(ThyBlackMan.com) Frantz Fanon, the brilliant psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary, and writer from Martinique titled one of his most influential books The Wretched of the Earth for a good reason. Via the above title, Fanon was issuing a compelling statement that persons of African descent are the most despised population on Earth.
If one can assert that persons of African descent are the most reviled group on Earth, it is reasonable to argue that African-Americans, meaning those who are the descendants of stolen Africans forcibly transported to the North American continent are the most hated among persons of African descent. Sadly, continental Africans and displaced blacks throughout the Caribbean hurl unconscionable insults on black Americans. There is little room to dispute that blacks are considered the lowest of the low.
It appears that the message that blacks occupy the lowest rung of the racial totem pole has reached every population, including Hispanics; a group that many blacks assert could be a potential ally in the fight against white tyranny. Many black political leaders reason that both blacks and Hispanics have a common enemy. This simple observation has led many to view the browning of America as a good thing for blacks as they believe the simple mantra that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Others are not so quick to anoint Hispanics potential allies in blacks new millennium fight against racial bigotry, political chicanery, and institutionalized racism.
One can only imagine that blacks who resist every insinuation that a modern-day black and brown alliance that reminds one of the partnerships forged between the Black Panther Party of Self-Defense and the Brown Berets during the highly volatile sixties are feeling validated by a recent incident at Escondido High School.
According to local news station KGTV, school administrators allowed seniors to wear white shirts with letters on them to spell pre-approved words during the photo session. The alluded to idea eventually devolved into several students at the overwhelmingly Hispanic High School deciding to arrange themselves to spell the word “Nigger.”
Predictably, school administrators and alumni have taken significant issue with the incident.
To her credit, Escondido High School Principal Adriana Lepe-Ramirez issued the following statement designed to calm rising tensions.
“We are a campus that prides itself on inclusion and embraces diversity. We will not tolerate actions that send messages of racism and promote divisiveness. We will work with students, as well as staff, to ensure a respectful and safe environment is maintained throughout our campus.”
I am confident that Principal Adriana Lepe-Ramirez understands the volatility of this situation. More importantly, I hope that this community realizes that they have a problem that extends further than most are comfortable acknowledging.
The problem that this community needs to address is how their children picked up the ugly virus of racial bigotry. As we well know racial bigotry provides a broad avenue for Hispanics suffering from the affliction to mimic the thoughts, behaviors, and intentions of those who have tied their citizenship to efforts to fight against the browning of America. Unfortunately for many “white patriots,” their understanding and articulation of patriotism have become indiscernible from verbal and physical expressions of racial bigotry.
If nothing else, the poor decisions made by the students of Escondido High School does prove that they have discovered one of the central pillars to American thought; that being, blacks are to be vilified, mocked and disrespected at every turn. The above actions and thought patterns serve as a crucial piece of how new immigrants shed their ethnic identity, political priorities, and history to gain a seat at a table previously reserved for “whites” that were repulsed by their presence. Malcolm X spoke about the formative steps in this transference from Irish to “white”, Polish to “white”, Russian to “white”, and Italian to “white” when he remarked that the first word that the poor, huddled masses of Europe learned prior to exiting Ellis Island was the word “Nigger!”
One can only muse about what it means to see Hispanic students who have been assaulted in a host of ways by the white bigots whose viewpoints they have unfortunately adopted in regards to Black America.
If nothing else, one could argue that at least they are learning that the way to rally your population for efforts at politico-economic uplift is to use blacks as a hated “other.” After all, the hatred that all American groups, including continental Africans, have heaped on blacks has provided an avenue for them to mobilize enough politico-economic currency to rise above a still politically disorganized and economically foolish Black America.
Staff Writer; Dr. James Thomas Jones III
Official website; http://www.ManhoodRaceCulture.com
One may also connect with this brother via Twitter; DrJamestJones.