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Volume
10 Issue 24…Dedicated
to the Dialogue on Race…June 15, 2007
A
Disguised Language
By John
Burl Smith
Over the centuries, descendants of slavery in the United States (US) developed unique
ways to communicate with one another; their creativity has played an essential
role in surviving the US' hostile environment. Yet, slave descendants' impact
on world culture is dismissed by scholars, not only as irrelevant, but
insignificant compared to Eurocentricism. Given little consideration by other
cultures, the epic journey made by descendants of former slaves, who created an
expression that rose from obscurity to super stardom, is the stuff of which
legends are made.
The saga began in Africa with the drum, which was not only a ceremonial musical
instrument but a vital tool in communications. Drums were used to send messages
across the continent, even though Africans spoke different languages. Once free
Africans were kidnaped and brought to North America, they were terrorized into
becoming docile slaves. Taking away their drums and languages was an essential
part of the "Willie Lynch" learned helplessness regime. Defiance
brought harsh punishment-- Kunta
Kinte comes to mind-- and maybe even death.
Shared experiences gave slaves a unique understanding of their place in, as
well as view of, the world and the hostile environment that only they were
privileged. Slaves learned to speak in such a confused manner, whites did not
bother to figure it out, but slaves knew the meaning and intent. The double
entendre in slave communications disguised references to their pain and
degradation in ways only slaves understood.
Singing, poetry and other lyrical skills gave slaves even more latitude to
disguise their true thoughts and feelings regarding whites and their situation.
Slaves came to recognize the immense pleasure and enjoyment whites derived from
watching them use self-deprecating humor and self-degradation in their
behavior.
Slaves were forced to entertain their masters and their guests at social
gatherings. Slaves that provided entertainment were accorded greater liberties
than other slaves. While traveling to other plantations entertaining, they were
quartered with other slaves. This provided opportunities to mingle; such access
expanded their role to that of messengers. During slavery, songs, poetry and
dances were ciphers that slaves interpreted for information, news and warnings.
Although slave masters did everything within their power to keep slaves
ignorant and docile, they emerged from slavery with common expressions, a sense
of self worth, a will to survive and a collective desire and dedication to
improve as a race. Despite being herded together from all over West Africa and
enduring 346 years of horrible oppression and inhuman treatment, Africans that
once fought tribal wars as blood enemies came together and identified with each
other as one people. There was no going back! Black people became a concept
because slaves created it and whatever it implies only slave descendants truly
understand.
No other people living today have survived such a history and emerged from its
devastation and degradation to accomplish so much in the face of state and
federal government sponsored terrorism, the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow/segregation
and lynching. Still holding on to what our ancestors gave us as a legacy, slave
descendants did not just suffer US oppression, we created or led every great
humane and artistic advance made in the US as we went along!!!
From
Disguised Language to Hip Hop
By
John Burl Smith
Traveling slaves that went from plantation to plantation entertaining during
Reconstruction created the first purely American forms of entertainment, a
genre called "minstrels."
Black minstrels were so successful that whites began imitating blacks on
stage. They dressed in tattered clothes like former slaves and put boot black
on their faces. Black minstrels were forced to adopt this caricature by
painting their faces black also to help this white charade. Reconstruction
ended and by the 1890s, D. W. Griffith's Birth
of a Nation, segregation and the Ku Klux Klan made black face
entertainers the law for slave descendants, while whites like Al Jolsen took
over the genre.
Defacto slavery, referred to as Jim Crow, forced slave descendants to return to
disguised language to communicate with each other, while confusing whites
regarding their real intent. There were numerous lynchings and riots by whites
when black entertainers refused to put black boot polish on their faces to
entertain. The black face minstrel period waned with Scott Joplin and the
advent of ragtime.
Segregation was in full bloom and lynchings were attended by thousand of
whites, like a major sport event today. Slave descendants lived in fear of
their lives, as whites placed more and more restrictions on them. The blues
replaced ragtime, as slave descendants had little reason to rejoice or be
happy.
They needed to give voice to the plight of slave descendants but elude the comprehension
of whites, so double entendre communication returned. Blues is purely a
symbolic language that grew out of the harsh realities of black life and slave
descendants inability to change their circumstances. Such hopelessness bred
pain and degradation into the lives of slaves and the struggle to survive was
so personal, whites were unable to imitate these real emotions.
Ragtime and the blues introduced modern musical instruments and broadened slave
descendants' musical expression. However, lyricists still had to disguise their
real intent. Jazz made it possible for whites to get back into the game. Whites
mimicked New Orleans greats like Louis Armstrong and the big band sound of Duke
Ellington, Count Basie and Louis Jordan. White boys like Benny Goodman, Les
Brown and the Dorsey brothers got rich trying to sound like "The
Duke."
Each time slave descendants created a new expression or genre, whites tried to
destroy it until its power and popularity could no longer be denied. Then, they
took it over and converted it into a white expression. The clearest example is
"rock n' roll." Little Richard, Lavern Baker, Etta James, Sam Cook,
Ray Charles, James Brown and many, many other slave descendants created rock n'
roll, but a white boy --Elvis Presley-- got crowned the king. For Elvis, it was
all about stealing and getting rich imitating Otis Blackwell.
Hip hop and rap share the same fate as previous expressions developed by slave
descendants. Filled with desperation, young blacks created a new genre out of
the premature demise of black power. Co-InTel-Pro spearheaded the destruction
of the culture blacks had built since slavery. Replaced by lack of access to
opportunities, hip hop expressed outrage and offered hope. Following the same
path as black minstrels, ragtime, jazz and rock n' roll, hip hop became the
victim of a hostile takeover by whites in the recording and entertainment
industry.
Flourishing today, hip hop is the expression of whites that have robbed slave
descendants of another expression. Synonymous with black face and rock n' roll,
rappers are buffoons, clowning it up for pennies while whites get rich. Their
performances do not communicate purposeful messages with intent to better the
race; reverting back to self-deprecating images and degrading behavior, rappers
are the new "Steppin' Fletchers." No longer ciphers disseminating
information beneficial to slave descendants, rappers are communicating hidden
messages that reinforce learned helplessness to please their masters.
Thurbert E. Baker
Born December 16, 1952 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Thurbert E. Baker
received his BA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in
1975. He earned his law degree at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1979.
After graduating from law school, Baker served as a lawyer for the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and managed his private law firm.
Baker won the first of five terms to represent a portion of DeKalb County in the
Georgia House of Representatives in 1988. During his second term, Governor Zell
Miller chose Baker to serve as his Assistant Administration House Floor Leader.
Two years later (1993), Governor Miller appointed him to the position of
Administration House Floor Leader. As House Floor Leader, Baker helped lead
efforts to enact the HOPE scholarship and tough anti-crime legislation,
including Georgia's "Two Strikes and You're Out" law, which puts
repeat violent offenders in prison for life without parole, and tougher
sentences for drunk drivers.
On
June 1, 1997, Gov. Miller appointed Baker Georgia's 52nd and first black
Attorney General. On November 3, 1998, he was elected by Georgia's voters to
serve a four year term. He was re-elected in 2002 and 2006.
As
Attorney General, Baker has focused on fighting crime, corruption and consumer
fraud. Baker worked closely with the General Assembly on the passage of
Georgia's mortgage fraud statute, and his office has pursued criminals scamming
consumers and banks through the use of fraudulent real estate transactions. He
proposed Georgia's financial identity fraud statute, which allows him to
prosecute scam artists that steal consumers' identity or financial information.
He created the Open Government Mediation Program, which allows Georgians to
resolve open records requests without resorting to litigation to gain access to
public records. He successfully lobbied the General Assembly for passage of
tough domestic violence and child pornography laws. His tough anti-crime record
has earned him endorsements from law enforcement officials across Georgia.
Baker enjoys the active support of the National Rifle Association.
Baker
serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Attorneys
General (NAAG). Elected to serve as President of NAAG for the 2006 - 2007 term,
he also serves as it's representative to the American Bar Association's House
of Delegates. On the national level, Baker is a member of the Council on
Foreign Relations.
Active
in his community, Baker served for many years as a member of the DeKalb County
Library Board. He is a trustee for Ebenezer Baptist Church, a member of the
boards of the National Medical Society at Emory University and the DeKalb
College Foundation. He is also a member of the Emory Law School Council, and
serves on Emory University's Board of Visitors. As Attorney General, Baker is a
member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia and a member of
the Judicial Nominating Commission.
For
the past several years, Georgia Trend magazine has recognized Baker as one of
Georgia's most influential citizens. In 2003, Black Enterprise Magazine named
him one of America's top black lawyers. Attorney General Baker lives in Stone
Mountain with his wife their two daughters. (Sources: www.glynncountymedicalsociety.org,
www.thurbertbaker.com, and www.ganet.org/ago/)
Genarlow Wilson Saga
In 2003, 17-year-old Genarlow Wilson had consensual oral sex, which was
videotaped, with a 15-year-old girl. Under Georgia law, Wilson was charged and
found guilty of aggravated child molestation. The felony conviction carried a
10-year prison sentence and lifetime status as sex offender.
Since
Wilson's conviction, Georgia's General Assembly has changed the law, making
such consensual acts among teens a misdemeanor. Unfortunately, the new state
law does not apply retroactively. Wilson, having already served more than two
years in prison, remains incarcerated
On
Monday, June 11, 2007, Monroe County, Georgia Superior Court Judge Thomas H.
Wilson (no relation) threw out the 10-year sentence against Wilson, basically
agreeing with Wilson's attorney, B.J. Bernstein, that the punishment was cruel
and unusual, and therefore unconstitutional. Under the judge's ruling, Wilson,
who has already served more than two years in prison, should serve one year and
not be listed as a sex offender.
Within
hours of the judge's ruling, Attorney General Thurbert Baker filed a notice of
appeal, which keeps Wilson in prison for the time being. Genarlow Wilson's
quest for justice has drawn support from people across the United States.
Understandably, many are perplexed by Attorney General Baker's decision to
continue this unfortunate saga, which has turned out to be a miscarriage of
justice being led by one black man against another.
Groups
across the country are calling on Baker to drop the appeal in the Wilson case.
Everyone is being asked to contact Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker to
ask him to support the release of Genarlow Wilson. He can be reached via email
at Agbaker@law.ga.gov or by calling 404-656-3300.
Disgruntled
wants to know: In the case of Genarlow Wilson, who is Georgia Attorney
General Thurbert Baker defending or protecting? Not the criminal justice
system, it is at fault. Certainly not the innocent for they are the victims
here. This was a case of consensual sex, not rape. And above all, Baker is not
defending the community because it was the community that decried the ten year
sentence as a "miscarriage of justice" to ignite this controversy.
The only one being protected here is Baker. Which begs the question, is Baker's
appeal of the decision to throw out Genarlow's conviction a long range
re-election ploy to stave off a challenger from the conservative right?
Disgruntled
feels: Unprincipled!
Deified as a goddess, Maat is the ancient Egyptian concept of law, morality and
justice, principles that seem foreign in the current US political environment.
At one time, politicians preached respect for the rule of law. Yet, given the
sad performance of US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Senate Republicans
blocked the passage of a non-binding vote of no confidence, a case of the
corrupt protecting one of their own. These are men without principle that argue
out of both sides of their mouths. On the one hand, they furiously fight for
the rule of law; on the other, they quickly jettison it to shield a corrupt
president and administration willing to trash the nation's constitution. It is
all so unprincipled; no wonder the US has lost all credibility!
Disgruntled
says: According to an
Associated Press study, half of the S&P 500 CEOs made more than $8.3
million in pay, stocks and perks last year. As the pay packages for these
executives rise, companies look for ways to boost their bottom-lines. This
usually entails laying off workers, outsourcing, offshoring and hiring more low
wage legal and illegal immigrants. When we analyze the current debate over
immigration reform, we realize it is not about helping these workers and their
families; it is about corporate profits and the ready pool of cheap labor
needed to maintain and grow the profits that feed those expensive executive pay
packages.
The travails of the Dark Knight-Batman/White/Ninja, Zorro continued during
intake orientation to become a volunteer at a local hospital. One of about
eighty future and present high schoolers in a line that stretched about a
block, the Dark One seemed totally disinterested in the exercise as he brought
up the rear. Understanding how loosely the super hero's family used the term
"volunteer," and as one of the guilty parties, I tried to find a
positive approach in picking him up. After greeting him, I opened, "Well
isn't it something, you will enter high school next year?" The Dark Knight
countered, "Shocking isn't it?" Somewhat puzzled by his response, I
inquired, "What does that mean?" Smiling, Batman/White/Ninja, Zorro
replied, "I'll be able to employ my favorite successful strategy."
"What's that?" I quizzed eagerly awaiting some insightful stratagem;
instead, the caped Crusader baffled me with, "I don't know?"
Mailbox: E-Mails,
Faxes and Telephone Calls
Email blackthinktank@yahoogroups.com
On May 22, 2007, the US Supreme Court docketed a petition filed by Deadria
Farmer-Paellmann -- the descendant of Africans enslaved in South Carolina --
asking the Court to hear a case against 17 major financial institutions for
their role in financing, underwriting and supporting slavery. At issue is
whether statues of limitations should be tolled to permit slave descendants to
bring actions for restitution against the corporations that allegedly earned
profits enslaving Africans in violation of Northern antislavery laws. The case
is entitled, Farmer-Paellmann v. Brown & Williamson, No. 06-1533. The
defendants in the action include: FleetBoston Financial Corporation, Aetna
Inc., JP Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank, New York Life Insurance Co., Lehman Bros,
AIG, and Brown Brothers Harriman.
Email www.legitgov.org Nuremberg prosecutor says
Guantanamo trials unfair 11 Jun 2007 The U.S. 'war crimes' tribunals at
Guantanamo have betrayed the principles of fairness that made the Nazi war
crimes trials at Nuremberg a judicial landmark, one of the U.S. Nuremberg
prosecutors said on Monday. "I think Robert Jackson, who's the architect
of Nuremberg, would turn over in his grave if he knew what was going on at
Guantanamo," Nuremberg prosecutor Henry King Jr. told Reuters in a
telephone interview. "It violates the Nuremberg principles, what they're
doing, as well as the spirit of the Geneva Conventions of 1949." King, 88,
served under Jackson, the U.S. Supreme Court justice who was the chief
prosecutor at the trials created by the Allied powers to try Nazi military and
political leaders after World War Two in Nuremberg, Germany.
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