Blacks across the country were invited to “March on Washington” 8 years to the day Emmett Till’s body was found in the Tallahatchie River.
Millions of flyers were distributed by Community Leaders inviting groups and individuals to mobilize.
Malcolm X was in Washington that day, and did not attend the rally.
This article uses two famous flyers, speeches, and words from Malcolm X’s autobiography and the biographies of the speakers to ask 7# Questions never been asked before.
Unlike the media organizations that brought you “The Hate that Hate Produced” and the “Mostly Peaceful Protests” in Black neighborhoods by “Groups Who Must Not be Named,” I’ll link to my source materials.
I’d rather awaken you to your own way of thinking than try and indoctrinate you to mine.
For me, Black History Month 2022 began with the #CRTSchoolShooting, followed by the death of Amir Locke in a no knock raid in Downtown Minneapolis.
The $90 million missing from Black Lives Matter from over two years of donations from corporations, foundations, and the public, became news, and more information about the $400 million food scam dropped in the first week.
None of this is helping Black people.
Q1: What Can We Learn From Black History?
MN’s current Attorney General Keith Ellison, was the 2016 Co-Chair of the Democratic National Committee. He announced Hillary Clinton and “The most Progressive Platform in History” that included a “$15 nationwide minimum wage!”
The March on Washington was for:
“A $2-an-hour minimum wage nationwide (equivalent to $17 in 2017)”
When BLM activists like Breck-Educated Mpls City Councilman, Jeremiah Ellison, say things have never been worse for most Blacks. They have a point.
Someone once said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
Q2: How Did We Get Here?
In addition to the $2 min. wage (roughly $20/hr in 2022) being demanded, the passing of an unread Civil Rights Act ended up benefitting white women and educated minority immigrants more than any other class.
Malcolm X referred to this now Holy event as the “Farce on Washington” in his autobiography as Blacks were beckoned by “The Big Six” activists to Washington.
Big Six: Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer, John Lewis, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, and Whitney Young
Malcolm X noted how this idea of a march was ignored, and then “spontaneously, suddenly, caught on.”
Q3: What Recent Political Movements “Spontaneously, Suddenly” Caught On?
Malcolm X notes this event was being co-opted by media (publicity) and Govt. politicians, religious leaders, and “a labor boss,” presumably for their own ends. Consistent messaging went out on famous flyers.
They looked for a government solution and were primed for one already in the works. Worse, they were being asked to march for rights they already had.
Q4: What Are “Meaningful” Civil Rights Laws?
This whole march was sanctioned by the establishment. They plopped the name “Civil Rights Act‘ on a bill no one there was allowed to read.
This bill created new government bureaucracies that benefited white women and educated immigrants, far more than Blacks.
Worse than anything, it facilitated the war on men. How’s that been working out for Blacks and Black Families? Ask yourself.
Massive Federal Works Programs, Full and Fair Housing, Decent Housing, these are all giveaways, Malcolm X asks, “What strings come with that money?”
The Right to vote – ask any Black 2016 Bernie supporter or any Black Trump voter in 2020 whether their vote counted.
You could ask white voters too, for that matter.
Adequate Integrated Education – I guess if you wanted your kids to learn social activism instead of math and how to determine someone’s pronouns rather than to write, then, you got it.
I don’t know any Black people from the 60’s who wanted that.
Speakers
Malcolm X was critical of who was able to speak, and what they were and were not allowed to say. He was not entirely happy about the “labor boss” Walter Ruether having such a prominent place.
He also specifically objected to people being told what they were going to sing.
Here is “We Shall Overcome” sung at the march by the great Black Civil Rights Activists and Bob Dylan’s Girlfriend, Ms. Joan Baez.
Philip Randolph’s opening remarks calls everyone in the crowd, “the advanced guard of a moral revolution.” He suggests they all go to jail and march through the streets like Jesus. Within 2 years, their two prominent leaders will be dead.
“Not the climax of our struggle but a new beginning,” he goes on to say, “Look for the enemies of medicare, higher min. wages, of Social Security of Federal Aid to Education, and there you will find the enemy of the Negro”.
Q5: Would Malcolm X Suggest Blacks Skeptical of Govt. Programs Were “Enemies of the Negro”?
John Lewis – Wanted More Activists.
Lewis’ big lament in the beginning is that not everyone turned out. “We have nothing to be proud of because 100,’s of thousands of our brothers are not here.”
“We do not want to go to jail. We will go to jail if this is the price we must pay for love, brotherhood, and true peace. We must get into this revolution and complete the revolution…”
John Lewis worked his way through foundation work and social activism into political power. He will no doubt be remembered for sponsoring the Every Child Deserves a Family Act which ensures that young Black men, who identify with the women who raised them, will receive the proper encouragement to get their balls cut off in foster care.
I can hear John Lewis doing his best emotional plea and MLK-style dictation.
“By requiring federally-funded child welfare services and staff training to be affirming of youth in care’s complex social identities, ensuring that they find families that mirror or accept their identities, and requiring data collection on LGBTQ+ youth in care, the Every Child act promotes the wellbeing and safety of children and youth in foster care.”
What better way to keep Black men safe than to cut their balls off? How would Malcolm X feel about this plan?
Roy Wilkins – Also Wanted More Activists.
He starts out his speech reprimanding Blacks for not doing his will in a timely fashion. “I told them you would be here, they didn’t believe me because you always make up your mind at the last minute.”
Whitney M. Young – “First Class Citizenship for All Americans, Now!”
I’m just going to leave deciphering what that means up to you.
Walter Ruether – Wants More Activists and Legislation
Malcolm X referred to Labor Boss Struggling for years to keep Communists out of his Progressive union.
He says this will be the beginning and that if We (™) don’t get the legislation that We (™) want there will be bloodshed.
MartinLuther King – Wanted Money for Some Citizens of Color
“It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.
We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”
Young people today might not know what a promissory note, or a check are. Those were ways to get paid. They also wouldn’t know what “insufficient funds” means because rather than learning budgeting and how to balance a checkbook, they’re being taught how Climate Change and Systemic Racism doom them to eternal torment.
Dr. King had a dream for his children and grandchildren, which we see realized every four years or so.
As for other Blacks, Dr. King had this advice.
“Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.”
Peter, Paul and Mary – Blowing in the Wind
I have no idea why three rich white kids were a featured act at the Civil Rights March, but here they are singing a song written by Bob Dylan.
Q6: Why Was Malcolm X Concerned About All That Money?
$8.00 is equivalent to $80 in Black History Month 2022, who knows what that will be worth in 2023?
