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Editorials/Columns
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President Obama: Uniter Of Negritude
ere is a question that I need someone to an- swer for me. Is there
even a slim chance that Presi- dent Barack Obama did anything right during his 8 years in office?
I have to ask because, ac- cording to his critics, Presi- dent Obama's presidency has been the worst thing to happen to America since the advent of reality television. And that's truly saying some- thing.
The thing is, I expect this level of disdainful criticism of President Obama's tenure from right-wing commentators like Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly. These are first- ballot inductees into the Hall of Fame of Bigotry. But when the vitriol aimed in the presi- dent's direction comes from the lips of individuals who claim to be "for the people" it becomes even harder to stom- ach.
It was this kind of sick feel- ing that came over me last Sunday when I watched Dr. Cornel West and his ever- present afro pick, once again, use his latest opportunity in front of a camera to bash this nation's first Black Com-
mander-in Chief. And, the en- tire time that I'm listening to him ramble on about what the President didn't do and could have done better, I couldn't help but think to myself, "bruh, let it go."
I don't know if it's due to the fact that President Obama didn't offer him a V.I.P. pass to the inauguration or if his ivy league education leads him to believe that it's his elitist duty to instruct every other Black person on the best way to do his or her job but, ever since the 2008 election, Dr. West and his partner in contempt, Tavis Smiley, have made it a point to condemn President Obama at every turn.
Of course, Dr. West claims that his steady chastisement comes from a place of love. But, if that's the case, I'm sure President Obama would rather be hated by the man.
Dr. West's biggest gripe seems to be that President Obama hasn't done enough for the Black community and believes it's a travesty that a Black Lives Matter movement had to be created while a Black man leads the nation.
Maybe I'm missing some- thing here. But I didn't know that President Obama's
mere presence in the White House was supposed to, magi- cally, make racism suddenly go away?
I guess what Dr. West doesn't realize is that Presi- dent Obama's title is spelled P-R-E-S-I-D-E-N-T, not K-I- N-G. And surely it never dawned on him that standing up against police brutality would be even more of an issue during a Black presidency be- cause the Black men who are being killed by racist cops could merely be convenient stand-ins for the real target of their anger... The President, himself.
The really sad thing is that it probably also never occurred to Dr. West that the media may be simply using him as the token Black face to vocalize what they're afraid to say. Then again, they've had a hand up his backside for so long, he may be extremely comfortable playing the role of puppet.
I just hope, for his sake, that Dr. West takes full ad- vantage of all the attention he can muster up over the next 8 months. Because, once Presi- dent Obama throws up the deuces and the next adminis- tration takes over, he can con- tinue to talk all the crap he wants, but I guarantee you that there won't be a soul around him who'll give half a damn.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Pub- lishing Company. Anyone wishing to contact Clarence Barr can email him at: there- alcbarr2@yahoo.com.
Let it Go, Baby
POSTMASTER: Send Address Change To: Florida Sentinel Bulletin,
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
t’s a French word made popular during America’s
1920s Harlem Renaissance. The term “Negritude” was then adopted worldwide wherever there was a society or culture that was African-based. So, when President Barack Obama held out an olive branch to the leadership of Communist Cuba, his doing so was not only timely, but it was a triumphant example of Negritude...
Listen to what Black historian J. A. Rogers has to say about the Cuban people. “So many (Africans) were brought to Cuba (during the Atlantic slave-trade) that they soon outnumbered the whites, a good many of whom were in reality, mulattos (persons of mixed white and Black an- cestry).
It must also be remembered that many of the so-called Cuban whites (perhaps, most of them) were really mulat- toes, because in Cuba as in other Latin American lands, mulattoes who had money or influence could get their “white” papers (ratified by the government).
Further explains Rogers, “Though Cuba is listed as a white country, a visitor there will find a close ethnic similarity between its towns and the great centers of Black popula- tion in the United States.
But for Americans living in the cities of Florida (Tampa certainly included), we’re telling you nothing you don’t al- ready know. Quiet-as-it’s-kept, the so-called Afro-Cuban has written a long and proud history in our city where names like Jose Marti and Antonio Maceo (The Black George Washington of the Cuban Revolution) remain prominent in statues and on murals.
The Tampa Bay Rays played baseball in Cuba, but the ghosts of Willie “El Diablo” Wells, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Page (members in good standing of America’s Negro League) all met them on the mound.
So, President Obama addressed the Cuban People to a thunderous applause. And by so doing, he did what Moses, President Lincoln, and Dr. King did before him. He set our people free.
Have We Lost A Generation Of Our Youth?
few days ago, I had a con- versation with a friend of mine during which we dis- cussed and solved most, if not all, of the world’s problems. At some point in the conversation, he told me about a recent expe-
rience he had at a local park. My friend told me that dur- ing his time at the park, two groups of young girls suddenly appeared from nowhere and began describing each other in language so vial it would cause our ancestors to turn over in their graves. Even worse than the epithets they hurdled at one another were the violent acts that they threatened to unleash on each other. My friend de- scribed the girls as ranging in age from about twelve to eight-
een.
A group of elders who hap-
pened to be at the park tried to prevail on the young lasses to back off and go their separate
ways. However, the verbal at- tacks only escalated. When one finally struck a blow against an- other, all hell broke loose. The elders did manage to get them separated and calm was re- stored. Just as suddenly as the girls appeared, they all disap- peared; there was peace and quiet once again.
My friend wondered if we had lost a whole generation of our youth. Certainly, the daily news is filled with many nega- tives about our young and inci- dents such as the one described by my friend often cause even the most optimistic among us to ask the question. In our fast pace high tech society where everybody is looking for a high impact story, it seems that the bad stuff sells the most, gets the greatest publicity and stays in the news the longest.
I don’t believe we have lost this generation and I assured
my friend of that. Having started a charter school, and from personal observations, discussions I have had with ed- ucators, church leaders and oth- ers who work with children and youth, I am convinced that this generation is just fine.
For the most part, our chil- dren are doing positive things but they are not getting the pub- licity. Many are excelling in their school work, graduating and going to college. Others are taking classes that prepare them for the world of work. Many are volunteering, doing community service and helping others. Most of them have a healthy respect for authority.
Of course, there are some who have lost their way and need a helping hand to get back on track. Many of us believe that it is the sole responsibility of parents to fix whatever the issue is. Others believe it’s a problem for schools or perhaps churches while some think it is a government problem. I be- lieve that as members of civil society, it is a problem for all of us. We can never give up on any of our youth. As a society we must either work toward or pro- vide support toward finding ways to give all of our children a fair chance to succeed.
U. S. Senate, Do Your Job!
rticle Two of the United States Constitution, also
known as the “Appointments Clause” grants the President of the United States the power to appoint certain public officials.
It reads, “He (the President) shall have the power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, ... to nomi- nate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate shall appoint ambassadors, other pubic ministers and councils, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other offi- cers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be estab- lished by Law...”
Translated simply, there is no language in the Constitu- tion that limits the timeframe in which the President should make his or her appointments.
However, since the beginning of President Obama’s term in office, our Republican legislators have embarked on a continuous mission of obstructionism, sabotage, and political double-speak.
And to top it off, they are refusing to follow the Consti- tution, citing some nonsense about tradition.
What tradition? Voters should call their Republican Con-
gressional representatives and let them know that voters expect them to do their jobs. As it is, they haven’t done much in the past eight years except oppose everything the
present administration has dared to do. Enough is enough!
The Supreme Court has already reached a deadlock vote on one case brought before it this week. Waiting fourteen months to fill a Supreme Court position is ludicrous and must be overruled.
FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A
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