The New York Post, Chimps and Race

Alot of folks are pissed about the above cartoon, which appeared in Wednesday's edition of the New York Post. Al Sharpton was on the Tom Joyner Show talking about it, and he released a statement which you can find on the National Action Network website.The following is an excerpt from Sharpton's statement:

Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder whether the Post cartoonist was inferring that a monkey wrote it? Given that the New York Post cartoonist has come under heavy fire in the past for racially tinged cartoons including the infamous cartoons depicting 2001 mayoral candidate Freddy Ferrer and me in very unflattering ways (that ultimately was used as a campaign tactic to inflame racial prejudices), one cannot ignore that history when looking at this morning’s cartoon.

Now some folks may be thinking to themselves that it's too much of a stretch to think the Post would demonstrate their racism so blatantly. After all, who would be stupid enough to put such racism on display for the whole world to see? Nobody would be that stupid, would they?

Would they?

How 'bout we ask the moron in this video, which was taken outside of a Palin event during the campaign.




And who could forget the wonderful image to the left, which appeared on t-shirts that a Marietta, Georgia man printed during the campaign.


Lest we get confused and think that the whole monkey thing is just an attack on Obama, let's keep in mind the history of comparing Africans/Blacks to monkeys. This history includes "scientific" attempts to compare the brains of Blacks to those of apes--a belief that continues in slightly more subtle forms today. But more of that in a separate post...

And then, of course, there's the King of the Apes--King Kong. A lot has been written about the racism inherent in King Kong, but i'll just refer you to an old post from Angry Black Bitch (don't get mad at me for using the name as is). BTW, many people feel that in addition to the general racial overtones, King Kong was making specific reference to heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson, who was hated and persecuted because of his relationships with white women.

Anyway, for those who think that the black monkey thing is a matter of the past and not the present, try this little experiment. Google the two words, "niggers" and "apes" and you'll get almost 50,000 hits, most of which are to the most vile discussion threads you'll ever see. The following is an excerpt from the first post that came up in my search:

I hate Niggers just as much as everyone else here (and maybe even more) and we all call them Apes, Baboons, Jungle Monkeys etc. It is a big Insult to the Jungle Apes to call Niggers Apes. Jungle Apes, Baboons, Gorillas, Chimpanzees are of higher status and they don't commit any of the attrocities Black Niggers commit. Yes, Niggers are monkeys, they are "Porch Monkeys" or "Yard Apes". The average Black Nigger may look like a Jungle Ape but that's where the similarity ends. Physically they are similar to the Jungle Ape but mentally, the Jungle Ape is way superior. I love this site because the truth about Niggers is spoken here and It is very sad of how our world, our white society is being destroyed by these Savage Feral Underdeveloped Porch Monkeys. I have less fear falling Into a Gorilla Pit full of Gorillas than walking through a Nigger Neighborhood in the worst part of town any time. Between reading the posts on this website and just finishing jury duty, my hate for Black Niggers keeps Increasing by the day. This site rocks, keep up the good work!!

Again, my purpose in quoting these remarks is not to inform you that such people still exist. I'm assuming that anyone reading Cliff Notes came to this site already knowing that such idiots are still out there, and in larger numbers than any of us would like to admit. But y'all got some friends who are looking at this New York Post cartoon saying "it's not so bad". And at the end of the day, it's THOSE folks who concern me more than the monkeys making the racist monkey comments. It's the well meaning folks, the liberals and the Black folks who are confused by all this post-racial America stuff that are often the biggest obstacle. Dr. King referred to these folks as the "white moderate", which i would now extend to include a whole bunch of Black folk. In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Dr. King had this to say about such folk:

I have reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice... Shallow undertanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

In short, we must battle the ignorant racist that make the monkey comparisons, as well as the "enlightened" post-racialist who will seek to minimize and excuse them.

And on that point there can be no monkeying around.

On that "note", i'm outta here!

NOTEworthy News, 2/14/09

Shout-outs to Black Electorate and Black Politics on the Web for their news updates (see blog links).

Orlando (Florida) City Commissioner Says Black Community Should Get Its Share of Stimulus (February 9, Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando City Commissioner Daisy Lynum urged her West Orlando constituents today to push Congress to make sure the federal economic stimulus package includes set-asides for minority contractors... Lynum will take that message to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday on behalf of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials. Lynum was elected president of the National League of Cities' black caucus for 2009. Full article.

Cliff Note: I’m really skeptical that set-asides will be put in place, and even more skeptical that it would actually get enforced at the state level, but I support Commissioner Lynum’s efforts. Meanwhile, up in Massachusetts, post-racial America poster-child Gov. Deval Patrick has appointed a real estate developer to oversee his state's share of economic stimulus money. It will be interesting to see if Gov. Patrick and his Stimulus Czar take Commissioner Lynum's advice. After all, what good is it to have a Black mayor, governor, or president if they won't push for policies that will directly benefit the Black community.

Barbour Ignoring Black Judge Applicants?
(February 12, 2009, Jackson Free Press) The Mississippi Magnolia Bar claims Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has proved leery of appointing blacks to judicial positions since he won the governor’s office in 2003. “He has not appointed any African Americans for judge in any of his 20 appointments,” said Magnolia Bar Association President Malcolm Harrison. “It’s sad that he cannot believe an African American could do the job.” Full article.

Cliff Note: Nothing surprising about this; although I was a little surprised that Barbour didn’t even bother to appoint a conservative Negro in one of the counties that’s 70% Black. I just can’t believe there’s no local version of a Clarence Thomas in Mississippi. Anyway, Barbour, who used to be chairman of the Republican National Committee, has supported and spoken at events of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a modern day version of the White Citizens’ Councils which were the more public forms of the KKK during the 1950s and 60s. And just imagine, when those billions of dollars from the stimulus plan get to Mississippi, it will be Barbour that gets to decide whether or not Black folks get a piece of the pie. Gotta love post-racial America!

Florida Group Asks State to Enforce Black History Law (February 6, 2009, AP)
A civil rights group is asking the Florida Attorney General’s Office to enforce a 1994 state law requiring black history to be taught in all school districts. According to a complaint filed Thursday by the Tallahassee Inter-Civic Council, a 2007-2008 state enrollment report shows that only 19 of Florida’s 67 counties provide black history classes. Full article.

Cliff Note: This might just be asking too much. I mean, if the 1954 Brown decision hasn’t been implemented yet, it’s probably just unreasonable for us to expect that they would already start enforcing a 1994 law. Patience is a virtue…

Arkansas Black Caucus Rejects Membership of White Rep (February 10, 2009, Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
Rep. Richard Carroll of North Little Rock, Arkansas' only Green Party legislator, asked to be a member of the Arkansas Black Legislative Caucus but was rejected because he's white. Carroll represents District 39 in southern and eastern North Little Rock. The historically Democratic district has a black population of 65 percent, according to 2000 census data used to draw the districts in 2001.Full article.

Cliff Note: Okay, part of the reason i included this story is because it’s just so damn funny to me, especially when you look at some of the explanations that the Black Caucus members give for denying his request. But in truth, it’s really not a laughing matter, particularly since the reason the White representative got the position is because the Democratic Party disqualified their own (Black ?) candidate, thus leaving the door open for the White candidate, who happened to be running as a Green Party candidate. With that said, i actually support his effort to make it easier for third parties to get ballot access. That would come in handy in case Black folk in Mississippi, who make up 37% of the population, ever decide to leave the Democrats and form a new political party.

Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker Gets Help from Oprah in Battle for Local Power (February 9, 2009, PolitickerNJ.com)
NEWARK – Television star Oprah Winfrey’s decision this month to drop a $500,000 gift on Steve Adubato’s North Ward Center effectively stamps out the fuse on a standoff between the North Ward Democratic leader and Winfrey confidante Mayor Cory Booker, in a resolution that underscores the political strengths of the two main combatants.
Full article.

Cliff Note: I like this article because it gives a much different view of Cory Booker, who stands right next to Obama and Deval Patrick as poster children for post-racial America. In fact, Booker is one of the new generation leaders featured in Gwen Ifill’s book. But as the article points out, Booker’s been having a hard time with some of the old-school local leaders. At the end of the day, whether you talk about race or not, the bottom line is you’ve got to get results. And while this new generation of politicians have shown that their capable of getting elected, I can’t say that avoiding the issue of race has helped them get much better results. But if anyone reading this lives in one of the post-racial kingdoms, please let me know wassup…

(Alabama) Panel OKs Proposal to Define Moral Turpitude for Voting Rules (February 12, 2009, Montgomery Advertiser)
Legislators are trying to define which crimes constitute moral turpitude so they can prevent felons who commit those crimes from voting. The House of Representatives' Committee on Constitution and Elections voted 8-3 to approve a bill that identifies more than 70 felonies as crimes of moral turpitude. The vote clears the way for the bill to go to the full House for further debate. Dissenting legislators from Mobile and Jefferson counties, which have large poor and minority communities, raised concerns about some of the crimes included on the list. They also questioned why Alabama continues to disenfranchise people who have served their time and paid any required fines. Full article.

Cliff Note: Obviously, felony disenfranchisement has become one of the most effective tools for those who wish to get around the Voting Rights Act. And as we learned in Florida, it’s not only useful for those with felony convictions but anyone else you want to target—deny the vote and then figure everything out after election day. Anyway, in addition to the panel mentioned in the article, Alabama's Attorney General and some other legislators are pushing a bill that would define ALL felonies as crimes of "moral turpitude", which is basically what the state was illegaly doing until a couple of years ago when a judge ruled that practice unconstitutional. The bottom line? We are seeing increased efforts to turn back the clock, and these efforts are increasing not only in spite of Obama's historic victory, but to a large extent because of that victory.

On that "note", i'm outta here...

My Note to Armstrong Williams About the Stimulus

I usually just try to ignore anything that conservative Negroes like Armstrong Williams have to say (and by the way, the new Negro Ron Christie is even more annoying), but in one of his recent articles, found on TheHill.com, about the economic stimulus to be so ridiculous that I just couldn’t resist. Now, i’m not an Obama Economic Stimulus cheerleader; in fact, in an earlier post i raised a major concern about Obama’s plan. But the criticism and debate around it needs to be a little better than what Armstrong (and most Republicans) have to offer. The following are some of Armstrong’s points, and the thoughts i had as i read his piece.

“I’m sorry, but I need a better answer than the one Democrats have been offering: “Well, it’s better than nothing!” Is that what the Congress has come to — formulating public policy because they feel like they have to show action on something … anything?!”

Really, Armstrong? Is "it's better than nothing" really the only answer you've gotten. Nothing about job creation and the need to invest in infrastructure? Nothing about the need to get relief to the states in order to keep them from firing thousands of teachers? Nothing about how the supply side and tax cut theories simply have not worked? Really?

Perhaps you should broaden your circles. Maybe turn off Limbaugh's show and and turn on some other stuff.

“What the left fails to realize is that too much federal spending yields too much waste. Just this morning, there was a story in The Washington Post where independent accountants were stating when you spend that much money that quickly, waste, fraud and abuse inevitably follow. How will this plan of action be any different?”

You know what, Armstrong--I was almost willing to go along with you on the point about waste and abuse in large emergency funding. Lord knows I don’t have that much trust in the government. But I just can’t take your concern seriously, seeing as I didn’t hear from you about this when your boy “W” was president. If you were concerned about wasteful spending and poor management, you should have said something while your boy was appointing college drinking buddies and horse experts to fill critical posts like FEMA.

"Opponents must be careful, however, in how they read the public. A national poll out just this afternoon shows the public supports Obama (67 percent) and his handling of the issue. Congressional Democrats fall a distant second at 48 percent, followed by an abysmal 31 percent with congressional Republicans. The irony here is the GOP can still make headway in restoring its credibility by sticking to its guns and the thrust of its argument..."

For real? Did you really mean to end your post by suggesting that the best thing for the Republicans to do is to keep on doing the exact same things that got them down to 31% to begin with? Did you really mean to offer advice that sounds painfully similar to "stay the course"?

Do they pay you for this level of expert analysis, and if so, how can i get in on that gig? 'Cause I've got some great advice to offer on how they can lose even *more* congressional seats in 2010.

If anyone out there knows Armstrong, maybe you can pass my thoughts on to him—especially the one about the consulting gig.

Since i'm talking about the stimulus package, some of the best analysis i've seen can be found at Media Matters. They do a great job of explaining how the media has distorted coverage of the plan, including the false claims that the New Deal didn't help during the Depression.

On that "note", i'm outta here...

Chokwe Lumumba Running for Jackson (Mississippi) City Council

For over 40 years, Chokwe Lumumba has advanced the causes of human rights and social justice in the courtroom. In the final days of 2008, he began another path in the fight to improve the lives of the people as a city councilman. “I have a passion for the goals of freedom and justice. Our success requires that this city have dynamic leadership from elected officials and from our community --to be educated, motivated, and organized to make and sustain fundamental positive change.” – Chokwe Lumumba

Lumumba will bring a wealth of experience, dedication and passion to the city of Jackson. In addition to serving as a member of the Mississippi and Michigan bar for 40 years, he has been a small business owner, factory worker, teacher, youth program director, and board member of several non-profit organizations.

“Chokwe Lumumba is one of the finest attorneys in this country. He brings excellence and commitment to every endeavor. Our city needs that kind of quality in our politicians. Our city needs Lumumba.” – Ernest Stanton, Jackson City resident.

“Attorney Lumumba represents the people and truly cares about the community. He helped my family and hundreds of families like mine…” – Quincy Griffin, client and son of Johnny Griffin who was wrongfully killed by police in Jackson, MS.

Fore more information, or to make a donation, please visit www.electlumumbaward2.com. Also, if you're in or near one of the cities below, please attend one of the following events:

Washington DC, Friday, February 13, 2008 6-9PM at
Sankofa (2714 Georgia Ave. NW)

Featuring:

Adeyemi Bandele – National Black United Front
Nkechi Taifa –National
Conference of Black Lawyers*
Jared Ball – WPFK, 89.3 and
Khaleaph Luis – Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by The Committee to Elect Chokwe Lumumba and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement


Brooklyn, New York, Sunday,February 15, 2008 4-7PM at
Food for Thought Cafe (445 Marcus Garvey Blvd, corner of MacDonough)
Featuring:

Jitu Weusi – National Black United Front and the East Organization,
Bob Law – Night Talk Radio,
Ron Daniels – State of the Black World and 1984 Campaign Manager for Jessie Jackson, and
Kamau Franklin – Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by The Committee to Elect Chokwe Lumumba and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement.


Atlanta, Saturday, February 28, 2009 at
The Diamond Hall and Conference Center (5495 Old National Highway, College Park, GA)

The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement presents the 18th annual Malcolm X Commemorative Banquet. Attorney Chokwe Lumumba will be the keynote speaker. Award recipients are Dazon Dixon Diallo of Sister Love and Hekima and Tamu Kanyama of the African Community Centers. Performance by Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective. For more information call 770-987-9390 or visit http://www.malcolmxbanquet.com/.

Torture and Prison Abuse Not Limited to Guantanamo

All of the attention being paid to Guantanamo and the issues of torture and human rights abuses is good, and closing the facility is a good start. But at the end of the day, we know that the intersection of political repression, torture and prison abuse did not start at Guantanamo.

In 1973, thirteen alleged "Black militants" were arrested in New Orleans, purportedly in connection with a 1971 crime in San Francisco. Some of them were tortured for several days by law enforcement authorities, in striking similarity to the horrors visited upon detainees in Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib.

In 1975, a Federal Court in San Francisco threw out all of the evidence obtained in New Orleans.

It would have been bad enough if the story simply ended there. But more than 30 years after the original failed investigation and torture tactics, the FBI and police re-opened the case. In 2005 several former members of the Black Panther Party were held in contempt and jailed for refusing to testify before a San Francisco Grand Jury investigating the 1971 shooting, and in 2007 eight former Black community activists – Black Panthers and others – were arrested in California, New York, and Florida on charges related to the case. These eight activists are now known as the San Franciso Eight (SF8).

The following is a trailer from a video, "Legacy of Tortue", that describes the original torture and the continuation of the police/FBI vendetta against the Black activists.



To order the video, you can visit The Freedom Archives

For more background on the case, you can visit the SF8 website and for the latest developments you can visit the SF8 blog site.

You can also view a recent interview from GritTV with Kamau Franklin, from the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and Francisco Torres, former Black Panther and member of the SF8. In the video, they discuss ongoing COINTELPRO activities against Black activists.

Finally, we should not forget that closely related to the issue of torture is the issue of prison abuse. This is a harder issue to deal with, since many people, even within the Black community, have the attitude that "if you do the crime, you should do the time." But doing the time should not mean that basic human rights should be violated.

The issue of prisoner rights is made more complicated by the increasing trend towards privatizing prisons, which inherently decreases government oversight over prisoner rights. Although prison officials have said that they don't know the cause of recent prison rebellions in Texas, i would bet money that the incidents have been related to prison conditions. After all, the incidents are reminiscent of the 1971 Attica rebellion. Attica led to a limtited amount of prison reforms. What will the more recent rebellions and all of the attention being paid to Guantanamo lead to?

On that "note", i'm outta here...