The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus today hosted the Rev. Jesse Jackson, one of the most well-known civil rights leaders of his era, at the state Capitol.

Jackson and members of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition visited Harrisburg to evaluate the progress of the PLBC in Dauphin County regarding voting rights for incarcerated individuals, particularly in relation to Rep. Rick Krajewski’s H.B. 1756. Their goals also include supporting the PLBC tour from this past summer and promoting Black economic development.

“Rev. Jackson has been a pivotal figure in the civil rights and voting rights movements, advocating for social justice and racial equality through grassroots activism and national campaigns,” said Rep. Napoleon Nelson, who chairs the PLBC. “His leadership and unwavering commitment have helped amplify the voices of marginalized communities and shaped critical dialogues around civil rights issues in America.”

Jackson was recognized by both state legislative bodies for founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which advocates for civil rights, economic equality, voting rights and social justice. He played a crucial role in pushing for federal and state legislators to implement legislation addressing voter impediments, affirmative action in contracts, and major civil rights campaigns, including the push for economic empowerment.

“Let me express my thanks to the members of the Pennsylvania Senate and House for welcoming me and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  I am honored to be hosted by Ms. Joanna McClinton, the first African American female speaker of the Pennsylvania House,” Jackson said. 

The Rainbow PUSH team started their day in Harrisburg by meeting with McClinton. Jackson then participated in a "Lunch and Learn" session focused on the issue of disenfranchisement of incarcerated voters. 

Jackson has been a prominent advocate for voting rights since the 1980s. His work continues to be relevant in ongoing discussions about electoral access and fairness.

“I have continued to emphasize the need for equitable access to voting and continued to highlight the impact of voter suppression tactics that disproportionally affected African American voters,” Jackson said. “This is one of the many voter registration, voter engagement drives I have led urging African Americans and other minorities to register and vote.

“I have spoken out against strict voter ID laws and urged states to pass laws allowing persons awaiting trial to vote in county jails and to allow convicted felons who have served their sentences to have their full citizenship rights restored allowing them to register and vote. I have often said that the vote is our most powerful weapon, emphasizing its importance in achieving social justice and equality.”

“We are truly honored to have the successor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the ‘Drum Major for Justice’ visit us today in Harrisburg,” Nelson said.

Established as an official caucus in 1973, the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus was formed to empower Black legislators and to serve as an information and advocacy vehicle to advance the interests of Black, Latino and other Pennsylvanians of color. Many of the original members were afraid to meet in an open forum and had previously met in secret to establish a shared legislative agenda.

As chattel slaves, for 400 years, Blacks were consigned to the lowest race-based caste-like ranks of American society.  Considered to be mere property belonging to the same class of “farm animals” such as cows, pigs, horses, and dogs, the slaves’ Black Jobs consisted of sun up to sun down drudgery performed for no pay.  Their “fringe benefits” were to survive another day without experiencing gross inhumanity such as [1] severe whippings that ripped open their flesh; [2] castrations for giving a master the “wrong” look; [3] rapes while still a child; and, in some cases, [4] deaths via various forms of torture.  For example, as reported by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers in They Were Her Property (Yale University Press, 2019), “When another formerly enslaved woman forgot to refer to her mistress’s eight-or nine-year old daughter as ‘Miss,’ her mistress put her ‘in a stock and beat’ her.  While she was in the stocks, the woman twisted her leg until it broke, and even then, continued to beat her until she was satisfied her point had been made” (page 6).  

 After the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, Black Jobs were those permitted by legal race-based segregation.  Bottom line, for the most part, Blacks did not work in nor make use of facilities owned by Whites.  If they did, they used separate facilities, e.g., separate toilets, water fountains, bus seating, etc.  One unanticipated outcome of race-based segregation is that Blacks were forced to create their own jobs, e.g., Black beauty shops, barbers, farmers, morticians, recreation centers, and roadside assistance  (See Black Entrepreneurs during the Jim Crow Era -- The Henry Ford Blog - Blog - The Henry Ford).

Nevertheless, even the most “enlightened” Whites kept Blacks out of certain jobs.  For example, from Harvard’s beginnings in 1636 to centuries later, there were no professorial and/or administrative jobs for Blacks.  Hence, America began the separate and unequal Historically Black Colleges and Universities beginning  with Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1837.  Jobs remain so segregated in higher education that at Pitt, for example, Black faculty presence hovers around a mere 4%! (See University Times, November 30, 2023).   Indeed, throughout America’s historically White institutions of higher education, there are only token numbers of Black faculty and senior administrators.  

As a direct consequence of systemic, race-based, caste-like American forces, Blacks have not had an equal opportunity to hold equal numbers of jobs  [1] in City Governments, State Assemblies, Congress, or elected Executive offices; [2] jobs in STEM related occupations; [3] as health professionals; [4] as commercial pilots; [5] CEOs of major corporations; [6] lawyers; [7] or any profession for which postsecondary education is required, especially a college education.  As with the formal Jim Crow era, today Blacks are often found in jobs that require the “sweat of their brow,” e.g., on basketball courts and football fields which are reminiscent of the forerunner slave economy consisting of White owners and “overseers” (coaches) along with disproportionate number of Black players (workers).

To be sure and, as slowly as it happens to be, Blacks are securing jobs in an increasingly wide array of fields.  Most notably, at the moment, a Black woman seeks to become President of the United States of America.  As this drama plays out, we will witness all of America’s original sin’s remnants in play.  We will witness a convicted White male felon using racial and misogynistic slurs against a Black woman who has served in Congress and as Vice President of the United States.  

The White male, patriarchal script does not include President of the United States as a job for a Black woman. However, the tide for change is more than rising!  All should learn how to say President Kamala Harris because it is now the case that Black Women are for Harris; White Women are for Harris; Black Men are for Harris; White Dudes are for Harris; Indian Americans are for Harris; young voters in Won’t PAC Down are for Harris; some former Nikki Haley voters are for Harris; “Childless Cat Ladies” are for Harris;  Divine Nine members are for Harris; and there is a Republicans for Harris campaign.  Truly we are witnessing a moment when Black Jobs will be radically redefined.  And if there is a Black person who believes the racist fiction uttered by Trump regarding Black jobs, please consider the questions posed by a popular social media post:  [1] When, if ever, did you, as a Black person, lose a job to an illegal immigrant?  [2] When, if ever, did you lose a job to a White person who was less qualified than you?  

Finally, regarding the truth about Black jobs, do know that a critically important Black job has been to make America what it ought to be, i.e., as Nicloe Hannah Jones stated, “Our democracy’s founding ideals were false when they were written.  Black Americans have fought to make them true.” August 14, 2019).  Let us continue this Black jobuntil victory is won!

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

August 8, 2024

Senator Art Haywood (D-4  in partnership with Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW- Executive Director of the PA Human Relations Commission (PHRC), hosted a press conference to announce the release of The ENOUGH Report. This report details the traumatic experiences of on-campus hate and harassment on PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) campuses and lists concrete demands to address this matter. Senator Haywood and Executive Director Lassiter were joined by PASSHE Chancellor Greenstein, West Chester University President Dr. Fiorentino, Senator Schwank, Senator Comitta, Rep. Nelson, and Liv S., a Pennwest student.

In August 2020, the SpotlightPA report titled “Condemn, Discuss, Repeat” highlighted racism at PASSHE schools, prompting a campaign led by students and alumni, supported by Senator Art Haywood. Identifying deficiencies, they pressured for reforms, leading to Chancellor Daniel Greenstein’s positive response. The “ENOUGH: Listening Tour” provided a platform for Black and Brown students to share experiences, aiming to build on progress and ensure a discrimination-free learning environment. Although strides have been made, there is ongoing work to eliminate racism’s impact on academic achievement for Students of Color in Pennsylvania’s schools. The report covers student perspective, university actions, and an overview of the ENOUGH Tour timeline. 

This effort has become even more urgent since the US Supreme Court put our nation in reverse by ending affirmative action in college admissions. College admissions officers and recruiters are being told to wear the same blinders that prevented them from seeing Black talent for centuries,” says 

Senator Haywood continues, “All students should be in an environment that is conducive to learning and free from discrimination. That is why I designed the ENOUGH Listening Tour. Ultimately, Pennsylvania’s leaders and institutions should respect the dignity of all students. The work to ensure that dignity is intact for Pennsylvania’s Students of Color continues with this report in hopes that one day the work will no longer be required.”

“One of the takeaways from this report is that while more and more students of color are attending schools in the state system, they often feel isolated, alienated, and unsupported,” said Executive Director Lassiter. “They face microaggressions and discrimination from other students, faculty, and sometimes the surrounding community. Students also told us about the lack of mental health resources to help deal with the problems they face. “

Lassiter added, “Senator Haywood and I are thankful to the students and alumni who opened up and spoke with us. Being vulnerable shows a high level of courage. The feedback we received will go a long way to help ensure all students can learn in an environment that is free from discrimination.”

State Senator Carolyn Comitta (D-19 and a member of the West Chester University Council of Trustees) says, “Racism is unacceptable. This report helps provide a path to move forward in a positive direction. The good news is we have partners within PASSHE who are committed to ending racism on campuses. Now, we must all work together to do just that.”

Senator Schwank (D-11) says, “It is vital that our state-owned universities remain safe havens where all students can depend on to pursue a higher education. I commend Senator Haywood for his exemplary leadership in addressing racial abuse and inequities on our campuses. As a member of the PASSHE Board of Governors, I am fully committed to utilizing this report when we are considering the changes we want to see on our state-owned campuses.”

Rep. Pielli (D-156) adds, “I’m glad to see that there have been efforts made here at West Chester University, but this report is just the beginning. We have to keep going. We must keep recruiting not only students of color but also professors and staff in order to have a more diverse environment where everyone feels safe and secure. 

Rep. Nelson (D-154) says, “What’s truly meaningful for our students is the agency they have when they find their voice and their ability to reach out to the legislators who are standing with them.” Rep. Nelson continues, “Unfortunately, there is another amazing community of students who are not necessarily black and brown who are also dealing with the scourge of racism on campus. As Saturday, January 27, was Holocaust Memorial Day, I think it is important that we use this report to build a broad coalition that will continue to stand united against racism and hatred of all forms on our campuses and throughout our communities. These are the moments where we are supposed to reach out and find common cause.”

In response to the report finding, Senator Haywood calls for the development of a standard code of conduct that prohibits racial harassment, standardized processes for incident reporting and response, adaptation of best practices for retaining students of color, and for each campus to create a Title VI office to enforce anti-discrimination. The PHRC will also partner with PASSHE to provide training and outreach to staff and students.

To view the report in full visit www.SenatorHaywood.com/ENOUGH

Legislation to expand and strengthen Pennsylvania’s anti-hate crimes statutes won bipartisan passage out of the Pennsylvanian House Tuesday, putting Pennsylvania on track to take action amid a nationwide spike in criminal activity fueled by hatred.

State Reps. Dan Frankel and Napoleon Nelson, sponsors of the bill package, called on the Senate to act quickly to signal to all vulnerable groups that Pennsylvania’s state government stands with them.

“The conflict in Israel has Jewish and Muslim Pennsylvanians feeling afraid – afraid to leave home, afraid to practice their faith, afraid to gather with their communities at a time when such events would bring them the most comfort,” said Frankel, D-Allegheny. “The vast majority of Pennsylvanians want this commonwealth to be a welcoming, diverse place for all, and that is the call legislators answered today.”

Frankel noted that once the legislative package becomes law, Pennsylvania will join the majority of states that acknowledge the growing scourge of attacks on Americans for who they are, how they look or who they love.

Nelson said, “Look at the headlines about what’s happening at our colleges, and you’ll see why kids don’t feel safe on campus – especially if they’re black, brown, Jewish, Muslim … the list of groups experiencing the rise in ethnic intimidation continues. I wish I could say our legislation will help eradicate hate. It won’t – that’s a different conversation. But House Bill 1024 and House Bill 1025 would help us better understand and recognize ethnic intimidation, which often goes unreported.

“Even when a report is made, police often fail to properly categorize it as a hate crime. We must strengthen reporting and training processes for school staff and police officers to help correct this, so we can collect the data to help us understand the indicators and experiences that lead young folks to embrace hateful ideology.”

The legislative package includes:

• HB 1027 – New Protections under Ethnic Intimidation Statute (Frankel, Nelson) would amend Pennsylvania’s Ethnic Intimidation Statute to ensure protections for victims targeted because of their race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age and disability, including autism. The bill would also provide victims with a civil cause of action against offenders. The bill passed 116-86.
   
• HB  1024 – Hate Crime Training for Law Enforcement (Frankel, Nelson) would provide our law enforcement officials with the tools they need to properly investigate, identify and report hate crimes. The bill passed 112-90.
   
• HB 1025 – Reporting System for Educational Institutions (Nelson, Frankel) would require postsecondary institutions to offer online and anonymous hate crime reporting options for students and employees. The bill would also encourage training for K-12 school employees in identifying and addressing hate incidents. The bill passed 111-91.

Legislation to expand protections to cover LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities was signed into law by a Republican governor more than 20 years ago, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the changes unconstitutional on technical grounds in 2008.

Companion legislation has been introduced by Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa.

House passage of the legislation comes almost exactly five years after an antisemitic attack took the lives of 11 people in their synagogues in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

ATTENTION EDITORS/ASSIGNMENT DESKS: Video of Frankel speaking on the legislation is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qv6jlce5m7rcxje2t81ef/103123-Frankel-HB-1027.mp4?rlkey=p98ljaapfnmmwy0ixqqpu9cfs&dl=0, and video of Nelson speaking on the legislation is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5xmcaqjli3fex2c43xw3p/103123-Nelson-1025.mp4?rlkey=zpd06bczpt7khiw54wxfczz6n&dl=0

Theft of land, ideas and natural resources, along with manipulation of the truth, contribute to a key strategy that undergirds America’s systemic, upper-class, White male, patriarchal, sexist, and racist society. Thus, for example, colonialists told lies regarding [1] the conquest of “uncivilized” people in America and the “development” of the victims’ land by privileged White men; [2] the bringing of African “servants” to America to “save their pagan souls;” and [3] the “God-ordained” reservation of women to kitchens and roles such as child-bearing housewives. 

In the case of Blacks, there is also a long history of Black creativity followed by White theft and exploitation. For example, regarding the theft and exploitation of Black music, Steven J. Underwood wrote the following: “Black music is always less-than until it such time as Whiteness has had the opportunity to infiltrate the culture supporting it and figured out how to perform it themselves. Rap music’s “renaissance” in the ’90s hadn’t occurred until the rise of Eminem as the industry’s latest bad boy and residential Aryan… We’ve heard of the true colors of Elvis Presley and the seldom sung truth of the Beatles’ sound and the Benny Goodmans and the Rolling Stones, the Zootsuiters, the Blue-eyed souls and more… ” The Long History of Creative Theft in Black Music and Arts (cassiuslife.com) 

In 2023, a growing theft and vicious exploitation of Black creativity involves racist right wingers’ use of the term woke. By way of a brief background, the scholar Tony Thorne indicated that the term woke“…began appearing in the 1940s and was first used by African Americans to literally mean becoming woken up or sensitised to issues of justice…”  What is the history of the word ‘woke’ and its modern uses? | The Independent.  As indicated in the same article, woke“…started becoming a politicised word in 2014, after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement…”  

Essentially,  stay woke was a call for Blacks and other oppressed people to be conscious of the systemic sources of oppression and, in turn, determine what must be done for it to be overthrown. Because of woke’s profound implications for realizing equity and social justice, ultra conservative, far right, and often ignorant Whites stole woke and began using it as an omnibus term for everything with which they disagree. A leading offender is Ron DeSantis. 

In an Editorial Board article by the Miami Herald, it was stated, “DeSantis, as we all know, absolutely loves the term ‘woke.’ He slaps it on anything he thinks could be used to stir up his base of voters, mostly white and mostly Republican, who are worried about losing their primacy in the world. For the past two years, that has been an ever-widening universe of targets: critical race theory, Disney, former Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, school books, school board members, drag queens, a National Hockey League job fair, the NCAA, diversity training at businesses, Democrats, the New College of Florida, coursework at universities, lessons from teachers, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and banks that dare to use socially and environmentally conscious factors for investing.”  DeSantis hates ‘woke’, but his view may not play so well in the rest of America | Opinion (msn.com) Indeed, DeSantis’ and others’ use of woke is reminiscent of the dangerous demagoguery known as McCarthyism. 

In terms of how libelous labelling can be a threat against American democracy, we should never forget the early 1950s when the ultra-conservative, right-wing, racist Senator Joe McCarthy convinced many Americans that “communists” were lurking everywhere, from classrooms to federal government offices to the US Army. The “Great Red Scare,” a campaign devoid of facts and “supported” merely by public accusations resulted in hundreds of citizens being wrongly persecuted, including people such as W. E. B. DuBois, Lena Horne, Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, Elmer Bernstein and Charlie Chaplin. 

The rhetorical theorist Richard Weaver considered the foregoing use of “communist” to be the quintessential “God term” during the 1950s, i.e., for some audiences, a word that stood for everything evil –the same tactic used today by DeSantis and others with the term woke. More than that, the political exploitation of woke is akin to the rhetorical style of telling “Big Lies” as was the case with Adolf Hitler’s accusations against Jews.

Recall that the “Big Lie” is essentially a propaganda technique whereby a known falsehood is repeated often enough for it to become believable by gullible people who, in turn, believe they must take action against the enemy/evils. In the immediate instance, the Big Woke Lie is a call to arms against groups such as Blacks as well as other people of color; Critical Race Theorists; LGBTQ+ people; women who wish to be liberated from patriarchy; citizens who would like to have their rights to vote respected; people seeking health care benefits equivalent to members of Congress; and anyone else who poses a threat to the Maga Machine.  Accordingly, now more than ever, those pursuing equity and social justice must stay woke as well as remain politically active!

From pre-K through higher education, now is the time for faculty, staff, students, parents, and administrators to resist inappropriate involvement of elected officials in public education. There must be a unified stance against elected officials who threaten education budget cuts because of Big Woke Lies regarding books written by authors such as the internationally recognized James Baldwin and Toni Morrison.  

The Big Woke Lie is so vicious and non-compromising that even a woman’s right to make decisions about her body qualifies for wokeness! Thus, for example, we must stop the Big Woke Lie that supports a pregnant woman being forced to “…choose between carrying a fetus that lacks a skull and the top of its head (as a result of a rare condition called acrania) to term, or traveling several states over for a legal abortion, since Louisiana has banned abortion with very narrow exceptions” (See, story by Kylie Cheung, Aug 16, 2022).

Most recently, we witnessed the Big Woke Lie in one of its most absurd forms when Andy Kessler wrote in the March 13, 2023 Wall Street Journal the following possibility for the Silicon Valley Bank failure: “SVB notes that besides 91 percent of their board being independent and 45 percent women, they also have ‘1 Black,’ ‘1 LGBTQ+,’ and ‘2 Veterans.’ I’m not saying 12 white men would have avoided this mess, but the company may have been distracted by diversity demands.” 

In sum, the current Big Woke Lie is a linguistic descendant of “…‘politically correct,’ ‘cancel culture’ and ‘metropolitan liberal elite’ as terms conservatives use against opponents. …it functions as a trigger word or ‘dog whistle,’ in that as soon as you say it you no longer need to say anything else… The word will be accepted by your base, rejected by your opponents and no further discussion will take place.” (See Matthew Crowley, March 8, 2023). 

Those true believers so easily persuaded by the Big Woke Lie are often the same racist folks who, before legal segregation was ended, rallied to phrases such as “your home is your castle” and “separate but equal.”  They are often the “poorly educated” folks who are loved by and easily whipped into a frenzy when a former U.S. President utters, “make America great again.” The spreaders of the Big Woke Lie are precisely who Martin Luther King, Jr. had in mind when he stated, “nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 15, 2023

BLACKS BRUTALLY BEATING BLACKS

The old woman across the way
is whipping the boy again
and shouting to the neighborhood
her goodness and his wrongs.
…She strikes and strikes the shrilly circling
boy till the stick breaks
in her hand.  

...well, it is over now, it is over,
and the boy sobs in his room,
And the woman leans muttering against
a tree, exhausted, purged—
avenged in part for lifelong hidings
she has had to bear.

-Robert Hayden-

1962

As an octogenarian, I have an abiding love for my parents having provided me with a worldview that includes things such as hard work, thrift, holding high standards, ongoing education, the pursuit of truths beyond things that can be seen, respect for elders, providing service to others, and an abiding appreciation for life in all of its forms. Throughout grade school and my early teens, I hated my parents for the “medicine” they often administered to me, something they called a “skinning” to “beat the devil” out of me. Using a thick belt, their “skinnings” left my skin with welts that lasted days, sometimes broken skin in need of the available balm, i.e., Vaseline. Hence, after watching the video of 5 Black Memphis Scorpion Squad police officers’ brutal beating of Tyre Nichols, I wondered if the police officers had been beaten severely when they were children. Afterall, victims of significant abuse often become abusers and perpetuate a culture of abuse. 

In the case of Blacks’ brutal life threatening and sometimes life taking beatings of other Blacks, we witness a sick outcomes of centuries’ long racist-induced practices, the horrible results that occur when  colonized/enslaved Blacks are “mis-educated” regarding the inferiority of Blacks as lesser human beings. Such beatings flow from “gaslighted” Black adults accepting as truth the need to brutally beat Blacks as a normative mode of conduct. For example, within many segments of the Black community, there are folks who offer biblical and other “rationales” for not sparing the rod and spoiling our children; Black adults making Black children obtain switches and other instruments for beating Black children “within an inch of their lives;” Black adults whuppin their children with belts, brushes, backs of their hands, and extension cords, as well as fists, and sticks; --all of this and more because of the sick belief that violence is essential to Black childrearing given Black children’s alleged inherent evil nature. 

So sick is the cultural acceptance of Black adults beating Black children that, later in life, some Black adults speak fondly of the parental inflicted brutal beatings that “kept them out of trouble.” However, within her truth telling book regarding “why whuppin children won’t save Black America,” Stacey Patton (2017) wrote, “…The belief that we need to whup our kids to keep them in line is deeply grounded in our collective psyche, in much the same way that racists believe black folks are culturally deficient and police officers disproportionately see us reaching for guns when we’re actually reaching for IDs.” 

Given the widespread racist-induced miseducated belief lurking in the Black community regarding the need to brutally beat Black bodies, the conduct of the Memphis Scorpion Squad should come as no surprise. As Attorney Ben Crump said, “We have learned from reports this week that the 5 now-fired officers involved in Tyre’s death were members of the Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION squad, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods.  …But the “why” of Tyre Nichols's death is found in this policing culture itself, not something Tyre personally did. And his running in fear for his life in-between a series of beatings was an affront to the officers, who wanted to show Tyre and the city of Memphis that as a team they can take anyone down. No one escapes the Scorpions. 

Whatever happened to Tyre, there was a cultural mindset to it, and it’s not unique to Memphis. From Baltimore to Chicago and D.C., units like the SCORPION unmarked cars - regardless of what the units are named - cause terror in minority communities. In 2017, eight detectives in Baltimore’s Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) were convicted of robbery and racketeering. In Chicago in 2004, a similar roving unit had to be disbanded when officers were accused of robberies and home invasions. In Washington, D.C., the ACLU has testified in court about hundreds of jump-outs they call illegal and examples of racial profiling. And in Memphis just a few days before Tyre Nichols was beaten, another Black male in the same community says he was also subjected to excessive force by a group of SCORPION officers. (See article by Jackson Brown Updated: 11:01 PM CST January 26, 2023).

I neither know what justice would be for Tyre Nichols nor what differences will be made by passing the H.R. 1280- George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, along with prayer and peaceful protest. However, I do know that [1] the roots of Memphis Scorpion Squads were nourished by the slave holders who reduced Blacks to property that they could control by any form of brutality they deemed appropriate including murder; [2] members of the KKK beat, burned, bombed, eviscerated, and hung Black bodies; [3] the original American police officers were not formed to “serve and protect” Blacks but to capture them and return them to slave holders, to support chattel slavery; and [4] the modern iterations of Slave Patrols in all too many ways support systemic racism. 

I also know that it is way past time for Black adults to quit whuppin their children within an inch of their lives; for highly educated Black “Divine Nine” folks to end all forms of “hazing;” for all forms of Black-on-Black violence to end and, in doing so, become a collective model for ending violence throughout America. Let us reduce the enemies within in order to prepare better for the enemies outside and, as Margaret Walker wrote,

…For my people standing staring trying to fashion a better way

   from confusion, from hypocrisy and misunderstanding,

   trying to fashion a world that will hold all the people,

   all the faces, all the adams and eves and their countless generations;

   Let a new earth rise. Let another world be born. Let a

   bloody peace be written in the sky. Let a second

   generation full of courage issue forth; let a people

   loving freedom come to growth. Let a beauty full of

   healing and a strength of final clenching be the pulsing

   in our spirits and our blood. Let the martial songs

   be written, let the dirges disappear. Let a race of men now

   rise and take control.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

January 31, 2023

  “There’s a certain form of performative white allyship that you can tell is performative because they will spend so much money and work so hard at ineffective solutions—ANYTHING to both look like you were doing something good but also not changing anything.  It’s hard to spot cause people will make a big deal out of how much they’re investing in racial justice work.  But if they’re burning through consultants and running around with an abundance of technical solutions to what is ultimately an adaptive challenge (You get an affinity group!  And you get a scholarship!  And you get two seats on the board!  And we added with 90-page addendum on race to our employee handbook!  And you get a giant budget to train everybody!), then it’s all performative.  Real allies are effective.  Not busy.” 

The above October 7, 2021 statements by Megan Pamela Ruth Madison reflect the growing trend of folks who, once again, are “growing tired of being sick and tired” if not also nauseated because of the snail-like pace with which systemic racism is addressed in America. More than a year after the long, hot summer following the murder of George Floyd, one is reminded of the declaration, “No more forecasts of rain. It’s time to build the ark.” 

As with the many “forecasts of rain” with no completion of the ark, many have grown weary of the diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice rhetoric flowing freely from historically White colleges and universities (HWCUs). There is a rapidly decreasing appetite for seemingly unending and increasingly performative [1] “deep dives” into diversity data; [2] administrators’ proclamations on behalf of their institutions; and [3]  lectures, workshops, seminars, scholarly articles, and books regarding diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice.  In the words of Edgar A. Guest, people would 

“…rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear;
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs
I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do;
For I might misunderstand you and the high advise you give,
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

Instead of performances, those “sick and tired of being sick and tired” would rather “see a sermon” consisting of a prioritized Black agenda that is actively implemented at HWCUS. Such an agenda might consist the one outlined below. 

Black Students. 

Herein, Black students refer to those from the African Diaspora. However, because of the centuries of systemic racism in this country, it is recommended that HWCUs formally declare their highest priority to be Black students who are descendants of Africans enslaved in America. 

Instead of focusing on inputs, i.e., the numbers, percentages and goals for admitted Black students, HWCUs should provide annual data regarding the numbers of Black students retained, graduated, those who immediately enrolled in graduate and or professional schools, and the specific jobs along with salaries acquired within months of graduation. The number of Blacks admitted should be proportional to the number of Blacks in the communities served by the given institutions. Black student graduation rates should be equal to or greater than the institutional norms.

As opposed to across-the-board recruiting, a priority should be placed on recruiting Black students along with retaining and graduating them in fields where Blacks are most underrepresented and for which society has the highest need for educated professionals. Thus, for example, HWCUs should excel at and present the annual results of Blacks graduating in the Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Engineering, Business, Law and all other fields according to institutional priorities. HWCUs’ student funding should correlate with students pursuing these fields of study.

HWCUs should not wait for a national, regional, or racial crisis to ascertain Black students’ campus satisfaction via hastily called “sensitivity sessions.”  Instead, they should conduct ongoing periodic assessments of Black student satisfaction with their campuses and surrounding communities. Moreover, Black student equity and social justice leaders should be appropriately compensated for their services.

Black Faculty. 

In principle, the priorities should be the same as those stated above for Black students. In addition, for faculty, HWCUs’ Chief Academic Officers should make an annual public presentation of prioritized outcomes such as the numbers of Black faculty members (by academic disciplines, faculty rank and tenure stream status) hired, retained, tenured, and promoted to the highest faculty ranks. For research intensive institutions, the Chief Academic Officers should also provide the specific amounts of external funding for Black faculty members as compared to institutional norms.

Black Administrators.  

Instead of hiring Blacks primarily as Assistant, Associate, and other assistants to White senior administrators along with a plethora of Black diversity and inclusion officers, HWCUs should annually present the numbers of Blacks hired as Department Chairs, Directors of Major Centers, Deans, Provosts, Chancellors, Presidents, Officers of the institutions, and, in short, Black administrators with significant fiscal, personnel, and policy responsibilities. Comparative data should also be presented by race and gender.

Black Business Contracts. 

Instead of a focus on “small businesses” and “minority vendor” programs, CEOs of HWCUs should annually present the names and contract amounts approved for Black-owned and operated companies that received multi-million-dollar business contracts.

Community Engagement. 

Given the systemic nature of racism in areas where many HWCUs are located, there should be ongoing, major intervention projects such as [1] working with a local public school system to significantly close race-related achievement gaps; and [2] the development of the local Black workforce for 21st Century employment.

Without the foregoing type of prioritized and acted upon agenda related to Blacks, we will witness is the continued performative realities described above by Madison. There will be theatrical  acts performed during Black History Month, on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, during Black Alumni Homecoming Programs, etc. However, at the end of the academic year, we will again hear things such as “We know we haven’t gotten there yet. However, we’re committed and, with your help, surely we will get there.” Then, time will pass; the leading and supporting actors/actresses will change; new “intellectual paradigms” will arise; and equity and social justice will be delayed, unless in the spirit of the Frederick Douglass Theory of Social Change, there is the essential struggle associated with progress. 

Jack L. Daniel (pictured right)

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

October 12, 2021

Message from Allegheny County Common Pleas President Kim Berkeley Clark  

As a former prosecutor, lawyer and judge, I take pride in the American system of justice, including the Constitutional protections that all citizens are afforded. I still have faith in our justice system and I am particularly proud of the justice system here in Allegheny County. We are well-respected throughout the United States and we are never satisfied with doing things the way we have always done them. We continue to work to improve our system of justice by making data-informed decisions, by implementing best practices and by working collaboratively with law enforcement and other stakeholders.

Notwithstanding my pride in our justice system, recent events, including the overdue acknowledgement and celebration of Juneteenth National Freedom Day, and the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, have led me to the decision that the Court must consciously and publicly address the waning public confidence in the justice system amidst the growing and compelling evidence that persons of color are at a greater risk of death or serious bodily injury at the hands of the police and are more likely to languish in the child welfare and juvenile and criminal justice systems than white persons.

These concerns raise questions of whether the justice system in America, including Allegheny County, is actually fair, whether the citizens perceive that our system of justice is fair, and whether, despite our best efforts, the American system of justice is replete with racial and ethnic disparities or operates under the cloud of systemic racism.

While judges have a duty to uphold the law and, in many cases, impose sanctions and consequences on those who violate the law, we have an equal duty to promote public confidence in the judiciary as an independent and unbiased institution. This means that Allegheny County Courts must be at the forefront in addressing these issues. We must undergo an ongoing and critical evaluation of how justice is administered in Allegheny County. It means we must openly acknowledge and address our flaws, rather than rely on the powers and privileges that may allow us to turn a blind eye to them. Please understand that our history is calling us to work collaboratively and inclusively to make positive changes in the justice system that will benefit all citizens.

Engraved above the front entrance of the United States Supreme Court Building, is the phrase “Equal Justice Under Law”. The words stem from the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which was adopted on July 9, 1868, in the wake of the Civil War, and which, among other things, granted citizenship to former slaves. This phrase has shaped American jurisprudence and is considered the gold standard of justice.

Despite the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, our history has demonstrated that justice has not always been equal for many Americans, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities, women, persons with disabilities, those who do not fit into what society has decided are traditional gender roles, and those living in poverty. What we need to do is ensure that we develop a justice system that not only promotes equality, but ensures equity.

To truly achieve justice, the proverbial scales of justice must be balanced. We must take into account the uneven playing field on which racial and ethnic minorities, those who do not squarely fit into traditional gender roles, other disadvantaged persons, and the poor enter the justice system. The public must see members of our local judiciary and court staff working with urgency to attain this goal in equal solidarity with them, with other justice-related institutions, and with each other. The Fifth Judicial District must rise to this generational challenge.

To the hundreds of dedicated civil servants and servant leaders of the Fifth Judicial District, please know that as I acknowledge these pressing questions, I also acknowledge the sacrifices you have made in the interest of serving the public as well as the stress and trauma that many of you endure in your positions. We are fortunate to have judges and staff, police officers, lawyers, victim advocates, and others who are dedicated to public service, who are committed to justice, who demonstrate a strong work ethic, and who possess a keen sense of fairness and respect for humankind. Our Court has been working hard to address the issues of racial and ethnic disparities and systematic racism in the justice system. Some examples of this are:

• Utilization of the PA Detention Risk Assessment, which has significantly reduced the number of juveniles held in pre-trial detention;
• Utilization of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory to help identify the risk factors for recidivism, which has significantly reduced the number of delinquent youth in out-of-home placements;
• Utilization of diversionary programs to prevent entry into the juvenile justice system;
• Establishment of a robust Department of Pretrial Services of Allegheny County;
• Utilization of treatment courts (Mental Health Court, Drug Court, Veteran’s Court, PRIDE Court) to divert individuals from incarceration to treatment;
• Establishment of Housing Court to reduce evictions, and improve judicial access through a Help Desk designed to assist litigants by providing information, forms, and referral resources;
• Implementation of a Language Access Plan to promote equal access for limited or non-English speakers and deaf/hard of hearing court users;
• Fostering collaboration between Magisterial District Judges and community stakeholders to educate the community regarding procedures in landlord-tenant cases;
• The MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge with a focus on meaningfully addressing the racial and ethnic inequities in the justice system;
• The significant reduction of the population in the Allegheny County Jail and the continued efforts to reduce the population;
• Implementation of Anti-Discrimination and Implicit Bias Training consistent with the 5th Judicial District’s Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy that prohibits all forms of discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, or religion;
• Prompt investigation and redress of Non-Discrimination and EEO Policy violations to ensure that all individuals including employees, applicants for employment, litigants, witnesses, jurors, and court volunteers are treated in a dignified, civil, respectful, and non-discriminatory manner;
• Collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, the Allegheny County Executive, and the Allegheny Department of Human Services to address criminal justice reform.

We have made progress, but the struggle is ongoing. We are committed to collecting and examining the data to identify disparities throughout all divisions of the justice system and will continue to examine our processes and procedures that might contribute to racial and ethnic injustice.

It may be difficult to know where to begin in the quest to create a system of equal justice for all. Consequently, I propose that in order to achieve a system that is both equal and equitable, we begin with a thorough and critical examination of our own mission to the public that we serve. We must have a mission that sets forth the Court’s responsibility to the public and we must evaluate everything that we do in light of our mission.

The mission will conspicuously appear on our website to remind the public that they have a right to justice that is free of bias and that the Court is firmly committed to addressing and eradicating ethnic and racial disparity, implicit bias, and systemic racism in our system of justice. Accordingly, I have asked a diverse group of citizens in Allegheny County and staff of the Fifth Judicial District to assist me with creating a mission for the Fifth Judicial District that truly sets forth our responsibility to all members of the public that we serve.

I am proud to serve as the President Judge of the Fifth Judicial District and thankful for the opportunity to work with judges and court staff who are so deeply committed to public service. In the near future, I look forward to presenting the new mission for the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania.

We will continue to examine our processes and procedures to demonstrate our commitment to equal justice under law and to keep us squarely on the path that will enable us to reach this goal. We will do our best to earn and keep your respect, and to hold ourselves accountable to the public that we serve.

I would like to thank the following people for their input, contribution to, and review of this message: Chris Connors, Angharad Stock, Lisa Herbert, Melinda Sala, Judge Mik Pappas, Lisette McCormick (Interbranch Commission of Gender Racial and Ethnic Fairness) Elizabeth Hughes (ACBA President), and the Administrative Team for the Fifth Judicial District.

White supremacy is a long-rooted destructive social determinant that contributes significantly to disparities in education, health, housing, wealth, and, in general, quality of life.  When addressing this Revelations-like “Beast,” we must understand that institutional statements about Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion are just statements unless oppressed people force institutions to also proactively pursue equity and social justice. Otherwise, we witness appalling things such as the Rooney Rule being adopted in 2003 when there were 3 Black Head Coaches and, in 2020, there are 3 Black Head Coaches. 

Because of its ability to regenerate, White supremacy deserves responses as rigorous as those made to Covid-19, i.e., systemic interventions by all societal sectors. Regarding Blacks’ responses to White supremacy, this article was stimulated by my colleague, Dr. Curtiss E. Porter (Chancellor Emeritus, Penn State Greater Allegheny)  who wrote, “I am concerned about this generation’s response to White Supremacy…  It appears to me, that they think ‘words are enough,’ which I will generalize in the headline ‘Dear White People.’ They are brilliant in articulating the vectors and intersections of racial substance, thought and action, such as the negative outcomes posed by micro-aggression but, in the end, it appears, that much is directed toward some ‘great white ear’ which will hopefully respond munificently.” 

In the spirit of Sankofa, a backward look was taken to recall what “brought us thus far” and, based on current circumstances, discern implications for today’s fight against White supremacy. This brief reflection confirms, for example, that “Freedom only comes through persistent revolt, through persistent agitation, through persistently rising up against the system of evil.” (Martin Luther King Jr.) As corroborative evidence, consider two significant periods during the war against White supremacy.

1663-1865 The African Holocaust in America, also known as slavery, remains one if not the worst example of inhumanity --one that produced such excruciating suffering that “ride-or-die” folks were needed in the pursuit of freedom. The horror produced by demonic White supremacists led to people who [1] leaped from slave ships into the seas; [2] conducted more than 250 slave rebellions; [3] implemented work slowdowns by breaking tools and setting fire to crops; [4] killed newborns rather than let them grow up as slaves; [5] served as “House Negroes” but spied on masters in order to help “Field Negroes” plan attacks against the master; and, [6] fled from plantations. These were the proverbial “desperate times that required desperate measures,” including the fact that  it took the bloodiest American war to end slavery.

1954-1980  Immediately after the Civil War, there were continued bombings, burnings, lynchings, and shootings of Blacks. Jim Crow laws were passed to enforce racial segregation. Racism became institutionalized. For more than a century, by law and in practice, Blacks were subjugated second class citizens. Therefore, the Civil Rights Movement was driven by a sense of urgency as well as commitment to a wide array of direct actions undergirded by Martin Luther King Jr’s exhortation “…that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” 

Accordingly, instead of simply hoping that White leaders would respond munificently, [1] Black students confronted and made demands on historically White institutions of higher education; [2] Black national organizations won a series of key court cases; [3] Black community activists boycotted, marched, sat-in and made demands on local governments, schools, and businesses; [4] Blacks, by way of urban insurrections, exploded like a “festering raisin in the sun;” and [5] Let us not forget that Dwight Eisenhower sent troops to Arkansas and, later, Lyndon Johnson sent troops to Alabama.

Blacks’ direct action was supplemented by a plethora of efforts to raise “race consciousness,” i.e., [1] to move from an inferior and subservient self-concept as a “Negro” to a proud and self-assertive “Black” mentality; and [2] to gain “Black power” which included Blacks doing for self as well as taking their rightful places in public spaces, e.g., to freely attend public schools as well as build Black owned and operated schools; to work in corporate positions as well as become entrepreneurs; to be fairly covered in the White-owned press as well as create Black newspapers; and to dine at any public restaurant as well as own and operate restaurants. 

2000-2020 “Diversity and Inclusion” replaced “affirmative action” but did not significantly advance “equity and social justice” for Blacks. During this period, members of the “talented tenth” became the first Blacks to occupy various managerial, political, and staff positions; Black students gained a significant but token presence in higher education; and more Blacks escaped the worst of poverty. However, by 2020, disparities were growing like a lethal virus as evidenced by widening gaps in Black home ownership, health, educational achievement, and wealth. This scenario reminds one of when more than 40,000 Blacks got back on the White folks’ buses instead of also building upon the transportation system they developed during the Montgomery boycott. 

Regarding Blacks’ addressing White supremacy, I have a dream that, one day, the very best Black student-athletes, other students, faculty, administrators and staff will choose to take their talents to several leading historically Black colleges and universities and turn them into externally verified world class colleges and universities.  I have a dream that there will be more OWN channels, Tyler Perry Studios, Black law firms, Black banks, Black construction companies, Black grocery stores, and, in general, an exponential expansion of Black entrepreneurship.

In my dream, Blacks will deal with the full implications of Carter G. Woodson’s statement, “The education of the Negroes, then, the most important thing in the uplift of the Negroes, is almost entirely in the hands of those who have enslaved them and now segregate them.” 

I dream of White supremacy withering on the vine when [1] Blacks become the largest active voting block and Black elected officers are multiplied significantly;  [2] Black civic organizations, churches, and families regain their critical importance; [3] Blacks’ undying love for their people is wed to sustained systematic actions; [4] the most talented and highest achieving Blacks constantly speak truth to power instead of being muzzled by “30 pieces of silver;” and [5] the struggle against White supremacy is joined by all people purporting to endorse freedom, justice and equality. 

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

May 13, 2020