Tonight the democrats are at it again; another debate amongst their presidential hopefuls takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In my estimation this is at least the tenth debate amongst them so far; or maybe it just seems that way. Damn, it is already a long presidential campaign folks. Remember this: frontrunners hate long campaign seasons. Just like frontrunners in horseracing that often fade into the homestretch, often times the late running closers get up in time to win at the wire. Remember John Kerrey; he was in mid-pack when Howard Dean was leading in all the pre-Iowa caucus polls. I think the same can be said about Mike Dukakis, no?
Anyway, one person who has been grinding her axe away on the issue of presidential debates is the venerable political activist Dr. Lenora Fulani of New York. Way back in the day, I remember working with one of the organizations to which she was attached (Rainbow Lobby), in support of a presidential debate bill introduced to congress by a Minnesota politican, now deceased (Wellstone). Essentially the bill wanted to open up the debate process (during the general election campaign cycle), to include candidates beyond the Republican and Democrat stranglehold. I agreed with her then, and I am agreeing with her now once again on a similar topic/issue.
This time around Fulani’s beef seems to be flavored with a little race-consciousness. She believes that Hilary Clinton is currently being rammed down the throats of blacks and people of color in New York again (my words here), just as it was done in 2000 when they imported her to be the senator. Back then Congressman Charlie Rangel- who in my humble view, is another one of those Neanderthal black electeds who refuses to retire, but should- started the Hilary bandwagon/ express, that saw her whistle stopping through black churches near every weekend, on her way to a decisive victory over former congressman Rick Lazio- a republican- who was born, bred, raised and still living in Long Island.
Today, if I were to ask all those grinning negro electeds, and all those shucking and jiving black church leaders, who have mindlessly supported the Clintons over the years, to name the top three initiatives that the Clintons have undertaken, to deal the top ten issues facing blacks in New York: I will only get ivory smiles; not substance or content. Yet they have all helped perpetuate the myth that the Clintons have done so much for black folk here. Give me a break.
Look peeps; over the last 40 years, the Kennedy family has quietly done more for blacks in NYC than the Clintons. They have done this with minimum media and fanfare. The Kennedys have used their own personal monies to booth. In the years that the Clintons have “played” New York (“used” is a better word), they are yet to address the deadly assault(s) that police offices have waged on communities of color here. They have also been relatively silent on racial profiling- especially given its deadly consequences. They have failed to address the structural unemployment amongst black males here; nor the fact that black-owned companies doing business with governmental agencies (at both city and state levels), get less than 2% of all the contract work. Gimme a break (again).
And let’s not talk about housing issues and the high rate of homelessness here. Let’s not talk about the fact that rents are too damn high; nor the in-affordability of mortgages, and the redlining by banks, and the predatory lending issues, and also the high rates of foreclosures amongst blacks and Hispanics. Let’s not talk about the high prison incarceration rates amongst minorities, and the in-justice system that passes for equality; and racism in its many insidious forms, and the everyday racial discrimination that people of color still face in education, housing, job placement, business opportunities and such. Forget the Jenna Six group; let’s talk about the 48% jobless black male group existing daily within NYC. I could go on and on like the fucking energizer bunny, given that there are so many issues plaguing the metastasizing black community; but I won’t; by now I am sure that you all have caught my drift. There are so many things that I can still list, before even getting to what apologizes for an education system in NYC.
In one debate, Hilary Rodham–Clinton made a catchy and slick remark that essentially meant that if HIV/AIDS was a disease afflicting white women more so than black women, something would have been done about it already. Lady please; you and your husband have been walking the corridors of power for decades; in Arkansas, Washington, all over the world, before coming to New York. What have you both specifically done with your power(s), beyond talking a good game? Look, I won’t even go into health issues facing the black and Hispanic communities. And yet this morning, I saw her ass-kissing spokesperson Mr. Wolfson on NBC, saying that Hilary Rodham-Clinton was (get this): a health expert. Gimme another break again (please).
There have been many times in the past when I disagreed with Fulani’s positions/actions/views; but there have also been times when I agreed, supported and even worked with her on some issues. Back in the day she worked with Reggie Bowman when they were building juvenile-prisons in Brownsville, instead of high schools. I remember standing with her in 1993, working on an election day to bring out the vote for Colin Moore. I have hated her many hip surgeries; whereby she was joined by the torso, to rich white men like Ross Perot, Mike Bloomberg, Pat Buchanan and Fred Newman. I also detested her many attacks on David Dinkins back in the day. But this time, I kinda / sorta like her idea: pressure both Barack Obama and Hilary Rodham-Clinton into a face to face debate at the Apollo in Harlem. Have them take questions on the major issues facing the black and Hispanic communities in NYC. Don’t let them take blacks and Hispanics for granted as they usually do. Fulani is on to something here; I am not sure what it is, but it is worth considering. Support her on this one folks.
Stay tuned-in peeps.