I never envisioned myself a marcher or a protester of any kind. I was comfortable condemning such actions for a more practical approach. My problem with protesting was that people just complain but after the protest nothing ever materializes. I'm speaking of Black protest more than anything else.
If our communities have so-called leaders, we need these leaders to take up issue with the things that ail the community, but not only that, they should work to fix those ailments.
When I had the opportunity to join the Black is Back Coalition admittedly I did so reluctantly, for some of the reasons stated above. However, I knew who I was getting into this thing with. The Uhuru Movement has a long history of creating economic options for the Black community and continues to work on expanding those options every day. They have been on the ground for years working to organize the people, but more important, they were building while in the organizing process. So in this instance people can't just say that we were out there for sensationalism. True we needed the media to cover this, because we wanted this story to be heard. However, we work on many levels to bring about change. This was just one of them.
For those who know me from the Tube and heard me speak you know I can't stand a lot of things, especially the policies of this country with relation to poor and oppressed nations, specifically African nations. My belief is that Europe and the United States are able to exist at the expense of the poor peoples of the world. You wanna stop hunger and poverty, STOP stealing the resources from the people's land and then condemning them for their poverty. You wanna stop coups, then STOP starting or supporting them with puppet governments and military terrorism. All of this was said from behind a camera in my home. Until yesterday.
Nov. 7th awakened my eyes to the reality that Black Power, as it is, doesn't have to be some shadowy shameful thing. In fact, it was Black Power that contributed to the "luxuries" that you enjoy today. It was this movement that challenged the very fabric of U.S. and imperialist existence only to be infiltrated and destroyed while we sat in our homes trying to be good Negroes all because people were fearful of true Black Independent Power.
Marching down 14th Street was amazing as it allowed me to look into the faces of the people and tell them that "Goddamnit Black is Back," "Free Free Palestine," "Hands Off Venezuela," and "End the Cuban Embargo," and it felt good. It echoed all the way to the White House. We held posters that told of our issues. We need to end U.S. sponsored genocide in the Congo, UN troops rape of Haitian women, and the exploitation of African resources. Cars passing by honked their horns and people stood on their balconies in agreement and support because what a shock, but a welcomed surprise, to see Black people opposed to Uncle Obama. Oh there were those men and women in suits looking at us with great disdain, but in that moment and every moment hereafter, I will not be silent about issues that affect you and me, just because I get dirty looks. Obama should take lesson from that.
My beef with Obama is and always has been that as he represents an oppressed population in this country, and he now appears to represent our interests, he is taking the love of the people and pimping himself out to the same imperialist politics that has controlled this government since it has existed. Admittedly I voted for the man. Who wouldn't want to see a Black president? However, I knew even that without my vote he would win. Can we say thrown election?
Anyways, I wanted to sit back and watch what he did and make an assessment of his actions. Well a year after his presidential win, Obama has increased war spending while the people of this country are jobless, he has spearheaded AFRICOM and continues to use his Browness to infiltrate borders that would have otherwise been closed to another Crusty White Haired White President. He is the 'spook who sat by the door' but unlike the book he is not here to take us anywhere that will empower us. You cannot address American issues without addressing America's dirty past of slavery and continued criminal offenses against African (Black) people. Constant ignoring of the real issues, with buttered up teasers, will do nothing but agitate the people and put Obama into deeper water.
He does not speak for me and on Nov. 7th I wanted to say that nothing that this country does, in terms of foreign and domestic policy, represents my voice. And judging from the amount of people that came out it doesn't represent their voices either.
