Taking a stand is important in life. Courage is a virtue. Colin Kaepernick has every right to protest by not standing up for the singing of the national anthem in the NFL. The right to protest and to resist injustice is a human right and a value that is universally sacrosanct. He is promoting the truth that the epidemic of police terrorism continues to exist in America and in the world. Innocent black people are being shot and killed by crooked police and lax accountability exists not only for crooked cops, but for the police institution who perpetrates the status quo. I am a fan of the game of football. It's a great sport, but there are things more important than sports. Our lives and our humanity are more important than athletics. He is setting an example whereby we not only oppose evil, but we promote solutions. The solution is not bashing black people collectively in an inappropriate, evil way everyday as the sellouts do. Solutions include the elimination of structures of oppression and enacting policies to make sure that cops who do evil are held accountable for real. The haters (who lecture us on "political correctness" but hate anyone promoting justice for black people in an unapologetic fashion) are burning his jerseys without understanding the great points that he is making. Also, another point must be made. Yes, I will go there. You know what that point is. The author of the national anthem is Francis Scott Key (who opposed the abolitionist movement). He not only was a proponent of slavery. He was a slave owner too. Therefore, as a black person, I can never respect Francis Scott Key. We should never be forced to praise an anthem created by a reprehensible person as American society has been filled with injustice and abhorrent hypocrisy. Colin has said that he is willing to risk his money in order for him to stand on his principles. We salute him on his actions. Some folks act like refusing to stand for the national anthem is equivalent to assaulting someone. The author of that anthem was basically a slave owner who wrote the song in the midst of the War of 1812 and there are secret lyrics of the song talking about slaves. It was not the official national anthem until 1933. Francis also wrote racist words about black people and he opposed the abolitionist movement. So, Francis Scott Key was a brutish male. In every movement of black liberation from the Maroons to the abolitionist movement, people sacrificed, people fought, and people developed strategies of resisting tyranny. Our ancestors are a strong people and they fought. We not only want our rights. In order for change to transpire substantially, we have to fight for it by any legitimate means necessary. Freedom comes not by pledging allegiance to a flag. It comes by fighting evil and standing up for what is right.We want justice.
One issue is about the tragic murder of Nykea Aldridge. She was only 32 years old. She was the niece of Dwayne Wade. I echo Wade's sentiments. Enough is Enough. First, I send condolences and prayers to Aldridge's family and friends. There is no excuse for murder or unjust violence at any circumstance period. We are all sadden at this tragedy. 2 suspects have been arrested and I hope that the murderers are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and have justice. The violence in Chicago is more than a problem in Chicago. This is a national problem. When one innocent person dies, it is an attack on all of the human race. Nykea Aldridge's family have shown the grace, love, and the compassion that ought to be duplicated in our society. It is cliche, but the solution to this problem is never going to be one thing. It requires the actions of all levels of government, communities, businesses, organizations, and us the people. Without the support and activism of the people, nothing can be done. We have a shrinking of resources in poorer communities nationwide. That should change in Chicago and throughout the nation. Therefore, I believe in more investments in Chicago that deals with jobs, after school programs, and intervention groups that are working to end conflicts. There is no solution unless poverty is fought against for real. Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in America with schools being readily closed down and even qualified, excellent teachers being laid off. I read the stories of this. Also, many home foreclosures have existed which harms communities. There should also be a policy to address gun violence and violent gangs. Likewise, there should be policies to oppose police brutality, economic injustices, the War on Drugs, unjust sentencing, and any injustice in Chicago too. The system of racism/white supremacy is vicious and we want it to be ended, so the system of justice can exist for black people and the rest of the human race.
First, the essence of manhood has been distorted and lied about not only by sexists (who believe that all men must act like a bunch of brutes), but by racists too. Toxic masculinity precisely means in essence a sick philosophy that men must act brutish, callous, and nihilistic to prove their manhood. Therefore, toxic masculinity is a detriment to social progress and justice. The lie that black men collectively have a collective, genetic pathology for violence, rape, and murder must be condemned just like the lie that feminism is equivalent to misandry (we must condemn the lie that black women expressing their concerns and issues are trying to "emasculate" black men). In the final analysis, we want men and women to be free and to have equality. Part of enacting that goal is to end structures of oppression which harms women, black people, and other human beings. Also, I do believe that more black men should go & act as mentors to teach black male youths about the importance of human autonomy, respect for black women, and promoting healthy relationships among black people. There is an epidemic of domestic violence, abuse, rape, and harassment in the black community that we must confront. In the final analysis, we want any black person, regardless of sex or nationality, to achieve excellence and greatness in their own lives. Also, part of the solution is for us to continue to condemn and oppose rape, domestic violence, racism, economic inequality, and discrimination in the world. Social activism is crucial in getting us into a world filled with equality and justice. I don't believe in blaming every black woman or blaming every black man for all problems in our community. Not only is that inaccurate, but it plays into the agenda of racists (and ultimately the agenda of white supremacy) who love to collectively blame black people for every problem under the sun anyway. What we should do is acknowledge the problems of misogynoir, toxic masculinity, and other injustices and form strategies to end such evils. Without community, communication, and action, nothing changes. We (as in black people) have to do the work.
This story reaches into many issues. First, we all congratulate the young girls in the high school (called Pretoria High School for Girls) for their courage, honesty, and strength. They are telling the truth that there is absolutely nothing wrong with their hair. Their hair is a reflection of their black identity. The racist white teachers, who did wrong there, should be immediately fired for their reprehensible, evil conduct toward children. Black children in South Africa have every right to speak non-English in their own nation. This story is why pan-African solidarity is so important. After apartheid ended, the neoliberal capitalists (as found in various corporations, the World Bank, etc.) used means to control the majority of the wealth of South Africa. Even some ANC members are allied in that compromising, neoliberal movement. The Marikana Massacre in South Africa (in August 16, 2012) was about workers fighting for their economic rights, but some cops killed mining workers in a savage way. That is why independent political groups in South Africa want to make a change, end class oppression, and end racism in South Africa. In America, black women and black girls have been mistreated because of their hair. Black people make up the majority of the population in South Africa and the black girls in South Africa are making it very clear that they will never tolerate mistreatment or disrespect from anyone period. Black is always beautiful and we are in solidarity with the young Sisters in South Africa.
Yesterday was the birthday of the late, great Brother Fred Hampton. He was a revolutionary in every sense of the word and he was ahead of his time. He was born in Summit, Illinois in 1948. Summit is to the west of Chicago. When he was growing up, he was a strong lover of learning and he graduated from high school. As a youth, he also worked for the NAACP to call for civil rights and human justice. He joined the Black Panther Party in Chicago in the late 1960's. He worked constantly and relentlessly to oppose imperialism, to stand up for community development, and to advance unity. In fact, by his great leadership skills, he organized truces among Chicago gangs and made them politicized. He worked hard to promote opposition to capitalist exploitation and police brutality. It was Fred Hampton who strengthened the BPP in Chicago. Yes, Chaka Khan was a Panther too. Chaka Khan is from Chicago. We know that so many revolutionary Brothers and Sisters are from Chicago (with areas like the North Side, the South Side, the Loop, etc. The Loop is the commercial district of Chicago). Fred Hampton was only in his early 20's when he did great work to help our community. The Chicago police and the FBI joined forces to not only slander the Panthers, but to cause division, and infiltration. O'Neal was an FBI informant (he later committed suicide) who gave the FBI and the Chicago police information on the whereabouts and activities of Fred Hampton. Later, in December of 1969, the Chicago police unjustly murdered Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in cold blood. The murder was so unjust, that the local Chicago authorities had to pay the families of Clark and Hampton monetary compensation. Fred Hampton loved his wife and his son is also a revolutionary too. The same brutality, which was enacted against Fred Hampton, continues in our generation. We know that the struggle continues, but I don't lose hope. We are part of the same struggle for liberation and the drum still beats. The drum is part of our souls and we honor the sacrifice of Fred Hampton by working together, by loving our Blackness, and by making solutions a reality. That is how he lived and this is how we should always live. We are blessed to live in the 21st century and we are motivated to do our part to end this vicious system of racism/white supremacy, so a real system of justice is made real for all. Rest in Power Brother Fred Hampton.
By Timothy
No comments:
Post a Comment