John McWhorter: Why Blacks Don t Need Leaders

City Journal ^ | Summer 2002 | John H. McWhorter

[Pokey78]

Ping.

[oyez]

There shouldn't be black leaders since there are no white leaders. A white leader would be called a racist, anyway. Why aren't black leaders called racists?

[Post Toasties]

Star Parker sounds like one of the best, regardless of ethnicity.

[goldstategop]

The real black leaders in America aren't the one's grabbing the headlines; they're the ones quiety working to improve the lot of their people and of all Americans. You don't hear about them cause the last thing they want is self serving publicity.

[john in missouri]

She does indeed sound like one of the best. Any woman who has the guts and faith to write the county and tell them to stop sending her welfare checks earns undying admiration from me!

Parker can’t understand why Republicans are so inept at wooing black voters. The evangelical churches should be central to Republican outreach to blacks, she thinks, given their conservative leanings on many issues. But the GOP all but ignores them. “Democrats campaign on every block and in every church in urban America, yet the Republicans are almost nowhere to be found,” she observes.

Republicans and conservatives running for office, you have been duly notified: the black vote is yours for the taking. You just have to go out and earn it.

[johnny7]

Fugetta-bout-it! Just ask blacks about their opinions on Collin Powell, Condi Rice, Clarence Thomas, J.C. Watts or Walter Williams.

Most of them chuckle and roll their eyes... not an acknowledgement of these individuals achievements and intellect but of their own lack of respect for any black who is conservative and thinks for him/herself.

Quit fooling yourself... it's like telling Republican candidates to attend NEA and PETA meetings to bring out the vote.

[MeekOneGOP]

What else does Jackson’s “leadership” rest on? Like a racial ambulance chaser, he’s sure to pop up before the cameras any time some race-based fracas presents an opportunity for indignant speech: a suspension meted out to out-of-control black high schoolers for brawling in the stands during an athletic event, say, or Cornel West’s huff when Harvard president Lawrence Summers suggested that he do some real academic work. Anytime there’s an international crisis, too, Jackson thrusts himself into the middle of it, counting among his friends the likes of Yasser Arafat and other despots. But these self-aggrandizing machinations have left behind not a single successful project that would improve black lives beyond the boardrooms of his friends.

< snip >

For Sharpton, tearing whitey a new one at regular intervals is Doing the Right Thing for blacks. In 1995, Sharpton bogusly accused the Jewish owner of Freddy’s Fashion Mart, a 125th Street retail store, of driving local black merchants out of business. Sharpton speechified relentlessly against the “white interloper,” until a mentally unstable young black man, inflamed by Sharpton’s demagogic oratory, stormed Freddy’s Fashion Mart, guns ablaze, and ignited a conflagration. Death toll: eight; Sharpton: unrepentant. He helped ignite the 1991 Crown Heights race riot with such memorable counsel as “If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house.” Here was a Black Leader inciting a virtual pogrom.

Not exactly “I have a dream.” But then things don’t look all that much better over at the NAACP headquarters. This organization, which did heroic work in overturning the “separate but equal” legal doctrine and once promoted black self-help, has fallen a long, long way. These days, NAACP leaders like Kweisi Mfume and Julian Bond believe that what black Americans need most is to hear how pitiable they are, and that America still seethes with racism.

[maxwell]

Bwahaha... Bro, did you see your post #88 on the other thread about un-literacy?! Or rather NOT see it... I bet I know ek-zackly what you posted too... ;)

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

FYI: I'll be out of town until 7/16 (late); after today (7/10), there won't be any pings until I get back

[Anamensis]

McWhorter bump (he's my hero, if I can be said to have one.)

[Askel5]

Enjoy your respite from the web!

Your pings are much appreciated, by the way.

All the best.

[MeekOneGOP]

Uh-oh! Sounds like you're sayin' they deleted my dialectized commentary?
Party-poopers! LOL!
I'll check it out, thanks!

[MeekOneGOP]

Hmm? Next time, I'll try Redneck instead of Jive, and see if that sticks!

[MeekOneGOP]

Maybe Ewmew Fudd won't offend............

What ewse does Jackson’s “weadewship” west on? Wike a waciaw ambuwance chasew, he’s suwe to pop up befowe the camewas any time some wace-based fwacas pwesents an oppowtunity fow indignant speech: a suspension meted out to out-of-contwow bwack high schoowews fow bwawwing in the stands duwing an athwetic event, say, ow Cownew West’s huff when Hawvawd pwesident Wawwence Summews suggested that he do some weaw academic wowk. Anytime thewe’s an intewnationaw cwisis, too, Jackson thwusts himsewf into the middwe of it, counting among his fwiends the wikes of Yassew Awafat and othew despots. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! But these sewf-aggwandizing machinations have weft behind not a singwe successfuw pwoject that wouwd impwove bwack wives beyond the boawdwooms of his fwiends. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!

< snip >

Fow Shawpton, teawing whitey a new one at weguwaw intewvaws is Doing the Wight Ding fow bwacks. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! In 1995, Shawpton boguswy accused the Jewish ownew of Fweddy’s Fashion Mawt, a 125f Stweet wetaiw stowe, of dwiving wocaw bwack mewchants out of business. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Shawpton speechified wewentwesswy against the “white intewwopew,” untiw a mentawwy unstabwe young bwack man, infwamed by Shawpton’s demagogic owatowy, stowmed Fweddy’s Fashion Mawt, guns abwaze, and ignited a confwagwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. Deaf toww: eight; Shawpton: unwepentant. He hewped ignite the 1991 Cwown Heights wace wiot wif such memowabwe counsew as “If the Jews want to get it on, teww them to pin theiw yawmuwkes back and come ovew to my house.” Hewe was a Bwack Weadew inciting a viwtuaw pogwom.

Not exactwy “I have a dweam.” But then things don’t wook aww that much bettew ovew at the NAACP headqwawtews. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! Dis owganization, which did hewoic wowk in ovewtuwning the “sepawate but eqwaw” wegaw doctwine and once pwomoted bwack sewf-hewp, has fawwen a wong, wong way. Dese days, NAACP weadews wike Kweisi Mfume and Juwian Bond bewieve that what bwack Amewicans need most is to heaw how pitiabwe they awe, and that Amewica stiww seethes wif wacism.

[maxwell]

Aw bro, I wouldn't take it hard, bwahaha... I was the one who told you to break it out anyhoo... ;) We must've had the harda$$ Admin on last night...

[mafree]

This article is good and Star Parker should especially get more publicity, but if Blacks don't need liberal "leaders," they don't need "conservative" leaders either.

[MeekOneGOP]

Yeah, probably so. I sure wouldn't have thought anyone would take it seriously,
let alone take offense to that. Life goes on!
Think I'll head out shortly for a late Pizza lunch! Want me ta bring ya some back?..........

[maxwell]

Just so it don't have anchovies bro. Or peppers and all that veggy sh!t. I'm partial to the ultimate meatlover's myself... (Yep hacking my way to an early heartattack here... ;)

[MeekOneGOP]

Just so it don't have anchovies bro. Or peppers and all that veggy sh!t. I'm partial to the ultimate meatlover's myself... (Yep hacking my way to an early heartattack here... ;)

Will this do ya?:

"Chicago Meat Lover's Deep-Dish Pizza"

Oh, and while I was there, these chicks were askin' about you. Or, I assume it
was you. They said Max.Do ya know 'em? LOL: