Political

Black America's Legacy of Struggle

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Larry Pinkney, BC Editorial Board Member
Life is struggle. Shirk it and lose it. Embrace it and most assuredly fulfill it.  



What does Black America’s legacy of political struggle really mean? In succinct terms, it refers to the enormous sacrifices, both personal and collective, made by those men, women and children who endeavored to further the cause of economic, social, and political equality, justice, and freedom, particularly with respect to Black Americans and our Red and Brown sisters and brothers.



In 21st century Black America, far from ending or concluding, our political struggle has, by necessity, intensified. White racism and concomitant economic, social, and political inequality and hypocrisy have, in fact, increased for the vast majority of Black and other people of color - not decreased.

Self-Determination and Nationalism

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Dr. Conrad W. Worrill, PhD
In order for the African Community in the United States of America to continue our fight for self-determination and dignity, it is important that we remind ourselves of the nature of the American dynamic.



Essentially, and at the foundation of the American-European dynamic, is the fact that it is made up of many nations who migrated to this country and continued to fight for, and develop their national interest, inside this country. At the same time they maintained their economic, political, cultural, and social relationships with their country of origin.

Republican’s "Big Tent" Inclusion Theory Goes "Boom": Thanks for the Warning

ImageThe decision of the leading Republican Presidential contenders to skip Tavis Smiley’s “Covenant with Black America” debate at Morgan State last week offers up more than we could ever hope to know about how the Republicans feel their chances are in courting Black America to the GOP in 2008. In fact, the Republican Party couldn’t have picked a better time to “tell us how they really feel” about us.

Two Faced Nation

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Darryl James
There are two Americas. One America is the image that the nation presents of itself on the world stage, and one is what many of America's citizens witness up close and personal every day.



The first image--the shining pillar of democracy, boldly bringing freedom to the world--is the false image. The real image is the dirty world pirate, who deals in oil and money to support or denounce foreign nations, depending on what is at stake.

Two Fools: Ignore Them And Get On With The Struggle

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Larry Pinknet, BC Columnist
There is an adage, which says, "When a person argues with a fool you see two fools."  In this context, both the Democratic and Republican parties have repeatedly and collectively demonstrated that neither of them deserve the political support of Black Americans and other people of color in this nation. 

"We" and "The Struggle" and Immobilizing Words Represent Our Resistance

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BlackCommentator.com
Here is an article by Dr. L. Jean Daniels, PhD, Black Commentator columnist, that is deeply thought-provoking.



I am wondering who's the "we" when some of us speak about Black Americans and what's "the struggle" "we" are engaged in now - assuming that the "we" is different from the "we" of the 1960’s and the "struggle" is different from the struggle for Civil Rights. 

In saying "we" Blacks are in "the struggle" here in the United States, are we talking about those Blacks who get up in the morning or evening to arrive at low-paying jobs and who know on Monday that Friday's check is already accounted to pay the utilities or to add to last Friday's check in order to pay the rent?

The Tavis Smiley Presidential Forum: "Showtime At The Apollo!"

Black Agenda Report
Tavis Smiley's presidential forum, before a black audience, with questions by black journalists, focusing on the issues ignored or bypassed in the mainstream media, but vitally important to the African America community, was billed as a historic occasion. But what we got was something else --- a game show format, driven by shallow sound bytes, all of it summed up for us by the same Republican pollster who gave us the "Contract For America" and the "death tax." Tavis Smiley's presidential forum shows what we get when we confuse black celebrity with black leadership, and marketing with journalism.