JAYFORCE

Interesting. Let’s synthesize the views of two known call-it-as-they-see-it Black socio-political commentators: Michael Eric Dyson and Dr. Cornel West. We’ll start with Dr. West’s clip (above) because it seems to have more of a yearning for balance and justice in its honest criticism of The President than fire. To be certain, Dyson makes valid points; but in a way that engenders more of a cannot-believe-he-said-that factor. Even though the continuing tragedy whose latest face is Mike Brown’s definitely calls for words that shock.

In the above clip (Dyson’s is after the jump), Dr. West is talking on BBC. Despite the time delay due to overseas videoconferencing, we quickly get to some really good meat for discussion. In response to a posit from the BBC Newsnight correspondent made of the Black leader West:

I’m not a “Black leader.” I’m a lover of Black people… I tell the truth of suffering of poor people, in general; Black people, in particular. What we need now is quality leadership on every level. We don’t need the same kind of every day folk coming through with the market branding, with the names and photo opportunities. We need local, grassroots leaders who have integrity. And the sad thing is we have such low-quality Black leadership in America; so that you get a certain distance from what is actually happening on the ground… in terms of following through. We need a leadership… that brings us into the great legacies of Martin King and others.

Ooh, ooh… now click over to the posts on Talib Kweli’s and J. Cole’s recent responses on what is needed. An affirmative, love-driven response, that has actually doing something rather provide another occasion for empty rhetoric and photo opps from the same ‘leaders.’ Wow. And it also shows a risk inherent in Black people taking control of the narrative, as Kweli declared was necessary: that we do not all will not agree on approaches. There will likely be a contingent that opposes folks we ‘need to be on our side’ (like President Obama and his Attorney General Eric Holder; Black people in high places). There will likely be folks who would prefer Dr. West and Dyson ‘hush now’ and not speak their minds.

Mehhh…no!

What we need is the struggle. W.E.B. DuBois vs. Booker T. Washington…opposing stances vocalized, and Black people move forward. Malcolm X vs. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...opposing stances vocalized, and Black people move forward. Today, perhaps, we have yet again opportunity for the friction of those sorts to generate that heat energy we need (e.g. so called ‘Obama apologists’ that Dr. West calls out above versus stern steady opposition in the calling out, above and after the jump, by Dr. West and Dyson).

Man. And wait until you see what Dyson says below. Just what was posted earlier. Taking back the narrative, maintaining focus on the core issue – not an assessment of Mike Brown, but of the events leading to and brought up by the tragedy of his being unjustifiably killed. Sure, an assessment of guilt would be called for …in a court of law …if Brown was still alive to stand trial; even posthumously, if anyone (like the police who stand accused of slaying Brown) were ever arrested and indicted.

Get it now? Discuss amongst yourselves. We’ll be here.

He failed to deal with the particular instances not only of Michael Brown — he doesn’t have to deal with Michael Brown. The President said, I don’t want to put my thumb on it too much to weigh the scales of justice. Don’t even talk about Michael Brown. Talk about what led to Michael Brown. Tell us as a nation what happens when festering rage in a community then begins to ignite and then begins to consume not only that community but the people around the nation who are empathetic. So I think The President has a lot more latitude. Does he have opposition? Yes… He’s opposed every step. Don’t use this as an excuse to not speak about race.