A Cultural Revolution…
October 21, 2008 by Staff
Filed under News, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) Right about now, two of the most influential Black men in America have embraced a unified goal based on what is best for the nation, which also happens to be very good for the Black race.
While some people have previously misidentified Colin Powell as a sellout, he has always made it clear that he was proud of his race and that he understood the struggle Blacks face in modern times. These positions are a complete divergence from typical Black Republicans, who are eager and happy to ignore racism in their party, while pretending that the playing field is level for all races in America.
In his endorsement of Obama, Powell made it clear that his support of the presidential candidate was not about race, but about who is better prepared to effect change and lead the nation in a forward direction. He even warned the nation of racial hatred in the race for President and chastised his own Republican Party for personal attacks on Barack Obama.
Powell’s endorsement across party lines is huge and will sway many who have been wavering. He didn’t have to deal with his shared racial background with Obama, the results are good enough.
As November 4 draws near, it becoming more apparent that Senator Barack Obama will become President Barack Obama.
What does that mean for Black people in America?
It does not mean instant political or mental freedom, although a modicum of both will come as part of the package.
It also does not mean that Blacks will be guaranteed Reparations or any other direct favor from the President, who will be President of the entire nation, not just President of Black people.
What it means is that we have to take the lead from Obama and put in work ourselves.
It means that we, as a people must begin to work to make Obama’s life easier, not the other way around.
And one major way we can accomplish this is by creating a revolution that has very little to do with what Barack Obama will do as president.
A Cultural Revolution is what we need as a people.
Embracing a Cultural Revolution means that we will define who we are and what we are, as well as what we will believe. That also means that we have to draw hard lines in places that will make many people uncomfortable.
Whether we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist or still trying to figure it out, we must stop waiting for God, waiting to exhale or waiting for Reparations to get ourselves together. We must believe that we are impossible to destroy as a people and that no other people are going to come to our rescue.
That having been said, we must learn to place our differences aside and work with each other to chip away at our problems, piece by piece.
For example, I have been about Cultural Revolution for quite some time and have delivered messages toward that end in my writing. Even for those who do not agree with me or with my methods, they must understand that some people will agree with me and there will be progress.
As a people, we must trust this understanding because there has already been progress. Such progress in thinking and in action has resulted in the first serious Black candidate for president.
Barack Obama is a part of our Cultural Revolution, because his face on the presidency will change the face of Black Americans in the world arena.
As a part of the Cultural Revolution, we stop hating those who disagree with us and join one faction or the other. No one has a right to hate if they are not also active. Hating without being active makes one a hater and clearly–the damned enemy.
The time for discussing methods has long passed. There are plentiful methods in the atmosphere–choose one.
The time for excuses has long passed. There have been enough excuses offered to the universe without real action.
We can be Democrat and Republican, Pro Life and Pro Choice, but most of all, we must be Pro Us and many more of us are right now.
If you can not be Pro Black, please don’t fight us, just walk away and no one will care or ask you to look back or come back.
This revolution can not be steeped in religion, which means specifically that Christians can no longer be at the forefront of the revolution as Christians, because they have largely failed us after the Sixties, when they began to focus far too much on materialism.
And, I’m certain this will garner a modicum of hatred, but it has to be said that Black women can not be feminists and participate in this revolution.
Does that mean that Black women have to put their gender struggles aside? No. What it means is that Black men must respect their struggles, and please pay attention: Black women must also join the other Black women in respecting the Black man’s struggles.
Feminism has caused many of our sisters to embrace gender politics that are contrary to Black gender unity. Many of them hate me just for saying so. But the majority of Black women ARE NOT feminists and therefore, can not change anything from the outside with white-oriented gender politics. Sisters must stay within and seek change for both sides. If any are not willing to do so, please urge them to walk away.
And, for the Black men who have watched other Black men fail, whether they are falling out of the school system, or falling prey to gangs–you can not be a part of this revolution if you blame the victims. We are not victimizing each other, we are simply third party victims of Cultural Imperialism and a war against anything that is not white and rich. Ask the Latinos, because they realize that they needed a Cultural Revolution and the nation is paying attention.
No one will pay attention to attempts to become homogenized, or any attempts to slip away from the burden of being Black in America, which is why the only way to take full advantage of a president who looks like us is to redefine who we really are.
Written By Darryl James