Back to those who know the history, accept the reality that those in power aren't going to ever acknowledge your position(s). Accept this and stop reacting to them because doing so is exactly what they depend upon so that they can continue to control the narrative around our issues. Just ask yourself. Who the hell is Steve King anyway? What African community, Indigenous community, has he spent time in working to improve the conditions? You already know the answers to those questions. He hasn't done squat because he doesn't care about justice. Only the economic interests he represents. And the same can be said about a whole lot of people weighing on these issues.
Its very important that we learn to develop and maintain our own perspective of what's taking place. We are too strong and go to far back in a positive and legitimate historical context to be taken in by these low rent thugs and what they think about us. We are too easily knocked off our axis because we haven't learned how to develop our own independent analysis. An analysis that can only come from an independent organizational framework. And, when we say independent, we are not talking about the non-profit industrial complex, which is dependent upon the contributions of many people who don't have our best interests at heart. That's why those entities often can only go so far. Many of those organizations do some good work, but we must have an independent analysis based on our culture and political reality. We already have this type of independent analysis in existence. The problem is far too many of us are completely unaware of it. Instead, we believe, as our enemy desires, that the only point of view with any credibility is the one our enemy advances and supports. They supply the framework and all of the rules which places you in the position where the absolute best you can do is respond in some way that hopes to trip up their logic. Anyone who plays any sport knows you can never win by relying entirely on a defensive strategy. Your offense comes from understanding your independent analysis. As was mentioned, there are plenty of them out here. Your task is to identify the one that works best for you and to start using it to decipher these issues in terms that reflect the interests of humanity and justice, not some budget or somebody else's economic concerns. If you can't find an analysis you like, then you still have the responsibility to create one of your own.
For us who are revolutionary Pan-Africanists e.g. Nkrumahist/Tureists, our ideology and perspectives come from our culture and history. We know that Sekou Ture was very wise and correct when he said that our culture within the oppression of the capitalist system is defined as that of struggling for our dignity against this oppression. With this understanding, we could never be confused about who we are and what we are doing. We have no obligation to respect any institution within the capitalist system from the elected government to the military to the so-called values, and certainly not the songs that advance the corruption of this system. We know that everything about this system is against our interests from the popular culture all the way down to what is taught in Kindergarten. Since we have this high level understanding of who we are, we are not derailed and confused by the tactics of our enemies. We know that when tennis player Serena Williams is attacked for her body parts or Colin Kaepernick is attacked for wearing cornrows or an afro, this is because this system was built and is maintained on our backs. So that means our very existence is a threat to this system and certainly, when we present ourselves in ways that make it clear that we are proud of who we are, that represents a bold statement that we see ourselves in direct conflict with this backward system. Our enemies know this. That's why they are attacking our people not just on the basis of our ideas, but just on how we look! Its time for us to understand this as well. We don't need to be the least big concerned about what a thug like Steve King thinks of us and anyone else who agrees with him. Our primary task is in getting more and more of our people, all over the world, to understand the cultural and political correctness of what Kaepernick is doing. Getting our people in Africa and the Caribbean to understand that the U.S. is not the center of the universe and our people's mission in life shouldn't be in trying to get here. Instead, our mission should be reclaiming the wealth that capitalism has stolen and continues to steal from us. Calling out the U.S. and its so-called anthem is just an initial tactic to exposing the corruption of this entire system. The enemy knows this and that is why they are fighting so hard to derail the conversation. Its how he protested. Its disrespecting somebody. Its about the military. You cannot let them get you off track with all of that confusion. When have they ever respected and accepted any type of protest we have waged? They disagreed with quiet protests against colonialism in Africa. They shot people in Zimbabwe, Kenya, and all over the continent who engaged in quiet protests. They disagreed with Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King 100% of the way through the Civil Rights movement. They even terrorized thousands of Africans who marched in white, maintaining complete silence, during the 1920s in the U.S. Trying to prove to racist white America that we were no threat. We fought in all their wars, despite the fact we didn't possess the basic rights that they claim we were going to those countries to win for other people. So, clearly, there is nothing you can do that will satisfy them. It's like Malcolm said. "When you try to get next to the white man, he attacks you. If you try to separate from him, he attacks you." Stop reacting to the racist narrative and start talking to more and more people who should be on the right side of history. Help build a movement that will walk right over the chests of people like Steve King and the multi-national corporate masters who pull his strings.
We are a proud people. From Kikuyu, to Akan, to Wolof, to Mandinka, to Fulani, etc. We are strong and proud. We don't need to do anything except be the best that we can be to represent our people and justice to all of humanity. We have the task of strengthening our structures and organizations. Then, we must build principled relationships with others who are doing the same work. Including any of our White family members who stand for justice. Ture told us that the enemy will come for us when we stand up. This is our calling card that we are having an impact. Keep it up! Get organized! This is not the time to get discouraged and to lose hope. If that is happening to you, its only because you are letting the enemy attack you psychologically. You need the medicine of a strong cultural ideological perspective. You can't get it from your enemies. So, if you are watching and listening to them, make sure you are also watching and reading about your own point of view. The minute we realize that and stop playing by the rule book created by our enemies, we will see victory coming fast over the horizon.