The Great Debaters

“The Great Debaters” tells the story of Mel Tolson, a professor at Wiley College. It’s 1935, and racism runs rampant. Tolson rallies up a new debate team, and he ends up recruiting the troubled Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), the intelligent Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams), the newcomer Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett), and young teen James Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), son of college dean James Farmer (Forest Whitaker). Tolson’s new debate team’s excellence astounds the professor, but when one of Mel Tolson’s dark secrets gets exposed, the Wiley debate team finds itself on the verge of extinction.

African American Opinion Video Channel Launched

A new African American Opinion Video Channel has been launched. The new channel will be a place where black people can upload and view positive videos for and about black people – all videos will be screened and approved.

Bloggers are encouraged to join African American Opinion Video Channel today.

An Islamic Salon?

Imagine for a moment that you’re a highly educated African-American living in the segregated Washington, DC of 1895. Modern distractions like radio and television haven’t been invented yet, and most other avenues for culturally rich and intellectually stimulating entertainment have been racially proscribed. What do you do? This was the predicament facing the elite members of the race at the close of the 19th, and beginning of 20th centuries. In those days, education meant a heavy dosage of Latin, Greek, or French, great familiarity with the classics of western civilization – like Shakespeare and Plato – and usually the ability to perform a difficult piece of music on either piano or violin.

In learning to cope with the injustices of segregation, these educated Blacks turned inward and developed their own avenues for cultural and intellectual expression. They formed debate clubs and literary societies, attended plays (held usually in churches), and wrote books and papers. However, one of the more important outlets they turned to – one which we are attempting to rediscover in the Washington D.C. of 2007 – consisted in holding lively and engaging programs in each others homes.

So often we hear that our masjids maintain an atmosphere inhibiting free discussion and thoughtful debate, a lamentable state of affairs. Most masjids, whether African American or immigrant, usually follow some type of “line” (some ideological “Kool-Aid” they want you to drink), and all topics not sanctioned by the administration are strictly prohibited. But the home “salon” can be the perfect remedy to combat the intellectual and cultural stagnation that so many Muslims are experiencing today.

Here in the nation’s capital, Muslims are beginning to meet not only in homes, but in little coffee shops as well. Some attend to hear the short lectures, enjoy the good (American) food and the discussions that follow, while others go simply to find a mate, and that’s o.k. too.

Recently, the home of a young sister, Bathsheba Philpott, has become the epicenter of this new salon movement. Last night she hosted the Family Halaqah Group, comprised of brothers and sisters eager to be involved in wholesome discussion and activism. We were treated to a very erudite commentary by Dr. Fatimah Jackson, anthropologist at the University of Md., on the wonderful new film Prince of Slaves. Also part of the discussion was another anthropologist, Dr. S.O.Y. Keita, along with writer Tariq Nelson. Of the close to twenty or so people in attendance, at least half were sisters, and everyone had an opportunity to share their insights and analysis. Leading the discussion was D.C. based attorney Talib Karim.

Perhaps this salon idea is something that will catch on in other cities. (more later)

History of Lynchings

I think more Muslims need to know facts like the ones in this video so that they can understand the nature of people who hate Muslims today

More Writing And An Important Institution

For those who want to read more of my writings and also support a very important institution – The Association for the Study of African American Life and History – can click here. If you really want to support this institution, then I encourage you to get a membership.

I particularly suggest that you all check out my article in the Woodson Review, of which I am a senior writer and contributing editor: ‘The Long Life of Woodson’s Mis-Education of the Negro‘ (You can read an excerpt here)

This organization has been in existence for over 90 years and they are the founders of Black History Month

US Minorities Don’t Trust Each Other

This only underscores my points

The three main minorities in the United States — blacks, Hispanics and Asians — have little trust for each other and hold prejudiced views about Americans of different ethnic origins to their own, a poll showed Wednesday.

“This extraordinary poll reveals some unflattering realities that exist in America today,” said Sandy Close, head of new America Media (NAM) which sponsored the poll together with ethnic media groups.

Forty-four percent of Hispanics and 47 percent of Asians are “afraid of African-Americans because they are responsible for most of the crime,” the survey of 1,105 adults drawn from the three ethnic groups showed.

More than half of black Americans polled and 46 percent of Hispanics said Asian business owners do not treat them with respect.

And half of African-Americans said Latin American immigrants “are taking jobs, housing and political power away from the black community.”

Hispanics and Asians, whose populations are made up mainly of immigrants, were positive about the American dream, saying that those who work hard in the United States reap the rewards of their toil.

In contrast, more than 60 percent of African-Americans dismissed the American dream as not working for them.

All three ethnic groups viewed white Americans in a more favorable light than they did members of another minority.

Sixty-one percent of Hispanics, 54 percent of Asians and 47 percent of African-Americans said they would rather do business with whites than members of the other two groups.

“The poll reaffirms that while race relations between ethnic groups and whites grab the headlines, there are also serious racial problems between minority groups in America,” said Sergio Bendixen, an expert on Hispanic and multilingual polling.

“Blacks feel they are left out of the American Dream and are being displaced by newcomers, and each group buys into the negative stereotypes about the other two,” he said.

The three minority groups did agree that the United States would be a better place if blacks, Asians and Hispanics held more authoritative positions at universities, in business, media and government.

They also said they believe racial tensions in the United States will ease over the next 10 years.

Why Blackamerican Muslims Don’t Stand For Justice Pt. 5

After twenty years of the immigrants’ controlling the Islamic agenda in America, by the year 2000 Blackamericans had clearly taken the “back seat” when it came to community issues. Having taken up this knotty and controversial question of why “Blackamerican Muslims don’t stand for justice”, we’ve learned that one of the most important factors in our failure to develop and maintain a community activist, social justice tradition has been the overwhelming dominance and influence of the immigrant Muslim community. In arriving at this conclusion it has never been my purpose to demonize any group of Muslims or resort to racial demagoguery, nor assail the feelings of anyone. It is my firm belief that the Muslims in America are essentially good and well meaning people, nevertheless, I have always held to the principle of telling the truth as best I understood it, and let the chips fall where they may.

We’re In This Thing Together

When I began this blog a little over a month ago, I knew that there were a lot of my brothers and sisters out there in the country who were feeling exactly as I was, depressed and in pain. As you can see from my output over the past few weeks, I have had a lot of things on my mind for a very long time. Many of you have already written me and shared your sense of frustration and confusion as to the direction we’re going in as Muslims in this country. I have fully appreciated your comments and have been inspired to develop an honest and frank forum to work out our issues.

I would like my readers to know that I have been working over twenty years in the cause of Islam, and whatever any one of you have experienced in your Islamic life, good or bad, I have probably experienced as well. Quite frankly, sometimes I have no idea of what these leaders are up to, and as you can very well tell from my other posts, I intend to let them know that. Both you and I feel the intense pain of previous failures in our efforts to establish an Islamic reality in this country, and we are not about to be bitten from the same hole twice. We’re all in this thing together, and I would love to hear from you if you appreciate what we have to say.

Part 5 of the series any day now (inshallah).    

“Freedom”

I really enjoyed this performance at the Premiere of “Prince Among Slaves” by Progress Theatre

Why Blackamerican Muslims Don’t Stand for Justice Pt. 4

With the inauguration of the 1990’s, the Muslim American community was in the firm grip of the immigrants, a result of being better educated, better organized, and awash in cash. They grew so dominant in both strength and numbers that the small, humble communities of Blackamerican Muslims could no longer compete, and over time completely lost their baring and focus. Perhaps not consciously, but by the sheer weight of immigrant dominance and its insular outlook, Blackamerican Muslims were influenced to turn a blind eye to the grievous conditions of their neighborhoods and communities. Some however did not require much pressure, but were themselves all too ready to assume an “alien identity” (Arab, Pakistani, or whatever) in order to facilitate an escape (at least in their own deluded mind) from the realities of being Black in America (more about that in the final installment).