made him even more of a red neck than most rednecks in the region (and trust me we do have our share). His machinations and manipulations, started by a promise of lucrative funds, have now led to the vote in the Cherokee Supreme Court calling for the ouster of the descendents of Freedman (Oklahomans who are descendants of former slaves who were given full Cherokee Nation rights in 1866 - after the Civil War.
Now, of course these were the former slaves who were "owned" by Indians during the Civil War, who were stupid enough to side with the South. They lost, so they had to abide by the rules. These were not the Indians who originally migrated to Oklahoma with their former "slaves" during the early 1800's, and who had been enjoying life in Oklahoma before, during and after the Civil War. In fact the earlier Black and Indian settlers were none too happy to have the post Civil War crew move in.
Where we once got along and had mutual interests for the most part, things really began to devolve after the Oklahoma Run (read Ruin) of 1889 (April 22, to be exact). The first thing they brought in was Jim Crow, and a whole host of other racist policies - some of which they weren't able to carry through simply because we Blacks had guns, and didn't play.
However as they began to change the tenor of the territory, things degenerated, and eventually the racism was pervasive. The stupid thing is that the Cherokee nation is claiming that the Blacks are no longer part of the tribe as though there were some magic way of unmixing blood. (I know I said this already, but it bears repeating). My DNA, my mother's, father's brother's, sister's, uncle's (not to mention my grandparents - you know ad infinitum) ain't gonna change.
And this ouster seems to be aimed at only 2800 people. And I had to ask myself "why?" As I was conjecturing why the number was so small - a mere 2800 Freedmen - the answer appeared in an article that appeared in the Blacklist, written by Achoctaw1866, to wit: “the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has managed to reduce the Freedmen Struggle in the media to just 2800 “registered” Cherokee Freedmen, effectively locking out all other Cherokee Freedmen eligible for modern Citizenship enrollment, numbered in the thousands, pulling media away from dissent from Advocates for all other Freedmen.”
Well, I for one don’t plan to allow them to get away with that. This is not a box canyon where you can herd off the few and send the rest on their way as though it has nothing to do with them. In the Black community, regardless of who is in our gene pool, it’s one for all and all for one! And we are all just as outraged as those 2800 brothers and sisters you are trying to jerk around.
I am personally calling on all our people, regardless of the percent of melanin you have in your skin, to stand together for the Black people of Indian heritage regardless of whether they reside in Oklahoma, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Oregon, or anywhere else - living or dead - Because by this action the Cherokee Nation has declared that Black people are under siege.
This is not something that you have philosophical debates about. It’s not even something that you sit back and wait for the White House to take a stand on, even though they are definitely taking note of this debacle - this is about who and what we are in the 21st Century.
There was a phrase that appeared at the end of a movie that said: “If No One Else Will Save You, Save Yourself!“ We have to be the heroes and the freedom we are looking for. Another saying from Africa says: “If the people will lead, the leaders will follow.“ Well WE are those people. We are the people who have to stand up for ourselves.
Maybe we need to be about riding in on Oklahoma and giving the Cherokees a first hand knowledge of what it looks like when a Million Black (and Black Indian) people ride down on their behinds. Maybe the march should not be on Washington, or on DC. Maybe the next Million People March needs to be on Oklahoma - Tallequah.
Black and Black Indian Oklahomans need to open up a can of "Wisconsin" on their bogus legislators who sit on their haunches and do nothing (smile up their sleeves as they watch this mess evolve).
According to AChoctaw1866: “Freedmen People feel that continued disrespect and overt intolerance of our humanity will no longer be endured quietly, now or in the future and Black Indians will not back down, even if it appears that we only have a slingshot or hatchet with which to wage an effective campaign. One must not forget that we are imbued with a self-determined propensity to protect rights encoded in our melanated DNA. Freedmen have elicited a response from the White House upon the illegal disenfranchisement of Freedmen People, Deprivation of Nationality, Citizenship and denial of access to their Treaty Mandated Rights.”
She further states: “Yet, it is also indicative of defeat, and a major failure by the White House to reach beyond a reluctant tight-fisted grudging nod to a mere 2,800 Black Cherokees, to clarify the status and treatment of all other Ethnic Indians Freedmen and Tribal Peoples in North America also having African Ancestry numbering in the several hundred thousands of eligible disenfranchised descendants (i.e., Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole Negro Scouts, Creek Freedmen, Mississippi Choctaw, and others) treated the same way in today‘s Indian Country, while their stories have been buried under attention paid only to the plight of Cherokee Freedmen.”
It’s time to bring the Indian Reorganization Act into the 21st Century. Now. Forget about the “cherry picking” of issues one at a time so as to not disturb or upset the so-called nation. Let’s pull the scab off and let the healing begin! It’s time to implement the requests by collective Freedmen People to invoke, implement or proclaim a Presidential or Congressional Enactment making it mandatory for all Tribal Nations and the U.S. Government to respect and/or adhere to the Treaty Rights of all the aforementioned Peoples, or face the legal consequences, immediately if not sooner! Apparently when the Civil Rights act was passed, they forgot to “enforce them within the Tribal Nation and Federal Laws as codified in the Indian Reorganization Act.”
The bottom line is that having failed to do it right the first time around has exacerbated the situation. Many of the issues originally handled by the previous organization was turned over to a hostile entity called the US Court of Claims. It appears that it is amusing to pit people of different cultures against each other and play the game of “keep away” while they try to work things out.
According to the AChoctaw1866, “{since} claims are met with challenges that the U.S. Court of Claims are not compelled to hear such claims, then the hurdle that Freedmen actions are time-barred, after which comes the extreme burden of overcoming Tribal Nation and U.S. Sovereignty. None are charitable enough to waive Sovereign Rights to weigh Freedmen Rights fairly, depriving them of much deserved Due Process. This is why Freedmen Tribes must stand on their own acumen as Nations to challenge other Sovereigns in Nation to Nation actions.” (also known as "Catch 22).
At this point I am only paraphrasing this article; to read it in its entirety check out BlackList.net, or http://newsone.com/nation/associatedpress3/cherokee-nation-will-restore-rights-for-black-cherokees/. My main purpose is pulling out certain salient points is to make you aware that the tactics of Divide and Conquer are being used by the mainstream to put two under served cultures against each other. The oppressed oppressing another oppressed with the assistance of the oppressor (under the guise of trying to “help” is nothing new. Whole tribal wars have been developed by these very means. And while these two entities are fighting each other, the catalyst in the middle walks off with the whole pie.
Sound familiar? Recognize a pattern? And unfortunately, showing their true colors and snake heart for being all too willing to serve as the pawns in this mess are my Cherokee brothers and sisters, who have now shown themselves to be as dumb and gullible as the tribe who paid the Republican representative $7million to introduce them to people who would give them lucrative contracts, only to end up bankrupt.
You and I both know that our ancestors will trouble your dreams and shorten your lives upon this earth if you continue with this line of action. And they will likewise do the same to us if we don’t stand together against you for such a stupid, foolish, selfish, ignorant, destructive act. Go look in the mirror at your tongue and tell me the shape!
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK (and Indian)
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
SUPPORT THE Black Indians United Legal Defense and Education Fund
Many a Black person has had the occasion to say, proudly, at some point in their lives, “I have Indian in my family.” It has been known for hundreds of years that Blacks and Indians in the US intermarried extensively, from the East Coast, the South West, the Wild Wild West, and to a small extent, the Northwest.
Certainly the largest numbers of Black and Indian marriages and family lines emanated from the South (Georgia, North and South Carolina, and parts of Florida) and Oklahoma.
Those of you who have been reading either the Black List or my gloriadulanwilson.blogspot have been keeping abreast of a heinous matter roiling out of control in Oklahoma (my homestate)- a state that started out as deeded Indian Territory. Some of you have even heard of the arduous “trail of tears” over which the Cherokee, Seminoles,and other tribes, along with their Black slaves and intermarried wives, trudged in a fierce winter, and died in the early 1800’s, as the result of being given blankets infested with a highly contagious form of smallpox (thanks to famous redneck Andrew Jackson - then President of the US).
From the outset the Oklahoma Territory was inhabited by Blacks and Indians, many of whom had intermarried, built homes,raised families, opened and ran businesses, communities together. Initially, whites were forbidden to go there; and were kept out for 85 years. As a result, we thrived, and built lovely homes, communities, educated our children. We were kool.
To this day, the state of Oklahoma is still inhabited by Blacks and Indians, many of whom are still married, and have homes, businesses and family ties and communities together. But now, things are not as kool as they used to be.
This latest insult on the part of the Cherokee nation, misled by (--I have to say it - wait for it - ) a half-breed whose white ancestry has obviously made him even more of a red neck than most rednecks in the region (and trust me we do have our share). His machinations and manipulations, started by a promise of lucrative funds, have now led to the vote in the Cherokee Supreme Court calling for the ouster of the descendents of Freedman (Oklahomans who are descendants of former slaves who were given full Cherokee Nation rights in 1866 - after the Civil War.
Now, of course these were the former slaves who were "owned" by Indians during the Civil War, who were stupid enough to side with the South. They lost, so they had to abide by the rules. These were not the Indians who originally migrated to Oklahoma with their former "slaves" during the early 1800's, and who had been enjoying life in Oklahoma before, during and after the Civil War. In fact the earlier Black and Indian settlers were none too happy to have the post Civil War crew move in.
Where we once got along and had mutual interests for the most part, things really began to devolve after the Oklahoma Run (read Ruin) of 1889 (April 22, to be exact). The first thing they brought in was Jim Crow, and a whole host of other racist policies - some of which they weren't able to carry through simply because we Blacks had guns, and didn't play.
However as they began to change the tenor of the territory, things degenerated, and eventually the racism was pervasive. The stupid thing is that the Cherokee nation is claiming that the Blacks are no longer part of the tribe as though there were some magic way of unmixing blood. (I know I said this already, but it bears repeating). My DNA, my mother's, father's brother's, sister's, uncle's (not to mention my grandparents - you know ad infinitum) ain't gonna change.
And this ouster seems to be aimed at only 2800 people. And I had to ask myself "why?" As I was conjecturing why the number was so small - a mere 2800 Freedmen - the answer appeared in an article that appeared in the Blacklist, written by Achoctaw1866, to wit: “the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has managed to reduce the Freedmen Struggle in the media to just 2800 “registered” Cherokee Freedmen, effectively locking out all other Cherokee Freedmen eligible for modern Citizenship enrollment, numbered in the thousands, pulling media away from dissent from Advocates for all other Freedmen.”
Well, I for one don’t plan to allow them to get away with that. This is not a box canyon where you can herd off the few and send the rest on their way as though it has nothing to do with them. In the Black community, regardless of who is in our gene pool, it’s one for all and all for one! And we are all just as outraged as those 2800 brothers and sisters you are trying to jerk around.
I am personally calling on all our people, regardless of the percent of melanin you have in your skin, to stand together for the Black people of Indian heritage regardless of whether they reside in Oklahoma, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Oregon, or anywhere else - living or dead - Because by this action the Cherokee Nation has declared that Black people are under siege.
This is not something that you have philosophical debates about. It’s not even something that you sit back and wait for the White House to take a stand on, even though they are definitely taking note of this debacle - this is about who and what we are in the 21st Century.
There was a phrase that appeared at the end of a movie that said: “If No One Else Will Save You, Save Yourself!“ We have to be the heroes and the freedom we are looking for. Another saying from Africa says: “If the people will lead, the leaders will follow.“ Well WE are those people. We are the people who have to stand up for ourselves.
Maybe we need to be about riding in on Oklahoma and giving the Cherokees a first hand knowledge of what it looks like when a Million Black (and Black Indian) people ride down on their behinds. Maybe the march should not be on Washington, or on DC. Maybe the next Million People March needs to be on Oklahoma - Tallequah.
Black and Black Indian Oklahomans need to open up a can of "Wisconsin" on their bogus legislators who sit on their haunches and do nothing (smile up their sleeves as they watch this mess evolve).
According to AChoctaw1866: “Freedmen People feel that continued disrespect and overt intolerance of our humanity will no longer be endured quietly, now or in the future and Black Indians will not back down, even if it appears that we only have a slingshot or hatchet with which to wage an effective campaign. One must not forget that we are imbued with a self-determined propensity to protect rights encoded in our melanated DNA. Freedmen have elicited a response from the White House upon the illegal disenfranchisement of Freedmen People, Deprivation of Nationality, Citizenship and denial of access to their Treaty Mandated Rights.”
She further states: “Yet, it is also indicative of defeat, and a major failure by the White House to reach beyond a reluctant tight-fisted grudging nod to a mere 2,800 Black Cherokees, to clarify the status and treatment of all other Ethnic Indians Freedmen and Tribal Peoples in North America also having African Ancestry numbering in the several hundred thousands of eligible disenfranchised descendants (i.e., Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole Negro Scouts, Creek Freedmen, Mississippi Choctaw, and others) treated the same way in today‘s Indian Country, while their stories have been buried under attention paid only to the plight of Cherokee Freedmen.”
It’s time to bring the Indian Reorganization Act into the 21st Century. Now. Forget about the “cherry picking” of issues one at a time so as to not disturb or upset the so-called nation. Let’s pull the scab off and let the healing begin! It’s time to implement the requests by collective Freedmen People to invoke, implement or proclaim a Presidential or Congressional Enactment making it mandatory for all Tribal Nations and the U.S. Government to respect and/or adhere to the Treaty Rights of all the aforementioned Peoples, or face the legal consequences, immediately if not sooner! Apparently when the Civil Rights act was passed, they forgot to “enforce them within the Tribal Nation and Federal Laws as codified in the Indian Reorganization Act.”
The bottom line is that having failed to do it right the first time around has exacerbated the situation. Many of the issues originally handled by the previous organization was turned over to a hostile entity called the US Court of Claims. It appears that it is amusing to pit people of different cultures against each other and play the game of “keep away” while they try to work things out.
According to the AChoctaw1866, “{since} claims are met with challenges that the U.S. Court of Claims are not compelled to hear such claims, then the hurdle that Freedmen actions are time-barred, after which comes the extreme burden of overcoming Tribal Nation and U.S. Sovereignty. None are charitable enough to waive Sovereign Rights to weigh Freedmen Rights fairly, depriving them of much deserved Due Process. This is why Freedmen Tribes must stand on their own acumen as Nations to challenge other Sovereigns in Nation to Nation actions.” (also known as "Catch 22).
At this point I am only paraphrasing this article; to read it in its entirety check out BlackList.net, or http://newsone.com/nation/associatedpress3/cherokee-nation-will-restore-rights-for-black-cherokees/. My main purpose is pulling out certain salient points is to make you aware that the tactics of Divide and Conquer are being used by the mainstream to put two under served cultures against each other. The oppressed oppressing another oppressed with the assistance of the oppressor (under the guise of trying to “help” is nothing new. Whole tribal wars have been developed by these very means. And while these two entities are fighting each other, the catalyst in the middle walks off with the whole pie.
Sound familiar? Recognize a pattern? And unfortunately, showing their true colors and snake heart for being all too willing to serve as the pawns in this mess are my Cherokee brothers and sisters, who have now shown themselves to be as dumb and gullible as the tribe who paid the Republican representative $7million to introduce them to people who would give them lucrative contracts, only to end up bankrupt.
You and I both know that our ancestors will trouble your dreams and shorten your lives upon this earth if you continue with this line of action. And they will likewise do the same to us if we don’t stand together against you for such a stupid, foolish, selfish, ignorant, destructive act. Go look in the mirror at your tongue and tell me the shape!
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK (and Indian)
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
SUPPORT THE Black Indians United Legal Defense and Education Fund
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Medgar Evers Coalition: Keeping the Pressure On
by Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Hello All:
The following is a reprint of a joint statement to the press from the
Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity
(MECCoalition@gmail.com | www.MEfortheCommunity.org), I am including it here because I want to start the year off right (the academic year) with Brooklyn, CUNY, Pollard, Johnson, the students at MEC, faculty, and other individuals who are interested in justice being served, that we not only have not given up on the removal of Pollard as ersatz president of the New York's only Black college, but we have, and will continue, to upstep the pressure.
This statement is to be shared, reprinted, put out as a flyer, a poster, and definitely a reminder that the actions on the part of the Chancellor and other are in violation to the well being of the faculty, administration, women students as well as female professional, who have been putting forth best efforts to be of service to the college.
It also speaks to the favoritism accorded the MEC administrator that would not be acceptable at any of the other senior colleges under the City University Umbrella. Somehow, because subconsciously Blacks have been relegated to the level of second class citizen, suspect of wrong doing, but not worthy of protection from "wrongdoers", these issues have been allowed to languish, with no direct action, and no incisive investigation. But the MEC Coalition will neither allow them to be ignored nor swept under the proverbial rug. They have to be dealt with here and now, on our time, not when the Chancellor get's damned good and ready. The phrase "justice delayed, is justice denied is as relevant here as it has been throughout the history of civil rights, where those who have ulterior motives, have used their position to circumvent justice and the rule of law.
The PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE MEDGAR EVERS COALITION FOLLOWS:
Public Statement for Immediate Release September 14, 2011
Sexual Harassment Charges Against MEC President and Provost.
No Action by CUNY. The MEC Coalition Continues Its Call for Resignations!
Sexual harassment at Medgar Evers College, CUNY (MEC) is the latest charge against the new administration, led by President William Pollard and Provost Howard C. Johnson. The Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity (The Coalition) calls on CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein to intervene and take action. The Medgar Evers College administration must be held accountable and must address these allegations.
Most of the sex discrimination accusations focus on the improper actions of Provost Johnson. These instances compound several prior actions taken against women in leadership positions by the president and provost. In addition, there are continuing issues regarding gender inequity in executive employment at the College. Specifically, although there are numerous male executives, Medgar Evers College does not have a single female executive at the vice president or higher level. Viewed collectively, these acts form a clear pattern of disrespect and discrimination against women by the College’s top leadership.
For example, Dr. Gale Gibson, the Dean of Freshman Studies, complained that Provost Johnson made "nasty jokes" questioning the paternity of her child while she was pregnant last year. Dr. Gibson called the situation “emotionally stressful. It was disturbing because I was seven months pregnant. I felt like these people were trying to make me lose my baby!”
These inappropriate comments were followed by a salacious email that circulated throughout the campus. Gibson's lawyer reports that Medgar Evers' legal counsel assured that they would investigate the claims, but to date, according to Gibson’s lawyer "no investigation has been launched." Dr. Gibson has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against Provost Johnson.
Just last week, television news journalist Pablo Guzman of WCBS News interviewed Dr. Zulema Blair, another female academic at Medgar Evers College, who is also filing charges against the College. Dr. Blair was terminated by the administration after she was the target of the same vicious, sexually harassing email that circulated throughout the campus. Until the fall 2011, Dr. Blair was the chairperson of the College’s Public Administration Department.
Prior discrimination complaints include the administration’s demoting of a female Vice President, removing the elected female chair of the Education Department, and threatening to remove another woman academic who is an elected department chair.
The College has failed to resolve this imbalance. Even more egregious is that although the complaints against Pollard and Johnson continue to mount, CUNY’s leadership has failed to acknowledge or act on any of these matters.
These most recent complaints are a part of what The Coalition has highlighted during its “What’s Going On at Medgar?” public awareness campaign. Since last year, The Coalition has challenged the administration on the following issues: the ongoing low morale, its inability to engage faculty and staff, its failure to reinstitute the student writing center which was eliminated, and its failure to implement an academic strategic plan. The Coalition also claims that the excessive hiring of administrators and consultants has far outweighed the hiring of new faculty in academic departments (which have lost veteran faculty). Other issues include a lack of new degree programs, a decrease in the retention and graduation rates of students, and the spurious removal of qualified adjunct faculty from academic departments.
Although the complaints have mounted since the new administration took office in 2009, nothing is being done. These attacks against women at Medgar Evers College, where women constitute 70% of the student popular, must end. If the College’s administration fails to act, then CUNY must make them act. The CUNY chancellor must stop supporting the misdeeds of this administration.
The Coalition repeats its call for the removal of William Pollard as President and Howard Johnson as Provost. Medgar Evers College women, students, faculty, and the community deserve better." ###
A recent article appearing the Amsterdam News also highlights the fact that the MEC Coaltion is still dedicated and determined to return MEC to its original mission and covenant with the community. Meetings are being held throughout the community, from household to household to ensure that the residents are fully apprised of the efforts to undermine the 20+ years of steady progress the college had made under former President Edison O. Jackson, and now all but decimated in less than two years via the combined efforts of Chancellor Goldstein, (ersatz) president Pollard, and Johnson.
While the current MEC student body appears to not yet have fully grasped the meaning of the issues and incidents roiling around them, they are fortunate to be in the company and under the protection of adults who cut their teeth on the Civil Rights era, and can smell discrimination and racism mile away. It was these very individuals, many of them whom were students at the time themselves, that participated in the original civil rights movements throughout the United States, which historically changed the course of action against Black people throughout the world. The unfortunate circumstances at MEC are exacerbated by the fact that our contemporary youth have had little to no direct discriminatory experience (that they are aware of); so the urgency of the matter does not register with many of our youth the way it does with the senior elements in the community.
I am going out on a limb and state unequivocally that the Black community in Crown Heights is facing removal; elimination, attrition, and extinction, unless they take some solid actions now to consolidate their efforts to save their homes and community, as well as Medgar Evers College.
Little to no effort to enforce or encourage Black families in the purchase and renovation of abandoned over priced homes in the area, while importing groups to come in from other areas to supplant our families; the blatant oversight of alerting the community and community board to the recent release of the US Armory into public service by the State without taking into consideration that the community would benefit from having such a facility.
The issues of MEC would not be a long drawn out affair had it been Fordham, City College, Brooklyn College, and some of the other major schools. Medgar Evers College is the only Black college in New York, and it's ours, and we'd better take care of it or be a marker on a slab on a corner of a street in Crown Heights, Bed Stuy and Flatbush, showing that "Black people used to live here!"
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Hello All:
The following is a reprint of a joint statement to the press from the
Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity
(MECCoalition@gmail.com | www.MEfortheCommunity.org), I am including it here because I want to start the year off right (the academic year) with Brooklyn, CUNY, Pollard, Johnson, the students at MEC, faculty, and other individuals who are interested in justice being served, that we not only have not given up on the removal of Pollard as ersatz president of the New York's only Black college, but we have, and will continue, to upstep the pressure.
This statement is to be shared, reprinted, put out as a flyer, a poster, and definitely a reminder that the actions on the part of the Chancellor and other are in violation to the well being of the faculty, administration, women students as well as female professional, who have been putting forth best efforts to be of service to the college.
It also speaks to the favoritism accorded the MEC administrator that would not be acceptable at any of the other senior colleges under the City University Umbrella. Somehow, because subconsciously Blacks have been relegated to the level of second class citizen, suspect of wrong doing, but not worthy of protection from "wrongdoers", these issues have been allowed to languish, with no direct action, and no incisive investigation. But the MEC Coalition will neither allow them to be ignored nor swept under the proverbial rug. They have to be dealt with here and now, on our time, not when the Chancellor get's damned good and ready. The phrase "justice delayed, is justice denied is as relevant here as it has been throughout the history of civil rights, where those who have ulterior motives, have used their position to circumvent justice and the rule of law.
The PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE MEDGAR EVERS COALITION FOLLOWS:
Public Statement for Immediate Release September 14, 2011
Sexual Harassment Charges Against MEC President and Provost.
No Action by CUNY. The MEC Coalition Continues Its Call for Resignations!
Sexual harassment at Medgar Evers College, CUNY (MEC) is the latest charge against the new administration, led by President William Pollard and Provost Howard C. Johnson. The Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity (The Coalition) calls on CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein to intervene and take action. The Medgar Evers College administration must be held accountable and must address these allegations.
Most of the sex discrimination accusations focus on the improper actions of Provost Johnson. These instances compound several prior actions taken against women in leadership positions by the president and provost. In addition, there are continuing issues regarding gender inequity in executive employment at the College. Specifically, although there are numerous male executives, Medgar Evers College does not have a single female executive at the vice president or higher level. Viewed collectively, these acts form a clear pattern of disrespect and discrimination against women by the College’s top leadership.
For example, Dr. Gale Gibson, the Dean of Freshman Studies, complained that Provost Johnson made "nasty jokes" questioning the paternity of her child while she was pregnant last year. Dr. Gibson called the situation “emotionally stressful. It was disturbing because I was seven months pregnant. I felt like these people were trying to make me lose my baby!”
These inappropriate comments were followed by a salacious email that circulated throughout the campus. Gibson's lawyer reports that Medgar Evers' legal counsel assured that they would investigate the claims, but to date, according to Gibson’s lawyer "no investigation has been launched." Dr. Gibson has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against Provost Johnson.
Just last week, television news journalist Pablo Guzman of WCBS News interviewed Dr. Zulema Blair, another female academic at Medgar Evers College, who is also filing charges against the College. Dr. Blair was terminated by the administration after she was the target of the same vicious, sexually harassing email that circulated throughout the campus. Until the fall 2011, Dr. Blair was the chairperson of the College’s Public Administration Department.
Prior discrimination complaints include the administration’s demoting of a female Vice President, removing the elected female chair of the Education Department, and threatening to remove another woman academic who is an elected department chair.
The College has failed to resolve this imbalance. Even more egregious is that although the complaints against Pollard and Johnson continue to mount, CUNY’s leadership has failed to acknowledge or act on any of these matters.
These most recent complaints are a part of what The Coalition has highlighted during its “What’s Going On at Medgar?” public awareness campaign. Since last year, The Coalition has challenged the administration on the following issues: the ongoing low morale, its inability to engage faculty and staff, its failure to reinstitute the student writing center which was eliminated, and its failure to implement an academic strategic plan. The Coalition also claims that the excessive hiring of administrators and consultants has far outweighed the hiring of new faculty in academic departments (which have lost veteran faculty). Other issues include a lack of new degree programs, a decrease in the retention and graduation rates of students, and the spurious removal of qualified adjunct faculty from academic departments.
Although the complaints have mounted since the new administration took office in 2009, nothing is being done. These attacks against women at Medgar Evers College, where women constitute 70% of the student popular, must end. If the College’s administration fails to act, then CUNY must make them act. The CUNY chancellor must stop supporting the misdeeds of this administration.
The Coalition repeats its call for the removal of William Pollard as President and Howard Johnson as Provost. Medgar Evers College women, students, faculty, and the community deserve better." ###
A recent article appearing the Amsterdam News also highlights the fact that the MEC Coaltion is still dedicated and determined to return MEC to its original mission and covenant with the community. Meetings are being held throughout the community, from household to household to ensure that the residents are fully apprised of the efforts to undermine the 20+ years of steady progress the college had made under former President Edison O. Jackson, and now all but decimated in less than two years via the combined efforts of Chancellor Goldstein, (ersatz) president Pollard, and Johnson.
While the current MEC student body appears to not yet have fully grasped the meaning of the issues and incidents roiling around them, they are fortunate to be in the company and under the protection of adults who cut their teeth on the Civil Rights era, and can smell discrimination and racism mile away. It was these very individuals, many of them whom were students at the time themselves, that participated in the original civil rights movements throughout the United States, which historically changed the course of action against Black people throughout the world. The unfortunate circumstances at MEC are exacerbated by the fact that our contemporary youth have had little to no direct discriminatory experience (that they are aware of); so the urgency of the matter does not register with many of our youth the way it does with the senior elements in the community.
I am going out on a limb and state unequivocally that the Black community in Crown Heights is facing removal; elimination, attrition, and extinction, unless they take some solid actions now to consolidate their efforts to save their homes and community, as well as Medgar Evers College.
Little to no effort to enforce or encourage Black families in the purchase and renovation of abandoned over priced homes in the area, while importing groups to come in from other areas to supplant our families; the blatant oversight of alerting the community and community board to the recent release of the US Armory into public service by the State without taking into consideration that the community would benefit from having such a facility.
The issues of MEC would not be a long drawn out affair had it been Fordham, City College, Brooklyn College, and some of the other major schools. Medgar Evers College is the only Black college in New York, and it's ours, and we'd better take care of it or be a marker on a slab on a corner of a street in Crown Heights, Bed Stuy and Flatbush, showing that "Black people used to live here!"
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Is the NYPD Attempt to Block Historic AFRICAN DAY PARADE IN CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT Racist or ???
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Hello All:
You know, I love a parade. Especially when we do it ourselves. That's why I never miss the West Indian Day Parade every year down Eastern Parkway. The music, the color, the costumes, the pride, the crowds - they are all us! And despite the fact that the NYPD made the stupid mistake of arresting Jumaani Williams for being City Council rep while Black (and these cops were allegedly Black themselves), it was still not enough to mar my love of our parades.
So when I was asked to work as Executive Coordinator of the African (Heritage) Day Parade, I was honored. With all the beautiful, wonder, craftmanship, colors, and music coming out of Africa, this was sure to be a beautiful event. Particularly since it's the only parade of its kind where Africans from all over Africa, residing in New York, New Jersey and other eastern seaboard states, come together to show their pride and love for the Motherland, and for those of us who were brought here via the middle passage, and other means.
That would give New York three signature parades coordinated by people of African Heritage: West Indian Day Parade; the African American Day Parade, and the African (Heritage) Day Parade. The third being an all encompassing event bringing together the 6th Dispora, as well as the 54 countries on the Continent of Africa.
The African (Heritage) Day Parade is set to take place in Harlem On October 9, 2011, but the group is having difficulty is getting an innocuous parade permit so they can go forward with their plans and publications. The permit was already granted on July 5, but the route was changed from the original selecton. In the grand scheme of things we have a constitution that asserts all men (and women) are created equal, but we have some in official capacities who seem to have not gotten the message, or don't care.
I have actually not written about this, hoping that nature would take its course, intelligent minds would come into play and that our African brothers and sisters would get the same opportunity to display their pride and unity that so many others have accorded - so I've reserved comment. But now, they have gone from the ridiculous to the outrageous.
I have to talk about it, and I'm going to do it by a somewhat circuitous route, but I think you'll get my drift when I'm done:
When I was a student at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, some of my friends from Kenya and I were driving through the backwoods along the Baltimore Pike when we came upon an eerie scene: that of several hundred men dressed in white robes with hoods in front of a burning cross. It was the KKK and they had threatened to come on our campus to run us out of there - the year was 1967, and we were actually accompanying a classmate, Maxine Stewart, to a prayer vigil, in nearby Dover, Delaware.
Having never seen anything like it before in my life, I found it hard to breathe. My African brothers had likewise never seen anything like this either, and so, insisted upon going back for a closer look. And no matter how much we protested the idea, they turned that little VW Beetle, stuffed with 9 students (no seat belts, sitting on top of each other, the whole 9 yards!) around. And back we went for a closer look at these miscreants. As we approached, we observed that there were several police cars from Oxford, PA and Maryland there as well, many with the robes prominently displayed in the windows. But, this time things were different. They spotted us, and this time 2 cop cars drove up on either side and forced us to pull over. Another cop came out of no where and made us get out of the car - all 9 of us! Wanting to know what we were doing there. And I, yours truly, was totally speechless for once.
After a few invectives, one of my Kenyan friends said in a small stammer "Diplomatic Immunity!" I tried to warn him to be careful. But he kept saying it over and over again: "Diplomatic Immunity! We have Diplomatic Immunity!" He said it so long and so loud until finally, one of the police in KKK uniform heard him and quieted his companions - of course by this time we were less than 3 feet away from the bonfire, and they promised us that we would each have first hand looks.
"Hey! Wait a minute! These are n-gg-rs with foreign accents. We can't touch them!! If we do they'll be all over us. We gotta let 'em go." It took an officer with a higher ranking to understand that the incident could quickly escalate to an international one, had they continued to push us towards the burning cross.
And almost miraculously, they started dragging us back to the car. Made us get in at gun point, and escorted us back to the campus, telling us if we breathed a word about what had happened they would come on the campus and get us. By the time they escorted us back to Lincoln University campus, the Delaware Star (a racist white paper that had no doubt been told that we were going to be immolated), tried to interview us. They were looking for fear. I wouldn't say anything, but my Homeboys from Kenya told all. Of course, the KKK has never raided Lincoln University (we were prepared for them back in those days), but the fact that there was collusion between the racist forces and the mainstream white police has never been a surprise to me, whether we are in the South or in the North, since that day.
Now what does that have to do with the upcoming African (Heritage) Day Parade, and the withholding of the permits? Just this: On July 5, Kone Momadou, of the Ivory Coast, applied for a parade permit to hold a parade in Harlem that would be coordinated by Africans residing in New York, and people of African Descent to demonstrate their pride and accomplishments over the past few years. The originally requested route was from 142 and Malcolm X (Lenox) Blvd., and 122nd and Marcus Garvey Park (following which there would also be a street festival and other events.
From the outset, Lt. O'Conner has reportedly been playing cat and mouse games with this group, from arbitrarily shortening the route, to holding up the parade permit when Mr. Momadou asked for reconsideration based on the size and magnitude of the event.
The Parade, which is set for Sunday, October 9, 2011, has been in the making now for the past two months, including contacts with the diplomatic core of Africa, the Caribbean, and other entities. Requests for reconsideration have likewise gone out via individuals who have given them assurances that these issues would be rectified. However we sit today with O'Conner still playing keep away games with the parade permit. Now trying to further truncate the parade to an even shorter, more proscribed route.
Is there some sort of cognitive dissonace withing the NYPD that emanates from the Mayor's office of community relations that people of other countries who reside within the borders of New York are not worthy of being accorded simple courtesy and respect they give the Chinese, Koreans, Puerto Ricans, Brazilians, and others.
Our African and sisters who live in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut area, are from all of the various regions of Africa -- East, West, North and Central, but appear to have no coinage for respect in New York City. Amazing, isn't it, when you consider that the fact that over half of the Africans in the US happen to reside in New York City, Philadelphia and DC. By the way, they are merchants, own businesses, pay taxes, are well educated, and for the most part, stay out of trouble.
So, I guess we have to chalk it up to the fact that the some of the police in authority for permits in the Black community, may likewise have "white robes" in the back of their vehicles, like the ones I dealt with long ago on the Maryland Pennsylvania State Line. WE are all Black, whether we are here, or from Africa, and are worthy of respect and consideration. We are neither n----ers with foreign accents, but assets to the community, with even broader connections spanning four continents.
While I've been told that they are shortening all the parades, I doubt seriously this is true of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; the Columbus Day Parade, the St. Patrick Day Parade, etc.
I and others in the community urge you to give them the permit which had already been signed by you, and stop jerking them and the citizens of New York City around, with arbitrary rules, made up for your convenience, not for the needs or the wishes of the community that you purport to service.
It's time to respect those who are still residing in our beloved city, and stop treating them like they have no value. Unless, of course, the idea is to transform NYC into some quasi militarized, gestapo city, where people are goosestepping along, instead of living their lives in a harmonious, enjoyable fashion.
READERS AND FELLOW BLOGGERS: Below is an excerpt from a letter from Mr. Momadou requesting assistance in rectifying this situation. We need your help. Please contact the Mayor or Commissioner's office and urge them to reinstate the Parade Permit and the Parade Route for the African Day Parade. You can also contact the African Day Parade Committee (646)934-7337.
"Dear Sir:
I was informed by Detective Leslie Leon about the meeting with Lieutenant O Connor. We initially asked for the parade to be from 142 and Lenox ave., to 122 and Marcus Garvey Park, where our festivities would continue until 8:PM. The permit was granted, but Chief O'Connor shortened it to 135th Street. When we tried to negotiate it to 142nd street, to be able to use MiniSink Town House as a staging area; O'conner held the permit. Now he is trying to shorten the route even further, and to change it completely, taking to from 135th street to 122nd street on Lenox and changing it to 112th street to 120th street on Lenox. While both route has the same amount of bloks. they are two totally different neighborhoods. This is our fifth parade, but already we have lost a year in 2011 because of lack of funds. We do not want to loose another year, and we are just two to 3 week away from the parade date.
We applied for the 2 consecutive years to use 142th Street to 122nd street on Lenox, we are again appealing to you to take this matter higher to the commissioner so he can allow us to use the the route we applied for.
We already made an effort for not allowing us to use more blocks, I think we would be able to be where the African are, the reason the parade didn't happen last year it s because of the same reason this year again, Mr. President you been at the African day parade as a Grand Marshall, we can say today that is one of the most successful and bigger African Events. The police Commissioner has been there as a grand Marshall.
The African Day Parade is more than just a parade, this is a showcase of our heritage and culture. the reason we want to used the 142nd street is beceause we have a school right there where we can do our ritual: in 2008 when we parade on 126 street we came upstairs and saw how we prepare.
We are bringing 20 very sacred masks from Cameroon, they need the school to prepare, we are doing the king and queen presentation this year , we need the school classroom to prepare that.
Mr. President as a leader of the African Community , you know how hard it is to assemble the Africans. An event like the African day Parade is trying to find the balance to get the Africans out early so they can come and celebrate their own culture. The blocks on Lenox are very small. In our parade you can see that we do not have barricade and large police present, cause we parade to showcase our culture and tradition; we would like you to be our advocate to the Chief, or the Commissioner, our request is to parade from from uptown side to south down to 122nd street with the same amount of blocks.
- We have all of our application and permits, we are asking for a route who will reflect our culture , on Lenox we will parade in front of African stores and businesses, and African restaurants. To keep changing route and location is not a good practice for us or the participants....Kone Momadou"
Please write, call, meet with and contact the Police Commissioner, Chief of Police and those in the Harlem area to let them know that you support the parade being allowed its full route, as well as the opportunity of displaying African Pride in Harlem, NYC.
Thanks and
STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Hello All:
You know, I love a parade. Especially when we do it ourselves. That's why I never miss the West Indian Day Parade every year down Eastern Parkway. The music, the color, the costumes, the pride, the crowds - they are all us! And despite the fact that the NYPD made the stupid mistake of arresting Jumaani Williams for being City Council rep while Black (and these cops were allegedly Black themselves), it was still not enough to mar my love of our parades.
So when I was asked to work as Executive Coordinator of the African (Heritage) Day Parade, I was honored. With all the beautiful, wonder, craftmanship, colors, and music coming out of Africa, this was sure to be a beautiful event. Particularly since it's the only parade of its kind where Africans from all over Africa, residing in New York, New Jersey and other eastern seaboard states, come together to show their pride and love for the Motherland, and for those of us who were brought here via the middle passage, and other means.
That would give New York three signature parades coordinated by people of African Heritage: West Indian Day Parade; the African American Day Parade, and the African (Heritage) Day Parade. The third being an all encompassing event bringing together the 6th Dispora, as well as the 54 countries on the Continent of Africa.
The African (Heritage) Day Parade is set to take place in Harlem On October 9, 2011, but the group is having difficulty is getting an innocuous parade permit so they can go forward with their plans and publications. The permit was already granted on July 5, but the route was changed from the original selecton. In the grand scheme of things we have a constitution that asserts all men (and women) are created equal, but we have some in official capacities who seem to have not gotten the message, or don't care.
I have actually not written about this, hoping that nature would take its course, intelligent minds would come into play and that our African brothers and sisters would get the same opportunity to display their pride and unity that so many others have accorded - so I've reserved comment. But now, they have gone from the ridiculous to the outrageous.
I have to talk about it, and I'm going to do it by a somewhat circuitous route, but I think you'll get my drift when I'm done:
When I was a student at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, some of my friends from Kenya and I were driving through the backwoods along the Baltimore Pike when we came upon an eerie scene: that of several hundred men dressed in white robes with hoods in front of a burning cross. It was the KKK and they had threatened to come on our campus to run us out of there - the year was 1967, and we were actually accompanying a classmate, Maxine Stewart, to a prayer vigil, in nearby Dover, Delaware.
Having never seen anything like it before in my life, I found it hard to breathe. My African brothers had likewise never seen anything like this either, and so, insisted upon going back for a closer look. And no matter how much we protested the idea, they turned that little VW Beetle, stuffed with 9 students (no seat belts, sitting on top of each other, the whole 9 yards!) around. And back we went for a closer look at these miscreants. As we approached, we observed that there were several police cars from Oxford, PA and Maryland there as well, many with the robes prominently displayed in the windows. But, this time things were different. They spotted us, and this time 2 cop cars drove up on either side and forced us to pull over. Another cop came out of no where and made us get out of the car - all 9 of us! Wanting to know what we were doing there. And I, yours truly, was totally speechless for once.
After a few invectives, one of my Kenyan friends said in a small stammer "Diplomatic Immunity!" I tried to warn him to be careful. But he kept saying it over and over again: "Diplomatic Immunity! We have Diplomatic Immunity!" He said it so long and so loud until finally, one of the police in KKK uniform heard him and quieted his companions - of course by this time we were less than 3 feet away from the bonfire, and they promised us that we would each have first hand looks.
"Hey! Wait a minute! These are n-gg-rs with foreign accents. We can't touch them!! If we do they'll be all over us. We gotta let 'em go." It took an officer with a higher ranking to understand that the incident could quickly escalate to an international one, had they continued to push us towards the burning cross.
And almost miraculously, they started dragging us back to the car. Made us get in at gun point, and escorted us back to the campus, telling us if we breathed a word about what had happened they would come on the campus and get us. By the time they escorted us back to Lincoln University campus, the Delaware Star (a racist white paper that had no doubt been told that we were going to be immolated), tried to interview us. They were looking for fear. I wouldn't say anything, but my Homeboys from Kenya told all. Of course, the KKK has never raided Lincoln University (we were prepared for them back in those days), but the fact that there was collusion between the racist forces and the mainstream white police has never been a surprise to me, whether we are in the South or in the North, since that day.
Now what does that have to do with the upcoming African (Heritage) Day Parade, and the withholding of the permits? Just this: On July 5, Kone Momadou, of the Ivory Coast, applied for a parade permit to hold a parade in Harlem that would be coordinated by Africans residing in New York, and people of African Descent to demonstrate their pride and accomplishments over the past few years. The originally requested route was from 142 and Malcolm X (Lenox) Blvd., and 122nd and Marcus Garvey Park (following which there would also be a street festival and other events.
From the outset, Lt. O'Conner has reportedly been playing cat and mouse games with this group, from arbitrarily shortening the route, to holding up the parade permit when Mr. Momadou asked for reconsideration based on the size and magnitude of the event.
The Parade, which is set for Sunday, October 9, 2011, has been in the making now for the past two months, including contacts with the diplomatic core of Africa, the Caribbean, and other entities. Requests for reconsideration have likewise gone out via individuals who have given them assurances that these issues would be rectified. However we sit today with O'Conner still playing keep away games with the parade permit. Now trying to further truncate the parade to an even shorter, more proscribed route.
Is there some sort of cognitive dissonace withing the NYPD that emanates from the Mayor's office of community relations that people of other countries who reside within the borders of New York are not worthy of being accorded simple courtesy and respect they give the Chinese, Koreans, Puerto Ricans, Brazilians, and others.
Our African and sisters who live in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut area, are from all of the various regions of Africa -- East, West, North and Central, but appear to have no coinage for respect in New York City. Amazing, isn't it, when you consider that the fact that over half of the Africans in the US happen to reside in New York City, Philadelphia and DC. By the way, they are merchants, own businesses, pay taxes, are well educated, and for the most part, stay out of trouble.
So, I guess we have to chalk it up to the fact that the some of the police in authority for permits in the Black community, may likewise have "white robes" in the back of their vehicles, like the ones I dealt with long ago on the Maryland Pennsylvania State Line. WE are all Black, whether we are here, or from Africa, and are worthy of respect and consideration. We are neither n----ers with foreign accents, but assets to the community, with even broader connections spanning four continents.
While I've been told that they are shortening all the parades, I doubt seriously this is true of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; the Columbus Day Parade, the St. Patrick Day Parade, etc.
I and others in the community urge you to give them the permit which had already been signed by you, and stop jerking them and the citizens of New York City around, with arbitrary rules, made up for your convenience, not for the needs or the wishes of the community that you purport to service.
It's time to respect those who are still residing in our beloved city, and stop treating them like they have no value. Unless, of course, the idea is to transform NYC into some quasi militarized, gestapo city, where people are goosestepping along, instead of living their lives in a harmonious, enjoyable fashion.
READERS AND FELLOW BLOGGERS: Below is an excerpt from a letter from Mr. Momadou requesting assistance in rectifying this situation. We need your help. Please contact the Mayor or Commissioner's office and urge them to reinstate the Parade Permit and the Parade Route for the African Day Parade. You can also contact the African Day Parade Committee (646)934-7337.
"Dear Sir:
I was informed by Detective Leslie Leon about the meeting with Lieutenant O Connor. We initially asked for the parade to be from 142 and Lenox ave., to 122 and Marcus Garvey Park, where our festivities would continue until 8:PM. The permit was granted, but Chief O'Connor shortened it to 135th Street. When we tried to negotiate it to 142nd street, to be able to use MiniSink Town House as a staging area; O'conner held the permit. Now he is trying to shorten the route even further, and to change it completely, taking to from 135th street to 122nd street on Lenox and changing it to 112th street to 120th street on Lenox. While both route has the same amount of bloks. they are two totally different neighborhoods. This is our fifth parade, but already we have lost a year in 2011 because of lack of funds. We do not want to loose another year, and we are just two to 3 week away from the parade date.
We applied for the 2 consecutive years to use 142th Street to 122nd street on Lenox, we are again appealing to you to take this matter higher to the commissioner so he can allow us to use the the route we applied for.
We already made an effort for not allowing us to use more blocks, I think we would be able to be where the African are, the reason the parade didn't happen last year it s because of the same reason this year again, Mr. President you been at the African day parade as a Grand Marshall, we can say today that is one of the most successful and bigger African Events. The police Commissioner has been there as a grand Marshall.
The African Day Parade is more than just a parade, this is a showcase of our heritage and culture. the reason we want to used the 142nd street is beceause we have a school right there where we can do our ritual: in 2008 when we parade on 126 street we came upstairs and saw how we prepare.
We are bringing 20 very sacred masks from Cameroon, they need the school to prepare, we are doing the king and queen presentation this year , we need the school classroom to prepare that.
Mr. President as a leader of the African Community , you know how hard it is to assemble the Africans. An event like the African day Parade is trying to find the balance to get the Africans out early so they can come and celebrate their own culture. The blocks on Lenox are very small. In our parade you can see that we do not have barricade and large police present, cause we parade to showcase our culture and tradition; we would like you to be our advocate to the Chief, or the Commissioner, our request is to parade from from uptown side to south down to 122nd street with the same amount of blocks.
- We have all of our application and permits, we are asking for a route who will reflect our culture , on Lenox we will parade in front of African stores and businesses, and African restaurants. To keep changing route and location is not a good practice for us or the participants....Kone Momadou"
Please write, call, meet with and contact the Police Commissioner, Chief of Police and those in the Harlem area to let them know that you support the parade being allowed its full route, as well as the opportunity of displaying African Pride in Harlem, NYC.
Thanks and
STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
African and African American Event Alerts: NY - DC Stand Up Now
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
As you know the subtitle to my Blog is Eclectically Black. That's because I'm as concerned about what happens to our brothers and sisters in Africa (a.k.a MotherLand), the Caribbean, South and Central America, and anywhere else we Black people may be, whether we were born there or transported via those heinous vessels during the middle passage of the TransAtlantic Slave trade.
That said, there are two event alerts here that I hope you will take advantage of and participate in.
1) HARLEM, USA:
TODAY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011
SAVE THE PRESIDENCY OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
At the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, 125th & Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. (7th ave to the uninitiated)
WHO: Clergy and Providers for Racial Healthcare Equality are presenting a Gathering and a Town Hall Meeting
12:00 NOON til 4:00 - Gathering
6:30 - 9:00 PM Town Hall Meeting
I just received this info from Rev. Dennis Dillon, who I believe is one of the few Black prosperity ministers, along with Rev. Floyd Flake. I attended the ordination of my friend Yolanda Brown at his church, Sunday, September 11, 2011.
Join Rev. Clyde Anderson, Rev.Luonne Rouse, Hugh Wyatt, members of the organiation, who will be joined by other clergy, physicians, nurses, union officials, social workers, and civil rights organizations to reveal strategies to save the Presidency of President Barack Obama.
The re=election of President Obama is key to preserving ObamaCare and other civil rights gains made by African Americans and other people of color over the past few years, gains that would not have been made without President Obama in the leadership role; gains the rep-ugh-blicans are looking to completely dismantle unless we take a stand and stand together.
Don't let the pundits, the negrified mouthpieces, and the meanstream media fool you - President Obama is the most effective president this nation has ever had. They are trying to turn back the clock , and we are all under verbal, propagandistic, legislative, budgetary and psychological assaults by Conservatives, teabaggers, and dumb negroes who think they are being objective.
We cannot allow them to take the victory away, and we can't stand and watch while they try to divide and conquer us state by state, city by city, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Be there with your good ideas and your support.
SHOWDOWN IN DC FOR THE CAMEROONS UPCOMNG ELECTION: Fairness & Transparency in Cameroon's Next Presidential Election
This is an emergency EVENT ALERT from my friend P. Sylvie Yonke, of the Camerouns, West Africa, which states that:
"On Tuesday September 13, at 2pm there will be a Demonstration Against Elecam, in Washington, DC. Please regardless of your party affiliation and if you are in DC or surrounding please get out and demonstrate!"
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 crom 2:00pm to 3:30pm; at the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation and the Woodrow Wilson Center, 6th Floor Flom Auditorium, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, between 13th and 14th Sts NW, Washington DC 20004. (Closest metro stations: Federal Triangle or Metro Center).For additional information or directions call, 202-691-4000
"Please let us make sure this evil man of biya paul and the sycophants working for him get the message. "Bring drums if you have one; and speakers. Do not forget pictures of Cameroonians they have been killing. Yes we should make sure CNN and other media are there."
Dr. Ms. Elizabeth Tamajong, Secretary General of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) stated: "This is the time for Cameroonians in the diaspora to demonstrate in front of the State Department. This is to once more prove to you all that Dr. Fokam is a typical CPDM militant."
The Leon H. Sullivan Foundation and the Wilson Center’s Africa Program cordially invite you to attend an event entitled, “Fairness and Transparency in Cameroon’s Next Presidential Election” on Tuesday, September 13 from 2-3:30pm (in the 6th Floor Flom Auditorium). A delegation of high-ranking Cameroonian officials will discuss the vision that President Paul Biya has for the future of Cameroon and the measures that have been taken independently and in concert with the international community to ensure that democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law, and accountability flourish.
Per reliable sources: "I have been reliably informed that Dr. Fonkam Azu-uh , Mrs Prudence Galega, Mrs Rose Tanyi Mbanyor and others are currenly in Washington at the State Department to see the Under Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Johny Carson. The objective of this visit is to convince the American government that the upcoming Presidential elections are transparent. It is a big lie.
You should all know that no polling stations have been published, the single ballot paper that the SDF has been glamouring for has not been approved by the Biya's government. Cameroonians don't know the exact number registered voters, law on the distribution of airtime on the state media has not been made public but the CPDM is monopolising CRTV."
The call is now for all to stand up before a travesty is created against the citizens of the Camerouns at home and abroad. And then participate in the panel that follows in a proactive manner.
Panelists Include:
1.) H.E. PROF. GHOGOMU PAUL MINGO, Minister/Director of Cabinet in the Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Cameroon
2.) DR. FONKAM SAMUEL AZU'U, Chairman of the Electoral Board of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM)
3.) PROF. FABIEN NKOT, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister, REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
4.) With the Participation of H.E. ATANGANA JOSEPH B. C. FOE, Cameroon’s Ambassador to the United States
Discussant:
ALEXIS ARIEFF, Africa Analyst, Congressional Research Service
Moderator:
STEVEN MCDONALD, Director, Africa Program and Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
RSVP to the Woodrow Wilson Center to Derek J. Langford at Africa@wilsoncenter.org
For additional information, contact Ms. Paule-Sylvie Yonke of Balafon Communications
Re-branding the image of Africa; 212-510-8512, www.petersmap.com
Directions: Nearest Metro: Blue/Orange Line to Federal Triangle or Red Line to Metro Center http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.directions
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=226008067449063; http://www.thesullivanfoundation.org/events/26
"You cannot plow a field by only turning it over in your mind" Unknown
IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT BAMILEKE, LET'S BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
As you know the subtitle to my Blog is Eclectically Black. That's because I'm as concerned about what happens to our brothers and sisters in Africa (a.k.a MotherLand), the Caribbean, South and Central America, and anywhere else we Black people may be, whether we were born there or transported via those heinous vessels during the middle passage of the TransAtlantic Slave trade.
That said, there are two event alerts here that I hope you will take advantage of and participate in.
1) HARLEM, USA:
TODAY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011
SAVE THE PRESIDENCY OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
At the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, 125th & Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. (7th ave to the uninitiated)
WHO: Clergy and Providers for Racial Healthcare Equality are presenting a Gathering and a Town Hall Meeting
12:00 NOON til 4:00 - Gathering
6:30 - 9:00 PM Town Hall Meeting
I just received this info from Rev. Dennis Dillon, who I believe is one of the few Black prosperity ministers, along with Rev. Floyd Flake. I attended the ordination of my friend Yolanda Brown at his church, Sunday, September 11, 2011.
Join Rev. Clyde Anderson, Rev.Luonne Rouse, Hugh Wyatt, members of the organiation, who will be joined by other clergy, physicians, nurses, union officials, social workers, and civil rights organizations to reveal strategies to save the Presidency of President Barack Obama.
The re=election of President Obama is key to preserving ObamaCare and other civil rights gains made by African Americans and other people of color over the past few years, gains that would not have been made without President Obama in the leadership role; gains the rep-ugh-blicans are looking to completely dismantle unless we take a stand and stand together.
Don't let the pundits, the negrified mouthpieces, and the meanstream media fool you - President Obama is the most effective president this nation has ever had. They are trying to turn back the clock , and we are all under verbal, propagandistic, legislative, budgetary and psychological assaults by Conservatives, teabaggers, and dumb negroes who think they are being objective.
We cannot allow them to take the victory away, and we can't stand and watch while they try to divide and conquer us state by state, city by city, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Be there with your good ideas and your support.
SHOWDOWN IN DC FOR THE CAMEROONS UPCOMNG ELECTION: Fairness & Transparency in Cameroon's Next Presidential Election
This is an emergency EVENT ALERT from my friend P. Sylvie Yonke, of the Camerouns, West Africa, which states that:
"On Tuesday September 13, at 2pm there will be a Demonstration Against Elecam, in Washington, DC. Please regardless of your party affiliation and if you are in DC or surrounding please get out and demonstrate!"
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 crom 2:00pm to 3:30pm; at the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation and the Woodrow Wilson Center, 6th Floor Flom Auditorium, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, between 13th and 14th Sts NW, Washington DC 20004. (Closest metro stations: Federal Triangle or Metro Center).For additional information or directions call, 202-691-4000
"Please let us make sure this evil man of biya paul and the sycophants working for him get the message. "Bring drums if you have one; and speakers. Do not forget pictures of Cameroonians they have been killing. Yes we should make sure CNN and other media are there."
Dr. Ms. Elizabeth Tamajong, Secretary General of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) stated: "This is the time for Cameroonians in the diaspora to demonstrate in front of the State Department. This is to once more prove to you all that Dr. Fokam is a typical CPDM militant."
The Leon H. Sullivan Foundation and the Wilson Center’s Africa Program cordially invite you to attend an event entitled, “Fairness and Transparency in Cameroon’s Next Presidential Election” on Tuesday, September 13 from 2-3:30pm (in the 6th Floor Flom Auditorium). A delegation of high-ranking Cameroonian officials will discuss the vision that President Paul Biya has for the future of Cameroon and the measures that have been taken independently and in concert with the international community to ensure that democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law, and accountability flourish.
Per reliable sources: "I have been reliably informed that Dr. Fonkam Azu-uh , Mrs Prudence Galega, Mrs Rose Tanyi Mbanyor and others are currenly in Washington at the State Department to see the Under Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Johny Carson. The objective of this visit is to convince the American government that the upcoming Presidential elections are transparent. It is a big lie.
You should all know that no polling stations have been published, the single ballot paper that the SDF has been glamouring for has not been approved by the Biya's government. Cameroonians don't know the exact number registered voters, law on the distribution of airtime on the state media has not been made public but the CPDM is monopolising CRTV."
The call is now for all to stand up before a travesty is created against the citizens of the Camerouns at home and abroad. And then participate in the panel that follows in a proactive manner.
Panelists Include:
1.) H.E. PROF. GHOGOMU PAUL MINGO, Minister/Director of Cabinet in the Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Cameroon
2.) DR. FONKAM SAMUEL AZU'U, Chairman of the Electoral Board of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM)
3.) PROF. FABIEN NKOT, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister, REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
4.) With the Participation of H.E. ATANGANA JOSEPH B. C. FOE, Cameroon’s Ambassador to the United States
Discussant:
ALEXIS ARIEFF, Africa Analyst, Congressional Research Service
Moderator:
STEVEN MCDONALD, Director, Africa Program and Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
RSVP to the Woodrow Wilson Center to Derek J. Langford at Africa@wilsoncenter.org
For additional information, contact Ms. Paule-Sylvie Yonke of Balafon Communications
Re-branding the image of Africa; 212-510-8512, www.petersmap.com
Directions: Nearest Metro: Blue/Orange Line to Federal Triangle or Red Line to Metro Center http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.directions
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=226008067449063; http://www.thesullivanfoundation.org/events/26
"You cannot plow a field by only turning it over in your mind" Unknown
IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT BAMILEKE, LET'S BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Monday, September 5, 2011
Mike Phillips asked Does Obama Eat Watermelon; I Ask How Many Watermelon Seeds are Blighting Mike's Brain
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
As usual Michael Phillips has opened the floodgates of his mouth and cast aspersions on President Obama. I am responding to him. He's lucky, because it's 4:00 AM, September 5, Labor Day, and I just got in from the King and Queen contest for the West indian Day parade - so I'm in a good mood; plus, I've got my headset on and I'm listening to israel Houghton and New Breed, my favorite spiritual vocalists - or I'd really be down right pi--ed off! Instead I'm going to take a kinder gentler tone with him:
Take it down a few notches, Mike!!!
I was in the mode of wanting to take your head off at the base of your neck, but decided that I've got waaaaaay too much dust where I'm sitting already. So, I'll just respond by saying there is a vast difference between a winning strategy and a whining strategy. I really don't recall any vicious statement against Rev. Wright in Obama's part. I do remember an article I wrote when Wright proceeded to with his "in yo face" attitude towards the whites upon whom some of Obama's votes counted. I do recall saying the name of the game is TO WIN. You are in a country that is dominated by caucasoid mentalities and attitudes; for him to have not allowed Rev. Wright to continue to rant and rave was not to turn his back on him, as much as it was to maintain the focus on the ultimate goal at the time: to WIN THE ELECTION and become the first Black, and only real president of the United States.
Wright, having come through the Civil Rights, era as I did,was understandably feeling a certain amount of elation at Obama's running for office. To him this was coming full circle for all the horrors Black people have endured for centuries. We all understood that. But the time and place for what he was saying was, of necessity, after the election, once we had won it; not before, when you have to garner support from Blacks and whites alike. He, of all people, should have understood that and taken it down a notch, without having had to have Obama step out of his church. But you couldn't get the Brother to cool it. There is an old saying among war vets (of which my Dad was one), "loose lips, sink ships"! Now, you don't have to have been in a war or a battle to understand that. If you alert people to where you're coming from before you have gotten the foothold you need, you risk having the door of opportunity slammed in your face. An almost won is not a win.
As far as Cornell West is concerned, exactly who was keeping count on how many times West went out and spoke for President Obama during his campaign? Was this free and voluntary or was it paid? If it was free and voluntary, the Cornell of course is to be commended for his enthusiasm and support; if it was paid, he is likewise to be commended for his enthusiasm and support and for a job well done. I am not saying that President Obama should or should not have invited him to the Presidential ball - I have no idea what the pecking order of the day was; nor do I even care. I personally crashed three parties and had a blast; was not only guest list; wrote about and spoke about Obama over one hundred fifty times - from the first time I met him in 2004 in Manhattan, and later his wife Michelle in Harlem in 2007 (when they were still doing an exploratory); i didn't ask or demand that he or she invite me to their ball. (by the way I also crashed Clinton's ball twice - it's just a big party folks, with a lot of elbow rubbing) --- Anywaaaaay! What we have here is a big assed case of sour grapes - aka gripes.
Cornell truly could have buried himself in the realm of bogus academia. i have always enjoyed his turn of phrase when someone makes the mistake of tredding on Black people; however, I also know that his acerbic manner can be offputting. I don't agree with your analogy that Obama went to Republicans before he went to Black people - or else we would not have an Eric Holder, and so many other Brothers and Sisters in key positions. So you need to recant on that load of sh-t you are putting out there my friend.
The problem lies in the inherent jealousy we still allow ourselves to indulge in when either of us manages to make it big time. The old African albatross of "crabs in a barrell" smells pretty high here. You don't really see it because it's you! You cosign crap because you are so immersed in the resentment of the fact that Obama has "paid no dues" in your estimation, and therefore he did not come up "through the ranks" and should not be where he is. You see a Black man who had a white mother and act as if that somehow or other means that his being a Black man accounts for little or nothing. You are the same people who genuflect for Beyonce, Maria Carey, Halle Berry, and few others I can name who have likewise similar origins.
Obama's situation is even more pronounced because he actually is as Black, if not Blacker, than most of us, and has learned how to parlay that into a formula most of you have yet to even fathom. instead of learning to do what he has done, and applying it in so many other instances where Black men (and women) need to refine and finesse their skills, education and methodology, you'd rather spend your time and energy tearing him down. What a f-ck'g waste. Your gray matter must be speckled with the very watermelon seeds you are accusing President Obama of not eating.
Your bogus 'blacker than thou' measure of who is and who ain't black just means that your brainwashing comes from the divide and conquer school of thought. While we're at it, though, would you please point out for me where the Black leadership is that you are alluding to? Who or what is it that is leading us? Surely you are not referring to Tavis Smiley or Cornell West? Because that's just sad. No aspersions on either of those two intelligent brothers, but leaders they are not. If our Black "leaders" are so effective, what the sam hill are we doing sitting here 40 years later after the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, still going through much of the same crap that was happening before we started? Where the heck have they been for the last 40 years? Who have we been following for the last 40 years? What constitutes a leader in your estimation? What the sam hill is your criteria? Show me the leader(s)!!
As a Black woman and a Black journalist/feature writer, I am accustomed to the meanstream media casting aspersions and distorting things President Obama has said, or was alleged to have said. There is no end to their level of distortions. It has been my "responsibility" (mission, really) to make the corrections, and connect the dots. so that those who are less well educated and informed won't walk away believing what they say is true.
But when one of our own so-called "black" family members proceeds to go out of his way to distort what Obama has either said or done, I consider it an egregious act of sabotage and treachery. We don't need to be stabbing each other in the back. Don't help the enemy Mike. You keep on, and then you got to figure out who is going to help you when your stuff is going down the proverbial tube. Characterizing Obama's statement about Rev. Wright as a vicious attack shows that you are no better than the mean stream white reporters of the Post and other Rep-ugh-blican oriented publications. Yes he made a disclaimer; but he did not put Rev. Wright down, nor did he sever himself from the church. By the way, Mike, how's your nose doing? Can you read around it with so many lies, I'm sure by now it's a proboscis that rivals de Bergerac's!!
You made a really dumb statement that I totally take exception to, so I wanted make sure that, unlike you, I neither distorted, nor misquoted, so I'm inserting it here: Cornel West is a very distinguished professor at Princeton University. He did not choose to bury himself in academia. Instead he has devoted his skills and talents to becoming an eloquent outstanding advocate for racial justice in America. He has earned our respect and admiration for it. So far, Obama has no such distinction (????!!)
Clearly you made this statement to see if you could get a rise out of me and those like me who are supporters of the President. Or perhaps you were dumb enough to think that someone out there would cosign that madness and say: "duh, uh, yup, by gumb, Obama ain't made no such duhstinkshun. Uh, what's a dustinkshun? The brother served in the Chicago community for over 20 years. He was elected to the US Senate - something New York has yet to accomplish. He did not get there on good looks (though he could have easily done so); he got there because he wasn't just spouting quotes, he was taking action on the ground, making sure that his constituents had what they needed to improve their quality of life. Just floating out $25.00 words does not make you a leader ust a brother who knows several ways not to say the "n" word.
How many homes have either Cornell West or Tavis Smiley; how many communities have they helped survive hard times. Where is the track record that shows that the President did not have a following that equals if not rivals what either of these two men have done. There is great merit and blessing in taking the time in the trenches helping those who are there get out, by the combined strengths and energy of Obama's and their own.
Like I said, Mike, don't get it twisted - Obama has done more for Black people and for this country in his brief first term in his own right, than either of the individuals you mention in your diatribe. And he ain't through!! The thing for you, me, and the rest of his brothers and sisters to do is take a course in Obama 101 and begin applying the principles of Obama in our own lives. if we do that we might actually begin to own some businesses, build some schools, educate some kids, develop some communities, have some familial relationships, and come out as the lead culture in this equation, as opposed to the culture of fools who stubbornly, foolishly, and ignorantly refused to accept this wonderful gift and make it work big time.
At some point we have learn to be the faith, the grace, the blessings we claim we want, and give President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle, and the first daughters the benefit of belief, and start pulling this thing together - we need to make sure we have his back, not talking behind his back, stabbing him in the back; or backing away. Or history will bear out what the old comic strip character Pogo said: "I have seed the enemy and it am us!!" Well, at least you, because I'm not cosigning anything that undermines Obama!
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Check out my Blog: gloriadulanwilson@blogspot.com
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
(:PS: Just imagine how that would have been had I not been in such a good mood)
MIKE'S PIECE STARTS HERE:
On Sun, Sep 4, 2011 at 3:25 PM, Michael Phillips wrote:
Does Obama eat watermelon?
Some have accused Cornell West of sour grapes because Obama did not invite him to his inauguration after West campaigned 65 times for him. They are missing the point. Obama’s omission is not trivial, but very important and I am very grateful for that bit of information.
Cornel West is a very distinguished professor at Princeton University. He did not choose to bury himself in academia. Instead he has devoted his skills and talents to becoming an eloquent outstanding advocate for racial justice in America. He has earned our respect and admiration for it. So far, Obama has no such distinction. So, when Cornel West talks, black people should listen. Many did not listen when trusted established black leaders blew the whistle on Clarence Thomas at his supreme court nomination hearings and we have been paying the price since.
The fact is Cornel West is just one of many black leaders that Obama counted on to deliver black votes on election night. They did, and Obama promptly turned his back on them all. Ironically, he is counting on them to do the same thing next elections.
I must confess that despite my enthusiastic support of Obama during the campaign, I was haunted by his treatment of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. I made a point to read everything I could about Wright’s speeches and came to the inescapable conclusion that Obama’s vicious attack on his own preacher, that married him and Michelle, was completely undeserved and smacked of political expediency. But, it probably brought in a few extra votes.
It is crystal clear that Obama has no regard for the black leadership. He has distanced himself from them as if he were a Republican president. In forming his cabinet, he approached more Republicans than blacks. Is it that he thinks a good black man is so hard to find? Is he ashamed of blackness? Or is his blackness just a black vote-getting tool? Does President Obama eat watermelon? In secret, does not count.
Finally, I’ll close with what I call my Obama-Tonto joke. Do you remember the old joke about the Lone Ranger and his loyal Indian side-kick Tonto? Well it seems the Lone Ranger and Tonto found themselves completely surrounded by hostile Indians with no hope of escape. So the Lone Ranger turns to Tonto and says, “ Looks like this time we are done for Tonto”. To which Tonto replies. “What you mean ‘we’, white man?” Well, on the presidential election night, Cornel West rushes over to the victorious Barack Obama and exclaims jubilantly. :We won! We won!” Obama turns to him and with a steely glare says, “What you mean ‘we’, black man?”Michael Phillips,
Editor, Hot Calaloo; http://www.hotcalaloo.com
As usual Michael Phillips has opened the floodgates of his mouth and cast aspersions on President Obama. I am responding to him. He's lucky, because it's 4:00 AM, September 5, Labor Day, and I just got in from the King and Queen contest for the West indian Day parade - so I'm in a good mood; plus, I've got my headset on and I'm listening to israel Houghton and New Breed, my favorite spiritual vocalists - or I'd really be down right pi--ed off! Instead I'm going to take a kinder gentler tone with him:
Take it down a few notches, Mike!!!
I was in the mode of wanting to take your head off at the base of your neck, but decided that I've got waaaaaay too much dust where I'm sitting already. So, I'll just respond by saying there is a vast difference between a winning strategy and a whining strategy. I really don't recall any vicious statement against Rev. Wright in Obama's part. I do remember an article I wrote when Wright proceeded to with his "in yo face" attitude towards the whites upon whom some of Obama's votes counted. I do recall saying the name of the game is TO WIN. You are in a country that is dominated by caucasoid mentalities and attitudes; for him to have not allowed Rev. Wright to continue to rant and rave was not to turn his back on him, as much as it was to maintain the focus on the ultimate goal at the time: to WIN THE ELECTION and become the first Black, and only real president of the United States.
Wright, having come through the Civil Rights, era as I did,was understandably feeling a certain amount of elation at Obama's running for office. To him this was coming full circle for all the horrors Black people have endured for centuries. We all understood that. But the time and place for what he was saying was, of necessity, after the election, once we had won it; not before, when you have to garner support from Blacks and whites alike. He, of all people, should have understood that and taken it down a notch, without having had to have Obama step out of his church. But you couldn't get the Brother to cool it. There is an old saying among war vets (of which my Dad was one), "loose lips, sink ships"! Now, you don't have to have been in a war or a battle to understand that. If you alert people to where you're coming from before you have gotten the foothold you need, you risk having the door of opportunity slammed in your face. An almost won is not a win.
As far as Cornell West is concerned, exactly who was keeping count on how many times West went out and spoke for President Obama during his campaign? Was this free and voluntary or was it paid? If it was free and voluntary, the Cornell of course is to be commended for his enthusiasm and support; if it was paid, he is likewise to be commended for his enthusiasm and support and for a job well done. I am not saying that President Obama should or should not have invited him to the Presidential ball - I have no idea what the pecking order of the day was; nor do I even care. I personally crashed three parties and had a blast; was not only guest list; wrote about and spoke about Obama over one hundred fifty times - from the first time I met him in 2004 in Manhattan, and later his wife Michelle in Harlem in 2007 (when they were still doing an exploratory); i didn't ask or demand that he or she invite me to their ball. (by the way I also crashed Clinton's ball twice - it's just a big party folks, with a lot of elbow rubbing) --- Anywaaaaay! What we have here is a big assed case of sour grapes - aka gripes.
Cornell truly could have buried himself in the realm of bogus academia. i have always enjoyed his turn of phrase when someone makes the mistake of tredding on Black people; however, I also know that his acerbic manner can be offputting. I don't agree with your analogy that Obama went to Republicans before he went to Black people - or else we would not have an Eric Holder, and so many other Brothers and Sisters in key positions. So you need to recant on that load of sh-t you are putting out there my friend.
The problem lies in the inherent jealousy we still allow ourselves to indulge in when either of us manages to make it big time. The old African albatross of "crabs in a barrell" smells pretty high here. You don't really see it because it's you! You cosign crap because you are so immersed in the resentment of the fact that Obama has "paid no dues" in your estimation, and therefore he did not come up "through the ranks" and should not be where he is. You see a Black man who had a white mother and act as if that somehow or other means that his being a Black man accounts for little or nothing. You are the same people who genuflect for Beyonce, Maria Carey, Halle Berry, and few others I can name who have likewise similar origins.
Obama's situation is even more pronounced because he actually is as Black, if not Blacker, than most of us, and has learned how to parlay that into a formula most of you have yet to even fathom. instead of learning to do what he has done, and applying it in so many other instances where Black men (and women) need to refine and finesse their skills, education and methodology, you'd rather spend your time and energy tearing him down. What a f-ck'g waste. Your gray matter must be speckled with the very watermelon seeds you are accusing President Obama of not eating.
Your bogus 'blacker than thou' measure of who is and who ain't black just means that your brainwashing comes from the divide and conquer school of thought. While we're at it, though, would you please point out for me where the Black leadership is that you are alluding to? Who or what is it that is leading us? Surely you are not referring to Tavis Smiley or Cornell West? Because that's just sad. No aspersions on either of those two intelligent brothers, but leaders they are not. If our Black "leaders" are so effective, what the sam hill are we doing sitting here 40 years later after the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, still going through much of the same crap that was happening before we started? Where the heck have they been for the last 40 years? Who have we been following for the last 40 years? What constitutes a leader in your estimation? What the sam hill is your criteria? Show me the leader(s)!!
As a Black woman and a Black journalist/feature writer, I am accustomed to the meanstream media casting aspersions and distorting things President Obama has said, or was alleged to have said. There is no end to their level of distortions. It has been my "responsibility" (mission, really) to make the corrections, and connect the dots. so that those who are less well educated and informed won't walk away believing what they say is true.
But when one of our own so-called "black" family members proceeds to go out of his way to distort what Obama has either said or done, I consider it an egregious act of sabotage and treachery. We don't need to be stabbing each other in the back. Don't help the enemy Mike. You keep on, and then you got to figure out who is going to help you when your stuff is going down the proverbial tube. Characterizing Obama's statement about Rev. Wright as a vicious attack shows that you are no better than the mean stream white reporters of the Post and other Rep-ugh-blican oriented publications. Yes he made a disclaimer; but he did not put Rev. Wright down, nor did he sever himself from the church. By the way, Mike, how's your nose doing? Can you read around it with so many lies, I'm sure by now it's a proboscis that rivals de Bergerac's!!
You made a really dumb statement that I totally take exception to, so I wanted make sure that, unlike you, I neither distorted, nor misquoted, so I'm inserting it here: Cornel West is a very distinguished professor at Princeton University. He did not choose to bury himself in academia. Instead he has devoted his skills and talents to becoming an eloquent outstanding advocate for racial justice in America. He has earned our respect and admiration for it. So far, Obama has no such distinction (????!!)
Clearly you made this statement to see if you could get a rise out of me and those like me who are supporters of the President. Or perhaps you were dumb enough to think that someone out there would cosign that madness and say: "duh, uh, yup, by gumb, Obama ain't made no such duhstinkshun. Uh, what's a dustinkshun? The brother served in the Chicago community for over 20 years. He was elected to the US Senate - something New York has yet to accomplish. He did not get there on good looks (though he could have easily done so); he got there because he wasn't just spouting quotes, he was taking action on the ground, making sure that his constituents had what they needed to improve their quality of life. Just floating out $25.00 words does not make you a leader ust a brother who knows several ways not to say the "n" word.
How many homes have either Cornell West or Tavis Smiley; how many communities have they helped survive hard times. Where is the track record that shows that the President did not have a following that equals if not rivals what either of these two men have done. There is great merit and blessing in taking the time in the trenches helping those who are there get out, by the combined strengths and energy of Obama's and their own.
Like I said, Mike, don't get it twisted - Obama has done more for Black people and for this country in his brief first term in his own right, than either of the individuals you mention in your diatribe. And he ain't through!! The thing for you, me, and the rest of his brothers and sisters to do is take a course in Obama 101 and begin applying the principles of Obama in our own lives. if we do that we might actually begin to own some businesses, build some schools, educate some kids, develop some communities, have some familial relationships, and come out as the lead culture in this equation, as opposed to the culture of fools who stubbornly, foolishly, and ignorantly refused to accept this wonderful gift and make it work big time.
At some point we have learn to be the faith, the grace, the blessings we claim we want, and give President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle, and the first daughters the benefit of belief, and start pulling this thing together - we need to make sure we have his back, not talking behind his back, stabbing him in the back; or backing away. Or history will bear out what the old comic strip character Pogo said: "I have seed the enemy and it am us!!" Well, at least you, because I'm not cosigning anything that undermines Obama!
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Check out my Blog: gloriadulanwilson@blogspot.com
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
(:PS: Just imagine how that would have been had I not been in such a good mood)
MIKE'S PIECE STARTS HERE:
On Sun, Sep 4, 2011 at 3:25 PM, Michael Phillips
Does Obama eat watermelon?
Some have accused Cornell West of sour grapes because Obama did not invite him to his inauguration after West campaigned 65 times for him. They are missing the point. Obama’s omission is not trivial, but very important and I am very grateful for that bit of information.
Cornel West is a very distinguished professor at Princeton University. He did not choose to bury himself in academia. Instead he has devoted his skills and talents to becoming an eloquent outstanding advocate for racial justice in America. He has earned our respect and admiration for it. So far, Obama has no such distinction. So, when Cornel West talks, black people should listen. Many did not listen when trusted established black leaders blew the whistle on Clarence Thomas at his supreme court nomination hearings and we have been paying the price since.
The fact is Cornel West is just one of many black leaders that Obama counted on to deliver black votes on election night. They did, and Obama promptly turned his back on them all. Ironically, he is counting on them to do the same thing next elections.
I must confess that despite my enthusiastic support of Obama during the campaign, I was haunted by his treatment of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. I made a point to read everything I could about Wright’s speeches and came to the inescapable conclusion that Obama’s vicious attack on his own preacher, that married him and Michelle, was completely undeserved and smacked of political expediency. But, it probably brought in a few extra votes.
It is crystal clear that Obama has no regard for the black leadership. He has distanced himself from them as if he were a Republican president. In forming his cabinet, he approached more Republicans than blacks. Is it that he thinks a good black man is so hard to find? Is he ashamed of blackness? Or is his blackness just a black vote-getting tool? Does President Obama eat watermelon? In secret, does not count.
Finally, I’ll close with what I call my Obama-Tonto joke. Do you remember the old joke about the Lone Ranger and his loyal Indian side-kick Tonto? Well it seems the Lone Ranger and Tonto found themselves completely surrounded by hostile Indians with no hope of escape. So the Lone Ranger turns to Tonto and says, “ Looks like this time we are done for Tonto”. To which Tonto replies. “What you mean ‘we’, white man?” Well, on the presidential election night, Cornel West rushes over to the victorious Barack Obama and exclaims jubilantly. :We won! We won!” Obama turns to him and with a steely glare says, “What you mean ‘we’, black man?”Michael Phillips,
Editor, Hot Calaloo; http://www.hotcalaloo.com
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