Contents
Imprint 2
Chapter 1 3
Excuses that Hold no Water
Chapter 2 7
The Modern-Day Form of Slavery,
and Those in Slavery Are Not Aware
Chapter 3 16
Collectively Made into a Political Pawn
Chapter 4 23
Lost in the American Social
and Economic Wilderness
Chapter 5 34
From a Historical Perspective,
who is to Blame for Slavery?
Chapter 6 40
The Deliberate Robbery
of the African American Soul
Chapter 7 47
The Decimating Effect of the
Hijacking of the Black Soul
Chapter 8 58
The Half-Hearted Freedom for the Slaves
Chapter 9 65
The Oppression and Institutionalization
of Segregation and Racial Discrimination
Chapter 10 73
One Nation and Two Classes of People
Chapter 11 80
The Abandonment of
Christian Injunctions and Slavery
Chapter 12 86
The Complicity and Ineptitude
of the Church During and After Slavery
Chapter 13 100
Factors Working Against the
African Americans Today
Chapter 14 110
The Superficial Fight for Equality
and End of Segregation
Chapter 15 117
Corrupt, Selfish,
and Incompetent Leadership
Chapter 16 129
The Black Elites Are Indifferent
to the Plight of the Common People
Chapter 17 134
The Deceit Continues Through the Ploy
of Victimhood and Identity Politics
Chapter 18 143
The Victimhood Mentality
Chapter 19 149
A Culture of Defiance and Nonconformity Among Young African American Males
Chapter 20 155
Using Music, Sports, and Violence
as Acts of Defiance
Chapter 21 167
The Hypocrisy of the
Liberal Progressives Exposed
Chapter 22 174
Traitors and Uncle Toms
Chapter 23 182
Learning from History – Some of the Oppressed People that Broke the Yoke
Chapter 24 190
Socialism – African Americans will be
at the Receiving End of the Stick
Chapter 25 196
What is Wrong with the Idea
of Wealth Equity
Chapter 26 205
Reparation is not the Answer: It is too Late
Chapter 27 214
The Education Success Story
of African Immigrants
Chapter 28 220
Why Black African Immigrants
are Generally Successful
Chapter 29 224
How Asian-Americans Left Behind Discrimination and Overcame
Chapter 30 230
A Wakeup Call for African Americans
and Especially the Younger Generations
Imprint
All rights of distribution, also through movies, radio and television, photomechanical reproduction, sound carrier, electronic medium and reprinting in excerpts are reserved.
© 2020 novum publishing
ISBN print edition: 978-1-64268-184-0
ISBN e-book: 978-1-64268-185-7
Editor: Karen Simmering
Cover photo:
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Chapter 1
Excuses that Hold no Water
Fifty-five years after the passing of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, both the economic and social situations of African Americans remain the same, if not worse than they were before the passing of the bill into law. While the nation continues to make progress through incredible strides in every aspect of human and scientific areas of endeavor, the vast majority of African Americans continue to terribly lag behind. The thought was that the end of racial segregation was going to usher in a time of both social and economic development for African Americans as the people’s lack of progress was often tied to slavery and racial segregation. However, half a century after the Civil Rights Act, the stark reality of the social and economic backwardness of African Americans comes to light when compared to the social and economic situations of the other ethnic groups that made up the nation.
Considering the extraordinary progress that this nation has made right from its birth like no other in the history of the world, people in other parts of the world often wonder why some sections of the population should be struggling socially and economically. Of great interest is the socio-economic backwardness of the African Americans compared to the progress of other ethnic groups that make up the country. For instance, African Americans are at the lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder in this country in comparison to other ethnic groups like the Caucasians, Asians, and to some extent, Latinos. In almost all areas of endeavors, African Americans are far behind all other ethnic groups. The people are only in front of Native Americans in all socioeconomic indices.
Collectively as a group of people, there seems to be no direct route to catch up socially and economically with any of the other ethnic groups. There is usually a level of surprise for people from different parts of the world visiting when they see the disparity between African Americans and the other ethnic groups. Newly arriving black African immigrants often go into a great deal of cultural shock when they discover that they are better off than their American ethnic brothers and sisters socially and economically in most cases. What could be responsible for the people to be collectively backward socially and economically in the nation that gave the world the airplane, internet, and other significant technological and scientific innovations? Why should there be people that are outrageously and financially backward in a nation that produced most of the wealthiest people in the world?
Many reasons have been given for the negative socioeconomic position of the people. To a highly discerning individual, the reasons often given to be responsible for this situation are mostly excuses. One of the rationalizations usually offered is the historical background of the people concerning the slavery experiences of the ancestors of the people. The claim is that the enslavement of the originally indented African laborers and the subsequent shipment of Africans as slaves, which lasted over two hundred years, is one of the factors responsible for keeping the people down. Similarly, the effect of the racial segregation policies created after the slaves became free – which lasted for almost a hundred years – is another reason often given as the cause of this problem. After the end of the segregation period, other proffered rationales include racial discrimination that targets blacks from getting access to opportunities. Another excuse often made is an unequal justice system that focuses on extreme punishment of crimes committed by blacks as another factor keeping the people back both socially and economically.
There is no doubt whatsoever that all of the reasons often given as responsible for the socio-economic backwardness of the people could be legitimate to some extent. However, these excuses will continue to hinder the people from moving forward because excuses are not good and valid reasons for failure. People must be ready to make the right decisions and have the right attitude to face the challenges of life. Talking of excuses, one of the other unfortunate aspects of the factors contributing to the socio-economic backwardness of African Americans is the claim that being in the minority among the nation’s different ethnic groups is contributing to their disadvantage. The general assumption is that white people are using their large population numbers and economic success to suppress African Americans. There is nothing that could be further from the truth as there are other areas where numbers matter, but it is certainly not here.
To belong to the minority ethnic group in this country is not a legitimate excuse to not realize and enjoy American success. After all, other minority ethnic groups are doing exceptionally well socially and economically, considering all other factors. For instance, the success of the Asian American proves that with the right approach and attitude, anyone can become successful in this country whether or not one happens to belong to any of the minority ethnic groups. Another hole in the claim that belonging to a minority ethnic group is the reason for the socio-economic backwardness of the African Americans is the fact that almost all black African immigrants in this country are flourishing in their various callings. Similarly, most Latino immigrants that came to the country legally – except for those who are illegals and have to live in the shadows – are doing great socially and economically.
Could there be other reasons apart from the effects of slavery, racial segregation, and discrimination that are responsible for the socio-economic situation of the people? Could a condition in which the actions and attitudes of the people to life be among the reasons why they are struggling to take their rightful position among other successful ethnic groups? Is it right and fair to suggest that absolute dependence on the government for survival might have robbed the people from taking on the responsibility of self-realization? What impact is the ineptitude of leadership playing in the lack of positive motivation of the people to greatness? Why is it that the release of human ingenuity that made this nation great lacking within the African American community when compared to the other ethnic groups? What role is ignorance, desire to be seen as victims, and the culture of defiance playing in depriving the people of opportunities to progress? Has it ever occurred to the older generations, the civil, religious, and political leaders that they have the responsibility to leave the coming generations with a better future?
Finally, has it ever occurred to the people that the situation in which they collectively embraced a singular approach to issues is not working for them? For instance, why should almost the whole community give allegiance to only one political thought? Is it reasonable to label anyone among them who embraces different views and political interests as a traitor? How far should failed attempts to be in defiance of law enforcement be encouraged? When are the people going to accept the fact that this is the only country they ever knew and be ready to acknowledge this as an unchangeable fact – unless one wants to immigrate to some other place? Are the people ever going to embrace other ethnic groups as fellow citizens and live peacefully together? But then, are the people ready to face and accept the truth that they are and should be responsible for their current situation? Are they prepared to wean themselves from the excuses of the past and squarely face the future to attain for themselves both social and economic progress that will take them to the same desirable height as the other successful ethnic groups?
These issues and questions need vigorous and faithful attention and consideration if there is ever going to be any positive and noticeable change to the social and economic situation of the people. The failure to honestly face these issues and questions and deal with them accordingly will amount to nothing other than to continue to hide our heads in the sand – like the ostrich – while above, the problems persist, and the storm continues to rage on. One of the discoveries made in the process of writing this book is that the vast majority of the people are not ready to face reality. Another discovery made is that it is highly stressful for most people to accept that they are wrong in their approach to the problems they are facing. It is going to be extremely difficult to change course and approach the issues and factors responsible for the socio-economic backwardness of the people until they are ready to face reality and accept that their faults are contributing immensely to the situation.
The truth is that all problems that are truly responsible for the socio-economic backwardness of the people will never go away as long as the current approaches and attitudes persist. There is always the need to realize that it is time to change a failing approach after many years of the same result. Furthermore, people should learn from history that not all struggles result in positive outcomes – possibly because of the methods that such struggles took. Some struggles need to compromise on their strategies and the attitudes of those in the struggles to achieve change. It is, therefore, reasonable to suggest that African Americans need to effect changes to their current approaches and attitudes to realize the desired change that will usher in their social and economic progress.
In order to arrive at the point that will enable the needed change, there is the necessity to examine and discuss the issues, factors, and reasons that are responsible for the current socio-economic backwardness of the people. It is also essential to have a sincere examination and discussion of these factors, issues, reasons, and find areas needing change. Doing this will create opportunities to find solutions that will assist the people in changing the negative attitudes and approaches that are working against the progress of the people. However, there is a need for caution here. Some issues that are tough, challenging, and controversial to many are going to be examined and discussed in this book. Nevertheless, it is essential to be as impassionate as possible to discover the root causes of the problems facing the people. It will be impossible to attain any tangible and positive change without exposure of the truth for fear of offending some people. More importantly, papering over the issues will make it eternally unattainable to achieve the needed change that will bring progress as long as the root causes of the problems responsible for the people’s economic and social backwardness are not dealt with.
Chapter 2
The Modern-Day Form of Slavery,
and Those in Slavery Are Not Aware
Without doubt, the United States of America is recognized as one of the greatest countries in the history of the world. Right from its creation and the Declaration of Independence, there were indications that the nation was destined for greatness like no other nation. Signs of this greatness came to the fore through the extraordinary ingenuity displayed by the people in all spheres of life right from its inception. The nation shot to the forefront of innovation through many discoveries in technology, science, medicine, and education, among others. Also, the United States helped to end two world wars to the credit of its political and military leadership. For decades now – if not hundreds of years – the United States of America has been the most prosperous and wealthiest nation in the world. Finally, the country landed a man on the surface of the moon, to name a few examples of its greatness. However, and in spite of all of these achievements, the nation has had to experience some dark spots in its history.
For instance, the United States was at the forefront of the enslavement of black Africans brought into the country initially as indentured laborers but who were subsequently forced into slavery. The nation had to fight a civil war before it could end slavery and set the people free. In spite of this, the freed slaves and generations of their descendants suffered unimaginable racial discrimination through the policy of racial segregation for several decades. Other dark spots in the history of the nation include the assassination of four sitting presidents: Abraham Lincoln, James Abram Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. Also, an attempt was made on the life of President Ronald Regan, but he survived the attack. However, the most troubling aspect of the dark spots in the life of the nation is the socio-economic backwardness of the vast majority of African Americans.
The lack of socio-economic progress of most African Americans is troubling in a nation with almost a quarter of the world’s wealth. Nearly 21 percent of African Americans are living below the poverty line, while the annual household income of blacks is the lowest among all the ethnic groups in the country. The level of high school dropouts among African American high schoolers is the second highest to that of the Native Americans Teenage parenthood is higher among the young females in this community than any of the other ethnic groups in the country. The death rate of African American youths between 16 and 35 years of age through violence is astronomical, while the impact of illicit drugs is the destruction of both the young and old more than other ethnic groups per population ratio. Furthermore, the population of African Americans incarcerated for various criminal offenses is the highest of all races.
Also, the family system of African Americans is disappearing at an alarming rate as most children are born to and raised by single parents. Finally, the level of social defiance among young males has become a matter of great concern to anyone who cares. The question then is, “Why should the nation that sent a man to the surface of the moon still have these types of problems plaguing its society?” That is what this book intends to discuss dispassionately with the hope that it will help to find practical solutions to the problems confronting the African American community in the United States of America today. It is certain that a lot of people, including both white and black, will vehemently disagree with many of the issues suggested as causing the problems confronting African Americans and the proffered solutions to these problems. However, I hope that this book will assist in starting substantive discussions on the current situation of African Americans.
Because of many clear indications, it is beyond argument to assert that African Americans appear trapped in the form of modern-day slavery that exists mainly in the United States today. This is not a forced form of slavery; however, it was designed deliberately by an informed and deliberate strategy to keep this particular section of the society in perpetual dependence on the government. The plan to keep African Americans permanently make the people to be dependent on the welfare program was formulated as a means to an end. The policy was designed that anyone trapped in its vicious cycle will support the political party that designed it for free votes as long as possible. The plan, seen from a superficial perspective, was considered by uninformed people as the government trying to alleviate the problems facing people of low income. However, the purposefully designed policy tied to the welfare benefit programs is to make the people perpetually dependent on government. It is an open secret that L.B. Johnson stated privately that the Democratic Party would have the votes of the black for the next 200 years as a result of the program.
Unfortunately, at the implementation of the first welfare program, the majority of African Americans were living well below the national poverty line. As President Johnson predicted, the Democratic Party has continued to enjoy the overwhelming votes of African Americans ever since. The majority of African Americans behave as if their existence and survival depend on an unfailing loyalty to the party. This behavior is in spite of all the detrimental policies of the party and its various governments from local, state, to the federal government on the people. Only a few African Americans that saw through the original intention of the Democratic Party have detached and freed themselves from unquestionable loyalty to the Party. However, the level of dependency and negative side-effects the welfare program has created for African Americans are far more than can be imagined.
The effects of having to depend on the welfare program by African Americans has led to a destroyed family system, with over 70 percent of children brought up by single parents. African Americans experience more high school dropouts than any other ethnic group except Native Americans. The community also has to confront the refusal of agile and abled young men to pursue gainful employment. Finally, African American neighborhoods are under the pressure of illicit narcotic drugs and gang-related violence. Nevertheless, the argument may arise that the people were not under any obligation to make the decisions to pursue any of the lifestyles listed above. This assertion may be accurate; however, the primary purpose of the welfare benefits policy was to return the people to an unseen but effectual plantation where all the effects and experiences of the historical plantations are visible. Because the initial purpose of creating the welfare benefits program is working as envisaged, it is evident to the discerning that the people are held in bondage both spiritually and psychologically. The majority of the people believe that they are incapable of lifting themselves out of the rot that the welfare programs have brought them. Those among the younger generations who do try to get out of the situation, unfortunately, take the wrong route through criminal activities and other rebellious behaviors.
The creators of the welfare programs knew precisely how it would make the beneficiaries become utterly dependent on the handouts and continue to be loyal to the political party that ‘helped’ them. It was soon after the implementation of the program that there began the disintegration of the African American family system. which began as soon as the people knew they could game the system. They knew that they stand a better chance to obtain a more substantial amount of financial benefits if there is no man in the home. Therefore, married couples decided to live separately and got more financial assistance than married couples living together. And thus, so began and continues till now the disintegration of the African American family system. Men left their homes and lived alone only to visit to check on their families once in a while.
The arrangement to set up two homes led to infidelity among husbands and wives, then followed by spates of divorces. Eventually, the situation got to the point in which African American women realized that they did not need men in the home to ‘raise’ children and survive. However, the adverse effects of single parenthood and its failure on especially young black men are incredibly tremendous. It is much easier for women to have a level of parental control over female children probably because of their gender affinity. The same is not the case with male children. The absence of fathers at home creates problems for the single women that resulted in the inability to provide leadership and direction that only fathers can give. It stands to be disproved that the adverse effects of single parenthood is one of the most significant factors causing the lack of social and economic progress in the African American community today. The welfare benefit programs have created the culture of a boyfriend-girlfriend in which men and women live together without any commitment to marriage. With these types of arrangements and associations, the children of such associations are and become victims.
Because of the negative impacts the welfare programs have had on the families such as with single mothers solely responsible for the upbringing of their children, it is often difficult to do an excellent job of child-raising. The situation is more real with boys where the fathers are absent from home to provide direction, leadership, and love that only the presence and commitment of fathers at home can offer. The result is that single mothers are mostly incapable of handling teenage young men whose first significant life decision is often to go out of the house to look for the direction and leadership that the absentee fathers could not provide. The next major life decision made by most of the young men raised by single mothers is to drop out of high school as soon as they turn seventeen. Once most drop out of school, the next decision on the list is to join a gang and begin a life of crime, constant visits to jail, and prison.
Around the same time that they drop out of high school, they look for and find girlfriends for themselves that will make them fathers by the time they turn eighteen. The girlfriends/teenage mothers are mostly high school dropouts themselves. By this time, the young men have matured through mentoring by older gang members into the life of serious crimes. To advance as amateur criminals to the status of professional ones, they are made to get involved in breaking petty laws and go in and out of jail for days to months, depending on the level of their criminality. The process helps prepare them to be able to handle tougher situations and encounters with law enforcement as well as time in prison. However, those among these young people who are fortunate enough to realize that they have made some major life mistakes and retrace their steps often end up with low paying jobs, like working at fast-food establishments. If they are unfortunate to realize their mistakes, some may be dead before they turn 25 – leaving behind three or more fatherless children from more than one woman.
Upon the arrival of a black immigrant from Africa to the United States, the first thing such immigrants discover is that immigrants of Arab descent predominantly manage gas stations, Indian and Pakistani immigrants often man motels and front desks of hotels, Latinos work in the building and construction industries, and immigrants of Chinese descent populate Chinese restaurants. Then, the African migrant begins to get confused as he cannot identify the African American with any main sector of the economy – except for flipping burgers. After the African immigrant becomes accustomed to the system, he discovers that the majority of young African American women are different from their male counterparts. However, the situation with African American women is somewhat different as they tend to work in most companies. The African immigrant also discovers that a large number of African American young males are in prison or have been there one or more times before. The one who newly arrived here is perplexed because of the violence among young African American males. The immigrant eventually realizes that drugs – especially crack cocaine and weed – have much to do with the level of violence in the African American neighborhoods.
In conclusion of this chapter, the following true story will help to better understand some of the effects of the welfare benefit programs. An agile and abled-bodied young African American man – about twenty-four years of age – without any mental impairment went for advice from a preacher once. He told the preacher that he did not know what to do as his mother had asked him to go to the local mental healthcare clinic to obtain approval for mental disability. The endorsement of the mental disability document by the physician would create for him the opportunity to receive a mental disability allowance. He told the preacher that his mother had once forcibly taken him to a psychiatric clinic when he was about fourteen years old for the same purpose. He said his mother did so to obtain welfare assistance through him for herself. He said he had to run away then and only returned home when he became an adult with the thought that his mother could not force him anymore to apply for the assistance.
The preacher advised the young man to ignore his mother and instead look for a job because he would find dignity in working rather than depending on government handouts. He stated to the preacher that his mother advised him that he could make more money using the disability benefit to buy and sell drugs. He even disclosed to the preacher that his uncle was receiving government assistance for mental disability and was using the proceeds to buy and sell drugs. This writer believes that this story is true because the preacher – who was black himself – was working in a particular black neighborhood to help and mentor the young people there. The story shows some of the other aspects of the negative impact of the welfare benefits on the people.
Finally, as a means of psychological escape, the use of drugs is beyond addiction but an epidemic, especially among poor African Americans. Crack cocaine – which is the drug of preference among African Americans – has destroyed thousands, if not millions, of people’s lives through severe addiction. The use of marijuana is also becoming widespread in black communities as a drug of choice mostly among the younger generations. Apart from those caught by the law for either using or dealing in narcotics, many lives have been cut short because of drug-related violence. Not only those directly involved in dealing with illicit drugs get ensnared in the accompanying violence, but innocent bystanders often get trapped in the crossfire. Additionally, young, and often naïve adolescents in black neighborhoods often get snared up with the corruption of drugs. Drug dealers often employ children as young as middle schoolers to help in selling drugs. Some innocent middle schoolers are said to be introduced to narcotics by their classmates.
It is worth repeating here that African Americans have unwittingly been re-enslaved but deliberately by the liberal progressive political machine. It is also worth saying, as it is going to be further explained in subsequent discussions, that a large number of African Americans had begun to do well socially and economically even during segregation. However, things started to go downhill for them with the introduction of the welfare benefit programs by President L. B. Johnson’s administration. Now, has anyone ever wondered why the programs were only introduced after desegregation? The liberal progressives knew that the end of segregation would usher in the atmosphere and opportunity for the people to indeed have the ability to take advantage of the end of racial discrimination. The liberal progressives also knew what this would mean politically for them – the loss of a useful voting bloc. There is no other reason why the welfare benefits program became so crucial to the liberal progressives than to hold the people down. The truth of the matter is that the policy was deliberately formulated and implemented for the simple purpose of buying African American votes at the expense of their future socioeconomic progress and nothing else.
The following three words: defiance – which means rebelliousness; deviance – which means abnormality; and nonconformity – another name for noncompliance are going to be interchangeably used to describe the attitudes and behavior of especially young African American males through this book. These words can aptly describe the psychology behind the actions of the majority of the younger generations of African Americans. “Defiance” can explain the refusal to obey simple instructions from law enforcement officers. The word “deviance” can describe the dropping of the pants by young males to reveal their underpants. Finally, the term “nonconformity” can take the place of both defiance and deviance.
Chapter 3
Collectively Made into a Political Pawn
If the truth be told, African Americans have never been an essential aspect of the political equation in the schemes of the Democratic Party’s strategies. They are all but a disposable chip in the political chess game of the United States of America as far as the party is concerned. For instance, the party and the progressive liberals only remember the people every two and four years for the sake of their vote. The cycle is repeated at election times ever since the elections of 1980 that saw the victory of Jimmy Carter as president. Ignoring policies to assist African Americans to work for their progress has not been altered but intensified since the election of Jimmy Carter. The party has not changed but used the same strategy to obtain the African American vote every election period. The policy is mainly tied to portraying the Republican Party as the enemy of African Americans.
The progressive liberals are so successful with this strategy that it has succeeded in curtailing the progress and freedom of the people from overcoming poverty. Unfortunately, except for a very few, the people have accepted as absolute truth that the Republican Party is the reason for their socio-economic backwardness. Only a very few among the people recognized the fact that the Republican Party was responsible for the abolition of slavery. Also, the vast majority of people do not believe that the Republican Party’s policies of self-reliance and hard work are the solutions to their socioeconomic woes. While the Democratic Party often looks the other way at the failures of the education systems managed by the progressive liberal teachers’ unions, the conservative Republicans are the ones fighting to effect education reforms. These are reforms that will actually benefit African American children. However, since most of the people are addicted to surviving on government handouts, they are convinced it is impossible to survive by breaking from the grip of the Democratic Party.
The collective group of African Americans was seen earlier on by the leadership of the Democratic Party as a potentially valuable tool to use for its political advantage. Although the African Americans were, for the most part, neglected, were initially considered mainly as a useful political voting bloc, by conniving with the corrupt self-imposed black leaders, the liberals eventually won their loyalty. The groundwork for the role the Democratic Party wanted African Americans to play was majorly laid at the start of the second half of the last century. Many approaches and tools were developed by the Democratic Party to obtain the allegiance of the African American. One of the instruments was to turn the people against white conservatives by portraying them as racists. Unfortunately, and to the absolute detriment to the progress of African American, the vehicle the Party employed to gain their loyalty was – and still is – the corrupt and self-serving leaders of the people. Another one of the tools that the liberal progressives and the so-called African American leaders used to gain the allegiance of the people is for them to believe and see themselves as historical and contemporary victims of the American system.
As a ruse to obtain their votes during every election cycle, African Americans have been led to believe that the root cause of their problem is slavery. However, there could never have been anything further from the truth as the economic successes of many African Americans during the segregation period have shown. Also, the people are made to believe that they are the victims of racism and bias because of the Republican Party’s political policies. Of course, there is undoubtedly a degree of racism and prejudice even today, either overtly or covertly, against African Americans. However, racism and bias against African Americans are not unique to any one group, ideology, or party. All incidences of racism and prejudice against the black in the country are from a very ill-informed section of the nation. This group within the population consists of every other race – white, Asians, and Hispanics.
However, the degree of individual racism and bias against blacks is based mainly on different perceptions – sometimes based on facts and sometimes on ignorance. Unfortunately, for the purpose of political gain, the Democratic Party has succeeded in pinning the source of African Americans’ socioeconomic woes on the Republican Party. By doing this, the liberal progressives have succeeded in creating a deep mistrust among the people against the Republican Party. The strategy has also managed to destroy any chance for the Republican Party to contribute meaningfully to policies that could help to alleviate the many problems confronting African Americans. The end result is that the Democratic Party has continued to hold African Americans in political, social, and economic bondage.
The purpose of this book is to expose the deceit being perpetrated by the left of the political spectrum as represented by the liberal progressive arm of the Democratic Party. The deception is rooted in an all-out effort to keep control of the African American voting bloc for the Democratic Party. It is also to reveal how the African Americans allowed themselves to be taken for a ride (a fool?) at the detriment of their socioeconomic advancement by the Democratic Party. Additionally, this book will show how the leadership of African Americans effectively sold out the people for political expediency and will reveal the failures and self-serving agendas of the people’s civil, spiritual, and political leaders. Deliberate and purposeful policies were designed to hold down the people to gain and maintain power at the expense of African Americans.
Finally, this book sets out to explain how African Americans can extricate themselves from the slavery and victimhood mentality fostered by their leaders and the liberal progressives. The effort of this exercise is to expose the deceit of the Democratic Party by exposing the strategy that they are being taken for a ride by those who understood and took advantage of their weaknesses. An exercise like this without proffering tangible solutions that will help people to take positive steps that will lead to progress is useless. Therefore, this book will suggest solutions that can be applied to refocus the perspectives of the people so that the people can deliver themselves from socioeconomic slavery and a victimhood mentality. Except the people understand that they have been deceived, given the tools for self-discovery, and willing to change, the situation with will continue. They will continue to lag behind socially, politically, and economically.
The people must come to the realization that the Democratic Party does not have any concrete political plan that will lead to their social, economic, and political emancipation. All that the party is interested in to ensure its grip on the people and maintain the assurance of their votes for as long as possible. Therefore, every individual African American must ask him/herself the following questions.
Is slavery the cause of my present economic situation?What has, if anything, racism got to do with my access to education and economic freedom?Is it from only the white I have ever experienced racial discrimination?If so, can I, in all honesty, say that the white who racially discriminated against me belongs to the Republican Party or was sponsored by the Party to do so?What steps, apart from accusing the Republican Party of racism and bias against me, has the Democratic Party taken – apart from the welfare program of the mid-’60s – to address the issues confronting the African American?What role are African American political and civil leaders taking to perpetuate my lack of progress or advance my development?Why can’t I allow the two main political parties to compete for my vote?As a people and especially those who have had to go through so much have the responsibility to faithfully, and honestly, answer these questions first. Without honestly, accurately, and sincerely tackling these questions, it will be realistic to decide whether to continue to lag behind socially, politically, and economically. To honestly answer these questions will lead to a break from the yoke of the politics of deceit and subjugation fostered on them by the Democratic Party and African American civil and political leaders. Progress will be hard to attain without the realization of the fact that the collective soul of African Americans was robbed through the deceit of an institution with its main objective to exploit them. The people have to realize that the original policy of this powerful institution was to use them for their own political goal. The people are not going to overcome their miserable situation in a land full of opportunities unless they are sincere with themselves and willing to make the needed change. To honestly, and factually, come to this realization means abandoning all existing faulted emotions and biases that were surreptitiously ingrained in their psyche by a deceitful entity.
Until the people are willing to release themselves from the shackles of identity politics and the culture of defiance and victimhood promoted by the ideology of perpetual trickery and deceit, the status quo will remain. To continue with the status quo will make it impossible for the people to realize that they are supposed to be independent of any institution for their progress and survival. Especially when such an institution’s only interest is taking advantage of them to keep power. For the people to help perpetuate an eternal loyalty to a particular institution to its own detriment is tantamount to irrevocably committing to social, political, economic, spiritual, and cultural bondage. To continue, it currently means that the black people of this country will not come to the reality of the opportunities that America offers. The opportunities this nation offers is for those who are genuinely free. Those who have been blinded through political deceits will not possess the capacity to take full advantage of all that the country provides. Therefore, it is in the interest of African Americans to be open-minded to the American system and the attainment of the personal and collective progress it offers. The first step toward this will be to encourage the two major political parties to court for their critical bloc votes and use this power for collective projects that will bring about progress.
Finally, the discussions and issues that are raised in this book will help in reaching the decision of whether they want to cling to their blind loyalty to a party and continue in the role of victims. Conversely, African Americans have the capacity and the leverage that can make both political parties beg for the people’s political support. The proportional use of their votes and backing of the two parties will result in the people’s benefit and progress. Additionally, the discussions in this book will proffer ways that will enable the people to give their loyalty to the nation. This is important as the United States of America is the only country they can claim to know and belong to. After all, most immigrants from other parts of the world possess dual nationalities, and they can renounce their American citizenship if they so wish. However, this is the only country African Americans can claim as their own unless they decide to migrate to another country.
Arriving at this decision is significant to attain both social and economic advancement and progress as a free and integral part of the nation without blind allegiance to any particular political party. Embracing patriotism is an essential component to the progress of the people. The historical lack of respect for the country in the African American community is consuming and detrimental to progress. It is also vital to assist the people to be denuded of biases and blind emotion to be able to understand the need for a new perspective to both personal and collective social, political, and economic advancement. Similarly, there is also a need to know that the decision to be socially, economically, and politically free demands a departure from holding on to the past and the establishment of a future based on self-responsibility devoid of groupthink.
To conclude this chapter, it is essential to acknowledge that there is no doubt whatsoever Africans brought into this country as indentured laborers or subsequently brought as slaves played a significant role and contributed immensely to the economic development and takeoff of this nation. It is historically factual that there were between 3.5 and 4.4 million slaves in the US throughout the entire period of slavery. One can only imagine the contributions the free labor of the slaves made to the economic development of this nation. It is highly unfortunate that rather than working genuinely for the complete economic and social emancipation of the African Americans in the country, the liberal progressive left – through the Democratic Party – is more engrossed in blame games. The liberal progressives understand that blaming conservatives and the Republican Party for the woes of these people provides them a better chance of gaining and clinging to power through the bloc votes of the African Americans. However, as is going to be shown in the discussions throughout this book, the existence of racism and bias against African Americans goes beyond party lines. Also, it is going to be shown that individuals have their own roles to play in realizing the American dreams.
Chapter 4
Lost in the American Social
and Economic Wilderness
Those that are psychologists have a lot to study for anyone to understand the psyche of an average African American. However, an amateur “psychologist” such as this writer can deduce several issues that are contributing to the state of the self-destruction culture and tendencies that permeate a large and vast section of the African American community today. Through personal observations and experience, the state of self-destruction among the people of African descent in this country is as a result of the purposeful robbery of the collective soul of these people. The deliberate theft of the collective soul of African Americans, which began immediately after the declaration of the emancipation of the slaves, is spearheaded by an institution that does not have the best interest of the people and the nation. This national institution is the progressive liberal section of the Democratic Party.
The level of self-destruction among the people is evident in all aspects of the critical factors of life in a nation that is established to elevate everyone to attain the best possible in any human endeavors. These self-destructive factors are apparent in areas of cultural identity, community, and social engagement, economic enablement, as well as the utilization of same, ethical, and moral standards, political involvement, and spiritual belonging. The approach of the African Americans is in going the opposite direction away from all that is reasonable and rewarding. These approaches and tendencies have led to the state of lostness among the majority members of this race. Anyone honest will agree that there is a degree of lostness that is visible and consuming among the black race in America today. This can be discerned through spiritual, socioeconomic, and identity lostness among the people. This sense of lostness can be seen even among those that are economically empowered within the community of African Americans.
There is no doubt that there is a fundamental reason for this sense of lostness among these people. Due to no fault of their own, because of many factors, there is a degree of inferiority complex, which is another evidence of lostness plaguing the people. The average African American is lost socially and economically because he could not find or refused to take advantage of help to tackle any of the factors listed above. Similarly, the failure of their civic, spiritual, and political leadership the people identify with continues to make it almost impossible to have a breakthrough from the pains of the past. Therefore, the ability to strive for self-discovery is missing among the vast majority of the people. Instead, the people have totally embraced the identity of the oppressed and victimized. This has led to the people being engrossed in the culture of defiance and blame-gaming. This has resulted in a group of people that have decided to be left far behind in every aspect of the American Dream.
Although slavery is often blamed as the reason for the current situation of the African Americans, the truth is that this claim is baseless when a lot of issues to be discussed in this book are examined and explained. Despite the horrors the slave ancestors of the people went through, no one today can say that their situation is the same. Similarly, even when it is true that a section of this country did everything to deny true freedom to the freed slaves and their immediate descendants, today’s African Americans have failed to move on and take advantage of all the opportunities this nation offers people irrespective of color or race. The unfortunate fact is that the people totally focus on the wrong reasons for their present situation among the rest of the nation’s ethnic groups. Until they refocus on those that are truly responsible for the robbery of their collective soul, the problem will continue to persist.
Through personal observations of this writer and a study of both ancient and contemporary history, there is a concerted effort to keep African Americans backward for as long as possible. This is a deliberate and purposeful determination that has continued to be carried on since the end of slavery. This intentional and determined plan could not have succeeded without the active knowledge and support of people within and outside of the African American community. The following are among the institutions, people, and interests that are contributing to the lostness state of the average African American. The media is playing a significant role in this problem. The selfish ranks of both civil and spiritual leadership is another factor contributing to the problems besetting this group of Americans today. Finally, the liberal left through the direction of the Democratic Party is a significant source of the lostness and backwardness state of the African American race.
It is easy to judge and condemn the self-destructive actions and behaviors of many in the African American community; however, it would be better to understand the root of such activities and practices. It is essential to also know that the lost and backward state of African Americans stems primarily from the desire of a political class that was – and still is – determined to keep them in perpetual dependence. This political class, with its allies among the leadership of the people, is more concerned about power than the real emancipation of these people. This political class – as represented by the Democratic Party – long ago found a ready ally in the print and electronic media. Additionally, the movie industry, as represented by Hollywood, is not excluded from this conspiracy. The impact of the alliance of the political class, the civil and spiritual leaders of the people, the print and electronic media, and Hollywood are too enormous not to become self-destructive and lost.
Furthermore, to fully understand the root causes of the current state of the African American soul, it is vital to understand the design and impact of the political class. This political class, as represented by the Democratic Party and its progressive liberal wing, is to have a firm grip on the soul of the African American. Contemporarily, this grip took a lasting effect at the start of the second half of the last century. First, it is well known among the rest of Americans and a few African Americans that the Democratic Party has initially been the authors of segregation through the Jim Crow laws. The party did every possible thing to keep desegregation impossible for a long time. Unfortunately, it is the same Democratic Party accusing the Republican Party of the sins of segregation policies (by the way, the same Democratic Party was against the end to slavery). For those who may not know it, it is the Republican Party and President Lincoln that ended slavery. However, the Democratic Party and its leadership portray themselves as the friends of the African American today.
