Do the Right Thing

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As the saying goes, “once you carry your own water, you learn to appreciate every drop!”  For example, until they are out of their caregivers’ homes, children often have no accurate appreciation for the cost of housing, meals, clothing and transportation.  Once “on their own,” the same children greatly appreciate every cent they spend on groceries, rent, clothing, etc.  Such has been the appreciative learning experience for those students who, over the past several weeks, participated in college campus protests regarding the war in Gaza.   

It is one thing for 2024 college students to engage in a bit of nostalgia related to  protests such as the 1963 March on Washington, the 1968 protest at the Democrats’ Chicago convention,  the 1969 Stonewall LGBT event, and the 1969 Computer Center Takeover at Pitt.  However, students’ commitment and willingness to take action related to a given cause were severely tested when, for example, campus administrators [1] issued deadlines to end an encampment; [2] the deadlines passed; and [3] police moved in with mace, batons, dogs, and guns.  Having “carried their own water,” the 2024 students gained a better appreciation for past protests such as when hundreds of 1960s Black students sat in at Greensboro North Carolina lunch counters to end Woolworth’s lunch counter segregation policies.  

Recent student protesters will surely appreciate every ounce of the water they carried on behalf of the thousands of Gaza war victims since October 7, 2024 because, instead of being viewed as heroes and heroines, some attributed their protests to “outside, radicalizing influences,” “anti-Semitism,” “hatred,” and, at best “misguided behavior.”  Having come of age, these protesters appreciated every ounce of water they carried after they witnessed irrational retributions as exemplified in the headline, “13 Trump-appointed US federal judges say they won’t hire Columbia University students because of school protests” (See Chris Morris in Fortune).

Students can take college sources related to social movements as well as, on their own, make in-depth reviews regarding what transpired during the American civil rights movement or the Ghandi-led non- violence movement in India.   On the fourth of July, students can recall things such as the Boston Tea Party and the subsequent Declaration of Independence.  They might recall past passionate personal stances such as “give me liberty or give me death” as well as other critical moments when those protesting just causes led to America making good on its fundamental Constitutional promises.  However, by carrying their own water during the recent campus protests, the participating students can better appreciate the truth of  Martin Luther King, Jr.'s quote, "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”  

“Bought wit is better than told” and, having put their personal “skin in the game,” the 2024 Gaza student protesters purchased a better grasp of what Frantz Fanon meant when he stated, “Each generation must …discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.”  They know the power of their generation’s protest in shaping national dialogue, the positions held by senior administrators, and the related actions of elected officials.   

Having spent time in the crucible of direct action, the 2024 campus protesters know that, when recently speaking at the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership meeting, Vice President Kamal Harris was right when she said, "We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they won’t, and then you need to kick that f‑‑‑ing door down.”   

Similarly, the 2024 Gaza protesters should have a greater appreciation for former First-Lady Michelle Obama’s words spoken at the May 25, 2015 Oberlin graduation, i.e., “And in the face of all of that clamor, you might have an overwhelming instinct to just run the other way as fast as you can. You might be tempted to just recreate what you had here at Oberlin—to find a community of like-minded folks and work with them on causes you care about, and just tune out all of the noise. And that’s completely understandable…  But today, graduates, I want to urge you to do just the opposite. Today, I want to suggest that if you truly wish to carry on the Oberlin legacy of service and social justice, then you need to run to, and not away from, the noise.  Today, I want to urge you to actively seek out the most contentious, polarized, gridlocked places you can find. Because so often, throughout our history, those have been the places where progress really happens—the places where minds are changed, lives transformed, where our great American story unfolds…”

The academic year 2024-25 will begin sooner than later.  Once on campus, each student must decide for herself or himself what if any just causes they will give of their time and talents as well as in what ways they will make their concerns known.  Whether they do so through their academic studies, campus and/or community service, non-violent protest, or some other constructive means, in the words of Lee Ann Womack, “I hope you dance!”

“…I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance,
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin',
Don't let some Hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance... I hope you dance…”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

May 16, 2024

Ghost guns are increasingly being confiscated by law enforcement during criminal investigations, and the House Majority Policy Committee examined the loopholes that allow criminals to purchase these untraceable weapons with no background checks.

“Today’s hearing highlighted the frustration of law enforcement to provide justice to victims of gun violence and their families,” Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton said. “Pennsylvania is behind the curve in passing legislation to address gun violence, and it highlighted the reason we need bipartisan support for these measures.”

Ghost guns are privately purchased kits that can be assembled into firearms with no traceable serial number or identifying characteristics. They do not require a background check for purchase, because kits – or firearm parts – are not considered firearms in Pennsylvania. Kits can be assembled with the use of a drill or ordinary tools, and some kits contain the drill bit needed for final assembly.

“It’s infuriating to know, as I mentioned during the judiciary committee hearing on HB 777, how quickly I could use my cellphone to purchase a ghost gun without any meaningful checks,” said meeting host Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who represents portions of Philadelphia. “We are talking about untraceable firearms that can be assembled with ease. They are completely untraceable, and they are legal to purchase without any age requirement or background checks, and they are contributing to gun violence in all communities throughout Pennsylvania – and the nation.”  

Reps. Morgan Cephas and Kenyatta authored H.B. 777, which closes loopholes in Pennsylvania state law against the use of untraceable ghost gun parts. The bill advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee in January. The bill would make it a felony to sell a firearm or firearm parts without a serial number.

“As a responsible gunowner, it’s time for Pennsylvania to deal with these loopholes that enable criminals to arm themselves with ease,” House Majority Policy Committee Chairman Ryan Bizzarro said. “Today’s testimony highlighted that some of these proposals are backed by law enforcement, and we have a need for bipartisanship at the state level when it comes to enforcing background checks and the type of legislation responsible gun owners support.”  

Monday’s House Majority Policy hearing featured testimony from William Fritze from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, who serves as Gun Violence Task Force chief, and CeaseFirePA’s Executive Director Adam Garber. NOMO Foundation hosted the hearing.

Pennsylvania ranked seventh in the nation in firearm deaths (1,905) in 2021, the most recent year for statistics.

Ghost guns have been available in the U.S. since at least the 1990s, however, their popularity increased during the last 15 years as buyers circumvented California’s state law against assault weapons by purchasing ghost guns. Ghost guns made national news in 2013 following the revelation the mass shooter at Santa Monica Community College assembled his own .223 semi-automatic rifle.   

The proliferation of ghost guns followed, and Pennsylvania mirrored other states and the nation. Ghost guns represented 2% of firearms recovered in Philadelphia in 2019, but that number had increased by 311% by 2022 – with the Philadelphia Police Department seizing more than 575 ghost guns during criminal investigations.

Garber noted this is not just a Philadelphia problem, and the city has been tracking ghost guns statistics that have aided in highlighting the problem. He spotlighted the fact that the many of the guns used in crimes are being brought into the city of Philadelphia from outlying areas – and not the other way around. He also noted ghost guns on the streets are being used against law enforcement.  

When a mass shooter was cornered by law enforcement following the murder of five in Kingsessing, a neighborhood in southwest Philadelphia, he had two ghost guns. 

Information about this hearing and other House Majority Policy Committee hearings can be found at pahouse.com/policy. The livestream from the hearing can be found at https://youtube.com/live/kkd3RhD37mo. Photos to be used for publication can be found at pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee/Galleries.

Black alumni from historically White institutions are often reluctant to give to their alma maters, especially if they attended during the 1960s and several decades thereafter.  Having been in the vanguard of desegregating institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), many Black alumni graduated with bitter experiences regarding the “price” they paid for doing so, i.e., both the financial debt incurred as well as the racism they experienced while enrolled.  As one such Pitt Black alum stated, “For many Black students, their Pitt relationship was strictly transactional, i.e., they were at Pitt to get a degree and leave, plus Pitt was all business as opposed to trying to build meaningful relationships with Black students.”  To this day, there remains a significant number of Black alumni who say essentially, “Given all of my negative experiences at Pitt, I will never give them anything!”  

To be sure, there are significant numbers of Pitt Black alumni who do things such as exclaim “Hail to Pitt;” proudly wear Pitt paraphernalia; state publicly that they “bleed blue and gold;” mentor Pitt students; work as Pitt volunteers for public service; and, in many ways, freely give  of their time, talents and tithes to Pitt.  Some of their financial gifts to Pitt have ranged from thousands to millions of dollars!  Currently, seven Black alumni serve on Pitt’s Board of Trustees.  To be equally sure, however, these supporters are the minority of the more than 15,000 Pitt Black alumni.  Nevertheless, for the following reasons, it is held herein that the vast majority of Pitt Black alumni should give of their time, talents, and tithes to Pitt.  

First and foremost, beware the “tyranny of words.”  Albeit that Pitt is disproportionately populated and managed by White people, Pitt is not a “White” place, a place owned by and for Whites.  Rather, Pitt is a place for all Pennsylvania residents as well as those beyond Pennsylvania borders.  Moreover, we must never forget that “A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his image…”  (Joan Didion, The White Album, page 146).  Accordingly, Black alumni must make Pitt their place by claiming, remembering, and shaping Pitt which happens to be the number 1 public university in the northeast; is ranked number 23 on the U.S. News & World Report's 2022 list of Top Public Schools in the nation; offers 652 degrees and certificates; and contributes $5.2 billion to communities throughout Pennsylvania (see About | University of Pittsburgh).  

In 2022, Pitt surpassed $1 billion in research-based expenditures.  (See Pitt’s $1B in research funding puts it among ‘elite group of American universities’ | University Times | University of Pittsburgh).  More recently, “The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities named Pitt as the winner of the 2023 C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award …” (See Pitt wins prestigious community engagement award - The Pitt News).   

Given its profound regional, national, and international impact, when it comes to facilitating equity and social justice for all, Pitt is “worth its weight in gold!”  In this context, we must realize that what Malcolm X stated in 1964 is true in 2024, “Education is an important element in the struggle for human rights. It is the means to help our children and our people rediscover their identity, and thereby increase their self-respect. Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today.”   

The value of a Pitt education as a passport has been demonstrated by the plethora of Black alumni who have become distinguished authors, dentists, educators, elected government officials, engineers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, members of the clergy, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, professional athletes, public health practitioners, public and international affairs practitioners, social workers, and university senior administrators.  Pitt Black alumni are among those who have won a Rhodes Scholarship, Truman Scholarship, Nobel Peace Prize, Olympic Gold Medal, National Book Award, and a MacArthur Genius Grant.  They have received the highest recognition in professional associations; served in Congress and State legislative bodies; and can be found, via civic organizations, “lifting as they climb” throughout America.  

In the “testifying tradition” of “old-school Black churches,” it is worth noting that this author was admitted to Pitt Johnstown on academic probation.  Subsequently, he was fortunate to earn a baccalaureate degree in 2 and 2/3 years, and thereafter a doctorate by age 26; served as a Pitt Department Chair, Dean, and Professor; and, after a several decades career at Pitt, retired as a Distinguished Service Professor and Vice Provost Emeritus.  

Given its potential to be a great facilitator of equity and social justice, now is the time for Pitt Black alumni to “pay it forward;” to help Pitt remain a place where “reinvention never stops” by giving of their time, talent and tithes to Pitt; and, as one Pitt Black alum states, now is the time to “be a fountain, not a drain!”  The following are a few ways of doing so.

·  Become an active member of the African American Alunni Council;

·  Become a member of the Pitt Alumni Association;

·  Donate to the African American Alumni Scholarship Fund;

·  Endow a scholarship;

·  Mentor currently enrolled students;

·  Network with other alumni;

·  Provide internships for students;

·  Recruit undergraduate, professional and graduate school students;

·  Return to Pitt in professional capacities; and

·  Serve on Pitt Boards of Visitors and/or the Pitt Board of Trustees.

If Pitt is to become the equitable and just institution it should become, then Black alumni must be among those who work the hardest to [1] get more Black students enrolled and graduated from Pitt; [2] have more Blacks hired on all four Pitt Campuses; and [3] help extend Pitt’s engagement with the Black community throughout the Commonwealth. We must help continue the process of remaking the University’s degree, certificate, and research programs into ones that include addressing systemic racism and its concomitant social determinants of adverse conditions for Blacks.  We must make the African American Alumni Council the largest, most influential such alumni group in America.  

No matter what Pitt has been and currently happens to be in terms of racial composition, Black alumni must play significant roles in making Pitt a world-class University where, collectively, we never stop “pushing the edge of what’s possible” in the pursuit of equity and social justice.  In doing so, Pitt Black alumni should heed the advice President Obama gave to 2012 Barnard College graduates, i.e., “My first piece of advice is this:  Don’t just get involved.  Fight for your seat at the table.  Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.”  

In the Pitt context, recall that 55 years ago, on January 15th, Pitt Black students put their academic careers and indeed their lives on the line when they took over the Pitt Computer Center; issued as well as had their demands met; and made a key contribution to what followed programmatically for Blacks at Pitt.  Those who subsequently crossed over that “sturdy Black bridge” can serve as bridge builders of today by giving of their time, talents, and tithes to Pitt.  Moreover, as Isabel Wilkerson told Occidental College graduates in 2023, “If our ancestors could do what they did, with so much less than we have been given, then there’s nothing that we cannot do in our day.”  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically  White University While Black

January 25, 2024  

 Across the nation, most institutions of higher education celebrate various diversity, equity and inclusion months. For example, the University of Pittsburgh celebrates [1] Black History Month; [2] Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month; [3] National Disability Employment Awareness Month; [4] Women’s History Month; [5] LGBTQIA+Pride Month; and [6] Native American Heritage Month. 

Harvard University celebrates [1] Black History month; [2] Women’s History Month; [3] Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month; [4] Pride Month; [5] Disability Pride Month; [6] Latinx Heritage Month; [7] LGBTQ+ History Month; and [8] Native American Heritage Month.

The University of Buffalo celebrates many of the above months but also months such as Arab-American Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Indeed, given that various “diversity, equity and social justice calendars” list over 50 such months, there might not be an accredited institution of higher education that does not celebrate some of the months noted above.

Notwithstanding their educational value, ironically the foregoing diversity, equity and inclusion months could be problematic in terms of advancing the equity and social justice movement. Consider, for example, what happens during Black History Month on some historically White institutions of higher education campuses. During the month, students, faculty, staff and administrators justifiably take pride in their first Blacks to hold various staff, faculty administrative positions as well as the remarkable achievements of Black students in academia and athletics. Festive events take place during which people receive distinguished awards for their contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. 

Quite often, senior White administrators and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officers make pronouncements regarding the significance of Blacks’ contributions to their respective institutions and the larger society. 

Notwithstanding the fact that Black History Month is a significant campus commemorative event, it could ultimately be just a “Feel Good Month,” a moment that fades into a memory, and, of great importance, a month of activities that don’t significantly advance the equity and social justice movement on campus! 

More specifically, after a 2023 month of Black history on campuses across the nation, when we get to February 2024, the vast majority of historically White colleges and universities probably will not have made statistically significant gains in [1] Black student enrollment, retention, and graduation across the various fields of study; [2] the number of full-time tenure stream Black faculty; [3] the number of senior Black administrators and staff; [4] academic programs and research related to the African Diaspora; and [5] the number of Black owned and operated companies that have contracts with the given institution of higher education. Indeed, by 2024, there might have been setbacks in the foregoing categories and, if one is not careful, the Black History Month celebration might simply become an annual pacifier, an annual ritual that helps systemic/structural racism on campus endure another year.

At my alma mater, for example, we annually pay tribute to the Honorable K. Leroy Irvis, the first Black Pennsylvania Speaker of the House who did much to save Pitt when it was in financial distress. However, as we celebrate Mr. Irvis, we must not lose sight of the fact that Mr. Irvis became Speaker of the House in 1977 and it was another 46 years before Representative Joanna McClinton was elected as the first Black woman Speaker of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives! 

During the 2023 Black History Month celebration, my alma mater appropriately celebrated Dr. Donald M. Henderson who was the first and only Black Provost at Pitt. However, the celebration of this historical figure should not cause us to lose sight of the fact that, for centuries, all but one Provost have been White and, since Henderson’s time in office, there have been only Whites to serve as Interim or Provost, i.e., a White male Interim Provost, a White male Provost, and two White women Provosts.  

During my personal and professional interactions with Henderson, he had ongoing concerns with the well-being of Black athletes. Hence, the celebration of Henderson’s contributions might be followed by purposeful interventions to improve the currently unacceptable academic experiences of Black as well as other student athletes. Because he was the chief academic officer, with all deliberate speed, there should be timely interventions regarding the fact that Pitt has only one Black Dean and, for centuries, has never had a Black Chancellor!

In sum, it is essential that Black History month on historically White institutions of higher education be a “Sankofa” not simply a “feel good” month-long moment. It should be a moment to look back at from whence we came, note significant achievements, and, most importantly, use history to instruct what must be done today to advance the equity and social justice movement. 

At the end of every Black History month, equity and social justice workers should forge an updated agenda in keeping with former Congressman John Lewis’ advice, i.e., “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." And they should do so keeping in mind this observation from Ms. Amanda Gorman’s Inaugural poem, “For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.” If we do not act accordingly, we will be left with a “feel good” month-long moment while the “powers that be” have 12 months to intentionally or unintentionally perpetuate the status quo that changes at a snail-like pace.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 2, 2023

 Student loan forgiveness moves the needle for all to advance

But more needs done to create a level playing field

If you are complaining about your tax dollars paying off someone else’s student loan debt, or proudly declaring that you worked hard to pay your own student loan debt, or if you were silent when billions of tax dollars paid off the debt of big corporations under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), have a seat.

If you were fortunate enough to have family or someone who could save or even scrape together money for your higher education costs, by all means, count your blessings. You are not begrudged that good fortune.

However, not everyone was or is in that same position.

According to the Federal Reserve, the gender and racial wealth gap is significant. The median wealth of white families is 10 times that of Black families and more than 8 times that of Latinx families. A white man’s median net worth is 100 times higher than a Black woman’s. Yes, there is a cost to closing the gender-racial wealth gap. But the up-side is huge: Black women contributing to their communities through home ownership, purchasing goods and services, and on and on.

So it stands to reason, Black women will benefit the most from President Joe Biden’s cancellation of student loan debt, which may explain some of this backlash. Historically, Black women have been left out of the higher education game, first by blatant discrimination and now by cost. This gender-racial wealth gap affects everyone. It affects entire communities. But at its core, it has economic impacts on a Black woman’s financial security, health, and civic engagement on many levels.

Women hold two-thirds of the nation’s student loan debt, and Black women have the highest average total undergraduate and graduate loan debt. Women and people of color are juggling higher amounts of student loan debt with lower paying jobs and other gender and race disparities. For these borrowers and many others, the cancellation of $10,000 of debt is a great start, but it doesn’t go far enough. Rather than complain about who’s eligible and who’s not, let’s work together to maximize student loan relief.

Interestingly, we were discussing a 2021 NBC news article about how a publicly traded company in Texas took a PPP loan, quadrupled its earnings, doubled the pay of its top three executives, and then had its $2.2 million PPP loan forgiven.

It’s not the first time we read it, but it is just as shocking this time around.

We’re not sure where the outrage was for that egregious step of greed; surely at the time, it was somewhere. But it makes the latest negative chatter on the President’s student loan forgiveness mind boggling. Especially, as we’ve pointed out, taxpayers are footing that bill for PPP loans.

For Black women in particular, the alleviation of a small bit of student loan debt can be the difference between investing in a home, paying for child care, starting a business, saving for retirement -- or not.

In many instances, these women came from families whose household income was $30k or less a year. Certainly no one was saving for college. These families are barely getting by day to day. There simply is nothing extra left.

The president’s reprieve is overdue and folks are very grateful, but it still comes up short. This should be the first step in making college affordable for everyone, not just a one-time deal.

According to White House reports, nearly 90% of relief dollars will go to borrowers earning less than $75,000 per year. Also, under the president’s proposed changes to income-based repayment, the average borrower will save over $1,000 per year on loan payments, and the typical college borrower will see their loan payments cut in half.

There are folks who seem to think we can lavish that support on corporate America but when it comes to everyday citizens, it’s a no-go. This debt relief benefits a whole group in the population that has been left behind on the American dream that others have enjoyed.

Maybe it is hard for some to watch because it means a true leveling of the field…and a leveling that is long overdue.

State Rep. Darisha Parker, chair, subcommittee on women and girls of color (PLBC)

State Rep. Donna Bullock, chair, PA Legislative Black Caucus (PLBC)

State Rep. Morgan Cephas, co-chair, women’s health caucus

2020, A PRELUDE TO THE 2021 WHITE SUPREMACIST ATTACK ON CONGRESS

​A quick online search will yield numerous references to 2020 being a “racial awakening” year in America.  As with many words, “awakening” has multiple meanings including, the literal awakening from sleep; developing a renewed interest or attention; and a rude calling of attention to uncomfortable facts. When it comes to racism, 2020 was more of a rude awakening to uncomfortable facts related to the extent of racism, especially as practiced by some police officers.  As is well known, this rude awakening was stimulated by the videotaping and rebroadcasting of George Floyd’s murder by police officer Derek Chauvin who knelt mercilessly on Floyd’s neck.  In short, 2020 was a year of reticent White Americans receiving incontrovertible evidence that racism was rampant in America, that it was indeed systemic, and that it literally had deadly consequences.  However, 2020, was not a year of “racial reckoning.”  

​“Racial reckoning” is not a matter of tokenism, e.g., a formerly overwhelmingly White corporation quickly hiring a Black assistant to a White senior level employee; a university promising a modest enrollment increase of Black students; or a city passing a resolution regarding racism being a public health matter.  If there were “racial reckoning” in America, after centuries of justice delayed/denied, then Black Americans would finally receive their “40 acres and a mule,” i.e., reparations appropriate to 2021 circumstances.  

​If there were “racial reckoning,” for example, the City of Pittsburgh in conjunction with partners from higher education institutions, foundations, the private sector, and families would with all deliberate speed resolve the matters that produce the educational achievement gaps in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.  After years of not having done so, “racial reckoning” would include the University of Pittsburgh, on an ongoing basis, extending multi-million-dollar business contracts to Black owned and operated companies.  “Racial reckoning” would include Pittsburgh being a leading city where all essential workers are compensated appropriately, especially in professions such as early childhood education where Blacks are disproportionately underpaid.  It would entail making Pittsburgh a “most livable city” for all.  Given that these types of things have not happened in Pittsburgh or elsewhere, 2020 was more of an epiphany.  

2020 was a “year of epiphany” that signaled how internal decay was causing the crumbling of racist, patriarchal, homophobic, xenophobic, sexist, and other deleterious walls.  November 3, 2020 was similar to that moment when “Dorothy” realized the “Wizard” was not only a complete fake but also an exploiter of human beings.  Instead of “going home,” American citizens “clicked their heels” and evicted P45 from America’s home.  Their 2020 actions were reinforced on January 5, 2021,when they “showed up and showed out” in Georgia, electing two senators from the Democrat Party.  

2020 was predictive of what took place on January 6, 2021,as the Electoral College vote was being counted.  It forecast the unthinkable, that a sitting American President, with narcissism, ignorance and intolerance dripping down his face and hatred frothing at his mouth, would incite White supremacists to attack members of Congress!  If there ever were such a thing as being totally disengaged from reality, he so demonstrated by once again ranting about a “stolen election,” an election that had in fact been confirmed, reconfirmed, and reconfirmed again by all relevant parties. 

Before the next President could be inaugurated, we witnessed the most infamous moment in American Presidential history.  All doubts were removed regarding how some police treat Black peaceful protesters as compared to how they treat White supremacists engaged in destruction. The criminal assault on Congress was so disgraceful that the leaders of other nations declared that the would be American “emperor” has no clothing.Things sank so low that P45’s most loyal sycophants abandoned him as evidenced by Senator McConnell stating "If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral. We'd never see the whole nation accept an election again," and Senator Graham exclaiming "…but today…count me out. Enough is enough."  

Aside from insuring that P45 never again holds public office in America and being appropriately prosecuted for all of his criminal conduct, now is the time for an unwavering assault on the beast that remains in America as evidenced, for example, by the more than 100 members of Congress who objected to the Electoral College results, AFTER AN ASSAULT BY WHITE SUPREMACISTS ON CONGRESS A FEW HOURS BEFORE THEY VOTED!  

Let the federal investigation of the resultant 5 deaths and all aspects of the attempted coup proceed as rapidly as possible. Instead of P45’s enablers slapping him on his wrists for a few days, Facebook and other social media should permanently ban him as Twitter did.

If nothing else moves “we the people” to action, then never stop thinking about the possibility that instead of 5 lives being lost during the White supremacist assault on the Capitol, we could have had a mass-murder that claimed the lives of unknown numbers of members of Congress and, still worse, the mob that moved on Congress was incited by P45, his son, his lawyer, and others.  And shamefully, a so-called “breakdown” in security would have been contributory.  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

January 8, 2021

  THE “WALLS” CAME TUMBLING DOWN:

Not just statues, flags, names, and other accouterments of systemic racism

The biblical account of the battle at Jericho indicates that people marched around Jericho for six days and, on the seventh day “…As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city” (Joshua 6:20). Note that the people did not simply enter the city. They also destroyed the city. With this biblical story in mind, one might reflect on the desirable outcomes for the efforts of today’s freedom seeking people who are marching around the “City of Systemic Racism.”

As a result of the many protest marches since George Floyd’s death, we have witnessed things such as the following:

· Princeton University removed the name of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson from a building on its campus because of his racist beliefs and policies.

· Mississippi lawmakers voted to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag.

· Walmart ended its practice of locking up Black beauty products.

· In a letter to the House Clerk, Speaker Nancy Pelosi requested the "immediate removal" of the portraits of four Speakers who served the Confederacy in various capacities: Robert Hunter of Virginia, Howell Cobb of Georgia, James Orr of South Carolina and Charles Crisp of Georgia.

· NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from all its events.

· PepsiCo decided to change the stereotypical Aunt Jemima name and image. 

· HBO removed “Gone with the Wind” from its offerings.

· Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL was wrong for not listening to players' criticisms of racism. 

As necessary  as the foregoing acts of contrition might be, they are not sufficient for destroying the “City of Systemic Racism.” To do so, for example, Princeton University must destroy all old policies and practices that enabled systemic racism and replace them with new policies and practices that enable timely positive outcomes in terms of equity and social justice throughout the University. Again, the NFL must go beyond updating the Rooney Rule and make good on its promise to hire Blacks in senior positions as well as significantly involve Blacks throughout the business that depends so heavily on Blacks. 

Instead of being satisfied with the outcomes of the recent protest moments, we, the people, must march on through November 2020 and attack the “City of Systemic Racism” by taking control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency. Subsequently, the new national leadership must [1] implement science-based strategies and tactics against Covid-19; and [2] legislatively address things such as lynching, affordable health care, police reform, the cost of higher education, pathways to citizenship, and appropriate wages for essential workers.

Destroying the “City of Systemic Racism” means doing what CNBC reported regarding Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon’s call to action, i.e. “…the country’s top CEOs will look for ways to address racial inequities that span society, from how the world of finance works to how police treat black Americans. In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” McMillon said the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck, has prompted new urgency to do more than just donate money. McMillon, who is chairman of the Business Roundtable, announced the group of business leaders will form a special committee to advance racial equality and justice solutions. ‘What we see is a moment here, a moment where we can make a bigger difference.’”

If we are to destroy the “City of Systemic Racism,” then higher education leaders must do as Pitt’s Chancellor Patrick Gallagher did when he declared, “…In this moment of raw grief and anger, we must plot a path forward. We must find ways to build bridges, listen and empathize—even when it is uncomfortable. And we must demand better of our leaders, holding them accountable by voting and pushing to reform the laws and institutions of our democracy. Working together, we have enormous power to realize change.

…The University of Pittsburgh is a longstanding leader in our region. Yet, for all of our remarkable accomplishments, African Americans living within the Cathedral of Learning’s shadow are still confronting an alarming opportunity gap. We can expand our efforts to translate our work into practice and spur a local renaissance in our surrounding neighborhoods and communities.

Reshaping our university to be more diverse, inclusive and just—while also expanding our reach and impact in promoting social justice—is a significant effort, and we will need to resource and sustain this transformation over time. Because of this, I am putting our nearly complete strategic planning process—which aims to chart Pitt’s course over the next five years—on hold. This pause will give us time to incorporate specific strategies to strengthen our commitments to racial equity and justice. I will need your help in identifying the most promising initiatives in this final plan, and I hope you will participate.”

In a Joshua like fashion, Chancellor Gallagher has launched a process which, with the assistance of the University community as well as the Pittsburgh community, should result in the building of a new “city” from the one now known as the University of Pittsburgh. Let us not stop “marching” until the “walls” preventing equity and social justice at the University have truly come tumbling down. 

“…One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)

Now the war is not over, victory isn't won
And we'll fight on to the finish, then when it's all done
We'll cry glory, oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
We'll cry glory, oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)”

-John Legend-

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

July 19, 2020

THOSE WHO HAVEN’T  FIGURED OUT 

WHETHER TO VOTE FOR TRUMP AIN’T BLACK

It is very problematic for anyone to define the essential factors for being Black.  Over several centuries, Blacks have struggled to specify the collective noun by which they are to be identified and, in turn, articulate the attendant beliefs, behaviors and values associated with names such as “Negro, Colored, Afro-American, African American, and Black.”  Regardless of the appellation used, it has always been a well-known fact that “all skin-folk ain’t kin-folk!” Nevertheless, one “litmus test” to be or not to be Black is offered herein, i.e., [1] the extent to which a racially Black person acts in ways that advance Blacks’ pursuit of freedom, justice and equality and, conversely, [2] the extent to which a racially Black person consciously acts in ways to retard Blacks’ pursuit of freedom, justice and equality.  

With the foregoing in mind, consider a few iconic examples of “skin-folk who ain’t kin-folk” and, therefore, not Black regardless to whether their skin color is “light bright and damn near White,” “teasing tan,” “mellow yellow,” “paper bag brown,” or “indigo black.”    

• The Slave Snitch.  The Slave Snitch caused other slaves to be killed by doing things such as inform the slave master when slaves were planning to run away or warn the master when freedom-loving slaves plotted to  burn crops in the field.  They were brainwashed to believe “servant obey thy master” was applicable to them and their White master.  The Slave Snitch was a traitor to his/her people, a real “Judas” who never got rewarded with pieces of silver but rather with something as simple as a pat on the head and leftover food from the master’s table.

• The Tragic Mulatto.  The Tragic Mulatto was not Black because he/she had a minimal amount of “Black” blood.  The disqualifying factors for the Tragic Mulatto were things such as [1] self-hatred based on their belief that their minimum amount of “Black” blood reduced them to something less than human; and [2] they were in such agony about not being “pure White” that they did things such as attempt to “pass for White;” detest any positive cultural phenomenon ascribed to being Black such as the creation of the spirituals and jazz; and they were as willing as any White racist to take actions that denied freedom, justice and equality for Black people. 

• The Brown-Tongue Sycophant.  This groveling, obsequious, backside-licking person will “kiss up” to and do the bidding for White racists, e.g., oppose economic programs to aid Black businesses even though the same programs are used to aid White businesses; fight against progressive programs that result in justice and equity on college campuses; stymie efforts to provide Blacks with affordable housing; and advance educational policies that are known to sustain achievement gaps.  They take great delight in being “poster children” for movements against affirmative action, voting rights acts, reducing Black maternal mortality, and other forms of social justice.  

• The Demented Sociopath.  We know these demented folks by the death and destruction they cause for other Blacks when they sell guns, dope, drugs, and other poisons in Black oppressed communities.  They shamelessly sell Black bodies for sex as well as write and sing filthy lyrics about Black women.  These are the lacking in consciousness pons who produce the annual records of Black homicides.  Properly miseducated and infused with self-hatred, they help deliver hell on earth for Black people.  

• House Negro.  As Malcolm X described the House Negro, “His master’s pain was his pain. And it hurt him more for his master to be sick than for him to be sick himself. When the master’s house started burning down, that type of Negro would fight harder to put out the fire than the master himself would.”  

As sad/sick as the foregoing “skin-folk who ain’t kin folk” might be, it is very important to remember that, as with the House Negro, they are the minority of Black folk regardless of how conspicuous they might be.  As Malcolm X noted, “…the field Negroes were the masses. They were in the majority. When the master got sick, they prayed that he’d die. If his house caught on fire, they'd pray for a wind to come along and fan the breeze.”  Today, the masses of Blacks know for certain that Trump must go and will vote for him to do so!  Therefore, one is left to wonder how a few outlying “skin-folk” got so confused about whether to vote for Trump.”

It might well be that we are in the presence of the “Jonestown Effect,” a situation in which [1] cult members got drawn into a universe of “alternative facts,” habitual lying (18,000 by Trump since he took office), and, for various reasons, [2] these confused souls “drank the Kool Aid” poured in the form of “What have you got to lose?”  Once they drank from the poisonous cup, 2+2 no longer equaled 4 and racism, however blatantly expressed, was not racism.  Lost and confused, truly bamboozled, the following bizarre thinking occurred.  

• Trump could not have had me in mind when he derided people from “shit hole countries.”  

• It was not racism when, in 1989, Trump paid about $100,000 for ads calling for the execution of the innocent “Central Park Five.”  

• There is nothing racist about Trump’s “birther” attacks on President Barack Obama or Trump’s recent refusal to hold a ceremony for hanging President Obama’s portrait in the White House.  

• When Trump’s spewed racist phlegm regarding Hispanic immigrants being rapists and murders, he was just engaged in “campaign rhetoric” and he most certainly did not believe the same things about African and Caribbean immigrants.

• Trump was simply being objective, not racist, when he claimed there were some “very nice people” among the White Nationalists who ran amuck in Charlottesville.  He was telling the truth when he said he did not know the White supremacist leader David Duke who endorsed him.

• Although he initially called Coronavirus a hoax, delayed action steps, and said nothing the day we reached  100,000 American deaths, including disproportionate numbers of Blacks, Trump cares more about the loss of human life than the economy.    

• Trump is not attempting to stifle the Black vote by attacking the use of absentee ballots.  He is just trying to make America great again by preserving democracy.

• Trump is simply being respectful given that he tweets profusely but said nothing to condemn a policeman who kneeled on a Black man’s neck until he died.

• Trump might be a little homophobic, xenophobic, and misogynistic but he is not racist. 

The miniscule number of “skin-folk” who might be figuring out whether to vote for Trump could resolve their dilemma by recalling that chickens don’t deliberate whether to not only permit the fox to guard but also take up residence in the hen house.  If this common sense does not register, then recall the indecisiveness of those minorities who wondered whether to support Adolf Hitler as he rose to power.  As for one who would use the Black masses to help replace Trump, remember “there’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip” and, therefore, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

May 29, 2020

 To be woke is to be alert to injustice and discrimination in society, especially racism. Not to be woke is to be distracted regarding the active, virulent nature of discrimination is society. In the latter condition, people find themselves participating in what former President Obama referenced as a “silly season,” i.e., a period when media hype about less important events is used to distract from major societal issues. At the moment, we are in the midst of a “silly season” stimulated by the slapping of Chris Rock by Will Smith. Consider, for example, the misguided statements by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote, “When Will Smith stormed onto the Oscar stage to strike Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife’s short hair, he did a lot more damage than just to Rock’s face. With a single petulant blow, he advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community…”  In my opinion, Abdul-Jabbar signaled the nature of the current “silly season” when he proffered that  a “petulant blow,” a single, temperamental, childish act could [1] advocate violence, [2] diminish women, [3] insult the entertainment industry, and [4] perpetuate stereotypes about the Black community. 

Many people used social media to echo Abdul-Jabbar’s remark regarding the Will Smith slap having perpetuated stereotypes regarding violence in the Black community. In doing so, they mistakenly reinforced one of the worst dynamics of systemic racism, e.g., attributing something negative to the Black collective because of something done by a single Black individual but not doing the reverse. Thus, for example, a Black student expelled from college for academic reasons is said to reinforce the racist notion of Black intellectual inferiority. On the other hand, thousands of Black college students graduating magna cum laude hardly make a dent in the intellectual inferiority myth. 

During the current Will Smith induced “silly season,” many people indicated that somehow Will Smith “diminished women.” Such misguided people have  truly been “slapped silly,” lulled to sleep, if they believe that Will Smith’s slap diminished women more than things such as [1] the filthy words and deeds of former President Trump; [2] the despicable crimes of Harvey Weinstein; [3]  the detestable crimes of Jeffrey Epstein; and, related to the Oscar venue, [4] the disgraceful history of women as portrayed in Hollywood films. See for example, Representations of Black Women In Hollywood. Representations of Black Women in Hollywood - See Jane

Folks have had their brains scrambled if they really believe that, when it comes to the daily violence in the Black community, we must take steps to ensure that a Will Smith never again slaps a Chris Rock during a “dignified” event instead of focusing on the systemic factors that contribute to the flooding of many urban Black communities with guns, dope, and preventable diseases.  It is truly “silly season” when masses of people turn their attention away from facts such as gun violence being up 25% in places such as Baltimore and, instead, debate ad nauseum the significance of the “violence” associated with Will Smith’s slap. We should not be in a “silly season” during which, even momentarily, we forget that we live in a society where “violence” against Blacks includes horrendous acts such as a White policeman murdering a Black man by kneeling on his neck for approximately 8 minutes; a Black woman being shot by a police officer while she is sleeping; or a White police woman killing a Black man when she confused her Taser for a gun! 

Woke folks understand that it took until March 2022 to get the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act passed, i.e., a federal law that enables the prosecution of crimes as lynchings if they are committed during a hate crime in which the victim is injured or killed. On the other hand, a Will Smith induced “silly season” draws attention away from the fact that more than 6000 Blacks have been lynched in America and it took centuries to enact the Emmet Till Bill There have been more than 6,400 lynchings since the end of the Civil War, new study reveals | TheHill

Before saying/writing/texting/tweeting another “silly season” thing about the Will Smith slap, please keep in mind facts such as the following: [1] As of this writing, Historically Black Colleges and Universities have received so many bomb threats that the Biden-⁠Harris Administration had to provide intervention resources. [2] Over the past two years, the Covid Pandemic has wreaked havoc on Black communities (See THE STATE OF BLACK AMERICA AND COVID-19 A TWO-YEAR ASSESSMENT). [3] In some places, The Black Homeownership Rate Is Now Lower Than It Was A Decade Ago (See, article by Anna Bahney, CNN Business February 25, 2022). [4] American women are diminished by employers who pay them a fraction of what they pay men, particularly White men. [5] Across the nation, public schools are under attack by ill-informed, ill-advised, ignorant folks who don’t understand “critical,” “race,” or “theory.” 

In sum, do understand that America is one of the most violent countries in the world because of things such as people with weapons of mass destruction engaging in school shootings, not because of a “petulant slap” during an event for “one percenters.”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 31, 2022

To prohibit hair discrimination in Pennsylvania and garner support from stakeholders across the commonwealth, Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, and House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Phila./Delaware, launched the Pennsylvania CROWN Act Coalition.

This coalition will work to combat hair discrimination and educate stakeholders about the CROWN Act (H.B. 1394), in addition to advocating for the passage of the bill in Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The CROWN Act, sponsored by Mayes and McClinton, passed the House by a vote of 182-21. It would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to prohibit discrimination based on hair type, hair texture or hair style in Pennsylvania.

“Speaker McClinton and I launched the Pennsylvania CROWN Act Coalition, inspired by the national CROWN Act Coalition, to stand together to create a world that respects natural hair and enact a statewide law to ban discrimination of how our hair naturally grows out of our head,” Mayes said. “When people face hair discrimination in the workplace like here in Pittsburgh in the case of Asani Porch who has a lawsuit against Aramark for hair discrimination, in school settings like Darryl George in Texas and public accommodations, it negatively affects their health. We must pass the CROWN Act to ensure that natural hair, hair styles and hair texture are respected in our commonwealth.”

“People in other states – like Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana – have already secured the protections offered by the CROWN Act,” McClinton said. “Pennsylvanians deserve the same respect and dignity, whether they are student athletes or applying for a new job. The CROWN Coalition will empower people to join the chorus of voices calling to end this outdated artifact of racial discrimination.”

Those interested may join the Pennsylvania CROWN Act Coalition at pahouse.com/CROWNAct. Pennsylvanians may contact their state representative and the Senate about the CROWN Act on Mayes’ website.

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House Democrats are committed to promoting better jobs, better schools and better communities. Putting people ahead of politics, House Democrats are leading the charge to lower taxes, help workers save for retirement, put more teachers in local schools, and make communities safer. More information on these successful efforts is at pahouse.com/deliveringforpa.