The time between the deaths of Martin and Malcolm left
the black community dazed by what was left behind. Some held firm to the promise of equality
after integration. Others fought hard to
find space among those unwilling to share a bite of the American dream.
The benefactors of affirmative action were left enraged
by their continued struggle after making their way to class privilege. Ellis Cose wrote about it in his book Rage of the Privileged Class: Why Are Middle
Class Blacks Angry? Why Should America Care?
Cose cites a large group of well educated, competent, and prosperous
black people who are frustrated. They feel
the disdain of white people who see them as weak and unintelligent. They feel
the resentment of unsuccessful blacks.
They endure the complexion-based discrimination of blacks against
blacks, while fighting the assumption that all blacks are criminals.
The black community swayed between black pride and
self-hatred. The quest for revolution was
met with condescension among those dedicated to promise of integration. Afros and dashikis were exchanged for low-cut
fades and three piece suits. The pursuit to claim a unique racial identity was
viewed as a barrier in finding space to fit into the American melting pot.
The decade after the deaths of King and Malcolm
witnessed the unfolding of Roots. Alex Haley made It trendy to claim pride
in being connected to the motherland. Massive
imagines of blacks dancing and singing to African beats was juxtaposed against
the need to fit. It was a period of
striving blended with a need to claim African roots all while fighting the
inner city blues.
It was the decade of black exploitation films. The rage of the inner cities led to the rise
of a counterculture unwilling to bow to the demands of white privilege. It was the age of redefining black identity
by celebrating ghetto culture. Keeping
it black meant more than the celebration of African pride. It meant keeping it gangsta.
Richard Majors and Janet Billson talk about it in the
book Cool Pose: The Dilemmas of Black
Manhood in America. They related the mask of cool used by inner-city youth
to defend themselves against the injuries of ghetto life. The pose is yet another way to define
authentic black identity. Does anyone
know what that means?
The decade after the death of King and Malcolm forged
a deep wedge among a people seeking to define what it means to be black. Some embrace the culture of the ghetto. Others find solace in claiming African roots. Others seek to melt into the larger culture
through education, politics and by celebrating the privilege of middle-class
social identity.
Lost in most dialogue related to study of race and
class in America is a clear focus on the decade after the death of King and
Malcolm. It was an era of protest fueled
by police brutality. Most studies of the
decade leave people bewildered by black protest. Few stop to consider why they were fighting
the police while demanding rights many felt had been achieved.
What motivated Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale to start
the Black Panther Party? Why was Angela
Davis arrested? Why did Assata Shakur
escape prison and flee to Cuba? What is
the truth behind the arrest of Mumia Abu-Jamal?
What hasn’t been told, and why is the Fraternal Order of Police fighting
so hard to keep people from hearing the rest of the story?
What is the politics behind the telling of the
story? What happened with the Wilmington
10? What happened in Watts to start that
riot? What happened in Detroit in July
1967 that left 43 dead, 467 injured, over 7,200 arrested, and more than 2,000
buildings destroyed?
Why did black people burn down their own neighborhoods? Why did it happen after major Civil Rights
victories? Something was wrong in Newark, NJ where Assata Shakur was
arrested.
What led to the armed standoff between Philadelphia
police and the group MOVE on May 13, 1985?
Another decade of indifference fueled even more discontent in America’s
inner cities. A police helicopter dropped two one-pound bombs on the roof of
the house occupied by members of the group. The fired destroyed 65 houses and
killed 6 adults and five children.
It’s a period that deserves to be studied. Underneath the assumptions of guilt are
motives and fears that stirred a revolution.
What are those untold stories, and how do each help facilitate views of
racial identity and pride?
These are some of the questions that led me to bring Mumia – Long Distance Revolutionary to
the Carolina Theatre. I hope you can
join us for the beginning of a broader conversation related to the decade after
the death of King and Malcolm.
There’s so much to learn. Let the learning begin.
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