By: Frank James
Special to the Milwaukee Times
African Americans have always looked at other issues and joined the cause for others. This is also true for the African American celebrity. African Americans are the one race that seems to idolize their celebrities to the point of fanaticism. When African American celebrities adopt causes, many African Americans follow suit. This would not be a problem if things in the USA were going swimmingly for African Americans. African Americans of all status levels need to worry about their own house.
The recent dustup between Spike Lee and a heckler at a baseball game is an example of African Americans caring about others when their house is on fire. No one is saying that the events taking place in the Middle East are not atrocious. Any taking of life is. The point is simple, “African American are still living in a war zone in the USA.” African Americans need to solve their own issues before joining any movement to help others. This is not a selfish act. This is self preservation. It is time for African Americans to start seeking self preservation.
It is not about African Americans putting their heads in the sand and ignoring world issues. This is about African Americans focusing on the issues that pertain to their benefit. How can a people who still complain about unfair treatment in their house go charging off to fix another peoples’ issues? Why would anyone expect someone whose house is on fire to come mow their lawn? African Americans it is way past time for you to fix your own issues.
One of the major issues African Americans need to fix is the educational system. While celebrities are talking about issues in another country, African Americans have fallen behind in education. Not, the Bantu education the system promotes, the education of self. There are plenty of African Americans in the USA with degrees and doctorates. There are very few examples of manufacturing and creating economic freedom in the African American community. African Americans have to educate their offspring in a way that increases harmony between African American people. This act is key to building any type of economic base in the USA.
African American communities are still plagued with violence. The violence that takes place towards African Americans, from other African Americans, is ridiculous. When your house is in order, it is okay to worry about other people in another part of the world murdering each other. It is almost insane to be focusing on atrocities in another country when your people perform atrocities on each other. A cease fire in another country is a beautiful thing. This would assist the people in the other country. How would this change the atmosphere in African American communities around the USA? African Americans need a cease fire to be called between each other to solve their issues in the USA. Clean up your house African Americans.
African Americans have been living in a war zone for centuries. The sad part is that many African Americans are not cognizant of this fact. The war African Americans have been victim of evolved from physical to psychological decades ago. A manipulated black fist can do just as much damage, maybe more, as a white fist. African Americans are punch drunk from being clubbed in the head so many times over the years. What good is a brain dead person to any cause?
As a race, African Americans have a good soul. African Americans do care about other people. This is evident by the way they care for the people who have exploited them constantly in the USA. Going forth African Americans need to channel all that caring and love into each other and to the reshaping of their communities. After all, if the house burns down, where will African Americans sleep?
Frank James IV © 2026
beingfrankwithfrank@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or HT Group, LLC, its staff or management. “Being Frank” is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.
