With the beef between Tavis Smiley and Al Sharpton, it mad me sad. Additionally, it only proves that Blacks will never stop fighting one another and will not come together as we should. It's just another example of, ‘I’m better than you and I will do whatever it takes to remove or overpower you at all costs.’ I used to appreciate both of these Black men, but now I can only highly admire just one. When Tavis - after 12 years – resigned from the Tom Joyner Morning Show, I knew something was wrong. Oh and then him being fired and/or voluntarily resigning from BET? Tavis wrote his autobiography “What I know for Sure” and in it, he stated that he did not speak to his Mother for 2 years when she told him he had to step down from his class president position. Wow! To me, that says a lot about a person. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not attacking Tavis Smiley, but am wondering why does his actions seem more self-serving than those of the self-promoting Al Sharpton. Why did he see a need to publicly call out Al Sharpton without calling Mr. Sharpton first?! It seems as though Smiley was seeking some much needed attention that he had recently lost. And yes, Sharpton called Tavis on his public rant, and I believe he should have, but both must act accordingly in the best interest of The People. All of us are accountable, not just president Barack Obama, but media guru, Tavis Smiley and community activist, Al Sharpton. However, I am accountable for me just as everyone is accountable for their individual selves. The beef between Smiley and Sharpton – to me – is the same crabs in the barrel syndrome. Sadly, this complex only hurts us. Sadly, it does not allow us to face the reality of what is true and what is true is, Blacks are down and out because we hate one another. The reality and truth is, we are jealous and envious towards one another. And the truth is, whites don’t have to do anything to hurt us because we are so busy as well as hell-bent on hurting ourselves. |
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| Tavis Smiley vs. Al Sharpton |
| We should have stopped blaming white people for all our shortcomings a long time ago because a long time ago, we were busy trying to prove to one another just how great and important we really were. We were too busy competing against one another while we should have been uniting and fighting the struggle – TOGETHER! A long time ago, when whites began favoring and trusting lighter skinned Blacks over darker skinned Blacks, the lighter toned Blacks ran with that white-self-induced influence and began the rage towards dark skinned Blacks. It’s just silly and dumb because whites have other lighter skinned Blacks on their side – fighting "darky." (My own Father, may God rest his soul, was a bigot and like it or not, I am my Father’s child.) The lighter skinned Blacks are hating on the darker Blacks and the whites hate us all. I hate to say it, but in that sense, we are stupid! All of us Blacks have to work harder and fight harder against injustices and racism, why would we want to fight so hard amongst and against one another when that only makes the battle that much harder? In a sense, we are in the same fight but we are not the enemy. What sense does it make? I, myself was so dense about my experience with the bigotry from my own Black people, that I failed to realize I was a victim. I had no idea what was going on when a sista (a Black African American woman) was being unfairly mean and deceitful towards me. I never lied to her, cheated her, gossiped about her or anything. Instead, in the beginning of our relationship, we laughed, shared jokes, ideas, and all that other stuff and I assumed we were enjoying one another’s friendships. I assumed we were sistas united. I honestly believed I was being cool and sincere while hanging out with another sista – a Black woman just like me! I assumed we were sistas as one, however all that “assuming” got me no place and painfully realized that I was wrong. I didn’t realize it at first, but it was my sister who pointed it out to me when this sista was mean to another sista. For a time, I wondered what was wrong, but then it was revealed to me: it was the light skinned being pitted against the dark skin Black African Americans. Sad. Two, seemingly and fairly brown-chocolate-mocha colored sistas not getting along because of the distaste of each others skin. What? We both have the same color of skin tones! It took a darker skinned sista to point that out to me. (Shaking my head.) I felt stupidity-silly and dumbfounded when I found myself a victim of a Black person who chose not to accept me because of the color of our matching skin tones. We fight one another and it has gotten us nowhere fast and it will be the same thing with Al Sharpton and Tavis Smiley; they will both fail to reach their desired goals and agendas. I wasn’t reluctant towards Al Sharpton for the Tawny Brawley, no in fact, I felt sorry for him getting caught in a situation that he failed to fully investigate. It was his fault just as well as it was not, but he should have known better. However, at that time, I did presumably see him as self-promoting and not doing enough to serve the Black community. Back then, I didn’t know Al Sharpton that well as I didn’t follow his actions so I didn’t fully know his motives. The only thing I knew about him was through news outlets, but when Al Sharpton ran for president, things transformed [for me.] My views of him were different when he ran in 2004 and by the 2008 presidential campaign, I feel in love with his ideas. Yes, perhaps they were just speeches and I was keenly aware of that, but if you watched, listened and paid careful attention to the debates, he was the ONLY one who stuck to and with the issues. Forget Hillary because you’re supporting a woman. Forget John Edwards because you think he just might be best for The People. Oh and definitely, forget Barack Obama because of the color of his skin as its good to support one of us – another Black African American. I never considered either of those factors. I wanted the best person to win, and at that time, I really and truly felt it was Al Sharpton. I knew Sharpton didn’t have a snowball’s chance, but I was cheering for him because so many things he said during the debates were legitimate. Al Sharpton, a Black man who seemed to love The People, not the idea of being the first Black president. Al Sharpton is like most Black leaders, egotistical. Tavis Smiley is arrogant just as well. Both have made mistakes, but they’re human. In my opinion, Tavis wants to beat up a Black man; a Black man that is president of the United States. (Barack Obama has enough problems with some whites.) In my opinion, Sharpton wants to apply aid to the Black man that has the most wounds and in return, Sharpton hopes to receive some accolades for his hard work. (Who doesn’t want to feel important, but on top of that, receive praise for their actions while assisting another?) Whether Tavis Smiley or Al Sharpton were the president of the Untied States, I would beat up either of them if they didn’t devote themselves to my needs. Notwithstanding, I would also praise them for their hard work, dedication and attentiveness to the needs of The People. I would hold each of them accountable, but if I could help either of them achieve their goals in the best interest of The People, I would be there. I would not by any means, feel a need to consider or compromise my ego, but supply aid where best needed. I would want to help the cause, not give some whites more cause to attack another brotha – whether that brotha or Black Brother be light skinned toned or darker skinned, he would first and foremost, have my support. We have not heard from Tavis Smiley in awhile. Yes, I catch his show on TV from time to time,… WAIT!!!!!!! Even then, during THAT particular show, he was attacking president Obama while sitting with Michael Moore! And I will say, that during that November 30, 2009 episode, it was Michael Moore – a WHITE man - who was supporting Barack Obama, while Tavis sat and belittled him. Humph! Anyway as I was saying (before I rudely interrupted myself) I had long forgotten Tavis, but it seems as though he is deviously searching for some attention. Perhaps he's tryign to replace or catchup or find that same love he lost during those two years when he CHOSE not to speak to his Mother. How peculiar that he would finally return to the TJMS to promote his Black symposium but only to bring with him his aggression towards other Blacks. I’ve written my scorn about Barack Obama’s actions as well, but I would never stand against nor ridicule everything he does and says. When Tavis was on the radio, the only nice thing he could say about Obama was that he glad he won. Since then… I always wondered if Tavis resigned from the TJMS due to the aversion he received from the listeners as the majority of them truly disliked the things he said about Obama. (Seems like someone needs a hug.) I have to wonder if Tavis just hates another Black man doing something better or anything successful he himself has not yet achieved. Perhaps he hates to feel superior of other Blacks. I wonder if it’s his ego and loathing of other Blacks is so great that he can’t stand that a Black man is the president of the Country he resides. And worse, a Country that voted in the first Black man - all with the support of a great majority of whites. I have to wonder, do we just hate ourselves that much. Oh the pain! When I return in my next life, I’m going to ask to be RICH and White and then I’ll say, “You people are your own worst enemy.” I will be able to use the same racial epithets and choice words when I say, “I don’t have to do anything to ya because you aggressively seek to do it to yourselves. My work here is done.” In the words of the beaten-down-by-whitey, Mr. Rodney Glen King, but filled with great desire and continuance to see the hope, “Can’t we all just get along?” Oh, the pain! Mr. Smiley and Mr. Sharpton need to join forces and supply aid to the wounded while helping The People and with that help, comes along support for the president. In the end, everyone wins. For just a brief moment, both Smiley and Sharpton need to put their egos aside and help The People. Tavis can boast that he helped The People of Black America and Sharpton can proudly boast that he stood for and by The People. We must stand together and help each other through the pain. No matter how hard the fight may be or the wounds we might suffer, we must unite; no matter how hard and laborious. And at the end of the day, we can just hug ourselves and say what a great job we’ve done. We may even twist our arms by patting ourselves on the back, but another Brotha or Sista will observe the other's pain and will reach out and help the other all while massaging away our egos; building a stronger Black coalition. We cannot afford to tear each other down as the consequences are too detrimental. We have children to lead and because of our love for them, we must end this vicious cycle and stop being stupid, selfish as well as self- absorbed, irritating, deceitful and callous. Honestly, this is not a moment of make-believe, but is my hope and within that hope is a test of our courage without losing heart or one another’s trust and assistance. We must remember and realize that we need one another. Yes, there will always be obstacles, but we don't have to be one - especially towards one another. Everyone wants, needs and enjoys receiving praise and acknowledgement for doing good deeds, but we cannot always count on that from non-Black Americans, so we need to turn to and support one another. We can no longer fight each other but remember the struggle during the Civil Rights Movement and that the ongoing long-lasting fight and struggle remains: the fight of racism of non-Black America....not ourselves. Remember the famous adage: A house divided against itself cannot stand. |
| February 24, 2010 Filed under Commentary |
| This entry was posted on February 24, 2010 and is filed under Keeba’s Commentary. Post comments below, or click here to send an email. |
| Keeba Smith is a published writer and desired screenplay artist. She is the author of “Shades of Bright Pale,” and many other unacquainted writings. Please visit www.Keeba.org to find out more about Keeba Smith, read additional critiques and her unpublished autobiography, “Spirit in the Dark.” © 2010 |
| Tags: Keeba, Barack Obama, Poems, Commentary, Biography, Blacks, Family |
