Time Flux: Black History Interrupted

Deep in a basement laboratory, Jigabod and his progressive alliance of soul have succeeded in creating a makeshift time machine. But this time machine is not a transport as many would envision...

In the minds of the creators, the prototype is but a weapon, both by necessity and by provision. A machine that could place a man permanently in the past is far too dangerous for this world; even Jigabod wishes for second a chance to spend his life with the one he truly loves. Not only this, but one cannot fathom the power needed to fully commit a being even a few decades into the past; furthermore, the most that can be left in the past at this point is only something as light as a sheet of paper.

But even a sheet of paper can be heavy...

Jigabod has volunteered to pioneer a 1-minute expedition into the past; one minute to change the course of history.

His elected mission: to reconcile the differences between two of the greatest men in
African-American history, W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington.

His only weapon: A letter of reason...

"...'Pride precedeth destruction', my friends. It doesn't take an intellectual to know this; you both are over-qualified for this level of understanding.

I am an unborn descendant of the labors of both of you great men. I am thankful for your contributions to the future of African-Americans in this country, the United States of America. However, As I read of your exploits and accomplishments and episodes, it truly pains me that you were not able to accomplish MORE. History records that, though you both started as brothers-in-arms in the war for equality and a better life for African-Americans, you ended as the bitterest of enemies. And I cannot understand why...

Granted, your perspectives of what must be done to improve conditions for our people are vastly different, what I do not understand is why you are convinced that the process must be exactly one way or the other. Speaking from the perspective of one who knows your present as well as my present, which is the future, I can safely say that neither one of you or your methods is dispensible. Let me explain:

The established culture of America, the White culture, is a lion; the Black culture is but a tamer. We are caged together by the oceans, by the economy, by the government, by the common need to live fruitful lives. The object of the act is to prove that the lion and tamer can co-exist without the lion devouring the tamer; of course, if the tamer could devour the lion, the situation would be much different. He cannot.

To demonstrate liberty in the cage, the tamer must be able to stick his head into the lion's mouth, his most dangerous and most feared asset, and emerge without being decapitated. Mr. Washington, this is your role. However, to prevent the lion from closing his mouth and crushing him, the tamer's arms must prop the lion's mouth open. Mr. DuBois, this is your role.

Picture this my friends: for the head to sit in the lion's mouth with no support is a certain way to destruction at the lion's slightest hunger. However, for the arms to hold the lion's mouth without the head going in is no demostration of liberty in the cage. So what sense does it make for the arms and the head to be at war with each other? You are two instrumental elements of the same act, and one without the other is not sufficient to complete the show.

I will spare you the metaphor now and present something more practical. DuBois, I admire your insistence that justice be served and that the established culture be held accountable. You demand that Blacks receive all that Whites are afforded, and morally, this is right. However, what do you think is the outcome AFTER we've received these things? These rights, these privileges, these shared quarters, this liberal arts education?

Here is what happens: we realize that we've neglected to develop our own sect of society to a level where those thing which we've gained can be put to our use as effectively as it is to theirs. We create philosophers, but don't have enough men of skill to have a strong economy. We move in with the established culture, but find that it is still they who occupy most high-end jobs and create the social statuses and precedents, while all we can hope to do is fit in. We gain inclusion by right, but experience exclusion by economics.

I know this for fact, for I live in the future your way created...

Washington, I admire your insistence on industrial education and passion for education in general, your investment in Black businesses, your ability to interact with both races. You seek to develop the Black communiy without insisting on holding the established culture accountable and receiving aid and restitution from them.

The problem is, no matter how "nice" you are to them, there are those that still hate you. You may develop the Black community; you may get smiles from the established culture. But the instant that the people in power decide that you've "developed" enough, who will stop them from tearing down everything you've worked for? Because, you see, no matter how far you get, all your progress is still in the context of th established culture; if you don't prop the lion's mouth open and offer resistance, it will close its mouth on you.

Don't you see, my friends? You BOTH are the elements that make up the tamer; without one or the other, the ideal will never be realized. Mr. Washington, if you work on the Black community and focus on its internal development---Mr. DuBois, if you offer resistance by going to the courts and by seeking constitutional reinforcement and by demanding justice--- then, when integration finally occurs, it will be the integration of a strong, stable Black community into the established culture. in my future, integration resulted in a continued parasitic relationship where the established culture feeds off the Black community wihtout much gain for the Black community itself; it's 2007 and we are STILL exploited to the point that we oftentimes don't even recognize the exploitation. But the integration of a strong Black community, fostered by Mr. Washington and protected by Mr. DuBois, into the established culture would result in a mutualistic relationship, where Black may be continually hated, as hate isn't logical, but nevertheless valued sociologically.

There's no sense in choosing between Black pride or Black progress when you can have both. Put your personal differences aside PLEASE; no personal vendetta is worth the futures of your descendents. We look upon you both as heroes, but even today you divide us. And the division isn't necessary or fruitful for us. We are on the verge of the first Black president in American history in 2008; he will receive both the benefit and the burden that you two have left for us.

My friends, our time-travel machine was not advanced enough for me to go back to the genesis of man and kill the serpent in the garden of Eden; if I could have done it, I would have done it. I opted to come here because of circumstances, but also because I believe in the genius of you two. I believe your differences can be worked out and, for the sake of your antecessors, you would be willing to work them out. I leave you with another familiar passage from the Bible: "A house divided among itself shall not stand." Please, take your individual selves out of the picture and come together as one; the unity of you two means the unity of all those who come after you."

As the time machine generates a portal to the past, Jigabod approaches, letter clasped in hand. He waits for the cue...

"That's it, Jigabod, they're standing right next to each other! Get at 'em while they're still together!"

Jigabod disappears into the portal. African-Americnas, find a clock somewhere and hope that, in 60 seconds, the world as you know it will have changed for the better...

B-J