Oops, My Bad...

One of the consistent complaints of minorities in Greater Cleveland is that we're not invited to the political table until after the deal is done; our input is not solicited in the formative stages of whatever project happens to be in the works; we're just asked to sign on after the fact so that the actual designers can then claim "inclusion." The county "reform" plan currently being touted is the most recent example of this brand of legerdemain.

Of course one or two African-Americans were paid (I don't have to name names, just think of the usual suspects...) to put their imprimatur on the reform plan so that the leaders of the effort -- one of whom allegedly went on more than one Las Vegas junket with Frank Russo, which makes him a great reformer, right? -- can speciously claim buy-in by the Black community. This is simply racial "poli-tricks" as usual.

Who can seriously fault Blacks in Cuyahoga County for being skeptical of the notion that the leaders of the “reform” will go back and address our concerns at some future date after the measure passes, given the extent to which we’ve been systematically excluded to this point? Why not address issues of fairness now? If, as it has been said, that truth is the first casualty of war, then trust is the first casualty of racism.

So, when I walked into a breakfast meeting being hosted by one of the local organizations attempting to explore and inculcate new ideas to move Northeast Ohio forward, I was chagrined (but not totally surprised) by how few minorities there were among the 20 or so people present, with more White people coming in as the 8 am start time approached. “Business as usual,” I thought, “minorities left out in the nascent stages once again.”

However, by the time the meeting was almost half over the complexion of the attendees had changed appreciably: Almost a third of the audience was by then minorities. Evidently Blacks indeed had been invited, but were (as per usual, in too many cases) just “running late.” Eight in the morning evidently was a tad too early for many of my brothers and sisters. There was no intended exclusion, just sloth…my bad. What was I thinking? I’ve known for all of my life that over half of my folks are chronically late … yet here I was, set to charge some organization with not being inclusive. Shame on me.

Now, in all fairness, a few of the late arrivals were of the Caucasian persuasion … but very few; the vast majority was Black. What’s even more troubling is that as far as I could discern from my back of the room seat, none of them had that sheepish look of “Sorry I’m late” on their face as they took back row seats. They were just shooting a regular. Now, if someone in charge of the event had told them they had to sit in the back of the room they would have been fighting mad … but they relegated themselves to those seats by their own tardy behavior … and thought nothing of it.

It just may be that these tardy Black folks are not differentiating between social events (where it’s sometimes fashionable to be late) and business events. Yeah, now that I think of it, judging from how some of my race has a propensity to show up over-dressed — as if they’re going to see Prince at the Palace Theatre instead of attending a business meeting — this could just be the case.

Have I stepped on enough toes yet? Allow me to continue.

I think it was Woody Allen that once said that just showing up on time was half the battle. I hate to inform my brothers and sisters, but being on time is not acting “White”; it’s acting like you want to win. Even if the meeting was called for 7 am, serious-minded adult Blacks would have made it on time. Yes, there still are impediments, roadblocks placed on the road to success that minorities have to overcome or navigate around … so we simply don’t have the luxury of shooting ourselves in the foot by consistently being late … no matter how early the start time.

Maybe President Obama — who, last week, gave a rousing speech at the 100th Anniversary Dinner for the NAACP, in which he again admonished Blacks to look within ourselves and do better — will one day address the phenomenon known as CPT (Colored People Time) in a future speech. I know, I know, I’m not supposed to air our dirty linen in public, but too many Black folks seemingly don’t mind constantly being late in public, so it really isn’t a secret anyway, now is it?.

Black folks, think of how proud you were when Barack Obama was elected president of the United States; now think of how bad you make him (and the rest of our race) look when you show up a half-hour late. Yeah,, I’m talking about — and to — you; if the shoe fits wear it. Please, please put childish behaviors behind you and just grow up.

[READERS: Feel free to surreptitiously place this article on the desk or under the door of anyone — Black or White — who needs to see it].

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com

Frazier's From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://www.frombehindthewall.com.
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