Where is the Out Cry?
What has happened to us? As a nation within a nation. As a people among people. Have we gone far, or just around the corner? It used to be "blood is thicker than water". Now the group that promises us more, and professes to feel our pain is the liquid that wins out. We are a people that stood together through the trauma of being taken from the Mother Land and being brought to the prison and Hell of slavery (it will never deserve the dignity of a capital 's' from me). We are a people that endured Jim Crow until one of us said, "No More" and sat down. And those that followed uttered the battle cry of "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired". Yes, through the trials and tribulations of the darkest years there were those of other races and ethnic groups that joined our ranks. We and history thank them for their efforts. The greatest of the task, beyond argument, was the blood sacrifice of the nation within a nation, the Black/African-American. We stood together, protected each other and survived.
Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., our great leader, whose life was taken in the great Cause, was the most prominent of many whose lives had been sacrificed at the alter. Before him: Fred Hampton, Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, George Jackson, James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman; the list goes on and on. Some of the names are familiar to those who are old enough to have lived through the worst of times. There was another though that had as much influence with the Black/African-American inhabitants of the inner city as Dr. King had with the more affluent middle class urban and suburban Black/African-American, Malcolm X.
Dr. King has been lionized by all (and I emphasize ALL) of us, and rightly so. He was moved to lead with the instruction that only by embarrassing the tormentors, without physical reprisal could success be achieved in throwing off the yoke of oppression. Not all Blacks/African Americans agreed. Some felt that showing no fear and meeting strength with strength and protecting oneself by "any means necessary" was more correct. Both were killed for their views. Malcolm X, unlike Dr. King was not seen as a Martyr, even though it can be said that nothing is given up unless the threat of violence is present. He provided that threat. The reason that Malcolm X has not been held to high esteem by most of his own people is because the political class of the day trivialized him and his efforts and in some cases vilified his memory. Dr. King's life and efforts are taught in most schools while Malcolm X in public schools is largely untaught or if it is, only as an afterthought. That though is not the problem. The real cause for concern is that those that control the media saw that example of control as something to study. And later duplicate as often as possible. No, not just for intellectual control of Blacks/African-Americans but this is my subject for today, political control of our people.
The generation that felt the enormous elation that overwhelmed their spirits when the then President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, decided to do something about the plight of the Negro (the name used at the time to describe us) by including us in his plans for getting the US back to work is largely extinct. One only has to be aware of the voting record of Blacks/African-Americans to understand that the generations that followed had become loyal, and remained loyal to the originator of the "Glorious Feeling" that had spread among our people. Why Roosevelt did what he did is fodder for another paper but the result is important. The Democrats had finally wrested away the large voting block from the Party of Lincoln (until then Lincoln was the greatest political icon for us) and they were not going to give them back. In order to do this a great publicity campaign began. More prominent Blacks/African-Americans were invited to the White House. People like A. Phillip Randolf suddenly had the ear of the President. Blacks/African-Americans were reading more about themselves in newspapers. Radio brought more plaudits for our successes. All this by Democrats who had changed to follow the winds of change. Coalitions between influential whites (who happened to be Democrat) and trusted Blacks/African-Americans were forged; and the people listened. Woe to any Black/African-American who did not follow what the Democrat establishment, white or B/A-M was offering.
Almost 70 years later after the death of Roosevelt Blacks/African-Americans by and large still follow those who have politically made a home in the Democrat Party. This even though many events have shown that without a voice in both parties there can really be no advancement to parity. It took Lyndon Baines Johnson to try to make his Democrat Party support the Voting Rights Act while the Republican Party forced the issue by voting overwhelmingly for it to pass. Many of Blacks/African-American who felt that the Democrat Party Planks were becoming to many and to morally diverse, were run from the party; forced to find another home. They were not accepting what the Democrat establishment was offering. With not many places to go many went to the Republican Party where some like J. C. Watts found success. Numerous others followed and were welcomed. Not just politicians but pundits, news makers, news jouralist and writers.
One such writer and pundit is Deneen Borelli.
Deneen Borelli is a Black/African-American female author and political contributor. She is a Black/African success story. She is everything that we as a people want to see in our success stories. The problem is she is a Republican. This in itself is enough to make many reading this want to stop, but please read further. What has brought us this far is our Marine Corps like steadfastness of solidity and solidarity that demands that all are locked together for the same purpose, survival, when attacked. We did not need to be told this in the Dark times of our history past, but maybe we should be reminded now, we seem we have forgotten.
If you go online to Google and "google" the name Doreen Borelli you will be confronted with this:
"Black Tea-Bagging: 'Nigger' Deneen Borelli Please ...www.politicalarticles.net/.../black-tea-bagging-nigger-deneen-borelli-...Cached
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
Nov 18, 2009 – Notes: Deneen Borelli is a “Fellow” [whatever that is!] with Project 21, a network of BLACK CONSERVATIVES which is an initiative of The ..."
The website that published this insulet is down for maintenance, or so it says. That isn't the point. Google still has the link to it as this is written.Where is the out cry? Where are the defenders of the populace of our nation within a nation? It gives the impression that it is alright to slander and defame, as long as the "person of color" is a Republican. Our leaders say that they are for "Our People". They say that we are all in this together. This must mean that anyone who has removed themselves from the link to the History of Blacks/African-Americans as it relates to the Democrat Party is now not a member of the Race. Aside from being ridiculous on its face, insulting in its presumption, it is wrong in so many ways. The least of which is the use of the most derogatory term ever created to refer to one of us. When that term is used in this way it demeans and insults us all especially if used without fear of being called out for its use.
There are times when it doesn't matter which side of the wall you stand on when the key is on the top. Whoever truly climbs the wall and I do mean 'truly', can unlock the door for us all.
