THE Truth Be Told, the History Channel was RIGHT, about “If WE don’t learn the lessons taught by history, WE are DOOMED to repeat the SAME-O Mistakes.” But I must first reiterate and pay homage to my mother, “Gladys MaDear Bennett” who was honored on February 7th in 2019, with our home being recognized by the Tennessee Historic Society as a National Historic Site. For me & our family it was a tremendous honor especially during Black History Month for the work our MaDear accomplished in creating the first, and probably the only, Technical School for Blacks to become “Seamstress & Taylors” after leaving the Cotton Fields to the Cities in search of new jobs. Our 1800s double-shotgun home of 7 bedrooms was also a “B&B” for Blacks who couldn’t stay in hotels, as there were Cadillacs, Lincolns and even a Rolls Royce in our driveway once. More recently, the Tennessee State Assembly also named the Walkway over the Expressway near our home in honor of MaDear, the “Gladys MaDear Bennett Memorial Walkway,” as she started the Petition to get the walkway built. The walkway is the first advertisement drivers will see entering Memphis from Arkansas and the last they will see leaving Memphis to cross the Mississippi into Arkansas. Needless to say, Black History Month is very special for my family and the entire Nation that is celebrated by All Patriotic Americans regardless of race who have compassion and truly appreciate African Americans and their American Struggles!
If you are paying attention to what’s happening on the mainland, then you KNOW the racist nature of Trump has been fully exposed with the ugly post of the Obamas as apes for Black History Month. I can remember leaning how WE went from first being called “Jungle-bunnies, to Negros & Ni**ers, to Blacks to finally being recognized with the Proper name of African Americans. For a people who came to America as slaves WE have come a very long ways with a long path still to travel if OUR Nation, including the CNMI, to live up to its creed of “All Men being created EQUAL”! I know there are many in the older generation of Chamorros/Carolinians who visited or lived on the mainland can attest to being called the “N-word” and even treated like they were Black. The bigot-racism in America is against ALL-People-of-Color is still alive & well under Trump and that’s WHY Dr. King included All-of-US in his Dream for a Better America because he KNEW the War was not over just because of the Civil Rights Act! WE must ALL continue to FIGHT for Dr. King’s & the American Dream. Black History Month is just a reminder of the “contributions & sacrifices of Blacks to create the American Dream.”
It is GREAT to be reminded & KUDOS to CNMI Founder & My Dear Friend the late Edward Pangelinan who did attend the March in Washington when Dr. King delivered his “Prophetic Speech to America about his Dream FOR All People of Color” who are in the Same-O Boat of Racial Inequality. In fact, the impotency of the Delegate to deliver any real financial support from Our-Fathers-in-Washington like Kilili used to DO is PROOF the People of the CNMI are in the Same-DEI Boat that has been sunk by Trump! Hard times are usually the catalyst for uniting the People against the injustices in America but the silence in the CNMI is deafening! I only see mostly mainland White Americans with a handful of Locals who are staging protests against Trump’s injustices that’s destroying OUR Democracy when there should be massive protest like WE see on the mainland to create NEW CNMI History for CHANGE in the pursuit of Prosperity for ALL! The majority can’t be satisfied with our destitute & declining economic conditions which WHY the Silent Majority needs to start speaking up in the CNMI!
The CNMI has lost many Indigenous soldiers who died fighting in foreign lands FOR People they didn’t know so they could experience “Equality & Democracy.” However, there’s hypocrisy in the CNMI with no respect for their sacrifices and where are the indigenous PATRIOTS when WE need them the most! The CNMI could use a dozen or more Indigenous Leaders/Citizens to lead who can see beyond culture to the QUEST for the American Dream FOR All Americans that’s tied directly to OUR Economy, which needs to be RESURECTED! There is all kind of attention being given to finding Tourists from other countries even “BEGGING for Chinese” with the Philippines being the latest nation added to the search list that has yet to deliver the tourists numbers needed to “Reboot & Fuel OUR Economic Engine”. However, WE the CNM have lost and even forgotten the objective of being part of America, as the inclusion of America in our efforts to REFORM the CNMI is all-important to the success of the Economy. No one is searching for “American Investor-Attractions, American Tourists & American Residents in the CNMI” that can surely ignite the Economic Reforms needed for perpetual prosperity. In fact, when it comes to Americans in the CNMI it is virtually a “virgin market,” as most Americans in the CNMI are only a “Renter-Class” and here only because they THOUGHT they would be on an island but still in America, self-included. But the CNMI is turning out to BE a third-world country after two decades of Republicans taking us BACKWARDS!
However, while the Senate is ALL-About-Power, KUDOS and THANKS to Senator Babauta, the only minority Democrat in the Senate, for asking the U.S. military to designate the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport as a gateway of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command or AMC, for questioning the role of the Commonwealth Casino Commission in the government now that the casino industry is gone, for asking NMC to consider a partnership with Taiwan’s government for a nursing program and recently for her Bill to “Limit Legislature Allotments” as she is truly living up to her fiduciary duties to “work & fight FOR the People” even while facing & dealing with extraordinary legislative & family challenges. She needs to know that many of us appreciate her work and WE are praying for Franklin, her Dearest Husband & OUR Exceptional CNMI Citizen! But WE will see what the Legislature will do about their OWN WASTE so “start taking names of the impotent leaders & leave no prisoners come November in the Voting Booth”! Second to Protest, voting was the primary tool in liberating African Americans in History, so it’s really on YOU CNMI-Voters to improve the CNMI with BETTER Leaders. So PLEASE listen to the wisdom of the Teacher and Do-Your-Homework before voting to make NEW CNMI History! Happy Black History Month, especially to All People of Color!
One People, One Direction.
Ambrose M. Bennett is an Economist who minored in Sociology, a Political Scientist, a retired teacher & former CNMI Board of Education Member, a James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays-Lifetime Humanities & Religious Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
