Hello KE, I love reading your blog! I am an African-American woman who lives in Toledo, OH, and I have been following this sorted mess going on in Detroit. I agree to everything that you have posted, and heard myself saying similiar words to friends and family regarding us black folx, esp. to the issues facing us in Detroit, and I did say us because I feel a connection to Black people everywhere. I cannot say that I have the solution to these things, but I believe that the people of Detroit should not allow this to go on, nor accept this type of behavior ever. Well, I have more thoughts on this but I will leave it at this. I really truly enjoy reading your words and am so glad to see your return, hopefully I can follow your work beyond this negativity. Keep up the Bee-U-t-fuLL work, KE!!!Love and Blessings to the people living in Detroit...
Thank you for the kind words my Toledo sister. As you can see, we continue to catch hell "up" here but hopefully sharing these viewpoints can perhaps inspire people from other locales to look at their leadership more closely. Now next time - win Ohio for us won't ya!
Glam Girl said...
Hi KE! I recently found out about your site and I must say it's extremely on point. I'm from Detroit, but moved away 4 years ago to Texas. I've been following the story here and talking to my people back home about it and everybody telling me the same thing. They want him out so the city can really move forward and attempt repair the damage his crooked administration has caused.The "Hitler/Jones" comparison is spot on. These "leaders" become so delusional that they feel because "God" appointed them into these positions, they have to answer to no one but him. I believe if he gets charged and convicted with high crimes, he would either attempt to flee or drink the cyanide laced kool-aid. I think Kwame is crazy enough to get his goons to start riots in the city, just so he can declare martial law to stay in office.Hitler did it, Musharaff in Pakistan recently did it, I think Bush is gonna do it and Kwame might do it.I'm a conspiracy theorist in the truest sense!Love the blog!Peace, love and prosperity to everyone in tha D (not affiliated with KK lol)GlamGirlCEO
Glam, I got a little heat about the Hitler reference but that's o.k. What I also wanted to mention was that Kwame acts like Nino Brown of Detroit (rent the movie "New Jack City" for those unfamiliar). The bottom line is that Kwame is smart and knows what he is doing which is repulsive. He could have been great but chose to bamboozle and hoodwink. Stay safe in Texas....
Anonymous said...
Glad that you are back, KE. We all missed you. It was interesting to me that you said the speech was his Swan Song. I had been wondering about something similar. I wasn't sure if he just got caught up in the moment (self control seems decidedly lacking in Kwame) or if that last part of the speech had actually been written out beforehand. Either way it did not say anything good about Kwame.I think that what you said about African-American people and their leaders, though, may be slightly off To me the malady extends to the state of Michigan. We all accept less than the best in our leaders. For instance, why are our roads worse than any other state? We certainly see enough repair work going on, yet the roads are awful. Bad construction? If so, why do the same companies continue getting the contracts? Why do the same people keep getting elected to office? Do we really look at what they are doing for our state, or is it name recognition? When people are running for office and say "Vote for me based on my record.", do we really look at their record, or do we look at the part of their record that they are willing to show us? Hillary has a record-but it is a dismal one. Gov. Granholm had a record-as our AG-but since it included things like Ricky Holland she did not want it examined-so it was not elaborated on. Hillary says Obama has no record, but she counted that as a selling point when Bill ran for president and had no record.I think what I am trying to say is that Kwame is no different than most politicians. The reason that I will be voting for Obama is that he seems different to me, and I truly do hope that he lives up to the expectations of so many of us.
I agree with you. We need to scrutinize our elected officials more closely across all party affiliations. The one thing I've learned about this episode and particularly the Presidential race is that it's all about money, power and relationships - one hand washes the other. If you have money people don't care what color you are and if you have power you have the influence to move mountains without spending a dime. But because this blog is primarily focused on African American thought (and the lack thereof) that is where I tend to reside. Hopefully we can move beyond this issue as there are some things going on in the Democratic campaign that I'm itching to talk about.
I'm not the biggest Kwame fan around. In fact, I am appalled at what he's done to the city.I was listening to the radio this morning and heard Hansen Clarke. He was taking the high road and not the 'lynch-mob' approach Kwame spoke about. I was thinking to myself then: what if 2005 went differently? What if Hansen Clarke (or someone else) had won? Would we still be in this foreclosure mess? Would we have the same horrible city services, high taxes, and failing schools? Can one man really turn things around that much?I thought so. Kwame isn't just doing a disservice to himself and the reputation of minorities, but to the people of the entire area. He inherited a city, while still lacking, on the rise from the Archer administration. He has managed to pull a George Bush and destroy all his progress while making things worse. I'm just hoping we get someone like Hansen Clarke in 2009 to help turn this around.
Hansen Clarke is a good guy even though I supported Freman Hendrix in the last race. There is still considerable question that he lost. All I know is when I went to bed about 1am the night of the general election Freman was up by 10 percentage points and when I woke up he lost. It was imperative that Kwame stayed in office by any means necessary. How else could he hide his transgressions? Hell, it took four more damn years for all this stuff to come out.
Anonymous said...
Kwame is now the "race baiter" and he has destroyed anything that could have been accomplished in the City. Resign now!
Right on. His rhetoric is very similar to Orville Hubbard - former Mayor of Dearborn. The difference that Orville meant what he said. Kwame is just trying to play the masses for his personal benefit.
Anonymous said...
Excellent analysis. You put into words, exactly what I have been feeling about this whole ordeal. As an African American Women, I'm also ashamed. I plan to find and read the book you referenced in your Blog. Thank you. You and your words are a breath of fresh air and hope !
Thank you very much. The Woodson book is like a time capsule blasted to current day. Stay tuned as we are just getting started.
Having the Detroit Police Department investigate Tamara Greens murder is like having the Ku Klux Klan investigate lynchings.
3 comments:
KE, outstanding blog and very thought provoking... also helps keep the pressure on and the fire turned up on this wayward brotha! Though I agree with you in large part in your analysis, I have to take exception with your generalized assessment of our people. Your latest post seamed to stop just short of implying that Carter G. Woodson was denouncing blacks in his evaluation of learned psychological behaviors taught to us by the slave trader and perpetuated and enforced by the overseer.
In delving further into Dr. Woodson's brilliant and illuminous observation, he also said, "...LET US NOW BEGIN TO DO THE VERY THING WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT WE CANNOT DO."
The honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey was able to ascertain similar patterns of erroneous thinking among some in our culture, stating, "... LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT IN THEM ONLY IS THE POWER TO RISE..." As you mentioned, quotes such as these from our warrior scholar ancestors seemed to have been capsulized for the benefit of awakening us for such a time as this.
Summarily, no matter how abhorrent Kwame's behavior has become, I have more empathy than shame for him because he is obviously acting out in the way he's been groomed and instructed. ("Don't let nobody talk about Y'all's boy!" - U.S. Congresswoman Caroly Cheeks Kilpatrick) In the mayor, I see the hope of all that a black man could have accomplished through boundless potential be publicly brought to his knees, albeit of his own doing... which is eventually where this travesty is heading.
In the eyes of blacks, especially our youth, the psychological effects of the impending political emmasculation of this brotha will be more damaging and far-reaching, unbelievably, than the misdeeds themselves. That is what is truly a shame.
Keep hittin' em hard, bruh...
Thank you for answering all of the posts. This blog is fast surpassing all others as my favorite.
If you don't mind, I'd like to ask about something I heard on am1200-Mildred Gaddis. She played a segment of a sermon by Jeramiah White, who is the pastor of Obama's church. He is being portrayed as a racist, and in turn, to make Obama look bad. To me, the most interesting part of the sermon is that it was recorded in 2003. Why is it being held up now-2008-when it did not cause a stir years ago? My own theory is that Hillary knew about her negatives, and decided that her best chance of winning was to get a candidate who really had no chance to win. Unfortunately-for her-she underestimated how much charm and promise Obama possesed. She is no match for him, rather than the other way around.
When you had the vote up on your blog about who we thought would win, I had to vote for Hillary, because I really think she will stop at nothing to win. I could never vote for Hillary or McCain, and I think that those are the only two choices that are going to be on the ballot.
In light of the text messages between Bobby Ferguson and Christine Beatty regarding contracts, doesn't this open the city up to potential lawsuits by anyone who applied to get a city contract and was denied? Maybe that is what the new spokeswoman for Kwame meant when she said 9 million was a drop in the bucket.
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