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.
You are right. The media does contribute to the problem by not airing an alternate black viewpoint. It also doesn't help when many, especially whites whose day-to-day contact with a cross-section of black folks is limited, come away assuming that all blacks agree with JJ or let JJ speak for them.
Part of the problem here is the tendency of many to believe that there is or should be one "black leader." A lot of people don't take time to examine the differences even among some black "leaders" like JJ, Sharpton, Farrakhan, the NAACP, etc.
IMO, the best thing is to not assume that a black person accepts any particular person as a leader unless he or she sends a clear signal that it is so.
One reason why so many of your students may not have heard of Condi is because she mostly appears on the news or on news shows and your students may not be watching them. I think she should do what Colin Powell has done and seek/accept speaking engagements in the schools.