50th Anniversary Of ‘Farce On Washington’

After attending the August 24th commemorative March on Washington sponsored by Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, I was very disappointed to see Attorney General Eric Holder given 30 minutes to speak whereas Civil Rights Icons such as Julian Bond were given only 2 minutes. Here is a man that has dedicated his life to fighting for justice and another man who has refused to prosecute banks guilty of laundering billions in drug profits, took over 5 years to then conveniently notice the disparity in mandatory prison sentences in the so-called “War on Drugs” and will not bring federal charges against George Zimmerman.

When I posted this strong statement on Facebook, I tagged the 50th Anniversary of March On Washington and garnered a response. To my surprise, I got a return reply from Rodney Sampson who is a serial innovator, entrepreneur and author of Kingonomics which is a 21st-century interpretation of MLK’s economic vision.  Kingonomics also served as the sponsor for the opening gala reception for the March on Washington events. This is what Bishop Rodney Sampson had to say:

“I was at the White House on yesterday. The Justice Department is actively addressing bank fraud and the George Zimmerman case. Patience is a necessity. While we wait, we can take action by creating change without our own sphere of influence.” #PersonalResponsibility

While I applaud Mr. Sampson impressive track record in economic policy, this was my reply:

“I greatly appreciate your response but you are misinformed if you think the (in)Justice Department is “addressing” bank fraud. They have even defended their refusal to prosecute HSBC for drug laundering because they are “Too BIG to jail.” After 50 years I have no patience. I respect our history and appreciate your work, I was there with We Act Radio, but I wish that the original March on Washington’s practice of refusing to allow politicians to speak would have been observed at the commemoration event. Nancy Pelosi? The Queen of the NSA and defender of all government surviellance programs like the kind that MLK was under? We didn’t hear any voice that came close to MLK’s “The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my own government” but we did hear the word drone mentioned once.

I think it is very important to point out and bears repeating that politicians were not allowed to speak at the original March on Washington for Jobs and Justice and Dr. King’s Dream was not so a Black President could speak there 50 years later. His Dream was about Justice.

So after watching President Obama give his speech and prove once again he has great oratorical skills and is always good for a great speech, I realized then that when his presidency is over all Black People will have to remember him by is great pictures and great speeches. But hey, who doesn’t like a great speech?

First off, I like the fact that he shouted We Act Radio out when said, “From the corners of Anacostia” where our studios are located.  I also like the public admission that change doesn’t come from Washington; it comes to Washington! But, I had major issue with the allegation that to say little has changed in the past 50 years is doing a disservice to those that gave their lives and then turns around describing how bad things have gotten since then. That is like asking us all to not believe our lying eyes when we speak! It is undeniable that in 1963, the black unemployment rate was not as bad as it is right now (10% vs. 12.6%).

Obama made no mention of any of King’s words or of the issues addressed in his legendary speech, i.e., “Check marked insufficient funds.”  He just gave another pep rally speech that too many emotional, non-critical thinking Black folks love just like the preacher draining their pockets on Sunday while they hold a bible they have never read in its entirety. We are so easily seduced by beautiful smiles and celebrities to not even recognize the hustle. What did he actually say that addresses how “We can overcome?”

MLK was killed on April 4th 1968 because of an anti-war speech he made on April 4th 1967 when he broke with the Lyndon B. Johnson administration and brought the full wrath of the FBI upon him. The current administration has now re-embraced his sanitized image and even the Assistant Director of the FBI when he spoke at a luncheon in 2011 in honor of the King Memorial Dedication and sponsored by King’s Greek Fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha were he said, “The FBI supports the Dream of Dr. King!”

Too many bourgeois Blacks make the near blasphemous claim that their success is an example of the proof of the fulfillment of MLK’s “Dream” and passionately defend all things Obama. Nothing could be further from the truth and only serves to further discredit and dishonor King’s legacy of speaking truth to power.

Take the fact that today a minimum wage worker at Taco Bell would have to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 467 years to make as much as the CEO makes in 1 year. (Source: Forbes – Highest paid Chief Executives) So the day after the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington the largest fast food worker strike ever in the US has organized a work stoppage while President Obama is preparing to go to war with Syria. The separation between symbolism and substance has grown in the past 50 years and it would do us well to heed the words of Jamie Foxx and Bill Russell who both spoke at the event and gave more substantive words of action to #dosomething.

VIDEO: Dr. MLK, Jr.: Struggling Not To Lose Him

Uploaded on Jan 16, 2009