Black Steele

Here is an outstanding Interview with Shelby Steele, a black that defines what is really wrong with black America. My comments appear below.

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Many years ago I roomed with a black Lt. for six months on a Marine Corps "Cruise". This Lt. was about 8 years my senior and had come up as a mustang. He was worldly, sometimes angry, sometimes light, but always responsible. To me, he was simply, Waco. No he wasn't from Texas. But Waco's ideas were as big and true as Mr. Steele's. Waco hated when black men tried to play a race card rather than accept responsibility for their actions. To Waco, there was no black or white, there was only responsible or irresponsible. Waco would not accept any excuses from any Marine - especially black Marines.

Waco was well acquainted with the politics of hate and managed to provide a Louis Farakhan tape or two for us to preview. Farakhan made him angry because Farakhan blamed the white man for everything and provided excuses for blacks not to accept responsibility. I later found out that the Farakhan tape had come to Waco from one of his Marines in the "hole". The tapes were circulating amongst some (definitely not all) black Marines. Waco knew that these tapes had the propensity to stir racial violence because of the racial hatred of Farakhan. To his credit, Waco began working with staff NCOs and NCOs to eliminate the hateful thought and feelings from aboard ships. He saw a problem and he quietly began to address it in a responsible way.

So what I remember of Waco is a man who looked around and accepted responsibility for himself and others. I remember a man who would not accept excuses from anyone. In my opinion, this is what Steele is saying in his interview. I sometimes wonder what I can or should say to my students. I feel a need to say something that can change a kid's attitude. I feel a need to use the place that God has put me, to do something that can make a difference.

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