BLACKS NEED TO GET EVEN AND NOT APOLOGY FROM VINCENTE FOX
By Chika Onyeani


It is another derogatory comment from another arrogant 'I'm above blacks' president of a country, putting down black Americans.  First, two Japanese Prime Ministers called blacks inferior; the first time, we protested.  The second time, we still protested again.  We demanded that they apologise, they balked at apologising, but after a few pressures from American officials, they apologised.  It was back to business as usual.

Now, it is Vincente Fox, president of Mexico, a country where blacks are still regarded and treated like slaves, who has joined the bandwagon of insulting black Americans.  It has exactly been the same scenario.  Mr. Fox made his statement, refused to retrack it, but after pressure from U.S. government officials, finally decided to offer a luke warm apology by calling on two African-American leaders to express remorse about his statement.

Fox made the comment Friday, May 13th, during a meeting with Texas businessmen in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, when he said, "There's no doubt that Mexican men and women - full of dignity, willpower and a capacity for work - are doing the work that not even blacks want to do in the United States."  What Vincente Fox tried to imply here is that blacks in America are not "full of dignity, willpower and a capacity for work," hence Mexicans who have all these attributes are doing their work.

On Monday, May 16th, when the controversy about his statement broke out, Vincente Fox defended his statement and said he had nothing to apologise about. Even the Archbishop of Mexico City was quoted as saying that Fox was merely stating the fact.

But then the two African-American leaders, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton, demanded apology from Vincente Fox.  Rev. Jackson was quoted as saying, about Vincente Fox, "His statement had the impact of being inciting and divisive," and was said to have noted the tensions already existing between Blacks and Latinos in many U.S. cities because they compete for scarce jobs and often have children crowded into underfunded schools.

The Rev. Al Sharpton on his part is quoted to have said that the comment was especially disturbing because Fox was educated in the United States and "he is not unaware of the racial sensitivities here."

And then the State Department spokesman Richard Boucher chimbed in to inform us that the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City had raised the issue with the Mexican government. He was quoted as saying that, "That's a very insensitive and inappropriate way to phrase this and we would hope that (the Mexicans) would clarify the remarks if they have a chance."

Vincente Fox seized on this 'chance' that Ambassador Boucher provided him and of course later on Monday called on the two African-American leaders and expressed regret for having offended African-Americans.  Even the Rev. Sharpton said the private apology was not enough, Vincente Fox should offer a formal apology Yes, the same disgusting scenario and the same outcome.  A foreign leader states what they believe, African-Americans protest, the leaders after pressure reluctantly offer "regrets", invite our leaders to visit their country to see how they love black people.

The question really is, what is the essence of this apology?  Do African-Americans need another stupid apology from another bigot?  Should African-Americans be demanding apology rather getting even?  Has the apology solved the substance of what Mr. Fox rightly articulated?  We should be dealing with the truth rather than demanding apology.

All you have to do is go through any American city - the truth is that Mexicans have taken over the jobs that used to be offered to African-Americans. Just go through New York City, Mexicans have taken over in the construction industry - they are the carpenters, the electricians, you name it there are there. In big name restaurants, you hardly see any blacks employed as waiters or waitresses anymore.  Go through any urban city (black cities particularly), you need a carpenter, who do you call?  You need an electrician, who do you call? You need a mechanic, who do you call?  You need a gardener, who do you call? When we take our functions to establishments in white neighborhoods, who are the Valet Parkers?  When you enter the function hall, who are the servers, who are the waiters and waitresses?

So, what are we talking about here?  Does Vincente Fox's apology change the answer to the above questions?  Absolutely not.  I am absolutely getting sick and tired of black people demanding apology for the truth being told.  Even in Africa today, African leaders are jubilating about the economic invasion of the continent by the Chinese, exchanging one imperialism for another.

What the heck is wrong with black people?  As I stated in "Capitalist Nigger:The Road to Success," "I am tired of hearing the Black race always blamingothers for their lack of progress in this world; I am tired of their whining andvictim mentality.  I am tired of listening to the same complaint, day in dayout - racism this, racism that.  I am tired of talking to people who have onemind-set - talking of who did this and that to them."

Vincente Fox's statement goes to what "Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success," makes plain, that the Black Race is a consumer race and depends on other communities for its culture, its language, its feeding, and its clothing  - that we as Black people are pure and simple Economic Slaves.

Black people don't need an apology from Vincente Fox: what we need are solid methods of providing the solutions to the questions raised earlier.  We need to provide the training necessary for blacks to become trained in taking back the jobs that others have seized.