Wednesday, January 25, 2006
New Political Thought Vol. 1
Politics is defined the process by which resources are distributed. The political conversation in our country revolves around two perspectives: liberal and conservative.It seems to me that black folk do not fit within the pre-defined categories of political thought known as "liberal" and "conservative." The main reason for this is that neither end of the spectrum holds a particular concerns for the rehabilitation, survival and future of black folk (or Latinos or Native Americans for that matter). At one point the argument could be made that the liberal movement was acutely concerned with seeing justice for us, with participation in the second major Civil Rights movement in the mid-twentieth century. However, as we stand back 40 years from the passage of the last great civil rights victory- the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965- we have in some senses witnessed a deterioration of our community.
Black folk own no greater wealth now than in 1865. Far more black men are in prision than in college. Abortion rates are grossly unacceptable. Marriage has declined. The black family has all but fallen apart, with a large number of black women wading in smaller and smaller pool of potential husbands and fathers.
The fact is, the concern for black folk is and was just a segment of liberal concerns, along with the environment, abortion rights, and of course- power. Both Dr. King and Malcolm X concurred that the "white liberal" has a more vested interest in their particular view of order and society as opposed to real freedom and justice.
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