Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 3-1-16 Edition

Editorials
Introducing The Black Panther Party
More Than Just A White Mike
Charles R. Wilson: Future Supreme Court Justice
Yes, according to accurate insiders, President Barack Obama may well be considering Republican Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval to fill the vacancy left by the late
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. But an equally be- lievable rumor has it that others might also be considered by the POTUS ... and among those others may be a name that not only is well-deserved, but is unbelievably close to home.
Tampa’s own Charles R. “Chuck” Wilson, current Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Cir- cuit, was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, and has assumed that office since 1999. Born in Pensacola, Florida, and a graduate of Jesuit High School, this Tampa- transplant went on to receive his B.A. degree from the Uni- versity of Notre Dame and later earned his Juris Doctorate at the same institution.
Following law school graduation, Judge Wilson worked as a law clerk for Judge Joseph W. Hatchett of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, then served as an Assistant County Attorney in Hillsborough County, fol- lowed by a five-year career as a private Tampa attorney.
In 1981, he was appointed as County State Judge in Hills- borough County to be followed four years later as a U. S. magistrate judge then to serve as U. S. Attorney for the Mid- dle District of Florida, and finally to occupy the post of Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
Said one anonymous observer, “Chuck’s nomination was relatively uncontroversial, and earned him bipartisan sup- port. In other words, from day one, he dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every ‘t.’”
Having followed Judge Wilson for years, we agree with the anonymous observer. Therefore, we promise the White House, “You could not make a better choice.”
Sadly, most Blacks under the age of 50 have no idea of the role the Black Panther Party played in the history of Blacks in America. Thus, when news media accounts of a movement by police officers to boycott Beyoncé’s Forma- tion tour because of her refer- ence to the Black Panther Party during the Super Bowl halftime show, many Blacks had no idea why police officers would refuse to provide security for her con- certs.
Indeed, the black leather out- fits and raised fists (Panther Party attire and symbol) meant nothing to Blacks born after 1966.
The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was a “revolution- ary Black nationalist and socialist organization “founded in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, in Oakland, California. Fueled by the failure of Civil Rights organizations’ use of non- violence civil disobedience to bring about significant social and economic change, the assassina- tion of Malcolm X, and the po- lice shootings of unarmed Black men, Newton and Seale sought to capitalize on the energy of young Blacks who had partici- pated in riots throughout Ameri- can cities.
During this era, Black popula- tions were concentrated in so- called “urban ghettos,” experienced high unemployment
A few weeks ago when it was announced that a white actor was cast to portray Michael Jack- son in an upcoming biopic, I doubt I was the only one who was caught a little bit off guard. When it happened, I remember thinking to myself how much of a shame it was that whoever was producing the movie couldn’t find a Black person, anywhere, light-skinned enough to fill the role.
Then it occurred to me that, in trying to get the optics as accurate as possible, they probably felt as though they had to find the palest person of European descent avail- able, which, considering Mike’s skin was bleached to a level no one on Earth had ever seen, prob- ably wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
But, even with that being the case, I couldn’t escape the fact that Michael Jackson, regard- less of his psychological issues and odd appearance toward the end of his life, was born a Black male. The idea that he would be immortalized forever on film, by someone who isn’t, at least to some degree, a member of the Black race, seemed like another subtle attempt to erase the ex- traordinary achievements of peo- ple of color from the historical
rates, lived in substandard hous- ing, lacked political representa- tion, and suffered numerous unjust incidents of police harass- ment and brutality.
Police departments were pre- dominantly white and had strained relationships with Black communities.
In the 1960s, young urban Blacks were attracted to the Pan- thers because Newton and Seale challenged police brutality by organizing armed (rifles and shotguns) patrols to follow the police around Black communities to monitor for incidents of bru- tality and profiling.
At that time, California had an open-carry gun law. Seale, Newton, and Party members used the law when confronted by police officers about the posses- sion of guns.
The Party gained a reputation for violence because of carrying weapons openly and using anti- police chants “Off the pigs!” while holding rallies in communities where unarmed Black men were killed.
The Panthers established a Ten-Point program of ‘What We Want Now” for Blacks, which in- cluded full employment, decent housing, education that included Black history, exemption of all Black men from military service, an end to police brutality, freeing of all Black men held in federal, state, county, and city prisons
record.
It isn’t like it would have been
impossible to use a Black actor. With the advancements in Holly- wood special effects, the technol- ogy exists for them to make a person as dark or as light as they choose. But, for some reason, the individuals behind the project deemed going an untraditional route their best option.
I have to be honest, when the news of this blatant distortion broke, I thought there would be more outrage from Black people asking, “What in the hell’s going on here?” Especially since the an- nouncement came on the heels of the #OscarsSowhite controversy.
But, I guess, after continuously accepting the whitewashing of an- cient Kemet (Egypt) with every theatrical release and being accus- tomed to seeing Caucasian rendi- tions of the Creator of the universe and the Savior of mankind by artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo Di Vinci, to the average Black person, having the King of Pop also Europeanized was just busi- ness as usual.
I probably shouldn’t be too surprised by the lack of attention this story garnered. People often
and jails, and trials by juries of our peers.
By 1967, Eldridge Cleaver had assumed a leadership role in the Party, and Huey P. Newton had been charged with killing po- lice officer John Trey, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had described the Panthers as “the greatest threat to the in- ternal security of the country.”
The FBI had also imple- mented a program to “neutralize” Black Nationalist hate groups, prevent the unification of mili- tant Black Nationalist groups, weaken the power of their leaders as well as discredit the groups among their supporters.
Numerous confrontations with police officers in California and Chicago resulted in murders of police officers and Panther members. Sources and inter- views with Panther members in- dicate the Panthers engaged in drug dealing, extortion of mer- chants, assassinations of some of its members, and planned con- frontations with police officers. The group’s membership ex- ceeded 10,000 and expanded to 48 cities. The Panthers estab- lished a Free Breakfast for Chil- dren Program and community health clinics where clothing, les- sons on self-defense, first aid, drug and alcohol rehabilitation along with sickle cell anemia test- ing and other services were pro- vided.
The organization’s involve- ment in police ambushes, rob- beries, drug-dealing and murders and other criminal activities de- stroyed its credibility with Blacks. By 1982, its membership had dwindled to 27 diehards, and the organization dissolved ... or did it?
Harrambee!
harbor the misconception that keeping an accurate account of history really isn’t all that impor- tant. But what is forgotten is that, for almost every civilization, his- tory is the most precious asset claimed because it is what ulti- mately defines the people.
Conquerors don’t take the time to re-write the history of the con- quered simply because they can. They do it because they know that it’s easier to control a group who doesn’t have knowledge of their true potential.
There is a reason why the teaching of African legacy in the public school system, more often than not, begins and ends with the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Any- thing more extensive potentially threatens the overall agenda.
On the surface the whitening of Mr. Jackson may not seem like a great cause for concern because, to many, he’s only an entertainer. But, taken in a much deeper con- text, it stands as yet another re- minder that those in positions of power still feel it necessary to twist the facts into a narrative that benefits them most in the future.
And our job, like that of those who came before us, is to make sure that the generations who fol- low can easily discern between the truth and this kind of fictionalized bull—— being offered up for mass consumption.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publish- ing Company. Anyone wishing to contact Clarence Barr can email him at: realityonice@yahoo.com.
TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5
Why We Too, Have A Problem With ‘The Stolen Party’
C ertainly, we understand SpringBoard District curricu- lum coordinator Jessica Brocksman when she explains to Hillsborough school educators and interested by- standers, “We don’t want anyone to think it (a story entitled “The Stolen Party”), is a script or that they have to follow
lock step.”
But there’s a reason why the story about a little girl from
a blue-collar family who attends a “rich people’s party” leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of various teachers who do, indeed, ‘follow the script” and sours the stomachs of cer- tain blue-collar students who identify with the little girl, but do not at all identify with the rich people throwing the party.
In essence, what it causes is a cultural curriculum melt- down. Maybe, that’s why Hillsborough School Board mem- ber Susan Valdes is not happy with curriculum “The Stolen Party,” developed by a New York based nonprofit institu- tion known as the College Board, which is responsible for development of the curriculum “The Stolen Party.”
In Valdes’ words, “Reading this story could bring some kids to tears because this could be their reality . . . That’s close to bullying and that’s the kind of stuff we’re teaching?” In a local school system where only 16 percent of our stu- dents go on to attend college, we would agree with Board member Valdes that nothing, which denigrates students need see the light of day in a Hillsborough classroom.
Certainly, our schools can find curricula closer to home and more able toward inspiration. If not, then as Jessica Brocksman suggests, change the storyline so that the little girl from the blue-collar family goes to the party and some- how becomes the “Belle of the Ball.”