J. Jioni Palmer is a fourth-year student majoring in African
American Studies. His column appears every other Wednesday.
I can’t remember when it was, but the first time I heard that
booming voice and those insightful lyrics I was hooked. So, when
the thunderous sound of KRS-One pumped through the television
speaker, while the NBA’s rookie sensations did their thing across
the screen, I was on the edge of my seat.
"The revolution will not be televised." Oh yeah it’s on, I
thought. The teacher is about to drop knowledge on untold millions
of Americans … Basketball? What did he say? Basketball? This is
some kind of sick joke. It must be. It has to be. This can’t be a
… Nike commercial … "The revolution is about basketball, and
basketball is the truth …" My hopes came crashing down in one
fell swoosh.
I was disgusted that hip-hop’s articulate "teacher" was selling
his consciousness and political message to corporate America.
Moreover, this was just another sign of the trivialization of
activism and general malaise that has gripped our generation.
Many of us have come to believe that social change is a
part-time job that requires part-time energy. It seems as though we
have forgotten just what it took to acquire our present "status."
Nothing was given to us. We fought for every dime (and are still
owed some). So, nothing should be taken away (i.e. welfare,
affirmative action, financial aid and the list goes on).
The Republican congressional takeover in 1994 was an American
renaissance, not a revolution. It attempted to reinstate and
reaffirm the harsh, mean-spirited and divisive politics that have
traditionally characterized American social policy. No one should
be surprised that the number of church burnings exploded, Pat
Buchanan did so well, Proposition 209 is on the ballot in
California and the Defense of Marriage Act sailed through Congress.
This renaissance attempts to establish the America of the past,
where we all knew our place. That’s not revolutionary  that’s
retrograde politics.
A revolutionary minded "Contract with America" would have
recognized that our governing institutions are inherently racist
and sexist. These would-be revolutionaries would have said,"Yes, as
white men and white people we do recognize our privilege in
society. We have committed ourselves to deconstructing this
unnatural social order, that places us above all others in American
society."
With all of the religious indignation that they claim, they
would have knelt down before God and the American people and asked
forgiveness for the nation’s abysmal race relations, the
objectification of women, the dehumanization of homosexuals and the
exploitation of immigrants and other workers (to name a few).
They would take responsibility for their actions and say ,"Yes,
out of all Americans, only we have been Presidents, Chief Justices,
Senate majority leaders, House speakers and Federal Reserve
chairmen. And we do control just about everything from CEOs to dog
catchers." Alas, none of this took place. And so, I’m sorry, Newt,
but you are not a revolutionary.
Revolution means having the courage to say that health and
education are inalienable human rights. It means providing and
safeguarding them. This is something that has never been tried in
America. What better time than now?
Revolution is not about slashing entitlements and balancing the
budget on the backs of the poor. It took the depression of the
1920s and ’30s and a third of the nation living in poverty in order
to receive the meager benefits necessary for so many to survive.
The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 was not a revolutionary step Â
it was regressive, at best.
Revolution means taking control of the resources in your
community and using them to empower your people. It means
developing an independent analysis of the issues that affect you
and creating your own solutions. This is the essence of a
revolutionary.
You are not a revolutionary because your show up at a rally (nor
is a rally revolutionary). But it is a start. The leaders of the
American social, political, cultural and economic institutions do
not want us to challenge the status quo. Questioning and
challenging are good: these are the building blocks of a
revolution.
Revolution is not a commodity that can be packaged into a
30-second sound bite for the purpose of selling shoes or moving
public opinion. Revolution is a much more intelligent and
thoughtful process. It requires the ability to visualize an
alternative way of thinking and alternative ways of living.
Revolution fundamentally challenges and changes the institutions
that control our lives. The revolution is not about basketball.