Have you ever noticed that anytime Black people bring up injustices, disparities and inequities that are experienced in this country, that there is always someone who comes out and presents some sort of counter-argument in an attempt to dilute the overall message?

Let me give you a few examples.

Back on January 18, the day the nation celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., actress Jada Pinkett Smith posted a video on her Facebook page denouncing the Oscars and saying that she would be boycotting the Academy Awards this year and would not even be watching it on television, because of the lack of diversity among nominees – an issue that has been brought up for decades.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, who has a voting membership of mostly old, White men, has faced countless criticism for their lack of diversity when considering nominees and winners.

In her video, Jada said:

“Today is Martin Luther King’s birthday, and I can’t help but ask the question: Is it time that people of color recognize how much power, influence, that we have amassed, that we no longer need to ask to be invited anywhere? Begging for acknowledgement, or even asking, diminishes dignity and diminishes power. And we are a dignified people, and we are powerful. So let’s let the Academy do them, with all grace and love. And let’s do us, differently.”

I couldn’t agree with Jada more.

I often hear many White people, and those who co-sign with their mode of thinking, ask why Blacks have to have organizations and entities that focus on the needs and wants of Black people.  It is a somewhat interesting mode of thinking if you ask me, because they are and have always been the controlling majority in this country.

I have heard several White people say stuff like, “How would you like it if we had White Entertainment Television (WET) as opposed to Black Entertainment Television (BET)?,” or what if we had the National Association for the Advancement of White People (NAAWP) as opposed to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the list goes on.

They make the claims that we are all Americans, so we should not focus on race when it comes to distinguishing ourselves in America.  I wish that would have been thought about, however, when this country was founded, and before all of the laws that were passed that brought serious harms to people of African descent, specifically, and gave tremendous favor and a significant upper-hand to Whites.

Black people have always been shortchanged and overlooked since the foundation of this country, so why should we expect that same group of people to all-of-a-sudden view us as equal citizens?

From the onset of this country, we were looked at as less than equal, so why would anybody be surprised that Black people don’t get nominated or rarely win an Oscar?  We need to look at the bigger picture here.

In the very Constitution that governs this country, people of African descent were left out and excluded from having full access to the same rights and privileges of the law that Whites had.

The Three-Fifths Compromise, which can be found in Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the United States Constitution, reads:

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.

It dawned on me several years ago, that many White people in America are unable to relate and truly don’t know what is like to be disenfranchised and be treated inhumanely.

When you have never had to deal with something, many times you become desensitized to it.  Sadly, in order to make many people feel justified in their thoughts and actions, they will find a Black person that thinks like them and doesn’t make them feel “guilty” for the current plight of Blacks in this country.

Take Stacey Dash for instance.

In an appearance on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Dash received a ton of backlash because of her comments made during an interview, where she said:

“We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration, and if we don’t want segregation, then we have to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re Black. If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms. It’s a double standard.”

Dash is a prime example of someone I spoke about earlier, who will say and do anything to co-sign with the irrational and guilt-ridden conscience of certain individuals who are accustomed to being in control.

The reason we don’t need to name any organizations or entities “White” is because it has always been understood, since the foundation of this country, that every major industry and organization, was created by people of European descent and for people of European descent.

Everything was already and still pretty much is ruled by “Whites Only”.

Politics, financial industry, judicial system, courts, law enforcement, Corporate America, military, healthcare, major Non-profits, public entities…you name it.

Let’s not get it twisted, everybody.  This country was established by people of European descent and for people of European descent. Everybody else who lives here was an afterthought, especially people of African descent who were only brought here to be slaves and not equal citizens.  People of European descent founded this country for themselves, and set all the rules to benefit them solely.

Anybody who threatens that power has been dealt with, including death.  That is why the Ku Klux Klan was formed – to reign supreme through violence, intimidation and even murder, to keep control and stay in absolute power by any means necessary.

All we have to do is look at the history of this country, to know that I am right.  Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and many more, were all murdered because they were a threat to those who have always had controlling interest in this country.

Times may have changed, but the spirit has not.

Jeffrey L. Boney serves as Associate Editor and is an award-winning journalist for the Houston                    Forward Times newspaper.  Jeffrey is a frequent contributor on the Nancy Grace Show and has a daily radio talk show called Real Talk with Jeffrey L. Boney.  He is a Next Generation Project Fellow, dynamic, international speaker, experienced entrepreneur, business development strategist and Founder/CEO of the Texas Business Alliance.  If you would like to request Jeffrey as a speaker, you can reach him at jboney1@forwardtimes.com