Radio Surprise! (Unprecedented Utterance)

This morning there was a news story about the new mayor of the city of Boston.

Three black women lost the race.

An Asian American woman won.

She is the first woman of color, to do so.

I knew what was coming. And yet, the story still found a way to knock me off my feet!

You see, there grew an uproar of sorts, about the possibility that Boston could not bring itself to elect a black person.

Now.. most of us are not surprised by that.

My first thought was that, anyone running for office, that was not black, would win, over any black person, in the city of Boston, in the state of Massachusetts.

So then the reporter, who is a very good reporter, took a look at the other side of the story.

Not the side where the Asian Americans are elated at this historic moment.

And, not the side where, Boston still doesn't like Black people.

You know… In case that were true.

The side of the story that this reporter chose to cover, was the side of the story, where, Black people might be to blame for not winning the election.

WOW.

Wait - What?!

WOW!

Now.. you don't know me very well, or at all.. really.

So allow me to mention here, that I am a staunch advocate for self sufficiency. Blaming someone else is much easier than doing the hard work. I rail against using past history as an excuse for current under-achievement.

So…the reporter spoke to a religious community leader, who was not inclined to blame regional racism for the loss of the three black women to an Asian one.

The preacher was a Black man, to be sure.

Here is what the reverend said. Out of his own mouth. In his own words...

"We can only play the race card for so many occasions."

And then, he went on to say,

"...Black leadership failed to produce success, even with an incumbent. We failed. That's not on white people. That’s on us."

We could not blame anybody but ourselves..?!?

Wow!

It took a minute to sink in. And it shouldn't have. Because I totally agree with him.

Obviously, you do not generally hear Black people admit to any kind of cultural failure. Publicly.

Privately, we know exactly who we are.

But publicly, all we ever say is that White people are not doing enough and we need more!

And Black people.. never bring up the use of 'race card' advantage. Publicly.

If you are not familiar with the term please look it up.

The preacher basically admitted to the use of the race card theory - that some people use their history as an excuse for any current hardships or inadequacies, and continue to expect compensation for it.

He actually stated publicly, that perhaps WE are to blame for our inaction, short-comings, and/or failures.

Not White people!

I guarantee you, you have not heard anyone ever say that!

Publicly.

I’m tired of seeing people living in trauma, each generation after the last, because they don’t know what successful people know.

This is the reason I advocate so very strongly, for Black children and all people to be required to have a full education.

So that Black children and all people are prepared for life.

So that Black children and all people need not stand behind past victimization, as an excuse for current under-achievement.

We can fix every problem we have in society today, if we educate each child fully. And equitably.

It CAN be done!