Dr Umar Johnson Answers Black Critics About His School & Why We Need To Rebuild In Africa
Black Americans Are Missing Out On AFRICA THE RICHEST Continent!!! A MUST SEE!!!!
BY DZIFFA AKUA, at 11:26 am, February 18, 2016, LIFESTYLE Tired of America? Come to Africa Where Opportunities Are Endless It’s Tuesday morning, I’m drinking my Hausa koko and planning my tasks for the day when my partner calls me to watch Kendrick Lamar’s performance (pictured) at the Grammy’s. I missed his performance because I spent all night debating the role the Ghanaian Diaspora play in the development of Ghana with my newly acquired Sierra Leonean friends. RELATED: ONLINE MARKET LOOKS TO DECREASE GHANA’S DEPENDENCE ON IMPORTS During our discussion, I argued that most “returnees” had a romanticized view of Ghana and needed to accept that until we address our ingrained lack of direction at the national level, all our efforts were going to waste. “Dziffa, regardless of how you see it, the Diaspora returning and seeing problems as opportunities has contributed to Ghana’s growth. In Sierra Leone, we do not have such a high rate of sophisticated Diaspora returning, so we are still economically where Ghana was a few years ago,” my friend said. I rushed to YouTube to watch Kendrick’s performance. Hearing an African-American man proudly say, “I’m African-American. I’m African,” and placing his neighborhood in America inside the African map is by far one of my most proudest moments (pictured).
Growing up in the Bronx, being African was an insult. The African-American kids would either call us “f**king African” as an insult or make fun of our blackness. I could not relate to my friends who complained of racism from White people because all the racism I experienced were from my African-American classmates. Granted, a lot has changed since my elementary and high school days; I had many conscious African-American friends in college who knew more about Africa than I did, and some of my customers at Dziffa even reach out to me about my experience with starting a business in Ghana and my thoughts on them moving to Ghana. As many blacks are reclaiming their Blackness, we come to a point where we need to address exactly what to do with our drive to redefine our Blackness. Do we wait until next February to showcase our Black Pride? Do we wait till the next shooting to rally against a system we all know doesn’t favor the Black man? Or do we find an alternative, actively participating in creating the Africa Marcus Garvey and Kwame Nkrumah dreamed of? The Africa we all yearn for.
As Malcolm X eloquently said in “The Ballot or the Bullet“: I am one who doesn’t believe in deluding myself. I’m not going to sit at your table and watch you eat, with nothing on my plate, and call myself a diner. Sitting at the table doesn’t make you a diner, unless you eat some of what’s on that plate.” We are fortunate to be in a generation where the narrative of Africa isn’t of backwardness, war, and pity, but an Africa of opportunities and possibilities. Our siblings in America do not have to pray, beg, and fight to be invited to the table; they can move to Africa and make their own dinner. The beautiful thing about relocating to Africa is you begin to see yourself as a human being, not a minority who always has to prove his or her worth. All the mental shackles of growing up Black in America will be broken. You begin to see problems as business opportunities and really appreciate how easy it is to start a business and grow it (at least in the case of Ghana where many African Americans have relocated to). So please, if you find America overbearing and feel as though you cannot continue to beg for that which is your human right, come to Africa. Most of our African leaders have grown to accept their “Third World Status” as the norm and are not in a hurry to pursue excellence let alone aspire to surpass or at least be equal with our Western and Southern Donors. If anyone would develop this continent, it would be you, the Africans in the Diaspora and Blacks globally. Your drive for a better Africa, optimism in the continent’s potential, and ambition to take charge of your destinies will help us recreate a continent that is befitting of our ancestors. The next generation of Blacks will not feel trapped in a place they are not welcomed and the next generation of Africans will not feel the need to flee and live as third-class citizens elsewhere because we would have built the infrastructure they need to thrive in Africa.
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BLACK PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE BACK TO AFRICA!
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BACK TO AFRICA SERIES: (SIERRA LEONE)Young African Professionals on Moving Back
Dear Folks,
Thank you for stopping by the blog! I sometimes forget to acknowledge the many fans all over the globe who dutifully read up on all the posts. I truly do appreciate it, and your support is what motivates me to keep at it. If you have noticed, I haven't posted anything in awhile.....and the culprit here was my lack of motivation. I've been feeling a lot of pressure lately, as to what it is that I truly want, and at the end of the day what do I believe matters the most. In not so many words, I refer to pressures from life, be them personal/career/academic and needless to say, all around headaches. Then, just as you start to self doubt yourself, something or someone inspires you to keep pushing on.
So as I spent the last couple of months tormenting myself on whether or not I could indeed "have it all", I bucked up the courage to ask one of the women I have always admired from afar on whether she would be willing to share her story on being a Young African Professional, a Mum, a Wife, CEO of her own company and seemingly has it all. What can I say.....I'm a sucker for "Boss-Ladies" and Millicent Ojumu represents everything I have always dreamed of becoming.
MILLICENT OJUMU - In Her Own Words
- Your background (country of origin, where you attended high school, undergrad,..etc)
MO: I attended St. Joseph’s Convent in Freetown, Sierra Leone then left for Germany, UK and France to complete my studies. Obtained degrees in Law and French and licence de droit from Montpellier Faculte de Droit, France.
- What inspired you to return to Africa?.
MO: I’ve always loved the diversity and sense of freedom that seemed to be available to all.
- What are you engaged in now that you have returned, i.e working, running your own business,etc?
MO: I established a consultancy firm 9 years ago providing corporate advisory services to domestic and foreign based businesses.
- What would you say is the best part of relocating and working in Africa so far?.
MO: The ability to explore options otherwise not available elsewhere. In Sierra Leone I was overwhelmed with the opportunities that seemed within reach; there seemed to be so much to do, daily I was inspired to do more and daily I felt energized just by being here.
- What would you say is the hardest part of relocating/working and living in Africa so far?.
MO: To relocate requires a mindset change. Despite wanting to return home, and having lived and worked in many other places, returning home felt like a huge step, filled with fear and uncertainties. Almost all of my fears and uncertainties did not prove true and on arrival I would wonder what the fuss had all been about when I could easily pack up and return if necessary.
Since my return - I am now aware of the nuances between and behind each seemingly plausible opportunity I saw on my arrival; the varying shades of difficulties that overwhelm the opportunities around me and bleed my inspirations dry. Above all I now recognize that Sierra Leone is where it is because it is a battlefield where the tools and weapons learnt abroad need to be applied differently and wisely for one to be effective as a female in corporate Sierra Leone. Unfortunately this knowledge is not available in any book but must be learnt daily – this by far is the most difficult part of living and working in Sierra Leone thus far.
- Why would you recommend that other young African professionals think of coming back to Africa to work?.
MO: We desperately need the critical mass to make a change in our lifetime, to influence those we meet on arrival and be willing to be influenced in return, to be accepted as Sierra Leonean despite the very ‘foreignness’ of our ways, words, thoughts and actions and to accept those very unlike us as Sierra Leoneans and be willing to work on a blend that accommodates all. I would recommend that other young African professionals return to Africa if they believe they have a role to play and want to see Africa on the stage it deserves and not where it is at present. For Sierra Leoneans, we need trailblazers, those that can take risks, those willing to stand up against the odds and speak up against the established order.
- What industries do you think are looking the most promising/have the potential to recruit heavily?
MO: The services sector - HR, capacity building, training etc
- What would be your advice in terms of how someone can successfully find a job in Africa?
MO: Make direct contact with companies of interest and offer to work for them pro bono on holidays and remotely if possible.
MOTHERHOOD IN AFRICA
- As someone with a British born child how has the transition moving back to Sierra Leone been for your kid?
MO: It has been fine for me, my child came as a baby. I do however think children have a lot of playtime and opportunity to make friends here than anywhere else I know. It’s us the parents that tend to restrain them and worry endlessly of all that could go wrong.
- Most parents thinking about relocating back have healthcare worries for their kids such as access to medication, hospitals, etc What would be your advice to them?
MO: Medication is not a problem at all as all products can be bought over the counter or shipped in if necessary. Hospitals and medical facilities are a concern but most emergencies get a much quicker and direct response as here we have our doctors and specialists on speed dial. This is typically much faster than an ambulance service abroad. In really serious cases, patients can be flown to Ghana. Am told typical kids problems like asthma and allergies disappear over time here with the weather and fresh food.
- What kind of school does your child attend or will attend in the future?.
MO: My child will attend Tower Hill School this September. There are good private schools for primary school level and not so many for secondary level. I prefer schools with an established history in good education and discipline. There is also a Montessori school here which has good reviews.
- What are the benefits or negatives of raising your kids in Africa?.
MO: The biggest benefit is that you do not raise them alone. Plenty of family, neighbors and friends that influence your child. Hired help is also much more affordable. The quality of food is also much better and the limited availability of sweets and fast food is a bonus. Am told the freedom to discipline your child as you see fit is also a benefit appreciated by those with difficult kids. The negatives if any are few.
INFORMAL QUESTIONS
- What would I find you doing on weekends or on weekdays after you come home from work?
MO: Reading a good book
- By relocating back to Africa as a young African professional, I hope to........(fill out the blank)
MO: I hope to make a difference in my country of origin
- In five years I see myself...........(fill out the blank)
MO: I see myself being engaged in something to do with the Public Sector
- What other African country/countries would you love to visit and why?.
MO: - The East African Region. I know little about East Africa and would love to see how returnees there have fared in setting up businesses.
Thank You Millicent!!
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During colonial times, many Africans were traded for slavery in America. When Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery, many started searching for their roots. For years, Rastafarians from Jamaica have gone to live in Shashamane Ethiopia, a land that the late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia gave to them. Today, many are happy to be home!
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Watch Africa Move My Soul
This article below details historically how African Americans will never achieve the greatness that is due their African make up by living in America guided by the worst leadership class on the planet. Decadent African American neighborhoods lie everywhere, gentrification, huge unemployment, mass incarceration, homelessness, skyrocketing debt, colleges too expensive, gender-war in our homes, single family homes, no support group, no community unity or village, child abuse, poor health, racism and violence all plague African Americans daily. Like Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey, Dr. Umar Johnson is a leader of the future, who seeks to provide a substance life of abundance, prosperity and spiritual well being for the "New Africa". Together we all Pan African Nationalists will create a New Africa. Support Now! Continue your regular support.
Du Bois vs. Washington Old Lessons Black People Have Not Learned By Ellis Washington Part 1 We claim for ourselves every single right that belongs to a free American, political, civil and social, and until we get these rights we will never cease to protest and assail the ears of America. -- W.E.B. Du Bois The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing. -- Booker T. Washington W. E. B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington were the two dominant Black leaders of American history during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Both men had the same goals--eradicating racism, segregation, and discrimination against their race. However, the means to achieve such ends were vastly different, thus the paradox of these Promethean figures have been revisited 100 years later as Black people seek to grapple with their ideas even in the midst of a 40-year, largely self-inflicted genocide.
As America crossed into the twenty-first century, race relations between Blacks and Whites are steadily deteriorating. How could this be? After all, we have had over 35 years of civil rights laws passed by Congress including the Voting Rights Act of 1964, 1968, the Civil Rights Act of 1965, as well as federal law mandating affirmative action programs. These programs have in part helped create the viable Black middle class we have today. Why then, in the midst of the greatest increase of Black affluence in American history, has poverty and crime exploded to such an extent in our major cities that sociologists have coined a new term to describe the intractable Black poor?--"the Underclass". Before we attempt to answer this question, people should ask the question: How should Blacks have responded to White racism, segregation, discrimination suffered by them in the early twentieth century? And upon which philosophy should Black people have relied to help them overcome these problems? The conventional wisdom espoused by the Black elite of the liberal left would have you believe that the civil rights movement grew out of a philosophical war between Du Bois and Washington.
These two men whose diametrically opposing strategies, sought to help Blacks receive equal treatment under the law. To Black liberals, Du Bois's philosophy was said to have prevailed over Washington's as being a more feasible and effective way to combat racism. It must be noted however, that Du Bois's philosophy was born and developed not in the minds of Blacks, but by White liberals of the academy (mostly Jewish) and systematically fashioned to comply with a cultural relativist mind set then dominating most academic disciplines at that time.
The grass-roots people who are imperative to any social movement, had little to do with the origins of the modern civil rights movement. As we shall later see, this fissure between the Black elite and the common people would prove to be a devastating mistake that severely impeded the socio-economic progress of Black people in America, even until this present time. The dichotomy between Du Bois and Washington would be that of expediency versus patience; political protest verses self-help; overt activism in the streets verses the quiet assiduousness of personal and moral development in the home; seeking redress of rights in the courts of America for better jobs, schools and educational opportunities versus seeking knowledge in the libraries of America and creating our own jobs, schools, and educational opportunities; forcing Whites to accept us as equals verses showing Whites that we can first treat each other as equals. Such were (and presently are) the choices Black America must choose.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, by choosing Du Bois (the seemingly easy choice; requiring less personal capital) Black people entered a Faustian bargain with the devil which has led them down the road of frustration and pathology. Ninety years after Du Bois and other Whites founded the NAACP in 1909, Blacks are still paying for the sins of their forefathers by following the leadership of Du Bois over that of Washington. The civil rights movement, with its well-known lineage of civil rights groups--National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) (founded by Martin Luther King, Jr.), Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Black Urban League, et al.--enthusiastically embraced the Du Bois model of activism, overt protest, and redress of civil rights violations in the courts.
Has this strategy proved most beneficial to Blacks? What have Black people gained after fifty years of civil rights activism? What have Black people lost from the time wasted marching in the streets and litigating in the courts? How much further socially, politically, economically, intellectually, spiritually, would Blacks have gotten had they marched, shouted, and protested less and studied, self-examined, and self-denied more? Wouldn't the short-term symbolic victories achieved by the NAACP, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X be eclipsed by the growing of their own institutional structures over the long-term? The true substantive benefits achieved of, by and through your own efforts could not be later taken away by legislative fiat. This is the exact dilemma of government dependency Black people are witnessing today regarding affirmative action and welfare benefits. Our leaders are not telling their people--what the government giveth, the government can taketh away. Today, the name of Booker T. Washington, where it is even mentioned at all, is venerated only by two groups of African Americans: conservative Blacks (i.e., Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas, et al.,) and Black Nationalists (i.e., Louis Farrakan and his "Nation of Islam"). Afrocentrist, Molefi Asante, one of the few leftist crediting Washington's positive influence stated: "I'm not one of those people who is down on Washington," he continues, "I remind you that Washington was a hero for Marcus Garvey." Unfortunately, Booker T. Washington today is viewed as miscarriage of history by the mainstream liberal civil rights groups and Black scholars. He is summarily dismissed and disdained as a caricature figure--a buffoon, not respected as a serious Black leader. Historian Alphonso Pinkney views him as a traitor and "collaborator"; for Martin Kilson, he is a "client or puppet figure." Washington biographer, Louis Harlan is contemptuous and severely critical of his subject, while Du Bois's mythical status is preserved in a recent book by biographer, David Levering. Why does Washington receive such acrimony by Black historians while his contemporary, Du Bois, is raised to legendary status? One reason for this biased assessment is that the majority of the so-called "Black elite" (i.e., the civil rights leaders, politicians, ministers, teachers, professors, lawyers, et al.,) are generally, philosophically egalitarian and politically liberal. Du Bois, who was one of the founding members of one of the first civil rights group-- the NAACP, mirrored the intellectual assumptions of contemporary Black liberals, which as we shall later see, are thoroughly rooted in a philosophy of cultural relativism.
1895 was a notable year for both men. While Du Bois was the first Black person to receive a graduate degree from Harvard, Washington was delineating his vision of race relations at the Atlanta Exposition in Georgia. Whites from the North and South received Washington's words on racial reconciliation with fortes of ovations, as the press noted that White audiences had not been so moved by a Black orator since the great speeches of Frederick Douglass a generation earlier. And never in American history, in over three centuries, had a Black man attracted such public admiration from White Southerners. Although born a slave, Booker T. Washington triumphed against an overwhelming set of circumstances to become one of the great Black educators, speakers and university builders in American history. Perhaps even more amazing is that Washington was of such high moral character as to not have any hatred or animosity toward Whites. Neither did he manifest any psychological debilitation from suffering what had to be a traumatic childhood as a slave. One of the many maxims Washington followed was that, "It is a hard matter to convert an individual by abusing him." He believed that racial reconciliation could only be gained through compromise and finding common ground even among the most radical White segregationists in the South. Washington further stated in his Atlanta speech: The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing. Washington's approach to combating White racism was sublime in its simplicity. His starting point was always with the individual: to improve the moral character, personal development and intellectual enhancement of the victims of racism, instead of concentrating on White racism. By focusing the attention away from a negative (White racism) to a positive (Black personal improvement) his philosophy of self-help through industrial education, personal discipline, hard work, would foster racial unity as Blacks, working with each other in their self-contained, racially segregated environments, improved their own lot in life apart from any help from Whites and the federal government. This he found to be the most feasible and comprehensive way to end racism. Washington states further: The Negro should not be deprived by unfair means of the franchise, but political agitation alone will not save him. Back of the ballot, he must have property, industry, skill, economy, intelligence and character. No race without these elements can permanently succeed. . . . We have a right to enter our complaints, but we shall make a fatal error if we yield to the temptation of believing that mere opposition to our wrongs will take the place of progressive, constructive action. . . . Whether he will or not, a white man respects a Negro who owns a two-story brick house.
Unlike the humble beginnings of Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois was born a free man in the North, of Black, French, Dutch, and American Indian ancestry. "Thank God, no Anglo-Saxon," he often liked to add. However, Du Bois's White pedigree cannot be denied. Educated in the best schools of Europe and the United States, he studied with such great minds as George Santayana and William James. In 1895, he became the first Black person to receive a doctorate degree from Harvard. Interestingly, Du Bois represented a privileged group within the Black community coming from a generation of mixed-blooded mulattoes in the North, whose parents were the first generation to reap the fruits of the abolition of slavery. Such people had gained much more in material benefits in comparison to those ex-slaves from the South, who knew well the strictures the color line had on their lives in preventing them from achieving full citizenship rights.
To Du Bois and his contemporaries, Washington's approach to race relations was viewed as embarrassingly accommodationist to White racism. Du Bois, in many of his writings, like his magnum opus, The Souls of Black Folk, articles in Crisis Magazine, and in numerous speeches, mercilessly ridiculed Washington as the first Uncle Tom, who passively tolerated maltreatment from Whites, in exchange for a pat on the head and the hypocritical embrace of their paternalistic benevolence. Washington's self-help programs of general industrial education was disdained by Du Bois as humiliating and servile work.
Here, Du Bois's belies his upper class pedigree as an unabashed elitist who spoke German and French. Dapper and a model of haberdashery refinement, he was rarely seen in public without a cane and gloves. In an article titled, "The Talented Tenth", Du Bois urges the best, brightest, and educated of the Black community to shepherd the masses (which he generally viewed as miserably ordinary and doleful) into the benefits full American citizenship. "The Negro race," he said, "is going to be saved by its exceptional men."
If the philosophy of Du Bois and Washington can be reduced to one word it would be rights vs. duty. To Du Bois, Black civil rights were preeminent, thus he considered segregationists like Washington to be the greatest hindrance to Black freedom. He instead believed in a frontal assault against White racism via overt political activism through every institutional structure available--whether through the courts with lawsuits, or by boycotting segregated stores, or through marching and demonstrating in the streets. Agitate! Agitate! Agitate! was the rallying cry of Du Bois to force concessions and equal opportunities from Whites. For Du Bois, Blacks' singular enemy was White racism: "We claim for ourselves every single right that belongs to a free American, political, civil and social, and until we get these rights we will never cease to protest and assail the ears of America." On the other hand, Washington agreed with Du Bois that White racism was a major obstacle to Black achievement, but emphasized the crucial factor Du Bois and the civil rights movement fought so vociferously against, namely, what Dinesh D'Souza in his book, The End of Racism, calls "black civilizational backwardness." It was this lack of developed ability and demonstrated performance levels among Blacks which gave life and legitimacy to White racism and trapped Blacks in the muck and mire of promiscuity, ignorance, and crime.
In response, the liberal Black elite purposely ignored the moral, social, and intellectual short-comings of their own people, thus aborting the chances of the majority of Blacks to fully participate in reaping the fruits of the American dream--even to this day. Unlike Du Bois, Washington, because of his Christian training and through grounding in biblical theism, was keenly aware that the problems of Black people were not unilateral (i.e., White racism). Blacks had a greater burden to rid themselves of, eg., civilizational backwardness and predatory behavior towards each other, before they could presume Whites to do the same. Washington demanded that Blacks first systematically address their own demons of profligacy, laziness, criminality, excessive complaining, idleness and promiscuity, pick themselves up by their bootstraps and systematically and methodically develop and utilize the abilities they possess to make a better life for themselves and their people. Washington, in response to Du Bois's cry of Agitate! Agitate! Agitate! extolled, Discipline! Discipline! Discipline!
A race or an individual which has no fixed habits, no fixed place of abode, no time for going to bed, or getting up in the morning, for going to work; no arrangement, order or system in all the ordinary business of life--such a race and such individuals are lacking in self-control, lacking in some of the fundamentals of civilization. Washington's blunt and grave tidings irritated Du Bois to no end. He retorted that Washington was excusing White America for the centuries of slavery and unspeakable horrors heaped upon their people while unduly blaming the victims of these atrocities for not competing with Whites on an equal level. Du Bois ranted: If they accuse Negro women of lewdness, what are they doing but advertising to the world the shameless lewdness of those Southern men who brought millions of mulattoes into the world? Suppose today Negroes do steal; who was it that for centuries made stealing a virtue by stealing their labor? This nihilistic rhetoric sounds chillingly similar to the remonstrations of contemporary Black leaders like Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakan, Al Sharpton, Marion Wright Edelman, John Lewis, and Joseph Lowery. Washington, contrary to the clattering of the liberal civil rights race merchants, was well aware that centuries of slavery in America contributed to the pathologies presently afflicting the Black community--this was self-evident. Remember, Washington's childhood was spent in slavery.
The critical issue for Washington indeed was that Black people had allowed themselves to believe that they were morally, spiritually, intellectually, economically and socially inferior to Whites, as evidenced by their daily behavior of idleness, ignorance, sexual irresponsibility, and crime. Blacks being entangled in these pathologies have neglected to redeem the time by being all they could be and fulfilling their God-ordained destiny. Thus, Washington held that Du Bois's prescription of activism and agitation to liberate Black people from the bonds of racism, segregation and discrimination was feasible but premature. Washington stated: In spite of all that may be said in palliation, there is too much crime committed by our people in all parts of the country. We should let the world understand that we are not going to hide crime simply because it is committed by black people. As Washington partly agreed with Du Bois's thesis that White racism was a major problem hindering Black achievement. And, later in his life, Du Bois was forced to agree with Washington that the seemingly endemic civilizational backwardness of Black America would negate any civil rights bestowed upon them. In an almost prophetic passage, Du Bois insisted that, "A little less complaint and whining, and a little more dogged work and manly striving, would do us more credit than a thousand civil rights bills." However, until his dying day, Du Bois argued that Washington's self-help philosophy for economic and civilizational development was extremely untenable unless White racism is vigorously address. Its not that Du Bois didn't appreciate the value of personal development--his entire life was a veritable textbook for high intellectual achievement. He held a stronger belief that, in order for Blacks to develop economic opportunities and achieve social equality, they needed legal rights (secured through aggressive litigation and activism). Only then could they make use of economic opportunities to develop their capacities and realize their cultural potential. Du Bois remarked: So to those people who are saying to the black man today, "Do your duties first and then clamor for rights," we have a right to answer and to answer insistently, that the rights we are clamoring for are those that will enable us to do our duties. Despite the pessimism of Du Bois about White racism (he became so disenchanted with racism and discrimination in American that he spent his twilight years in Ghana, West Africa), Washington was an enthusiastic adherent of the American dream. "Merit, no matter under what skin found, is in the long run recognized and rewarded," he said. Washington postulated that racism, like a two-edged sword, actually denigrated Whites to the same and perhaps to a greater degree as suffered by Blacks, because racial hatred seared their conscience, decimating their morality. Washington said, "No man whose vision is bounded by color can come into contact with what is highest and best in the world." Du Bois mocked Washington's color-blind approach, both on practical and ideological grounds. He was simultaneously a believer in race and against racism, biologically and sociologically. Du Bois contended that to ignore racism as manifested by White supremacy "ignores and overrides the central thought of all history." Du Bois further noted: The history of the world is the history, not of individuals, but of groups, not of nations, but of races. . . . While race differences have mainly followed physical lines, the deeper differences are spiritual. . . . The full complete Negro message of the whole Negro race has not yet been given to the world. . . . As a race we must strive by race organization, by race solidarity, by race unity. . . . We believe it is the duty of Americans of Negro descent, as a body, to maintain their race identity until this mission is accomplished.
Here, it is evident, that while Washington's philosophy transcended race, Du Bois's philosophy was obsessed, shackled, and ultimately transfixed by racism. The irony here is lamentably evident: after almost a 100 years of civil rights activism and 40 years of government largess, and government mandated civil rights programs, Black people are in many ways much worse off than previous generations. The genocidal statistics regarding Black pathology are legion and well documented by other scholars. My mention of only a few of the most egregious examples are cited only to underscore the vital need for Black people to save their own race before it is too late: The annual income of African Americans who are employed in full-time jobs amounts to about 60 percent of that of Whites. The Black unemployment rate is nearly double that of the whole nation. One third of Blacks are poor, compared with just over 10 percent of Whites. One half of all Black children live in poverty. The infant mortality rate for Blacks is more than double that of Whites. The proportion of Black male high school graduates who go on to college is lower today than in 1975. More young Black males are in prison than in college. Homicide is the leading cause of death for Black males between the ages of fifteen and thirty-four. Although African Americans make up 12 percent of the population, they account for more than 35 percent of all AIDS cases. The life expectancy of Black men is sixty-five years, a rate lower than any other group in America and comparable to that of some Third World countries. Nearly 50 percent of all African American families are headed by single women. More than 65 percent of Black children born each year are illegitimate. Du Bois's belief in racialism and cultural relativism embraced race and racism, while Washington attempted to transcend any delineation of race. Du Bois's views according to Dinesh D'Souza, may have originated from his exposure to the Volk philosophy of Franz Boas and Johann Gottfried Herder, two leading proponents of social relativism.
On issues regarding race, Du Bois's cultural relativism viewed all races and cultures as equal despite obvious civilizational differences. This combination of radical egalitarianism and radical racialism provided a ready weapon he and his own organization, the NAACP, effectively used to force symbolic civil rights victories in America. While Du Bois postulated that basically Blacks and Whites were equal, thus making assimilation possible, he also recognized that group equality denoted that both races could, as unique racial and social groups, contribute significantly to American civilization. This so-called theory of "double consciousness," as he called it, was first delivered in a notable speech. Du Bois remarked that there existed in Blacks "two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings, two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder." Throughout his career, Du Bois spoke of this dual consciousness both negatively and positively--proving his theory by his own life. While he castigated the dual consciousness as a byproduct of racism, at other times he lauded it as a viable coping mechanism that Blacks had developed over the centuries to covertly fight racism, and to cope with their second-class status in America.
Part 2 Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois differed vastly in their approach to dealing with segregation and discrimination in America and in their philosophy on the nature of racism. Agreeing that the servile and inferior status of Blacks in America was due to nurture not nature, they were ideologically both relativist. Du Bois obsessively transfixed on White racism and followed a reactive approach, while Washington's focus on the moral and intellectual short-comings of Black culture took a proactive stance. Idealism characterized Du Bois's ideas, which, because of his sincere belief that all races are generally equal and must be treated the same way, held that when Blacks achieved civil rights, they would be able to compete effectively with whites for educational opportunities, jobs and eventually the full benefits of American citizenship. History has proven Du Bois woefully mistaken on this assumption, for while Blacks in America achieved civil rights, they generally do not compete well with Whites by any measure. You can't legislate competence, civility and discipline. These are intrinsic qualities that must come from within the individual, not from the race. Washington's proactive approach fought racism not from the outside in but from the inside out. Realism and pragmatism defined Washington's beliefs. While he acknowledged White civilizational superiority as a given, he allowed segregation only as a temporary means for Blacks, through self-help programs, to raise their own cultural and intellectual levels, so that they could eventually compete with Whites on an equal plane. Du Bois held that racism was the result of irrational hatred and, through litigation, education (of Whites), and activism, Blacks would one day force Whites to give them their Constitutional rights of equal treatment under the law. Washington maintained that the road to equality lay not in antagonism and protest, but by Black people living virtuous lives and becoming productive and model citizens via their industry, by providing goods and services, first, for their own people, and eventually, for all Americans and all humanity. In other words, Washington argued that, despite years of White brutalization, Blacks must improve their own lot in life, through discipline, industry, and hard work. Du Bois countered that White people "owe us," and that it was the sole responsibly of the White oppressor to raise Black people up as societal equals.
History, common sense, and the current state of Black America has proven Du Bois's liberal egalitarian approach to civil rights to be a colossal failure. Why then aren't Black people today forsaking Du Bois's victimization philosophy for an appeal to Washington's self-determination philosophy? Herein lies the diabolic root of all philosophies founded in relativism--by blurring, corrupting and mocking standards, distinctions, and morality, societal breakdown and anarchy will prevail. Recognizing the civilizational disadvantages of Southern Blacks, Washington worked hard to develop their social and economic skills. At the same time, W. E. B. Du Bois was right that it would have been disastrous for Blacks not to contest directly the depredations of White racism. So, some strategy was necessary to begin to build intellectual and political resistance to the legal structures of segregation and discrimination. However, 90 years after the birth of the civil rights movement, Black people have achieved civil rights, yet economically, morally, socially, progress has been negligible. Enter the "Race merchants" and "Poverty Pimps," that is, Black leaders, who make a living keeping racism alive. While spouting empty rhetoric, they only feign combatting racism. Such people have woven a carefully crafted web of deceit over the past several decades to maintain their influence and power over blacks. On this topic, in The End of Racism, Dinesh D'Souza writes: "The civil rights establishment has a vested interest in the continuation of spectacular episodes of racism: these provide an important justification for continuing transfer payments to minority activists." However, this Faustian bargain, while bringing renewed influence and money to the leaders, resulted in the Black community languishing in inner city ghettos. As frustration grew in Black America and racial violence erupted in the cities, Whites fled in droves, leaving these cities without a viable tax base, or trained Blacks to fill the newly-vacant job base. Thus, large cities all across America followed the same refrain: Black frustration--->Black riots--->White flight--->Dwindling tax base--- >Ghettoization--->Rise of the Black Underclass
In conclusion, once again the pivotal question to be asked is, Who had the best philosophy for helping Blacks attain equal treatment under the law--Booker T. Washington or W. E. B. Du Bois? History, trillions of dollars of redistributing wealth from Whites to minorities, and 40 years of civil rights and affirmative action programs, indicate that Washington's self-help philosophy was, indeed, the better path for Blacks to take. Other ethnic groups also have histories of discrimination, segregation, and racism directed toward them by Whites (albeit less severe than what Blacks received). Yet they overcame such circumstances--not through activism and protesting--but quietly and methodically improving their lives by building their own institutional structures, achieved through work and the maintenance of family ties. It can be no different for the Black race. Blacks need to "have an ear to hear," in order to apply Booker T. Washington's principles of self-help and to partake fully in the American Dream.
Bleed the beast and Support the only solution to injustice, "Black Nationalism"
Supporting all these worldwide fundraisers would cost about 50 U.S Dollars. Give as much as you can, it all goes to support infrastructure for African American communities.
Our main donation page at OyoTunji African Village. We are raising $15 dollars per month via 100, 000 brave lionesses and lions, who are ready to support a Black Nationalist economy. $127,000,000 million in 7 years, lets keep it going strong. Click here:
Help save Gullah Gee Chee land. Fighting hard for African liberation since the 17th century, descendants of Angola, the Gullah Gee Chee people, managed to preserve some of their native tongue, their ancestry culture and pride. From slave revolts to freeing other slaves, civil rights struggle, Pan-Africanism, many of the members of the famed, "Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church" of Charleston are Gullah Gee Chee descendants. Because of the low state of economy of South Carolina's Low Country, government seizure of their lands and vicious taxation, many Gullah people are losing their lands. But you can help them out with a small donation. Here is their GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/panafricanfamilyem
He is raising $5 Million dollars for a high tech private school for our young boys. If we could reach 300,000 people this would give Dr. Johnson his $5 Million for the school. A girl's school would be the next ideal mark and also Queen's club where our women can gather for they are the leaders of the family's interest.
Also support the Collect Black People Movement. They have a .27 a cent day, $8.10 fundraiser a month, they already have a thousand people signed up. Click here: http://www.cbpm.org/neweconomicplan.html
Much love for my believers on the Nation of Islam they also have a fundraising that's set at .30 cents day, about $10.00 a month. They are shooting for 16 million people, trying to raise about 250 million in a year. Click here: http://www.economicblueprint.org/
Empire Washitaw De Dugdahmoundyah. The Nation of ancient American Mound Builders they came before Columbus from Africa on Egyptian boats. Africans were sailing the seas for thousands of years. The Washitaw are ruled over, like the Gullah, by a Queen Mother, Her Highness Devine: Empress Wendy Farica Washitaw. Please show your support for their nation. We are only as strong as our weakest link as African Diaspora. The Washitaw donation page: http://empirewashitaw.org/index.php?p=1_15_Make-a-Donation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please support all these Black Nationalists efforts to provide true economic freedom and total liberation for all African Diaspora. The hand has five fingers and they all must be strong, work in coordination, to build a stronger Diaspora.
Henry Garnett said, "If we are to bleed, then lets bleed all at once.
Those who have it to give should give large amounts. In the upper ranges of $250.00 one time. If we can get 10,000 people to give $250 that would be $2.5 Million to complete , His Royal Majesty Oba Adefunmi II's 7 year plan, all in month. So give now! Up you Mighty Nation-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Queen Mother of Africa, Her Royal Highness the Nnabagereka (Queen) of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda Luswata. Please give $1.00 per household member and show your support for women and children of Africa. As we know women suffer the greatest on the weak political platform of Africa and children die in record numbers. The Queen Mother makes 3/4th of the Africa world, women and children, her first priority. Her example must be followed worldwide, Her Royal Highness the Nnabagereka (Queen) of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda Luswata, is bringing is the change of Africa. Donate: http://www.nnabagereka.org/en/
Our goal is $1 Billion, raised by all Africans worldwide, all languages and all ethnic groups.
