Friday News in late September 2015

World War II has a long history in Atlanta. First, the Great Depression started in 1929. It damaged the economic security of human beings all over America and throughout the world. Many cities in the South were poorly prepared to handle the emergency. In 1930, Atlanta was the least rank among similar sized cities in terms of per capita expenditures for welfare. In Atlanta back then, there were very few municipal agencies or programs in placed to help the rapidly growing number of unemployed people. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated in the early 1930’s. He passed New Deal legislation and programs in order to fight back against the Great Depression. Atlanta was one of the first cities in the nation to receive a federally operated relief program. The strength of the New Deal is that it saved lives, gave jobs to people, and improved society in many ways. There were agencies like the Civil Works Administration, the Public Works Administration, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) pumped millions of dollars into Atlanta projects and employed thousands of city residents in the process. Projects undertaken by these agencies included the building and repair of area schools, hospitals, gymnasiums, and other public institutions; the grading of runways at the city's airport, Candler Field; the organization of a forty-five-member symphony orchestra; the repair and touchup of the Cyclorama, a 358-foot-in-circumference mural depicting the Civil War Battle of Atlanta; and the construction of a new sewer system. The weakness of the New Deal is that the New Deal readily discriminated against black people and people of color. Many soldiers from across the Southeast of America went through Atlanta and later were discharged at Fort McPherson.

There was war related manufacturing like Bell Aircraft factory in the suburb of Marietta. Manufacturing jobs helped to increase the city’s population and economy. There was the housing project for whites created in 1935 called Techwood Homes. In 1938, University Homes for African Americans was opened in 1938. Charles F. Palmer was involved in these projects in order for him to replace slums with federal funded public housing. Charles was an Atlanta real estate developer. The public housing was also involved in lobbying by John Hope, who was the President of Atlanta University. The Great Depression decreased in its severity in Atlanta by the late 1930’s. The federal government trimmed the WPA workers in the city. Private businesses was picking up. The banks were in operation. Atlanta developed its aviation industry more. World War II and the industrial development grew Atlanta into the next level in terms of its industrial powerbase. It transformed the city into a more international city. During the events of World War II, the federal government invested more than 10 billion dollars in the South via war industries and military bases in the South. There were investments in public housing, health care facilities, aid to schools near military facilities, etc. Many black people, white people, men and women worked in the armed forces and other war related industries. Many soldiers were stationed in Atlanta during this time like Fort McPherson, Fort Gillem, the Naval Air Station, and the Army Hospital including the Airfield. Many African Americans and women worked in Bell Bomber (which was a factory). Coca-Cola distributed Cokes to servicemen and women all over the world during WWII. Back then, Eugene Talmadge was Governor of Georgia. He was a reactionary. Ellis Arnall replaced him in 1943. He balanced the budget, increased educational spending, and managed the state’ economic recovery. The NAACP increased voter turnout in Georgia via its voter leagues. Henry McAllister was a black American veteran of World War II. By the time of 1946 gubernatorial contest, more than 100,000 Georgians were registered to vote. Shortly after the war in 1946, the Communicable Disease Center, later called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was founded in Atlanta from the old Malaria Control in War Areas offices and staff.


David Banner has always talked about conscious issues for many years. He's right on this issue (of how some non-blacks readily use the N word). He is a very intelligent black man regardless if people agree with him or not. Also, I find his questions very legitimate. To answer his legitimate questions, a white person or a biracial person shouldn’t say the N word. Many of them do say the N word with the a at the end, but they rarely say the word “devil” or “c___ r.” I find that interesting, but not surprising. The line is that no one of any race should say the N word period. We, as black people, must stay firm in our convictions and in our words. For a long time, there has been one great lie promoted. That great lie is that the N word with the "a" at the end of it is somehow is endearing or promotes a sense of true self-identity among black people. That is a lie since that word seeks to dehumanize black people and it seeks to omit the horrendous legacy of the N word. Not only should black people never say the N word. We have to never support those who degrade us (as black people) irrespective of their background. Many white people are bigots and not all black people respect black people. There should be a radical shift in society where we instill in our children more about their real history, their real culture, and how black people throughout the ages made contributions all throughout human history. Racism is not only an abomination. Racism is part of emotional sadism (via the usage of the N word, etc.) against innocent people. We have to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. History teaches us that the only people who can free us ultimately are us (as Brothers and Sisters). As the elders have said, we want thriving black communities. We want our communities to be free from police terrorism and economic deprivation. We want to see poverty abolished and health care available to all. We want freedom and liberation. We have to show more self-determination, stand up for black people, and fight back against oppression.


First, I commend Jason Pollock in making this documentary. People deserve the truth to be shown. The death of Michael Brown started a new chapter of the black freedom movement without question. The sick cop Darren Wilson’s actions speak for themselves. We all show our empathy towards the family of Michael Brown. Their lost is our lost. We want change and part of that change is for the people to get the facts as it pertains to the events of Ferguson, Missouri. One thing that I do know about Midwestern people is about their strength and passionate desire for truth. So, we are in solidarity with our Brothers and our Sisters in Ferguson who are fighting for real justice. The prosecutor Bob McCullough did a terrible job in supporting the testimony of a fraudulent Witness #40 (who lied under oath). There are many unanswered questions and that is why a trial should have occurred. The slander against Michael Brown (who was an unarmed person who was shot to death) by reactionary forces is disgraceful. The majority of the witnesses have said in a report by the federal government that Michael Brown turned around and put his hands up in a distance from Wilson, but Wilson resumed continuing shooting. We know that the DOJ report documented the classist and racist actions of the Ferguson Police Department. So, we are against the system of racism/white supremacy and we want true investments in Ferguson. So, we will continue to fight for the human rights of black people. We want justice. Homelessness is a serious national problem. Homelessness is made up of people of every color and background. Some individuals became homeless because of job layoffs, other economic reasons, some can’t afford housing, some have mental illness, some are rejected by their own families (because of various reasons), etc. Also, some cities and other locations in this country have made so many reactionary laws involving this issue, that they in fact criminalize homelessness in a de facto fashion instead of showing compassion to the homeless. What Los Angeles is doing is very historic and important. I support the initative to fight homelessness in LA. There will be questions about the allocation of the money, the composition of the program, and the administration of the plan. Those questions must be answered and investments must be used in the right way, so human beings can be assisted. Shelter, affordable housing, and other plans are needed. Also, homeless individuals have to be treated with respect. They not only need resources. They need to be shown that people care about them and respect their human dignity.


Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee stood up for civil rights, opposed the Vietnam War, stood up against police brutality, and fought against other injustices for decades. Josephine Baker advanced civil rights and she fought against the Nazis. Harry Belafonte is a living example of someone who stood up for social causes internationally not just in America. Today, we have activists from the Dream Defenders, Black Lives Matter, and other grassroots movements fighting for social change. It is very disappointing that some black celebrities are more concerned with comfort, the status quo, and not seeing color (when we have a society that promotes the myth of whiteness being superior and standard of Eurocentric aesthetics as being superior when the truth is that Blackness is glorious and Beautiful) instead of advancing true justice.  The growth of materialism in Western society has gotten into the heads of some people. Some folks feel that they are too good to comment on injustices or they try to sugarcoat the seriousness of the problems that we face today as a people and as a community. Many of them are afraid of losing their white corporate backing as others have stated. We can't govern our lives by fear. We walk by faith and by works not by apathy or denial of realities. We certainly need the same spirit of unity today as it existed back then. The #MasculinitySoFragile hashtag accurately states that a woman has the right to her own mind, body, and soul. Men are never entitled to control any woman period. Sisters like Jamilah Lemieux are part of a new generation of progressive women who want the liberation of women via great insights and courage. Women being free to decide her own life choices are no detriment to any man’s livelihood. It is an added benefit for the enrichment of the entire human race. When we see wage disparities based on gender, when we see the epidemic of misogynoir, and when we see patriachical supremacy in the world, then we have to fight back against these evils. Patriarchy, misogynoir, misogyny, and economic injustice are all part of the system of racism/white supremacy. In fact, many of the same racists (as racists believe in bigotry instead of truth and wisdom) who abhor black people embrace reactionary, nonsensical views on gender. There should be equality for all and our people have a long history in fighting for that goal to be realized comprehensively.
#MasculintiySoFragile.





By Timothy