Speaking up versus talking down

Article by Lola Adesioye

The comments made by civil rights leader Jesse Jackson - uttered off-air before the start of an interview on Fox News - reveal a deep division that exists amongst black leaders who attempt to find solutions for resolving social problems within the African-American community.

Good common sense advice, one might think. However, it's advice that sits uncomfortably with some African Americans. There are those, particularly those who grew up in a segregated America and whose life experiences have been shaped by the fight for civil rights like Jesse Jackson, who believe that white American society is to blame for the problems facing black America: that institutional racism and structural inequalities are the root of the social ills that disproportionately and negatively affect African Americans. No doubt there is some truth to this: systematic inequalities within American society have had and still have a negative impact upon African American lives. continue reading