IF YOUR'E NOT GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH SHUT THE H--- UP AND SIT DOWN!

I am sick of phony black leadership. Let me define for you what I mean by phony:


Leaders who hold a position of authority who don't live out what they are supposed to represent.



Leaders who have lost their moral authority to speak on a subject because they have failed in the area in which they purport to speak.


Leaders who continue to coddle and excuse behavior that is a response to the real or imagined actions of others and who fail to hold their followers accountable for individual actions.


Leaders who speak against the oppression of others against their group without addressing the oppression and dysfunction that happens within that group.


Leaders who are silent when they should speak and conversely, those who speak when they should shut up!


Leaders who do what is expedient for their long term benefit rather than what is good for the long term benefit of the people they serve.

With the release of Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaints's book, "Come on People" (Thomas Nelson, Publisher, $25.99), the comedian and philanthropist, Mr.Cosby has come under fire again for his open criticism of the black community. Let me first start by saying I don't think that Cosby used the wisest language or forum for his initial comments that caused such a shock and furor in the black media and the alleged intellectuals of the African- American community. His unfortunate choice of words regarding "These low income" black folk was rightfully criticized. What got lost in all the furor connected to Cosby's rhetoric is the truth he told. Oh, yeah, people didn't like a lot of what he said nor did they appreciate him telling tales out of school but in his cranky-old-man-kinda-way he said what people of his generation and mine have been saying behind closed doors and on front porches, barbershops, beauty salons, churches and back rooms for YEARS. The sad thing about it is almost everybody knows that but apparently didn't like the fact that Cosby said it in a forum that white people could hear. Apparently, that was a no no. He was not keeping a scared tenet of blackness in America. "Don't admit to our foibles in public." Did anyone take a moment to think that most white people know the same thing that Bill Cosby knows? The majority of the problems that exist within the black community are within our own hands to change.

I do not want to get off into the racism and bigotry that exists and it most definitely DOES exist. The real issue as I see it is what we as a people can do to minimize the pathology that exists in our own homes, streets, neighborhoods, communities and cities. Some black folk think all day long about what the "White Man" is or is not doing. They eat and sleep, bathe, defecate, make love, work and play with the White Man on their minds. They talk about it incessantly and hand that mindset down to their children who believe and internalize the impossibility of success or progress because they are not white. Yes there are indeed systemic and insidious forms of racism that exists in this country and all efforts must be brought to the fore to expose it. That is true. But the system is not impregnating our minor children, nor keeping our old folk held hostage in their homes from fear of flying bullets. All I'm saying is that we can change most of the crap happening in our own communities. Someone needed to say it and I say bravo Dr. Cosby, may you live forever and may your tribe increase. Focusing on the oppression will never help us move forward as a people. Think about this. Haitians come the the USA with language barriers, less money, education (in many cases) and other cultural differences that caused ignorant colored people to laugh and make fun of them. They were mocked for not being fashionably astute and for living in crowded apartments. Well the same ignorant colored people are now shopping in their corner stores, buying cars at their dealerships and sitting on their front porches at the same time the Haitians are graduating from institutions of higher learning buying property and taking advantage of the American Dream. Of course I am not saying that all African Americans are not taking advantage of the benefits of living in the USA but far too many are not. We have to make education a priority. It is still the main road out of the cycle of poverty. Show up every now and then at a school open house. Make an appointment with your child's teacher to discuss their progress. The same parents who can't get it together to get to the school meetings are the same ones who will be screaming at teachers in June about why their child is not graduating. Working parents don't get a pass either. Call in sick, use a personal day, a vacation day to talk with the person charged with educating your child. To do anything less is neglectful. Get your kids out from in front of the one eyed devil and read them a book. Let them see you read a book. Stop laughing when they misbehave and spank a behind once in a blue moon if they disobey you.
The Black community's hypocrisy is tragically funny. Here's a great example: Black people of all ages are having the discussion about whether or not the word nigger should be used by a younger generation of black people. This is a joke. The real truth is that we have been using that word in private for years for emphasis (Nigger, please!), or to deride blacks of which we disapprove (...Acting just like a bunch-a-niggers) or even in a loving way (oooooweeee, That's a fine nigger right there!). The only reason we are having this national debate is because some young people started using the word in rap music and videos. The real reason the word has allegedly been re-worked by the hip hop subculture is because we held on to our use of the word for years in private. In truth we didn't despise it, truly; we embraced it also. We are only upset because its being used in public. This is the same reason the people are upset with Bill Cosby. He said what he said in public. He continues to say what he said and now he has published a book about it.

I say to those who have the media's attention, the education and the eloquence to address the social ills of Black America; those who openly derided Cosby's comments and also called into question his allegiance to his people, why didn't YOU say anything. Why didn't YOU say it in the manner that you felt it should have been said? When was the last time YOU went somewhere to speak to your people in the 'hood without an honorarium attached to your appearance? In fact when was the last time you even went to the hood? Y'all make me sick (is that black enough for you?) With your face all stuck up in the camera when a white officer knocks a child in the head and with your mouth glued shut when we do the same thing to each other. Why is it okay to fail to hold ourselves to the same standard of behavior we insist from others. My chest wont hurt any less from a gunshot wound from a police officer's gun than it will from the gunshot from Ray Ray's gun from down the street.

Face it, Black people, the majority of us are more priority stricken than poverty stricken. why do so many of us own expensive cars, rims, jewelry and clothes and own no property? Why does Big Mama and Little Mama get more happy to see Ray Ray dance than when he reads? By the way where are Big Daddy and Little Daddy anyway? How come we can spend grand money on Air Jordans and can't spend the money for a tutor? Why do have to keep upgrading your cell phone with every new gadget? Do you need a phone that takes pictures? Perhaps you can take a picture of the police setting your stuff on the street because you can't pay your rent. Take a picture of yourself going home to Mama and 'dem to stay. Do we really need 24" rims on our cars? Do we have to have the latest outfits advertised in Vogue, Ebony Essence and GQ? We are clearly priority stricken. I am also sometimes subject to the false promises of materialism. In many ways materialism has become our god. Much of the crime in our communities is driven by the desire to acquire the many things we worship. We have sold out and bowed down to the immediate gratification that seduces so many of us. We need a mindset readjustment. This is all Bill Cosby is trying to say.

Real leadership is not merely reactionary. There must be purposeful vision and directed objectives to move any people, organization, church or business forward. We need leaders who will work against the systemic oppression of all minorities and aggressively work to prevent the sabotage of forward progression from within. Some black folk just need to be fired from their positions of National Demagogues. Our situation in this country is too precarious not to hear the things that will benefit our people in the long run. Mary McLeod Bethune established Bethune College, now Bethune-Cookman, with a long range view to our betterment as a people. That took sacrifice, vision and an appreciation for what would happen after she was long gone. This is the real leadership. Would to God that we had more like her and the innumerable others who had a vision for the progress of the African in America.

Black folk can be so gullible. We will follow almost anyone who uses the title Reverend despite any evidence for doing so from the user. It's a questionable use of the word as it is. We are so desperate for another national leader with the charisma, intellect and persuasiveness of speech as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that we as a people have held out our collective scepter to people who in the long run will not benefit our political and social standing in this country. WAKE UP! There will never be another Dr. King. He and the civil rights movement of the 60's helped to open the door for us in may ways. NO!, things are not perfect but the legislation and opportunity exists for us to do better than we are. It is time to stop looking for another Messianic voice to our communities. Remember this: When the Children of Israel wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years The LORD provided for them miraculously. There were cloudy pillars in the day, fiery pillars at night, Manna from heaven, quail, water from rocks, their shoes didn't wear out, etc. After they crossed over into Canaan the scripture said that year they ate of the fat of the land. Exodus. Listen people, The civil rights movement of the 60's got us to the mouth of the promised land. President Lyndon Baines Johnson got us in there with the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. It is now time to make it work for us. The sweat and blood of Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers, Daisy Bates, Marcus Garvey, Shirley Chisholm, Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall , The Little Rock Nine, and four little black girls in Alabama cry out to us to Go 'Head!

What has the past 30 years wrought? How have we honored the work of our real leaders? While the civil rights movement worked to ensure that our women were treated with dignity and respect our young people now refer to black women as bitches, ho's, tricks, chicken heads (too vulgar to explain here). I can recall signs on the chests of black men as they picketed and protested for the right to be treated equally that said: "I AM A MAN." But now we refer to ourselves as "boys", dogs, nigger (no such word as nigga. Its a hip hop invention). The idea of calling women bitches is logical when the men see themselves as dogs! I am reminded of the scripture in Psalm 59: 6 "They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city......

Our people need to be told the truth. The majority of our problems in the urban centers of America are of our own making. This is a similar thing that Bill Cosby tried to say in his rant about his observations of far too many black folk. People who are caught up in a pathology of behavior often tend to live in denial of the impact of their behavior on themselves and others. It's like an alcoholic father who says; "Sure, I drink but it doesn't hurt anyone. I still go to work everyday, I provide for my kids", etc. What the drunk doesn't realize or won't let himself see is his kid's embarrassment on the weekends when he falls down in front of their friends. He doesn't want to admit that his son stays in the street because he is angry at his father because he verbally abuses his mother when he's inebriated. He can't see that his career hasn't advanced because his employer knows he's a weekend drunk and can't trust him to be reliable in a position with increased responsibility. You get it don't you? Black America we are drunk. We are in denial and we need to be told the truth. Every time you see a black politician or media maven or reverend blame the system and white folks and racism without addressing what we as a people can do to help ourselves remember that they are drunk. Recently, approximately two thousand people marched in Jena, Louisiana to protest the imprisonment of Michael Bell Mr. Bell and several other black youth beat and kicked a white student unconscious in retaliation for a previous beating one the the attackers received at the hands of a white student. A full media blitz accompanied the peaceful march. Calling it a March for Justice, The event yielded a positive result. Mr.Bell was released on bond which had previously been denied to him. What disturbed me about this march was it modeled a very predictable pattern. White people treat us unjustly and we rally and yell and cry and march. When we kill and hurt each other........crickets. One year after the broken levees in New Orleans the black on black crime rate skyrocketed. Street crime, shootings went through the roof there. The law abiding citizens were held hostage by the worst elements in the city there; the urban terrorists. Why didn't the organizers of the March for Justice for Michael Bell use their influence to protest the injustice of black people being further traumatized by largely criminals Why not descend on New Orleans with a mission to hold our own people accountable for their actions. Turn people in to the police if necessary. Wouldn't that be justice? I'm waaaiiitttiiinnggg....................(the chirping of crickets).

The black family model is in shambles. Where are the fathers? Why has the church mobilized around gay marriage legislation and ignored what is a more present threat to our viability as intact people in the next 40 years? If the bible says homosexuality is sin why can't we see that fornication is a sin? We ain't running around talking about that. Why not? 70% of the children born in the African-American community are born without the benefit of two married parents. 46% of Black children live in a home headed by a female parent. Where are the fathers? Where are the men? Why hasn't this very real, destructive issue being addressed by the black church?This behavior is as alive and well in the church as it is in the larger society. We must be told the truth. Enough of the soft words and coddling of our self destructive behavior. It hasn't helped us. We are so used to our black celebs and so-called leaders telling us "It's not your fault!" that when one of them says, "It is your responsibility!" that we go into shock and feel abused and attacked. If we can't hear it from Cosby (admittedly, there are some issues with his moral authority) then from who will we hear it? Dr. King was a serial adulterer, Shirley Chisholm had a speech impediment, Rev. Adam Clayton Powell drank, smoked and cussed. I think you get the point.


Rejecting what Cosby and Poussaint have to say is like rejecting a man with with the cure for cancer because we don't appreciate the suit he's wearing. We need to get past the issues we have with Cosby's packaging and continue the dialogue he started with his old man rant. Those of you who have been blessed to have multiple generations in your family know that old men and women have some insight and criticism that comes with livin' for a little while. Whether we see him as such or not Cosby is a leader, not perfect, but leading. To quote another flawed but great black leader, Marcus Garvey, "Rise up you mighty people, you can accomplish what you will!"