Now that Kamala Harris is officially the Democratic presidential nominee, the pressure campaign targeting black voters will be the most intense yet. From the Obamas and Oprah to TikTok content creators, black celebrities and influencers will do whatever it takes to get Harris-Waltz's candidacy across the finish line. Wendell Pierce, a popular actor from the hit series “The Wire,” recently said: said Joy Reid says black men who have a problem with the “rise” of black women should look at their own inadequacies.
The idea that not supporting a Democratic candidate is proof that black people, especially black men, are traitors or sexists will be the official position of Progressive Inc. from now until the November election. This is the logical conclusion for anyone who believes that racial uplift can be achieved through politics and that the Democratic Party is the party that will achieve it.
So much of the political conversation in the black community focuses on superficial justifications for voting. This is a recipe for manipulation.
Hypothetical question The question of whom Malcolm X would support in this election reminded me that belief in the redemptive power of politics is relatively new. To be clear, my answer to this informal poll was “neutral.” My answer was largely based on Malcolm X's famous ” speech “The ballot or the bullet” is as relevant today as it was when he said it in 1964.
They got all the black votes and then black people got nothing in return. All they did when they got to Washington was give a few black people big jobs. Black people didn't need big jobs; they already had them. It was a camouflage, a ploy, a betrayal, a charade. I'm not trying to bash Democrats for the Republicans; I'll get to them in a moment. But it's true: You put Democrats first and Democrats put you second.
His other statementOne can imagine Malcolm X taking a moment to express his disdain for entertainers and pundits who act as “black trainers” using emotional manipulation to trick black voters into believing Harris is for them. only choice.
But above all, I believe that if Malcolm X were alive today, he would recognize the failure of the strategy of political uplift that black progressives have pursued since the 1960s. This model has endured for six decades and has accomplished nothing except concentrating political power in the hands of a small black elite and keeping traditional civil rights organizations on political life support. While I disagree with all of the Nation of Islam's theology, its focus on self-reliance and moral integrity is certainly preferable to the NAACP's shameful attempts to pump white B-list actors into the movies. “Take responsibility” Because of racism.
Pride and human life
Political activism inspired by Malcolm X should be built on the understanding that politicians cannot lead anyone to the “promised land” through policies or programs. Some of you who nod in agreement with this statement will turn around a minute later and ask what government is doing to “solve” our most intractable social problems.
Fathers who vote for candidates because they support school choice are deluding themselves if they think that this alone will turn their disengaged children into serious scholars. Fathers, not mayors or governors, are responsible for encouraging their children to reach their God-given potential. It is also their job to create a home environment that fosters a love of learning.
That is why strong families and communities are prerequisites for serious civic engagement. With that foundation, political activism signals strength and agency, not weakness and dependency. Racial progress will remain illusory if civil rights groups and media outlets devote far more attention and enthusiasm to the front-line family in the White House than they do to the situation of black families.
Another important reason why Malcolm X is not a proxy for Kamala is that the issues the Democratic Party promotes and prioritizes today, particularly “Pride” and abortion, are inconsistent with any religion that values human life. I cannot imagine that Malcolm X would believe that removing the breasts of teenage black girls and the genitals of adult black men is in any way “gender affirming” or “loving.”
If racial uplift is ever a reality, it won't come through ill-informed comedians encouraging black people to vote.
He also said that his statements Appropriated I am highly suspicious of a man who calls for the murder of black babies in the womb. publiclyCriticizedReligious leader Elijah Muhammad believed it was morally indiscreet, but would laugh proudly when a black woman demanded an abortion “by any means necessary.”
Since the 1960s, the left has tried to use politics to achieve social progress for African Americans. The government attempted to do this with Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. Over three generations, low-income families of all races have become increasingly dependent on government to meet their most basic needs. When adults lose the ability to manage their own lives and raise their own children, they inevitably place their wealth in the hands of people who have every incentive to keep them dependent.
The lesson here is clear: tangible “benefits” from government come with very high costs.
Strong families and self-esteem
Given that the left sees Donald Trump as a sympathizer of white supremacy, it's easy for progressives to say that Malcolm X would have rejected the Republican nomination. The truth is that Malcolm X and the men of his generation were not as gentle and sensitive as today's pundits and politicians. One of his biographers writes: Claims The Nation of Islam sent Malcolm X and another pastor to meet with the Ku Klux Klan in 1961 to discuss the possibility of working together to thwart civil rights integration efforts and create a separate black state.
Strange as it may sound to modern ears, even die-hard racists have nothing to fear from a man who sees himself as capable of building something for himself and his family. If racial uplift is ever to come, it will not come through ignorant comedians trying to get black people to vote. It will come through strong families, community standards, self-esteem, and the desire of each generation to be better than the next.
So much of the conversation about politics in the black community focuses on superficial justifications for voting. This leads to manipulation by politicians and frustration among voters. People who see politicians as their saviors are more easily fooled than a tourist walking into a Three Card Monte table in Times Square. They get scammed out of their money, and somehow they think, “I can do it better next time.” The problem is, they never do. It's time for a new strategy.
