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What A Cursed Day September 23rd Has Become: Reflections on Emmett Louis Till and Breonna Taylor

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Although it would be psychologically comforting to consider court decisions that found the lynchers of Emmett Louis Till (1955) not guilty and the murderers of Breonna Taylor (2020) not responsible for her death were handed down on the same day are coincidental. The truth of the matter is that like so many other days in America’s history, September 23rd has revealed itself as a cursed day for Blacks; a day that makes other ominous dates such as Friday the 13th look like child’s play.

Freedom loving Americans must never forget that on September 23rd, 1955, an all-White jury found half-brothers Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam not guilty of a heinous crime that they later confessed to. Sixty-five years later on the same cursed day, Americans should remember that a grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, notified the nation that law enforcement officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove would not face trial for their actions on March 13th that resulted in Breonna Taylor’s death.

The cursed day of September 23rd illuminates much about racial inequality and injustice in America.

Although difficult to comprehend, Emmett Louis Till, lynched while visiting family in Money, Mississippi, was closer to receiving justice than Breonna Taylor would ever be sixty-five years later. One can only think that at least Till’s killers faced some semblance of a trial. The grand jury decided that a trial was not even a necessity for Breonna Taylor’s killers. The realization that justice was a more distant possibility for Taylor in the new millennium than it was for Till sixty-five year ago in Mississippi is a startling reality.

Those who ignore the events of September 23rd to extend their power guarantees that similar tragedies will continue for decades, if not centuries. It is ironic that those who perpetrate such atrocities have been allowed to cloak themselves in an ill-fitting suit of patriotism. This seemingly impenetrable coat of armor provides them with an unrivaled ability to accuse their opponents of seeking to destroy the nation. In the bizarre world that they have constructed, these self-proclaimed patriots promote themselves as advocates for the freedom, justice, and democracy articulated by the Founding Fathers.

When viewed through an appropriate lens, it becomes obvious that flag toting White Nationalists are the equivalent of Benedict Arnold’s who have dedicated their lives to ensuring that American principles will never be extended to all citizens. Despite their fervent protestations, it is the misdeeds of White Nationalists that ensures America’s historic racial divide remains.

Ultimately, one is left with no other choice than to question what do those opposing racial justice desires? This question is particularly poignant when one considers that the American historical record indicates that their kind has monopolized every seat of power from politics to economics.

I ask again, what more do they want, need, or desire?

If I were a betting man, I would wager that the White Nationalists in our midst are devoid of a reasonable answer as they have never considered such questions. Yet, there is no denying that America’s race problem has its genesis within White America. Hence, it should be understood that the solution to this centuries-old problem begins in that locale. This reality seemingly escapes well-meaning Whites who have chosen to join Blacks during boisterous protests through the nation.

If provided the opportunity to address the aforementioned well-meaning White activists, I would advise them to return home. If this battle against racism is to be won, they must attack it at its root; inside of White America. This pernicious socially constructed evil oozes from their homes, their civic organizations, small businesses, and the political decisions made by their local, state, and national political leaders.

Well-meaning White activists need to learn the adage that one must always seek to work smarter, not harder. The most powerful move that they could make at this moment is to abandon an antiquated playbook of joining oppressed people expressing their angst in American streets in favor of a new plan that directs their energies toward their white countrymen who have yet to learn that at the present moment the most appropriate measure of patriotism are unyielding attempts to ensure that freedom, justice, and equality are extended to all Americans.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.

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CAN YOU HEAR THEM NOW?: HOW THE VOICELESS TEND TO SPEAK (Acknowledging the Minneapolis Revolters)

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Rarely has a discussion led by female friends regarding the qualities they are seeking in a lifetime mate that the phrase that “he must be a provider and protector” is not included. Put simply; the Black man they desire needs to bring home the bacon and provide protection for those under his charge. Any failings in this area will be followed by a lowered standing within the relationship, home, and community.

The belief that a “real man” provides and protects for those he loves clouds many of the issues surrounding George Floyd’s murder. The most obvious issue is the question of “If Black men cannot protect themselves, how in the world will they protect their family against an army of bigots with badges?”

Let us be clear about this matter, Black men are emasculated by bigots with badges on a routine basis. Most Black men have learned through either observation or participation the far-reaching power that bigots with badges have at their disposal; a power that extends into many Prosecutor offices. It is this understanding of racial dynamics that has removed much of the shame one would expect to be applied to Black men who are so afraid of bigots with badges that they flee when they arrive. The alluded to comprehensive fear rivals that of devout Christians who fear their God. It is a paralyzing fear that renders one useless in regards to fulfilling the role of protector for family, friends, or community. Yet, mounting frustrations continue to mount on a daily basis.

Unable to “flex their muscles” against bigots with badges, the opportunity to participate in an urban rebellion is a welcome reprieve. Unfortunately for liberty’s sake, the only time that the millions of voiceless Americans of all colors are able to speak is during urban rebellions such as the one occurring in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I have studied history diligently enough to recognize that perspective means everything during any conflict. The recent urban rebellion in Minneapolis is a classic example of how perspective affects conclusions.

For example, if one viewed the American Revolution from the colonists’ perspective, George Washington is a heroic figure. This same Washington, if viewed from the British perspective, is a treasonous traitor. The divergent perspectives are attributable to perspective.

As Minneapolis erupts, Americans will either denounce participants as thugs or adopters of H. Rap Brown’s perspective that this is merely a dress-rehearsal for the coming revolution that will occur throughout the nation.

There is a generally agreed upon belief that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The murder of George Floyd is yet another example that the absolute power held by law enforcement agencies has resulted in their absolute corruption. The alluded to corruption has compromised “good cops” who have learned that their careers, if not their lives, depend on them honoring a code of silence that the evil-doings of their law enforcement brethren. Put simply; there appears to be an implicit demand for decent law enforcement officers to become accessories to crimes by turning a blind-eye to the actions of their brethren who happen to be bigots with badges.

Let’s be honest about how divided we are as a nation. At the same time that many of our most bigoted countrymen revel in George Floyd’s murder, others stew in anger; their voices muted by a wicked cocktail of oppression composed of subpar education, the lack of political connections, and a dearth of economic resources.

It is a forgone conclusion in their minds that only outrageous behavior is capable of garnering the attention of American power-brokers. Maybe, just maybe, the torching of American cities will grab the attention of this nation’s political and economic elite.  

There are many in our midst who consider riotous behavior the anti-thesis of political discourse, they are wrong. It is out of an extreme desire to silence their dubious viewpoint that I offer the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.

I ask again, can you hear the anger and frustration of the poor and disenfranchised in our midst or do they need to repeat their grievances by burning down cities across this nation? Trust me when I say that they are more than willing to do so.

All Power to the People!!!!!!

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D.

©Manhood, Race and Culture, 2020

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Making Excuses for the Inexcusable: Mississippi State University’s Fumbling of Mike Leach’s Well-Deserved Punishment

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In many ways, it is frightening to consider how far off the mark Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach is regarding substantive racial matters. All evidence points to Leach not having any compassion regarding the victims of Mississippi’s storied history of racial conflict. Trust me when I say that I am being kind in my assessment of Leach. A more accurate depiction of my feelings would be to term the first-year head coach as an irredeemable dim-witted historically illiterate scrap of humanity that should never be provided the privilege to lead any group of men. Let me explain my dour view of the old ball coach.

Days ago, Mike Leach took to Twitter and posted a tweet of a woman knitting a noose for her husband during this moment of self-quarantining; I would be remiss if I did not share that the alluded to tweet was “liked” by nearly 3,700 people. The message flowing from both the sharing and liking of the tweet is deafening.

Consider the fact that Mike Leach is heading a football program in a state whose political leaders and bigoted citizens resisted efforts for racial equality by any means necessary; efforts that continue to this moment. Let us not forget that Mississippi is the location where Emmett Louis Till, a mere child, was brutally killed by bigoted Whites and Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee activists Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner disappeared on the initial day of their attempt to register Black voters during Freedom Summer at the hand of the same population.

This space is incapable of holding the untold tragedies that have befallen Blacks in this sanctuary of White bigotry and institutionalized racism. When viewed against this scurrilous background, it is understandable why Mike Leach was selected to lead Mississippi State’s football program. Unfortunately, it appears that Mike Leach’s illiteracy on racial matters makes him a perfect fit for such a prominent position; a position that calls for him to lead droves of young African-American men.

Unbeknownst to Whites, it is the moments after such a transgression that shapes their view of individuals such as Mississippi State Athletic Director John Cohen and institutions such as Mississippi State University. Before passing judgment regarding this matter, Black America always awaits a response to the inexcusable behavior from the powers that be. It is to be expected that Blacks will be invariably disappointed with the decision-making processes of White powerbrokers. The case of Mike Leach is no different.

The punishment being doled out to Mike Leach for his ill-advised tweet is for him to “expand his cultural awareness of Mississippi.” According to Athletic Director John Cohen, Mississippi State University is “disappointed” in Leach and will host “listening sessions” for the embattled coach and visits to the Museum of Mississippi History as well as the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum once the Coronavirus has subsided. In light of such “punishment”, one must excuse Black Mississippian’s bemused look and belief that this is little more than “White folk being White folk.”

This world is filled with Mike Leach’s, meaning people raised within a cultural framework where racial bigotry is a foundational principle that never threatens their educational pursuits, economic opportunities, or social status. They are welcomed with open-arms by like-minded neighbors, bosses, civic organizations, and religious leaders. Ironically, it is fair-minded Whites who learn early on that they must stash away personal convictions regarding racial bias as it will lead to a pariah status among their beloved community. I am sure that such people cringe at the reality that their silence regarding racial bigotry not only makes them complicit with such matters but also renders them indistinguishable from figures such as Mike Leach. I have little doubt that this little dust-up will be long forgotten by the good folk of Mississippi when they pile into the stadium to support the Mississippi State University and cheer for Coach Mike Leach, their neighbor, friend, and favorite football coach.

They are Mississippians after all.

 Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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