Dr. Cornel West: Most of Today’s Black Leaders are For Sale.

I respect Cornel West because he tells the TRUTH.  Even more than myself, Dr. West was invited to sit at the table of the black political elite and collect large paychecks at the expense of righteous advocacy for black, brown and poor people.  In those meetings behind closed doors that most of us do not get to see, you’re told that it’s a maniacal strategy to speak out for people who don’t seem to even care about themselves.  The Democratic Party knows that black people are easily silenced and pacified, and any person who expects black America to ask for more is typically paid off or discredited in some way.

One day, stop for a second and try to see if you can create a moment of truth: Listen to your favorite black political leaders and see how much they speak out for you relative to what they are doing for gay Americans, immigrants and other groups. Are they doing as much for you as they are for everyone else?  Are they speaking on your behalf of you as much as they are for everyone else?  Do they have as much concern for dying black children in the street as they do when it happens to somebody else?  One of the residual effects of Jim Crow is that we have learned to become comfortable with second class citizenship:  Black people just don’t matter that much, so we excuse others when they overlook us.

Some of us have been trained, via low collective self-esteem, to make excuses for so-called leaders who ignore black America.  We assume they are too busy or that they have better things to do.  But what I find so ironic is that the same politicians who make all the time in the world to come and collect African American votes don’t have time to return our calls when we ask them for support in alleviating our suffering.  The same rappers who sell the hood experience all around the world for millions don’t have the mandate to use their massive resources to uplift the communities that gave them their street credibility.  Athletes can exploit the black urban experience for an NBA infomercial, but are trapped into remaining silent about the traumatic experiences that destroy so many black families today.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *