HOSAPA REDUX

hosapa
Posted by rezinate on February 24, 2013

hosapa-the lakota word for black man. A word that can be spoken matter of factly or derisively, just as the word red man can -but for the purpose of this blog it should be seen in the context of a racist epithet related to murder of Perry Ray Robinson jr. at the event known as Wounded Knee 2.

For among other things the murder of Ray was precipitated in part on the basis that he was a black man.

A black man who came with good intent but refused to play the AIM game of warriors in picking up a gun or acknowledging that individuals like Leonard Crow Dog believed they held a racial superiority that demanded subservience.

Ray’s civil rights history is well known, worthy of respect, and speaks to a level of commitment that superceded concern for his own well being.

“One of the first Black civil rights workers into Jackson, Mississippi following the death of the three white civil rights workers, worked with CORE, worked with Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson,attended Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Later went to Alabama bought 10 acres to start a healthy food farm, clinic, eduction on taking blood pressure, how to use infant formula properly in the poverty communities, house bombed three times by KKK, Navy veteran who took brothers older birth date in order to get in service as a young man with connections to Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Was in Detroit a couple of times between 1968-73 following race riots working with Black Christian Church Movement, and down south with Clara and Jim Parker, Christian Socialist Movement in Atlanta,Georgia.

Lived in DC in Resurrection City following the Poor Peoples March. Went to Wounded Knee in late April, was not there the next day when one of the other people who came from Alabama with went in.”

I would say that’s quite a resume- I would also say if what befell Ray had befallen someone like Jesse Jackson there would have been a hue and cry to rival that following the murder of MLK.

Yet for completely inexplicable reasons it hasn’t. Hasn’t for going on four decades-not a word from CORE, the BCCM, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Al Sharpton, the Congressional Black Caucus, or Stan Holder the U.S.A.G.

No inclusion in black history month studies, and I’m willing to bet the majority of the black community both young and old don’t even know Ray’s name.

Even more bizarre to me is Whoopi Goldberg’s tweets related to Russell Means in his passing-tweets effusive in praise, and lacking any reference to Ray.

Could be Whoopi didn’t know about Ray-but she became aware of him and the facts surrounding his murder in short order as others responded. Yet as far as I know Whoopi hasn’t availed herself of the national audience her position on The View allows to focus any attention on Perry Ray Robinson Jr.

So the pervasive silence continues, and the burning question must be why? More to the point, why is Ray so studiously ignored by black leadership and celebrities when they can and will demand justice for other murders committed during that time period and farther back?

Why does Al Sharpton, who holds an anchor position on MSNBC, and frequently submits articles to the Huffington Post never speak to the murder of Ray Robinson when he will about any other thing that crosses his mind?

Why won’t Hollywood actor and social activist Danny Glover, who will campaign for what he refers to as “justice” for Peltier seek the same for Ray and his family?

Why won’t Pete Seeger, Jackson Browne, and other music industry luminaries write a song for Ray, or speak in his behalf? Would doing so cast a different light on AIM and by extention Peltier as well?

Have they selectively chosen one of several AIM authored stories? Stories like Carter Camp’s multiple and conflicting versions who has even gone on to say Ray was “caught” and murdered by the FBI or the GOONs in a kind of multiple choice pick one or both as a personal preference?

Why won’t hip hop artists who frequently lace their lyrics with references to social issues do likewise with the social issue of Ray?

Obviously it serves the purpose of AIM to relegate Ray to the dustbin of history having consigned him to an unmarked grave and the lies and propaganda they have authored related to his murder-but what purpose does it serve for any other-any hosapa to do likewise?

In the end when thinking about all this I wind up asking myself who actually buys into all this BS, and what is the motivation of those who do?

James Brown did a song-Say It I’m loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud-the black community should be saying Ray was black and they’re proud of him-and Ray needs to get what he deserves-Justice.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CisfU6vkLvo

hosapa

hosapa-the lakota word for black man. A word that can be spoken matter of factly or derisively, just as the word red man can -but for the purpose of this blog it should be seen in the context of a racist epiphet related to murder of Perry Ray Robinson jr. at the event known as Wounded Knee 2.

For among other things the murder of Ray was precipitated in part on the basis that he was a black man.

A black man who came with good intent but refused to play the AIM game of warriors in picking up a gun or acknowledging that individuals like Leonard Crow Dog believed they held a racial superiority that demanded subservience.

Ray’s civil rights history is well known, worthy of respect, and speaks to a level of commitment that superceded concern for his own well being.

“One of the first Black civil rights workers into Jackson, Mississippi following the death of the three white civil rights workers, worked with CORE, worked with Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson,attended Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Later went to Alabama bought 10 acres to start a healthy food farm, clinic, eduction on taking blood pressure, how to use infant formula properly in the poverty communities, house bombed three times by KKK, Navy veteran who took brothers older birthdate in order to get in service as a young man with connections to Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Was in Detroit a couple of times between 1968-73 following race riots working with Black Christian Church Movement, and down south with Clara and Jim Parker, Christian Socialist Movement in Atlanta,Georgia.

Lived in DC in Resurrection City following the Poor Peoples March.  Went to Wounded Knee in late April, was not there the next day when one of the other people who came from Alabama with went in.”

I would say that’s quite a resume- I would also say if what befell Ray had befallen someone like Jesse Jackson there would have been a hue and cry to rival that following the murder of MLK.

Yet for completely inexplicable reasons it hasn’t. Hasn’t for going on four decades-not a word from CORE, the BCCM, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Al Sharpton, the Congressional Black Caucus, or Stan Holder the U.S.A.G.

No inclusion in black history month studies, and I’m  willing to bet the majority of the black community both young and old don’t even know Ray’s name.

Even more bizarre to me is Whoopi Goldberg’s tweets related to Russell Means in his passing-tweets effusive in praise, and lacking any reference to Ray.

Could be Whoopi didn’t know about Ray-but she became aware of him and the facts surrounding his murder in short order as others responded. Yet as far as I know Whoopi hasn’t availed herself of the national audience her position on The View allows to focus any attention on Perry Ray Robinson Jr.

So the pervasive silence continues, and the burning question must be why? More to the point, why is Ray so studiously ignored by black leadership and celebrities when they can and will demand justice for other murders committed during that time period and farther back?

Why does Al Sharpton, who holds an anchor position on MSNBC, and frequently submits articles to the Huffington Post never speak to the murder of Ray Robinson when he will about any other thing that crosses his mind?

Why won’t Hollywood actor and social activist Danny Glover, who will campaign for what he refers to as “justice” for Peltier seek the same for Ray and his family?

Why won’t Pete Seeger, Jackson Browne, and other music industry luminaries write a song for Ray, or speak in his behalf?  Would doing so cast a different light on AIM and by extention Peltier as well?

Have they selectively chosen one of several AIM authored stories?  Stories like Carter Camp’s multiple and conflicting versions who has even gone on to say Ray was “caught” and murdered by the FBI or the GOONs in a kind of multiple choice pick one or both as a  personal preference?

Why won’t hip hop artists who frequently lace their lyrics with references to social issues do likewise with the social issue of Ray?

Obviously it serves the purpose of AIM to relegate Ray to the dustbin of history having consigned him to an unmarked grave and the lies and propaganda they have authored related to his murder-but what purpose does it serve for any other-any hosapa to do likewise?

In the end when thinking about all this I wind up asking myself who actually buys into all this BS, and what is the motivation of those who do?

James Brown did a song-Say It I’m loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud-the black community should be saying Ray was black and they’re proud of  him-and Ray needs to get what he deserves-Justice.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CisfU6vkLvo

PAUL DEMAIN, NFIC, AND PERRY RAY ROBINSON JR.

Paul DeMain and NFIC have been in the forefront for years leading the quest for truth and justice as related to the crimes and murders committed by AIM, and no doubt with some degree of personal risk involved as well, and yet have remained undeterred.

There is only so much an individual or group of like thinkers are capable of doing-it is numbers and access that matters, the failure of the black leadership, people like AL Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the black community itself to lend their support to seeking justice for Perry Ray Robinson Jr., or at the very least the repatriation of his remains to his family, is a stain on the civil rights movement that needs to be addressed.

It is an insult to individuals like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr .-a perpetuation of  the very slavery that once held people in physical bondage, for Ray’s family, and his children are enslaved and held in the bondage of a lack of closure, of being able to properly lay Ray to rest and move on.

Every person who fails to raise their voice, to lend their support, facilitates this, and themselves become unworthy of support.  It may well be that without the support of other ethnic groups the civil rights movement would not have accomplished what it has-it is these other ethnic groups that are attempting to focus attention on Ray-a sad and bewildering commentary that they find they must do so alone.

Well done Paul, NFIC, and staffers.

WHERE ARE THE VOICES ?

I have to admit I’m a little confused here-seems like Perry Ray Robinson jr’s Fb page isn’t garnering the attention one would think it should. Kind of a mystery to me.

Apparently Jesse and Al can’t be bothered, understood AIM and associates don’t want to go anywhere near it, Danny’s out waving the flag for Peltier with his Hollywood pals, Whoopi’s tweeting homages to Russell Means, and the Congressional Black Caucus must have their focus riveted on the “fiscal cliff”.

Others just may not give a damn, some in seeing that Ray didn’t walk around with a pipe and feather stuck in his hair would rather support indigenous causes or what they’ve been duped into believing are-and overlook the fact that Ray went to WK2 for just that reason and wound up dead because of it.

So if there actually are excuses I think those mentioned above are the exhaustive and comprehensive list- despite my personal belief that there are no valid excuses.

There’s something like forty million African America people living in this country-I think it’s reasonable to assume the majority of them have access to the internet-now internet access doesn’t necessarily guarantee a knowledge of Ray-but if there is a shortcoming associated with that then I say it can be attributed to a failure on the part of Black leadership and those who do.

Some of us in ndn country have been doing our best to get Ray’s name out there for people, we’ve been standing beside his family fighting for justice and the repatriation of his remains-truth is neither they nor we can’t do it on our own and it falls to the black community to step up and raise their voice as well.

If only one percent of them would, less than one percent,a half, even a quarter of one percent, Danny might rethink his position, Whoopi might offer a tweet or two, the media would jump on it, Jesse and Al would find their own voices, and the CBC would surely be compelled to take a look. The NAACP might even get involved.

www.facebook.com/pages/Justice-For-Perry-Ray-Robinson-Jr/

MLK AND RAY

Confusion seems to reign supreme in this country, never more apparent than on this day-a day set aside as a national holiday in remembrance of Martin Luther King jr..

Historically there as been a projected confusion about who  King was and what he was about-it’s taken time but I believe those layers of confusion have been peeled away and King is recognized as the man he was and the impact he made on the Civil Rights movement.

Untold numbers have made an impact-the majority of which we may never know-that can no longer be said of Perry Ray Robinson  Jr. with any degree of certitude. His story is slowly coming to light.

A story that is increasingly well known-and the threat that creates has led to a sustained and long running cover up of lies, silence, professed ignorance, and attempts to create confusion.

On this day of all days one would think that those who speak of and honor King would make some mention of Ray, and in doing so add their voices to those of the nations who are leading the effort for the discovery and prosecution of any invloved in his murder at WK2.

As an actor I like Danny Glover, as a comedian I like Dick Gregory-but their advocacy of Leonard Peltier and AIM can most kindly be referred to as misguided.

I am at a loss to understand how any in the black community could fail to rally behind Ray Robinson’s family, but would line up behind Peltier-how having been asked repeatedly to join the effort, informed of the facts, can still elect to remain silent-to sit this one out.

More pointedly how can nationally recognized figures like Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton so obviously avoid, and with apparent indifference, doing so while speaking about fallen civil rights heroes and never allow the name of Perry Ray Robinson Jr. to cross their lips?

Ray had the same dream as King-two sons of different parentage and each attempting to fulfill the dreams of their fathers, and of their people-yet one is honored and the other studiously ignored.

What a profound mystery, what a complete lack of respect, what folly those who ignore make of their own efforts and oft repeated positions.

We are not black men and women, we are “red”, and maybe that is why our voices fall upon deaf ears. If such is the case it makes a lie of everything-and this prolonged  silence does as well.

QUID PRO QUID

Once a week or so I hunt and peck around the net looking to see who if any among the black communities celebrity leadership is contributing to the call for discovery and justice for Ray Robinson.

It is as it has been pretty much an exercise in futility, the proverbial searching for a needle in a haystack, and it completely bewilders me.

Individuals like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are well known to become nearly apoplectic at the mere mention of a word, a “joke” made in bad taste – yet not so much as an acknowledging of Ray’s name.

I wonder if they have ever contacted Ray’s family to offer a word of condolence, or to share a story of the times of marching, protests, and common cause, to offer comfort and some form of assistance?

Sharpton, head of the National Action Network has made the big time  as a reporter, interviewer, commentator of PoliticsNation on MSNBC, a major network-seems like a real opportunity to give a shout out to Ray.

Jesse Jackson, one time presidential candidate, informal spiritual advisor  to former president Clinton when Bill was caught with his pants  down-founder and  president of the well known Rainbow Coalition  has  a son in the Senate who could make a little noise there.

Dexter Scott King heads up the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change  that should translate to having the ear of the Congressional Black Caucus-he has also made documentary films, a potential asset in pursuing the truth about Ray.

Two of the four mentioned have the title Reverend affixed to their names, that to me implies what should be a profound interest in truth and justice according to the precepts of their religion.

One thing they all share in common is access-and access is what is needed to bring  about a belated but essential resolution to all the questions surrounding the murder of Ray Robinson.

During various times there have been alignments in the civil right movement between the nations and that of the black community as being common victims-it shouldn’t be left to the nations to carry the banner for Ray alone in what is an attempt to help-a little quid pro quid in this effort doesn’t seem too much to ask.

I wonder when, if ever Russell, Crow Dog, etal will produce a video “update” about Ray-when they will add their voices to others in calling for justice for Ray and his family. Anyone think Banks will head up a walk for this?

Ive included the below link as video commentary about the manner in which some treat humans much the same as they do animals-it is interspiced with clips of the suffering inflicted on both humans and animals-a common thread of execution and being bound with chains.

I would warn one and all that it is graphic in nature but if viewed in it’s entirety should leave a profound impression. If anyone needs a wake up call this ought to be it, and a shout out to stonefeather of wordpress for providing the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OU2a-czDzw

RAY ROBINSON AND THE NAACP

For all the struggles, failures, and successes of African American organizations like the NAACP, the MLK Center for Non Violent Social Change, or persons like Jesse Jackson, Dexter Scott King, and others, I’m not aware of any active involvement by them in pursuing the truth about Ray Robinson and his murder at WK2.

The Rev. Ralph Abernathy made the statement at WK2 to Means, Banks, and others on 3-8-73 that ” I will do everything in my power to cause the White House to intercede and cause the Secretary of The Interior to reopen negotiations.”

Dick Gregory stood with Marlon Brando in front of the court house at Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 7-8-76-but who stands now for Ray, his widow, and his orphaned children?

Here you have a person who was active, committed, and known in the lodestone that was the civil rights movement-yet seemingly has been all but forgotten and ignored, while other cases from as far back as the fifties and sixties have been pursued.

Ray Robinson was murdered for being an unrepentent  black man who wouldn’t kiss the various AIM “massa’s” asses -that is  not only a criminal act but a violation of his rights, and I fail to see any difference in that he wasn’t lynched, hung from a tree, or dragged behind an automobile somewhere in the South.

If members of King’s own family in their interest and pursuit of justice can announce that they did not believe James Earl Ray was their fathers killer and in turn become advocates for him, surely those in leadership can make an effort to bring justice and closure to Robinson’s family-he deserves something more than laying in an unmarked grave as the victim of a group of xenophobic petty thugs. There is a dearth of modern day heroes and I would think Ray fills the bill.

Whatever legacy the NAACP creates will forever be lessened by their apparent failure to actively pursue and address the issue of Ray Robinson.

I think it was only natural for Ray that in recognizing a familiar misery the nations faced he went to WK2 with the best of intentions, and a sincere desire to assist-I also think that in very short order he saw through the charade that was the AIM leadership, witnessed the looting  and pillaging, spoke out about it, showed his disdain, and that set the stage for his murder.

After all who was this “uppity nigger” to challenge or disrespect such great “warriors”, such revered “medicine men”, such “freedom figthers”?

One of the definitions in looking up the word nigger is “a person of ANY race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.” I’d say the only “niggers” based on their contemptible, inferior, and ignorant actions present at wk2 were the AIM leadership.

Ray Robinson was anything but a “nigger”, above all other things he was a good and decent man-his history verifies that, maybe some day people will understand that being a man has nothing to do with ethnicity.

My advice to the AIM  brotherhood? Tighten up those sphincters boys, the man’s going to be coming round sooner or later.

One should not forget that in promoting the ravaging and destruction of wk2 as a “liberation” holiday it is in effect also a celebration of every wrong committed there-every abuse, and every murder-whether it be Ray’s, Annie’s in the aftermath, or those in unknown graves-hell of thing that, and speaks volumes about any who either promote or celebrate that event.

Some may be excused for doing so due to a lack of knowledge, or understanding concerning the truth, others most assuredly cannot, and view it only as another opportunity to get some air time.

I find it not only a profound mystery, but a grave disservice to Ray, to his family, and black people in general, that in searching the net you are hard pressed to find any advocacy for him other than in sites like IWJ and NFIC-and yet the net is inundated with AIM and those too familiar “leaders” spinning their tales, promoting themselves, and denying everything but the incontestable fact that the sun does rise and set. They may get around to that though, or take credit for it.

One thing for sure though-neither AIM or the NAACP is leading the charge-understandable for the one-a pity for the other. I never knew Ray, but  with some it isn’t necessary to have known them personally to know the kind of individual they were.

There are songs to be found about Annie on the net, how about one for Ray? How about some justice for Ray and his family-he is no less a victim, and no less deserving.

http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=9&Itemid=66

http://www.jfamr.org/naet.html

http://www.naacp.org/programs/entry/justice