Spike Lee Wants Us to Respect Our White Allies

I am so glad Spike Lee has said this.  And, of course, he is right.  There have always been white people who were committed to justice.  And there have always been white people who risked, and sometimes lost, their lives due to their commitment to justice. 

During slavery, the people who owned the safe houses in the Underground Railroad were often white. 

Having said that, a lot of the violence that's going on now is no different from what happened during slavery. 

During apartheid in South Africa, some white people were imprisoned and risked losing their lives for challenging the apartheid regime.  Many others protested against apartheid internationally. 

And in Jim Crow America, white people risked their lives on the Freedom Rides.  

So let's not forget our history.  

And always remember, WHITE PEOPLE ARE NOT OUR ENEMIES.  I'm sure you know this already.  

The enemy is group mentality.  

Racism, racial discrimination, racist violence, racial profiling, bigotry - these are all different ways of saying "group mentality".  And it's not just about race.  Everybody has some group mentality. 

White people often come with group mentality, and when they do, they are our enemies.  Group mentality is vicious. 

Go here to read what Spike has to say. 

Please leave your comments below and please share this with your networks. Thanks.

Film Review: Long Walk to Freedom

Idris Elba as Mandela

I recently saw the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, loosely based on Nelson Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.

Mandela was obviously a world-renowned figure, but there was a time when he was all but forgotten. In the wake of Mandela's recent passing, this film celebrates his life and his contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle.  

Long Walk to Freedom is a true African story of the heartbreak and devastation caused by the apartheid system, two people caught up in the fight against apartheid, and Mandela's long struggle which ended in triumph.