Is Willie Morrow Right?

Dr. Willie Morrow is the Publisher of the San Diego Monitor. His editorial in the November 7. 2009 edition is entitled “Blacks are the Only Race Progressing Backwards in San Diego.”

He starts: “Why have the Vietnamese been able to build a multi-billion dollar niche industry in less than 30 years? Somalis have come to American and are recognized as an official community where Somalis are helping Somalis. The same can be said of the Ethiopians. An Ethiopian financial broker explained to me that his business funnels over $1 million each month from Ethiopian families here in San Diego back to their respect family members in their h home country. Imagine black folks handling $1 million to each other every month. But our money goes straight from our hands to rims for our cares. How did blacks forget what it took to get out of the South and migrate to the North? It was hard work in the fields where mothers and fathers worked to send their children to college that brought them to the North. But today when we look back at our progress, it seems we have only educated young fools that have forgotten their roots.”

I have heard of a black woman in Chicago saying it must be some government program that caused immigrants like them to be successful. Then why have not any government program made blacks who have been in this country for hundreds of years successful? Also too, are not Ethiopians and Somalis black? How dare they come here from Africa and not let the white man hold them back! How dare they embarrass black Americans who say blacks cannot make it in the United States because the white man holds them back! They must be Uncle-Tom sellouts by daring to be very successful despite racism.

Morrow continues: “Mexicans have gone from Chavez leading boycotts in Central California to prominence in all of California today. Black Americans, we have stood on the sidelines and watched others climb the ladder of success while we have gone backwards. There is not one organization, business or industry that black folks have increased in beyond that of the prison system and homelessness. We have placed the blame for our poor achievement on everybody but ourselves. Yes, the black community is the only community in San Diego that has declined in numbers of businesses, leadership, and every other facet of life. We left the South because of depression. Where are we going now? What happened to us? Even our churches are on the decline. Either we are not praying, or God is not hearing our prayers. I know that God has not forsaken us. We have forsaken Him. After He got us off that farm and out from under the hot delta sun, we conveniently forgot about everything that is true. Ask yourself, why have all other races increased in visibility and economy while blacks have progressed backwards? I say it is because we have participated in all of the wrong things and become mentally corrupt.”

Where are we going now? What happened to us? Dr. Morrow says: “(W)e have participated in all of the wrong things and become mentally corrupt.” Rev. G. Craige Lewis of EX Ministries, a black man, wrote in his blog http://gcraige.blogspot.com/: “Don't get mad at me, the numbers show that Blacks are the most immoral group in America and that we could care less about morality when it comes to looking good. The statistics on this matter show that we have the highest HIV rate, incarceration rate, drop out rate, STD rate, abortion rate, murder rate, teen pregnancy rate, single parent rate, homosexual and lesbian rate, etc.” How can Dr. Morrow say that? Does not he know that the white man makes blacks get HIV and STD’s? Does he not know that the white man makes black people kill each other? Does he not know it is the white man that makes black women get pregnant? Does he not know that it is the white man that makes black women get abortions? (Well there is a germ of truth in this. Go to www.maafa21.com.) Does he not know it is because of the white man that we black people excel in those areas? We outdo all other ethnic groups when we put our minds to it, don’t we?

Where is the good-old-Jeremiah-Wright “God-Damn-America” spirit in Dr Morrow’s editorial? He does not play the “blame game” like other so-called black leaders. Booker T. Washington wrote in 1911: “There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs...I am afraid that there is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public.”

You won’t find the God-Damn-America spirit here because Dr. Morrow has the integrity to recognize what is happening to the black community in San Diego. I dare say he can speak for black communities all over the United States. He wrote: “We have placed the blame for our poor achievement on everybody but ourselves.” He knows that if you point a finger at someone else, you will get three fingers pointing back at you.

“I know that God has not forsaken us. We have forsaken Him." When we forsake Him, there are no blessings. There are only self-inflicted cursings. We cannot blame “the white man” when we do ourselves in.

Is Willie Morrow right? Yes, he is absolutely right. Thank you, Dr. Morrow for your wisdom.