By Marc W. Polite
Good afternoon, my readers. This February just came and went. If you are in the Northeast, most of us got bombarded with snow. Old Man Winter has been ruthless this season. As we come towards the end of this month, I want to reflect a little about the occurrences we have all noticed.
I don’t know about you, but why is it that every February, something egregious happens that is anti-Black? Need some examples? The shameful “outburst” at the BAFTA awards directed at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo.
The Hunter professor who made the local news for opining about “dumb Black kids” on a Zoom call. Also, how can we leave out the racist depiction of The Obamas that President Trump posted on Truth Social.
These are the sort of actions and attacks that we find ourselves pushing back on. Some of us have to keep straight faces as the nonsense ensues around us. Our responses are policed, and we are told how we should feel about vicious attacks. We must sit and watch as we’re told everything is alright in a bloviating State of the Union address.
This moment makes me think of something the great American writer James Baldwin once said. “White people go around with a very suppressed terror of Black people.” In a 1979 interview, Baldwin discusses this. We are in 2026, and the same hatred and bile emerges to the forefront in different aspects of society. Whether it’s entertainment, education, or politics, the anti-Black sentiment is deeply rooted. That very suppressed terror can take the form of an outburst, or a hot-mic moment. This is where we always have been.
This is why we have to hold on to our history. Even with all of these hateful barbs being thrown our way, we are still learning more about the Black American past. This month, a safe house linked to the Underground Railroad was discovered. Remnants of the 19th century being brought to light while we are 3 decades into the 21st century is mind-boggling.
Oh. By the way, I am reporting from the “High Council of Blackness” that due to these shenanigans, the Black History Month celebration will be extended until December 31st. I don’t make the rules; I merely enforce them.
See the interview below.