“I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.” Mother Harriet Tubman
I am dedicating all of my remaining posts this year to Black African American females because a race can rise no higher than its’ females.
As in all of my posts, UNDERLINED WORDS are links.
Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and we Black African Americans are worse off today than we were before it was enacted; because the “1965 Voting Rights Act” came with an expiration date. Due to this expiration date, we are continuously begging the “Good White American Politicians” to renew our “privilege” to vote primarily for them. Therefore, all we really received with the passing of the “1965 Voting Rights Act” are ink pens given away by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
On the other hand, the Fifteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1870 specifically for Black African Americans, guaranteeing us the RIGHT (not privilege) to vote in perpetuity.
This Amendment did not come with an expiration date; therefore, it does not require White American politicians to vote for extensions. As the saying goes, “If you do not use it, then you will lose it”, or, “If you know your Rights, then you have Rights; and if you do not know your Rights, you do not have any Rights”.
However, the “1965 Voting Rights Act”, deceitfully classifies Black African Americans as “Second Class Citizens”, because it is a privilege that we are “given” permission to vote, – for the time being. Because of America’s Prison Industrial Complex, and “Voter ID” mandates in many states, Black African Americans are rapidly losing this “privilege” to vote.
Furthermore, politically speaking, our political strength is worse today than it was prior to the signing of the “1965 Voting Rights Act”. For instance, by 1964, we had about 350 Black African American elected officials in America. In 1970, we had 1, 469 and our number of elected officials reached 9,040 by 2000.
Today we have nearly 10,000 Black African American elected officials, which includes Mayors, City Council Members, School Board Members, State Politicians and nearly fifty Congressman, three U. S. Senators, one President and no Governors.
Sadly, because of our elected officials, Black African Americans are last in everything positive and first in everything negative. Our infant mortality rate is higher than most so-called “Third World Nations“.
We have the highest school dropout rate in the history of public education since the Freedmen’s Bureau created the public education system for Black African Americans in 1865.
In addition, the schools that are supposed to be educating our young Black African American children are the worst in the nation. In fact, too many of them are nothing more than “School-to-prison pipelines”.
Our children come out of these schools barely able to read or write. Based on standardized testing, the owners of America’s Prison Industrial Complexes knows approximately how many prison beds they will need for us by the time our children reach the fifth grade.
This is based on the fact that, Black African American high school dropouts have a higher chance of going to prison than any other American school drop-outs.
Today, there are nearly as many Black African Americans enslaved in America’s Prison Industrial Complex, as there were actual slaves on the eve of the Civil War in 1861.
A White American male high school dropout, with a criminal record has a greater chance of being given the same job a Black African American male college graduate, without a criminal record was denied.
This is because White American employees, as well as all other races (except Black African Americans) prefer employing members of their own race – which is perfectly OK.
Foolishly, a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Delegation went to the Silicon Valley this week with hats in hand, begging Apple, and Google, et.al to GIVE Black African Americans a few more of THEIR jobs. Currently, Apple has about 7% of their available jobs set aside for Black African Americans and Google has set aside only 2% of their available jobs for us.
This CBC delegation’s time and energy could have served us better, if they had met with representatives from all of our Black African American churches and organizations and devised a way of divesting the billions of dollars we have in White American banks and Credit Unions.
We could then put this money into our own banks and credit unions for loans for Black African American “BIG” (not “small businesses”) Business start-ups with the understanding that the majority of their employees MUST be Black African Americans.
Furthermore, if Politicians in general and Black African American politicians in particular would stop falsely classifying “inner-city” Black African Americans as “minorities” and correctly classify us as the “majorities” that we are, then we would become eligible for 90% of the contracts and the true White American “minorities” would receive the 10% minority set-asides.
Even though Black African Americans are solely responsible for electing most of the Black African American politicians, once in office, these politicians tend to forget this fact. Suddenly, they want to become the elected official of “all the people”, which is being politically correct.
However, the non-Black African American politicians’ primary emphasis is on those members of their own race first, then, everyone else gets the leftover crumbs.
Even worse, far too many of our Black African American politicians go into office to satisfy their own greed.
For instance, the former Mayor of New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin, received a ten year prison sentence for corruption.
In my own city of Augusta, Ga., former Mayor Edward M. McIntyre who was first of only two Black African American Elected Mayors in the city’s history spent five years in prison for his extortion conviction in a failed plot to receive kickbacks from developers of the city’s riverfront property.
Also, in my hometown of Augusta, Ga., State Senator Charles Walker spent ten years in prison for tax evasion, mail fraud and conspiracy (127 counts, in all).
Former DC Mayor, Marion Barry spent six months in jail for cocaine possession.
Former Congressman Jessie Jackson, Jr. went to prison for “misusing” more than $750,000.00 in campaign funds. Fortunately for him and unfortunately for us taxpayers, he will receive $8,700.00 per month in disability payments and $45,000.00 per year as his federal pension.
Your online search for corrupt Black African American politicians will unfortunately reveal hundreds more.
Putting all of this in perspective, seventy years ago, Japan had two nuclear bombs dropped on them by America. Both its’ country as well as its’ economy was destroyed because they LOST the war.
Today, Japan’s economy ranks third in the world, and Black African Americans have a lot to do with it because we buy many Japanese products.
Americans cannot call any business on the telephone, without having to choose between using English or Spanish. This is because the Hispanic politicians, as well as Black African American politicians, including President Obama have demanded this for the Hispanic people.
In fact, America is probably the only country in the world where its’ citizens, must learn the language of its legal and illegal immigrants.
The agenda of all Black African American elected officials SHOULD BE to elevate Black African Americans, without feeling any guilt whatsoever.
In conclusion, let us stop the hype of getting excited about the “1965 Voting Rights Act”. In fact, lets allow it to expire and demand that we Black African Americans receive all of our rights that have been guaranteed us under the Thirteenth Amendment (abolished slavery), Fourteenth Amendment (citizenship rights and equal protection) and Fifteenth Amendment (the RIGHT to vote).
Oh what a blessing it is that my people do not read, think or use common sense says the Pastors, Pimps, and Politicians. (Read: OBITUARY FOR COMMON SENSE )