Black leftism

African Americans have had a tremendous impact on left-wing politics in the United States. From liberalism to progressivism, from communism to socialism, to anarchism, African Americans have been a major part of leftist struggles throughout U.S. history.

Like most Leftists, the majority of the African-Americans are in favor of workers rights, pacifism, equality, equal distribution of wealth, and a color-blind society. Far-left groups would include organizations such as the Black Panther Party.

The perspectives held by many Black leftists are typically in contrast with some of the key points in the common social, economic, and political positions that Black conservatives are against. Particularly in regards to reparations for slavery and affirmative action.

Overview

The perspective held by Black liberals is typically in conflict with some of the key points in the common social, economic, and political positions that Black conservatives are against, particularly in regards to reparations for slavery, affirmative action and Black nationalism. While most African-Americans have a neutral stance on Black nationalism and integration (as long as there is an even playing field), Black conservatives are clearly in favor of African-American integration with mainstream America.

For many Black leftists, in their own point of view, the key mission is to bring equality (balance) to the African-American community as compared to the success and achievements of white Americans and other minority groups. A common misconception is that the African-American left are seeking hand-outs, a frequent “foul call” made by Black conservatives, however statistics and various studies show the GDP of African-Americans are significantly less than their counterparts of other ethnic groups; this revelation is even more damning when they (Blacks and their counterparts) are in the same career field, at the same skill level and production capacity. This also brings into play the issue of affirmative action where conservatives feel this is reverse racism, as an individual “is” being hired to a job, or accepted to college on the basis of his color, and not his work ethic and experience; to date this continues to be a major issue. African-American leftists also feel that reparations for slavery are relevant, as centuries of free labor (slavery), as well as millions of lost lives, were the foundation and building blocks of the United States.

Black politicians, for the most part, are against GOP economic policies (i.e., globalization, free-trade agreements, tax cuts), militarism, regional interventions, or other agendas that the vast majority of Blacks are in opposition of. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was the first, if not only politician (not just African-American) to question what exactly the Bush Administration had knowledge of in regards to 9/11, she is also thoroughly against the War in Iraq and the Global War on Terror:

We know there were numerous warnings of the events to come on September 11... Those engaged in unusual stock trades immediately before September 11 knew enough to make millions of dollars from United and American airlines, certain insurance and brokerage firms' stocks. What did the Administration know, and when did it know it about the events of September 11? Who else knew and why did they not warn the innocent people of New York who were needlessly murdered?

— "Flashpoints" with Dennis Bernstein, KFPA Pacifica Radio, March 25, 2002

Opponents have labeled her conspiracy theorist as well as other smear tactics. However, on the other side of the scale, some on the African-American left do support the current state of world affairs and play both sides of the political fence, appealing to the political majority while also appealing to the African-American communities interests, to a degree. Polls taken in the Black community as to “in favor of” or “against” the last 3 armed conflicts (Iraq, War on Terror, and Kosovo), a majority are against.[1]

The African-American left also tend to be culturally liberal in accordance with liberal views of other ethnic groups, with the only sticking point being perhaps abortion.

Criticisms Of The African American Left

The importance of the activism of the “Black Left” in working to agitate the White power structure in America goes without challenge. During the history of America in which there was a void of laws and policies that were needed to defend the civil rights of African-Americans the use of these activist tactics to stand against these powers was a logical tactical focus for the Civil Rights and Labor Movements.

Today, years after this body of civil rights laws have been in place and enforced a person who violates the rights of a person of color is subject to prosecution because he has thus violated the law and is subject to punishment under the law. These times should be celebrated as a triumph of the Civil Rights Movement. Ideally African Americans should acknowledge the protections that are now afforded in the way of their basic rights as Americans and then “take the ball and run with it” with respect to enjoying the freedoms and resources and opportunities that America affords them like so few other places in the world. Instead the African American Left appears to be stuck on the tactics that worked best for them when the very basic rights of an African American were not assured as an American Citizen.

As African Americans suffer from the various internal issues that threaten our very existence as a people, the tactics of the African American Left seem unable to successfully address these points that are so close to home. The AIDS pandemic, public schools that are failing to educate our children, high crime rates within the inner city, lack of economic development through Black ownership of our economic resources and the splintering of the traditional Black family that is headed by a father and a mother are all daunting challenges that are faced today.

As we step back and seek to categorize these challenges it is easy to note that these challenges require “Black folks to change” for success to be had. Compare this to the previous challenges of structural racism in which White people could operate with impunity against a Black person, it was the body of civil rights laws that worked to “change White people's” behavior. As they acted out certain behaviors against Blacks there were consequences under the law – as we saw in the dragging death of James Byrd years ago. The internal challenges listed above, however are not going to be addressed from the outside of the community. The “activism” of the Black left that pressures outsiders to change their behavior needs to be replaced by the “executive” skills held by internal leaders to manage the internal resources and behavior of Black people so that the vital statistics that are reflected from our community will improve.

Further, the complexion of American and the balance of power is also changing. Hispanic individuals and Asians are increasing in numbers in this county. Bastions of Black political power such as Oakland CA, Compton CA and Houston TX, for example, are experiencing a significant amount of change as the “Black and White” equation of the past shifts into a more complex formula as each group operates in their own self interests. The failure of those Black leftists who control the popular Black political consciousness to heed the words of the great Booker T. Washington and build a more sound economic base will come home to roost. The current left wing rant against corporate power absent any real solutions renders the community impotent in introducing effective, real-world economic counterbalance that employs Black people while developing wealth for the community and providing needed goods and services.

Most African Americans live in southern states. The recent tide of Republicanism and thus turning these states into “Red States” will result in Black people, who are Democrats at rates of 85% or more, being members of the displaced opposition party for years to come. While many Black leftists seek to sit next to a White child to insure their children receive a quality education, seek to be promoted high into the management chain of a corporation thus insuring that most of their co-workers will be White and seek to purchase a house in a lilly White community if they choose as a means of escaping some of the problems that inner city living sometimes brings, it appears that it is too tall of an order for them to accept Blacks who choose to join the Republican party as a means of congregating with their White school mates, co-workers and neighbors.

The challenge of the African American Left in the coming decades will be to adapt to the changing dynamics in America and the rest of the world. The tactics that have worked in the context of the constraints of the past need to be reevaluated and a new and more comprehensive set of tools need to be adopted that reflect the world of today.

Notable African American leftists

Not all African-American "leftist" are necessarily political but have leftist ideals. It should be also be noted that not all African-American policitians are "pure" leftists, as some have various right-wing opinions.

Politicians

• Mary McLeod Bethune - first black woman to serve as head of a federal agency.
• Corrine Brown - Congresswoman from Florida
• Elaine Brown - activist, former chairman of the Black Panther Party.
• Shirley Chisholm - first African American woman elected to Congress.
• John Conyers - Congressman from Michigan.
• Chaka Fattah - United States House of Representatives from Philadelphia.
• Barbara Lee - Congresswoman from California representing California's 9th congressional district
• Cynthia McKinney - Congresswoman from Georgia, one of the first (if not the only) politicians to question the Bush administration's foreknowledge of 9-11. Has been a target of smear campaigns since then.
• Thurgood Marshall - first African American to serve on the United States Supreme Court.
• Ray Nagin - Mayor of New Orleans.
• Barack Obama - U.S. Senator from Illinois (though Obama is a Democrat, some liberals regard some of his views as more centrist) [2]
• Al Sharpton - political activist and Reverend.
• John F. Street - Mayor of Philadelphia
• Sundiata Xian Tellem - political leader of Green Party National Black Caucus and author.
• Maxine Waters - Congresswoman from California representing California's 35th congressional district
• Coleman Young - former mayor of Detroit.

Civil Rights activists

• Angela Davis - Black Panther, ran for Vice President on the Communist Party USA nomination several times.
• George Jackson - Panther prison activist
• Frederick Douglass - abolitionist
• Amiri Baraka - poet and communist
• W.E.B. DuBois - civil rights activist, sociologist, historian, writer, editor, poet, freemason, and scholar.
• Harry Haywood - Communist Party leader and Marxist theorist.
• Paul Robeson - actor, singer, athlete, and communist
• Langston Hughes - poet and communist
• Mumia Abu-Jamal - former Black Panther member, and convicted for allegedly murdering a Philadelphia police officer.
• Jesse Jackson - civil rights activist, head of the Rainbow Coalition.
• Martin Luther King - Famous Nobel Prize winning civil-rights activist.
• Malcolm X - former spokesman for the Nation of Islam.
• Kweisi Mfume - former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),
• Huey P. Newton - co-founder of the Black Panthers.
• Elaine Brown - Black Panther Party chair while Newton was in exile.
• Fred Hampton - Panther leader in Chicago
• Fred Hampton, Jr. - founer of the National People's Democratic Uhuru Movement
• Rosa Parks - activist well known for not surrendering her bus seat to a white male.
• A. Philip Randolph - was a Socialist who was active in the labor movement and the US civil rights movement.
• Bobby Seale - co-founder of the Black Panthers.
• Assata Shakur - former Black Panther, convicted for allegedly murdering a New Jersey state trooper. Currently under political asylum in Cuba.

Media

• Gia'na Garell - Air America radio commentator.
• Tom Joyner - radio show host
• Margaret Kimberly - political writer.

Entertainers

Though some African-American entertainers have not expressed affiliation with a political party , they have been known to be critical of U.S Government policies.

• Harry Belafonte - Musician
• Jim Brown - Former actor and football running back.
• Dave Chappelle - Comedian
• Chuck D - Rapper
• Dead Prez - Hip hop group
• Laurence Fishburne - Actor
• Marvin Gaye - Soul musician
• Danny Glover - Actor
• Eddie Griffin - Comedian
• Gil Scott-Heron - musician, poet
• Lauryn Hill - Hip hop/R&B musician
• Ice Cube - Hip hop artist, actor
• Ice T - Hip hop artist, actor
• Samuel L. Jackson - Actor
• Spike Lee - Movie producer
• Aaron McGruder - Creator of The Boondocks
• Paul Mooney - Comedian
• Nas - Hip hop artist
• Prince - Musician
• Sidney Poitier - Actor
• Richard Pryor - Comedian
• Chris Rock - Comedian
• Tupac Shakur - Rap artist
• John Singleton - Movie producer
• Wesley Snipes - Actor
• Denzel Washington - Actor
• Kanye West - Rapper
• Stevie Wonder - Soul musician

See also

• Black Liberation Army
• The Communist Party and African-Americans

African-American left web sites and blogs

• Seeing Black
• Playa Hata “Think, now think again”
• Black Commentator
• Assata Shakur
• Women of Color Web
• Gender, Race, Power
• Black Voices
• Black Radical Congress
• Joy James
• Slave Revolt
• Black Man With a Library
• Every Shut Eye Ain't Sleep