Rev. Jackson's Not Down for the Count, Yet
by Mel Reeves
"We need someone who is going to help provide the social
and economic means by which folks can take care of their families."
Some people are once again preparing to shove Rev. Jesse
Jackson into the dustbin of history, this time for his off-color remarks about
what he'd like to do to Barack Obama's groin area. The Reverend's words were
raw and impulsive, but it should be remembered that many have tried to
pronounce the final verdict of history on Rev. Jackson over the years - all of
them prematurely.
I predict Taii K. Austin will find herself in that
category. The young black guest
columnist for Huffington Post.com, in a smart-mouthed
piece titled "Aw, Grandpa Jackson's Off His Meds," guides readers to an
Internet news story on Rev. Jackson's 2001 child out-of-wedlock scandal, then
to a campaign site page featuring an idyllic family portrait under the heading
"Meet the Obamas." Ms.
Austin contemptuously derides Rev. Jackson for having twice "failed - failed!"
to win the Democratic presidential nomination. She rubs in the fact that the
Reverend's son "works for Sen. Obama" (he's national campaign co-chair) and has
denounced his father's words.
Austin wondered if Rev. Jackson, who was one of Obama's
early endorsers, "flat out hate(s) the dude." But it is she who seems consumed
with malice toward the totality of Rev. Jackson's lifetime of contributions.
Through her rage, Austin seemed to say that Jackson's
indiscretions (and his age) render him unfit to comment on Sen. Obama's
moralizing messages on Black men - or
about anything else! Further, her dismissal of his 1984 and '88
presidential bids shows an appalling emotional and intellectual shallowness.
Jackson was of course ripe for criticism. However, I
understand the Reverend's frustration. Obama's insistence on beating up on
defenseless black folks - who are already battered and bruised - smacks of
cowardice and political pandering of the worst kind. It also doesn't seem very
Christian-like.
"Austin seemed to say that Jackson's indiscretions (and
his age) render him unfit to comment on Sen. Obama's moralizing messages on
Black men - or about anything else!"
Only a black man could get away with calling out poor black
folks the way Obama does, and he and his advisors know it. If indeed Obama's
campaign is about transcending race, lets talk about the absenteeism and bad
parenting among upper middle class families (most of which are white) as well.
We all know we have problems in poor black communities, but the point is: if
Obama is elected as head of this government, what is he going to do about them?
We don't need a moralist, that's why folks go to church.
What we need is someone who is going to help provide the social and economic
means by which folks can take care of their families. Despite the racist
propaganda, many of our constantly defamed young people do not intend to be bad
fathers. Many, however were born to unequal opportunities: poor schools, poor
housing, poor parents, poor job prospects, poor self esteem, poor expectations
from the greater society and a poor message from that society about the worth
of black humanity.
Rev. Jackson was bound to be taken to the shed for his
personal failings. But that's not politics. At least it isn't real politics.
The truth is, folks in power have ultimately been judged on their policies and
what they did or didn't accomplish for the people. Beating up on Jesse for his
moral failings displays a bit of a double standard. The Kennedy's were known
philanderers, but nobody ever mentions it these days. Even Ted Kennedy gets a
pass for his long ago failure of judgment at Chappaquiddick. Bill Clinton
remains a respected world statesman after having cheated in every house he was
elected to, including the White House.
"Beating up on Jesse for his moral failings displays a
bit of a double standard."
But, the practice of beating up on poor Black people's
"morals" has become a kind of sport; in Obama's case, it just may get him
elected.
Older folks know that we have to be careful when throwing
rocks; if you live long enough, one may wind up with shards of glass on one's
own floor.
Many rushed to applaud the young woman for running Jesse
down. Most of these folks are the folks who hate Jackson and wish he would
disappear, but they don't hate Jackson because of his indiscretions or
accusations surrounding his organization, Operation PUSH. No, what they are
really mad at Jackson about is the fact that he reminds them of the racism and
class prejudices that still exist in this country. Let's face it, if it weren't
for racism and inequality there would be no Jesse Jackson. And while Austin and
folks from her generation rush to condemn Jackson and call him a "Grandpa" who
is "off his meds," they also owe him and others who fought the good fight
against racist discrimination a little bit of gratitude. Austin may be more
indebted to the good Rev. than most. She is a writer for the television series
"Scrubs." Ironically, Jackson and some old folks like him fought hard so that
Hollywood had to open its doors to talented people of color.
The writer even took a shot at what she called Jesse's
"failed" presidential campaigns. She should go back and do her research.
Jackson's Rainbow Coalition fought for the rights of all races and the working
class from the Appalachian poor, to new immigrants to Native Americans.
They were far from "failed" campaigns. If anything, they
fell short in that they didn't go far enough to address the plight of
the left-out in this society. But these were profoundly progressive campaigns,
real anti-war campaigns, genuine people's campaigns that did not stoop to
victim-blaming, as Obama's has done.
I only wish that Rev. Jackson had thought to speak up about
Obama's "talking down" to Black folks sooner, and had done so in a formal,
dignified, sober manner. Instead, he managed to lay himself open to criticism
from the likes of Ms. Austin and others with shallow understandings of history
and quite narrow notions of social morality.
Mel Reeves is an activist living in Miami. He can
be contacted at mellaneous19@yahoo.com.
Malcolm X explained it well. Every Black person in this country is a prisoner, sometimes literally behind bars, and sometimes on the outside of jail, but a prisoner, nonetheless.
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