All posts by Dr. James Thomas Jones III

African-American History

Reconsidering the post-March on Washington Martin Luther King Jr.

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I deplore how society lays aside historical figures and their profound contributions to our society for 364 days out of the year, only to revisit them on an annual basis as if they are Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is arguably the foremost victim of such antics.

As society sits poised for yet another MLK breakfast or program, I am going to expound on one of my most frequent refrains regarding Dr. King. The statement that I am referring to is my belief that the “I have a Dream” speech delivered on August 28, 1963, has proven in retrospect to be King’s worst moment. 

The faces of the vast majority of people transform when they hear the above critique of Dr. King’s most memorable moment before an audience of 250,000 people. During robust lectures, I often follow that statement with brother Malcolm’s somewhat humorous quip that the A. Philip Randolph organized March on Washington “…was a circus, with clowns and all.”

Although I frequently use Brother Malcolm’s quip, I do not agree with his summation. Yet, I do harbor issues with this moment that have nothing to do with the content of Dr. King’s speech on this momentous occasion. My problem revolves around the reality that this moment was so big that most mistakenly freeze Dr. King in this moment and use it as a guide to understand his entire public life. Those harboring this belief are in grievous error. If one did not know any better, they could be led to believe that Dr. King was assassinated moments after his much-celebrated speech as the remaining portion of his life is rarely discussed. Unbeknownst to many, Dr. King’s prophetic voice was not silenced by an assassin’s bullet until 1968, nearly five years after his impassioned speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Despite the flawed historical recollection of a gullible American public, Dr. King’s legacy did not end on August 28, 1963. Most would be shocked to learn that “the Prince of Peace” never stopped evaluating and growing ideologically during this volatile period of this nation’s existence.

Consider for a moment that when faced with growing White resistance in the wake of Lyndon Baines Johnson’s signing of the Civil Rights (1964) and Voting Rights (1965) Acts, Dr. King understood that Whites were unwilling to share political power or economic resources with anyone. This political climate led King to issue the following indictments toward both the nation and the movement he headed.

“[W]ith Selma and the Voting Rights Act one phase of development in the civil rights revolution came to an end. A new phase opened, but few observers realized it or were prepared for its implications. For the vast majority of white Americans, the past decade — the first phase — had been a struggle to treat the Negro with a degree of decency, not of equality. White America was ready to demand that the Negro should be spared the lash of brutality and coarse degradation, but it had never been truly committed to helping him out of poverty, exploitation or all forms of discrimination. The outraged white citizen had been sincere when he snatched the whips from the Southern sheriffs and forbade them more cruelties. But when this was to a degree accomplished, the emotions that had momentarily inflamed him melted away,

When negroes looked for the second phase, the realization of equality, they found that many of their white allies had quietly disappeared. Negroes felt cheated, especially in the North, while many whites felt that the negroes had gained so much it was virtually impudent and greedy to ask for more so soon.

The practical cost of change for the nation up to this point has been cheap. The limited reforms have been obtained at bargain rates. There are no expenses, and no taxes are required, for Negroes to share lunch counters, libraries, parks, hotels, and other facilities with whites…

Negroes of America had taken the President, the press and the pulpit at their word when they spoke in broad terms of freedom and justice . . . The word was broken, and the free-running expectations of the Negro crashed into the stone walls of white resistance.

Whites’ increasing resistance to racial equality in the public arena, let alone any degree of racial justice, forced King’s hand. In his search for a path to securing racial equality, MLK was forced to address the growing nihilism within the Civil Rights Movement that was most forcefully articulated by a rising tide of young Black Powerites. The shifting political winds were so significant that Dr. King felt compelled to issue the following statement regarding Black Power politics.

There is nothing essentially wrong with power. The problem is that in America power is unequally distributed. This has led Negro Americans in the past to seek their goals through love and moral suasion devoid of power and white Americans to seek their goals through power devoid of love and conscience…. [I]t is precisely this collision of immoral power with powerless morality which constitutes the major crisis of our times.

Black Power is a call for the pooling of black financial resources to achieve economic security.… Through the pooling of such resources and the development of habits of thrift and techniques of wise investment, the Negro will be doing his share to grapple with his problem of economic deprivation. If Black Power means the development of this kind of strength within the Negro community, then it is a quest for basic, necessary, legitimate power.

It is indeed time that those interested in this nation securing racial justice re-evaluate MLK’s legacy by placing some attention on his post-March on Washington speech era. Such action is crucial for anyone seeking to expand their understanding of King, Black Power, and the pursuit of racial justice. Hopefully, you do not think that Dr. King was the type of man to waste any portion of his life. Trust me when I say if you think that about Dr. King, you need to re-evaluate your entire understanding of “the Prince of Peace.”

James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2019.

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Why Black Schoolchildren MUST be Exposed to Serious Black Writers

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From the moment that my African-American Studies Literature Professor Dr. William Maurice Shipley uttered the question of

“Don’t you have your own traditions and stories? Or will you simply rest on the creativity and imagination of Europeans?”

I realized the unbridled power the piercing query held.

Not only was this question an inquiry that served as a call to arms for writers, musicians, and artists who would create the Harlem Renaissance but it also serves as a call to today’s Black writers.

As an African-American Studies Professor, I cannot tell you how disenchanting it is to encounter students whose extremely limited exposure to books can be traced to a haphazardly created reading list forced on them by some “teacher” who failed to include a single Black writer on their “reading list.” The vast majority of my students have never heard of the following writers.

  • Richard Wright
  • Toni Morrison
  • Walter Mosley
  • Alice Walker
  • James Baldwin
  • J. California Cooper

Obviously, my sadness solves nothing.  

I will not spend my time addressing “school reading lists” devoid of Black writers as it is incapable of solving the unfortunate situation. I believe that better use of this space is the issuing of solutions to reverse the systematic erasure of Black writers from the developing minds of American schoolchildren.

The path to addressing this deplorable situation is a straight-forward one that hinges on parents and the larger Black community. Despite what many may think, the development of Black children is an endeavor that must include the entire community. It is this process that allows those that love Black children to put action to their hopes and dreams.

While addressing the plight of young Black males, noted educator Jawanza Kunjufu posited that “What you do the most you will do the best.” In many ways, Kunjufu’s observation refutes the familiar refrain that there is something intrinsically wrong with the minds of Black children while illuminating a path to academic success.

If one extrapolates Kunjufu’s assertion, it becomes easy to understand why professional sports leagues such as the NBA and NFL are predominantly Black. The sports arena is where they have spent the majority of their time and therefore “do the best.” Although many bemoan the concentration of Blacks in the sports and entertainment industries, such criticism blocks the silver-lining that it definitively proves that Black excellence is possible despite the long odds of success in sports and entertainment. The conquering of such odds speaks volumes about Black excellence.

When one considers the plethora of interests of Black children, we must busy ourselves creating avenues of success grounded on a rich history of Black excellence. There is no more assured path to such goals than the inundating of Black schoolchildren with Black writers who have illuminated both a glorious past and pointed the way toward an unbelievable future. It is imperative that every Black parent develops a reading list of Black literature for their children and actively participates in the reading process. I can attest to the fact that such is the path to having children who are lifetime readers possessing copious amounts of intellectual curiosity.

If nothing else, the inundating of Black schoolchildren with Black writers will save educators such as myself from moments where we wonder if we are making any progress in this uphill battle to change the world via education.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.    

African-American History

How A Chance Encounter Increased My Understanding of The COINTELPRO: A Show of Respect for Timothy Hayes, Roderick Hughes, and Paul Stiner

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I have learned that in this life, one never knows what the next moment will bring. I am sure that by the time we finish this race called life that we will be able to look back and attest to triumphs, challenges, successes, and failures. I pray that your recollections include a few people that impacted your viewpoints in a significant manner; the type of influence that makes you smile when you reflect on the wisdom that they graciously poured into you.

If nothing else, I hope that this post proves the importance of being open to the process of life because you just never know who you may meet.

Please bear with me as I attempt to smooth out a rather difficult story that revolves around two chance encounters that occurred nearly two decades apart, yet impacted my life in unimaginable ways. Although unconventional in nature, for any of this to make sense, I must speak about the most recent meeting before the latter meeting.

ENCOUNTERING TIMOTHY HAYES

It was a rather mundane day of social media engagement that exposed my “writings”, a derisive term that a brother named Timothy Hayes spewed my way. I remember the unexpected conflict as if it occurred yesterday.

Mr. Timothy Hayes issued a rather blunt rebuttal to a posting I made about Minister Louis Farrakhan. It may be the best-kept secret in the world that many writers, myself included, abhor criticism of our writings from what we view as a harsh, sometimes hostile, world. Any good writer will tell you that the writing process is akin to the birthing of a child and therefore our words are a never-ending representation of our being. So, I am certain that you will understand that “I felt some kind of way” when Mr. Hayes issued the following comment regarding the aforementioned posting.

Never has a man been so correct and so wrong at the exact same time.

Ouch!!!!!!!!!

As I am certain that you can imagine, this initial encounter turned into a drawn-out emotion-filled debate filled with many people who rushed to defend my post. In the throes of that impassioned discussion, I never imagined that I would later give thanks that my path crossed with Mr. Timothy Hayes.

Somewhere during the back-and-forth banter between several strong personalities, Mr. Hayes took center-stage in his signature prophetic style and offered an insightful political commentary that both illuminated his comment and amazingly won me over to his side.

My admiration and respect for Mr. Timothy Hayes skyrocketed to the point that I can unabashedly state that he is someone that I have come to admire. His expressions of wisdom are highly influential in the way that I view the world.

Over the course of several months, I learned that Mr. Hayes was a prominent member of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, a group that served as the topic of my Doctoral Dissertation and initial book. I privately mused that I have found my way to a person who possesses the ability to fill in so many of the gaps in knowledge about the Black Panther Party. Timothy Hayes actually stood with Huey, Bobby, Eldridge, Geronimo, Fred, Assata, and a litany of other Black Power Era heroes. And if that were not enough, this brilliant brother knew Brother Malcolm in a substantive manner; this was the catalyst behind his initial comment regarding Minister Farrakhan. In many ways, Mr. Hayes is a much-needed signpost that I needed to regularly consult.

So, I was not surprised when I read a recent posting by Timothy Hayes regarding why he does not celebrate Kwanzaa. What follows is an excerpt of the alluded to posting.

WHY I WOULD NEVER CELEBRATE KWANZA AND WHY YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT IT …Today begins the so-called holiday known as Kwanza, a celebration that has no real roots in any African traditions, but many African Americans choose to observe it as an alternative to Xmas. That’s fine if it works for you. I however use this time every year to remember the lives of my two friends and fellow Black Panther Party members. John Huggins and “Bunchy” Carter. Who were killed on January 17th 1969 on the orders of a sadistic cult leader who also was a paid agent of the FBI.

This person Ron Karenga…known mostly today for inventing “Kwanza”…also was convicted of torturing two black women, Gail Davis and Deborah Jones, holding them for days beating them and at times using electrical cords and hot soldering irons burning them in private parts of their bodies. After serving only a short prison sentence, Karenga surfaced in Southern Calif. again with various Academic degrees he still can’t prove he earned.

Two members of the rival black nationalist group US (United Slaves founded by and controlled by Karenga ), brothers George and Larry Stiner were arrested for the shooting death of my friends…and convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and second-degree murder. Both were sentenced to life. The Stiners escaped from San Quentin prison in 1974. Larry Stiner lived as a fugitive in South America for 20 years and then surrendered. George Stiner is still on the run.

My friend John Huggins of New HavenConn. was a wonderful man who took me to Calif. With Geronimo Pratt to train in the Black Panther Party. Bunchy Carter was a reformed gang leader who brought the first peace to the street gangs of Los Angeles. Bunchy helped set up a free shoes program, a free health clinic, and one of the first shelters for battered women in the state of Calif. As well as the Free Breakfast Program and other free food programs in the Los Angeles area.. Rather than observe Kwanza the holiday invented by the sick sadistic traitor Karenga I remember the lives of my friends. I have no problem with people who chose to observe Kwanza…but I also believe that what you don’t know CAN hurt you.

MEETING RODERICK HUGHES

While traveling from Columbus, Ohio, to Houston, Texas, for a job interview at Prairie View A & M University I was forced to confront my fear of flying. As I stood along a wall awaiting what I considered the uncertainty of the pending flight, my mind busied itself with mundane tasks such as counting the squares on the carpet and how many people would board the plane. Of course, I counted how many Black people would be on this flight; there would be three of us (all males). I issued a quick petition to God to be seated next to one of the other brothers on the flight. As the familiar Gospel refrain goes, “He’s an on-time God, yes he is.” My prayer was granted, I sat next to Mr. Roderick Hughes.

Over the course of a few hours, I learned many things about Houston, Texas, and Prairie View A & M University from Mr. Hughes. Our conversation ended with a gracious “demand” that I take his number and if I did accept the job at Prairie View that I would contact him. I wrote his number inside of a favorite book and pledged to call him if I relocated to Houston.

I eventually accepted the job and contacted this brother at an opportune moment.

During an hours’ long conversation Mr. Hughes invited my family to his house to celebrate his newlywed status. On the assigned date, I found myself surrounded by a house full of people who were welcoming beyond belief. To my surprise, Roderick Hughes, a transplant from Columbus, Ohio, was surrounded by his bride’s family; none of his blood-relatives were present. As an introvert, I can tell you that a night of socializing is downright exhausting. My weariness was best displayed by my going into an empty living room and finding a comfortable position on a plush sofa.

Predictably, my respite was interrupted by a well-meaning brother, one of Roderick’s brothers-in-law, who wanted to know what I did. After sharing with him that I was an African-American Studies Professor who was attempting to convert my Doctoral Dissertation over the Black Panther Party into a publishable manuscript, this brother shared that he had some cousins who were members of the Black Panther Party. Of course this tidbit of information captured my attention. After a few pensive moments, he stated, “Wait a minute. Let me go and get my older brother, he would know better than me.” A few moments later, his brother Paul entered the living room and shared the following.

They weren’t Black Panthers. They were accused of killing two Black Panthers on the UCLA campus but they didn’t do it.

I listened intently to an all too familiar story that I’d heard innumerable times from Panther members involved with the Los Angeles Branch of the Panther Party.

Although I hated to interject, I interrupted Paul as he fleshed out the story in unbelievable detail. My question was a simple one.

“You’re talking about George and Larry Stiner.”

He responded with a nod of his head. His acknowledgment forced me to ask the simplest of questions for my personal sanity.

“What is your name!!!!!!”

His response was, “Paul Stiner.”

I listened intently to this new perspective on a story that I’d heard countless times from Panthers ranging from Elaine Brown to Bobby Seale. However, this version was a welcomed expansion that included unknown details.

According to Mr. Stiner, FBI Agents questioned his entire family regarding the incident and the shocking revelation that George and Larry Stiner, although convicted for the killing of Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter and John Huggins, never spent a night inside of a prison cell. In fact, according to the Stiner family, the parents of the convicted “killers” were allowed to stay with them inside of the correctional facility until the night that they “escaped” to South America. According to the Stiner family, the escape story was a fabrication by the U.S. Government.

Of course, my mind was blown by these new revelations that confirmed not only the underhanded tactics of the Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) but more importantly, it verified the need to listen to those living treasures who lived through history that persons such as myself will only read about.

The existence of persons such as Timothy Hayes and the entire Stiner family is a blessing that is, unfortunately, expiring as each of us are. It is important that we engage and listen to the wisdom that flows from those who came before us and are still able to share healthy slices of advice hewn from decades of participating in the struggle to uplift not only Black America but also those persons around the globe interested in the substantiation of humanity.

So, I take this brief moment to acknowledge persons such as Timothy Hayes, Roderick Hughes, and Paul Stiner for their graciousness to expand my understanding of a history that occurred prior to my arrival on this planet. I respect you and honor you with every thought that I write.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.                    

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The Impossible Position: Why It is Impossible to Possess a Fully Functioning Moral Compass and Support Donald J. Trump

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As a child, I was convinced that my uncle Leon Van Buren was the wisest and most powerful man alive. Increased understanding of the important things of life such as the ability to claim calm and peace in a chaotic world further convinced me of my initial conclusions.

As one would expect, Uncle Leon was integral to my life from the moment that I arrived. In time, it became apparent to me that above all others, there was a quiet strength that undergirded his movements, his presence, and his thoughts. In time, I developed a desire to be like my Uncle Leon.

Although my Uncle was a prodigious Jazz musician, a genre of music that I am currently engrossed in, it was not his talent that birthed my deep admiration nor was it his obvious commitment to his family that produced the yearning to replicate him. That desire flowed from a difficult to identify the intangible metaphysical quality that cannot be seen, touched, smelled, or heard; it is nonetheless real.

The alluded to quality is most visibly shown via his ability to enter a room and change its atmosphere for the better. That is the rarest quality. As a bourgeoning teen, I hoped to develop that ability by the time I reached adulthood. Closely associated with this ability is wisdom that pours forth like a faucet turned on full blast.

Of the many things that I learned by sitting at the foot of my uncle was “the meaning of life.” According to my uncle Leon,

We are sent to Earth to learn certain things that a higher power desires that we learn. One of the most important of these is the need to help each other.  

This teaching has served as a North Star in regards to my grand philosophy of the meaning of Life. It is this teaching that beckons me to acknowledge all (friend and stranger) that I encounter and unceasingly provide charitable contributions that some Christians would term “alms to the poor.”

I am certain my belief that humans are here to help each other births my bewilderment regarding Trump supporters who claim that they are operating out of the spirit of Jesus Christ. Let me take a moment to state that I have no problem with Conservative politics; in fact, I often find myself touting the need for a steep increase in “socially responsible individualism” among my community. My problem is with Trump supporters who appear to be determined to create unconscionable incivility that contradicts every tenet of the Christianity that they claim enslaves them.  

During a recent exchange with a person that I have some semblance of respect for, I listened as he railed against concepts such as “progressivism” and “communism” that he was unable to define in an impassioned argument aimed at bolstering the need to Make America Great Again. Previous debate convinced me that this middle-aged Black man was seeking for seemingly the millionth time to convince me to abandon my position as what can be best termed a political agnostic.

The argument reiterated this gentleman’s fervent desire to heal this world via the application of “the balm from Gilead.” According to him, there is no other possible solution for a nation that has lost its soul. One is hard-pressed to argue against the assertion that these are troubling times for America and her citizenry.  

I long ago concluded that Trump supporters do not possess the ability to see the irony that they have basted themselves within. I am sure that I am not alone in believing that Trump supporters have no legitimate claim to any facet of morality. Their support of Donald Trump is overwhelming evidence of a faulty moral compass guiding their decisions.

At its best, Trump supporters speaking about morality, decency, and fairness is a foolhardy proposition. Access to such self-righteousness was forfeited the moment that support was given to a man that they would not even consider “good company.” There is simply no way that one can support Trump on moral grounds and not forfeit a significant portion of their soul. I am sure that my God who sits on high and looks low disapproves of much that occurs within this nation, however, I am certain that Trump supporters’ refusal to comprehend that we are principally sent to this world to heal each other is en inexcusable offense.

At least that is what my Uncle Leon taught me. And as I told you he is the wisest man alive.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III © Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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If The Killing of Qasem Soleiman Leads to WWIII, Should Blacks Serve American Interests Abroad

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Although I did not foresee the frenetic fears and scuttlebutt regarding how the Trump ordered drone attack that ended the life of Iranian military General Qasem Soleiman could affect Black America, I am not surprised by the robust discussion.

From what I have been able to glean, there appear to be two strands of discussion occurring within Black America.

  • Will the draft be reinstated?
  • Should Black Americans support this nation in its conflicts abroad?

It is the latter of these two matters that delivers an unmistakable feeling of having been here before.

This question regarding “should Blacks support this nation in its conflicts abroad?” is a familiar one that invariably arises during every military conflict.

Consider for a moment after Germany sunk the Lusitania, an act that guaranteed the U.S. would enter WWI, non-Whites (a populace that included new immigrant populations from Germany, Italy, France, Ireland, etc.) were called on to prove their loyalty to “the land of the free and home of the brave.” W.E.B. Du Bois, the foremost leader of Blacks during this period, felt that we must serve and “prove ourselves brave” as this would be the war to “make Americans.” He later realized that his analysis was severely flawed as it failed to recognize how deep racial hatred ran through the veins of non-Black Americans even during times of war.

To the chagrin of many Blacks and the surprise of no one, the plight of Blacks after their heroic service during WWI remained the same. In fact, their subordinate status was emphasized via racially segregated victory parades and the Red Summer of 1919. A historical period that facilitated a steep rise in the lynching of Blacks, particularly servicemen who had just returned from advancing this nation’s interest abroad.

It is this situation that inspired Claude McKay’s poetic call to arms If We Must Die.

If we must die, let it not be like hogs

Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,

While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,

Making their mock at our accursèd lot.

If we must die, O let us nobly die,

So that our precious blood may not be shed

In vain; then even the monsters we defy

Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!

O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!

Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,

And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!

What though before us lies the open grave?

Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,

Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!

Similar events surround Black participation in WWII.

Having learned lessons regarding the evil that appears to be etched into the spirits of so many of their countrymen, Black soldiers entered WWII fighting under the banner of “The Double-V Campaign” — Victory Abroad and Victory at Home. Yet, their final reward was a continuation of their subjugated second-class citizenship.

Participation in neither war appreciably altered the status of Blacks in this nation. Hence, it should be expected that the question of “Should Blacks support this nation in its conflicts abroad?” remains pertinent.

In many ways, the consistent pressure from “Whites” regarding Black patriotism is not only offensive but also reveals our opponent’s well-worn tendency to gloss over historical realities. Within the historically unsupportable assertion that Blacks are less patriotic than their fairer-skinned countrymen is a hidden revelation from Whites that if they were treated as poorly as Blacks have been by this nation, they would not support it in any way shape or form. Even the issuing of this question by a mongrelized “White populace” conveys a historically unsupportable perspective that they are the sole owners of this nation.

Even a cursory reading of American history definitively proves that there has not been a single military conflict where Blacks have not displayed their patriotism. How quickly do people forget that the first to give his life for the establishment of this nation during the Boston Massacre was Crispus Attucks, a Black man.

In actuality, the patriotism question should be placed at the feet of the descendants of Confederates who warred against this nation, not Blacks who have always served this nation with no guarantee that their service would appreciably improve their condition. When viewed through this lens, a credible argument could be made that Blacks are the most American of all.

In regards to the question of should they serve this nation during military conflicts that have historically delivered little tangible improvement to their lives, I am indifferent. My indifference flows from the fact that my countrymen have repeatedly proven to be hypocrites who have yet to display a consistent determination to provide access to much-needed resources on a fair basis regardless of race, creed, or sex.

If the current situation with Iran leads to WWIII, I already realize that Blacks will do what they have always done and defended this nation without either demand or expectation of any tangible improvement in their lives. It is what we have always done and I don’t see any reason that it will change at this point.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.