Black Thoughts V: Politics and Bullsh*t

[Knowledge As Supreme]

Black Thoughts: A Political Ideological Perspective for Afro Latinos
Part V: Politics & Bullsh*t

By Kevin Alberto Sabio


It's election season...time to get your vote on!

I had recently gotten into a situation with an associate of mine that left me a bit disturbed. This associate had sent me several emails soliciting my help in a grassroots campaign to help support Sen. Barak Obama's Democratic candidacy for president. After being annoyed with the numerous emails that this person had sent me, I finally replied that I was planning on supporting the Cynthia McKinney-Rosa Clemente campaign, considering that I've followed both women's political careers for some time now, and feel that they are more viable candidates as far as my political interests are concerned. This associate replied back that, "I hope that your vote isn't wasted, and McCain ends up winning."

WHAT?!?!?! Huh?!?!?!

Since when is having an alternative voice a bad thing? Considering that this person is supposed to be a member of the "conscious" community, that response really bothered me. From what I know about former Congresswoman McKinney and Ms. Clemente, they both have a proven track record of fighting for their communities and constituents respectively. What has Senator Obama done for our community other than being born half Kenyan?

Especially in this day and time when there is a supposed rift between the Black and Latino communities, the candidacy of the McKinney-Clemente team is unprecedented, and should be receiving more press and attention in our communities. You have two women of color running for the highest office of this country! After all of the hoopla being made about Senator Clinton's Democratic candidacy, and now Gov. Sarah Palin's nomination as Republican John McCain's running mate, all of this rhetoric about the rise of feminist politics...you would think that a team of TWO women on the same ticket would be having a huge political impact in this year's political race! Or, is it that you have to be the right kind of woman (white) to get that type of media attention? Cynthia McKinney is no lightweight; her record speaks for itself. Rosa Clemente has been active in the community for years, from her college days on. What I really respect about former Congresswoman McKinney is her outreach to the Afro Latino communities being affected by the land-grabbing of their respective governments of their ancestral lands.

Of course, this is not the first time that Blacks and Latinos have worked together politically. During my time in New York City, you would hear plenty about the efforts of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, fighting for legislation for their respective communities. Also, the efforts of many grassroots political organizations can be noted, both contemporarily and historically. Rosa Clemente's membership in the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and all of her activity with the organization and outreach to the Hip Hop community, is a testament to that. I also remember hearing about the efforts of groups such as 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement and the Latino Officers Association, both law enforcement fraternal organizations, doing much to fight for the community. You also have the Latino contingent of the Nation Of Islam doing much to help to uplift the community, and spread the influence of Islam.

Historically speaking, you have the influence of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) throughout Latin America. They had SEVERAL divisions and chapters overseas, probably THE largest Black Nationalist organization to ever exist. They were located in several countries, including Honduras, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, and several others. Also, you had the influence of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, and how they helped inspire the formation of both the Young Lords Party and Brown Berets. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of the Brown Berets in the American southwest, working locally with grassroots Black community organizations. There is also the influence of the NAACP on the National Council for La Raza, sometimes seen as the Latino/Chicano version of the NAACP. The two organizations have actually worked together in the recent past on several campaigns over the years.

Also, for me, is Sister Rosa Clemente herself. She is a proud Afro Boricua, proudly proclaiming her African roots and ancestry, and a strong advocate for Afro Latino rights and culture. Because of her activism, she has a lot of experience with the impact of American foreign policy on other countries, especially those policies affecting our closest neighbors in Latin America. She is a fearless and tireless worker and fighter, as is her running-mate, and would work hard to improve our relations in the region. If my work schedule at the time permitted it, I would try to catch her radio program on WBAI-FM with her on-air co-host Sally O'Brien.

So, come Election Day this November, I know who I will be casting my vote for. This is not to disrespect the candidacy of Sen. Obama, but why consider his campaign as a new precedent in American politics, and not the McKinney-Clemente candidacy? Two highly qualified women of color running for the highest office of this country, and it's not considered groundbreaking? Why should Sen. Obama be looked at as a messiah, and the McKinney-Clemente ticket as pariahs? We have a lot of good orators in the Black community; we see them every Sunday (and sometimes daily on the street corners). If you truly want change, then this is it. I won't put ALL of my faith in electoral politics to effect change; that can only come from within. But, casting my vote for a team that I truly believe it...that's a real start to effecting change. My vote won't be wasted.


Kevin Alberto Sabio is a screenwriter, activist, and online journalist. His previous article series entitled "Black vs. Brown" was an eight-part series exploring the conflict between the Black and Latino communities from a historical perspective. Sabio is currently located in the Richmond, Virginia area. For further contact, please send all emails to [e-mail].

[AFRODOMINICAN]

Still appreciate the work fam...Look forward to the next addition.

[Knowledge As Supreme]

Yeah, okay....we'll see.

[AFRODOMINICAN]

With all due respect I think you just proved my point, when you state the following; " I know plenty of brothers and sisters who have also gone to college, could have left the community to become "upper crust Negroes" yet stayed to help uplift the community either as activists or teachers. Nobody is going ape-shit over that. They're just looked at as "those crazy, angry people" despite a lot of work that they have done."
The work that man did within the community could easily have been relegated to the status of all of those people you describe in the description above. You can say he had further political ambition when he did this, but no one has that much control over their fate, Barack could have easily gone down as just another highly educated black person who chose community service over financial gain. He could have easily remained in that same position for the next several decades, a big fish in a small pond not ever advancing beyond that status, not ever living up to his potential. The reason everyone is going "ape shit" as you say, is because this exceptional brother not only served the community in this way, but leveraged his community service in a way that has propelled him in the trajectory he presently finds himself in; this should be celebrated not mocked and look upon with suspicion.

A brother as literary as you knows damn well the power of words. We are a rhythmic people the way some of our greatest warriors motivated the masses was through the artful use of words. So symbolism and metaphor have their place in our struggle and should never be belittled, as something that is only meant for poetry classes. Trust me if Martin Luther King, or Malcolm X, were not skilled at using symbolism and appropriate metaphors, if these brothers were just some inarticulate guys with great ideas, they would not have motivated half the people they did in their life time, and their impact would barely register as a foot note in history. During Malcolm’s time there street corner revolutionaries all over Harlem, what set him apart from them, shit what set him apart from Elijah Muhammad was the fact that the man knew how to speak, the man was a poet and a revolutionary!

Finally can the man take office before you assume that he will do nothing? You have a laundry list of things you want him to do. It's my suspicion that if Barack takes care of 95% of the things on your list, you will still cry foul and say he was unsuccessful because of the 5% he left out. She is former Congresswoman for a reason, and I am certain that had the stars lined up correctly and somehow Ms. McKinney were the one assuming the role of President on January 20th, she would be unable to accomplish a third of the things on your list. Trust me brother the whole point of the article was very clear, it was about as subtle as a jack hammer but the two are not the same and history will prove you wrong.

[Knowledge As Supreme]

First off...the whole "Black-than-thou" comment was the furthest thing form my mind when writing the piece. What I was alluding to was the fact that nobody has given/provided any information on what he has actually done FOR the community while in office as a senator.

I also grew up during Reaganomics myself, as well as others of my/our generation. I know plenty of brothers and sisters who have also gone to college, could have left the community to become "upper crust Negroes" yet stayed to help uplift the community either as activists or teachers. Nobody is going ape-shit over that. They're just looked at as "those crazy, angry people" despite a lot of work that they have done.

Okay, he's been elected. Will he do as he promised, or will he be like a number of other politicians in Blackface that have let down the community? The past eight years have been like a really bad 1980s flashback; we get all excited just because we see a Black face in a high position. Symbolism and metaphor are for poetry class.

Will he repeal NAFTA, and other so-called free trade agreements? Will he dismantle No Child Left Behind? Will he do away with Africom? Will he withdraw from these two unjust wars that this country is fighting in? Will he repel much of the PATRIOT Act? Will he (finally) get this country to back off from supporting Israel? I don't see it, and I'm very skeptical that much will change.

Supporting former Congresswoman McKinney was/is just as viable an option as voting for our current president-elect. That was the whole point of the article.

[AFRODOMINICAN]

First let me say that I appreciate your point, I have followed Cynthia McKinney’s career for a long time; I followed her prior to her transformation to the “controversial figure” she has become. As far as Rosa Clemente I have admired her on so many levels for a long time, I have considered her one of the most articulate and passionate representatives of my era of the Hip Hop Generation. I appreciate both of these women and their contribution to our overall struggle. That said, can we all get passed the “Blacker than thou” attitude (I have not used this expression since the old afrolatino.com days) your question “What has Senator Obama done for our community other than being born half Kenyan?” to me demonstrates either a lack of perspective, or level of resentment to the fact that your branch of what you consider to be authentic black politics has not succeeded at the level that President -elect Obama has.

I am surprised that such a knowledgeable brother such as you would fail to see the multilayered impact that Barack has had on our community, without including his historic accomplishment. Let us take into account the fact that recent studies have found that there are now more black males in prison than in college, this means that what Barack achieved academically alone is a political statement, the fact that he excelled academically in the highly competitive, and highly racist world of higher education, is enough to motivate gifted kids in the “inner city”, whom are academically gifted but just happen to live in the chaos that comes along with living in the “inner cities”. I know from personal experience that seeing the academic success of some neighborhood cats that came before me, motivated me to match or surpass their achievements, especially growing up in a neighborhood where having a prison record or getting involved in the drug game is so prevalent that sadly it’s become cliché; brothers like Barack impact the community by simply existing.

The fact that he achieved what he did academically yet decided to apply his talent and skills to improving communities that were destroyed by the crack era is a political statement in itself and a massive contribution. Do you realize what a sacrifice that is, to walk away from guaranteed millions in the corporate and legal world, to work for less than what teachers make working as a community organizer! The idea that someone with a Columbia University education and Harvard Law Degree, the first man of African ancestry to head the Harvard Review, a man who could have had his pick of jobs anywhere in the legal world chose to go into communities ravaged by the crack era and “Reganomics” simply to make a difference is a political statement and a massive contribution.

We have entered an era where the old style of revolutionary politics alone, that old paradigm by itself can no longer work on its own. Our success and how far we get as a people across the board depends on a health balance of revolutionary activist based politics, and having some of our best and brightest making changes from within the system. While I support the rise of a third party because it presents options, and it allows us to leverage our vote, I am not foolish enough to think that Cynthia McKinney’s candidacy was ever a realistic option.