The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    WHY I LOVE BEING BLACK - REVISITED

    By Wattree on Mon, 11/10/2014 - 8:24pm |
    Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree
     
    WHY I LOVE BEING BLACK - REVISITED
     
    During the sixties we used to say, “I’m Black and I’m proud,” but we never said why we were proud. I’d like to correct that.
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    I absolutely LOVE being Black - and I'm not just saying that because it's expected of me. While I have the ultimate respect for the unique character of every race and ethnicity, if I'm reincarnated a thousand times, I want to come back Black each and every one of them.
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    Being Black in America gives one an education and perspective on life that you can't get anywhere else. That's not widely recognized, because public attention is often focused on the most dysfunctional in the Black community. But contrary to popular belief, that might not be an altogether bad thing, because it allows the excellence within the Black community time to incubate, untainted by the public eye. That's what allowed Barack Obama to explode upon the world stage as a fully developed powerhouse, and there are hordes of others just like him who are currently incubating in Black cocoons in suburbs and inner cities all over America.
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    Another thing that's not widely recognized is that the “soul” of Black people extends far beyond music. What's commonly referred to as "soul" is actually creativity, and as any cognitive scientist will attest, creativity is a primary indicator of advanced intelligence.
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    Since Black people are some of the most musically inclined people in the world, the ramifications of this newly discovered scientific information is not only astounding, but it also serves to validate what many of us in the Black community already knew. While it takes utter stupidity to suggest that one group of people are intellectually superior to another (it's like trying to suggest that a Black Cocker Spaniel is innately superior to a White one), it's been a long accepted scientific concept that adversity triggers evolution, so it is far from outrageous to suggest that after over four hundred years of being subjected to the very worst kind of adversity, that adversity has served to make Black people more, rather than less.
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    After all, while many White people don't realize it, every day of a Black person's life they're forced to deal with some sort of bigotry, either blatantly overt, or subtle and covert. Thus, by just going through life having to routinely outwit bigots on a daily basis is constitutes a constant workout of intellectual abilities of Black people.
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    That's why Black people simply laugh to themselves when White conservatives assert that the only reason Black people support the Democratic Party in such large numbers is due to handouts, when the actual fact is, unlike poor and middle class White conservatives, Black people support the Democratic Party because they're not stupid enough to support a party that's out to cut their throats. Another fact that White conservatives should consider is the only reason that America is in the dire economic condition that it's in is due to their decision to vote for George W. Bush in the 2000 election.  In addition, the only reason that they're not currently in the grips of a second Great Depression is due to one Black man - Barack Hussein Obama, who they hate so passionately. Thus, if they had followed the lead of the "intellectually challenged" Black population, they wouldn't be in the shape they're in.     
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    Thus, Charles Darwin would call what's referred to as Black "soul," a unique adaptation to adversity, and the most insightful within the Black community recognize it as being much like a sixth sense that reaches the very depths of human understanding. When fully developed, it provides Black people with a unique grasp, empathy, and insight into the human experience. That's why Black people are is so effective in conveying human emotion through music and the arts - so effective, in fact, that "soul" has been confused with emotion itself.
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    So Black people don't just live life, we experience it. We experience life in the exact same way that we experience music. As a result, we actually feel our environment, with the exact same passion that we feel a lonely bass struttin' through the changes of a slow and funky blues. That accounts for our swagger, but our "soul" also accounts for making us far more than swagger alone - a point we must get across to the more frivolous within our community.
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    You see, the very same swagger, or soul, that goes into the making of a Ray Charles, a Miles Davis, or Areatha Franklin, under another guise, is also responsible for the power and solemnity of mind of a Colin Powell, Johnnie Cochran, or Michelle and Barack Obama. Thus, the very same soul that allows Black people to excel in music, can also be directed towards physics, politics, philosophy, or engineering. The only reason it's been reflected primarily in music up until now is because music was one of the few activities that Black people were allowed to freely engage in. But the rise of Barack Obama has signaled a change in that regard, and America is going to begin to feel that change.
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    So this is an exciting time for Black people, because we recognize that the world is about to discover what we already know - that there is nothing in the human experience more impressive than watching the development of a Black child, who's been dragged through the pits of Hell and the brutal experience of “American Exceptionalism,” then emerge on the other side as a well adjusted, uniquely eclectic, resolute, and learned product of his or her environment.
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    These are society's unsung heroes, and there are many more to come. They've been tested by fire, and they've prevailed. By the time they've reached thirty, they've faced down more adversity than the average American at eighty. So simply having survived America unscathed, by definition, makes them special.
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    So when I come into contact with the "strivers" in the Black community, I may not say it, but my heart whispers, "Thank you for your service." Because, in my heart, I know that these are the people who have been selected by nature, and circumstance, to blaze the trail of a new reality and move America forward - and considering America's history, these young people represent the very height of irony. But as the old folks used to say, "God works in mysterious ways."
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    So just watching the collective journeys of these young people have inspired me to recognize that, I too, can take great pride in being the product of adversity, because the lessons of adversity have served to make Black people  more, rather than less.
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    Simply having survived the trauma of being Black in America speaks volumes. It represents an independent source of knowledge, and an unassailable credential - a credential that none of the great institutions of higher learning can possibly provide. And while we must strive to attain it, we don't have to rely on sheepskin to attest to those credentials. Due to the tremendous adversity heaped upon us here in America, our beautiful black skin says it all.
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    So yes, I'm Black, and I'm very, very proud.  I'm proud of who I am, and I also take great pride in my history - and that includes slavery and all - because that history, is what made me, me.
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    A Slave’s Prayer
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    I was stole from Eden, an innocent soul,
    crossed seas and centuries, chained and cold;
    My mother was raped and beaten to death,
    my daddy was sold, and my sister is kept.
    So how they praise God and brag dat they free,
    and even sing songs about freedom, 'din look upon me?
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    I was chained to 'dis land, 'dis "Land of the free,"
    by people with a God, who sho must can't see.
    But a change is a comin', tho I won't no mo be,
    but when it get here, Dear Lord,
    please let my soul see.
     
    
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    MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR:
    A MAN WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
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    The United States of America has honored only four men in history by declaring the day of their birth a national day of celebration - Jesus Christ of Nazareth, widely accepted as the father of all mankind; President George Washington, the father of this nation; Christopher Columbus, the man credited with discovering the Americas; and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man whose forebears were brought to these shores in chains.
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    That says a lot about this humble Black man. In spite of the fact that Dr. King began his life burdened by the inherent disadvantages of being blessed with Black skin in a Jim Crow environment, his words, his intellect, and his deeds so inspired the heart and soul of humanity that America saw fit to set aside a day for this nation - this world - to thank God that he was allowed to walk among us.
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    His was a soul with such strength that it served to lift the rest of mankind to a higher level of humanity. That's not only a testament to one Black man's ability to pull himself up from the dust of his humble beginnings, it's also a testament to the capacity of his people to meet the test of greatness.
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    When one considers that even today some are engaged in a raging controversy over the intellectual capacity of the African American people, it only further emphasizes Dr. King s stature in this society, which speaks with flawless eloquence to the boundless potential of the African American intellect.
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    Admitted to Morehouse College at 15 years of age and a Nobel Peace Prize winner by age 34, Dr. King rose to become one of the most honored men in this country's history. By his untimely death at age 39, it was clear that his was to be one of those rare voices that would speak to all men, for all time. Long after the bones of his detractors have turned to dust, this unassuming young man's name will continue to reverberate throughout the ages.
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    That was the legacy of Martin Luther King. Through his moral strength and tenacity he demonstrated to America that the Black man was much more than just a beast of burden, and through his intellect, and his ability to personify all of black America, he inspired the world to embrace his cause. Thus, the legacy of Martin Luther King - like the man himself - stands as a monument to the depth and breadth of the African American culture.
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    Too often we focus on the most negative aspects of African American behavior, while we totally ignore the great strides that are being made by the vast majority of Black people. We pay special attention to the relatively few violent, Black criminals, while we ignore the millions of Black law abiding citizens; we focus on the undereducated in the Black community, while we turn a blind eye to the hordes of African American students and professionals who are flooding our colleges and universities; we've become experts on those African Americans who are a burden on our society, while we remain blissfully ignorant of the multitude of African American doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, laborers, musicians, writers, architects, homemakers - and yes, now a president - who contribute their unique talents to making this a better world.
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    These are the people - the people who Martin cherished - who we truly honor in any tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. Because as we honor Martin and Malcolm, and all of the other nameless Black heroes who have struggled, and in many cases given their lives, to move our people forward, we cannot help but honor ourselves. That is the true meaning of Martin's legacy.
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    Thus, in any tribute to Dr. King, we also celebrate the African American culture - a new culture, conceived in pain, delivered into turmoil, and baptized in a sea of deprivation. We celebrate a culture that is only now in the Spring of its development, yet, a culture that has managed to combine the wisdom, strength, and spirituality of its African origins, with the sophistication, knowledge, and creative intellect of its new found home.
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    So on this day, let us also gaze upon the mountain top - inspired by the knowledge that our reach no longer exceed our grasp. Let us dedicate our lives to leaving the world a little better than we found it. And while we take a furtive look back - let it not be in anger, but with a resolve, and a sense of pride at what we ve overcome. And during this time, let us take at least one moment to thank God that Martin, this humble and spiritual Black man, was allowed to walk among us.
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    And finally, let us take a moment to listen to our hearts, as they quietly murmur, free at last!--every man, woman and child. Free at last!--from the sandy beaches of California to the shores of Maine. Free At Last!--from America’s shores to the tiniest village in Zimbabwe. THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, WE RE FREE AT LAST!
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    Four Year-Old Anala Beevers: IQ 145
    *
    "AWAKEN, MY CHILD, AND BEHOLD . . . "
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    I Now stand firm. My dedication to the power of knowledge is the platform upon which my podium rests. I stand firm, strong, and now free--free of anger, free of self-delusion, free of the folly of empty vanity, and free of the pernicious bane of meaningless pride without substance.
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    I now stand free to look upon the eyes of other men, reflecting dignity over sorrow, and accomplishment over pain; I stand with a burning passion, fueled by the very flame that forged ancestral shackles, with a deep sense of pride, and a pride that flows deep.
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    I now stand erect! The steel that once degraded my father, that chained him in bondage to this bitter Earth, now reinforce my character, making me more, rather than less; and the blood and sweat that once drenched his brow, and oozed from the yoke around his neck, now rage with resolve, a sense of purpose, and tremble with passion, within my burning breast.
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    I now stand as a new being–-neither simply African, nor simply American, but a hybrid forced to transcend the sum of my parts; no longer simply African, since being torn away from the African motherland to suffer and toil in the fields of America, and more than simply American, after being forced to be more than simply American, Just to survive within the bowels of this prosperous land.
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    Thus, I stand now armed—-armed with the wisdom of deprivation, the courage of my conviction, and a deep conviction of my courage; and fortified–with the confidence of a survivor, the empowerment of knowledge, and a ravishing hunger for greatness.
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    I now stand the product of love, struggle, and sacrifice; a witness to man's inhumanity to man, and a monument to the hopes and dreams of a million slaves. I stand embraced by my creator, as God now smiles upon my people.
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    Yes, I Now Stand Firm--Firm, Black, and Free.
    ***
    "Thank you, Lord. I knew a change was a comin'. That boy talk wit enough schoolin' to live in town someday - if they ever let 'em.
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    "What?!!! . . . President!!! . . . of the United States?!!! . . . Georgia too?!!! . . .
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    "Oh, my God! How long I been dead?"
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    ***

    NOBEL PRIZE WINNING ECONOMIST

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    Eric L. Wattree
    Http://wattree.blogspot.com
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    Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.

    Comments

    When it comes to politics there is, in general, a different feel about the two major political parties. Blacks feel, a direct attack on their rights by the Republican Party. Many Whites approach the GOP as having a set of values that are different. Blacks have the distinct impression that Republicans don't care for Blacks on a very personal level. The very personal dislike is manifested by the active voter suppression and gerrymandering practiced by the GOP. Even putting voter suppression aside, Blacks cannot help avoid comments that reek of hatred.

    Ben Stein, a Conservative analyst on CBS, calls Black lazy and drug addicted. Haley Barbour, Republican ex-Governor of Mississippi joins a group of Republicans who cannot help using the ter "tar baby". Hardly a week goes by without some slur coming from a Republican. On a more serious note, Chris Christie, the current Governor of New Jersey, openly stated that more Republican Governors impacts the control over the electoral process. Christie's words tells Black that more Republicans means more voter suppression.

    Republicans don't like Blacks. Blacks don't vote for Republicans. Blacks feel no need to apologize for ignoring Republicans. There are no moderate Republicans running for national office. Locally, there are few moderate Republicans who will run counter to the GOP suppress and gerrymander platform. 

    The visceral hatred that Republicans have for Blacks makes it impossible for Blacks to consider reaching across the aisle in an election.


    by rmrd0000 on Wed, 11/12/2014 - 9:06pm

    Well, there it is.


    by Wattree on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 1:06am

    ....there’s a partisan gap, although not as large of one as some political commentators might assert. There are white racists in both parties. By most questions, they represent a minority of white voters in both parties. They probably represent a slightly larger minority of white Republicans than white Democrats....

    --Nate Silver & Allison McCann, Are White Republicans More Racist Than White Democrats?, FiveThirtyEight.com, April 20, 2014


    by artappraiser on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 2:29am

    Most White males don't vote Democratic is well known. 538 stats don't address the racist statements made by Republicans or their voter suppression program. On voter suppression, their are no solid moderate Republicans 

    Edit to add: 

    Fox News, Breitbart, Drudge, etc. provide spaces for Republican racists to voice their opinions unchallenged.When you couple that with comments by GOP leadership and the party's actions when it come to Minority issues, there is no comparison between Democrats and Republicans.

    Black Republicans who rise to prominence have to make sure that they clarify that they, in essence, don't see themselves as Black.In order to survive, they have to accept a Booker T Washington persona.


    by rmrd0000 on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 7:58am

    Do wish you guys would stop dissing Washington. DuBois' Talented Tenth have done alright for themselves but then they would have anyway. They haven't done all much for the remaining 90% though. Washington's plan was not all that different than what the Nation of Islam is doing only with financial support from some powerful gilded age philanthropists. Why look down your noses at him?

     


    by EmmaZahn on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 9:40am

    Booker T Washington accepted White Supremacy. DuBois was vocal in not accepting the racism that bolstered White Supremacy. DuBois focused on critical thinking skills that are important in maneuvering through today's world. Gaining expertise is technical fields like coding, biotechnology, etc would be in line with DuBois’ philosophy. 

    Politically, DuBois would be more Eric Holder than Herman "Shucky-Ducky" Cain. Washington would be accepting of voter suppression while DuBois would counter the infringement on his rights. Black Republicans often talk about Blacks being on the Democratic plantation. But the truth is that any Black Republican who goes against the party line would quickly find that their “sell by” date had expired. Black Republicans will clearly separate themselves from other Blacks. Tim Scott and Mia Love make clear that they are different to make White Republicans more at ease. This is a trait more akin to Booker T than W.E.B.

     


    by rmrd0000 on Thu, 11/13/2014 - 10:42am