On May 19, we will honor the 99th birthday of Malcolm X
also known as El-Hajj Malik Shabazz. The
legacy he left when he was struck down by an
assassin’s bullet continues to inform and
inspire us today. As BlackCommentator.com
marks its 1000th issue, I reflect on the quote
by Malcolm X on the power of the media. The
reflection also illuminates why
BlackCommentator.com (BC) and other similar
outlets are critical in the search for truth,
especially at a time when facts are twisted or
totally erased if they do not serve the
interests of racial capitalism.
Malcolm X once said
that “the media’s the most powerful entity on
earth…because they control the minds of the
masses.” As information and truth are forced
through the filters of deception,
manipulation, and bias, it has become
increasingly difficult to know if what we read
is fake or real. The tricky hand of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) has made our world a less
secure and predictable place. The tools we
traditionally depended on to help us
understand the chaos around us have become
tainted or disgraced.
The role of the
contemporary Black press is no different from
that of our first Black newspaper, started by
John B. Russwurm and Samuel E. Cornish back in
1827. Freedom’s
Journal made it clear
that “we wish to plead our own cause” because
for “too long have others spoken for us.”
Black folks have looked to the Black press to
highlight our struggles, to provide a forum
for debate and to counter the misinformation
and racist imagery permeated by white
mainstream outlets.
The contributors to
BlackCommentator may not all consider
themselves journalists, but we all are indeed
truthtellers, boldly and unwavering speaking
truth to power. We believe our commentaries
contribute to the organizing and shaping of
our movements for social change. That means
being intentional and responsible with our
words and our analyses; we truly are trying to
influence the minds of the Black masses.
What we once called
white noise has now become an unbearable roar
of psychotic sounds and dangerous ideas. I
know people who do not watch the news anymore
because it has lost its truth value. I know
people who do not watch the news because it
takes too much time and energy to dissect the
facts. They stopped having to answer the
proverbial question by the rightwing media:
who do you believe - me or your lying eyes?
These are the people who seek out a few
trusted outlets - like BlackCommentator.com -
for their news and analyses.
Conventional
notions of journalism practices are harder to
expect, given the race to authoritarianism.
The racist attacks on Black history make it
impossible to rewrite America’s authentic,
comprehensive history. The debate to determine
the definition of truth will intensify along
with the waging of government propaganda and
the domination of corporate news coverage.
In this void of
truthtelling and the breakdown of democracy,
publications like BC. who understand the power
of the written word, must prevail or we leave
our people “at the mercy of their
adversaries.”
