Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton need to go somewhere and sit down. This is a movement organized and lead by the youth, much like the Civil Rights and Black Nationalist movements. I wonder have they forgotten that? These young warriors are disinterested in anything that these two Baby Boomers have to say...and with good reason. They have been the ones on the ground, facing militarized police forces and hurling tear gas canisters back in resistance. Then, Sharpton and Jackson want to show up while the cameras are rolling and start that peaceful, non-violent protest and respectability politics bullshit. Its obvious that post Civil Rights generations have learned something from them; weve been using the same protest tactics for decades now. What else does Sharpton and Jackson want, other than media attention? For the most part, Jackson and Sharpton are media-appointed Black leaders anyway. My generation, Gen X, wasnt interested in anything that they had to say, so surely these Gen Y/Millennials are not. As we watch the media spin continue and the movement grows, Jackson and Sharpton are getting more and more involved. The focus is less on the youth organizers and emerging leaders and more on these dudes whose moment of shine has faded. Therefore, this defining moment for the youth finding their voices is in danger of being undermined because the media only wants certain people talking, specifically ones that the media is comfortable with. Last time I checked, Jackson has a child to raise and Sharpton has a 35 year old girlfriend to keep happy, if he can do that. They can busy themselves with that and when the media approaches them, simply state that they have done their parts and proud of the fact that the youth are standing up for themselves. But..thats too much like right.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:25:33 +0000