The fight among so-called Black leaders about who loves or hates President Obama is an embarassing mess – by Lucius Gantt
Before you read any further, let me just say Barack Obama will be remembered as one of the best United States Presidents in history and you can pick your own reason why.
Now, what’s dumb to me is why the so-called leaders are publicly disagreeing with each other.
High paid clowns, excuse me, comedians and radio show workers Tom Joyner and Steve Harvey say Travis Smiley and Cornell West are mad because the President passed on invitations for them to appear at events they sponsored or failed to invite the Negro leaders to events at the White House.
Smiley and West say that Joyner and Harvey, along with others, just rubber stamp everything Obama says and does just because the President is Black. They say the President should do more and say more about poverty and other Black community issues.
In my opinion, none of these four guys are modern day Martin Luther Kings, Malcolm X’s or Nelson Mandelas. In fact, neither of these guys are in a hurry to support any strong community activists, radical thinkers or 21st century revolutionaries.
I write columns in Black newspapers and in Black internet or other media outlets for predominately Black people. If The Gantt Report is posted or sent around the world it is not done by me.
They, like me, should limit their arguments and disagreements about Black politics and Black leadership to places frequented by Black people.
People love those guys because they love to divide and try to conquer us. People love it when we attack each other and when we turn our backs on real issues and get down in the ghetto gutter and slander each other.
We need to keep our “family” squabbles within the family. Keep it in the closet. When the world sees us always trying to one up each other about petty stuff like “invitations” the world thinks we are uncouth, uncivilized or misdirected.
I think Joyner, Harvey, Smiley and West should unite for a “Money Tour” instead of a “poverty tour” that includes constant attacks on President Obama.
Black people need jobs and money. In a capitalist society, money is the primary motivating factor.
Now, they won’t give me credit but I know more about politics than they do. I also know that Republicans or Republican friends will pay Black people to disparage the President and other Democrats. I also know that Democrats will pay Black people to tell other Blacks that they should always support and vote for Democrats no matter how racist and reactionary Red, Blue and Yellow Dog conservative Dixiecrats really are.
Well, no college has ever asked me to teach or speak and I don’t do stand-up routines at the J-Spot or Comedy Zone but I do know that we all need to unite and work together to progress.
While the fake Black community leaders are attacking each other, Black people and oppressed people worldwide are taking their issues to the streets.
People love a good clown but hates a fiery riot. If we don’t turn our energy and focus to economic empowerment our streets may turn into hot spots just like the streets of London, England.
(Buy Gantt’s book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing’ at any major bookstore and contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net
