Forget the Former--Move On

It has been said by men and women on the right and on the left that we (Black people) protest too much about too little and our causes are a reflection of the impotence of black people in dealing with the real issues of life.

And most of the time I say AMEN. However, there is also some power in standing for or against those less than front burner items. One reason to continue to resist loudly and proudly against the flying of the Confederate Flag in public places is because while it may be a part of their history it also serves as a reminder that they intended to keep folk like me in eternal bondage, and it offends my sensibilities as a human and and as a citizen.

Does standing against this icon of a mythic south reduce unemployment, no. Does it increase the availablity of social services no. Does it insure that Black children are not left behind not hardly.

So why shouldn't we just give up and let the proponents of Southern heritage have it their way?

First, giving up on that would lead to giving up on a lot of other issues that are more important. Sometimes these little fights help us to remember the broader issues that affect our every day lives. They remind us that the playing field is far from level and since nobody wants to apologize, damnit, we cannot sit idly by and watch a symbol of oppression fly and not raise our voices in protest.

Second, we want America to move away from the relics of a past that denied our humanity, we cannot allow this country to get caught up in a wistful nostalgia that ignores the oppression endured by our ancestors.

Finally, these fights can and must be used to mobilize us to look ahead to start to drive the agenda instead of the agenda driving us.