By A. Peter Bailey
(Trice Edney Wire) – Serious Black folks who are concerned about the current political scene in this country are advised to read or reread and informative, thought-provoking, provocative, solutions-oriented March 2010 column written by the late scholar/master teacher, Dr. Ron Walters.
Entitled “Tea Party, Coffee Party: Why Not a Black Party?”, it included the following: “….There needs to be not only a place where you can get down to the ‘nuts and bolts’ about who should be held accountable but also how to develop effective strategies to achieve accountability….A Black political party will enable a discussion about accountability that will focus on the cabinet agencies where the federal budget exist to achieve some of the things needed by the Black community. A Black party could also monitor local initiatives more effectively—that’s where the rubber meets the road—with the mayors, county officials, state legislatures and others who presumably have some idea of what it takes to make Black communities whole. A mobilized force can assist in the tasks of analyzing community needs and determining whether or to what extent these needs are being met….”
We are not obliged to accept everything that Dr. Walters recommends in his column, but at least our discussions will be solutions-oriented rather than getting together for hours, days and weeks rehashing horror stories about the more overt white supremacy we are being confronted with in 2022. Much too often, today’s Black editorial writers, Black columnists, Black authors, Black politicians, etc. just limit themselves to telling it like it is rather than providing concrete guidance on how we can more effectively promote our health, economic, cultural, political, educational, technological, and communications interests in a society where more and more white supremacists are openly pushing their agendas. That’s what Dr. Walters advocated in the above-mentioned column.
The current political scene for Black folks also brings to mind a quote made by a former American President. “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On!’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
