१० ऑक्टोबर, २०१५

"What I saw was a powerful demonstration of an impulse and need for African American men to come together to recognize each other and affirm our rightful place in the society."

"There was a profound sense that African American men were ready to make a commitment to bring about change in our communities and lives."

Said Barack Obama, 20 years ago, observing the Million Man March.

From a Washington Post article on the occasion of the 20th anniversary.

There's another rally this anniversary year, called by Louis Farrakhan, the central figure in the rally that took place 20 years ago. He's calling this one "Justice or Else." 

The Washington Post is cagey about the relevance of Farrakhan:
"All we’ve got to do is go back home and make our communities a decent and safe place to live,” Farrakhan said [20 years ago]. “And if we start dotting the black community with businesses, opening up factories, challenging ourselves to be better than we are, white folk, instead of driving by using the N-word, they’ll say: ‘Look. Look at them. Oh, my God — they’re marvelous.’ ”

It was the kind of message that some activists denounce these days as blaming the victims of the nation’s checkered racial history for their plight. But it also resonates with black Americans across the political spectrum, from Clarence Thomas — who has praised Farrakhan — to Obama. Not for a moment would they endorse Farrakhan’s separatism, or his anti-Jewish rhetoric, or the Nation of Islam’s dizzying cosmology. But for them and many others, his self-help message hits home.
So... "self-help," that's the good part, after you carve away everything you don't want attached to you. ("Dizzying cosmology"  — there's a useful phrase for the mealy-mouthed.)

But "Justice or Else" doesn't sound like the self-help of opening businesses and becoming "better than we are."

३५ टिप्पण्या:

David Begley म्हणाले...

So how has Barack's change worked out for America?

SomeoneHasToSayIt म्हणाले...

Fancy rhetoric, but this one-two-three should be enough to do the trick (#2 is actually a "two-fer"):

1. Legitimately earn a High School degree (no social promotion).
2. Don't have or father kids until married.
3. Get and keep a job with upside.

Curious George म्हणाले...

"There was a profound sense that African American men were ready to make a commitment to bring about change in our communities and lives."

Well, in Ferguson, MO there isn't a Ferguson Market anymore. Or an AutoZone. Nor Little Caesar's Pizza, Hidden Treasures, McDonald's, or Public Storage. No more O'Reilly Auto Parts and Conoco Gas.

So that's change.

David Begley म्हणाले...

4. Don't use drugs.

5. Don't commit crimes.

rhhardin म्हणाले...

Blacks have to take up a collection to help poor whites.

Helping somebody else is the only route to dignity, and that works by race as well as individually.

Not self help but somebody else help.

Good character beats IQ.

Original Mike म्हणाले...

"All we’ve got to do is go back home and make our communities a decent and safe place to live,” Farrakhan said [20 years ago]."

Now would be a good time.

Greg Hlatky म्हणाले...

3a. Show up on your job:
3a1. Every day
3a2. On time
3a3. Sober

AllenS म्हणाले...

Young African American men come together often. Then they shoot each other.

Meade म्हणाले...

and to the republic
For which it stands
One nation under God
Indivisible
With liberty and justice
Or else

Michael K म्हणाले...

Obama and Farrakhan are more similar than many realized.

अनामित म्हणाले...

Though Farrakhan talks a good line in some things his underlying message is damaging to young people in one regard.

He certainly reinforces the sentiment that Black Youth should not "act white".

SomeoneHasToSayIt म्हणाले...

David Begley said...
4. Don't use drugs.

5. Don't commit crimes.


Implied in #3. There is a need to keep it simple.

David Begley म्हणाले...

Bernie Madoff had a job. He was a job creator. Bernie is a convict.

Keep it simple, but accurate.

MayBee म्हणाले...

I love the way the author pretends Obama would never ever embrace all the bad stuff from Farrakhan.
He should wait to say that until after he sees the tape the LA Times is hiding from us.
He should remember what church Obama went to, and how embraced Farrakhan was there.

Tank म्हणाले...

How do you get a permit for "Justice or Else" on the national mall?

अनामित म्हणाले...

Tank said...
How do you get a permit for "Justice or Else" on the national mall?


Unfortunately, unless you are advocating direct and immediate violence, the Park Police need to issue permits on a viewpoint neutral basis.

Big Mike म्हणाले...

So Farrakhan is saying "Justice or Else" and Barack Obama wants to confiscate honkeys' guns.

Hmmm.

अनामित म्हणाले...

Since our hostess brought up Islam with this post, let's raise a glass to Charles Martel (The Hammer), who on this day in 732 defeated the Muslims at Tours, and began the long march to push the Arabs back into Africa that culminated in 1492...

Absent Companions!

Here's to you, Chuck :)

Gahrie म्हणाले...

There was a profound sense that African American men were ready to make a commitment to bring about change in our communities and lives."

Yet another case where Obama was wrong.

BN म्हणाले...

"... or else"

The last words heard by Malcom X before Louie shot him, right?

virgil xenophon म्हणाले...

@Curious George/

Picky, picky, picky..

virgil xenophon म्हणाले...

@The Drill SGT/

My wife IS a Martel, so a little Martel cognac is always de rigueur on this occasion.

Bob म्हणाले...

And pull your f*cking pants up!

mtrobertslaw म्हणाले...

Has Obama, or Farrakhan for that matter, ever even heard of Booker T. Washington?

Gahrie म्हणाले...

And pull your f*cking pants up!

As a high school teacher, I can thankfully tell you that the sagging trend is dying out in most places.

Nichevo म्हणाले...

L'chaim, Charlie!

n.n म्हणाले...

Does African-American include every African-American? Obama's faction selectively excludes (i.e. pro-choice doctrine) politically unfavored native Africans. Typically native Africans who are not classified as "black". It has been a highly lucrative enterprise for Democrats and the Left to exploit and propagate ethnic, social, economic, and biological differences in the populations where they wield influence.

YoungHegelian म्हणाले...

Not for a moment would they endorse Farrakhan’s separatism, or his anti-Jewish rhetoric, or the Nation of Islam’s dizzying cosmology.

"Dizzying cosmology". Izzat what we're calling it now? Why don't we call it what it really is --- racism. Not "yew shore got sum thik lips" racism by act, but hi-falutin', 19th C. classical, some folks who look human aren't fully human, racism.

Gahrie म्हणाले...

Why don't we call it what it really is --- racism

Could you imagine a bunch of White folks creating a version of the Nation of Islam with the racial roles reversed?

wildswan म्हणाले...

It's sad being reminded of how people thought the time had come when blacks as a group would move ahead off the bottom.

In the Sixties I truly thought that if the segregation laws were abolished the whole group of black Americans would move together as a unit into the good life - education, jobs, a nice home. This happened between 1930 and 1960 for the white ethnics - Jews, Irish, Poles, Italians - who had been excluded. So why not the blacks if the laws changed? But over the last fifty years the Hispanics, not the blacks, have moved ahead as a group and the Asians. This is the land of opportunity for them. But the blacks are still at the bottom.

Now they are being wiped out by Planned Parenthood and by poor policing in Democrat run cities. They are being poorly taught by teachers whose bad teaching is protected by Democratic politicians funded by teachers unions. Their jobs have gone and Obama is using the EPA to make sure they don't come back. They blame white racism and I blame large-state-liberalism.

But in a way I really just don't understand.

Pianoman म्हणाले...

"Justice Or Else"?

Or Else ... what?

West Texas Intermediate Crude म्हणाले...

Wildswan-
You question why black Americans, uniquely among other ethnic groups, never made it into mainstream American society, unlike Jew, Irish, Poles, Italians.
At least part of the answer is that American blacks, along with another group who never made it out of the socioeconomic basement- American Indians- have Government Programs ostensibly to help them.
There was no Office of Civil Rights looking out for the welfare of the other groups you mention when they were the underclass. There is a Bureau of Indian Affairs, no Bureau of Irish/Chinese/Jewish/Italian Affairs. There is an Indian Health Service, and Indians' life expectancy is much less than the other groups'.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent म्हणाले...

"There was a profound sense that African American men were ready to make a commitment to bring about change in our communities and lives.""

By the mid '80's it looked like Black folks were going to join the middle-class/mainstream of American society. By the mid '90's it was clear that no such thing would be allowed to happen by liberal Whites and the Toms whose affluence depended on providing those liberals with cover.

"Justice or Else"
Or else what? You're going to burn more of your own neighborhoods down?
Black people as a group are done. Assimilate with Whites or be ground to dust by dependency and dysfunction.

अनामित म्हणाले...

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/10/10/million-man-march-speaker-leads-chant-of-down-down-usa/

richard mcenroe म्हणाले...

wild swan, you were almost there, but when you ignored black on black murders to snipe at "poor policing"...