Polar Opposites, Similar Causes
Hello All,
Well, once again I’d like to welcome you all to Black Love One Growth (unless this is the 3rd post for some of you, you guys are at home now). Finally, finally, I’m ready to post the first topic at this illustrious site, that topic being called:
Polar Opposites, Similar Causes
Throughout history, at times two prominent figures will stand for the same cause (in our case, civil rights), but invariably have different means of reaching that goal. Such examples include the ‘conservative’ Booker T. Washington, in comparison with the ‘radical’ W.E.B. DuBois. BTW’s philosophy was one of achieving empowerment through hard work and material gain, focusing on that as a key goal as opposed to direct conflict with the discriminatory system of the day, while WEB focused on opposing that system through activism (DuBois was the founder of the NAACP), and developing educated blacks into what he called the Talented Tenth. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X also served as polar opposites during a time of the civil rights movement. MLK looked to achieve racial equality through a passive, non-violent resistance, while X looked to achieve that same equality through ‘any means necessary’. As far as polar opposites, we’ve seen art imitate this same phenomenon; through Marvel Comics’ X-Men series, we see similarities in the Martin/Malcolm dynamic through Professor Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Magneto, one looking at a peaceful co-existence, while the other looks to establish the superiority of his race.
More recently, the polar opposites idea has shown up in recent debates between Michael Eric Dyson, and one William Henry Cosby. Cosby has more recently taken the offensive in talks about the state of black America; looking at the lower class of Afro-Americans and doing nothing short of teeing off; addressing topics such as pop culture, conditions of living, even neo-afrocentrities such as what people name their kids. Cosby says that his strong views are made in love, and are made with the attempt of improving black America. Dyson, and others, see Cosby’s views as nothing short of ‘picking on the little guy’, and ‘attacking the defenseless’. Dyson’s book, Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has The Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind? addresses Cosby and what he calls the black afristocracy, namely addressing those blacks of privilege and asking them why aren’t they held accountable for their lack of action in the black community.
Now, the reason for bringing up these polar opposites is to ask this question, which will invariably lead to others, of course…but this is the question that I will post an answer to on tomorrow, and what I would LOVE FOR YOU ALL to comment on:
Does the solution for racial equality and racial upbringing fall on the singularity of one man’s dream/goal, or is that solution found in the fusion, or combining of key concepts from each man’s ideals?
This is what I pose to you, and will answer to the best of my ability in a post on tomorrow. Take care all and always love,
The Good Doctor
----------
blackloveonegrowth@yahoo.com
----------
Well, once again I’d like to welcome you all to Black Love One Growth (unless this is the 3rd post for some of you, you guys are at home now). Finally, finally, I’m ready to post the first topic at this illustrious site, that topic being called:
Polar Opposites, Similar Causes
Throughout history, at times two prominent figures will stand for the same cause (in our case, civil rights), but invariably have different means of reaching that goal. Such examples include the ‘conservative’ Booker T. Washington, in comparison with the ‘radical’ W.E.B. DuBois. BTW’s philosophy was one of achieving empowerment through hard work and material gain, focusing on that as a key goal as opposed to direct conflict with the discriminatory system of the day, while WEB focused on opposing that system through activism (DuBois was the founder of the NAACP), and developing educated blacks into what he called the Talented Tenth. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X also served as polar opposites during a time of the civil rights movement. MLK looked to achieve racial equality through a passive, non-violent resistance, while X looked to achieve that same equality through ‘any means necessary’. As far as polar opposites, we’ve seen art imitate this same phenomenon; through Marvel Comics’ X-Men series, we see similarities in the Martin/Malcolm dynamic through Professor Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Magneto, one looking at a peaceful co-existence, while the other looks to establish the superiority of his race.
More recently, the polar opposites idea has shown up in recent debates between Michael Eric Dyson, and one William Henry Cosby. Cosby has more recently taken the offensive in talks about the state of black America; looking at the lower class of Afro-Americans and doing nothing short of teeing off; addressing topics such as pop culture, conditions of living, even neo-afrocentrities such as what people name their kids. Cosby says that his strong views are made in love, and are made with the attempt of improving black America. Dyson, and others, see Cosby’s views as nothing short of ‘picking on the little guy’, and ‘attacking the defenseless’. Dyson’s book, Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has The Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind? addresses Cosby and what he calls the black afristocracy, namely addressing those blacks of privilege and asking them why aren’t they held accountable for their lack of action in the black community.
Now, the reason for bringing up these polar opposites is to ask this question, which will invariably lead to others, of course…but this is the question that I will post an answer to on tomorrow, and what I would LOVE FOR YOU ALL to comment on:
Does the solution for racial equality and racial upbringing fall on the singularity of one man’s dream/goal, or is that solution found in the fusion, or combining of key concepts from each man’s ideals?
This is what I pose to you, and will answer to the best of my ability in a post on tomorrow. Take care all and always love,
The Good Doctor
----------
blackloveonegrowth@yahoo.com
----------
posted by The Good Doctor at 3:08 PM
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