by Dr. Boyce Watkins
www.BoyceWatkins.net
Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama: I think those are two names that I don't want to mention for a while, since my brain has become saturated with those words. As a man who supports both of these guys, I hate the idea of being caught up in this unfortunate situation. Jesse's comments about Barack were certainly tough to deal with. However, I fully understood the sentiment behind the words. And come on, it's not as if all of us don't talk smack when we are behind closed doors.
I have avoided dealing with the so-called "mainstream media" on any of this, because I have no interest in persuading 100 million Americans to show respect for someone that they've decided to disrespect. The field is already rigged against you, and it's like playing in a basketball game where the other side owns the refs, and puts your basket 200 feet in the air. Not that I don't like the CNNs, MSNBCs, and other networks, but these media are not owned by African Americans, and I am not convinced that others will ever tell the black story in the appropriate way (note what happened to Jeremiah Wright when he went back to this same media to restore his image). My job is to get black people to love and respect ourselves, not to persuade the perpetuaters of historical oppression that we are worthy of love. I'll leave that to Barack Obama, who will likely never even ask our government to apologize for slavery.
With that said, I am going to vote for Barack. But I don't have the teary-eyed love affair with Obama that the rest of Black America has right now. The truth is that he has not, from what I've seen, done anything for black people as of yet. When I talk to established, well-respected community organizers in the South Side of Chicago, none of them can think of a single thing that Obama has ever organized or done to help the people in that community. That doesn't mean that Obama is a fraud, but it means that I am like the girl you must buy a ring for before I let you sleep with me. In other words, I don't want to just get screwed.
Here are some quick questions I have about this situation, which I will leave you to ponder:
1) What is it that makes us feel that we should immediately trade in 40 years of hard work for black people in exchange for a few speeches on hope and change? It doesn't mean that the speeches weren't nice, but so far, they are just words. I need to see more than that, and after seeing Obama back up on the FISA bill and a few other things, I am curious as to whether or not his words have any more value than the words of any other successful politician.
2) When there is another Hurricane Katrina, who is going to show up? Will it be Jesse Jackson or Barack Obama? If Obama doesn't show and we provide excuses for him, doesn't that imply that we still have a critical role to be played by the Jesse Jacksons of the world?
3) Why does everyone justify Obama's speech about the irresponsibility of African American fathers (since I guess everyone else is perfect and we are not) by citing the fact that his own father abandoned him? Sorry to be nitpicky, but OBAMA'S FATHER IS NOT AN EXAMPLE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE IRRESPONSIBILITY. His father was KENYAN. So, not only are black males being attacked for things we do ourselves, we are also being attacked for stuff being done by others across the sea. How fitting.
I am not against Obama, I support him. Anyone is better than McCain. But to get my whole hearted support, you have to truly prove that you are a soldier on the front lines in the fight for fairness in America. Jesse Jackson has proven that via 40 years of death threats (he was one of the top 3 leaders in the world most likely to be assassinated during the 1970s). When Barack Obama has spent years fighting for fairness in America, then I will give him that same respect.
If someone loves you for years, with ups and downs in the relationship, you must be careful before running off to marry the first person who whispers sweet words in your ear. Talk is cheap, so black people need to focus on asking for action. Keep that in mind as you replace Dr. King's picture on your living room wall.
5 comments:
Again, everything you say is true and my feelings about Obama are more or less the same as yours - perhaps I give him a little more benefit of the doubt than you do. Actually, I do have a framed photo of Dr King in my living room amongst photographs of family and friends. It will never be replaced.
From Blacks4Barack...
Rev. Jesse Jackson Makes
B4B Official 'Obama Hater List'
Thanks to the now infamous 'Nut-Gate' comment made by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Blacks4Barack has received numerous requests to have Jackson placed on the Obama Hater Watch List. In order to comply with the overwhelming requests we have chosen to add the Rev. on a temporary basis (still being respectful).
Visit www.Blacks4Barack.org to see the complete Official Obama Hater List.
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I think Black people need to figure out how we can help ourselves. I am not sure what Mr. Obama has done in his community; however I do know that he and Mr. Jackson DO NOT LIVE IN THE INNER CITY OF CHICAGO! In my opinion, Mr. Jackson is living in a glass house throwing boulders. I think someone needs to address the issues that are plaguing the Black community. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Remember dear people, the Black community was in an uproar when Mr. Cosby made similar comments. Well, will you receive it more if it came from a white male? Let's get real here: One of the reasons many Black children are unsuccessful in life is because they don't have positive role models in their lives or communities. I think we don't realize that these children are our future.
I don't think Mr. Obama had to announce to us that there is an absence of Black fathers, that is something the media has already done. We can't be upset with him, get mad with the media. Remember, the media is owned by white males. They portray Black people in whatever light they choose to and we don't complain.
I am not too sure if I want an apology that someone has to ask for. It seems to me if you wanted to apologize for slavery, you would have done it on your own. What will an apology give us anyway? It won't change history.
you know I wrote about this over at my blog and i refuse to go back through it again because black people want to play dumb over Obama.
Foxxy Chica-
1. Obama cannot even come close to address all the many thing that plague us as a community that he could actually fix while in office but he can walk into a blakc church and perpetuate negative percpetions about black men. I am convinced that he was not talking to us in that speech.
2. He claims to be running a race neutral campaign but goes race specific in dealing with black people. If he is running for president of all americans then he should speak about the breakdown of the families of all americans.
3. If he makes another reference to Popeyes chicken then i will say something far worse than anything jackson had to say.
WHich is why i put in my vote for Cynthia McKinney who is a courageous black woman who was never afraid to speak truth to power and call a spade a spade.
Our community has to really divorce the Democratic party, a party that has treated us like an abused spouse. Always promising good things but never delivering it.
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