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Today is April 4, 2008 -- the 40th anniversary of MLK's assassination. Most of the news coverage has (fortunately) made some mention of this fact and CNN has been running a series on Black America. This is a good thing. Of course part of me feels like these occasions are exactly the most difficult times to understand the significance of history. It is at these times where the commemoration obscures the event itself.

 What I mean is that the measure of King's impact is seen in our everydayness. Kind of like the preachers who exhort their congregations to practice their faith regularly and not just in church (i.e. "a way of life, not just a day of life") The world we live in is impossibly complex and our eyes are often the least accurate measure of what the reality actually is. 

So while the news programs and official memorials marks one kind of progress, the most important is that invisible aggregate of human exchanges. The speed with which we accept each other based upon character, not color, the degree of tolerance we achieve and our willingness to move beyond mere toleration into human sympathy and understanding. How quickly do we resort to the old fault lines -- how bad does a black man have to piss you off before he becomes a nigger? How extraordinary does a white person have to be before we grant them provisional "individual" status and view them outside that great undifferentiated mass of racially privileged, clueless crackers?

 We can run down the line and cite questions for everyone who has ever been excluded, ridiculed or exploited but I think you see my point.

I joked with a friend that if you took a poll on year ago and asked every single black person in America about the possibility of electing a black president, just about all of us would have said it was damn near impossible and the one family that disagreed lived on the South Side of Chicago. 

 Part of what I dig about Obama is that he reminds me of that old line from James Baldwin about it being necessary to believe in the impossible because each generation has achieved something that the previous one thought was beyond the realm of possibility.

 I was supposed to be talking about my race for delegate to the 2008 democratic convention, but when i started typing that's not what came out. So be it. I'm cool with that if you are.

 But just to do my due diligence: I am running for delegate from the 5th congressional district in Georgia (i.e. anyone who has John Lewis as rep.)  If you live in Atlanta or nearby and think you can come out for the caucus (teamster's hall, five minutes from downtown) on April 19th at 9:30 a.m. holler at a brother.

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Between A Rock and A Hard Place
written by Charles Lewis Jr., February 07, 2008
As a voting minority in a national election, African Americans will always be deciding on the lesser of two evils. Some might argue a third party may be the best way to go because we could conceivably decide an election in favor of either party and thereby exact certain concessions. However, that would mean that we must unite as a group--something that we have not been able to do historically. So, we are left to voting for the Republicans or Democrats.

Clearly from an ideological perspective, it generally makes sense to align with the Democrats because of their more egalitarian policies and their willingness to use government to address social problems. McCain, on the other hand, must move to the right if he wants to be elected and re-elected and will be no friend of African Americans.

The Clintons are smart folk most of the time. Bill is somewhat of a loose cannon as can be seen with his Oval Office indiscretions and his shooting off the mouth during the campaign. Whether or not his intentions were racist only he knows but the media and thin-skinned black folks are quick to project evil intentions on both Bill and Hillary. From a policy standpoint, Bill Clinton was never as great a friend to black folk as he often gets credit for, but that is more our fault than his because we did not have a policy agenda nor a strategy to advance that agenda.

Bottomline is that Sen. Obama benefited more from the playing of the race card than Hillary Clinton. What support she had in the black community evaporated and and she lost many liberal whites like Caroline and Ted Kennedy as a result. Just tell me what blacks have to gain from voting for John McCain--to teach Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party a lesson? Go back and revisit what happened to the Congressional Black Caucus when they decided to work with Republicans.

Let's not be so thin skinned to the point that criticizing Barak Obama is synonymous with being racist. That is the same anti-semitic trap that Jesse Jackson and Minister Farrakhan got caught in.

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written by Jude-Harrison, February 07, 2008
Kudos on your article "Why we should consistent voting for the GOP". As a registered independent also, I will be voting for the blood- that is the blood of Jesus. As a black female physician I will not be voting based on my color or gender, but my born-again spirit.
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Bravo!
written by Donna Mitchell, February 07, 2008
Everything was well said, from opening to closing. I just read Carter G. Woodson's book for the first time, so your reference to his opinions about the role of blacks in politics was spot on. I hope that the black community does a thorough reassessment of our worth, and demands a full accounting for what we are owed.

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Agree
written by Kalonji, February 10, 2008
I find it ironic that an organization that was established in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers has become in some eyes the enemy of the black state.
I have experience to many folks trying to convince me that the democratic party is my only salvation.
In regards to Obama, I just do not know who the man is personally everything I have read from and about him comes across as being absent. We all can agree that he is intelligent and his ability to move people is obvious. My opinion is not motivated by the Muslim rumors, that I can care less about. I am one of the few blacks in America that has not been suckered in by the Hillary & Bill.
The reality is that America can not pull out of Iraq because of Iran and universal health care would be wonderful but I do not see it happening in my life time.
I am a liberal and a self proclaim mystic(Sufi,gnostic etc.) and regardless who becomes President they will still have to maneuver the choppy waters of the Senate and Congress.
No matter who we get someone will always come up short.
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In Love With Being Black
written by shannion, February 21, 2008
Since the time of my awakening as a black woman, I have enveloped, caressed, and supported the awakening of my counterparts. The views on this page are enlightening and the obvious result of good education. That similar education, amongst black folk, also acts as a dagger of disillusionment when characterizing the brown images we pass on sidewalks. From McCain to the KKK to Bush to Cosby-- its that commonality of mental/spoken dialogue that has been hereditary since the days of bondage.
The mere thought of putting a McCain sticker on my vehicle gives rise to flu-like symptoms. Simply put, I am an Obama supporter and revel in his ability to deliver ambience and an eloquent rhetoric to a diverse audience.
The vertebrate of a man is challenged every minute of the day and can only be fortified by his character and courage. The numbered and nameless body bags (crammed with young black men) from the ghetto as well as those delivered from Iraq will not lessen with the likings of McCain and his colleagues residing in the White House.
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written by Donovan819, March 09, 2008
I heard John Mcwhorter make the same comments previously and disagreed then. The logic being that if HC and the Democratic establishment doesn't value Blacks that we should vote for the other guy, right? My concern is that the other guys couldn't care less about Black folks either. The platform of the GOP has SO LITTLE to do with the interest of the average Black American and I seriously doubt that supporting war-mongerers is the answer. The enemy of your enemy is NOT your friend.
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What if...
written by Wendell Hassan Marsh, March 17, 2008
I've been behind Barack since I read his book three years ago. I'm still behind him. But, I worry. History shows us that when someone rises up that truly challenges the status quo or really bring hope for change, there is a tendency in America to cut that person down. King, Malcolm, even Bobby Kennedy.

Even if we don't consider the COINTELL conspiracies, the next president, whoever it may be, will have one hell of a time saving the economy from impending doom and getting us out of the Middle Eastern Death Trap known as Iraq. If either Obama or Hillary wins, the liklihood of failure is so great that I feel that the gains made by the election of a black man or of a women would be overshadowed.

That being said, I think a vote for McCain my not be a bad idea, especially if Obama does not get the Democratic nod. In addition to your arguments, a failed McCain administration would be great for progressive interests.

And the big What if....

What if McCain chose Condeleeza Rice as a running mate?

Had would that change the dynamic? A black and a woman in the oval office would at the very least address the backseat position that women of color seem to have been taken in this election. The democrats my learn a few lessons. And we would still have a shot in the next election stronger than ever, in spite of or because of a McCain/Rice unsuccess at meeting progrssive or black interests.
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MLK 40 years later
written by Franklin Oliver, April 21, 2008
You are correct in suggesting how critical it is for people to recognize the everyday changes created by MLK and his generation. The thing people seem to forget is how fundamentally the US changed during the Civil Rights Movement with very little bloodshed. Yes, there was too much, but compared to nearly every other transformational revolution this was very peaceful. That's almost entirely because of the non-violent philosophical underpinnings MLK provided to the movement. What a phenomenal, undervalued contribution.

Regarding Obama, I teach a Black History course and my students were uncertain as to why we have spent so much time on the Obama campaign and I realized through conversation with them that people 18 and younger think it makes perfect sense that Obama should be the front runner and it baffles them that I'm so surprised, overwhelmed and happy about his candidacy. How quickly the young are changing the world!

Please post more often!

FDO
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Congrats, Jelani!
written by SRT, April 22, 2008
We are so proud of you.

Journey well,
SRT
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written by stephanie, July 17, 2008
i posted a comment today 7/17/08 and didnt mention what article i was referring to. i was referring to jelani's protest to r. kellys acquittal.
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