Remembering the Scottsboro Case

Charles Brown CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us
Thu Feb 10 10:52:26 PST 2000



>>> Chuck0 <chuck at tao.ca> 02/09/00 10:58PM >>>
Doug Henwood wrote:


> Maybe one of you could explain why Mumia's cause has failed to find
> any significant black support.

I hate to suggest, economic reasons?

Could it be that most African Americans just aren't as political as before? What is to be made of the fact that African American "leaders" like Jesse Jackson are writing books on black entrepeneurship?

Could it be that radical politics is seen by many African Americans as an anachronism?

&&&&&&&&&&&&

CB: Could it be that Americans are not "as political as before", and African Americans are like other Americans ?

No doubt by "political" , you mean "left" or "reformist" or "radical". And by "before" you mean approximately, 1962 to 1978.

Anyway, in case you didn't notice, the Reaganite counter-reform has been roaringly successful, and the U.S. has been in a free fall to reaction since 1980 or so. Black people seeing radical politics as an anachronism is an accurate vision. The idea that Black people in general , one of the most reviled and despised groups in America, would move drastically away from the general political direction of the White , dominant majority, in a Cassandra/suicide move, misunderstands our profound survival tradition and skills here in the belly of the beast. As soon as White people get it together and get radical again, we will be way ahead of you.

By the way, is there a White Radical Congress ?

CB



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