Of An Unfulfilled Dream

Letters_20to_20Editor_380419663Dear Editor,

“One hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.”  

The physical shackles of slavery were outlawed in the West Indies in 1865, and some 30 years later in the United States.  However, a nefarious system, deviously implemented during the waning days of slavery as an established institution, ensured that African slave descendents never really got off the plantation.  The very carefully devised establishment is the same that oppresses African nations today, crippling their abilities to break free from debt and realize true economic independence.  Appendages from this evil institution, also ensure that African American/black males are kept in check, via overtly barbaric methods like private prison incentives; the creation of racist, fraternal/social networks amongst law enforcement officers; and the funding of right-wing terror and political groups.   Their tight grip over the lives, economic and political affairs of not only African Americans, but also Caribbean and African nations is quite evident today.  

One has to only read the top headlines to realize that a silent war is being waged on people of color, particularly played out in the United Sates of America.  This silent war sometimes splashes the headlines in blood red with the overt execution of African American males by police.  This silent war, long waged within the inner cities of America, nourishes the private penal system with the life force of countless, innocent souls.  Many of its victims, people of color, are sentenced for the slightest of offences, or are wrongly accused. The likes of Whole Foods, Walmart, and even McDonald’s owe their profits in large part to the contemporary system of slavery where, adjusted for population representation, over 90% of inmates on prison farms are black males.  

The routine practices of racial profiling, random stop-and-frisk, and brazen false arrests, have touched the last nerve of every decent person in society.  A few police officers, in an over zealous attempt to fulfil quotas, or just because of plain racial biases, have made terminal decisions that they will have to live with.  The open executions of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Michael Moore demonstrate the boldness and impunity that the system gives to US law enforcement officers.  Over three-quarters of all cops responsible for the slaying of innocent civilians, have never been, and at least for the foreseeable future, are not expected to be indicted and/or be sentenced.  One may hold the opinion that police misconduct is on the rise. This is largely false, because the proliferation of visual recording devices over time brings the harsh reality of the mean streets into households the world over.  

These egregious practices have spawned groups such as Black Lives Matter and the New Black Panther Party, to undertake outspoken and sometimes drastic measures in order to highlight the plight of system injustices. According to surveys however, over 35% of mainstream (white) America will back brutal police action against minorities and whites themselves.  This compares to a 75% disapproval rate among African Americans and Hispanics.  So globally glaring are the violent acts of the system, particularly against males of colour, that the Bahamas, Bahrain, and the UAE issued travel advisory warnings to their US-bound citizens.  The travel warnings also come about because of the growing unrest between police departments and active civil rights groups.  An extreme case was the shooting in Dallas last week of five police officers by Micah Johnson, himself not being affiliated with any such groups.

In light of the gross social and racial inequities heralded by the system, one has to ask, where did Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream disappear to? Is it more like the opening of his “I Have a Dream” speech, that the “Negro” is still bound by chains of discrimination and confined within walls of segregation? Recent surveys have indicated that race relations (between blacks and whites) have ebbed to their lowest ever, since the 1960s.  Whereas before, hate speech was met with serious disdain by media outlets and their audiences, hate comments now make up the best rated in terms of popularity and most liked.  Extreme white-pride and right-wing groups will spew out statistics about the number of “lazy” African Americans leeching off the system; the high number of black-on-black crimes; pseudo-scientific inferior being theories; and some even venture as far as to stigmatize and castigate black people within a seemingly rationale, Christian religious context.

But what if, as the statistics show, that African Americans committed 52% of all homicides between 1980 and 2008?  And what if, as data shows that the majority of broken homes, and high school drop-outs, and single pregnant women represent a far higher population proportion in comparison to their American Caucasian counterparts?  Well, these paint a picture of a failing peoples, right? Nothing could be further from the implied supposition of the last question.  American society is witnessing the consequences of a nation turned unto its self, not a black-white issue.  Ironically, it was the Republican Party who in 1865 commenced some of the greatest rehabilitation projects for former slaves. These activities came under the nomenclature of Reconstruction era projects.  One of the goals of Reconstruction was to establish a nation, so that former slaves could contribute to American society as near equal rights citizens.  That 15 year era yielded some of the greatest American achievements in science, academia, politics, and construction by African American innovators, politicians, and doctors.  There was a swollen pride in black America that this country was at long last, the land of dreams and hopes.  But alas, to the detriment of succeeding black America, the old white southern mentality of envy, greed and jealousy ensured that black owned businesses were looted and burnt, that lynching was tripled, and that these new laws which “took away our niggers” were to be repealed in congress.  Disillusion, despair, and hopelessness gripped a large portion of African Americans, who once believed in another dream – that of Abraham Lincoln.

A system of inhumane treatment, segregation, racial profiling, and pseudo-scientific theories continued to plague African Americans.  Hopes for a new way of life free from discrimination and opportunities for progression later (circa. 1910) attracted many ambitious African Americans to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  A particular area, Greenwood Avenue, was settled in because it did not cross into white neighbourhoods.   The American Dream was once more revived, as African Americans became immersed in banking, trading, medicine, law, and other industry.  So successful was Greenwood Avenue, that it became known as Black Wall Street.  To the envy of their white neighbours, enough was enough.  A story was concocted about an attack in an elevator of a white girl by a shoe-shine boy.  With support from the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), hoards of white mobs descended upon Greenwood in one of the most savage, bestial riots ever recorded in American history.  Tulsa also witnessed America’s first aerial bombardment of a city.  Actually, this portion was removed from American history, only to be recently re-instated.  When the dust settled, some 3,000 African Americans lay dead, and over 600 businesses lost.    

The devastation of Tulsa seeped into the psyche of countless African Americans nationwide.  The sentiment that this nation was not for them sunk in fast and deep.  No longer was the American Dream worth being lived for.  Despair, desperation, and a “live-for-today” mentality embedded itself within African American communities.   

Fast forward to today, and conditions have economically improved for African Americans.  However, the manifestation of decades of discrimination, injustice, and inequality have left their marks on entire swathes of black Americans.  Laws have been enacted which allow for just enough mobility of blacks to satisfy the system quota, but also to keep the threat of a “black” take-over in check.  Now more than ever since slavery was abolished, we see black lawyers, congressmen, CEOs, and other professionals increasing in number.  However, figures for African Americans living below the poverty line far outweigh those for their white counterparts.  In just about every economic and well-being measurement index, African Americans trail behind white Americans.  

Therefore in light of the above presented, we can safely state that Dr. King’s Dream has not yet been entirely realized.   The maleficent system which has and continues to oppress people of colour, is part of a much larger order, which in and of itself, is evil.  This abhorrent system can only be dismantled through education and awareness, persistent civil protests, unity, and an inspiration for the future.  The good news is the foundation has started to crack.

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28 Comments

  1. The Believer
    July 19, 2016

    What a bunch! torturing each other, your ancestors ensure they give you a proper name as jack or john that’s the name other people use to address you, nobody named black. You are as good as any other person, whether they are English or American. Always looking for someone to blame. Black sold black for payment. OUR ANCESTERS went through a lot to ensure we had a better life than they had. Did you waste it? If you did you let your ancestors down big time. My congregation consist of ,African origin,english,americans and west Indians, what name black.

  2. “Why Francisco Dodds did not penned an article to the editor instead of posting so many comments. Come on DNO , this man is occupying most of the space on your programme”(BEB).

    BEB, the only response I will give you is this: There was a cop named BEB; he carried a gun and a knife!

    The gun was empty, the knife was rusty, he never caught a crook in his life oui!

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

    Sorry BEB, my mistake, I forgot you told me how you took down two half dead crooks, one of them when he found out you could not capture him walked into the police precinct, and walk straight into the cell, and lock himself up. (De man arrested himself and gave you the credit oui!)

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahha!

    BEB I am not interested in writing any full length article; when I had my Website I did that, and no one ever complain I wrote nonsense. As a mater of fact may students of biology, and other disciplines would E-mail me and thank me for the…

  3. Africo
    July 18, 2016

    This is very much an article from a US point of view. The dates mentioned are wrong. The first stage of emancipation in the English speaking Caribbean was 1834 followed by full freedom in 1838. Almost 30 years before the US.

    Granted it took another 100 years for the black working class in the British West Indies to gain significant advances, with the right of everyone to vote coming in 1951, but still years before the US. We had our black judges, Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers, Governors. Chiefs of Police and Permanent Secretaries etc long before the US. Granted we shared concerns with our black brothers and sisters in the US, but don’t get so swamped by the US experience that you forget, or do not know about, our own acheivements here at home.

  4. July 18, 2016

    Slavery was wrong. It was evil beyond words. People who know me will tell you I hate any expression of bias or discrimination against my black brothers and sisters.

    My wife and I are members by choice of a large church in Brampton, Ontario, Canada with 500 to 600 people attending the Sunday A.M. service in which I preach from time to time. Happily at least 50% of our
    congregation are black people, maybe more. Our full time pastoral team includes two black pastors. One of these has a Masters Degree in counseling. We have black people working in every department of the church.

    I find references to slavery again in DNO. The tone is bitter and I can understand this. Of late there has been much said about how black people are still in slavery, etc. But you cannot move forward if you are chained to the past. The slave “owners” are gone. The slaves are no longer with us. Today I see the descendants of slaves excelling in every walk of life.

    • July 18, 2016

      Continuation:

      This is a new day. It is time to let the healing begin.

      While I was in Jamaica for ten weeks of gospel services I discussed slavery with a black police detective who happened to be lodging at the same rooming house as myself. He told me it was known that during slavery there were situations when black people sold black people into slavery. There were also times in history when blacks had while slaves. That is not where we are now :!: Let us partner with God and one another in building a new world for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.

      If we continue moaning and groaning about wrongs of the past that is all we will have. Let us dip our brush into the silver and gold of the promises of God and paint a new picture for coming generations.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill, Evangelist.

  5. Heartfelt
    July 18, 2016

    I definitely agree with the article on some points, but black people have a lot to do with where we are too. We idolize the white man and his works. Some of our men worship white women but are quick to criticize and lament the shortcomings of our black sisters. There should be more movement geared towards changing the mentality of black people. Pull your pants up off your butts and try getting a better education instead of chilling on the block with your homes. Stop calling each other “ho” and “nigga” and get offended when others do it. Racism is very much alive but not without our help. Our men prefer the light skinned or “shabine” girls and see dark skinned girls as second best as if we are all not of the black race. In the US if you’re a black person who even speaks proper English your peers say you think you’re white. We as black people don’t even like and respect ourselves and our kind, how are others supposed to like or respect us?

    • July 19, 2016

      Heartfelt:

      I find intelligence and common sense in this comment of yours.

      Some of the bad habits and sayings of black people themselves unintentionally promotes the ugly beast of racism and keep it alive.

      White folks should be made to know that blacks respect themselves and deserve to be respected. Anything less than this is unacceptable. It should not be tolerated! The majority of black people I know are
      black Christians in our churches. Everything about them from their appearance to their conversation, to their behavior says HIGH CLASS :!: HIGH CLASS :!: HIGH CLASS :!:

      My Afro friend when you look in the mirror in the morning realise this is where it must start. When you walk out the door of your home take with you the image that will command the respect you deserve, and promote it throughout the day. Because God made you the best. You are top of he line!

      • July 19, 2016

        Continuation…

        Correction: You are the top of the line!

        But remember to be humble and kind. Treat all others as you wish to be treated. A few years ago I learned that the respect I show others (even when I don’t think they deserve it) comes back to me a hundred times over. Honestly, it really does work this way. I would not have thought so. But through a situation in my own life I had to deal with I discovered it by stumbling into it. Now I call it a “Kingdom Principle.”

        Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

      • Samuel Christian MD
        July 19, 2016

        Wise analysis

  6. “One hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” (The Author).

    Note Mr/Madam The Huh, whatever that means, if is one thing I am certain of is I am very fimailar with the English Language, as many drgrees as I have, I was compelled to take English at more than level. You claim that the word “Negro” is in quotation marks.

    I based my comments on the authors words verbatim as presented in the quote above. Do you see a the word Negro in the middle of any quotations mark?

    If I say ‘am finished’ as written, that means I have used that word the first time: If you come after me, and said you are finished you should write it like this “am finished” Just to let you know I took English at college and University level!

  7. July 18, 2016

    The author will be forever enslaved in his mind. The article is mostly half truths. Majority of inner city crime is black on black in America a statistical fact. The cities are becoming war zones due to gangs and murders not because a cop is a thug. Many of the cops are black including the Chief of Police in the precinct the article references. 75% of African American women have children out of wedlock. 72% have had abortions. This is a cultural breakdown that the black leadership in America fails to address. Blame the white man.
    Alton Sterling just robbed a store. The Chinese owner called 911. He was reaching for a gun in his pocket when shot. Philando Castile had been arrested 52 times, robbery being one of them. The cop who shot him deserves prison or the death penalty no doubt, but there is a reason they show up for a call with heightened fear. What about Africa? What white man rules a single country there? This author hinders due to his own color blindness.

    • Dominican
      July 18, 2016

      I think you’re missing the point. When people like you state statistics for some reason or the other they tend to be selective. For example you don’t say that 86% of white people killed in the U.S. are killed by whites. Point being that even though blacks kill blacks whites also kill whites in the U.S. Almost as much as blacks kill their own. 94% is high but so is 86%. America has so many issues to deal with starting with a system that’s intentionally set up to marginalize and destroy young black people from their early teenage years. The problem is apologists like yourself who feels the need to attack commentary which looks to shed light on what’s going on.

  8. Slave Mentality
    July 18, 2016

    The ‘negro’? Therein lies the problem. Who gave black people this name? The enslavers, of course. That being the case, why is the writer using this term to describe black people?

    I can tell you why. Because at heart, he is a slave and will always remain one. A slave, my friends, is a person with a slave mentality. People with slave mentalities are those who give over like dogs to anyone who gives them a bone, or hits them with a stick. They become ‘owned’ and will only become free in their minds, if their enslavers give them a certificate telling them that they are ‘free’.

    Sadly, the world will always have negros like the writer. Let him take his mental enslavement elsewhere and for those of us, like the black President Obama, who are black but not ‘negros’ do our thing.

    • July 19, 2016

      “Negro means black. I don’t think it is either good or bad, just a color. A black person could be either good or bad, the same with a white person.

      However, I have never felt comfortable using the word “Negro” in reference to a person. I don’t recall ever doing so. I don’t know why. Probably no good reason. The word “nigger” is slanderous because it is thought to imply the individual has certain negative characteristics which is usually not true.

      Sometimes to make sure people get my identity correct I may mention I am a white Canadian but this is not because I think that makes me any better. My friends know me better than that.

      When there has been a problem with the use of certain words we ought to drop those words from our vocabulary especially when it comes to applying them to people of a particular race. Give each person a
      chance to become the very best he or she can become without that extra baggage.

      “Blessed are the peacemakers, …” (Matthew…

  9. ” One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” (The Author).

    It is not my intention to ague, and refute your argument; nevertheless as far I see, some form of slavery still exists in your mind, and that presents a danger to you personally! Here is an example: you refer to Black people, (perhaps yourself if you are Black) as “Negro,” which actually derives from that horrible word ( Niger ) first coined in the year 1555.

    And here is what they say is the definition of the word: “Negro.” For your information madam/sir, the word is defined as “a member of the Black race distinguished from members of races, by inherited physical, and physiological characteristics, without regard to language or culture: they made it quite clear “especially” a member of a people belonging to the African branch of the Black race.

    There is no such thing as “race.” okay; that however is another…

    • Continue:

      There is no such thing as “race.” okay; that however is another subject!

      Madam/Sir you write intelligently; however, I suggest you review these words ” inherited physical, and psychological characteristics;” in other words the person who coined the word rendered you a lessor more inferior specimen, not even human; than other humans; that is why they captured my ancestors, and forced them into slavery like beasts of burden, because they believed Black people felt no pain, they considered our ancestors to be the same as animals, to this day there are people who entertain that idea!

      We lived in Tribes in Africa, where people were identified by the Tribe from whence they originate. My Tribe I know to be the Wallop Tribe of Senegal in West Africa; where my name Telemaque exists in the twenty-first century. The word Negro did not exists in the tribal vocabulary on the continent of Africa where life originates.

      Understand this! I am personally offended that you…

      • Finally,

        We have the story in the Bible to support that where we read about the talents given, where the man who got one, dug a hole in the ground and buried it.
        Dominica will forever be a poverty stricken country, as long as government and people decide to look to others for handouts, by begging for the crumb the devil leaves!

        I do not even understand why your deep concentration on America, and what white people think about Black people, if you can do something about Dominica, start an industrial revolution in the country, educate the people that Skerrit way is not the appropriate way, black Americans takes care of themselves, you may not believe this, but there are plenty more poor white people in America than black

      • BEB
        July 18, 2016

        Why Francisco Dodds did not penned an article to the editor instead of posting so many comments. Come on DNO , this man is occupying most of the space on your programme

      • Heartfelt
        July 19, 2016

        Lol BEB, he and Rev. Donald Hill are the same. I imagine they can talk your ear off in a face to face conversation.

    • Continuing:

      Understand this! I am personally offended that you have chose a topic to be read by intelligent Black people of whom you refer to as Niger’s, which is an insult to people like me; you may not have calculated it, but I suggest you research words especially where they pertains to Black people before you utilize them.

      I do not consider myself a Negro: I view myself as a Black Dominican Born in the village Wesley, of African decent, brought to Dominica and enslaved against their will. You need to ask who was the originator of the word, and for what purpose was it coined. In the Song of Solomon in the Bible I found the words “I am Black and commonly; I have yet to find the word niger, or negro!

      You made reference to poverty, and referenced America, I detest that too, yes the poor will always be among us according to Gods words; nevertheless, it is said God help those who help themselves, and we have the story in the Bible to support that where we read about the…

    • The final should be last: only a glitch confused the sequence:

      Finally,

      We have the story in the Bible to support that where we read about the talents given, where the man who got one, dug a hole in the ground and buried it.
      Dominica will forever be a poverty stricken country, as long as government and people decide to look to others for handouts, by begging for the crumb the devil leaves!

      I do not even understand why your deep concentration on America, and what white people think about Black people, if you can do something about Dominica, start an industrial revolution in the country, educate the people that Skerrit way is not the appropriate way, black Americans takes care of themselves, you may not believe this, but there are plenty more poor white people in America than black.

    • The Huh?
      July 18, 2016

      FDT, the word, “negro” was placed in quotation, as derived from a much longer text. That text was MLK’s speech, “I Have a Dream.” The article in no way calls or refers to African descendants or black people as “Negroes.”

      • Wether the word was used by Martin Luther King, the respected Civil Rights leader, that serves its purpose at the time; however, I believe if King took the time to find the definition of the word, he may not have used it! And I believe in twenty-first century, no black person should entertain that word in their mind, nor speak it.

        We as a people should not mention it, not even to make reference of the past or slavery, poverty, or any other subject.

        On the other hand where poverty is concerned, many black people believe living in poverty is a normal way of life, and so they blame white people for keeping them in subjection in poverty, they make no effort to find a way out. When I came to America in 1980, on my first job; I encountered a white Quality Control Manager on the job. We worked in the field of Electronics.

        I am an Electronic/Electrical Engineer by profession; we work for a company called Accqua Data Systems Black owned, when this white manager saw my talents, and…

      • Continue:

        I am an Electronic/Electrical Engineer by profession; we work for a company called Accqua Data Systems Black owned, when this white manager saw my talents, and abilities, he approached me one day and told me “Francisco; you see what this fellow here is doing,you can do the same thing!” Not understanding what he meant, I ask him what is he talking about.

        He said; well there is a Federal program for minorities where if you have the skills, knowledge and money, you can go to certain place on Aviation, and bid on some of these projects you are working on, and a contract will be awarded. He told me the government pays 80% of the cost of the contract prior to a stroke of work is performed. The man (a white man) told me, I know you just got here, “but I will help you to set up the business financially). You will pay me back the original amount I loan you, and after that I will take a percentage of all the profits you make.

        I ask him; if you are telling me how simply…

      • The end:

        I ask him; if you are telling me how simply it is to get into that, why haven’t you done it? He responded, I told you the program is set up for black people, I am white!

        I went home and told my Black girlfriend about the opportunity that was presented to me, when I was through talking to her about it: the woman responded “yes,” he will help you get the business started; but when you start making money, he will kill you and take the business away!”

        Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

        And I the idiot believed her, and made no effort to get involve from fear of what that girl told. I also had another opportunity offered by another white person. Kid Francisco let it past also because of fear from what the woman told me white people will help me then kill me. So, you see opportunities are there for Black people as well as any other completion of people of this country, there is no stopping anyone; the color of the skin in spite of all the prejudices…

    • The Huh?
      July 18, 2016

      The Author = Dr. Martin Luther King, my friend.

    • Africo
      July 18, 2016

      ‘The Niger’ is the name of one of the largest rivers in Africa, named by the Africans themselves. ‘Negro’ is the Spanish for the colour black. It was applied to the people whom the Spanish and the Portuguese met in Africa but it is now it is not favoured for use in this way in English. There are many complications in its usage.

      • Heartfelt
        July 20, 2016

        Very good point Africo. I think what makes the word negro undesirable is its closeness to the word “nigger” which is an insultive name used by whites to refer to blacks.

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