NABJ - fulfilling its Promise?

Dear friends,

I remember back in the early 80s, when I was the big man on campus at Temple, NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists) held a conference there.

It wasn’t a very big organization then and the agenda was fairly progressive. Unfortunately, times have changed and the group that exists today under that name is far removed from the activism of its predecessors.

Having been in the movement for all of my life, basically, since the early 60s, growing up in an activist family, I’ve either organized or rubbed elbows with many of the now renowned icons of the movement. The most significant lesson that I was taught and continue to advocate is: we must inform to inspire. NABJ must create a forum on the Internet where African American people will go to share dialogue - not the racist controlled media outlets like MS NBC and the Grio that offer analyses that are often laughable. Moreover, and it will become more apparent when Obama is no longer in office, NABJ can show leadership in the same context as the great Dr. DuBois did, when he started the Crisis magazine - which was quite revolutionary in the early 20th century.

Finally, African Americans in the spirit of our beloved brother Malcolm X and his mentor the Honorable Elijah Muhammad must: Do for self!. That is, we must leave Facebook and other forums in droves of millions and start our own Internet network that joins us with our people around the world.

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Michael Eric Dyson - the Happy Boot!

"Historically, African Americans didn't start using the word “Nigger” first. Rather, it was used by both slave captors and the racist, cowardly mob as they attacked 1 or 2 African-American individuals, as a "term of endearment" among themselves regarding us"



Dear friends,

it is a false abstraction for African American people to continue to defend the use of the word "Nigger" as one of endearment. For example, Michael Eric Dyson, from both a lack of time and experience in this movement other than being an endorsed spokesman for the rulers, continues to play intellectual acrobatics and misinform our youth. In fact, if the word is something of which to be proud, then why call it the N-word? Why not just say "Nigger"? I'll tell you why. Because "Nigger" is a vulgar expression!

Historically, African Americans didn't start using the word “Nigger” first. Rather, it was used by both slave captors and the racist, cowardly mob as they attacked 1 or 2 African-American individuals, as a "term of endearment" among themselves regarding us.. The internalization of our oppression like straightening our hair and dying our skin is directly related to our self-degradation, by finding humor in our own inadequacy of being designated as “inferior”. So Dyson and his ilk remain "happy boots".

Liberation!

G. Djata Bumpus

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