Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ol America Should Become More Racist.

May 18, 2015 by  
Filed under Education, News, Opinion, Politics, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Two weeks ago, our First Lady, Michelle Obama seemed to have caused a hornet’s nest of controversy with her graduation speech to the students of Tuskegee University.  She was the wrong messenger, with the wrong message, at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

It was very difficult to listen to our First Lady rant on about the travails of being the first Black First Lady.  She travels around the world on a private jet, has maids and housekeepers at her beck and call, has a security detail and sends her kids to one of the most expensive private schools in the U.S.

But yet her speech centered on how racist America is.

Somehow she failed to talk about how America is racists enough to elect a Black man to be president; America is racist enough to create super wealthy people like Dave Steward, Oprah Winfrey, and Bob Johnson; America is racist enough to have a Black attorney general; America is racist enough to have a Black who owns a professional basketball team (Michael Jordan); America is racist enough to have over 200 Black owned newspapers; America is racist enough to have over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Though these students were about to receive their university degrees, they seemed totally unaware that many of those coming behind them may never have the chance to finish their degrees or it may take them longer to receive and might be more costly because of Obama’s husband. MichelleObama-2015

Mrs. Obama received several thunderous applauses during her speech, but there was no mention of the devastation reeked upon HBCUs by the policies of her husband’s administration.  Based on conservative estimates, HBCUs have lost $ 150 million in funding during his presidency which has caused at least 28,000 Black students to drop out of school due to lack of money.

Obama was right, America does have a racist past and some of its vestiges continue rear its ugly head on occasion.  Slavery and racism are still the biggest blemishes on American history; but because we are Americans and showed resolve, we also have one helluva story of redemption to tell. We have come a long way from the days of slavery and Jim Crow. We have Blacks making millions of dollars in sports, music, business, science, and education.  Blacks have been to the moon and back.  And did I mention, we even have a Black president?

This graduation should have been a time for Obama to inspire and motivate these students about the best of America; to challenge them to take up the mantle of progress and take it even further.  She could have used America’s racist past to celebrate our nation’s journey down the path toward redemption.

Now juxtapose Obama’s speech with that of actor Denzel Washington.  Earlier this month he spoke to the graduating class of Dillard University in New Orleans, LA, another HBCU.  Obama’s speech was just over 26 minutes; Washington’s was just over 12 minutes.

Washington gave one of the best graduation speeches I have ever heard; it was very powerful and motivational.  His speech centered on his faith in God and his realization that many, many people are responsible for the success he has attained in his life.  His achievements were not his alone.

He challenged the students to “put God first in everything you do;” to be humble and try to make a difference in other people’s lives; not to just be about material gain for oneself.

I sometimes think liberals continually want to obsess about America’s racist past and conservatives continually want to obsess about pretending that America has no racist past.

We should all be able to agree that America has come a long way over the past two hundred years or so.  America is not as bad as it used to be and not as good as it can be.

So, my problem with Obama’s speech was she chose the wrong time, place, and message for the occasion.

Washington’s speech made you want to go out and make America better, whereas Obama’s speech made you want to condem America’s very existence.

If liberals like Obama continue to think America is such a terrible, racist country despite all that America has given to her and her family; I can only hope America becomes even more racist.

Staff Writer; Raynard Jackson

Mr. Jackson is also founder of a political and industrial consultant firm which is based in Washington, DC; Raynard Jackson & Associates.

One may also follow him on Facebook;
http://www.facebook.com/raynard.jackson.12 and Twitter; http://twitter.com/Raynard1223.


Comments

7 Responses to “Ol America Should Become More Racist.”
  1. hassan aziz says:

    thanks DECARTERO….. TRUE DAT!!!

  2. DCARTER910 says:

    Jdean,

    I have a answer for you. Because rich blacks don’t give back. Floyd maywheather isn’t going to buy a basketball team nor is he going to start a college fund. Blacks don’t support blacks. Obama complains about racism but blacks have the highest unemployment under him and he does more for the lgbt and Hispanic community than us. Also by legalizing millions of Hispanics and welcoming more over, black power and influence in America is disappearing at an a alarming rate. If the billions of dollars in the hands of wealthy blacks came back to our communities then there would be a difference. That’s not the white mans doing but selfish self hating blacks with money and influence.

  3. jdean says:

    Where does it lead us; To having our own and getting our own league’s. The audience will come, black or white or mexican, look at Floyd Mayweather, who owns his own promotion company. What about the BET awards is that audience non black mostly , nope. We don’t need anyone. TSCAn why did you take that point from my response, which was a supporting point to my main point which is racism doesn’t stop because we have a few successful black people. And most blacks don’t stop striving and going for success because of racism. Add more depth to your response instead of talking about 95% irrelevancy stuff. All I meant is that if we are the majority of the product then why is the ownership only have one black man, Michael Jordan. Its no coincidence , its a slave- master relationship mentality.

  4. Tscan says:

    Jdean, then why shouldn’t 95% of the audience be black? Do you see where this line of reasoning leads? Do you?

  5. Sam Starr says:

    When we discount a person’s life story we are not being honest. She spoke of the adversaries that she has faced in all of her endeavors; where did she state that it stopped her progress? She recanted the constant unfair criticisms she recieves regardless of what good she does; where did she say it stopped her? She gave a lesson on the things that we as Blacks have to contend with in our very lives; where did she says it stops us? If would be remiss of her to give America’s forgotten children hope without caution… Furthermore, researched more of Denzel Washington and his career AND public speaking. He has spoken on several occasions about the very thing that First Lady Michelle Obama spoke of to students abroud, alike, an unalike… Kool-Aid is sweet for a reason my brother.

  6. jdean says:

    You are one of those people who thinks that because we have made strides and have a few people in power that racism has slowed down or we must not continue to tackle racism as a strong problem in this country. No . These few exceptions prove the rule of racism is to give us a few people like obama, oprah, holder , Jordan to make the racist system look like it works for blacks as a whole, No Raynard , No. You are smarter than that. IF 95% percent of the NBA is black why shouldn’t 95 percent of the owners be black. We are the best at sports yet we have no stake in it. So Raynard why are you misleading us. We should be the most represented group on television, sports, and music. Have more pride for your people. You sound like an Uncle Tom bro!!!!!

  7. James Davis says:

    You are right, there is still a lot wrong with America when it comes to the problem of race and Obama’s record when it comes to HBCU’s, nevertheless as you indicated there are also great opportunities. However, you must never neglect the need to positively correct what is wrong with this country when it is appropriate, because by doing this you also contribute to the greatness that America could be.

    Criticism is never wrong when it is just, as the target of the criticism, if corrected, makes America and indeed the world a better place for everyone.

    http://www.thefixthistime.com

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