Rev-elution's letter to Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People board members

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On January 25, 2022, Carl W. Kenney II, president of Black Thought Media, LLC, and publisher & editor-in-chief at Durham Rev-elution, sent a letter to Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People (DCABP) board members in response to a pending decision to rescind a $75,000 grant from The Movement for Black Lives.

The letter served a two-fold purpose: (1) as a rallying call for Black solidarity during a season of massive division, and (2) to facilitate a conversation regarding the merit of building a local Black agenda grounded in work taking place across the United States.

Given the DCABP failed to respond, Rev-elution offers parts of that statement in hope of facilitating community conversations related to reimagining and nurturing more vital relationships between Black residents and the institutions representing Black people.

This statement is NOT framed as a criticism of the current leadership of DCABP. Rather, these thoughts reflect mounting tension between a large mass of Black residents and organizations (DCABP, NAACP, Black churches and civic organization) with credos committed to the empowerment and mobilization of all Black people.

The statement begins after a heavily redacted introduction of thoughts:

My role as a member of the Black Press is to mend, equip and mobilize. It’s not to engage in rhetoric marked by the bitter words designed to further divide Durham’s Black community.

With that stated, I’m deeply troubled for a variety of reasons. Again, the purpose of this letter is not to judge the happenings of the DCABP. As an outsider, I’m mindful of the damage caused by outsiders who lack insight driven by work within the system. These are reflections driven by a desire to collaborate beyond any semblance of brokenness. My role is to cast and recast narratives regarding Black life in Durham.

A few thoughts to ponder:

Consider the work of The Movement for Black Lives

It is true, based on a surface evaluation, that The Movement for Black Lives has adopted a defund police model. It is part of their platform statement, and, given the branding of the past municipal election, seems antithetical to the political position of the DCABP. I suggest members of the DCABP explore both the political and cultural implications related to denouncing the work of The Movement for Black Lives as a major contributor in constructing a national, broad based Black agenda.

Consider the more than 50 organizations representing the interest of Black people across the United States. Consider the contribution and impact of the Black Lives Matter Network, the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change, Race Forward, Policy Link and other notable groups.

What is the impact and significance of refuting the efforts of one of the leading Black led umbrella organizations consisting of a coalition of movement organizations across the nation? What does it mean when the DCABP refuses to engage in the work of national coalition building?

The work of The Movement for Black Lives holds significance beyond one platform statement. What does it mean, for the culture of Black agenda building, for the DCABP to refuse to engage in work aimed at ending the war on Black people, the fight for reparations, the promotion of economic justice, the fight for independent Black political power and Black self-determination in all areas of society?

Black power is the power to name Black allegiances

The Black community isn’t a monolith. We are communities of divergent political, economic, and social interests. What it means to engage in work aimed at empowering, and leaning hard into the affairs of Black people, involves constant engagement with people on the other side of political perspective. We are not a people limited by alternative views. We claim all of it as part of the lingering juxtaposition between the American Dream and dreams deferred.

Isn’t this the ultimate weapon of white supremacy – the promotion of agendas forcing divides between the Black folks living with opposing views regarding how to get closer to that American dream?

We shouldn’t be forced to choose between Malcolm and Martin, Booker T and WEB, Marcus Garvey and A. Philip Randolph. The challenge of Black progress in America has long been about decisions to alienate from individuals and groups deemed overly radical or subversive to the will of white people who continue to define the terms of acceptability.

Establish new terms for Black engagement

The DCABP isn’t beholden to the power dynamics of the Democratic Party. It shouldn’t be measured by terms established by those outside -including me – of the work deemed important by the members of DCABP. You decide the legitimate partners. You establish the terms of the work you do, knowing others may be confused by some decisions.

The work of Black solidarity claims all members of the family willing to establish meaningful, sustainable relationships with the DCABP. Solidarity is not rooted in a prefabricated assumption of a perfect marriage. Being Black comes with ideological differences. Yes, we must own how some of these differences are rooted in centuries of white supremacy – an indoctrination that makes white normality the goal versus the casting of a bigger net hoped to grab hold of all of us. All of us, not a few Black folks clinging to the assumption of Black power begging for white acceptance.

Final words about a forward-thinking Black Agenda

So, there is goodness in all of this. We are NOT a broken people. We are wonderfully and beautifully made in the image of goodness. I celebrate the contributions of our ancestors – both known and unknown – who consistently carry US through many dangers, toils, and snares. Together, we can build new work rooted in our collective genius. The answer is in the rooms where we gather, together, with a will to build beyond this present misery.

I have thoughts related to moving forward. They involve an agenda crafted by all of us. Moving forward, I will do my part by listening to each of you. I will do so with an enduring faith in both the wisdom and legacy each of you brings to this critical moment. I’m excited by the truth beyond conflict stirred by misunderstanding. I own no truth of my own.

Pray for my footsteps in claiming my role as a local Girot. I embrace the power of storytelling with a passion greater than any of the fears we face.

Finally, I encourage members of the DCABP to accept the fellowship from The Movement for Black Lives. In doing so, I suggest naming the terms related to community building. We think different. There are a myriad of shades, experiences, and circumstances at the table. Never forget, we all Black.

Saying it loud, “I’m Black and I’m proud.”

Holla back.

Then came the crickets.