Unbossed and
unbought news and information you can use
Vol. 13 Issue 5…Dedicated to the Dialogue on
Race…January 31, 2010
Intuit's Vibe
We Wear the Mask
Paul Laurence Dunbar
(1872-1906)
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad
subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
About Me: The above
poem appeared in
Ralph Waldo Ellison
(1914-1994)
The
younger son of Lewis and Ida Millsap Ellison, Ralph Waldo Ellison was born
March 1, 1914 in
Educated in the
In the summer of 1936, Ellison went to
During World War II, Ellison joined the Merchant Marine and served as a cook on
a ship. After the war, Ellison received a Rosenwald Foundation Grant. With the
support of his second wife, Fanny McConnell, who typed and edited his
manuscript, he worked on his first book, Invisible
Man (1952), his magnum opus. Acclaimed and assailed, Invisible Man, explores the theme of
the search for identity from the perspective of an unseen black man living in a
society that ignores those of his hue. Invisible
Man examines some of the most serious and complex issues of US
society from blind ambition and greed to how racist leaders pit black Americans
against one another and reward submissive behavior. In 1953, Invisible Man received the National
Book Award for fiction.
In 1955, Ellison went to
A charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, Ellison received many
awards for his work on the black experience and his love of music, including
the National Book Award (1953), the Russwurm Award (1953), the Academy of Arts
and Letters Fellowship to Rome (1955-1957), the Medal of Freedom (1969), and
the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Artes et Lettres (1970). Elected to the
An accomplished sculptor,
musician, photographer and professor, Ellison died on April 16, 1994.
Posthumously, Flying Home: And Other
Stories (1996), Juneteenth (1999),
his second novel, "The Collected
Essays of Ralph Ellison" (1995), "Boy on a Train" and "I Did Not Learn Their Names,"
written between 1937 and 1954, were published. (Sources: www.aaregistry.com, and http://en.wikipedia.org)
By John Burl Smith
The
novel Invisible Man by Ralph
Ellison is a story about a black man's search for identity in a world that
refuses to recognize him as an individual. Told by a narrator, the story gives
a first person account of his life in flashbacks and is why the story begins
where it ends. A small town Southern boy, the hero grows up believing humility
is required of blacks for them to progress as a group. He becomes a model
student, and after graduation, he is invited to give his valedictorian speech
to a group of important white men. However, before giving his speech, he must
entertain the group of whites in a humiliating "battle royal." The
battle royal requires him to enter a boxing ring blindfolded and fight against
other young black men. After giving his speech, the lad is given a scholarship
to a black college that could be Tuskegee Institute.
He becomes an outstanding
student. During his junior year at college, the narrator is selected to conduct
a tour of the campus and the surrounding area for a rich white trustee. Having
previously been inspired by a blind minister speaking on campus to contribute
to helping build the college's legacy, the narrator approaches the tour as part
of his commitment. However, they encounter several mishaps during the tour and
the school's benefactor falls ill. Although the events of the day were clearly
accidental, the narrator's actions are viewed by the president as detrimental
to the school. The young student's dreams are shattered when the school's
president expels him for the embarrassing incident involving the white trustee.
Disappointed, but resigned to his fate, inwardly the young man believes the
college president saw him as a stereotypical dumb black man, which could be
sacrificed to appease and ingratiate the president to whites. This incident was
the first of several epiphanies that began to open the narrator's eyes to his
invisibility. Adding insult to injury, the school president gives the
unsuspecting lad several letters of introduction, which he claims will help the
young man find work up North.
Arriving in
Ellison in this sequence is like
a psychotherapist analyzing a patient suffering with compulsive and
hallucinatory episodes. His portrayal illuminates the classic dilemma of slave
descendants in
First, even if a black man has
the intelligence, motivation and requisite skills, he is put through some
traditional ritualistic process for the entertainment and pleasure of whites,
such as the "battle royal." Young blacks are initiated through this
demand to show their blind alliance to whites and their willingness to beat up
on or kill off other blacks to please whites. Blacks that are in charge are
gatekeepers, placed there to identify the stereotypical black that may cause
uncomfortable feelings among whites. Like a "Black Skull and Bones"
society, these blacks must be willing to endure the most humiliating and
degrading exhibitions, the "battle royal," time and time again to
show whites "how bad they want it." So, education, per se, has little
to do with a black man's level of success, which is determined by how whites
feel about him and his willingness to prove them right.
However, the brilliance of
Ellison's symbolism in this sequence is how he exposes the farce that a black
man's progress is based on merit alone. Here an educated, as well as
intelligent, black man is given letters that supposedly will help him, but the
whites that are supposed to help do the opposite, yet he never becomes curious
enough to read them. Ellison uses this device to point up the classic
"Willie Lynch" syndrome-- the fear of reading instilled in generation
after generation of slaves, who lost hands or other limbs, as well as their
lives on the hanging tree, for being caught with a book. It reflects the belief
of many blacks that "education is dangerous."
The aim of this game is to
disillusion and invoke the "self-fulfilling" prophesy, "There is
something wrong with me or something wrong with the way you think." In
other words, you are the blame for your problem, not the system. Again, as
their slave ancestor did, the young black man internalized the negative proof
provided by the system which is designed to break a black man's spirit at an
early age. "Why bother? I'll only fail!"
Ellison's portrayal is an
indictment against whites who are like the last recipient, who tells the
narrator about the game, but does nothing to help. Essentially, he follows the
most important part of the college president's instructions - not to provide a
job. Symbolically, he is like most whites who swear they do not discriminate
against blacks or anyone. But they never do anything to change the system they
are a part of and benefit from by going along with the game.
That is Ellison's point. Black people are not invisible but are made to seem
invisible by whites and blacks who pretend not to notice their role in keeping
the system of discrimination going by pretending there is no discrimination. If
it isn't talked about, they do not have to acknowledge its existence and the
harm that it does. These people are the real danger. They claim to be appalled
on an individual level, but they support group efforts that give the guys that
do the real dirt a free hand. That way they remain invisible!
Ellison ends Invisible Man on the only note that
slaves and their descendants from Nat Turner to the Invaders and Black Panthers
have used to counter the total invisibility of black people. It has been only
under the threat of violent confrontation that pushed white people to acknowledge
that black people exist. Whites only made concessions to civil rights when
black power became an alternative. Millions of slave descendants went to the
polls in 2008 as a last ditch effort, hoping for change, but the first black
President, Barack Obama, has made black people more invisible than ever. Under
previous administrations, black issues always came up last. Now under Obama,
they don't come up at all. Blacks have been push back behind gays as a
priority. The search for black identity is now a search for black survival!
Black 'Skull and Bones' - The "Boule"
By Lesley Terry
In
1904, the first African -American Greek Secret Society was formed in
Fashioned after Yale's Skull and Bones,
the Boule historically takes pride in having provided leadership and service to
Black Americans during the Great Depression, World Wars I and II, and the Civil
Rights Movement.
What could the Boule offer
The upper tenth of Blacks started
to live the good life as Boule members, while the majority of ordinary Blacks
were disenfranchised. But what were the Boule's objectives?
The Boule recruits top Blacks in
American Society into its ranks. Today, 5000+ Archons, (male Boule members) and
their wives, (Archousais), with 112 chapters, make up the wealthiest group of
Black men and women on the planet.
But who does the Boule really
serve? The Satanic (mostly white) global elite! As long as the Black member
conforms to the rules, the riches will be in abundance; if not, down comes the
hatchet. Blackmail is part of the deal. This Masonic secret society has a
pyramid style like all the rest. The lower ranks are kept from knowing what the
upper ranks are doing.
The early 20th century was a
period of reconstruction. Marcus Garvey's "Back to
The remaking of the House Negro
was necessary to institute a group of Blacks who had a vested interest in
protecting the Elite White System. It was about selling out brothers and
sisters for power and money. The majority of Black lawyers, doctors, engineers
and accountants were members of this secret club.
According to Bobby Hemmitt,
underground Metaphysician and Occultist lecturer, "This Black elite
society based on Skull and Bones (Yale) was chosen by the U.S. Government
(Illuminati) to run Black neighborhoods." See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA6jmaoG7V8
Conspiracy Theorist and
Futurologist Steve Cokely said, "Anywhere there are prominent professional
Blacks, chances are they're in the Boule". Martin Luther King and Jesse
Jackson are reported to have been Boule members, among many other high profile,
successful and moneyed Blacks such as Barack Obama, Bill Cosby, Al Sharpton and
Thurgood Marshall. See this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey7gDJfRICA
The members of the Boule pose as Freedom Fighters or Civil Rights Activists on
the surface. In truth, the elite members are operating for personal gain. The
Boule works in concert with their masters in maintaining the grip of Illuminati
supremacy on their people.
The Boule is another arm of the nefarious secret societies that recruit,
indoctrinate and cull for the dark forces. There are perks galore, power and
notoriety all lying in wait for the easily compromised soul.
In the Greek system, the Boule was the Lower House of Parliament, charged with
organizing the affairs of the city for the King. Let that sink in.
This is an ancient story. The New World Order is The Old World Order. The elite
Blacks of the Boule are culling and controlling their own for a slice of the
elite white man's pie.
Like other secret societies, the
Boule encourages homosexual trysts as initiation practices. This must be done
to join the ranks. Bobby Hemmit says, "Any kind of top-notch Negro gets
together and they f*ck each other."
These perversions are then
cataloged and stored on record. Later, if needed, these abuses may be used as
bargaining tools in the ULTIMATE GAME. What is the Ultimate Game? Capturing
human souls!
The enemy may appear to have a
white face but it goes much deeper than that. This is a force cloaked within
many facades, personas, fictions and governing powers. See here: http://masonfitup.blogspot.com/2009/12/masonic-initiation.html.
We, the people, have been handed
cultural, political and religious belief systems used to great advantage by
these generational Satanists and lying collectives.
These elite systems promote dissension, division, hatred, bigotry and war.
According to the ruling powers, people are objects that need to be controlled.
Therefore, we have men and women in high places that are soulless and beyond
the reach of normal reasoning processes.
We have an ancient enemy with a large collection of demonic assistants. The
evil elite has had a good run. Though they may be certain skin colors, certain
nationalities and creeds, they are apart from you and me. They have long ago
abdicated any and all connections to a shared humanity.
About
Me: This article was specifically written for www.henrymakow.com, a website dedicated to
"exposing feminism and the New World Order." Henry Makow, a Canadian
conspiracy theorist, columnist, and inventor of the board game Scruples, is
author of "A Long Way to go for a Date." Your feedback and ideas are
welcome at henry@savethemales.ca.
What a Difference a Year Makes!
By John Burl Smith
Watching President Barack Obama
deliver this year's State of the Union address, the rhetorical response
occurred, "What a difference a year makes!" Last week's affair had a
totally different atmosphere surrounding it. The difference lay not only in the
veiled politeness this go around but the genuine enthusiasm that overflowed the
chamber last year was missing. Back then, the President's broad smile of
victory contagiously infected the nation with hope and the desire for change
was on every lip. This year the grin is a mask to hide the fear that those who
made that earth shaking win possible do not believe what is being said will
actually happen. Braving the icy wind that blew across the Capitol Mall last
January how was one to know that the shivering chill felt was an omen
foreshadowing the new rhetoric that has frozen change and encrusted hope in
that frigid yesterday?
Pure as driven snow, the transition from campaign rhetoric to real change
turned to slush, bogged down in bailing out Wall Street banks, insurance and
automobile companies, continuing two unfunded wars and entrenching the status
quo pursuing globalism. Mr. Obama is now leading the attacks on
After listening for over an hour
to the thousands of words uttered by the President of the
The President went out of his way
to embrace the gay agenda by declaring he would, "meet with" the
military and Congress to make sure "gays be allowed to serve the country
they love." Also, he singled out women for special note, "We're going
to end the disparity in women's pay. Women deserve to receive equal pay for
equal work." It is acknowledged that Mr. Obama has African heritage, yet
he is not a slave descendant. But, if he has read American history, he should
have learned blacks have never received equal pay for equal work. Even in
today's so-called "post racial" environment, the unequal pay of white
women is higher than that of a black man. Why didn't the President demand equal
pay for blacks as well and not only women?
It seems black Americans and their
needs are invisible to Mr. Obama. The only time slave descendants come up on
Mr. Obama's radar is when he is looking for votes. Then, he and the Democrats
want blacks to show them favoritism over the Republicans but after the
election, favoritism becomes un-American. Unlike immigrants, of which Mr.
Obama's father was one, that came to the
Dubbed the "chasm of
inequality," research by Dot M. Smith has proven that the disparities in
unemployment and income between blacks and whites have always been a function
of the 3/5 Compromise of Article I Section II of the US Constitution and not a
lack of initiative on the part of blacks. Also research in any number of
studies by a wide range of researchers shows blacks are at the bottom of every
positive indicator, while they are at the top of every negative indicator of
socioeconomic and political well-being measured in the
President Obama refuses to use
his bully pulpit to highlight the fact that even though a good education is the
greatest equalizer of poverty, the visible fact is blacks are still being
discriminated against as they try to get an education. "Legacy," a
preference given children of alumni during college entrance is just another
word for "white privilege." It give whites special consideration
(favoritism) that extends back to segregation, when blacks were prevented from
attending schools their tax dollars supported. Blacks will never overcome that
advantage unless the government does something to counter the fact that blacks
were denied access to colleges based solely on race during segregation.
Segregation was government enforced discrimination and the government is
responsible for correcting this disadvantage.
The advantage left over from
segregation remains for whites in all socioeconomic and political contexts and
the disadvantage is what keep blacks in the chasm of inequality. This is not an
invisible problem; it can be seen anywhere Mr. Obama cares to look. The
President overlooked all these historical facts in his State of the Union
address. He even promised an executive order to create a commission to study
government spending. Mr. Obama could use that same executive authority to
create a commission headed by the Vice President and the First Lady to engage
the nation in a dialogue on race and bring race out of the closet as he is
doing for gays in the military. A year could make a great deal of difference in
this context.
Disgruntled says: The Army has filed
charges for a special court-martial against Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, a single
mother of a one-year-old baby.
Disgruntled
feels: Overwhelmed! The recent Supreme Court decision on campaign
financing has opened the door for corporations to spend without limits to
influence federal elections. The 5-4 decision paves the way for corporations to
do more than fund political action committees with voluntary contributions from
employees and executives. Now, corporations can contribute directly from their
treasuries. The situation becomes scarier when one considers the attitude of
multinational corporations. Buried in an article in BusinessWeek (The Permanent
Temporary Workforce, January 18, 2010), one senior vice-president declared
before a US House panel: "In this new era of globalization, the interests
of companies and countries have diverged." Given the Court's decision and
this divergent interest perspective, which in part explains why there is so
much job outsourcing - US multinational corporations could care less about the
plight of US workers - the electorate will be overwhelmed and marginalized by
big money; corporations can now openly buy and sell every branch of government.
It is already happening, but the old rules of the road forced them to at least
be a little discrete in financing federal elections. The Court's ruling allows
corporations to be more blatant in their control of government.
Disgruntled
wants to know: I was floored to learn that the trailer industry and some
lawmakers are pressing the government to send Haitians thousands of
"sick" trailers. Remember the illnesses experienced by Hurricane
Katrina victims housed in those formaldehyde-laced trailers? These are the
leftovers from that debacle. This has nothing to do with charity, caring or
concern. The industry has lost a lot of money and by dumping these defective
products on the victims of the
Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone
Calls
Email www.federalradionews.com ...Fed chief
Bernanke wins 2nd term in closest vote...By Jeannine Aversa and Jim
Kuhnhenn...Embattled Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke won confirmation for
a second term by the closest vote ever for the post and after withering
criticism from lawmakers for bailing out Wall Street while other Americans
suffered in recession. The Senate confirmed Bernanke for a new four-year term
by a 70-30 vote, a seemingly solid majority but 14 votes worse than the closest
previous vote for a Fed chairman. President Barack Obama hailed the Senate's
action and praised Bernanke's "wisdom and steady leadership." Created
by Congress in 1913 after a series of bank panics, the Federal Reserve is an
independent agency, supposedly outside politics, but its chairman is typically
assailed by lawmakers and others when the economy falls and jobless ranks
lengthen. "Bernanke fiddled while our markets burned," huffed Richard
Shelby, of
Email www.nytimes.com
...Never Heard That Before...By Thomas L. Friedman...As a political barometer,
the Davos World Economic Forum usually offers up some revealing indicators of
the global mood, and this year is no exception. I heard of a phrase being
bandied about here by non-Americans -- about the
Email www.ap.com ...Double standard in mortgage
walkaway...By Rachel Beck... Tishman Speyer Properties walks away from 11,232
Email quietfoxfire@yahoogroups.com...There
is evidence that the
Email http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com...Even
though the U.S. financial system nearly experienced a total meltdown in late
2008, the truth is that most Americans simply have no idea what is happening to
the U.S. economy. Most people seem to think that the nasty little recession
that we have just been through is almost over and that we will be experiencing
another time of economic growth and prosperity very shortly. But this time
around that is not the case. The reality is that we are being sucked into an
economic black hole from which the