BlackPerspective.net
Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
Where Are Black People On Darfur
October 11th, 2007
Damn near every celebrity who comes out for Darfur is white. I visit numerous blogs a day, barely any of the social conscious Black blogs mention it. I go to Darfur planning meetings, normally everyone in the room is white except myself, and some times one other person. But even then, half the time the other person is Hispanic or Indo-Asian or something besides Black.
I don’t buy that we have too many of our own problems to be concerned with others suffering as a valid excuse. If we expect others to sympathize with our plight, to be concerned about racial injustice in America targeted at Black Americans, as we charge White Americans to do; then we likewise have to raise our voices for those suffering elsewhere as well - and lip service isn’t nearly enough.
Further Black Americans actually have a real power to do something. As constituents of the government that is most capable of providing funding, support, and military cover for the Darfurians, we are in a position to move our government to move on Darfur.
I would hope Black Americans would at long last recognize the brotherhood of the struggle for Black Peoples throughout the global Diaspora. As I noted to someone recently who ridiculously attempted to claim to an Afro-Briton that Malcom X’s legacy belongs just to Black Americans; all the icons of the Pro-Black aesthetic in America were Pan-Africanist; i.e. they saw the Diaspora as one in the struggle.
Marcus Garvey, who is the primary base of a lot modern pro-black ideology, including the Nation of Islam and hence Malcolm; wasn’t even American, he was Jamaican; and is maybe the foremost patriarch of modern pan-Africanism. Even WEB Dubois who isn’t considered to be militant, was a Pan-Africanist, chairing one of the most important, early, Pan-African conferences.
At your leisure, I’d ask you to take a look at this article I did on The True Malcom X to get an understanding of the need of global brotherhood.
There will be a Darfur Day of Action put forth by Amenesty International, on October 24th. I hope you’ll participate.
The Afrosphere Coalition that arranged the Day of Blogging for Justice and the Virtual March for the Jena 6 will be putting forth a campaign on this as well. Details should come by Monday.
A good place to keep up on Darfur info is Darfur: An Unforgivable Hell on Earth. In particular, peep the latest legislation in the U.S.
Let’s get free y’all – Globally!
posted in Action Alert, Cultural, Foreign News, Thoughts | | | View blog reactions |
8 Responses to “Where Are Black People On Darfur”
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About The Blog
Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
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Most insightful. We should be helping others near and far, we are after all one people.
Deborah, I think so.
Appreciate the heads up! As always, I am on board
Thanks for alerting me. My blog is a vehicle for my fiction but I greatly appreciate being able to participate in any fight for human rights. The internet is a boon for me that way. Your post struck me as important and I posted in under World News on digg.
Adding to your argument that more white people than black speak up re: Darfur, for which I can imagine many reasons, if you check my blog, you’ll see I’m white. But honestly how important is that in the world struggle for human rights? Whenever and wherever a right-thinking person can insure the rights and proper respect for subjugated populations, or even check the oppression of one person, let her. Let him. Let’s work in unity, and learn to understand and appreciate each other.
Femigog great, check back monday.
I do think that black Americans have a lot of power, but we are struggling so much with getting our own selves together, you know? I do think black celebrities shoudl do more though…
Trula, no I don’t know. I’ve already rejected that notion out of hand as noted in the post. Why is it incumbent upon Black celebrities to do something it’s not incumbent upon the rest of Black people to do? Everybody has a responsibility to d what they can in whatever arena. Your as much responsible for using whatever platform you have as a celebrity is for using his or hers.
If Black people only have a little bit of power, then they are required to use that little bit. How can one justify not simply evening raising their voice, not even participating with others to create a mandate for their own kind?
If you’re going to take the “Darfur is not my problem approach” then how do you then turn to white people and say they should stand against racial injustice in America? It’s not their problem.
Kathleen, thanks for digging the article.
I agree that right minded people have to stand for right. As MLK said, all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.