The Tragic Betrayal of Black America’s Intelligentsia

Published in Issue 481 of The Black Commentator on July 19, 2012
Republished in Intrepid Report on July 24, 2012
By Larry Pinkney

“The unpreparedness of the educated classes, the lack of practical links between them and the mass of people, and, let it be said, their cowardice at the decisive moment of the struggle will give rise to tragic mishaps.”

-Frantz Fanon

The unthinkable and tragic betrayal by much of Black America’s intelligentsia in their blind support for the war mongering Barack Obama in this 21st century, will forever be the historical measuring rod of indictment, in the words of Malcolm X (el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz), which defines “those who want[ed] freedom, justice and equality for everyone and those who want[ed] to continue the system of exploitation.” There is not, nor was there ever, any in-between in this matter.

At the “decisive moment of the struggle,” much of Black America’s so-called intelligentsia chooses to place pigmentation and hollow pride above principles and selflessness. Indeed, much of this intelligentsia continues today on this course of historical damnation at the expense of Black America collectively, and humanity as a whole. They have sacrificed the common good for meaningless personal gratification. They have betrayed (and continue to betray) the masses of everyday ordinary Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow people in this nation and throughout Mother Earth. What they have done and who they are must never be forgotten.

The Black intelligentsia in particular knew, or should have known, better than many, that any person irrespective of color or gender, who rises to become the head (i.e. chief executive) of the U.S. Empire would not hesitate to:

1) give trillions of dollars of the people’s money to corporate banksters and other Wall Street robber barons,

2) federally eliminate the much needed single payer universal health care option,

3) militarily bomb Africa,

4) murder women, men and children with incessant predator drone missile strikes upon other sovereign nations,

5) utilize a self-legitimized ‘kill list’ to commit extrajudicial murders of ‘Americans’ and non-‘Americans’ alike without the bother of legitimate due process,

6) sign into law the draconian NDAA – which calls for the indefinite detention in this nation of U.S. citizens – without charge, trial, judge, jury, or legal defense, and

7) continue operating the torture chamber at the U.S. gulag known as Guantanamo.

Based upon historical analysis and principles, the Black intelligentsia knew, or should have known, all of these things long before they were extended and/or brought into existence by Barack Obama. Instead, this segment of the Black intelligentsia chose betrayal!

This segment of the Black intelligentsia (i.e. Amiri Baraka) castigated, as being “rascals,” etc., any and all political radicals of the Black intelligentsia who refused (and still refuse) to support this corporate brand Barack Obama. Still others in this segment of the Black intelligentsia campaigned vigorously (i.e. Cornel West) for the ‘election’ and installment of Obama as the head of the U.S. Empire. And then of course there is the relatively recent absurd and utterly insane statement by Angela Davis adorning this war mongering, blood-drenched, corporate-owned Barack Obama, as somehow being someone who magically “identifies with the Black radical tradition.” Such a statement is a repudiation of Black America’s historical struggles, and is devoid of both logic and sanity. Then there are certain wily fence-sitters of Black intelligentsia who attempt to ‘have their cake and eat it too’ by claiming that they are or were merely “critical” supporters of Obama. Yet, in the final analysis they knew and know full well that claiming “critical” support for Obama is tantamount to claiming that a woman about to give birth – is only partially pregnant. Such a claim is ridiculous. One either supported or supports this systemic, double-talking, war mongering, corporate-owned Barack Obama – or one does not! One cannot give principled and “critical” support simultaneously; and the Black intelligentsia was and is quite cognizant of this.

Notwithstanding his double-speak political rhetoric, Barack Obama has indeed ‘redistributed the wealth’ of this nation. He has massively redistributed the wealth from the public sectors, the dwindling middle classes, and the poor – to the super-rich corporate/military elite – which is a fact which cannot possibly escape the awareness of the Black intelligentsia – and which is precisely why he was overwhelmingly supported by the corporate elite of Lockheed, Goldman Saks, and the assorted and sordid banking and pharmaceutical multinationals of Wall Street, etc.

Those of the intelligentsia of Black America who have betrayed Black America, this nation, and humanity as a whole by their unprincipled support for Barack Obama, must be held accountable for their betrayal. They must be remembered and repudiated for their mis-leadership and their enormous disservice to humanity.

Times are both perilous and exciting, but hanging precariously in the balance are the futures of everyday ordinary Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow people in this nation and around the world. The corporate-owned symbiotically-joined Democrat and Republican party ‘foxes and wolves’ are, in real terms, “those who want to continue the system of exploitation.” We must reject them both in favor of collectively creating a political system based upon serving the aspirations and needs of the many – not the pathology, subterfuge, and insatiable greed of the bloated few.

Think about it and make your choice. But do it NOW!

Onward, then, my sisters and brothers. Each one, reach one. Each one, teach one. Onward!…

Larry Pinkney is a veteran of the Black Panther Party, the former Minister of Interior of the Republic of New Africa, a former political prisoner and the only American to have successfully self-authored his civil/political rights case to the United Nations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In connection with his political organizing activities, Pinkney was interviewed in 1988 on the nationally televised PBS News Hour, formerly known as The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, and more recently on the nationally syndicated Alex Jones Show. Pinkney is a former university instructor of political science and international relations, and his writings have been published in various places, including The Boston Globe, San Francisco BayView newspaper, Black Commentator, Intrepid Report, Global Research (Canada), LINKE ZEITUNG (Germany), 107 Cowgate (Ireland and Scotland), and Mayihlome News (Azania/South Africa). He is in the archives of Dr. Huey P. Newton (Stanford University, CA), cofounder of the Black Panther Party. For more about Larry Pinkney see the book, Saying No to Power: Autobiography of a 20th Century Activist and Thinker, by William Mandel [Introduction by Howard Zinn]. (Click here to read excerpts from the book.)