HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Aug. 25, 2005 Whether as a part of an American History class, lectures during "Black History Month" or a high school Black Studies course, the treatment of black people’s role in history seems limited to lessons on slavery, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Civil Rights marches and Martin Luther King. I therefore suggest a "Truth in black history" plan. The repetition of these "non-threatening" events and personalities are tiresome. While they are important subjects, there are other aspects of black history that need to be explored. It is not enough to know how far we’ve come, but more important we need to understand what we had to overcome in the process. And this is not just a referral to Jim Crow laws and segregated schools. Many of the battles during the Civil Rights era had unsung heroes whose battles were largely ignored. For instance, Robert F. Williams was a former soldier who in 1969 joined the Monroe North Carolina chapter of the NAACP. The group had been terrorized by a local Klan chapter and was about to disband when Williams assumed leadership and urged members to arm themselves against their tormentors. After two shoot-outs with the Klan, there was a rise in NAACP membership. The group proceeded to integrate a local swimming pool and later Williams was framed on charges that he kidnapped a white couple. Rather than be found "hanging in the town square" as the Governor promised, Williams fled to Cuba, then China. He later penned his autobiography, "Negroes With Guns" and returned to the U.S. years later, where he died in 1995. Other unsung heroes were the Oakland, California based Black Panther Party which began a similar philosophy of armed self-defense. The Panthers also opened schools, offered free breakfast programs and taught a course on what was referred to as "street law"—meaning, educating blacks on their rights under the law. Led by Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale and Eldridge Cleaver—all of whom were subsequently jailed—the panthers were seen as a threat by then FBI-director "Jane" Edgar Hoover. The group had chapters across America and much of the organization’s leadership was jailed or assassinated, including Mark Hampton and Fred Clark in Chicago. The organization later self-destructed due to in-fighting and apathy. However, the Panthers have a rich history too lengthy to go into here. Naturally this will also bring up COINTELPRO, Hoover’s plan to infiltrate black organizations and disable their leadership by any means available, including shootings, imprisonment, wire-tapping and establishing an elaborate network of Uncle Tom snitches. The life of Malcolm X should be examined as well. He went from being a pimp, petty thief and ex-convict to Black Muslim minister and later a more mature leader with a better understanding of the meaning of Islam. His journey of self-discovery is detailed in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X." The McCarran Act and the King Alfred Plan are two other government programs that need to be examined as to how they are designed to suppress black activism. A study of lynchings would also be useful. While I don’t argue against the importance of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth’s commitments, other aspects of our rebellion against slavery—such as Denmark Vesey and Nat Turner’s failed insurrections—should be analyzed, as well as that of John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry. Marcus Garvey’s back to Africa movement along with that of the Black Muslim Movement under Elijah Muhammad need closer scrutiny. The Muslims emphasis on black pride, self-sufficiency, clean living and building a "blackonomic" stronghold are valuable lessons that can be applied today. I would suggest we also take a closer look at black literature, from slave narratives and the works of Frederick Douglas, to the Harlem Renaissance (Countee Cullen, Lanston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard Wright, et al.) and the writings of the 70s. in the latter case I’m referring to books like Cleaver’s "Soul on Ice", George Jackson’s "Soledad Brother", "Black Power" by Stokely Carmichael and Charles V. Hamilton and the works of poets Sonja Sanchez, Don L. Lee (Haki Madhubuti), Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) and Sam Greenlee’s "The Spook Who Sat By The Door". All of these represent a literary cornucopia that provide insight into the struggles and mindset of their respective eras. Economic issues will play a major rule in the development of us as a people. It is probably too early to determine whom among today’s prominent blacks history will be kind to and who will deserve merely a passing glance. For matters of pure speculation, I think Jesse Jackson, Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Clarence Thomas falling into the latter category, as will Anita Hill. Colin Powell will be remembered as a keen military strategist and for his short-lived, invisible tenure as Secretary of State. Blacks will view kindly the works of Cornel West, Alvin Poussaint and perhaps Alan Keyes, assuming he remains the conscience of the Republican Party. ------------ About the author: Timothy Stelly is the 46-year old author of "Tempest In The Stone" and the soon to be released, "The Malice of Cain". His third novel, "Darker Than Blue" is under consideration for publication. Mr. Stelly currently resides in Pittsburg, California with his three youngest children Dante, Kimberly and Lawrence. Excerpts from The first two books and the first two chapters of his anthology, "Frankenigga--And Other Urban Tales" can be viewed at: stellbread0.tripod.com Email: stellbread@sbcglobal.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
