Point taken. But I haven't heard any Black leaders disavowing him and his tactics. Maybe I'm just not aware of same but I stay pretty tuned-in. If that debate is going on within the ranks of Black organizations, their leaders need to start speaking out.
You and I might wish that black leaders would start criticizing JJ over this (or anything else) if they don't agree with him but it isn't likely for a couple of reasons:
1. With some exceptions, black leadership doesn't spend a lot of time publicly disavowing each other. One reason is that there is a belief that black folks should keep such disagreements behind closed doors.
2. They feel JJ is not speaking for them so why bother. Some of them don't think JJ has enough of a real following to matter.
3. They don't want to be pressured to condemn JJ just because they are black.
Now the clear exception to this is black conservative leadership but even most of them don't spend a lot of time criticizing JJ, Al, and those like them. Jesse Peterson is the most notable exceptions.
Why does this happen? IMO, one reason is because even black conservatives don't want their criticisms of other black leaders used to peg them as "self-hating," "Uncle Toms," etc.
Maybe all of the above makes for a stifling enviroment but that's the way I see things right now.
mafree, thanks for the great post - I've seen the renewed patriotism in the black community as well, and it warms my heart. In fact, the "best" patriotic display I've seen so far was Sept. 12, where a flag of a size that might have once draped someone's coffin was displayed at a black home on my way to work - now THAT is meaning.
Speaking to the issue of Jesse Jackson, I think part of the problem is the media - if you watch television, (and especially if you also don't talk to very many black folks) you'd think that JJ spoke for all black people, and most or all of them agreed with him.
I think I understand your point about "even black conservatives don't want their criticisms of other black leaders used to peg them as "self-hating," "Uncle Toms," etc." but I wonder if, to an extent, they are not depriving the young people of other points of view and other role models? Or do these differing viewpoints get more of an airing within the black community?
Yesterday some of my (high school aged) black students were very surprised to find that President Bush's National Security Advisor is a very attractive & intelligent black lady named Condoleeza Rice. The kids were impressed - I was surprised they didn't know that already.