I know it's been awhile (both since my previous post and since this topic left the news headlines), but I had to let the dust settle a bit.
This here talk is about the whole 'Jena-Six' fiasco. Of course, newswatchers, or even passerbys, probably have become familiar with the story of the six teenage black males who were charged with the beating of a white teenager at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana on in early December of 2006. The six black students were initially charged with attempted second degree murder and conspiracy to commit second degree murder.
Even though law fails to do this, it's important to view the above incident as a cause and effect reaction to several prior incidents leading to the December 4th beating.
Three white students hung nooses from a tree in the Jena high school schoolyard the day after an African-American student broke an 'unspoken racial tradition' and sat under that tree. From then on, as far as non-Jena residents were concerned, all racial hell broke loose.
Student black-white tensions rose, a hasty school assembly was convened, a meeting composed of students, parents, police officials and the La Salle Parish District Attorney J. Reed Walters, who reportedly stated at the assemble, "...with one stroke of my pen, I can make your life disappear." A number of reports claim Mr. Walters was looking at black students when he stated those words, other claim otherwise.
Let's press fast-forward. A portion of the Jena high school gets burned down upon arson suspicion. Blacks students attempt to address the school board about the noose incident and several resulting racial flair-ups, but are denied. Several fights between black students and whites (both Jena and non-Jena students) ensue (including an incident where a white student presents a loaded shotgun to black students, but the black students are charged with three counts: theft of a firearm, second-degree robbery, and disturbing the peace. The white student who produced the weapon was not charged.
And let's press stop, because finally, we have reached, as Malcolm Gladwell would call it, The Tipping Point.
On December 4th, Justin Barker, a white Jena High School student, was assaulted at school. He was struck in the head by a black student, knocking him unconscious. A group of black students then repeatedly kicked him. Some individuals have stated that Barker had mocked Robert Bailey, Jr., who had allegedly been beaten up by a white man the previous Friday. Barker denies that. Schools superintendent Ray Bleithaupt stated that the attack was no ordinary schoolyard fight. "It was a premeditated ambush and attack by six students against one," Bleithaupt said. "The victim attacked was beaten and kicked into a state of bloody unconsciousness." According to relatives of the accused, the six defendants have all been expelled from school. Barker was treated for his injuries the same day of the beating and attended a school function that evening.
The police arrested the six students, eventually dubbed the "Jena Six", accused of the attack. Five of them (Robert Bailey, Jr., then 17; Mychal Bell, then 16; Carwin Jones, then 18; Bryant Purvis, then 17; and Theo Shaw, then 17) were charged with attempted second-degree murder. The sixth student, Jesse Ray Beard, was charged as a juvenile because he was 14 at the time.
Mychal Bell, aged sixteen at the time of the incident, was charged as an adult. The district attorney has stated that he did so due to Bell's criminal record and because he believed Bell initiated the attack. (*Note, all students have since been released from jail, but are still pending trial).
OK, press the fast forward button once more, and stop on September 20th, 2007, the day Michael Bell, the last of the Jena-Six in jail, was scheduled for sentencing. Rallies were held all across America in protest of unequal justice under the law for African-Americans, yet Jena, Louisiana held the biggest event, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 peaceful demonstrators attending the Jena event. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, rapper Mos Def and Ice Cube, and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, amongst others, attended the Jena rally.
As a direct result of the rally, which indirectly brought nation-wide media attention to Jena, Louisiana, Michale Bell was freed from jail and the charges originally against him were reduced, as he would be tried as a juvenile.
OK times 3, I know I took ten paragraphs to get to this here point of mine, but with due cause. I had to set the scene up first. That's what a good reporter does, right? Anyway, my argument lies not so much on the fiasco in Jena (crazy waste of ten paragraphs right), but moreso on Black "leadership", both on and off the radio.
But before I put them on the cross, shout-outs to such radio personalities as Michale Baisden, Tom Joyner and Rev. Al Sharpton, who did an excellent job in exposing a story of significance, building up community consciousness towards the story, organizing a nation-wide protest with technology and influencing "Big Media" to pay attention. There's no doubt about the power in that.
My question (and problem) with too many actors in the playwright called Black Leadership is....WHAT NOW?
Black leadership is very reactionary, somewhat like a little child that, if it doesn't get its way, it cries out in protest. (Mind you, the term 'its way' can literally mean 'fill in the blank'; anything from flamin' hot chips for breakfast, which is erroneous, to a bath, which is totally understandable). Some may be saying "Ouch!" right about now, but let me explain.
See, such erroneous issues "Black leadership" focuses on often are the wants and whims of an overgrown baby who should no better, do better, get better and stop crying.
I'm not saying that the Jena case was such an incident, but it amazes me how (and why) a community can consistently ONLY seem to congregate, network and feel invigorated when cast in a victim-spotlight.
I'm from the city of Chicago, in a great state called Illinois. And in that city I reside on the south side, a place where, at least every night, roughly one Black male is killed by another black male, often by gunfire. Yet in every CAPS meeting, community march and neighborhood rally, the numbers consistently reach less than 10-20 brave souls, and about 75% of those protesters are female.
I remember when Chris Rock said (and I'm paraphrasing), that he ain't worried about "no cracker of clansman robbing him and/or shooting him at an ATM" in anywhere-land America, its a black man.
Now, let's be rational. I think if we were to take a sober perspective and think about it, we'd agree with Mr. Rock. This is not to excuse, minimize, lighten or soften any reality of injustice faced by anybody in this world, but as African-Americans, we now hold the billy club, water hose, noose, revolver, pistol, whip and chain, and continually use it against ourselves, morso than any white man.
Read the book Enough, by Juan Williams. It's an interesting analysis of Black Leadership, the persons who largely make up the group and juxtaposes today's "leaders" with yesterdays.
I wonder why we don't hold ourselves and the elements within our Black community, those elements that DIRECTLY degenerate and exterminate our existence, to the same scrutiny and judgement that we hold stressed out police officers to? Why don't we speak out against misogynist rappers with the same hate that we speak to indifferent judges?
Why is there a huge element in our collective national psych that applauds the Ex-con but despises the Ivy-League trained lawyer?
Why do we allow our children to get away with thinking (and saying) that going to school everyday and on time, studying hard, getting stellar grades, speaking properly, getting involved in academic extracurricular activities and listening to Bjork and John Mayer are "acting white"?
Why is it cool, hip and mainstream for Black culture to be defined, BY BLACKS, largely as uncouth, rebellious, overly sexual, illegal and disrespectful?
Its like I'm seeing a larger picture; the writing is on the wall in CAPS LOCK telling us to seriously do some internal-auditing and CALL NIGGAS OUT, but no quote-on-quote "leader" has the guts, or brains, to call it like it really is. What's worse, neither do the laypersons.
After all, that's how you keep it real.
Let me stop and let the comments hail. But I restate, as a disclaimer, that the Jena-Six fallout was healthy in a small sense. It's wondrous to get equal-justice in a country that touts equal justice in its creed, and when they fail to live up to that, by all means, call 'em out!
Yet high crime rates, nation-wide unemployment percentages and high-school dropout rates, babies having babies, ill health habits and an ill health care system, welfare-love-ation, poor financial planning, failing religious faith, misogyny, poor economic habits, negative Hip-Hop and a trend of letting every other race come into our communities and sell us "products" that we sholl'nuff DO NOT NEED are issues of injustice as well. We can be a loud and expressive people but, Why are we so mute about that?
This here talk is about the whole 'Jena-Six' fiasco. Of course, newswatchers, or even passerbys, probably have become familiar with the story of the six teenage black males who were charged with the beating of a white teenager at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana on in early December of 2006. The six black students were initially charged with attempted second degree murder and conspiracy to commit second degree murder.
Even though law fails to do this, it's important to view the above incident as a cause and effect reaction to several prior incidents leading to the December 4th beating.
Three white students hung nooses from a tree in the Jena high school schoolyard the day after an African-American student broke an 'unspoken racial tradition' and sat under that tree. From then on, as far as non-Jena residents were concerned, all racial hell broke loose.
Student black-white tensions rose, a hasty school assembly was convened, a meeting composed of students, parents, police officials and the La Salle Parish District Attorney J. Reed Walters, who reportedly stated at the assemble, "...with one stroke of my pen, I can make your life disappear." A number of reports claim Mr. Walters was looking at black students when he stated those words, other claim otherwise.
Let's press fast-forward. A portion of the Jena high school gets burned down upon arson suspicion. Blacks students attempt to address the school board about the noose incident and several resulting racial flair-ups, but are denied. Several fights between black students and whites (both Jena and non-Jena students) ensue (including an incident where a white student presents a loaded shotgun to black students, but the black students are charged with three counts: theft of a firearm, second-degree robbery, and disturbing the peace. The white student who produced the weapon was not charged.
And let's press stop, because finally, we have reached, as Malcolm Gladwell would call it, The Tipping Point.
On December 4th, Justin Barker, a white Jena High School student, was assaulted at school. He was struck in the head by a black student, knocking him unconscious. A group of black students then repeatedly kicked him. Some individuals have stated that Barker had mocked Robert Bailey, Jr., who had allegedly been beaten up by a white man the previous Friday. Barker denies that. Schools superintendent Ray Bleithaupt stated that the attack was no ordinary schoolyard fight. "It was a premeditated ambush and attack by six students against one," Bleithaupt said. "The victim attacked was beaten and kicked into a state of bloody unconsciousness." According to relatives of the accused, the six defendants have all been expelled from school. Barker was treated for his injuries the same day of the beating and attended a school function that evening.
The police arrested the six students, eventually dubbed the "Jena Six", accused of the attack. Five of them (Robert Bailey, Jr., then 17; Mychal Bell, then 16; Carwin Jones, then 18; Bryant Purvis, then 17; and Theo Shaw, then 17) were charged with attempted second-degree murder. The sixth student, Jesse Ray Beard, was charged as a juvenile because he was 14 at the time.
Mychal Bell, aged sixteen at the time of the incident, was charged as an adult. The district attorney has stated that he did so due to Bell's criminal record and because he believed Bell initiated the attack. (*Note, all students have since been released from jail, but are still pending trial).
OK, press the fast forward button once more, and stop on September 20th, 2007, the day Michael Bell, the last of the Jena-Six in jail, was scheduled for sentencing. Rallies were held all across America in protest of unequal justice under the law for African-Americans, yet Jena, Louisiana held the biggest event, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 peaceful demonstrators attending the Jena event. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, rapper Mos Def and Ice Cube, and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, amongst others, attended the Jena rally.
As a direct result of the rally, which indirectly brought nation-wide media attention to Jena, Louisiana, Michale Bell was freed from jail and the charges originally against him were reduced, as he would be tried as a juvenile.
OK times 3, I know I took ten paragraphs to get to this here point of mine, but with due cause. I had to set the scene up first. That's what a good reporter does, right? Anyway, my argument lies not so much on the fiasco in Jena (crazy waste of ten paragraphs right), but moreso on Black "leadership", both on and off the radio.
But before I put them on the cross, shout-outs to such radio personalities as Michale Baisden, Tom Joyner and Rev. Al Sharpton, who did an excellent job in exposing a story of significance, building up community consciousness towards the story, organizing a nation-wide protest with technology and influencing "Big Media" to pay attention. There's no doubt about the power in that.
My question (and problem) with too many actors in the playwright called Black Leadership is....WHAT NOW?
Black leadership is very reactionary, somewhat like a little child that, if it doesn't get its way, it cries out in protest. (Mind you, the term 'its way' can literally mean 'fill in the blank'; anything from flamin' hot chips for breakfast, which is erroneous, to a bath, which is totally understandable). Some may be saying "Ouch!" right about now, but let me explain.
See, such erroneous issues "Black leadership" focuses on often are the wants and whims of an overgrown baby who should no better, do better, get better and stop crying.
I'm not saying that the Jena case was such an incident, but it amazes me how (and why) a community can consistently ONLY seem to congregate, network and feel invigorated when cast in a victim-spotlight.
I'm from the city of Chicago, in a great state called Illinois. And in that city I reside on the south side, a place where, at least every night, roughly one Black male is killed by another black male, often by gunfire. Yet in every CAPS meeting, community march and neighborhood rally, the numbers consistently reach less than 10-20 brave souls, and about 75% of those protesters are female.
I remember when Chris Rock said (and I'm paraphrasing), that he ain't worried about "no cracker of clansman robbing him and/or shooting him at an ATM" in anywhere-land America, its a black man.
Now, let's be rational. I think if we were to take a sober perspective and think about it, we'd agree with Mr. Rock. This is not to excuse, minimize, lighten or soften any reality of injustice faced by anybody in this world, but as African-Americans, we now hold the billy club, water hose, noose, revolver, pistol, whip and chain, and continually use it against ourselves, morso than any white man.
Read the book Enough, by Juan Williams. It's an interesting analysis of Black Leadership, the persons who largely make up the group and juxtaposes today's "leaders" with yesterdays.
I wonder why we don't hold ourselves and the elements within our Black community, those elements that DIRECTLY degenerate and exterminate our existence, to the same scrutiny and judgement that we hold stressed out police officers to? Why don't we speak out against misogynist rappers with the same hate that we speak to indifferent judges?
Why is there a huge element in our collective national psych that applauds the Ex-con but despises the Ivy-League trained lawyer?
Why do we allow our children to get away with thinking (and saying) that going to school everyday and on time, studying hard, getting stellar grades, speaking properly, getting involved in academic extracurricular activities and listening to Bjork and John Mayer are "acting white"?
Why is it cool, hip and mainstream for Black culture to be defined, BY BLACKS, largely as uncouth, rebellious, overly sexual, illegal and disrespectful?
Its like I'm seeing a larger picture; the writing is on the wall in CAPS LOCK telling us to seriously do some internal-auditing and CALL NIGGAS OUT, but no quote-on-quote "leader" has the guts, or brains, to call it like it really is. What's worse, neither do the laypersons.
After all, that's how you keep it real.
Let me stop and let the comments hail. But I restate, as a disclaimer, that the Jena-Six fallout was healthy in a small sense. It's wondrous to get equal-justice in a country that touts equal justice in its creed, and when they fail to live up to that, by all means, call 'em out!
Yet high crime rates, nation-wide unemployment percentages and high-school dropout rates, babies having babies, ill health habits and an ill health care system, welfare-love-ation, poor financial planning, failing religious faith, misogyny, poor economic habits, negative Hip-Hop and a trend of letting every other race come into our communities and sell us "products" that we sholl'nuff DO NOT NEED are issues of injustice as well. We can be a loud and expressive people but, Why are we so mute about that?
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