A State Of Our/their Own

[mydestiny]

Actor Charles S. Dutton is in the process of developing a miniseries that would include Black people having their own state here in the U.S. Their would be no outside( read: white) help.

However, there is a twist. Only the formerly imprisoned, poor and downtrodden Black population can occupy the state. The purpose of this fictional "study" is to see how Black people in this type of of situation could live their lives without white interference.

Dutton is hoping that HBO would okay the miniseries- but its seems like the head honchos are little scared- hmmm I wonder why? Here is the link Eurweb (http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur26147.cfm)

Any thoughts? I have my own opinion about it but I'll save that after a few posts. :D

[Tress Me]

So basically he wants a ghetto island :huh: I understand about the black people standing on their own two, but why are they excluding black people who aren't poor, formerly imprisoned or down-trodden? seems a little exploitative almost :unsure: Not really sure how I feel about it.

[Bejewelle]

Must say I'm kinda agreeing with Tress Me

[emerald06]

I heard about this too. What's the point? You gather a bunch of poor, undereducated people in one area and what do you get? Perpetuation of stereotypes: "Black people don't know how to act even if we leave them to their own devices."

I've had a lot of respect for Mr. Dutton. Let's hope he doesn't disappoint. I don't have HBO, so you will have to tell me what happens.

[honeichild]

Hmm...sounds like Liberia 2006 to me. Don't see the point.

[citylocs]

What?! This perpetuates the worst idea from within and outside of the Black community that "successful" Black folks aren't truly Black. By suggesting that middle-class people aren't a part of his Black utopia/dystopia, this project puts them outside of the race. This doesn't even make a lick of sense for one show, let alone a 10-part series. If it is about race- then include all of us, if it is about class- then bring people from across racial lines.

[TwistedXn]

However, there is a twist. Only the formerly imprisoned, poor and downtrodden Black population can occupy the state. The purpose of this fictional "study" is to see how Black people in this type of of situation could live their lives without white interference. [/b]
One only needs to look at the strides of ancient Africa, Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Rosewood, Florida to see how greatly Blacks live without white interference. But I digress.

I'd actually like to see the miniseries since it opens up the dialogue on reparations. There are divergent ideas about what reparations would look like in the Black community, and Dutton's take on it would certainly be a start.

I do find it surprising that many of us exclude ourselves from this scenario. I think we might learn that many of us aren't as middle class as we think we are and would probably be proud citizens of 'Blacktonia.'


<))))x <----- amongst the downtrodden

[creation]

What I want to know is why are all the studies and statistics always on black folks. I mean it seems like we are always under study for some reason. I&#39;m tired of being a lab rat! I don&#39;t think that this study will do anything accept exploit black folks and of course just add to the negative stereotypes that other cultures have formed about us and the negative self hate that alot of black folks have.

But we&#39;ll see maybe it will be a positive experience. I guess it just seems like its so hard to see anything that shows black folks prospering.

Just my thoughts

[LBellatrix]

I too am curious about why only "poor, downtrodden, and/or formerly imprisoned" black folks would be allowed on the island. Would blacks who don&#39;t qualify not qualify for reparations?

I for one would like to see Dutton&#39;s take on this.

[Seven]

I can think of several reasons:

- Build their self esteem & change their self perception
- Concentrate more fully on those who have the most strikes against them
- Build a sense of community and camaraderie
- Take naysayers out of the picture and allow them and communities to flourish as they would if America wasn’t racist
- To demonstrate that African Americans, even those who have been written off by black and white alike, if given the chance can do great things or at least as good as anybody else.

I can think of many advantages of such an idea. However, I would hope that any such state included plenty of psychiatrists and counselors as well as a 4 day work week and 1 day mandatory psychiatric session.

I like his idea of a reparation package but I’m sitting here wondering, which state would agree to give up land in order to form the new one and would it be in between North and South Dakota.



What I want to know is why are all the studies and statistics always on black folks. I mean it seems like we are always under study for some reason. I&#39;m tired of being a lab rat! [/b]
http://images3.fotki.com/v27/photos/1/128447/2594528/a112-vi.gif

[NaturalSerenitee]

I am definitely not understanding the class division this project is proposing and will perpetuate. We already have so many thing we allow to divide us...a study of this nature will just serve to highlight them and may even create a deeper chasm.

Doesn&#39;t sound like anything I would personally want to participate in -- Ghetto Island indeed!

[4liberation]

I have to agree with TwistedXn and Myree, many of us would be surprised where we fall on the socio-economic scale, it seems moreso that Mr. Dutton&#39;s attempt is to mobilize the masses, because quite frankly most African Americans in this country fall into the named categories. That doesn&#39;t make us bad citizens but definitely disfranchised in so many ways.

Anyway, maybe it will give us a better idea of what Marcus Garvey was working towards or even an idea of what the Kwanzaa principles can be like if we actually put them into practice instead of reciting them and lighting candles for them every year.

:icon_headshake: Honestly, I hope he means well with this project. Though I think it is ironic he went a white network. Why not make it an independent film? <_<

[Urbanite]

I have to agree with TwistedXn and Myree, many of us would be surprised where we fall on the socio-economic scale, it seems moreso that Mr. Dutton&#39;s attempt is to mobilize the masses, because quite frankly most African Americans in this country fall into the named categories. That doesn&#39;t make us bad citizens but definitely disfranchised in so many ways.

Anyway, maybe it will give us a better idea of what Marcus Garvey was working towards or even an idea of what the Kwanzaa principles can be like if we actually put them into practice instead of reciting them and lighting candles for them every year.

:icon_headshake: Honestly, I hope he means well with this project. Though I think it is ironic he went a white network. Why not make it an independent film? <_<
[/b]

That&#39;s what I was thinking. I don&#39;t have HBO so I won&#39;t be watching. I&#39;ll be waiting for you all to give your take on it. :unsure:

[mydestiny]

Okay well here is my opinion about it. I like the idea he has with this miniseries. I believe the reason why he says ONLY the poor, imprisoned or downtrodden can occupy this land is becasue they are cast aways, nobody not even well-to-do Blacks want them around. So wny not create an environment where they have a chance to flourish. True, some people may think it would be a Ghetto Island- but I still think it&#39;s a good concept.

And yes the strides we as Black folk made in Tulsa, Rosewood and other parts of America were all somethign we should be proud of. Of course they don&#39;t tell our youth what they did to us, which is a shame. Hmm but then again why should I be surprised it&#39;s not like they want to teach us that we actually accomplished something of our own.

[QueenLocks]

What?! This perpetuates the worst idea from within and outside of the Black community that "successful" Black folks aren&#39;t truly Black. By suggesting that middle-class people aren&#39;t a part of his Black utopia/dystopia, this project puts them outside of the race. This doesn&#39;t even make a lick of sense for one show, let alone a 10-part series. If it is about race- then include all of us, if it is about class- then bring people from across racial lines.
[/b]

IA, after all, half of the separatist ARE Middle/Working Class and have at least some college education.
I wonder what&#39;s next? NO Butter Pecan/Egyptian Vanilla {light-skinned} Black people can enter?? <_<

[kaduff]

It&#39;s just a miniseries.

[QueenLocks]

@ MyRee: I found this post for you {well, part of it from another topic/forum}, since you mentioned Dakota as a sovereign state:

TRUTH: Terrorism fears in America. Bush and the corporations who
profit off of the war machine continue to get rich while the masses of the
people suffer while chasing false realities and issues. Again, Bush and
the foreign policy of the United States of America driven by the
neo-conservatives plunge the people into conflict with people they don&#39;t know
chasing a reality they know nothing about.

They massacred the Native Americans (Indians), then brought enslaved
Africans to America to build the country using free labor, then took
Mexico. This is the brutal and violent legacy of the United States of
America.

A history of deception, broken promises and murder.

How something comes into existence is its nature.

The solution is clear.

The time is right to truly discuss the creation of separate sovereign
nations within the United States of America.


and to add to the last statement, I found this link: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/mapGallery/R...ginPD-1990.html

(Separate Sovereign Nations within the U.S.)

"someone" asked about the Mexicans taking the southwest back and "kicking" everyone else out, but according to the maps, "Genetically" it has begun!

[Seven]

The link isn’t working.

[mydestiny]

That is an interesting find Queenli19. It does make you wonder what would happen if the U.S. were to break up into smaller nations- hmmm.

[Seven]

That is an interesting find Queenli19. It does make you wonder what would happen if the U.S. were to break up into smaller nations- hmmm.
[/b]

1861-1865

[QueenLocks]

Myree, do you really think it will come to war?
Then again, look at the history of America, it was founded on bloodshed/war and it can end the same way!

Here is the Link, click on each map for a larger look:

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/mapGallery/R...ginPD-1990.html (http://www.census.gov/geo/www/mapGallery/RHOriginPD-1990.html)

[mydestiny]

Well, war was my first thought after your post. Why wouldn&#39;t the U.S. go to war. That seems to be the answer for all our problems.

[Seven]

It was a joke.

...but I seriously think that any one looking to carve a nation out of the USA or extract land for a sovereign nation will find themselves on the end of a bullet.

I took Blacktonia as existing within the USA not a separate country.

Thanks for the link – very interesting. (eta: People do like to stay close to home don&#39;t they?!)

[QueenLocks]

Well according to the census, the "land" is not being "extracted" just populated with "Non-whites". and I can speak for the southern state where I live, I&#39;ve seen this happen in the last 20 yrs! "WE" move in, and "They" move out! and if "they" continue to move out, move out, move out, soon at least by population-wise, it won&#39;t be {or at least it won&#39;t "Look-like"} America in the southern states!