[Peace-discuss] Thoughts of an angry black man

[Tchiguka at aol.com]

Thursday, 3 July 2003

To the Members of AWARE:

AWARE's racism discussion Sunday, 29 June left me utterly disappointed and 
confused. Disappointed because the discussion is indicative of a pervasive 
attitude among most whites that race is a problem that only affects people of 
color; confused because antiracism is in your acronym, yet there is strong 
opposition to fulfilling that part of AWARE. I'm also confused because I thought the 
members of AWARE were progressives. I could not believe some of the comments 
that came out of the mouths of so-called progressives at the meeting, but I'll 
get to that later.

I joined AWARE initially because I thought the members understood the 
interconnection between war -both domestic and international-and racism. I thought 
AWARE understood that in order to effect change, one must think globally and act 
locally. I thought AWARE understood the connection between the police state 
which exist in most chocolate cities in this country and the military state 
which exist in most Third World countries by so-called Western democracies. I 
thought AWARE understood the connection between American Indian reservations and 
Palestinian occupations. I thought AWARE understood the connection between 
skewed unemployment among the working and poor classes in America and sweatshops 
and slave labor in Third World countries.

I was wrong about AWARE.

I also joined AWARE because I truly believe in multiracial and multiracial 
exchange. And I still believe despite my negative experience with AWARE.

Some people in AWARE are deluded into thinking that the antiracism part has 
been fulfilled. But as a member of a beleaguered, oppressed people, I can say 
that AWARE has not. Having speakers to discuss racism in a forum is not dealing 
with racism. Glancing references to racism in documentation is not dealing 
with racism. How is AWARE to "end racism" when the group is too scare to talk 
about it? How can AWARE fight against imperialism and colonialism when your 
mindset is similar to the oppressor?  

Not only has AWARE given the race issue a low priority, but also AWARE has 
given imperialism, colonialism, and globalization a low priority. This group has 
avoided serious critical analysis of the aforementioned issues lest sounding 
too philosophical, which leads me to the conclusion that AWARE is not a group 
of progressives, but rather a group of dilettantes and hobbyists. AWARE has 
been reduced to being baiters of the Bush Administration. 

As for the comments made by so-called progressives at the meeting, Morton 
Brussel made the comment that war is when you drop bombs on people. Although war 
can be defined in terms of armed conflict, it is not the only definition 
available. War can also be defined as any active hostility, contention, or 
struggle. Therefore, the attack on affirmative action, economic and wealth inequality, 
racial profiling, police brutality, inadequate health care, poor education, a 
burgeoning population of people of color in the prison industrial complex, 
etc., can be seen as a war. The antiwar movement has failed to recognize the 
continuing war on people of color. White activists continue to ignore the issues 
which speak to the experiences of people of color.

Another comment made-I don't remember his name-was that there was no black 
response to September 11th or the war in Iraq. Representative Barbara Lee, a 
black woman, who was the only House member that voted against a resolution 
authorizing President Bush to use force against anyone associated with September 
11th terrorist attacks? Lee also spoke out against using force in Iraq. Remember 
Representative Elijah Cummings, chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus, 
who tried unsuccessfully to meet with President Bush to address the war? 
Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, Angela Davis, Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, 
Alice Walker, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, and countless other black people spoke out 
against the war. Black organizations including but not limited to the 
Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP, the Urban League, the Black Radical Congress, BAMN 
(By Any Means Necessary), and Black Voices for Peace also spoke out against 
the war. 
Even though blacks are much more likely to oppose the war that whites-three 
out of five blacks are against it, compared to one out of five whites, 
according to polls-seemingly black people were underrepresented in the antiwar 
demonstrations. This lack of attendance I believe is due to blacks rallying over 
other causes such as affirmative action. Instead of focusing on lack of black 
involvement in the antiwar protests, this question begs an answer: Why are whites 
underrepresented in demonstrations for social change led by people of color?

Indifference to domestic issues was another comment made during the racism 
discussion. This comment is clearly a contradiction because indifference to 
domestic concerns implies indifference to international concerns. How can one not 
care about racism in our front and backyards and only care about the racism in 
another country? How can one not care about police repression in chocolate 
cities in this country and care about military repression in Afghanistan and 
Iraq?

It is patent that AWARE neither has the imagination, understanding, 
motivation, nor courage to wrestle with racism from without and from within. And for 
this reason, I will no longer associate myself with AWARE in any capacity. I 
cannot in good conscience be aligned with a group too cowardice to talk about or 
confront their own racism. 

I think it is long overdue to change the acronym to an anti-war effort (AWE) 
or an anti-Bush effort (ABE), because this group is not serious about race. 
Holding on to an acronym which lacks substance because it sounds good or 
including race briefly in a mission statement does not make your group progressive; 
it merely makes AWARE hobbyists. 

I was told that I should be patient with this group. And my response to that 
statement is my patience has run out. How long will it take whites to 
understand that race is their problem, too? After 244 years of slavery, 81 years of 
Jim Crow, and 51 years of black people becoming strange fruit on trees every 2 
days, I think it is rather insensitive to require my patience.

I was also told that I should stay in the group to be of guidance to hapless 
white people in AWARE. My answer to that question is this: I refuse to be 
white people's nigger. In other words, I'm not going to be a token. If AWARE needs 
me to inform white folk of the fact that we live in a racist society and that 
we need to do something about it, then your group definitely doesn't get it.

For those individuals who are sincere about dealing with racism-you know who 
you are-nothing is tying you to AWARE. However, if you decide to stay with the 
group, continue to put the mirror in their faces. Forced them to confront 
their own racist sensibilities. 

Caveat: Do not believe that AWARE is an anarchist group, for there is 
definitely order in the chaos. Keep a close eye on Al, David, and Morton. It seems 
that they are the true power behind the throne. Please do not allow them to mold 
AWARE in their image. Down with patriarchy in AWARE! 

In closing, before you wonder why people of color are not joining AWARE, 
remember this: A black man was willing to work with white so-called progressives 
and your group let him down. 
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