Do Our Children have an "Achievement Gap"?

Dear friends,

The "Achievement Gap" rap, to me, is simply another excuse for justifying racism as an institution in the American body politic.. For example, as you may know, my oldest daughter is a leading scientist and professor at the world’s foremost medical school, Johns Hopkins. She teaches medical students in the classroom, and PhD candidates in her lab.

These students come from the top schools in the country, with 4.0 grade point averages. Yet, for the most part, they are very lazy thinkers, and even lazier doers. This is what the United States educational system is like, under the thumb of the Testing Industry, that has everything to do with corporate profit, and nothing to do with creating thoughtful, competent, self-sufficient, and caring citizens.

Let's stop talking about this "Achievement Gap" nonsense. Do away with the "No Child Left Behind" Ponzi scheme, started by Bush and our Congress, then continued by Obama and the rest of the Congressional crooks just mentioned!

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

2001 David Frost Interview of Ashwari and Netanyahu (originally posted on 12/27/08)

"...at least to me, African Americans have far more in common with the Palestinians than the Israelis.


Dear friends,

When will the world stand up against the imperialisistic and murderous actions of the Israeli government? During his presidential campaigns, President Barack Obama (both 2008 & 2012), consistently, promised to support the continued exploitation and oppression of Palestinian people, as his predecessors have done ever since World War 2. In fact, considering the role of the United States in escalating Israeli hegemony in the Middle East and elsewhere during the Clinton Adminidstration, Obama's choice of Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State, at least to me, was nothing less than shameful. Moreover, African Americans have far more in common with the Palestinians than the Israelis. Nevertheless, on the link below, during a short but substantive video interview, Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi, provides critical answers to questions about Israel's actions.

NOTE: Unfortunately, in the past hour or so since I posted Ashrawi's interview, CNN has taken down the interview just mentioned. Instead, the media outlets are portraying Israel to be victims of "terrorism". Therefore, I have replaced the earlier posting with a print interview called"BBC BREAKFAST WITH FROST INTERVIEW: BENJAMIN NETANYAHU (then former, since re-elected) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, and HANAN ASHWARI PALESTINIAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2001."

G. Djata Bumpus
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/breakfast_with_frost/1547267.stm

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When the Titanic sank, Black people, nationwide, danced in the streets!!!

"Jack Johnson heard about the mighty shock...Mighta seen the black rascal doin' the eagle rock..." - Leadbelly


“The14th of April was a hellava day, it was the last time the 'Old Titanic' sailed away. They said that on the Titanic a 'N***** would never ride so when that motha fucka sank not a N***** cried.” – from The Great Black Jokes by Bruce Stafford

Dear friends,

About a dozen or more years ago, I sent a "Letter to the Editor" to the Boston Herald, because I was sick of the 1997 flick called Titanic being given so much publicity and praise. In the short piece, I mentioned the fact that when the news broke about that ship sinking, African American people danced in the streets by the thousands, and in the millions inside of their homes, just as they had when Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in 1938, and when O.J. Simpson was acquitted in 1995.

Now, I must note here that the Herald had been printing my letters, many of them controversial, for about a dozen or more years, at the time. However, this time, they did something that had never happened before, and hasn't happened since: They sent me an e-mail asking for proof.

I obliged them with a brief bibliography, which included the Library of Congress reference number to the song on the link below by Huddie Leadbetter aka Leadbelly. They published the letter, the next day.

Moreover, what really troubled me was the fact that not a single one of the so-called "Black leaders"- that is, Farrakhan, Jackson, or the exposed FBI informant Al Sharpton, had anything to say about that movie. Please remember that the Titanic voyage was a super-racist enterprise! I mean, NO Black folks were even allowed to buy a ticket for it! This included the great Jack Johnson who was the Heavyweight Champion of the World (from 1908 - 1916). Neither the people who owned the Titanic or those on board wanted a Black person there. Not even a Black janitor on board. That's a fact!

And so, when Leadbelly sang his big hit song of that period, "Jack Johnson heard about the mighty shock...Mighta seen the black rascal doin' the eagle rock...", he obviously was referring to a dance called the "eagle rock". Yet, in our times, unfortunately, plenty of Black money helped make that movie do real well. SMH!

Finally, this just goes to show why African American History Month is so important. Because, it includes more people in the real story of our country, and, also, tells the story more truthfully. Besides, with all of the racists who supported the lying, opportunist Mitt Romney against Barack Obama, why would anyone be surprised about how African Americans reacted to the sinking of the Titanic? Ain't nothin' changed! Additionally, are we wrong to express the well-deserved resentment and hostility that we've acquired, over centuries, towards White Supremacy?

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe5tcr0yHN4 Read full post