Villagers are aware of the horrific rape and torture of a Black woman and her young son in Dunbar Village last year. It was an incident that received little publicity from the mainstream media (MSM), however, it was well-reported in the afrosphere by bloggers such as SheCodes and Gina.
Some in the MSM did pick up the issue when Black bloggers protested against Al Sharpton during his Hate Crimes rally in Washington DC. Al Sharpton responded to the protesters ... ultimately agreeing to meet in a town hall session with local residents and politicians living in Dunbar Village housing project earlier this week. However, Rev. Sharpton punked out and no-showed for the event ... disappointing the organizers and the community.
I admit that I have not kept our village up-to-date on this story in the past. I'll try to do better moving forward. After all, if we cannot protect our queens, how can we call ourselves kings?
14 comments:
Thanks for the shout out, villager! We are determined to raise awareness and deal with crimes against black women in our community.
It's time for us to rally around ALL the victims of our community, regardless of gender.
Dealing with Al Sharpton has been nothing but a headache. We will continue with our movement to free black women and our children, but if he wants to participate, it will not be as a leader.
You just now figurin' out Al Sharpton's a punk? See, you even got me in mild ebonics mode :)
OK It is important to Bring Truth to an exploited situation. Since I work at the National Action Network as a community activist and volunteer, I think I need to drop a little KNOWLEDGE before Black Folk (who often don't read and or investigate the information they receive through SOUND BITES and GOSSIP)go and tarnish the good work of people and a MAN.
The invitation extended to Al Sharpton was not an OFFICIAL INVITATION. This means that when people or organizations ask for Mr. Sharpton's support, it usually means the following: 1. they would like the NAN to bring attention to an INJUSTICE which is being ignored or sweeped under the rug 2. people need Legal and Political intervention due to a Civil Rights violation 3. people are inviting Al Sharpton to speak on (usually in a panel discussion) issues pertaining to Black issues and concerns. In all of the above, the INVIATIONS are OFFICIAL. If the inviation is OPEN, meaning that if Al Sharpton is free to lend support (unofficially), he would but there are proper channals for doing it Offically so he is scheduled to be somewhere properly. This would allow for a possible legal team or communications team to set up in advance so that IF there are any negative issues, He, the group, the protester etc. are protected.
In this case, the group was not organized enough to go through proper channals to get an OFFICAL INVITATION and even so, Al Sharpton still "TRIED" to make every effort to be there. HE COULDN'T and now he is being thrown in the fires if HELL because a few people didn't go through proper channals -- even when the MAN tried to make every effort to be there.
REMEMBER Al Sharpton and the NAN is an National non-profit orgainization that works 24/7 with thousands or other organizations and people. You can't down the man for trying to alter his schedule for people, who at the last minute decide to command time from someone with prior committments. And on top of that .. STILL TRIED to help the group out.
SO UNFAIR and UNCALLED FOR and both sides should have equally been investigated for the truth. It helps to go to the National Action Network you can follow the AL SHARPTON'S schedule and see where and why he makes and breaks appearances. http://www.nationalactionnetwork.net/
That still doesn't explain why Al Sharpton and NAN ignored the many calls, emails, and letters "officially requesting" his presence and intervention on this matter FOR MONTHS ON END.
It also doesn't explain the horrible treatment of Citoya, who didn't know that he wasn't going to show up until minutes before the event. However, he did manage to have his little people call all of the reporters and 'important people'.
I personally wrote several letters to NAN, and never got any responses, called on several occasions, and even spoke to his brother on a podcast about it. I personally know that many other female bloggers did as well.
But Mr. Sharpton is now off the hook. We aren't interested in his involvement officially OR unofficially.
Have a nice day.
All - Al Sharpton appears to be quoted in the MSM down in Florida accepting invitation to spend the night in Dunbar Village. Where did they get that idea if not from Rev. Sharpton himself?
In any case, he did have some good things to say about the political process within the Democratic Party nomination process during the SOBA panel discussion in the afternoon...
I do not expect much from Mr. Sharpton. His track record to my knowledge shows that he tends to show up at places that have an abundance of press and reporters.
hi all-
consider this---why should sharpton have needed an invitation?
was he afraid that the women and children of dunbar village would have turned him away?
what stops black men in that community from demonstrating their decent presence? a million or two men marched at Farrakhan's call. there must be a few in florida. i am not interested in making or accepting excuses. i am interested only in making changes and refusing to accept reasons for failure.
i resent the whole black people don't read internalized oppression garbage. not only do i read, i think for myself. as such sharpton's choice in hairstyles and the fact that he has lived so long has made him suspect to me, even as a child.
all signs indicate that in real life, he will never REALLY do anything to challenge the status quo. focusing excess energy and efforts on white people will only ensure our defeat. all things begin with self. he professes to be a man of God and misses that universal truth? don't try to distract me with racism big al! wisdom informs my skepticism that he are unwitting in his participation. i am trying to be neither funny nor insulting.
black men would do well to stop "trying" and "do" what needs to be done. don't just wear nike like mike also embody the slogan---"just do it". your chidren, your women, your self respect, and your collective respect at the table of men mandate this course of action.
i would also ask who made the "official" rules? but THEN i would be trying to be funny and insulting.
rules that mandate you don't take swift and severe action when the sanctity of your women and children is viciously violated are not even a rules that SELF-RESPECTING MEN would entertain, not for a moment.
when one behaves as a self serving coward---one cannot complain when called out for their behavior. he disgraced himself and should wisely practice accountability and responsibility by owning it and righting the wrong. it is better late than never. even children are known by how their behavior. i refuse to hold black men to a standard that would be substandard even for children . he doesn't get a pass from me.
will the real black men please stand out, speak out and act out? respect is earned. black women are suffering and dying to stand with and respect you-literally. what's in it for you? you have never been judged by your best and brightest...
...i never chose sharpton as a leader. as such, i have lost nothing now that only the shazza nakims of the world cannot see what is obvious. that is the upside of all of this as i see it. thank God there is always an upside.
mr villager, respectfully i say to you the following---you have a lot of people in your circle of influence. name-calling blows off steam. money, organized campaigns, public, and private support effect change. this is how our men that love us can demonstrate the verb love. black women have done it and continue to do it---to our detriment in most cases. i pray you receive my call to action in the spirit in which it was written. with true, love,respect and wisdom.
with a heightened sense of purposeful urgency and laser like focus i am moving forward. i am clear, manumission is not coming. emancipation is mine to take. i will encourage as many of my sisters as can hear me to join me.
mr. villager, you influenced me yesterday to consider Malcolm X's influence. i did just that. i invite you to check it out.
blessings!
focusedpurpose
Shazza - I wanted to thank you for taking time to share your village voice. The background that you gave on Rev. Sharpton's non-profit is very enlightening for those that may want to work with him in the future. Anyhow, asante sana...
Regina - We all have our place in the struggle. Rev. Sharpton defines his role as bringing attention to a problem. He wants to expose a problem so that others may fix it. He uses media, cameras and microphones to make his point. He is effective at what he does...
Focused Purpose - You provide a wealth of information and challenges for me and other brothers in the village to consider. Hopefully, you'll see the post that I put up earlier this week on the need for us to protect our children. I agree with you that we need to do the same for our women when they are victimized. Hopefully, the Electronic Village will live up to your challenge over the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, I'm heading over to your blog to read about Malcolm X...
I agree with focusedpurpose and will put it in a nutshell. If you want to go, YOU JUST GO.
"Proper channels"? "Formal invitation?" Give me a break!
To answer shecode's Question
The NAN is a Civil Rights Organization those focus is fight civil Rights Violations in the United States. Although Civil Rights are a GOD GIVEN RIGHT and is connected with every Man and Woman on the planet, Al Shartpon and the NAN can and usually become active IF there is a need to move an agenda. The Darfur agenda has a momentum which is in motion and the NAN at this moment would only add additional credibility to a MOVEMENT that exist,
Also look at it this way, what is more effective, Al Sharpton saying a speech for support for 10 minute or an organization through grassroots support gathering 200 College Students organized and staging a rally outside the United Nations or an American Embassy. The NAN does not assist in that type of organizing, its objective is to step in when the POWERS THAT BE PREVENTS YOU FROM ORGANIZING or when you are a VICTIM OF VIOLENCE WHEN YOU ARE PROTESTING or if you had address the issue of DARFUR and the (US) Government tried to silence you.
It would appear the need for Al Shartpon to appear is more for celebrity status and not for a particular violation or a wrong.
Lately the NAN and Al Shartpon is involved in other area that effect attention for not only Darfur but other African nation undergoing the same political and humanitarian strife. So to let you know, no Nation in Africa is off the NAN radar as well at South America, Asia and North America. The NAN is not a Black organization, it is a NATIONAL organization which gives it a wide berth in attention and limited resources.
We all play our parts in one way other another and walk the same path. Please remember that when you victimize leaders. More happen behind the scenes that you would like to accept.
Now the LEADERS like Al Sharpton are being VICTIMIZED?? GIMMA A BREAK!! Criticism is not victimization, get that straight.
It is time for able-bodied, intelligent black men to stop playing the victim role! A victim is a woman who is being raped in Darfur! A victim is a brother in Philadelphia who gets shot in a drive by for no reason!
A few ladies who get pissed at Al for his punking out on them is not victimization.
Our leaders are much more willing to stand up against white offenders, which happens much, much less, than black offenders. In our city, a 20 year old woman was raped in front of her children and none of our leaders have said a word. Meanwhile we have marches planned against white female violence against a black victim. Why not both?
There is a disconnect with how those who are the least active are the most vocal as to WHAT THEY THINK THEY WANT.
One of the reasons why I am involved in activism is that I have found that (Black) people have great ideas but very POOR folow through. This includes their ability to do COMPLETE reseach. When it comes to BLACK SENSITIVITY, we can go over board without thinking. Which is why organization do more in damage control than activism.
YES a woman who is RAPED is a victim and YES a Black Leader committed to JUSTICE and has a RECORD for achieving it for Black People can be a VICTIM by Jaded Black Individuals and Groups thus Preventing the Person from achieving their PRODUCTIVE WORK within the community. Why have WHITE PEOPLE DO IT when our own can do a BETTER JOB.
If Al Sharpton was so IMPORTANT to bringing the ISSUES within Darfur to light ... you can also call on FARRAKHAN as well who has preached on the INJUSTICES OF AFRICA since the 1960's. He is a religious man, he can bring in media attention, he has a NATIONAL organization, he can be polarizing, he can SPEAK to the issues, he is a BLACK MAN ... and YET no one calls upon him.
Why attack Sharpton when you have so many others to choose from as well People should call it like it is, YOU were disappointed that he could not show, it happens to all organization. Just last week, Tavis Smiley's feeling was hurt because Obama didn't attend his gathering. Move on, Darfur is bigger than Sour Grapes and personal feelings.
PS If you need contact info for the N.O.I. just let me know.
Shazza - I appreciate your spirited defense of the NAN leader, Al Sharpton. Does Rev. Sharpton have a blog?
Anon, Shawn & IW - Asante sana for sharing your village voice...
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