by Dr. Boyce Watkins
www.BoyceWatkins.net
Today, I got a call on my cell phone. I wasn't going to answer the call, since I don't normally take calls from numbers I don't recognize. But this time, I made an exception. It was Jesse Jackson.
I like Rev. Jackson, and I find him to be an interesting figure in American history. I am also concerned about the recent spat with Senator Barack Obama, and how that is playing itself out in the eyes of the public. Honestly, I have a couple of perspectives on it, and I can see both sides of the issue:
1) For the longest time, Rev. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton have been accused (rightfully) of not doing all they can to open the door for new black leadership. That is part of what fueled the jealousy accusations thrust at Obama. The problem is that a black leader is not the same as an American leader. Given America's incentives to continue habits of oppression of Black America, a Black leader must be willing to sometimes put himself at odds with the power structure in order to achieve progress. A president would not be willing to do that, which is why Martin Luther King would never run for political office.
2) I was concerned that Rev. Jackson, one of our most influential African American figures, still has to rely on Fox News to get his message to the world. You don't go into your enemy's house to get food you need to survive. This shines a light on the need for more black-owned media outlets.
3) I am not a fan of the notion that everyone assumes that anyone who holds Obama accountable to the black community must be jealous of him. That's just stupid. Wasn't he just trying to hold black men accountable last week? Does that make him jealous of us?
4) When Senator Obama spoke to Latino families, he spoke of a path to citizenship. When he spoke to Jews, he spoke of Israeli security. When he spoke to women, he spoke of abortion rights. When he spoke to the National Labor Relations Board, he spoke of government policies to create more jobs. When he spoke to black people, he didn't offer one single policy solution to the massive unemployment and health problems in the black community. He simply said "You people need to be more responsible." That was an incredibly irresponsible way to talk about personal responsibility.
My question is: Why does the speech change when he appears in front of African Americans? Don't give me that stuff about him being a black man and feeling the need to lecture us over everyone else. That is a flawed assessment because a) Obama is also 50% white but has not given one lecture to White America, b) he is everyone's president, not some kind of boss of Black America, and c) If you can't address racism fairly, including white accountability as part of the conversation, then you should probably not address it at all. That's like talking about the War in Iraq and not mentioning George Bush.
The final question is: Why are black people so quick to accept negative public statements about their own people? Why don't we demand the same pride and respect that other groups demand? Are we the only ethnic group in America with individuals who are less than perfect? If not, then why are we the only ones being lectured for poor behavior? Why can a conversation with African Americans not focus on policy solutions from OUR GOVERNMENT that allow us to overcome 400 years of negative policy toward our communities? Don't we need the same policies that white women, Jews, and Latinos need or are we the only group being asked to ignore the use of our taxpayer dollars to help solve our problems?
I have always been a full advocate of personal responsibility and tough love. But the key part of the term "tough love" is the word "LOVE". Tough love that is shared in order to appease and get votes from enemies of black people doesn't quite qualify.
No wonder Bill O'Reilly loved Obama's speech.
8 comments:
The fact that O'Reilly, and Pat Buchanan I think, loved Obama's speech should be tip off to people. Including CHARLES M. BLOW.
When are these news channels gonna get someone to speak intelligently about the other side of the coin?
I'll confess, I took a bit of a break for cable news since the ridiculous over coverage of the issue. I may have missed the intelligent articulation of the other side of the coin.
that's what im talking about,hitting the real reason why the black issue get minimized over everybody else!! no jaangle!! we got to stand up and stop this media ass whippin!!!
Your response does not answer, why Jessie Jackson needs to keep moving. It continues to defend your position about Obama on father's day, that basically nobody even cares about any more. Get over it.
I don't care what that person said above. What you said, is so appropriate and speaks to the real issue here. Too many of "us" are so afraid of "Barry O" losing the election, that we're afraid to hold him accountable as we should any politician.
Personally, I'm saddened at the thought of "Yes We Can" replacing "Fight The Power". Most of "us" fail to realize that as president he woild be representing an establishment which historically by design, had to be held accountable for any progress made by minorities.
And you're right! He has yet to "pander to black people similar to how he has any other ethnic group. I'd hate to think that his advisors have him gassed up into thinking that he has it all sewed up with the black vote.
But hey, we're like the number one consumers by race. So its no surprise we buy into everything fed to us. I don't know about you Mr. Watkins, but I'm down for a "Stop Eating Chitlins" campaign.
that's what I keep pointing out to people, if Fox News is loving you, there's got to be a problem....
we can't see that?
but i agree, he is 50% white, tell your people to let go of white privilege...
I think Watkins is absolutely correct that Obama's comments are completely unfair to black America. Racism is still alive and well in America and I am afraid that all of us are gonna pay for the sins of our fathers if things do not change drastically very soon.
However, I have great hope for Obama. He is operating in a theater that is white dominated, so he must degrade himself as an offering to the white society in order to gain power. In Ralph Ellison's book Invisible Man, there is a similar depredation that is requisite for the black man to gain access to the modes of power in white society. I can only hope that like Ellison Obama will turn the white modes of power against themselves, once in power, in order to destroy the systems of oppression that exist in the US.
I am a white male so I can tell you what's been happening in my house hold. My parents both like to think of themselves as good people who do not support racism. As such, they were both planning on voting for Obama. However, as enlightened as they think themselves they are still very much afraid. They do not want to lose their positions of privilege and security as members of white America. As soon as the media started bringing Rev. Wright into the spotlight my parents started going cold on Obama. Wright's condemnations of white America are completely justified, but it scared my parents. It sucks. Obama must realize white America sucks, and i think he's doing what he's gotta do to win this election - and he's gotta win, because if he doesn't then I really have very little hope left for this country.
He's gotta win, and Watkins has got to explain to people that the fact that Obama has to grovel is wrong. I think both these men are very good people who are both doing a great job with what they've been given. The way I see it, black Americans have been doing much more, with the resources at their disposal, than male white America who is failing the world despite the privilege, which I and others, enjoy.
Rippa, I didn't post my comment to be concerned with what you think. I posted my comment based on what my experience has been as a black women, and what I beleive. If you support boyce, then the both of ou need to get over it. Barack won the nomination for presidency becasue a whole lot of folk other than black folk voted for him. In no other election in this country have black folk demanded that the candidate address our concerns before we voted. You basically did nothing. Now that Barack is being considered all of sudden he has to answer to the "Black Folk". I'm not against holding him accountable, what I am against is the the method and the process of addressing him. If you and Boyce want to really hear what Black men think about your position, why don't you tune into the Sunday show on WBLS, with Mtume, Bob Pickett and some other strong Black men who have been in the movement for a long time, and support Barrack 100% I would love to hear you go up agains these men.
As the months and days go by it seems more and more clearly that which ever candidate you vote for is a American President and maybe in the mist of it we as a people will get a few more hand outs,maybe after all this is said and done we will finally understand that our freedom and independence is going to have to come from us ,whos major concern is for us by us.As long as we feel we are Americans we are always going to be on the back burner,that is just the facts We are excepted as Americans as long as we just go along with the program the minute we speak about upliftment we become rebels against the system.Regardless to who wins the Election ,I pray that it will turn out to be a positive for us as a people ,but if this is what we need to see that unless we are aggressive about our survival we are going to have to take our destiny in to our own hands.The question then becomes are we to afraid to do it? Isis
Post a Comment