Faith in Action

For the record, I think that CNN’s “Black in America” special was abysmal. If you missed it, believe me - you’ve seen it before. If you watched Dateline NBC’s special on Black Women in Nov. ‘07, Tavis Smiley’s State of Black America, Real Talk with Al Sharpton, or Upfront with Jesse Jackson - you’ve seen the CNN Special before. More of the usual suspects (for the most part) sitting around talking about how bad Black folk got it with a sprinkling of how some Black folks pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and made something of themselves in spite of their blackness. Not surprisingly, there was no talk of institutional racism and how that plays a part in the current situation. Of course the acrobat of adjectives, the ringmaster of run-on sentences, the prime minister of pronouns himself - Michael Eric Dyson represented us “Black folk” real good to massa ‘nem. And keeping in line with a growing trend in mainstream media’s depiction of Black Women, the CNN special made sure to talk about how more and more Black Women are choosing White Men as mates - in fact, mainstream media is so obsessed with separating Black Women from Black Men that they covered African American Women and Families on one night and covered Black Men alone on another night! (:sigh: I can’t do it again. I already dropped my thunder on this issue when NBC did it.) Sorry, Mr. Media Men - no matter what you do, there are still many Black Women who deeply love and cherish Black Men. Likewise, there are many many many Black Men like myself who not only see royalty in Black Women, but who see love personified in them. A grade for CNN’s WACK attempt at telling OURSTORY? D-

Here is a link to Dr. Maulana Karenga’s commentary on CNN’s docu-drama entitled “Peddling Pathology in the Media: Selling Dream, Drama, and Dread.” Thanks Bro. Jahi!

Now let me find out that the Sultan of Surveillance himself, Martin O’Malley, is outraged by the recent findings released by the ACLU that peace activists in Baltimore were monitored over the course of 14 months and 288 hours for planning lawful, nonviolent, protests against war and the death penalty. Those in Baltimore know that Overseer O’Malley led the way in hanging Blue Light Cameras like Christmas lights all over the city keeping Big Brother’s Eye on Bmore’s Black and poor citizens. Illegal arrests skyrocketed under O’Malley’s iron grip and in the run up to the gubernatorial election he had sections of the city barricaded to restrict movement seemingly to decrease the likelihood of an embarrassing criminal event that his political opponent Robert Ehrlich could take advantage of during the campaign. O’Malley cares about First Amendment rights?! Oh stop it - I CAN’T BREATHE - BWAH HAHAHAHAHA (BTW - if you are a part of an organization that has planned a march, rally, protest in Maryland, the ACLU is offering to help you find out if you were spied on. Click here for more info.)

In other news, Maryland’s Speaker of the House, Mike Busch, is in a bit of a tizzy right now being that his wife was arrested on DUI charges shortly after midnight for driving through two flashing red lights in Annapolis. Busch brushes it aside as a personal family matter. No worries, Busch - mainstream media has your back. Your wife was arrested on Wednesday, but the Baltimore Sun chose not to shine its light on the issue until Friday at 3:32 PM - you know…a time when most folks aren’t even thinking about politics, world affairs, or drunk drivers who happen to be married to the third most politically powerful man in the state!

Closing on a…good note? The House of Representatives passed a resolution (boy, they love those non-binding resolutions don’t they?) Tuesday apologizing for Slavery. Great. Maryland expressed profound regret (along with many other states) and the U.S. House apologizes - fine. Now make the apology mean something. Bring on REPARATIONS! A nationwide, institutional effort to level the playing field between Africans and all other nation groups represented in these so-called United States of America. For more about reparations check out Dr. Ray Winbush’s blog and book.

Hat Tip: Bridges for Kids
by Phillip Jackson, Baltimore Chronicle and Sentinel, February 23, 2005

The problem of Black male failure in education and the corresponding issue of high unemployment for Black youth are huge and complex, but they are still solvable. This may not be the case in 10 to 15 years.

Anyone who only wants to talk about the massive failure of Black males in the American education system is now officially part of the problem. Empty words become an unnecessary diversion from one of the worst educational and economic catastrophes to ever confront America. Either we will get into action to solve this problem, or we will watch multiple generations of young Black males become expendable in our society, and literally perish from our communities and our nation.

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Big ups to Nas for his role in helping to challenge Fox News on the racist and wrong-headed propaganda that they continually present to the American public as “fair and balanced news.” Recently, Nas joined Color of Change in delivering more than 600,000 petitions to Fox News decrying the depiction of the Obama’s fist jab as some sort of terrorist symbol and calling Michelle Obama, Barack’s “baby mamma.” (Shout out to Nas as well for his latest album self-entitled, NAS, where he devotes a song to Fox “News” entitled “Sly Fox“.)

In the video above, Nas calls Fox News a propaganda machine - not a news network. A statement that many have believed to be true for a long time, but now we can know for sure that it’s true. Why? Because on Hardball with Chris Matthews last Friday, former Press Secretary of the White House, Scott McCllelan, admitted that the White House sends Fox News talking points for their nightly commentators and political pundits - you know Bill O’Reilly and the crew. I couldn’t believe what I was watching! (So much for the First Amendment’s attempt to create a separate checks and balances organism with a Free Press.) I know that most of you understand the gravity of this collusive alliance between media and government. You do understand that you must question everything that comes through the one eyed devil box don’t you? I believe Fox “News” is only the tip of the iceberg.

Finally, some proof that mainstream media works as the 4th Branch of the American Government controlling what the masses think…and as Dr. Carter G. Woodson so eloquently put it in his seminal work, The Mis-Education of the Negro - if you can control what a person thinks you don’t have to tell them to go here or there, you don’t have to tell them to go to the backdoor - they will automatically go and if there is no backdoor they will cut one out for their own benefit.

Now I’m just waiting for some disgruntled former employee of Black Entertainment Television to let it be known once and for all that “Black Evil Television” purposely broadcasts movies like “Baby Boy” and “Soul Plane” on a regular basis to instill, protect, and maintain a “ghetto mentality” in the minds of African people. Even the youth are catching on to the madness of that very evil network.

“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.

Hat Tip: Associated Press

The death of a 19-year-old found slumped in his cell a day after he was jailed on charges of running over and killing a police officer has been ruled a homicide, authorities said Monday.

The Maryland Medical Examiner ruled Monday that Ronnie White’s death in Prince George’s County Correctional Center the previous day was from asphyxiation and strangulation.

Maryland State Police and the FBI are investigating the death. The FBI is focusing on possible civil rights violations.

Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson said at a news conference Monday, “If we have vigilante justice, our society will fall apart.”

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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!”

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a reporter for The Dallas Observer Newspaper. He wanted my take on the then recent news regarding the new president of the NAACP. He had read the piece I did about this issue and wanted me to elaborate and provide some quotes for his article.

Unfortunately, he called me on a late Friday afternoon and needed my input before a Monday afternoon deadline. Well, I’m extremely suspicious of mainstream press these days because of recent mischaracterizations so I wouldn’t be rushed into an interview on the spot. Also, I’m quickly learning that weekends are extremely busy for Pastors so long story short we weren’t able to conduct a full interview before his deadline, however, he did pull some quotes from my blog.

His focus was on Dr. Freddy Haynes - one of the frontrunners for the position of President of the NAACP. The piece is entitled, “The Man Who Would be King” with the byline: “Freddy Haynes seemed a shoo-in to lead the NAACP. Then Obama’s Ex-Pastor came to town.”

Here is the reporter’s reference to me and the Faith in Action blog:

Not long after [the election of Benjamin Jealous as President], on blogs across the country, supporters of Haynes expressed their disappointment with the decision. Some wondered if NAACP chairman Julian Bond’s alleged support of Hillary Clinton had been a factor. Others wondered if Haynes was too polarizing a figure for the organization at a time in which it seemed a great possibility the United States would elect its first black president. Heber Brown III, a black liberation preacher in Baltimore, wondered on his blog, Faith in Action, if Haynes’ ties with Wright had been a problem for the board.

“It’s no secret that Haynes is a protégé of Wright and is doing a fantastic job continuing in the Black Liberation Theology tradition,” Brown wrote.

Click here to read the full Dallas Observer article with Faith in Action quote included. (Who knew that eventually this blog would bubble up to “mainstream” press?)

According to the Baltimore City NAACP’s report card on the city delegation, Del. Jill P. Carter received a 95 out of 100 - the highest grade of all of her colleagues!

Without a doubt she is the principled freedom fighter that society usually celebrates only after they leave the scene.

However, I opt to give her her flowers while she can yet smell them so HAPPY BIRTHDAY Del. Carter and please continue to honor the legacy of your father and so many others who fought for positive social change for those on the margins of society.

An excerpt from a 1963 speech by Bro. Malcolm X entitled “God’s Judgement of White America.”

In this deceitful American game of power politics, the Negroes (i.e., the race problem, the integration and civil rights issues) are nothing but tools, used by one group of whites called Liberals against another group of whites called Conservatives, either to get into power or to remain in power.

Among whites here in America, the political teams are no longer divided into Democrats and Republicans. The whites who are now struggling for control of the American political throne are divided into “liberal” and “conservative” camps. The white liberals from both parties cross party lines to work together toward the same goal, and white conservatives from both parties do likewise.

The white liberal differs from the white conservative only in one way: the liberal is more deceitful than the conservative. The liberal is more hypocritical than the conservative.

Both want power, but the white liberal is the one who has perfected the art of posing as the Negro’s friend and benefactor; and by winning the friendship, allegiance, and support of the Negro, the white liberal is able to use the Negro as a pawn or tool in this political “football game” that is constantly raging between the white liberals and white conservatives.

Politically the American Negro is nothing but a football and the white liberals control this mentally dead ball through tricks of tokenism: false promises of integration and civil rights. In this profitable game of deceiving and exploiting the politics of the American Negro, those white liberals have the willing cooperation of the Negro civil rights leaders. These “leaders” sell out our people for just a few crumbs of token recognition and token gains. These “leaders” are satisfied with token victories and token progress because they themselves are nothing but token leaders….

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