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	<title>Education &#8211; ThyBlackMan.com</title>
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		<title>Inside The Debate Over Ideology And Extremism On College Campuses.</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/05/01/ideological-echo-chambers-education-political-violence-analysis/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 05:05:46 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[A deep look at how ideological uniformity in higher education may influence political division, moral certainty, and extreme beliefs in modern society.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) Much has been made of the advanced education of the latest would-be assassin of President Donald Trump, whom the suspect described in a manifesto as a &#8220;pedophile,&#8221; &#8220;rapist&#8221; and &#8220;traitor.&#8221; He graduated from the California Institute of Technology, one of the most selective schools in the country.</p>
<p>As to Caltech, Daniel McCarthy of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute writes: &#8220;In the most recent City Journal college rankings, Caltech took the top spot for &#8216;value added to career,&#8217; but languished at a dismal 95th place for &#8216;student ideological diversity.&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;The rankings noted the school&#8217;s &#8216;disproportionately large Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion bureaucracy&#8217; — with &#8216;roughly ten DEI staff members per 1,000 students&#8217; — and its &#8216;overwhelmingly liberal&#8217; student body, &#8217;16 liberal students for every conservative.'&#8221;</p>
<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-139561" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ideology-And-Extremism.png" alt="Inside The Debate Over Ideology And Extremism On College Campuses." width="579" height="210" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ideology-And-Extremism.png 579w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ideology-And-Extremism-300x109.png 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ideology-And-Extremism-450x163.png 450w" sizes="(max-width: 579px) 100vw, 579px" /></p>
<p>Education, by itself, is not the problem. The problem is something else: ideological certainty reinforced in environments where dissenting views are scarce.</p>
<p>In 2024, The Duke Chronicle wrote: &#8220;In the Harvard Crimson&#8217;s spring 2023 faculty survey, 31.8% of respondents drawn from Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences identified as &#8216;very liberal,&#8217; while 45.3% of respondents identified as &#8216;liberal.&#8217; Fewer than 3% of respondents identified as &#8216;conservative&#8217; (2.5%) or &#8216;very conservative&#8217; (0.4%).&#8221;</p>
<p>What happens when smart people are surrounded mostly by others who think the same way? Often, it produces not wisdom, but moral certainty — an unshakable belief that one&#8217;s conclusions are not just correct, but righteous.</p>
<p>A survey from the Skeptic Research Center suggested those with graduate degrees are nearly twice as likely to believe &#8220;violence is often necessary to create social change.&#8221; The Skeptic Research Center wrote: &#8220;In the politically tumultuous Summer of 2020, PEW reported the results of a survey indicating that 80 percent of Americans have &#8216;none&#8217; or &#8216;just a few&#8217; friends with political views different from their own. A few years later, the American Psychiatric Association found that around 20 percent of Americans had become estranged from family due to political disagreements, with an additional 20 percent skipping family events because of political disagreements. Another recent study found that around 1 in 6 Americans have ended or considered ending a romantic relationship because of a political disagreement.&#8221;</p>
<p>My closest friend — someone I had known for more than 40 years — ended our friendship over Trump. A law professor, he received a perfect score on his SAT. He has a son with special needs. But he became convinced that Trump had mocked a disabled reporter out of cruelty.</p>
<p>I explained that Trump did mock the reporter, but not because of the reporter&#8217;s disability. Trump ridiculed the reporter because, in Trump&#8217;s opinion, the reporter distanced himself from his own article when Trump used it to corroborate an assertion Trump made that on 9/11, some Muslims in New Jersey were seen cheering the collapse of the Twin Towers. I referred my friend to a website called Catholics4Trump with a video from several other instances where Trump used his hand waving &#8220;mocking&#8221; gesture to make fun of himself, an able-bodied general and others.</p>
<p>&#8220;Why,&#8221; I asked my friend, &#8220;would I support someone who would do such a thing? Why would his supporters? And what politician would think it is a good idea to get votes by mocking a disabled person?&#8221;</p>
<p>But this narrative stuck. In 2016, before the election, NBC News wrote: &#8220;When asked in a recent Bloomberg poll what bothered them most about Donald Trump — of a slew of controversies — likely voters picked one action above all others: When the candidate mocked a reporter with a disability last November.&#8221;</p>
<p>Trump, of course, denied the accusation and insisted he was unaware of the reporter&#8217;s disability. The reporter, in fact, is a calm, articulate speaker who does not wave his hands in the comic fashion as Trump did.</p>
<p>None of this mattered to my friend. And it struck me. Once someone, no matter how intelligent or well-educated, is invested in hating Trump, no amount of information or alternative explanation would make him unhate Trump.</p>
<p>As to the would-be assassin, the question is not how much he learned, but whether he ever learned to question his beliefs — and whether in his environment this was encouraged, tolerated or punished.</p>
<p>Columnist; <strong>Larry Elder</strong></p>
<p><em>Official website</em>; <a href="http://www.larryelder.com/">http://www.larryelder.com</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Marxist Left Projection Tactics Threaten Free Speech And Democracy Debate.</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/04/28/marxist-left-projection-tactics-free-speech-democracy-debate/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 04:12:48 +0000</pubDate>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://thyblackman.com/?p=139483</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Commentary argues the political left uses projection, censorship, and intimidation tactics on college campuses while accusing opponents of authoritarian behavior.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) <span class="s1">Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at Oklahoma State University for their Young America&#8217;s Foundation (YAF) speakers series. The topic was &#8220;American Sovereignty: The Constitution and Illegal Immigration.&#8221;</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">One would think that a college and university campus would be a place where diverse insights, perspectives, and debate would occur. Quite the contrary. Once again, I was informed by the conservative students at OSU that they had their event flyers torn down, hand cards tossed into the trash, and sidewalk chalking erased. As well, we heard the news about a DHS attorney who was scheduled to speak at the UCLA Law School, only to be met with disgusting rhetoric from those seeking to prevent him from speaking. There were accounts of death threats, all because he works for a federal government agency responsible for our homeland security.</span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-139484" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/leftists2026_upscaled.jpg" alt="Marxist Left Projection Tactics Threaten Free Speech And Democracy Debate." width="644" height="484" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/leftists2026_upscaled.jpg 644w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/leftists2026_upscaled-300x225.jpg 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/leftists2026_upscaled-280x210.jpg 280w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/leftists2026_upscaled-560x420.jpg 560w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/leftists2026_upscaled-450x338.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">Yet, with all this, we hear the incessant ranting from the Marxist leftists castigating others as fascists. Consider a domestic terrorist organization, Antifa, which says that they are anti-fascists, yet they assault those with whom they disagree. And we all recall Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk having a debate on a college campus on the issue of leftist gun violence, only to be shot while the leftist was trying to say leftist gun violence does not exist.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">All this, and more, comes to represent a highly disturbing tactic by the Marxist Left of projecting their abhorrent behavior on their political opposition. The entire intent is to dehumanize and disparage their opposition to insanely justify their violent actions.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">When you are constantly referring to someone as a threat to our democracy (message to leftists, America is a Constitutional Republic), you make them a target. Yet, when you consider the actions of leftists, it is clear that they are a threat to our representative democracy and Republic.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">It is the Left that is threatening our representative democracy. Their open-borders policy that led to millions of illegal immigrants entering our country doesn&#8217;t just pose a threat to our safety and security; it undermines our electoral process. Leftists demanding that illegal immigrants be counted as part of our census, which will tip the scales for representation, is certainly a threat. Leftists being vehemently opposed to the SAVE America Act, preventing anyone not an American citizen from registering to vote and actually voting, damages our electoral process. Yet, they call others, 80-plus percent of Americans, white supremacists, racists, and other denigrating monikers in order to fearmonger opposition into silence.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">Leftists always point to others as authoritarians, yet they were the ones who told healthy Americans that they could not leave their homes. They, as in Minnesota, set up call-in lines to enable neighbors to report fellow citizens. They forced people to take a certain shot, regardless of their health, and threatened them with the loss of their jobs. And we all know that many businesses were forced to shut down, and our children suffered due to schools being closed.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">In Virginia, we witnessed a violation of the law to create an authoritarian redistricting system. In countless leftist states, there is zero or minimal congressional representation for the political opposition to the Left. It is rather disconcerting that some 48 percent in Virginia voted against the redistricting plan, and if it were to go forward, they would be told that they would only have 10 percent congressional representation. Leftists point to Texas, but in the Lone Star State, they did not seek to eradicate the congressional representation of the political opposition. It was legally aligned with the electoral patronage and voting in the state.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">Whenever leftists are held accountable for their actions, the response is that the government is being weaponized. That is the rambling in response to the criminal indictments against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which does nothing to combat poverty in the South. It is nothing more than a nonprofit hitman for leftist ideological agendas.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">Any conservative organization that is not in compliance with the Marxist plan is demonized as a hate group. There is no debate that SPLC has committed wire fraud, yet, Sen. Chuck Schumer has redefined the DOJ as the Department of Vengeance. The hypocrisy is laughable when you consider how the Biden administration targeted Catholic Churches, labeled and targeted parents as domestic terrorists, and sought to shut down conservative election integrity organizations. It was not too long ago that Susan Rice spoke of retribution against those who have supported the Trump administration if the leftists win majorities in the midterm elections.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">For some odd reason, Marxists believe that they should be free to do anything and everything that they want to do. It comes back to their mantra of &#8220;by any means necessary.&#8221;</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">I find it quite rich that Marxists always fall back on the tired reasoning that not supporting Barack Obama is racist. Or not supporting Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris as president was sexist. Yet, it was Joe Biden who told Blacks who did not vote for him that they were not Black. Conservative women were told by Madeleine Albright that there was a special place in hell for them not voting for Hillary Clinton.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">It is time we realize that the Marxist leftists seek to project their behavior, their actions, on their political opposition in order to shift the narrative. They do so to create an atmosphere of censorship and also to demean their opposition to a point that they are seen as inhuman. When Marxists continually refer to their opposition as Nazis, racists, extremists, fascists, authoritarians, and other characterizations that align with their ideology, it has a purpose. SPLC placed the Family Research Council (FRC) on its hate-group list. The result? An armed man entered the lobby with Chick-fil-A sandwiches with the intent to kill. He did shoot the security guard.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">This is not a game; it is actually a long-standing tactic of leftists, and history evidences such. We cannot allow a repeat of this tactic in our America. Marxism foments hatred, and it is happening here, being socioeconomic angst against those designated as &#8220;rich,&#8221; truly meaning those who are wealthy but not leftist. Against those who do not agree with gender dysphoria and the mutilation of our children. Against those who would preserve life, born and unborn. Against those who embrace the rule of law and support our border security.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">Basically, against anyone who is not a Marxist leftist. That is not America. We have freedom of religion, speech, expression, conscience, to peaceably assemble, to petition our government for redress of grievances, and political association. If doing so results in denigration and disparagement, then, as history has shown, the Marxist leftist ideology is not compatible with our Constitutional principles, values, and liberties.</span></p>
<p>Written by<strong> Allen West</strong></p>
<p><em>Official website</em>; <a href="https://x.com/AllenWest">https://x.com/AllenWest</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Donald Trump Rejects Child Care Funding as War Spending Hits Record Highs.</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/04/12/trump-child-care-funding-defense-spending-head-start-debate/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert J. Walker]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 01:52:51 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[President Donald Trump argues states should fund child care while proposing massive increases in military spending. A closer look at Head Start, war costs, and national priorities.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) During a private Easter luncheon at the White House, President Donald Trump made his position on child care funding unmistakably clear. He told attendees that he told Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought: “Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care. That has to be up to a state. We can’t take care of day care. We’re a big country. We have 50 states. We have all these other people. We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care. You got to let a state take care of day care, and they should pay for it too.”</p>
<p>Later in his remarks, Trump said, “It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal. We have to take care of one thing: military protection. We have to guard the country.”</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter  wp-image-139261" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Project-headstart-No-King-Rally-photo.png" alt="Photo of me, in center, holding a sign I made and carried during the first No Kings protest (June 14, 2025). Photo by author." width="611" height="609" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Project-headstart-No-King-Rally-photo.png 1028w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Project-headstart-No-King-Rally-photo-300x300.png 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Project-headstart-No-King-Rally-photo-1024x1020.png 1024w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Project-headstart-No-King-Rally-photo-150x150.png 150w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Project-headstart-No-King-Rally-photo-768x765.png 768w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Project-headstart-No-King-Rally-photo-450x448.png 450w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Project-headstart-No-King-Rally-photo-780x777.png 780w" sizes="(max-width: 611px) 100vw, 611px" /></p>
<h3><strong>What Trump Calls “Day Care”</strong></h3>
<p>The “day care” that Trump was complaining about is Project Head Start—the early childhood federal program in the U.S. that promotes school readiness for children from low-income families from birth to age 5. Project Head Start was created in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” to break the cycle of poverty by providing comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and social services to low-income preschool children, while engaging parents as partners. It aimed to prepare disadvantaged children for school and support families. The program serves over a million children annually across the nation. For fiscal year 2026, Head Start and Early Head Start are funded at <strong>$12.36 billion</strong>.</p>
<p>Trump calls it “day care.”   Reducing Head Start to “day care” is not just inaccurate—it diminishes its purpose.  Dr. Mary Palmer, retired director of the child care centers at Southwest Community College in Memphis, with 40 years of experience in childcare, states that programs caring for children, “it is not ‘day care’ but ‘child care’. We don’t take care of the ‘day’, we take care of the ‘child’.</p>
<h3><strong>The Cost of War vs. The Cost of Children</strong></h3>
<p>Based on estimates from early March 2026, the United States is spending approximately <em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/us-israel-war-with-iran-how-much-does-it-really-cost/video-76534561#:~:text=Beyond%20the%20human%20toll%20and,where%20the%20money%20is%20going.&amp;text=The%20United%20States%20is%20estimated,where%20the%20money%20is%20going.">$1 billion a day</a></em> on military operations against Iran. And the first six days of the war (beginning around Feb 28, 2026) were estimated to have cost over<em> <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/iran-war-cost-estimate-update-113-billion-day-6-165-billion-day-12#:~:text=Iran%20War%20Cost%20Estimate%20Update,Experts">$11.3 billion</a></em> in munitions and direct costs. In other words, one week of the war with Iran can pay for an entire year of Head Start. This contrast raises a stark question: what does the federal government consider essential?</p>
<h3><strong>Project 2025 and the Push to Eliminate Head Start</strong></h3>
<p>Perhaps Trump’s got the idea to eliminate “day care” from Project 2025.  Project 2025 has emerged as the guidebook, or the bible of Trump’s second term. The recommendation to eliminate the Head Start program is found in Chapter 14 of the Project 2025 <em>Mandate for Leadership</em> document, specifically on page 482. The text explicitly calls to <a href="https://www.thegravelygroup.com/blog/what-does-project-2025-say-about-head-start/#:~:text=That%20chapter%20on%20The%20Department,mask%20requirements%20should%20be%20rescinded.">“<em>Eliminate the Head Start program</em>”</a> along with the entire Office of Head Start (OHS). The rationale given in Project 2025 for the elimination of Head Start is that it has “little or no long-term academic value for children.”  This statement is false.</p>
<p>According to research done by Economists Dr. Martha J Bailey of the University of California-Los Angeles, and Dr. Brenden Timpe of the University of Nebraska, “<em><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9005064/">Project Head Start</a></em> provides significant long-term academic and life benefits, particularly for disadvantaged children, by increasing high school graduation rates, boosting college enrollment and completion (up to 39% more likely), and increasing the likelihood of earning post-secondary degrees or certifications. It reduces grade retention and improves adult economic self-sufficiency, including higher employment rates and lower poverty.”</p>
<h3><strong>Bombs or Babies?</strong></h3>
<p>During the first day of the war, the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls&#8217; elementary school in Minab, Iran, was bombed by the United States Armed Forces using a Tomahawk missile.  Over 150 people were killed, including at least 120 schoolgirls aged between 7 and 12, along with teachers and parents.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Trump said in a post on his <em><a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116363336033995961">Truth Social</a></em> that he will destroy the entire Iranian civilization. &#8220;A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to ?happen, but it probably will.&#8221;  There are approximately <em><a href="https://iranian-studies.stanford.edu/publications/irans-population-dynamics-and-demographic-window-opportunity#:~:text=According%20to%20Iran's%20birth%20registry,1.5%20million%20births%20per%20year.">6 million</a></em> children aged birth to 5 in Iran who are the age of children served by Head Start in the U.S. Trump threaten to kill all 6 million of them.</p>
<p>The Trump administration is now seeking a record-breaking <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpu-BlTRjuw#:~:text=The%20White%20House%2C%20in%20its%20budget%20request,Digital%20is%20your%20daily%20source%20of%20breaking">$1.5 trillion</a></em> in defense spending for the 2027 fiscal year to fund military operations, including the conflict with Iran, representing a massive 40% increase in military spending. Reports indicate an additional <em><a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-us-pentagon-972ec1bd956a2c3633e6ab7fff389791">$200 billion</a></em> in supplemental funding was initially requested for the Iran war. $200 billion could fund the Head Start program for more than 15 years.</p>
<h3><strong>A Question of National Priorities</strong></h3>
<p>It seems that we have an administration that appears to be more concerned about bombs than it is about babies. The contrast is difficult to ignore. On one hand, a domestic program that nurtures the development, health, and future opportunity of vulnerable children faces elimination. On the other hand, military expenditures continue to expand at historic levels. The issue is not simply about budgets—it is about values. What does it mean for a nation to claim it “can’t afford” early childhood investment while committing vast resources to war? At what point does prioritizing military strength come at the expense of human development? In the end, the debate comes down to a fundamental choice: Should national power be measured primarily by the strength of its weapons—or by the well-being of its children?</p>
<p>Staff Writer; <strong>Dr.</strong> <strong>Robert J. Walker</strong></p>
<div><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Robert J. Walker is an Army veteran and a retired educator. He is the author of </span><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSWR7PHT?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_1N8HPK084VX6Y8Z7F3AE&amp;ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_1N8HPK084VX6Y8Z7F3AE&amp;social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_1N8HPK084VX6Y8Z7F3AE&amp;bestFormat=true"><em>Stealing Public Education &#8211; The Case Against Charter Schools and School Vouchers</em></a></strong> and <em><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1794852050?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_BDFQ5YQEC17P7KSR9ANZ&amp;ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_BDFQ5YQEC17P7KSR9ANZ&amp;social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_BDFQ5YQEC17P7KSR9ANZ&amp;bestFormat=true">12 Characteristics of an Effective Teacher</a></strong></em><i>. </i></div>
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		<title>Black Leaders Continue To Fail The Black Community.</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/03/30/black-leaders-continue-to-fail-the-black-community/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Raynard Jackson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:15:27 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[An analysis of liberalism, the Democrat Party, and the Black community in America, arguing that old political strategies are failing in a modern digital world and new approaches are needed.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) As my followers know, I have been and am very critical of my Black community, especially the media appointed Black leaders and organizations.</p>
<p>We face a myriad of problems in the U.S. and within the Black community.</p>
<p>One of the biggest problems facing America is that we have been “misdiagnosed” not only by our political leaders, but also by our governing institutions.</p>
<p>If you are misdiagnosed, you will be given the wrong prescription to cure the said problem.</p>
<p>Herein lies the problem in America and most pronounced within the Black community.</p>
<p>Allow me to go back to my Oral Roberts University roots to properly diagnose our illness.</p>
<p>I am reminded of my good buddy Daniel and our many conversations over the millennia.</p>
<p>In the fifth chapter of the book of<em> <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=daniel%205&amp;version=KJV">Daniel</a></em> it tells the story of the King of Babylon, Belshazzar and the hand writing on the wall.  Daniel was considered the wise man of the Kingdom who had the blessing of God upon his life.</p>
<p>No one was able to interpret the handwriting on the wall until the King summoned Daniel.</p>
<p>The king promised Daniel he would be third in line to the kingdom if he were able to interpret the handwriting on the wall.</p>
<p>In <em><a href="https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/mene-mene-tekel-upharsin-meaning">Daniel 5:25-27</a></em>, “And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin…This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it…Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”</p>
<p>In a similar manner, liberalism has been on trial for the past fifty years in America and more specifically in the Black community.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-139024" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-3.png" alt="Black Leaders Continue To Fail The Black Community." width="850" height="247" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-3.png 1271w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-3-300x87.png 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-3-1024x297.png 1024w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-3-768x223.png 768w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-3-450x131.png 450w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-3-780x226.png 780w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" /></p>
<p>Liberalism of the past fifty years has damaged America and has devastated the Black community!</p>
<p>Paraphrasing Daniel, liberalism has been tried and is finished.  It has been weighed in the balances and has been found wanting. And now the unfettered support of the Democrat Party by Blacks is slowly being stripped away from the radical liberal racist whites of America.</p>
<p>These radical liberal white racist have injected feminism into our Black women, homosexuality into our Black churches, and turned unfettered abortion into a perverse form of birth control.</p>
<p>Liberalism has further destroyed the Black community with non-performing schools, out of wedlock childbirth, and the total decimation of the entrepreneurial class with more government regulations, increased minimum wage, and out of control tax rates.</p>
<p>Democrats, like King Belshazzar, are incapable of reading the handwriting on the wall.</p>
<p>Democrats have had several recent versions of Daniel, ones who could properly interpret the handwriting on the wall for the party, but they have shunned them.</p>
<p>Pennsylvania senator, John Fetterman and political strategist James Carville have both been very critical of the Democrat Party being high jacked by the far left of their party.</p>
<p>During a recent hit on <em><a href="https://www.wfmd.com/2026/03/25/john-fetterman-under-fire-from-fellow-democrats-breaks-with-the-partys-dictates-and-often-sides-with-trump/">Fox News</a>,</em> Fetterman discussed why he voted to confirm new Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin.  “I believe in a very secure border…We also agreed that we should deport all of the criminals. My friend Markwayne and I, we agree on that…The Democrat Party is motivated by Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).”</p>
<p>Carville’s diagnosis of the <em><a href="https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/07/22/james-carville-slams-democrats-cracked-out-clown-car-n4941996">Democrat Party</a></em> is, “Constipated. Leaderless. Confused. A cracked-out clown car. Divided. These are the words I hear my fellow Democrats using to describe our party as of late. The truth is they’re not wrong: The Democratic Party is in shambles.”</p>
<p>Fetterman and Carville have both sounded the alarm to any and everyone in the Democrat Party who will listen.</p>
<p>They have rightly given the Democrat Party the right interpretation of the handwriting on the wall, to no avail!</p>
<p>Each have blown the horn on the radical leftward drift of their party.  According to them, Democrats continue to support radical open borders, radical homosexual and transexual policies, higher taxes, etc.</p>
<p>Radical liberal Black Democrats and their weak organizations are still bringing an analogue mentality to a digital political world.</p>
<p>Marching and singing We Shall Overcome was good for the sixties and seventies; but in the twenty first century, they are tired and worn out.</p>
<p>Calling white folks racists has lost its mojo.  Blaming the legacy of slavery and systemic racism no longer resonates with the American people.   Dying on the hill of DEI is no longer productive.</p>
<p>Slavery was and will always be America’s original sin; but no one alive today owned any slaves and whites are rightfully tired of being beaten across the head over something they had nothing to do with.</p>
<p>If you have a disagreement with those who support the elimination of DEI, calling them a racist is not going to make them open to hearing your point of view.</p>
<p>The reason I have been able to successfully navigate being in the Republican Party is that I have come to understand the Powell doctrine.</p>
<p>Former secretary of state, Colin Powell advocated and promoted the principle of constructive engagement.  He applied this principle not only to foreign policy, but also his approach to life.</p>
<p>Constructive engagement meant talking and building relationships with those you oppose and disagree with.</p>
<p>I am not always able to get Republicans to change their view on policies that I disagree with them on; but I have on many occasions been able to get them to moderate their views on some issues.  In many instances, getting someone to moderate on certain positions is just as good as a victory.</p>
<p>I challenge my readers, especially my Democrat readers to name me one issue Democrats have ever moderated on to bring Republicans towards their side.</p>
<p>To Democrats, you must move to their side or be called a racist; you must give up your moral values to prove that you are not a right-wing nut—like abortion; you must support homosexuality to prove you are inclusive.</p>
<p>You can not philosophically disagree with radical Black liberals and still be a good person.  You must give up your value system to prove you are a person of goodwill.</p>
<p>Liberalism has failed by any and all objective measures, so why Blacks continue fighting for more of the same is crazy to me.</p>
<p>Continuing to use a dial-up modem to access digital content is like asking Americans to give up their cars and go back to the horse and buggy days.  Not going to happen.</p>
<p>Blacks have not changed their approach to advocacy since the civil rights days.</p>
<p>We are living in a digital world with Black folks trying to solve problems with analogue solutions.</p>
<p class="" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;}">Staff Writer; <strong>Raynard Jackson</strong></p>
<p class="" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;}">This talented brother is a Pulitzer Award nominated columnist and founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (<em>BAFBF</em>), a federally registered 527 Super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit <a tabindex="0" href="http://www.bafbf.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}"><b>www.bafbf.org</b></a>. You can follow Raynard on <em>Twitter</em>; <strong><a tabindex="0" href="https://twitter.com/RealRaynardJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}">RealRaynardJ</a>; </strong>on <em>Gett</em>r: <a tabindex="0" href="https://gettr.com/user/raynardjackson" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}"><strong>Raynard</strong><strong>Jackson</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>
<p class="" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;}">Can also drop him an email at; <strong><a tabindex="0" href="mailto:RaynardJ@ThyBlackMan.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-t="{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}">RaynardJ@ThyBlackMan.com</a></strong>.</p>
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		<title>AI Is Replacing Jobs Faster Than Workers Can Retrain And Black Workers Face The Highest Risk,</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/03/25/ai-is-replacing-jobs-faster-than-workers-can-retrain-and-black-workers-face-the-highest-risk/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:30:25 +0000</pubDate>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://thyblackman.com/?p=138962</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Amazon job cuts and AI driven layoffs could hit Black workers hardest as automation reshapes clerical, warehouse, and support roles while widening racial wealth gaps]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) When Amazon cuts 30,000 jobs and Black workers hold nearly 20% of the roles being eliminated while making up just 13% of the workforce, that is not a coincidence. That is a pattern. And it is accelerating.</p>
<p>The layoffs are part of a broader AI driven economic shift that is already reshaping who works, who advances, and who is left behind. And by every measurable indicator, African American workers are among the most exposed.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-138964" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AireplaceJobs.png" alt="AI Is Replacing Jobs Faster Than Workers Can Retrain And Black Workers Face The Highest Risk." width="705" height="294" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AireplaceJobs.png 1384w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AireplaceJobs-300x125.png 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AireplaceJobs-1024x427.png 1024w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AireplaceJobs-768x320.png 768w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AireplaceJobs-450x188.png 450w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AireplaceJobs-780x325.png 780w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px" /></p>
<p>Bureau of Labor Statistics data show Black workers account for nearly 20% of clerical and administrative support roles despite being just 13% of the workforce. This matters because African Americans remain overrepresented in the exact job categories AI is replacing. Amazon diversity reports show Black employees make up a large share of fulfillment and support roles but less than 8% of technical positions.</p>
<p>Across many of Amazon’s core business units including warehousing, logistics, and transportation, Black workers are overrepresented by as much as 30–40% in certain metro areas, while remaining significantly underrepresented in software, data science, and AI engineering roles.</p>
<p>The economic consequences of such disparities are severe. The median Black household has $44,900 in wealth, compared to $285,000 for white households, according to the Federal Reserve’s latest Survey of Consumer Finances. And Black workers who experience layoffs take longer to find new jobs and face larger post-layoff wage penalties than white workers with similar credentials.</p>
<p>AI-driven displacement threatens to widen these gaps. A 2024 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research found workers displaced by automation experience earnings losses of 20–30% lasting more than a decade, with the steepest losses concentrated among Black workers without access to retraining or internal mobility.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, corporate investment in reskilling lags far behind automation spending. The World Economic Forum reports that while 60% of companies expect AI to eliminate roles, fewer than 25% have retraining pipelines tied to guaranteed job placement. Amazon’s own upskilling programs reach only a fraction of the workers most at risk.</p>
<p>Lawmakers should respond aggressively to reduce harm to Black workers. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, currently the nation’s only Black governor understands the threats AI can pose for African American workers.</p>
<p>In his recent State of the State address, Governor Moore pointed directly to artificial intelligence as one of the defining forces reshaping the economy, arguing that AI will determine who has access to opportunity in the next generation and who is left behind. Moore framed AI not simply as a technological breakthrough, but as a workforce challenge that demands intentional public investment, emphasizing that states must prepare workers for AI-driven change rather than react after jobs disappear. He stressed that innovation without inclusion will deepen inequality, and that the government has a responsibility to ensure emerging technologies expand opportunity rather than concentrate it.</p>
<p>Moore’s remarks underscore the stakes for Black America. If AI policy focuses only on productivity gains while ignoring who occupies the jobs being automated, displacement will fall hardest on Black communities already facing structural barriers to wealth and mobility. His call to align education, workforce development, and economic growth around emerging technologies underscores the need for targeted investment in institutions that serve Black workers at scale, particularly HBCUs.</p>
<p>HBCUs produce nearly 25% of Black STEM graduates despite receiving a fraction of the funding of predominantly white institutions, and they already serve as trusted on-ramps for first-generation and working-class students into high-demand fields. With targeted investment, HBCUs can rapidly expand programs in data analytics, machine learning, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, and applied AI.</p>
<p>HBCU partnerships can build paid apprenticeships, AI co-ops, and credential pathways that move Black workers from declining roles into growing ones, rather than leaving them to compete in an unequal labor market after displacement.</p>
<p>Every dollar invested in AI labs, faculty, research partnerships, and employer-linked training at HBCUs reduces the risk that Black workers will be permanently locked out of the next economy.</p>
<p>And we must remember that Black representation matters in AI. Currently, less than 5% of American AI professionals are Black. This lack of representation shapes which jobs are automated and which are protected. If African Americans are excluded from AI design, they will be disproportionately left out of its benefits.</p>
<p>Amazon’s layoffs are already history. The question now is whether our policy response moves as fast as the technology did or whether Black workers are still waiting for help when the next round of cuts comes.</p>
<p>Written by<strong> Kevin Harris</strong> &amp; <strong>Richard McDaniel</strong></p>
<p><em>Official website</em>; <a href="https://x.com/MrRichMcDaniel">https://x.com/MrRichMcDaniel</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Book Review; Who Is Charles C. Diggs, Jr.?</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/03/23/book-review-house-of-diggs-marion-orr-review-charles-diggs-jr-black-political-power-detroit/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Starr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 02:48:52 +0000</pubDate>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://thyblackman.com/?p=138871</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A thoughtful review of House of Diggs by Marion Orr, exploring Charles C. Diggs Jr., Black political leadership, Detroit history, civil rights, and the complexity of legacy.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) Marion Orr’s House of Diggs is the kind of political biography that feels personal, especially for Black readers who understand how deeply representation, power, and community are intertwined. This isn’t just a story about a congressman; it’s a story about a man who carried the hopes of Black Detroit, the weight of the civil rights era, and the complicated reality of being a Black leader navigating a system never designed for him. Orr approaches Charles C. Diggs Jr.’s life with a consistent, thoughtful hand, giving readers a portrait that is both honest and deeply human.</p>
<figure id="attachment_138876" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-138876" style="width: 400px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-Diggs-Americas-Consequential-Congressman/dp/1469689324"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-138876" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/House-of-Diggs-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Americas-Most-Consequential-Black-Congressman-Charles-C.-Diggs-Jr.-Justice-Power-and-Politics.jpg" alt="Book Review; Who Is Charles C. Diggs, Jr.?" width="400" height="604" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/House-of-Diggs-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Americas-Most-Consequential-Black-Congressman-Charles-C.-Diggs-Jr.-Justice-Power-and-Politics.jpg 993w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/House-of-Diggs-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Americas-Most-Consequential-Black-Congressman-Charles-C.-Diggs-Jr.-Justice-Power-and-Politics-199x300.jpg 199w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/House-of-Diggs-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Americas-Most-Consequential-Black-Congressman-Charles-C.-Diggs-Jr.-Justice-Power-and-Politics-678x1024.jpg 678w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/House-of-Diggs-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Americas-Most-Consequential-Black-Congressman-Charles-C.-Diggs-Jr.-Justice-Power-and-Politics-768x1160.jpg 768w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/House-of-Diggs-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Americas-Most-Consequential-Black-Congressman-Charles-C.-Diggs-Jr.-Justice-Power-and-Politics-450x680.jpg 450w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/House-of-Diggs-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Americas-Most-Consequential-Black-Congressman-Charles-C.-Diggs-Jr.-Justice-Power-and-Politics-780x1178.jpg 780w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-138876" class="wp-caption-text"><center><b>Click on the Image &#8211; Above</b>!!</center></figcaption></figure>
<p><strong><em>“In 1954 Charles C. Diggs Jr. would become only the fifth Black man elected to Congress since Reconstruction.”</em></strong></p>
<p>For some Black readers, Diggs may be a name we’ve heard in passing—maybe connected to the Congressional Black Caucus, maybe tied to Detroit’s political history—but Orr brings him forward in full color. His is a name young people need to know when mentioning the contribution of Black people in government.  Diggs emerges as a trailblazer who understood early on that political power wasn’t just about holding office; it was about using that office to uplift the people who put you there. Orr shows how Diggs championed civil rights, fought for African nations gaining independence, and pushed for dignity and fairness at a time when Black voices in Congress were few and often dismissed. There’s a sense of pride in seeing how boldly he moved, how he refused to shrink himself, and how he insisted that Black issues were American issues.</p>
<p>However, Orr is honest with the reader, and does not erase the fall, and that’s where the book becomes even more compelling. Diggs’ legal troubles, the accusations, the conviction—Orr lays it all out without sensationalizing it. He invites readers to sit with the complexity. What does it mean when a leader who has done so much good becomes entangled in scandal? How do Black communities reconcile the brilliance of their heroes with their flaws? Orr doesn’t tell readers what to think; he simply presents the full story and allows the weight of it to settle naturally. Unlike some authors is not trying to sway the reader…he wants the reader to think for themselves.</p>
<p><strong><em>“This book shows that Diggs strategically practiced a moderate politics that was quieter than the militant race politics practiced by Powell, more appealing than Dawson’s conservative Chicago-style approach, and often more effective than both.”</em></strong></p>
<p>What makes this book resonate is how familiar the arc feels. Black leaders often walk a tightrope—expected to be exceptional, expected to be perfect, expected to carry entire communities on their backs while navigating systems built to undermine them. Diggs’ rise is inspiring, but his fall is a reminder of how unforgiving the political world can be, especially for Black public figures. Orr captures this tension with care, giving readers space to reflect on the pressures, expectations, and vulnerabilities that come with being “the first” or “the only.”</p>
<p>Orr’s writing is smooth and accessible, making the book feel less like a dense political biography and more like a long conversation about a man whose life mattered. It’s a relaxed read in tone, but not in substance. You walk away with a deeper understanding of Diggs, of Detroit, of Black political power, and of the complicated legacy that leaders leave behind.</p>
<p>For Black readers who appreciate stories that honor our history without flattening it, House of Diggs offers a thoughtful, balanced, and deeply engaging look at a man who shaped a movement, carried a community, and left behind a legacy worth examining with both pride and honesty.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-Diggs-Americas-Consequential-Congressman/dp/1469689324"><em>House of Diggs</em></a></strong> by Marion Orr can be found at your local bookstore and anywhere books are sold.</p>
<p>Staff Writer; <strong>Christian Starr</strong></p>
<p>May connect with <strong>this sister</strong> over at <em>Facebook</em>; <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084500602888">C. Starr</a> </strong>and also <em>Twitter</em>; <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/prolificwriter5?t=V72CLIGYuxEA-GV4vQe30A&amp;s=09">MrzZeta</a></strong>.</p>
<p>Also via email at; <strong><a href="mailto:CStarr@ThyBlackMan.com">CStarr@ThyBlackMan.com</a></strong>.</p>
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		<title>The SAVE Act Is Not Jim Crow and Congress Should Lose Pay During Shutdowns.</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/03/22/save-act-not-jim-crow-congress-no-pay-shutdown/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Torrance T. Stephens]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 02:47:27 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[Critics call the SAVE Act Jim Crow 2.0, but this commentary argues voter ID and proof of citizenship are common sense and that members of Congress should not be paid during a government shutdown.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) I know I preface a lot of what I write with “when I was growing up,” or “in my childhood.” But it is factual and rings poetic. In my early years, a movie called “<em>Carwash</em>“ came out. It is a 1976 comedy set over the course of a single day at a busy Los Angeles car wash called the “<em>De Luxe Car Wash</em>.” The workers include a mix of personalities, dreamers, hustlers, ex-cons, activists, and musicians, each dealing with their own struggles, ambitions, and identities. Among them are Abdullah, a militant Black Muslim; Duane, a flashy preacher trying to recruit followers; and Floyd, a carefree worker just trying to get through the day.</p>
<p>As cars come and go, the film explores themes like economic hardship, race, religion, and the pursuit of the American Dream, all with humor and satire. The episodic structure gives a snapshot of 1970s urban life, capturing both the frustrations and camaraderie of working-class people. More important to me besides fine azz Tracy Reed, it had Richard Pryor, Franklyn Ajaye, Bill Duke, Antonio Fargas, Garrett Morris, and Otis Sistrunk in the flick. But more meaningful was its iconic funk and soul soundtrack, produced by Norman Whitfield with Rose Royce. One song in particular to me that stood out was &#8220;<a href="https://youtu.be/izz7HRrA2kk" rel="">Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is</a>, a song by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XkSlPTQsCU" rel="">Rose Royce</a>, released in 1976 on their <em>Car Wash</em> album.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-138845" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-SAVE-Act-Is-Not-Jim-Crow-and-Congress-Should-Lose-Pay-During-Shutdowns.png" alt="The SAVE Act Is Not Jim Crow and Congress Should Lose Pay During Shutdowns." width="525" height="385" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-SAVE-Act-Is-Not-Jim-Crow-and-Congress-Should-Lose-Pay-During-Shutdowns.png 1335w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-SAVE-Act-Is-Not-Jim-Crow-and-Congress-Should-Lose-Pay-During-Shutdowns-300x220.png 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-SAVE-Act-Is-Not-Jim-Crow-and-Congress-Should-Lose-Pay-During-Shutdowns-1024x751.png 1024w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-SAVE-Act-Is-Not-Jim-Crow-and-Congress-Should-Lose-Pay-During-Shutdowns-768x563.png 768w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-SAVE-Act-Is-Not-Jim-Crow-and-Congress-Should-Lose-Pay-During-Shutdowns-450x330.png 450w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-SAVE-Act-Is-Not-Jim-Crow-and-Congress-Should-Lose-Pay-During-Shutdowns-780x572.png 780w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /></p>
<p>When a cat says “put your money where your mouth is,” it has a simple meaning: It means back up what you’re saying with action or proof, especially by taking a risk, making a commitment, or showing you truly believe what you’re claiming. In short: Don’t just talk—prove it.</p>
<p>This puts into perspective what comes to my mind when Demokkkrats call the Save Act Jim Crow 2.0. It makes no sense to me for anyone to consider requiring that one is a U.S. citizen, and showing ID to vote, is anything close to Jim Crow laws or the black codes.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2197999.pdf?casa_token=-2D5XkrNC8kAAAAA:fHtZBbuGtiBwHdepuRGyPzhOQB-veCks66EHfe_wBppgB4qfOy5PwRCbsuY7IjEmlYdn56q97pbrEWlfN5Ja59YMLbcEmX29v0KRNvd0CLqFIKb_xg4" rel="">Jim Crow</a> refers to a system of racial segregation and discrimination laws in the United States that enforced white supremacy, mainly in the South, from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. The term comes from a racist 19th-century <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/207996/pdf?casa_token=3f7KmUmhziUAAAAA:qtRVtozTCRJRKFHMfEFQY6F8LXc-IPvc42LoqoNj-E9yYDHlrHGrZ2hhV3e7fzIgvounfW-K0A" rel="">minstrel character</a> called “Jim Crow,” which became shorthand for laws and customs that separated Black and white people.</p>
<p>Key features of Jim Crow laws included segregation (“separate but equal”), voting restrictions via tactics like poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation to prevent black Americans from voting, legal discrimination in the form of laws openly treating black citizens as inferior, and violence and intimidation. The U.S. Supreme Court case <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/272323.pdf?casa_token=pV5xIka-KVUAAAAA:LLmSoYe6f0OrMiVIzgDsgA6q9nkLDeHwV1IJaopMlXCfk7U3pUQp4THianZ40r7FL1a_9h-36O3nvb9ZLJHJluk3zYtLQuvbM53A3U_Tif5TMCTDlV8" rel="">Plessy v. Ferguson</a> upheld segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine, giving Jim Crow laws legal backing.</p>
<p>Jim Crow began to collapse during the Civil Rights Movement, beginning with <a href="https://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Warren_Brown-v-Board-of-Education.pdf" rel="">Brown v. Board of Education</a>, which declared school segregation unconstitutional, followed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned segregation in public places, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.</p>
<p>None of this is even problematic today, and if it was so dangerous a threat to the constitution, why don’t Democrats in Congress put their money where their mouth is, and stop taking a paycheck as long as the government is in shutdown mode?</p>
<p>This should be standard procedure; if the cybersecurity experts at the Department of Homeland Security, TSA agents, and Secret Service are not being paid, then why should they be? The truth is, they don’t experience any hardship; they are willing to handle the burdens faced by federal workers in these agencies. When they go to the airport, they don’t have to wait in line because security and law enforcement officers escort them to the front whenever they travel.</p>
<p>In my teen years, every Fourth of July, my neighborhood had a block party. One of the guests annually was Harold Ford Sr, his brother John, and their kids, one of whom was Harold Ford Jr. He would even swim in our backyard pool. The Fourth of July was a big thing back then. Junior eventually took his father’s place in Congress to represent Memphis.</p>
<p>While there, I recall that he once sponsored a Bill that would prevent members of Congress from receiving pay during a government shutdown. It was introduced after there had been two prior shutdowns due to a conflict between Clinton and Republicans led by Newt Gingrich over spending levels, Medicare, education, and balanced budget plans. His argument was simple: members of Congress should not receive pay during a government shutdown. In his view, which I found reasonable at the time, if Congress fails to pass a budget and the government shuts down, lawmakers should share the financial consequences. It aimed to create accountability and pressure Congress to avoid political gridlock.</p>
<p>However, the measure never made it to the floor for a vote. So here we are today, where politicians on one side of the aisle have a main concern for the rights of illegal aliens over the demands of U.S. citizens. This is all it is. Every time you look around, the progressive policy position is on the side of illegal immigrants. Whether it is Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland begging for the return of Salvadoran Kilmar Armando Ábrego García, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and state Attorney General Keith Ellison defending rampant fraud committed by naturalized Somali’s, or state officials refusing to share and clean voter rolls, illegal immigrants are defended to the hilt.</p>
<p>No one who is taking the position to keep the government closed should be paid. The true reason they complain so vehemently about DHS being at voting polls and the SAVE Act is that if enacted, the SAVE Act cuts off their path to <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/san-francisco-video-ballot-initiative-petition-collectors-fraud-investigation/70704462" rel="">cheat </a>so that they will lose seats and, importantly, power. They don&#8217;t want the swamp to be drained, so they make excuses.</p>
<p>Hell, you need ID to drive, fly domestically or internationally, buy alcohol, cigarettes, open a bank account, cash a check, get a job, enter any federal building/courthouse, rent a car, and in some cases, to get a prescription. You can’t even buy cold medicine without an ID.</p>
<p>If you are too stupid to get the proper identification, then you shouldn’t be voting! The only supposedly American who can&#8217;t get their birth certificate that I know of is Barack Obama.</p>
<p>Why die on this hill, and who are they protecting? Is it the woman recently arrested for the murder of her lesbian lover in Charlotte, NC, <a href="https://x.com/mattvanswol/status/2033531607332569554" rel="">Lhis Brito-Costa</a>, 23, an illegal alien who killed her partner after finding out she was cheating on her with someone else, and then shoved her body in a closet and covered the entryway with towels? Is it <a href="https://katv.com/news/nation-world/illegal-immigrant-accused-in-deadly-virginia-stabbing-previously-picked-up-by-ice-in-2018" rel="">Abdul Jalloh</a>, the illegal immigrant arrested over <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/how-fairfax-county-stabbing-suspect-avoided-jail-and-deportation/4069279/" rel="">30 times</a>, who stabbed a woman to death at a bus stop in Virginia, where Governor Abigail Spanberger has signed an executive order, terminating agreements between state law enforcement and ICE? Or are they the millions of illegals voting in California, where <a href="https://perkinscoie.com/insights/update/new-california-law-prohibits-localities-imposing-their-own-voter-id-requirements" rel="">ID is not required to vote</a>?</p>
<p>These are the people Democrats want in our country. Then there is the fact that a lot of blue-run states are giving illegals driver’s licenses, and <a href="https://californiaglobe.com/fl/okeefe-media-group-undercover-investigation-exposes-cash-for-ballots-election-fraud-scheme-targeting-homeless-on-las-skid-row/" rel="">paying the homeless 5$</a> for their voter registration. In Delaware, people with <a href="https://www.sussex.gop/post/confirmed-green-card-holder-was-registered-to-vote-in-delaware" rel="">green cards</a> are registered to vote. This shit has got to stop, and people need to be held accountable, because every illegal vote cancels out an American citizen’s vote.</p>
<p>Again, if you can’t be a responsible adult to minimally have your documents in order, with extremely low effort, then you have no business voting in this country. I can not believe we even have a big debate about this. But at the same time, I never thought we&#8217;d be debating what a man and a woman are.</p>
<p>The Democrats are literally saying that black Americans and women are too dumb to go to the health department or social security office websites and submit their personal information if for some reason they threw their marriage certificate in the trash or laminated their SS Card.</p>
<p>If I have to register to vote again, I have my birth certificate. I misplaced my birth certificate a few years ago, and I just ordered one online from the Shelby County clerk to get a copy. If you live too far from that county, you can order it online. If you can’t figure that out, then you’re not intelligent enough to vote.</p>
<p>We have to connect the dots. They depend on dirty voter rolls, ballot harvesting, and universal mail-in. This means we gotta vote in the primaries and November, we can’t allow the lefty loonies to take power again. If you stay home, you’re voting for a Democrat. Until then, we have to make these folks suffer, and stopping them from getting paid when no one elses is, would be a good start.</p>
<p>Staff Writer; <strong>Torrance T. Stephens</strong></p>
<p>Can also purchase any of his <em>books</em> over at; <strong><a title="Amazon - TTS Books" href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00MCUUO9I?_encoding=UTF8&amp;node=2656022011&amp;offset=0&amp;pageSize=12&amp;searchAlias=stripbooks&amp;sort=author-sidecar-rank&amp;page=1&amp;langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader" data-schema-attribute="">Amazon – TTS Books</a></strong>.</p>
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		<title>Tuskegee University Aviation Program Training the Next Generation of Black Pilots.</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/03/16/tuskegee-university-aviation-program-training-next-generation-of-black-pilots/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 22:14:54 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[Tuskegee University is expanding its Aviation Science Program to train the next generation of pilots, engineers, and aviation professionals. Rooted in the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, the program prepares students for high-demand careers in the aviation industry.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) <em>For many years we have heard about Tuskegee airmen. A few years ago, we had the opportunity to see the movie Red Tails.  </em>We were delighted in the fact that they were Black as they performed seemingly impossible feats<em>.  Now may be a time for people wanting to be involved in the aviation industry to shine again.  The ones we saw in the movie were masters of their trade. Now, as we face another problem with TSA suffering from massive problems that are heavily complicating air travel, it’s time for new blood in the field of aviation. Tuskegee University has a new training program.</em></p>
<p>Over the years, there has been an increase in the demand for skilled airline personnel. Many current pilots are reaching retirement age, so replacements are in high demand. Tuskegee has an opportunity to meet the need. The new aviation program prepares students for high-demand, high-paying careers in commercial, airline transport, and military aviation. Tuskegee graduates enter the workforce with both technical skills and a legacy of excellence, positioning them for success and upward mobility in the field. With the aviation industry facing pilot shortages and rising demand, pilots from Tuskegee are well-prepared to seize these and other career opportunities and achieve their professional goals across different aviation sectors.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-138790" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tuskegee-University-Aviation-Program-Training-the-Next-Generation-of-Black-Pilots.png" alt="Tuskegee University Aviation Program Training the Next Generation of Black Pilots." width="480" height="321" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tuskegee-University-Aviation-Program-Training-the-Next-Generation-of-Black-Pilots.png 935w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tuskegee-University-Aviation-Program-Training-the-Next-Generation-of-Black-Pilots-300x201.png 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tuskegee-University-Aviation-Program-Training-the-Next-Generation-of-Black-Pilots-768x513.png 768w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tuskegee-University-Aviation-Program-Training-the-Next-Generation-of-Black-Pilots-450x301.png 450w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tuskegee-University-Aviation-Program-Training-the-Next-Generation-of-Black-Pilots-780x521.png 780w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /></p>
<p>The mission of the latest program at Tuskegee University’s Aviation Science Program is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of aviation professionals through innovative education, cutting-edge technology, and a commitment to excellence.  Rooted in the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, the program strives to foster diversity, leadership, and integrity within the aviation industry. The mission is to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical foundation necessary to excel in all facets of aviation, while empowering them to be pioneers in an ever-evolving global aerospace landscape. The program is committed to preparing graduates who will succeed professionally.  It will also inspire positive changes in their communities and beyond.  The goal is to become a leader in producing the next generation of aerospace professionals guiding innovation in our community and nation.</p>
<p>There was a time young Black people were extremely limited in the kinds of work they could expect to be involved. We then went through a period when new opportunities opened to them.  Each time I look at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) offerings, I am amazed by all the new subjects.  Students began having opportunities which my generation had never heard!  However, with a return to a lot of the racism we faced in the past under the current Administration, it’s important for our Historically Black Colleges and Universities to expand and provide offerings such as the one Tuskegee is offering.  Once trained, their students will be ready to meet new opportunities they can use not just in the United States but around the world.</p>
<p>Aviation is a field that allows them to open their own business not only as a pilot, but in other aspects of aviation.  They can be aircraft electrical mechanics or technicians. They can be aircraft engineers and much more. This would include design, maintenance and operation of aircraft. All of this is necessary to ensure safety and efficiency.  It includes applying scientific and technological principles to research, develop, and design aircraft and their components, as well as overseeing their maintenance and performance testing.  They don’t all have to be pilots once they go through aviation training.</p>
<p>In summary, there is potential to be involved in aircraft design, aircraft maintenance and avionics dealing with the electronic system of the aircraft. This training opens many new opportunities for those who are trained to open their own businesses not only as a pilot, but as a flight instructor, mechanic, aircraft designer, air traffic controller, aviation safety inspector, airport manager and more.  There are many benefits for participating in the Tuskegee Aviation Science program. For more information, call <strong>334/727-8011</strong>.</p>
<p class="font_7">Written by <strong>Julianne Malveaux</strong></p>
<p><em>Official website</em>; <a href="https://www.juliannemalveaux.com/">https://www.juliannemalveaux.com</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Where Heaven Meets the Cosmos: Victor J. Glover, the Moon, and the Faith That Fuels the Journey.</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/02/27/victor-j-glover-artemis-ii-faith-science-phi-beta-sigma/</link>
					<comments>https://thyblackman.com/2026/02/27/victor-j-glover-artemis-ii-faith-science-phi-beta-sigma/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Stanley G. Buford]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:13:23 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[NASA astronaut Victor J. Glover is set to join the Artemis II mission, becoming the first Black astronaut to travel to the moon. His journey highlights faith, science and the legacy of Phi Beta Sigma.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) <strong><em>&#8220;If the stars were made to worship, so will I&#8221; (Psalm 147:4)</em></strong></p>
<p>There is a point, a space in time, somewhere above the clouds, but before the stars appear. Where the noise of our daily lives — drops away. And all that is left is a vast, empty, silent space where we are left with our own presence in that space. A silence that astronaut Victor J. Glover has seen 3,000 times as he resides above the Earth on the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly six months. And will again experience in March when he travels to the moon aboard the NASA Orion spacecraft for the Artemis mission.</p>
<p>A historic moment in space exploration is about to be reached. Astronaut Glover and his team are set to board the Artemis II spaceship. This will be the first time humans have visited the moon since the Apollo 17 mission over half a century ago. However, this is more than just about traveling in space or reaching a planet. It is also about the historic feat of the person who will set foot on the moon. Victor Glover, an astronaut in the Artemis II mission, is expected to become the first Black person in space to visit the moon. He will be followed by becoming the first Black man to walk on the moon in a subsequent mission of the Artemis program. Glover will have achieved two remarkable records in a relatively short period of time.</p>
<p>This is an exploration story for many, but for me, this is also a story of connection. Victor Glover and this writer share three things in common. Three values that define us as people and define the way we view the world. First, we are followers of Christ. Second, we are believers in science and technology. Third, we are members of the noble fraternity of Phi Beta Sigma. As I watch my brother ascend into space, I know that I would be witnessing something special happen. Not only will I be witnessing history being written, but I&#8217;ll be also watching him take our shared values to new heights in space.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-138522" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Victor-J.-Glover.jpg" alt="Where Heaven Meets the Cosmos: Victor J. Glover, the Moon, and the Faith That Fuels the Journey." width="612" height="367" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Victor-J.-Glover.jpg 612w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Victor-J.-Glover-300x180.jpg 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Victor-J.-Glover-450x270.jpg 450w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /></p>
<h3><strong>Faith in the Cockpit</strong></h3>
<p>Glover says he is an “open” practicing Christian, affiliated with the Church of Christ. He prays before every flight he takes everything from an F/A-18 ride to launching a mission to the moon atop a rocket. His faith, he explains, is not an emergency generator; it is the foundation upon which everything else rests.</p>
<p>He has plainly said that his faith was the “money in the bank” that paid off in his military and scientific career. He was once asked about the old saying that there were no atheists in foxholes, and he agrees, but smiles and adds, “And there aren&#8217;t no atheists on top of a rocket either.” He goes on to add that his faith is deeper than just a last-minute prayer in an emergency. Rather, it is an attitude of humble submission to the unknown and wonder for the mysterious — and nowhere is that attitude more naturally at home than in the cosmos.</p>
<p>During his six months aboard the International Space Station, Glover took communion in orbit. In a photo posted on Twitter, Glover is shown floating near the ceiling of the International Space Station (ISS) receiving the elements of the Eucharist using pre-packaged wafer and cup. &#8220;It taught me that space didn’t make the Lord’s Supper any more special,&#8221; Glover tweeted later in the month. “The act was already sacred. Location is incidental. The promise is everything.”</p>
<p><em>“I should have known that before getting here,” he admitted. “But now I know that in my bones.”</em></p>
<h3><strong>Science and Scripture: A False Divide</strong></h3>
<p>Glover is a Navy test pilot, an engineer, and a 26-year veteran of the military. He has done spacewalks in the emptiness of space. He knows the equations. He also opens the Bible. And he has given considerable thought to why so many people feel that those two things cannot be mixed.</p>
<p>He waves away the supposed “war” between Genesis and physics with the air of someone who has been having this conversation for years. “Tell me what cosmology says about the origin of the universe,” he invites. The Big Bang—the explosion that scatters light and energy in space. The universe cools and grows dark. The first stars are ignited, and then heavy elements are formed into planets with atmospheres and oceans. “Now, read <strong><em>Genesis 1:1-19</em></strong>,” he invites. He’s simply pointing out the obvious coincidence between cosmology and Genesis.</p>
<p>The fact that the theoretical physics of the origin of the universe is confirmed, even supported, by the Bible and the Bible confirmed and supported by the findings of science doesn’t necessarily mean that there are two separate accounts of two separate events. As Glover puts it: “Two different languages describe one tremendous event.”</p>
<p>Glover is due to become the first black person to walk around the periphery of the moon in March of this year. An obvious reason why the moon is very special to him. It is estimated by scientists to be around 4.5 billion years old, which is a snapshot of the very early days of our solar system. Some religious people find this hard to reconcile with the Bible, but it doesn’t cause any issues for Glover. He said: “The power of the Gospel is not in a timeline. It’s in that message, in that promise.” He doesn’t need the universe to be young to be convinced that the universe is loved.</p>
<h3><strong>A Phi Beta Sigma Man Among the Stars</strong></h3>
<p>What NASA isn’t reporting is another side of Victor Glover that we in the fraternity need to acknowledge. Victor Glover is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. Black Greek-letter organizations were founded in 1906 on the campus of Howard University, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was chartered at the Alpha chapter on January 9, 1914, on the principles of Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service.</p>
<p>For millions of Sigma men worldwide, Glover&#8217;s accomplishments will evoke a very special feeling. Phi Beta Sigma fraternity was founded upon the creed of brotherhood, and brotherhood is not just a word – it is a promise, a solemn pledge, and an unbreakable bond of principles that transcend time and space, education and profession. Every Sigma man in the world will feel a very personal attachment to the Sigma brother who navigates in a space suit while orbiting the moon.</p>
<p>One aspect of Glover’s achievement is lost in the discussion of him being the first Black astronaut selected for a moon mission by NASA—although that aspect is certainly a part of his achievement. What is more important is the fact that for Glover, his love of Christ, his love of science and technology, and his love of Phi Beta Sigma have been blended into such a unique mixture that history will have to take note of him for the rest of time.</p>
<h3><strong>Three Pillars, One Launch</strong></h3>
<p>In March, the Orion capsule; Artemis II, that will take people to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years will at last leave the tower that supports it, rise up from the launch pad, break free of Earth’s gravitational pull, and take up into space. And Victor J. Glover will be at the controls of this rocket. He’ll be focusing, of course, on the mission plan, on navigation, and on a million and one details that he’s no doubt mastered during years of preparation. But he’ll most certainly be praying, as this writer will; for a safe journey for the entire crew.</p>
<p>And somewhere here, across the world, there will be millions of people who feel an irreplaceable connection to this man – loved ones, acquaintances, or strangers – watching profoundly because of his special place in their lives. And as the rocket carrying one of their number rises, ascends on a parabola, and disappears into the distance on its journey to the moon, millions of people will also be carrying a load. An invisible load that cannot be measured or assessed in any way. A load of faith, of identity, of brotherhood.</p>
<p>The heavens declare the glory of God, the Psalmist wrote. In March, a Sigma man — a Christian, an engineer, a pilot, a father — will go up to listen. And when he comes back down, he will report to the rest of us what he heard. Godspeed to Victor J. Glover!</p>
<p>Associate Editor; <strong>Stanley G. Buford</strong></p>
<p>Feel free to connect with this brother via <em>Twitter</em>; <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/stanleygbuford">Stanley G.</a></strong> and also <em>facebook</em>; <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sgbuford" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://www.facebook.com/sgbuford</a></strong>.</p>
<p>Also his email addy is; <strong><a href="mailto:StanleyG@ThyBlackMan.com">StanleyG@ThyBlackMan.com</a></strong>.</p>
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		<title>Jefferson McClellan’s Courage Reminds Us What Black History Month Is Truly About.</title>
		<link>https://thyblackman.com/2026/02/19/jefferson-mcclellan-black-history-month-racism-school-board-speech/</link>
					<comments>https://thyblackman.com/2026/02/19/jefferson-mcclellan-black-history-month-racism-school-board-speech/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 03:58:07 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[Jefferson McClellan, a 13-year-old from Virginia, bravely confronted racism at his school board meeting. His story reflects the deeper purpose of Black History Month and the ongoing fight for dignity and justice.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(<strong>ThyBlackMan.com</strong>) When initiating “Negro History Week” in 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson chose February for reasons of tradition and reform. It is commonly said that Woodson selected February to encompass the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping Black history: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. After Lincoln’s assassination in 1856, the Black community celebrated the fallen President’s birthday.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-138465" src="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jefferson-McClellans-Courage-Reminds-Us-What-Black-History-Month-Is-Truly-About.jpg" alt="Jefferson McClellan’s Courage Reminds Us What Black History Month Is Truly About." width="712" height="374" srcset="https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jefferson-McClellans-Courage-Reminds-Us-What-Black-History-Month-Is-Truly-About.jpg 1200w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jefferson-McClellans-Courage-Reminds-Us-What-Black-History-Month-Is-Truly-About-300x158.jpg 300w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jefferson-McClellans-Courage-Reminds-Us-What-Black-History-Month-Is-Truly-About-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jefferson-McClellans-Courage-Reminds-Us-What-Black-History-Month-Is-Truly-About-768x403.jpg 768w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jefferson-McClellans-Courage-Reminds-Us-What-Black-History-Month-Is-Truly-About-450x236.jpg 450w, https://thyblackman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jefferson-McClellans-Courage-Reminds-Us-What-Black-History-Month-Is-Truly-About-780x410.jpg 780w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px" /></p>
<p>In addition, since the late 1890s, Black communities across the nation celebrated the birthday of Frederick Douglass. Negro History Week kept the tradition of commemorating two great men while reforming the celebration to include the study of a great race. Though Woodson admired both men, he had never been fond of celebrations held in their honor. Woodson believed that history was made by the people, not simply by great men. He envisioned the study and celebration of the Negro as a race, not simply as the producers of a great man. Woodson wanted the Black community to focus on the countless Black men and women who had contributed to the advancement of human civilization. Negro History Week, with the goal of raising racial pride and consciousness, ultimately became Black History Month. A dedication to honor the struggles and central contributions of Black Americans to U.S. history and culture. One individual who deserves recognition for continuing the legacy of our Black ancestors is Jefferson McClellan.</p>
<p>Jefferson McClellan is not a famous person, nor does he have a familiar name, but the 13-year-old from Prince William County, Virginia, is an American hero. He is a middle school student who used his personal heartbreaking experience as a teaching moment and valuable lesson to those within his community. McClellan experienced something that no person should ever have to experience.</p>
<p>The pain of racism is real and is no respecter of age. The 8<sup>th</sup>-grader boldly confronted the racism he encountered by speaking truth to power, delivering an emotional speech publicly to members of his local school board. In his statement, he emphasized that racism was a serious problem in his school. He added that he had also been called a monkey and the N-word. McClellan stated, “These are racial slurs said directly to me by other students.” In his speech, he explained that he had previously reported the harassment, but nothing was done, and the abuse continued. Eventually, he took matters into his own hands and physically fought back after another student told him, “Shut up, N-word.” He was suspended for three days; the suspension was later reduced to one day.</p>
<p>In referencing the suspension, McClellan stated to the board members, “I’m here asking why when racism was directed at me, the response is slow or silent, but when I react to it, the response is immediate and clear.” He continued, “I’m not asking for special treatment, I’m asking you to stop allowing people to hurt me.” Unfortunately, Jefferson McClellan is a teenager who has experienced the same dark and ugly side of America experienced by his ancestors. The hurt, the pain, and the humiliation he describes as an 8<sup>th</sup>-grade student are the same as those that past leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson, and John Lewis fought against. They fought against this during their era, so that McClellan’s generation would not have to feel the pain and abuse as much. Racism persists when it is passed from generation to generation. The abuse McClellan is receiving comes at the hands of other 8<sup>th</sup> graders his age. McClellan’s story highlights how racism is embedded in certain households when passed down from the parent to the child. The child then becomes a terror to boys and girls like Jefferson McClellan.</p>
<p>McClellan turned what may have been intended as a typical school board meeting into a classroom for Black history. “It’s sad, it’s hurtful and disrespectful that I have to deal with this from middle school to grown-up age; it’s not going to stop,” McClellan said. “If it does stop, that’s a miracle. The world we live in is not going to stop because people can say and do whatever they want without consequences.” The source of racism, in the case of Jefferson McClellan, came from the schoolhouse. In the cases of Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland and former President Barack Obama, the racism came directly from the White House. Recently, President Trump posted a video to his Truth Social account that contained an image depicting President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. Gov. Moore was also the target of racism from the President, as he was uninvited to this year’s National Governors Association dinner. As the nation’s only sitting Black governor, he was singled out for exclusion, as was Colorado’s Gov. Jared Polis. Polis is the first openly gay and first same-sex marriage governor in the U.S.</p>
<p>Jefferson McClellan said he was hurt but wanted to speak up so that no other student would have to experience what he did. For that reason, he is a changemaker worthy of recognition during Black History Month. Our nation needs more young people like him who are willing to take a stand and make a conscious and courageous decision to make the world a better place for everyone.</p>
<p>Written by <strong>David W. Marshall</strong></p>
<p><em>Official website</em>; <a href="https://davidwmarshallauthor.com/">https://davidwmarshallauthor.com/</a></p>
<p>One may purchase his book, which is titled; <span id="productTitle" class="a-size-large celwidget" data-csa-c-id="noxuak-uscrs2-312ye6-utemej" data-cel-widget="productTitle"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/God-Bless-Our-Divided-America/dp/1631292692">God Bless Our Divided America: Unity, Politics and History from a Biblical Perspective</a></strong>.</span></p>
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