Posted on 11/12/2002 7:47:14 AM PST by H8DEMS
Remember the e-mail that posed the question, “What would this world be without Black people?” It was really a history lesson on all of the things Black people invented, and suggested that if Black people had not been here, our traffic lights would disappear, many of the machines we depend upon would not work and many other conveniences we enjoy everyday would not be here. It was a nice reminder of the importance of Black people to this country. However, even though Black people invented a great deal of the items we use today, with a few exceptions of course, they could not get patents on them or they were simply relieved of their inventions by White people.
Now, let’s take a look at what Black people would do without White people. First of all, some of us would simply throw up our hands in exasperation and call it a day—no, we would call it a life. Some of us would feel so bad, so lonely, so dispossessed, so depressed that we would not know where to turn. “What are we going to do now?” some would ask. Others would lament the loss of all of those stores and all of those products and services they are so use to purchasing. Some would cry, “Where will we buy our clothing, our cars, our houses and our food?” “For whom will we work? What about our jobs?” Others would just go insane trying to figure out how they would get their banquet tables sold for their annual dinners and soirees. What a sad day it would be for many Black folks.
On the other hand, rather than complaining and crying, some Black folks would immediately get to work on those issues. Some would say, “Let’s do for ourselves.” Others would rally the people and call for new businesses and new products and services and efforts to support our people. Some Black folks would even have the audacity to think they really could run major corporations, industrial farms, airports, states, and even this country. But then, what other choice would we have?
What would you do without White people? Would you suffer from a lack of the essentials of life? Would you wilt under the pressure of having to figure out this thing called life all by yourself? Could you successfully navigate through the swirling waters of life’s uncertainties? Could you survive? Marcus Garvey told us we are living on borrowed goods, and we must get something of our own. So instead of us wondering what this country would do without Black people, just imagine what we would do without White people.
Suppose they closed all of their supermarkets to us, could we feed ourselves? Imagine them denying us the right to use their banks, would we pool more of our money and start more Black banks? If Whites said we would no longer be allowed in their department stores, would we create our own? You get the picture, I am sure. What would we do?
It’s nice to call for “Black Out Days” and “Stay Home From Work Days” and “Don’t Spend Any Money Days,” and all of the rest of the Black absentee efforts we hear about. But what would we do if there were a “White Out Day?” Maybe even a “White Out Month?” Would we panic? Or, would we finally start doing more for ourselves? Would we finally start preparing an economic future for our children, the same way other groups in this country are doing for their children?
You know, sometimes I wish it were so. Maybe if White folks stopped doing what they are doing for us, we’d be more inclined to do more for ourselves. Maybe if they would back off a bit and we would step up a bit, better relationships would exist between the two groups, because there would be more reciprocity, more leverage available to Black people, and a greater likelihood of positive responses from White folks when we really do need their support. Maybe, if Black people get our economic act together by recycling our dollars, supporting our own businesses, and building income-producing infrastructure, maybe Whites would be knocking on our doors asking to play ball with us.
What would we do without White folks? The same thing our fathers and mothers did before integration; that’s what we’d do. We would develop economic enclaves second to none in this country.
But a similar question was probably asked by some of the Children of Israel about Pharaoh. While Moses was telling Pharaoh to “Let my people go,” he should have also told the people to “Let Pharaoh go.”
James E. Clingman, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati’s African-American Studies department, is former editor of the Cincinnati Herald Newspaper and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce. He hosts the radio program, ''Blackonomics,'' and is the author of the book, “Economic Empowerment or Economic Enslavement–We have a Choice.” He can be reached at (513) 489-4132, or by e-mail at jclingman@blackonomics.com.
I agree with you that the demarcation of society via skin color is rupugnent and un-American...but I found the authors comments actually encouraging...
If this fellow would pursue this philosophy to conclusion, he would find he has more in allignment with republicans than democrats...The truth is coming out about the rat party...even racists like this are figuring it out...democrats are about suppression and division...republicans don't care what your skin color is: for good or bad...
"Your black: get over it...above it...and pursue your own self interest and determination..."
The very attempt to do so is a luxury impossible to anyone who isn't living in a land of incredible plenty. And the surest way to end that plenty is to attempt to force society to behave in this unnatural and dogmatic fashion. If there is so much clothing and food and shelter and entertainment around that you are able to choose it by such an irrelevant and ancillary factor as skin color then you are a very lucky person living in an opulent age.
Even if I am a tolerant, sensitive, in touch with my feminine side, 90s kind of guy, feeble in body, poor in spirit, with a limited, and public, education.....
BTW, BIG prayers for KLT today. Her son is undergoing a major operation as we speak.....
HRP
Frow him to the floo very roughly! 'Pod
It's not even that. I'm not about to "get over" being black. But I'm damn sure not about to apologize for it either. Life goes on and I will survive and succeed. I don't have the time to wallow in my own self pity; unfortunately, this writer, and those who subscribe to the same view, are limited by their own expectations.
What's even more sad is that when I say what I just did, I'm the one that's vilified for having a different mindset.
Mr. Clingman may be a bit dense, but he appears to have a grasp of the crucial theories of black conservative self-determination. Good luck to you Mr. Clingman. Black Americans would be much better off listening to you than to Al Sharpton.
"You know, sometimes I wish it were so. Maybe if White folks stopped doing what they are doing for us, we’d be more inclined to do more for ourselves. Maybe if they would back off a bit and we would step up a bit, better relationships would exist between the two groups, because there would be more reciprocity, more leverage available to Black people, and a greater likelihood of positive responses from White folks when we really do need their support. Maybe, if Black people get our economic act together by recycling our dollars, supporting our own businesses, and building income-producing infrastructure, maybe Whites would be knocking on our doors asking to play ball with us. "
You are a bad liar, 'Pod. LOL
BTW, BIG prayers for KLT today. Her son is undergoing a major operation as we speak.....
Yes, and there's even a prayer thread for her son. He should be just about halfway through surgery right now.
Huh?
sensitive,
Yeah, in that itch-scratching sort of way...
in touch with my feminine side,
How 'bout those legs!?
90s kind of guy,
Only about 10 years too late
feeble in body,
You got that one right...
poor in spirit,
I don't think anyone here would accuse you of being unspirited!
with a limited, and public, education.....
Well, that kind of describes most of us, doesn't it?!? [g]
BTW - God bless you and yours, KLT, may your son continue to do well with the Lord's guiding hand alongside yours.
He is calling for self sufficiency. It is an uncommon trait, so you might have a hard time recognizing it.
Our concern should be for the claims of reparations from that blacks whose ancestors were not rescued and brought to the new world. Clingman is just another race baiting black jerk who, if he hadn't been black, probably would never have been given a terminal degree and ceratinly would never have been given a job in a real teaching disciplne.
The author seems to long for the day when there were "Black Communities" where there were black doctors, lawyers, pharmacies, shoemakers .... in short they did for themselves.
Liberals, of course, could not let this stand.
In that I agree with the author, even if he does shoot his own foot off with his attitude.
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