Ambrose M. Bennett
FIRST, I do want to thank the CNMI leaders who created & signed the MLK Day law, and people like Joe Hill, Judge Govendo, and the late Judge Herb Soll and Dr. John Joyner along with too many others to mention for helping to lead the charge, and being the recipient of the signing-pen for lobbying to get the bill into law is a true honor & treasure for me. But the Truth of the matter is growing up in Memphis under Jim Crow and marching in the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. King, it never dawned on me that I would still be “fighting the fight for equality” over 50 yrs. later on the other side of the world as it seems God had a plan. However, I never planned all of this, as I never thought about nor intended to write a lot in the newspaper, as it just happened within my heart & soul only for me to realize that I’m just a teacher who was chosen to try an educate the people of the CNMI on what is Right & Needed to be successful Socially, Economically and Politically.
All I have ever tried to do was offer solutions but there are those who still promote the bigotry belief that “only locals can say what needs to be done in the CNMI,” as social & political changes are slow — one person at a time. AS it is also written that WE can learn from our children and even the ants. So why not learn from a Black man who is highly intelligent & educated with two nationally recognized awards, which I refuse to let CNMI leaders & people ignore if Dr. King’s Dream for all of us is to come true in the CNMI. True prosperity does not discriminate, as WE will all find prosperity together or not at all. I still believe the New Day is surely on the horizon, as trouble can’t last always even though it took my Ancestors over two hundred years just to be FREE. I can only pray it won’t take that long for the CNMI to grow and come to terms with being America! AS, I’m sure many KNOW “God Ain’t Sleeping” and that a Black man can be a real Economist!
I know that being the first outsider to actually “speak-out and hold leaders accountable” was a culture shock for many, as my extraordinary challenge has been trying to change the minds & hearts of our local society that has been indoctrinated to be bias (prejudice) towards outsiders’ influence and making sure they don’t get credit on issues. So, creating change and initiating the “evolutionary growth & transformation of a society” after this is an extraordinary challenge that takes place one person at a time. Unlike the great Civil & Human Rights Leaders in history my task is compounded by the fact that I’m not a local and not a full member of Local Society by law! But FYI, when the late Bishop asked for my help to stop the casino and encouraged me to “keep writing to help HIS People” felt truly Divine-in-nature to continue this quest. I’m sure now some can even see Ambrose is a TEST of the People’s & leaders’ character and oath to the American & CNMI Constitutions.
FYI readers, I tried in the beginning to be “nice & polite” but what I got in return was letters of HATE addressed to Ambrose Bennett, as I had no choice but to be a badass to survive and they stopped! But saying “I don’t like the way Ambrose talks” is just “Bigotry Fall-Out” that consumes too many for an easy cop-out to ignore the value in the message. But I must use a “sharp-Ali-tongue with the wisdom & knowledge to back it up standing on a square in all 360 degrees,” or they would run me out of the paper which is why you don’t see anyone attacking me anymore. But I owe a lot to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who challenged me & others in person asking, “if not you, then who and if not now, then when” as “where there is a threat to injustice & equality anywhere it’s a threat EVERYWHERE”! It is “Always a Day on and Never a Day off when it comes to fighting FOR the rights OF All the People.” Prayers if you don’t want my help, as there are Bigots who only want to take the People backwards 50 yrs with Ambrose, however, many agree that if they had listened to Ambrose, the Black Economist, the CNMI would be a lot different & a lot better off economically, as I’ve proven it too many times — I Told You!
But the CNMI is a beautiful place with beautiful people who deserve a lot better from the leaders they have chosen over the years decimating the business sector and the quality of life causing anyone who can leave to move to the REAL America that the founders of the CNMI wanted the Northern Islands to be like. I know the People want better but the people must also DO BETTER when they vote. The American Dream is LOST in the CNMI and needs to be FOUND by the next Governor of the CNMI or it will be the Same-O Same-O. FYI, Ambrose is just the first & the tip of the Spear, so, let’s get REAL and Do Something Different & Better for a BETTER CNMI, as it’s time for a NEW DAY!
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 Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
