At the outset I would like
to dedicate the 'Keeping It Real With Larry Pinkney,' column
of this issue to my father,
James S. Pinkney, who I have just been informed has passed away,
peacefully and with dignity. "I want to color this man father
/ I want to color him love..." Indeed, I wish to dedicate
these words to ALL of our grandparents, fathers, mothers, aunties,
uncles and our extended families - without whom there would be
no Black America. Through my own grief, I ponder how so amazing and incredible
we Black people are. How resilient we Black people are. How loving
we Black people are. If only we, ourselves, would remember that
we are that sweet, dark, multicolored essence that through all
our trials and tribulations and this ongoing and necessary political
struggle, remains the unassailable essence of humanity. Which
leads me to the gist of this latest column: knowing when to pause,
assess, and then return with redoubled strength and sense of
purpose.
It is often said that "a change is as good as a rest." Perhaps
it is the taking of a brief hiatus or a much needed rest that
is what gives us the strength to bring about real change for
Black America, in this political, economic, and social struggle.
Let us not confuse a respite with dropping out. Periodically,
it is both practical and essential to 'take a pause for the cause,'
assess where we've been, where we're going, and how we plan to
get there. This is not only practical from an emotional perspective,
but essential from a pragmatic one.
Pausing to assess does not mean stopping. Obviously, we must,
whenever possible, carefully pick and choose our time for pausing
to politically assess and refresh ourselves. Philosophically,
one does not pause in between strokes while swimming upstream
against the current as it were, as the current would assuredly
carry us backward. However, blindly charging ahead in a raging
current full of sharp rocks could also be disastrous. It's sort
of like driving an automobile in the fast lane, and then pulling
over to a slower lane to assess and review the situation for
a bit before making our next move.
Patience [truly] "is a revolutionary virtue," but
even patience has its limitations as we in Black America know
only too well. Our patience must be that of the revolutionary,
who assesses and acts accordingly. If memory serves me correctly,
it was Ernesto "Che" Guevara (who some think of as
being white and others as being Brown) who said that "love" is
the real motivation of the "revolutionary." We Black
people know that in this, Che was correct. Brothers Malcolm X
and Martin L. King Jr., demonstrated this for us as they followed
in and with the giant foot steps of sisters Harriet Tubman and
Fannie Lou Haimer. In the not-to-be diminished distance, I hear
W. E. B. DuBois and Paul Robeson urging us forward, while noted
historian and writer J. A. Rogers' unquenchable voice keeps reminding
us of our rightful historical accomplishments, even as we struggle
on in this, the 21st Century.
As the US Government (including its national and international
surrogates), the media, and corporations continue to act as the
hypocritical, capitalistic, inhumane swine that they are, we
must remember that it is nevertheless WE who are the final equation.
It is WE who will ultimately determine and collectively define
for ourselves that deepest of all power - active, unrelenting,
revolutionary love for that part of humanity that still knows
it is human.
Let us be reminded that even in the depths of sadness and seeming
despair can be found great joy and determination to carry on.
There is no greater privilege or honor than to carry on this
struggle, to be unflinchingly BLACK in America [BC - April
19, 2007 - Issue 226], shoulder to shoulder with ALL of humanity.
Nothing is more precious than our humanity, and it is for the
sake of our incredibly resilient Black humanity, and that of
this world, that we must wage unrelenting struggle. We, certainly
have a right, occasionally, to pause, but never - in the name
of humanity - do we have the right to give up. Surely, that's
what keeping it real is all about.
BC Columnist
Larry Pinkney is a veteran of the Black Panther Party, the
former Minister of Interior of the Republic of New Africa,
a former political prisoner and the only American to have
successfully self-authored his civil/political rights case
to the United Nations under the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights. Click
here to contact Mr. Pinkney. |