Tag Archives: White Bigotry

Uncategorized

Why White America is Responsible for the Lynching of George Floyd and What They Can Do About It

Leave a comment

Brrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinng!

The above word is the first line of Richard Wright’s novel, Native Son. The famed Chicago Renaissance writer intended for the ringing alarm clock to serve the purpose that all alarm clocks serve, to wake this nation up. From Wright’s perspective, America needed to be awaken to its Race problem.

Although significant by itself, Wright’s Native Son is only one of a series of bridges that highlight America’s great tradition of racial bigotry. The resistance of David Walker’s Appeal, Frederick Douglass’ admonishments during a Fourth of July presentation, Anna Julia Cooper’s lamentations from the South, W.E.B. DuBois’ prophetic warning that “the problem of the 20th Century will be the color line” and a series of deaths all serve as reminders of America’s horrific history of racial animosity. The alluded to bridges have led us to the murder of George Floyd by so-called law enforcement officers who were deemed fit for employment by the Minneapolis Police Department.

Americans are no different from other groups in their desire to embrace traditions that portray them in a favorable light and distance themselves from grander traditions that depict them in a negative, yet accurate light. An unbiased review of the American historical record reveals White America as a collective of greedy, avaricious, ends-justify-the-means, racial bigots who have little problem turning a blind-eye toward genocide if it serves a larger purpose.

This consistent inconsistency is nothing new.

There is no greater depiction of America’s character than the following litany offered by Frederick Douglass nearly two-hundred years ago. Douglass characterized this nation in the following manner.

There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour. Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the every day practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.

The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Department officers in front of an attentive public is yet another reminder that Douglass’ words still ring true.

The optimistic side of me hopes that Douglass’ words will activate White America to take a serious look at its soul. A soul that has been formed in the midst of centuries of unconscionable acts of hatred, racial bigotry, and tyrannical rule.

Let me be clear on this matter, the genesis of America’s Race problem began with White America and the solution to it will come from that community as well. There are only two reasonable paths that Whites can take to achieve the above goal. They can either aid in the total destruction of Black America or turn inward with the full intention of executing a intra-racial Civil War designed to exterminate unsavory portions of their community. A process that would call for them to address the bigotry of close family members, political leaders, and associates. It is obvious that there is no way that White bigots and Blacks are going to ever peacefully coexist within the same country.

I resist with every fiber of my being the white rage that leads so many of my Black countrymen to view Whites’ as a monolithic population whose foremost priority is the extermination of Blacks. My personal experience prevents me from embracing this daunting perspective. Yet, I am firmly entrenched in the belief that the only population capable of stomping out America’s grand tradition of racial bigotry and hatred is White America. Put simply; it is time that White America regulated its own citizens as there are segments of White America that are impenetrable to outsiders.

I am certain that it is within these socialization centers where the most virulent racial bigots are created by a daunting narrative that masquerades the evil-doings of White heroes and heroines for the extension of White privilege. This can only be eradicated by our White countrymen. The failure of White America to get its house in order makes the public lynching of Black men such as George Floyd an inevitability.

The ability to end racial bigotry and the cascade of ills that flow from it is found within a White America whose power and privilege rests on its existence. Trust me when I say that the alluded to conundrum is not new. It is the same issue that faced abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and John Brown. I hope that White America will realize it and get busy cleaning their own house; however, I have little hope that they will.

After all, racial tyranny is one of their grandest traditions and its destruction will come at a steep cost that I am unsure that they are willing to pay for the sake of freedom, liberty, and justice.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

Uncategorized

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

Leave a comment

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.

Uncategorized

Now That’s What I’m Talking About: The Pro-active Decision of Abdul and Fabien Lovett to Escape Mississippi State University for the Sake of Decency and Respect

2 Comments

There are moments where I am flabbergasted by the absence of civility or common sense among White authority figures. I have always considered these moments unbridled testimony to how a person really about you. Unlike many of my kinsmen, I long ago decided that I would follow the directive of ancestor Maya Angelou. Angelou was credited with saying “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Apparently, Abdul Lovett raised his son Fabien to adhere to this axiom.

I am sure that you are wondering who Abdul and Fabien Lovett are and why I am writing about them. Well, I will tell who they are and their importance to Black America if provided the opportunity.

Fabien Lovett is a much-celebrated Division I football player whose moral compass led him to withdraw from Mississippi State University in the wake of Head Coach Mike Leach’s tweet of a woman knitting a noose for her beloved husband during this moment of quarantine. Fabien Lovett responded with a quick “WTF” response prior to entering the NCAA’s Transfer Portal; a prerequisite to transferring from Mississippi State and irrevocably severing all ties with Mike Leach. I recently learned that Fabien Lovett has decided to enroll at Florida State University.

When interviewed by the Clarion Ledger, Abdul Lovett shared the following.

I didn’t feel comfortable with my son being down there with a guy like that from a leadership standpoint – that you can just throw anything out there…I feel if he can do it, the kids are going to feel like they can do it.

As expected, Mike Leach offered the standard apology and University Administrators doled out a punishment of forcing him to participate in “listening sessions” and visiting a local Civil Rights museum after the global pandemic subsides. However, I am sure that you understand that this post has less to do with Mike Leach’s horrendous soul and everything to do with the Lovett’s decisiveness regarding this inexcusable offense.

When one considers the level of trust imbued in educators and coaches to pour into the lives of their children, it is frightening to consider that a figure possessing the thoughts, ideals, and worldview of Mike Leach would have access to the lives of any collegian, let along African-Americans. Yet, naïve entrusting parents routinely make the dubious decision to send their children to learn at the foot of someone whose dedication to their development as a person is in a word, non-existent.

Although difficult to admit publicly, moments such as this one serve as evidence of the lack of pride and solidarity among Blacks; a malady that guarantees their failure to activate dormant political power. Consider for a moment if Mike Leach had provided similar negative social commentary regarding the Jewish community and their Holocaust experience, if he had, there is little doubt that he would be rendered to the scrapheap of “hard core employables”. Put simply; Leach would be hopelessly unemployed forever. This well-deserved employment status would be less about the act and more about the inherent power found among those who were offended. Yet, in a world where Black solidarity is an oxymoron, Leach retains his employment and leads a team that is predominantly composed of African-American males. The absence of power mandates that pitiful appeals to Whites unreliable sense of decency Black America’s most frequent and reliable strategy.

Rest assured that in time, Leach will learn from his superiors who have learned how to handle Blacks that it is ungentlemanly to express such sentiments in the public arena; keep in mind that this lesson is a far-cry from the condemnation of the harboring of racial bigotry. The wicked dance of harboring bigotry, yet never displaying it in public or among Whites that one does not know is a clunky two-step that White bigots can attribute their mastery of to decades of repetition.

Unfortunately for Black America, the failure to mobilize political power or economic solidarity has left them without a reliable counter to the alluded to wicked dance beyond appealing to the White conscious. Instead of scientifically mobilizing politico-economic resources, Blacks have learned to “make the best out of a bad situation” and pray for a better day. It is time that Black America follows the lead of Abdul and Fabien Lovett and realize that “times will never get better until you make them better.”

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 one of the following books.

Uncategorized

Making Excuses for the Inexcusable: Mississippi State University’s Fumbling of Mike Leach’s Well-Deserved Punishment

1 Comment

In many ways, it is frightening to consider how far off the mark Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach is regarding substantive racial matters. All evidence points to Leach not having any compassion regarding the victims of Mississippi’s storied history of racial conflict. Trust me when I say that I am being kind in my assessment of Leach. A more accurate depiction of my feelings would be to term the first-year head coach as an irredeemable dim-witted historically illiterate scrap of humanity that should never be provided the privilege to lead any group of men. Let me explain my dour view of the old ball coach.

Days ago, Mike Leach took to Twitter and posted a tweet of a woman knitting a noose for her husband during this moment of self-quarantining; I would be remiss if I did not share that the alluded to tweet was “liked” by nearly 3,700 people. The message flowing from both the sharing and liking of the tweet is deafening.

Consider the fact that Mike Leach is heading a football program in a state whose political leaders and bigoted citizens resisted efforts for racial equality by any means necessary; efforts that continue to this moment. Let us not forget that Mississippi is the location where Emmett Louis Till, a mere child, was brutally killed by bigoted Whites and Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee activists Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner disappeared on the initial day of their attempt to register Black voters during Freedom Summer at the hand of the same population.

This space is incapable of holding the untold tragedies that have befallen Blacks in this sanctuary of White bigotry and institutionalized racism. When viewed against this scurrilous background, it is understandable why Mike Leach was selected to lead Mississippi State’s football program. Unfortunately, it appears that Mike Leach’s illiteracy on racial matters makes him a perfect fit for such a prominent position; a position that calls for him to lead droves of young African-American men.

Unbeknownst to Whites, it is the moments after such a transgression that shapes their view of individuals such as Mississippi State Athletic Director John Cohen and institutions such as Mississippi State University. Before passing judgment regarding this matter, Black America always awaits a response to the inexcusable behavior from the powers that be. It is to be expected that Blacks will be invariably disappointed with the decision-making processes of White powerbrokers. The case of Mike Leach is no different.

The punishment being doled out to Mike Leach for his ill-advised tweet is for him to “expand his cultural awareness of Mississippi.” According to Athletic Director John Cohen, Mississippi State University is “disappointed” in Leach and will host “listening sessions” for the embattled coach and visits to the Museum of Mississippi History as well as the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum once the Coronavirus has subsided. In light of such “punishment”, one must excuse Black Mississippian’s bemused look and belief that this is little more than “White folk being White folk.”

This world is filled with Mike Leach’s, meaning people raised within a cultural framework where racial bigotry is a foundational principle that never threatens their educational pursuits, economic opportunities, or social status. They are welcomed with open-arms by like-minded neighbors, bosses, civic organizations, and religious leaders. Ironically, it is fair-minded Whites who learn early on that they must stash away personal convictions regarding racial bias as it will lead to a pariah status among their beloved community. I am sure that such people cringe at the reality that their silence regarding racial bigotry not only makes them complicit with such matters but also renders them indistinguishable from figures such as Mike Leach. I have little doubt that this little dust-up will be long forgotten by the good folk of Mississippi when they pile into the stadium to support the Mississippi State University and cheer for Coach Mike Leach, their neighbor, friend, and favorite football coach.

They are Mississippians after all.

 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.