By now, many of us know about the pending lawsuit against the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., and Rainbow PUSH Coalition filed by Tommy R. Bennett, who was national director of community affairs for the organization from July 2007 through December 2009.
Bennett claims that he was harassed and terminated from the organization on the basis of his sexual orientation. Some may find the egregious allegations surprising, especially since Jackson has a history of speaking in favor of certain LGBT causes, such as equal marriage rights for same-sex couples and the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ( DADT ) .
The allegations against Jackson are serious and should not be taken lightly. The possibility of Bennett losing his job due to discrimination and being harassed by his employer are deserving of attention and legal investigation, especially since Jackson's Rainbow PUSH coalition is, according to its mission, "a multi-racial, multi-issue, progressive, international membership organization fighting for social change...whose mission is to protect, defend, and gain civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields, and to promote peace and justice around the world." If this is what Rainbow PUSH holds up as its mission and values but practices to the contrary, then both Jackson and Rainbow PUSH should be held accountable.
The media may have a field day with this one. Speculations about whether or not Jackson's LGBT-friendly stances were just a strategic political play or a mere smoke screen to cover up virulent homophobia may come to the surface. Certain indiscretions that Bennett alleges may cause some to question Jackson's own sexual orientation or ponder if he's yet another Black man on the "down low." Others may shake their heads in shame and think this is yet another sad moment of one Black man tearing down another in a spectacle for all to see. You can envision the conversations now between friends and family, on the bus, at lunch, at work, at home, and in the barbershops and beauty salons.
Whether or not Jackson has unresolved same-sex desire or if he is truly a "friend" to the LGBT community is not the most pressing issue. However, the pending lawsuit against Jackson and Rainbow PUSH Coalition should, however, make us ask the following questions: What are the traditional Black civil-rights organizations really PUSHing for in our communities? What are they doing in terms of advocacy and community engagement? For example, what measurable outcomes have we seen that demonstrate real investment in youth and their education, safety, and well-beingthat show commitment to the unemployed or underemployed in our communities and those who are the most vulnerable; that show real concern and concrete action to reduce the high infection rates of HIV/AIDS and other STD's in Black communities; that have a genuine interest in sharing power and developing younger leaders to whom they can pass the torch?
More importantly, what are weas citizens, residents, parents, youth, activists, artists, teachers and business professionalsdoing to make a positive difference? Not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but some historical civil-rights organizations, churches and so-called leaders have failed to keep up with the times and have been unresponsive to the social, political, and physical ills in our communities. The priority has shifted from the health and well-being of our families and neighborhoods to the self-aggrandizement and egos of "leaders" clamoring for the media spotlight. Some of us who are passionate and feel a call to action have a gross misunderstanding of the problems that plague our communities and are, therefore, misguided in our actions to ameliorate them.
Last weekend, one of our board members shared with us a frustrating conversation she had with a taxi driver. He was listening to a news segment on NPR and proceeded to strike up a conversation with her. The driver asked if she was aware of the latest census results revealing that Latinos have surpassed [ non-Latino ] Blacks as the largest minority in the United States. She told him she was. After hearing him rant about Latinos "taking over," faulting Black women for not having more children and admonishing "men going with men and women going with women" as "messing up," she informed him that Latinos were not Black people's enemies; that it takes two to conceive a child; that there is nothing wrong with Black women exercising their right not to bear children; and that Black LGBTQ people are not causing the downfall of the Black race.
Many of the social and economic issues that Black people face have nothing to do with Black people not having as many children as Latinos, or men being with men and women being with women. What about those of us who cannot or refuse to take care of the children who have already been born? What about the violence we inflict on each other and that is inflicted upon us? What about the lack of excellent public education for youth? And what about the organizations and leaders in our communities who refuse to take progressive action and make a real difference? Black people do not need to reproduce in order to take care of business at home and address the sobering social, economic, and political issues that we face every day. This same board member posed these questions to the driver and waited for a substantive response. Instead, he paused and changed the subject.
This is the problem. We get hung up on the wrong things. We look externally for the source of our problems instead of looking within and examining what lies beneath. We see others, who may even share a similar plight, as the enemy and treat them with suspicion. We ask unskillful questions and get taken aback by the wrong things.
We do not want to see this happen as we watch the case of Bennett vs. Jackson and Rainbow PUSH Coalition unfold on television and in the papers. Let's not get sidetracked by the sensationalism that may ensue, but instead, ask what Rainbow PUSH Coalition and other historical organizations are really doing with and for us. Let's ask ourselves what we are doing to improve our own lives, neighborhoods, schools, and communities. Let's remember that civil rights are for all citizens, not just Black heterosexual men. Let's PUSH for a vision of critical justice that is grounded in real social, political, and economic justice. Let's PUSH for something worthwhile.
Kim Hunt is executive director of Affinity Community Services, which is a social justice organization that works with and on behalf of Black LGBTQ communities, queer youth and allies to identify emergent needs, create safe spaces, develop leaders and bridge communities through collective analysis and action for social justice, freedom and human rights; Kelly Saulsberry is vice president of Affinity's board of directors. See www.affinity95.org .
Kim Hunt photo by Hal Baim; Kelly Saulsberry pic by Yasmin Nair