During the civil rights movement of the 1960's many African Americans did not want to rock the boat. Many thought not only that Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) was a loud mouth and wished he would shut up but thought the same of Martin Luther King,Jr.Those people of the sixties who did not understand the need to fight for civil rights, today would be the people that embrace ghetto culture. They are the people who embrace rap music and the minstrel show that it has become.
So it would be imprudent for those of us who understand what must be done to better our lives to wait for the masses of people to get on board, they will never get on board. However they will benefit from the victories and changes that will happen.
Money Talks (And Bullshit Runs A Marathon)**
We also cannot expect corporate America to change for the sake of change. Those corporations that make their money destroying the images of African Americans will continue to do so until an economic impediment is put in their way.
For instance; to protest a company such as Viacom is a waste of time. Viacom will continue to exploit the images of Black people for as long as it is profitable to do so.
The job of those who choose to try to make a difference is to take the profit away.
In this New Year, we must use new strategies to make change. We must finally let go of the protest methods of our grandparents and move fully into the new century.
Marches don't work anymore, no matter how many choose to march.
Asking people to simply do what is right will not work, some people either do not have a conscience or choose not to engage it.
In a capitalist nation like America the war must be fought with our wallets. We must put economic impediments in the way of anyone who chooses to attack us; whether it is an individual or a multi-national corporation.
We Are On The Clock
As 2008 begins we must acknowledge that only about 5% of us will not only understand that there is work to do but are willing to participate and make sacrifices.
At this point whatever the problems are that effect African America are known and have been recited over and over. We don't need to spend another year identifying problems.
We need to spend this year fighting the good fight. We know what needs to be done. It's time to act.
Do you agree? What do you think should be the first step?
**Quote from the film New Jack City.
