by William Reed
In 1964, Malcolm X said, "Anytime you throw your weight behind a political party...and that party can’t keep promises that it made...and you’re dumb enough to walk around continuing to identify with that political party, you’re not only a chump, but a traitor to your race."
So what do you think Malcolm X would say to radio host Tom Joyner’s "plea to the Black man" blog statement: "Let’s not deal with the facts right now...let’s just deal with our Blackness and pride – and loyalty. We have a chance to re-elect the first African-American president, and that’s what we ought to be doing...because he’s a Black man"?
What has Obama done?
Fifty years after Malcolm X preached Black Power and its concepts of economic and political equity, a Black family resides in the White House. People like Joyner want to keep them there without posing the ultimate question: "What have you done for me lately?"
Malcolm X’s "by any means necessary" pledge to Black equality holds great sway in the Black Power psyche. For Joyner to be willing to overlook the fact that Black Americans have the lowest average income of any large racial group in the nation, are incarcerated at alarmingly high rates, and are still segregated and profiled just to get Obama re-elected is a disservice to Black political empowerment. Wouldn’t Malcolm suggest that African-Americans take stock of what the Obamas being in the White House has accrued?
Issues in forefront
At the basis of political struggle are economic interests. The economic interests of Black Americans are not mutually aligned with the Democrats or the Republicans. In areas of social justice, economic development and public safety, the vast gulf between what is needed and what is provided from government demands re-evaluation.
President Obama’s tone toward Blacks’ problems is for us to "stop whining." And Herman Cain says to the Black and poor that "if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself!" African-Americans are a racial minority in a country where racism is a fact of life. Black-oriented issues are regularly put on the back burner. It makes sense to form African-American interest groups who are willing to bring our issues to the forefront of American political discourse.
Things can change for us, if we make a point of consolidating our own political voting power. Black Americans can no longer complain about how we are treated without adopting tried and true methods to take political power. Identifying with Black culture is necessary. Being part of a 2012 Black voting bloc would be a bold move to put balance back in the American political landscape leading up to the presidential election.
Some Black Americans will like lemmings go the Joyner "Keep a Black Man president" route. In contrast, others will become forces that make their own political fortunes.
Fifty-state strategy
The Black Political Party Media Fund is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization of note that is laying the foundation for a ticket of Black Power proponents to get on all 50 state ballots in 2012 and compete in a serious way with Barack and the Democrats and whomever the GOP nominates. For those able to think and act outside the mainstream ‘box,’ Black-oriented political pursuits can provide purpose, vision, and hope.
The Black Power 527 is paying petition gatherers in several states and working on a website and strategy that enables millions of people to conduct a "virtual primary" in mid-2012. The Black Political Party Media Fund’s projects include reaching out to Facebook and Twitter users to advocate Black Power objectives over their networks and in their various locales. The group seeks citizen journalists ready to advocate African-Americans’ interests and points of view.
The organization is seeking paid staffers and volunteers to work in every state Senate district in the country and on HBCU college campuses signing up ‘delegates’ to a Black Party convention. The Business Exchange is accepting inquiries at Busxchng@his.com .
Contact William Reed via www.BlackPressInternational.com. He is available for speaking/seminar projects via BaileyGroup.org
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