Brad Paisley's "Accidental Racist" raises question: Is it possible for racism to be an accident?

It was one of those oh heck moments that transformed my life.  Simply put, you can’t make assumptions based on the appearance of things.

I was standing outside the bank waiting for the person in front of me to finish at the ATM.  A pickup truck pulls up.  It was the type that gets my blood churning.  There was a confederate flag license plate in the front and a gun rack behind the driver. A couple shot guns were hanging to seal the deal.

“Hillbilly Cracker!”

I shamefully whimpered as the driver pulled up wearing a cowboy hat and the rest of the Southern trash get-up I’d grown to loathe.  Then it hit me in the face.  My darn assumptions did exactly what Doris Kenney, that’s my mama, taught me they would.  Yes, they made an ass out of me.

The driver pulls up with the window rolled down.  The music was blasting like one of the black dudes driving in the hood.  I expected to hear some of that Hillbilly music followed by a spit of tobacco and the yelp of Hee Haw. In my mind, that’s what Hillbillies do.

Nope! 

He was listening to the artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg (He’s Snoop Lion now). The song, Jen and Juice. 

He bopped his head like he knew what he was doing.  The image set me back.  I had to laugh. Both at me and at a dude caught in the middle of conflicting cultures.  Then he took it to another level.

He jumps out of the truck, nods his head in my direction and greets me.

“What’s up brother?”

Okay, I wasn’t ready.  I stood in my puddle of indifference and took my whipping from the Big Lady. Oh, for those who don’t know me, I refer to God as a woman instead of the traditional patriarchal language that leaves people thinking God has a penis.  What’s the lesson for me? I stood in a place thinking I was open and affirming of all God’s children, yet was walking in heaps of hypocrisy.

My hatred for Confederate flags and Country Music was so deep that I placed anyone in love with both in the big box with “racist” on the side.

That’s why I’m digging Brad Paisley’s new song. Accidental Racist, featuring LL Cool J, is getting lots of attention for doing what no one has had the guts to do – state the obvious.  There’s so much drama connected with being Southern that those with good ole boy roots find it virtually impossible to pay homage to their past while not being handed a T-shirt with “Racist” on the front.  The only way to rid oneself of being called a bigot is to throw all that Southern pride in the trash.

As a black man who has endured some of that hillbilly racism, I can honestly say that most of the time, well almost most of the time, there is a correlation between the hanging of the Confederate flag and an ideology that would like to see America go back to the days before the Civil War.  For further proof, see Hank Williams, Jr. signing If the South Had Won. 

The question Paisley raises is a good one.  Is it really possible for a person to grow up not knowing that hanging a Confederate flag anywhere – on a pole, on your chest, on a license plate or at the old State Capitol – is enough to get black folks enraged?  Who in their right mind wouldn’t know that?  It’s easy to conclude that it’s not an accident.  Folks like that don’t care enough to decide not to offend.  I consider that a form of racism.  You know, the stuff people do because they can, no matter who is hurt by those actions.  I call that the first step to blatant bigotry.  It’s not grown up yet, but it’s headed in that direction.

I felt that way when Soul Brother Hillbilly drove up in that pickup truck.  It was a Sesame Street moment.  One of these things doesn’t belong with the others.  It was even worse than that.  None of it made any sense.

Conclusion? Assuming will make an ass out of you and me.

 

Accidental Racist Lyrics

Brad Paisley, Featuring LL Cool J

 To the man who waited on me

 At the Starbucks down on Main

 I hope you understand

 When I put on that t-shirt

 The only thing I meant to say

 Is I’m a Skynyrd fan

 

 The red flag on my chest is somehow like the elephant

 In the corner of the South

 And I just walked him right in the room

 

Just a proud rebel son

 With an old can of worms

 Looking like I’ve got a lot to learn

 But from my point of view

 

I’m just a white man

 Coming to you from the Southland

 Trying to understand what it’s like not to be

 I’m proud of where I’m from

 But not everything we’ve done

 And it ain’t like you and me to rewrite history

 Our generation didn’t start this nation

 We’re still picking up the pieces

 Walking over eggshells

 Fighting over yesterday

 And caught between southern pride

 And southern blame

 

They called it Reconstruction

 Fixed the buildings, dried some tears

 We’re still sifting’ through the rubble

 After 150 years

 I’ll try to put myself in your shoes

 And that’s a good place to begin

 It ain’t like I can walk a mile

 In someone else’s skin

 

‘Cause I’m just a white man

 Living in the Southland

 Just like you, I’m more than what you see

 I’m proud of where I’m from

 And not everything we’ve done

 And it ain’t like you and me to rewrite history

 Our generation didn’t start this nation

 And we’re still paying for the mistakes

 Than a bunch of folks made

 Long before we came

 Caught somewhere between southern pride

 And southern blame

 

[LL Cool J]

 Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood

 What the world is really like when you’re living in the hood

 Just because my pants are saggin’ doesn’t mean I’m up to no good

 You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would

 Now my chains are gold, but I’m still misunderstood

 I wasn’t there when Sherman’s March turned the south into firewood

 I want you to get paid, but be a slave I never could

 Feel like a new-fangled Django dogging invisible white hoods

 So when I see that white cowboy hat, I’m thinking it’s not all good

 I guess we’re both guilty of judging the cover, not the book

 I’d love to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air

 But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn’t here

 

I’m just a white man

 (If you don’t judge my do-rag)

 Coming to you from the southland

 (I won’t judge your red flag)

 Trying to understand what it’s like not to be

 I’m proud of where I’m from

 (If you forget my gold chains)

 But not everything we’ve done

 (I’ll forget the iron chains)

 It ain’t like you and me can rewrite history

 (Can’t rewrite history, baby)

 Oh, Dixieland

 (The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs some fixing’)

 I hope you understand what this is all about

 (Quite frankly, I’m a black Yankee, but I’ve been thinking about this lately)

 I’m a son of the New South

 (The past is the past, you feel me)

 And I just want to make things right

 (Let bygones be bygones)

 Where all that’s left is southern pride

 (RIP Robert E. Lee, but I’ve gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean

Does President Obama's faux pas expose how men fail to understand issues related to women in the work place?

I kept fueling the flame in wait of a man’s response.  It never came.  Not one man had the guts to share thoughts related to President Barack Obama’s major faux pas from last week.

Speaking at a fundraiser in a wealthy San Francisco suburb, President Obama praised the looks of California Attorney General Kamala Harris.

“You have to be careful to, first of all, say she is brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly what you’d want in anybody who is administering the law, and making sure that everybody is getting a fair shake,” Obama said. “She also happens to be, by far, the best looking attorney general in the country.”

“It’s true! C’mon,” he added, to laughter from the crowd.
It was an offensive comment that opened old wounds among women who fight to be recognized for more than their looks.  I could hear the collective “no he didn’t” screaming like Big Mama ready to take a chunk out of Baby Boy’s backside. 
Women are hurt by Obama’s insensitivity to the battles they continue to fight on the workplace.

So, I put it to the test.  I wanted to know if men cared enough to respond to comments I made that gave justification for Obama’s wink at Harris.  I was interested to see if they would rally for a man’s right to flirt on the workplace. I was even more interested to see if a man would rally in support of a woman’s right not to be pigeonholed by their looks.

I tested my thesis on Facebook.

“Well, he told the truth, nothing but the truth....He also mentioned her other attributes. My take, there's nothing wrong with complimenting a person.”

Not one man took the bait.  Not one.  The lack of conversation regarding this topic speaks volumes involving the continuing disconnect between women’s rights and the men who are too self-consumed to care enough to engage.  The tough lessons about gender bias are critical for those women who continue to grapple to find place in a world dominated by white men.  Yes, there is still a glass ceiling in corporate America.

The term glass ceiling was first used by two women at Hewlett-Packard in 1979.  Katherine Lawrence and Marianne Schreiber used it to describe the point in which women were unable to move beyond in their pursuit of promotion. Obama’s comments were distasteful due to how the underlying assumptions feed into notions of legitimacy regarding women in the workplace. 

I posted comments on Facebook in an effort to force a comprehensive dialogue regarding what made Obama’s comments inappropriate.  I hoped to stir an even deeper discussion in hope that both men and women would gain a better understanding related to what is happening in the sanctioning of worth in the workplace.

The women went at it.  I knew they would.  Some defended Obama.  Most chastised him for mentioning a woman’s looks in a public setting.  I knew they would.

Not a word from the men.

So, what is wrong with what Obama said?

Obama’s comments are wrong due to how they affirm the correlation between attractiveness and merit.  Although he was able to speak to Harris’s credentials, the mention of her looks served to further validate her as a woman befitting of the role she holds as California’s Attorney General.  The mention of looks within a public context upraises already existing assumptions about what it takes to make it in a world dominated by white males.

The mere mention of her looks triggered that age old battle.  For most men, it’s no big deal.  Others are enlightened enough to see how we have been molded to think looks and productivity are one in the same. They aren’t.  It takes tremendous effort to abolish the willingness to overlook highly competent people due to looks.  Looks make a difference in who gets the job, and who doesn’t.  Given men make most decisions, it’s safe to say there are scores of talented women devoid of opportunity because of a man’s definition of beauty.

No men responded. 

I took a few stabs to set the table for a deeper discussion.  What are the lessons?  Maybe its men don’t care enough to discuss how looks determine their decision. Maybe they didn’t get the memo that day. 

Who knows?

One thing is clear.  The battle between the sexes is far from being over.  As a man, forgive me for not listening.  Forgive me for what I fail to understand.

The good news is I care enough to hear your struggles.

You can’t get there if you refuse to listen.

Listen, can you hear the crickets?

Why is it important that we remember the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

He died 45 years ago today.  He stood on the pinnacle of a new movement – a campaign to raise consideration to the needs of poor people.  He died after a message about viewing the world from a mountaintop. 

What have we learned since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

His birthday has become a symbol of national unity.  Each year, we gather to remember a message about a dream, sing songs from the movement, and give thanks for the amazing progress made since he was shot at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

There’s a monument on the Capitol Mall to remind us he was there.  People flood the national capitol to see the image of the man who inspired us with his baritone voice and command of the English language.  We’re reminded of his insight, commitment, and sacrifice for a people who needed more than lip service about what it takes to find a way to the road to the American Dream.

So much of the public discourse regarding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is mingled from a historical context that seems so long ago.  We make it a distant memory – one lived by ancestors long dead.  We forget the contributions of those still walking in the shadow of today’s madness.  The footprints of what killed Dr. King are still visible to those willing to gaze deeper into the lives of those singing songs about overcoming.

The King Holiday has become America’s stamp of redemption.  It was Congress’s bailout for agony created by the white men who rule the national agenda.  The date on our national calendar serves as a universal hush to what continues to haunt our national consciousness.  Was it enough to wash the bloody hands of those who pushed legislation to keep people oppressed based on the condition of their birth?  Has the game of privilege ended now that there is a day to celebrate our national claim of unity?

If the birth of Dr. King serves to remind us of our nation’s possibility, the death of King reminds us of our persisting reality.  There is a malicious evil that clutches the soul of far too many. There is a hate that breathes like the seconds before death.  There are enraging thoughts locked in the minds of those nurtured in cultures that refuse to see the humanity of those made different by birth.

Far too many still hate.

It’s the death of Dr. King that hurls on the perturbing ways of those who refuse to listen.  King’s death exposes the anger of those Hell bent on destroying anything that fits within the box of their indifference.  King’s death unveils those who hate to hate. They hate for the sake of hate.  They refuse to abandon the language of old memories.  They are found bankrupt of the ability to move beyond the errors of our national past.

King’s death reminds us of their continued presence.

They are with us still.  They are walking among us in wait of opportunities to rid others of their hope.  Where can you find them?

They hung the Confederate flag in the old North Carolina State Capitol building to remind citizens of their history.  It was a reminder of a war between the North and South.  For citizens with the blood of former slaves, it was a reminder of a life of bondage, rape and a life devoid of Constitutional rights. 

They are pressing new laws to force voter identification.  Those laws take us back to the days of poll taxes, a ploy to deny the vote of those within despised demographics. 

They have passed laws that limit the amount one can receive in unemployment insurance.  They pass laws to starve those already too weak to climb to the table to eat.  What more can they take?

They push for an amendment to the state Constitution that defines marriage as a bond between a man and a woman.  They manipulate the teachings of their religion to force a state ban on love between people of the same gender. What’s love got to do with it?

They use the rhetoric of deficient spending to contrive a scheme to crush the state’s historical black colleges and universities.  They use gobbledygook of poor academic performance to systematically undo the public education system by privatizing it through a business model called charter schools.  They endorse the re-segregation of public education by playing on the fear of parents by promoting puffery regarding the rise of gangs and crime among black and brown youth.

Yes, they press propaganda that spreads the gossip of a coming Armageddon. They want us to go back to the days of Dixie.

They continue to seek ways to disenfranchise citizens and redefine the meaning of King’s dream.  King’s death is a reminder that they still live.  They are obsessed with turning the clock back to days when Dixie was whistled.  They fight to define citizenship in a way that makes white skin a prerequisite. They, those white, Republicans who own state government, are working fiercely to take us back to the days when white men ruled, women stayed in their place as housewives, the word faggot was commonly used, black folks honored and respected all things white, and those South of the border went home after the harvesting of crops.

King’s death reminds us of the rancor that led to his death.  Rifles and bullets have been replaced with a political agenda that fights the coming of the new majority.  The death of King still aches.  The blows of the bullets haunt us still.

What’s the lesson of King’s life? Remember it. Yes, celebrate the birth of the dream.  Gather and sing old songs about overcoming someday. Do that. Embrace that. His life is worth the reminder of his contribution.

But, don’t forget his death.  If we do, his life will be in vain.

It matters that the pope washed the feet of young inmates instead of priest

'Viva Papa Francesco!'

Praise for Pope Francis can be heard around the world.  People love his humility and willingness to break with tradition.  People love his willingness to have dialogue with members of other faiths. 

What difference does it make, is the question that must be asked as the world witnesses the beginning of a new papacy. Should people outside the Catholic tradition get caught up in the frenzy of excitement surrounding Pope Francis? 

Yes, it matters.

It matters that Pope Francis has already shown a readiness to confront age old traditions. On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis broke with tradition by washing the feet of poor inmates.  He went to the inmates.  He chose to wash the feet of inmates rather than the traditional foot washing of clergy.

He decided to wash the feet of a dozen young inmates in a juvenile dentition center.  The tradition has been to wash the feet of clergy.  Isn’t that what Jesus did – to wash the feet of those engaged in the work as a disciple? 

The tradition has been to limit the pope’s foot washings to men.

Pope Francis washed the feet of young women.

'Viva Papa Francesco!'

That’s a big deal.

Speaking to about 1,600 priests who packed St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass on Thursday morning, Francis talked about the need to concentrate on the people they are ministering to.

“We need to go out, then, in order to experience our own anointing ,” he said. “to the outskirts where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters,"

As folks in the black church faith tradition say, “Preach Pope!”

Forget all that clerical privilege that comes with being the Holy Father. Francis took the Thursday story of Jesus washing feet and offered it to the least of these.

Holy Thursday is the day Christians around the world celebrate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples before his crucifixion.  Washing feet re-enacts the humble gesture with the disciples.  It’s one of the most important rituals within the Christian faith tradition, and Pope Francis chose to re-act his first foot washing as pope with a group of youth in a detention center.  Among them, a few women.

That’s a big deal!

Rather than washing feet at the Basillica of St. John in Lateran, the most important of the four major basilicas in Rome, Francis chose to kneel before young offenders at the Casal del Marmo Penitentary Institute for Minors.

Yes, that’s a big deal.

He washed the feet of 12 young offenders.  He kissed their feet after washing them.  Two young women were in the group.  He washed and kissed their feet.  It’s the first time a pope included females in the rite. The ceremony has been limited to men, due to the assumption that all of Jesus’ apostles were men.

Again, that’s a big deal.

The young people were aged between 16 and 21 and were chosen from different nationalities and religious backgrounds. 

Once again, that’s a big deal.  Two Muslims were chosen.

Imagine how the moment will change the lives of the young people chosen to have their feet washed by the pope.  Isn’t that the promise of new life that comes with the celebration of Easter? 

Why is it a big deal?

Because it teaches a lesson about liberation and new life.  Because it’s a lesson for those chosen to serve in leadership roles in the Church. Power is not given to gain power.  The life of service is given to those willing to walk with the lowly and poor.  Along the way of service, we stop to wash their feet.

It’s a big deal because it shows a willingness to move beyond the restrictions of tradition.  In washing the feet of women, Pope Francis paved the way for a deeper conversation related to other traditions that need to be overlooked due to more pressing needs.

Again and again and again, that’s a big deal!

I hope those outside the Catholic tradition are wataching.

They could use taking a lesson from a pope willing to wash the feet of young people in a detention center.

Oh, don't forget the women.

Lord, have mercy! It’s a big deal!

Supreme Court discusses the rights of same-gender couples

Today, the Supreme Court hears arguments on a U.S. law that denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

On Tuesday, the court heard arguments on a Proposition 8 case – California’s ban on gay marriage. The justices seemed hesitant of endorsing a broad right for gay and lesbian couples to marry. Today, the court hears argument on a case involving the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. argues the position of the Obama administration.  Obama wants justices to invalidate DOMA.  Paul Clement, who was the solicitor General during George W. Bush’s administration, will fight to continue the law. Clement is representing the interest of House Republicans who believe marriage should be limited to a man and woman.

DOMA permits benefits such as Social Security survivor payments and tax deductions for opposite-gender married couples. The law was signed by Bill Clinton in 1996 after passing Congress with only 81 out of 535 in opposition. Clinton has since voiced support for invalidating the law.

Today’s case involves Edith Windsor, who was married to a woman.  Windsor contends she should get the federal estate tax deduction afforded heterosexuals when their spouses die. Windsor’s marriage to Thea Spyer was recognized in New York, but she was forced to pay federal estate tax because the federal government failed to recognize her marriage when Spyer died in 2009.  She is seeking a $363,000 refund.

An estimated 133,000 gay couples are married in one of the nine states where it is legal for them to marry.  Although recognized in their state of marriage, the federal government does not.

Today’s decision began with an attack on the Obama administration for abandoning DOMA.to abandon.  Justice Anthony Kennedy questioned Obama’s willingness to defend other laws passed by Congress.

"It's very troubling," said Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Chief Justice John Roberts asked Sri Srinivasan, an attorney defending Obama’s position, how the government will decide which laws to defend.

"What is your test?" Roberts asked.

Justice Antonin Scalia attacked what he called the "new regime." He stated there is "no rational argument" for the government's decision not to defend the existing law.

"I don't want these cases to come before this court all the time," Scalia said, suggesting that the decisions on whether to defend or enforce existing law were part of new way of thinking.

The Obama administration contends that gay and lesbian people have endured discrimination as “minorities with limited political power.” Obama challenges the Supreme Court to apply what is called “heightened scrutiny” to see if DOMA is discriminatory. Once discrimination is determined, it must be ruled that section 3 of DOMA violates the Constitution’s guarantee that each person will have equal protection of the laws.

At the time DOMA was passed no states had legalized same-gender marriage.  Now nine states and the District of Columbia have laws sanctioning same-gender marriages.

"The House is the proper authority to defend (the law)," Paul Clement, representing the Republican House, told the justices.

Chief Justice John Roberts has shown skepticism in allowing gays' and lesbians' the right to marry.

"This institution's been around since time immemorial," he said.

Justice Kenney appears to be looking for a place to hide.

"I just wonder if the case was properly granted," he said.

Justice Elena Kagan raised questions about the importance of procreation.

"It may turn out to be a good thing, it may turn out to be a bad thing," says Justice Samuel Alito. "It is newer than cellphones and the Internet." In other words, we need time to figure things out.

How will the high court handle these cases?  Will they run from Proposition 8?  The court has to rule on DOMA because a lower court ruled it unconstitutional.  Same-gender marriage may be newer than cellphones, but America needs a decision.

There are 1,138 provisions in federal laws that list marital status as a factor in determining benefits, rights and privileges.  The list hasn’t been updated since 2003. Despite owning marriage certificates, same-gender couples can’t take advantage of tax-free health benefits from their employers. They can’t file joint federal income tax returns, which can save families thousands of dollars a year.  If they get divorced, alimony is deemed a gift subject to taxation, while it is tax-free for heterosexual couples.  They are subject to inheritance taxes when a spouse dies and can’t take advantage of a marital deduction.

How can the Supreme Court wiggle out of ruling on California’s Proposition 8 given the number of people grandfathered in as same-gender married couples before the passage of the law? What happens related to the benefits of same-gender couples in California if the court rules DOMA unconstitutional? Will same-gender couples living in states that allow their marriage be granted the right to receive federal benefits, while those married in California being denied because they were married in a state that fails to honor their marriage?

The court can’t run from the truth.  Same-gender marriage is now supported by the majority of American.  It’s time for a ruling.

And American can’t wait until cellphones are obsolete. 

Gov. McCrory's proposals places North Carolina's HBCU's at risk

Citizens of North Carolina should pay close attention to moves being made by Governor Pat McCrory.  If implemented, access to higher education will become more complicated for those who need it the most.

Gov. McCrory, and the Republican controlled state legislature, is positioned to alter the way UNC System in a way that could dramatically impact the systems historically black colleges and universities and schools in low density areas.  The plan is being pitched as a cost saving measure, but will send a significant number of North Carolinians to receive recently reduced unemployment benefits.

Gov. McCrory’s budget recommends $138 million in cuts to the UNC system next fiscal year. The proposed cuts follow the $400 million in budget reduction the system absorbed in the budget two years ago. When factoring the cuts from the previous budget, the loss to the system is $241 million.

Gov. McCrory’s budget plans to spend $63 million over a two year period on the system’s Strategic Directions initiatives.  The plan seeks to align educational needs with the marketplace.  It’s the talk related to the plan that has many troubled about the future of the UNC system. Discussions about downsizing and merging schools have led to concerns that a few of North Carolina’s HBCU’s are at risk of being closed or merged with other schools in the system.

Most at risk is Elizabeth City State University.  The plan could result in the school being downsized to a community college or merged with another school.  Also at risk is the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.  Pembroke serves a large Native American population, and closing the school would result in making it more difficult for students in the area to find a place to attend.

Pembroke may merge with Fayetteville State University.  There’s talk of merging North Carolina A&T University with the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.  The common theme is an attack on North Carolina’s HBCU’s. 

The concern follows recent appointments to the UNC Board of Governors.  The appointment of a majority of Republicans with business backgrounds has fueled concerns that the system will be managed like a business charged with the mission to downsize to maximize the bottom line interest. Also missing are members with strong ties to the systems HBCU’s. The lack of diversity on the board exposes the HBCU’s to major changes.

The plan will have grave implications to those students who seek to enroll in programs targeted for being unessential in a changing economy. Students seeking a liberal arts education may be forced to consider options outside the public education system.  Students with the resources to attend competitive private liberal arts schools will not be impacted by the change.  Those students in search of training outside the purview of the UNC master plan will be forced to make options that may not fit their area of interest.

There are serious questions regarding the motives behind proposed changes.  The state expects 3.6 percent revenue growth next year.  The system is not in dire need of radical changes at this time.  Republicans are intent on raising discussions devoid of significant reason to justify the need.  It can be assumed that this is an attack on North Carolina’s public education system, and, more specifically, an attack to undermine efforts to attract more minorities into higher education. 

This is certainly an assault on liberal arts education.  It will result in the loss of jobs and will negatively impact communities with economies dependent of a university or college.  It will shift the way we view education and force students into making decisions rooted in economics versus the desire to follow their true interest. Many will conclude there is nothing wrong with forcing students to make practical decisions.

Efforts to make NC system a glorified technical school should be fought.  The key is in providing options for those seeking to match their skills with interest.  The goal should always be to grant people a place to celebrate history, embrace culture and connect with the best we have as a state.

This is not a business.  We are not making workers.  Hopefully, we are preparing all students to think.

Durham resident is the author of the Willie Lynch Letter

Dr. Kwabena Ashanti dropped the bomb as I prepared to sign books at the Beyu Café in Downtown Durham. 

“I’m the author of the Willie Lynch Letter, “he said as I waited for a crowd to line up for me to sign my new novel.”

It was the biggest news of the year, I thought as I begged him to tell me the rest of the story.  Ashanti, who lives in Durham, NC, is the mastermind of the biggest hoax since the claim that Microsoft had purchased the Roman Catholic Church.

The Willie Lynch Letter is mentioned in the movie The Great Debaters.  The notions of the letter became popular after Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan quoted parts of it during his speech at the Million Man March in 1995.  Farrakhan later used the letter to support his claim that slave owners used the letter to control slaves.

The letter purported to be a verbatim account of a speech delivered by Willie Lynch to an audience gathered on the bank of the James River in Virginia in 1712 regarding the management of slaves. Lynch, a slave owner, tells other slave masters that he had discovered the secret to controlling black slaves by setting them against one another.

Ashanti claims that he wrote the letter in 1970 as a way to present his theory related to the current division inherent in the black community. The document was assumed to be an authentic account of slavery during the 18^th century, and was used by members of the academy, ministers and activist to draw attention to the ongoing implications of slavery.

The letter advises slave owners to take advantage of the differences among the slaves – dark skin versus light skin, straight hair versus nappy hair, house slave versus filed slaves.  The philosophy of the letter fit already existing assumptions within the black community.  The letter gave credibility to the notion that deep division within the black community is a carryover from enslavement.

Malcolm X used the same thought process in his speech Message to the Grassroots.  Malcolm spoke about the two types of enslaved blacks: “the “house Negro” and the field Negro”. The house Negro lived in his owner’s house, dressed well, and ate well.  He loved his owner as much as the owner loved himself, and he identified with his owner.  If the owner got sick, the house Negro would ask, “Are we sick?”  If someone suggested to the house Negro that he escape slavery, he would refuse to go, asking where he could possibly have a better life than the one he had.

Malcolm X described the field Negro, who he said were the majority of slaves on a plantation. The field Negro lived in a shack, wore raggedy clothes, and ate chittlins. He hated his owner. If the owner's house caught fire, the field Negro prayed for wind. If the owner got sick, the field Negro prayed for him to die. If somebody suggested to the field Negro that he escape, he would leave in an instant.

Malcolm X said that there are still house Negroes and field Negroes. The modern house Negro, he said, was always interested in living or working among white people and bragging about being the only black in his neighborhood or on his job. Malcolm X said the Black masses were modern field Negroes and described himself as a field Negro.

The Speech to the Grassroots has been used to define and celebrate authentic black identity.  It led to the usage of the label “Uncle Tom”.  Malcolm’s words were rendered within the context of a revival to define blackness in a way that repudiated thoughts and actions that mirrored a celebration of white identity.

Ashanti has authored at least ten books that focus on the importance of an Afrocentric culture and the education of African beliefs.  His book Psychotechnology of Brainwashing examines what he calls the system of White Supremacy’s niggerization process.  He concludes that all areas of our society conditions black people to fear and seek acceptance from White people, while degrading black lives. His work seeks to reverse that process.

A librarian at the University of Missouri-St, Louis, posted the Willie Lynch Letter on the library’s Gopher server in 1993.  The librarian later revealed that she obtained the document from the publisher of the St. Louis Black Pages, a local newspaper.  Although she was convinced the letter was a forgery, she elected to leave it on the Gopher server because she believed that “even as an inauthentic document, it says something about the former and current state of African America.”

Roy Rosenzweig and William Jelani Cobb, two respected historians, have been on record that the letter is hoax before Ashanti’s confession. The opinion of the academic community has not tainted the relevancy of the letter in the eyes of many.  Like the librarian at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the assumptions of Ashanti’s hoax are real enough to transcend his hoax into the realm of truth.

The questions related to Ashanti’s game are many.  What does it mean when you formulate a philosophy based on assumptions that are not validated by true scholarship?  What are the dangers connected to teachings lessons tied to historical pain devoid of a clear connection between the past and the present.

It can be assumed that Ashanti’s hoax is relevant to the discussion involving the psychology of black people.  We could assert a high level of continued brainwashing and niggerization.  All of that may be true, but can we make that claim simply because it feels that way?

With that being said, what are the consequences of embracing any theory based on thoughts created by the person who uses the hoax to justify their claims?

Sounds like brainwashing to me, but it could be argued that I’m brainwashed.

 

Voyager Academy baseball team does't have to pay to play

Steve Bumgarder has a history of fighting for black youth.  He left Temple Baptist Church after the membership questioned their bringing black kids to church.  Bumgardner left Temple Baptist to attend Mt. Level Baptist Church.

Bumgardner, who is white, is still fighting for black youth.

Bumgardner is on a new mission. “It’s further evidence that the Durham Public School System doesn’t care about black and brown students,” he pitched his point.  “Administrators are only concerned with placating white parents.”

Bumgardner wants to know why the baseball team at Voyager Academy is allowed to practice and play games at Southern High School free of charge.  The facility rental contract with the Durham Public School system grants Voyager usage of the Southern High School baseball field from September 7 – June 1, Monday – Saturday at no charge.

Bumgardner claims the agreement is a clear case of favoritism to a charter school with a high percentage of white students.

“It’s the school systems way to stop the bleeding created after Chewning was made into a year-round school,” Bumgardner says. “White parents were upset when inner city students enrolled.  That’s when Voyager came along.”

Bumgardner sees the decision to grant Voyager Academy free use of  the Southern High School field as a precedent that could come back to haunt the system.  Currently, there is no policy involving renting facilities to charter schools.  Space is rented to churches and other nonprofit organizations, but rarely is the fee for usage waived. 

“What would prevent others to come back and ask for their money back because Voyager gets to use the field free of charge?”

It is not uncommon for schools to rent facilities.  Northern High School rents the Durham County Stadium to play football games.  The Durham School of the Arts rents the Durham Athletic Park to play their baseball games.  Both fields are owned by the county.   Bumgardner wants to know why certain schools are forced to spend money from their budget to rent county owned facilities, while Voyager Academy, which draws money from the school budget, gets a free ride.

Each traditional public school is budgeted $12,500 annually to run their athletic programs.  The rest is made up through ticket sales and fund raising.

“They [Voyager Academy] are presently using Southern to hold their home baseball games and charging admission and selling concessions,” Bumgardner wrote in a letter to the athletic directors at all DPS high schools. “They were given the use of DPS facilities for free for practice, and they are using it for games and charging admission (making money/stealing from our kids). All during the same time that DSA baseball team has no place to practice and has to rent the DAP for games at a great expense to them. “

“If those charter schools want to operate athletic programs they need to use the money given to them by the state and county to do so,” Bumgardner says. “They can rent facilities from Parks and Rec. Rent auditoriums from the convention center. But for them to come back to DPS facilities and use them after they have taken money directly from DPS is not a good value for a taxpayer.”

Bumgardner says Superintendent Eric Becoats told member of the Board of Education the policy is ambiguous and he plans to do nothing until the policy is changed.  The current policy grants principals the authority to recommend facility usage to the central office for approval.  The principal can propose a waiver of any fees.  The decision to rent the field to Voyage Academy and to waive rental fees appears to have come from the school principal.

“Voyager looks like the first step of the white flight I witnessed as a young boy in Durham growing up on Gregson Street,” Bumgardner says. “We have to find a way to stop giving white people permission to flee.”

Some may call Bumgardners thoughts over the top.  All that talk about race is just begging to open wounds that aren’t there.  Many people wish he would go to the nearest corner and remain silent. 

“I have bi-racial children,” Bumgardner says.  “I have a wife who teaches in the Durham Public School System.  I know and see things because of what she brings home.”

For Bumgardner there is more to the story than most can see.

 Maybe others should take a look.

Marry Durham celebrates 2nd Anniversary: I still do

It’s been two years since I placed a ring in Frank Stasio’s nose.  It was one of the best days I’ve spent in Durham.  How can you forget the day a crowd too large to count gathered on the700 block of Rigsbee Avenue to marry Durham?

I’m still married to Durham.  The love affair gets better each year.  The better is getting better and the worse isn’t so bad.  You learn to appreciate and celebrate the totality of the relationship.  The truth is all that bad stuff wasn’t so bad.  It all depends on how you look at things.

So, I’m getting ready to celebrate two years of marriage.  Frank Stasio will join me and the rest of the gang at the Motorco/Fullsteam end of Rigsbee to rekindle memories of the marriage between citizens and a city. Things kick off at 2:00 pm, and the Bulltown strutters will lead the parade starting at 2:30 pm.  If you missed the wedding day and last year’s anniversary, please, please don’t miss the celebration of year two.

Many of Durham’s black women will be at the PNC arena to listen to J.D. Jakes at Women’s Empowerment.  It’s always troubling that many miss the wedding due to conflicting events.  I can’t blame people for wanting to hear Jakes and Wendy Williams share inspirational messages.  I would love to hear Erykah Badu and Charlie Wilson perform. 

It happens every year. Should I celebrate Durham or opt to be entertained at Women’s Empowerment?  What matters the most, a parade with folks wearing wedding dresses and tuxedos, or a gathering of some of the top black speakers in entertainers in the country?

Sounds like an easy one – go with option number two. Right? Wrong.  Deciding to renew my vows is one of the most important things I could do.  It’s the most important thing we, as a city, can do.  Yes, it has been done before, but we need it more and more with the passing of every year.

Why? Because Durham continues to get thrown under the bus by those brainwashed into believing Durham is unsafe.  It’s important that we put the rest of the region and nation on blast.  Durham is all of that with two bags of chips.  Durham is supersized.  It’s the best among the rest, and we are willing to march, dance, sing and shout it year after year.  We keep coming back because we take our vows seriously.

There are other places I could be on Saturday.  I could stay home and watch a basketball game.  I could head over to Raleigh and participate in the festivities at the PNC arena.  I could do that, but why would I? How could I?

Why would I say that? I say it because no city has loved me like Durham.  No other city allows me to be myself.  Durham has received the best and worst of me.  Yes, it has been rocky at times.  There are days when I’m forced to sleep on the couch.  I’ve been thrown out a few times, but she keeps letting me come back.  She loves me – for better and for worse.

It’s important that I tell her how much I love her.  I’ve taken her for granted.  I cheated on her a bit this past year.  A few other cities caught my attention.  I saw them looking at me on the internet.  They looked so lovely.  Words about her sucked me in and had me considering a relationship.  I continue to be tempted. Yes, I’m guilty of being seduced.

I love Durham, and I know Durham loves me. I do, over and over again!

Join me on Saturday to say I love you!

Come Celebrate Our Second Anniversary

2:00-5:00 pm  • Parade at 2:30 pm

Saturday, March 23, 2013

700 Block of Rigsbee Avenue

 

Owner of Raleigh-Durham Five Guys Burger & Fries attacks Obama's health care law

Okay burger lovers. It’s time to prepare for an old fashioned boycott.  Pull out the signs and put the debit card under lock and key. 

Mike Ruffer, the owner of eight Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurants in Raleigh-Durham, was quoted in the Washington Examiner about his thoughts regarding President Obama’s new health care law.  He says the law will force him to put plans for new stores on hold and may result in higher prices for burgers.

Ruffer was speaking to attendees of a seminar on the new health care law that was hosted by the Heritage Foundation. He says profits from one of his eight outlets would have to be dedicated to health care and that “any added costs are going to have to be passed on.”

The corporate office of Five Guys Burger and Fries quickly distanced itself from Ruffer.  The chain owes President Obama for exposing the nation to the chain after he visited the Washington, DC restaurant in 2009. The chain rode the wagon to expand from coast-to-coast. Five Guys has grown to over 900 restaurants across the country.

"Mike Ruffer is a franchisee of Five Guys and independent business owner," Molly Catalano, director of communications, wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. "He does not represent Five Guys on this or any other subject matter."

Sales for Five Guys were just under $1 billion in 2011.  They added 182 locations and made the top 25 list in QSR Magazine.  The chains sales increased 32.8% from 2010, while its $1.156 million in sales per restaurant was just below Burger King’s $1.245, and was more than Pizza Hut, KFC, Sonic and Starbucks.

Ruffer should be careful about crying the blues in a community overly sensitive about getting jerked by corporate big shots.  His burger joints are in my back yard, and folks down here read newspapers and keep track of the U.S. Stock Exchange.  It’s hard, no it’s down right mind boggling, that people like Ruffer have the guts to talk about raising prices in a time of profit.  Those not paying attention would think he’s facing bankruptcy. Please read between the BS.

On Wednesday, U.S. stocks rose for the ninth straight session to another record. Ruffer, and his sidekick Papa John, want us to believe the nation is collapsing like the Roman Empire due to Obama care.  As Americans continue to struggle with finding ways to pay their bills, feed their families while keeping faith in the American dream, Ruffer and Papa want us to believe they are struggling too much to take some of that profit and pass it on to their employees.

I’m not buying it.  Neither should you.

The facts speak louder than Ruffer’s BS.  The Dow Jones industrial average’s nine-day winning streak is the longest run since November 1996.  The S&P 500 is within striking distance of its all-time closing high of 1,565.15 and about 1 percent away from all-time intraday high of 1,576.09 set in 2007.

"I think we will soon see the S&P at all-time high levels. I don't think the market has topped yet, and there is still strength to move the market higher," says Ari Wald of C&Co/PrinceRidge in New York.

Translation, businesses are making money.  The problem is with how profits are being spent, or, more to the point, with how profits are not being spent.  Companies like Papa John Pizza, Five Guys Burger and Fries and Whole Foods complain about the liberal policies of the Obama administration.  They continue to tell us to wait for things to trickle down.  Americans keep waiting for the trickle but the only thing up is corporate profit, and the only thing down is the people in need of health care, more income and the possibility of better days.

So, Ruffer and the other greedy son of a guns need to be careful with their rhetoric.  They can throw their spreadsheets in the faces of those who buy burgers and fries, but folks in Durham, NC aren’t willing to listen to your complaint about barely making it when those flipping the burgers and washing the dishes can’t afford to take their children to the doctor.

Take your greed somewhere else.  The numbers tell the truth.  You have no reason to complain.

Those who need help do.

The Daily Tar Heal blames Chapel Hill crime on Durham

Outrage is a wonderful gift. It reminds us that not everyone has antiquated views regarding those living on the other side of the tracks.  For those who missed the ride to life after whistling Dixie, not all black men own guns, rob people, have children by multiple women and have spent half their lives in prison.

It’s simply not true.  For those unable to see beyond a person’s dark tan, it may help to stop watching Fox News.  I’m just saying.  It would help to consider an alternative source.

As a black dude living in America, I’ve learned not to allow silly stuff to get under my skin.  Sweet Brown says it best. “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

I can take it when folks throw a few stones at me.  Tough skin comes with the territory, but when a person starts throwing wolf tickets at my home town; it’s time for a beat down.  Yes, I’m willing to stomp anyone who talks smack about Durham.

I can forgive youth for not understanding the history and context that translate mean words into BS.  From all accounts, Chelsey Dulaney didn’t know any better.  The student at The Daily Tar Heel made the mistake of thinking she was reporting truth by claiming crime in Chapel Hill is due to the bad blood coming from Durham.  In other words, the Chapel Hill police need to do a better job of keeping “those people” from crossing the border.

Sounds like a Negro watch to me.  Can someone say racial profiling?  It’s that type of rhetoric that has served to fracture Durham’s reputation as the star among the Triangles three cities.  Some call it player hating.  It’s the game of throwing stones to draw attention away from the one who gets more attention.  I get it.  I can’t blame Dulaney from being misinformed.  At the root of it all is something deeper. 

They can’t help but be jealous.

Who wouldn’t be? Durham is the star among the rest.  The truth is it’s not even close.  Durham has garnered national attention for being one of the best places to dine in the South – not Chapel Hill or Raleigh. Durham has the Durham Performing Arts Center, the Nasher and is the home of the Research Triangle Park.  The good things happening East of Chapel Hill are enough to make anyone envious.

So, I can’t blame Dulaney for blaming Durham for what is wrong with Chapel Hill.  Dulaney’s assertion assumes that most who commit crimes in Chapel Hill are from Durham. It fails to show how many of the crimes in Durham are committed by people from Chapel Hill.  The close ties between the communities make it virtually impossible to link crime in Chapel Hill to Durham, or crime in Durham to Chapel Hill. 

At the root of Dulaney’s analysis is assumptions related to race.  If it’s black, it must be Durham.  It’s an absurd notion that fails to acknowledge the black people living in Chapel Hill.  Even more perplexing is how thoughts regarding race and crime can impact strategies for the police – keep black people out of Chapel Hill.

Don’t let them in our city.

The best news is the outrage.  I’m encouraged by the comments made by those living in Chapel Hill.  It’s time to tell the truth about life in the Bull City.  Durham is not a city of thugs and crime.  We are the best the area has to offer. Deal with it!

I do understand the temptation to form assumptions about a community. I could label Chapel Hill a snobbish community of racist who use public policy to keep black people away.  I could argue that high taxes are used to keep certain people from buying property.

The truth is I have no reason to cross the border to go there.  Some of my best friends live in Chapel Hill, but, but…

Sound familiar?

That’s how false assumptions get started.  We’re all the same community folks.  The only thing that changes is the sign to remind us the name of the city has changed.

Thank God for outrage.