TOP TEN BLACK NEWS STORIES 2022

(Baltimore, MD) I continue to believe the reason you read my list is because you’re intrigued. Each year I try and point to items you may have heard about or made you raise an eyebrow. This year, I unfortunately noticed to many narcists and not enough love for those who have challenges. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, I watched a number of “Underdogs” change the narrative and succeed. Now for my annual disclaimer. “If you don’t like my list, create your own.” Hold on to your chair, “because it’s about to go down.”

10. Ye – Last year I talked about how Rappers have become enamored with themselves and purveyors of culture. I draw attention to the Rapper formally known as Kayne West. Despite having a number of breakdowns (divorce, mental health episodes, loss of endorsement deals etc.…) he committed a cardinal sin in Black Culture. Comedian Dave Chappelle said it succinctly on Saturday Night Live,“Whenever you use the term ‘The Jews.’ It will not turn out well.” Ye, doubled down by declaring he was going “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” This comment got him banned on social media. The visual which is still imbedded in my mind was he and Candance Owen photographed in shirts with “White Lives Matter.” 

9. Tigray/Internal Struggles in Africa – This November there was a truce of fighting between Ethiopia and the Tigray region. According to reports this is just the beginning. The fragility of  Africans and their desire to govern is tenuous. I can point to countries such as Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Chad, Angola, and the Congo. 

 8. The Loss of Iconic Figures – There are some figures who transcend time. This year we lost a number of iconic figures. From the first time I saw Sidney Poitier on the big screen it was mesmerizing. He may have been “Hollywood Royalty,” but meant much more to the culture. He was the Brother who shook my world when he delivered the line, “They call me, Mr. Tibbs.” He joined his friend Harry Belafonte in several movies. It was his humanitarian efforts which changed the way actors see the craft. It was this picture on Interstate 95 which made me smile. 

I also want to mention some others who fall in this category: Charles Fuller (author of “A Soldier’s Story"), Bernard Shaw (Reporter/Network Anchor), Thom Bell (songwriter), Irene Cara (Singer/Actress), Betty Davis (Singer), André Leon Talley (Fashion Icon), James Mtume (Songwriter/Musician), Max Julien (Director/Actor),Coolio (Rapper) and Ramsey Lewis (Musician/Songwriter). Just learned Pele has transitioned May they rest in power. 

7. Jackson Water Crisis – We have seen this story before. If things go really bad we end up with Flint, Michigan. Jackson, Mississippi is a state capital. The water system in this city has had problems for years. The fixes shouldn’t fall on the Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, but on those who run the state. The Republican governor blamed a majority Black city run by a Democratic Mayor for mismanagement. This is necessary infrastructure to survive. Floods this summer exacerbated the problem. The boil water advisor did nothing to solve brown water coming out of the faucet. Federal authorities stepped in with assistance and financial aid. During this last week Jackson was thrown backwards with a freeze which broke pipes and they are still trying to find out why. 

6. Screens and What I Watched? – I am still somewhat adverse to going to movies on the big screen. I made the decision to see a pair of films in a theater, “Wakanda Forever and Nope.” Wakanda Forever, sewed together what was going to happen after Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death. For those of us who actually read comic books we get reintroduced to the “Sub-Mariner – Prince Namor.” The ladies in this film stand out. I can’t wait for their sequels. 

“Nope,” the next installment of Jordan Peele’s repertoire of films continues his fascination with the horror genre. While I enjoyed the film and was able to discern the many historical references, a number of my friends did not. There are films which become “cult classics” and that’s what this film will become. FYI, what ever your vision of an alien looks like, Peele will make you rethink the concept. 

Lastly, on the small screen think about watching “Lightyear” – “To Infinity and Beyond” – the origin of this line will never be the same. Kendrick Lamar: Live in Paris is a tour de force performance. The Upshaws and Abbott Elementary finally made situational comedy smart and funny.

When your office does an incredible job on a pair of documentaries about iconic figures Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, you recognize the precedent they make. Make sure you re-watch Becoming Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom. 

 5. Gun Violence – I am not immune from the uptick in murders in urban areas. There are few easy answers, but let’s begin with removing guns which seem more inline with warlike intentions. I am heartbroken by innocent victims who have no voice and their survivors who are clamoring for solutions. Be advised in my home base and yours, these criminals are younger and influenced with, “who gives a damn.” These young people see you as the problem. Fending for yourself will lead you to dark places. It’s about mental health. 

 4. GOP Implosion – The narrative of a “Republican Wave” was in the offing during the mid-term elections never materialized. Democrats rallied behind the positives of the “Biden Administration.” The clearest example of this was in the Georgia U.S. Senate race which went to a run-off. It pitted incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock against former football star Herschel Walker. Black folks were not amused (at his many of his off-hand remarks/lies – which were remarkable). My observation, Georgia Republicans who voted for him were prepared/will vote for an unqualified candidate. 

 3. Black MAGA Supporters – Look if you want to support the former President you are welcome to do so. Just don’t expect the world to embrace you, even if you disown his policies. Let me begin with the former Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams. Adams is two years removed from being the nations medical doctor. He has been struggling to find meaningful work and has taken to social media. To add to his woes his wife’s skin cancer has comeback. He attributes his problem to the “Trump Effect,” Dah!!! He isn’t alone, Where is Omarosa? 

 2. Black Women in Politics – This was not a good year in politics for Black women (women in general). I happen to be at a luncheon during the NABJ Conference in Las Vegas. I listen to a lecture conducted by the Center for American Women in Politics.

They provided statistics on how Black women have been fairing in State Houses and the Congress. Here are some the numbers which stuck with me. In 2022, Black women are 7.9% of the population, 4.9 % in Congress, 5.0 % in State Office, and 2.6% in Statewide Office. What also caught my attention were the subtle messages conveyed in how they are described. “Pushy, sassy, progressive, angry, mean or shrill.” In a new book Black Women Will Save The World: An Anthem, by April Ryan she told me “there are codes (its not just for Black women).” Ryan reminded me of the Shirley Chisolm’s admonishment, “Black women get a double whammy…she describes this as ‘misogyny noir (originally coined by Moya Bailey). ’” 

In number of key elections I saw a trait which some may see through a different lens. Stacey Abrams and Val Deming’s are political pros. I was privy to a number of conversations with these candidates. As I listened, they seem to argue about past inequities. Litigating the past, was not a proven way to win. 

I want to point to Karen Bass the mayor of Los Angeles. Mayor Bass was able to point to the future. A number of winners including Sen. Raphael Warnock and Wes Moore, the incoming Maryland Governor, stressed what they were going to do when they won.

1. Supreme Court Justice Kentaji Jackson Brown – The arrival of the first Black woman on the SCOTUS on the high court was historic. There were questions about her impact, since she has only one vote. Much of criticism was squelched during her oral arguments during a gerrymander case out of Alabama. Justice Brown was questioning whether the Alabama’s Solicitor General was correct in how the framers/court interpreted the 14th Amendment. “They didn't intend it to be ‘race neutral or race blind’ and that it was written to provide a constitutional foundation for the Civil Rights Act of 1866,” according to Justice Brown. A Joint Reconstruction Committee (following the Civil War) concluded the entire point of these new Amendments (14th and 15th Amendments), Freedmen/Enslaved individuals would have the same right “as white citizens.”

Person of the Year: Wes Moore

First a disclaimer: I now host a radio show called “Future City.” I replaced Moore as the host when he decided to run for Governor of Maryland. Some of you will know Moore as the author of “The Other Wes Moore.” Before his run he ran an organization called “The Robinhood Foundation.” The philanthropic CEO joined a crowded field (10 candidates)to replace

Republican Governor Larry Hogan. With no political experience he was a long shot. Also, members of the Democrat Party were wary of past results. Governor Hogan, a GOP candidate, had bested a pair of Black candidates (Anthony Brown and Ben Jealous). 

What did voters see? C. Vernon Gray, the former head of Morgan State University Political Science Department, is a guru on Maryland Politics. “Moore was a fresh voice…not encumbered by the protracted problems, faced by those with political experience." 

Moore moved in ways few expected. When he secured the early endorsements of Maryland Teachers Union there was shock. Landing  members of political establishment (Speaker of the House Delegate Adrienne Jones, US House Minority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, and others) was a sign he had arrived.

He also made sure his ground game was in place. Early voting, absentee and same day voting strategies were far superior, says Gray. By the General Election according to Maryland’s political sage, “he may have started with 7% approval ratings in early polling.” By the General Election day, he had garnered some 65% of the vote totals. In political circles this is called “meeting the moment.” 

It’s why I selected Wes Moore as my Person of the Year.

The State of Black Politics 2020

I'm providing  this assessment in two parts. This is Part I.

(Baltimore, MD) Under normal circumstances, I would be counting my mileage points and getting the oil changed in my car. However, this year’s politics have left me home. People who I would have engaged with at the political conventions are home bound, like me.

When I began this blog, it was a way to channel my love of Black Politics and the ever-evolving genre. It put me on the map with Presidential Politics I and II. (Let me suggest you go back and read them) Our world is sometimes “upside down,” but I like to try and make sense of it. I forecasted the coming of Barack Obama, but he’s in my political rear view mirror.

My friends who’ve been with me on this journey have blown-up (like I knew they would). While I may have been the lone voice in 2004, there are many new players, which I follow and you should too. The astute observations of these and others will give you pause. So, with this moment I want to point you to what we saw on our TV screens the last two weeks.

Dems

The disparate parts of the Democratic Party have decided it is time to coalesce around the idea of the bigger picture of defeating Donald Trump. They pulled out the “big guns” to make the point. “Donald Trump is not up to the job,” according to former President Barack Obama. While often elegant, they came with a vitriol which laid bare their contempt and a plan to implement. “We need to get back to normal,” exclaimed a number of speakers.

I was in Philadelphia when the Senator Bernie Saunders supporters revolted with the selection of Hillary Clinton. It was spontaneous and showed they were “not gonna take it anymore.” While they were argumentative at the Philly convention, a number of them “held their noises, to spike their faces,” to throw their lot with Clinton. It wasn’t enough of them in the long run. Grievance is a great motivator but it needs “meat on the bone,” to change minds.

It was this little sliver which the Trump campaign exploited. It came with targeted ads to African-American men, who are some of the most marginalized people on the planet. “Illegal immigrants are taking your jobs.” “What do you have to lose?” There was also foreign interference through social media which sowed distrust by suggesting by voting for Democrats wasn’t in your interest or “Bernie Saunders was robbed of the Democratic nomination.”

Here’s a conversation I had with Bret Schafer during a Council of Foreign Affairs Webinar on Disinformation and Election 2020, August 6, 2020. He is a Fellow for Media and Digital Disinformation - Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund.

Charles Robinson: Last go around we had a lot of African actors… telling people that you don't want to vote for Hillary or they were Bernie supporters or whatever. And then later, we found that they weren't. 

Bret Schafer: I wrote a paper for the Urban League last year about this. Some great research has been done by Kate Starbird at the University of Washington, who actually had mapped out before we knew about the internet research agencies targeting had mapped out the conversation on Twitter of Black Lives Matter activists and blue lives matter activists. And she'd sort of figured out the community who the influencers were the patterns of conversation. And once we had the list of accounts that were being used, you know, determined to be internet research agency accounts, she went back in and sort of colored in those dots in the network diagram. And they were dead center in the conversation on both sides, and we're oftentimes the most polarizing voices. So, while there was obviously you know, legitimate sort of movement on both sides, you had the bad actors who were coming in just poisoning it just enough to move the needle a bit in one direction or the other. So that's the concern. 

There is also another aspect to this election season which isn’t being discussed that is down ballot races. Obama found out the hard way if you don’t have a majority in both chambers (Senate and the House) your agenda can become bogged down. Even if you win, the other party (these days), sees it as an opportunity to jam up the system – filibuster/investigations/stall appointments – anything to stymie what you promised. Also, be aware this time Senator Saunders and his group of progressives may force those in charge to latch on to their ideas in the name of “purity tests.”

Rising Star

The selection of (D) Senator Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s Vice President puts the California representative on a trajectory we will all watch. Not since Shirley Chisolm, the only Black women to run for President, did another Black woman take the dare. Harris, “the Black girl from Oakland,” joined the initial race and soon flamed out. Harris, who is Black, has Indian and Jamaican parents (dumb to begin the question of who is Black) was selected to break that glass ceiling for being the first woman of color to be selected as a Vice Presidential nominee.

Black women are the mobilizers in the Democratic party. Her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority roots and by extension the “Divine Nine,” and Howard University degree (HBCU) will serve her well. These untapped resources give hope and motivation to individuals who are members.

Black women will be the Democrats secret weapon. They made the difference in the Alabama US Senate race for Doug Jones. In the Pennsylvania, during the 2018 Mid-Term elections pollsters noted that only 1% of this group supported for Donald Trump (I’d like to know who they were). African-Americans got what they wanted in Kamala Harris. They will need to “turn up and turn out” if they are to be effective. One thing is for certain, they get “underneath the President’s skin.” He has shamed them, but they are resilient.

The Other

Shhh! There is a separate conversation going on for those who are “in the know,” engaged in Black conspiracy theories, and are susceptible to “things I heard on the internet.”  There is a sense of being an “outsider” from Black folk who fall into these categories. Can Kamala Harris help an aging white man (77 yrs. – will be the oldest President if elected)? During the last election cycle nearly 94% African-Americans voted for Hillary Clinton. During the Obama years the number was nearly 98%. This four percentage has both the Democrats and the Republicans trying to create models of this sliver of an electorate…it’s an older Black man.

Tyrone Martin is a 64-year-old Black man, he lives in Baltimore and is self-employed. Martin had few options after high school so he joined the military. He is a veteran of the first Gulf War and is emblematic of the group I call, “The Other.”

This older Black male voter isn’t invited to swanky-parties. Some in his generation signed up join the service when there were few opportunities. You’ll see individuals like him employed as police officers, firefighters, and security officers. Many learned a trade and parlayed that into a business. They have a smart phone, but they don’t use it in the way most millennials do (social media). They watched relatives  face the indignities of “Jim Crow.” Martin and others have families and sent their children to college and are proud.  You know them as Uncle, my sister’s crazy Brother, and “Junior/Pokey and dem.”

Watkins has watched the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. He shakes his head when I ask him, “Are they effective?" “They have no idea what the rest of the world thinks about them.” He reminds me, “I always stand for the Star-Spangled Banner,” he wonders if those in the street would. The connections would seem obvious, but the divisions between BLM and this older generation are being exploited and he knows it.

While he is not trapped in the inner city, he is well aware others have few options. They get by because, “that’s what they know.” These are god fearing men…and that is the key. Wrapping politics with god has been difficult for the Democratic Party to break through. They are small in number, but through their eyes, they are seen as the other. Republicans love them, when no one else will.

Curious Case of Alvin Greene

Baltimore – In the political season that many are calling a referendum on President Barack Obama it is curious that the season has produced Alvin Greene. Just to refresh those who have not heard of Greene he captured the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate in South Carolina. It has people like me scratching my head, wondering why?

Here is a man who saved the $10,440 to file for the Democratic Primary. Congressional Members Black and White questioned his intentions suggesting he was merely a plant by the GOP (similar challenges in the Palmetto State are not uncommon). The leading Black Congressman for South Carolina, Representative James Clyburn suggested this(and others did as well) when they learned of the win.

Similarly, Greene’s primary opponent, Vic Rawl a Charleston County councilman and former judge, suggested something must be amiss in the election. Candidate Greene, who hails from Manning, a small town in South Carolina, was probably more shocked than anyone. He racked up nearly 30,000 votes. A number of political observers called it “a fluke.”

But the truth they same is sometimes stranger than fiction. Here is a sampling of comments heard from voters: “his name was the first on the ballot; I thought he was Reverend Al Greene (a soul singer from the 70’s); all I knew I wanted to replace the incumbent.” This last sentiment is plausible as we have seen various politicians whom seemed to have secure positions bounced by the electorate.

I’ve been reporting on this voter restlessness. In many instances it hasn’t affected most Black Politicians. The “Tea Party” has claimed a number of victims but not so much in Black Political circles. What is evident is the Black electorate has come of age. Where there is scandal the results don’t bode well for incumbents.

Examples include Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana where he was bounced for accepting millions of dollars in a telecommunications case (I still can’t believe he hid money in his freezer). The most recent victim is Rep. Caroline Kilpatrick of Detroit. She could not avoid the “sins of her son,” Former Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick. Waiting in the wings are a pair of veteran Black Politicians, Representatives Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters.

Congressman Rangel has a litany of problems. The allegations include asking for tax breaks on various homes, accumulating several rent controlled apartments in his district and taking sponsor paid junkets to the Caribbean. All these charges come as he seeks a 21st term in congress (the irony is Rangel is facing a challenge from Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. he replaced his father in 1970).

Congresswoman Waters’ situation is a little different. She was recently charged with ethics violations by the House Ethics Committee, but defended her position during an interview with Roland Martin on the Tom Joiner Morning Show.

These are all very curious cases and I believe are coming of age stories for Black Politics. The tried and true political aspirations for African-Americans are changing. The assault is not coming from the post Obama Generation struggle but rather from failure to heed that old adage, “all elections are about local issues.”Adding to this is the often quoted saying, “power concedes nothing without a demand.” Which brings me back to Alvin Greene case?

A Splash in a Bucket or a Wake in an Ocean

My initial thoughts on Greene mirrored much of America. Not very bright, not well spoken, elusive, a possible stooge ect… But listen to Greene his message is simple, it’s about jobs, education, and infrastructure (roads/sewer/energy).It’s not polish which is refreshing. I want to remind you this is a candidate who garnered 30,000 votes in a reliable Republican state.

I’ve come around to belief, “Why not Alvin Greene.” His back story would be a storied political tale. A 32-year-old unemployed military veteran seeks to bring back a state rank 49th in most surveys. You won’t hear that tale from the incumbent, Republican Senator Jim DeMint. His apparent claim to fame is the often quoted remark about health care being the president's "Waterloo" which would "break him."

What Greene doesn’t have is Black Political pedigree? So what is the pedigree in Black Politics. I believe it is a combination of things.

1. Name recognition from relative (think Ford’s – Harold Ford, Jackson’s- Jesse Jr., Kilpatrick etc…)

2. Wallowing in the fields. (Obama’s shunning of Wall Street to do activist work)

3. Mentoring by previous politicians.

4. Running for dog catcher, city council, state delegate, state senator etc…

5. Bring civil rights experience to bear on politics.

The New Black Political pedigree has few of these values.

1. They have the audacity to run without the political backing of “tried and true” political structures.

2. They espouse ideas that sound and may be Republican ideas.

3. They are young and unafraid of "Blacklash."

4. A lost is a win in their opinion

5. They can be Republican and Black at the same time.

6. Toppling an incumbent who they revere is the end all to be all.

This later pedigree so encompasses much of what Alvin Greene is about in my opinion and he is not alone. There are others of his ilk and my brethren and sisters who cover politics have not connected the dots to understand this shift.

Is This Race Close?

Here’s what The State, the Columbia South Carolina Paper reported on August 3, 2010 about a poll showing Greene down by 42 points. “Alvin Greene, the enigmatic U.S. Senate candidate, is drawing 20 percent support in a Rasmussen poll of 500 likely voters. U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, Greene's Republican opponent, is backed by 62 percent of voters.

Greene, who won the Democratic primary as a virtual unknown, is having trouble mustering Democratic support. Less than half of Democrats -- 46 percent -- say they plan to support Greene. Among Republicans, 96 percent say they plan to support DeMint's re-election bid.

DeMint has a 70-14 lead over Greene among independent voters.”

For uninitiated the Rasmussen Poll, is conducted out of New Jersey using random auto phone calls (when was the last time you did a survey with an automated voice). Several GOP candidates point to their polling which seems to favor their candidates when other polls which have actual people calling disagree. Hmmmm!!!

Lastly, does Greene have a chance? I don’t think so but remember what the new Black pedigree is all about. I’m going to watch and you should too. Will Sen. DeMint debate Greene?What’s the Senator got to loose? Will a restless electorate prove too much for an incumbent candidate who knows the public is looking to unleash anger at the status quo.

C3

Michael Jackson and Black Politics

(Baltimore) The convergence of Michael Jackson and Black politics is part of the modern tapestry of 20th Century American life. Some of you may take exception; others will wonder why a pop icon and politics are intertwined. Music, arts, entertainment and politics are often commingled sometimes in unhealthy ways. They feed each other as if it were a spectacle at the coliseum during the Roman era. It’s the roar of the crowd, the empathy, the ability to touch people personally, and the acceptance that you are one of us which the audience can give and take away. Jackson over the span of his lifetime had all these traits and political figures wanted to glow in his flame. But like the narrative of far too many figures in history, the adulation was both all consuming and elusive.

The Visual and the Message

As a young man growing up in Baltimore I remember the first time I heard about the Jackson 5. It came from a 13 year old girl who asked me and a friend to go with her to a record shop to buy a 45 record called, “I Want You Back.” When we arrived at the store, the attendant new exactly what she wanted. 45 records were the quintessential music marketing tool for inner city youth. The price point was perfect, one dollar. It enabled you to play multiple artist and songs by stacking them on top of each other, keeping the party going as long you didn’t exceed the stack limit. Before we left we asked the guy to play the song. It was different. It didn’t have the do-wop harmonies of the Temptations or the screaming guitars of Sly and the Family Stone. It was young and spoke directly to our age group (or at least to girls who were of that age).

There was no visual to accompany the record. All it had was the Motown label, showing the Detroit roadways and the writer of the song, “The Corporation.” Note it would be nearly six months before the visual of 5 young Black men on stage. This lapse in time allowed me and my friends to visualize who they were.

This time plays directly into Black Politics. It allows you, the individual, to visualize not just who you are, but who you would like to be in life. This is the key element in Black Politics, defining self. As I look back, the writer of the song, “The Corporation,” is another visual which ingrains a collective spirit. All these traits are subliminal but begin to define modern Black Politics.

Several years before the arrival of the Jackson 5 there are several entertainment events which galvanize Black life for many of my peers. The arrival of James Brown and his song “Say it Loud I’m Black and I’m Proud,” Sydney Poitier’s winning of an academy award for Lilies of the Field, and Nina Simone’s, “Young, Gifted, and Black.” They gave youth gumption, boldness and inspiration. These varied inspirations also forced Motown to change it's motto from "Hitsville" to "The Sound of Young America."


The problem, the people trumpeting this era of youth were over 30 year’s old. They were defining success for generations not yet born.

No Turning Back

Ed Sullivan and his television show was a communal living room for America. He broke ground for Black America by showcasing Black stars. For White America he introduced the majority community to what we as African-Americans already knew, Black America was much richer and deeper than the depictions from Hollywood. His run of securing top acts from America and Great Britain was unprecedented. The rise of the Jackson’s first single and subsequent singles on the charts made them a natural for the show. It would be the first live performance by the group. They were more electrifying than billed. I know in my household, like many Black households, there was instant identification with band members. I recognized they all had neatly shaped Afro’s which I also wore. The age range had something for everyone.



When they finished their performance, Ed Sullivan asked the group to come over. The conversation lasted all of about one minute, but forever changed television and also informed Black Politics. The performance said,“there was a new dynamic going on, and it was youthful.” From then on there were certain requirements for Black Politicians. Afro’s were in - crew cuts out, bold colors in - staid colors out, and more importantly youth was happening. If you could find a band of young kids in your neighborhood it was the right element.

Several politicians road this wave and became some of the early Black mayors in America. There was Carl Stokes in Cleveland, Maynard Jackson in Atlanta, Tom Bradley in Los Angeles, and Gary Hatcher in Gary, Indiana, the home of the Jackson’s. This formula lasted through most of the 70’s as the Jackson 5 became synonymous with success. The take it to man experience was in vogue but excellence was all a part of nomenclature of the moment.


Unlikely Divorces

Success has a way of pulling at hearts. Formulas for success are just that, they are predictable and changing a formula can be built with peril. The disco era consumed Motown artist in some good and bad ways. For the Jackson 5 it was awkward, they had aged and so had their audience. It was no longer about bubble-gum songs but rather “Shake Your Booty.” It also added excesses from sex, drugs, and partying. They were clean cut and the world wanted edginess. It was during this time the group bolted Motown and joined Epic Records. It was also during this time Michael Jackson began to explore projects outside of music. He would be cast in the Wiz as the Scarecrow. Remember what the Scarecrow wanted most; a brain.

If we watch Black politics during this period we see the number of Black politicians swell. Part of the growth is about Black solidarity and the other is about "get mine." The patronage system which Blacks had loathed became the means to reward friends and associates. Those in the system worked the system. At the being of this the era, Dashiki’s and Black Fist were the norm. It was great visually and scared the hell out of "whitey." The disco era produced polyester suited politicians (a euphemism for the type of politics they practiced). The excesses by politicans during this time proved they were no better than the whites they replaced. Crossover appeal trampled racial solidarity. The Bakke Case in the Supreme Court sent the message leveling the playing was out. Affirmative Action became polarizing.

As we look at Jackson and his brothers during this period they seemed more comfortable with white audiences rather than black ones. They had crossed over. Some questioned, "Did they give up their Blackness inorder to appease a public which didn't want to see color(Blues artist Robert Johnson called this “Selling your soul to devil.”)."

Reinvention

Like most Black folk I know status quo is not in option. It will kill you if you don’t look over shoulder. Jackson knew this better than anyone. He dropped all pre-tense of wanting to be in a group and went solo.In Black politics we see the beginnings of this same feeling. Strong armed Black Politicians like Willie Brown in California, Marion Barry in Washington,and Coleman Young in Detroit could “call the tune and people would dance.” (Essentially, do what I want). They were each solo artist who could be Black enough when they wanted, leveraging their power in a white world.

By MJ’s second solo album under the Epic label, “Thriller” he had established a track record and exploited it by writing on his own mirror “biggest selling record ever.” It’s during this period we see the rise of the Reverend Jesse Jackson and his first run for President. Rev. Jackson had all the pre-requisite skills. It was an insurgent campaign that used a core audience (Blacks in urban areas) to win in major cities. He then broaden his appeal via his “The Rainbow Coalition” to scare the "bejesus" out of the establishment. The "Run Jesse Run" slogan is in many ways was talked as much about as MJ’s “moonwalk” at the Motown 25th Reunion Special. By the Democratic Convention the question became, "What does Jesse want?" For MJ it was, "How did he do it?" For Reverend Jackson, "It was can he do it?"

When one reaches the top of the game of life, it’s suggested all you can do is fall down. The critics went after both men. Jackson had the "hymie-town" comment, and questions about the occult surfaced around the Thriller video (each was “much ado about nothing”)

Clearing a Void

Both Jacksons continued to have a hold on the imagination of people but they begat imitators and revisionist. Their critics were vociferous, relenting, and questioned their relevance with their core audiences. These naysayers still could not crack the audience adulation. In the scheme of things they were still relevant, but not as influential. Politicans paid homage to past, but understood being to closely link could be detrimental. In Black politics this is called, “I like you, but I can’t be seen with you.”

MJ following his last major release suggested the record label was being racist a couple of years ago and employed the likes of Rev. Al Sharpton to state his case in public. This I believe was many years to late. No one believes MJ was a victim of discrimination and having Sharpton standing next to him seem to add to the skepticism. Politics does make strange bedfellows.

Both Jacksons had their ethical issues. MJ’s relationship with children gives me the creeps. Reverend Jackson’s fathering a child while still married killed his moral high ground. There are too many similarities with these two men.

Death Makes Us Think

I've thought about MJ a lot since his death. What political linkage would he have made in the future or would he been regulated to a Las Vegas star who’s light went to quickly. I guess we will never find out.