The one main thing Black people in America seem to be cognizant of, in the recent Democratic and Republican Party presidential debates, is those party’s candidates disregard of issues Black people want addressed. None of the Democratic or Republican presidential candidates have yet to debate topics relating to the concerns of the Black national community in America. The presidential candidates appear to be self interested and ignorant or indifferent to the concerns of Black people, which also is an indictment of the Democratic and Republican parties they represent.
The Republican Party has not represented or addressed the concerns of Black people since they helped enact the post slavery Civil Rights Acts, but then later betrayed Black people in the Tilden-Hayes Great Compromise of 1877, that made deep concessions to the then white supremacist Democratic Party to reestablish white supremacy and new forms of slavery in the South. Today, the Republican Party spew inflammatory, racist political rhetoric about Black people to its constituent base of working class and poor white peoples; place token Black Republican faces in a few managerial positions and as spokespersons as window dressing for the party, and remains totally ignorant or indifferent to Black people’s collective concerns.
The Democratic Party is the mirror image of the Republican Party, minus the over inflammatory racial rhetoric, and is just as poisonous. Historically, the Democratic Party had been the party of the wealthy white supremacist elites and were against any economic or political freedoms and gains of the Black national community in America. It wasn’t until the rise of President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson that Black people left the Republican Party to join the Democratic Party in mass.
However, the Democratic Party has not represented or addressed the concerns of Black people since they pushed Congress for the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Today, the Democratic Party act as friends of Black people by day and then enemies of Black people by night. They stifled the concerns of Black people in the Congress. They placed token Black Democrats in positions to be seen and not heard and devoid of any decision making power. And, to add insult to injury they take Black people for granted every election cycle. The Democratic Party view and treat Black people as if they are their property.
So, how should the Black national community deal with the two party con artist game of America, is the million dollar question. The Black national community in America must follow the example of the UNIA [Universal Negro Improvement Organization], the OAAU [Organization of Afro-American Unity], the Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party and the Black Panther Party, by disconnecting our political affiliation with the Democratic and Republican parties and begin establishing a non-partisan, independent Black National Party: a Black National Party that would unapologetically pursue Black people’s interests, put forth a Black national agenda, and run candidates from our party in local and statewide elections. It’s political suicide for Black people to remain as subservient political appendages of the Democratic or Republican parties. It is now time for a Black National Party to represent Black people and our interests in America. From the belly of the beast at Prison Radio, I am Shakaboona. Thank you for listening.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
