If you were unfamiliar with the name Van Jones after yesterday that may no longer be the case. Jones’s name has been trending on social media since last night after he made the following remarks on President Trump’s Joint Session speech to Congress.

According to Jones, Mr. Trump became “became president of the United States” when he recognized the widow of slain Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens.”

Jones also went on to say, “There are a lot of people who have a lot of reason to be frustrated with him, fearful of him, mad at him.”

“But that was one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics, period.”

Jones said, “He did something extraordinary,” and for people who have been hoping that he would become unifying, hoping that he might find some way to become presidential, they should be happy with that moment.”

Many found Jones’s comments to be off based. Jones has been an outspoken critic of the President since he took office in mid-January of this year, most recently opposing and going after the President on the proposed “Muslim Ban.”

As the New Year has approached us, the majority of the country has just come out of the holiday season which includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years’. In the midst of the hoopla of these three separate occasions, many of us of African descent have taken note of other—and perhaps even more special—occasions that take place between the months of December and February: Black History Season.
Not familiar with the term? You’re not alone. There are many Blacks who are barely exposed to the information given that is more freely during Black History Month in February. Black History Season—like the holidays—extends over a period of time that lasts for a minimum of two months. In December, many of us commemorate the seven principles of Kwanzaa, which is celebrated during the final week of the year, beginning with December 26.
The Kwanzaa festivities are only the beginning. The month of January kicks the Black historical perspective to full swing, starting with celebrating the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 on New Years’ Day. The month of January also includes the world famous MLK celebrations that often span the entirety of this particular month. The season reaches its peak (and unfortunate demise) in the month of February after the Black History Month celebrations have vanished.
The most positive aspect of Black History Season is its propensity to spark interest in Black history, culture, legacy, and even current issues that involve the Black community. Perhaps the irony of me coining this time period Black History Season is the recurring trend of Black people who observe these special days, yet allow themselves to revert back to apathy from March until the following December.
Despite the short-lived celebration of Blackness, all is not lost on this alone. Let us use recent events such as police brutality toward Blacks, white supremacist media propaganda, and the perpetual exclusion of Black people from all outlets of the dominant society as a rallying cry to emphasize the importance of celebrating our past greatness and using it as a blueprint to build a promising future. Let Black people be the reason for Black History Season.

 by B. Clark

There is evidence to believe that some media outlets at the time decided to capitalize on this image of a “Giant Negro”, because starting in 1897 the New York Times began  to run a series of racist, anti-Black propaganda stories designed to scare the white public.

From the 1890’s to the 1940’s, newspapers from around the country ran sensationalized stories about “Giant Negroes”. These were exaggerated stories about black criminality that played on white supremacist stereotypes.

The underlying theme of the stories were that black people were somewhat non-human and they were in need of more excessive violence from law-enforcement in order to be subdued. Here are some of the actual newspaper clippings from the early part of the 20th century covering the “Giant Negro” hysteria:

Fast forward to today. In cases like the legalized killing of Mike Brown and Eric Garner by law enforcement,people have tried to justify their murders by constantly mentioning the size of these individuals. In the case of Mike Brown, officer Darren Wilson-who was relatively the same size as Mike Brown-emphasized in his police statement that he felt  “like a five year old holding onto Hulk Hogan” when he engaged in his confrontation with Brown.

In the case of Eric Garner,people have tried to justify  his murder, and lack of indictment of the police officers who committed the murder, on Garner’s massive size.

So we have to fully accept that we live in a system of white supremacy that is still judging Melanoid people as a whole based of the same dangerous stereotypes from over 100 years ago. Trying to convince the dominant society to remove these deep rooted stereotypes have been,and will continue to be futile. Instead,Melanoid people should put themselves in a position of empowerment to protect themselves from the dangers of those stereotypes.

“Say it loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

These are the words from the hook of one of James Brown’s most notable songs. The song itself was released in 1968, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. With the (then) recent assassinations of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., racial tensions in the United States appeared to be at an all-time high, and such a song seemed to be the voice of many Black Americans who grew frustrated with the status quo.
Black pride in post-slavery America was exclusively and heavily promoted by Marcus Garvey. In the early 20th century, Garvey was the founder and leader of the U.N.I.A., an organization which emphasized economic and political self-reliance for Blacks on an international scale. Garvey even preached the need for Black dolls for Black girls, explaining how the effects of imagery can leave a lasting impact on these young children.
The late 1960s and early 70s saw Blacks sporting big Afros, wearing Dashikis, and chanting the phrase “Black Power”, coined by Black activist and organizer Stokely Carmichael—later known as Kwame Ture—in a 1966 speech. Perhaps the most well-known catalyst in the eyes of many during this time period were the Black Panther Party. Started in Oakland, CA in the same year as the famous Carmichael “Black Power” speech, this group of Black revolutionary figures such as Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, and Fred Hampton sought to invoke social, political, and basic human rights reform for oppressed Black men, women, and children. As the early 1970s dawned, Black America as a whole was affected by the new desegregation laws that were implemented across the country.
As a result of desegregation, many Black owned businesses, communities, and other institutions ceased to exist over the next four-plus decades. However, for the years that preceded desegregation, many areas of the country hosted proud Black communities that thrived economically, socially, and culturally, such as Tulsa, OK, Rosewood, FL, and Durham, NC. Such a trend became the cause of concern for many, including Civil Rights leader King himself. In a conversation King had with entertainer, activist, and friend Harry Belafonte, he stated that he felt that by fighting for integration with the intent to receive better treatment of Blacks within American society, he was “integrating them (Blacks) into a burning house (America)”.
Perhaps the next strong wave of Black pride occurred in the late 1980s and early 90s. Hip-hop groups such as Public Enemy and Brand Nubian would push a heavy pro-Black message in their songs, and television shows like The Cosby Show and A Different World would often endorse HBCUs by having their cast members wear the schools’ gear on the shows. The Spike Lee directed film Malcolm X inspired many Black youths to wear the “X” labeled ball caps and sweatshirts. African medallions and Dashikis made their return during this same period as a fashion choice of many Blacks as well. Black scholars and speakers such as Dr. Khalid Muhammad and Sister Shahrazad Ali would even make regular appearances on the mainstream daytime talk show circuit, sparking much needed dialogue in the Black community in response to the issues they would publicize.
Today, there seems to be a resurgence in Black awareness and unapologetic pride. Like 1915’s Birth of a Nation influenced White America as a movie laced heavily with racist propaganda, 2009’s Good Hair (produced by Chris Rock) and the Hidden Colors franchise are films that have been proven to be highly influential, critically acclaimed, and tackle issues in a light much different than the traditional Hollywood produced films that feature Blacks. Nationally certified psychologist and educator Dr. Umar Johnson (also of Hidden Colors) has spearheaded his campaign to open a school dedicated to the education of Black youths. Hip-hop artist Cyhi the Prynce even released a mixtape titled Black Hystori Project in early 2014.
With the Obama Administration failing to serve the sociopolitical needs of Black America in conjunction with the rampant police brutality, mass incarceration, and miseducation of Black men, women, and children, many Blacks have discovered—and accepted—that in order to gain the respect and become a viable force on the highly competitive world stage, the community has to become cohesive in their efforts to return to respectability. Will this “conscious” movement of the love of all good things pertaining to Black people persist? Only time will tell.

 by B. Clark