Instructor: Mba Mbulu Title of Course: Integration 101

Textbooks: Not To Be: Essays On Integration and The Black Studies Book: A Black Studies Guide for TeenAgers and Adults.

Class #6

Read the essay that follows and think about the following issues.

(1) Why, from an integrationist point of view, is a distinction made between liberals and white liberals?

(2) What does the author of the essay have to say about John Brown. Was John Brown an integrationist, a liberal, a white liberal or any combination of the three?

(3) How did white people react to the activities of John Brown? Does that reaction say anything about their ability to integrate with Black People?

(4) How many whites do you qualify as "Five Steps Liberals"? What does that say about the legitimacy of integrationist efforts by whites in the United States?

(5) What does the essay mean by "maintain[ing] white power in a slick way"? Should Black People be on the lookout for such attempts?

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"Liberals and White Liberals"

Let's take a look at individuals who call themselves "liberals." Did you know that there is a difference between a liberal and a white liberal? Politically speaking, a liberal is a person who recognizes that all people have the same rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that these rights should not be hampered by artificial barriers such as racial, sexual or cultural differences. White liberals, on the other hand, believe that all people have the same rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but with the proviso that these rights be sought within a white frame of reference. In other words, white liberals believe that everybody should get equal treatment just as long as the white power structure remains undisturbed and the basis around which all people function. What about the Black frame of reference, or the Red, Yellow or Brown frames of reference? To the white liberal, these non-white frames of reference are inferior to the white frame of reference. That is why white liberals are not liberals at all; they are neo white-supremacists instead.

This is not to say that a white person cannot be a liberal. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite persons was a liberal who was white. His name was John Brown, and I'll tell you why I like him so much.

John Brown was concerned about how his race of people had abused Black People and Native Americans. However, John Brown did not look for excuses, justifications or rationalizations, he simply realized that white people had acted extremely inhumanely and took it upon himself to do what was necessary to correct the injustices. John Brown did not expect Black People to look up to him, look to him for guidance, give him special treatment or show "appreciation" for what he was trying to do. Nor did John Brown try to tell Black People what white people thought was good for Black People. John Brown realized that a white frame of reference was part of the problem and, being a sincere person of action, took steps to quickly right the wrongs that had been committed by his white brothers and sisters. Because of what he did, the white status quo despises John Brown and portrays him as a maniac with misdirected allegiances. That is the burden that a liberal in the United States of America has to carry.

I also like some other liberals who are white. They are what I call the Five Steps Liberals. The Five Steps Liberals who are white are individuals who have successfully completed a Five Step process that renders them capable of interacting with all people of color and all levels of achievement on a basis of equality. The Five Steps Liberal must:

(1) Step outside of the white frame of reference in order to objectively assess how white people have interacted with themselves and people of color throughout the world. A liberal does not view conditions from the vantage point of an abuser, but from the vantage point of fundamental principles rooted in every peoples' equal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If one group of people receives special treatment, then everyone will not have an equal opportunity to gain a decent standard of living.

(2) Admit that white people are guilty of abusing the rights of other people to an extremely harsh degree, initiating genocide against other people as matters of general policy and systematically destroying the quality of life of other people-- all because white people value commercial activities and profits more than they value human well being. A liberal must recognize that the social structure revolves around human well being, not around commercial considerations and profit concerns.

(3) Reject the white frame of reference. A liberal must be able to detach him/herself from that which is demeaning to human beings, even if it means rejecting values that one has heretofore held dear.

(4) Adopt a non-white frame of reference. This will enable white people to become receptive to a higher level of human consciousness and a new regard for human well being. A liberal must recognize that the efficacy of a system in terms of human well being is what determines its value, not the race or economic stature of the people who promote that system.

(5) Play the specific role that s/he is instructed to play until that individual has successfully elevated his consciousness enough to take on general leadership responsibilities. That means they should promote the type of equality that Black People champion and carry out their liberal activities in their own communities, not in Black communities. Additionally, a liberal who is white should be willing to take "orders" from non-white persons until whites have developed enough consciousness and respect for the non-white frame of reference to initiate corrective measures that have an immediate impact.

Whites who call themselves "liberal" who are not like John Brown or who reject the Five Steps process are really "white liberals"; they should not be trusted by Black People. Their primary objective is to maintain white power in a slick way. Black People have to make it crystal clear that such "liberals" are not welcome and don't fit into Our plans. Whites who support Us must recognize Our right to govern Ourselves and use Our essence as a basis for doing so.

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