thank you African Americans for taking a leading role

[undeterred]

in the anti-war movement.

The crowd was very, very diverse in terms of age and race.

But when I was marching there was a black woman leading the chanting of "Fight the Power"... I was just so thankful for her passion.

I am thankful for the leadership of John Conyers and Jesse Jackson and his son.

Thank God for the beautiful African American people who love this country so much even though they haven't been treated fairly. :cry:

[rwork]

1. Makes me

proud too.

[peacetalksforall]

2. I'm very appreciative of the Black Caucus and their friends who get up

before the microphones and work behind the scenes. I thank the other Representatives who work hand in hand with the Black Caucus - FOR US - FOR ME.

I thank all the Black-American citizens who know BS when they hear it and others who don't let their passion for their religion blind them.


We still have heroes in this country.

Thanks for starting this thread.

[shrike]

36. I feel like the Black Caucus is the only group looking out for me

And I'm as white as they come.

I feel humble, in fact, when I see the good work John Conyers, et. al., are doing. I can't relate much to the black experience, I mostly live in a white world. And yet, the BC speaks for me. And I am grateful.

[GreenPartyVoter]

38. SAme here. With the exception of a few progressive whites, it's been the

CBC who says what I want to hear up on the Hill.

[wryter2000]

39. You got that

The CBC have more true patriots in their group than the rest of the government put together. If I were elected to Congress, I'd ask if I could form a Caucasians Auxilliary and get their coffee.

:applause:

[Sunkiss BlueStar]

3. Exactly

Now everyone should see why African Americans overwhelmingly refuse to support Repukes.

[terip64]

4. I have been ashamed of my lack of faith

living in my big, dry house with my beautiful yard and amazing life. The black people that I have heard speak and even that I see laughing and carrying on with their lives out in public really do make me feel ashamed of my pouting and general bitchiness over the state of our country. They know better than I do how screwed up this country is and yet they still have faith. That, I believe is the best lesson learned for all of us.

[undeterred]

5. Yes indeed.

:kick:

[shrike]

6. I've been to anti-war protests

And, as I remarked to my companion recently, the black people get it.

Every African-American driver honks, smiles, waves, gives a thumbs-up. A few stop and tell us how much it means to them, what we are doing. The whites are a mixed bag. Some show support; others give a thumbs-down, others scream tirades out the window, etc. It's mostly the very old and the very young that are rabid war-supporters. Those with the most, and the least, to lose.

Of course, Hurricane Katrina reminded me just WHY they get it.

[raccoon]

8. I've noticed that too, that when it comes to discussing politics,

the Bush junta, etc., that black people get it a lot more than most white people in the red state I live in. They realize that the Republicans & Bush junta have NOTHING to offer them.


"Of course, Hurricane Katrina reminded me just WHY they get it."

You know that's right.

Now, if non-rich whites would just get it...

[Maraya1969]

28. OH yea, I've only been to one peace rally but the ones that cursed

us out were all white. And I remember several Black and Hispanic groups in cars that were giving us the thumbs up. I think it would have been surreal had a black family rolled down their windows and screamed at us. It just doesn't fit in the picture but I never realized the significance of it until now. Thanks

[goclark]

7. Thank You for Recognizing Our Contributions!

I am sincerely appreciative of the way that we have participated in the grass roots efforts for truth and fairness in America.

Yes we have been on the cutting edge of TRUTH to POWER since slavery times.

Our Baptist and gospel roots have told us, "...ain't gonna let nobody turn me around" and that spirit runs deep within the spines of my people.

Sometimes "ain't gonna let NOBODY turn me around" causes us to suffer for a while (Ex. I am still trying to find out if Pepsi canceled Kanye West from doing commercials) but we have been taught by our ancestors that " We Shall Over Come!"

However, African Americans from slavery times on, have recognized that we need Whites that speak TRUTH and FAIRNESS to POWER, to help make this country a better place. We can not do it alone.

Conyers and Jesse could not have rallied 400,000 people to March on Saturday! They needed Cindy and the Anti War Movement.

There are millions of examples of Whites that have been there to help us, the Underground Railroad is fresh in my memory.

The Civil Rights laws could not have happened without LBJ.

We worshiped the Kennedy family and FDR and Clinton. Why, because they cared about ALL people and recognized that our country could not move forward until the least among us had a chance.

Your comments made my day!

TRUTH to POWER... " Our TRUTH Is Marching On!"

:grouphug:

[undeterred]

9. We are all getting together on something that transcends race

and class, which is the suffering of huge numbers of the human family at the hands of a few powerful oppressors.

Blacks have understood the importance of solidarity, of patience, and of speaking the truth to power over and over again.

Thank you again and again African Americans, for doing so much of the heavy lifting in the pursuit of peace and justice. :grouphug:

[itzamirakul]

11. On behalf of all the African Americans who will never see this post,

along with goclark, may I say "thank you for saying 'thanks'."

It means a lot.

We HAVE come a long way when white Americans are proud to publicly acknowledge our loyalty, our friendship and our generosity to our fellow citizens. We have always been there, but most people have considered us invisible.

Anyway...thanks again!

[goclark]

13. Ralph Ellison's book... We are Invisible

When I looked at television after Katrina and Rita, all of the people that have positions of authority, other than Condi, Nagin and Oprah are White.

It does hurt to see that we have helped to build New Orleans and this nation and I have not seen one Black person from FEMA, not one leading the Red Cross efforts, not one from Halliburton --we will push on!

General Honore' ~ oops, I believe he is Creole. He is doing a great job as far as I can tell! He sure knows how to take charge.

But, for 99 1/2 % of the time ,we are still, in 2005, invisible.

http://www.fulmerford.com/strobe/reviews/ellison.html

[Tomee450]

14. I have been thinking the same thing.

Very few blacks in positions of authority making decisions that affect the lives of thousands of black people. All of the people on stage with Bush, Chertoff, Brown etc were all white. No blacks to be seen.

[Booster]

22. I have never said this before because I didn't want it to be taken

the wrong way, but there are lots of white men and women who I have admired over my 62 years, but my chest swells when I see a black man or woman stand up and show us whites where we are just plain wrong. Of course the easy example of this is Rosa Parks, but there have been so many, many others in my life. Martin Luther King, Jr. made whites look deep in themselves and see things that we didn't want to see in ourselves. Yes, thank you one and all for showing us patience, and how to know bullshit when we see it - you've all taught me well, and I appreciate it.:yourock:

[goclark]

44. Everyone on this thread ROCKS ! nt

[AuntiBush]

30. And Your Sacrifices, and Bravery has made my Day!

You're courage leaves me speechless.

Thank you so very much. We need you. Please, don't leave us, rather unite. We're all brothers and sisters from beginning to end.

[undeterred]

10. kick for African Americans!

:kick:

[bobbieinok]

12. adding my heart-felt thanks...and a question-why does US always depend

on African-Americans to save it, to save its soul??

it's like most of the rest of us just doze along until African-Americans wake us up

[goclark]

16. Don't think you doze off

any more than others.

There are many African Americans that don't have political passion too.

As far as politicians go, generally African American politicians came up the hard way. Their parents were not in the political arena(exclude Harold Ford, Jesse Jackson and the other names escape me) so they are put there by a strong African American base that will allow them to speak out on issues and defend them.

Maxine Waters can come out swinging and she does!

[undeterred]

15. kick!

:kick:

[Psyop Samurai]

17. "Thank you" is right !!

...and not just the anti-war movement. It seems like the CBC is the only nexus of influence in this whole sham of a government that I consistently identify with.

[alarcojon]

18. Indeed

Let's not forget Cynthia McKinney, Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, Kanye, and many, many others.

[wryter2000]

40. Barbara Lee

We love our Barbara Lee around here. You should have heard the gasp in the theatre when she showed up on the screen in F9/11.

I tell you, that's still the saddest scene in the whole movie for me. I thought, "Oh, my God, we've let our African American brothers and sisters down AGAIN!" I think I would have gone out of my mind if the same thing had happened in 2004.

[alarcojon]

43. Yes, that scene spoke volumes

about the topic of this thread.

[southlandshari]

19. Kicked and recommended.

:thumbsup:

[journalist3072]

20. We're not afraid to back away from a fight.

In fact, we are used to it.

[readmoreoften]

21. Heck Yea! Black Caucus for Multi-headed President!

And Conyers for Pres.

TRUE AMERICANS ALL!

[IndyOp]

23. Black Like Me --

Okay, so I'm visibly white, but in every national poll in which I see white and black opinion shown separately I fit in with the African American point of view.

These days I know that I can speak freely in the presence of internationals and African Americans -- I fit in.

And, yes, I am in awe of African Americans who time and again have been ignored, ridiculed, attacked -- and who RISE.

Thank you - from the depths of my heart, I thank you. God Bless!

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

On Edit: I heard Angelou speak a few years back. She said that we should ALL learn our poetry because we were going to NEED it. Whew, was she right!

[linazelle]

25. I love you for that. nt

:hug:

[goclark]

41. Thanks IndyOp for reminding us @ the POWER of Maya

I just printed your post "Still I Rise" and clipped it beside my computer.

A few minutes ago I watched Michael"Brownie" Brown on cable and was filled with rage.

To think that he believes we don't see straight through his lies --blaming it on Nagin! Sitting there in his $$ suit that should have a hood on it! Blaming it on the slave and not on the slave owner BUSH!

It's as if Maya wrote STILL I RISE for the victims of Katrina...

As my nightmares form images of my people,wading in the troubled water of New Orleans,I am uplifted by the WAY they came through all that pain with such dignity.

Yes Maya! They brought the gift that our ancestors gave to yet another chapter of sorrow to our history.

With each wet step they seemed to be saying, "Wake Up America! Wake Up!"

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

My heart is filled with appreciation for those that responded to this thread.
Love You
goclark

[crispini]

24. Recommended!

The Congressional Black Caucus are the REAL DEMOCRATS! John Conyers is a HERO!

[alittlelark]

26. I had an Af-Amer college roommate who said it sooo well.

"We need to stand up for ourselves, because no one else will do it for us!"

Perhaps we of the paler skin tone should HEAR the message.

" When they came for the ( ) I was not one of them, so I remained silent."

Those on the percieved bottom rungs are looking out for themselves - AND everyone else.

[Catherine Vincent]

27. You're welcome!

Wish I was there though.:(

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

29. I think Black Americans have more refined bullshit filters.

It dawned on me when I saw the news interviewing people after the chimp's speech in New Orleans. The white folks would say what a nice speech it was and what a wonderful plan he had. The black folks said Words mean nothing, we need action. Years and years of broken promises have led to development of an acute sense for bullshit detection.

[tamtam]

31. Thank you

My grandmother would tell my sister and I stories of her struggle, not just as an African American but also as a woman. I have come to realize that the fight must continue for all people. I have more "privileges" than my grandmother but In my opinion I am still not free. As long as Bushco continues to send innocent people to die for his ungodly cause then I am not free. As long as they allow people to die in their own waste (New Orleans) then I am not free, none of us are. There is so much injustice brought down from Bush and as long as there is injustice then people of all races are not free.

I am so proud that black people took to the streets on Saturday. I'm also proud of my fellow progressives lending their voices to the fight. We have our work cut out for us. I'm confident that we can change this country for the better. :toast:

[goclark]

32. Speak tamtam and everyone in this magnificent thread

I am touched, beyond measure, by the wisdom and compassion of your words.

I am reminded of my favorite poet, Langston Hughes.....

www.nku.edu/~diesmanj/hughes.html

>Throughout Hughes's life--and his literary expression--the American Dream has appeared as a ragged, uneven, splotched, and often unattainable goal which often became a nightmare, but there is always hope of the fulfilled dream even in the darkest moments. During World War II Hughes, commenting on the American Negroes' role in the war, recognized this. ". . . we know," he said in a 1943 speech reprinted in The Langston Hughes Reader (1958),that America is a land of transition. And we know it is within our power to help in its further change toward a finer and better democracy than any citizen has known before.

>The American Negro believes in democracy. We want to make it real, complete, workable, not only for ourselves--the fifteen million dark ones--but for all Americans all over the land.

>The American Dream is bruised and often made a travesty for Negroes and other underdogs, Hughes keeps saying, but the American Dream does exist. And the Dream must be fulfilled. In one of his verses he put it more plainly. He might have been speaking to his harshest political critics or to the white youths who beat him up on that long-ago summer day in Chicago.

Listen, America--
I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.

From "The American Dream of Langston Hughes." Southwest Review (1963).

[donheld]

33. Thank you African Americans for building so much of this country

We wouldn't have become near as great a nation without you, our brothers and sisters.

[texpatriot2004]

34. Amen, lately it's the Black Congressional Caucus, along with the

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, there was also an African-American Rev. at Camp Casey in Crawford who was interviewed, I can't remember his name right now but he was great...so many leaders lately that I admire and look to are African-Americans - THANK YOU ALL for your true leadership, integrity, honesty, morality...thank you.

[NuttyFluffers]

35. a most hearty Amen.

america would not be america without african americans. they are the energy and wisdom behind speaking truth to power here. the conscience of a promise not yet filled.

[katinmn]

37. I want to add my long overdue THANK YOU as well!

African Americans from John Conyers to Sharpton and Jackson and the entire CBC are leading this struggle.

We could not fight and win without you.

You have my undying gratitude and loyalty and I am with you every step of the way!
:grouphug:

[WCGreen]

42. The African American Community, as a whole, is a lot

more progressive than others....

We have to thank them time and time again for keeping the eye on the prize...

[undeterred]

45. kick!

Black IS really Beautiful. :patriot: