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Introducing Emcee Joey B.: Why it Would be Wise for Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to Cease Public Pursuits of Coolness

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If you want to understand how White folk really feel about Blacks, one needs to do little more than to listen intently to the words that come out of their mouth. I guess it is misleading to limit the way that others communicate to merely the words, communication is found in dress and posture; not to mention the implementation of the “cool” via the implementation of Black slang.

Although there are literally millions of examples of White people seeking to capture an elusive “coolness” that Blacks naturally emanate, my personal favorite comes from middling R&B singer Jon B. In an interview conducted for a Black media outlet, Jon B., wearing black shades and a do-rag, slouched back as if he were a member of a local black gang and answered a Black reporters question of what it felt like to record a song with Tupac Amaru  Shakur. In a drawl that reminds one of a person basted in the essential elements of Black cool, Jon B. slurred the following.

“Maine, Pac told me to not waste my time or my talent.”

I am quite certain that Jon B.’s handlers told him that his “performance” before Black media was perfect in anticipation that Negroes would eat it up, consider him an honorary Black, and purchase a treasure-trove of recordings. Little did he realize that his desperate attempt to assume the cool pose guaranteed that I and a host of others would never even listen to another of his songs, let alone make a purchase. His antics relegated him to the status of a modern day T.D. Rice, the most infamous of all Black-faced minstrel performers.

In the 90’s we had Jon B., today we have emcee Joey B. aka Presidential hopeful Joe Biden, the hippest septuagenarian in the nation.

There is little doubt that Democratic Party leaders will never forget the reminder that Hillary Clinton’s failed Presidential bid placed in their lap. The alluded to message is that Black America remains the lynchpin to Democrats re-capturing the White House. The fact that it is impossible for the Democratic Party to recapture the White House without Black voters explains emcee Joey B.’s obsession with selecting a Black female to serve as his running mate in the 2020 Presidential election. Despite the gross ineptitude of Black leaders, Black America remains in an advantageous power position within the Democratic Party; without Black America’s support, there is no hope for political success.

Apparently, the desperate desire to accomplish something that Hillary Clinton failed to do, that being, securing the Black Vote, led Joey B. to unveil a hipster-persona during a recent interview with Black Popular Culture icon Charlamagne da God on the wildly popular Breakfast Club Morning Show. As expected, emcee Joey B. went on the attack and all attempted to place yet another dubious qualifier on the lengthy Black Card list that is used to both qualify and disqualify a person’s Blackness. According to Joey B.

…if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black…Take a look at my record, maine!!!!

Even Charlamagne da God found Biden’s tirade off-putting.

Were I provided the opportunity to advise emcee Joey B. I would inform him that the Black voter is far more sophisticated than he could ever imagine. Although we are a rhythmic people whose souls soar as a result of inspirational words, we also have reached a point where lyrical “razzle dazzle” no longer is sufficient to secure our loyalties; much of Black America desires substance from those seeking their votes, not the use of cultural tropes and snazzy sayings. If Biden’s campaign leaders really understood Black America, they would have realized that his Joey B. alter-ego was not endearing him to Blacks rather giving them a clear view that he is actually not any different from the series of Presidents who precede him; meaning that they are not really interested in aiding Blacks in the achieving racial equality.

An additional piece of advice that I would share with emcee Joey B. is that he may want to stop imploring Black America to investigate his political life because it is not as sterling and progressive as he and Democratic Party leaders would like us to believe. Consider for a moment that emcee Joey B. was the creator of the 1994 crime bill during the Clinton Administration. It was emcee Joey B’s pen that put the following draconian measures into effect.  

  • Expansion of the federal death penalty.
  • An escalation of harsh sentencing laws.
  • The “three strikes” and you are out laws that made it mandatory that those with at least three federal-level violent crimes or drug convictions received a life sentence.

I am sure that Democratic Party officials are fearing that Black voters will not be energized by emcee Joey B.’s soft-shoe minstrel performances. They should be afraid as his message is off-key, off-putting, and in many ways focused on defeating Trump and not what a vote for him would secure for Black America.

In fact, the most significant portion of Joe Biden’s attractiveness is not due to anything that he has said, done, or stands for. Sadly, it appears that his status as an alternative to the current Oval Office occupant is his most attractive feature. If the Democratic Party is not careful, Black America may stay home in the upcoming election as they feel that Biden is not much different than Trump. Unless Biden’s alter-ego emcee Joey B. is put to rest quick, fast, and in a hurry, in favor of a respectful political leader who develops and shares what his administration has to offer to Black America, it will be argued that Blacks should abstain from supporting the Democratic Party because from where Black America sits, their present choices seem so similar that it is like choosing between Satan, Lucifer, and the Devil; you’re going to Hell with all three.

May God bless Black America with truth, wisdom, and understanding as they seek to navigate this political minefield.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III  

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.

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Good Luck With That: Why the NFL Will Continue to Fail at Achieving Diversity in its Leadership Positions

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Although difficult to admit, there are very few segments of American society that are not monopolized by wealthy White men. If the lyrics of James “the hardest working man in showbiz” Brown could be called into question for inaccuracy, his assertion that “This is a man’s world…” should have been sung “This is a White man’s world…” One needs to look no further than the politics behind the latest National Football League (NFL) initiative to increase the number of African-Americans in its coaching ranks to understand why I think James Brown’s lyrics should have been altered.

An industry that topped $16,000,000,000 (yes, that is 16 Billion dollars) prior to the arrival of the Coronavirus is composed of approximately seventy-percent Black players, yet very few Black Head Coaches and fewer General Managers. As I am sure that you can understand, this inadequacy is of supreme importance to a sports league desperate to avoid another racially-tinged public relations nightmare in the post-Kaepernick era. The NFL diversity committee was created to deal with this issue.

The above committee’s lone objective is to help the NFL achieve some level of diversity. I am certain that those sitting on this committee never imagined how difficult it is to get wealthy White men to do something that they have never considered, valuing diversity within their NFL team. I imagine that the following statements can be applied to elite White men who have amassed enough wealth to purchase an NFL team.

  1. Have never had many (if any) business dealings with Blacks,
  2. Are similar to most Americans by not possessing significant understanding of the creation or maintenance of racial inequalities.
  3. See no value in diversity.
  4. Move in social and business circles that are devoid of Blacks and all others who do not fit into their stratospheric economic bracket.

If members of the NFL diversity committee understood the impossibility of their task, I am sure that they have had a string of sleepless nights.

Their task?

Compelling elite White males who have never considered Blacks to be on equal footing with them in any arena to hire them as General Managers or Head Coaches. Rest assured that this is not the NFL’s initial attempt at addressing issues of diversity within the league. The Rooney Rule was created for this purpose. It forced NFL owners to interview at least one minority candidate in their search for a new head coach. Obviously, the Rooney Rule has achieved less than desired results as only four Blacks serve as head coaches of NFL teams and only two occupy General Manager positions at the present moment.

The above failure raises the predictable question of what can the NFL do to defuse a ticking public relations timebomb. The NFL diversity committee is hoping that the rewarding of NFL franchises with better draft picks for hiring Blacks in leadership positions will incentivize owners to embrace at least a surface-level form of diversity.

If it were not so sad, it would be hilarious that a league that primarily rests on the physicality of Black bodies is filled with elite White owners who believe that Black excellence begins below the shoulders; meaning in non-thinking areas. Not long ago, Black players were not considered for the quarterback position because it requires above the shoulder (thinking/mental) capabilities; meaning the ability to quickly process information. Possessors of such racial bigotry do not have to make a giant leap to reason that since Blacks do not possess the mental capabilities to be great quarterbacks, they also do not possess the makings of a great head coach or general manager. It does not matter that such idiocy does not rest on an iota of science, these thoughts have real-world consequences as they guide the decisions of NFL franchise owners.

Rarely do powerful White men realize that the privilege that served as an incredible springboard to their elite status is akin to being a pinch-runner placed on third-base with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of game 7 of the World Series. Unless everything goes wrong, they will certainly score the game-winning run and be celebrated as if it were their efforts, skills, and ingenuity that earned them that place in history. In the end, all that matters in their mind is that they scored the winning run.

Born into a world of privilege, it is easy to understand why NFL franchise owners see no value in diversity away from the playing field. Contextualized by self-serving and comforting sayings such as “the cream always rises to the top,” NFL team owners reason that just as Blacks have proven their superiority in below the shoulders activities, Whites have proven their superiority in above the shoulder activities.

Unfortunately for the purveyors of such thinking, their argument is seriously flawed. There are hundreds of individuals, the vast majority of them former athletes who happen to be Black, whose experience has provided them with enough knowledge of football that they are more than capable of assuming a leadership position within any NFL franchise. The vast majority of the aforementioned individuals will never receive the opportunity. Black players must be frustrated at their inability to break through a reinforced glass ceiling that has nothing to do with sports and their ability to head an NFL franchise.

It appears that for the vast majority of NFL team owners that Blacks are simply “not a good fit.” This is a polite way of saying that White owners are “less than comfortable” being around Black men. It is this comfort level that allows White candidates to continually knock their interviews out of the park and Black candidates struggle to a point that they are not hired. Such results have less to do with the inadequacies of Black candidates and more to do with elite White males’ inability to envision such men as the face of their organization.

I wish the NFL Diversity Committee much luck in their attempts to develop incentives sufficient enough to compel elite White males to embrace a modicum of diversity. It is a daunting task that requires them to concede that the only worldview that they have ever known may be an incorrect lens.

Let’s be honest about the fact that elite White males achieved success because of the absence of competition from other groups, not because of it. Nonetheless, diversity is a hard sell to a group of people who do not recognize such obvious realities. They believe that it was their hard work, ingenuity, cunning strategies, and attention to detail that explains their voluminous financial success. I wish that I could tell a figure like Stephen Jones, the son of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, that his success is not due to any of the above factors, it is “due to the fact that your daddy owned the company. Nothing more and nothing less.”

This entire situation reiterates one thing for certain. “This is a White man’s world…”

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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What Does a Powerful Response to the Lynching of Ahmaud Arbery Look Like From Black America?

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There is little room to debate against the belief that the fallout from the modern-day lynching of Ahmaud Arbery at the hands of Greg McMichael and his son Travis has served as yet another reminder of the following things.

  • There is a class of Whites’ that should be considered the personification of evil.
  • Black life does not matter to many of our White countrymen.
  • Black America does not have enough political clout to demand fairness from elected officials.
  • The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery although tragic is not significant enough to cause Blacks to become politically engaged in an unprecedented manner.

I am not compelled to recite the hunting and killing of yet another African-American man by White males who fashion themselves as modern-day “patty rollers” dictating when and where Blacks are allowed to appear in public. My focus is what steps should Black America take in the wake of this latest tragedy.

The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery exposes the inexcusable fact that Black America remains politically disorganized and absent any understanding of political collectivism; it is these deficiencies that their opponents rely on. The absence of Black solidarity has made Blacks the poster children of unnecessary violence from non-Black citizens, law enforcement agencies, merchants, and every other segment of society. Although difficult to admit, it appears that Malcolm X’s admonishment that Blacks are the world’s chumps remains valid to this moment for one simple reason; Black America continues to believe that raw emotion is an acceptable substitute for well-thought out political action.

The failure to understand that the mobilization and organization of political power is a rather mundane and often unemotional process sits at the center of Black America’s political failings. Black America’s political inefficiencies allows opponents to anticipate their every move in the wake of moments such as the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery. One can count on Blacks doing the following in the wake of gross racial injustice.

  1. Issuing an emotionally charged outrage regarding the injustice.
  2. Engaging in public protests such as marches and phrase-mongering from self-proclaimed “Black leaders”.
  3. The issuing of statements by celebrities and sports stars calling for justice.
  4. As emotions subside the vast majority of “activists” who earlier pledged their lives to the pursuit of racial justice will fade away.
  5. Entering a period of deafening silence regarding political matters until the next racial injustice.

Unfortunately for Black America, this well-worn pattern of political ineptitude has been a standard verse since the Black Power Era’s decline.

In many ways, the above inefficiencies have made Black protestors an unexpected ally for White political leaders. One needs to look no further than the Prosecutors who refused to bring charges against Greg and Travis McMichael for evidence. Trust me when I say that those opposing racial justice fully understand the limitations of political movements resting on little more than fleeting emotion. History informs us that if given enough time the alluded to emotionalism will burn out and things will then return to normal.  

The American historical record informs us that emotionalism is a poor substitute for political organization. In fact, there has never been a moment in U.S. History where the more organized force did not prevail during political conflict. To the chagrin of many, the eloquence of Black leaders who move Black America as if they were a down-home Baptist Preacher is worth little in the American political arena. If one removes the rabble-rousing and phrase-mongering that flows so freely from the mouths of Black political leaders, it becomes obvious that these charismatic leaders have little understanding of the steps necessary to mobilize, organize, and strategically use dormant caches of political power strewn throughout a predominantly Black urban landscape.

In light of such political ineptitude, it is crucial that Blacks begin asking pertinent questions such as ‘How should Black America prepare for the next racial injustice?’

Well, I’ll tell you that the only reasonable path forward is an unemotional dedication to fighting racial bigots and structures of institutionalized racism on every front. I am certain that you are wondering ‘How do we put such measures into action?’ The following ideas would go a long way toward advancing the struggle for racial justice.

  1. Understand that politics is a marathon, not a sprint that is engaged in only during the weeks leading up to an election.
  2. Develop independently organized institutions capable of recognizing and tackling issues such as voter suppression. For example, if a new requirement is created regarding the need for a State issued ID, we should not spend a disproportionate amount of time protesting such measures as that time and those resources could be used to develop and execute a plan to secure the required ID’s.
  3. Dedicate oneself to fighting your opponents on every front.
    1. Increase your knowledge regarding political candidates.
    2. Increase your knowledge of the political process.
    3. Create or use a portion of your book club meeting time to discuss substantive political issues.
  4. Recognize that nearly every decision that you make is a political decision that has long-term ramifications.

Of course, the above steps have no impact on avowed White bigots such as Greg and Travis McMichael or for that matter the Prosecutors who refused to arrest them. However, if the above steps were guiding principles, Black America would already possess the political capital necessary to demand, not beg, elected officials, regardless of color, to behave in ways that they may not necessarily want to such as prosecuting all involved in the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery.

It is time that Black America took Malcolm X’s assertion that “Things will never get better until you make them better” to heart and began the necessary steps to mobilize their power for future racial conflict that shall surely arrive at an inopportune moment.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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How A Bigoted TikTok Video Provides White Americans an Opportunity to Differentiate Themselves from the Bigots that Surround Them

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I am sure that by this time you have seen the TikTok video of two high school students from Georgia making a “Nigger.” This dimwitted duo taped themselves in front of a bathroom mirror mixing a potion that included derisive stereotypes such as:

  • Doesn’t have a Dad.
  • Robs White people.
  • Goes to jail.

These were the crucial ingredients involved in the making of a “Nigger.” Apparently, this is what passes for cute and entertaining during this moment of self-quarantine.

If only I had a penny for each moment that someone oversimplified the voluminous problems occurring within Black America to cultural dysfunction, the lack of a moral compass and dearth of impulse control, I would be a rich man.

The alluded to derisive commentary is offered with such authority that it leads one to believe that White America is devoid of cultural dysfunction or myriad inter-locking illiteracies (historical, cultural, political, etc.) that render many of its members to the scarp-heap of intellectual feebleness.

For decades I have watched many Whites from their thrones of privilege pass judgment on Black America due to the actions of a idiotic roguish few in our community. As a person who has always asked for consistency out of others in their actions and thought, I must apply the same rules to myself and state that I am left with no choice but to follow Whites lead of jumping to conclusions and using a broad paint brush to denigrate an entire Race due to the actions of an idiotic few; in this case two yet to be identified teenagers. The idiotic pseudo-scientists have been expelled from the highly-diverse majority minority Carrollton High School, located 50 miles west of Atlanta. In many ways, the expulsion of this duo is in-direct punishment for the entire nation as it ensures that they will continue to wallow in their pervasive ignorance.

In all seriousness, I find it impossible to allow this dynamic-duo of idiocy to serve as the representatives of a highly-diverse White America. I understand that they are neither representative of White America nor indicative of the progressivism of many of my White colleagues. I will tell you that I find much hope in the fact that prominent members of that community immediately stepped-forward to not only rebuke the deplorable message but also to take decisive action against this public expression of racial bigotry.

Mark Albertus, the superintendent of the Carrollton School District immediately launched an investigation after terming the footage “unacceptable…and not representative of the district’s respect for all people.” Mr. Albertus displayed what I can only term an uncommon bold leadership by countering these two nitwits actions by publicly stating,

We are very proud of our diversity and so is our entire community. We don’t need to lose sight of this important attribute because of the actions of a few.   

Albertus’ position was bolstered by David Brooks, the principal of Carrollton High School, who related that these actions, whenever they were conducted, went against the standard of behavior he expects his students to uphold. According to Brooks,

It is our priority to keep our schools safe, and there is no doubt this incident has caused significant tension at Carrollton High School, across the district, state and nation – even the world.

Although rarely discussed in front of “mixed company” (a gentile way of saying ‘White folk’), there is consensual agreement that although all Whites may not fall into the category of racial bigots, we must remain cautious when in their presence; at least until they prove that they are different from their peers.

Make no mistake about it, the historical record indicates that for Blacks dealing with Whites, the stakes can be as high as life or death. Hence, there is a desperate need for Blacks, regardless of age, to be sure of who they are dealing with. Unfortunately for Whites, Blacks do not possess a supernatural insight that allows them to differentiate between good Whites and bad Whites through physical appearance. For well-meaning Whites not afflicted by full-blown racial bigotry, the onus is on them to publicly demonstrate on a consistent basis that they are cut from a much-different cloth than their bigoted brethren.   

Much like the way that bigoted Whites seize MLK’s words regarding “the content of our character” to denigrate Blacks, as mentioned above, I demand consistency from all around me. Hence, it should be easy to understand that I use these same words in my evaluation of Whites. Few meet my standard of definitively  denouncing racial bigotry in a crisis such as the recent one at Carrollton High School. If I had one wish in this matter, it would be that more Whites follow the lead of Superintendent Albertus and Principal Brooks and jump into the fray with an uncommon eagerness that leaves no room regarding where they stand on such matters. Failure to mimic those actions leaves Black America with no other choice than to leave them in a murky swamp filled with their less civilized countrymen.  

Just as you are watching Black America and making judgments regarding what you see, we are watching you and making similar judgments.   

TikTok!

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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I Guess That We All Get A Turn: The Unfortunate Saga of Dr. Armen Henderson and What It Means About the Relationship of Black Men to White Police Officer’s (We’ve Seen This Many Times Before)

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There comes a moment when one has to call “a spade, a spade.” I doubt that it’s possible to find a single African-American man who has a personal story that relates the tenuous nature and unsettled feelings that seem to naturally flow from interaction with law enforcement officers. Every Black man that I know of can inform you of the moment that they came to the realization that the one life that they spent decades developing can be snatched away at a moment’s notice by a rogue law enforcement officer due to no fault of their own.

This unfortunate reality was reiterated yet again by the experience of Dr. Armen Henderson this past week. Dr. Henderson, a medical doctor whose service to the homeless community in Miami, Florida, during the global pandemic was feted by the Miami Herald newspaper has made national news as a result of it being his turn to be in the wrong place, this time it happens to be in front of his house, at the wrong time. Dr. Henderson’s character is best reflected in his taking charge of much of the Coronavirus testing of the homeless in this uncertain time.

If they are being truthful, most Blacks, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status, can tell you that they understand that their life can be ended due to circumstances far beyond their control. For Dr. Henderson, the context was his loading of makeshift tents that he intended for the homeless. This good nearly cost him his freedom, if not his life.   

Dr. Armen Henderson was in front of his home loading up his vehicle with supplies to continue his outreach efforts for the less fortunate in his community when IT occurred. The IT that I refer to is an unwanted and unnecessary conflict with a police officer. A video camera captured the officer’s arrival and a subsequent brief discussion between the law enforcement officer and Dr. Henderson. Video footage also captured the officer placing the famed medical doctor in handcuffs for no apparent reason. In a scene that reminds one of the fugitive slave laws of yesteryear, Dr. Henderson screamed for his wife’s assistance. Fortunately, she was aware enough to rush outside with identification confirming that this harassment was occurring in front of their residence. It is deplorably that this pillar of the community was not released until the officer reviewed the identification in a manner that reminds me of the deplorable antics of slave catchers reviewing manumission papers that identified persons of African descent as free men or women. As expected, Miami’s Chief of police, Jorge Colina, backed his officer’s actions and attempted to explain away the issue as a misunderstanding that flowed from the officer investigating repeated complaints of illegal dumping.

As mentioned above, there comes a time when we must call “a spade, a spade.” For African-Americans who did not already realize that they must be on high-alert every moment of the day, even inside the comfy confines of their homes, this is yet another lesson that you are always only a moment away from a contentious conflict with a rogue element of some law enforcement agency that has convinced themselves that they have the power to be judge, jury, and executioner of any Black person they encounter.

If nothing else, the historical record indicates that we must each understand that we are only a single interaction from having our life and the lives of those that we love permanently disrupted by the unwise decisions of a bigoted officer “following procedures.” Such a context mandates that African-Americans pledge to be careful out there today, tomorrow, and forever because your life is the best thing that you have going for you. Survive conflict with rogue officers and anyone else seeking to harm you “by any means necessary.”

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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