John Walker is a frequent reader of ClayCane.net. He is a black gay man, born and raised in New York City. I do not fully agree with his opinion, but I think he is expressing what many New York City African-Americans are feeling post Super Tuesday. The strife between Latinos and blacks is not just limited to Mexicans in California.
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This has been brewing for sometime now; it's crystal clear that we as black people are on our own. We've seen signs of it in recent years but the process is now complete. Gone are the days of the Black Panthers, the Young Lords, the Black and Puerto Rican studies departments in City College, or even the useless Black and Puerto Rican Caucus in the New York State Legislature. Every gain we, as New York City African-Americans, received, we’ve brought Puerto Ricans and Dominicans with us.
Let it be known—Latinos voted against black people when they voted against Senator Barack Obama. Ever since the last census when Latinos were declared America's largest minority the battle for number two has been on. Yes, I know blacks have their own xenophobic ideas around language and immigration—but Blacks don't strategically block Latino ascendancy into power.
I knew that Obama would lose the Chicano vote out west, and I expected the Cubans in New Jersey would go with Hillary. However, I thought that New York City Puerto Ricans and Dominicans might show something different—NO WAY JOSE! Latinos in New York City voted for Senator Hillary Clinton at 74%. I'm not ashamed to say it—THE LATINOS PLAYED US!
It’s time that Black leaders stop talking about "People of Color" this and "Multiculturalism" that, and start speaking and planning for us. I feel like I should even re-evaluate all of my relationships... down to my barber because that money isn't going into the hands of the black community.
Please don't respond with some BS like "that's what the white man wants us to do... divide and conquer." America is about factions and a competition for resources; read Federalist Paper no. 18 by James Madison. It's time for us to close ranks!
This race is coming down to purely demographics, by in large Obama is winning in states where there are huge black populations or most white voters are Republican. If a Negro with a white mama who has steered cleared of all black leaders, except for Oprah, can't win, then who can? You can't get more race neutral than that...other than NOT marrying a black woman.
The betrayal from Latinos is a consequence of
black people making a conscience decision in the early ‘80’s not to be BLACK anymore. We decided to be "multi-cultural", "biracial" and "diverse." I feel like a raisin in the sun, but I hope I stay mad for a long time. Long enough to change who I date, who I shop with...I'm so serious. I wonder if they have a Nigerian spousal mail order service. I’m disgusted.
John Walker is a guest writer for ClayCane.net. This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the views of Clay Cane.
