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.
- Issuing an emotionally charged outrage regarding the injustice.
- Engaging in public protests such as marches and phrase-mongering from self-proclaimed “Black leaders”.
- The issuing of statements by celebrities and sports stars calling for justice.
- As emotions subside the vast majority of “activists” who earlier pledged their lives to the pursuit of racial justice will fade away.
- 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.
- Understand that politics is a marathon, not a sprint that is engaged in only during the weeks leading up to an election.
- 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.
- Dedicate oneself to fighting your opponents on every front.
- Increase your knowledge regarding political candidates.
- Increase your knowledge of the political process.
- Create or use a portion of your book club meeting time to discuss substantive political issues.
- 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.
