African-American History, RACE

Thoughts on White America’s Reaction to Vanessa Williams’ Singing of the Negro National Anthem aka How Embarrassing Things Can Be When A People Are Ignorant Regarding History

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In a nation where the vast majority of citizens are borderline historically illiterate, most Americans know the following historical phrase.

If you don’t like it here, go back to (fill in the blank).

Depending on what was occurring in this nation, there are several countries that would be correct answers if placed in the above “fill in the blank” spot.

Let’s be honest about this matter, it is White people who are the conveyors of such abrasive talk. I have heard many Blacks ask “Where did these people come from?” I laugh at such a question because if you search any map, you will never find White land. I like to ask people who insist that White is an actual identity the following questions.

If the Irish are from Ireland and the French are from France and the Germans are from Germany and Brazilians are from Brazil, wherein the hell are White people from?

My point is that Whiteness is a social construction that serves as a rallying point for a diverse population of Europeans that allows them unfettered access to political power and economic might; not to mention the ability to craft laws to serve their interests. There is strength in numbers after all.

The fact that the above is rarely discussed in the public arena does not make it any less true. In the moments following World War I, new immigrant groups like the Irish, Polish, and German were forced by more powerful Whites to suppress their ethnic identity in favor of a largely undefined White identity that provided them a path to political power. It is ironic that there is no better display that today’s Whites have become the tyrannical monsters they often rail against than on Independence Day.

This year’s annual display of White America’s demand that all citizens conform to their value system and priorities or “Go back to Africa” are the public attacks on former Miss America Vanessa Williams; yes, these White folks are attacking the first Black woman to represent them by winning their pageant. Williams’ performance of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” a song commonly considered the Negro National Anthem at PBS’ “A Capitol Fourth” has offended a legion of freedom-loving White patriots. What follows is a sampling of White American Patriots’ reaction to Williams’s performance of the Negro National Anthem.

  • We have one national anthem (Steve Cortes – Newsmax)
  • Vanessa honey, a BLACK national anthem is something a Black African Country would have, not a country like America that exists for everyone. (Lavern Spicer – Fl. Politician)
  • Separate, but equal. MLK would be proud. (RR Cooper)
  • There is only one national anthem. This is segregationism pure and simple. Shame on @JoeBiden if he doesn’t demand an end to this racist activity. (US Col. Rob Maness)
  • Is it possible to have a “Black National Anthem” and still expect to have unity?
  • I 100% refuse to recognize the black national anthem. We are one nation, under God and indivisible. There are no separate national anthems.

There is a popular saying that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This axiom was at work when the British had their boot on the neck of what would eventually become the first Americans. Today, the descendants of the aforementioned colonists, joined by the descendants of new immigrants who fled or were ejected from their European homeland become a totalitarian force that demands all others conform to their worldview. This brazen display of non-acceptance of the Negro National Anthem in the midst of a national celebration of freedom drips with irony. If nothing else, this should serve as definitive proof of why it is so crucial for racial matters to be taught in this nation. There is obviously an entire White population, children, and adults, who have lived entire lives ignorant to diverse perspectives.

I, along with droves of other historically literate Blacks, tired long ago of the uphill battle of teaching Whites about the cavernous errors in their thought patterns and ways. We have little sympathy for those who do not recognize that their political viewpoints and questionable reading of history have made them authoritarian figures that demand all others adopt their priorities or leave. The pervasive ignorance engulfing so many Whites at the present moment prevents them from realizing that they are seeking to expel Blacks who have done more to build this nation than any of their ancestors.

So, it is with great privilege that I address my fellow countrymen with the following statement.

If you do not like the singing of the Negro National Anthem or the rich cultural diversity that non-White groups bring to this nation, you could always go back to whatever part of Europe that your ancestors hail from; that is, if they would have you. After all, I am sure that the leaders of your homeland had good reason for expelling your ancestors in the first place.

Lift every voice and sing…

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2021.

 

Manhood, Race, and Culture Interactive, MRCi, RACE

A Discussion of Critical Race Theory: Why Are White Conservatives Speaking About Something that They Know Nothing About

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Feel free to join MRCi (Manhood, Race, and Culture Interactive) tonight (July 1, 2021) @ 7:30 (EST) — 6:30 pm (CST) for a much-needed discussion titled A Discussion of Critical Race Theory: Why Are White Conservatives Speaking About Something that They Nothing About.

 

Tonight’s discussion will focus on critical race theory. What is it and why are White Conservatives speaking about it in public venues?

 

Join us as we discuss this pressing matter.

The program begins tonight (Thursday, July 1) @ 7:30 (EST) — 6:30 pm (CST). Click here to access the meeting or use the information listed below.

Meeting ID: 353 334 8869
Passcode: 1YF4BG

RACE

CRITICAL RACE THEORY: What Happens When White Conservatives Hear Something New

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I must admit to being shocked when I heard the term critical race theory spewed by American Conservatives. I scoffed at the idea that they could know anything about the movement, to tell the truth about the ideological underpinnings supporting white privilege. My initial reaction to bemusement was swiftly replaced by concern when I realized that something was amiss because not only do White Conservatives not have any interest in racial matters, but they also have less concern in achieving racial equality. The skeptic in me hurried to the forefront of my mind and guided my settling on the fact that this engagement with critical race theory was yet another trick by White powerbrokers to rally their naïve brethren around a concept that they know nothing about.

So that we are all on the same page, I will preface this discussion of critical race theory with the following working definition.

Critical race theory is a movement generated by civil-rights scholars and activists seeking to critically examine U.S. law as it intersects with race issues and challenges mainstream approaches to racial justice.

Please do not be unduly swayed by loudmouthed conservatives seeking to persuade others that critical race theory is new or even more laughable, linked to a larger Marxist conspiracy to destroy the nation. I am quite sure that the acceptance of such idiocy would cause Derrick Bell and Kimberle Crenshaw, two of the pioneers of critical race theory, to rise out of their graves and slap any White in site who ain’t right.

Let’s be absolutely clear, those criticizing critical race theory most grandly under the brightest media lights are benefiting from politico-economic monopolies that are the bedrock of white privilege. It is not an exaggeration to say that the use of critical race theory as the latest rallying call for economically impoverished and educationally deficient non-elite Whites was inevitable. Racial matters have always sat at the center of this nation’s discord.

We must never forget the reverberating prediction of W.E.B. DuBois that “the problem of the twentieth century will be the color line.” If there can be any legitimate criticism hurled at DuBois’s intellectual legacy, he did not extend his cryptic prediction into the new millennium. Let’s be clear on this matter, White America has been and probably always will be obsessed with Race; one needs to look no further than Whites consensual agreement that they are “White” despite the undeniable ethnic diversity that exists under such a broad social construct. Black folks are reacting to Whites’ Frankenstein-like assembly on this side of the Atlantic, a construction that would never be approved in Europe.

In the end, one is faced with a basic question of what do these recent public attacks on what is an undefined critical race theory really mean? When broken down to its very last compound, these attacks amount to little more than a desperate attempt by White America and a few misguided Black Conservatives to prolong their privileged status by controlling school curriculums and monopolizing political power and financial resources throughout the nation.

As an educator of Black collegians, this public debate matters not to me as it will not deter me or the droves of other Black Professors I know who have dedicated their lives to the uplifting of young Black minds via the pen and a lectern, not to mention a robust Zoom session, we will continue to do what we always have done. We will continue to use whatever means are available to fight back against racial injustice whenever and wherever it appears.

I would be remiss if I did not highlight that my K-12 brethren do not have as smooth of a path. In fact, it is not a stretch to say that they have been handcuffed by imposed curriculums and end-of-the-road tests that serve as a significant factor in employment and pay raises. It is this population that needs our assistance in removing the roadblocks mentioned above. The only way that we can offer such assistance is by becoming more politically engaged and demanding that relevant Black voices be included in creating curriculums and standardized tests.

Whether Black America wants to accept it, the recent attack on critical race theory is little more than another way to guarantee that the intellectual diet given to Black children remains bland, non-representative, and of little utility to their lives. If we continue to be so scatterbrained and disorganized regarding such substantive matters, we will have no one to blame when our children learn about Anne Frank and not Assata Shakur, Susan B. Anthony and not Ida B. Wells or Anna Julia Cooper, well, you get my point.

We must become active, or the critical race theory Bell and Crenshaw intended to aid Black America will be used by our opponents to set Black America back more than we could have imagined.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2021.

 

 

 

African-American History

My Bout With The Weary Blues: The Silencing of my Pen in this Space

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Nearly thirty years as an educator has taught me how crucial it is to maintain one’s sanity. I am sure that every Black person understands the legion of stressors that go along with such an identity. As a Black man who teaches Black collegians, a form of “race work”, I must tell you that there are additional stressors that may not be apparent to outsiders. Maintaining one’s sanity can prove to be a most delicate matter.

Anyone who knows me or has even read my writings can tell that I have significant love for my students. The love that I speak of is so impactful that I honestly would not want to teach anywhere other than at a Historically Black College. In the words of John Coltrane, there is a Love Supreme between my students and me. Unbeknownst to many, my engagement with my students comes at an extreme cost.

On the one hand, my connection to the future leaders of Black America is uplifting as it allows me to view their maturation on a soulful level and celebrate their strides toward lofty goals. Yet, that closeness exposes one’s soul to being cut deeply during the not-so-good times such as when students decide to forego what I consider essential readings or even attending class.

If one is not careful, the disappointment that gradually grows from working with young people is enough to make the most optimistic educator question if their life’s work is of any consequence. In time, most educators realize that their arrival at a sunken place is paved by the realization that they seem to care more about the futures of those they teach than those they are seeking to uplift do. The above situation is a difficult place to be. I am sure that I have much company in dealing with the frustrations that grow from many, certainly not all, Black students’ conscious decision to ignore an illuminated path to success in favor of a dark one filled with mindless music that encourages immorality and unrestrained consumerism masquerading as Blackness.

Put simply; my soul has grown weary of it all.

An extended period of introspection has forced me to finally confront the following question that has seemingly hooked into my soul.

“Why have you not written on your site in such a long time?”

I am unashamed to admit that the above frustrations with my students and the larger Black community have led me to a place that Langston Hughes describes as The Weary Blues.  The Weary Blues somehow managed to silence my pen. My time of silence has been filled with a desperate fight against Hughes’ Weary Blues. After an extended respite, I am ecstatic to proudly state “Baby I’m back!!!!!!”

I look forward to re-engaging all of you on this site. Thank you all for your support over the years. Additionally, I am looking to expand the site, so, if you have any suggestions on how it could be improved or subjects that you would like for me to address, please drop me a note at the email address below.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

ManhoodRaceCulture@gmail.com

Committed to investigating, examining, and representing the African-American male, men, and manhood by offering commentary regarding the status of Black Men and Black Manhood as it relates to African-American Manhood, Race, Class, Politics, and Culture from an educated and authentic African-American perspective aimed at improving the plight of African-American men and African-American Manhood in regards to Politics, Culture, Education, and Social Matters.