The Man Said ‘Get ‘em’ And Racism Said, ‘Got ‘em’

November 25, 2010 admin Features 0

The passive-aggressive behavior of intellectually dead Black folks playing the Apologist or Silence Game, not speaking Truth to Power about Racism, has put one foot of the Black community in a grave and they’re trying to drag in the last foot that stands on the will and determination of those of us who refuse to be quiet, lie, quit, or die. W.L. Hilliard III

Suspect Number One: Deion Sanders, an outspoken former NFL great I once respected, and Kanye West, rapper extraordinaire, committed two heinous criminal acts against the Black community recently. Playing mainstream America’s Denial Card for them, Sanders said, “We can’t play the Race Card,” when he was put on the spot to respond to White writer John Feinstein’s comment that Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan was treating his Black Pro Bowl Quarterback, Donovan McNabb, in a racist manner and should be fired.

Shanahan had benched McNabb with about two minutes left in a big game and implied McNabb had cardio issues (he’s fat and lazy), didn’t know the two-minute offense (dumb), and that he had to cut the playbook in half (dumber). Feinstein believes Shanahan leaked the “playbook” comments to reporter Chris Mortensen, who broke the story. However, McNabb’s six Pro Bowl trips and appearance in five NFC championship games speak for themselves. Not to mention, Michael Vick, the NFL’s top rated passer, said he’s a much better player this year because he copied McNabb’s study and work habits when he backed up McNabb in Philadelphia last season.

Suspect Number Two: Kanye West, put on trial before a mostly White Today Show audience, allowed Matt Lauer, the show’s host, to bully him into apologizing to George Bush for his controversial “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” comments regarding Bush not sending in troops to help the mostly Black Katrina victims for a week. Caught off guard, West tried to fight back by getting nasty with host Lauer’s rude crew running tapes while he was talking, but Lauer floored West and he was out for the count when he apologized. Later, West cancelled his Today Show concert.

So what is the “real” secret regarding how Sanders and West both became so “drawn out” or cowardly and willing to throw Black people’s plight with racism “under the bus”?

Well, Sanders “Got milk” from his momma and Got Strong, Got Attention in grade school and high school, so he Got Scholarship and Attention in college where he Got Separated from the Black student campus movements, then he Got an Agent, Got a NFL Contract, Got Celebrity, and “Got Got” by The Man’s Racism and is now scared to Speak Truth to Power. Sanders, like most Black athletes, is not trying to cause controversy on the set of his TV job or jeopardize his endorsements. You see, Neon Deion always loved the bright lights of the media.

And West? How did he “Get Got”?

West also Got Milk from momma, Got Attention as a writer-producer, Got a Record Deal, Got Game, Got Awards, Got Controversy, and then “Got Got,” after having initially achieved my Black Speaking Truth to Power award for telling the world Bush didn’t like Black people.

The bottom line is whether you’re famous or just an everyday Black man or woman at work, you must overcome your fear to Speak Truth to Power about racism, and do so when Whites are listening and watching.

Thus, the intellectual and spiritual test – the highest test there is – for an authentic, Real Black Man (or Woman) worth his weight in gold is: does he Speak Truth to Power?

So . . . do you?

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My name is Walter Hilliard III. I have a B.S. degree in Public Administration and a Masters in Psychology (specialty in Media Psychology). I’m currently seeking publishers for a book focusing on Black Self-Destruction and two inspirational eBooks, having already published a multitude of articles in several different newspapers and magazines over the years. I’ve been a head basketball coach on the high school and college level, and taught success classes at a private college, created numerous community and college programs focusing on leadership, mentoring, college awareness (for inner-city kids), and employment and training. And I have worked as an employment and training manager, family therapist, behavior specialist, college retention specialist, juvenile detention center treatment supervisor, and a contractor, facilitating relationship and marriage education groups for couples. The purpose of Universal Soul Power is to confront negative media messages about African Americans, proliferate positive messages about the Black community, and inspire all those who are part of the universe, but especially African Americans, through my inspirational writings. The truth is that most African Americans haven’t lost their Spiritual Souls, yet (although some of us behave like we’ve lost our minds), but we have lost our “Soul” — that NewRhythmandBluesyContemporaryHipHopSoul that allows us to be compassionate, productive leaders who recognize what really matters in life and live our lives beyond fad terms like “Swag,” instead embracing more fulfilling concepts like being Calm, Cool, and Collected, and knowing what they are all about: being your “growing self,” dancing to your own Life Drum, in tune, on beat, unfazed by fear, and leaving the world a better place when they move on. Now dat’s Real Soul, and dat’s whatum talkin’ ’bout! Walter L. Hilliard III

You don’t wake up and become an Olympic champion, you have to train. And you don’t become adept at understanding and discussing race without doing your homework. Seventy-five percent of race-ism “training” comes from just being born Black and learning to navigate and survive in a Race Jungle filled with Media Lions, Hollywood Black Stereotype Gators, and Mainstream American Racial Pro-filers. Writer, blogger, and Media Psychologist Walter L. Hilliard III blasts onto the book scene at a time of high racial tensions to offer a controversial assessment of the interplay between Black self-destruction and racism in his first published book: The 10 Worst Things Black People Put Up With: Problems & Universal Soul Power Solutions, a dynamic and fresh read about race in America. Hilliard offers cutting edge perspectives on the overlooked genocidal media movement to effeminize Black men, as well as the liberal movement (Roe vs. Wade, Congressional Black Caucus, and Democratic Party) to stop Black births (17 million Black babies aborted since 1970). However, Black people are also self-destructing in terms of their self-inflicted “bougieness element,” religiosity, Obama fetish, work plantation mentality, and apathy regarding holding Black athletes, entertainers and leaders accountable.