Category Archives: RACE
DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS: WHY BLACK PROTESTORS WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO DO WHAT TRUMP SUPPORTERS DID AT THE CAPITOL
Now, the world don’t move
To the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you,
May not be right for some.
(Different Strokes Theme Song)
It is a complicated proposition to get Black children to understand the concept of injustice. In fact, injustice and differences based on racial identity are some of the most foul-tasting things that Blacks, regardless of age, must endure. Despite what many may think, the swallowing of injustice is not an acquired taste. One never gets used to it.
There is no reasonable way of arguing against the reality that, as the Different Strokes theme song pinned above informed us, there are different strokes for different folks in America. Although this reality is unfair, it is the only one available to Black America.
As I watched the hostile takeover of the Capitol yesterday, I, along with millions of other fair-minded Americans, mused that under no circumstances would Blacks be allowed to do such things by any law enforcement agency. A Black uprising would have been dealt with in the same manner as Nat Turner’s rebellion, the Stono Rebellion, or John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry. Although I am well-aware that members of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense entered California’s State Capitol with weapons in 1967, the Panther invasion was child’s play compared to the attempted coup delusional Trump supporters failed to execute in front of a gawking world.
What occurred yesterday was only possible by Whites who have been privileged their entire lives. The treasonous activities of yesterday displayed a fervent belief that this is their nation in the mind of Trump supporters, and they are determining their destiny in the same manner that the Founding Fathers broke away from British tyranny.
Despite what many may wish were true, the harsh reality is that yesterday’s events are little more than what occurs to the minds of some White citizens who have lived in a world where white power is buttressed by a white privilege that has paved a path to white politico-economic monopolies. When this biased and unfair system is disrupted, well, all hell will break loose. We must not forget that these people were allowed to behave in the manner that they behaved in yesterday; there is no allowance for such activities from Blacks, the most oppressed group in this nation’s history.
At this moment where people around the globe are aghast at Trump supporters’ attempt to overturn a democratic election through force, Black America looks on with amused contempt and envy at the appearance of yet another unmistakable articulation of a blanket White privilege that covers all. In the end, it is yet another reminder that the world is unfair, and America decidedly bends towards whiteness, as it always has, regardless of one’s politics, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. I guess that it is true that
The world don’t move
To the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you,
May not be right for some.
Dr. James Thomas Jones III
© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2021.
Uncivilized, Uncontrollable, and Ungovernable: A Black Man’s Perspective of Trump Supporters Storming of the Capitol
In the wake of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, then Nation of Islam Spokesman Malcolm X referenced the killing in the following manner.
I’m a good ol’ country boy and it ain’t never made me sad, its always made me glad when the chickens come home to roost.
Of course, this was Brother Malcolm’s way of saying that the violence America has allowed, and even perpetrated worldwide, has finally circled and taken out its Commander-in-Chief.
There may not be a more appropriate description of what we saw today as thousands of Trump supporters asininely attempted to execute a coup in the nation’s Capital. I cannot join political commentators, politicians, and naïve American citizens as they express shock and outrage at Donald J. Trump’s reckless language and the subsequent actions of persons marred by historic historical illiteracy and astounding ignorance regarding the political process of a nation that they profess to cherish. I am unmoved by today’s events.
As a Black man who has lived in a nation controlled by powerful Whites and even harassed by White non-elites, I long ago realized that the words uncivilized, uncontrollable, and ungovernable fit many of my White countrymen like a tailored suit. Do not be unduly dissuaded into believing that what you witnessed today is the exception to the rule. This is the standard behavior of such people.
I find it impossible to believe that a single Black person was surprised at the deplorable antics of adrenaline-filled Whites who have been convinced, without a shred of evidence, I might add, that their foremost inheritance, the United States of America, is being stolen from them. Whites have been convinced for the longest time that Abraham Lincoln’s words that “America is a nation that was created by Whites and should always serve the interests of Whites” is the baseline of their existence. Such thinking serves as the impetus behind an unmistakable preference to rule in hell rather than serve in heaven. Any attempt to wrestle what they have convinced themselves is their birthright from them reveals them as an uncivilized, uncontrollable, and ungovernable lot.
Although most are shocked by Trump supporters forced entry into the Capitol to halt the electoral vote, the truth of the matter is that this is not the first time that Whites have behaved in such a manner during the past four years. They have stormed State Capitol’s before with guns in hand. In fact, it would be fair to state that this type of behavior should be expected by angry misguided Trump supporters devoid of any semblance of civility.
Although I am not shocked by their antics, I do not blame them alone for this situation. I blame reasonable-minded yet cowardly Whites who have turned a blind eye to the behavior of this uncivilized, uncontrollable, and ungovernable lot. Of course, it is easy for well-meaning Whites to ignore what amounts to social cancer as long as it ravages Black and Brown bodies, not their own. The deplorable conduct of our countrymen should have been addressed long ago. Yet, the powers that be allowed the alluded to domestic terrorism to grow unchecked.
Let’s be honest about from whence these actions come. Domestic terrorism by Whites predates the founding of America and continues to the present moment. Marauding lawless, uncontrollable, and ungovernable Whites have lynched others, including some Whites that they disagreed with, burned bodies, raped, and ruled by unbridled force. It is who they are. In this nation, we must never forget that the unofficial mantra for who rules is summed up in the thought that “might equals right.”
So, you must excuse this Black man for being somewhat amused at today’s events, because much like Malcolm X, “I’m a good ol’ country boy and it ain’t never made me sad, its always made me glad when the chickens come home to roost.”
Dr. James Thomas Jones III
© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2021.
A Dystopian Love Thang: Is a Romantic and True Love Possible for Blacks While They Are Being Oppressed in America?
Click here to gain access to tonight’s meeting. Programming begins at 7:30 est / 6:30 cst.
I will admit that when Dr. Kaarin Perkins offered to lead last week’s MRCi (Manhood, Race, and Culture interactive) session. I had no idea of what to expect. The topic of Dystopian Love was a terminology that I had never heard prior. Yet, I had no doubt whatsoever that the discussion would be a robust one as Black men and Black women attempted to answer Dr. Perkins’ piercing questions regarding love in Black America without placing blame at the feet of Black men or Black women. According to our esteemed presenter,
It matters not whose fault it is. What matters is what we are going to do to straighten this mess out.
Please click here to gain access to the meeting that begins tonight (12/10) at 7:30 est / 6:30 cst
It would be a gross understatement to say that those who participated in the session were likewise clueless of what Dystopian Love was. Hence, we were all illuminated when Dr. Perkins explained that Dystopian is the opposite of Utopian. When one seriously considers the endless trials-and-tribulations facing Blacks in America, a host of questions should arise.
Black America’s existence in a dystopian world makes one wonder could things get any worse in Black society.
According to Dr. Perkins,
We have arrived at a Dystopian moment in Black America. The in-fighting and blaming of each other needs to stop and we must shift our focus toward rebuilding. It matters not who has caused today’s problems between Black men and Black women. We need to focus on how do we build each other up and generate a community that encourages Love for its members.
So, it should be expected that last week’s presentation focused on the following question.
- Is it possible for genuine love to develop between Black men and Black women in a Dystopian moment?
As we all anticipated, Dr. Perkins’ presentation was phenomenal and sparked enlightened discussion from all that were in attendance. I am delighted to say that the robust discussion has prodded Dr. Perkins to return for Part II tonight.
The program is scheduled to begin tonight — December 10, 2020 — at 7:30 est & 6:30 cst. To gain access to the ninety-minute Zoom session click here and come prepared to be enlightened, engaged, and challenged in Black America’s love matters.