This is an argument that Senator Clinton has been hammering away at for some time without providing any real evidence of her contention. Over the past few weeks Senator Obama has begun to respond by questioning her claim to 35 years of public service. I'd like to take a closer look at both of their records.
First of all Senator Clinton is a Junior Senator, just as Senator Obama is a Junior Senator. She's completed one term of office and then took a sabbatical to run for president, while Senator Obama has been in the U.S. Senate for a total of 2 years before taking his sabbatical. Senator Clinton likes to include her 8 years as the first lady as part of her experience. However, officially this does not pan out, because there are no official duties or responsibilities of the first lady. What she's doing here is using the uniqueness of her position, being the only first lady to ever run for public office and win, as a means of confusing the issue.
Prior to being the first lady on a national level she was first lady of the state of Arkansas. Again, she had no official capacity or responsibilities, except those given to her by her husband, as first lady.
Before becoming the first lady of Arkansas she was employed by the Rose law firm and continued to be employed there after her husband won the Governorship of Arkansas. Of course, we've all heard of the scandal involving Bill, Hillary and the Rose law firm regarding some shady land deals involving various members of the state legislature. But, we'll put that to the side for now.
Last, but not least let's look at the types of legislation proposed and made into law by Senator Clinton. During her 6 years of service in public office Senator Clinton has authored 20 pieces of “kitchen table legislation”, which have become the law of the land. Of these 20 pieces of legislation the majority of them have to do with giving someone a plaque or a medal, designation of historic sites, congratulating Lacrosse teams on their winning seasons, etc. Only 5 bills have any real meat to them where they would have required the cooperation of other members of the Senate. These included the following bills:
Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11.
Pay for city projects in response to 9/11
Assist landmine victims in other countries
Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care
Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the wilderness preservation system. Barack Obama, on the other hand, during 8 years of public service has sponsored over 820 bills. Here's a breakdown of the types of bills he introduced during his tenure in the Illinois State Senate:
233 bills on healthcare reform
125 on poverty and public assistance
112 crime fighting bills
97 economic bills
60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills
21 ethics reform bills
15 bills on gun control
6 bills on veterans affairs, etc.
His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored over 100 bills and cosponsored 427, including the following bills:
For more details on their other legislation you can reference the Library of Congress at this link www.loc.gov.
The following bills are just a few examples of the types of legislation introduced and or co-sponsored by Senator Obama over the last 2 years he's been in the senate.
This comparison of the records of the current presidential candidates is something that should have come out much earlier in the campaign. We need to look at the substance of the candidates, not just how long they've been in office, but what have they accomplished while in office.
In comparing the records of Clinton and Obama it becomes apparent that Obama's experience as a community organizer in the rock hard streets of Chicago, the crucible of the nation, has placed him in the unique position of being the first president elected by the average American in the 21st century, as opposed to the modern-day king makers. His experience speaks for itself. This is not a man that's been sitting on his laurels. He is a well organized, well educated, yet caring individual who will take the time to actually listen to the people he represents and be willing to work with individuals with widely differing viewpoints and political persuasions. Again, a cursory examination of his record will indicate his willingness and successful track record in proposing and passing bills that required the cooperation of a number of his fellow senators. These kinds of relationships will be immensely helpful in getting bills passed as the chief executive of the government.
Senator Clinton, on the other hand has been very consistent in her willingness to fight, not only Al-Qaeda and the Republicans, but her Democratic colleagues, as well. She's also been consistent in going along with the status quo in terms of important legislation, such as the authorization to go into Iraq; while her own pet projects have consisted of proposing little more than “kitchen table legislation”. As Dick Morris, a former Clinton strategist, stated in a recent article “Hillary Clinton Goofs Again! ”, she needed to pick an area that she was strong in herself, as opposed to an area where she has shown little to no ability, whatsoever.
In fact, according to Dick Morris, her one claim to fame, an “ill-conceived health care reform” bill not only failed miserably, it also “cost her party control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.” It thus seems inconceivable that she should now be elected to the “bully pulpit”. For even a cursory examination of her history shows a lack of clear direction, other than “a get along go along DC insider” stance, according to beachmom. This was clearly evidenced in her voting record, particularly with respect to the war in Iraq.
Clearly, if it's a choice between Obama and Hillary there can be no doubt as to who has the credentials, the experience, and the will, to not only occupy the Oval Office, but to use the power and influence of that office for the good of all Americans. The question then becomes, not does Obama have the experience, but rather does Hillary have the experience or the disposition to sit next to the “red phone”?
During the debate on Tuesday 2/26/2008 we saw "the real" Hillary Clinton, feisty, scrappy, itching for a fight. Over the last few weeks Hillary Clinton has exhibited signs of extreme aggravation with the fact that she's been losing ground in the polls and apparently has lost credibility as a viable nominee of the Democratic Party.
In the most recent debate she really showed out by lambasting, not only, Barack Obama, but also deriding the moderator and representatives of the major media. Over the last few weeks it's dawned on me that Hillary has an anger management problem, which has not been fully exposed by the media. However, I've recently come across some citations from a variety of sources close to Hillary and the Clinton camp indicating just that. Aside from everything else that's been said about her health care program vs. Obama's healthcare program this anger management issue, I believe, is the primary thing that disqualifies her for the job of commander in chief of all the armed forces.
One thing that Hillary has made real clear is that she's a fighter and that she'll "fight for us". The question is who's she going to fight. Assumedly, she's talking about fighting the Republicans and Al-Qaida. However, this is not clear. Based on her public record Hillary is not averse to fighting Republicans, terrorists, members of her own party or even White House staff members.
One thing is obvious, she has not been known for building coalitions and bringing people together. She has been known for talking negatively about her own White House staff members behind their backs and deriding them in public, however. Gail Sheehy states Bradford DeLong, a veteran of the Clinton administration who worked with Hillary Clinton on healthcare, had it exactly right when he warned, "We must keep Hillary Rodham Clinton very far from the White House for the rest of her life.", Hillary's Choice (New York: Random House, 1999) p. 11.
Even more telling was the statement by former Clinton Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers indicating her overall temperament,
"Anyone that stood up... was smashed down and belittled,very personally. [N]ot only would she sort of humiliate you in front of your colleagues or whoever happened to be around, Hillary tended to kind of campaign against people behind their back, and that was certainly my experience."
PBS Frontline, 16 Jan 2001 The Clinton Years
There's also a matter of integrity. The Clintons have been known for, shall we say, stretching the truth, as in the case of Gennifer Flowers, where Mrs. Clinton denied knowledge of the affair before it became public. Of course everyone remembers the Monica Lewinsky case and Bill Clinton's denial of any wrongdoing, "depending on how you define sex". Hillary and Bill have both shown us that they can stretch the truth.
In their recent debate in Cleveland Obama was called on to "denounce" or "reject" Louis Farrakhan, because of alleged anti-semitic remarks that have been attributed to him. Senator Obama did this unequivocally. However, nothing has been said, nor has she publicly acknowledged or apologized for her own, “anti-semitic” remarks, which are quite well documented and attested to by reliable sources. For instance, Jerry Oppenheimer states,
"Hillary hit him between the eyes. She was angrier than Paul had ever seen her. 'You f**king Jew bastard!' she screamed."
author Jerry Oppenheimer quoting campaign aide Paul Fray State of a Union (New York: Harper-Collins, 2000) p. 153
These are words out of Senator Clinton's own mouth. Thus far she has not had to account for them. Is this the kind of person that we feel can finally bring closure to the ongoing war between the Palestinians and the State of Israel? After making similar snide remarks about Mahatma Ghandi (Youtube) from the floor of the U.S. Senate, do we really think that she can now go to India and successfully negotiate with the Indian government concerning nuclear proliferation? Will she be able to direct negotiations with the various Muslim factions in Iraq, so that our troops can begin coming home 6 months after she takes the oath of office, after chiding Senator Obama for putting on the national dress of the Kenyan people, while on a diplomatic mission. Keep in mind, we've seen President Clinton wearing the national dress of Muslim Nigerians. Does this mean her husband is secretly working for Al-Qaida? Is this why she doesn't want to release her tax returns until she's been christened as the nominee of the Democratic Party? In the Bible it states:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: . . . a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
This passage needs to be plastered on the wall of the White House to help it's new resident keep their eye on the sparrow, especially that last passage about war and peace. The war in Iraq has been a major campaign issue and a real rallying point for voters. The people are demanding an end to the war, however both candidates have stated they will not pull the troops out, while leaving the area as a haven for Al-Qaida. That will require a lot of negotiating between forces that have been adversarial for 100's, if not 1000's of years. I personally don't see that Senator Clinton has the credentials to credibly carry out that mission.
The facts are in! Hillary Clinton is not fit to sit in the seat of power, guiding and directing the most powerful nation in the world. I've only listed a few of the more serious charges that can be corroborated here. It's what's not listed here that should concern every qualified voter in America. Because, whomever the next resident of the White House is, it's an absolute certainty that they will have to negotiate a number of situations with the leaders of many nations, and they'll have to do it in a calm and reasonable manner, with an understanding of their perspective and the perspective of their constituents. This is the advantage Senator Obama has over Senator Clinton. As we've seen him on the campaign trail over the last year, and under serious attack during a good portion of that time, by Senator Clinton, he's been able to maintain his cool at all times. This is the mark of a good leader. He's also shown grace and poise after coming from behind as an underdog to a leader in the polls, he's always maintained a decorum that was professional and respectful of the other candidates and their positions.
When Hillary Clinton says she's going to fight for us, I think she really means it! However, after 8 years in the White House with no threat of being ousted by the electorate; and 8 more years as a senator, she's no closer to passing her health care bill through congress, than she was when she started this fight. As the President of the most powerful nation in the world, the question is not will she fight, it's obvious that she will do that. The question is, can she build bipartisan coalitions that will in fact be strong enough to get legislation passed that will benefit all U.S. citizens. Will she be able to negotiate with these leaders, or will she try to bully them? Will she treat foreign dignitaries with respect, or will she belittle them, as we saw her belittle Mahatma Ghandi from the floor of the U.S. Senate (Fox news report on Youtube)? Will she be able to bring together a cabinet of chosen advisers and work with them, or will we see extreme instability in the White House, as cabinet members turn over faster than hamburgers on an open grill? These are important questions that remain unanswered and until now unasked.
Whoever wins this election and eventually occupies the White House needs to put all of their cards on the table. We're still waiting on Senator Clinton to produce her tax records indicating where her money comes from and therefore who she's beholding to. Senator Obama, on the other hand has made full disclosure and has refused to except any monies from lobbyists and PACs. When are we going to get a full accounting of Senator Clinton's actions and finances? I don't feel that anyone can vote for her and, in good conscience and say they feel that she's the best candidate for the job without this crucial information. At best they can say they like her more than the other candidates.
This reporter has been watching the race for the Democratic nomination with great interest, and apparently so has America and the world. From the outset it appeared that Hillary Clinton was the presumptive nominee. With four other people in the race Barack Obama stood out only because of his race.
Fast forward ahead to the present, eight months later and we have Barack Obama appearing to be the presumptive nominee and Clinton trying to catch up. What happened in the interim? Obama has caught on like wildfire, running through ten states without a credible challenge from his opponent. On T.V. Obama is looking very presidential, much more presidential than Ronald Reagan when he lost the part for the president in the 1964 film "The Best Man". In person he fills the halls he appears in with what could easily be described as devotees. In a recent visit to Youngstown, Ohio Obama not only had the whole crowd rocking, they were in the palm of his hand. They hung on his every word. They all came there knowing what he was going to say, and like one does at a concert with your favorite musician, they waited to hear the part of his speech that resonated with their own feelings. He has found his voice and the people are listening! Not just some of the people, some of the time, but all of the people, all of the time.
Meanwhile, Hillary has been relegated to the sidelines where she lobs potshots at him every now and then. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't have the strength of purpose, or the clarity of mind to be able to focus her aim and score a direct hit. Obama has deftly deflected each and every one of them, including the ridiculous charges of plagarism, lack of substance and "hopemongering". Yes, Obama is a hope monger, and proud of it. He's taken everything that's been tossed at him and like a good martial artist turned the energy behind those blows back on the one who threw them.
Whether he wins or loses this race is not the question. He will come up a winner any way it goes, because he is changing the nature of politics as we know it, right now, not in some distant future. Evidence of this is clear in the primary elections that he's winning, by double digit margins. He is bringing people together from all walks of life right now and giving the American people something to hope for.
In the beginning they tried to label him "The Black Candidate", that only a Black person would vote for. When too many white people voted for him they called him an empty wagon, very noisy, but no substance. A quick look at Obama's record would tend to belie that statement, when you Google him and find out that the issues he most recently brought into his stump speeches are issues that he's been addressing the entire time he's been in Congress, such as the homeless vets, education reform, the economy, the war in Iraq, Darfur and global warming. Obama is not just paying lip service to these issues he's writing bills and getting the votes to have them passed.
The question now is, if Hillary Clinton or John McCain are elected to the highest office in the land can they get the votes they need in Congress? I don't believe they can, not without the popular support of the people. In Obama's stump speech he states unequivocally that the change we seek cannot be made without the support of the people themselves, and he's right. No congressman or woman will want to stir up the ire of their constituents and have them outside their door protesting. This is a real and yet unspoken fear. Obama talks about putting the lobbyists out of business, shutting down their operations. There's no way to do that without the popular support of the people. So, all the talk of empty wagons rolling down the street making a lot of noise, but carrying little goods, is just that, talk.
They say Obama needs a reality check. Well I beg to differ. The reality is Obama is not only the best man, he's the best candidate for the job.
February 7th - 28th (Thursday evenings) 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Stewart Africentric Elementary School 1199 Vernon Odom Blvd. Akron, Ohio 44307
All presentations will begin promptly at 15 min. after the hour. A question and answer period will follow the 2nd film. Light refreshments will be included free of charge. Children are welcome but they must be supervised by their parents at all times.
February 7 Sworn to the Drum: A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella (35 min.) - A film portrait by noted director Les Blank on the life and passion of one of the most outstanding Cuban drummers of our time. Featuring interviews with Dizzy Gillespie, Carlos Santana and Katherine Dunham.
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1.5 hours) - The story of Miss Jane Pittman's 110 year life from slavery to the civil rights struggle of the sixties.
February 14 Black Indians: An American Story (1 hour) - (as seen on ABC) brings to light a forgotten part of Americans past - the cultural and racial fusion of Native and African Americans. Narrated by James Earl Jones, "Black Indian" An American Story" explores what brought the two groups together, what drove them apart and the challenges they face today.
Different But Equal (1 hour) - Different but Equal, examines the cultures of early Africa. Much of this information is based on art and artifacts from pyramids, caves, and tombs from Egypt and Meroe in ancient Sudan, with an emphasis on Meroe. Davidson brings up the importance of interactions between Africa and Europe, noting that differences in race were not sources of hostility and distrust during either the classic or medieval eras.
February 21 Flyers In Search of A Dream (1 hour) - A documentary on the history of African American aviation which includes segments on: Bessie Coleman, the first African American to be licensed as a pilot. William J. Powell, Sr., an early promoter of airmindedness in the black community. Herbert Julian (The Black Eagle), who was, by and large, the most internationally renowned African American flyer of his time, having had a large part to play in the formation of the first African Airforce, during the reign of Emporer Haile Selassie.
Ida B. Wells A Passion for Justice (1 hour) - documents the dramatic life and turbulent times of the pioneering African American journalist, activist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader of the post-Reconstruction period. Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison reads selections from Wells' memoirs and other writings in this winner of more than 20 film festival awards.
February 28 Roots Daughters (1.5 hours) - Sixteen Rastawomen on 3 continents share the experiences and inspiration that led to the development of a world wide spiritual and political movement known as Rastafari and their role in that movement.
Joel A. Rogers and Dr. Auset Bakhufu have both written books documenting that at least five former presidents of the United States had Black people among their ancestors। If one considers the fact that European men far outnumbered European women during the founding of this country, and that the rape and impregnation of an African female slave was not considered a crime, it is even more surprising that these two authors could not document Black ancestors among an ever larger number of former presidents. The president’s names include Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Warren Harding, and Calvin Coolidge.The best case for Black ancestry is against Warren G. Harding, our 29th president from 1921 until 1923. Harding himself never denied his ancestry. When Republican leaders called on Harding to deny the "Negro" history, he said, "How should I know whether or not one of my ancestors might have jumped the fence." William Chancellor, a White professor of economics and politics at Wooster College in Ohio, wrote a book on the Harding family genealogy and identified Black ancestors among both parents of President Harding. Justice Department agents allegedly bought and destroyed all copies of this book. Chancellor also said that Harding's only academic credentials included education at Iberia College, which was founded in order to educate fugitive slaves.Andrew Jackson was our 7th president from 1829 to 1837. The Virginia Magazine of History Volume 29 says that Jackson was the son of a White woman from Ireland who had intermarried with a Negro. The magazine also said that his eldest brother had been sold as a slave in Carolina. Joel Rogers says that Andrew Jackson Sr. died long before President Andrew Jackson Jr. was born. He says the president's mother then went to live on the Crawford farm where there were Negro slaves and that one of these men was Andrew Jr's father. Another account of the "brother sold into slavery” story can be found in David Coyle's book entitled "Ordeal of the Presidency" (1960).Thomas Jefferson was our 3rd president from 1801 to 1809. The chief attack on Jefferson was in a book written by Thomas Hazard in 1867 called "The Johnny Cake Papers." Hazard interviewed Paris Gardiner, who said he was present during the 1796 presidential campaign, when one speaker states that Thomas Jefferson was “a mean-spirited son of a half-breed Indian squaw and a Virginia mulatto father.” In his book entitled "The Slave Children of Thomas Jefferson," Samuel Sloan wrote that Jefferson destroyed all of the papers, portraits, and personal effects of his mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson, when she died on March 31, 1776. He even wrote letters to every person who had ever received a letter from his mother, asking them to return that letter. Sloan says, "There is something strange and even psychopathic about the lengths to which Thomas Jefferson went to destroy all remembrances of his mother, while saving over 18,000 copies of his own letters and other documents for posterity." One must ask, "What is it he was trying to hide?"Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president from 1861 to 1865. J. A. Rogers quotes Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks, as saying that Abraham Lincoln was the illegitimate son of an African man. William Herndon, Lincoln's law partner, said that Lincoln had very dark skin and coarse hair and that his mother was from an Ethiopian tribe. In Herndon's book entitled "The Hidden Lincoln" he says that Thomas Lincoln could not have been Abraham Lincoln's father because he was sterile from childhood mumps and was later castrated.Calvin Coolidge was our 30th president, and he succeeded Warren Harding. He proudly admitted that his mother was dark because of mixed Indian ancestry. However, Dr. Bakhufu says that by 1800 the New England Indian was hardly any longer pure Indian, because they had mixed so often with Blacks. Calvin Coolidge's mother's maiden name was "Moor." In Europe the name "Moor" was given to all Black people just as the name Negro was used in America.All of the presidents mentioned were able to pass for White and never acknowledged their Black ancestry. Millions of other children who were descendants of former slaves have also been able to pass for White. American society has had so much interracial mixing that books such as “The Bell Curve”, discussing IQ evaluations based solely on race, are totally unrealistic.1. Andrew Jackson was the first president to have an attempt on his life2. Thomas Jefferson's wealth died before he did. At his death he was living with a Black Woman, as the father of their Black Children. Wasn’t he the one who insisted on the phrase "All Men Are Created Equal"? What did those words betray? Why would a White slave owner push that theory at that time?3. Abraham Lincoln was killed in office. For almost a week while he was president, hundreds of Black people were targeted and killed on the streets of New York in response to his policy. The White rioters even killed a Black child when burning down the Colored Orphan Asylum. Dr. Vaughn writes "Lincoln's presidential opponents made cartoon drawings depicting him as a Negro and nicknamed him "Abraham Africanus the First." The picture book has the cartoon.4. Warren Harding died under unclear circumstances that could have included murder The year he was elected, the Negro Wall Street riots happened where hundreds of Black folks were brutally killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rosewood, Florida’s Black community was also the target of rage killings.5. Calvin Coolidge - though he was president during the prosperous roaring 20's, never received much credit for his work and within a year after he left office the country fell apart with the stock market crash. According to Groiler "The number and variety of Coolidge's accomplishments as president were substantial. Unhappily, wiser ones were needed to meet the growing problems of the time. His major achievements--tax and debt reduction and the Kellogg-Briand Pact renouncing war--were soon made mockeries by the events of the 1930's, and his lesser accomplishments were largely forgotten with time's passage." Reads like PhD level historians have decided to kill his reputation. He was good while he was there but nine months after he left things fell apart so he wasn't that good. Nine months can unravel a lot of things. The Roaring 20's were among the best times this country ever experienced.
"Verse 5. I am black, but comely (O ye daughters of Jerusalem) as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me, they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept."
This belies the whole accidental blackness theory, and in this case it may not be written in stone, but it's certainly carved into the woodwork. In fact, it's much more likely that their blackness is kissed off of their hands and feet, than the other way round.
Because of the negative attitude towards anything black, and especially black people, many of these statues have either been destroyed, whitewashed or replaced with lily white statues in accordance with the tenants of white supremacy, which dictates that the Mother of God and hence her son must by definition be white. Any other statement to the contrary would have to be considered heresy.
One of my teachers, Chief Fela Sowande, admonished all of his students to always "read little and think deeply and much". If we just apply logic to the situation it will become clear that Jesus, hence his mother, could not have been lily white as we see them popularly portrayed in most every church in America. The peoples of the land they were birthed in have never been blonde haired, blue-eyed, with lily-white skin from that day to the present. Skin bleaching creams and hair rinses were not commonly in use at that time, because the negatives associated with being black had not come into style, yet. So, who was it that came up with this idea that Jesus was other than a swarthy son of Ham? I dare say it was the artists of an era far removed from that of the historical Jesus. All of these artists have been heavily influenced by a belief in white supremacy, either consciously or unconsciously.
Meanwhile, the icons themselves continue to be venerated in a odd twist of fate. The tricky part is how to worship the African woman and maintain your belief system, based on the doctrine of white supremacy. This is especially difficult due to the degradation of the African woman by everyone, including her man. As we see more and more images of the African woman glorifying her as a sex object rather than as the mother of nations.
These images abound, not just at Christmas time, but all-year round. This degradation has been occurring over a long period of time, but funnily, even with our modern, liberal outlook on life we have yet to be able to put these images of the Black woman, as a sex object to rest. Examples of this fascination with Black women and their sexual parts are easy to find. Witness the conversion of Sarah Baartman into some kind of sideshow freak.
Sarah Baartman was born in southern Africa as a member of the Hottentot tribe. White men were so fascinated with her and other women of her tribe that they took her to Europe and put her on exhibition in her birthday suit. This went on for a number of years and she finally succumbed at the tender age of 25. Her death did not release her from her tortured life, however, The scientists of the day cut out her vagina, her brain and bleached her bones, for display in the Museum de la Homme in Paris, France. Her body parts remained on display for 150 years, until the museum finally was shamed into locking them up in their vault. She finally was buried in 2002, in South Africa.
I consider her one of the lucky ones, because she doesn't have to be subjected to viewing our daughters on parade as modern day versions of Sarah Baartman. I consider her to be one of the lucky ones, because she's no longer on display as a modern day "Video Vixen", shaking her booty for money, sliding a credit card between her cheeks, to let us all know exactly where her money maker's at. She doesn't have to look at the new dances where the woman bends over and grabs her ankles as the man stands behind her grinding.
Sarah Baartman is dead and her bones are in the ground. The rest of us need to really think about what we're going to do with the remainder of our time on this earth. Will our women continue to devolve into "Superheads" or will they finally stand up and be counted as the mothers of nations.
For those of you interested in more details about the Black Madonnas of the ages, please see my related Blog The History of Black Virgin Marys, by J.A. Rogers. For more information on Sarah Baartman and the "Video Vixens" check my Video Blog on Sarah Baartman.
Quotations from various sources throwing a light on the history of several Black Madonnas follow:
“Why are the majority of the virgins that are revered in the celebrated pilgrimages, black? At Boulogne-sur-mer the sailors carry a Black Virgin in the procession. At Clermont in Auvergne, the Black Virgin is revered as also at Einsiendeln, Switzerland, near Zurich, to which thousands of pilgrims – Swiss, Bavarians, Alsatians – go to pay her homage. The famous Virgin of Oropa in the Piedmont is still a Negress, as well as the not less legendary on of Montserrat in Catalonia, which receives 60,000 visitors a year. I have been able to trace the history of this one to the year 718 A.D. And it was always black. Tradition says that St. Luke who personally knew the mother of Christ, carved with his own hand the majority of these Black Virgins. It is highly interesting to know, therefore, if the mother of Christ was not a Negro woman, how it happens that she is black in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain?” (“Romain Rolland, Intermediare des chercheurs et des curieux,” Vol. 34, p. 193, Paris.)
The Black Virgin of the Hospice of Espalion is called “La Negrette.” Another writer adds that the Black Virgin of Notre Dame of Hal, near Brussels, Belgium is a shrine for a large number of pilgrims. She is credited with having performed many miracles, one of which was saving the cathedral by catching 33 cannon-balls in the folds of her robe. The cannon-balls are on display. This same writer also names the Black Virgin of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Grund, Luxemburg. (Ibid., Vol. 33, p. 633.)
“In Russia, the image of Notre Dame of Kazan is a Black Virgin. The Miraculous Virgin of Czenstochowa, Poland, is of the same color. I believe that is due to its very ancient Byzantine origin.” (Ibid., Vol. 34, p. 640)
“The Black Virgin of Chatillon-sur-seine was thrown into the fire by the revolutionists in Oct. 1793. Grenoble also has its black Virgins. In Perigord there is a Notre Dame the Black:” (Ibid., Vol. 35, p. 65, 66, 67.)
“In Normandy two Black Virgins have been the object of a veneration that goes back to the earliest times of our national history and attracts each year at Notre Dame de Deliverance, near Lion-sur-mer and at Notre Dame de Graces, near Honfleur, innumerable pilgrims, especially sailors.” (Ibid., Vol. 34, p. 169.)
“The Virgin of Notre Dame de Liesse (Aisne) is one of the oldest of France, and the pilgrimage to her dates back to the 13th century with its legend of Ismery, the girl of the Egyptian Sudan which was transported by the Virgin with three cavaliers of Effies, Marchaux de Coney from the borders of the Nile to the little village of Ile-de-France where was actually built the sanctuary of the Black Virgin, another Mary of the Egyptians.” (Ibid., Vol. 35, p. 300.)
Anatole France says, “In the little church of Mende (Loziere) above a fountain in a little chapel, or rather, a little altar, closed by a window, is a Black Virgin, which appears to be of the Middle Ages. The statue of Puy de Dome which was broken during the Revolution was no other than an Isis of basalt holding her son Horus, on her knees.
“I have always had a very great liking for and curiosity towards the Black Virgins, which are very ancient. They wear mantles that resemble window-shades, and are open and short. The reason they are sitting is that they dress as if though they were standing, the effect being a touching contempt for the human form. The Greeks also had their black idols.” (Intermediare des Chercheurs, etc., Vol. 40, p. 293.) See also “Pierre Noziere,” by Anatole France.
“There are numerous Black Virgins: they are really black: some of them are even Negresses and not merely painted wood.” (Ibid., Vol. 60, p. 653, 1909.)
Huysmans in “La Catherdrale,” describes the Virgin as a Negress,” and Christ as a little Negro. (p. 31.)
Georges Sand says, “A divinity of ancient Egypt, brought, it was said, from Palestine by St. Louis, is the idol that the Revolution has broken after centuries of veneration. A new Black Virgin has been inaugurated but it is said she performs less miracles than the old. Happily there has been preserved in the treasure of the Cathedral the waxes which the angels bore when they descended from heaven to place them with their own hands on the altar the figure of Isis.” (“Le Marquis de Villemar.”)
With regard to Notre Dame de Liesse of Soissons, a Negro Virgin, she was a native African, who was brought to France, and whose exemplary life caused her later to be identified with the Madonna. The story is that she was Ismeria of Ismery, that she came from the Sudan, married Robert D'Eppes, son of William II of France, and bore him a son named Jean, who was the companion of St. Louis, king of France, during the Crusades. In a chart of 1236, he is designated under the name “Son of the Negress.” So great was her fame that a town sprang up near the place of her burial, and pilgrims from all parts of France came to pay their homage. Among them were Joan of Arc; Louis XI, and Francis I. Very rich gifts were brought to her shrine, and it appears that she received much more homage than the Madonna herself. (Drochon, J.E.B., “Pelèrinages Français,” Paris, 1890.)
Black Virgins abound, or abounded in Russia. The Eastern Church has two types of Virgins; one frankly African with Ethiopian or Galla features; the other Byzantine with a copper complexion and classic Greek features. The preferential worship of this Black Diety by the Slavs goes back to the dimmest antiquity. (Fraser, “The Golden Bough.” (Vol. 9, p. 92, London, 19145.) Additional references to the Black Madonnas of Russia, as well as those of the British Isles, and elsewhere, are contained in “Notes and Queries,” (9, Ser. II, 367, 397, 449, 475, 537. IV, 77, 135, 177, 315.)
Naturally these are objections to this theory. The Rev. Canon Brugiere puts forth the opinion that the Black Virgins are the result of a too literal interpretation of the passage “I am black but beautiful.”
He says: “We believe that the desire of the artist was to recall the passage, “I am black but beautiful, Oh daughters of Jerusalem; it is especially in a spiritual and a mystic sense that one attributes this black color to the Holy Virgin.
“Here are the principal reasons given by the commentaries cited: Although beautiful by the plenitude of grace, the Virgin Mary is black being a daughter of Adam, who had sinned and by his sin soiled all his posterity. But Mary is exempt from the common law and only has the appearance of being soiled.
“The Virgin Mary, said Rupert the Benedictine (1125 A.D.) appeared black when Joseph wished to send her away in secret, believing that she had become a mother after the common law but in reality she was beautiful because she had conceived by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
“The Holy Virgin appeared black when witnessing the crucifixion of her Son. She was at the foot of the cross, disfigured and as blackened by the excess of sorrow.
“It is, therefore, quite natural that these Biblical souvenirs suggested the idea to the artist to paint the Virgin brown and even black.” (Bull. Soc. Hist. Et Arch. De Perigord, Vol. 24, p. 80, 1897.)
This is highly fantastic. It is an attempt to explain away fact by allegory and theological hocus-pocus. Moreover, Isis and her son, Horus, with Osiris, her husband, (which constitutes the Holy Trinity), were worshipped in Europe centuries before the Christian era. The first historical contact of Italy with Egypt was about 1400 B.C. Later came the Phoenicians who were also worshippers of the Black Goddess and who traded as far to the northwest as Britain.
In 58 B.C., the Roman Senate ordered the statues of Isis in the Capitol to be destroyed. But in 48 B.C. her worship returned with accelerated vigor when Cleopatra came to Rome as the wife of Julius Caesar. After the battle of Actium in which Cleopatra and Antony were defeated Isis was again ordered banished. Agrippa's efforts to enforce this order caused riots at Rome, and served but to increase the zeal of the Egyptian missionaries. The persecution continued until the time of Tiberius; but the Black Virgin came back into power under Caligula. Suetonius tells of Egyptians and Ethiopians at Rome playing a scene in which Isis is represented. Under Nero the power of the Black Virgin and her son increased, and the Emperor Domitian in escaping from the Capitol wore the robe of a priest of Isis. Isis was especially adored by the women, and it was the custom of her devotees to break the ice of the Tiber and go into bathe for which they were mocked by Juvenal in his Sixth Satire.
The mystical religion of Isis with its beautiful liturgies and ceremonies; its rich ornaments; its sacred emblems; its initiations, together with the sorrows of Isis for her tunes, says Plutarch. At the same time her holy life offered a lesson of piety and encouragement for all, especially women.
The worship of Isis, as the Black Virgin, lasted centuries after the introduction of Christianity. As late as 394 A.D. Her processions still marched through the streets of Rome. Isis is made to say by Apuleius, African philosopher and romancer (125 A.D.):
“The Phrygians call me Pessinus, the Mother of the Gods; the Athenians call me Cecropian Minerva; in Cyprus, I am Paphian Venus: I am Diana Dictynna to the archers of Crete; Stygian Prosperina to the Sicilians at Eleusis, I am the ancient Ceres; to some I am Juno, to others, Hecate. It is only the Ethiopians and Arians, illumined by the dawning light of the sun, and Egypt powerful in her ancient lore, who honor me with the rites that are really mine, and call me by my true name, the Queen, Isis.” The Arians were a religious sect of Africa.
The worship of Isis spread through the remainder of Europe and into Asiatic Russia. Ancient statuettes of her have been found in Northern France, in the Rhineland, and on the Moselle. Her temples were in all that region, as well as in Britain. She is believed to have had a temple in Paris, and another nearby, at Melun. By certain archaeologists the word “Paris,” is supposed to be a corruption of “Bari-Isis,” becoming through Roman pronunciation “Parisii,” the name of the tribe that inhabited the site on which Paris now stands. The boat in the coat-of-arms of the city of Paris is supposed to be the bark of the Negro goddess. Isis was the goddess of navigation, as will be seen later on. According to De Breuil, a statue of Isis existed in the Abbey of St. Germain-des-Pres, Paris, as late as 1514, when it was ordered broken by Cardinal Briconnet.
Isis, says Encyclopedia Britannica, was worshipped in Egypt, Greece, Rome, Gaul, almost all the remainder of Europe, and England. (See Isis.)
Larousse Universal Dictionary says; “One of the most ancient of the divinities of Egypt, she formed with Osiris, at the same time her son and husband, a mythical trinity i which is to be found the Holy Trinity of the Christian religion. Isis was the force of life itself which gathered all the scattered forces of life from death and decay, warmed them in her bosom, and perpetually gave them new life.”
When the Christians came into power after the edict of Constantine they were powerless against the great hold of the Black Madonna on the people so they ended by compounding her religion with theirs, changing her name to Mary. It is significant, too, that the mother of Buddha, was Maryamma, indicating another source of Christianity as well.
According to Madame Blavatsky: “It was none other than Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, who openly embraced the cause of Isis and Anthropomorphized her into Mary, Mother of God. (“Isis Unveiled,” vol. II, p. 41.)
Grant Showerman says of the transformation of the Pagan religions of Rome into the Christian one:
“What was true of pagan literature was true of other arts. It was especially true of painting. So far were the Roman Christians from resisting the seductions of pagan form that their painting not only shows the same characteristics and the same changes period by period; but it borrows pagan motives and pagan fixtures. The Good Shepherd in the Catacombs is not the bearded Christ of later time but a smooth-shaven and shapely figure of pagan art.
“Christian civilization was indebted to paganism not only for arts but culture in general. The new religion itself, was not unmixed with the old. In both doctrines and ceremonial, it came to have much in common with the pagan religion. The resemblance between the doctrines of Christianity and those of the oriental religions especially was striking.” (Eternal Rome, pp. 321-26. New Haven, 1924.)
St. Augustine himself says:
“What is now called the Christian religion has existed among the ancients and was not absent from the beginning of the human race until Christ came in the flesh from which time the true religion which existed already began to be called Christian.” (Retract. I, 13.)
Conclusive proof that the Black Madonna is Isis is contained in the fact that Isis was the goddess of navigation. The greatest feast of the cult of Isis was that of the Ship. On a great number of the coins of Asia, Isis is represented standing on a galley, holding a veil inflated by the wind. In the romance of Apuleius there is a long description of the ceremonies held at Kenchrees, the port of Corinth. This feast marked the end of the bad season wad was the signal for navigation to begin again. To this day in several sea-ports of Europe, sailors hold these ceremonies, and as their patron saint they carry a Black Virgin called Mary exactly as their fellows of two thousand years ago carried a Black Virgin called Isis in their processions.
Today, the majority of the Black Madonnas have Caucasian features. The reason is that nearly all the original ones were destroyed by fire or by mobs during revolts of the predominant population. During the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars there was a general destruction of Black Madonnas in Europe, two notable instances occurring at Montserrat, Spain, and at LePuy, France. The former is the patron saint of Catalonia: the latter, the principal Madonna of France.
Two of the oldest black Madonnas of Europe are those of Loretto, Italy, and of Nuria, Spain. The first is said to be the original of all the Black Virgins. It was destroyed by fire about 1930 and was restored by Pope Pius XI who, according to Father Ledit, ordered “the color preserved.” The Black Virgin of Nuria, which is called “The Queen of the Pyrenees” is distinctly Negro.
Thus, from this mass of evidence, we have undoubted proof that it was the Negro, who originated not only religion, but Christianity as well. The fact is significant, because no matter what some may think about religion, it was the source from which came ll our learning, art, science, and culture in general.
Note: Once when I said that the original Christ was black, a Jewish girl said I was taking away even Christ from the Jews. Most German, English, American, and Latin American Jews do not like mention of a Negro strain in their people. Anti-Semitic writers constantly refer to the Negro Semitic writers frequently use this to belittle them.
For instance, Louis F. Céline, in his violently anti-Semitic novel, “Bagatelles Pour Un Massacre,” harps on the Negroid characteristic of the Jew. He says, “The single defense, the sole recourse of the white man against robotism, and certainly against war, and a return to the days of the cave-man, is to return to his own emotional rhythm. The circumcised Jew is on the way to castrate the Aryan of his natural emotional rhythm. The Negro Jew is about to tumble the Aryans into Communism and robot art, to give them an objectivist mentality that will make them perfect slaves for Jews. The Jew is only a Negro, after all. There is no such thing as a Semitic race. It is an invention of the freemasons. The Jew is a cross between the Negro and the barbarous Asiatic.” (pp. 191-2, Paris, 1927.)
On the other hand, several American whites have declared that one is no friend of the Negro to class him with the Jew.
The Christ idea has evolved racially just like the human race itself. Once, it was black, now it is white. So far as we know, it was originally East Indian. In a world without its Goebbels, Mosleys, and Lindbergs the question of what race was Christ would be a matter of purely ethnological curiosity.
Bibliography
The material on the worship of Isis in Europe is vast. Some of the principal works in addition to those given are:
Lievre, A.P., “Isis et la Magie, etc.,” Poiters, 1898.
Ruby, J., “Christus,” Paris, 1912.
Schaafhausen, “Ueber den Roemischen Isis Dienst am Rhein,” in Jahrb. d. ver. v., Alterthsfr. Im Rheinl. No. 25.
Arnoldi, Richard, “Roemischer Isis-cult an der Mosel,” Ibid., p. 87.
Burel, J.k “Isis et Isiaques sous l'Empire Romain,” Paris, 1911.
Guimet, E., “Les Isiaques de la Gaule,” Paris, 1916. - This work contains illustrations of statues of a Negro Isis found in France and other Egyptian relics.
Rusch, A., “De Serapide et Iside in Graecia,” Berlin, 1906.
Weigall, A., “Paganism in our Christianity,” London, 1928. (List of Virgin Births, pp. 42-46. Isis into Virgin Mary, p. 208.)
For hundreds of additional references: See Isis in Dict. Des Antiqu. Grecques et Romaines, Vol. 3, pt. 1, Paris, 1900.
Misc.” For the cross as an ancient symbol of worship in the Old and New World see:
“The Cross” - Chap. I. The Cross before the Christian Era and in Prehistoric Times,” by Seymour, W.W., New York, 1898.
Higgins, G., “The Celtic Druids,” pp. 126-131.
Massey, G., “Man in Search of His Soul,” London, 1897.
“The Historical and Mythical Christ,” London, 1921.
On prehistoric mother-goddesses, se Childe, V.G., “Dawn of Civilization” (consult index of same), New York, 1925.
Rogers, J.A. Nature Knows No Color-Line, pp. 29, 30, 40, 41. 1952.
