“Each generation must, out of relative obscurity,
discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.”
―
By Doni Glover, Publisher
(BALTIMORE – April 7, 2023) – In light of unprecedented acts of bigotry in America over the past week, a new generation of Black voices rise to the top.
LSU star player from Baltimore, Angel Reese, speaks her peace as LSU wins a historic NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. The world takes notice of her honest delivery, even though no one questions the same competitive nature when men do it. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden subsequently and in unprecedented fashion invited the losing NCAA Women’s Basketball team from Iowa to join the winners from LSU to the White House.
Former United States President Donald J. Trump, also in unprecedented fashion, gets indicted on 34 counts by the New York District Attorney. The D.A., by the way, is a Black man named Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. And to boot, two Black legislators get expelled from the Tennessee state legislature for joining a peaceful protest against gun violence in a state that recently suffered a deadly mass shooting.
I, for one, am proud of Angel for speaking up for herself. I am also proud of Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis for their bold stance yesterday against a racist power structure that loves guns in Tennessee.
Unfortunately, the common denominator in all of these instances is race. Not that this is any grand revelation, but it is terribly fascinating how the stars are aligning these days.
It should be noted that decent white people are always welcome in the struggle. John Brown, if you read my second book, I Am Black Wall Street, is one of the two heroes highlighed. Similarly, Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville is definitely due credit for standing with Jones and Pearson as they stood up to the Republican super-majority in the Tennessee legislature.
Make no mistake: Angel, Alvin, Justin, and Justin are national heroes.
In one fleeting moment, they have become real-time symbols of a daring, more hopeful tomorrow in the land of the free.
While Angel spoke to the plight of Black women across America – Black women who have loyally helped us all to hold it together, the two Justins spoke to the broader plight of Black, brown, and other ethnic groups in America who are on the periphery of a fading white power structure that is defiantly struggling to reject the changes that time has inevitably brought to our nation’s front door.
The ways of yesterday, including the violent insurrection commonly called “J6”, are being replaced with peaceful, multi-ethnic protests. It’s happening now in Tennessee. We also saw this multicultural effort with the horrendous deaths of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Erica Garner, and countless other Blacks who have died in police custody.
This is a new generation. It is not its grandfathers’ generation. No, not at all.
This generation is not accepting “no” for an answer. Call them what you want, but you will not call them timid. They are not tolerant of any foolishness that even remotely resembles Jim Crow because they have grown up in a different world than me and my fellow 50-somethings.
Overt racism, in their minds, is unfathomable which may explain their level of discomfort with the status quo.
This generation is less race-conscious. They don’t think as “Black and white” as their parents or grandparents. They think more for themselves. They may hold on to some traditions or patterns of behavior from yesteryear, but overall, they are not the same as their parents.
Still, they face the likes of Supreme Court Clarence Thomas. He, unfortunately, is a part of their world. So, too, is the likes of Trump.
And that is exactly why the voices of Angel, Alvin, Justin, and Justin are so important – so critical to the broader conversation of diversity, equity, and inclusion that seems to populate the vision boards of DEI consultants across the free world.
Even King Charles is trending for acknowledging the Royal Family’s role in the slave trade. An era of racial reckoning is here and requires immediate acceptance.
I see change. I see progress. I see that despite the winds of time, change is here and it is not waiting for anyone’s approval. The number of woke people of all races is increasing steadily by the day despite efforts to ban books that teach America’s real history. One could draw some optimism, I submit, that power structures can change, those mindsets can improve, and the pitfalls of ignorance have no place in this new day.
The younger people have the wheel, and that makes for a very peculiar ride. You think?
Email your comments to doni@bmorenews.com.
