Black History Month 2015: Condoleezza Rice

“Race is a constant factor in American life. Yet reacting to every incident, real or imagined, is crippling, tiring, and ultimately counterproductive.” ― Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice grew up in the Jim Crow South, so she knows of what she speaks when she talks about reacting to every incident of racism and marginalization. As the first female African-American National Security Adviser, and the first African-American female Secretary of State, she was constantly criticized by her own people because she chose to be a Republican and part of the administration of an unpopular president, and also because she refuses to play the victim.

The so-called civil rights protesters and #BlackLivesMatter activists could stand to take a page from her book. In my article, #BlackLivesMatter--a hashtag bandaid over the gaping wounds of Black problems, I posit:

"Protesting is an American right, whether over social media or done in an orderly fashion as is happening now in the cities of New York, Boston and Chicago over the Garner decision. Here is the problem: it is not Blacks being targeted by a white, militaristic police system or a justice system that is fatally flawed. It is Blacks’ devaluation of their own lives and the refusal to deal with systemic issues in urban communities. "Had #BlackLivesMatter remained a consistent mantra over the last 50 years, we would not have the fatherlessness, crime, and poverty that perpetuate the vicious cycle of violence, excessive policing, and loss of life. "Enough Black leaders have pointed to poverty, lack of fathers, and the street culture as causations. So why do we keep harping on race and an “other”, rather than truly addressing what we have pinpointed is the true problem?"

Read more here at Communities Digital News.