Character Blassassination
So, I’m not black enough again.
When are we going to stop?!
Because the AfroSpear collective did not respond quickly enough to a ‘problem’ Michael of “Assault on Black Sanity” had with the inclusion of a ‘hateful’ person of color in our blogroll; because our response was “niggardly” in his estimation, out came the lye, followed by the verbal conking. My ‘do stripped of kink, the claim that I ain’t black or Mau Mau enough was easily made. I now stand before you sporting my “Tutti-Fruitti,” shocked. How did it come to this? Ain’t nothin’ new under the covers or the sun.
Willie Lynch lives indeed, not just in some of us – but in all of us. Even in the “Black Cognescenti” who know the way and will direct all of us from their rotating penthouse above Lake Merritt. This is exactly why we formed an AfroSpear circle and encouraged others to do the same. Let’s keep it real: its hard for us to work together. Willie has implanted a self-destruct chip within us; anytime we get close to progressing, we all experience that ole time religion, the feverish, viral communication straight from the plantation in our minds. “TORPEDO, UNDERMINE, SABOTAGE ANY endeavor that might move the black race forward. The art of disagreeing while working together is African to us, meaning, you know, something known before we had our minds kidnapped.
That someone said something disparaging about black men on a website linked to us means, what, send her to Siberia?? Out of site out of mind? We’re down with her ignorance? De-link her or me, we are told, or else we are nothing but minstrels?! I understood and supported all of your arguments, Michael, though there was somthing in your tone that caused me to hang back just a bit and observe. Glad I did. I read your post today which reads, to me, like what you were warning us against, sounded Evia-n in tone.
“The site I’m talking about is the Afrospear (a clever derivative of Afro-Sphere) run by six anonymous avatars claiming to be folks of African descent.
Now, I’m not so sure.”
Awesome! Sadly, the black love ejaculate dripping from this para ain’t superglue. Ain’t even halfway sticky, not to us anyway.
It would be REVOLUTIONARY to have a space open to misguided Negroes of all political stripes since most, if not all of us, are that. It would be revolutionary if we could differ and not completely disparage each other. But sometimes it feels too damn good.
If we could only learn to see our complicity in maintaining our disunity and give each other a break.
This AfroSpear seed, this thing, at the outset is not what it will be in the end. I have faith in the people who have helped form it, faith that we will nurture it to the best of our abilities. I believe we have the humility to seek assistance from those who know better. As my friend, Sylvia recently stated, we want to collaborate and stick together. In spite of our differences. We WANT other to create their own AfroSpear collectives that reflect their value systems, that produce analysis, question, strategy, etc. I believe the larger AfroSpear will be stronger if it is a quilt of different, smaller constellations. We could make this work – if we weren’t so invested as a race in proving Willie Lynch right.
As black people, we don’t have much history in long term collaboration. Our best efforts are sabotaged from within and without. Only one of these we can control. Why don’t we try?
27 Responses to “Character Blassassination”
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thefreeslave 
My sentiments exactly Freeslave…
Thanks for the eloquent comments.
I was blindsided the other day by Michael Fisher.
One minute I thought that I was providing a useful and interesting link (the Black Women’s Roundtable) and the next thing I know I was under attack.
I still don’t know what this is all about. It appears that Michael may have had some animosity built up from previous encounters with the women he referred to. But that doesn’t have anything to do with me…and should not have pulled me into any personal blog war.
You are so right about the difficulty of our people to work together… IT IS VERY hard. I know this from experience.
I also just noticed the post on Michaels website which you linked above…
But I choose not to respond to that. I am going to move on with my blog…and contribute to the Afrosphere every once in a while (I think I got a little too involved). I will cut my involvement a little….but continue my participation. Because I think they are working for a noble cause….
But this dissension was expected (at least by me). It happens everytime there is an effort like this….especially with us. We are basically in a war to reclaim and redeem Black culture…
There will be casualties in this war. And these bumps in the road will come. But the Afrosphere must not allow these things to slow down progress…or to become barriers to progress.
Folks must also be prepared to be in this for the long haul (if they are serious about it)…. this will be a long war…. 10 years would not be a surprising timeframe. Some folks are not going to be able to make it all the way through…. The same thing happened during the Civil Rights movement…. remember all the internal fighting that Malcolm and Martin & others had to endure?
By 1967-68 only the most courageous activists and organizers were openly supporting and marching with King. Some white preachers were more willing to stand with King in his last days than some Black folks.
My point is…. the Afrosphere must be mentally prepared to be in this for the long haul… must be prepared to deal with folks dropping out and folks being detractors…etc. In the end it will come down to a “coalition of the willing”. This war won’t end with the same faces and same names that it started with.
The Afrosphere (and similar efforts) must be driven by a larger vision and not by individual members. It has to rely on systems and methods, institutions and organizations…and not by individual stars.
Intresting reaction.
Free slave…
“On black enough”
If you look on my side bar blog roll you’ll find you never were removed, though Afrospear was.
Given what I had said initially about my request to be delinked from Afrospear and the quality of the links on the blog roll, that should’ve told you something.
“Because the AfroSpear collective did not respond quickly enough to a ‘problem’”
Is that so?
Angry Independent.
One thing about you…
You lied…
You obfuscated by answering questions I did not ask, you rebutted arguments by referring to sources I did not cite and ignoring the sources I did cite.
That’s dishonest.
But no matter.
Both of you once again are taking this thing down to personal issues.
It’s not about personal issues.
It is about racism.
Michael, I know I wasn’t removed from your sidebar, however, my “African descent” was questioned on the basis of this disagreement. You say that this is about racism – perhaps its about internalized racism. However, do you believe that you are not exhibiting just a little bit in your response? I don’t feel this “issue” requires us to go to the mattresses. Obviously, you have tons of energy locked up in this. Because two or three of us doesn’t have the intensity, the view that the sky is falling – we’re not black? We’re NOT seeing the racism in this other person? What if we do see – and we don’t feel its code red? What if we also are wondering about what’s manifesting in YOUR response, whether or not there is some internalized racism in it? The tone of some of you commenters – cnulan or whatever – is elitisit and dismissive to the extreme. Is that the answer – we should genuflect at this dudes superior, Spockian intellect? I mean, I have my own mind and don’t feel this like you; why do I have to have a handkerchief wrapped around my head?
Seriously?
Its not about racism cuz we can’t be racist; but it can be internalized. Splitting hairs, but that’s what I believe. And we all have it and franky, we all have been exhibiting it.
Look deeper into YOUR response and if you believe its pure – look again. Pretty please.
You may have heard this before, but the Willie Lynch speech is a twentieth-century work of anonymous fiction:
http://manuampim.com/lynch_hoax1.html
http://www.jelanicobb.com/portfolio/willie_lynch_is_dead.html
Great Post Free Slave. Your on point!
One Thing, I understand that, but Willie Lynch is very much alive figuratively.
post this corrected version, please.
__________________
“Its not about racism cuz we can’t be racist; but it can be internalized.”
Oh? If that is the racism = prejudice + power thing, then by definition you can’t even internalize racism.
In any case.
You are mixing up two entirely different, though related, issues.
You had asked me about my delinking. I gave you a long and detailed, probably too long answer. And that was that.
End of story.
Then I addressed, challenged, your fellow avatar asabanga’s evaluation of Ms. Evia’s statements and strong “opinions”.
Avatar Asabenga decided to respond with “debate closed”.
Your reaction to that, surprisingly, was…none. Silence.
Now.
You six anonymous avatars took it upon yourselves to one way or another set up some kind of leadership for the black community.
Nothing wrong with that. We need leaders.
But that means you conferred upon yourselves a special responsibility.
“Discernment” as you aptly called it.
But, additionally, and more importantly, most essentially.
ACCOUNTABILITY.
“The Debate Is Now Closed”
is not accountability. It is shirking therefrom.
That means one of two things.
Either you are not mature enough to be in leadership positions.
Or you do not want to be accountable.
Or your apparent first among equals, Avatar Asabanga, does not want to be held accountable, or he is not mature enough to be held accountable
and
since the five apparent lesser of equals don’t hold Avatar Asabanga accountable, you are not mature enough to be leaders.
Or, you all or some or one have a different agenda from that which you proclaim.
Thus, are ye black? I’m not so sure.
Note that either Asabanga or AI have yet to answer the challenges made to their, yes, racist statements.
Instead – Obfuscation, lies, vapid generalizations and references to Malcolm and Martin on how they were attacked. Willy Lynch.
Now that goes even beyond immaturity and an unwillingness to be accountable.
That is cowardice.
Which is a thing that’s fine if your primary goal is to survive. But not if you want to lead.
Cowardice. My friend. cowardice.
WOW!!!! Now do you undertsand why I had refused to engage with M.F? I “felt” that his spirit wasn’t one of bringing us together…. of building a stronger community. His ultimatum of “delink them or me, because of my opinions of them…” well…. was revealing. No sincere opportunity for discourse or debate. No “right” to have an opposing view. So I respected his ultimatum and he was delinked. I thought that would be the end of it, since he thanked me and went on his merry way. BUT the devil, in whatever guise, through whichever agents, is all about killing and destroying. He is here to “steal” our peace. After M.F. got his wish and was delinked, he returned and made attempts to engage me in conflict. I untied the boat and waved as he drifted away.
My ONLY real concern is the statement above by “The Angry Independent”, that he will decrease his involvement with the AfroSphere. I plead that you reconsider A.I. You are a positive force that we need. That is what “they” want. To cause dissention, a feeling of frustration with each other in an effort to split us a part. Divide and conquer! It’s the oldest trick in their book! Don’t allow them that victory. If we weren’t attempting to do something positive, for OURSELVES, they wouldn’t care. This race isn’t for the swift my brother, but for those who can endure it.
Asa.
First of all, I’m not speaking for Asabagna, I’m speaking for myself. I chose to speak behind an avatar because I don’t want to make it too easy for those who reach out and touch black folks who engage in struggle.
You don’t know what I do beyond what you read here and elsewhere. So, your lack of certainty about my blackness is justified, as is my lack of certainty about yours. To a point. I have no doubt that you are a black man based on your response to the initial post. You make some interesting comments about leadership, yet, the concept of leader that you seem to be promoting was played out in the 60’s. I’m more in favor of the Commandante Marcos, decentralized, cell-ular model. We’re all leaders, including you.
That’s why, for the 50th time, we conceived of a de-centralized link group of cells that would form the AfroSpear.
And look at what you are leading? Instead of approaching our AfroSpear endeavor as a long journey where mistakes will be made and resolved, where disagreements will be batted about and settled, where we all will take positions, evidence attitudes that are fucked… you come out of the gate with the gasoline and the molotov cocktails.
I know you don’t believe that, but you did. Your posts and the comments in them are as hateful as anything you accuse this other woman of. You disagree with us therefore we aren’t BLACK?! Our race is suspect?
How mature is that?
Dude, you’re a smart guy but clearly you have the mirror turned out and reFUSE to look in it at yourself.
Are you telling me that you aren’t fanning the flames of “racism” disparaging us, character assassinating us, on the basis of our link – and that somehow this is different behavior than Evia?
Now, I’m “disturbin’ da Peace?”
Y’all still are shuckin’ and jivin’ and not answering the questions I posed.
Avatar Asabanga:
Let me repeat:
For Evia’s point of view and strong opinion can be summarized quickly and easily:
Black men, with a few exceptions of “wonderful and good” ones, in their majority are incapable to think for themselves and have failed to progress to the status of “three dimensional human beings” (less than “three dimensional human beings” meaning “sub-human” or “not quite human”).
That the black women who stay with this “sub-human”, or “not quite human” majority of black men are “mammies”. (mammie being a VERY specific term denoting a black female slave who nurtures the children of her master over her own).
That therefore the solution for black women is to escape this majority of “not quite human” black men is as follows: To seek to date and marry any other race of men than black ones, but especially white men, who in their majority clearly have achieved the status of “three dimensional human beings”, that is full human beings. A stage of development, once again, which the sub-human or not-quite human majority of black men have yet to achieve.
The imagery evia uses to bolster this argument is that of the unintelligent, unthinking, brutal, black brute and beast.
So, Avatar Asabanga, which part of this thesis do you “not totally” (and thus partially) agree with? And why?
Michael, it seems you are intent on proving Evia right.
Wow — Michael Fisher has almost robbed me of words…almost but hasn’t succeeded.
I have not had that much chance at the moment to engage in much conversation due to dissertation writing however I hope you (FreeSlave) don’t mind if I share my opinion here.
1) I agree with Asa, A.I, don’t cut back your input into the blog! All opinions are needed and debate is exactly the blood that the blog needs to thrive.
2) Michael Fisher – I do not think you have the right in ANY sense to make presumptions about me, or the 5 bloggers who are part of AfroSpear. This therefore means that you have no authority to label who is ‘black’ or ‘of African’ descent simply because they don’t follow what you think. None of us exchanged emails and said ”yes yes, we shall crown ourselves leaders and be bouji people and try and control how our visitors/commenters think”. None of us did that and for you to somehow believe that you can throw that on us is pathetic and unfair. Yet, the world is pathetic and unfair so perhaps I should not be surprised.
Sometimes debates have to be closed so we can move on and start talking about other things. What if we just sat and talked about the same topic over and over and over again? As you can see by the repeted usage of ‘over’, it becomes as tedious as your rampage.
Part of me is angry for responding to you but part of me knows that I must have my voice to be heard. After all, that is what the AfroSpear is about: reading other peoples opinions who are members of the African diaspora because a diverse range of opinions is what is needed. That does not however means that we need someone who wants to throw a tantrum for no reason. As you can see by now, some of us are good at catching forks when they are aimed at our eyes.
–A
And just a quick thought Michael on what this lady Evia thinks: why do you care so much about her opinion? I do not want to slag off black men at all but I am a black feminist and your interpretation of her opinion perhaps means that youwill be looking at her views through a masculine lens (but hey, if you have feminist views, please share them and correct me). If she wants to use that imagery, perhaps it is because she has experienced it. Did she call you a brutal beast? Put things in context so we can understand whatever it is you are trying to say.
And this might even open another can of worms but do you dislike black women who don’t think the way you want them to? The vitriol coming out of your post may answer ‘yes’ to many question.
A, please you know you don’t have to ask. This is your space! I was wondering where you were. Don’t even hesitate to comment here on anything:)))
Watching from the wings, an interested observer I am. And since i came equipped with an anus, you can be sure I also have an opinion. That’s one of the things I like about blogging, the ability to bounce my opinions off people that I actually respect. And I do respect every one involved in this little dust-up, because you are all doing something that many people just won’t even try to do, you are all trying to make a difference. Even Evia, as much as it pains me to admit it, is trying.
So in my humble opinion, you are all “wrong”. Everyone involved in this is wrong. Not completely wrong mind you; you all make some very interesting and valid points. But everyone is just wrong enough for this confusion to set in. This is really where the train went off the tracks. Everyone started out with this deep rooted misconception that they were “right” and things just spiraled out of control from there. What happened next is what usually happens when two or more people who think they are right have a difference of opinion. A lot of time and energy is spent on trying to demonstrate how the other party is wrong, with all parties of course adhering to the fiction that they are indeed the only ones who are right. It really takes an outside observer to recognize this phenomena, as it is much easier to recognize from the outside than from the inside.
How does this help you? Well by now you should know me well enough to know I am not the solutions man. I’m just trying to free your mind. Besides if I gave you the solution, guess what, I would be wrong. We’re all wrong with our unilateral, one dimensional, straight-line, thought processes that seem incapable of integrating any other perspective than the one it has embraced. The best thing any of us can do is put ourselves in the position of the person they feel is wrong. Flip the script if you will, if you can, and assume the other party is more right than we are, and try to reach an accommodation from that point of view. The worst thing we can do is let our being right to blind us to the rightness of others.
Well, EM, I suppose that all of us bear responsibility for our part in this, but those responsibilities are different. And, I believe wrongness or rightness is a false dichotomy.
We who have put this AfroSpear idea out there knew that we would catch heat, that haters in “real black” clothing would come out of the woodwork.
Now, this conversation, in my opinion, was driven byMichael who required that we take action against another blogger. I might have been inclined to do that if I’d been given an opportunity to make up my own mind. Unfortunately, it was shoved down our throats, made a litmus test of our blackness. For me this was problematic: to be told if we don’t move on something that someone else feels passionately about then we are frauds…That’s there shit not ours.
The quotes that he put up are repugnant…but the tactics to vilify, discredit, belittle, disparage us because we don’t step to his timetable?
Somehow, against all odds six voices on three continents have been able to link up and attempt to work together on behalf of our people. We have encouraged ALL black people to be a part of a united AfroSpear, whereby likeminded folks form their own AS circles.
There’s a solution we’ve put out in the midst of this hubbub.
But its been ignored.
No matter. We’re just gonna keep doing our best to sidestep the needless controversies and see if we can grow ourselves and this movement. And keep our eyes open for landmines and other self-inflicted wounds.
“Wrong” and “right” are completely useless in discussions like this. I guess I’ve got to work on my satire some. My point was just that at some point somebody has got to look for and accentuate the common ground and people who are too busy defending their ground aren’t prone to doing that.
Of course you are going to continue to do your best, I expect nothing less of you and all the good people in your cell. The Afrospear collective had best be strong enough to get over this molehill or it’s surely going to be some rough times ahead. I’m equally sure that M.F. will continue to do his best, and Evia as well. Your solution, if by that you meant the idea of linking up into like-minded cells, is indeed manifesting, if you are willing to concede that M.F., Evia, myself, and others all constitute one man cells at this point (unless the others already have a group that I am unaware of.) Some of us are a bit harder to work with than others 🙂 We’ll find kindred spirits soon enough.
Keep your head up Bro.
“And this might even open another can of worms but do you dislike black women who don’t think the way you want them to? ”
Aurelia.
If you took time to read my blog, you would find that that is truly an unfair supposition.
I do not like racists. I can’t stand racism. It is a waste of precious human resources. Particularly black folks’ resources.
I also do not care for fake “black” leaders. That’s because they are the enablers of racism. Without them, it would be nearly impossible to impose a racist system on our people.
Unfortunately these fakes mostly speak in “militant black tongue” or “concern about black folk”, but have an altogether different agenda.
Still they fool people. So you got to call them out for what they are. Based on the facts.
If they are not what they are, they can present that and prove it.
Based on the facts.
You can not build unity by papering over difficiencies or deep disagreements. That never worked.
One thing that I find consistent is MF is screwing up peoples names. I am trying to figure out if it is typo or an attempt to disrespect.?.
Blacker than thou,
Bygbaby
Bygbaby, where you been, baby?!
Been hiding & doing a lot of lurking but I’s been here. LOL
“One thing that I find consistent is MF is screwing up peoples names. I am trying to figure out if it is typo or an attempt to disrespect.”
As far as Asa is concerned it was done on purpose. As to Aulelia it was a typo.
And no, it was not a matter of disrespect as such. It was done in a demonstration of contempt.
Why contempt?
Because there is nothing more contemptuous than people who pose as fighters for black folk and cover up for racists.
“Because there is nothing more contemptuous than people who pose as fighters for black folk and cover up for racists.”
Michael, you ought to examine the truth of these words in yourself. You come across as a fighter for black folks, initially, yet now, you seem infantile, ego-driven and super-petty. Your pose is falling apart in a most embarrassing way.
Your obsession with Asa and the fact that he REFUSED to feed into your crap, led to you to creating one of the most reprehensible, ridiculous, atrocious photoshop hackjobs I’ve ever seen. All in the service of what? Getting Asa’s goat?! Proving how wrong he is and how correct you are?! Pathetic.
If you have to go to these kind of lengths, your personal issues are monumental.
Smart guy; misguided as hell. You should take a careful look in the mirror. Read my latest post, bruh, cuz something ill has assaulted your black mind.
“Michael, you ought to examine the truth of these words in yourself. You come across as a fighter for black folks, initially, yet now, you seem infantile, ego-driven and super-petty. Your pose is falling apart in a most embarrassing way.”
Ok. That’s a statement.
Fair enough…
Then, why don’t you show me how exactly I am wrong in my assessment?
How is my assessment of Asa’s philosophy and statements as anti-black racist and fascist super petty? I mean that’s one hell of an accusation to make. Yes?
So, how am I wrong? Why?
Engage the issues raised, free slave, regardless of the possible defects of my personality or mind.
On another note.
Maybe I am ego-driven as you say.
However, I have yet to have God speak to me, I have yet to discern who is spiritually deviant, I have yet to discern who makes sufficient contributions to the community in order not to be “Cut Off”, I have yet to measure who is sufficiently emotionally developed not to be “Cut Off”.
I have yet to assemble the Chosen to fight for the Glory of God.
I also have yet to delete comments which I find unflattering or even offensive.
I don’t, because such comments expose themselves for what they are.
Thus once again, please.
Show me, or at least show your fellows how, where and why I am mistaken in my assessments of Asa’s pronouncements.
Michael Fisher: I can’t convince you of something you don’t want to believe or see. I’m a recovering addict and I know you can’t convince someone of something until they are truly open. I don’t “believe” you are, but I’ll give it a try.
In my opinion, you distorted differences that you had with Asa (due to the Evia issue). You were upset that he did not respond the way you wanted him to. I noted your increasingly harsh attacks on Asa, the more he did not respond to you. Your attempts were rebuffed, and so you pushed harder and hit harder.
You became extremely “fundamentalist” in your outlook and views and began trying to win at all costs. You had legitimate views that were undermined by your desperation to show Asa up, make him the fool.
It appears you scoured Asa’s website, looking for “evidence” to prove how fucked up he is, what a black “fascist” he is. No stone was unturned in your search to cast him in the worst light. Then, you put together a photoshop collage that was hilarious in its ugliness. And to what purpose? To win?! Is winning really worth being that foul?
You went way overboard. You character assassinated him. You belittled the “AfroSpear” questioned our blackness, all because of this disagreement. It was way “over the top” to me.
Of course this is only MY opinion.
I’m able to get along with Asa despite our differences. We have very different views on a number of things; but I’ve never found it necessary to “defeat him” or go DC sniper on him. I believe that he is an honest, good, human being. A brother who acts in good faith. I know that we have our eyes on the same prize, so I don’t get bogged down with the differences.
Again, having pulled back from the conversation and seeing it from a global vantage point, the question for me was: “who is the real zealot here? Whose is the fascist in practice? Who has our people’s interests at heart and who has their own, selfish agenda out-front?
Well.
Once again. You’re not addressing the issues I raised, but my supposed personality disorders.
Also, you apparently have a knack for looking deep into my psyche and judging my inner workings.
Which, as I pointed out elswhere, is a matter of faith.
Michael, I just may be incapable of answering your questions to your liking. And perhaps I’ve had a lot of therapy, which is not faith, but experience.