WHAT UP WITH DAT? QUE PASO?

Whas up wi dat? Que ta loco? Why is it that our president can REFUSE an invitation to appear on Black Entertainment Television, (BET) but SEEK out an appearance, on the popular Spanish network show, Sabado Gigante? Both Bush and Kerry plan an appearance on the Hispanic network and show before the election. Both can speak the Spanish language fluently. Did bush reject BET because he cannot speak ebonics?

What does this say about the interest of the Republican party? What does this say about those blacks who think that the Republicans value the black opinion and vote? What does it say about the direction of our country and blacks no longer being the largest minority group?

Black Introspection Salutes the Genius of Ray Charles.

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If you have not then you should get out and see the movie RAY. This movie is more than just a film that entertains the audience, it is a history lesson and everyone that see it will walk away having learned something about the genius and courage of Ray Charles.

Jamie Foxx should indeed get top honors for his portrayal of Ray Charles, he did with ease in this movie what most well known actors set out to do in every movie. Jamie Foxx made the audience forget that it was him on the screen and truly took on the life of Ray Charles.

I do not want to spoil it for those who have not seen it as of yet but it is truly a great movie and the stance that Ray Charles took in response to Jim Crow is legendary. His refusal to play in Georgia under Jim Crow got him banned from ever playing in Georgia. However, Georgia did something the U.S. have not and refuse to do. The state of Georgia acknowledged the wrongness of their actions and issued an apology to Ray and then made his song the state song. If Georgia can see the wrongness in banning Ray and issue an apology, why is it that the U.S. can not do the same in regards to the history of the Black man and woman in America.

Get out and see the movie it is grrreat!

THIS BEAUTIFUL SISTER IS MISSING FROM SOUTH CAROLINA. HAVE YOU SEEN HER?

This is by far the most important thing that I have posted. I saw the message on a Southern Forum. The first thing that I thought about was my little Empress and how devistating such a situation this must be for her and her family.

This is the link to her Bio...as well as others.

WHAT CAN LANGUAGE REVEAL IN REGARDS TO THE PROPENSITY FOR VIOLENCE IN A PEOPLE?

What can language tell us about the nature of black people? What can language tell us about the pre written history of black people? I believe that language or languages, offer a keen insight into the nature and culture of black people, relative to others. Here is how.

Lets us start from the base of what we know now and work backwards. What can we learn from the explanation of why English is such a widely spoken language around the world? How did that come about? Given the number of fluent English speakers in the world juxtaposed with the number of people whose roots are in England, the resultant ratio is likely the highest of any language.

A high ratio of language to native peoples is an indication of military dominance or of a recent war like people conquering militarily weaker nation for resources and power. The English Empire, or Great Britain, spread its language as a resultant of spreading its peoples and influence, to areas outside of England, by virtue of its maritime and army strength. Without the military, they could not have employed benevolence spread their dominance around the world and acquire control of resources, thus they employed military violence.

Before Britain expanded its language via violence and warring, the next best example is the Romans and the spread of the Indo-European language of Latin. Rome propagated its territory via its armies and being a war like conquering peoples. Thus, the territory that it encompassed and dominated over hundreds of years became speakers of the Latin language. Again, this represents a high ratio between the number of Latin speakers and the number of native Romans (Italians).

Now, how does this relate to black people, I am sure you ask? Well, we have to be able to recognize patterns. The pattern is that war like and violent people are characterized by a high ratio between the number of people who speak a language that originated amongst a given group of people and the number of native people to the land of the language origin. That ratio in Africa is extremely small, compared with that of Europeans. Hence, it can be argued that black people were naturally or culturally less war like or violent than Europeans.

There are nearly a thousand different languages spoken in Black Africa (in the Niger-Congo language family) and of those there are thousands of different dialects resulting from them. To understand the importance of this, it must be noted that languages form from isolation. If people have the same language roots, isolation eventually changes accents, then dialects and over time, it becomes a distinct and different language. Thus, the fact that there exist so many languages in black Africa means that there were not many conquering war like peoples and empires that would acquire territory and consolidate people under one language of the empire.

It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. Thus, the only way that peoples become good at warring is through lots of warring and threats. We know this from growing up in the hood. The baldest cats were the ones who fought a lot. The only way you get to be a good fighter is by fighting a lot, as a general rule. Practice makes perfect. Hence, in Europe, the people were very aggressive and war like and from fighting amongst each other they became very good at it, relative to say….the Africans. Therefore, when the Europeans were able to expand beyond their borders, they were such advanced fighters and had such advanced weapons of war; they were able to conquer less violent people with far less man power. This is how they acquired so much wealth, spreading there language in the process.

Now, this is important because there are many people who think that black people have an abnormal violent nature. There are many of these people who believe that it is simply genetic and that is why there is so much warring in Africa and so much violent crime among blacks in the Western Hemisphere. In truth, the tracers of language reveal that the most violent people historically have been whites and not blacks. Blacks have only become violent at our current levels, due to a reaction to or learning from whites. I do not believe that the evidence is there to support our history of behavior that of violence of the degree demonstrated in Europe. White have always like to see us as savages, but let’s remember that the barbarians origin is in Europe and runs through the blood of many Western white folks.

I do think that violence is a capacity of humans. However, if there is a genetic link to violence, it is far overshadowed by the cultural or learned behavior link. I believe that Europeans lived in an area where violence and conquest became the norm, thus, they emulated the behavior to protect themselves. For them it became an issue of conquer or be conquered, thus they learned to be a violent war like peoples. I simply do not think that the evidence is there to support that such was the case in degree in black Africa. I think, therefore, that we need to return to our previous states of relative tranquility with one and other as black people and stop all this white learned behaviorism.

THE PLACEBO EFFECT OF THE PENDULUM SWING OF TWO PARTY POLITICS IN AMERICA.

Politics in America comes down to the prime directives of life, which is survival or degree there of. In times of peace, people vote mainly in regards to issues of economics, because economics is the conduit to their standard of living and survival. War and insecurity of safety also triggers people’s survival instincts and compels them to vote in a way that addresses their emotion of fear..

Politics in America is more often a placebo than actual medication, though. I say this because economics and the economy is such a major part of people’s political choice determinate and how they vote. It is often lamented during elections that “it’s the economy stupid”. Thus, people usually vote to see positive economic change if the masses of people are not better off then they were 4 years earlier. However, in truth, neither political party can better stimulate the economy than the other, hence there is no real medicine given to the economy.

Economics is not an exact science, but rather, a behavioral science. The reason being is that consumer consumption habits represents 2/3 of our GDP and the behavior of consumer’s consumption are predicated upon their psychological confidence in the future. Therefore, much of our economic performance and oscillation is born from the self fulfilling prophecy of consumer psychology and confidence, given that we are all interdependent and codependent parts of the economic system.

Now, given that consumers and citizens have more power over the economy than do politicians, via their psychological degree of confidence, the politics of changing whose in office simply works to alter people’s confidence levels. It’s kind of like when a guy is trying to attract the attention of a females, we may make some superficial changes that makes us feel more confident. In turn, when we get the attention we desire the think it was due to the superficial change…but in truth the gained attraction was due to the display of confidence and not the superficial change itself. Having the ability to make a change and that change thus inspiring confidence, has a way of turning things for the better.

That is what happens when we vote for a different party or a different candidate looking for positive change. When we make the change, it gives us more confidence and a sense of control. It is that confidence and sense of control that then transforms our consumer behavior and stimulates the economy via our purchasing and investments. Hence, things get better economically because of the confidence inspired by change, but not necessarily the policies of the people or party that we changed it to. This is why the nation oscillates back and forth between the two parties. When things are not going well under one party or politician, we change the party or politician in office and the confidence that such gives us makes things better economically.

Things will be radically different going forward for the nation. The reason being is that the war on terrorism and structural changes in the global economy that is creating a reduction in comparative advantage for us production of goods and services. Thus, people will vote for change and the placebo affect of the past, when things were structurally sound, will lose its ability to turn things around. Politics will then become uglier as they scapegoat and seek the tried and true method of playing class and race against one and other, to the degree that it used to be done in the past.

Black Faces in High Places but few anywhere else..

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One of the Bush administration and his administration apoligist biggest talking points is his appointment of Black faces to high places. Howevever a new study has been released that states clearly "Bush has only Half as many Top Level Blacks as Clinton". Out of the 2800 administration jobs under Bush seven percent (7%) are Black while under Clinton sixteen percent (16%) were Black.

The GAO report, ordered early last year by several members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Norton and U. S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), showed that the senior executive level of the United States Government was more than 91 percent White, with little hope for change.

Furthermore...

Bush awarded more than half of his political appointments (54 percent) to White men, while Clinton awarded 57 percent of those appointments to women and people of color.

Don't let the numbers above fool you, Clinton still gave 43% of all appointments to white men. Which again confirms much of what has been stated previously about both parties being havens for white privilege.

So now that the record reflects that Bush has appointed and hired far fewer Black folk than Clinton, will the dirty Republicans and the Negro-Cons continue to talk about Black faces in High places after the truth behind those Black faces have been exposed. Time will tell.

From the Mind of Ann Coulter

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One thing I admit enjoying about the whole Liberal versus Conservative phenomena is that the white folk within these two groups accuse the others of being racist but Black Introspection know that white folk from both groups are racist and to understand the racism that exist within each group we must critique what one is saying about the other. With that said lets critique some of what the toothpick Ann Coulter writes in her latest op-ed.

Ann “the toothpick” Coulter Boldly states that “Republicans don’t need Black voters”. Ann is correct and where she goes wrong is adding at the end of this statement “but they want them”. Republicans do not want the Black Vote; they would rather us not vote for the Democrats so their win over Democrats could be by a larger margin. Republicans would be just as happy with us voting for an independent candidate or any other candidate beside the Democratic candidate. The toothpick goes on to say that “Democrats don’t want the Black vote but needs it”. This is partially true. The Democrats wish they could appeal to poor racist whites the way Republicans do but they know doing so would definitely cost them the Black vote. The not so funny things about this is; while Ann Coulter admits that Republicans do not need the Black Vote, she states that as if they do not get the Black vote because they do not need it, however the truth is in order for them to not need the Black vote they must do what is necessary to not need the Black vote and that means they must appeal to racist whites and have a platform that is hostile towards Black upward mobility that will attract votes that makes it possible for them to not need the Black vote. Black folk know the Democrats platform for the most part is not our platform, but we know which of these two parties platform is more conducive with what we want. I always say, Republicans talk inclusiveness but what we need is conduciveness.

Ann Coulter then allows us a peek into her mind by stating what she think the 11th hour message of the democratic party is; The toothpick writes that the Democrats say to black folk;

“Here are your crumbs, your scraps, your measly handouts. Too bad you're so childish, incompetent and dependent, huh? Now run along and cast your vote for the guy with the "D" next to his name and we'll see you in four years, 'K? Buh-bye, now.”

This is a great example of a white person who honestly believe she knows what is best for Black men and women and have the audacity to suggest that we vote for the Democrats because we are “childish” meaning child like and unable to think for ourselves, “incompetent and dependent” One of the interesting things about such language being used to refer to Black folk is that poor whites that vote Republican for no other reason than their racist and evangelical platform are never called “childish, incompetent and dependent” though many of them live in condition similar to ours if not worse but yet they vote for the folk that support the rich while they are more likely to benefit from programs rooted in the Democrats platform.

The tooth pick goes on to use the whole “Black faces in high places” argument as if Black folk should be impressed by that, Personally I would not give a damn if Kerry did not appoint one Black person to his cabinet, as long as he does not appoint these racist ideologues to any of the various courts and work with Black organizations to better the Black condition, get rid of that not so patriotic Patriot Act, fully fund NCLB, stop patronizing us with vouchers, who gives a damn about “Black faces in high places” especially those who do not represent or speak to issues important to Black men and women.

The Toothpick goes on to speak about abortion and its racist use by the founder of Plan Parent hood. All of which I agree with but then she says:

“Even today, talk to any white liberal about abortion and within 60 seconds he will raise the black "overpopulation" problem”

This is the mantra of white liberal and white conservatives. This belief is not unique to Liberals and this is why I say when white folk are accusing one another of being racist, don’t take sides, listen to what both of them have to say because in the midst of their arguments they will point out a truth that Black Introspection and Black folk in general are already aware of, THEY BOTH ARE RACIST.

I will end by quoting the toothpick one more time, she writes:

“On the bright side, the Democrats offer black voters loads and loads of meaningless abstractions that will have absolutely no effect on their lives.”

And Democrats say the same about Republicans; are both parties lying or are both parties telling the truth? I believe there is a degree of truth in what both of them are saying and this is why believing that either party is truly in support of us is like living in a dream world and I say to Black folk that do believe it, WAKE UP!!

BLACK INTROSPECTION IS A DISTINCTION WITH A DIFFERENCE.

Black thought and Introspection is rather unique, at least when juxtaposed against black Conservative, coined “Negro-Cons”, Web logs (blogs). We are unique from the standpoint that we are apolitical in our positions and that we do not align ourselves with political parties and hence preach a party platform. However, we do recognize that the two major parties have different effect upon black people, thus triggering our condemnation or praise.

Another striking difference is that most of our thoughts and essays are born from our own dissemination of raw facts and data, with links only to back them up. I often visit blogs of the “The conservative brotherhood”, the most popular of that grouping being the Laswan Barbers Blog. What you will find on these blogs is simply the linking to the thought of other conservatives’ voices, with a little thinking and commentary, of their own creation, to back it up.

The effort that goes into the creation of their blog content comes not from thinking and doing research, but rather, from googling the web for certain types of prefabricated opinions and news. Hence, they are not creators of opinions and beliefs, rather, they simply regurgitate what they consume from others (mostly white conservatives). If you trace their rhetoric to its ultimate source, it is rooted in the white conservative platform.

They will argue that the concept of conservatism is not a white/black phenomenon. That may be true, in a vacuous context; however, I am not aware of any conservative plan or position, which was originated by a black person. What you essentially have is that white conservatives are sitting up high in the pulpit preaching conservative scripture ,while the black conservatives simply sit in the pew, down below, shouting “Amen preacher”. Then these black folks get filled with the conservative Holy Ghost and sprite and then try to go out and preach to convert the black masses away from the sins of liberalism. In this conservative religion, blacks do not interpret scripture and hence lay out a blue print, it only seems white conservatives do this and blacks simply follow suit.

Not surprisingly, you will find a large percentage of their visiting and supporting readers are white conservatives. The white conservatives patronize and support these blogs because it helps them psychologically deal with the question of their own racism. To hear certain types of attacks, such as the attack and claim of irresponsibility, aimed at blacks by other blacks, helps whites who think this not feel racist about doing so. It must be noted and understood that being seen as a racist is now a scarlet letter among whites, thus, black conservatives removes those tension and doubts about their inner motivations.

In light of this, these conservative points of view get promoted via white acceptance. White demand in the free market capitalistic system will always promote a greater promotion and reward than black demand. The reason being is that there are far more whites and the typical white has much more income and wealth than the average black. Thus, on some of these blogs, the volume of traffic creates advertisement opportunities and hence income. This promotion and reward then gets tied to ones economic status, making it a conflict of interest have an epiphany in regards to ideology. You don’t bit the hand that feeds you, if you will.

Another thing to note about blogs that have a large white conservative base, whether black or not, the deleting of critical commentary is pervasive. The reason being is that white conservatives generally like isolation. They like to have “their own” place were they can simply talk among themselves, unchallenged. This is because they feel that there are too many liberal outlets and their voices are drowned out, thus they need a forum of their own. If a conservative blogger, whether white or black, allows to many dissenting voices to be heard, it will chase off the conservatives who just want a place of their own, thus threatening the viability or business of the blog. Lashawn Barber is notorious for deleting dissenting voices…usually predicated upon some fallacious reasoning.

Here on the Black Introspection Blog, we welcome and seek a good intellectual logical challenge to what we expose or promote. All we ask is that you not do it anonymously. We believe that the only way that we can be confident in our position is to have them placed under logical scrutiny by dissenters. However, do not confuse logical scrutiny with emotional scrutiny. Saying one simply disagrees or attacking the messenger is not logical scrutiny. When a person knows what truth is, then they can say with confidence that which is false. To say that something is false, but then fail to present the truth, means that you cannot prove that it is false.

If you seek true BLACK INTROSPECTION and thinking, from a few brothers, this is the place. However, if you simply want to know what white conservatives think and believe, parroted through the mouths of blacks, then please visit the Black conservative brotherhood.

MINNEAPOLIS NEWS STATION MAY HAVE PROOF THAT MISSING EXPLOSIVES IN IRAQ WERE LOOTED POST SADDAM FALL

In regards to the controversy over tons of missing explosives in Iraq, a local TV news station in Minneapolis has footage from embedded reporters during the invasion that may shed light. The footage shows reporters filming Al-Qaqaa weapons installation and the tons of explosive material on April 18 2003, which was a date post the fall of Baghdad and the toppling of Saddam regime.

Of course the Bush Administration does not want to conclude that the weapons were looted under US control of Iraq before the upcoming elections. It would be one more example of poor planning and or incompetence on behalf of the commander and chief. No doubt that some of these explosives have been or will be used to kill American Soldiers and other lives in Iraq. How often was such ammunition depots looted under Saddam? Occupying nations assume the responsibility for the security and stability of occupied nations. Thus, the Buck stops and Bush desk.

Despite all the incompetent acts by this administration, the administration will be voted back into office on November 2nd. What this shows is either the incompetence of the plurality of American voters or either there emotional fears. When the US says that it is better to fight the war against terrorism on some other nation’s turf, than to battle them here at home, that is essentially saying that it is better to kill innocent people in other countries, than innocent Americans. The majority of people being killed in this war on terrorist are innocent civilians. Thus, the truth is that we do not place equal value on the lives of people who are not American as we do those who are. Under such double standards, the enemies of the US will always find willing recruits.

SEE KSTP NEWS REPORT

THE ROLE OF GOODNESS AND EVIL IN THE COMPETITION AND RANKING OF THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.

Deductive reasoning involves starting from a base of given facts, which are then used to logically infer conclusions about the unknown from what is known. Mathematically, this could be represented by Giving that A = B and B = C as fact. Then infering deductively and logically that A = C. In life, in order to deduce out what is truth, in regards to human proclivities and behavior, we have to start with the most common denominators which are life’s prime directives.

In life, the main thrust of our biological directives involves maximizing resources to secure our survival and maximizing our rank in order to compete for the alpha mating choices. Much of the proactive competition that results in the shaping of the world and its conditions is born from the male’s competition with other males for rank.

Men will never alter the course of their behavior as long as it continues to be rewarded with resources and alpha mating. Indeed, securing control of ample resources is also synonymous with securing rank in the competition for the best females. The reason being is that women covet provisions or the ability to provide in a man. Thus a man with many provisions, relatively speaking, has rank and hence powers all things that attract the female and her instincts that such a man can pass those traits of strength to the offspring. It is an example of natural selection; as such a man is only going to couple with females with the strongest survival biological traits, which manifest in women via looks and external symmetry and characteristics (beauty).

In this male human competition for resources and mating, we have a characteristic that separates us from all other animals in the natural selection process. That characteristic is one of evil. In the competition of the survival and reward to the fittest, the propensity for evil can tilt the competition in ones favor. Maybe evil is not the term, but rather, ruthlessness and lack of compassion for fellow human life is more appropriate. One simply has to look at the empirical evidence to realize that empires and riches have been created and accumulated from the traits of ruthlessness and non compassion for other human life, while benevolence and compassion has never built such on this earth.

It is not hard to see why many women are attracted to the “bad boy” nature is many men, because historically this trait has lead to males who have the ability to acquire resources and rank. There exist the bad boy characteristics within the frame work of the system and outside the framework. Those within the system follow a script and are sought as corporate executives who can un-compassionately squeeze the workers for corporate profit margins and huge executive salaries (note how most corporate leaders are republicans and how the republicans reward corporations in a quid pro quo fashion). Such people then become the darlings of Wall Street. On the other hand, those bad boy traits outside the system leads to drug kingpins and Gang leaders, each controlling territory and resources and receiving the favor of the alpha women in their strata.

When one looks at the world order, is it the product of the survival and ranking of the fittest, or is it the product of the ranking of the ruthless and uncompassionate (evil) or a combination there of?

Fidel makes a move in the Geopolitical game of Chess

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Cuba responds to America’s continued Genocidal attacks on its populace by way of sanctions and embargo’s by putting a ten percent surcharge on the U.S. dollar starting Nov 8, 2004. What this means is starting on the eight of November, dollars used in Cuba must be converted over to the Cuban Peso and there will be a ten percent tax on the dollar. Cubans have until that date to convert their dollars over without the tax but after the eight the tax on the dollar will become law. This tax will only apply to the dollar and Castro has released a statement saying to those who live abroad if they want their relatives to get more bang for their buck, they should send their relatives money in Euros or the Canadian dollar that will not be taxed ten percent on the dollar. An interesting statistic that should be pondered, Seventy percent (70%) of Cuba’s 11.2 million citizens were born after the U.S. imposed trade sanctions in the early 1960’s. One thing the Cubans have to their advantage is their proximity to the U.S. but could you imagine if this was a nation far from the U.S. wherein the vast majority of its population has grown up under America’s embargo and sanctions. This would be a breeding ground for would be terrorist.

Personally I think this is a good move by Castro and while some will argue it will not affect the U.S. in anyway, it does affect those who send money to Cuba and it draws attention to America’s embargo on a Nation where the vast majority of it citizens were not alive during past conflicts. Thus the new generation of Cubans suffer because every white man that have ascended to the Presidency in the U.S. has carried on their life long white supremacist born hatred of Castro for his refusal to bow down to their idea of how he should run his nation.

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VS.

There can never be net gain in a closed system. The earth is a closed system, thus, there can never be net gain on earth, minus breaches into the system by meteors or matter we project outside the system via rocket technology. These minor breaches are rare exceptions to the rule, given the total mass of our system and what manages to come in or out. Some erroneously argue that the earth is not a closed system because the suns energy radiates upon the earth. However, a closed system is defined by the flow of matter and not the flow of energy. Moreover, the suns rays and energy input never results in a net gain to the system due to the fact that the earth radiates the energy back out beyond the boundaries of the system. If this were not the case then the earth would become to hot from the net gain of heat energy from the sun (global warming occurs when gases prevent trap the infrared radiation from dispersing back out, thus causing the earth to have a net gain in temperature).

The wisdom born from these natural laws reveal that there can never be a gain without a proportional loss. Every action produces a reaction and the reaction has an equal and opposite offset. Thus, when examining issues and phenomenon that involves human actions and energy, there is always an offset or proportional trade off. There is no “win-win” scenario in the nature of closed systems. There is no win-win scenario in politics or economics, because all is governed by the laws of closed systems. In short, it’s a zero sum game under a closed system.

People often involve themselves in the ranking game between various sub systems of our closed system. They argue that capitalism or Marxism is superior to the other. They argue that democracy or communism is superior to the other. They argue conservatism or liberalism is superior to the other. However, in truth, all of these systems produce negating offsets to their benefits, the distinction and difference being the product of when the offsets takes place temporally (in time). Some offsets are real time (immediate) and some offsets are conserved into the future.

Such debates over systems and approaches are akin to a debate which attempts to determine what running strategy is superior between that of a sprinter and the marathon runner. All comparisons generally amount to measuring performance at a given point in time or between given points in time. Thus, if a sprinter is matched up against a marathon runner, with both doing what they are best at, a point in time measurement means nothing. What matters is the point in time in context with the start anf finish line. Obviously the sprinters massive expenditure of energy will put it ahead at a given point in time nearest to the start due to the moderate use of energy by the marathon runner. A point in time in the future is likely to produce burnout for the sprinter at which point the marathon runner eventualy surpases. Indeed it is the child hood story of the tortois and hare.


It goes without saying that if the finish line is nearer the finish line to the start, the sprinter advantage increases, while the farther from the start it decreases, while the opposite is true of the marathon runner. Each have equal store of energy that propels them forward but each uses a different amount of energy in a given unit of time. When one applies this theory to capitalism vs. Marxism or communism, it is obvious which system is most productive at given point in time. However, no one knows were the finish line is and the offset of capitalism being less real time portends a coming calamitous offset for future generations. Communism, in comparison, offsets are more real time and the people’s lives and standard of living in juxtaposition are meager in comparison. But the question is one of sustainability, ultimately.

In all our debates we fail to look at points in time relative to the finish line, thus most peoples contrast and comparisons are faulty. The truth is that if capitalism had its way and propagated itself ubiquitously around the globe, with each nation emulating the success and consumption of the West, the earth’s resources would be depleted and there would be an ecological calamity as well. No matter how capitalist proponents say the capitalism is good for the world, it is not, assuming that it produces the success that they claim. The reason being is that it is not sustainable in the long term, given the resourced needed to fuel those massive energy expenditures. Thus, humanity would simply be trading increased status and pleasure in the short run, for deprivation and pain in the long run for subsequent generations.

Contrary to what some will say, I am not condemning capitalism, but rather, simply pointing out the reality of it. Thus, I am not condemning capitalism, but the fallacies that are preached concerning it.

HOW THE EMMIT TILL INJUSTICE REPRESENTS THE PERFECT METAPHOR FOR THE BLACK COLLECTIVE IN AMERICA

After watching a recent episode of “60 Minutes” regarding the murder of Emmit Til, I have come to realize that the injustice represents a metaphor for the summation of injustice against African Americans during our time in this land. Emmit Till was the young 14 year old black Chicago native who was murdered while visiting his Grand father in Mississippi in 1955 , for the egregious and unforgivable act of whistling at a white women.

The defendants in the case and trial, despite witnesses and evidence implicating them, were acquitted by an all white jury back in the 50's. The US Justice Department, who should have then steped in, also failed in its duty to uphold justice for its citizens, for nearly 50 years. Now, due to a black young Louisiana film maker who has done extensive research on the topic and brought it to congress attention, the case has been reopened by the Justice department.

How is this event a metaphor for blacks in America, you might ask? The answer is due to the pattern of the US government and citizens to wait until victims and perpetrators of crimes against our humanity are dead before they attempt to seek justice. Nearly all of the perpetrators of this heinous crime, even by Mississippi standards, are now dead. The ones alleged to be involved and still alive are too old for any real justice/punishment as the prime of their life has long been gone and enjoyed.

There is a striking pattern in this nation to wait until perpetrators and victims, in this nations terrorism against black people, have died before they pretend to take justice seriously. White America hardly ever seems able to be contemporary with seeking reconciliation for the injustices of their time and that occur under their watch, in this government of the people, for the people and buy the people. When they do manage take note and responsibility, it is usually a half assed effort done simply to placate the black population and to not upset the white population who want to preserve white privilege and supremacy. All efforts to help blacks are first filtered and diluted to not upset the white masses.

Former slaves were never given their 40 Acres and a Mule, which would have given blacks, theoretically, a good chance to build wealth as well as income and a living, instead of the peonage of share cropping. Not only that, the Jim Crow era of the South was a clear example of government laws facilitating separate and unequal socioeconomics between blacks and whites, which kept opportunities for education and wealth from black people. There are millions of victims of this crime against our humanity still living today, but whites ignore them and their losses.

Whites always like to look at slavery and talk about how terrible it was (as well as how long ago it was), only because all the enslaved and the enslavers are now dead. That gives them the comfort of not having any responsibility, hence the freedom to openly admit that restitution and compensation should have happened….but unfortunately there is nothing that can be done now because their all dead. Due to the fact that many Jim Crow era victims and perpetrators (governments) are still around today, whites can’t bring themselves to admit the horror of the injustice of that period, simply because they do not want to have to assume responsibility for it.

Whites simply act in a way to prevent a massive helping of black people rise up from the effects of white supremacy. If blacks rise to equality in America, then white supremacy, which is a relative concept, will be no more. Thus, in effect, white actions, whether by coincidence or conspiracy, fit’s the pattern of preserving white supremacy of conditions. If this nation could win the cold war, it certainly could have ended black inequality in this nation if it had the same will.

It seems that the rational of the white masses always seem to change superficially, however, the end effect always seem to be a resistance to black uplift or seeking of justice and damages. The consequence of such resistance produces the same old 400 year running pattern of creating or preserving white supremacy.

TRYING TO SUPRESS THE WHITE SUPREMACY SUBCONSCIOUS IN AMERICA

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In conversations with seemingly well meaning whites, it becomes obvious that they are “trying” not to be racist. Such represents a conscious effort either to be or to appear void of this traditional American infection upon our nation.

Trying not to be racist is not the same as not being racist. It is like trying to be anything. If you have to try, it means that you are not there yet. However, trying does deserve praise. If the effort of trying is not rewarded, in spite of its lack of complete success, going forward the act of offering an effort will seem fruitless.

Whites seem to fool themselves into believing the effort, in and off itself, exonerates them from being guilty of racism. As long as they remain cognizant and seek to act in such a way that is deemed fair or neutral, they like to assume success from that effort. This also involves introspection of their intentions. Thus, if they have no intentions to be racist and are cognizant, they feel pretty good about themselves.

The fallacy in white thinking is that they are using the wrong metrics to gauge the success of their efforts. Whites do not use the metrics of effect or black response to gauge whether or not they are being racist. There like a person stepping on your feet and then not saying excuse me because they had no intentions of doing it. Then they insult you further by suggesting that it should not or does not hurt in the way that you say it does.

Implicit in much of whites effort to try and not be racist is the racist act of disrespecting or discrediting black thoughts or reactions. Racism cannot be defined by the oppressor. Whites cannot use their working definitions of racism to determine if they are racist or not. That would be like having the police department review and police itself for wrong doing. There is an egregious conflict of interest in such an act as few human entities will self incriminate itself.

In order for whites to truly measure their racism, they have to be able to see into their sub conscious, which is not easy to do. The subconscious contains the TRUTH of what you really believe. The conscious represents what you WANT to believe. If a person does not want to see the truth, if the truth is damaging to the psyche of self image, then the conscious sometime distorts reality in order that the mind can feel good about itself.

This society has been successful in making racism a taboo among whites. Thus today, one of the worst things that you can call a white person is a racist. There are few terms that will incite the emotions that this term does. Consequently, whites are making an effort to “try” and not appear racist, to avoid the label and stigma. Surprisingly, whites are less concerned with trying to convince blacks that they are not racist than they are trying to convince themselves and other whites that they are not racist. This is because whites simply have less respect for black thought than they do white thought or their own.

Whites realize that evidence of continued racism only works against their desire to see programs such as Affirmative Action come to an end. If more whites were openly racist or did not try to convince themselves and other whites that they are not, then Affirmative Action would and should never end under such a racist white power structure in America. Consequently, trying not to be racist could in part be a strategy that is driven by racism, because it wants to preserve white privilege by eroding programs like affirmative action.

In conclusion, the people to be wary of are the one who must “try” to be nice to you. Such shows a person who is saying that there natural inclination is to dislike you and be mean to you. These are the type of people who will jump on the opportunity to “be themselves” as soon as you provide them with the excuse or opening.

America is full of white folks “trying” to be nice and “trying” not to be racist.

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Police kills 21 year old white woman and take full responsibility before and investigation is done. Police accepting blame before an investigation is done is unheard of. There is no tape of this woman being shot, this woman was part of a mob the police was trying to quail but yet before there was an investigation the Police had accepted full blame. White folk still question if there is a bias in policing in America, but Black folks are convinced of this bias. All the Black men that have been beaten and killed by the police and not one police department have taken blame for it, even after killing Amadu with forty one shots for having a wallet in his hand the NYPD did not accept blame.

"The Boston Police Department is devastated by this tragedy.
Kathleen O'toole Boston Police Comminsoner

Oh Really.....

UNLOCKING THE TRUTH BEHIND THE DISPROPORTIONATE KILLING OF BLACK MEN BY WHITE POLICE

Study shows Whites More Likely To Misidentify Tools As Guns When Linked To Black Faces:

...they hope it begins to shed light on how subtle racial biases may help lead to situations in which police accidentally shoot unarmed minorities.

Uhhhhh...just listen to what black folks have been saying for years and save money on all these studies! Free Tip of the day.

People don’t have to be bigots to be under the influence of racial bias.....

Yep...we have been trying to tell white folks that for years...but they think that racism = hate and bigotry.

Payne and his colleagues conducted two related experiments in which white and Asian Americans viewed on a computer screen a picture of a man, quickly followed by a picture of a either a tool or a gun. Both pictures were visible for only about a fifth of a second each.

When asked to identify – within less than one second -- whether the second picture was a tool or a gun, participants were much more likely to misidentify a tool as a gun when the preceding picture was that of an African American.

They were more likely to misidentify a gun as a tool when the preceding picture was that of a white man.

Uhhhh...no slit..what an epipheny!

The results show how unconscious bias against blacks may affect decision-making in cases of extreme time pressure, Payne said. The reason, at least in these experiments, has to do with failures to control bias under time pressure, not distorted perceptions of what’s being seen.

This displays what I have theorized, which is that most whites are subconsciously racist but consciously aware that racism is viewed as morally reprehensible, thus the conscious works to correct or control the subconscious beliefs. The subconscious is at the instinctive level because it needs to promote survival by processing external stimuli to sensory inputs rapidly. However, the conscious processes information much slower. Thus, the way to reveal the level of white racism is by not allowing the conscious to try to compensate or hide what exist in the subconscious. The subconscious is what you really believe and feel because it is the stored resultant of all sensory inputs and lessons of life in order that one can make quick life saving instinctive decisions.

As I and we on this blog have been saying all along….most whites are racist due to their subconscious beliefs, but most whites feel they are not racist do to their conscious efforts to see themselves as bad people…its called DENIAL.

See the full article/study

REASON WHY SO MANY AREAS OF THE NATION ARE SEGREGATED IS...

To understand why Detroit area is the most segregated Metropolitan area in the nation and to understand why there are so many others like it, this is a good example. Blacks in the city of Detroit have always been reluctant to move to certain cities and counties because they feared white racism and being harassed by suburban police departments. Acts such is this home break in or other acts of racial intimidation of black homeowners in the Detroit area usually are reported about 5 or more times a year in the area (let me qualify that by saying that such is based upon only the estimated average of the number of times that I heard it on the news while being a resident there...could have been much more).

In a Metropolitan area of over 5 million people, as Metro Detroit is, 5 incidences of such makes it an extremely rare phenomenon. However, it being on the evening news does distort the scope and thus it seems larger than life. In any case, that is the nature of the information age and modernity. The result is that such incidences do work to dissuade black homeowners from moving to predominantly white suburbs. There is likely some black prospective home buyers whose real estate agent has some homes listed in this particular Suburb, who will rebuke the option because they do not want to deal with the white racism.

As a consequence of these acts, no matter how much deplored by other whites, in rhetoric, works to preserve an areas “whiteness” and thus helps keep white demand for the area strong, thus keeping property values appreciating faster than what would happen from an influx of blacks. Thus, even though only a few white idiots engage in such acts, far more whites receive the benefits of such acts and blacks of course the detriment. Simple phenomenon of cause and effect that is plan to see. However, some will not the racism as a cause with no apparent effect upon blacks (see NegroCons and most white folk).

As the economy struggles in coming years…one can expect to see more and more of this…since the root of racism and black oppression has always been rooted in economics and whites attempts to profit from the exploitation of blacks or their attempts to eliminate blacks from the pool of competition for resources and opportunities. Its all about resources.

"I don’t know what to say now, but that this is something that exists in the
real world," she said. "This is pretty much what they have to look forward to."

See full story on WXYZ news 7 in Detroit.

THE COMING ECONOMIC CALAMITY IN THE USA

Here is a thought to ponder. Monetary and Fiscal policy measures are the primary, if not only, means for the government and the Federal Reserve, to control or steer the economy. The primary way that it stimulates growth and consumption is by the fiscal policy of cutting taxes and by the Federal Reserve policy of lowering interest rates to encourage borrowing for investment and spending. This monetary and fiscal policy are the wheels that are turned in opposite directions, depending on whether the economy needs to be stimulated or cooled down to prevent high rates of inflation.

With that as prologe....look closely at our current state of fiscal and monetary policy. The huge tax cut that Bush has phased in, plus, record low prime interest rates means that the wheels are being turned to their limits in an attempt to stimulate the economy….but the economy is not responding in proportion with the efforts. That fact, in and of itself, should be a major cause for concern for everyone. Why, because if things start to get worse, our nation will have no leverage or play (through fiscal or monetary policy) to help pull the economy back up. We will be SOL.

Not only that, but with the crisis in social security, the rising budget deficit and plus the nations 20 year running trade deficit, cutting taxes in the future will further sabotage the standard of living or our children and their children, while giving us a brief relief from the inevitable. This nation is ridding on borrowed time folks. Our nation is akin to tires that have lost much of its tread and thus have not the ability to control its direction in our next recessionary rains. We will hydroplane out of control and likely crash.

The war on terrorism and In Iraq will by coincidence or conspiracy distract attention away from the structural economic calamity that is coming to this nation. WAKE UP PEOPLE…regardless of party affiliation.

see the coming train wreck caused by our poor conducters/leaders.

Anonymous posting...

Black Introspection is open to all opinions. We are not looking to attract only those who agree with us, we also want to hear from those who disagree with us, however what will not be allowed is anonymous posting without leaving a name as to who you are. All anonymous postings without a name attached to the post will be deleted! Anonymous posting is enabled to eleviate readers from having to register to leave a comment, however we do ask that you include a name with your post so that we can know who it is we are conversing with.

Faheem...

Should we have to work twice as hard as white folk for the same results?

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"Have you forgotten that once we were brought here, we were robbed of our names, robbed of our language, we lost our religion our culture our God and many of us by the way we act we even lost our mind"

These truthful and powerful words spoken by the late great Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad and used on the P.E. track “Night of the living basehead” came to mind when I sat down to write this.

It has become clear to me that some Negroes have given up, they have lost focused and are now participating in the intellectual destruction of Black unity. Recently Scott of the Negro-Con group Conservative brotherhood hood wrote on his Blog;

“We learned it from out fathers and mothers, works twice as hard because racism exist, keep your nose clean because the criminal justice system can't get justice for the black man, suck it up when you work harder and get less than your white co-workers, life is hard but you have everything you need to succeed inside you.”

What we have here is a Negro-Con admitting to the existence of racism in America, the problems it pose and a somewhat clear understanding of how it adversely affect Black men and women. His understanding of racism in America is negated by two things; His unwillingness to see the need to continue fighting against racism and his inability to see how reactions from racism contribute to the problems plaguing the Black community and Black family.

Negro-Cons are quick to say racism exists but they are as quick to say Black problems and issues are caused by us. Negro-Cons believe that Black men and women having to work twice as hard as white folk is ok, and a reality we have to live with and this phenomena should not be challenged. The ignorance involved in this belief is immeasurable. They expect us to sit back while white folk are structurally empowered to get ahead and our lack of structural support and in fact structural disempowerment means we should be ok with working twice as hard as others have to, while simultaneously measuring our success rate with the same means white success is measured. Does that make sense? How can anyone admit to historical and present day white structural empowerment and racism honestly compare our condition to theirs using the same measuring stick?

The worst part about the Negro-Con that admits that racism exists and that white folks are structurally empowered is they do not see the correlation between black poverty, crime and system dependency and the phenomena of white structural empowerment and racism. Why would anyone believe that the state of Black folks in America is due to some lack of personal responsibility and not a reaction from being disempowered structurally and reactions to white racism and white supremacy. This understanding is elementary; as brother Noah has stated, the see-saw effects of capitalism and white racism dictates that white rise is rooted in the fall and beating down of others.

We have millions of examples of the lack of personal responsibility demonstrated by white folks so any belief that black problems are rooted in the lack of personal responsibility would have to mean white success is rooted in their great sense of personal responsibility and this is not the case. The argument about the lack of Black personal responsibility is baseless and racist and ignores the fact that our present day condition is the result of our past experience up to this day in America and that structural empowerment for whites creates an illusion of personal responsibility by whites.

If one can admit to white structural empowerment and white racism in this day, then how can they ignore or miss the manifestation of its effects and reactions expressed in the life of those who are victims of it.

HOW THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA IS ERODING OUR CULTURE!

In the current modernity of America, culture is no longer the creation of the traditions and legacies of our family and communities. Today, culture is beamed and transmitted via satellite from studios in Hollywood that seeks to profit under our capitalistic system. Television, as well as the motion picture industry and soon the internet are all working to together to capture and shape the thoughts, beliefs, behavior and attitudes of America, the young and impressionable being the most vulnerable. The reason being is that socialization and acculturation is simply the product of emulation...with whats being emulated coming more and more from the big and small screen.

The benefit and the curse of television is that it exposes people to a wide variety of phenomenon, situations and events that people are not exposed to in their own real environments. Thus, they have little means of reconciling fact from fiction from the template that their environment sets. Consequently, reality can become easily distorted in degree and or kind….with people consciously or subconsciously accepting it as reality. If one simply looked at the Evening News, their perceptions of black males would simply be that of criminals and athletes, which is definately a display out of proportion with black male reality.

The failure of the medium to be able to show you the whole picture, which is impossibility, leads to a distortion of scope and proportion. When a TV show about “Desperate housewives” or “wife swoping “is advertised or seen, its sets subliminal attitudes that erodes the institution of marriage. Once something appears on TV, it is glorified simply from the fame and attention of being transmitted to millions of households. Once it becomes glorified, it becomes popularized and becomes larger than life and more acceptable to emulate. Thus, programming that reflects dysfunctional families or programming that lacks socially redeeming merits works make such behavior more acceptable which leads to more people behaving this way than would have otherwise. One can say that it simply art immitating life, which is true to a degree. The problem is that Art distorts scope thus making a reality larger than life than it really is...which normalizes the behavior and makes it more wide spread.

TV is simply a destructive and corruptive influence on the mind and unfortunately, black people spend more hours a day in front of the TV than any other racial group, studies have shown. Far too many black families feel that Cable TV is a necessity and not a luxury. We thus have 500 channels to shape and corrupt our culture and self image, as well as, stagnating our mental growth. Tangentially, all the videogames that we play through the Cathode Ray Tube of TV’s are only fanning the flames cultural erosion. We spend far too much time in pursuit of electronic fantasy, escape or entertainment…and it is hurting us.

This is what some folks would say is the absence of personal responsibility on black folks part and something that cannot be blamed on white racism. However, I disagree in part. The reason being is that until the inequities that resulted from past racial oppression are removed…the effects of social negativity from the dominate culture will have a disproportional racial impact. Any actions by this society that disproportionably impacts the poor is also in effect racist, because blacks are disproportionably poor as the consequence of years of racial oppression. Thus, the impact of TV upon the poor magnifies upon black people because so many of our people are poor.

If I am trying to recover from pneumonia and I am in a rather warm room with other more healthy individuals, opening up the window will have a worse effect upon me than the healthy. Or if there is a virus being spread and my immune system is still in recovery from past sickness, the virus will have a greater success upon me than others simply because of my condition. Black people in America are still in recovery and thus we are less immune to the spread of social viruses that come through the electronic media. Whites are less affected by it and thus feel no need to control the medium, thus restricting profits and pleasures for white media and the consuming white masses.

It is not a plan or conspiracy to destroy black people via television, unlike that of the proliferation of drugs and guns into the black community. It is simply the nature and consequence of capitalism manifesting in the entertainment industry. There are more profits to be made by pushing the moral envelope and by being controversial than not. Once the moral envelope is pushed out, it then becomes acceptable and the new benchmark to supersede in regards to the next pushing out of the envelope. After a period of year and gradual pushes, the moral erosion is not that detectable from year to year. However, when one compare decades, the moral erosion becomes so egregious that it makes the change in attitudes and behavior of the new generation perfectly clear. However, this is the fundamental means to winning the rating competition and market share in the capitalist entertainment medium.

THE MOST POWERFUL JOURNEY OF A LIFE TIME FOR THIS AFRICAN IN AMERICA!

I would like to share with you all another personal introspection into the life of an African Slave descendant. I shared with you a brief family and personal history. Family is the most important and motivating factor in my life. When I say family, I do not simply mean immediate family, but my extended family of relatives and ancestors. The birth and life of my daughter has been the most profound and beautiful experience of my life. It is the only event in my life that has truly fulfilled and exceeded my expectations. Her birth, my first child, allowed me to complete the prime directive of life, besides survival, which the creation of progeny to continue the blood and species line.

Prior to the birth of my daughter, however, the most profound and gratifying experience of my life occurred in March of 2001. That is when this descendant of African slaves fulfilled the yearning of his captured ancestors by returning their DNA and progeny back to whence they/it had come….AFRICA.

I had made a promise to myself long ago that I would return to Africa that which was by design still African and that which is the vehicle of my ancestors, which is my flesh. I live because of them and they continue to live because of and through my existence. We are one and inseparable and I live to honor and respect their lives and struggles…as well as my own. Together we are strong.

So in March of 2001, my wife (then fiancé) arrived in Accra Ghana on a British Airways flight from London. I had saved up a long time for this as it was not cheap. When the plane landed on the tarmac and I stepped off the plane into the dark, hot and humid night, I was overcome emotionally. I could not believe I was there…actually back in the land of my ancestors. Tears broke the drought of my dry cry. At that moment, the promised journey had been fulfilled. I had returned my ancestors to their home land. I could have gotten back on the plane and returned back to the US…by choice and not force as my ancestors were taken away.

When we stepped out of the Airport after passing through customers, my wife and I were greeted by a parking lot full of African jittney men and baggage carriers looking to give us a ride to our destination and handle our bags for us. It was a sea of richly melanined dark brown faces all smiling and welcoming “back home” .

We did not go with a tour group or follow the tourist script. We got a hotel then a guest house and made friends quick with a brother name John, who was the concierge at the hotel we first stayed at. He told us that we were spending to much money their and that he could show us some cheaper places. He took us to meet his family in the village on his day off.

It was so strange because it made everything clear seeing the Africans. Looking at them I could see African Americans. The walks, the gestures, the dancing, the looks and features….there was no doubt that this is were we came from…it was like being home away from home…I felt like that is where I belonged…that was family…it was strange in a pleasant sense.

I thought that the people would look male nourished and weak, but to my pleasant surprise those were some of the healthiest and strong looking people that I had ever seen. I went to a fishing village and seen brothers who were just ripped and cut like they had been working out all their lives. However, forget the brother…the sisters…Good God almighty….talk about some grace and beauty…and not to mention that boo…well, you know. I seen some of the finest women that I had seen in my life…lawd help a brother do the right thing.

The Ghanaians were probable the friendliest people that I had ever meet, despite having the least of any people that I had met. Of course, once they knew you were American they befriended you to engage in commerce. However, I watched how they treated and spoke with one and other to gauge my opinion. It was beautiful and I could not help but to juxtapose it with the behavior and attitudes of African Americans. They are who we once were until we were corrupted by the influence of Western civilization and its crimes against ours peoples humanity.

I could go on with more but I will not. I just wanted to share a powerful and emotional experience of my life and recommend that somehow, if you can afford it, go visit the motherland. Make sure you do it the right way as not to have the American tourist experience, but one in which you connect with the locals on a more personal bases. Likely, if you are not a conscious black person in regards to being connected to your ancestors spiritually and to the struggles of your people, likely you should not go to Africa. The reason being is that you will only see what you want to see…which is a reason to be proud and lucky that you do not live there…in other words, you will be thanking that your ancestors were slaves so that you can now enjoy the material wealth of the West…even as a second class citizen. That is a shame, because we have become so blinded in the West by material wealth that we do not realize how poor we are, relative to Africans, in all other aspects of life and happiness.

I am currently making long term plans to buy property in Africa. I want to remain permanently connected and if feasible, have a dual citizenship in a chosen nation that offers such.

Do white folk want Affirmative Action back in Texas?

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Could it be true? Are white folk that once opposed affirmative Action in Texas now in favor of it? What would make a group of white folk change so drastically after fighting so hard to remove Affirmative Action? The history of Affirmative Action in Texas goes something like this; In 1996 Cheryl Hopwood, a white woman sued the University of Texas on the grounds that she was rejected solely on the basis of her race. As with most Affirmative Action cases, she did not sue the school for letting other white folk in with inferior test scores and so on, she went after those who got in because of Affirmative Action because she know damn well not one of those Black and Latino students deserve to be in the school more than her. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in her favor thus ending Affirmative Action in Texas.

After the end of Affirmative Action in Texas the state legislature went to work to devise an alternative plan that would give Black and Latino students a better chance at getting into Texas Colleges and Universities. The state legislature came up with the Top Ten percent plan. This plan stated that the top ten percent of every graduating High School class was guaranteed admission into any public Texas College or University of their choice. In 1997 the Governor of the state of Texas, George Bush signed this plan into law. In the beginning there was much criticism of this law; various studies were done to prove the law was not doing what affirmative action had done and that Black and Latino student enrollment had failed in comparison to pre Hopwood days. The studies were correct, enrollment had failed in comparison to pre Hopwood, but as the years went by things changed and by 2001 Black and Latino student enrolment was not only back up to pre-Hopwood days, it had surpassed them, and here lies the problem.

The top ten percent plan is working so well now that white folks are now petitioning to have it reduced or capped and some are petitioning to have it out right revoked, even though more white students are benefiting from it than Black and Latino. Here is the burner; some of them are espousing using pre-Hopwood standards, meaning using Affirmative Action as it once was in order to get rid of the top ten percent plan. (We can not win for loosing with white folk in Texas.) The reason why these particular white folk want to get rid of the Top Ten Percent plan is they have spent all their money buying homes in affluent communities so that their children can go to the best schools but what they are finding out is their children while graduating with a 3.9 GPA, taking Advance Placement courses and scoring decent on the SAT are not in the top ten percent of their class, thus they do not get a guaranteed seat in any of the Public Colleges or Universities in Texas. However, down in the city where all the Black and Latino students attend School, students are graduating with a 3.4 GPA, no advance placement courses and low SAT scores but still graduate in the top ten percent of their class and get a guaranteed seat in any Public College or University.

State Senator Jeff Wentworth is leading the fight to repeal the top ten percent plan. During his interview on 60 minutes he espoused many preconceived notions about Black and Latino students being accepted to state Colleges and University under plans like the one in Texas and Affirmative Action. Senator Wentworth stated without checking his facts that “some of the students who get into the state Flagship University are not prepared academically for the rigorous training they get at that higher educational institution and some of them don’t last, they wine up quitting very frustrated because they were not prepared.” However the statistics at the University of Texas contradict the Senator. Larry Faulkner the president of the University of Texas was confronted with the Senators statements and President Faulkner stated, “The students from the “minority” schools do well at the University of Texas” he then went on to say “if you reach the top ten percent of your H.S. class, you know how to work, you know how to organize your time and those two things count a lot in an institutions like the University of Texas”. Mr. Faulkner was then asked does the top ten percent law dumb down the University of Texas, he said “he do not believe it dumb downs the University of Texas, We have the highest graduation rate in the history of the University, we have the highest four year graduation rate in the history of the university, we have the highest freshman retention rate in the history of the University.” The white reporter then commented that none of that says anything about the quality of the students, (you see how evil these people are). President Faulkner said in response to her dismissal and degrading of the quality of students being admitted, that “We have the highest SAT scores in the history of the University, and we have the highest class rank in the history of the University”. The reporter said even with the top ten percentage plan and President Faulkner said even with it.

One of the most ironic things said in the interview by Senator Jeff Wentworth is that he receive letters from affluent white folk who children can not compete with the other affluent students thus these white folk are trying to transfer their students to “inferior” (his word, not mine) schools so that they can be in the top ten percentile and get a guaranteed seat. What we have here is a plan that was supported in lieu of Affirmative Action and now it appears to be working better than Affirmative Action thus white folk want things back to how they use to be, even with empirical evidence that white students benefit from the top ten Percent Plan more than Black and Latino. It all comes down to some white folk believing they are more deserving of an education that Black and Latino students.

WHITE WEALTH 14 TIMES THAT OF BLACKS LATEST STUDY SHOWS!

WASHINGTON -- The enormous wealth gap between white families and blacks and Hispanics grew larger after the most recent recession, a private analysis of government data finds.

White households had a median net worth of greater than $88,000 in 2002, 11 times more than Hispanics and more than 14 times that of blacks, the Pew Hispanic Center said in a study being released Monday.

Blacks were slowest to emerge from the economic downturn that started in 2000 and ended in late 2001, the report found.

See full Article

My commentary on this is that African American, given the structural economic changes taking place in America and the world, will regress back to rates of poverty we have not seen since the early 70’s. A few years back, blacks had recorded our lowest poverty level ever here in the United States. At the apex of the 90’s boom, the black poverty rate had dropped to 22%, which is the lowest rate ever recorded. However, extrapolating from trends, by 2010 the black poverty rate, I predict, will be up above 30% again and by 2020, up near or above 40%. In other words, I am suggesting that if trends continue, the black poverty rate in America will nearly double in the next 20 years.

The primary reason is due to the decline of an industry that brought income and middleclass status to millions of African Americans with little education, which was the Northern Manufacturing industry. Not surprising, Cleveland Ohio has the highest poverty rate for any big city, and other Northern cities like Detroit, Gary, Flint, Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and Chicago that once lifted Southern fleeing blacks out of poverty and into the middle class, now no longer have those jobs to offer like it once did. Those Steal, Auto, Rubber, tool and die and other manufacturing jobs have gone oversees to cheaper sources of labor. Blacks were disproportionately employed in these smoke stack industries and hence will disproportionately be hurt by the industries decline.

Structurally, never in America has hard work not simply been a conduit out of poverty, all other things being equal, until recently. Today, a college degree (in practice) is needed to secure those types of jobs that can elevate a family out of the ranks of the poor. The catch is, however, only about a quarter of all jobs being demanded by the economy require such a college degree. The consequence of these events will be a shrinking of the middle class and an increase in the lower class. Blacks will experience the severest drop percentage wise from the ranks of the middle class and into poverty, due to the type of industries and jobs that blacks are employed in.

The Million Man March

Today is the ninth anniversary of one of the most spectacular events I ever witnessed and been a part of; The Million Man March. It was back in 1995 that Minister Farrakhan called for a million black men to meet him in Washington D.C. to bring attention to the crimes committed against us and the crimes we commit against one another. I and about six brothers of mine answered that call, driving from California to Washington D.C. I will never forget arriving on the mall that morning before the sun rose thinking we would be some of the first brothers out there, little did I know if we wanted to be in the top ten thousand we would have had to arrived several hours earlier. The spirit of that day is one that sticks with me to this day; there was no mean mugging, no disrespect, no nigga this or nigga that, it was all love for one another and kind.

Black men arrived on the mall in the thousands some say and believe in the millions. Black Muslims, Black Christians, Black Jews, Black Atheist, Black Nationalist, Black Homosexuals, Black Republicans, Black Democrats, Black men from the East Coast, Black men from the West Coast, Black men from the South, Black men from the Mid-West, Black Police, Black Fireman, Black Masons; we all came representing nearly every affiliation there is in our community. However, this march was not about any of those affiliations, it was about Black men coming together and atoning for our past transgressions and taking a pledge to do better after that day.

Here is the pledge Black men took on that day and it is as relevant today as it was on that great day.

“I pledge that from this day forward I will strive to love my brother as I love myself. I, from this day forward, will strive to improve myself spiritually, morally, mentally, socially, politically and economically for the benefit of myself, my family and my people. I pledge that I will strive to build business, build houses, build hospitals, build factories and enter into international trade for the good of myself, my family and my people.

I pledge that from this day forward I will never raise my hand with a knife or a gun to beat, cut, or shoot any member of my family or any human being except in self-defense. I pledge from this day forward I will never abuse my wife by striking her, disrespecting her, for she is the mother of my children and the producer of my future. I pledge that from this day forward I will never engage in the abuse of children, little boys or little girls for sexual gratification. For I will let them grow in peace to be strong men and women for the future of our people.

I will never again use the `B word' to describe any female. But particularly my own black sister. I pledge from this day forward that I will not poison my body with drugs or that which is destructive to my health and my well-being. I pledge from this day forward I will support black newspapers, black radio, black television. I will support black artists who clean up their acts to show respect for themselves and respect for their people and respect for the ears of the human family. I will do all of this so help me god.”

Minister Farrakhan also laid out Eight steps of atonement I have found these steps to be useful in every aspect of my life and I am sure they can work in yours as well.


Eight Steps of Atonement
1. Someone must point out the wrong
2. Acknowledgment of the wrong
3. Confess the fault; first to God, then to those offended
4. Repentance; a feeling of remorse or contrition or shame for the past conduct which was wrong and sinful
5. Atonement; meaning to make amends and reparations for the wrong
6. Forgiveness by the offended party; to cease to feel offense and resentment against another for the harm done
7. Reconciliation and restoration; meaning to become friendly and peaceable again
8. Perfect union with God

Atone Brothers and Sisters and let’s move forward and help our people.

RESPECT TO MY ANCESTORS AND FAMILY AND TO MY FIRST BORN EMPRESS!

I would like to pay respect to may family and our Journey A to MMM journey. A to MMM refers to my families journey from Africa to Mississippi, Michigan and now Minnesota (whats up with them M states?).

My parents were born in Mississippi but migrated up North to Michigan in the 50’s for a better a life. I was born in Michigan in the late 60’s one of 4 siblings. I migrated to Minnesota, for pretty much the same reasons that my parents left Mississippi, which was for better opportunity and too escape more overt forms of racism (Michigan is very segregated and racist). I moved to Minnesota and met my Empress and we produced a beautiful young empress of some 20 months old.

My parents were share croppers in the Mississippi Delta. My folks use to tell me stories about how poor they were. They said for Christmas, they would simply get an apple and an orange.. They used to decorate their home (more like a shanty) exterior with newspaper doing Christmas. They said that everyone did it and that they all would marvel at the beauty of it.

My father said that the land owner would never pay them enough money to break out of their debts. There existance is what was know as peonage. This peonage and Jim Crow Laws is justifcation enough for reparations ad there are millions of living victims from it...my folks being among them. But I guess our nation will wait till they die off before they recognize the injustice...but then say its too late to do anything because all the victims are now dead....so to bad. Anyway, my Dad said that sometimes the land owner or other whites would come and try to take some of the food that my folks were allowed grow for their sustenance. But my grand daddy didn’t take not slit. He would chase them off with his shot gun, but that only made things worse in the long run. Everyone worked out in the field too. From the youngest to the eldest. One day the land owner came buy and asked my grand daddy why his wife was not out in the field working. My grand daddy told him that he did not see his wife out there working…so why did he expect to see his. Of course…massa didn’t like that and try to punish the family by paying them even less for the work.

My grand daddy used to sell coal on the side that they would make from burning wood. He would travel through the Mississippi Delta country side on the weekends selling coal. He even had a rap to his game. He would yell out “ Charcoaaaaaaaalllllllll Mannnnn…..travelin thru da land….I’m black….charcoal black…sell my charcoal two bit’s a sack! “ I am extremly proud of the perserverance of my folks to get through what they endured.

My folks never got much education…because they needed to be out in the field to help the family survive. When my grand folks died. My Daddy moved up North and Married my mother, who was from his home county back in Mississippi. That is how I got here. We lived in Detroit and Grand Rapids Michigan, originally my folks settled in Detroit then Grand Rapids. It always seemed like we lived in tough neighborhoods. There were two people murder right in front of our home on different occasions. Other times I would see robbing, stabbings, shooting periodically. Street fighting was a weekly norm among youth and even some grown folks over the year and Police shoot outs once penetrated our home. It did not seem that bad growing up though it was kind of exciting when your young and feel invincible. The innocent rarely got victimized...not like it is today. That was just slit that happened and you just figured everyone dealt with it.

I was the youngest and had a tough older brother who sold drugs. He had a brand new ride in the 8th grade. Not too many cats messed with me because of my brother. He used to tell me about shoot outs that he was in and tell me about some cats he was with getting their heads blown clean off in robberies because they would not give up the goods. If you looked at him though…you could never tell the life he lived. He was really lucky. Never did any major time or suffered any life threatening wounds. Every time my mom heard the sirens…she would freak out because he was never home. He would be gone on two and three weeks stretches at the age of 15. He come back home and he done been in Chicago our down South somewhere hustling.

My other brother was a pure athlete. He was only about 5’10’’ but could dunk a ball 360 without taking any steps. He had a lot of talent, but his knees and Asthma really slowed his future. Plus, he faked an address and went to this suburban school and the racist coach would not play him like he deserved. When he got to college, his college coach called the school and told the coach that he did my brother an injustice because he could not understand why he did not get more playing time with his talent.

Me, I was considered the smart one. I was not really smart. I just went to class and did the work. That alone would get you labeled smart where I am from. That and talking with proper English. Cats thought you was a genius just for putting together a properly formed sentence. However, I cut that out quick as I started to get older. I did not want to draw attention to myself by standing out as someone who was into the books. That did not help your street rep none what so ever.

I played sports too...football and track and field. I was really skinny to the point that my football equipment look like it swollowed me...but I loved football and thought I would become a professional. NOT!

I actually flunked the 11th grade. I actually had no vision of a practical future other than working in some factory. My pops was a janitor and my mom working in a factory and everyone in my community who worked were doing factory work. Those with the Auto manufacturing jobs were considered the rich and elite....and those jobs did pay very well.

I remember my uncles telling me all that I needed to do to get ahead in life. I had a hard time reconciling their knowlege with their status in life. If what they were saying was true...then why did they not do it...I thought. I remeber my first year in college thinking that an Engineer major trained people to conduct trains. I could not figure out what a person needed to go to college for to conduct a train. I had NO CLUE in regards to any profession other than factory work....and the only thing I knew about that was that you come home dirty and tired.

I finished my matriculation from Wayne State University in Detroit in 1993. For a couple of years I felt it was a wasted time in my life because I was still working in factories and not getting any opportunitied in line with my education. Thats when I moved to Minnesota and found it to be the most hospitable place that I had ever been.

When I got my first real IT job....I could not believe the salary they were paying me. I was really intimidated and thought that they would be making me work like a dog for that money(in retrospect...I learned my starting salary was peanuts in the industry). After about a year on the job, I learned that the people who really worked hard were the people without college degrees...like my folks and me before I landed that job. I was sent to training all over the country. I went to California about 4 times, Florida, Colorodo, Chicago and Atlanta. I stayed in expensive hotels, had large expense budget for food.

Originally, since we were responsible for making our own travel arrangments and accomidations, I would pick the cheapest places to stay and would eat at Mcdonalds and stuff....until I saw were the white guys were staying at and that they were expensing 50$ mills (one mean mind you). I did not go as far as them, because I know a brother cannot due what white folks do. As soon as I would have done it....I am sure that the whole thing would have come under review and scrutiny.

One of the biggest things that shaped my commitment to the struggle of black people was the striking differneces between were blacks and whites lived while I was growing up and the constant arrest and detainments I had by white police and security guards for things that I never did. When I worked in resteraunts around white people, they would also acuse me of always stealing their tips. The whites that I were around were extemly ignorant and racist...not all of them. But the majority...because they lived in isolation from black people and everthing they believed was based upon stereotypes. I developed a complex so severe that when ever I was around whites and something came up missing...I felt compelled to go out of my way to prove it was not me. I can see very easily how so many black people were locked up for stuff they did not do...I actually thought that would be my fate one day too

WHEN INTEGRATION BECOMES COUNTER PRODUCTIVE TO PRESERVATION.

There was a time long ago when California was the land of wide open spaces and scenic beauty. Thus, humans decided to integrate into these pristine settings in order to enjoy and be a part of the beauty. However, the more humans integrated into this environment, the more it ceased to be what it was and the less attractive it has become. What happened in essence is that humans were not able to reproduce or preserve that which it tried to enjoy and be a part of. This is an example of the old adage that one cannot HAVE your cake and EAT it too.

As humans, if we are attracted to something, yet our immersion or usage of it erodes or dilutes it, our behavior patterns are hence destructive or out of balance with nature. There are many examples of life where something that attracts us is eroded or changed by our integration or actualizing into that what attracts us. Take for example music and the Blues or Jazz genre. What effect did white integration into these genres have upon those genres? These were distinctly black phenomenon in the beginning and many people of all races loved it. However, when white artist integrated into the genres, were they successful in reproducing what was or did they make it better or worse?

I was reading a debate between some white Rastafarians and black Rastafarians about the direction and meaning of the “Earth movement”. Rastafarians break down their overstanding in terms of their spiritual, cultural and Earthly movements. Their "Earth movement" is essentially the teachings of Marcus Garvey and is heavily Afro centric by its nature. The white Rasta’s wanted to challenge the terminology being used in the Earth movement because they seen it a racist and exclusionary (of them). I thought to myself why would these whites be attracted to a black phenomenon, then integrate into it and try to change it from the original purpose that attracted them in the first place? Blacks did not recruit them into the movement via missionary work.

I have also heard many statements from some black men praising white women, over black women. I will not get into the details or nonsense of the specifics of the praise, but suffice with saying that they ranked white women superior for their taste. However, as much as they worship and rank these white women, they cannot reproduce white women. Thus, if they have children, they can only produce the inferior mixed offspring who is considered black in most circles. Thus, by these black men own standards, his offspring is inferior, though maybe superior in his eyes to what he could have produced with a black woman. So will he rear his daughter in such a way that she sees herself as being inferior to pure white women...will he accept the chareterization of his daugther as inferior by other black men who rank white women superior. There actions are self defeating to their interest or icons.


What about our nation and its culture? Can this nation truly celebrate and integrate diversity of peoples and cultures into this nation without actually changing the dominant culture of the nation? One must manage their expectations upon integration. If there are the expectations that things can remain the same culturally, while integrating diversity, they are sadly mistaken. For integration with anything different always has the effect of altering what was.

The question that I have is this: Are certain phenomenon worth preserving as is? Can wisdom give us the discernment to know when to have the cake and when to eat it? It seems that a good litmus test would be to understand whether your actions preserves, erodes or augments the existence of a phenomenon. If it erodes or dilutes it and it has value, then in the long run the behavior is not good, but destructive.