Black People : CONTROVERSIAL AFRICAN PERSONALITIES...

[Isaiah]

SAMMY DAVIS JR:

Regarded as the greatest entertainer of all time, because he could do it all, sing, dance, act, was an impressionist, and so on... Contributed liberally of his income to Black Liberation movements like the Panthers, and SNCC, as well as to the Civil Rights Movement of Dr. King... Married a White woman(May Britt), and then hugged Tricky **** Nixon... Enemy to African Americans despite his many contributions to our struggle...

PAUL ROBESON:

Another multi-talented African man, who could sing, and act, but was a renowned scholar athlete at Rutgers University, and a powerful orator. Married a white woman, and adopted Socialism as his political philosophy... Enemy to African Americans despite his many contributions to our struggle.

OPRAH WINFREY:

World-renowned communicator/talk-show host, billionaire philanthropist, whose popularity supercedes any person now living on the planet earth. Recently donated through her charitable organization, homes to 50 African American families hard hit by Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi, with at least 50 more families set to receive homes as well... Enemy to African Americans because she participated in the making of The Color Purple, as well as other cinema efforts... Never does enough to satisfy the hungry demands of our community, despite her best efforts...

FREDERICK DOUGLASS:

Well-known self-taught, escaped slave, abolitionist, diplomat, newspaper editor, and freedom fighter... Enemy to African people because he married a white woman...


BOOKER T. WASHINGTON:

A freedman who rose to great institutional power, built Tuskeegee University, and engaged in monumental battles with Du Bois, and the NAACP. Lives in infamy because his philosophy called upon African Americans to "cast your buckets where they are", rather than seeking integrationist equality with whites... Enemy to African Americans because many of us see his philosophy as TOMMING for the White Man...

There are many more of these kinds of folks, and I am sure we can name some ourselves if the mood suits us... What I want to understand is why are we so quick to discredit and disown African people who've made quite powerful contributions to our struggle???

Do you guys remember reading Malcolm's autobiography...his dalliances with White chicks??? I wonder why Malcolm escapes our wrath on this???

Also, it seems well-known sisters who might marry a White Guy seem to glide under the radar, while brothers catch it - from Black men, as well as, Black women...

This thread seeks to examine why a brother or sister is not entitled to mess up without being scourged from pillar to post, and banished to the scrap heap of history??? In other words, why is our community so doggoned judgemental toward our own..


Peace!
Isaiah

 

[panafrica]

I think one of the primary questions that must be asked is why are these people to be considered Africans, and did they consider themselves to be Africans? One of the first lessons in truly understanding history is knowing and respecting who people were and not trying to make them out to be who we want them to be. In other words making them stand for things they never did.

 

[Bisabee]

This is why I say, let peoples actions speak for them, regardless of all the naysayers who may want to tear them down.

Oprah is also doing a lot for the women of South Africa, paying for scores of the women there, victims in various ways of the scourge of AIDS to go on for higher education there and abroad, setting up leadership academies for the women, establishing and promoting entrepreneurialship projects for the women. She has gone on record to say she is adopting the Black women and girls of South Africa.

 

[panafrica]

I think all those historical figures Isaiah listed are immeasurably important to the "integration" movement, and all the black community is today we owe to their visions of progress!

 

[Bisabee]

Hmmm, I wonder which historical figures all the African countries would give "credit" to for their condition today. I think I can safely say they wouldn't take the "credit" themselves.

We have perfected the "Blame Game."