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Happy Belated Birthday James Baldwin: How My Favorite Social Critic Led Me Down an Uncertain Path

I will tell you the truth. So many of my judgments regarding what is morally correct and immoral flow from my rearing within what I like to call an authentically Black family. In many ways, that is a cute way of saying that although we loved each other through and through, there was so much diversity regarding our appearance, priorities, and life aspirations.

Please make no mistake about it; we were an eclectic bunch whose viewpoints were forged by our individual relationships with Islam (Sunni, Shia, Nation of Islam), Bahia, and Christianity (Baptist and C.O.G.I.C.). Despite having such a different basis of faith and belief in God, we all somehow agreed that homosexuality was a mortal sin.

The stern message that I received from my family and my University employers at a later date was never to acknowledge nor address the issue of homosexuality. I did my best to hold that line.

And then I met James Baldwin.

My exposure to Jimmy Baldwin, who I maintain to this day is the foremost social critic this nation has ever produced, began while pursuing a degree in African-American Studies at THE Ohio State University raised a host of questions for me.

  • Did my adoration of Baldwin’s writings make me a hypocrite as I refused to embrace others who chose a different lifestyle?
  • Was I complicit in the oppression of a segment of Black America by not speaking up for them?
  • Was it possible to love Baldwin and be repulsed by the rest?

Tonight MRCi discussion will cover this issue of Black men and their relationship/view of Black male homosexuals. Although a risky topic, I think that our intellectual community will be able to handle it. As always, you are welcome to join us as we delve into what many still believe is a taboo subject matter among Black men.

MRCi discussions occur every Thursday @ 7:30 (EST) – 6:30 (CST). Click on the link below to join our intellectual community.

Join us as we discuss pressing matters facing and impacting Black Men and Black America.

If you can not get the link to work, use the information to join the Zoom session.

Meeting ID: 353 334 8869
Passcode: 1YF4BG

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D.

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2021

What a Black Man Should be and Ought to do: A MRCi Panel Discussion

I am sure that I do not need to tell you that the issue of Race continues to serve as one of the most divisive factors in America. If it can be stated that racial matters are a divisive issue within the nation, it makes sense that it would be problematic within the Black community. So, much of the in-fighting occurring within our community revolves around the issue of Black men and their general failings to be leaders within our community and a suitable provider and head of household. These matters raise the question of “What a Black Man Should be and Ought to do.” The Manhood, Race, and Culture interactive intellectual community took this issue on during a recent discussion. I hope that you find it worthwhile.

Please enjoy the two-part discussion pinned below.

MRCi: The Turkey Leg Hut Discussion (July 15, 2021)

Most outsiders do not recognize that there is a decades-long war occurring in Black America. Yes, I am alluding to the same conflict that famed comedian Chris Rock termed a Civil War between “Black folk and Niggas.” Experience has taught me that Black folk and N-words have nothing in common.

As you know, every war is composed of a series of battles of varying significance that make up the war. The most recent conflict in Black America’s Civil War occurred at Houston’s hip Third-Ward eatery, The Turkey Leg Hut. It is difficult to explain to outsiders the popularity of this local restaurant to Houstonians. It is THE PLACE TO BE.

The allure of this place causes hundreds of Black folks, even my beautiful cousin Lauren Evans, to stand in line under the legendary oppressive Houston heat for hours every single day. Such popularity has led to a somewhat predictable, yet still unfortunate, issue. The alluded to issue is that there is a segment of Black folks who have adopted an unbelievably dysfunctional culture that renders them an embarrassment to the rest of Black America.

The brouhaha occurring at The Turkey Leg Hut surrounds establishment owners Nakia and Lynn Price’s decision to institute a dress code and code of conduct for patrons. The repeated complaints of the customer base forced the owners of this Black-owned business into publicly detailing what was and was not acceptable within their establishment. According to Nakia Price,

We never governed what people wore before, but now it’s becoming increasingly worse. What we’re seeing is the extreme, like shorts so short that literally your butt is hanging out or shredded shorts with no underwear. When did it become OK to just wear this in public, period, let alone a restaurant? The dress code that we implemented is pretty lax. The only thing that we’re asking is that you have some respect.

Now let’s be clear on precisely what Nakia and Lynn Price are asking of Black folks. The Turkey Leg Hut’s dress code and code of conduct are as follows:

  • No excessively revealing clothing (shorts must cover your entire bottom).
  • No obscene language or baggy clothing.
  • No house attire (including wave caps, du-rags, house shoes or shower caps).
  • No exposed undergarments (including sports bras, bras, panties or garments resembling these items).
  • No swimwear of any kind.

It appears that somewhere along the way, the sense of decency and appropriateness eroded into a sea of nothingness.

Maybe this phenomenon of cultural erosion could be attributed to educated Blacks’ flight to suburban areas during the 70s. Perhaps it was the integration of schools after the Brown v. Board of Education decisions (1954 & 1955). Dare we join the chorus of White racists who fervently believe that there is something intrinsically wrong with Black folks? I dispute the latter notion with my entire being.

I attribute the aforementioned cultural dysfunction of a specific segment of our community to their investment in a dysfunctional culture whose ascension is aided by many things.

  • Lack of knowledge of self.
  • The influence of social media and reality television.
  • Engagement with a popular culture that denigrates Black life in every way imaginable.
  • The absence of socialization that naturally flows from a healthy Black family.
  • A misled cadre of Black clergy who preach a prosperity gospel instead of one based on morality.

One of the surest indicators of how far some within our community strayed from a familiar path of civility are the public outcries that installing a dress code and code of conduct by the owners of The Turkey Leg Hut is anti-Black.

Nothing could be more ludicrous.

It appears that a culture of inappropriateness has become synonymous with Blackness. The adopters of such dysfunction are historically illiterate and culturally backward. The pushback against calls for public decency has undoubtedly caused innumerable graves of our ancestors to be disturbed.

Never in the existence of Black people have we seen such a determination to be uncivilized toward one another. As I have written in this space repeatedly, I am unconcerned with the maneuvers of White racists. My focus is a proactive one that calls for all Blacks to work toward the liberation of Black America.

So, I hope that you comprehend how heartbreaking it is to see my people fight for the right to behave in a manner that guarantees the continuation of their bottom-rung social status.

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D.

©Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2021