I’m finally getting to something I alluded to maybe four years ago, in my essay about Black Republicans, of whom I am one of them.
In that essay, in speaking of John James, West Point graduate, combat veteran, and Senatorial candidate, I was lamenting the sometimes-lukewarm treatment of Black Republicans by their declared party who pay a HEAVY price for their political stance. To maintain fairness, I added: “(In a later blog post, I will be holding the Black community’s feet to the fire for this same crime, not promoting our stars).”
So here we go.
Black, or African American, or people of color, or the latest term I heard from Columbia University linguistics Professor John McWhorter – BIPOC (black indigenous people of color), or FBA (Foundational Black American), or the myriads of other terms describing those who are part of the Black American experience, are continuing an ethnic/racial pride movement with stepped up vigor. The trend of late is to reexamine America’s moments of triumph, glory, and accomplishment to bring light to the ‘Black’ contributions. As a student of history, like others I have found there are many omissions, and often those omissions are heartbreaking.
To get to the theme of this, blacks omitted by history suffer two injustices: past omission by whites, and current omission by activist blacks. In the past, whites left Negroes out for varying reasons of which there are several; disbelief, fear, self-centeredness, or just simple racism. I will document the examples in subsequent paragraphs, but I must make clear that is NOT the theme of this essay. In the current culture, those blacks are being omitted a second time by activist blacks with an agenda.
Huh Conrad?
The theme of this essay is exactly that, the omission of Blacks from history, first by our early racial oppressors, but today by our own community.
The Black community loves to champion the ‘firsts’—the first black this, the first black that. Those were legitimate cheers up until the first black president, but after that all the firsts are moot and sometimes silly. That’s kind of like celebrating winning a preseason game after winning a Super Bowl. Why are we celebrating a mayor or untested Sailor or average sports coach on the basis of their ethnicity? Cheer that the person or event in question was good and positive, but far from our greatest racial achievement. 
Kowtowing to this idea, the US Army created an entire morale campaign (probably at the behest of some DEI administrator) around the first black female commander of cadets at the US Military Academy, West Point. There were wall posters, a spread in military publications, championing an officer candidate who had not yet graduated and had NEVER BEEN TO COMBAT. 
Meanwhile, the Army did nothing to advertise Linda Hervieux’s book about the 320th barrage balloon battalion that went in first wave at Omaha beach Normandy in 1944. No doubt, the DEI minions probably felt the untested cadet was more “in Yo’ Face” than the men at Omaha beach. So those men get omitted twice: first by the white men who left them out of history either though neglect or deliberate omission, and then by the DEI people running around.
For African Americans, there must be a racial descriptor, because ALL things blacks do, it must be, “in yo face!” or “in your face white man!” If the accomplishment in question does not have the pre-branding of ‘black’ it is not “in yo’ face white man,’ and therefore not activist enough or revolutionary enough. As such, the contemporary black culture, in its loathsome ‘woke’ phase will omit, ignore, or erase any black accomplishment that does not lend itself to “in yo’ face America/white man/world.” Any black who is not part of the revolutionary cabal is not employable for this pointless agenda and omitted.
As I pointed out in the ‘The Black Republican’ essay I typed in June 2021, Lorna M
ahlock was promoted to Brigadier General, the Marine Corps first black female general. As stated, once we had a black president, the significance of all other firsts was moot, except this promotion was approved and signed by Donald Trump—the ‘racist.’ Despite the significance of this, the black community ignored it.
I had a ‘WhatsApp’ argument with a former colleague about ‘Mansa Musa.’ For those unaware, as I was also unaware before the argument, Mansa Musa was a figure in the history of the African continent, who is rumored to have been the richest man who ever lived. Again, as a student history, I’d never heard of Mansa Musa and found that claim unusual. 
The richest man…ever? I don’t like to talk without doing homework so while my colleague lectured me though an app, I researched and read. So, this historical figure, Musa, was based on lore and legend—but no hard information. The tales were amazing. He led a caravan carrying gold across the Sahara Desert, sent fleets of small boats across the Atlantic Ocean, and he managed the construction of an entire city.
I was astounded, but being a critical thinker, the legend was impossible to believe, especially from a scientific perspective, military background, and logistical knowledge. So, I refuted the Mansa Musa tale and proffered Reginald Lewis.
Businessman Reginald Lewis before his death in the late nineties had amassed a fortune of half a billion dollars through his work in business and starting a corporation, and the leveraged buyout of international corporation Beatrice Foods, which he then drove to over a billion dollars in sales. It was the first African American corporation to do so. My colleague insisted on Musa over the proven and verifiable Reginald Lewis and that we should focus our pride on a legend over reality.
Why?
Because it was not “IN YO’ FACE! (white man)”
Up until the seventies, it seems to me, black achievements were broadcast inward to instill pride and an example or road map for others to follow. But with the candidacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm as the first black woman, or black person for that matter, to run for president, the goal seems to be to broadcast ou
tward–not to inspire but to antagonize. The Chisholm candidacy was silly, there was no real chance, it was symbolic. Too boot, in 2019 a new state park in Brooklyn was named in her honor, the criteria being that she was a Brooklyn native. Okay, proper recognition for Brooklyn’s own, but while Mrs Chisholm was never involved in stewardship of parks, where is such honor for Colonel Charles Young?
“Well who is he?”
In 1884, Charles Young was the third Black man to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, during a time when his presence among the corps of cadets was not welcomed or celebrated. Undaunted, he led a long career of command, leading troops in battle against Pancho Villa, and then an appointment to Superintendent of Sequoia National Park before returning to regular Army assignments As Superintendent of a national park, this black man outperformed his three predecessors, an evaluation made by his white commanders.
Yet, when it came time to name the new park in Brooklyn, a black man who actually conducted stewardship of park lands was now being ignored by his own people. But I understand, he wasn’t from Brooklyn, the home of “In Yo’ Face”. We needed Shirley’s name up there because she dared run for president though it was meaningless, and Colonel Young’s working within the military hierarchy left no opportunity to say “Fuck You” to America.
Forgive my language here: Black people need to have a ‘fuck you’ element to anything they do. If it does not involve that piece, Blacks won’t like it. Evaluate any aspect of Black culture today, and down to the minutia, it MUST have a statement to the world, “FUCK YOU!” Sports, music, cinema, employment, social, charity, the “Fuck you” piece is a requirement for the African American.
Even if that statement is counter productive and hurts your own.
And that’s why all the energy to promote Mansa Musa, and little regard for Reginald Lewis. Mansa Musa was RICHER and greater than anyone ever (especially you white man) despite no quantifiable measurement of his wealth; he was further traveling than any civilization’s explorers despite no evidence of those travels; and he and his tribe must have been superhuman due to the obvious physical impossibility of his journeys. By pushing the Musa narrative, it gives the unsubstantiated pride seeking fake virtuous Black man a chance to say “Fuck you” to the wealthy white establishment: “one of ‘us’ was richer than all of ‘you’, so ‘In Yo’ Face!” Then that is shouted to whites in general, and to the rest of world that Blacks hate for not joining with them to hate white people. (That’s another essay I’ll hit later, Black people hate any ‘minority’ who won’t join black hatred of them racist white folk)
Recognizing Reginald Lewis, a family man, a businessman, who worked within the system that Blacks say is racist disrupts the entire agenda. It does not enable Black men to shout, “In Yo’ Face!” Actually, his success refutes Black anti-establishment sentiment. That being the case, he is then unsexy because he wasn’t figuratively buffoon dancing in the endzone like one of those wild hairdo NFL players.
For my African American brethren who have a problem with all this, research Reginald Lewis and then Mansa Musa and then YOU tell me which should be promoted to the masses.
Every great leap for Blacks in America has come from three groups: the military, the educated, and the tradesmen. In the current culture, those are the most disparaged groups. Those groups don’t shout “In Yo’ Face,” they just drive on, do what they do. But for the current black culture that is driven by the ghetto, the ratchet, the bonnets and du-rags, the eyelashes and dreadlocks, the overweight women in tights and the tattooed thugs in sagging pants, the murder rates and pregnancy rates, for those people, the existence of black military and university and trade people make them look bad and are thus personal non-grata.
Ever heard of Mickey Guyton? I really liked and downloaded her song, “All Americans.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atnRI0e_rU8
She’s been singing country since 2015 and so has Kane Brown, and also some other Black country artists. But Black people hate country music…until Beyonce’ shows up with her Texas Hold’em: “This ain’t Texas….” 
It was not a graceful entry to the country music market; this was to give the country world a big “In Yo’ Face.” For instance, when Eminem climbed into the Rap genre, he paid dues, worked his way up, was admitted entry by the underground Detroit rap scene and fledgling group ‘D12’, and passed through Dr Dre, a ‘gatekeeper.’ Did Beyonce’ do this with country music? What country music clubs did she play or visit, which core country artists did she go through?
Now, back to Black Republicans, who must stand for themselves TWICE; before whites who are unsure of their true motives, and blacks who hate America and wish to disavow black willingness within it. Both have the right to do so, but when you disavow, you get someone like me—calling out the bullshit.
Tim Scott wrote the first Trump tax plan, and he authored the ‘OZ’ Opportunity Zones bill that President Trump approved. The Opportunity Zones bill targeted actual areas that are predominately black-owned for reduced tax rates for black owned businesses and even business grants in some cases. Prior to this or my 2021 “The Black Republican” essay had you heard of this?
Your answer speaks for itself.
Have you noticed when casting a film, all other ethnic/racial groups audition actors/actresses while black filmmakers casted the latest hot rapper comedian? Because casting a trained thespian is working within the system, while hiring a rapper for a film or TV role is “In Yo’ Face.” In the end, the black who followed the proper path is neglected, and the rapper who led and promoted a despicable life in the streets victimizing others is rewarded. This is the world you built black man. This isn’t white men, white supremacy, or the “Illuminat”i—it’s you.
Ignore the productive among you, and worship those who build no substance. Pick your entertainers over educated black men, pick them over the community builders. Pick your rappers over trained actors and actresses. Pick your athletes over the military black men. But this hurts you, not me, Black man. As you shout, “In Yo’ Face!”, and dance in the end zone, and beat your chest after dunking a basketball, and say “nigga” all through your music and tell the world to fuck itself, and shout “In Yo’ Face” for mediocre achievements, until it eventually as it has, turned into fighting in nightclubs, and gangs, and drugs, and shooting each other in the streets. See, your “In Yo’ Face” statement has nothing to do with Black upliftment—it has everything to do with your ego and your pride and unwillingness to build anything meaningful.
So, enjoy telling the world, “In Yo’ Face!”, even if you hurt your own community…
…as you omit other people who “look like you”
…kill your children
…and kill yourself.
