America Is Not Color Blind Yet!

Presidential hopeful Barak Obama

Senator Barak Obama is not going to become the first Black president of the United States, at least not in this election. Period, point blank. I know what I’m writing is blasphemous in the minds of many Black people that may stumble across this blog or even many of you that visit on a regular basis. I am not writing this to say people ought to change and vote for Hillary, if you’re voting Democratic or for Ron Paul if you have a leaning toward the Republicans, (we will speak on him in a bit). But, we need to face the fact that white racist America is alive, kicking including those whites that say they’re not racist but still have a negative view of Black people in general and maintain a certain fear of Black males specifically.

So, Ensayn, why are you blaspheming?

We’re living in a very racist society or a color activated society, producing color-activated ideation, emotion leading to a vote away from Senator Barak Obama and toward a skin color that won’t produce the fear associated with black skin in white people. Since, September, the Southern Poverty Law Center has recorded between 40 and 50 suspected hate crimes involving nooses. We are seeing the white backlash via these noose incidents. And I’m to believe white Americans are going to elect a Black man?

Susan Brownwell Anthony-Women's right to vote advocate

Historically white women have received less flack than Blacks concerning their ascent into the political realm. Black people were given the right to participate in the civil process when President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights act giving Black people the right to vote in 1965. Yet, we look back and white women were given this same right exactly 45 years prior to Black people in general. I guess Black women didn’t count as women in 1920. My point, historically speaking, is Senator Hillary Clinton has a much greater chance at becoming the first woman president than black Obama. I’m not yet convinced, white America is going to concede to a Black having control of the biggest gun in the world, that being the U.S. military, will be happy with a Black man controlling the inner workings of the economy, since color-activated ideation and emotion will rise in the minds of white folk and the belief that revenge will rise in the hearts of a Black president, for all the damage white people have done to people of color and for white hubris in general.  I believe many whites may think a Black president would strip them of their finances at gun point and send them back across the pond! They really don’t know us.

U.S. Congress plays the last minute savior......NOT!

The U.S. Congress

Yesterday the U.S. Congress waited until the last day of the session before the holiday break to postpone the Alternative Minimum Tax. Just in the nick of time, I suppose. The congress postponed (they didn’t have the huevos to eliminate) the tax for only one year so it may be hitting us next year. In 1969, congress voted in the AMT to close loop holes on the rich, so they would pay their fair share of taxes, or to prevent them from not paying taxes at all. Oh really? Dubya has made sure this was not the case and the wealthy never pay the depth of taxes the middle class pays. Ok, back to this AMT. This isn’t what it appears, the word minimum gives us the false impression that there’s some form of a lower tax to be paid. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The Alternative Minimum Tax or AMT has the filer to make two sets of calculations on their income taxes. You’re required to fill out one form that allows you to deduct mortgage interest paid, medical expenses, student loan interest, credits for your dependents and any other deduction you’re entitled to. Then you have to fill out a return that doesn’t include all the deductions and you pay the HIGHER of the two calculations!! Minimum for who? The tax payer pays the HIGHER of the figures! I’ve seen this line on the tax forms but never actually paid attention to it. In the infinite wisdom of our Congress in 1969, they didn’t index for inflation, so what was wealthy then is now the middle class, 38 years later. So, if you’re an individual filer making $44,350 plus or married making $66,250 or more you are staring down the double barrel of the Alternative Minimum Tax shotgun.

This truly astounds me. I mean, how does the U.S. Congress set all these budgets, take the greenback off the gold standard a few years later, have, well at least I thought they had an understanding of inflation, but, not make provisions for inflation when creating the AMT. Looks like, this was done without regards to the U.S. wage earners, AGAIN. Did any of you know what the AMT was and how it would affect you? Did any of you realize that this had to be put to a vote to avert the middle class from having to shoulder this much of a tax burden? I have NEVER heard ANY of the presidential candidates, Re-puke-licans or Dumb-o-crats (got these oh so appropriate names from my man Field Negro) mention this in all there “vote for me and I’ll set you free” stump speeches.

This is what we have to force the candidates to talk about since concerning they're begging for our votes in the coming months.   We cannot just sit and listen to the same old crap!  Mr. Obama, Mrs. Clinton talk to me about how my living standards are going to change, how my money is going to work for me.  We all use it, we all work for it we need to know whats happening with it.

Stagflation or Inflation equals depression for many!

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan

Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said on ABC'S "This Week with George Stephanopoulus" we are beginning to get not stagflation, but early symptoms of it."  Stagflation is growth beginning to stall, while food and energy prices soar.  Food prices have obviously gone up do the cost of fuel.  But, wheat has recently gone up $10 per bushel certainly indicating the cost of food is heading up outside of the cost of fuel.  Mr. Greenspan, how can there be a symptom of something but not actually have the cause of the symptom?  "...Beginning to get NOT stagflation but early symptoms of it..."  Huh???  Okay I get it, you're picking your words carefully and not wanting cause fear in the hearts of the people paying attention to what you say to avoid them from making financial moves out of fear.   When I hear the former Fed Chairman speak about "stagflation" I hear inflation and recession coming in the not too distant future.  Recession, for the "majority" population is typically depression for the rest of us.  While the candidates are talking nonsense about Roe VS Wade, what religion they practice or some other issue that will not affect you tomorrow, the economy is in shambles!!  They really should be talking about the economy and how they can repair it, and repairing your wallet.  If you're not thinking about the economy you better take notice and pray the candidates start to focus on what's real and not some fantasies about whether they back Israel or a free Palestinian state. 

Tis the Season

This is the season of holidays, which is a most difficult time for me. It’s not difficult due to the season itself, but because of  the people around me. In the bible Paul writes in Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

This is the difficulty. Since I don’t participate in the Christmas gift exchange or drinking and revelry of the season I appear to be an odd ball or out of touch. But, if I conform and practice this gifting tradition, and yet I have learned the season has NOTHING AT ALL to do with the birth of a Christ child or anything to do with Black people of  Northern Africa (ancient Palestine now misnomered Israel) 2000 plus years ago, then, am I even attempting to live by the bible verse above? Would I not be conforming to this world? These thoughts came to me while listening to Senator Obama and Senator Clinton announce their New Years resolutions, each having a well thought out resolution, as if it’s a must to have a New Years resolution!  Why must everyone have a New Year's resolution?  I mean they answered as if the total American voting public has a New Year's and if they didn't they would somehow be out of touch with the general populace.  And both Sen Obama and Sen Clinton constantly speak of change but they had a New Year's resolution.  No change there.  I guess the only change they are speaking of is that either a Black male or a white female may be the next president. In Romans 12:2. "Renewing of your mind" implies you mind must be made new again. How do we make our minds new again by doing the same OLD things again and again?

Again, Paul writes in Timothy 2:15 “ Study to shew thyself approved unto God…” When we study our true herstory/history we find that many of the traditions we practice are not by us nor are they good for us. When we study these traditions we will find they lead us far from the God we believe we are worshipping. We will also find that when we practice what we have studied we grow further and further from the everyday things that conform us to this world.  

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the family coming together to eat, drink and be merry but, I don't like the way this season has become a season of commercial economic glutney.  Santa Claus was created by big business (Coke, Cocaine a Cola) for big business.  I would love that families and friends put an emphasis on loving and appreciating one another more than the need to buy for eachother! 

We're all related!

Garifuna-Black Amerindians. Umalali Garifuna word meaning voice.

I was over at the Field Negro blog, of which I enjoy reading immensely and he was smacking down “Border Negros” as he has termed the misguided/mis-educated Black people that feel they are entitled to something more, (whatever that may be) by the “majority” population since they are born in the U.S. He also enlightened us to the fact that many older pre-independence Jamaicans and other West Indians have the same mis-educated mind set about de Yankee dem (U.S. citizens), yet I have seen and heard this mind set by some West Indians that are post independence as well. For me, I know it’s a matter of having an understanding and knowledge of West Indian culture and a universal mind set about Black people in general. I personally feel bad to know how isolated many Black Americans are, when it comes to cultures outside of the U.S. Little do most people know that the cultures are not really as different as they appear. Field observed that we Black people are part of a world community and that we are all related, just that some of us got off the slave ship a little sooner than the others. I took “earlier“ to mean the slave ships would reach the Caribbean before they would reach what’s now the U.S. mainland, which is geographically correct.

Field, I want to let you know I am thankful for Malcolm, Martin, Ida B. Wells, Huey P. Newton, Muddy Waters, the Blues, R&B, Jazz, George Clinton and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrkhan. And I am thankful for Ackee N Salt-Fish, Sorrell, gunga peas, Reggae, Ska, dancehall, Luciano, Bob Marley, U Roy, MutaBaruka, Busta, Maroons, Miss Lou, Patties, Jerk, and Bully beef & rice! That said I am praying my Black American family will go and visit their local Caribbean restaurant to begin to learn something about our sister cultures, remember brotha Field reminds us we are all off the same boat so lets look at this a little deeper.

We Black people of the planet could stand to sit back and really examine the “same boat” issue and the deeper meaning of the slave ship. Can we come to realize that that we are the people of the sun the Soul/Sol brothers and sisters that have inhabited the Earth in its full circumference. So, I ask; why is it so difficult to believe not ALL of us were transported here via the European’s slave ships? Can we not come to the understanding that many of us are the Black people that were standing on these shores when the first Africans arrived in Virginia 1609 CE? Why is it hard to accept that when Columbus came here that he saw Black people, not the amalgamated people we now call Indians? Are you aware of indigenous nations called Yamassee, Congoree, Yuchi, Guale, Darienite, Washitaw, Calafins and that these are Black people? Are you aware that over 10,000 of these indigenous American people per year, were shipped from Charleston, South Carolina to all parts of the Caribbean? Do you realize how many Shawnee Black indigenous people were sent into the Virgin Islands? That Johnnie cake in the Virgin Islands is a corruption of Shawnee cake? Do you know how many Pequots were forced onto the island of Bermuda from what is now Massachusettes and Connecticut? Are we aware of the thousands of Caribs that were shipped to Virginia, and North & South Carolina from the Caribbean? How many of you have been told by your parents and grand parents that you have a Cherokee or Blackfoot ancestor? “No Black Indians are not a solely a result of African slaves mixing with red Indians…Black Indians are indigenous to the land”

Paul Barton writes a great paper on Ancient Black Civilizations of Ancient America. We should also be aware of our roots in the state of Florida in this article on Black Cowboys, this may not be what you imagine. And M. Stewart breaks down how the numbers concerning the Yamassee, Pequots and, other Black indigenous nations in America, have been manipulated. Patricia Penn Hilden shows evidence of Native Americans being sold into slavery from the Northeast United States to the island of Barbados. Lastly read about the Moors coming to the Americas during the 7^th through the 9^th centuries.

Yes my brotha Field Negro, we may have gotten off the same boat, but I’m sure it’s not the same boat most of us have been trained to imagine!