|
Books by Kalamu ya
Salaam
The Magic of JuJu: An Appreciation of the Black Arts
Movement /
360:
A Revolution of Black Poets
Everywhere Is Someplace Else: A Literary Anthology
/
From A Bend in the River: 100 New Orleans Poets
Our Music Is No Accident /
What Is Life: Reclaiming the Black Blues Self
My Story My Song (CD)
*
* * * *
Interview with Award Winning Neo-Griot
Kalamu ya Salaam
9
Being Black
Rudy: Brother, let me go back to
your point about "the meaning and dynamic of being black in
the world." But I am not as certain as I used to be. It
seems that the concept of blackness has been used and abused
since the mid 1970s. Blackness seems to be something that is
highly exploitable, especially by individual blacks who have a
thirst and hunger for self-aggrandizement. I am talking about
politicians, businessmen, and academics who have made millions
and become influential and cornered the market on blackness.
They say they act in the name of the rest us. But I know they
don’t love me and mine. Do you think Buy Black and Vote Black
are realistic programs today?
Kalamu: That question really has
nothing to do with Blackness. The question is really, are
"buy" and "vote" realistic programs today? I
go back to my economic and political analysis. As long as we
define Blackness as a skin game, then of course we are in deep
doo-doo. That’s why back in the day, we defined blackness as
color, culture and consciousness. One of my poems from the late
seventies said: "all that’s black ain’t brother / white
people come in all colors."
Neither "buying" nor
"voting" is going to free us or empower us. Indeed, it was the
struggle for power that won us the opportunity to spend our
money in public places and to exercise the right to vote as
citizens of America. Struggle gave us "buy" and "vote." We need
economic and political struggle against the status quo and for
self-determination. Buy Black and Vote Black in and of
themselves are not progressive programs and never were, nor can
be, progressive programs if they are divorced from the struggle
for self-determination. * *
* * *
<<Previous8
Next10>> |
