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www.cmgww.com/historic/malcolm/bio.html [cmgww.com]

traveler,

As you know the NOI (Nation of Islam) has surged again in great popularity. They do have good discipline and offer their black recruits (converts) tremendous pride in themselves, a pride of racial superiority. And a rewrite of history that is far from accurate. Brain washing? stay long enough around army soldiers and there's a good bet you'll start talking and walking like them. Same true for Catholic seminarians or police cadets. But the Nazi party transformed young white drug addicts into sober young men (regarding drugs) and gave them a reason to die for. So how bad is brain washing if personal good results from it too?

Anyways I feel the responsibility to point out to everyone here, that white persons who are racist, are just as deserving to be taken with patiance as any other sinner in the world. It is easy to condenm and riddicule these people in a time such as ours where everyone knows what is politicaly correct. But having pesonaly known a number of white persons who where deep down very racist, they often come from families where this hatred is deeply rooted. It can be a very hard challenge for them to change. Even maybe on a heroic level. This change more often then not will not come over night. Actually, I suspect that if I came from there background I would be no different then them. I can not personaly stand in judgment of them. I only know what I know to be right, and it is at that point that we but heads.

Justin

I've always admired Malcolm X.

It took boundless courage--on his part--to denounce the infidelities of the fakir, Elijah Muhammed. He had to know that by exposing, denouncing, and opposing Elijah Muhammed he was signing his own death warrant. His courage is the mark of a man who is truly religious, like my hero, Salmon Rushdie, the Muslim reformer.

Malcolm's hajj to Mecca changed his racial attitude since he found himself immersed in a sea of Muslim pilgrims representative of every racial and ethnic group, including blonde and blue-eyed Slavic Muslims from Yugoslavia.

Under other circumstances he would have considered these Bosnian Muslims "blue-eyed devils," but he learned to grow in God's grace. What might he have accomplished if he hadn't died so young?

He is a role model for all American Muslim young people, black or white.

Abdur

At the time of its ratification, the Constitution was seen as something of an experiment, replacing the failed Articles of Confederation. There was at that time an understanding that this if new consitution worked out as poorly as the last, States could resume ther prior, independent status. This understanding could have been had by Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, who among all of the Confederate States, were ratifiers of the COnstitution.

That experimental phase was long over by the time of "secession". The federal government, by negotiation, purchase, and conquest had obtained new territories, and had formed formed and admitted into the Union new states that had no prior independent status. These idea that such States, whose very existence was was bought in money and in blood by the Union, had an absolute right of secession is novel. Their effort to leave the Union was an act of revolution, pure and simple. And the States who joined them, notwithstanding some claim to a right of secession on their own, were complicit in the revolution of the former. Of course, all people have the right to attempt revolution. But Nations likewise have every right to fight against it.

I assume that you are talking about the institution of slavery here.

Administrator,

Thank you for you clarifying response. It is a pleasure to have exchanges like this with conservatives (especially ones that are critical of the Republican Party); I am very tired of debating with liberals (they are so phony). I agree with you on MANY of your points; but of course I also have differences.

those who believe that the only reason the War was fought was because of slavery do not have a complete grasp on history.

You are completely correct. I myself subscribe to the perspective of the war as detailed by Marx and Engels; added the many refinements and elaborations made by subsequent contemporary historians. Marx himself had a column (I believe it was weekly) in the New York Tribune where he gave a rich detailed description and commentary of the war. It is in no way simplistic, even if he does take the right side Slavery was not the sole issue but it was the main issue. It was the issue that all other issues would be subordinated to.

it is my opinion that the black Americans that have advanced the most in recent generations are those who have worked hard and taken the economic risks (like starting their own business)… the key to equality was not in political advances but in advances in education and self-confidence

My family is no stranger to business. We are involved in everything from education to textiles. If grandma's invention goes anywhere we will also be involved in electronics as well. This argument however is not new at all. It has been around since Booker T. Washington's "accommodationist thesis' vs. W.E.B. Du Bois's "Talented tenth thesis' and pro-political action orientation. Ultimately, both are correct. Sustained political involvement combined with education and self-improvement schemes are needed for Black liberation.

To repeat again: the black Americans that have advanced the most in recent generations are those who have worked hard and taken the economic risks

Ok so is that what this is about? 35,000,000 African Americans (both Black Americans and later African immigrants) just don't "work hard'? They are all just sitting around scared to take risks? They don't want to start their own businesses? Does that explain the conditions of Black America? Are we back to the all too typical "blame the victim' politics? What about those Black Americans who tried to start their own business and went to the bank to get a business loan (like everyone else does) and got discriminated against? What about Black businesses (like my mother's) which are recommended by the County Bureau of Better Business; potential clients call us all the time in excitement and want to finalize things over the telephone before meeting us in person because they heard that we were so good; we insist that they come meet us, take a look around, etc. first and they finally agree. Then, upon arrival seeing Black faces, they proceed with the meeting but we never hear from them again. Why the sudden change in mind? We have had people even look through the window and turn around without coming in at all. You know we seriously considered more than once of having our white employees run the show in the open while we conceal our selves else where. In fact, when it is only them around and none of the Black employees are working we have noticed we get way more business from white people who assume that "everything is as usual.' Never, never, never underestimate or minimize the role that racism plays in American life.

There are many Americans who have made valuable contributions to our society who happen to be black, including Alan Keyes, Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas and Walter Williams quickly come to mind (from the current generation).

Administrator, you are free to promote these people to a large audience of Black Americans if you wish. Just don't expect to be taken seriously. Look, I am involved extensively in the wider Black community; both Black American as well as Ethiopian. We have political organizations that are radical as well as social and cultural organizations which are moderate if not conservative. I can assure you that in none of them will you find anyone that respects Clarence Thomas or Thomas Sowell.

We have an African American summit meeting at the United Way building. Typical participants are Black Lawyers, Judges, MANY police officers including the former Chief of Police (who is Black) and the former Fire Chief (who is also Black) of San Jose Police and Fire departments respectively. You can imagine that a group of Black lawyers, cops and judges, psychologists and social workers would be pretty conservative right? Yes, they are pretty conservative. However, try to promote Clarence Thomas as an example in that room: they will either look at you like you just talked about your abduction by aliens or they will laugh you out of the room; you can count on it. In fact I remember a meeting of the Black community (an Organization called 100 Black Men; which is designed as an organization of Black Professionals meant to inspire Black Youth) at the Sheriffs Department itself where one of the police officers on the panel referred to Clarence Thomas as an Uncle Tom. Now understand this, Black police officers are sensitive to this because they get called Uncle Tom enough as it is. For them to call someone else an Uncle Tom is telling.

Clarence Thomas' case is well documented and is not even worth discussing. I have seen Thomas Sowell in debates with other Black Americans. The only people in the audience who applaud the perspective of Thomas Sowell are white people; 90% of whom have, no doubt, zero connection to anything or anyone in the Black community.

Alan Keys??? Well, if he has indeed made the contribution as you suggest he did, his own party does not even recognize it; he got something like less than 1% of the vote in the Republican primaries? Not to mention he was very busy telling Black Americans that race does not matter and to get over it; that there is no Black this and that but only this and that who happen to be Black. Then when he came to the Republican convention he was reminded of the daily life in a Black male body when the police approached him. When he replied that he was running for president he was handcuffed and placed in the back seat of a police car and driven down town (crazy negro what is he thinking?). He was finally released but not before being shown his "place.' But in his previous rhetoric, race does not matter…That is what Black Americans remember about Alan Keys.

I should add that Colin Powell himself does not subscribe to the philosophy of these Black conservatives either. Colin Powell is no "yes man.' Colin Powell can be authentically called a conservative who happens to be Black, and he is respected by most sectors of the Black community; the Clarence Thomas and Thomas Sowell types are Black conservatives (if you need me to detail the differences, I can). If I may disagree with Colin Powell I can still respect him. I can not respect Clarence Thomas even though I may be courteous to him. I hope it makes sense.

For me; people who have made valuable contributions are people like Cornel West and Haile Girima. Cornel West is an African American professor of Philosophy and Theology at Harvard. His wife is Ethiopian and he was Baptized into our Church (his Christian name is Fikre Sellasie [love of the Trinity]). He has produced many valuable books on civil rights, theology and culture. Halie Girima is an Ethiopian filmmaker and professor of film at Howard University(married to an African American woman) who makes movies on Ethiopian and African American themes. His most famous movie Sankofa(a west African bird that is highly symbolized in west African cosmology) is about a slave uprising. While they may not be Roman Catholic like Thomas and Keys, both of these American heroes are Ethiopian Orthodox, and I love them so.

May God Bless you and may you keep providing wise words that I disagree with

A. Semaet

Justin, mid-40's? Ouch! That would make me a mere 5 years younger than my father and 2 years younger than my mother. If God grants that I live that long I will by that age (if God wills) be just beginning on my dream project of starting an archeological wax museum of African culture in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I should also (again if God wills) be married with enough teenagers that I can find a reason to be conservative for… . I have still not graduated from my 20's and to tell you the truth I don't really want to.

I will tell my friend what you said and I will let him respond. As far as gangsterism in music, etc. I agree with you. However don't be too harsh on the community just because it is also being criticized by the mass media. This same mass media has nothing to say about the gangsterism of Hollywood; in fact they promote it. It is sooooooooo romantic when the Gangsters are the Italians, when they are the Sopranos and the Godfathers' 1,2, and 3. They are demonized when it is Black American gangsters though. The conservative mayor of New York invited the actors of the Sopranos series to march in yesterday's Columbus Parade; against the wishes and protests of the local Italian community. You can bet $1,000 that if it was not a Soprano but a gangster rapper that the same mayor would have nothing but cruel words that belittle and demean the Black community; blaming those lyrics on the problems of the Black community. Be extra careful.

Abdur,

El-hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X) is just awesome and one of a kind. He is not only a role model for American White and Black Muslims, he is a role model for everyone Christian or Muslim.

BTW, the NOI have formally renounced the teaching of Elijah Muhammad that the white man is the devil and they are currently in negotiations with Sunni Muslims so they can enter the Umma of Al-Islam. I can only be half happy about this development though since that only makes them half infidels but not Christian (just kidding)

I think Brother Aklie has a lot of valuable things to say, and that are really on-target.

I think, however, that there are a few points that neeeds clarification.

First, apropos the "Sopranos" (let it be said: I've NEVER seen the show; I don't pay for cable), there is less of concern regarding the Mafia these days than there was 20 or more years ago. I'm not saying it's a joke, but it's not really a major concern. For the gangsta rappers, it's different. While I take your point about their being "told by the boss" to add more "bitch" , "slap arounds" and "kills" to the texts of the 'music presentation', the fact remains a huge number of these CDs are actually bought by members of the general population who are NOT in the employ of the studio bosses. And I think that this is not a healthy sign for the "mind-set" of the African-American population. I think that people are being duped into believing that this is the mindset of the Black community; and, unfortunately, many African-Americans are victims of this charade and they buy the damned albums. And non-African-Americans see this happening and wonder: "If this is the real perspective of the blacks, then we'd better be prepared to deal with them because of this mindset".

And the RACE IS ON!!

The fact seems to be: the vast majority of Americans -- of whatever color -- are mostly interested in making a good life for their families, creating a safe and comfortable community, and increasing opportunities universally for whomever has the gumption to stand up and take the risk. When the marketers come along, they are trying to define their "market" and will try to encompass it by defining the potential members and to seduce them into identifying with it -- so that they will "buy" perforce of their self-identification.

We do the same thing in the church. RCs go bonkers over rosaries (the bigger the better!), statues, ceremonies, and the identity of being identified with the Pope. Easterns go bonkers over icons and their lamps, the "liturgy" and their overwhelming sense of identity as "other" and being separate from the rest of pedestrian (Western) Christianity. Men need to have beards, or mustaches; and everybody needs to be available to speak in some arcane language while wearing prayer-ropes or some such. It's all socio-cultural.

ALL of us, of whatever group, need to rise above the externals and need to embrace the true human (and Christian) values of loving and caring for one's neighbor. And to recognize the basic fact that whatever divides the human community weakens the human community.

And for those who refuse to accept these realities, I guess we'll just have to kill them. (Just kidding.)

Blessings!

I was going to attempt to stay out of this gangster rap discussion. But let me say this the gangster rappers don't promote the same thing the Sorprones tv show does. In California people may not be as aware of this but in mafia communities of the mid west and east coast, they would not allow hard core drugs to be sold in their communities. Now there might have been some mafia families that did - by ways of extortion - but by-in-large they did not. Things have changed now though that they have lost the power they once had. "Made men" also were not 15 year old kids prone to quick acts of violence over petty things.

at least, at the very least, 1/2 the people I grew up with either feel into hard core drug use, or selling drugs. The vast majority of us have been in jail, and good number of us are felons. Some of us are dead by murder. Some of us are in prison now for murder. Make no mistake about it, gangster rap promotes selling drugs and acts of violence to members of the listeners own community. Dr. John you would be wrong with your assesment of the state of black America, at least in Milwaukee for the Gen-X'ers, at least half that population identifies themselves with thug culture. It's quite telling when most the young black men that shake your hand try to throw a gang sign in it. You now have kids growing up in houses with not only the father missing, but their mother for all due purposes missing too, because she is hooked on crack cocaine. These houses are often rat infested and covered with cockroaches. The childrens new school shoes and food in the freezers are even sold to buy more drugs because the drug dealer the mother spent $200.00 with won't give her a $10.00 credit. So how is this circular flow of money going to revolve into black credit unions in the black neighborhoods.

You and Aklie think as you like. But if the Christian God exists, he does so as the most merciful God to the sinner, because drug dealer, gangbanger, gangster rapper are fortunate to be spared from the wrath of the likes of me. God may forgive them, but I wouldn't.

I must say a number of my childhood friends, that are like brothers to me, are drug dealers and gang members. I have compassion for the home life people come from, or what they get themselves caught up into. But as adults, and coming from the same thuged out culture, lines might at some time need to be drawn and sides chosen. Not that I would ever hate any of them. But one side will have to prevail in the end.

Justin

Man Justin, it sounds like you've been through some turbulence. You opened a can of worms, I will have to reply to you and Dr. John later. But for now, the Italians (and not just a few families) were involved in the drug trade; and on a scale that the African American street peddler never comes close to.

Their rhetoric suggests otherwise but the FBI has caught them on it. Also, even in the movies, remember what they said when they finally decided to sell drugs (Godfather 2 I believe) “just make sure it is not sold around any schools and keep it in the nigger neighborhood.”

Aklie,

I am familiar with the Mafia's involvment in the drug trade. The African American street gangs are no longer the orginizations they were in the 80's. Those times are gone. GD or Gangster Disciples or Growth & Development as they like to be called now, in Chicago alone built there orginization up to a $100 million dollar empire. That's enough to make the best families of La Costra Nostra jealous. The Italian mafia are not the biggest players in the drug trade any longer. Most of your quote "minority" groups have cut them out of the major action. They (the mafia) make a huge sum off of the gambling trade any ways.

I don't care about what the mob thinks about black people. As it is now they are not my enemy. The current mayor of Milwaukee, years back, had a meeting with some members of the CVL (Conservative Vice Lords) on the part of the East Side they run. Members of the community had been terrorized by them and wanted reconciliation. During the meeting the head spokensmen of the CVL stood up and gave their list of demands - one of which was the release from Prison some of their top members - then they got up and walked out. Walked out on the Mayor, Police Chief, and members of the community. See I'm not the mayor or Jesse Jackson, I don't come from their generation or hood. First of all I would not have been negotiating with them (CVL) secondly they would not have walked out on me, they might have cawled out, but not walked. Personaly I would not care if they swing from light poles as the dawn breaks. Mothers cry? H*** mothers already cry.

Justin

Aklie, I generally agree with you, but because I do I don't feel uncomfortable in discussing the issues.

"Man Justin, it sounds like you�ve been through some turbulence. You opened a can of worms, I will have to reply to you and Dr. John later. But for now, the Italians (and not just a few families) were involved in the drug trade; and on a scale that the African American street peddler never comes close to. "

I'm not so sure about this. And, I'm not so sure that this is the issue. The fact seems to be the reality that some things are morally acceptable and some are not. Outside influences are indeed true and influential on a community, but that must not absolve the community as a whole from succumbing to the pressure. It seems that the critical element is the mindset of the community and its ability to resist outside pressure.

That is: there are lots of African-American kids who listen to all sorts of music and influences; some buy into the bullcrap of "bitch" and "gangsta"; others recognize it as an affront to the values that they learned from their parents and families.

"Also, even in the movies, remember what they said when they finally decided to sell drugs (Godfather 2 I believe) �just make sure it is not sold around any schools and keep it in the nigger neighborhood.�

Sorry, Aklie, but that is just movie fiction. I just can't accept it as a reality unless there is some sort of back-up that is beyond Fox, MGM, Sony or whatever producer made the film. Most African-Americans that I know, including the 20-somethings, can wear the gear and talk the talk and walk the walk. But, in reality, they are really quite "moral" in the traditional sense and don't do the negative stuff that the "media" would present to us as the "reality".

This past weekend, I was in Philadelphia and out with a boat load of friends. I met a black guy who had multiple piercings and a bandana tied up on his head; we hit it off really great, talked music and popular dance and some other personal stuff. (I invited him down to DC, and he is planning to come down to do a "club" pilgrimage around DC.) Is he the poster-child of urban African-Americans? Maybe. Is he an interesting guy and just happy to meet anybody who is also interesting? I think "yes!". Who gives a crap about skin color or supposed "ethnic-identity"?

It's just "people".

I really think that when we allow stupid issues like skin color, age, gender or socio-economic status to interfere with interpersonal relationships, then we are less than Christian. Christ's command was to love each other. Let's just do it and let the bigots hang themselves.

Blessings!

Dr. John, you need not feel uncomfortable discussing this and posting your honest to God opinion. Your opinion is one that is definitely represented in the Black community. You would be at home in discussions with the Baptist and Methodist Pastors. They say essentially the same thing as you (though I don't think they would agree that they could dance as ministers ). The Ethiopian Priest would say something like "these poor people, they have lost their culture due to slavery and can't cope with life in difficult circumstances' (of course his explanation is pretty simplistic and does not consider those communities that have not lost their culture (like Latinos and some of the Los Angeles Armenian community) but are in pretty much the same predicament.

Justin's view is also widely represented especially among solders and sailors, etc. In particular those who have been affected by things personally like losing a friend to death or drugs. But Justin, it is just my experience that some of these people allow themselves to become so bitter that they eventually lose any ability to communicate with their peers.

As someone who was a police cadet I have experienced directly some of the most unsavory practices and witnessed the most horrible things being done by the law enforcement side (some of which I am still too embarrassed to talk about to this day). When I was in the thick of it, I must say that my perspective was essentially like Justin's; actually many Black police officers talk that way (but many do not).

I have seen some of the silliest sting operations imaginable. “Hmmm…let's go get a Uhal truck fill it with goodies and leave it in the Ghetto. We will have officers hiding inside. As the 12 and 13 year old poor kids enter we will pop them one by one for felony breaking and entering vehicular theft.” “Hmmm…lets take the small weak looking officer Breight and dress him up like a transient, lets pour beer all over his clothes so he can smell drunk, lets put a crisp $20 bill in his hand and have him stumbling down third street. Let's wait until one of these young kids sees a drunk man holding a 20 and snatches it from his hand. Let's pop him for felony strong armed robbery.” In other words let us make and create crimes where they didn't exist and not go fight real crime. Like these corrupt corporations and these drug dealers (not the street peddling middle man but the ones bringing it in; who if I should mention have included people like the Nicaraguan contras who used the funds to by weapons to wage their CIA sponsored civil war. Gary Webb, from the San Jose Mercury News demonstrated a few years ago how these REAL drug dealers were allowed to function by intelligence agencies who thought it more important to mine the harbors in Nicaragua than to prevent crack from penetrating the inner city).

I don't feel like getting into a long and tiring debate (especially since I have so many papers to write and some of these advanced statistics seem tedious and are getting on my nerves).

The overwhelming majority of drug users in America are white, most of the convicted ones are black. 5 ounces of powder cocaine will get you a slap on the wrist and 5 ounces of the same drug in rock form will get you mandatory felony sentencing for years. The powder one is preferred by Whites the rock one by Blacks and thus Blacks get punished way harsher for the same crime Whites get slapped on the hand for. I know there are a ready made corps of phony "scholars' working for the politicians that will counter by saying that the rock version is worse, etc. I pay it no mind, my only point with this and my analogies with the romantic Mafia image are to say that there is a double standard. There has always been a double standard and no one can deny that there is a double standard. I could site all kind of statistics but that would make this conversation harder than it needs to be.

BTW, Dr. John you are aware that the buyers of those CD's are not mostly Black right? The criterion of success in the music industry is in being able to cross ethnic lines and get customers from all communities. Here in the Bay Area the average rap concert is totally mixed Black, White, Asian and Latino.

But overall I agree with you race and ethnicity should not matter. We should follow Christ's command to Love one another. As simple as it sounds it is probably his strongest commandment. If we could all live by it we would not be in this predicament.

God Bless.

Aklie,

Thanks for your post. I don�t have a lot of time today but would like to respond to at least a few of your questions. From my professional and personal viewpoint, the vast majority of black Americans are indeed hard working. Those who have, in my opinion, advanced the most are those who have taken the risk of starting their own businesses, despite the extra challenge of dealing with the racism that still exists in our society. I admire anyone who takes such a risk but I have an extra dose of admiration for those in the black community who have succeeded in business because they have faced these extra challenges. Since your family has its own business I think you will understand what I am saying. Regarding ongoing advancement towards the total elimination of racism I more-or-less agree with your comments. The ongoing disintegration of the American family and lack of education are, I think, greater challenges to the advancement and future success of younger black Americans than is racism. This does not diminish the need for appropriate political and societal activity but such activity without the restoration of the family only make the drive to end racism more difficult, if not impossible.

Why are successful black Americas, such as Alan Keyes, Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas and Walter Williams, so disparaged by the black community? Keys is a skillful debater (maybe one of the most skillful in our country). Sowell speaks eloquently about the need for education and how inner city blacks received better education 50 years ago (when at least they came out of school knowing how to read and write). Williams has received a Nobel Peace Price in economics. I had always felt that these men were disparaged pretty much because they rejected the liberal mentality that appears to be dominant in the black community. [Regarding Keys, he does not tell blacks that race does not matter but that they should act as if it does not matter because behavior leads to acceptance. His arguments for Catholic Teaching and Morality are outstanding (too bad he is not Byzantine!).]

Most certainly there are others who have contributed equally or even more. The ones I mention are some of those often in the news and I have much more respect for them than for people like Jesse Jackson (a minister that does not bother to live a Christian lifestyle).

Switching topics a bit, I have a question. I understand the desire of the black community to look for an authentic African culture to replace the one that was taken from them. It seems, however, that they are attempting to create an entirely new one rather than to embrace a real one and adapt it to life in America. Why have not black Americans embraced the Christian culture of, say, Ethopia, instead of what they are doing? Ethopia was Christian 500-600 years before my ancestors in the Carpathian mountains of Europe received Christ from SS Cyril & Methodius? I mean, why embrace things like Kwanza (which was invented by a professor at Harvard) when you can embrace Christ?

Admin

Dear and Esteemed Administrator,

Yes, I agree with you for the most part.

But I think there is nothing wrong with creating new festivals, such as Kwangzaa, which I have myself organized at the legislature and have been involved with.

It does, quite systematically, celebrate African values.

There are also holidays that our peoples have created in North America, and traditions - is not culture a living and adapting thing?

I think that much of what passes for East Slavic culture in North America is as Eastern Slavic as pizza is native Italian.

I've discussed these issues with our local Ethiopian Orthodox priests and the fact is that what is "Ethiopian" seems to be part of something idealized. So yes, the African-North American community can be said to be focusing on Ethiopia and, no, what it is focusing on is not what Ethiopians themselves would recognize as "Ethiopian."

But since I have enough trouble with my own Ukie background, that's all I'll say.

Alex

Alex,

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify. I am not opposed to new customs (like Kwanza). From my perspective it seems that the black American community is concentrating more on the externals than on tending the roots and helping them grow. But then, I suppose that is the typically North American thing to do!

Why did you have to mention pizza? Now I�m hungry! [Do Ukrainian Canadians ever order pizza with sliced kielbasi as a topping?]

Admin