I DID NOT write this one!
Someone shared it with me, I am sharing it with you.
Peace and blessings!
This is Your Nation on White Privilege
By Tim Wise
9/13/08
For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.
White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.
White privilege is when you can call yourself a "fuckin' redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.
White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."
White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.
White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto is "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college and the fact that she lives close to Russia--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because suddenly your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."
White privilege is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.
White privilege is when you can take nearly twenty-four hours to get to a hospital after beginning to leak amniotic fluid, and still be viewed as a great mom whose commitment to her children is unquestionable, and whose "next door neighbor" qualities make her ready to be VP, while if you're a black candidate for president and you let your children be interviewed for a few seconds on TV, you're irresponsibly exploiting them.
White privilege is being able to give a 36 minute speech in which you talk about lipstick and make fun of your opponent, while laying out no substantive policy positions on any issue at all, and still manage to be considered a legitimate candidate, while a black person who gives an hour speech the week before, in which he lays out specific policy proposals on several issues, is still criticized for being too vague about what he would do if elected.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.
White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.
White privilege is being able to go to a prestigious prep school, then to Yale and then Harvard Business school, and yet, still be seen as just an average guy (George W. Bush) while being black, going to a prestigious prep school, then Occidental College, then Columbia, and then to Harvard Law, makes you "uppity," and a snob who probably looks down on regular folks.
White privilege is being able to graduate near the bottom of your college class (McCain), or graduate with a C average from Yale (W.) and that's OK, and you're cut out to be president, but if you're black and you graduate near the top of your class from Harvard Law, you can't be trusted to make good decisions in office.
White privilege is being able to dump your first wife after she's disfigured in a car crash so you can take up with a multi-millionaire beauty queen (who you go on to call the c-word in public) and still be thought of as a man of strong family values, while if you're black and married for nearly twenty years to the same woman, your family is viewed as un-American and your gestures of affection for each other are called "terrorist fist bumps."
White privilege is being able to sing a song about bombing Iran and still be viewed as a sober and rational statesman, with the maturity to be president, while being black and suggesting that the U.S. should speak with other nations, even when we have disagreements with them, makes you "dangerously naive and immature."
White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism and an absent father is apparently among the "lesser adversities" faced by other politicians, as Sarah Palin explained in her convention speech.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.
White privilege is, in short, the problem.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
African American Women Evolving
Volunteers, Advocates, and Activists!!!!
Upcoming EventsAAWE's Reproductive Justice Advocacy Training
Greetings!
If you are interested in improving the lives and health of African American women and girls, then AAWE needs you! We are looking for volunteers and advocates to continue the fight for reproductive justice. We are working on some exciting new projects in an effort to connect with the community and build a base of new advocates and supporters on policies and issues that directly affect African American women. Please contact me for more information on these projects and to sign up for one of our upcoming trainings.
Sincerely,
Tamarra Coleman-Hill
AAWE's Reproductive Justice Advocacy TrainingFull Knowledge, Total Access
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AAWE has expanded its Advocacy Training! It is now a full weekend training including our sex education and reproductive health 101 curriculum. We are also working on several exciting new projects and we are recruiting new advocates to help us do the work!
Where & When
1424 E. 53rd StreetSuite 306Chicago, Illinois 60615October 18-19, 2008Sat. 9:00am-5:00pm Sun. 9:00am-2:00pm
Our mission is to increase the activism and leadership of Black women and girls in the Reproductive Justice Movement. AAWE believes that women need full knowledge and total access to as much information as possible to make informed decisions about their lives and bodies. AAWE does this by providing a critical analysis of the intersections between race, class, gender, and reproductive health. Topics in this training will include: access to reproductive healthcare, new prevention methods in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other STI's, harmful effects of feminine hygiene and other cosmetic products, sex and sexuality and becoming active in the political process.
Highlights: Understanding the legislative process. The Reproductive Justice movement. Black women and reproductive health activism. Reproductive Health 101. Healthy Sexuality. Contact Tamarra Coleman-Hill for more info: tcolemanhill@aaweonline.org
African American Women Evolving
1424 E. 53rd StreetSuite 306Chicago, Illinois 60615773-955-2709inaawe@aaweonline.orghttp://www.aaweonline.org Training is Free with one year volunteer service on one or more of AAWE's projects: The Healthy Vagina Campaign The Black Church Project "Pretty Girl Beauty Initiative" AAWE's Night Club Project: "Don't Get Caught Up, Wrap It Up"
Upcoming EventsAAWE's Reproductive Justice Advocacy Training
Greetings!
If you are interested in improving the lives and health of African American women and girls, then AAWE needs you! We are looking for volunteers and advocates to continue the fight for reproductive justice. We are working on some exciting new projects in an effort to connect with the community and build a base of new advocates and supporters on policies and issues that directly affect African American women. Please contact me for more information on these projects and to sign up for one of our upcoming trainings.
Sincerely,
Tamarra Coleman-Hill
AAWE's Reproductive Justice Advocacy TrainingFull Knowledge, Total Access
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AAWE has expanded its Advocacy Training! It is now a full weekend training including our sex education and reproductive health 101 curriculum. We are also working on several exciting new projects and we are recruiting new advocates to help us do the work!
Where & When
1424 E. 53rd StreetSuite 306Chicago, Illinois 60615October 18-19, 2008Sat. 9:00am-5:00pm Sun. 9:00am-2:00pm
Our mission is to increase the activism and leadership of Black women and girls in the Reproductive Justice Movement. AAWE believes that women need full knowledge and total access to as much information as possible to make informed decisions about their lives and bodies. AAWE does this by providing a critical analysis of the intersections between race, class, gender, and reproductive health. Topics in this training will include: access to reproductive healthcare, new prevention methods in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other STI's, harmful effects of feminine hygiene and other cosmetic products, sex and sexuality and becoming active in the political process.
Highlights: Understanding the legislative process. The Reproductive Justice movement. Black women and reproductive health activism. Reproductive Health 101. Healthy Sexuality. Contact Tamarra Coleman-Hill for more info: tcolemanhill@aaweonline.org
African American Women Evolving
1424 E. 53rd StreetSuite 306Chicago, Illinois 60615773-955-2709inaawe@aaweonline.orghttp://www.aaweonline.org Training is Free with one year volunteer service on one or more of AAWE's projects: The Healthy Vagina Campaign The Black Church Project "Pretty Girl Beauty Initiative" AAWE's Night Club Project: "Don't Get Caught Up, Wrap It Up"
Friday, September 5, 2008
Gustav empowerment?
Bad things that happen to good people all the time.
Sometimes people are empowered because of challenges.
Let us keep the families in prayer who are experiencing tragedy.
In the meantime, be sure and read this info that was sent to me.
New Orleans, September 2, 2008
The good news is that nearly two million people evacuated and were spared the direct hit of Gustav. Our sisters and brothers in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, who were not able to leave the point of the storm, lost over 100 lives. The people of the U.S. were fortunate to be able to leave.
The bad news is that most people have not been allowed to return.
Since the storm, New Orleans and numerous other coastal communities have continued 24 hour curfews and prohibited people from returning by posting law enforcement at all entrances. Officials argue that neighborhoods are without electricity and return would be challenging due to the presence of downed trees and power lines.
Locking people out is quite a hardship and also very challenging for the hundreds of thousands of displaced working families. As one local resident put it, “I understand that most public officials are saying for us to stay away as a safety aspect, but they do not realize that some of us cannot afford to stay away that long.”
Garland Robinette, a respected radio voice of WWL radio, was also pleading with elected officials on air this afternoon, “What are you going to do about the poor people who can’t afford another hotel room?”
When the average weekly wage for workers in the hotel and restaurant business is less than $400 a week, the least expensive hotel, plus gas and meals for a family since last Saturday or Sunday, can eat up a week’s wages in no time. Additionally, tens of thousands of people have also lost a week of work because most workers are not paid for the time during evacuation. That puts families two weeks of wages behind.
That it why there are widespread reports of families now parked on the side of the highway or in parking lots waiting for permission to come home.
Over 60,000 people are in 300 shelters across the South. Those who came by publicly paid buses will not be allowed to return until perhaps the weekend.
People who cannot come home are now being told to contact the Red Cross and local churches to see if they will provide bed space.
Despite our continuing problems, we are all thankful for the good fortune we have had. We are also grateful for the help of our neighbors, families and friends who have put us up, given us money for gas, and allowed us to shower and use their phones.
Nearly two million people cooperated in the evacuation. New Orleans and other coastal communities reported only a handful of arrests. This has worked really well so far. But unless officials are sensitive to the serious financial crunch that working and poor families are in, the risk is that next time large numbers of people will be less likely to evacuate.
(Note: BC recommends Bill Quigley's column about the 3rd anniversary of Katrina: Katrina Pain Index.)
BlackCommentator.com Columnist, Bill Quigley, is a human rights lawyer and law professor at Loyola University, New Orleans. He has been an active public interest lawyer since 1977 and has served as counsel with a wide range of public interest organizations on issues including Katrina social justice issues, public housing, voting rights, death penalty, living wage, civil liberties, educational reform, constitutional rights and civil disobedience. He has litigated numerous cases with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., the Advancement Project, and with the ACLU of Louisiana, for which he served as General Counsel for over 15 years. Bill is one of the lawyers for displaced residents. Additionally, Bill is the author of the forthcoming book, Storms Still Raging: Katrina, New Orleans and Social Justice. Click here to contact Mr. Quigley.
Any BlackCommentator.com article may be re-printed so long as it is re-printed in its entirety and full credit given to the author and www.BlackCommentator.com. If the re-print is on the Internet we additionally request a link back to the original piece on our Website.
Your comments are always welcome.
Sometimes people are empowered because of challenges.
Let us keep the families in prayer who are experiencing tragedy.
In the meantime, be sure and read this info that was sent to me.
New Orleans, September 2, 2008
The good news is that nearly two million people evacuated and were spared the direct hit of Gustav. Our sisters and brothers in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, who were not able to leave the point of the storm, lost over 100 lives. The people of the U.S. were fortunate to be able to leave.
The bad news is that most people have not been allowed to return.
Since the storm, New Orleans and numerous other coastal communities have continued 24 hour curfews and prohibited people from returning by posting law enforcement at all entrances. Officials argue that neighborhoods are without electricity and return would be challenging due to the presence of downed trees and power lines.
Locking people out is quite a hardship and also very challenging for the hundreds of thousands of displaced working families. As one local resident put it, “I understand that most public officials are saying for us to stay away as a safety aspect, but they do not realize that some of us cannot afford to stay away that long.”
Garland Robinette, a respected radio voice of WWL radio, was also pleading with elected officials on air this afternoon, “What are you going to do about the poor people who can’t afford another hotel room?”
When the average weekly wage for workers in the hotel and restaurant business is less than $400 a week, the least expensive hotel, plus gas and meals for a family since last Saturday or Sunday, can eat up a week’s wages in no time. Additionally, tens of thousands of people have also lost a week of work because most workers are not paid for the time during evacuation. That puts families two weeks of wages behind.
That it why there are widespread reports of families now parked on the side of the highway or in parking lots waiting for permission to come home.
Over 60,000 people are in 300 shelters across the South. Those who came by publicly paid buses will not be allowed to return until perhaps the weekend.
People who cannot come home are now being told to contact the Red Cross and local churches to see if they will provide bed space.
Despite our continuing problems, we are all thankful for the good fortune we have had. We are also grateful for the help of our neighbors, families and friends who have put us up, given us money for gas, and allowed us to shower and use their phones.
Nearly two million people cooperated in the evacuation. New Orleans and other coastal communities reported only a handful of arrests. This has worked really well so far. But unless officials are sensitive to the serious financial crunch that working and poor families are in, the risk is that next time large numbers of people will be less likely to evacuate.
(Note: BC recommends Bill Quigley's column about the 3rd anniversary of Katrina: Katrina Pain Index.)
BlackCommentator.com Columnist, Bill Quigley, is a human rights lawyer and law professor at Loyola University, New Orleans. He has been an active public interest lawyer since 1977 and has served as counsel with a wide range of public interest organizations on issues including Katrina social justice issues, public housing, voting rights, death penalty, living wage, civil liberties, educational reform, constitutional rights and civil disobedience. He has litigated numerous cases with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., the Advancement Project, and with the ACLU of Louisiana, for which he served as General Counsel for over 15 years. Bill is one of the lawyers for displaced residents. Additionally, Bill is the author of the forthcoming book, Storms Still Raging: Katrina, New Orleans and Social Justice. Click here to contact Mr. Quigley.
Any BlackCommentator.com article may be re-printed so long as it is re-printed in its entirety and full credit given to the author and www.BlackCommentator.com. If the re-print is on the Internet we additionally request a link back to the original piece on our Website.
Your comments are always welcome.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
obama empowers us all
If he can do it, so can we! There is no preference in God's eyes!
If a black man from the south side of Chicago can go to the white house, imagine what you can do! See some of the photos from his travels.
Kudo's to Metropolis for sharing this historic footage!
On the road with Barack
Traveling to Denver with Barack
Keep checking the home page for more pictures of Barack and his road to Denver.
Updating as often as possible.
www.bronzevillemetropolis.com/Ready%20or%20Not.html
www.bronzevillemetropolis.com>
Leila Khaled
Editor/Publisher
Metropolis
1900 S. Clark Street, Suite 101
Chicago, IL 60616
312-719-3515 phone
312-604-3226 fax
www.bronzevillemetropolis.com
If a black man from the south side of Chicago can go to the white house, imagine what you can do! See some of the photos from his travels.
Kudo's to Metropolis for sharing this historic footage!
On the road with Barack
Traveling to Denver with Barack
Keep checking the home page for more pictures of Barack and his road to Denver.
Updating as often as possible.
www.bronzevillemetropolis.com/Ready%20or%20Not.html
www.bronzevillemetropolis.com>
Leila Khaled
Editor/Publisher
Metropolis
1900 S. Clark Street, Suite 101
Chicago, IL 60616
312-719-3515 phone
312-604-3226 fax
www.bronzevillemetropolis.com
Sunday, August 24, 2008
an email from anthony robbins foundation
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX.. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'God bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson .
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Resp ect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX.. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'God bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson .
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Resp ect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
self empowerment sometimes begins by keeping thoughts to self
I recieved this one from Essence Magazine. Enjoy!
Feel free to voice your own comments.
Jesse Jackson Speaks On Obama, Race, and the N-word
Civil rights activist addresses his controversial off-air remarks about the senator and explains why he’s still relevant
By Cynthia Gordy and Tatsha Robertson
More than a month has passed since the Reverend Jesse Jackson uttered remarks about Senator Barack Obama “talking down to Black people” and “telling n—s how to behave.” The comments, picked up by a microphone during a break for a Fox News interview, prompted critics to dismiss the civil rights activist and two-time U.S. presidential candidate as a relic from the past. In a candid conversation with ESSENCE editors Tatsha Robertson and Cynthia Gordy, Jackson responds to the backlash and explains why he thinks he’s just as relevant as ever.
ESSENCE.COM: Will we see you at the Democratic National Convention?
JACKSON: Absolutely.
ESSENCE.COM: Will you be playing any role at the convention?
JACKSON: No, not any particular role. I’ll be there as an Obama supporter. I have spoken at the last six Democratic conventions, so I wanted to certainly make room for more speakers and broader participation.
ESSENCE.COM: Both candidates have spoken at length on issues such as the war and the economy. Are there other issues that you’d like them to focus on more?
JACKSON: Well, I think the war is the premier issue of our time. The war is costing money, almost a trillion dollars. It’s costing lives. The war has alienated America in the world community. On the other hand, it’s not enough to stop investing in the war. Let’s now reinvest in America. We need an urban policy within our cities. Nearly fifty percent of Black men in New York City are unemployed. Bridges are collapsing, levees are being overrun. There must be some real plan to reinvest in America.
ESSENCE.COM: What about the criminal justice system, or social justice issues in general?
JACKSON: Well, that’s a big piece of it. You know, 2.3 million Americans are in jail. Close to 40 percent of them are Black, and nearly 20 percent are Latino. It is devastating to our families, as well as the crack-sentencing disparity.
ESSENCE.COM: Why do you think those issues are not being mentioned as much?
JACKSON: I think that becomes our job, the civil rights community, to keep the issues on the front burner that concern us the most, just like labor puts workers’ rights on the front burner, and Hispanics put on the agenda the road to citizenship, bilingual education and immigrant rights. We must keep on the agenda the issue of education, employment, social justice, and some plan to deal with the disparities of Blacks in infant mortality and short life expectancy. We’re [more susceptible to] home foreclosures, number one in unemployment.
ESSENCE.COM: You make a good point about the job of the civil rights community. But many younger African-Americans have been complaining that the old guard civil rights leaders focus too much on African-Americans as victims rather than moving the race forward. What do you think about this point of view?
JACKSON: This “old guard, new guard” is an unhealthy division. Politics must be inter-generational. You need Barack on the one hand to talk, you need Charlie Rangel, chair of House Ways & Means [Committee], and John Conyers, chair of our House Judiciary [Committee]. In politics you grow by adding and multiplying, not by subtracting and dividing. So “old guard vs. new guard” is not a healthy combination. The reality is that we achieved the right to vote, we achieved freedom, but we didn’t achieve equality, and that is the remaining civil rights work.
ESSENCE.COM: The rapper Nas and writer Kevin Powell, who is running for Congress in Brooklyn, have said that you particularly, and other civil rights leaders, are no longer relevant and need to step aside. How do you remain relevant to this newer generation?
JACKSON: The reality is that if you’re running for Congress, you need the votes of senior citizens. You need the votes of churches. You are not getting in Congress on a youth vote. That’s not the mass that you need to win a congressional seat. You need an intergenerational, multicultural coalition. And that experience cannot be thrown away. In Dr. King’s time, Dr. King was 34, but he reached out to A. Philip Randolph. It took both A. Philip Randolph and Dr. King in tandem to make the March on Washington take place.
ESSENCE.COM: Are you going to reach out to some in the younger generation to make them feel that you are relevant?
JACKSON: All you really can do is continue to serve. Who’s relevant and heroism is a matter of perception. You might take a certain hip-hop magazine—they should not say ESSENCE is not relevant; it’s just different. The divide is not the key to growth. The key to politics is growth, and if there’s growth, everybody wins.
ESSENCE.COM: Earlier on you made an argument about the need to push for social justice. A lot of these tend to get branded as “Black issues,” and some argue that Senator Obama, in particular, must tread carefully in that area, to be representative of all of America. What are your thoughts on that?
JACKSON: That’s what we did in the Rainbow Push Coalition campaign. We focused on family farmers and urban workers; a comprehensive health care plan for everybody; equal access to public education—that is a way to frame the debate. Some issues that are being pushed as “Black issues” are not. Affirmative action, for example, is not a Black issue; it’s a majority issue. Affirmative action is [a part of] Title 9 and affects majority white women. Even the voting rights struggle that has made Barack’s candidacy possible was always broader than just Black. When we went to Selma to vote in 1965, White women couldn’t serve on juries; farmers who couldn’t pay a poll tax couldn’t vote—that was not for Blacks only.
ESSENCE.COM: It’s interesting that you describe your platform as inclusive because oftentimes your presidential runs are framed as having been centered on Black people. And now Senator Obama is heralded as being very different from that—
JACKSON: We won Vermont, Alaska and Michigan because we reached out. What’s different today is not that Blacks have changed, but Whites have changed. Whites who once terrorized us and denied us the right to vote are now voting for us. Many Whites are maturing and becoming less insecure in the voting process. But we’ve been reaching out for a long time.
ESSENCE.COM: We’ve seen you champion African-American issues and fight against injustice. Many people simply want to know, when you mentioned the N-word in your off-air remarks about Obama last month—why? They want you to tell them, as an African-American, why did that happen?
JACKSON: It should not have happened. What was private talk became public controversy, and I am embarrassed by that. There is no virtue in that kind of talk, and it should always be discouraged. My appeal even then was that responsibility is a significant message, but our needs require real government intervention and private sector incentives to address the issues of unemployment, building affordable housing and making education more affordable, which really was my point. It was a very painful period for me to have gone through that. The good news is that it’s behind us now.
ESSENCE.COM: Have you talked to Obama about it?
JACKSON: Yes. As a matter of fact, he sent me a welcome to the convention and made credentials available to me. We’ve gone on to the next stage.
ESSENCE.COM: Your son disagreed with you (on the off-air comments). What do you think about your son’s comments? Is it further evidence of you not reaching a new generation?
JACKSON: Well, Jesse’s a co-chair of the campaign, and he’s also a congressman. He felt that pain of that too. He’s free to express himself, and it does not bother our relationship as father and son at all. He was taught to give his opinion in our household, and he did it in love. He’s tough, he’s smart. He has a future in politics. He didn’t want the impression to be that that my faux pas was his faux pas, because it was not. I respect his right to express himself.
ESSENCE.COM: In Senator Obama’s speech that he gave at a Chicago church this past Father's Day, he urged more Black fathers to be involved in their children’s lives. He received backlash for that—
JACKSON: Well, the message of responsibility should be broadly applied and not appear to be just directed to Blacks. Black men need to be responsible—they also need to be employed.
ESSENCE.COM: So would you say that children without fathers in the home is not that critical an issue in the Black community?
JACKSON: Men across the board must be more responsible. But again, in the context of the Black situation, we have a requirement for governmental intervention. You’ve got a million blacks in jail with three or four kids apiece; that’s a state of emergency. I think that responsibility was always embraced. But we’ve got some real structural inequality and exploitation that must also be addressed; that’s all.
ESSENCE.COM: As Senator Obama moves forward in the campaign, do you have any words of advice for him?
JACKSON: I think we have an outstanding candidate. We have the burden now to fully register and vote. There are still maybe 6 to 8 million Blacks unregistered who should not miss this hour, this opportunity. Now that we have a who, let’s focus on the what. What is an urban policy that can begin a renewed commitment to educate our children and to employ adults and provide public health care? These are the issues he has embraced. We have a candidate who has a good grasp of the issues that matter. But the burden is upon us now to maximize registration and output.
RELATED LINKS:
PHOTOS: View our 2008 Presidential candidates gallery »
Read our on-the-road talk with Barack Obama »
Find out what John McCain has planned for Black America »
Cynthia McKinney discusses her Presidential run »View celebrities in their Barack best and learn about the Obama T-Shirt business »
Barack Obama Cover
House of Representatives Apologizes to African-Americans for Slavery
Barack Obama, Immortalized in Plastic? The Senator Has His Own Action Figure
News Analysis: A Historic Win
R. Kelly Petition
To add your comments or to view all comments click here.
-5 latest comments
The main problem in the African American community is that we can not be proud of one another other. The Rev. Jesse Jackson is a great example of that. He is so use to being in the limelight and the "leader" of the community that he doesn't know how to just share the stage. Barack knows how to communicate with all races and that's why he is where he is today. What the Rev. said off air on the Bill Reilly show came from his heart. I've watched that piece over and over and there was a weird kind of hatred that erupted from Jac
-B Free
We are so disappointed in Rev. Jackson. First of all Reverend is his title. His comments and behavior do not live up to the title. He said how he feels about Obama. The timing, the place, the words--there is no explaining his way out of this one. Please Rev. Jackson, back away!
-Georgia Woman
-----blackgirlsconnect.com----- ? It is really a funny and interesting place to date attractive girls or hot guys. Many hottie videos and photos at this site, you can enjoy latest interesting videos or talk about hot topic with other friends. I've met many thoughtful singles who were trying to find true love.
-Joanna
Rev. Jackson is a wolf in sheep clothing. What is done in the dark will come to the light. Rev. Jackson comment that he made towards Ombama came from his heart.
-Dottie
One of America's premeire race hustler's puts the proverbial "foot in his mouth". Guess he had a big problem with Barack's "responsibility" speech because if it took root, he might find himself out of a job.
-Anonymous
Feel free to voice your own comments.
Jesse Jackson Speaks On Obama, Race, and the N-word
Civil rights activist addresses his controversial off-air remarks about the senator and explains why he’s still relevant
By Cynthia Gordy and Tatsha Robertson
More than a month has passed since the Reverend Jesse Jackson uttered remarks about Senator Barack Obama “talking down to Black people” and “telling n—s how to behave.” The comments, picked up by a microphone during a break for a Fox News interview, prompted critics to dismiss the civil rights activist and two-time U.S. presidential candidate as a relic from the past. In a candid conversation with ESSENCE editors Tatsha Robertson and Cynthia Gordy, Jackson responds to the backlash and explains why he thinks he’s just as relevant as ever.
ESSENCE.COM: Will we see you at the Democratic National Convention?
JACKSON: Absolutely.
ESSENCE.COM: Will you be playing any role at the convention?
JACKSON: No, not any particular role. I’ll be there as an Obama supporter. I have spoken at the last six Democratic conventions, so I wanted to certainly make room for more speakers and broader participation.
ESSENCE.COM: Both candidates have spoken at length on issues such as the war and the economy. Are there other issues that you’d like them to focus on more?
JACKSON: Well, I think the war is the premier issue of our time. The war is costing money, almost a trillion dollars. It’s costing lives. The war has alienated America in the world community. On the other hand, it’s not enough to stop investing in the war. Let’s now reinvest in America. We need an urban policy within our cities. Nearly fifty percent of Black men in New York City are unemployed. Bridges are collapsing, levees are being overrun. There must be some real plan to reinvest in America.
ESSENCE.COM: What about the criminal justice system, or social justice issues in general?
JACKSON: Well, that’s a big piece of it. You know, 2.3 million Americans are in jail. Close to 40 percent of them are Black, and nearly 20 percent are Latino. It is devastating to our families, as well as the crack-sentencing disparity.
ESSENCE.COM: Why do you think those issues are not being mentioned as much?
JACKSON: I think that becomes our job, the civil rights community, to keep the issues on the front burner that concern us the most, just like labor puts workers’ rights on the front burner, and Hispanics put on the agenda the road to citizenship, bilingual education and immigrant rights. We must keep on the agenda the issue of education, employment, social justice, and some plan to deal with the disparities of Blacks in infant mortality and short life expectancy. We’re [more susceptible to] home foreclosures, number one in unemployment.
ESSENCE.COM: You make a good point about the job of the civil rights community. But many younger African-Americans have been complaining that the old guard civil rights leaders focus too much on African-Americans as victims rather than moving the race forward. What do you think about this point of view?
JACKSON: This “old guard, new guard” is an unhealthy division. Politics must be inter-generational. You need Barack on the one hand to talk, you need Charlie Rangel, chair of House Ways & Means [Committee], and John Conyers, chair of our House Judiciary [Committee]. In politics you grow by adding and multiplying, not by subtracting and dividing. So “old guard vs. new guard” is not a healthy combination. The reality is that we achieved the right to vote, we achieved freedom, but we didn’t achieve equality, and that is the remaining civil rights work.
ESSENCE.COM: The rapper Nas and writer Kevin Powell, who is running for Congress in Brooklyn, have said that you particularly, and other civil rights leaders, are no longer relevant and need to step aside. How do you remain relevant to this newer generation?
JACKSON: The reality is that if you’re running for Congress, you need the votes of senior citizens. You need the votes of churches. You are not getting in Congress on a youth vote. That’s not the mass that you need to win a congressional seat. You need an intergenerational, multicultural coalition. And that experience cannot be thrown away. In Dr. King’s time, Dr. King was 34, but he reached out to A. Philip Randolph. It took both A. Philip Randolph and Dr. King in tandem to make the March on Washington take place.
ESSENCE.COM: Are you going to reach out to some in the younger generation to make them feel that you are relevant?
JACKSON: All you really can do is continue to serve. Who’s relevant and heroism is a matter of perception. You might take a certain hip-hop magazine—they should not say ESSENCE is not relevant; it’s just different. The divide is not the key to growth. The key to politics is growth, and if there’s growth, everybody wins.
ESSENCE.COM: Earlier on you made an argument about the need to push for social justice. A lot of these tend to get branded as “Black issues,” and some argue that Senator Obama, in particular, must tread carefully in that area, to be representative of all of America. What are your thoughts on that?
JACKSON: That’s what we did in the Rainbow Push Coalition campaign. We focused on family farmers and urban workers; a comprehensive health care plan for everybody; equal access to public education—that is a way to frame the debate. Some issues that are being pushed as “Black issues” are not. Affirmative action, for example, is not a Black issue; it’s a majority issue. Affirmative action is [a part of] Title 9 and affects majority white women. Even the voting rights struggle that has made Barack’s candidacy possible was always broader than just Black. When we went to Selma to vote in 1965, White women couldn’t serve on juries; farmers who couldn’t pay a poll tax couldn’t vote—that was not for Blacks only.
ESSENCE.COM: It’s interesting that you describe your platform as inclusive because oftentimes your presidential runs are framed as having been centered on Black people. And now Senator Obama is heralded as being very different from that—
JACKSON: We won Vermont, Alaska and Michigan because we reached out. What’s different today is not that Blacks have changed, but Whites have changed. Whites who once terrorized us and denied us the right to vote are now voting for us. Many Whites are maturing and becoming less insecure in the voting process. But we’ve been reaching out for a long time.
ESSENCE.COM: We’ve seen you champion African-American issues and fight against injustice. Many people simply want to know, when you mentioned the N-word in your off-air remarks about Obama last month—why? They want you to tell them, as an African-American, why did that happen?
JACKSON: It should not have happened. What was private talk became public controversy, and I am embarrassed by that. There is no virtue in that kind of talk, and it should always be discouraged. My appeal even then was that responsibility is a significant message, but our needs require real government intervention and private sector incentives to address the issues of unemployment, building affordable housing and making education more affordable, which really was my point. It was a very painful period for me to have gone through that. The good news is that it’s behind us now.
ESSENCE.COM: Have you talked to Obama about it?
JACKSON: Yes. As a matter of fact, he sent me a welcome to the convention and made credentials available to me. We’ve gone on to the next stage.
ESSENCE.COM: Your son disagreed with you (on the off-air comments). What do you think about your son’s comments? Is it further evidence of you not reaching a new generation?
JACKSON: Well, Jesse’s a co-chair of the campaign, and he’s also a congressman. He felt that pain of that too. He’s free to express himself, and it does not bother our relationship as father and son at all. He was taught to give his opinion in our household, and he did it in love. He’s tough, he’s smart. He has a future in politics. He didn’t want the impression to be that that my faux pas was his faux pas, because it was not. I respect his right to express himself.
ESSENCE.COM: In Senator Obama’s speech that he gave at a Chicago church this past Father's Day, he urged more Black fathers to be involved in their children’s lives. He received backlash for that—
JACKSON: Well, the message of responsibility should be broadly applied and not appear to be just directed to Blacks. Black men need to be responsible—they also need to be employed.
ESSENCE.COM: So would you say that children without fathers in the home is not that critical an issue in the Black community?
JACKSON: Men across the board must be more responsible. But again, in the context of the Black situation, we have a requirement for governmental intervention. You’ve got a million blacks in jail with three or four kids apiece; that’s a state of emergency. I think that responsibility was always embraced. But we’ve got some real structural inequality and exploitation that must also be addressed; that’s all.
ESSENCE.COM: As Senator Obama moves forward in the campaign, do you have any words of advice for him?
JACKSON: I think we have an outstanding candidate. We have the burden now to fully register and vote. There are still maybe 6 to 8 million Blacks unregistered who should not miss this hour, this opportunity. Now that we have a who, let’s focus on the what. What is an urban policy that can begin a renewed commitment to educate our children and to employ adults and provide public health care? These are the issues he has embraced. We have a candidate who has a good grasp of the issues that matter. But the burden is upon us now to maximize registration and output.
RELATED LINKS:
PHOTOS: View our 2008 Presidential candidates gallery »
Read our on-the-road talk with Barack Obama »
Find out what John McCain has planned for Black America »
Cynthia McKinney discusses her Presidential run »View celebrities in their Barack best and learn about the Obama T-Shirt business »
Barack Obama Cover
House of Representatives Apologizes to African-Americans for Slavery
Barack Obama, Immortalized in Plastic? The Senator Has His Own Action Figure
News Analysis: A Historic Win
R. Kelly Petition
To add your comments or to view all comments click here.
-5 latest comments
The main problem in the African American community is that we can not be proud of one another other. The Rev. Jesse Jackson is a great example of that. He is so use to being in the limelight and the "leader" of the community that he doesn't know how to just share the stage. Barack knows how to communicate with all races and that's why he is where he is today. What the Rev. said off air on the Bill Reilly show came from his heart. I've watched that piece over and over and there was a weird kind of hatred that erupted from Jac
-B Free
We are so disappointed in Rev. Jackson. First of all Reverend is his title. His comments and behavior do not live up to the title. He said how he feels about Obama. The timing, the place, the words--there is no explaining his way out of this one. Please Rev. Jackson, back away!
-Georgia Woman
-----blackgirlsconnect.com----- ? It is really a funny and interesting place to date attractive girls or hot guys. Many hottie videos and photos at this site, you can enjoy latest interesting videos or talk about hot topic with other friends. I've met many thoughtful singles who were trying to find true love.
-Joanna
Rev. Jackson is a wolf in sheep clothing. What is done in the dark will come to the light. Rev. Jackson comment that he made towards Ombama came from his heart.
-Dottie
One of America's premeire race hustler's puts the proverbial "foot in his mouth". Guess he had a big problem with Barack's "responsibility" speech because if it took root, he might find himself out of a job.
-Anonymous
Sunday, August 10, 2008
the monroe foundation does it again!
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE! PLEASE EMAIL FORWARD! PLEASE BRING FAMILIES! PLEASE POST!
Dear Community Partners - PLEASE POST! EMAIL ATTACHED FLYER!
FREE "BACK TO SCHOOL" IMMUNIZATIONS IN ENGLEWOOD!
FREE INFORMATION ON HEALTHY EATING & FOOD SELECTIONS!
The Monroe Foundation, in partnership with the P.E.A.C.E (People
Educated Against Crime In Englewood) Organization, and The Englewood
Streets Alternatives Project (ESAP), is pleased to invite children and
parent's to recieve FREE immunization and information on healthy food
selection "tips", at the "Englewood MENU (Meeting Eating Needs UnMet)
Back To School event.
WHEN:
Sunday, August 17, 2008
WHERE:
St. Stephen's Church
6458 South Peoria ( PARKING LOT ACROSS FROM THE "P.E.A.C.E. CENTER"
TIME: 11A.M. TO 4P.M.
FREE "BACK TO SCHOOL" IMMUNIZATIONS PROVIDED BY THE BLUE CROSS BLUE
SHIELD OF ILLINOIS "CARE VAN".
NOTE: MUST BE UP TO DATE IMMUNIZATIONS RECORDS TO CARE VAN TO RECIEVE SHOTS!
Additionally, The "MENU Project" Event Will Provide information on:
- Eating Food Selection and Eating For Children W/MENUS for Food Selections
RSVP TO:
Mother Anita @ P.E.A.C.E. Center at (773) 677-7272
The MENU Project is funded by a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
Sponsorship Welcome.
For More Information, Contact Elder Otis Monroe @ (773) 315-9720 or
email: omonroe@themonroefoundation.org
WE ARE ASKING ENGLEWOOD COMMUNITY GROUPS AND CHURCH TO LET US KNOW IF
THEY WILL BRING CHILDREN AND PARENTS AFTER CHURCH.
Please Let Us Know by contacting Elder Monroe @ (773) 315-9720
Elder Otis C. Monroe, III
Dear Community Partners - PLEASE POST! EMAIL ATTACHED FLYER!
FREE "BACK TO SCHOOL" IMMUNIZATIONS IN ENGLEWOOD!
FREE INFORMATION ON HEALTHY EATING & FOOD SELECTIONS!
The Monroe Foundation, in partnership with the P.E.A.C.E (People
Educated Against Crime In Englewood) Organization, and The Englewood
Streets Alternatives Project (ESAP), is pleased to invite children and
parent's to recieve FREE immunization and information on healthy food
selection "tips", at the "Englewood MENU (Meeting Eating Needs UnMet)
Back To School event.
WHEN:
Sunday, August 17, 2008
WHERE:
St. Stephen's Church
6458 South Peoria ( PARKING LOT ACROSS FROM THE "P.E.A.C.E. CENTER"
TIME: 11A.M. TO 4P.M.
FREE "BACK TO SCHOOL" IMMUNIZATIONS PROVIDED BY THE BLUE CROSS BLUE
SHIELD OF ILLINOIS "CARE VAN".
NOTE: MUST BE UP TO DATE IMMUNIZATIONS RECORDS TO CARE VAN TO RECIEVE SHOTS!
Additionally, The "MENU Project" Event Will Provide information on:
- Eating Food Selection and Eating For Children W/MENUS for Food Selections
RSVP TO:
Mother Anita @ P.E.A.C.E. Center at (773) 677-7272
The MENU Project is funded by a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
Sponsorship Welcome.
For More Information, Contact Elder Otis Monroe @ (773) 315-9720 or
email: omonroe@themonroefoundation.org
WE ARE ASKING ENGLEWOOD COMMUNITY GROUPS AND CHURCH TO LET US KNOW IF
THEY WILL BRING CHILDREN AND PARENTS AFTER CHURCH.
Please Let Us Know by contacting Elder Monroe @ (773) 315-9720
Elder Otis C. Monroe, III
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