Wilmer Leon: So Much Progress and Yet So Far to Go

On February 12, 2009, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) marked its 100th anniversary. The NAACP is America’s oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots–based civil rights organization.

The NAACP is an organization with a unique vision and mission. As stated on their website, its vision is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination. Its mission is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.

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The Africa You Don't See On TV

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in other countries still feeling extremely connected to my heritage. My parents did a great job of making sure I knew a lot about my family, the place I was born, and the problems that face the people of Nigeria. Over the years, being in America has immersed me in Black culture. Seldom is there even recognition of Africans in America, and often times if there is- it tends to be negative.

I once encountered a professor who explained a theory he had that Black Americans have been taught to turn their noses up to Africans, and vice versa. The divide between the two has been implemented and encouraged, used as another strategy by the dominant race to keep Black people from uniting and incapable of taking over. It is another divide much like the dark skinned vs. light skinned fight, the college educated vs. the non college educated, wealthy Blacks vs. the working class, Black Republicans vs. everybody else, Haitians vs. Dominicans...and so on.

James Baldwin discussed the difference between Blacks and Africans in Europe in "Notes of A Native Son" and the unfortunate differences that keep us all- those of African descent- from understanding each other. Although the differences are too often swept under the rug, like most conflicts between races, there are tons of misconceptions and stereotypes about Africans and the continent of Africa.

I came into the first day back to 5th grade in Baltimore with a young British accent (having moved from London the previous year) and a deep tan (having spent time vacationing in Nigeria over winter break) ready for the show and tell portion of class. I had pictures from my trip: of my family's estate, my cousins' school, the family horseback riding on Bar Beach, pictures of the city of Lagos, etc....and they were welcomed with the most outlandish questions from my classmates.

I was asked, "Did you live in a hut?" to which I replied, no- we have houses.

"Do people wear loin cloths?" no, we have clothing. My aunt owns her own clothing line and store.

"Does your uncle hunt lions for a living?" no, actually he works for a major Oil company there.

And a plethora of equally ignorant questions. I cannot blame my classmates for these questions, I blame society. I blame the media for only ever showing one side of Africa (although it is SO VERY IMPORTANT- I am a huge advocate for change in my continent) and for never highlighting the beautiful things about this continent.

Africa is the most underrated continent on Earth. It was a rich and beautiful land stripped of many of it's resources by the Western world, and given no credit for any of its' people's accomplishments. It is home to tons of stolen art, food, mathematical, scientific and medicinal discoveries, and of course- beautiful people.

That being said, I found this YouTube video about the Africa they never show on TV:

Fox News Analyst Wants Barack Obama Dead

Dr. Boyce Watkins
http://www.boycewatkins.com/
http://www.yourblackworld.com/

Greetings to the Your Black World Family,

In case you didn’t see it, Liz Trotta, a Fox News contributor, joked about how she hoped that Barack Obama would be assassinated. The video clip is at YourBlackWorld if you want to see it, and here is the text from the disturbing part of the conversation:

Trotta: "And now we have what some are reading as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama, uh Obama. Well, both, if we could."Host: "Talk about how you really feel."

What is most ironic about this statement is that the idea of doing harm to people of color is quite credible. I personally have been offered additional police protection due to the number of death threats that have come into my campus since our challenge to Bill O’Reilly. Barack Obama has had to take on additional secret service protection as a result of the number of death threats he has received.

As much as I have shown concern for the leadership abilities of President Bush in my books and articles, I never once hoped for his assassination. Such sentiment is clearly treasonous and evil. But this is the kind of language used to describe the man who may become the first black president. Bill O’Reilly also discussed having a “lynching party” against Michelle Obama and was not sanctioned for this language. That is what we’re up against.

This election is quite telling in the sense that it shows just how sick our country is with racism. The idea that a major news network can allow one of its analysts to a) confuse a presidential candidate’s name with one of the world’s most notorious terrorists (notice that she confused Obama’s name with Osama, and many of you have heard Barack’s middle name being used by those who oppose him), and b) joke about how she would like to see him assassinated along with Bin Laden, clearly explains where racism and evil continue to exist in our nation.

If you still stand up in support of Fox News after seeing this, then I truly feel sorry for you.

Our protest against Fox and Bill O’Reilly is picking up tremendous steam. Working together, we can hold this network accountable for its actions. If you have not already done so, I humbly ask that you continue emailing and calling the producers for The O’Reilly Factor. Also, be sure to send a complaint to the FCC over this horrific behavior. The contact information for the O’Reilly
Factor, the FCC and all of Fox News’ corporate sponsors can be found at this link.

We can’t let the “Axis of Ignorance” distort the facts and steal this election. The summer of 2008 is going to be as challenging and critical as the summer of 1968 when it comes to fighting for equality. I encourage all Americans to remember: WE ARE NOT POWERLESS…..the time to vote is not only in November. The time to vote is NOW, by emailing, calling and writing corporate sponsors of Fox News and the FCC to tell them that this anti-American behavior is not going to be tolerated.

I honestly don’t care if you support Clinton, Obama or McCain. I only care that we fight for what is right. All are invited to this struggle against social terrorism.

" An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Bless you,
Dr. Boyce Watkins
http://www.yourblackworld.com/
http://www.boycewatkins.com/

Black Life, Black History in the eyes of a black senior citizen

To The Editor:

As a 78 year old American of African descent, I feel compelled to respond to all this 'much ado about nothing' when it comes to the statement that Michelle Obama made about the fact that this is the first time in her adult life that she has been proud to be an American.

The country needs to hear this from the Black perspective.

Long before I was born, my grandfather Joseph Burleson, owned a considerable amount of land in oil rich Texas. Because during that era, Blacks could not vote, nor could they contest anything in the courts of the United States, my grandfather's land was STOLEN by his White neighbor. My grandfather, who was literate and better educated than my grandmother, drove to town. Seeing my grandfather leave, the covetous neighbor asked my grandmother to show him the deed to the property. He snatched it. She could not insist that he give it back, nor could she have reported this THEFT to the sheriff because of the fact that

Blacks had no rights in the 1800's. The prevailing law at that time was he who held the deed owned the land. Do you think that is something that I am PROUD OF? Right now I should be living off the oil and gas royalties.

In 1934 when my dad drove us to Texas to meet his family, when he stopped to purchase gasoline, his daughters and wife were not allowed to use the washroom. As a man it was easier for him to relieve himself in the bushes, but not for the females. We were, however, reduced to having to go in the bushes, also. Do you think I am PROUD OF THAT?

In 1938 when my oldest sister went to enroll in Hyde Park High School, she was told by the counselor that she did not want to take college preparatory courses, she wanted to study domestic science. Do you think I'm PROUD OF THAT? Of course, when Beatrice Lillian Hurley-Burleson went to school the next day, that was the last time anyone thought that the Burleson girls wanted to study domestic science.

When in 1943 my parents attempted to buy the 2 flat at 5338 South Kenwood, where we had lived since 1933, in Hyde Park, Chicago, IL we were told that we could not buy it because there was a restrictive covenant that said that the property was never to be sold to Negroes.' Do you think I am PROUD OF THAT?

In 1950 when I graduated from college, I was unable to get a job because I was considered 'overqualified.' the code word for they would not hire me because of my race. All of the want ads called for Japanese Americans or Neisis ( the word given to Japanese Americans at that time). Do you think that was something that I should have been PROUD OF?

I understood that America was trying to make up for the interring of innocent and patriotic Americans who were our enemy by association.

My cousin's barbershop was bombed in Mississippi in the 50's because he was encouraging Black people to register to vote. His wife who had earned a Masters Degree from Northwestern University lost her position as the principal of the local school because of the voter registration activities. Is that something I should be PROUD OF?

Now we get to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of the Obama family. Rev. Wright like so many religious zealots overstates many things, that many of his members do not agree with. To suggest that Senator Obama should leave the church of his choice is not only a double standard, but it is absurd. Would any of the talking heads who are so alarmed by Rev. Wright's thoughts and speeches suggest that Catholics should abandon their faith or denounce and reject the Pope because so many priests have molested children? These children were exploited and taken advantage of and they had no choice to even know they could resist, reject and denounce. To me the situations are parallel, except for the fact that the priests behavior is a physical violation of the innocence of children who are marred for life; and the priests behavior is a crime.

Rev. Wright's speeches are just words, that one can listen to or not, the members have a choice. Should Governor Romney denounce and reject the Mormon Church because some of their members practice polygamy?

As Senator Obama has previously stated, we have entered the silly season.

Barack Obama is an adult, and most importantly, he is an exceptionally intelligent adult. Like most of us adults, fortunately, we do not accept all we hear or see. If we did, the world would be more amoral, debased and perverted than the world of today is.

I see all these 'so called' pondering's an attempt to marginalize the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. I cannot truly call this racism because some ignorant Blacks have also spoken disparagingly about him.

I accept this as the darker side of mankind who because of their own inadequacies, they project their deficiencies on others. Barack Obama is a very rare individual, the likes of whom the world seldom sees. Like most geniuses, they are often misunderstood. They are objects of envy and jealousy. They are suspect because they soar above the average man who does not have the intellectual ability to understand the greatness of special people. They are also targets to be pulled down to the level of the mediocre who cannot stand to see an individual with deep convictions and high standards.

We have not seen a phenomena like Barack Obama in many years and many generations. Like Ghandi, like Jesus, like Einstein, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., like Mother Theresa, genetically, intellectually and spiritually, these people offer the world so much, but they are often maligned and misunderstood.

Barack Obama is a Christian in the true sense of the word. A true Christian loves his fellow man unconditionally. A true Christian wants the best and tries to bring out the best in his fellow man. A true Christian wants to unite and bring the world together in peace and harmony. This is what Senator Obama stands for; but, unfortunately, he has had to get off point to answer these false charges, innuendoes, and just plain lies.

We are in the presence of an angel unaware in Senator Barack Obama and this country needs him, more than he needs us. He is the only person atthis time in history who can restore respect for America with the worlds' people. Because of his family background, the influence of his beloved mother who instilled great values in him, the influence of his absent father who vicariously inspired a son to go to Harvard as the father had done, the influence of a minister who brought him to an understanding of the value and meaning of Christianity, the influence of a brilliant Harvard educated wife who inspires him and keeps him grounded; he is the epitome of a citizen of the world. He is of the world because the world is in him; and this is what America needs to bring us out of the abyss to which we have sunk in the eyes of the world.

Like, Michelle Obama, after living in this country all of my 78 years, loving my country and not understanding why my country has not loved me, I now for the first time in my adult life feel PROUD OF MY COUNTRY because I sense a maturing, a recognition of talent and character and not color, and a field of candidates aspiring to lead this nation coming from very diverse backgrounds of gender, religious beliefs, national origin, ethnicity, age and experiences.

This to me is the HOPE that America is coming into her own and will begin to CHANGE and will embrace the philosophy upon which this country was founded, where all men are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Now I truly believe, YES WE CAN!

Sarah D. Wills-Dubose, MA, M.Ed, RHIA

Director Health Information Services

Summit Behavioral Healthcare