Mary D. Jackson: “Dear Black people, Pay attention”

As you whitethorn person noticed, oregon possibly you haven’t (which is the intent of this letter). And successful the words of a well-known comedian “you gon’ larn today!”

The experimentation called integration did/is not working! It killed Black business, schools and has helped facilitate oregon accelerate redlining and present gentrification. As a idiosyncratic who grew up during the segregation era, I americium alert of the benefits of segregation.

In fact, I judge we should person listened to and followed the teachings of Marcus Garvey, Elijah Mohammed, Malcolm X, Farrakhan and the Black Panthers and learned to bash for aforesaid and not fixed up our powerfulness to integrate and unrecorded among, spell to schoolhouse and enactment with radical who don’t privation to beryllium astir america Black people.

On the different hand, I had acquisition with integration too; from the archetypal to the 3rd people I went to an integrated schoolhouse and for my inferior and elder precocious years the precocious schoolhouse I went to had lone maine and 1 different Black girl.

More importantly, the Civil Rights authorities changed laws; but, it didn’t alteration the hearts of galore Europeans successful this country. And this is becoming much evident each time arsenic these radical (white) telephone the constabulary connected Black radical who effort to unrecorded their lives doing what everyone other does without immoderate brainsick achromatic idiosyncratic calling the constabulary connected them.

For example, the Starbucks incident, Waffle house, barbecuing successful the park, existent property cause showing a house, Black women playing golf, Hobby Lobby, Black graduates successful Florida pushed disconnected the signifier for dancing etc.

So, successful the words of Farrakhan “Don’t spell wherever you’re not wanted” and Elijah Mohammed “Do for Self” by supporting Black businesses oregon different radical of color’s businesses; for instance, Jamaican and Ethiopian, Mexican and Chinese restaurants and stores.

However, bash not enactment those businesses owned by radical who bash not respect you. Integration killed Black newspapers, shot teams and Black people’s full economical base.

Why did we privation to integrate with radical who didn’t respect us, lynched america and whose ancestors enslaved our ancestors?

At 1 time, present successful Atlanta, determination were Black hotels, clubs, ballrooms, autobus companies, contractors, cause stores and each the businesses we needed to unrecorded our regular lives.

Do you spot Chinese radical integrating with achromatic people? Why would they privation to integrate with radical who lynched them, chopped disconnected their braids and besides passed exclusion laws against them?

Instead, they built Chinatowns to unrecorded and prolong their people. Do you spot Mexicans trying to integrate with achromatic radical who killed and discriminated against them? (Also, they cognize that portion of this state was erstwhile Mexico and was stolen from them).

No, they built their ain portion of municipality and opened businesses. Every taste radical wants to unrecorded among their ain radical and enactment their ain businesses.

Why indispensable Black radical effort to assimilate with radical who don’t privation to beryllium astir them and lone wants their money?

So, Black radical to halt the inclination of achromatic radical calling the constabulary connected Black radical conscionable due to the fact that they can, let’s enactment each the Black businesses we tin and unfastened caller ones; so, that we volition go self-sufficient similar different taste groups.

For example, Cubans successful Miami power a portion of that metropolis and it’s called “Little Havana” due to the fact that they person businesses, unrecorded and prolong each different and Ethiopia’s power a portion of Washington D. C. for the aforesaid reason.

Also, successful Seattle wherever my relative lives determination is simply a thoroughfare wherever determination are 5 Ethiopian restaurants and they each are staying successful business.

In addition, different Africans and radical from the Caribbean signifier this too. Plus, this didn’t hap by trying to integrate with achromatic radical this happened due to the fact that they opened businesses and supported those businesses and worked astatine those businesses and “did for self” and gained economical independence.

So, Black radical unfastened an relationship astatine a Black bank, spell to a Black doc and lawyer, store astatine Black stores, advertise your events and businesses successful a Black paper and we volition summation dignity and respect and go autarkic similar each the different taste groups.

I cognize determination are those Black radical that emotion achromatic radical and possibly are portion white; but, this is not a caller phenomenon, it’s been happening since Black radical and achromatic radical archetypal encountered 1 another.

Also, I cognize determination are immoderate bully achromatic people; however, it’s clip for us, Black radical to look retired for 1 different and enactment 1 another. In my opinion, it is indispensable for our endurance each implicit the world.

Note: This op-ed by Mary D. Jackson was submitted for information connected June 7, 2018. It appeared successful the June 8, 2018 printed variation of The Atlanta Voice.