COVER -> RECOMMENDED DAILY REQUIREMENT
LEADERSHIP - When I was coming up, a lot of the old folks in the community used to use the phrase, "a credit to his race." I'm glad that went away, 'cause I always used to think, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" It would kind of make me mad if you wannah know the truth, Homes.
So a couplah weeks ago, when it came out how the Reverend Jesse Jackson had taken a big fall by having it exposed that he had this love child by one of his co-workers, I had to stop and think about this whole issue of leadership, what it means, how we pick 'em --- or, and more likely, have 'em picked for us. Next thing I know, I felt like I was in some kindah trick-bag. I'll tell ya why.
First of all, as far as I know, Black people always had they leaders picked by what the White Media decided we should be following.
I mean no disrespect to folks like W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, but with few exceptions --- WE AIN'T PICKED NONE OF THESE MEN! The White Media decided they was our leaders because they managed to speak the loudest.
Who we picked? Maybe Malcolm. And you can find plenty of folks to debate you about that.
What I'm gettin' at here is the same old okey-doke. What Malcolm had the wit to call "tricknology." We never even get the chance to choose our own leaders. Ya'll just go ahead and do it for us. And you don't even give us a kiss in the process.
So now we is supposed to feel bad that Jesse Jackson has been "discredited" because he has a functioning male organ? I don't think so. Homey don't play that!
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The man had a lot more to say than that "I Have a Dream" speech, Homeboys and -girls. Look it up.
As is this is about to become Black History Month (short month, huh?) and our publisher didn't have anythang special to say along these lines, I thought I would.
Get used to it!
Now let me get back on track. After reading what I just said, you might ask me,
"Yo, Homes! What kindah person would you choose as your leader? And tell me why!"
Well, believe it or not, that's an easy as sleazy question for me, my brothers. Here it is:
- Somebody who is totally open about they flaws and screw-ups and don't try to pretend they don't put they panties on one leg at a time.
- Somebody who is FEARLESS. What I mean by that is somebody who will not only watch your back, but will dive ---without hesitation --- into the on-coming bruisers who might want to kick your ass.
- Somebody who has a dream of some kind of Paradise in this world, not the next!
- Somebody who knows about real suffering. Who has been there. That means somebody who's compassion is not just talk.
- And lastly, somebody with staying power. Somebody who is not just a "Sunshine Friend," but who is with you when times get hard for you and it would be easy for them to walk away. I'm talking about somebody who is in it for the long-term.
That's the only kind of leader I ever wanted. That means I want a leader who can be arrogant when he's facing my enemies and humble when he's talkin' to me. You understand what I'm sayin'?
That kind of leader is few and far between.
I'm talkin' about the kind of man or woman who can make me cry like a baby before we go into the next struggle and who can also make me mad as hell right before I gottah go chew veins and cut off nuts.
Heaven and Hell in one person.
Yeah, I know that's a tall order.
But I see that here sometimes. Don't you?
When we get to choose our own leaders, why do we do it? My thinking, Homes, is because we see something in whoever that person is that speaks to our highest instincts. Just when we was about to forget what we believed in, they tap us on the damned shoulder and remind us again. We end up thinking, "Yeah! I knew that!"
Leaders don't take power away from us, they give it back in their own charismatic way, ya'll. Makin' us remember what we really believe in, they re-invigorate us in some kindah way. It's not so much like we are following as much as that we are re-joining. It's as if somebody said, "Hey, Brotherman, wake up! We got business to take care of!"
I gottah imagine that Joan of Arc had that kindah quality to her, and Alexander the Great. You run up on a person like that, how can you not go, "Right on!"
You don't run up on folks like that a lot. When you do, you gottah feel lucky.
So I'm not too concerned about Jesse. I already found my leader. Long may he live.
This week's Poll: Was the second time better than the first?
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