Unless you have been under a rock the last few months, you have heard many of the comments Cornell West has made about President Obama. He has challenged the President’s policies, the black communities undying devotion to POTUS, and has even called him a global George Zimmerman. Apparently, all that and more was just a warm up because recently he was back on the attack.
This time President Obama was involved, but he targeted his comments at Al Sharpton, even Michael Eric Dyson and others as supporters. Personally, I think he is right, but the title and harsh words are going to turn many of you off. You just can’t handle anyone talking about the first brown President in this manner.
However, if you are able to get past the harsh words to analyze the statements made, I think you will have to admit he was/is right. Dr. King was nonviolent and about bringing the country together, but he didn’t stand silent in the face of economic greed, injustice, nor the global war and violence which seems to be a large part of the Obama Administrations platform….but i’m curious to hear your take.
Here is a transcript of his comments below.
CORNEL WEST: Well, on the one hand as you can imagine, that was a beautiful thing. I was there in D.C. to see the magnificent expression of, like, faces and sparkling eyes of everyday people of all colors, hungry, thirsty for justice, hungry, thirsty for truth. Then you turn to so many of the major organizers and major speakers at the march – not too much truth. Not too much talk about justice. Mainly talking about voting rights, and every once in a while you see a vague reference to jobs.
Now, they had some wonderful speakers earlier in the day, but most of the country didn’t get a chance to hear them. But for the most part, there was, Brother Martin himself, I think, would’ve been turning over in his grave. He wants people to talk about Wall Street criminality, he wants people to talk about war crimes, or drones dropping bombs on innocent people. He wants people talking about the new Jim Crow and the privatization of education, and the various ways in which the well to do, the oligarchs and plutocrats are getting away with murder. You didn’t hear that whatsoever. You not only got a tame Martin Luther King Jr., but a real sense in which who he really was at the end of his life hardly surfaced at all.
And we saw of course the coronation of the bonafide house negro of the Obama plantation, our dear brother Al Sharpton supported by the Michael Dysons and others who’ve really prostituted themselves intellectually in a very ugly and vicious way.
I agree that we need to recognize the social problems we face as minorities. We need to take accountability of our youth. I believe the heart of the problem is with our youth. And if we don’t do anything than I agree with Dr. West Rev. King is rolling over his grave.
Education: We cry for more schools but the problem is not with buildings, we need MORE TEACHERS. The need for schools are out weighed by the need for educators. This also means strict guidelines when it comes to students attending schools. We also need to crackdown on School that only take our youth for their athletic worth vs. education. (ESPN 30 for 30 episode “BROKE”)
Pregnancy Rates: Our community is suffering from unplanned pregnancy. In the state of Florida in the city of Orlando, the rate of teen pregnancy is high vs. any small town in America. Most of these pregnancies are black teens.
Parents: We need to spend more time with our kids. This means talking, discipline and mentoring our kids. We don’t need the T.V or strangers to do that for us. We need to be involved with our Children’s lives.