America's Blacks - Years of Protest....Little Success

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

I recently read an article commenting on how well America has done with "advancing" it's black people.

First of all, I noted how much of an insulting comment that actually is. As if black people couldn't do anything for themselves.

Then I though about this "advancement". So yes, many black people are now in good careers and are making money as important professionals. Great. Of course, black people continue to have huge success in sports and entertainment. But that aside, what do most blacks live with?

Still, the ghettoes thrive. I find it quite incredible that the world sits back and doesn't pay attention to this, the most blatant form of racism and segregation in the world (After full on ethnic cleansing e.g. Zimbabwe). Durgs, guns and violence are fed into the inner-city ghettoes and children are forced to grow up in these unstable enviornments.

So blacks have got the vote...think they care about that? When you're stuck in a hole, the last thing you give a fuck about is voting. You just want to survive.

So blacks can now sit anywhere on the bus. Drink from the same fountains as their white counterparts. Go to the same toilet in the same cafe as those people whose forefathers enslaved their forefathers.

Civil Rights galore.

But in real life, blacks are still pushed into the same corners they were way before the days of Malcolm and Dr. King. It was probably Dr. King's progressive movement which showed the rulers that blacks weren't going to take enough action to advance.

It seems as though they need a new leader. Another Malcolm, or another Huwie. Black people are beginning to realise they cannot just get on their knees and beg for a the prospect of a decent life, something which everyone is supposedly entitled to and guaranteed in the glorious USA.

I refer to black people as "they" because although I am a black person, I, just like all other black people in this country, do not suffer anywhere near as much as our brothers over the Atlantic. So I cannot possibly say "we".

I'm not sure about the politics and governmental system in the States, so I cannot comment on what sort of changes need to be made. But something has to be done.

Any thoughts?

[Hampton]

Right on Socialsmo. Here in America there's a new institutionalized system of slavery, they're called prisons. It's not by chance that a report from the US Justice Department estimated 12 per cent of black men in their 20s and early 30s were in jail last year and just 1.6 per cent of white males in the same age group were locked up.

The amount of racism in this country is staggering. Cops break down the door of a woman that causes her to have a heart attack and die, they found out later that it was the wrong house. Whoops, all they say is we're sorry. Same with a unarmed African who was peddling bootleg CDs on the street, he gets shot 4 times in the chest, once in the leg. Bootlegging CDs is hardly a serious offence. A black woman on an empty subway car gets a ticket for taking up two seats on the train, her purse was occupying the seat next to her. You read these things and it's like "What?", it's ridiculous.

Famous case about "The Central Park Jogger", couple of black kids get arrested for the crime, turns out they're innocent and get released a couple of years later. While they were in prison Donald Trump ran a full color page ad in a New York newspaper calling for their execution, he's never apologized for it. Police Chief said that he would investigate what happened and how could they be wrongly convicted, months later nothing has ever been said about it.

You're right about the vote too. Last election how many blacks were not allowed to vote in Florida? When you get convicted of a crime and go to jail, when you get out you're not allowed to vote. Who's the most likely to be in jail? Oh yea, blacks. Laws like the Rockefeller Drug Laws are overtly racist. Africans are not the majority of drug users or sellers in this country, but they are the most likely to be arrested for it.

I don't know why the majority of blacks in this country are not so angry about the situation around them that they don't rise up and do something about it. If Malcolm or Marin were here today I think they would disheartened to see that what's changed since 1968? If I was say Jesse Jackson or MLK III, I would call for as many people who were out there in the streets to try and stop the war to squat on the White House and not move until a lot things were changed in the country. Sad thing is, I don't think the same number of people would show up for that rally. And I think that's the problem.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

I heard about the "Central Park Jogger" case. It's sickening.

About your final point. About blacks not rising up. It's the same context as with my point about the voting. Black people are in such a poor situation, they need to concentrate solely on surviving before thinking about demonstrating or whatever. And that's how the government likes it and wants to keep it. Feeding them with all this "Work hard and you will succeed" bullshit. This mass indoctrination of black youth is keeping the country stable. If the black youth are let loose, then they will cause havoc. And in the current climate in your country, many many of the white youth would rise up too. In any country, the youth are the least and most loosely defined group in society and I think American youth even more so. They can be so dangerous to the government. But the propaganda and the indoctrination is working and it's left to hip-hop to send a message to them that they will listen to. Unfortunately, a mesage theyve recieved in a song won't be enough.

They need a leader. And as great as hip hop is, they need the message to come from more imposing and official sources.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

In UK, there has been a lot of talk recently about the "institutionalised racism" within the police force. There appears to be a "canteen culture" within our police forces and it is being reflected with hard evidence.

I don't know if you heard about the case of Stephen Lawrence over there. Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered by racist thugs and there was plenty of evidence to back this up. But the police just left it to one side and didn't even bother with it.

But the situation here is "moderate" in comparison to the States.

[Hampton]

About the youth, when the Rodney King trial was happening and after the cops were found innocent and there was this riot, the issues about the problems of racism and corrupt police were brought up for a while, but then it just fades away like the problem fixed itself.

Granted Rodney King's an asshole, but what happened after the trial wasn't just about the trial it was about the whole system. It was about feeling helpless and angry at the system that let those assholes go free but people don't see that, they see a bunch of blacks destroying blocks in a city, most likely businesses which they didn't own that were in their neighborhoods, which is another problem.

I agree with the hip-hop situation. The music that actually has a message and a positive voice doesn’t get played on the radio and receive the right kind of coverage that the songs about 20 inch wheels and jewelry. I think though, that there may be some hope: Russell Simmons is gathering some rappers at a rally to try and repeal the Rock drug laws on June 4th in NYC. http://www.blackprwire.com/display-news.asp?ID=1154

[Umoja]

Yeah, Russel Simons is wising up. They even had P. Diddy lobbying for it on Hot97, which is the New York Areas premire hip-hop channel. So I am pretty happy about all that. I'll post a longer response later.

[Sabocat]

The U$ has basically a "state operated" racist code. Very little has changed here for minorities. It's an illusion of civil rights, perpetrated by the government and media.

A quick look at the inner city schools will easily demonstrate the almost flagrant dismissal of minorities.

Unemployment for black youths between the ages of 17 and 25 is something in the order of 70% or more. That is no accident I assure you. How are blacks and other minorities going to have a real chance at equality in the workplace and in society when the tools for embetterment don't exist for them. Think about news coverage. If you were to believe what the TV says, you'd think all murder in crime in the U$ was committed by minorities. This also isn't a mistake.

It's no accident that the Black Panthers were infiltrated and harrassed endlessly. They were a serious threat to the white corporate culture.

I love MLK, but he had some back room deals with the Kennedy boys that pissed me off a bit. I know he did it to further the cause and protect it, but man, nothing happens here with peaceful coexistence. That just made it easier for the gov't. to control.

Malcom X was really the leader the blacks needed. It was about TAKING what was rightfully theirs, not asking for it. We need someone here now to step up to the plate and become the next Malcom.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

"Malcom X was really the leader the blacks needed. It was about TAKING what was rightfully theirs, not asking for it. We need someone here now to step up to the plate and become the next Malcom."

Here here.

MLK being compared to Gandhi is nonsense. There is a thin line between Gandhi's "passive resistance" and MLK's "peaceful protest". Gandhi took action, King begged. Malcolm took action too. I very much doubt there will be another Gandhi figure anywhere in the world. So someone needs to follow in the Malcolm mould.

[Umoja]

King was a begger until before his death. He started taking on a hardline stance, that's why he got killed. Infact, if he'd lived longer he would likely have been more radical then X.

[Hampton]

I don't think Malcolm took that much action. He didn't do anything that MLK did except call for the the self defence instead of non violence. For a begger Martin got a lot of things done without scaring the white population. Both had their own respective organizations, SCLC and the Nation of Islam and later the Muslim Mosque Inc. It sould be said that Malcolm was the direct influence on the Panthers which, it could be stated, had a larger impact than Malcolm himself, while Ella Baker who was a member of SCLC then later a influence in the SNCC which had their own successes.

I think that if King's Poor Peoples Campaign (http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/about_king/encyclopedia/poorpeoples.html) ever got off the ground that many people whould have a diffrent perception of him.

[Reuben]

Interesting that both Malcom and Martin uther kingwere kiled when they turned their main attention to taking on the economic structure of America...

[Conghaileach]

About hip hop, a group of artists have gotten together as the S.T.O.P Movement. They've a song called 'Down with US', that can be downloaded here (http://www.dpgrecordz.com/fredwreck/).

[Conghaileach]

from Hampton:
About the youth, when the Rodney King trial was happening and after the cops were found innocent and there was this riot, the issues about the problems of racism and corrupt police were brought up for a while, but then it just fades away like the problem fixed itself.

I've heard a person argue that the LA riots could have easily spilt over into a revolution, if it could have found some direction.

Do you think that would have been possible, or was it just a mass looting spree?

[Umoja]

I think it was just a mass looting spree personally. Riots happen all to often in Black Communities (read the first pages of "Man Child in the Promised Land" to get the idea).

[Hampton]

If the black community in general found some direction that it would lead to revolution. Most people aren't disgusted and sickened by their situation in life to want change to come. But yea, I think that if the facts about the trial were kept in the media and on the front pages, some sort of organizing would have eventually began to form. I personally think that something should have came out of it besides the looting and violence, when you have a huge issue like that in the media headlines you need to take advantage of that to bring up more and more issues that continue to plague the community, I'm not sure that happened. If the looting and violence was to get out the anger that they had, just imagine if it had been pointed in another direction, so many more productive things could have gotten done.

[Vinny Rafarino]

UK...US....Same pathetic country...

Having grown up in London and now residing in the US I have seen both. The amount of racism towards blacks in both countries is so phenomenal that I actually find myself at a loss for words. (for a fucking change) I apologise for not having anything of value to add. This is one of the topics that really upsets me to the point I have too many things I want to say....But they come all at once. Writing them down takes too long and gets me too angry. Being a hard-liner I have no tolerance for racism and have no problem combatting racists violently, as they do to minorities. (pacifists please spare your comments, they will not change me)

At my age you finally understand that reason and logic do not work for these people. You simply need to make a choice and ask yourself, "are these people beneficial to the advancement of the human species?" I believe they are not and have no use to society....therefore they are expendable.

[ireallyhadablackout]

"The only way, to really stay, is to walk right through the door." - "Invisible" by Dio

Because just like every other organized party, people tend not to support each other unless they "think" exactly alike. We must get beyond this type of mentality, I think we will, if we know how to organize properly.

I blame cocaine as the number one killer of the ghettos, also, the people must take responsibility for themselves and not rely on some vanguard revolutionary to lead them into the 21 st century.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

They will need a leader though. Every movement needs a leader.

You're right about the cocaine. It's fed into the ghetto from "outside", and directly or indirectly, blacks die because of it.

[Hampton]

I'm reading a book called American Negro Slave Revolts and it got me thinking about this topic again. The book shows how much in fear the colonists were of a slave uprising and the various methods they used to keep the population in check. They had the house nigger who would alert the master of any truoble that was brewing in the fields, which is something that occurs today. What is Colin Powell or his son doing of you? Condoleezza Rice, is she advancing her race somehow? What is Clarence Thomas doing besides meeting Anita Hill behind the Supreme Court? You know what Malcolm said about the house nigger and the field nigger.

The government was afraid then and it's afraid now, that's what COINTELPRO was for, to make sure those uppity Black Panthers don't get to popular and if they do, kill them off. That's what crack is for, to keep the ghetto docile, high, and strung out so they don't see the shit that's goin on.

It was said that for every 4 Africans in a colony there should be one white man-servant of militia age most likely patrolling, kinda like if you're ever just chillin with your friends and you get looked at like you're about to rob a 7-11, god forbid if a cop rides by at that moment.

So where are the leaders? Bobby Seale isn't going to make a comeback and inspire a new generation of young black men and woman with the image of a shotgun and a raised fist, he's done his job now it's our turn to continue the path that he started. The New Black Panther Party? No thanks. Jesse Jackson, and Rev. Al it’s a shame that they’re not taken seriously most of the time. Why isn’t Martin Luther King III politically active like his dad? How many black Congressman/woman are there? Any in the Senate?

[Umoja]

I've always like Chairman Omali Yeshetella of the Nation Democratic Peoples Uhuru Movement, but he's only known in the Bay Area I assume. He has quite a bit of talent, mostly rappers are the voice and only a few of the good ones are really popular with Talib Kweli comming to mind.