Three hundred or 400 years ago, there were two distinct kinds of black people living in America. There were the so-called House Negroes and the Field Negroes.
The House Negroes were preferred, not loved, by their masters. The House Negroes ate leftovers and the Field Negroes ate pig guts and other foods that no one else wanted. The House Negroes got the used top hat and the Field Negroes got the straw hat or the Aunt Jemima head scarf. The House Negroes slept on the floor and the Field Negroes slept on the ground regardless of how cold or hot the weather was.
The House Negroes did anything and everything their masters ordered them to do. The House Negroes chastised the Field Negroes, spied on the Field Negroes, snitched on the Field Negroes, even whipped and beat the Field Negroes if the master told them to do that.
That was during the time of slavery, a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold and forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work or to demand compensation.
The ancestors of African Americans endured chattel slavery and the African Americans of today are exploited and victimized by political slavery.
In political slavery, only certain African Americans can enjoy political success. I know you like to say that since President Barack Obama was elected, any black man or black woman can one day be elected and become the president of the United States.
While it is good to tell black children that anything is possible, the truth of the matter is that most blacks in political office and those seeking political office are controlled today just as much and just as easily as slaves were controlled back in the day.
Chains were once used to keep blacks under control; now dollars, or lack thereof, control blacks in politics.
Name any black person running for the Legislature or Congress and you’ll probably be naming someone controlled by political parties, political action committees and political campaign contributors.
Most black candidates of today can’t speak out strongly on issues of importance to black citizens and black voters. They can’t “look black,” “talk black” or “act black” for fear that their white political benefactors will withdraw their financial support.
If you don’t know it already, political parties, corporations and wealthy individuals who contribute to the campaigns of black candidates will finance the campaigns only of black candidates who will do what they are ordered to do.
Black candidates have to hire the campaign consultants, the campaign media staff, the campaign managers and other campaign workers who campaign contributors want hired. And the same people who work for black candidates on the campaign will be the same people whom black candidates will hire if they are elected. The staff hires of President Obama is a perfect example.
Black candidates on every level must do what they are told to do before they get one red cent.
And that is why you see black legislative and congressional candidates running in districts composed of mostly African Americans are afraid to hire and employ black professionals, afraid to advertise in black-owned media and afraid to discuss the political concerns of the people they seek to represent.
Yes, once upon a time, one white man holding a stick could control 100 black slaves; today, political parties trying to generate black votes can control an entire black community with a pitiful campaign contribution.
Back in slavery days, you had many runaway slaves and today you have black men and women who want to run away from the voting booths because even when you think you’re voting for one of your own you’re voting for the political devil and his satanic and misguided government policies.
Lucius Gantt is a consultant based in Tallahassee and author of the book Beast Too: Dead Man Writing. He may be reached at allworldconsultants.net, where you can also like The Gantt Report Facebook page.
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