NYC leaders support black girl who read white nationalism poem

Newdsay ^ | March 14, 2006 | MARCUS FRANKLIN

[beaversmom]

NEW YORK -- Autum Ashante, a 7-year-old black girl who caused a stir at two Westchester schools by reciting a poem she wrote about white nationalism, received support from some New York City leaders on Tuesday.

First, she stood on the City Hall steps with Councilman Charles Barron, who denounced what he described as attacks and harassment since Autum spoke last month at a middle and high school. Barron said he planned to ask Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office to look into whether the girl's free speech rights were violated.

Later, she had an appearance scheduled with the Rev. Al Sharpton.

On Feb. 28, Autum delivered a poem titled "White Nationalism Put U In Bondage," in which Christopher Columbus and Charles Darwin are likened to pirates and vampires. She also asked students to stand and recite the "Black Child's Pledge," an oath of responsibility and black pride.

When white students at the Peekskill High School assembly stood with black students, Autum told them to sit down, the school district's superintendent said. The Peekskill City School District then sent recorded messages to parents of its 3,000 students apologizing to anyone who was offended.

Barron said he couldn't understand why anyone would be offended. He characterized the girl as "brave" and "outspoken in telling the truth," and he defended her 162-word poem, praising it as evoking "peace, power and pride about her heritage."

"Someone decided to call parents and apologize," Barron, a former Black Panther, said at the news conference. "Some are talking about banning her from speaking in the school system. You don't have to agree with everything we say, but we have a right to say it. We are very, very proud of you, Autum."

Barron said he couldn't cite specific incidents of harassment of the girl since she read...

[blitzgig]

Indoctrinating children in racism ought to be considered child abuse.

[SuziQ]

Barron said he couldn't understand why anyone would be offended. He characterized the girl as "brave" and "outspoken in telling the truth," and he defended her 162-word poem, praising it as evoking "peace, power and pride about her heritage."

What does a 7 yr. old girl know about her 'heritage'? She hasn't lived long enough to experience it; she can only have gotten her hate for 'white nationalism' from her parents or those with whom they congregate.

As for her telling the white kids to 'sit down', and it being defended, just imagine firestorm if a white kid had done that to the black kids in a school.

And as for 'white people' being the cause of her peoples' bondage, someone needs to give the child an accurate history lesson. It was black men who sold other blacks captured in tribal warfare and spoils taking into slavery in Africa lo those many centuries ago. The white men just sat at the docks and waited for the slaves to be brought to them for purchase and shipment to the new world. So there's blame enough, all around.

[bjc]

You may be right, but in deconstructing the poem in this way you can miss the forest for the trees. Moreover, there is no way on god's green earth, prodigy or not, that a 7 year old wrote it that way.

It is simpler to see Darwin and Christopher Columbus (and Morgan?) as symbols. My point was that a knowledgeable person would use a symbol accurately.

Basically this is a poem from an uneducated marxist-leninist, the type of drivel that appears on campuses all the time. It would get zero attention if written by a 20 year old.

[neverdem]

Let's be for real about the origins of "modern slavery," and the complicity of fellow Africans. According to Encarta, politically correct Microsoft's encyclopedia, "These were African people captured by other Africans and transported to the western coast of Africa."

They were traded for goods made in Europe, or goods transported from elsewhere like India, then transported to the Americas where they were subsequently traded for goods from the New World to be brought back to mostly England, Holland, Portugal and Spain.

Here's a few more sources.

Portuguese merchants, as they came along the coast of Africa, sought gold in West Africa; with time they also brought goods that they’d purchased in India for sale.The people of Kongo sold ivory and copper and, in response to the demands of some Portuguese, human beings.

In Africa slavery existed long before European exposure, however, over time the motivation for slavery changed. Originally slavery existed because of the expanding of African territories or the need to pay off debts. Europeans, during their attempts to make a shorter trade route to India and Asia, encountered the African custom and adopted it. Therefore, the Europeans filled their pockets with goods from West Coast Africa, including human cargo.

Truth be told, practically every nationality of people that exists today could point to a time in its past history when it fell victim to slavery. Hitting closer to home, the pages of history dealing with the formative years of the United States are despoiled with gruesome stories of ships carrying slaves sold to the Americas by their fellow Africans (and others, e.g., Arabians).

Pirates captured Patrick at the age of 16, during a raid and sold him as a slave in Ireland.

Have a happy Saint Patrick's Day!

[metmom]

And let's see what would happen if the races were reversed and it was white pride and the white student told the black ones to sit down; and great black scientists or explorers were compared to *pirates and vampires*. *sigh*

[metmom]

And this was written by a 7 year old? On her own? I don't think so.

[cyborg]

I think she's listening to dad too much :(

[metmom]

ping

[Caveman Lawyer]

And let's see what would happen if the races were reversed and it was white pride and the white student told the black ones to sit down; and great black scientists or explorers were compared to *pirates and vampires*. *sigh*

Come, my white brothers and sisters! Break free from the chains placed on you by George Washington Carver! Burn, peanut patents, burn!

/s

[hosepipe]

A big percentage of the blacks in New York City are not black but grey..
So are the whites..

Does she mean Micheal Jackson white, Tony Brown white , or Julian Bond white.. I'm at a loss here..

There you go.. "its hard out there for a race PimP".. not easy on the Ho's either..

[usmcobra]

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

[cibco]

"(I just love that man.)"

Just who would that be?

[cyborg]

freeper petronski

[cibco]

Just muna ya ;0)

[cyborg]

LOL

[Cacique]

Please cite the "substantial evidence" you are refering to. I am sure this will come as a shock to Almirante Cristobal Colon his Spanish descendant. I suppose next you will be telling us that the pyramids were built by spacemen.

[antiunion person]

As soon as Al Sharpton or the so called Rev. Jesse (I speak for all black people) Jackson get involved, you automatically know it's racist and against the better judgment of most black people.

Jackson can have an affair and thus father a child of one of his subordinates, pay her off and get off scott free but he will belittle any white person for doing the same. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Excuse the pun on words. This jackass can go to any company and threaten to sue or boycott their companies if they don't pay "extortion" money and get away with it. He can go to other countries and speak for "all" Americans and the State Department does nothing about it. As far as I'm concerned, I'm American and this jerkoff doesn't speak for me. All the Black people I know, detest Jackson, but they know no way to fight him without being harassed. What are they to do????

I am a little off topic here but it all sort of ties into each other.

Don't forget, if it's bad, it's Bushs' fault or the white people's fault. If it's good, it's Bushs' fault but they will never admit it. *sarcasm*

[twippo]

"black hate groups take it as gospel since it fits into their white man/ jew bad scenarios"


Ironically, the real White Nationalists don't consider Jews to be white, while the Black Nationalists hate Jews because they consider them to be white.

[Tired of Taxes]

Ping

[Tired of Taxes]

Ping!

Quote from the article:

Autum is homeschooled with a curriculum by the Black Homeschoolers Association, said her father, Batin Ashante, of Mount Vernon.