In The Shoe Of Miss #Dolezal

A majority applauds her. Some consider her a villain. Me, I call Rachel Dolezal “An Ultimate One-Woman Revolutionist.” To those who applauded her, to those who cursed her, I would say that it was all the consequence of her revolution. I call her a revolutionist because a revolution is most definitely a radical undertaken to alter a certain course. Rachel Dolezal took the most stringent approach in her attempt to participate in the struggle of the Negro being.

When the news erupted, my initial reaction was that she simply wanted to live as a black person. I could not figure anything wrong with that; except of course that she may have violated the law by lying to maintain the blackness. I had yet to learn much about her background, her life, and her work in the black community. After I had arrived to know more about the life of Miss Dolezal and her position vis-à-vis the Negro race, I have reserved nothing but praise for her. And I would encourage her to consider any pitfall from this as a backfire of her endeavor.

What is the best way to understand the suffering of another human being than to experience the suffering yourself? Perhaps if the slave owners had subjected themselves to the experience of the Negro slaves, they would have had a change-of-heart that other human beings should not have been treated so inhumanly. Miss Dolezal went all the way to even alter her physical stature to adopt the Negro identity in order to live like a black person. We may never know exactly what might have pressured the lady to go that way. People have speculated that she is crazy, that she is a liar, that she is a phony, and all. Some of her action may force us to certainly empathize with the above. Her parents have described her as a pathetic liar; her adopted brother has painted a mentally displaced picture of her; and other people are just baffled by her comportment. Yet, what Miss Dolezal did was just trying to be as Negroid as Negro could be. She adopted a Negro identity and attitude; she altered her hair and skin color; and she joined the Negro person to live like one.

Many black females, and even black young men, have continually been trying through time to approach closer and join the Caucasian being. Throughout colonization and even to now, many black men and women have procreated with white individuals, and those kids have benefited significantly by having associated with their Caucasian progenitor side. More recently, we have seen black women crowning with long hair that sometimes makes it almost impossible to determine their race from behind. And more absurdly, many young black individuals have bleached their bodies to make them appear more light skin.

Miss Dolezal does not fit within the above disorder. She was in contrast on a mission to discover Black, to live black, and to fight on the side of the black person. Of course she could have done it some other ways, probably more effectively, that people could have comprehended her better and commonly accepted her. However, I guess she wanted to do it that way, or some way. She might have miscalculated the eventual outcome; bu,t that was what she wanted – to identify, live, and struggle like a Negro. With that, she certainly attained some highs and lows. (1) She received a scholarship to Howard University. Well, perhaps she would be capable as a white woman to obtain financing for her education some other ways. (2) She has been a professor of Afro-American Studies. She could be a professor of any other subject of her liking. (3) She became head of a NAACP chapter. It is very likely that she could ascend some other echelon. (4) She was also Head of some police order. Likewise, it is claimed that she was victim of hate crime and other abuses.

Now, Miss Dolezal, a Caucasian woman, entered the Negroid shoe not for the superficial aspects that most Blacks have done, (white privileges, better skin color and hair style). She appears to have had a deep sense of wanting to experience the life of the black person and to fight along side of him. She stated that she expected her strategy to fire back. Anyway, that was what she wanted to do. She did it. Most often, that is the way a revolution ends. You win some; you lose some. Miss Dolezal has now been somewhat derided over the media. Nevertheless, she would remain that one white woman who had gone so far as to enter the Negro’s skin to fight along with him.

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By E.C. GRANMOUN
E.C. Granmoun is the Author of: "The Social Worker"  ebook, amazon.com

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The Red Cross’ Fiasco In Haiti Goes The Haitian Way

When the earthquake of January 12, 2010 occurred in Haiti, the tiny and impoverished island nation automatically became the focus of the rapacious media. Some people took it as a natural catastrophe. Many considered it a punishment for the cursed land of voodoo, zombies, and demons. No matter what, the most astonishing sentiment was the outpouring of grief and support: (1) People from everywhere, from all denominations of life sprung forth to collect aid for the population in difficulty; and (2) so many God-loving individuals willing and ready to offer the necessary assistance to booster the Haitian people back to normal existence.

It did not take long for the benevolence, sentiment of helping and giving to recede, however. Haiti and its misery; its hundreds of thousands of people under tents; its down-ridden mountain tops; its piles of garbage; its young men and young women in the infernos of the slums; all the dreams of repairing Haiti; and its incompetent, ignorant, and corrupted leaders under the strong arms of imperialism; they all reentered the shadows. There was one new sphere to the phenomenon yet. It was the news about how much the poorest nation of the Americas was being abused and exploited by the so-called good Samaritans. And, one of these major villains was the Red Cross. Recently, the headlines about this organization’s squandering money destined to help victims of the earthquake were plentiful. One of them read, “How the Red Cross Raised Half a Billion Dollars for Haiti and Built Six Homes,” by Justin Elliott, ProPublica, and Laura Sullivan, NPR. Above the title, they showed a couple of minuscule shacks on dirt ground with two kids and their bikes and a woman.

The recent news should not be surprising.

Back a couple of years earlier, the bell had already rung. The controversy was about a plan of the Red Cross to construct a luxury hotel and conference hall with money that was donated to help poor and displaced Haitians. Therefore, as everything else in Haiti, the aid organizations arrived and maintained the same irreconcilable mentality of chaos and fiasco of Haiti.

According to the above article, “The Red Cross received an outpouring of donations after the quake, nearly half a billion dollars.” And for an institution with a reputation of successful philanthropy in the American society, the Red Cross has failed badly in Haiti. In fact, it is mentioned that the Red Cross used the Haitian crisis as a mere opportunity for fundraising; and, the organization has claimed success publicly. But, on the ground in Haiti, and according to verifiable records, it has shown that “the charity has broken promises, squandered donations, and made dubious claims of success.”  For instance, (1) they said that they have given homes to some 130,000 individuals. Investigative reports could account only for 6 newly built homes. (2) They offered an ambitious plan to “develop brand-new communities.” None was built.

Why the organization failed so badly?

The investigators pointed out some common issues. (1) A dependence on outsiders who did not even speak the Haitian language. (2) Discrimination against Haitian workers and job applicants. (3) Organizational lacking of developmental project expertise. (4) Too much overhead costs. The Red Cross itself has admitted that the event in Haiti was a trying moment for them. One project manager stated that the reason why a certain project failed was that they “didn’t have the know how.” Another blamed micro management from Washington D. C. that caused everything to take “four times as long.” Another major issue the organization raised for the failure of completing projects was the difficulty of clearing land titles in Haiti. The investigation has revealed however that the Red Cross has simply done a very bad job.

They wrote. “Instead of making concrete improvements to living conditions, the Red Cross has launched hand-washing education campaigns…,” these were “not effective when people had no access to water and no soap.” And, when the cholera epidemic broke out a few months after the quake, “the biggest part of the Red Cross’ response – a plan to distribute soap and oral re-hydration salts – was crippled by “internal issues that go unaddressed,”…”

The Red Cross’ fiasco in Haiti goes the Haitian way.

I remember in college how they instructed us that American business people  and officials would break the law once they were out of the United States territories. They would act according to the norms and vices of their host countries. The moment of the earthquake in Haiti proved such an American tendency. When the disaster had just struck, the world came in mass, painting a picture as if Haiti was going to be rescued forever. After a little while, however, it was the big question. What happened to all the money that had been collected? The answer was muddied.  Haiti remained in its misery; a mass of people had not exited the tents; and those who had found the badly constructed shacks were rejoined the same life of misery in the slums and ghettos.

Many nations, particularly the big so-called friends of Haiti had promised much money. That likewise has remained controversial. The donors have claimed they have already given out much. Haitians officials and critics have not agreed to the claim. No matter what, the philanthropists, the organizations, the mercenaries, all have come and gone. Many players, Haitians and foreigners, have cashed out majorly. It is the Haitian way. There is no law, no rule; everything goes the corrupted way. In fact, the reporters pointed out that it has remained a norm for the organizations to botch “delivery of aid after disasters…” Therefore, in Haiti it should not be surprising. It has gone as always – the Haitian way. 

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By E.C. GRANMOUN
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E.C. Granmoun is the Author of: "Big Bully Country: A Novel"  ebook, on amazon.com