Wednesday, September 30, 2009

'THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER:'

'THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER:'

True Grit in The Community

The place to be recently was certainly at the people's landmark Brooklyn Antioch Baptist Church at the historic Racism Quotient Test Forum for '100 Blacks In Education Who Care,' held - open and Free Admission - by the Institute For "Interracial" Harmony, Inc.

In the spirit of Margaret Mead's ever-current observation: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has," a group of multi-colored concerned committed citizens from near and far gathered together for the express purpose of determining how each of them had been the unwitting recipients of a subliminal pervasively racist/colorist conditioning by an institutionally color-biased education system, and, as the attractive Flyer for the event stated, "...be a part of what is being called a major solution to police killings of Black males - including a needed healing of epicemic & untreated racism/colorism in the wider society."

As the worthy goals of the conference were laid out to the rapt audience, it became increasingly clear that this was no watered-down coming together of folk from disparate walks of life. It was an extraordinary exchange of thoughtfully-crafted, insightful ideas and experiences, based on valid concerns for a society which is riven and divided, unfortunately, by the artificial barriers of color bias.

What emerged early into the too-short one and a half hours was an intense, caring jewel of an event, highlighted by unexpected 'Aha!' interjections by the excited participants.

The sheer number of responses to the 20 questions in the Racism Quotient Test (Concept by Carol Taylor R.N.; questions composed by Ethnotherapy Psychologist Dr. Mari Saunders, Ph.D.) nearly encroached on the time allocated, by the neat Forum Agenda, for enjoying the delicious cuisine catered by Venes, (assisted by Rev. Bert Whitney) wife of the I"I"H Forum Convener, Vice President Laurence William Legall.

As the tripoded camera, manned by the professional Videographer - all the way up from Washington, D.C. - faithfully-recorded questions from ministers, educators, concerned parents and published authors, it became patently obvious that the individuals who'd taken the Racism /Colorism Quotient Test had been mentally-stimulated into examining their thoughts, ideas and possibly preconceived mistaken notions about themselves and others, thereby delightfully fulfilling the role that Harvard Law Professor Lani Guinier proposed: (paraphrased) "...to put the issue of racism (colorism) on the front burner so as to be able to deal with it in a non-threatening public arena in a forthright manner."

Antioch's ministers including Pastor of Antioch, Rev. Waterman, the author of "Pawned Sovereignty, Ezrah Aharone (from New Jersey), peripatetic Videographer Glynn Behmen (from D.C.), Poetess/Author Jewell Allison, Radio Pacifica WBAI Radio Talk Show Host, Blactivist Ian Forest, '100 Blacks In Education Who Care' President, Dr. Jackie Cody, boss Photographer Stephen Kelly (whose late Father was killed by an NYPD cop; coincidentally the Dad's name is in The Little Black Book's list of Black males murdered by cops in the U.S.A.), Editor/Publisher/Journalist Marie Shear, Rev. Minister Bert Whitney, Liberation Photographer Rose Maldonado, Forum Able-Aids Brother & Sister Cochran and ten year old 'Honesty,' among too many others to herein list, took the www.racismtest.org [posted on www.discussrace.com] bought bias-bustin' T-Shirts("If You're Not Playin' The Race Card - You're Not Playin' With A Full Deck - Racism/Colorism Must Be Dealt With") and 'The Little Black Book: Black Male Survival in America.'

The success of the Forum was reflected by the reluctance of the participants to stop talking with each other about the vital issue of racism/colorism - its effects and solutions; - 'True Grit' indeed!
(Informative anti-Prejudice Packets from the I"I"H Forum can be obtained by calling 718-856-1271)

(Photo Credit: Stephen Kelly)
Institute for "Interracial" Harmony, Inc. President Carol Taylor,
Vice President Laurence Legall
Rose Maldonado, Marie Shear, George Washington
and Rev. 'Minister' at the recent Racism Quotient Test Forum for
the '100 Blacks In Education Who Care'

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

WHISTLEBLOWIN' THE U.S.A. -

WHISTLEBLOWIN' THE U.S.A. -
Not a 'Democracy'- A "Dey-Mock-Us-You-See!"

YOO-HOO! Picture 'The Ultimate Whistleblower' as a strong Black Brother pulling the 'In-Denial' covers off every state in the Union in every arena of people activity, as being infested with untreated racism/colorism; in other words in: Economics, Education, Entertainment, Labor, Law, Politics, Religion, Sex and War.

What we have here is a giant 'conspiracy-by-coincidence,' a social situation which, if the dangerous denial, of untreated racism/colorism, were not so stuborn and pervasive, the costly, degrading, counterproductive misery it causes would not be continuously eroding the fabric of life for so many in these United States of America. It's an epidemic, Stupid!

But see, literally no one in public life (except Attorney General Eric Holder and former President Jimmy Carter - singularly honest and brave men that they are -) wants to admit to the thorny truth about America's hoary heritage of rancid racism/colorism.

Interestingly enough, the recent CNN-reported Face Book Poll - "Should President Obama Be Killed?" - absolutely opprobrious as it is, is nevertheless reflective of the awesome high level of willingness of the white majority public to tolerate such outrageous slings and arrows of intolerance against people of color no matter what positions they hold.

A color-unbiased observer might well ask, "Where was/is the valid outcry against such rabble-rousing colorist actions?" Sadly, as more and more incidents of unremitting bias ooze out of the woodwork, the toleration levels of the public seem to rise commensurately, for sure encouraging violence against those wearing skins of melanin. There is a price to pay for all of this negativity and it's going to be paid not only by the escalating number of victims of color bias.

This entire society already pays, and pays through the nose; just add up the millions of taxpayer dollars assessed as penalties for widespread (but mostly under-intercepted) 'racial'-color-targeting of Black males by the nation's police departments, trying as they may be, to stem such color bias, without you notice, before they're let loose in Black neighborhoods, first determining what cops are dysfunctional, by racism/colorism testing (with the www.racismtest.org [posted on www.discussrace.com] ) their individual cops with referrals to Ethnotherapeutic counseling where indicated. (Don't fail to read ex-cop Charles Castro's "NYPD BLUE LIES" for irrefutable evidence documenting such untreated racism/colorism!)

Unfortunately, untreated racism/colorism does not only hamstring the police departments; it permeates, as aforementioned, all of the people arenas of activity and must be acknowledged and firmly and formally extirpated for the good of the society.

But, it seems like "They can't handle the truth!" - 'they' being - most folk admit - the usual 'movers and shakers' who run things - dominant white males who seem to wince, shuck and jive whenever the issue of racism(colorism) is raised, but, as the recently-released bias'bustin' T-Shirt (available from (718) 856 1271 states; "If you're not playin' the race card, you're not playin' with a full deck - Racism/Colorism Must Be Dealt With- www.racismtest.org - www.discussrace.com "

Will that 'Ultimate WhistleBlower' please stand up, pull the wool off, and help heal the "You Lie!" "Banana-Eating Monkeys" "Post-Racial" "Should President Obama Be Killed"- sick shouters ( along with all of those closet colorists too afraid to air their secret but just as malevolent & unhealthy bigotries?)

Monday, September 21, 2009

REINFORCING RACISM/COLORISM;

REINFORCING RACISM/COLORISM;
While Decrying It

It never fails to bemuse me how otherwise intelligent folk can stubbornly persist in utilizing what seems to me to be racism/colorism-perpetuating words and phrases and still get up on platforms to decry the very same racism/colorism!

Take, for instance, the too-commonly-used inaccurate word 'races;' surely anyone claiming to be well-read has encountered, via substantiated scientific reports, anthropological material, authors such as Professor Ali Mazrui, Professor Ivan Van Sertima, Cheik Anta Diop, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Lerone Bennett, Professor Molefi asante, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Dr. Jeanie Baines,Drs. Leonard and Roslyn Jeffries, Dr. Ed Scobie, Dr. Charsie MacIntyre, among too many others to herein list, and the well-supported fact that not only is there but ONE hueman 'race,' but that it started Black in Black Africa.

If those semantic laggards haven't ever read the aforementioned authors, haven't they seen the famous Geneticist Dr. Spencer Wells videotape, "Journey Of Man?" - (available at 1-800 PLAY PBS) - which describes his amazing genetic work establishing forever the fact that "man" began in Africa, Black and beautiful and Progenitor of all of us 'earthlings,' irrespective of what color we are.

One the one hand, we, ad infinitum and nauseam, continue to hear and see TV and radio anchors and hosts and guests gabbing about 'people of all races.' On the other hand, even famous professors, popular politicians and zealous religious leaders and supposedly intelligent scholars, spout off about 'people of African descent,' meaning only Black folk (as though all huemans are not 'of African descent!) Talk about 'the blind leading the blind)

And don't get me wrong; I'm not posturing as someone who never also used such inanities! Before I began reprogramming myself from the gross, egregious miseducation in this hostile-to-color country that I received from the still-extant U.S.A (mis)education system rooted insularly in Europeanism, I used the same inaccurate phrases. (especially the nutsy meaningless word, 'interracial')

Now, every single time I hear or see these bias-perpetuating misnomers, I cringe, and whenever possible, pass on my blogged 'SEMANTICS CHART,' in an ongoing effort to resolve such untreated racism/colorism.

Even that expression, 'racism/colorism/ is an effort to persuade folk to see that the word 'race' - in its current use along with its derivatives - 'tri-bi-multi-racial' are grievously inaccurate and counterproductive in a society which prides itself as having progressive and equitable goals.

For those shortsighted individuals who think that untreated racism/colorism (and utilizing such colorist language/rhetoric) isn't 'all that important,' let me admonish them to remove their heads from the proverbial sand; there's no dignity in denial.

And for those who say 'Oh, I'm so tired of hearing about that race thing!" (there they go again) - let 'em go turn Black. Instant understanding!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

"MOONWALKING' From Racism (Colorism): HEAL, America!

"MOONWALKING' From Racism (Colorism):
HEAL, America!

Saturday, 19th September, 2009, Cable news station CNN reported on the U.S.A. President Obama's response to the vital question: 'was South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson's shout at him - "YOU LIE!" based on racism as former President Jimmy Carter stated?'

(You should know that several other media outlets are also covering allegedly racist/colorist issues raging around the country)

My question is: "How long will otherwise savvy people continue to try to avoid/evade the sorry fact that untreated racism/colorism actually infects every arena of people activity: economics, education, entertainment, labor, law, politics, religion, sex and war? (thereby avoiding doing something to heal/prevent it?")

President Obama's reticence about facing the stark reality of the colorism problem is dismaying; his literal watering down of the issue was only too obvious in his response to ex-President Carter's forthright charge of racism(colorism): "...there are some people who don't like me because of race...*" NO, President Obama, there is only ONE hueman 'race' - many (sick) people don't like you because of your COLOR! - and because they've been 'miseducated in America' about who they are - descended from Black Africans in Black Africa and consequently all part of the ONE hueman 'race.' *my emphasis

The educational entities in this hostile-to-color country are still failing their students abysmally by concentrating mostly on European countries and people, barely and rarely educating about that vast, rich, important continent of Africa from which all huemanity originated.

This egregious failure undergirds and perpetuates the counterproductive and escalating racism/colorism now epidemic in and roiling our society.

It does absolutely no good for anyone, including the Leader of the country, the President, to continue to engage in euphemism, side-stepping, moonwalking denial of the deleterious effects of unacknowledged and untreated racism/colorism. (He really needs to take a page from his brave Attorney General Eric Holder's statement about "cowards" in this society hiding from the reality of racism/colorism)

If any individual would like to begin to determine how institutional racism/colorism has affected their own thinking (and behavior) they, including President Obama and every other decision-maker, especially the police, the educators and the U.S.A. mediafolk) should take the www.racismtest.org [posted on www.Discussrace.com] and where dysfunctional responses to differences in color and culture are revealed, go into Ethnotherapeutic counseling until they can THINK STRAIGHT about color and culture. (without any blame attributed of course)

Taking the www.racismtest.org should be combined with, as soon as is huemanly possible, reading the following, FYI:

NYPD Blue Lies by Charles Castro
The Isis Papers by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing
The Debt by Randall Robinson
The Little Black Book by Carol Taylor (from littleblackbook@juno.com
Civilization or Barbarism by Cheik Anta Diop

and repeatedly watching the PBS video by Dr. Spencer Wells, "Journey of Man," available from 1-800 PLAY PBS

Our sincerest THANKS go to former President Jimmy Carter for 'calling a spade a spade' - raising the thorny issue of racism/colorism to its rightful place in the public dialogue, and to Harvard Law Professor Lani Guinier who so aptly stated: "(paraphrased) We must put the issue of racism on the front burner in a non-threatening arena so as to be able to deal with it in a forthright manner."

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

BLACK RIGHTS IN A 'WHITE' NATION

BLACK RIGHTS IN A 'WHITE' NATION

1. The right to life: not to be killed because of color (GET THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK)
2. The right to be respected as a huEman being (not a banana-eating monkey)
3. The right not to be labeled solely by color.
4. The right to unfettered travel (GET THE BOOK: FLYING WHILE BLACK)
5. The right not to be arrested because of observable skin melanin.
6. The right in the courts to be presumed innocent until/unless proven guilty by "peers" (those who've been
tested by the Institute for "Interracial" Harmony, Inc.'s racismtest.org [posted on Discussrace.com]
7. The Right to Reparations (for enslavement and ensuing color discrimination) comprising of (but not
limited to) free food, shelter, alkalinity-based medical care.
8. The right to earn equal-to-white income.
9. The right not to be color-profiled, espcially by police and/or immigration or education ("special ed") depart-
ments.
10. The right (considering the institutional racism/colorism in society) not to be subjected to the death
penalty.
11. The right not to be forcibly segregated by color.
12. The right to reject military service.
13. The right not to be taxed.
14. The right to equal-to-whites sanitation-transportation-community services.
15. The right not to be subjected to environmental racism/colorism (incinerators & toxic dumping)
16. The right not to be used for medical (drug) experimentation (Tuskeegee syphilis experiments)
17. The right to be seen in every media representation of "public" life.
18. The right in legal cases to judgements based on results not "intentions."
19. The right to be adopted/raised only by individuals resembling the adoptee.
20. The right to bear arms.
21. The right to freedom of speech (Ref. to Congressional damnation of Brother Khallid Muhammad's words).
22. The right to proportional representation in government ("No Taxation Without Representation!").
23. The right not to be subjeced to decisions by others who have not proved publicly that they are free
of pathological responses to color & cultural differences (with the racismtest.org and Follow-up
Ethnotherapeutic Counseling where indicated)
24. The right to equal-to-white protection under the law.
25. The right to public education which publicly-acknowledges that the beginning (cradle) of huEmanity
was in Black Africa and that all huEmans have the same (Black) ancestors.
26. The right not to be called the pejorative expression "Minority."
27. The right to free assembly (including standing on street corners).
28. The right to self-determination (GET THE BOOK: SOVEREIGN EVOLUTION).

THE THREE 'D's:

THE THREE 'D's:
To Free A Besieged People

(DENIAL: because untreated racism/colorism's still killing;
DEBT: owed for Slavery & Post Slavery Traumatic Disorder and
DEMAND: for Racism/Colorism Quotient Testing & Reparations - 'R&R')

'Leading from strength' is a survival advisory which, if I were sitting in on Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network Roundtable Planning session, I would strongly suggest:

"Because the NAN has established itself so firmly as an organization which is here to stay, and it is one to which Blackfolk automatically turn times of duress because of color-profiling, a natural corollary would be that, in leading by example, it could be a powerful voice for calling for the entire community of Blackfolk to stand together in THE DEMAND FOR NATIONAL RACISM QUOTIENT TESTING & COUNSELING! (Especially for all U.S.A. Police Departments)

In the blatant face of the Jenna nooses, Texas truck-dragging deaths, Pennsylvania swimming pool and separate drinking fountains, 'Skip' Gates JIMCROW stupid arrest, "Jungle-monkey-I'm-not-a-racist' denials, "niggardly"-Senator Sessions Judge Sotomayor Hearings, God knows how many thousands of 'Get-that-Black-Male' cop-stop&frisks, and the unremitting 'shoot-'em-dead-in-the-back' cop-killings of Black males, among too many other incidents of color-profiling, it is way past time for us as an unfairly-color-targeted mass of hueman beings to collectively state - and mean it:

'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, AMERICA!!! No more decisions about our Black lives/liveliehoods
without y'all publicly-Proving you're not pathologically-dsysfunctional by taking the Racism Quotient Test.org [Posted on Discussrace.com ]- and where it's indicated, referred to Ethnotherapeutic counseling until you all are able to THINK STRAIGHT about color & culture!!!'

Racism Quotient Testing must be mandatory, especially for those killing police departments (if Boston Police Officer Barrett could be so completely off the wall and blatant in his color-sickness and - up to now - allowed to go about his public servant duties so psychologically-hamstrung - and supported by the Police Union! - imagine how many other victims of society's colorist conditioning are lurking within police departments and walking our unsafe streets!)

And it is definitely no credit to the police unions to rubber-stamp Sgt. JimCrowley's colorist behavior toward 'Skip' Gates. (It is a grim fact that both Barrett and Crowley are Catholic and that most of the cops who've killed Black males in Massachussetts and New York have been white Catholic male cops! At least a public statement is due us Blackfolk from the Catholic hierarchy! (Investigate & Speak Out, Guys!)

If anyone says "Tests aren't reliable; they won't adopt that Test, tesing won't cure anything," all of this is irrelevant, racism-testing is a start, in the face of such national renegade treatment of huemans wearing skins of observable melanin and in the absence of anything else that's working. As Professor Lani Guinier so aptly said (paraphrasing) "Racism needs to be publicly discussed in a non-threatening arena so as to put the issue on the front burner."

Our DEMAND for wholesale Racism Quotient Testing is a righteous one - holding this entire country of America* accountable for the life-and-limb-threatening mess in which Blackfolk've been trying to exist ever since being kidnapped from the shores of Africa; it is that untenable mess which must be acknowledged and cleaned up, by ending the vicious denial and being honest and forthright. (*'America,' because there's rampant & epidemic color-profiling in all of the "Americas," - North and South!)

The police, in fact, the entire society, must stop breaking the law - colorist behavior is against the law!- but the law needs enforcement - following up. If the Racism Quotient Test DEMAND doesn't force organizations to incorporate mandatory continuous testing & counseling, racist/colorist conditions eventually will, but many lives could be saved by our collective action NOW!"

This is what I'd present at Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network Roundtable Planning Session.

In Fact: Racism Test AND Reparations (R&R) are in order
for this entire hostile-to-color hemisphere to redeem itself:

to HELL with platitudinous empty-action apologies for Slavery; they are only
gratuitous in-yer-face INSULTS in their triviality;

deal with the
HERE-AND-NOW!