A Lesson In The Absence Of Conscience And The Politics Of Placation

The title of Hastie’s commentary was, “DuBois: Ex-Leader of Negroes.” When black leaders confronted Hastie on how he could be so uncivil to such a legendary figure as DuBois, he stated, “No Negro can ever afford any act contrary to good conscience — not for a single moment.” Segregation would be outlawed 20 years later, and William Hastie would go on to become the first black federal judge appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1937, dean of the Howard Law School, the first black on the federal Court of Appeals in 1949 and was on Kennedy’s “short-list” to become the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice five years before Thurgood Marshall was appointed. The point here is that Hastie was right about the absence of conscience. No black ever gets so large – so close to power – that they can act contrary to our interest and not be critiqued. And sometimes critique is uncivil.

We’re all entitled to our own opinions, just not our own facts. Jackson, like DuBois, has given 30 years of service and certainly shouldn’t be judged by one momentary lapse. And I have nothing but a healthy respect for Chip Murray (who officiated at my wedding and that of my daughter). I don’t really know John Hunter, but he seems to be a nice enough guy, given the madness he’s had to endure over at First AME the past couple years. The point is, I know First AME and its politics because it was my church before I came into a real truth (Islam). My mama still goes to the church. I have a no problem with them closing ranks around one of theirs (Jackson). But a preacher’s mouth ain’t necessarily a prayer book and they do cover for each other (as in the Catholic Church covering for its molesting priests). God’s men aren’t always right. I chose to rally around Valerie Shaw and I stand by that.

I, for one, believe in the lesson of William Hastie. The absence of conscience is the biggest problem in the black community. When we are easily placated for the sake of individual self-sufficiency — be it a job, a contract, closeness to “mighty whitey” (or in this case, “mighty brownie”). Then we, like Esau, give up our birthright of equality for a “mess of pottage.” In this instance, it’s not being in the Mayor’s Office…but two doors down. It’s a commission in exchange for a department head. That’s the type of regression with which we’re supposed to be satisfied and about which we’re supposed to be silently “civil”. I think not. At some point, we have to let people know when they’ve lost sight of the real fight. We can all be critiqued. Just know, placation is no substitute for conscience.