The Black Commentator - June 21, 2007

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.