Lecturer Wilmer J. Leon Traces Government’s Impact On African-American Life
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wilmer J. Leon III, a political scientist who for 11 years served as a lecturer in the Political Science Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C., has written a new book that examines the “80 shades of black” as they pertain to the African-American point of view. Politics: Another Perspective is a collection of 80 Op Ed’s that reveal, in devastating detail, issues that have influenced the American geopolitical landscape.
The author re-examines the U.S. Constitution as the starting point for slavery and the document’s alterations that have occurred in words but not necessarily in deeds. Dr. Leon provides an incisive analysis of the formative influences of slavery on America’s very identity, noting that “it was free slave trade labors that enabled the economic foundation of the republic to transition from a feudal system to a capitalistic system” and concludes with the author’s insistence that a moral revolution is needed. He predicts that without a fundamental transformation, America will implode under the trifecta of racism, materialism, and militarism, and he provides current-day examples to prove it.
According to Dr. Leon, much of the population looks at tragic current events through a narrow prism, isolated from a broader historical content, which Politics: Another Perspective provides. He says that there are no just solutions to problems unless they are understood within an historical context.
As he connects the dots from the past to the present, Dr. Leon examines the reactionary politics of the millennial and baby boomer generations that have contributed to the “political abyss” faced in America today and delves into the lack of action by office holders, such as former President Obama, whose administration failed to articulate an effective counter narrative and employ effective countermeasures to bring about true equality to many African-American citizens.
In his book, Dr. Leon’s opinion-editorial series follows wars, various administrations, and the efforts of heroes such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who made an impact decades ago, but whose efforts never actually reached fruition. Dr. Leon offers a translation of the U.S. Constitution from a Black point of view since much of it deals with slavery and the act of considering African-Americans as not human, but material possessions. This, he implies, is a taint handed down generation to generation which tends to put Blacks at a disadvantage for employment and as an unfortunate target for criminal retribution when none actually exists.
Dr. Leon hosts the nationally broadcast talk radio program “Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon” on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, channel 126. He is also a nationally syndicated columnist with the Trice Edney News Wire and a regular political commentator on national and international news programs. His constitutional activism has been covered and profiled extensively in the print media, including numerous national and international newspapers and periodicals. Dr. Leon earned a BS degree in Political Science from Hampton Institute, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) and a PhD in Political Science from Howard University.
INTERVIEW
In an interview with Dr. Leon, Lone Star Iconoclast publisher W. Leon Smith, who about 40 years ago wrote a novel entitled Epitaph, about a young African-American man who started a newspaper in a small all-White community, asked several questions about Dr. Leon’s book and his thoughts on current-day strategies to improve and “make right” the problems of race that continue to haunt America:
ICONOCLAST – Dr. Leon, on page 71 after you explain the The Federalist Papers, you quoted Justice Hugo Black as saying that free speech “is the heart of our government” and that it promotes the discovery of truth. Earlier, in analyzing The American Thinker, you note that its perspectives play into and perpetuate the stereotypes that the African-American experience, culture, and perspectives are monolithic, devoid of substance, myopic, shallow and emotional, basically the assignment of simplistic answers to very complex problems, events, and circumstances. Do you see any way that the field of journalism can bridge this impasse now that the mainstream media is fully corporatized and operates on a sound-bite philosophy?
DR. LEON – Merriam- Webster defines journalism as “writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation.” In too many instances our traditional journalistic outlets have gone away from the craft and moved into the more profitable “infotainment” or talk, entertainment, opinion, assertion, advertising and propaganda. I say on my radio program all the time that talk without substantive fact-based analysis is just chatter and there’s way too much chatter in mainstream media today.
Those who practice the craft need to get back to the roots of the craft. Investigative journalism and presenting facts in as unbiased a fashion as possible. The audience has to demand more of the sources that it chooses to access. Too many people have become comfortable and only seek out sources that validate their existing “realities” instead of reading and listening to sources that will challenge their beliefs.
Our middle and high schools have to get to helping students understand the value of critical thinking. Parents have to engage their children in dialogue and get their children to understand the value of “why”.
I think the realities that Americans will find themselves faced with as a result of this new administration will begin to force a discussion about the value of true journalism and critical analysis and danger of sound-bite politics.
ICONOCLAST — Do you think the Three Fifths Compromise should be taught in schools as a matter of bringing the full scope of the African-American experience into focus, or should it be relegated as “old history,” no longer relevant to the millennial generation and therefore cast aside? In the same vein, does the teaching of African-American history in schools provide greater understanding of where we have been and where we are headed as a country, or does it perpetuate the idea that the social standing of African-Americans will always be tainted by the years of slavery suffered by their ancestors? Is there a psychological breaking point?
DR. LEON – My piece “We Must Look Back in Order to Move Forward” #70 on p. 284 speaks to some of your question. Yes, the 3/5th’s Compromise should be taught in schools but the discussion should begin with the Virginia Slave Code from 1669 that read –“ “if any slave resist his master…and by the extremity of the correction should chance to die, that his death shall not be acompted felony, but the master…be acquit from molestation, since it cannot be presumed that prepense malice…should induce any man to destroy his own estate.” Today’s translation, white police officers can shoot unarmed African American citizens with impunity.” This was the beginning of the dehumanization of enslaved African’s being codified in Colonial and later American law. Yes, the realities and history of Africans, enslaved Africans and African Americans should be taught in schools as an integral part of American history since this country would not have become the world economic power that it became without the uncompensated sweat equity of African Americans and their ancestors. Douglas Blackmon’s book Slavery By Another Name is a great example of this.
ICONOCLAST – You mention in your book the writings of Dr. Jeremiah Wright who has made statements that many consider problematic, such as the government providing drugs to African-Americans, building bigger prisons, passing the three strikes law, and treating its citizens as less than human; however, you then provide examples that show his accuracy. As each day passes, do you see this predicament worsening or improving?
DR. LEON – Many consider the statements by Rev. Wright as problematic but there is enough evidence such as the incredible journalism of Gary Webb and the San Jose Mercury News to support his claims. The predicament is worsening. Statistics show the disproportionate level of incarceration between AA’s (men and woman) and Whites has remained steady. When we look at the current administrations proposed budget and how social programs are going to be cut; the problems will only get worse.
ICONOCLAST – Prior to most elections, the candidates say that under their rule things will get better for people who have lost jobs to a tanking economy or who were never able to find jobs. But this promise is never fulfilled and frustration sinks in due in large part to party politics that tend to result in gridlock. We are basically relegated to a two-party system. Do you think it is time to demolish all political parties and have candidates stand on their own two feet?
DR. LEON — I don’t think we need to demolish the political parties. We need to expand the system not blow it up. Sen. Sanders is a great example of what can happen when progressives understand their power. We would have been better off if he had won the Democratic nomination and lost to Trump because we would have been left with a viable movement. Hilary saying, “I’m now with the resistance” means there’s no resistance. Professor Guinier’s analysis of proportional representation should be reexamined.
ICONOCLAST — President George W. Bush trashed the U. S. Constitution and got the country involved in illegal wars. When Obama ran for president, he promised change and hope, which did not happen. He is often referred to as Bush Jr. Then, in the last election, it became a matter of electing the lesser of evils, both corporate-chosen candidates with a lot of money and both with horrible track records. In your studies of political science, which often considers trends and tipping points, can you forecast the future for the African-American population based upon presidential politics or is this an impossibility?
DR. LEON – I will try to answer your question this way. I can’t forecast the future. I will say that with the candidacy of Sen. Obama too many in the AA community got caught up in the politics of pigment and phenotype and ignored the politics of policy. Politics is about the equitable distribution of limited resources and policy output. Too many in the AA community want to give President Obama a pass with excuses such as “you don’t understand what he was up against….” Failing to understand that he was a corporatist and more conservative than liberal as evidenced by his bailing out the banks at the expense of the homeowner and cabinet appointments. I don’t believe that the politics that he ran on were really his politics.
ICONOCLAST — On page 268 of your book you quote Dr. Ronald Walters as saying that conservatives are using the political process to “enact a new regime of social control” over African-Americans and other poor people in this country. I assume that you consider this a step backward, one that validates that “the colored American lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity,” quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Do you think President Trump will reverse this trend or make it worse, and what kind of mission is required to delete social control of the populace when the slate of candidates usually offers no option?
DR. LEON – I don’t think it’s a step backward. I believe it’s where America has always been. President Trump won’t reverse the trend. He’s just clearly articulating it where as others such as Nixon, Bush, Reagan and even Bill Clinton put a “kinder and gentler” spin on it. Conservatives don’t dislike Trump because of what he’s saying. They hate him because of how he’s saying it. African Americans need to understand the concept of sovereignty as articulated by Ezrah Aharon in his book Pawned Sovereignty and start operating from a position of power and self-interest not weakness. We have spent too much time worrying about being like and not nearly enough time focused on being respected; let alone, feared.
ICONOCLAST – You mentioned in your book that the traditional Santa Claus poses a confusing image for people of color. Do you think changes in American film and stage that replace White people with Black people helps or hurts the cause of African-Americans? A couple of examples are the remake of The Bishop’s Wife and the play Hamilton. Or the remake of It’s A Wonderful Life in 1977 called It Happened One Christmas where the lead role is a female instead of a male, a different twist on a traditional story. Do you think the subjects/authors would approve? I know in my novel Epitaph that I would be very upset if someone changed the race or sex of its protagonist, Shipley Fish.
DR. LEON – It’s not so much about imagery as it is about narrative, content and messaging. Replacing White folks with Black folks and keeping the same narrative is not progress. What good is a Black Republican like Armstrong Williams who tries to sell us Strom Thurman as some redeemed individual worthy of our praise? That’s what I call Minstrel Politics – Black face on White folk’s foolishness. It’s A Wonderful Life is a great film with a universal message. One of my favorites.
ICONOCLAST – For many, equality is something that is merely sought, like truth, but is often not entirely found, partially because each individual is different and interpretations vary. Regarding reparations and restitution and the “compounding moral debt” whereby African-Americans find themselves still exiled in their own land, how can these chains be broken? Let me place before you a couple of examples. When I was in high school, my Physical Education teacher was also the head football coach. In class, if you did not play football, the highest grade you could earn was a B. If you happened to be a football player, you automatically got an A, no matter what. In Texas, election ballots are printed in both English and Spanish. But what if you are French, or Japanese? Does this show bias and inequality? Is it the government itself and political institutions that weld these chains?
DR. LEON – Equality for African Americans is not abstract, it is real. Understanding that race is an artificial construct created by European colonists and later European Americans to justify or rationalize the oppression of Africans in America and later African Americans through eugenics and other false “science’ goes a long way towards understanding how to move forward. These are the discussion that need to be had and reparations, apologies and solutions can be developed from these realizations. It’s one thing to not print a ballot in French (since you need to be an American citizen to vote and a fundamental understanding of English is an asset) and another thing to develop a program like Crosscheck or Voter ID laws that are intended to disenfranchise legally registered voters voters of color, the elderly and poor.
ICONOCLAST – In my historical book Revisit The Old Mill – Its Creation Defined Texas, part of the period covered were the Civil War years, a period in which Texans were divided as to pro-Confederacy or anti-Confederacy. Bosque County in Texas was largely populated by Norwegian immigrants, who were firmly anti-slavery, but the pro-slavery forces, mainly replants from the eastern Old South regions where slavery was an integral part of the economy, were in high number. The Norwegians were intimidated to not take a stand, for fear of retribution that could cost them their lives. In Texas, even General Sam Houston, then the governor and one of the founders of the state, declined to sign his allegiance to the Confederacy and was removed from office. Texans were friends with some bands of Indians and co-existed with them well, but other Indian bands were considered deadly marauders with whom Texans fought as they settled here. Many Texans involved in the Confederacy did not like being forced to become foot soldiers, since most of their Indian battles had been on horseback, so they ultimately loathed the ineptitudes of the War Between The States and the economic hardships that followed. A hundred years later, when the merging of school districts occurred in 1965, my father had just bought the local newspaper. In short order, he published on the front page the photo of a Black football star who had provided remarkable feats on the gridiron. In his opinion, news was news and he didn’t care about the possible ramifications. The paper was boycotted, he lost advertisers, and he was nearly run out of town. He just shrugged it off and continued to publicize African-Americans just like everyone else and the photo incident was soon forgotten. These were “breaking the ice” situations. From a political science point of view, is there a “tipping point” or “breaking of the ice” possibility in the future? I realize that Obama let slip a golden opportunity to lift consciousness of equality to a higher level, but is there a movement pending that could make this happen?
DR. LEON – First, kudos to your father; his vision and strength. I don’t see a “tipping point”. What we have seen in this country since its inception is what Dr. King called “white backlash” and Dr. Ronald Walters called the “politics of resentment”. President Obama did let slip a golden opportunity. Again, when AA’s decide it is more important to be respected instead of being liked that “tipping point” will start to tip. Again, we have to look at Ezrah Aharone’s Pawned Sovereignty.
ICONOCLAST — Do you think President Obama violated the U.S. Constitution when he ruled that people must lose their ability to choose and therefore were forced to purchase health insurance from a for-profit business corporation or be fined?
DR. LEON – No. I believe it was well within his authority as POTUS. It was in the best interest of the country. Part of the problem is that due to pressure from the insurance companies he ran from the Public Option. Also, he sold health insurance reform as health care reform. Also, the ACA computer network crashing when it was launched did not help.
ICONOCLAST – In a near-perfect world, how would you design a movement to alleviate inequality? Can it be done politically or is there an outside-the-box approach that would work better?
DR. LEON – First, America has to admit that it was founded upon racism and that its vestiges are as H. Rap Brown said, “as American as cherry pie.” Second, Congressman Conyers H.R. 40 to explore/study the issue of reparations needs to be passed. Reparations needs to be paid. From there we can discuss alleviating inequality. Until then I don’t see how we can move forward. In this instance the political elements that I outlined will move the social elements since American racism was codified and sanctioned by government action and/or inaction.