The Murder of Little Mary Phagan

Phagan-Kean, Mary

Buy Now

by Ann Hendon

WITH OVER 500 pages, more than twice the length of the first (1987) edition, the newly-revised and expanded second edition of The Murder of Little Mary Phagan is now available for purchase.

The author, Mary Phagan-Kean, states: “This book is the great work of my lifetime, a compelling personal journey, a tale of the shocking sex murder and abuse of my great-aunt, 13-year-old Mary Phagan — and it’s the story that the ADL and other shadowy forces don’t want you to read.”

This is the book that finally and definitively brings the truth about the murder of Mary Phagan by her killer, sweatshop boss and B’nai B’rith official Leo Frank, to light. It’s available now! Click the link or scan the QR code to get your copy at a discount price today.

by Lawrence Neal (pictured)

THE MOST ESSENTIAL QUESTION confronting me is the psychological and physical survival of the Black man in America. I believe that it is impossible for me to separate myself from the collective survival of my people. Most of our problems, whether we wish to accept this or not, are group problems. Further, they are basically the results of centuries of a unique kind of oppression. The only salvation for us, therefore, is to translate our individual problems into group problems; and then as a group proceed to eliminate them. We must survive as a people, not as a collection of assimilated freaks — rootless and faceless.

As a writer and social activist, I believe it is necessary, therefore, to address my art, ideas, and actions to the collective needs of my people. It is my duty to transform the oppressive objective conditions which our people face into something more compatible with our physical and spiritual needs. It is my duty also to help my people destroy the slave mentality which affects us all. It is my duty to listen to the voice of my people to learn from them; and to dedicate my life to total liberation of us all. It is my duty to protect myself and my people from the enemy within as well as without. I feel that there is no higher duty that a Black man can perform in this society, considering the condition his people find themselves in.

We must seek the total liberation of Black people from all aspects of their oppression. We must remember that our current ideas are the products of a particular kind of history. A history which began when my forefathers were sold into slavery. That our lives have been influenced by people like Malcolm X, the writings of Garvey, Du Bois, Monroe Trotter, Claude McKay, and Frederick Douglass. I would like to believe that I am an extension of these forces, that I am motivated by the spirit of the Nat Turners, the Denmark Veseys, and a friend named Herbie Johnson who died from an OD (overdose of narcotics) when he was seventeen; and by millions upon millions of unknown Black people who slaved to survive like my parents did, so that one day their sons and daughters would rise up, take control, and reclaim their manhood.

Currently, I am greatly motivated by the ideas of writers and thinkers like Frantz Fanon, Charles Fuller, Bill Davis, Rolland Snellings, and the theoretical writings of Harold Cruse and Max Stanford. Le Roi Jones’ writings on music and his play Black Mass have recently provided meaningful insights into the spiritual nature of Black people.

There are so many excellent and relevant Black writers and creative artists. There is a writer in Philly named James Stewart who, under better social conditions, would be recognized as a writer of great depth and intensity. Of course, there are also colleagues like Dan Watts, editor of Liberator, and social activists and writers like Ted Wilson and Eddie Ellis.

All of these writers have one thing in common: And that is a consummate desire to see Black people liberated by any means necessary. They are willing to sacrifice everything they have to accomplish these ends. And this is finally — it must be — more important than any single creative or artistic trait that they may have. For, finally, our art will be judged in terms of its relevance to the age that produced us, and the degree to which we were willing to extend it into reality. In the end, nothing else will matter — whether it was aesthetically perfect, or artful, or if it lacked craft. Others after us will ask: Did it help liberate us?

What are the crucial issues of our times? For us, as I have already stated, it is survival and the nature of that survival. Further, can we survive as long as the White man dominates the world with his idea of what the world should be? I believe we can not. Therefore we must understand that in order for us to survive we must come together as a people, organize to confront the Western White man on all levels of conflict. We must look at this struggle from the perspective of what Fanon calls the “Third World.” That is, internationally, in terms of the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

We must see ourselves as the extension of that Third World situated in the bosom of the beast. In doing this, we must assign ourselves the task of developing a “new humanism,” so that we may ultimately create a synthesis of the best that mankind has to offer, and thereby move to alter the existing power relationships. Then, and then only, is there hope for our children. Then, and then only, will we understand what manhood is. It is not about what Moynihan and other White sociologists say it is. It is not about assimilating into a dying society, totally lacking in spiritual substance. It must be about something much deeper, something much more pertinent to the overall needs of Black people.

And if blood must flow so that our Black Spirit can prevail, then damn it, let it flow. Otherwise, look forward to a bland existence m the wilderness of White America. Look forward to the pervasive mediocrity of Western society inundating us and the entire non-White world. These are harsh realities. They are not intended to soothe but to create conflict — meaningful conflict — among a people who have, generally, been in a semi-hypnotic state.

Currently the question of Black Power occupies the center of our lives. It must continue to do so. Everything that I have spoken about must ultimately be dealt with in terms of power — physical, psychological, and spiritual. Black people are being asked very concrete questions about the political structure of America. It is becoming clear that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans offer any meaningful solutions to our problems. Black people must have their own political structure in which to determine their own destiny.

The future of peoples of African descent living in America is dependent upon the degree to which these and other salient realities are understood and accepted. We must give our total selves to the struggle to achieve our human rights; and, finally, it is in struggle that we will learn who we are.

From Negro Digest, October 1966

*  *  *

Lawrence P. Neal, a graduate of Lincoln University, was arts editor of Liberator magazine. Neal (1937-1981) worked as a critic, poet, folklorist, playwright, filmmaker, editor, teacher, and administrator. He was a founder of the Black Arts movement, which saw his people’s art as unique and race-based.

LAST DECEMBER, when Tennessee Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mount Juliet, said she would introduce legislation which would declare null and void any federal law the state deems unconstitutional, some people were horrified. Rep. Lynn was specifically targeting the health-care reform legislation that was pending at that time. But the reaction that many people had to her language was not an expression of their support for Obamacare.

Too many Americans hear the terms “states’ rights” or the word “nullification” and immediately think of racial prejudice, Jim Crow laws and school segregation. Honestly, if all I had to rely on was what I remember being taught in public school, I would probably tell you the history of it all went like this:

The theory of nullification was first invented in the 1800s’ by advocates of slavery. They used nullification of tarrifs as a test run in the 1820s. Of course, what they really had in mind was maintaining the institution of slavery against any possible attempt by the federal government to abolish it. Then America fought the Civil War in order to end slavery, but the ideas of states’ rights and nullification were later revived in the 1950s’ by belligerent white southerners in an attempt to block the racial integration of schools. The Civil Rights Movement started and the feds had to step in and force the southern states to treat everyone equally. THE END.

That’s a rough, abbreviated version of the narrative that was handed to me, but it gives you an idea of what many Americans think they know about states’ rights and nullification. Fortunately, thanks to people like Tom Woods, Thomas DiLorenzo, and many others, I know today that this was a gross misrepresentation of the classical liberal states’ rights tradition. Then again, (and it’s not my intention to be prideful here), I’m not like most Americans. And If you’re reading this, you probably aren’t either.

Civic Illiteracy

In 1798, Jefferson and Madison articulated the concepts of nullification and interposition in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which were passed in response to to the hated Alien and Sedition Acts. But the ideas which support nullification and interposition were actually expressed earlier during the ratifying convention of Virginia by the Federalists themselves!

Given the fact, however, that most Americans cannot even correctly name all three branches of our federal government, it’s probably a safe bet that they have never heard of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions or the fact that nullification was used to assist runaway slaves.

So should it really come as any surprise that many people in Tennessee recoiled in horror at Rep. Susan Lynn’s comments about nullification? Rep. Mike Turner of Tennessee’s 51st District responded with a sarcastic and condescending comment that probably expressed the sentiment of many Tennessee’s left-liberal elites:

“Susan Lynn is yearning for times gone by,” Turner said. “Maybe we could put the poor people back to sharecropping and slavery and let the people up at the big house have all the nice things. We’ve already had that fight about states’ rights.”

Lynn responded to Turner’s comment by saying:

“I can’t even imagine that’s a serious comment.”

Rep. Turner’s comments resemble some of the incredibly ignorant and / or vicious comments directed against today’s advocates of nullification that frequently appear in the bologoshpere. One particular blogpost I stumbled upon really embodies the either extremely ignorant or wholly deceptive attempt to associate today’s proponents of states’ rights and nullification with segregationists, white supremacists and domestic terrorists:

“Why is it that the extremist teabaggers are not called traitors even though they are basically calling for an overthrow of the democratically elected U.S. government? There latest stunt should seal it. They are calling for a long rejected theory called Nullification, and at least one treasonous..blogger and teabagger is pushing it.”

The Compromise of 1850 and How Abolitionists Used Nullification

In 1850, Congress compromised in order to hold the Union together against the divisive issue of slavery. Since the preservation of the Union (Northern control of the South’s economy), rather than the abolition of slavery was foremost in the minds of influential Republican bankers, manufacturers and heads of corporations, this compromise made perfect sense.

Part of this compromise was the passage of more stringent fugitive slave legislation that compelled citizens of all states to assist federal marshals and their deputies with the apprehension of suspected runaway slaves and brought all trials involving alleged fugitive slaves under federal jurisdiction. It included large fines for anyone who aided a slave in their escape, even by simply giving them food or shelter. The act also suspended habeas corpus and the right to a trial by jury for suspected slaves, and made their testimony non-admissible in court. The written testimony of the alleged slave’s master, on the other hand, which could be presented to the court by slave hunters, was given preferential treatment.

As would be expected, this new legislation outraged abolitionists, but also angered many citizens who were previously more apathetic. In 1851, 26 people in Syracuse, New York were arrested, charged and tried for freeing a runaway slave named William Henry (aka Jerry) who had been arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act. Among the 26 people tried was a U.S. Senator and the former Governor of New York! In an act of jury nullification, the trial resulted in only one conviction. “Jerry” was hidden in Syracuse for several days until he could safely escape into Canada.

The government of Wisconsin went even further and in 1854 officially declared the Fugitive Slave Act to be unconstitutional. The events that lead up to this monumental decision, which is a milestone in the history of the states’ rights tradition, is one of the best stories most Americans have never heard.

In 2006, H. Robert Baker, assistant professor of legal and constitutional history at Georgia State University wrote a book called, “The Rescue of Joshua Glover: A Fugitive Slave, the Constitution, and the Coming of the Civil War“. In its review of the book, The Journal of American History wrote:

“Terribly conflicted about race, Americans struggled mightily with a revolutionary heritage that sanctified liberty but also brooked compromise with slavery. Nevertheless, as The Rescue of Joshua Glover demonstrates, they maintained the principle that the people themselves were the last defenders of constitutional liberty…”

Joshua Glover was a slave in Missouri who managed to escape from his master. In 1854, with the help of the Underground Railroad, he made his way north, all the way to Wisconsin. There he found work at a mill in Racine, a community in which anti-slavery sentiment ran high. Unfortunately for Glover, his former master, B.S. Garland eventually managed to find out where Glover had taken up residence.

Accompanied by two US Marshals, the three of them took Glover by surprise. In spite of his resistance, Glover was subdued with a club and handcuffed. Thrown into a wagon, he was surreptitiously transported to Milwaukee, where he was thrown in jail. Glover’s abduction was discovered somehow or another, however, and in no time one hundred or so men landed by boat in Milwaukee.

The men marched towards the courthouse, which was adjacent to the jail, and crowds of people began to join their ranks or follow along as spectators. An abolitionist named Sherman Booth, who published a local daily newspaper there called the “Free Soil Democrat” rallied the supporters of the citizen army shouting:

“All freemen who are opposed to being made slaves or slave-catchers turn out to a meeting in the courthouse square at 2 o’clock!”

When the meeting at the courthouse adjourned, those who had assembled eventually resolved that Joshua Glover was entitled to at least two things: A writ of habeas corpus and a trial by jury. A local judge concurred and delivered the writ to the US Marshals at the jail. As might be expected, the federal officers rejected the writ as invalid. After all, federal law trumps state judicial authority, does it not?

The assembly of citizens from Racine and Milwaukee must have decided that such was not the case in this instance. In fearless defiance, they broke down the doors of the jail and freed Joshua Glover. In an act that probably would have filled Sheriff Mack with joy, had he been there, the Racine County Sheriff arrested Glover’s former slave master and the two US Marshals who had kidnapped him. They were charged with assault and put jail. In the meantime, the Underground Railroad assisted Joshua Glover as he crossed the border into Canada.

Although Glover escaped to freedom, it was not without a price. Glover’s former master, B.S. Garland was released on a writ of habeas corpus and in the long run would sue Sherman Booth, turning him financially upside down.

In the short run, Booth and two other men were arrested and indicted by a grand jury. While Booth maintained that he had never incited the crowd to liberate Glover or that had helped Glover escape in any way, he did not mince words either. Speaking in his own defense in front of the US Commissioner, he proclaimed:

“..I sympathize with the rescuers of Glover and rejoice at his escape. I rejoice that, in the first attempt of the slave-hunters to convert our jail into a slave-pen and our citizens into slave-catchers, they have signally failed, and that it has been decided by the spontaneous uprising and sovereign voice of the people, that no human being can be dragged into bondage from Milwaukee.”

According to his account of these events, Henry E. Legler wrote in 1898:

“Byron Paine made an argument in behalf of Booth that attracted attention all over the country. It was printed in pamphlet form and circulated on the streets of Boston by the thousands. Charles Sumner and Wendell Phillips wrote the author letters of hearty approval and commended his force of logic and able presentation of argument. This pamphlet is now excessively rare; but half a dozen copies are now known to exist.”

Judge Smith of the Wisconsin Supreme Court made the following declaration, that ought to inspire and motivate champions of the Tenth Amendment and state sovereignty today. Speaking not only for Wisconsin, but of all the states, he said that they would never accept the idea that:

“..an officer of the United States, armed with process to arrest a fugitive from service, is clothed with entire immunity from state authority; to commit whatever crime or outrage against the laws of the state; that their own high prerogative writ of habeas corpus shall be annulled, their authority defied, their officers resisted, the process of their own courts contemned, their territory invaded by federal force, the houses of their citizens searched, the sanctuary or their homes invaded, their streets and public places made the scenes of tumultuous and armed violence, and state sovereignty succumb—paralyzed and aghast—before the process of an officer unknown to the constitution and irresponsible to its sanctions. At least, such shall not become the degradation of Wisconsin, without meeting as stern remonstrance and resistance as I may be able to interpose, so long as her people impose upon me the duty of guarding their rights and liberties, and maintaining the dignity and sovereignty of their state.”

The United States Supreme court eventually reversed the action of the Wisconsin’s courts. Booth and one other man accused of helping to liberate Joshua Glover were found guilty. Both spent months in jail in addition to having to pay stiff fines. This was the price that was paid for Joshua Glover’s freedom.

Wisconsin Historical Marker

Rather than being deterred, however, Wisconsin, along with several other states, such as Connecticut (1854), Rhode Island (1854), Massachusetts (1855), Michigan (1855), Maine (1855 and 1857), and Kansas (1858) all went on to pass even more personal liberty legislation designed to neutralize federal enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

It was no coincidence that the 1859 statement of the Wisconsin Supreme Court borrowed words directly from the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798:

“Resolved, That the government formed by the Constitution of the United States was not the exclusive or final judge of the extent of the powers delegated to itself; but that, as in all other cases of compact among parties having no common judge, each party has an equal right to judge for itself, as well of infractions as of the mode and measure of redress.

Resolved, that the principle and construction contended for by the party which now rules in the councils of the nation, that the general government is the exclusive judge of the extent of the powers delegated to it, stop nothing short of despotism, since the discretion of those who administer the government, and not the Constitution, would be the measure of their powers; that the several states which formed that instrument, being sovereign and independent, have the unquestionable right to judge of its infractions; and that a positive defiance of those sovereignties, of all unauthorized acts done or attempted to be done under color of that instrument, is the rightful remedy.”

The End, or Just the Beginning?

Signpost up ahead

Few Americans have ever heard the heroic story of how the people of Wisconson and several other states stood up to the federal government’s tyrannical, unconstitutional slave laws with the help of their elected state officials.

Today state sovereignty and the Principles of 1798 are being invoked again, for a variety of reasons, just as they were invoked for a variety of reasons all throughout American history, in spite of what you may have been taught or are being told today.

States legislatures all over the Union today are standing up and re-asserting their sovereignty, which is guaranteed by the 10th Amendment. They are proposing and passing legislation which would nullify a whole host of unconstitutional federal laws including: The federally mandated national “REAL ID” card, restrictions on the use of Medical Marijuana, unconstitutional deployments of State National Guard units, federally mandated health insurance, unconstitutional regulations of state manufactured firearms and much more…

It is tragic that left-liberals have seemingly abandoned the classical liberal states’ rights tradition in favor of nationalism and the centralization of power. It is also shameful that they have made a concerted effort to associate nullification with slavery in the minds of average Americans. As Josh Eboch, State Chapter Coordinator for the Virginia Tenth Amendment Center observes:

“Of course, even though activists on the left supported nullification for Real ID and also for medical marijuana, those calling for state sovereignty with regard to health care will have to deal with the standard cries of racism and references to the Jim Crow…But just because nullification was used [unsuccessfully] in the past to deny rights to certain groups doesn’t mean it can’t be used to regain our rights today. In the end, ‘for desperate people whose freedoms are being systematically usurped by all three federal branches and both political parties, nullification may be the key to restoring our republic’.”

Derek Sheriff  is the state chapter coordinator for the Arizona Tenth Amendment Center

Read the full article at the Tenth Amendment Center

FACED WITH a relentless campaign — the most recent salvo is from none other than the Washington Post — encouraging African-Americans to abandon their heritage when it comes to marriage and sexual relationships, some black folks have decided to stand up for the continued existence of black families. An organization has been formed to help African-Americans find potential mates in black communities around the globe, instead of caving in to the evident agenda of the billionaire-owned media. Historically, empires (from the Assyrians to the Spanish to the Empire of Dollars we have today) have always encouraged interracial relationships because they dilute the identities of their subject peoples — and such mixing eventually causes troublesome groups to disappear. (Of course, the empire’s spokesmen always say that they are motivated by things like “love” and “fairness” and “equality” and “diversity.”)

Well, the activist who goes by the name of African Diasporan doesn’t want his people to disappear. He’s started a Web site called African Diasporan Relationships, and here’s what he has to say:

‘Is dating and marriage between blacks throughout the African Diaspora the future of black relationships? In my opinion it is and here is the reason why: It is no secret that black men and women in America are having difficulties in recent years in terms of what we expect from one another, and dating prospects within our community. Indeed there have been numerous discussions held on the Internet, TV, in movies and magazines on this very subject. Typical in these debates will be statistics showing the number of African American men in prisons, the number of homosexuals in the African American community; single mothers raising children without the support of any male figure; the ratio of educated black women compared to that of educated black men; and arguments about the so-called shortage of black males.

‘In almost all of these debates, choosing to date different cultures is a proposed solution to the perceived shortage of desirable dating prospects in the African American community. By different cultures, the authors and participants of these debates are almost always referring to interracial dating. Whether it be whites, Hispanics, or Asians; the implication is that black people cannot find differences of beliefs and experience among our own. Nothing could be further from the truth! It is not necessary to go outside of the race to explore different cultures and attitudes towards dating, family, and male-female relations. Black people are literally all over the world. Occupying over 40 different countries in Africa alone, as well as countries in Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and Canada. Each country has its own unique culture, beliefs, and value system.

‘This Web site was created to celebrate these types of relationships, and to recognize the potential they have to strengthen black families throughout the world. The potential for learning more about black cultures and building strong black families is one I can personally testify to, as I am in an African Diasporan marriage. As an African American man, I have been married to a beautiful African woman (born in Europe) for the past ten years. This marriage has produced two beautiful children with African names and full knowledge of their heritage. The relationship has allowed us both to explore different foods, listen to different music, and to visit other countries. The potential and promise of African Diasporan relationships is that they allow black people to broaden their knowledge and experience of different cultures while simultaneously strengthening the bonds of black communities. African Diasporan relationships gives black people to opportunity to not only build bridges but to create communities. In short African Diasporan relationships are the future of black relationships….’

More and more people — African-Americans and many others — are realizing that surviving as a people in modern times takes active effort, not just unspoken hopes.

DENEEN L. BROWN  (pictured) writes recently in the establishment flagship Washington Post that black women should be encouraged to date and marry non-black men — but black activists are outraged. “It’s patronizing; it’s demeaning; and it can only lead to the decline and eventual disappearance of everything we love, and ultimately the end of ourselves,” according to one observer at the black-oriented African Generations. “Black women are our ultimate treasure. Every future member of our people must come from them. What is it that the Post is actually trying to do?”

The Washington Post — which is owned by the Meyer-Graham family with roots in the Middle East, not Africa — writes ‘So many black women are single… because they are stuck in the groove of a one-track song: sitting alone, waiting for that one “good” black man to come along and sweep them off their feet… Waiting. Talking to girlfriends. Waiting. Going out alone. Waiting. Going to work. Waiting. Waiting for a “good” black man, with the same education level to marry them…. Single black women with college degrees outnumber single black men with college degrees almost 3 to 1 in major urban areas such as Washington, according to a 2008 population survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. Given those numbers, any economist would advise them to start looking elsewhere. It’s Econ 101 for the single, educated black woman. “Black women are in market failure,” says writer Karyn Langhorne Folan. “The solution is to find a new market for your commodity. And in this case, we are the commodity and the new market is men of other races.”‘

Most observers contacted by this reporter see the Brown article as advocacy, not reportage.

A commenter who was censored from the Post‘s message board stated “If that isn’t a blatant call for the reduction of African-American numbers and the fracturing of the African community in the United States, I don’t know what is.”

One Black woman who admitted that she eventually chose to date outside her race admits it was a decision fraught with bad feelings — and worries about what will happen to her people: “Black women have been unwaveringly faithful to the idea of creating and preserving black families from the beginning of time — only to see black man after black man parade white woman after Asian woman after Hispanic woman on their arms — particularly prominent black men. It’s almost epidemic among them: anything but a black woman, and it is being mirrored among the general population of black men. Sad, very sad.”

A black physician feels that the Post — and the book they tout in the article — damage the integrity of the black community and families: “It is really a shame that a Harvard educated woman chose such a bad solution to a problem. It is a classic sign of self hate. The Black family has been under assault… The continued rebuilding of the Black family has to remain a priority. Other ethnic groups do this and we as African Americans whine about it. This book sends the wrong message to our children. How degrading this is! No other race of women are out touting relationships with men outside of their race…. As a single black male physician, I plan to marry a successful black woman and have successful black children. It will be a model to continue to show the world that you can be successful and not abandon your race.”

More from the Post article: ‘Tyler Perry cast a Latin man as the great love interest of black actress Taraji P. Henson in his recent movie, “I Can Do Bad All by Myself”; in “The Princess and the Frog” featuring Disney’s first black princess, the prince’s indeterminate racial origins inspired commentary; and there was the 2006 movie “Something New,” in which characters played by Simon Baker, who is white, and Sanaa Lathan, who is black, fall in love…. “Consider your options,” she says. Expand your horizons. Stop listening to your girlfriends. Forget about the brothers calling you a sellout.”‘

The online black nationalist newspaper African Generations distrusts the Post‘s motives, stating of the piece: “Stay aware, black man and woman, those people are trying to destroy black America…. Stay with your own and God will continue to do the rest. Don’t fall for their tricks. Trust in your creator. Love yourself; love your people.”

A Web site devoted to what they call the ‘African diaspora‘ also deplores the message being promoted at the Post, and offers an alternative:

‘In almost all of the debates focusing on the difficulties that black men and women in America have finding each other; choosing to date different cultures is ultimately the proposed solution to the perceived shortage of desirable dating prospects in our community. By different cultures, the authors and participants of these debates are almost always referring to interracial dating. Whether it be Caucasians, Hispanics/Latinos, or Asians; the implication is that black people can not find differences of beliefs and experience among our own. Nothing could be further from the truth! It is not necessary to go outside of the race to explore different cultures and attitudes towards dating, family, and male-female relations. Black people are literally all over the world. Occupying over 40 different countries in Africa alone, as well as countries in Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and Canada. Each country has its own unique culture, beliefs, and value system.

‘For those African American women who are frustrated with their current dating/marriage choices, and who want to explore other options, the more practical and beneficial solution would be to date black men and women from other countries. These relationships, which I’ve named “African Diasporan Relationships,” allow blacks to explore different foods, listen to different music, and to visit other countries. The potential and promise of African Diasporan relationships is that they create opportunities for black people to broaden their knowledge and experience of different cultures while simultaneously strengthening the bonds of black communities and families.’

One question that has not been raised publicly is why the billionaire owners of the Washington Post are taking this controversial position.

Mrs. Sharity Ross-Petit, an attractive African-American woman from Maryland, is the director of what she calls the Motherland Project.

She says she’s working hard to find African-American pioneers who want to reestablish their roots in Africa. This, she hopes, will be the beginning of a large project that will reverse the African scattering. The Center will request grant money from various organizations to fund this project. Generous funding will enable her and her partners to provide “resettlement assistance and benefits to pioneers who desire to relocate in places like South Africa or Western Africa.” The illustration shows Mrs. Ross-Petit in front of Daniel Chester French’s imposing statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

Mrs. Sharity Ross-Petit invites those interested in the Motherland Project to call her at (301) 792-5810.

Reparations for Slavery / Repatriation

Mrs. Ross-Petit’s organization is affiliated with the Center for Perpetual Diversity (CPD). The CPD — a group which began by supporting European nationalists — supports the idea of reparations for slavery. According to the CPD Web site, “Millions of Africans were wrongfully taken from their homes in Africa to be enslaved in America. It is our moral obligation to return the descendants of these people, regardless of the cost. If we fail to do so, the cost will be far greater. Simply giving money is not really social justice and will do nothing to stop racism. True reparations for slavery involves correcting the wrong which was done… One of the Center’s goals is to restart a program which was active for several decades prior to the 1860s. This will hopefully be the beginning of a large project which will reverse the African Diaspora similar to the way it was described in the epic novel, White Flight by J. F. Schneider.”

A brief history of African-American repatriation efforts

The CPD writes:

The American Colonization Society (ACS) was formed in 1817. It bought land in what is today Liberia. In 1835, unarmed American settlers in Liberia were massacred by native African warlords who were upset by disruption of the slave trade which was very profitable for them. But this did not deter the settlers. In 1847, the colony became an independent nation.

The ACS tried to persuade the United States Congress to fund its programs but was never successful. It did manage to get some money from several states. In 1850, Virginia set aside $30,000 per year to help the ACS repatriation effort. During the 1850’s, the ACS also received thousands of dollars from Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. By 1867, the ACS had returned more than 13,000 former slaves to Africa. Unfortunately, after the Civil War, when many Blacks were anxious to go home, whites had lost interest in the project. A few million dollars wisely spent at that time would have solved all of our racial problems and made our contribution to world diversity more secure.

Marcus Garvey achieved the most successful attempt at Black independence by a Black leader. Around 1920, Garvey tried to organize such an effort. He established the Universal Negro Improvement Association which was the largest Black political organization at the time with chapters in South America, Africa, the Caribbean and even Europe. He started a passenger ship company called the Black Star Line for the purpose of returning Blacks to their homeland in Africa. Unfortunately America’s leaders at that time were just as stupid as they are today. Most white Americans opposed Garvey and his visionary ideas; eventually he was deported.

Read more at the Center for Perpetual Diversity