Faith in Action

“Power to the People!”

“Power to the People!”

The crowd swayed and chanted in a thunderous roar pumping clinched fists in the air as if they were literally striking out at the oligarchical american government and its fascist functionaries that provide safe haven for racism, economic exploitation, discrimination, and ultimately an oppressive existence.

No, this crowd of dedicated change agents weren’t members of the Black Panthers. They weren’t members of the American Indian Movement. They weren’t Weathermen.

They were members of the Green Party - some would say they are the descendants of all of those forenamed revolutionary groups. The Green Party is founded on 10 key values:

The Green Party Convention was Saturday, July 12, 2008 in Chicago. I just happened to flip it on TV (Thank God for CSPAN) as I was on my way out the door. An hour and a half later, I hadn’t left the house yet, but I had watched the entire convention. It was really inspiring. I got a sense that I was watching the beginning of a movement. It had all the right ingredients: small, dedicated crowd of supporters, little notice from “mainstream”, progressive agenda that most people could identify with in some way.

And at the center of it all were two awe-inspiring women: Cynthia McKinney - the Green Party nominee for President of the United States, and Rosa Clemente, Afro-Buricua, Community Organizer and Hip Hop Activist for Vice President. (You’ve gotta read Clemente’s powerful piece, “Russell Simmons, you are not Hip Hop!“)

Barack Obama may have the momentum that inspires Black people, but Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente have the message that will uplift us. Obama as President will provide an infinite amount of symbolism to the Black community, McKinney as President will render infinite amounts of substantive policy shifts that will create a new type of country which will help usher in a new kind of world.

As I’ve shared many many times before on this blog, mainstream media works in cooperation with the government to control what you think so chances are most of you have never heard of former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) and if you have it’s because of how Big Brother sensationalized an incident at Capital Hill involving her hair. An incident that was blown up about a year after she grilled then Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, over 11 trillion dollars that went missing at the Pentagon, DynCorp’s slave trade, and the 9/11 wargames. (Note: There are always consequences for challenging Empire. She was soon out of office.)

Since “they” are working to keep you blind to it, I urge you to work to open your eyes to this Party and these two fascinating women. Talk to your children about the Green Party. As the two mainstream political parties are now controlled by corporate interest; it is incumbent upon the people to search out alternative political choices - or as Clemente said - the Green Party isn’t the alternative, it’s the imperative.

This does raise an issue though that I’d love your feedback on particularly as it relates to Black voters. What should Black voters do? Vote for symbol and help a Black man become the first African American President of the United States? OR Vote for substance and support a political party whose nominees most likely don’t stand a chance of winning (in the traditional sense) in this presidential election cycle? (Glen Ford, Executive Director of the Black Agenda Report chose the latter of those two options saying that McKinney deserves the Black Vote, Obama does not.)

Whatever happens - don’t sleep on the Green Party. They are not going quietly into the night. I sense that this is only the beginning.

So I’m sitting in a meeting with ministers from across the city discussing social issues when I get a text message from one of my seminary brothers.

“Hey man, is Jesse Jackson still a pastor?” Perplexed, I responded, “I’m not sure why?”

He responds, “Of course the media doesn’t give the full context, but what they do show is him saying he wants to cut Obama’s [genitalia] off.”

Wow. It’s difficult to imagine the context that would justify a statement like that. It’s disappointing to say the least, and perhaps it is a bit symbolic of the generational friction that sometimes occurs when the Elders who have been in the seat of The Celebrated for decades, finally meet a young person who has the wherewithal to take the baton from them and continue running the race. Of course, that means that the Elder must prepare for a different, less acknowledged role - sometimes that is very difficult.

Or perhaps something about Sen. Obama’s message at Black Churches has struck a personal chord with Rev. Jackson. “Talking down to Black people,” as Rev. Jackson put it may really be, “Barack is talking down to me.” Rev. Jackson’s challenges in his personal life are no secret and maybe Sen. Obama’s message of personal accountability and responsibility for our families has hit a sore spot.

Some may even say that Jackson’s remarks, as coarse as they are, may in some way reflect the frustrations of some Black people who perceive that Senator Obama strategically and with great effort has worked to assure White & Jewish voters of his allegiance while not doing the same for the African American voting bloc. (Many though chalk this alleged strategy up as a part of “playing the game.”)

Who knows what happened in Jackson’s notorious whisper into a hot mic. What we do know is that Rev. Jackson said it, apologized, and Sen. Obama accepted his apology. What we also know is that this will be fodder for mainstream media and particularly a right-news propaganda network like Fox who will play this over and over again for their own devilish purposes.

Mainstream media will fill the minds of the nation with this in an attempt to distract the American people away from the signing of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) into law - a move that one Maryland lawmaker called “the death of the 4th Amendment” (that sound you hear is ATT and Verizon execs cheering at the top of their lungs - can you hear them now?) and you’ll be distracted away from the sheer disregard that Karl Rove displayed by defying a congressional subpoena and refusing to testify before Congress about allegations of political pressure at the Justice Department.

The real “news” will get a backseat while Jackson’s salacious soundbyte about Barack Obama’s privates will be front center. A most unfortunate reality in this increasingly oligarchic society.

I am encouraged to see the revolutionary spirit alive and well in these young people from Cali who are Young Black Panthers dedicated to projecting the true image of The Panthers. They call themselves “The Riders” and they are all former Bloods and Crips who have evolved in their thinking to a higher, revolutionary consciousness. Their spokeswoman is extremely impressive. My favorite soundbyte from her was: “You can’t be a revolutionary if you don’t read!”

With support from Africa Action, I sent Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) a note about Senate Bill 2166, a bill concerned with canceling Africa’s odious and crippling debt. Here’s his response:

Dear Mr. Brown:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your support for providing debt relief to poor, developing nations that have borrowed from the United States , other creditor governments, and international financial institutions.

I share your concern for highly indebted countries that are in desperate economic straits and unable to repay loans and honor other financial obligations. These nations must often commit large portions of their national budgets to servicing debt at the expense of human development and social programs. Senator Robert Casey, Jr. (D-PA) introduced S. 2166, the Jubilee Act, on October 16, 2007. The bill would cancel debt of eligible developing countries and would establish a framework for creditor transparency and responsible lending. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, of which I am a member.

While many countries have already paid off the principle debt , they continue to pay heavy interest. I share your belief that debt relief for impoverished nations will provide resources for desperately needed development initiatives and human services. Without the burden of debt, countries can better focus their efforts toward economic develo pment and poverty reduction .

Again, thank you for sharing your views. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other matter.

Interesting 3min 43 sec piece about America’s political dance by Glen Ford from the Black Agenda Report website.

The American Electoral Charade (3:43)

Obama and the New World Order
by Rev. C. Solomon

I have been discoursing with purported members of Senator Obama’s political inner-circle. These individuals cannot see any conflict between Tavis Smiley’s outrage given that Senator Obama attended and spoke so gallantly (to defend Israel) at this Jewish conference, when on the other hand he snubbed the State of the Black Union Conference.

Many black Americans do not see a conflict between Obama’s politics as usual and his pledge to continue America’s venal and unbalanced support of Israel in deference to balancing the scales between Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah…! Some Americans have been duped into believing that Obama is simply playing possum, but once he gets elected Superman with his unfurled cape streaming in the wind is going to spring into action.

Folks, in my opinion, the reason that the USA is having so much turmoil and trouble with respect to Middle-Eastern and Near-Eastern nations, among other things, is its unfair and unbalanced support towards Israel against not only Hamas and Hezbollah but against other nations within close proximity like Syria, Iran…, and other nations that are at a greater distance!

America has pledged to destroy itself and its standing in the world right along with its 51st state, Israel. And even though American Christians have biblically inspired and romantic feelings toward the Israel of antiquity, the Israel of today was formulated, created and populated as a result of actions that took place in the UN in 1947/48. Much like it is within American leadership circles, many within Israel’s leadership ranks are nothing more than ungod-like natural born killers.

The Palestinian (Arab and Muslim Semitic people) were summarily evicted from their homelands and their homes, neighborhoods…., their homelands were turned over to the mixed European Jewish Diaspora who returned to Israel from European nations following WWII. When you hear Arabs and Muslims say that Israel does not have a right to exist, they base their opinions on the actions that were decided in the U.N. in 1947/48, having been pushed particularly by Great Britain, the USA and a few other nations. A nearly equal amount of nations abstained from the western backed insouciant injustice that took place in the United Nations in 1947/48.

Read More

Hat Tip: Baltimore Afro Newspaper
By James Wright
AFRO Staff Writer

Sen. Barack Obama, one day after clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, assured Jewish leaders on Wednesday of his strong support for Israel and insisted that the nation’s security will be a top priority of his administration.

Speaking before the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the foremost pro-Israel lobby, Obama endorsed a two-state Israel-Palestine settlement, insisted that Jerusalem remain the undivided capital of the Jewish nation and strongly urged Arab governments to normalize relations with Israel. He also said he would refuse to grant recognition to the Hamas government in Palestine until it renounces terrorism and supports Israel’s right to exist.

Read More

Pretty interesting piece on Baltimore from Aljazeera English. They do a pretty good job of presenting news from a different perspective and I’m heartened by their Code of Ethics.

Part 1 deals more with stories from Baltimore.

Part 2 talks about Obama, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and race in America for the first 5:40. Remainder of the vid goes back to Baltimore.

Internet surfing on Saturday revealed that the NAACP had elected its new leader - Benjamin Todd Jealous, a Rhodes Scholar and Human Rights Activist. Jealous at age 35 is the youngest President and CEO in the 99 year history of the organization.

Not knowing Mr. Jealous, there are two things that struck me at first glance when I read the news. First, his age. I thought it was a bold and encouraging move by the organization to elect a young man to lead the organization forward. It sends a signal that the NAACP is serious about recruiting more youth to the organization to be true partners in determining future steps. It’s no secret that the NAACP - like other “old guard” civil rights organizations/figureheads- has struggled to remain relevant in quickly changing times. Hopefully, Jealous will help.

The second thing that struck me was his image. To be quite honest, when I first saw his picture I thought that he was caucasian. I was shocked to think that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People had elected a White man to lead the organization into the future! Now I know that this wouldn’t have been a first for the NAACP (White people have always been involved with the leadership and funding of the organization), but let’s just say I would have considered it a very surprising move. I can hear Jasmyne Cannick already saying that White people are not stealing our cultural distinctives - WE’RE GIVING THEM AWAY!

Thank goodness I kept reading the article.

Jealous’ mother is Black and his father is White. Jean Marbella from the Baltimore Sun calls him “very Obama” - with the parallels of ivy league credentials, biracial parentage, lawyer spouses, and contentious battles to win versus older, established candidates.

One of the other candidates for the presidency - Dr. Freddy Haynes, pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, was my choice. Knowing him personally and his rootage in the Black Church experience would have poised the organization to continue blowing the trumpet for justice no matter how unpopular it would be. (I would be curious to learn how Haynes connection to Dr. Jeremiah Wright impacted the Board’s decision. It’s no secret that Haynes is a protege of Wright and is doing a fantastic job continuing in the Black Liberation Theology tradition.)

Well apparently, the “social justice” trumpet won’t be the bugle nearest Benjamin Jealous’ hand - his top priority is fundraising. According to a Baltimore Sun article:

Jealous said he will make financial stability a priority for the organization and plans to use his personal relationships with top foundations around the country to build fund-raising.

This is of great concern to me because I do not believe that the nation’s foundations are going to make contributions without strings attached. My boy “E Double” shared a Haki Madhubuti quote with me sometime ago that went something like, “It is generally understood that he who butters your bread dictates your appetite.”

Toward that end, I recently finished reading a fascinating book entitled, The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond The Non-Profit Industrial Complex edited by Incite! Women of Color Against Violence. The book demands your eyes to be opened to the fact that Foundations and other Grantmaking Institutions have historically been used to indirectly control the activities of organizations that claim social change as their goal. Nonprofit organizations are, by and large, used to dissiminate crumbs to the poor, oppressed masses and manage their dissent as opposed to nourishing the seeds of revolution that are present in their souls. It is the blossoming of those seeds that is needed to bring this system of government which is unjust at its core to an end. According to this must-read book, the Non-profit Industrial Complex (NPIC) is used to:

If these concepts hold to be true, and I suspect they will, we can look forward to a NAACP that becomes further “americanized” and absorbed into the corporate realm rendering it unable to truly challenge an unjust power structure that it will rely so heavily on for financial support. They won’t bark too loud - lest the hand that feeds them gets offended.

Not only will the revolution not be televised, but I agree with argument of the book, the revolution will not be funded either!

Tell ‘em Gil Scott Heron.

…but he was killed by staffers at the Bowling Brook School. After six guards suffocated him in a face down position until he asphyxiated, they threw him in the snow thinking that the cold would revive him. They waited 41 minutes before calling 911.

No one has been charged with anything related to Isaiah’s death. This is, in fact, state-sanctioned murder. Execution without trial, jury, or the due process of law. Execution without a last meal. A final phone call. A final family visit. A final meeting with his daughter.

As Dr. Joy Leary would say, they removed the dissonance that would naturally erupt in any human’s soul by making Isaiah non-human. For if he were human, then outcry would be heard from all quarter’s of humanity. If he were human, mothers would be moved with compassion to advocate alongside Isaiah’s couragous mother, Felicia. If he were human, his murderers would be arrested and charged. If he were human, other human beings would give a damn about what happened and wouldn’t rest until all children were protected, loved, and nourished in ways that would help facilitate the realization of their fullest potential.

But they’ve made Isaiah a non-human. A thing. A monster. An object. Just another poor Black boy from a poor Black family who made some mistakes and probably got what he deserved.

Though the Department of Juvenile Services had oversight of this youth correctional facility, even they have escaped accountability.

Isaiah was murdered by those who were responsible for his safety.

In this sad and tragic case, the Empire of Maryland has decided, rehabilitation looks like death.

Happy Birthday, Isaiah.