Last week, however, when Black Entertainment Television (BET.com) revealed Minister Louis Farrakhan as its 2005 Person of the Year, I thought it was ridiculous; especially given that he beat out such notable nominees as Oprah Winfrey and the suffering victims of Hurricane Katrina. (Incidentally, that
At any rate, it did not matter that BET.com relied on an opinion poll of visitors to its website to determine the winner; whereas TIME relied on a panel comprised of its writers and editors. I was simply stupefied that fans of BET (the vast majority of whom it’s fair to assume are black) would choose Farrakhan over Oprah (or the suffering victims of Hurricane Katrina). After all,
Hurricane Katrina was the seminal event for most black Americans in 2005, and no one showed more compassion and generosity towards the victims of Katrina than Oprah. By contrast, I cannot recall seeing Farrakhan and his Fruit of Islam (FOI) soldiers reaching out to comfort or protect their brothers and sisters during this time of national crisis. (Perhaps they were still trying to recover what little was left of their reputation after groveling to guard Michael Jackson [and his at-risk fortune] during his trial for child molestation.)Nevertheless, according to BET.com VP Retha Hill, it was Farrakhan’s leadership of the Millions More March last October that made him the most noteworthy person of 2005. She explained that:
“…he mobilised hundreds of thousands of blacks around the issues of atonement and empowerment, and to convince the masses of our people that we must be the primary catalysts and engines for positive change in our communities.” [Indeed!]
And, in his characteristically modest way, Farrakhan accepted his coronation by saying that:
“I am greatly honored and extremely humbled that the BET.com users have chosen me as the 2005 Person of the Year, especially since the nominees for such an honor are some of the greatest members of the Black community in the world…” [Which, by implication, would make him the greatest? – with all due respect to Mohammed Ali…]
Actually, it’s probably unfair for me to suggest that Farrakhan rendered no assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Because, during his address at that Millions More March, he urged them – in patently fatuous Farrakhan speak – to sue the U.S. government for “criminal neglect”. In fact, no one did more to make a mockery of legitimate claims of government neglect than he did by spreading the woefully misguided notion that President Bush ordered the military to blow-up the levees in New Orleans.
It would be easy to dismiss Farrakhan as a harmless gadfly if his specious political rhetoric and grandiose racial pandering did not resonate with so many black people. Indeed, history is replete with silver-tongued demagogues who wreaked havoc on those who thought no one could possible take their nonsense seriously. (Apropos this, one can just imagine how fond Farrakhan is of the holocaust-denying, wipe-Israel-from-the-map President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad….)
But it’s a troubling reflection on the political consciousness of black America that Farrakhan is deemed to have done more to help black people than any of the “greatest members of the Black community in the world”. Because, the irony is that TIME’s (lily white) persons of the year probably did more last year to help black people than Farrakhan has done his entire life. And this irony is compounded by the fact that, for all of Farrakhan’s talk about black empowerment and self-determination, the black people who accorded him this honour would be hard-pressed to cite a single thing he’s done to better their lives.
Note: I urge you to read
this previous article on Farrakhan’s Millions More March to see why it was just a charade and why it’s ridiculous for any credible organisation to choose him as its Person of the Year!Technorati: TIME Person of the Year, BET Person of the Year, Minister Louis Farrakhan
Anonymous says
I agree it’s sad that African Americans praise race hustlers like Min Farrakhan and call someone like Dr Rice a sell out.
ravic says
Mr. Farrakhan has been spreading his charismatic gospel around the world as well. I was surprised two years ago when he made a stop in my native (mostly unknown) Suriname to give a speech. Immediately afterwards, I started getting requests for books, CDs, and videos of the man because he was so well liked. It always amazes me how much more powerful charm and personality is (like Bush) vs what a person actually has to say.
Has anyone dared to write an objective book about Mr. F?
Kenneth says
Ravic
Looks like you and ALH have had a similar impression of Farrakhan. I read his article on the Million More Movement that he links to where he confesses that he too bought Mr F’s charisma. Too bad that’s is all this brother has to offer. And Charisma never bought no body food or water.
Mary Ballard-Bernstein says
Yes, Anthony I concur…it is ridiculous…my best friend Amber, is an African American and she expresses that the African American community needs new leadership and role models now more than ever..she has not wanted to identify with this community in the past mainly because her experience has been (due to the fact that she is extremely intelligent and well educated) that she many times encountered derogatory remarks from other African Americans such as “You’re trying to be White”, etc….she is puzzled as to why if African Americans make something of themselves many times they are accused by their own community of trying to be “White” if they do not speak gibberish as she calls it..Amber is now ready to step up to the plate regardless of critiscm…her time has come…as she has stated one needs to stand up for something or one will fall for something…
Anonymous says
Mary
I know how Amber feels. I’ve been there. That’s why I love reading this blog because this is one African American who is obviously not afraid to speak truth to black power in this country.
Trust me, I have to think that most African Americans think Farrakhan and Jesse Jackson are hustlers but are too afraid to say so.
Mary Ballard-Bernstein says
Anonymous…yes, I enjoy reading this blog very much as well…Anthony has his hand on the pulse of what many people think but perhaps do not have a medium or a way to channel…
i love diversity and I have had the pleasure of meeting and having many wonderful friends and professors from many races and ethnicity…I am hoping that also by my sharing with Amber my very positive experiences with African Americans that she will see that many in her community have gone through some of the same persecutions for transcending and she will want to integrate once again and she will not feel so isolated or feel like a pariah (she is far from it and is to be admired) for her accomplishments ..for she has many valuable lessons to instruct…
I enjoy and equally admire evolved and accomplished beings to converse with …whatever their race or ethnicity…
ALH ipinions says
Ravic
As much as I was awe-inspired by Farrakhan’s rhetoric and charisma, I’m not sure I ever “liked” him. What I liked was Farrakhan’s talk about black empowerment and self-help, until I realised that Republican Jack Kemp was doing more to empower black people than he was. (I now have stacks of Farrakhan books and cassette tapes to show for my disllusionment.)
As for an “objective book” about him, that only begs the question: objective from whose perspective? The two most definitive biographies on Farrakhan are “Prophet of Rage…” by Arthur Magida and “In the Name of Elijah Muhammed…” by Mattias Gardell. Read at your own risk!
Mary
I’m loath to advise anyone on how to deal with the stressful and fearful peer pressure you referenced. Nonetheless, please assure Amber that she’s not alone – as anon above indicated.
I am heartened though that she’s developed enough self-confidence now to “step up to the plate” – as I have no doubt she will disabuse many blacks of the misguided and self-destructive notion that “African Americans [who] make something of themselves…[are] trying to be “White”.
Anonymous says
The real tragedy with BET making Mr. Farrakhan “Person of the Year”. is that African American youth are being sold a load of crap. This is a “network” that apparently has trouble sustaining a regular news program. So aside from sit-coms and hip hop videos, what exactly do they offer the 15-30 year old African American demographic. But then again, who is fooling who? It’s called Black Entertainment Television. It there any pretense toward being a serious media outlet? Maybe the more important question is how many of us African American parents are educating our children to take positive steps rather than run on at the mouth?
Rage……
Jennifer says
Hi Anthony
It’s great to see you respond to your commenters. I was beginning to think there was nothing we could write to get your attention. I’m jealous that I was not the person you responded to but I’ll take it.
As usual, this article informs, provokes and entertains. I read your original article on the Million More March and that really opened my eyes to what Mr Farrakhan is all about. He always frightened me but you make it clear that he’s just a big mouth shyster.
One less thing to stress about…Thanks