All posts by Dr. James Thomas Jones III

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Congratulations HBCU Graduates: The World Is Yours!!!!!!

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Let’s be honest about leadership. Great leaders should be servants to those who have placed their trust in them. Make no mistake about it, leaders rarely receive even a morsel of the applause they are due. Most citizens believe that they are merely doing their jobs.

If the above can be said about leadership in general, only the Lord knows how frustrated the U.S. President must feel at times. Quite possibly the only thing that could make things more pressure packed for an American President is if he were a person of color. Just ask Barack Hussein Obama.

A great argument could be made that the only President who rivals Obama in his polarizing affect on the nation is Lincoln whose administration was front-loaded with the myriad issues flowing from chattel slavery. To the chagrin of opponents, Barack Hussein Obama handled their disrespect and opposition with the style, class, and grace that our people have exhibited for centuries.

During the recent commencement address delivered to nearly 30,000 students called “Show Me Your Walk H.B.C.U. Edition” this past Saturday, the still embattled, yet always smooth former President touched on the fact that Black America always receives a double-portion of misery and suffering from a nation that would not exist without their crucial contributions.

I expected Obama to touch on the Coronavirus and the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery during the address; he did not disappoint me in that regard. While addressing the global pandemic, the former President poignantly highlights that

A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country. We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn’t submit to their questioning.

I am sure that I have much company in being unmoved by a recitation of the problems facing Black America. At this moment in time, I expect Black leaders to be ready to articulate a reasonable action plan to address the matters that afflict us.

So, I was extremely pleased to hear Obama issue a call to action for the next generation of Black leaders. The former President shared the following with the graduates.

Injustice like this isn’t new. What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing; that the old ways of doing things don’t work.

I hope that Barack Hussein Obama is correct in his summation that the current generation “has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing.” We need their help in this battle to uplift the Race and bring a semblance of common sense to the nation in general.

As an educator, I tip my hat with pride to graduating students and offer congratulations regarding their accomplishments and truly believe that “the best is yet to come” for each of them.

I will leave the graduates with the poignant question of rap emcee Nassir Jones (Nas).

Who’s world is this?

 The world is yours!!!! The world is yours!!!!!

Graduates, I plead with you to go forth with courage, common sense, and love for yourself and your fellow human.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

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What Does a Powerful Response to the Lynching of Ahmaud Arbery Look Like From Black America?

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There is little room to debate against the belief that the fallout from the modern-day lynching of Ahmaud Arbery at the hands of Greg McMichael and his son Travis has served as yet another reminder of the following things.

  • There is a class of Whites’ that should be considered the personification of evil.
  • Black life does not matter to many of our White countrymen.
  • Black America does not have enough political clout to demand fairness from elected officials.
  • The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery although tragic is not significant enough to cause Blacks to become politically engaged in an unprecedented manner.

I am not compelled to recite the hunting and killing of yet another African-American man by White males who fashion themselves as modern-day “patty rollers” dictating when and where Blacks are allowed to appear in public. My focus is what steps should Black America take in the wake of this latest tragedy.

The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery exposes the inexcusable fact that Black America remains politically disorganized and absent any understanding of political collectivism; it is these deficiencies that their opponents rely on. The absence of Black solidarity has made Blacks the poster children of unnecessary violence from non-Black citizens, law enforcement agencies, merchants, and every other segment of society. Although difficult to admit, it appears that Malcolm X’s admonishment that Blacks are the world’s chumps remains valid to this moment for one simple reason; Black America continues to believe that raw emotion is an acceptable substitute for well-thought out political action.

The failure to understand that the mobilization and organization of political power is a rather mundane and often unemotional process sits at the center of Black America’s political failings. Black America’s political inefficiencies allows opponents to anticipate their every move in the wake of moments such as the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery. One can count on Blacks doing the following in the wake of gross racial injustice.

  1. Issuing an emotionally charged outrage regarding the injustice.
  2. Engaging in public protests such as marches and phrase-mongering from self-proclaimed “Black leaders”.
  3. The issuing of statements by celebrities and sports stars calling for justice.
  4. As emotions subside the vast majority of “activists” who earlier pledged their lives to the pursuit of racial justice will fade away.
  5. Entering a period of deafening silence regarding political matters until the next racial injustice.

Unfortunately for Black America, this well-worn pattern of political ineptitude has been a standard verse since the Black Power Era’s decline.

In many ways, the above inefficiencies have made Black protestors an unexpected ally for White political leaders. One needs to look no further than the Prosecutors who refused to bring charges against Greg and Travis McMichael for evidence. Trust me when I say that those opposing racial justice fully understand the limitations of political movements resting on little more than fleeting emotion. History informs us that if given enough time the alluded to emotionalism will burn out and things will then return to normal.  

The American historical record informs us that emotionalism is a poor substitute for political organization. In fact, there has never been a moment in U.S. History where the more organized force did not prevail during political conflict. To the chagrin of many, the eloquence of Black leaders who move Black America as if they were a down-home Baptist Preacher is worth little in the American political arena. If one removes the rabble-rousing and phrase-mongering that flows so freely from the mouths of Black political leaders, it becomes obvious that these charismatic leaders have little understanding of the steps necessary to mobilize, organize, and strategically use dormant caches of political power strewn throughout a predominantly Black urban landscape.

In light of such political ineptitude, it is crucial that Blacks begin asking pertinent questions such as ‘How should Black America prepare for the next racial injustice?’

Well, I’ll tell you that the only reasonable path forward is an unemotional dedication to fighting racial bigots and structures of institutionalized racism on every front. I am certain that you are wondering ‘How do we put such measures into action?’ The following ideas would go a long way toward advancing the struggle for racial justice.

  1. Understand that politics is a marathon, not a sprint that is engaged in only during the weeks leading up to an election.
  2. Develop independently organized institutions capable of recognizing and tackling issues such as voter suppression. For example, if a new requirement is created regarding the need for a State issued ID, we should not spend a disproportionate amount of time protesting such measures as that time and those resources could be used to develop and execute a plan to secure the required ID’s.
  3. Dedicate oneself to fighting your opponents on every front.
    1. Increase your knowledge regarding political candidates.
    2. Increase your knowledge of the political process.
    3. Create or use a portion of your book club meeting time to discuss substantive political issues.
  4. Recognize that nearly every decision that you make is a political decision that has long-term ramifications.

Of course, the above steps have no impact on avowed White bigots such as Greg and Travis McMichael or for that matter the Prosecutors who refused to arrest them. However, if the above steps were guiding principles, Black America would already possess the political capital necessary to demand, not beg, elected officials, regardless of color, to behave in ways that they may not necessarily want to such as prosecuting all involved in the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery.

It is time that Black America took Malcolm X’s assertion that “Things will never get better until you make them better” to heart and began the necessary steps to mobilize their power for future racial conflict that shall surely arrive at an inopportune moment.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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How A Bigoted TikTok Video Provides White Americans an Opportunity to Differentiate Themselves from the Bigots that Surround Them

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I am sure that by this time you have seen the TikTok video of two high school students from Georgia making a “Nigger.” This dimwitted duo taped themselves in front of a bathroom mirror mixing a potion that included derisive stereotypes such as:

  • Doesn’t have a Dad.
  • Robs White people.
  • Goes to jail.

These were the crucial ingredients involved in the making of a “Nigger.” Apparently, this is what passes for cute and entertaining during this moment of self-quarantine.

If only I had a penny for each moment that someone oversimplified the voluminous problems occurring within Black America to cultural dysfunction, the lack of a moral compass and dearth of impulse control, I would be a rich man.

The alluded to derisive commentary is offered with such authority that it leads one to believe that White America is devoid of cultural dysfunction or myriad inter-locking illiteracies (historical, cultural, political, etc.) that render many of its members to the scarp-heap of intellectual feebleness.

For decades I have watched many Whites from their thrones of privilege pass judgment on Black America due to the actions of a idiotic roguish few in our community. As a person who has always asked for consistency out of others in their actions and thought, I must apply the same rules to myself and state that I am left with no choice but to follow Whites lead of jumping to conclusions and using a broad paint brush to denigrate an entire Race due to the actions of an idiotic few; in this case two yet to be identified teenagers. The idiotic pseudo-scientists have been expelled from the highly-diverse majority minority Carrollton High School, located 50 miles west of Atlanta. In many ways, the expulsion of this duo is in-direct punishment for the entire nation as it ensures that they will continue to wallow in their pervasive ignorance.

In all seriousness, I find it impossible to allow this dynamic-duo of idiocy to serve as the representatives of a highly-diverse White America. I understand that they are neither representative of White America nor indicative of the progressivism of many of my White colleagues. I will tell you that I find much hope in the fact that prominent members of that community immediately stepped-forward to not only rebuke the deplorable message but also to take decisive action against this public expression of racial bigotry.

Mark Albertus, the superintendent of the Carrollton School District immediately launched an investigation after terming the footage “unacceptable…and not representative of the district’s respect for all people.” Mr. Albertus displayed what I can only term an uncommon bold leadership by countering these two nitwits actions by publicly stating,

We are very proud of our diversity and so is our entire community. We don’t need to lose sight of this important attribute because of the actions of a few.   

Albertus’ position was bolstered by David Brooks, the principal of Carrollton High School, who related that these actions, whenever they were conducted, went against the standard of behavior he expects his students to uphold. According to Brooks,

It is our priority to keep our schools safe, and there is no doubt this incident has caused significant tension at Carrollton High School, across the district, state and nation – even the world.

Although rarely discussed in front of “mixed company” (a gentile way of saying ‘White folk’), there is consensual agreement that although all Whites may not fall into the category of racial bigots, we must remain cautious when in their presence; at least until they prove that they are different from their peers.

Make no mistake about it, the historical record indicates that for Blacks dealing with Whites, the stakes can be as high as life or death. Hence, there is a desperate need for Blacks, regardless of age, to be sure of who they are dealing with. Unfortunately for Whites, Blacks do not possess a supernatural insight that allows them to differentiate between good Whites and bad Whites through physical appearance. For well-meaning Whites not afflicted by full-blown racial bigotry, the onus is on them to publicly demonstrate on a consistent basis that they are cut from a much-different cloth than their bigoted brethren.   

Much like the way that bigoted Whites seize MLK’s words regarding “the content of our character” to denigrate Blacks, as mentioned above, I demand consistency from all around me. Hence, it should be easy to understand that I use these same words in my evaluation of Whites. Few meet my standard of definitively  denouncing racial bigotry in a crisis such as the recent one at Carrollton High School. If I had one wish in this matter, it would be that more Whites follow the lead of Superintendent Albertus and Principal Brooks and jump into the fray with an uncommon eagerness that leaves no room regarding where they stand on such matters. Failure to mimic those actions leaves Black America with no other choice than to leave them in a murky swamp filled with their less civilized countrymen.  

Just as you are watching Black America and making judgments regarding what you see, we are watching you and making similar judgments.   

TikTok!

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

I thank you and appreciate you visiting Manhood, Race, and Culture.

If you enjoy the content that you find here at Manhood, Race, and Culture.

It would be greatly appreciated if you would consider purchasing my book, “Foolish” Floyd: The Life & Times of an African-American Contrarian.

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I Guess That We All Get A Turn: The Unfortunate Saga of Dr. Armen Henderson and What It Means About the Relationship of Black Men to White Police Officer’s (We’ve Seen This Many Times Before)

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There comes a moment when one has to call “a spade, a spade.” I doubt that it’s possible to find a single African-American man who has a personal story that relates the tenuous nature and unsettled feelings that seem to naturally flow from interaction with law enforcement officers. Every Black man that I know of can inform you of the moment that they came to the realization that the one life that they spent decades developing can be snatched away at a moment’s notice by a rogue law enforcement officer due to no fault of their own.

This unfortunate reality was reiterated yet again by the experience of Dr. Armen Henderson this past week. Dr. Henderson, a medical doctor whose service to the homeless community in Miami, Florida, during the global pandemic was feted by the Miami Herald newspaper has made national news as a result of it being his turn to be in the wrong place, this time it happens to be in front of his house, at the wrong time. Dr. Henderson’s character is best reflected in his taking charge of much of the Coronavirus testing of the homeless in this uncertain time.

If they are being truthful, most Blacks, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status, can tell you that they understand that their life can be ended due to circumstances far beyond their control. For Dr. Henderson, the context was his loading of makeshift tents that he intended for the homeless. This good nearly cost him his freedom, if not his life.   

Dr. Armen Henderson was in front of his home loading up his vehicle with supplies to continue his outreach efforts for the less fortunate in his community when IT occurred. The IT that I refer to is an unwanted and unnecessary conflict with a police officer. A video camera captured the officer’s arrival and a subsequent brief discussion between the law enforcement officer and Dr. Henderson. Video footage also captured the officer placing the famed medical doctor in handcuffs for no apparent reason. In a scene that reminds one of the fugitive slave laws of yesteryear, Dr. Henderson screamed for his wife’s assistance. Fortunately, she was aware enough to rush outside with identification confirming that this harassment was occurring in front of their residence. It is deplorably that this pillar of the community was not released until the officer reviewed the identification in a manner that reminds me of the deplorable antics of slave catchers reviewing manumission papers that identified persons of African descent as free men or women. As expected, Miami’s Chief of police, Jorge Colina, backed his officer’s actions and attempted to explain away the issue as a misunderstanding that flowed from the officer investigating repeated complaints of illegal dumping.

As mentioned above, there comes a time when we must call “a spade, a spade.” For African-Americans who did not already realize that they must be on high-alert every moment of the day, even inside the comfy confines of their homes, this is yet another lesson that you are always only a moment away from a contentious conflict with a rogue element of some law enforcement agency that has convinced themselves that they have the power to be judge, jury, and executioner of any Black person they encounter.

If nothing else, the historical record indicates that we must each understand that we are only a single interaction from having our life and the lives of those that we love permanently disrupted by the unwise decisions of a bigoted officer “following procedures.” Such a context mandates that African-Americans pledge to be careful out there today, tomorrow, and forever because your life is the best thing that you have going for you. Survive conflict with rogue officers and anyone else seeking to harm you “by any means necessary.”

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

I thank you and appreciate you visiting Manhood, Race, and Culture.

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Why I Am Never Jubilant on Jackie Robinson Day: Reflections on Race, Sport, Ownership, and a Hostile Takeover of the Negro Leagues

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I must admit that I am a rabid baseball fan of the New York Yankees and there is probably no greater disruption to my life at the present moment than the inability to watch MY team make its way to a long-overdue World Series Title. In a world filled with so much uncertainty, I do know this for certain; a world without Major League Baseball is simply not enjoyable.

Most who know my relationship with Major League Baseball (MLB) find it conflicting that although I am a Black man who is an unbridled MLB fanatic, I do not view Jackie Robinson’s integration of the sport with rose-colored glasses. I fully understand that this make me an anomaly among African-American fans of MLB; this point is annually reinforced for me during Jackie Robinson day celebrations.

Where others see cause to celebrate the integration of MLB, I mourn at the losses Black America suffered as a result of this “racial progress.” Jackie Robinson’s selection as the first Black player to play in the “Major Leagues” would come at a rarely discussed cost to black communities as well as Negro League players and team owners. In a world that made the closing of physical distance between Blacks and Whites akin to racial progress, the underside of integration is rarely, if ever, discussed. Jackie Robinson Day has become a moment of forced racial tranquility via the curtailing of critiques around Race, baseball, power, and ownership.

The historical record indicates that there has always been a cadre of Black leaders who pursued integration by any means necessary. This foolhardy pursuit of integration at all costs has historically resulted in the ruin of much of Black America.

Never mentioned in annual celebrations of Robinson’s arrival to the Los Angeles Dodgers roster is the economic ruin that resulted within black communities that were buoyed by revenue flowing from the Negro Leagues. Although it is painful to admit, Robinson’s donning of a Dodgers uniform meant the eventual loss of dollars within black communities that circulated those much-needed monies; we must remember that the circulation of black dollars was partially facilitated by the pernicious effects of Jim Crow mandated racial segregation. The socioeconomic casualties, especially the loss of team ownership, are far too numerous to list in this space. Negro League teams such as the

  • Atlanta Black Crackers
  • Cleveland Buckeyes
  • New York Black Yankees
  • Kansas City Monarchs

were not only a significant source of entertainment for the African-American communities that housed them but also provided the opportunity for team ownership for African-American men such as Joe Green, Andrew “Rube” Foster, Tom Wilson.

By most accounts, including those of MLB players such as Babe Ruth, Negro League players were more skilled and physically superior to their White counterparts. Such comparisons extended to comparisons of folk-heroes such as Babe Ruth whose talent was eclipsed by the great Josh Gibson; Baseball historians tell us that it was Gibson, not Ruth, who was the only man to ever hit a ball out of old Yankee Stadium.

In hindsight, it made little sense for Negro League teams to disassemble and have its most socially acceptable, not necessarily most talented, pieces parceled out to MLB teams. The Black Nationalist portion of my mind hopes that if Black America understood that the most significant consequence of Jackie Robinson integrating MLB for our community was the dismantling of the Negro Leagues and the decline of our socioeconomic viability that they would temper their celebration of Jackie Robinson Day.

Now please do not take my words as a veiled call for an extension of racial segregation, it is not. However, this call is a harkening for Black America to reconsider its rush to abandon institutions they have created and controlled for entities they have no ownership of.

In hindsight, it is obvious that the decline of the Negro Leagues was a hostile takeover executed by MLB owners. There is no other means of viewing this occurrence by MLB power-brokers like Branch Rickey. From the beginning, MLB owners appeared determined to limit the “integration” of their sport to the playing field, not the owner’s box. If figures such as Branch Rickey were truly interested in integrating baseball they would have pursued diversity throughout the entire game from the playing field to the ownership ranks. What makes this matter more despicable is that there is precedence for such an occurrence in the world of professional sports.

There was a time when the National Basketball Association (NBA) faced stiff competition from the upstart American Basketball Association (ABA). Now I do not want you to think that the ABA was some ragtag outfit composed of players who did not possess the talent to play in the NBA. The ABA was very similar to the Negro Leagues in that it featured incredibly talented players who mesmerized fans with an exciting brand of basketball that the NBA could not rival. Here are a few of the greats that began their careers in the ABA:

  • Julius “Dr. J.” Irving
  • Artis Gilmore
  • Connie Hawkins
  • Rick Barry
  • Spencer Haywood
  • Billy Cunningham
  • George McGinnis
  • George Gervin
  • Moses Malone
  • Dan Issel
  • David Thompson

Instead of “integrating” the ABA stars into NBA teams, NBA owners merged with the upstart league and accepted the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and New York Nets into their league. Players from the two remaining teams that folded due to financial reasons were placed in a dispersal draft.

When placed within this context, it is obvious that there was nothing, outside of racial bigotry fueled institutional racism, preventing White Major League owners from merging with the Negro Leagues and bringing several pre-existing franchises into their league. Although I am certain that many will charge that White fans would have boycotted inter-racial games, such an action would have had little impact on profits as African-American fans would have flocked to the games in droves with hopes that black baseball players would once again prove their superiority to their White counterparts. Despite it being relatively difficult to comprehend considering the popularity of football and basketball within Black America, there was a time when baseball was Black America’s favorite pastime.

Unfortunately for Negro League owners and the black community, the price White team owners demanded for their “acceptance” of African-American baseball players was the absence of Black ownership within the MLB ranks. From their perspective, African-Americans were only acceptable as employees, not as owners possessing a voice in league operations. It is for these reasons that I cannot fully embrace Jackie Robinson Day because it symbolizes for me colossal loss in a host of important arenas, a cost that is so enormous that it is impossible to tally to the present day.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

I thank you and appreciate you visiting Manhood, Race, and Culture.

If you enjoy the content that you find here at Manhood, Race, and Culture.

It would be greatly appreciated if you would consider purchasing my book, “Foolish” Floyd: The Life & Times of an African-American Contrarian.