Harbari, my brother…
In answer to your question, I don’t plan on taking my marching shoes outta mothballs to participate in Tory Lowe’s march against violence this Saturday.
While I applaud his goal of bringing attention to the problem of violence in the Black community, I’ve long given up hope that symbolic gestures have much impact on the myriad of social ills, much less the epidemic of urban violence.
Simply put, I don’t think there’s that much gold in the pot at the end of the rainbow.
I take Lowe at his word that this walk down Martin Luther King Drive to the Wisconsin Avenue mall will open doors for further discussions—if not remedies—to this epidemic.
However, history and ‘His-story’ have shown few marches—unlike demonstrations and boycotts—have accomplished much more than putting a dent in the walls of American apartheid.
That reality led to my announcement several years ago that my marching days were over.
In fact, starting with my first protest as a preteen in the Open Housing Marches during the late 1960s, I’ve worn out more shoes than Donald Trump lies. (Well, not that many, but you get my point.)
As a result, my feet are now flat and swollen and resemble Fred Flintstones’ in shape, if not hue.
Indeed, I’ve sacrificed my entire adult life for the cause and am now paying for it physically, financially, and mentally. And sadly, only some of the miles traveled have ended at the hoped-for destinations.
I did take what was left of my shoes (worn down to the ankle) out of retirement to participate in the local marches following the ‘public execution’ of George Floyd three years ago.
But, in retrospect, that was a wasted effort, as I quickly realized the Freedom Train had been hijacked by ‘missionaries’ and liberal political activists who rerouted our trek from the halls of ‘Just-Us’ to the White House, where our struggle died on the same platform as dozens of other promises, starting with the ’40 acres and a mule.’
Black American gullibility was once again tested, along with the hundreds of thousands of White millennials who believed foot power could fuel a national reform movement that would move us closer to an actual colorblind society where the only stereotypes centered on rhythm and sex drive.
I recognize that Saturday’s march will not fall victim to a similar ploy since Lowe will lead it. However, if the destination differed, I would be more inclined to support the walk/march or run.
For example, I might be motivated to participate (by scooter, bike, or camelback) if Lowe led the marchers to the homes of drug dealers, wanna-be gangsta/thugs—including the ‘Kia Boys’ and Girls—or politicians.
Some might suggest confronting ‘hood terrorists’ is far too dangerous. But so is walking the Milwaukee streets these days.
It was not so long ago that I enlisted the help of Muhammad Sabir (rest in peace) to join me and female members of the 49th Street block club to ‘march on’ a drug dealer’s house to ‘pray with him’ about his soon-to-be one way trip to hell if he didn’t vacate our block.
Without going into detail, our not-so-veiled threats made him reconsider his lifestyle.
Instead of walking to the radio studio, it would be more beneficial to march to aldermen’s homes to demand additional funding for innovative prevention programs, crisis intervention programs, or tickets to Atlanta. (Naw, dismiss that location, Atlanta has similar crime concerns, and it’s hot as hell to boot.)
Why not reschedule the march for the next full common council or committee meeting and provide our elected officials with tangible solutions.
Not the pie in the sky we gotta get together,’ wishful thinking remedies; but realistic programs that Lowe alluded to have offered in the past.
Seems like every other day, I heard some ‘radio revolutionary’ referring to our city representatives as the ‘uncommon council’ and decrying Black politicians’ unwillingness to follow our ‘agenda.’
I’ve never heard anyone explain what that ‘agenda’ entails, although I assume it includes provisions only God can provide.
It would be a coup of historic proportions if marchers provided officials with a consensus agenda and then held them accountable (beyond complaints on the radio).
In fact, if participants are serious about putting a dent into crime and other social ills, they need to march down to the school administration building instead of the mall.
While we hate to admit or acknowledge it, much of the violence we encounter today can be traced to education and parenting (or lack thereof).
In fact, there’s been almost as many headlines in recent years about the academic failures of our children as there have been about violence.
Yet, even though Milwaukee hosts some of the worst test scores this side of Cuba, our ‘government school’ board hasn’t seen more than a few dozen Black faces in the last 25 years.
They do see a sea of Whites parents and (teachers) union members.
Maybe Black parents and activists are under the assumption that if you don’t vote, you can’t attend a board meeting. But even that excuse does not explain why they ‘accept’ a failing status-quo for their children, many of whom will turn to crime because they can’t read, write or express their feelings.
Despite that reality, less than 10% of those who say they care so much about the community voted in the most important election of the 21st century—this spring’s school board elections.
Now, that’s a crime!
I don’t know if Truth Radio’s talk show host, Ken Harris, will participate in Saturday’s march, but as a former policeman and current educator, I think he’s uniquely qualified to add to the discussion.
Indeed, I was impressed with a list of five solutions he editorialized during his show last week, four of which addressed parenting.
Number five boldly recommended that women get married before having children.
For those who don’t understand his focus, Harris recognizes that most crime is committed by children raised in impoverished households headedby single mothers. The absence of a father (not Uncle Sam) in the homedooms many of our children to academic failure, poverty, and culturallydysfunctional lifestyles.
And in Milwaukee, that means 72% of Black households, most of whichare impoverished.
Harris also has repeatedly drawn a link between poor parenting, poverty,immorality, and crime.
Unless and until we address those contributing factors, marching will bea symbolic gesture at best.
And to be sure, despite trillions ‘awarded’ to poverty organizations, thereis no viable solution to eradicating it other than a social revolution, whichain’t gonna happen.
Aside from being led by a high-profile radio talk-jock and the self-proclaimed ‘most requested advocate in Wisconsin,’ this Saturday’s march willbe no different than two others scheduled for this weekend (one by a churchgroup which I’ve been told has been endorsed by God), and dozens of othersheld so far this summer.
None of them resulted in any terrorist punk or punkette turning in theirweapons so they can be turned into plowshares, nor did they deter any fromviolating the sixth commandment against murder—misinterpreted as ‘killing’ by most theologians.
Marching, for the most part, is similar to praying/faith: without worksbeyond and in conjunction, it is meaningless—fruitless—or as the Biblesays: “faith, without works, is DEAD!”
If the aforementioned destinations don’t intrigue you, maybe we shouldall parade down to the gun range. Citizen patrols (yeah, vigilantism) mayprove more successful since nothing else seems to move you.
As an alternative, hire the Nation of Islam’s ‘Fruit of Islam,’ those righteous brothers have the courage most of us lack, and even the gangstas giveway to them.
Or, then again, some previously denounced laws and policies have provensuccessful in other communities. The problem is they come at a price.“What price?” you might ask! Surrendering some of our civil liberties.
Through my prisms, every tribal member should serve in the civil andhuman rights army, repaying those who struggled before them; who cleareda path for our children.
From that perspective, participating in marches becomes a symbolic template for a ‘rite of passage.’
I first introduced late son, Malik, when he was six-year-old, to his responsibility when we paraded back and forth in the frigid cold to protest alocal bank’s refusal to close in honor of the King holiday many years ago.
Over the years, he attended dozens of protests, culminating in our jointparticipation in the Million Man March. Unlike many marches, the MMMconcluded with participants vowing to return to their communities to leador pass on the baton.
My son became a mentor and educator. And I continued my work withthe Black Press, at the vanguard of the civil rights movement, and traininga new generation of Black warriors.
If Lowe’s march can have that sort of impact, there may be hope for significant change.
Hotep.
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