Blacks Can’t Wait On the President

Where do we go after the second election of President Barack Obama?

I want it to be known, that I’m proud to have Barack Obama as the President of the United States of America. I’m proud of his ability to lead and to be a role model. That being said, Blacks Cannot Wait on President Obama to make things better for them. President Obama has written another historic chapter in American history. The shift of cultural acceptance has happened in the political spectrum of this country. The people have spoken by their votes. This will be the second term for President Obama’s administration and his family.

It should be known that even though America still has a Black President the House of Representatives and Congress may still be controlled by Republicans. This will make another four (4) years a challenge to make continued progressive change in our country. The reality is there is still prejudice and racism in America, not in the gross levels that the news media attempts to show. If racism was so bad I do not believe that President Obama would be our President for another four years, voting creates change. This shows that even the media must be scrutinized for their political views and the influence they try to generate in society.

My direction in the blog is: Where do Blacks go from here? Where do Blacks go, what direction economically, educationally and politically should be traveled? Blacks have the best role model that they could have, a Black President and truly unmistakably a Black First Lady in Michelle Obama. The most powerful Black man in the Free world, the Commander in Chief of the most technologically sophisticated and weaponized military in the world. He is a product of the educational system of the United States, struggled in school, was bullied, and not the best student all the time. He shares this with other students as he speaks at schools around the country, and takes the time to build students up to see their potential to become greater than he.

This is the ultimate role model, one who acknowledges his flaws and weaknesses and always works to pull the youth up to pass his accomplishments in the future. So why are too many Blacks still caught in mental and emotional slavery claiming there are no good role models? Even Jacksonville, Florida has a great role model in Mayor Alvin Brown; he is visible in the community, supportive of public education and sets a good example as a father, husband, community activist and supporter of progressive growth for all people, but Blacks should see him as a guide to the importance of education and self-improvement.

Similar actions and events took place in1964, Cleveland OH in a different venue, but with the same challenges for Blacks. What has happened to The Negro Revolt and Where Do We Go From Here? or What Next? This was stated by Malcolm X, the same person who went through a transformation from thug, hustler, drug dealer, gambler and other societal deviations to a man that educated himself, became a father, leader and role model.

Don’t look down on this man, because some of our politicians, priests, preachers, bishops and even educators have past lives that may remain hidden from us. Malcolm X statement that, “In my little humble way of understanding it, it points toward either the ballot or the bullet.” This reference is addressing the political situation of Blacks during the turbulent times of the sixties and seems to be present in the 21st century. What has changed?

During the sixties there was no Barack Obama making eloquent, intellectual and moving speeches there was Adam Clayton Powell Minister Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York, Dr. Martin Luther King, Atlanta, Georgia, Asa Philip Randolph, Jacksonville, Florida, Civil Rights Activist, Rutledge Pearson, Jacksonville, Florida Civil Rights Activist and Reverend Galamison Minister in New York to name a few involved in the school boycotts to eliminate segregated education. These were real people with dedication and a vision to make progressive change to benefit Blacks. Their legacy will live, but too many Blacks have forgotten them.

There have always been role models for Black men and women, but truth be told Blacks must take responsibility and accountability to make progressive change by unifying. Making a commitment that needs to last beyond street protests, religious radicalism, songs, dance, videos, raps and pledges.

The commitment that lasts beyond the doors of churches on Sunday mornings designed to make Blacks “feel good” and accept their plight of second class citizens, diminishing political power, and dwindling economic development. Where do Blacks go now that the jubilation and excitement is over? The time to work is now, the time to establish a vision and mission is now. Civic and community problems still are alive and well, in order to solve these challenges it will take the collective wills and hard work that was found during the 50’s to 80’s. That self-determination seems to have died; evaporated even as the lyrics of “We Shall Over Come” have evaporated from the minds of millions of Blacks because of their perceived freedoms that are as transparent as their abilities to seek to improve themselves. How can a people that died for the right to be educated look down and curse education?

Satisfied in too many cases to live month to month on welfare, food stamps and a third class education. Complaining because they are so use to getting a third class handout that their cries seem to sound like the cries of slaves that accepted their servitude with exuberance and satisfaction. The comments by Malcolm X rings truthful even in the 21st century, “it’s time for us to submerge our differences and realize that it is best for us to first see that we have the same problem, a common problem, a problem that will make you catch hell.” So called Black political leaders complain, blame, degrade and demean President Obama, but my question is after all these years, why have THEY not motivated Blacks to improve their lives instead of blaming President Obama? Why are they not visiting inner city schools, homeless shelters, welfare lines, food stamp facilities to work to give a hand up not lip service and empty promises?

How can our religious leaders lay claim to being like Jesus or disciples when they tear down President Obama, lyrically damning him just as Judas Iscariot sold out Jesus for 30 pieces of gold? President Obama is not Jesus, but he represents our country to the world. He should be respected, held accountable, but not openly disrespected. Why wait for a Black man that is supposed to be the President of the United States, not the President of just Blacks. Many people will disagree with me, but that is the beauty of living in the nation of freedoms, we can agree to disagree and not be jailed, beaten or killed like in other countries.

I agree that President Obama must be held accountable, but he cannot cure all the social ills that plague Blacks. Just as our economy was destroyed by someone else, Blacks have allowed themselves to be castrated physically, psychologically, economically and educationally by blaming others for their inaction, inattention, and ignorance. If you do not believe me, look at our inactive parents that refuse to come to parent-teacher conferences, look at the lack of support for school PTO’s, School Advisory Councils that need parents to participate and support, and listen to the excuses that drown out the cries of screaming babies as girls lay on their backs and make babies, but refuse to respect teachers and learn to read to improve their lives first before spreading their legs to become impregnated and again spreading the same legs to give birth to illegitimate children. Don’t be mad at me for the truth, what would Dr. King say now???

The cycle continues each generation, becoming a slave to welfare and drowning deeper in Hellfare and poverty. Too many Black boys would rather rap, dance, be comedians and sag than engage in learning. They bully their peers that want to be intellectuals, scholars, scientists, educators, politicians. Too many Black young men would rather be hard and ignorant instead of educated and empowered. Anthony Butler, Jr, Founder of E3 Business Group displays a unique change during his transformation in his unique presentation that shows how you can grow from thug to entrepreneurial. This empowering presentation should be seen by all Black youth, “Accuse Yourself of Success!” http://e3businessgroup.com/

Malcolm X made a profound statement that we all catch hell, ”whether you’re educated or illiterate, whether you live on the boulevard or in the alley, you’re going to catch hell.”
“We’re all in the same boat and we all are going to catch the same hell.” The idea is
“If we have differences, let us differ in the closet; when we come out in front, let us not have anything to argue about until we finish making progressive and lasting changes in Black people.

It should not take the death of Trayvon Martin or any more young Black men or women to unify people against injustices in the criminal system and self hatred in our communities. It should not take the threat of cutting welfare, diminishing of food stamps and elimination of governmental handouts for Blacks to finally get they need EDUCATION, Are Blacks like the Hebrews wondering the desert until several generations die before God can use them? IS that to be our legacy for the next centuries?

Blacks Can’t Wait On the President: The President has made numerous speeches to what end?
Blacks have to WANT to change, WANT to work to be better, WANT to have political and economic equality. Until then Blacks will be politically, economically and educationally weak and ignored. Blaming others even those they elect to fix social challenges that are decades old.

Change can only come from within, when Blacks are tired of being beaten into economic slavery of poverty, the slavery of psychological ignorance of accepting failure in schools, enjoying the self destruction of drugs in their communities, the visual slavery of music videos that glorify free sex, cultural violence, the slavery of producing children that are born into ignorance and taught ignorance, will learn ignorance and stay ignorant until they are jailed or killed and companies make money from them as incarcerated slaves… If you are angry good, go out and volunteer at a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, the library to teach people to read. Go to your child’s school and support teachers not curse them out for trying to teach your child. Tutor and mentor a young person, take yourself back to school for a skill or a degree. If you cannot do these simple things to better a better person then you are always a part of the problem and not part of the solution.

The institution of slavery is still present and strong, but instead of the fields there is Hellfare, Drugfare, Sexfare, and denial ending in death and destruction.

Blacks Can’t Wait On The President

William Jackson, M.Ed.
Educator, Speaker,
Mentor, Father
Community Activist