Herod Revisited

TBR Leighton Bradford Editor-in-Chief - originally published Houston/La Vida News

Popular culture is ever so reluctant to let Tupac Shakur go despite the death of the entertainer a short time ago. Is there any correlation between his death and the working towards the demise of other leaders? Are Black male leaders being purged from American society, making way for an ideal or premise that coincides with white supremacy?

 During the time of Jesus, a ruler by the name of Herod engaged in what was described as infanticide of male Hebrews. Ron Brown (Fmr. Secretary of Commerce), Tupac Shakur, Mickey Leland, El Hajj Malik Shabazz, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey and Huey Newton are a number of Black men silenced for whatever reason.

What will this become, yet another conspiracy theory? Or will society come to grips with this disturbing trend? Another variable within this equation revolves around the high incarceration and death rate of Black men. How can a scholar or African leader live with the destruction of hope? There also remains the short list of Black men hemmed up over trumped-up charges and imprisoned because of it. If only we could see into the past, maybe the future. What would we do? Maybe adjust flaws of character, and bring back Moses? Are any of these acts or actions related? What measures will some take to keep power out of the hands of Africans? Geo-political destabilization of Africa and America may benefit a white supremacist ideal; our old friend divide and conquer rears its ugly head. The aforementioned issues suggest fault--I ask candidly, who is to blame? There is a belief that certain elements within American society are administering policies which seek to destroy or destabilize the American Black male.

Young Black men are not being nurtured to hold power. So similar are the tactics of Herod, attuned with the shadowy enemy of a would-be messiah. Is there a direct correlation between a male leader of African descent, and an effort to work towards his demise? In college, some taught the varying aspects of logic, be it deductive or inductive. Why not borrow from this concept and begin to look further in what has been suggested. Maybe it's a coincidence that so many Black male leaders have been assaulted. W.E. B. Dubois spent his mature years in Accra, Ghana. Dubois may have washed his hands of society's treatment of individuals of African descent. Hopefully life for young Black men can be productive and prosperous so long as King Herod doesn't get a hold of them. Our current leaders have yet to devise a plan which embraces the young Black male, in an apprentice like posture, preparing them for leadership. So many questions, so few answers--our faith shall respond to all.