7 things I PRay for All the Time

1] Good health for myself, my LOVer, my Sister and Her family, my extended family and my church family as well as for all of GOD's children who strive to do their best and live with Peace, LOVe and Justice in their Lives and as their major goals in life -- even if they LOVe money also.1] Peace, understanding, sharing, caring, negotiation and LOVe for Mother Africa and Her People.

2] Peace, understanding, sharing, caring, negotiation and LOVe for Mother Africa and ALL Her People.

3] Enough wherewithal to thrive and do very well in Philadelphia.

4] A lasting monogamous Relationship with my current LOVer, MR. Leonard Taylor.

5] I Pray for a end to racism, hatred, poverty, injustice and ignorance in Philadelphia, Chicago, Africa and everywhere else womankind, mankind, children, teens, young adults, and transgendered people exist.

6] I Pray to be physically fit and active and alive and enjoying life for the next 25 years.

7] I Pray for financial stability and wealth for myself, Leonard Taylor, and all my family members, extended family members and my church family members as well as for all holistically inclined, Loving, generous and Positive-Thinking Black People throughout the world.

2016 Annual Corporate Report for Brother Tracy Gibson and Associates, INC.

2016 Annual Report for Brother Tracy Gibson and Associates, INC.

Mission Statement: Who we are

We are a Black education, public relations, advocacy, advertising, marketing, and customer service & philanthropy company dedicated to helping Black youth stabilize, learn traditional Black family values, and become a viable and useful part of the Black community. We also want to and have helped stabilize our entire Black community nationally, in Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia. We do this through education projects, philanthropy and through projects to support Black businesses.

List of Achievements:

1] Started to resolve our problem with 2015 taxes for our 2015 Summer Intern. We will send in a $50.00 deposit to get the tax problem resolved. [We are NOT getting any pressure whatsoever from the Internal Revenue Service, but the Pennsylvania Unemployment office has been writing intermittently.] This ``problem’’ boils down to a retroactive payroll for a $1,060.00 payment to our 2015 Summer intern, Mr. Andre Paulhill, that was never paid taxes on. I am, frankly, ashamed that it has taken so long to resolve, but no legitimate payroll company wants to touch it. I have written and called at least two accountants and still haven’t resolved the situation.  I don’t think it is nearly as major as I think, but it is a pain in the foot. It will get resolved within the next three months.  We have not had much luck in our attempts to get funding for the summer of 2017.

2] Did informal promotions for the Black Bank in Philadelphia, United Bank.  This was a joy to do. I spent time talking to different people and asking if they have a bank account at United Bank. I asked a group of Black activists and even they only raised about five to ten hands in a room of about 30 to 40 Black people.  We have a ways to go on this one, but I actually did ask a United Bank official how many and where they would like to open new branches. They said they wanted three new branches: one in South Philadelphia; One in West Philadelphia (where they closed a branch a few years ago); and finally,  one in Upper Darby, the suburbs.  This is a project I will keep working on throughout 2017. I sent an e-mail promoting United Bank to a prominent pastor here, [ Reverend Doctor Renee McKenzie is the Pastor of Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia -- a black church with a fine reputation of activism.] She responded, so I asked Reverend Renee [revrenee@churchoftheadvocate.org], if I could send United Bank her e-mail, which detailed how the bank can improve on services and generate broader appeal while competing more effectively with major banks in the city. Pastor Renee allowed me to forward the e-mail to United Bank. I did so and was thrilled! Another Assistant Pastor friend was also contacted by me, but he had some concerns about United bank’s  lack of services and rating in the bank regulatory community.  I think, however, his church is considering switching to United Bank.  I have sent many promotions to churches to get them to switch to United Bank. 

3] We were largely unsuccessful at getting major corporate sponsors for some of our corporate ideas. This was rather discouraging, but we have prevailed and kept a stiff upper lip. I will be sending this Annual Report to possible Black corporate Angel investors, and other people who might be interested in investing with us. Never give up hope, even in the face of   defeat.

4] We have written about 30 articles on various subjects including Black Gay Pride and Decency; Keeping Faith; Black Business and how to Preserve it and promote it and why that is important; We promoted the concept of having African Principals and are about to ask for an endorsement of our African Principals with Dr. Molefi Asante Chairperson, Temple University’s African American Studies Department; and Maulana Kaernga who is the founder of Kwanzaa (which, by the Way is celebrating 50 years of existence).  We had a TV producer who wanted to look into producing a show dedicated to the Principals, but since we didn’t have the money to hire a lawyer, I let that go, not wanting to get the African Principals tied up in a legal battle and no program being produced. (See if you can get the name of the production company). The African Principals carry my name (Gibson), but were thought of because of the work of the late Reverend Leon Sullivan and his work on dismantling South Africa’s Apartheid system.

5] I personally was awarded my certificate after passing the Serv.Safe food service test in October, 2016. The class was taken at the People’s Emergency Center and was a delight.  I am now looking for gainful employment for kitchen work or a Chef’s Assistant, which will help me funnel money into my corporate interests.

6] My lover and I have saved over $376.00 towards buying stocks and bonds in June when our special account at United Bank matures. I am personally interested in buying stock in Waste Management; Sonny TV and pictures; and General Electric. This money is untouchable until June of 2017. My lover and I will have to talk over this soon. This will give a boost to our financial status and help the corporation.

7] I have sent out movie ideas in as formal a state as I could for now. I have not received any formal responses at this point, but I think it will be only a matter of time before I further formalize this and get something accepted. I have to read up on this and reapply.

8] I closed down my account with Face Book because I was unhappy with the results I was getting and was hindered by personal family messages when I was more interested in using Face Book for corporate interests. This was risky, but I think it is paying off in getting more acceptance from established sectors of the community of business people in Philadelphia. I recently attended a job fair given by City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and just had a ``feeling’’ there was more seriousness and acceptance there.  I have also been writing more public officials and trying not to be so emotional with my e-mails and letters. I have not always succeeded in this regard, but I am not giving up.

9] We have continued to support small Black businesses; and Black individuals who are working to improve the Black community.  We do this through directly supporting more Black and Latin businesses and through giving small donations to Black people who are asked to use the funds at Black stores. We usually give only $7.00 or $7.77 since we have so few funds to work with.

10] We worked at applying for a $3,000.00 loan, but didn’t have the $125.00 application fee. The application languished for months. I finally had to withdraw it and ask for my tax returns back. They couldn’t find them and had to order my 2015 personal tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service. We were rejected for a loan from the same company last year (2015). They are the West Philadelphia Financial Services Institute.  They have a major office near 52nd Street and Giraud Avenue.

11] We have also promoted the concept of Africa Town in a few articles this year and plan to step up this promotion next year [2017]. The concept of African Town is creating a business strip that will serve mostly Black customers and consist of 100 % Black businesses for a strip of at least 20 businesses. Other ethnic groups have such exclusive places to shop for their people and it definitely help stabilize people of color communities and serve as a center focal point of pride and dignity for ethnic groups such as the Chinese (China Town); and the Italian Market (The Italian people).   I will have to ask for an appointment with a City Council person next year to be taken more seriously on this one. I noticed that on the web page for Black Wall Street (every Black person should visit www.BlackWallStreet.Com and discover this for their selves). The Black Wall Street staff has a whole prospectus and well-thought-out plan for creating predominately Black business strips throughout our Nation.  

12] Over the summer of 2016, I met with the Executive Director of BEBASHI [Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Health Issues] and talked about reaching the Black men-who-have-sex-with-men populations of Philadelphia through erotic videos that promote safer sex. The idea was not received warmly and the Executive Director said the Board of BEBASHI would not take to such an idea as producing sexually explicit films even though I explained that they would be more like soft pornography that regular pornography. I let him know I would keep in touch and that I was very interested in helping him reach this population which is highly infected with the illness.

13] We stopped having regular board meetings since I could not get our regular board to attend meetings and could not find an adequate meeting space. Again I was discouraged and let down, but only for a short time.  As I get a regular funding stream in 2017, I will reengage our board, find new board members, and open our headquarters in West  Philadelphia.

President’s Notes

I HAVE A LIST OF BOOKS YOU CAN ASK ME FOR THAT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THESE SITUATIONS BETTER AND HELP YOU GET A BETTER HAND ON WHAT TO DO TO INCREASE POWER FOR YOURSELF AND END THE FEELING OF HOPELESSNESS YOU MIGHT BE FEELING. Call me at 1 (215) 823 9985 and send me your e-mail address [or leave it clearly on my phone] and I’ll send my book list to you.  You can also buy a copy of my poetry book ``Let the Children Gather,’’ by Tracy Gibson to help me out financially. Change costs money. My corporation is an ``S’’ corporation. We are celebrating our 10th year (we incorporated on December 18th, 2006). Reach us by regular mail at Brother Tracy Gibson and Associates, INC.; 670 North 41st Street,; Apartment B;  Philadelphia, PA 19104. 1 (215) 823 9985. Contributions are accepted, but not tax deductible. This article is written through the auspices of Brother Tracy Gibson and Associates, INC. If you wish to write for us, please submit an article at BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com some articles will be published anonymously.

Dear Native American Community and Native American Leadership / An Open Letter from MR. Tracy Gibson

From: MR. Tracy Gibson, activist, writer, Progressive Republican, fighter for justice…

Dear Native American Community and Native American Leadership:

An Open Letter:

Don’t be fearful of what I have to ask of you and tell you. You invented the word ``brave’’ and believe me I’ve had to rely on that word more than I would like to in many Ways recently.  You are our new bosses. If we live in the United States of Native America, you are our Chiefs – if you will forgive me – our in charge people. I will not and cannot accept the rule of a White man who is a devout racist, a hater, a rejectionist, a backwards thinker, a person incapable of loving women kind and a person who has no vision for a bright and clear future for all North Americans. . I will not accept his racism nor his speaking out against progress and his repugnance towards humanity.  I appoint you and your leadership the new leaders of this country and so rename it, with your approval, the United States of Native America or Turtle Island (Or whatever name you want for this great and bloodied land.

There is no other People on earth who have more ethical, moral, and economic rights to this land than you.  Maybe the highly esteemed and highly respected Mexican People out west; and maybe our Black Sisters and Black Brothers  -- but as my dear sister Aziza Claudia Gibson Hunter said recently, ``This is their home.

There is apparently some evidence --  a large amount of evidence --  that Black People were here before the White People. I am not sure if Black People were here before Native People, but I know one thing for sure. I consider Native Americans to be our cousins, Sisters and Brothers. You helped hide us in regions that are now in Florida back during slavery, and we fought side by side in many instances. 

People of European descent would like to keep People of color – non-Whites  -- fighting among ourselves over the scraps off the table for another generation. I don’t think this will happen.

But I need you and the Native People to look at your fight on the country’s reservations in a different Way. I want you to rethink the equation and come up with a different hypotenuse or theory about How to fight racism, classism, and the hatred other cultures face in the face of a sometimes dominate European race that sometimes has little respect for different cultures. It has often, during war, been easy to hate that which is different. That cannot be acceptable in a world that is now dominated by Africans, Native, Latin, Asian, East Indian, Caribbean, and other Non-White people and the incredible cultural gifts these groups have given this world.  

To get back to the point, I am hoping you will accept a new look at your fight for Native American Rights. I want you to reconsider How you fight. I want you to say ``we [Native People] have a God-Given right to this land and that you are the ones who have every right to collect taxes; provide government; select leadership (in a Way you choose); build and develop in a Way you want; and decide How clean waterways, oceans, seas, rivers, and streams should be kept as well as the air.

 

I recently went to see a film at the Franklyn Institute that depicted our great National Parks and How President Truman or Teddy Roosevelt , I believe, started the National Park service to keep the parks clean, undeveloped and available in an organized Way for all North Americans to enjoy. I thought maybe it was the Great Native People’s many positive and great Spirits that went through the President  then, to make Him make such a positive and momentous decision as to create the National Park Service.     The film, narrated by actor / producer / director Robert Redford, was a miraculous miracle to watch. Especially in the surround screening auditorium it was in and with the enormous sound that was included. [The $10.00 fee to get in should have been waved so everyone could enjoy it including our poor and homeless People who are locked out of such experiences when money is asked for.  ]

 

What I’m getting at is that is your land. I know Native People don’t have the kind of ``ownership perspective’’ that the White People have made so accepted around the world. But I think you must take a new look at How you have been pigeon-holed on Native reservations when it is the White man who is the visitor to this great and beautiful land. You have to rethink How you fight.  You are much more qualified culturally, to share, never take freedom for granted, open your thinking to new ideas, be fair to everyone, and be embracing and even forgiving to other People, while not allowing People to rule just because they have a lot of money.  Are you understanding what I’m getting at? I think you are worthy more so in God’s eyes, of leading, and being fair and being all encompassing of everyone’s rights. I don’t care about Who had what election that was phony and upside down and for rich people only from the off-set.  You would make a much better and fairer leadership council that anything a so-called elected official can come up with.  

I am not going to belabor this point. I know there are wealthy People among your Native People and I know what I’m talking about is a Big Way to ask People to change their thinking.  I also know I visited your Native American Museum in Washington, D.C. and was humbled, was able to learn more about you and went through a powerful experience when I visited there.  I think your people and your traditions, like African traditions, are from the Big Man or the Big Woman upstairs – GOD Herself or God Himself.  You have not thrown off or reconditioned your traditions and this may not have been an easy thing for you.  Your young People have difficulties that may well stem from not keeping abreast of those older traditions.  Things change and the old dies out. But if we take on things that are not conducive to our lives in the new, maybe we have to reconsider.

GOD the Big Spirit, walks with your People. All the People who perished during the Long Walk and through so many other wars in this country will never be forgotten by People like me who fight every day for real freedom and real democracy and real sharing, and real equality for every single person throughout this world.

If you look on your records you will see that a few years ago I gave a few dollars at a time to your organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund and the American Indian College Fund. I have little money to give now, at least that I know of. But I can help you with my prayers and my good positive thoughts and by keeping abreast of your work and How I might help. Please feel free to call me or write me an e-mail if there is anything I can do to help you rethink this land rights issue. I was a landlord for 25 years and my Father, MR. Charles S. Gibson, was a landlord for 50 years, so I know a bit from where I speak. GOD be with you and the Great Spirits be with your forever Moore.

 

Reach me at:

MR. Tracy Gibson

670 North 41^st Street

Apartment B

Philadelphia, Pa 19104

1 [215] 823 9985

BRotheRTRacy11@GMail.Com

Read my articles at http://thepoliticsofReal.blogspot.com

Buy my book by logging onto www.LuLu.Com and putting in the title ``Let the Children Gather,’’ by Tracy Gibson. They are $10.00 a copy. If you respond officially to this article, I will put it on my blog, if that is OK with you. I will send this to the Native American Rights fund, if I have time tonight at the Library.  Thank you and know I am forever grateful …

an open letter to Donald TRump

Veterans Day November 11th, 2016 Friday

An Open Letter to Donald Trump:

 

By Anonymous

 

     You have captured the imaginations of many North Americans and enraged several others.  You have a fantastic opportunity to do something that even President Obama was unable to do. The first thing I would do is make sure you push through President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee who was rejected and not approved yet by Congress.  The Congressional disapproval on the part of mostly Republicans was a case of racism on the part of the Republican Party.  This is a test from GOD. If you prove that you will not be the same ole partisan type of President who rules with an iron fist one party over the other, you will probably have only one term and not have much of a legacy.   I would rise above this and insist the President’s nominee gets through as your first case of order.  You will have defused the angry demonstrators for a few weeks. I would look for other conciliatory, humbling things to do instead of shining up that iron glove you probably want to put on.

     Other things to do would include: reaching out to the Latin / Mexican  community; reaching out to Black business leaders with ideas and open-mindedness concerning jobs, economic development and specifics about How to achieve some economic parity along racial lines; and I would talk with the well-organized Lesbian and Gay community  about How you are going to tread lightly on their rights.

     Otherwise you will begin to tear this country apart along whatever lines and pave the Way for another Left victory in 2018. I consider our Nation the United States of Native America. I have been sent here in part to make sure that the home of Native Americans is returned back to them.   I know this flies in the face of the pro-White Nationalist corner of your constituency.  The Republican ideas are basically good ideas.  They just need to be stripped of all the racism and White Supremacy that they are so incredibly steeped in. That to me is your job. Not further tearing apart an already divided and hurting nation.

      You can choose to do these things or consider me wrong and do something else. If you choose to take a hard line, you will find demonstrators wherever you go and they won’t be friendly, jovial and kind demonstrators. They will be mean, angry and will meet you with blood in their eyes.  

     I for one don’t think racism won on Tuesday past. I happen to think, and I can prove it, I think people rejected Hillary Clinton because she is the same ole line Democratic political hack who represents unprofessionalism, greed, thug-party politics, gerrymandering, nepotism, rule of a party elite and patronage that this country has been known for, for several generations – in fact since this party and nation was founded and only rich White men were allowed to vote.

     Several People voted for you because they want a change from those things I mentioned above.  You have a golden opportunity to either help our country heal with a LOVing and healing perspective that will be the envy of almost every country in the world, or you can present yourself as a hater with an itchy finger on the put on that is ready to fight more divisive wars and bring more of our beautiful young women and men back in body bags.

     Some People think I am foolish for even writing this article because you already showed How you are going to act all through the campaign. I hope you will prove them wrong.

     I can tell you the international community – and remember this includes some 52 African countries – are looking to see what you do.  They are also looking at films such as ``13th ‘’ and seeing Black People in this country as political prisoners. More than a few countries and powerful individuals feel this country should be taken up on international charges for some of the atrocities that were included in many of the previous wars and foreign interventions that have occurred over the last 71 years since World War Two.  Hundreds of North American lives were lost usually for no viable, legitimate reasons.  We can do much better than that. I hope and pray to GOD you will understand these ideas and find ways to help people in this country who need help, but help them to help themselves. I agree with you that the welfare state has been used as a crutch and for far too long by far too many.  

You can do something that President Obama never did. Get with some visionaries of all races and determine what a decent, sustainable, LOVing, caring and fair country and world should look like. Follow this path and don’t waver from it. You can work the increases in infrastructure and jobs and opportunity right along with this plan. A youth who I am planning to teach in the near future said He thought you may surprise people with your Presidency. I am Praying He is correct. 

This article was prepared through the auspices of Brother Tracy Gibson and Associates, Incorporated. If you would like to place an article on our blog, it must be with an anonymous by line.

Brother Tracy's Testimony -- Proposed

Testimony in front of the Human Relations Commission

From Mr. Tracy Gibson

October 23  -- October 25^th, 2016

 

1)      This hearing was called to complain about some Black People being called the ``N’’ word by a White Club owner. This is just so much smoke and mirrors to me.

 

2)      I, as a Black Gay Man seeking economic redemption and economic fairness and economic equality am not so much concerned about being called the ``N’’ word because I know the most liberal White People sometimes use such words freely among themselves.

 

3)      What I am concerned about is our unity as Black People. I would first like to know how many People Black, White or any other color have an account at the United Bank, the Black Bank in town and at Progress Plaza and in Germantown? I see so and so many hands went up.  Some of these White-Run banks are very racist and I suggest you start right there and get an account at the United Bank and help money stay in your Black community.

 

4)      I have to ask are we really concerned about economic parity and economic justice or being called the ``N ‘’ word?

 

5)      I Am concerned about being called poor. I want to see 52^nd Street from Baltimore Avenue to Lancaster Avenue called and so designated Africa Town by the City of Philadelphia. When I write the Black City Council People about this they have little of nothing to say about it. I have to ask you do you see any Black stores in China Town? Yet we have a preponderance of Asian stores with no Black employees in Our Black neighborhoods.  I LOVe all People, so don’t think I’m a racist. But I’m sick and tired of Black people not having their own place to shop right here in Philadelphia that is exclusively for Black People and our own merchants.  We have very few successful Black Gay merchants right here in Philadelphia. This is what I’m concerned about. 

 

6)      I have a petition to make 52^nd street from Baltimore Avenue to Lancaster Avenue Africa Town and I want as many People to have the heart to sign it as possible. If you can’t sign this I have to wonder if you are serious about having economic justice for Black People right here in Philadelphia. You don’t have to be Black to sign my petition.  You just have to be a LOVing and caring person who wants to see real justice and real economic parity right here in Philadelphia.

 

7)      I have a corporation that will be 10 years old on December 18^th, of this year. I need money to do a few things that will delight any Black person Gay or Straight who care about our Black People. If you want to buy my book or send in a donation, I have some papers here that will tell you how to give the support I need. I have done a tremendous amount of work for the Black community over the many years I have been an activist. I need your support. Most of all I need your signature on these petitions. I will send copies to the Mayor and our Congress People and our U.S. Senators. Please call me if you have any other suggestions about what to do to make this a reality. We need to stop shopping at Macy’s and places like that and start shopping at our own stores so we can have a Black Macy’s; Black hotels; Black Large apartment buildings; and we need a mature Black consumer that will seriously support a very large Black business community. This will give us the initiative and wherewithal  we need to  build the institutions our Black community needs now and will need 100 years from now. These institutions will not be able to be destroyed by Republicans who cut budgets for social programs because they will be supported privately by Black people and progressives of every race who authentically want to see Black people get ahead.

 

8)       The last thing I want to say is David Fattah had a Black club in West Philadelphia are the Black community didn’t support it. What happened? I want someone to testify about that. I need someone to have the heart to testify about this.  We had a golden opportunity to help Brother David Fattah out, but we didn’t do it. What happened?? We need more Heart!!!!!

worry about the Devil is a waste of time

 

Don’t Be Fearful Of Witches, Werewolves, Warlocks, Serpents, Goons, Gargoyles, Goblins & Devils…..

 

                Brash hatred of White people can be used by them to ensure that they & White Supremacy are never defeated and fully overcome. In his hay day, Malcolm X said, among many other things, that White People were Devils.  Like most of you, I have many White friends. They don’t seem like Devils to me.  Some, if not almost ALL the people of European descent I know are involved in the progressive movement for human rights on some level. They have NOT let fear of Goblins keep them frozen in inactivity. (We as Black people need to get unfrozen also!!)We can let hatred of Whites get to us to a degree that we become immobile, inactive, frustrated and eaten up by our own hatred of them. White people are great for instilling and benefiting from such hatred in us. I made a conscious decision to interact with & seek out the Whites who are at least trying to assist Blacks and working against the oppression of Black people. There are a few of them. I have also sought out people of every hue who have similar ideas as I do and who do similar work as I do--through my own involvement in promoting & advancing the progressive agenda. This is part of my purpose in life itself. What is that progressive agenda? Working on issues such as: an end to homelessness; full employment; good, affordable health care for All Americans; no more wars—ever!! (and promoting peace through the concept of criminalizing war and the Pentagon war machine!!); cleaner streets; no crime; a vibrant living standard in our cities; Support programs for our youth; much improved educational systems; an end to nepotism and corruption; better housing for all; a cleaner environment; more political and religious tolerance; and more real freedom, openness, fairness and justice in the media, the corporate world and in government.  I have worked on these issues and more than 30 years.  My White friends are either involved in Progressive Politics & supported Senator Obama for President, or work hard for & even financially support the anti-war movement & or the human rights movement in the U.S. and or South Africa and other parts of the world.  My White friends are Jewish, Canadian, Irish, and, of course, have roots in other parts of Europe.  I think a lot of Black people go through unnecessary mental flips & rolls about how they feel about Whites.  Either we hate them & never want to be around them, or we love them and would go to the ends of the earth for them—meanwhile hating or denying some deep part of our own identity as Africans.  Then there is the middle ground where most of us live in the way we deal with White people.  I fall in the Middle somewhere, but I have drastically improved on the way I treat Whites and my mental well-being has improved significantly also as I have learned how to co-exist with them and even consider them as friends and political allies in some regards.

 

                First, let me say it is ok, any way you feel about Whites.   I understand the hatred because the majority of Whites in America have not & continue to NOT treat African Americans with respect, grace & dignity.  They claim ignorance about what our Nation has done and continues to do on the National and international scene & then they vote in people like Ronald Reagan & George Bush Sr. & Jr.  These so-called Presidents have continually & consistently carried the banner of White hegemony, White racism, White Supremacy and war. Many Europeans always have a sorry-assed excuse for their racist, anti-people, pro-profit, anti-worker views & policies.  They have carried the banner of the Status Quo, the Big Oil companies (aren’t you tired of paying almost $3.oo a gallon for gas, I am), the Pharmaceutical companies (I won’t even go into the cost of medicine), the military ($250 Million Dollars a day for two wars), the Pentagon, Wall Street profiteers, the gun lobby, the gaming industry & other profiteers in America.  I know full well that America is a Capitalist Nation (that’s why slave holders were given reparations after slavery and the slaves were NOT given their 40 archers and a mule), but there are Whites who you as a Black person, can connect with, who are about other and better things.  I find it healthier to have a diverse group of people as friends than just Black, Brown and Latin people.  Not just people of your own racial make-up, sexual preference, or even political and or religious background.  I even have good friends who are atheists, but I don’t think GOD is going to condemn me, look down upon me or strike me with a lightening bolt because of this. I also have Muslim and Buddhist friends.  There is a seed of good in ALL people.  Whether that seed takes root or not is often left up to us as individuals. Have you helped another person see and grow his or her positive seed today? Or did you water your own positive seeds of change today?  If you did, then GOD Bless YOU!!

 

                I attended the World Conference Against Racism in 2001.  One of the main reasons I went was to deal with my own personal concept of how I felt about Whites. (I also went to learn more about racism and how to fight it.) I know, at the time, I harbored much resentment & a great deal of anger about White people and how they vote, profiteer, exploit, expand and protect ``their’’ borders,  and act out in general.  The fact that they voted in people like George Bush Sr. who gave us the infamous Clarence Thomas as a Supreme Court Justice, and how they, in general, have a smug & uncaring attitude about the poor & about issues that face Black people such as high crime, high unemployment, & drug dependency is what fuels my resentment—some of which I still have.  As long as these problems don’t hit home for Whites, they continue to vote Republican in large numbers, go to work & raise their children to be racists, profit-seeking, self motivated, lazy exploiters who take full advantage of their White skin for every advantage they can get.  Meanwhile they deny us, as Black people, every thing they can at every opportunity they have. No REPARATIONS, NO JOBS, NO DECENCY, NO HEALTH CARE, NO DAY CARE, NO MONEY, NO HOUSING, NO OPPORTUNITY, NO BANK LOANS, NO JUSTICE AND NO PEACE—EVER, CASE CLOSED!! Then, they want us to fight their wars. [Did you know that Black WWII soldiers were not allowed to march victoriously into Paris, France after WWII because they had Black skin?  It’s true!!] Not ALL white people, again, I’m talking about our Republican, Status Quo, conservative, hateful, reactionary, racist ``friends.’’ I’m also talking about the institutions they support and defend like the big banks and the Pentagon, Wall Street and Madison Avenue (advertisers) and the producers of many American films & TV programs and the decisions makers in Hollywood who reject our images and put criminals and fools like Wendy Williams on TV instead of intellectuals like Danny Glover and our beloved economist Claud Anderson. (For example, look at who, in the Pennsylvania legislature, is stopping the gun control legislation in Philadelphia—almost ALL White conservatives from outside of Philadelphia.) They don’t even know what is going on in Philly nor do they care. Not even when it is White cops who are being killed by well-armed criminals!!  The gun- toting, Second-Amendment-Blasting conservatives just want to make sure guns can be sold and distributed freely on the open market throughout America.( And guess who sends these Conservative politicians  political campaign funds—the status quo, the gun distributors and the gun makers among others!!) This speaks to the anger & so-called anti-Patriotism that resounded in the strong voice of Pastor Jeremiah Wright of Chicago last year and the voice of Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and many others...  It is raw, real and mean anger but it is re-active and based on responding to REAL OPPRESSION.  An oppression that is reflected in all the statistics about hopelessness, homelessness, joblessness, crime & drug use that we hear about on TV & read about in the newspapers every day...

 

                I learned when I was about 36 that I didn’t need to allow institutionalized religion to scare me into giving them money so I could avoid Hell and damnation when my time comes to meet our maker.  I am no longer scared of the Devil, Racists or Gargoyles.  Europeans & institutions such as religion drum up such scary images to manipulate the public into responding by loosening their wallets & pouring funds into the church. (We need to question what our churches are doing with all that money.  Are they building new buildings through White contractors or are they providing needed programs& jobs for the community as economic times get tougher?)  Don’t let fear of Europeans guide how you feel about them.  Basically, Black people the world over, love Europeans more than they (Europeans) love themselves.  Europeans, like ALL people, must be judged by their own history &present actions. Don’t let them redefine what they do and have done by reinterpreting and lying about present facts and history.  If Whites blow the National election in November of next year (2010) by allowing themselves to be manipulated by the Big Business media & their own racism—we still have work to do as Black people.  Lots of work!!  Serpents and Goblins serve a purpose.  They can make President Obama or Pastor Wright or Farrakhan out to be a Serpent or a Goblin. The Republicans do it all the time. (They did a superb job of it in 1988 when George Bush Sr. beat the Democratic candidate (Michael Dukakis) over the head with Willie Horton (A Black convicted killer who was released in Massachusetts , again, again and again.) Don’t let that happen again!!  It is up to us to reach for the truth by doing the necessary research & not being herded into an opinion because of racist media manipulation that faces us each day as we change the dials.   Hilary Clinton was good at whipping up images & thoughts of evil and ignorance.  She will be ready on ``Day One’’.  Well, so is President Obama!!  He is Harvard educated, trained on the streets through years of valuable community work, he served in the Illinois legislature & as a U.S. Senator.  He can pick up the damned RED PHONE too!!  We have to be ready for the attacks that the Big White Goliath media continually puts across on us and never give up. We have to question why our progressive, Black perspective is always in the background, or never even put on stage. (They will talk with and about the integrated NAACP but the real grass roots organizations such as N’COBRA and THE Black Radical Congress rarely get Network media play).  Why is that? There are thousands of grass roots people who have worked hard for change, dedicated themselves to the cause, worked through the system and who have real professional standards, good ethics and wonderful community values. I don’t see them on TV!! I have seen countless shows where ALL WHITE males (On CNN and other networks) sit around and analyze the Democratic campaign. A campaign between a White woman and a Black man. (During the Primary season.) Now, turn that on its head and tell me if you would ever see a Black and female only news team talk about two White Male candidates who oppose each other?  I don’t think that will ever happen!!  We have to have the courage to stand up and rise above being racist ourselves and not let hatred get the best of us.  Few of us have any power to really discriminate against Whites on any level as they do all the time.  Our humanity is on our genes.  Don’t run away from being Black & being yourself.  And don’t get eaten up by racial hatred, intolerance & indifference.  Please read other articles on this web page. (www.btganda.com) And don’t let the Devil pull your coat tail—he might not even really exist.    I don’t know about you, but I can see clear through most Republicans. Goons, Goblins, Devils and all!!

Solution: Harsh words such as devil do more to divide people than to build bridges of understanding and unity within or outside of races and classes of people. Yes, I get angry also, but guess what?  There are and always have been people of other races who have helped us as Black people. I’m not saying we don’t call out the ones like Rush and Anne Coulter when they continually act out as the true racist they are and distort the picture, but let’s celebrate the legacy of people like Ramsey Clark, John Brown and Noam Chomsky who dedicated their lives to working towards true freedom and justice for ALL people…..

Cornbread & Police Brutality

If you think police brutality & police misconduct is something new, take a look (gander) at 1974's ``Cornbread, Earl and Me'' featuring (Introducing) a very good performance by a very young Laurence Fishburn.