Volume 7 ·
No. 1
Web Posted: October 2000
With
less than a week before the Million Family March, scheduled for October
16th, 2000 in Washington DC, undoubtedly skeptics and critics will
emerge to offer their “expert” insights, judgment and analysis regarding the
legitimacy of the march agenda and its leaders.
As in 1995, it would be
expected to hear many white critics challenge him as well as Jewish critics
based on their academic arrogance, unintentional ignorance, and intentional
deception and since Jewish antipathy toward Minister Farrakhan while well known
and documented – is entirely without merit.
No one who holds a highly
visible position within a political organization, religious organization or
other structural framework will escape criticism.
In fact, the only way to escape criticism is to say nothing, do nothing
and have no impact.
When looking at leaders, there are those who are often quoted by the media, but have no real influence or constituency. Then there are those who may not be quoted as often, however wield tremendous influence and have a constituency larger than many analysts know or care to acknowledge. And then there are the wannabe leaders who actually make things worse by confusing people who don’t know any better.
LEADERS
ARE PEOPLE TOO
It is normally not the policy
of the TEI to challenge individuals, only ideas and principles, but we digress
for a moment in order
If you recall, last year,
August 9th, 1999 the USA Today published “If Farrakhan Dies, So
Does His Group.” written by Dewayne Wickham, a syndicated columnist.
Many
were stunned and felt that Wickham’s column was one of the most insensitive
and tactless opinion columns ever written.
Though there was some public speculation and discussion regarding what
would take place and the condition and effect of his health on the health of the
Nation of Islam, no one brazenly and openly gloated in the possibility of such
an evil accident of time as did Mr. Wickham.
It is exactly these types of writings that give journalism a bad image, and those journalists who adhere to common principles of decency a bad name.
Let's examine some of Wickham's words:
"Depending upon whom you believe, Louis Farrakhan is either on his deathbed or has undergone a near-miraculous recovery from a life-threatening recurrence of prostate cancer. Regardless of the truth, the conflicting reports about his condition that emerged over the weekend drive home the point that the ailing 65-year-old Nation of Islam leader has more yesterdays than tomorrows."
Amazingly, not even the ADL who
are acknowledged sworn enemies of Minister Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam
wrote anything as unfeeling and uncaring as what Mr. Wickham wrote for the world
to read on the pages of the USA Today newspaper.
Throughout his writing, Wickham
continued in speculative terms about the world without Farrakhan, and of
all the articles that were published regarding Minister Farrakhan's illness, and
near death experience – of which there were hundreds – this
one stood out because of its callousness and insensitivity.
Did Mr. Wickham consider
that Minister Farrakhan is a husband?
Did Mr. Wickham consider
that Minister Farrakhan is a father and a grandfather?
Did Mr. Wickham consider that
Minister Farrakhan is loved and honored by millions around the world?
How would Mr. Wickham feel if the same things had been written about him during a personal struggle between life and death?
It is easy to see why some white
commentators and media would arrive at a faulty analysis of Minister
Farrakhan’s impact. It is more difficult determining why a host of Black
critics arose in 1995 during the Million Man March, last year, during his near
death experience, and probably will raise their voices at this time, to condemn
him based on conclusions that are without merit.
This years event, has
everything going for it, time, circumstances and place.
The almost 1.7 million Black men who participated in the Million Man
March in 1995 will certainly be in attendance to recreate the spiritual aura
that surrounded them on October 16th, 1995.
The Black men who – for
whatever reason – did not participate in the Million Man March in 1995, but
wish they had done so, will be in attendance.
And of course, the women who in deference to the collective need for
Black men to unify first, stayed home in 1995 will be in attendance this year,
along with the children that many of those men represent.
The media, and the angles taken during their coverage of the Million Family
March actually helped to create awareness of the event, even though it appeared
to be biased against the march and its leader, Minister Farrakhan.
Though the Million Man March
drew men of all religious denominations, political ideologies and ethnicities,
it was directed at Black men. A new
component of this years march is the
invitation being made to the entire human family, all colors, races,
ethnicities, religious beliefs and political ideologies and economic levels.
Circumstances
have developed, as in 1995 ensuring that the Million Family March, in the
political context will be critical. This
is the closest election in almost 50 years.
It is also one of the most intriguing -- with the naming of an orthodox Jew, as the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate, Patrick Buchanan picking a Black woman member of the John Birch Society, Ezola Foster, as a running mate for the Reform Party, George Bush seemingly representing a return to the strong conservative right and the Ralph Nader-Winona LaDuke ticket verbalizing the thoughts and views of the liberal left.
What makes it more interesting is that
Senator Lieberman has made overtures,
stating that he wanted to meet
with Minister Farrakhan, and that he admired him and his efforts. Much to
the chagrin of the American Jewish Congress and the Anti-Defamation League who
quickly released statements attempting to dissuade Lieberman from involving
himself in a meeting with Minister Farrakhan, especially right before the
Million Family March.
Wickham continues to display his flawed
logic by concluding his column in the following manner:
"The loss of Farrakhan also will bring an end to the black nationalism era that began with Marcus
Garvey and fed the belief that this country's race problem could be solved by creating a black nation within the United States.
Now that we are confronted with the mortality of the leading proponent of this bankrupt idea, maybe the rest of us will get about the difficult business of bridging the yawning racial divide that gave rise to Farrakhan and his Nation of
Islam."
How does he feel now that Minister Farrakhan is on the verge of
leading one of the largest displays of unity ever seen in the history of this nation?
It is obvious that Wickham's
analysis is completely at variance with the facts.
Does anyone even care who DeWayne
Wickham endorses?
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If you would like to read the
entire text of Mr. DeWayne Wickham's
article, referred to in this Factual Analysis, click below.
Dewayne
Wickham's Article in USA Today 8/9/99
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