A Man Who Gets It...

From:  http://www.manhoodraceculture.com/2016/12/30/what-are-they-thinking-why-some-segments-of-black-america-continue-to-support-umar-johnson/

What Are They Thinking?  Why Some Segments Of Black American Continue to Support Umar Johnson

December 30, 2016 | JAMESJONESOHIO@YAHOO.COM

Even a cursory examination of African-American history illustrates the following point; leadership serves as the embodiment of people's identity, political consciousness, goal structures, and desire for politico-economic liberation.  There is little debate that Marcus Garvey was the embodiment of Pan-Africanist during his life, the same for Malcolm X during his entire post-incarceration period, and of course similar things can be said about Frederick Douglass, David Walker, Maria Stewart, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Ella Baker, and a host of others.

Most reasonable people agree that those mentioned above possessed the following qualities:

• Confidence
• Transparency
• Integrity
• Truthfulness
• Character
• Morality
• Honesty
• Patience
• Dignity

I also believe that those who have witnessed the antics of Umar Johnson over the past several years, including his most recent meltdown that vacillated between a personal infomercial promoting his appearances/clothing apparel and a pitiful individual gang summit full of threats and insults, would agree that he possesses none of the above qualities.  It is this lack of personal integrity that makes Umar entirely unsuitable to lead any movement, let alone one aimed at uplifting Black America.  Ironically, the same character flaws and cultural dysfunction that sits at the core of Umar's existence extends black suffering.  Put simply, if logic and reasonableness, not emotionalism, guide our thoughts, there is no other reasonable conclusion one could arrive at other than character flaws, and cultural dysfunctions are the most substantial parts of Umar.

If we agree that leadership reflects those that they lead, one must ask this looming question, who are these African-Americans that have consciously chosen to ignore Umar's character flaws and absence of a liberation plan?  They must mirror the huge flaws found within the self-appointed Prince of Pan-Africanism.  That is a frightening thought on many levels.

In all fairness, I believe that such individuals are well-meaning, yet desperate, in their desire to uplift the Black community from its historical have-not status.  They quite simply have an honest desire to do something, anything, to alleviate the present suffering and prevent future oppression for succeeding generation of Black America.

Once this unfocused,  yet unending urge to do something encounters a charismatic leader such as Umar Johnson who uses his knowledge of psychology to tap into his supporters emotionalism, it does not take long for them to fall under his enchanting spell.

Trust me when I say that the spell Umar Johnson has placed on the minds of many of our people is strong enough to get them to not follow him but also to eagerly offer donations to yet to be realized projects without questioning where their money has gone.

Shockingly, not even Umar's public displays of ignorance are sufficient to awaken those under his spell.  It is the casting of a powerful spell that is the only reasonable explanation behind the regular financial contributions for an individual who filmed himself articulating the most daunting examples of color politics and intra-racial attacks I have ever seen.

Umar's emotionally-charged rant is the equivalent of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. angrily telling Malcolm X, "Malcolm, I'm coming to Harlem.  And when I get there, I am going to kick your light-skinned ass.  I'm Black, Malcolm, melinated!!!!!  You are light-skinned Malcolm.  Every Time you look into the mirror Malcolm, you see a white man!!!!!  Don't trust those niggers over there, don't you dare trust that light-skinned nigger over there."

Any support given to Umar Johnson definitively proves that it is style over substance that Black America desires.  In today's Black Nationalist era the path to garnering attention with the 'conscious community' is to be slick talking, insulting to 'rivals,' disrespectful to the esteemed tradition of Black leadership, and willing to find an inventive way to simultaneously tap into potential converts emotionalism while indirectly explaining that you "know the perfect place for Black America's money.  And it is right here in my pocket."

I guess that it is appropriate at this moment to use Malcolm X's infamous characterizations of black leadership as "a circus, with clowns and all."  Umar appears to be situated at the center of the 'Big Top', unfortunately, he is not the only ringleader in this traveling roadshow.

James Thomas Jones III, Ph.D., M.A., M.A.
Manhood, Race, and Culture 2016








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