Washington said: “The Negro intellectual must deal intimately with the white power Structure and cultural apparatus, and the inner realties of the black World at one and the same time. But in order to function successfully in this role, he has to be acutely aware of the nature of the American social dynamics and how to monitors the ingredient of class stratification in American society…Therefore the Negro intellectual must learn how one might control such forces.”

Do not continue your education to get a good job. Continue your education because

“KNOWLEDGE IS POWER”….PERIOD!

And she ain't never lied!

It is a bitch. On the other hand, how much would it have cost to build those on-site locker rooms if all the parents had pitched in instead of waiting for the one in a million success story to do it? Or was that explicitly not allowed?

Blacks are more likely to be arrested. For the same crime, if a case goes to trial – more likely to be convicted, more likely to receive a sentence, more likely to receive a harsher penalty. So forth and so on. Plus, the war on drugs has been waged predominantly against people of color. For example, in NYC, black people are randomly stopped all the time, while in communities around NYU, white student get high with impunity.

PLUS, the prison industrial complex . . . the system is the problem, not the black community.

The President is a great case and point. He does not fit any of these stereotypes. He does not accept it. His family is a melting pot of diversity but yet he stands as “himself”. So folks are having major problems trying to categorize him. He reflects intelligence, calm, seriousness, competence etc. so . . . America doesn't know what to do.

OK, but I do not believe that having the expectation that those who incur far less discrimination being able to EARN there own is 'get your own best you can' in any sense. It is a real notion, that if social discrimination was the problem, and I succeed with those odds, then surely you too with HARD WORK can achieve EVEN MORE.

Many many blacks reach back and by far the black church stands at the top of that list.

“Now, getting back to my point about how financially affluent CRM leaders left poor black men, women and children to fend for themselves”

While that may be your belief, there are no facts to support it. It is a cop-out. A statement of victimhood, to rail against successful blacks who have NOT sought in anyway not to help those who need help, Rather, there are numerous instances of affluent blacks donating thousands of dollars to the black community. So, to assert such a sweeping generalization is unfounded.

“BTW, I NEVER stated or implied that MLK was dissing affluent black people.”

Well, I wasn't saying such, not sure how you drew that assessment. But

“I believe the least they could've done was to follow Dr. King's lead and fight for economic equality for ALL black people.”

Hmmm, what does this entail to you? The UrbanLeague does precisely this. Where do you come by your assertion that CRM leaders failed to fight for economic equality? This is America, it is capitalistic..it is dog eat dog. No one gives anyone a hand up economically. What America has done is give a handup to opportunity for education and jobs. EEOC does that and colleges do that..what are you looking for?

“I NEVER stated or implied that MLK was dissing affluent black people. Rather, he understood that true equality for black people included social equality AND economic power.”

Not sure how you came to your assessment about 'dissing' I certainly did not imply that. MLK, was not focused on economic parity. Your quote was SUBSEQUENT to the success of the civil rights movement. MLK did fight for economic parity which is why he went to Mephis, and was assassinated, he was there to support their strike, BUT economic parity was not the central focus of the CRM, that was following SOCIAL Justice.

“I beg to differ that MLK was following Booker T's philosophy, for Booker T sought to ensure white people that black people were not seeking to rock the boat and disrupt their white supremacy”

While I disagree with your view. I can certainly see how BookerT would ESPOUSE that KNOWING that economic parity WOULD dismantle their white supremacy. What better way to deceive them? You want us to be hard working..well let us compete in the economic marketplace fairly, BookerT KNEW we would excell and that all that mattered in a capitalistic society was money.

BookerT wanted blacks to have economic parity because he knew that in the end, that was all that mattered in a capitalistic society.

For instance, one of the biggest incongruities in black America is that we cannot support our politicians economically to ensure the enactment of our politics. Most groups in America achieve economic prowess FIRST. Only Black Americans have achieved politic office and social prominence without the FINANCEs or back our policies, which is why we struggle mightily. We can't BUY politicians. Jews, Cubans,Irish and Italians can. Those groups only came to political power AFTER their ethnic groups had the money to sustain a politician. WE alone are unique in not being able to support our black politicians and make them beholden to the black community. Which is WHY we struggle. Not at all because of CRM leaders, but because of MONEY.

In short I think the meme that CRM leaders deserted blacks with less monetary means paints a very broad brush that is not substantiated by the political reality.

AGAIN

What say you Sepia, which would you have chosen in MLK's time? Social or economic discrimination to fight against? I presume you are familiar with the GREAT DEBATES, which side would you have chose?

Listen. Find out specifically what's going on, and ask the kids what he or she think needs to happen and how you can help them. Believe it or not, they're not stupid and they'll surprise with their insights.

I know you want them to get an education, but protect them first. Form a group of men to work in shifts to wait at the bus stop; volunteer in schools and watch kids in the bathrooms, around corners, during recess and after school. Form a group to take kids to museums, bowling, to events they want to see and, of course, pizza afterwards.

Most kids just want to go to school, but they are afraid of their peers, inside and outside of school. If the kids tell on other kids, they are labeled rats which puts them in a more fearful position. The girls are afraid men of males in the home and outside of it. They have to come way before dark. And sometimes mom takes up with men who are more interested in their daughter than the mom. The biggest thing happening with black kids in inner-cities is fear; and the extent you harp on education and neglect that fact, it's to that very extent they will turn you off and go to someone they think might protect them such as a gang. And you'll still be preaching. I'm done.

The main thing about the fear– and what makes it different from when we were growing up– is the fact that guns are involved and kids are quite willing to use them. So all the kids know someone who has been shot or killed. Parents, who have to work, don't know about it. Teachers, who usually don't live in the community, don't know about it and don't have time to deal with it anyway.

Sometimes kids want to talk about things with us but oftentimes we sidetrack them with our sermons and autobiographies. And we don't even realize it. I wish you could hear this: kids need us to listen and believe that they mean well. They need us to cool it with the quick solutions and just be with them as they tell their autobiography.

Give yourself a test: get with a kid and see if you can go 5 minutes without preaching but asking follow-up questions…we can't talk to kids like our ministers talk to us. Preaching is their job. As parents and community people, our job is to try and understand and help our kids survive and thrive in the future.

Thank You! I concur 100%!

Now, getting back to my point about how financially affluent CRM leaders left poor black men, women and children to fend for themselves….. Back then, they realized that they need the “po' folk” in order to get their social equality. So, I believe the least they could've done was to follow Dr. King's lead and fight for economic equality for ALL black people. Anything less than that was/is nothing more than affluent blacks using poor blacks to achieve their goals thus showing they are no better than the white racist establishment.

BTW, I NEVER stated or implied that MLK was dissing affluent black people. Rather, he understood that true equality for black people included social equality AND economic power.

I beg to differ that MLK was following Booker T's philosophy, for Booker T sought to ensure white people that black people were not seeking to rock the boat and disrupt their white supremacy. MLK, on the other hand, sought to turn the boat over, which is why he was assassinated.

In short, again, the ONLY reason those who had prevailed economically supported the civil rights movement, is because that was the remaining barrier to success for THEM in America, given that they had achieved already finaniclly.

Which was exactly my point: Sadly, most of the affluent black CRM leaders were out for themselves.

Yes. When you buy into racism you buy into being a victim. If you believe you are a victim, then you are defeated from jump. You CAN't win.

Our parents NEVA ALLOWED that. They only talked about racism, in the sense of your personal experience, when you WERe doing your BEST and not getting ahead!

We were never victims. We were casualties or prejudice!!

Not VICTIMS.