When Black Civil Rights Groups Play God: Finding power to save everyone but themselves

It may sound cynical but it isn't meant to me. But I always wondered how black civil rights groups deliver a knee jerk reaction in defense of others, other then to their membership, in attempting to wrest the mantle of civil rights leadership of the world. I'm looking at a personal panoramic view of African American history and how it is forged with the history of all Americans.

Today's view for me includes the old cliche of the saying, “the more things change the more they remain the same”. While the complexion of race relations have truly changed in the last 50 years of my life, there seems to be the same nagging issues during a time where the media, politicians and some social groups declaring a post-racial era. Quite frankly, it may be correct to say post-racial politics but the plight of the huddled masses seems caught in a time warp.

Let's see.

Maybe the election of America's first mixed race president. I, too, am impressed that we have a mixed race president which in itself qualifies for a real entry into the history books. But with that said, our president's time in office, thus far, doesn't make him any different than any of the rest. It's like seeing more black faces on TV but that's what it only amounts to.

And if this is true, what is all the buzz about? Surely the difference is not in how he (the President) directs a multi-trillion dollar killing machine war chest as Commander-in-Chief and sits by while the motherland is still being plummeted by a multinational cadre of hegemonic capitalists? Or, if it's how he's given taxpayer's money to Banks and other capitalistic predators while the historical unemployment and poverty rates of blacks still disproportionately surpasses their white counterparts. Or, you are not thinking about how he dissed his somewhat radical black pastor to pacify the so called white progressives? The age old rhetoric that says keep waiting and hoping is the only thing that I have surmised from this grand (not great) installment in a post-racial America. Or, to be fair, having a dark skinned black woman as the first lady is really what wets the appetite of real post racialism.

Well before the lynching begins, and in all honesty, I really can't remember when any black person or organization has been empowered to save others, but barely themselves, from the horrid state of racial justice in America. One might argue that Dr. King was one such being. I would counter that while Dr. King was truly, in my opinion, a man of God as well as His prophet, his power on earth was finite. I am most reminded while he preached a sermon of inclusion and love for all, his real focus never left his true calling, to uplift his own people. Sure, in so doing, and in his universal language of love, others were saved. Moreover, he (Dr. King) never became a man who could be rented out to other people causes at risking the precious little resources that he could muster in making sure that blacks and their connectedness with other poor were in need of help.

This is path of the theology of Dr. King and the theology of some mainstream civil rights groups have veered—today we have two transposing theologies where the only common thread is love for others. But a bleeding heart theology of today's mainstream civil rights groups have pretty much suck out any, if not all, any preservable and limited strength in making sure that blacks in general are empowered to sit at the table of equality and justice.

Whether its (white) gay politics or the enchantment with Jewish political prowess—or, catering to the triangulation politics of the first mixed race president the treasure chest for winning a war against racism in America is about depleted. Need it be said that the destruction of any human soul is way beyond deplorable and is an abomination to God, but if I've learned only only one thing in my personal progressive agenda for doing my part in making the world a better place for all, it's that I can't save the world, but, I can save a few.

Let's be sure, Civil Rights groups, like the NAACP, should care about the justice for others, but seems that the age-old trick of resource displacement has stalled the flame for saving their own people. I would suggest that black civil rights groups stop trying to play God and start immediately seeking out what the will is in the God that we serve. It is not a good time to continue scattering resources for such a needy people.