Sunday, December 30, 2007


Are Black Civil Rights Leaders
Who Support Hillary SELL-OUTS ?
By Greg Jones
As a fifty year old black man from Cleveland, Ohio I'm at the age where my mind is full of memories. I remember how, as a child, we were all so proud as black people to be able to watch Julia on TV, the first TV series starring a black woman.
I would watch 'I Spy' co-starring Bill Cosby with excitement and a sense of connection. I remember the pride we all felt when Carl B. Stokes won as mayor here in Cleveland, becoming the first black mayor of any major city. I remember the shock of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's death and the riots that resulted in many buildings being burned down in our neighborhood.
I remember the National Guard riding up and down my street making us stop playing football forcing us to go in the house. I remember going to church each night where it seemed liked hundreds of blacks all came together, while we kids were in another area of the church in what was called 'Freedom School'. I remember listening to the preacher who preached the message....and I first learned the song....'We Shall OverCome'.
I remember looking up at the preacher, who was our leader at that time, in total belief. All throughout my growing years I have held steadfast to the vision that we shall overcome. But now, in 2007, I listen to our modern day civil rights leaders and find myself in absolute dismay. The very leaders who, since the civil rights movement of the 60's, had invigorated, motivated and preached the message that we shall overcome through being a united people working together toward empowerment, have unbelievably chosen to support Hillary Clinton instead of a highly qualified, capable, intelligent man who is an extremely credible candidate for President of the United States and is black.
My heart just drops every time I hear an Andrew Young, Al Sharpton, Calvin Butts or Jesse jackson making statements that question whether we should support Barack Obama, and instead, being supportive of Hillary Clinton. It makes no sense at all. How can these 'leaders' claim to have devoted their lives to black empowerment, while simultaneously doing all they can to block our progress as a people? It is the most hypocritical thing I have ever witnessed and I find it to not only be very sad but also destructive to the cause. I ask myself, how could this be? Why would our civil rights leaders be anti a black man who is truly credible, choosing rather to support a white woman instead? So, I just wonder.
I wonder if they are truly sincere about their desire to see us as blacks overcome, or are they just in the civil rights business to make a living? I wonder if the Hillary camp has promised these 'leaders' certain benefits if they 'deliver' the black vote? If that is the case it would mean that personal gain is more important to them than actual achievement and empowerment for us as a people. So I watch as we cry out....we march....we boycott.....then our 'leaders' turn their backs on our very own. To me, that is the epitamy of a SELL-OUT ! I just hope that the average black man and woman will see through the tactics of our so called leaders, and will rally together, as we should, striving together so that one day.....We Shall Truly OverCome !
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