Some Land of Our Own

Imagine advertisers beaming real time 24 hour satelite feeds into one lone tiny country: 'We Got Yo' Bling' the commercials would say. Overhead Goodyear blimps would bare flashing signs proclaiming: "Get Yo Mack On" at Anderson's Lincoln (make a right off of exit 3). That's what you would see in an all black separtist country.

Actor/producer/director Charles S Dutton is producing a 10 part mini-series for HBO it's a fictional story about a group of African- Americans who receive reparations and are given a separate state within the United States. HBO is leaning towards not developing it, but we'll see. Hey, anybody can dream.

The dream isn't new. Black leaders as far back as the 1800's advocated separation between Blacks and Whites. Marcus Garvey and Elijah Muhammad built their movements on the very idea. At one time I really believed in separation - I don't now and here's why.

No sane person can dare claim that we weren't bought here against our will. However, once here we helped (hell, we did the hard work) to build this nation. African Americans have fought in each and every war since this country's inception. We fought hard to be accepted into the fabric of this society, to turn around and walk away would not only be foolish, but it would be a disservice to the memories of those that fought and were brutalized and died for our cause.

There has always been (and will probably always be) a set of folks who get fed up with this country and its laws that say "Let's go back to Africa!"

First of all - there is no one to go back to. Let me rephrase that: There is no one there waiting for us to return to. And while we're at it, where in Africa would we go? The Congo? Oh hell no, they haven't known stability since before Patrice Lumumba. I got one for you, how about Liberia? Nope, nope, nope that's how they got into all that trouble over there in the first place. A group of us left here and went 'back' there - the trouble was that the people who were "there" didn't appreciate us coming there. Won't work.

Ok how about a separate Black state here? Ok where? How's North Carolina. Well, I live in South Carolina so it wouldn't be hard for me to move, but what about the white folks that live there now, what would happen to them? What about the companies that are there, where would they go? What about those folks that have married inter-racially or are products of an inter-racial relationship (there is alot of that kind of thing jumpin' off right about now, especially in the South) where do they go.

But for arguments sake lets just say there was a new Black state here, do you know what would happen? Forget about slave catchers coming for us, oh hell no, they would use modern day slave catchers to catch us and keep us broke. Do you have any idea of who I'm talking about? Madison Avenue.

They would beam all kinds of bullshit to us through the internet, our cell phones, TV - they'd invent new devices to sell to us so that we could buy whatever it is that they are selling. "Get Yo Grill Tight Padna" is what the signs would say along the freeway from our country to their country.