For the sake of full disclosure, I spoke with a former Press Secretary for Rev. Jesse Jackson last night about the interesting comments that Rev. Jackson made about Senator Obama. While the conversation is private, I can say that it is my hope that Rev. Jackson's comments, while unfortunate, can lead to a productive national dialogue about ways to strengthen the black community.
I do not agree with the notion that black men are any less moral than others, that we love our children less or that we choose to be less responsible than other ethnic groups. All human beings are created equally and any indication otherwise is ultimately flawed and biased.
A video with my thoughts is below, enjoy!
2 comments:
When I an MSW student, in my first year of the program, I realized that I was often not willing to face the truth about issues in the black community. I always felt that we were being attacked from every direction and that led me to be unwilling to admit the truth (sometimes). I think it's human nature at certain levels of development to be unable to receive the truth without feeling as thought you are accepting responsibility for "all ills" if you will. Besides, that we do get a bad rap, we always have. That being said, if I admit that we have a generation of young black men and women who are exhibiting the fall out of fatherless (and motherless)homes, does that mean that all black homes are fatherless and that we as a people are worthless? No, but it seems that way because our ills are always at the forefront and made to sound as though we are worse than others. Many of the same things that we do wrong as a people, others do as well, it's human nature and not just what black people do. Of course there are some things that we may be guilty of as a people that are not as prevalent in other ethnic groups but every group of people have unique characteristics if you will.
I think that there is a certain level of maturity in being able to say "I have this problem" without taking responsibility for everyone elses problems and without taking on the negative view of myself (ourselves) that everyone else seems to have. Kind of like when I was married. It was hard for me to hear criticism from my spouse without feeling like I was responsible for "all" of the ills in our marriage. I found that there was so much more productivity and harmony in developing our family when I could accept and face my "contribution" and not have that mean that he had no responsibility in what was wrong in the family.
Personal responsibility is very important to me. The first step to correcting my behavior is being truthful with myself and others about the behavior. If Joe Blow is guilty of the same bad behavior that I have it doesn't make my bad behavior right, it means that we both need to change our behavior. We as a people and a nation have gotten so far from God (the only One who is able to change any of us, regardless of color into the people that we need to be) that we are just talking in circles and not getting anywhere. It's great to have dialog but when do we get to the work that needs to be done to bring about change. We know that racism is alive and well, we know that the playing field will never be even, we know that as a people we face a mighty enemy, but we also know that we face an even mightier, all powerful God who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think. If He is for us, who can be against us! Racism (and all other social ills) is a spiritual war. The devil wants us to believe that we are less than and he has gone to great lengths to perpetuate this lie. At the end of the day, this battle is individual first. We as individuals will turn back God. We must understand (as we fight for equal rights and for justice, for jobs, for good education, for equal housing, etc) that this world is only temporary. We as a people are no longer raising young men and women who trust God, who respect God and parents and elders and their neighbors, who look beyond themselves. What are we doing that counts for eternity? We have not raised and are not raising people who look at difficult circumstances and know that because of the God that they know and trust, they can overcome any situation, they can stand even though everything around them says otherwise.
We want to look at others and hold them responsible for our actions. We want their wrong behavior to justify our own. Does that mean that their wrong didn't/doesn't affect us, absolutely not, but I can decide if I allow their wrong to have more control in my life than God's right. What they meant for wrong, God allows so that I can develop into the person that reflects Him! So that my life can affect others to the point that they stop and say, who is this God that gives you such strength and endurance and tenacity. Ultimately, the goal is that all people be in a right relationship with God. That is the relationship that will help us to have right relationships with others. We fail to understand that God has the last word, not white people (or black people either for that matter). Do they have power and priviledge in this world, absolutely, but they will have to answer to a just God as we all do.
I think that Jesse Jackson got caught thinking out loud. He needs to think about his own behavior while he's preaching to others. It's easy to want to overlook bad behavior in others when you know that same behavior is your own and you don't want to change it. It's difficult to point the finger at someone else when you are guilty as well. If I'm not being a responsible mother, I've got some nerve to stand and tell others that they need to do it especially if I'm not saying "we" need to do better. I'm personally disappointed in Mr. Jackson, not because he's human and makes mistakes like the rest of us, but because he holds himself up as a leader but does not hold himself to the standard of a leader. To me the best leader says I'm in it with the rest of you, when he makes a mistake he says I was wrong and then he corrects his behavior. I read that Mr. Jackson has a child that he is not parenting, perhaps that's why it is hard for him to accept that black men need to step up to the plate??? I don't know, I'm just saying....
He seems to me that he holds himself as not only a leader, but a man of God. Is he handling things according to God's standards, God's word, or his own?
Anon-
Sweet comment but you missed the point entirely.
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