Transcript CNN International interview with Nigeria's President Obasanjo and USAfricaonline.com Publisher Chido Nwangwu on Democracy and Security Issues

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A Lott of Racism?

Special to USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
The Black Business Journal
USAfricaonline.com and NigeriaCentral.com

Like many, I read and watched with dismay as Trent Lott (R- Mississippi) the Republican Majority leader in the U.S Senate said on Thursday (December 5, 2002) during his tribute to retiring 100-year-old "reconstructed" segregationist and Dixiecrat Senator Strom Thurmond :

"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had of followed our lead we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."

I decided to caption this brief comment as 'A Lott of Racism' for the simple fact of underlining in practical terms the reality of racist, segregationist and repudiated bigotries in many quarters here in the U.S.

Ignore all the spin and funny talk about "what he meant to say" apologia, factually note what Lott refers to as "all these problems" are voting rights for Blacks and other minorities, equal access to public facilities, equality under the law, anti-racism and anti-segregation achievements and all the civilizational benchmarks of any reasonable, humane society. You know, somehow, those "problems" are headaches of the supremacists.

Recall also that Thurmond while accepting the presidential nomination of the States' Rights Democratic Party (he was at the time governor of South Carolina) said in 1948: "There's not enough troops in the Army," he said, "to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the Negro race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our schools and into our homes."

Second in referencing Lott, it is easier to structure and index Lott's latest Freudian slip and harsh civil rights record as reflecting the privileged undercurrent of racist mindset in high places despite the right-wing radio/tv/newspaper/web blowhards' falsehoods and massively stupid denials of that fact.

These purveyors of racist bunk in public debates have struggled to "corner" the debate through some Orwellian twist and bizarre-speak whereby they equate fair access to representation and opportunities (affirmative action) as racist 'quota' for non-qualified Blacks and minorities and women. Raw hate speech against others than their own, they call the best sign of irreverent free speech!

America should look itself in the mirror and ponder the fact that its Senate has NO African-American in its democracy, republican democracy; and NO African-American in its Republican leadership in Congress.

It's terrible some of America's current and key leaders are still possessed by the fever and shibboleths of White supremacy and other forms of ethnocentric idiocies frozen in racist mental frames of decades ago. No wonder for all his personal failings Bill Clinton still found a way to convey a more progressive, inclusive message to Americans.

Lott and his kindred of segregationist are personifications of ancient and modern bigotries masked in formal power and suit and tie in Washington and elsewhere. Of course, there are the run-of-the-mill uncouth charlatans too.

Fact is these characters are in both the Republican and Democratic Parties - especially within the Republican party where they are morphing and normalizing such idiocies.

By the way, President George W. Bush calls Lott, "Leader Lott.. Our Leader"

One Question: Is this where Leader Lott is leading....?

Our collective challenge is to work harder through votes and education, empowerment and financial success against these dukes of division. We should write more expository pieces, without let, against these well-placed, every day and garden variety racist dinosaurs who belong more to the Mesozoic Era than the new millennium.

If I may borrow a popular post 9-11 nationalistic phraseology: why do they hate us?

For this recent continental African immigrant to these United States, a number of things are increasingly disturbing about the moral content of these fellows in high places and Congress who proclaim and acclaim they they have moral right but speak and charge with the monotrack vision of village idiots.

Lest I forget, it was Mark Twain who, having never met or hoped for a Trent Lott and members of the U.S Congress of the Lott variety wrote with profound insight: "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of congress; but I repeat myself."

Hey, should I repeat myself; nah! Unless the Lotts of racism continue to ruin the promise of America; if they act and think that persons like me are children of a lesser God; if they continue to spit at the glory and blessings of a fruited plain known as God's own country. God bless America!
Chido Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence award (1997), is Founder and Publisher of first African-owned U.S.-based professional newspaper to be published on the internet, USAfricaonline.com. He appears as an analyst on CNN International and CNN's Inside Africa and also publishes Houston-based USAfrica The Newspaper, NigeriaCentral.com and The Black Business Journal. Nwangwu has served as an adviser to the Mayor of Houston on international business (Africa) and the board of the NAACP (Houston)

Regarding Chido Nwangwu 's editorial comment, titled: A Lott of Racism?, I won't try to justify Trent Lott's comments. At best, they were a stupid mistake, and they may very well reflect a deeply ingrained racism, as Mr. Nwangwu claims. Lott has apologized. I suppose many will be clamoring for his head, as the only thing that will satisfy them. Whether or not that happens is yet to be seen.

However, there is one comment in Mr. Nwangwu's December 10, 2002 editorial that I think should be addressed. He wrote: "America should look itself in the mirror and ponder the fact that its Senate has NO African-American in its democracy, republican democracy; and NO African-American in its Republican leadership in Congress."

Many African-Americans like to blame the Republican party for the fact that there are no Black Republicans in Congress. Perhaps the community should take a closer look at itself in this regard. Look what they do to prominent Black Republicans, such as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Bush's National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice.

I have no problem that the so-called "leaders" of the Black community disagree with Republican policy stands. However, the attempts to publicly humiliate them as "Uncle Tom's" and worse, hardly gives Black conservatives a warm-fuzzy feeling about trying to run for public office, or otherwise taking an active role in the public discourse.

Blacks are right to want to have representation in both parties, but they cannot expect to see the spitting images of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton in the Republican party. If they continue to stomp on any conservative voices within their ranks, it may be a long time before they get much representation in the party. Of course, if they refuse to accept Black conservatives within the ranks of the Black Congressional Caucus, etc, treat them as "Uncle Tom's," "house niggers," etc, they may never recognize the leaders that they do have as being relevant.

Blacks need to examine this situation carefully. What have they got from 60 years, or more, of lock-stock loyalty to the Democrats? U.S.President Lyndon Johnson managed to get the Civil Rights laws through congress in the 1960s, thanks to Republicans joining with northern Democrats.

Since then there have been a lot of promises, but not much action. Democrats held power for most of that time, so blaming the Republicans for promises not delivered is like putting your head in the sand.
Huffaker is President of the North American Potato Market News, Inc.

On 12/11/02 8:10 AM, "Bill Alexander" wrote:

Chido (The Best): Your profundities have ALWAYS moved me as you observe and comment on political machinations on TWO continents. Your "A Lott of Racism" column should receive queries.... as to how you can pull so much content together, winnow it down to 500 to 800 words, keep it cogent, relevant and lively and still make a deadline that allows your piece to appear mere hours after raw sewage has bubbled out of Lott's cruelly shaped lips.

I am fervently hoping that those on the 'serv just starting their professional careers will look at what you do with wonderment, put Halle Berry aside for a moment, and query you on how you do what you do.

I've been around for awhile, have done what you're doing (but only on one continent), and you still amaze me. Thank you for being a part of National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and sharing your thoughts with us!
Bill Alexander, is the editor of Youth Today newspaper, in Washington DC

Chido's Reply:
Thanks Bill for your kind and challenging comments. Somehow, my brief Dec 10, 2002 essay "A Lott of Racism" has drawn immense interest on various platforms, among Black and White folks, and elsewhere.

I remain grateful for the professional and personal fraternity of persons such as yourself, and the inspiration of the likes of Jack White, Richard Prince, James Campbell, and a handful of others/

I thank God for the blessing and will and creative vitality to speak our truths (as I understand and know them) in pastel words into the bearish face of power and privilege across our the United States and Africa. As our father and literary pathfinder Achebe would write: it's morning yet on creation day....

At this juncture of critical public policy debate, I only Plead that (we) set aside some of the less important Halle-Berry-boobs-size items of banality to engage the issues of the moral direction and civil rights history of our people.

We have a choice though: allow the cannibalization of our heritage by the Lotts of Racism and their confederacy of White supremacists, in pin-stripe suits and barnyard uniforms.

But as the proverb from the sages and forebears of the 30 million-strong Igbo nation of south eastern Nigeria from where I (and should be underscored millions of African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans) derive lineage and heritage will admonish in moments requiring critical, deft reflection, and action: 'Let's use our tongue to count our teeth!'

May our lineage endure!
Chido Nwangwu 713-270-5500 or 713-270-6500. E-mail Letters@USAfricaonline.com

Nigeria, a terrible beauty. By Chido Nwangwu OPINION: Destruction of property and human massacres are always traumatic events in a community, saddening and enraging, but the organizers of the beauty contest, as well as the participants, must understand that they are totally free of guilt. The guilty are the storm troopers of intolerance, the manipulators of feeble-minded but murderous hordes of fanaticism. By Prof. Wole Soyinka DEATH TOLL RISES TO 215 IN LATEST RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN KADUNA, AND ABUJA IN NORTHERN NIGERIA... Churches burned, cars vandalized and stores looted since Wednesday Nov 21, 2002, when Muslims started a riot over World beauty pageant in Nigeria. Mosques have been added to the bonfire in bloody killings further sparked by ThisDay newspaper article which suggested Prophet Mohammad would have "probably" taken one of the contestants as a wife. 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