Life in this country is like parallel escalators leading all Americans upward toward a common, societal notion of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. White supremacy firmly pushes whites up the escalator - easing their path and hastening their arrival to their goal. The escalator for blacks, on the other hand, flows down against our progress. We’ve got to actively walk up the steps moving against us – and at a faster pace than it is coming down - to make any progress up at all. If we move at the same pace as the escalator, we stand still. If we stand still, we get pulled back.

Along with money and education, politics and government are the primary tools to help slow the speed of our escalator against us. While we are still not where we should be, if we compare where we were in 1619 versus where we are today, it is the influence of government, largely at the federal level, that is responsible for our progress. Sure, attitudes around the country have evolved, but - as with civil rights gains made in the 1960's - the federal government has largely lead the public in this area.

Now to be sure, the federal government is also a primary obstacle for African America as well. Its objective is to keep both escalators well oiled and operating. White America - particularly the elites - use government to fulfill their objectives; we only have to look at the way Bush administration policy has served the personal financial interests of the rich and powerful to see that! Nevertheless, we must keep in mind that whatever progress we’ve made in this country has largely come from our ability to ‘work the system’ to our advantage; to slow the speed of that escalator coming down against us versus the continuous push that America exerts to keep us down.

When people suggest that voting is meaningless for African America, they miss this bigger picture about the escalator that we find ourselves on. We are in a position where we either take aggressive and affirmative steps up, or we certainly get propelled backward. It’s that simple. Voting and political participation are the primary vehicles through which we can work this system for our benefit. It requires us to become aware and to get involved, but every adult can do it. To be sure, we have nothing to lose and – over time – much to gain.

It is clear that voting is not the means to establish a black nationalist, or self-determined, future. By definition, it is not a mechanism of fundamental, structural change. But, one can simultaneously hold more revolutionary objectives while also supporting things that make real, incremental progress on a day-to-day basis. The two positions are not contradictory.

Not voting because one's eyes are fixated on a more revolutionary prize seems short-sighted to me. Despite being starved, not voting is like refusing to eat the hors d'oeuvres available to you because you have it in your mind that you want/deserve a filet mignon meal. Well, the two can serve complementary purposes. Eating the hors d'oeuvres can strengthen you and better position you to achieve your greater long term objectives. Organizing and participating actively in our political system will be the best training for any proposed revolutionary future that some may aspire to. Moreover, you can be sure that African Americans will never be offered enough hors d'ouevres of 'life, liberty, and happiness' to have us forget about the steak!

In the end, I don't understand the rationale to sit home and allow others to exert undue influence over our lives. We have seen government and voting make positive changes in peoples lives. We have seen opposing view points push programs that have been inimical to our welfare. Voting is a means of 'getting in the game; of taking greater control over our lives to slow the escalator coming down against us. As I see it, we have no choice but to do what we can to influence the system to our benefit. Our future and our children demand that of us.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MBM,

I WISH I'D SAID THAT...ALL OF THAT!!!!!!!!

it is the influence of government, largely at the federal level, that is responsible for our progress. Sure, attitudes around the country have evolved, but - as with civil rights gains made in the 1960's - the federal government has largely lead the public in this area.---MBM

This is an outstanding analogy.

It captures the effect of the socio-political dynamic in which we live.

we must keep in mind that whatever progress we’ve made in this country has largely come from our ability to ‘work the system’ to our advantage; to slow the speed of that escalator coming down against us versus the continuous push that America exerts to keep us down.---MBM

Agreed.

We are the captains of our fate.

Government gives us ONLY the things it is forced to relinquish...,and never an iota more.

Government is the engine of the power source of the escalator.

Racism is engine applying that power to our circumstance.

When people suggest that voting is meaningless for African America, they miss this bigger picture about the escalator that we find ourselves on. We are in a position where we either take aggressive and affirmative steps up, or we certainly get propelled backward. It’s that simple. Voting and political participation are the primary vehicles through which we can work this system for our benefit. It requires us to become aware and to get involved, but every adult can do it. To be sure, we have nothing to lose and – over time – much to gain.---MBM

It has been simple since the 14th Amendment.

Denying the vote to African American-Americans was inherent in the 13th. Without that vote, however, there was no muscle in the new freedom of African American-Americans.

Resisting the freedom denied the vote.

Citizenship...the 14th Amendment...made legal denial impossible.

The power of The South was, and still is, sustained by the denial of the vote to African American-Americans...all of which is enabled by the 10th Amendment...States' Rights.

We indeed bear the burden, and are responsible to free ourselves this bondage.

you can be sure that African Americans will never be offered enough hors d'ouevres of 'life, liberty, and happiness' to have us forget about the steak!---MBM

We have been sitting at the table for many generations.

We have been without the 'solid food' of citizenship that we not only won't eat it, we allowed the system to makes believe it will make us sick...if not outright kill us.

we have no choice but to do what we can to influence the system to our benefit. Our future and our children demand that of us.---MBM

And now...our children have children.

HOTEP

Jim Chester

quote:

It is clear that voting is not the means to establish a black nationalist, or self-determined, future. By definition, it is not a mechanism of fundamental, structural change. But, one can simultaneously hold more revolutionary objectives while also supporting things that make real, incremental progress on a day-to-day basis. The two positions are not contradictory.

Where have you been? lol
(Could have used you/that for my school sessions with JUNIOR.)

quote:

Organizing and participating actively in our political system will be the best training for any proposed revolutionary future

That, sir, is a selling point. Not that organizing can't be done outside of the participating in electoral politics but there is a point well made about practical experience in governance or simply organizing or being a part of a campaign.

There are legit concerns and issue that can't be so easily brushed aside. All this is easy for you to say because of your "work the system" perspective. You simply have a belief in the system other just don't have and that has a impact on how people respond.

There is a brutal irony involved in some of this. Black people turned out and voted for Bill Clinton and, at best, the Clinton years represented a mixed bag if not a net negative. You've said it yourself. So it's past time that we be honest with ourselves and not over-sell anything:

quote:

We have seen government and voting make positive changes in peoples lives. We have seen opposing view points push programs that have been inimical to our welfare. Voting is a means of 'getting in the game; of taking greater control over our lives to slow the escalator coming down against us.

I think it's wrong to conflate Black people's disappointment and/or disillusionment with electoral politics with their views on government. I also think it's irresponsible to ignore what happens when Black people vote and get results like what happened during the Clinton years.

That is something that has to be dealt with honestly and not brush aside.

I like the escalator analogy but what is there to stop Black people, particularly those who don't share your ideological viewpoint, from taking something like the Clinton years and contrasting that to another one of our classic arguments about "relying on the government vs. doing for self" and questioning why invest so much time and energy there for arguably so little in return?

I don't know how to do or how to say it but I wish we could really have an honest, thorough discussion without falling into our typical positions.

It just seems like so many of the hard questions are evaded.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nmaginate,

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http://nquest2xl.wordpress.com/

So let's make the connection here:

quote:

Do we really want another administration that looks at us merely, and solely, as an "interest group" to be managed?

Hey, Black folk voted for Clinton under the assumption that that vote would help them "work the system" or slow the escalator. I don't have to list the platitudes...

quote:

Sistas, do you remember how Bill left Lani Guinier swinging in the wind? ...Instead of standing up for this accomplished and worthy black woman, Clinton went the easy route and abandoned her.

Oh but Clinton had the most Black people working for his administration, at least at some point, right? Besides, we exercised our right to vote for him vs. the other George Bush. We were "working the system" and that's what the escalator gave us.

quote:

Bill was responsible for NAFTA...

Yes! We voted for Bill. That escalator thing, right? We were "taking greater control over our lives to slow the escalator coming down against us" and look what happened. We voted and that's what we got even after we voted.

quote:

What about the "Three Strikes" laws that came into popularity in the 1990's under Bill?

Yes. What about it? Our choice was between Bill and Bush. We chose Bill. Are you saying Bush I would have been better? Did you think that at the time? We exercised our right to vote and voted for Bill. A Democrat. What's the problem? The escalator didn't really slow down as promised? What? The system really didn't work so well for us when we tried to make it work given the parameters of the choices we were presented with?

You typically say there is a significant difference between Democrats and Republicans. Well, again, Clinton was/is a Democrat. We chose the supposed lesser of two evils and got some definite hell out of it. You yourself outlined it. So let's just be honest with ourselves...

quote:

I guess African America should expect more of this???

Truly, we don't know what we can expect even if Obama wins. We don't know how much his hands will be tied even if he is every bit of what people want to think he can be. All that aside, though... I'm in 110% agreement with you about the Clintons.


.

Great points and questions. In summary I'd say that while we voted for Clinton, we did not adequately hold him accountable for our support. We were happy enough with his smiles and apparent comfort having a few of us up to the White House for dinner and let him off the hook for hard, real political results.

In general I think African America is evolving in our political sophistication and prowess. With each election cycle - hopefully - we become smarter about how to use our political power. As you know, a key tenet in my thinking about 'working the system' is our becoming increasingly strategic in how we leverage what presence and power we have in America. It's taking stock of the current political landscape, and then reacting in ways accordingly that most benefit us. We've got to consistently 'raise our game' politically - get smarter, get more active, etc. - to better work the system.

BTW, to clarify, "working the system" is not just voting. "Working the system" is over-all political involvement and organizing: getting involved in the system - voting, and running for office, and contributing our money and time to campaigns, and calling/writing our elected officials, and establishing PACs, and aggregating the influence and power of our elected officials, of course being strategic with how we vote etc. It's fundamentally understanding the rules of how the game is played and working those rules to our benefit.