Thursday, July 31, 2008
There was an article that caught my eye on Tuesday. And I think it caught the eye of every American of African Decent (started using that term), and yours truely. The title was called: "House formally apologizes for Slavery and Jim Crow". I know someone out there probably is saying to themeselves, in bold letters or words: "It's about time! After all of our protesting, preaching, peace rallies, those telling us to "get over it" (I don't know about that quote) prayers, resolutions, and most of all, just talking about it face to face, on the blogs, on MySpace, on MyFox, on TV Shows, and uneasiness comments from Pat Buchanan, It's about time!" This apology proposal summarized I feel is like "another victory that was long overdue". Let me say that again, another victory that was long overdue! What took all this time just to get this out?
Back in April, a talkshow host, Tavis Smiley was on Bill Maher's show, where he talked about Patriotism. Not the version that Fox News likes to see! (Flag pins, flag waving) He quoted Frederick Douglass about this version of the subject: "A true patriot is a lover of his country, who rebukes and does not excuse it's sins". He described about loving a country on one hand, which isn't nothing wrong with it. But also the rebuking part along with the non-excuse really sunk in. What is rebuking or to rebuke something? It's defined as:
1) to express sharp, stern disaproval of; reprove; reprimand.
2) sharp stern disapproval; reproof; reprimand - all from dictionary.com
I know at some points, of summarizing highlights through the history, there were figures in a historical sense that rebuked the act of slavery and or Jim Crow against blacks. We can talk about Dr. King, Malcolm X, Black Panthers, and others. One of them was John Wesley, the founder of the United Methodist Chruch. By the way, his teachings are a great influence on Methodism, and ordained several believers of his teachings. He preached a sermon, "Thoughts Upon Slavery" back in 1774. If you have never read any of his sermons, read them! Whether you're apart of the United Methodist Church or not! Matter of fact, read this sermon first! As I was reading the message, or in this case re-reading the message, John Wesley in my view was talking about how the African slaves were treated from a barbaric sense to procuement. He went into detail about the punishments and surpassing them with inhumane acts such as fraud and violence. He even also questioned the American Slave Owners on their actions of using the slaves to their advantage. This is John Wesley describing the acts at the time. Knowingly overall in the sermon, he was man enough to say that the sins committed did not have an excuse.
Even today, those who protest against the act of it, to me are saying in a same sense of Jim Crow/Racial Discrimination. Just recently, we all know about Whoopi Goldberg explaining to Elisabeth Hasselbeck about her mother couldn't vote in her hometown during the two different worlds comment. This was an example of Jim Crow. Yes, I know about the Women's right to vote. No question. Remember the Decibel Deepbar story, where an African-American Male couldn't get it at first because of his clothes and shoes and having his caucasian friend, Joel Edgar, to dress in the same outfit and went in, and his friend didn't? I think John Jordan, the black male was rebuking the bar's actions or sins of not accepting African-Americans patrons into establishments like Decibel. And by the way, I read some of the comments, and I think most of the posts from some, who defended the club, didn't realize how real racism can be. I said in my last blog about the stories of black patrons not being welcomed into some of Milwaukee's nightspots. Some said, "just change your clothes in all". Changing your clothes at home, isn't going to cut it that much. I think the club itself, needs to change it's clothes! The clothes of ignorance, segregation, or discrimination, if you will. And that goes for the some other clubs in Milwaukee's nightspots who discriminiate as well.
I had a band teacher that once had a banner on his wall at Marshall High School that read: "Results Matter, Excuses Do Not". I can somewhat summarize the problems of inheritance here. The results of Slavery and Jim Crow against African Americans were just out there in crazy sense, but the excuses of those results did not settle in, as of humanity sense. I think the House, or the U.S. Government finally, and I mean "Finally" got this straight. I said this earlier this year, .....if America does admit the "mishaps", there might be full acceptance also. I think the words "Slavery" and "Jim Crow Laws" are part of the "mishaps" and I hope this apology proposal from the House, does start the full acceptance. I didn't say it would complete it, but I hope it would start it up. Just like in 1997, when President Clinton acknowledged the Tuskegee Airmen for their service in the Military, but also apologized for their treatment of Medical Experiments that plagued them for 65 years. That's right, 65 Years! I would also say that this apology from the House of Representatives would influence other ethnic groups to follow. Including Native Americans! If any group in game that would get it next, it would be them. We know it. They know it. I know it. And everyone else knows it.
All in all, I can somewhat say that this preparation of the apology had to come out. From them! And it had to come out in a sense of admit. I only wish my grandparents and great-grandparents were alive to see this for themselves. Mainly this was for them as well, although they are not here. But anyway, this is also that can be summed as one battle that doesn't get the war victory. Discrimination is still alive and has to dealt with each day, as well as unresolved implications of Slavery also. So in fairness, I'm glad the House of Representatives really had to admit the inheritance dilemma that has in my view, bewildered African-Americans for so long. Make that too long!
This my take. Right or Wrong. Just my thought.
