Reverend William J. Barber II (1963- ), a US civil rights leader, is a Disciples of Christ pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He is best known for the Moral Monday protests in his state (2013-17). Now in 2018 he is going nationwide, picking up where Martin Luther King Jr left off in 1968, helping to lead a new Poor People’s Campaign.
Influences:
- political: Martin Luther King, Ella Baker, Robert F. Williams, the populist movement of the 1890s.
- theological: Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich, James Cone.
Endorsements:
- Cornel West: “That brother is the real thing.”
- Bernie Sanders: “[Barber] is doing some of the most important work in the country.”
Barber’s view of US history is much like mine, informed by Howard Zinn, Nell Painter, and the Black counter-frame: a call-and-response between Black Reconstruction and White backlash. In its finer moments, the US goes through a period of multiracial reform:
- 1860s and 1870s: Civil War and Reconstruction: Black slaves freed, given equal rights in the constitution.
- 1950s and 1960s: Civil rights movement, Jim Crow laws overturned.
But it is two steps forward, one step back: After the First Reconstruction came Jim Crow, after the Second Reconstruction came the Southern Strategy.
The Southern Strategy is where Republicans (and some Democrats) use race and religion to get working-class and middle-class Whites to vote against their class interests. That is why the US does not have universal health care or a liveable minimum wage. For Blacks it has meant mass incarceration, resegregation of schools, the gutting of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, gerrymandering, and voter suppression.
The Third Reconstruction: Neither the politicians nor the press are much interested in a Third Reconstruction. That will have to come from grassroots movements and civil disobedience. It will have to come from Blacks and Latinos and like-minded Whites coming together. That is what Barber has been working on.
- The rise of Obama in 2008 shows that the votes are already there for a Third Reconstruction.
- The rise of Trump in 2016 shows that most (but not all) Whites are scared to death of such a multiracial coalition and will fight it tooth and nail – even if it means bad health care and bad education for themselves. Trump is a symptom, not a cause. Getting rid of Trump will change little.
The five interlocking evils of the US according to Barber:
- systemic racism,
- systemic poverty,
- ecological devastation,
- the war economy,
- the false narrative of Christian nationalism and White Evangelicalism.
Each one helps keep the others in place.
White Evangelicalism: Barber is himself an Evangelical, but says the White sort, the kind in the Scofield Reference Bible, has been perverted by capitalists. That is why it says so much about abortion and homosexuality, and says so little about poverty, empathy, and justice – the opposite of what the Bible does. It is shaped by the White backlash, past and present, and gives it moral force.
Barber:
“I worry about the way that faith is cynically used by some to serve hate, fear, racism, and greed.”
– Abagond, 2018.
Sources: mainly Jelani Cobb’s piece in the New Yorker (2018), Barber’s sermon on Ezekiel 22 (2018), his appearances on Democracy Now (2016-18), his wonderful piece in the Washington Post (2016).
See also:
- Moral Monday
- White Evangelical Protestants
- Howard Zinn
- Nell Painter
- Black counter-frame
- Martin Luther King, Jr
- Riverside Speech against the Vietnam War
- assassination
- Poor People’s Campaign
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- mass incarceration
- American school resegregation
- gerrymandering
- voter suppression
572
Barber: “ I worry about the way that faith is cynically used by some to serve hate, fear, racism, and greed. I say Amen to that.
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Awesome post, Abagond!
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@ Abagond
Thanks for covering Rev. William Barber. I have followed his work for some years now. His strength seems to be coalition building. That could make him a dangerous figure to the Powers That Be. I hope he has a chance to do his work.
Black Agenda Report also covered his latest speech in New York City a few weeks ago. Bruce Dixon presented a detailed critique of Rev. Barber that outlined some of the strengths of his movement. Dixon was also unsparing in discussing weaknesses he perceived in Rev. Barber’s movement.
For example, Dixon notes:
https://www.blackagendareport.com/barber-sermon-militarism-reveals-philosophical-political-limitations-poor-peoples-campaign
BAR also embedded an hour and a half video of the speech in their article.
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“…US history is … a call-and-response between Black Reconstruction and White backlash.”
Well said. We are definitely weathering a White Backlash right now.
The irony is Black people are so passive that if White people simply left us alone like they do Asian communities, Black folk would likely never mobilize into Reconstruction movements. Black people would build segregated communities with internal economies and institutions. Black people would rarely interact with White people in the USA.
White people claim they want Black people far away from them, but they are constantly trampling into (and over) Black lives and communities. It is a paradox: White people hate and fear Black people, but refuse to stay out of Black people’s internal affairs. They constantly seek to control Black economics, education, politics and daily movements.
Perhaps they know that without Black people there is no unified group called White people. On some level, Black people define who is White.
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I have said for some years that the next great movement in America would be grassroots. I don’t think enough people have suffered long enough, but I do feel in the current political climate in the next year or two we will see something more definitive happening.
Thanks for posting this Abagond.
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Grassroots? Is there such a thing anymore?
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“It will have to come from Blacks and Latinos and like-minded Whites coming together. That is what Barber has been working on.”
The religion of Christiani-insanity would have people believe that Yah loves everyone (that He is emotionally one dimensional) and we will all come together some day under a rainbow coalition banner and have little “black boys and little white girls will holds hands” and everything will be set on a path to righteousness, henceforth.
I wish Mr. Barber well in all his Christian-insanity efforts. He seems to know quite a lot about religion and organizing, but yet, it appears that he knows nothing about the Bible. His plans will ultimately end up being a massive failure. Why? Because we are dealing with “a beastly nation that cannot save you/us.” (Lamentations 4:17)
However, here is what the Bible has to say about joining hands with your enemies: “Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.” (Proverbs 11:21)
Furthermore, as it concerns the enslavement and continued mistreatment of His people in Amerika due to Esau’s diabolical hate of us: “And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom/Esau by the hand of my people ISRAEL: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 25:14)
“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.” (Genesis 49:8)
Sounds like a prophesied race war as opposed to people coming together in harmony to me. These scriptures appear to be just the opposite of what Mr. Barber is attempting to do. Stay tuned, and carry on CHRISTIANS!
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Reblogged this on League of Bloggers For a Better World.
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We need the Moral Mondays movement to spread all over America.
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“Republicans (and some Democrats) use race and religion to get working-class and middle-class Whites to vote against their class interests. ”
I find that there is a misunderstanding,people generally think that these whites vote in a class oriented ways but generally I noticed that they vote on the basis of group affiliation(whites vs blacks) and for candidates that support their side of the culture wars.
“It will have to come from Blacks and Latinos and like-minded Whites coming together.”
I think that Hispanics and blacks have very little in common to become allies,indeed the black community has made overtures for a black-brown alliance for decades with little result.As time passes its probable that most hispanics will assimilate and become white,I’m already seing it in NJ, I often see a white man with a hispanic woman but rarely see them married or in relationships with black women.The White-Hispanic children usually look white and get treated as such.
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Josh Hollow,
“I think that Hispanics and blacks have very little in common to become allies,indeed the black community has made overtures for a black-brown alliance for decades with little result.”—I have been leaning toward this train of thought as well, but I also believe it is location based and the particular Latino ethnicity. For example, where I live I am seeing more of the black woman Mexican man coupling. Granted whereas it was more common to see the black woman white man couples. At any rate Anti-blackness is strong in a lot of those communities, but I have hope it will progress. Though it is a slow progression.
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“At any rate Anti-blackness is strong in a lot of those communities, but I have hope it will progress.”
I hope too,but realistically the odds are against it, given american history and how the different waves of immigrants have chosen to side with whites is more likely that a black-brown alliance might not materialize.almost a third of Hispanics voted for trump,compared to less than 10% of AAs,that tells you something especially when you take into account that he attacked Hispanics the most but almost had no attacks for AAs.
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@ Josh Hollow
“…almost a third of Hispanics voted for trump,compared to less than 10% of AAs,that tells you something especially when you take into account that he attacked Hispanics the most but almost had no attacks for AAs.”
Good point.
Hispanic/Latinx covers a lot of different people from the minority of Afro-Caribbean Latinx who embrace their African heritage to descendants of Spanish colonists in the American Southwest who solely identify as White—–and a lot of people in between such as Asian Latinx, Brazilians and a lot of Indigenous people from South and Central America. Not too surprising that nearly a third of those groups would vote for an open White Supremacist.
I saw attacking Latinx first as a strategic move for Trump. His supporters understood that explicit attacks on Latinx were implicit attacks on Black people since Black folk are the lowest caste of the color caste system in the USA with most Latinx only one level above Black people. The only group to not experience any attacks from Trump or his supporters are Asian Americans of any ethnicity.
As to a Black-Brown alliance, people from Caribbean, Mexico and Central America seem to forget their own history:
◉ Black and multi-racial people in Cuba fought against Spanish descent Cubans in the late 1800s. They were winning until the US created a war (the Spanish American War) to intervene on the side of the White Cubans.
◉ The Mexican government outlawed slavery in 1829. The second president of Mexico, Vicente Guerrero, was of known African descent. One reason “illegal European immigrants” in Texas fought the Mexican authorities was over the issue of slavery.
https://newstaco.com/2015/02/12/mexicos-black-president-abolished-slavery-before-u-s-civil-war/
◉ Thousands of Black men and women escaped to Mexico throughout the 1800s and early 1900s to escape slavery and Jim Crow. They were welcomed and intermarried with the local population. Ron Wilkins writing for the site IMDiversity describes those years:
http://imdiversity.com/villages/hispanic/mexico-welcomed-fugitive-slaves-and-african-american-job-seekers/
White supremacy and its propaganda are powerful drugs that intoxicates every group that becomes a part of US society. Even groups that have a history of alliances with Black people on their own soil.
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Mexico is hardly a beacon of safety
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44325898
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@Afrofem: Thank you for enriching the learning of this autodidact/ opsimath.
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@Josh Hollow: Great points.
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“The only group to not experience any attacks from Trump or his supporters are Asian Americans of any ethnicity”
Indirectly yes,if you take his attacks on china (and japan) on trade as a proxy for asian americans and also bannon’s negative comments on asian CEO’s.My fear with trump-types in charge is that they will blunder into some conflict with a powerful country(china,russia and iran),and america might be defeated and humilliated, these white supremacists do not notice the wolrd has changed and we might not be as strong compared to the new guys in town as the still think we are.we have mostly been fighting weaklings(ivietnam,panama,irak).
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“The only group to not experience any attacks from Trump or his supporters are Asian Americans of any ethnicity”
If they’re Muslim, they are.
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@ v8driver
Historically Mexico was very much a safe haven for African Americans escaping slavery or the ravages of Jim Crow.
Mexico’s current woes have a lot to do with its Northern neighbor. That would include the negative view of Black people in the current day.
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@ Mary Burrell
History is a fascinating subject.
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@ Josh Hollow
“…if you take his attacks on china (and japan) on trade as a proxy for asian americans”
I don’t take Trump blowing smoke about trade with China or Japan as a proxy for the treatment of Asian Americans. I see that as theater for Trump’s gullible base of supporters.
During Trump’s electoral campaign, there were no specific verbal attacks on NE Asian Americans (Chinese, Japanese and Korean descent), SE Asian American (Vietnamese, Laotian, Hmong, Cambodian or Filipino descent) or South Asian Americans (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi descent). That was in marked contrast to his pointed attacks on Latinx (particularly Mexicans) and condescending insults against Black people and Native Americans.
Moreover, I have been reminded scores of times on this forum that the status of Asian Americans and official US policy toward Asian nations are two separate issues.
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@ Solitaire
While Trump trashed Muslims of all ethnicities, he did not specifically direct verbal attacks or insults at Asian Americans who were Muslim. When he signed his Muslim ban, none of the countries included were located in South, Northeast or Southeast Asia. They included: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Iran was as Asian (Far West Asia) as his official policies went.
Still no ugly words against Iranian Americans that I’m aware of during Trump’s campaign or during his presidency.
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“the status of Asian Americans and official US policy toward Asian nations are two separate issues.”
I seem to think they are, because noticed how the asians went from the “yellow peril” before WWII when they were foes, to”model minority” when they became allies in the struggle against the USSR.
also,btw, imagine the outrage in China,Japan,which are great powers in their own right, but also in tawan and korea if their brethering where being shot on a regular basis by police,an arm of the state, for no reason like it happens to blacks, as well as other horrors that lack people have to endure?.America would lose a great deal of goodwill and influence in a major region of the world.
I often think that blacks would have been much better if there were a powerful black nation in the international arena that could speak and retaliate if something bad was done to them.That would not get whites to love blacks(I honestly don’t think that will ever happen) but will get black people real freedoms and prevent many of the injustices.
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@ Afrofem
You make some valid points.
However, you originally wrote “Trump or his supporters.” His supporters have certainly felt emboldened to insult and verbally attack anyone who isn’t white, including this recent incident:
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5b06edcde4b05f0fc845fff9
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Co-sign (*).
A race is respected if and only if it exudes power, at least, to a certain extent. By race here I mean a group of people in a very loose way.
Think about the Jews, who were almost annihilated during the first half of the XXth century and were generally disrespected or persecuted in large portions of the continent of Europe, and after that, managed to build a Nation in the Middle East and amassed a lot of power and influence worldwide.
Today, the Germans are the ones who routinely bow to the Jews and year after year, apologize for the crimes of their grandfathers.
Today nobody… or almost nobody, messes with the Jews! They have power!
Following this argument, I think that the solution of the Black question will emerge once you have a minimal group of countries in Africa which would have been successful in becoming developed and, to a certain extent, powerful.
This is one of the reasons why I think that the destinies of the various people of African descent worldwide are intertwined. Not directly, but certainly indirectly.
Think about the fact that Blacks living in the Americas are sometimes told to go back to Africa when they make noises (translation: require their human and civil rights). Even if said Blacks have no idea how that remote continent really looks like and have no connection whatsoever with it!
Other people tend to make the connection between Blacks and Africa, in detriment of those noisy Black citizens!
That line of reasoning (?) would loose traction as soon as some places in Africa become associated with progress and power.
See the weblink,
(*) I co-sign without the need of a ‘condition of retaliation’. Retaliation power would be good but not an indispensable condition.
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@Solitaire
Whereas I also often agree with many of Afrofem’s points, she often mischaracterizes the experience of Asian-Americans in the US, or uses invalid comparisons between the experience of black Americans and Asian Americans.
When I read what she wrote above, I just had to roll my eyes as there have been hundreds of documented cases of harassment from Trump and his supporters (a few I could think of which were perpetrated by Trump himself). I suppose these direct verbal attacks or insults just don’t register in other people’s minds. They usually either involve
– treating native born Americans as though they were foreigners or immigrants (and somehow, not authentically American).
– model minority bullsh!t
– discounting people unless they conform to what he thinks is appropriate for their ethnicity or national origin of their ancestors (eg,
Trump asked why ‘pretty Korean lady’ analyst wasn’t in North Korea negotiations
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/12/trump-intelligence-analyst-pretty-korean-lady
Trump has also had problem attracting or retaining any Asian Americans to his administration. In fact, his presidency has encouraged many dozens if not more to enter House, Senate, and state legislature races this year.
How the Current White House Is Harming Asian-American Communities
https://rewire.news/article/2018/03/14/current-white-house-harming-asian-american-communities/
If the Trump administration has not been hurling “verbal attacks and insults”, then why is all this happening?
Afrofem wrote something else in a different thread recently which also made me roll my eyes too (I have to look for it, but it was another inaccurate or invalid broad mischaracterization). It affirms to me the need to have a serious conversation about how these broad generalizations (which are demonstrably false) really can affect the dialogues we need to have about race relations in the USA.
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@ Jefe
“In fact, his presidency has encouraged many dozens if not more to enter House, Senate, and state legislature races this year.”
I saw the following article about that a couple of weeks ago:
https://columbus.edgemedianetwork.com/news/politics/259844/asian_americans_turn_angst_over_trump_into_political_activism
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@ Solitaire
Agreed re: Trump supporters. They are in full backlash mode against any and all perceived non-European people.
Thank you for sharing that link.
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@ jefe
I think it is a matter of degree.
Asian Americans of all ethnicities do experience slights, bullying, insults and unrealistic expectations re: achievement and self-sufficiency.
Whereas Black people face beatings, death, imprisonment, dispossession and daily anti-Black propaganda in various media channels, Asian Americans face slights, bullying (pervasive in this militaristic culture) and some physical assaults. Negative experiences with White Supremacy/White supremacists for Black people is so much more intense and frequent.
So when Black people are dealing with death and destruction, the descriptions of Asian Americans dealing with far less severe conditions may not register as serious problems. Certainly unpleasant and infuriating, but nowhere near the “back against the wall” intensity that characterizes Black encounters with White private citizens and agents of the State (police).
Many Black people wish our experiences with White supremacists went no further than slights, bullying, insults and unrealistic labeling of the Black community as self-sufficient high achievers.
The pain experienced by the both groups seems to vary by a wide chasm of degree.
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@ Josh Hollow
“I seem to think they are, because noticed how the asians went from the “yellow peril” before WWII when they were foes, to”model minority” when they became allies in the struggle against the USSR.”
That ststement isn’t historically accurate. During the Cold War, Communist China was our second greatest enemy after the USSR. We still are not “allies” with them.
Also during that same era, we fought two very deadly wars against the North Koreans and the Viet Cong.
You are treating “Asians” as a single group. The U.S. has never been allied with all of Asia at the same time.
You are also mistaken in thinking that the model minority stereotype replaced the yellow peril one. The two stereotypes coexist today, two sides of the same coin.
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1.1-Josh Hollow
I often think that blacks would have been much better if there were a powerful black nation in the international arena that could speak and retaliate if something bad was done to them.That would not get whites to love blacks(I honestly don’t think that will ever happen) but will get black people real freedoms and prevent many of the injustices.
1.2-munubantu
I think that the solution of the Black question will emerge once you have a minimal group of countries in Africa which would have been successful in becoming developed and, to a certain extent, powerful.
This is one of the reasons why I think that the destinies of the various people of African descent worldwide are intertwined.
I think around the same lines,I see the massive power shifts in east asia today, hell, even in the middle east and I notice how peoples that just a few decades ago whites held in contempt, have been rising and have white countries in the defensive, however on the other hand I see black people everywhere still wondering about whether race is real or not(memo it doesn’t matter,in the end is about power), and heavily focused on racism as opposed to strategizing to get power and it depresses me.Partly because we have had leaders like Garvey and malcolm that understood that it was our modern weakness that causes the injustices that we suffer not necessarily because of race when we become stronger nobody will harm us not because others wont want, but because they wont be able to..
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Josh Hollow / Jamal e Brooks / gerald
is banned for using sock puppets.
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@Abagond: OOOH WEE! 😲😳
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@ Afrofem
Hopefully Barber will be able to push the Democratic Party in the right direction and not just be another Rented Negro like Obama. Time will tell.
The Charismatic Preacher model, though, has one huge flaw: if the preacher is shot dead on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel or at the Audubon Ballroom or, really, at any other location, the movement falls apart.
If you told me in 2009 that Obama would still be alive in 2018, I would think he was not a good president for Black people. Nearly all the good Black leaders wind up in exile, in prison, or with a bullet in their head.
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@ Abagond
” Nearly all the good Black leaders wind up in exile, in prison, or with a bullet in their head.”
So. Very. True.
Barber’s commitment and authenticity will be put to the test as time goes on. We will get to see who he truly is and who he truly represents when the Powers That Be put the squeeze on him.
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@ abagond
My… my…
Are you suggesting that in order to be seen as a good leader for Black people in USA, somebody must be ready to become a martyr?
Otherwise…
… they must be seen with deep suspicion!
My… my…
Speaking of unreasonable expectations!
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@ munubantu
Am I wrong? I would have suspected that Obama had been co-opted and I would have been right.
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@ munubantu
Do not take my word for it. Go ask Marielle Franco.
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Wait What?!
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@ abagond
And Angela Davis? What is your take on her? Was/is she a good militant and maybe a good leader? Or do you dismiss her as a probable double agent at worst or fake and ineffectual revolutionary at best, because otherwise you would not understand that by now she isn’t already dead?
@ blakksage
I recognize Patrice Lumumba as a true revolutionary and champion for the freedom of African people not only for the Congolese by continent-wide. No disagreement with you here. In fact, in the recent history of my own country we had/have our own share of splendid characters like Eduardo Mondlane(*) or Samora Machel and others, who became martyrs of the cause. But there are also other highly respected individuals who were in leading positions during the struggle for our Independence or after that, and who certainly belong to the pantheon of our heroes despite the fact that they remain alive to this day. On the top of my head I think of Marcelino dos Santos or Joaquim Chissano.
In our neighbor South Africa the renown character of Nelson Mandela is also an interesting one regarding our discussion.
In his youth he was a guerrilla fighter against Apartheid, then was imprisoned for decades to emerge later as leader of the Black population, ready to initiate a dialogue with regime in a lengthy process that led to the end of Apartheid and the establishment of the first multiracial elections in South Africa. He died a few years ago of old age, but nevertheless a hero, in my book!
So, for me good leaders are not necessarily the ones who become killed at some point in time.
But you are the ones on the ground in America, so more likely you know better in your context.
Anyway, if the requirement of martyrdom is indispensable to define a good leader for the Black population in the USA, then I must conclude that your foes must be incredible perverse to kill all the good ones and the Black movement more likely will must proceed without leaders!
(*) Notes –
Eduardo Mondlane, founder of the FRELIMO movement, which successfully fought the Portuguese colonial army until the Independence of the country. He was the first leader to understand the need of unity between Africans in order to successfully oppose the colonial system. He was killed by a package bomb sent by the Portuguese security forces during the armed struggle against the colonial power, in 1969.
See also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Mondlane
Samora Machel, first President of Mozambique. He was very active not only during the struggle for the Independence of the country but also in the historic changes that took place in all Southern Africa in the last quarter of the 20th century. His motto regarding the total revolution in Southern Africa: To the extent that our brothers and sisters across the border in Zimbabwe and South Africa are not free, we are not free either. He was killed in a plane crash probably orchestrated by the Apartheid security forces in 1986.
See also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samora_Machel
Marcelino dos Santos, co-founder of the FRELIMO movement. Ideologue of the movement, besides his direct participation in the armed struggle also traveled relentlessly as a kind of diplomat to every corner of the world championing for the liberation of Mozambique from the colonial power. Still alive!
Joaquim Chissano, second President of Mozambique. Participated in the armed struggle for Independence and after the dead of Samora Machel became President. Widely seen as a keen diplomat who negotiated the end of the civil war that lacerated the country a few years after its Independence. Also widely seen as promoter of the rebuilding of country which continues until today. Relinquished the position of President in 2004. Still alive!
See also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquim_Chissano
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“Are you suggesting that in order to be seen as a good leader for Black people in USA, somebody must be ready to become a martyr?” – munubantu
Yes, there is nothing strange about this belief while living Black in Amerika. I could post a list of Black American heroes who were ready to die for their cause, but I don’t think that’s necessary.
Otherwise… they must be seen with deep suspicion and My… my… Speaking of unreasonable expectations! (munubantu)
Indeed, you have inquired of, spoken of and opined of once again as “Just a humble opinion from an outside observer of American society!”(Robert Kennedy at Creighton University – munubantu)
By the way, wasn’t Patrice Lumumba of the Republic of the Congo martyred after he was executed at gunpoint in September of 1960 by his own government for wanting TRUE freedom away from colonialism, for his people?
Again, your post reeks of being an “outside observer” just as you correctly deemed yourself to be. Huh!
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I recognize Patrice Lumumba as a true revolutionary and champion for the freedom of African people not only for the Congolese by continent-wide. No disagreement with you here. In fact, in the recent history of my own country we had/have our own share of splendid characters like Eduardo Mondlane(*) or Samora Machel and others, who became martyrs of the cause. But there are also other highly respected individuals who were in leading positions during the struggle for our Independence or after that, and who certainly belong to the pantheon of our heroes despite the fact that they remain alive to this day. On the top of my head I think of Marcelino dos Santos or Joaquim Chissano.
In our neighbor South Africa the renown character of Nelson Mandela is also an interesting one regarding our discussion. – munubantu
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!
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@ munubantu
Angela Davis was in prison. That gives her more than enough presumptive credibility for me. Death, prison, or exile. Any of those count in my book. Even arrest.
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