Why Sarah Palin and the Tea Party are a Part of Black History Too
Black History is not just a collection of names, dates, places and faces. It also tells stories of triumph for people of color as we've worked to achieve equality in a society that was trained to hate us. In order for us to have heroes, there must sometimes be a deadly villain.
In the past, those villains have been the Ku Klux Klan, slave owners who didn't want us to learn how to read, men like Bull Connor and even the federal government itself. As black people have had to fight for what is ours, we've often had to confront those who worked overtime to sabotage, distract or even kill our greatest heroes in the struggle for Civil Rights. The Tea Party and their associates, for right or wrong, are perceived by millions of African Americans to be a continuation of the legacy of Civil Rights villains who will be written about in Black History textbooks for many decades to come.
Of course members of the Right Wing would certainly beg to differ with my logic. Not only would they not consider themselves to be enemies of civil rights, they might be audacious enough to believe that they are champions of Dr. King's legacy. Even Fox News host Glenn Beck held a march on Washington to commemorate the 47th anniversary of Dr. King's famous gathering. But in spite of all of their arguments to the contrary, the truth is that the Right Wing's consistent efforts to unfairly sabotage and disrespect America's first black president make them one of the greatest obstacles to racial progress in America right now.
President Barack Obama, by achieving the holy grail of black historical achievements, has obviously positioned himself as a highly significant figure in Black American History. While some argue that the Obama Presidency has been a bit of a disappointment to many African Americans, many can draw parallels between those who work to destroy President Obama and those who fought tooth and nail to keep Dr. Martin Luther King from advancing causes for his people.
They say that history repeats itself. The Tea Party Express and other Right Wing characters are nothing new, for black people have been fighting tea party-types for 400 years and counting. We've overcome worse in the past, and we will overcome this as well. Just like the racial obstructionists before them, the Right Wing can't kill the undeniable spirit of American racial progress, and history will be written by the victors.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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Just because you criticize Pres B Obama's policies that doesn't make you a racist. I think he is a decent enough guy but I disagree with him on just about everything politically. I am a black female, does that make me a racist. I happen to agree more with the conservative view of how this country should be run especially as I was brought up in England and had a first hand experience of the kind of country Barack Obama wants and knows it is not what we need here and is a huge step back. I am sick and tired of people calling others racists just because you happen to disagree with him politically. How many of you had a problem with George Bush were you all racists too. It is such a lame, cheap argument to call Sarah Palin, Glen Beck and Tea Partiers racist. They are not, they happen to make alot of sense regarding this country lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, cutting the deficit, small efficient government etc so we don't end up in the same mess England's in right now.
February 07 2011 at 12:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWhy can't we as black people discuss anything without bring up Sarah Palin. Everyone is aware of what this woman is all about. Please do not give her anymore coverage.
February 04 2011 at 3:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyGerald, Gerald, Gerald you can try to persuade me with your poetry but it's not going to work. Yeah he's the first black president thats great, to bad he couldn't be the man that was needed to play the part, he's just like every other corrupt politician. I'm so sick and tired of black people getting hung up on "we used to be slaves! Every white person is racist", it is so ignorant. Everyone is equal, the Constitution was amended, people need to get over it. All people are equal, stop getting hung up on that and making excuses. Life is to short. Whatever you say you cannot excuse this fools comments on how the Tea Party is racist. If anything they are smug rich people that want to hold onto their money. But how can you blame them for that?
February 04 2011 at 1:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply@crcrg5, Satan greatest trick was to try and convince the world that he didn't exist. You have the stones
to talk about someone being ignorant to the tea party's plight. You must be on some type of "control
medication". Stop listening to "Fox (noise)News and view his accomplishments for yourself. But
your type isn't going to do that because it's hard for a wolf to disguise himself as a sheep. The President
could walk on water and you would say "its because he can't swim". It's too bad that society has become
numb as to the true nature of your intentions, but just like your forebearers you too will be a spot in history
long list of failures and infamy!
You sound like that fool Kanye West on live television saying George Bush hates black people. Come on man you have a PhD your supposed to be educated? You sound like an Ignorant fool. They should revoke your PhD. People don't hate Obama because he's black, they hate him because he is worthless, ignorant, and a liar. HE'S A BAD PRESIDENT. It is so low of you to say that the Tea Party is racist! You sound like every other black person out there! When things don't go your way you call people racist! Our president is bad it has nothing to do with his skin color and thats why the Tea Party is rising up. Because they don't want some IDIOT with a PhD to run our country into the ground. Which is exactly what Obama is doing, he is running our wonderful country into the ground worse than Bush did. Yeah yeah its a great idea to spend money like it grows on trees when the US government is in debt trillions of dollars. You know people wouldn't hate Obama if he actually said what he was going to do but he's all talk. He couldn't handle the oil spill, he cursed on live television. (Very President like). He couldn't even react in time to prepare for the oil to come a shore when he had 2 months to prepare and get things ready. He just doesn't know how to LEAD. Or what about his great medicare idea that got passed. Thank you to all the idiots who supported that. Now we can be just like the UK and Canada and have the worst medicare ever!!!!!! The Tea Party doesn't care if the president is black, white, hispanic, HAWIAN, or purple! They just want our country to be run in the right way. God Bless the Tea Party because they are trying to save America. Shame on you for calling them racist, they are just being good patriots trying to save our country from an ignorant liberal that doesn't put anything into prospective and doesn't have realistic ideas. I really would have loved to see the first black president be a great one that would be remembered forever. But unfortunately thats not the case instead we got a babbling ignorant fool that only knows how to blow through money and do everything the wrong way. The government has to much power and it needs to be taken back, the power belongs in the hands of the people. Governments should be afraid of their people, people shouldn't be afraid of their government. Thank you for being so typical and blaming your problems on racism instead of actually pointing your finger at the real problem, BARACK OBAMA.
February 04 2011 at 11:42 AM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down ReplyI THOUGHT DR. BOYCE WATKINS WAS GOING TO FOCUS ON CRIPUS ATTUCKS,THE FIRST PERSON KILLED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,A BLACK MAN.
NOW THAT WAS A REAL TEA PARTY MEMBER.
JUST TO ADD SARAH PALIN AND HER CREW ARE A BUNCH OF RACIST WHITE REACTIONARIES,
END OF STORY.
Let's do some real HISTORY!!!!! The ORIGINAL TEA PARTY were a group of cowards that disguised themselves as INDIANS to carry out the act that they would gutlessly BLAME ON THE INDIANS!!!!
The LATTER DAY TEA PARTY consisrs of COWARDLY RACISTS & NAZIS disguised as White American Republican Citizens trying to tear the Stars & Stripes off the Flag and the Heart out of the Constitution ! !
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