Reparations: Essential Fight or Foolish Distraction?

The subject of reparations for slavery came up at the Afrosphere Blog. Like many other things, I've got strong views about reparations, so of course I took a moment to respond to the post. I reprint it below:

The pursuit of reparations is nothing more than a distraction and diversion from black people tackling the problems which confront us. Education, employment, family crisis, crime in our neighborhoods and a host of other issues are destroying us. Reparations is not a strategy for solving these problems. As a practical matter, winning reparations is an unwinnable political contest. Short of the political and economic foundation of the United States shifting in some cosmic way, actually winning and receiving reparations is simply not going to happen. Pursuing it in my view is a nearly criminal waste of time that could be infinitely better spent doing a host of far more useful things….mentoring our kids, more brothers actually raising the children they father, taking collective action to rebuild our communities and so much more.

To focus on reparations is to focus on the past in a manner that is not useful or effective in solving the problems of today. Its time wasted when we could be doing so many things right now that would be successful in creating better lives and opportunities for us. Its not a winning political issue, its not a relevant strategy for addressing any of the social or economic ills we suffer and it keeps us focused as a people on the injustice of the past and our exploitation. Enough! As a people, we are abdicating our responsibility for ourselves and our own destiny to focus on a victim status that it is time to shed. Racism and injustice are real and should be fought, but the bitter truth is that a lot of whats going wrong with us is fixable based purely on what WE are prepared to do for ourselves. It is time to throw away the pipe dream of reparations and focus like a laser beam on tried and true strategies like marrying our women, raising our kids, creating our own businesses, educating ourselves and more. Congressional hearings on reparations and the damage of slavery to guilt the country into paying us money is not the strategy I want to bank the future of my family, neighborhood and community on, not when there are so many things we COULD be doing right now that we are not. Reparations. Hah! C’mon people, its time to get our heads out of our ass.

What Will Her Legacy Be?

Secretary Rice was confronted by a protester with symbolic blood on her hands as she prepared to give testimony regarding the war in Iraq. Condie kept her cool, she didn't flinch and seemed not to be disturbed.

Two things about this scene struck me: Number 1, where the *#%@ was her security? this protester rolled right up on Condi and had her intent been to take Condi out, she could have done serious damage or even killed her if she knew what she was doing, given how close she got. You can count almost 5 full seconds before anybody physically got a hand on this woman and thats counting from the time you first hear her on the video just before she comes into the frame. She was actually zeroing in on Condi before you see her in the frame, as Condi began to approach the table to testify, but nobody was moving to intercept her BEFORE she reached Condi, which means nobody was paying enough attention to see her coming even though she had to cross at least 6-10 feet of distance to make that approach. Nobody in her security detail had a body between Condi and this woman. If that woman had been out to kill her, Condi could have bought it right there. Her security detail for the day ought to get a foot in the ass on that one.

The second thing is that I began wondering, as I have done now many times, what is Condi's legacy going to be? I simply can't wait to read her memoir. She has been there from the start. She has been as instrumental in the implementation if not the crafting of the Iraq war strategy. Its abundantly clear that the administrations decisions, mistakes and continuing strategy in the prosecution of this war will mean that the US will be bogged down in Iraq for the foreseeable future. The left clamors for a swift end to the war, but in their heart of hearts the Democratic presidential hopefuls have to know that the course of events that has brought us to this point means that there is no solution as simple as just bringing the troops home that safeguards our national security. Hillary knows this and I believe the reality of it is reluctantly being increasingly understood by Barack.

Condi has been a major part of the decision trail that got us where we are now. Bogged down in Iraq, old competitors like Russia resurgent, other hotspots the world over with the potential to become major geopolitical threats. We are bogged down in Iraq and our ability to respond to threats elsewhere in the world is very limited and other countries, like Russia, are moving to take advantage of our distraction. This is merely one result of the administration's decisions that really calls into question their judgment. How will Condi explain or justify her role in this policy and its results. What will be her answer to the staggering human cost and the nearly 2 trillion dollars we will spend before its even close to over? How will she defend the wisdom of policies that have meant the expenditure of huge amounts of national treasure, loss of life, and the reduction of US military and diplomatic options around the world? Is she among Bush's true believers? Is she the voice of reason that Colin used to represent who stayed to moderate as best she could the excesses of this administration? Is it possible that if she had left as Colin did, that we would be even more deeply involved in Middle East conflict? I await history's judgment and her defense of her role.

I fear that the legacy of this oh so tremendously accomplished black woman will be forever tarnished and besmirched by her faithful service to this President in the furtherance of what increasingly appears to be the most perilous and disastrous policy decision of the last 50 years. It saddens me deeply.

Black Women First in Line to Sell Out Obama?

Poll: Black support helps Clinton extend lead - CNN.com CNN put out poll results today which indicate that more blacks are supporting Clinton than Obama, with black women seemingly leading the charge. According to the poll;

Among black registered Democrats overall, Clinton had a 57 percent to 33 percent lead over Obama. That's up from 53 percent for Clinton and 36 percent for Obama in a poll carried out in April. The 26-point difference between black women and men underscores the fact that the nation's vote is divided not only by race, but also by gender, said CNN political analyst Bill Schneider. "Black women don't just vote their black identity," he said. "They also vote their identity as women." The former first lady's strongest support among blacks came from black women, 68 percent of whom identified her as their likely choice, versus 25 percent who cited Obama.

I've done my own informal polling of sisters and much to my dismay, I find many of them wanting to go with Hillary. They are voting their gender and I guess they are going to rejoice when and if Hillary wins the nomination and/or the presidency. They express lack luster interest in Obama. They seem to think that Hillary is going to have their back. I find it very hard to understand. Somehow, 68% of black women figure that Hillary (who's top advisor will be Bill) is going to have their back more than Obama (MARRIED to an educated, accomplished, sho nuff sister that epitomizes the kind of baller many sisters aspire to be) who will have a black woman advising him every day about policy issues.

We supported the cracked out DC mayor, we cheered when OJ won, we lift up the race hustler, media hog preachers Jesse & Sharpton on the regular, but Obama cannot get any love from the sisters of America? This brother is a fine example of everything brothers in America should be doing. Michelle Obama as the First Lady will be a beautiful light for all the little black girls of America and a First Lady's power is very real. This accomplished brother who is DEMONSTRATING his respect for black women by being married, monogamous, raising the children and taking care of the family he created together with a black woman is being rejected by 68% of them. Obama is doing the right thing by a black woman RIGHT NOW, which I think makes a good case that he will do the right thing by black women as President. But 68% of the sisters can't give him no love? Cause they think he won't have their back, but Hillary will?

What is wrong with this picture?