Does the Black Community Need Another Charismatic Leader?

What do you do when you know a charismatic hero is not the answer, but the political temptation to embrace him is difficult to resist? I thought this while standing among hundreds of cheering blacks at a South Los Angeles outdoor rally billed as Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt’s “first official speech.” The former Black Panther Party leader elicited the kind of enthusiasm from the crowd that usually signals the presence of genuine hope. It wasn’t that Pratt was eloquent; he just spoke straightforwardly about his desire for justice and promised that he would never sell his audience out. Everyone seemed to believe him. In 1997, Pratt had some African Americans and others thrusting their fists in the air and chanting, “All power to the people!” It was a sight to behold.

Since last summer, Pratt has spoken at other rallies and events, among them at a Congressional Black Caucus dinner and at USC last week. He has called for the formation of a movement whose centerpiece is respect for elders within the African American community and a national plebiscite to determine actual from supposed black leaders.

That Pratt continues to generate excitement is understandable. The Vietnam veteran served two tours of duty, earned two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star. Throughout his 27 years in prison (the first eight in solitary confinement), he strongly maintained his innocence in the murder of a schoolteacher during a 1968 robbery. He is free on bail because an Orange County judge ruled that Pratt did not get a fair trial. Prosecutors are appealing the ruling.

The courage, integrity and resilience Pratt exhibited while in prison have bred a kind of respect and moral authority on the outside that few recognized leaders can begin to rival. To many admirers, Pratt is thus leadership material, capable of attracting a national following. His talk of developing a grass-roots organization to fight for black empowerment, coupled with his proven organizing skills as a Black Panther, serve, in some people’s minds, to underscore his political potential, though no one has yet suggested that he run for office.

But the experiences of the 1960s and ‘70s suggest some hard lessons about pushing individuals like Pratt toward the battlefield that is better reserved for the whole community. In the ‘90s, the players have changed, but the techniques used to undermine progressive black leaders in the ‘60s and ‘70s can be used again today.

If Pratt seeks to expand his visibility and employs “revolutionary” rhetoric, and should his message be more widely received, more conservative elements within the black community--business owners, some religious leaders, some politicians and civil rights organizations, the black professional class--may try to marginalize him. Not a few black leaders have suffered this fate.

A similar strategy was employed by the FBI’s infamous COINTELPRO, an operation designed to destabilize black nationalist groups during the black-power era. According to former FBI agent Fred Swearington, COINTELPRO helped to destroy the credibility of Chicago Black Panther leader Fred Hampton by branding him a “racist,” a “violent thug” and “an enemy of the state.” The extremist characterization frightened away mainstream civil rights organizations, which made Hampton even more vulnerable to attack. He was eventually gunned down by the Chicago police.

No, the temptation to turn Pratt into a leader is not the answer because he, as inspiring as his personal life has been and remains, cannot lead people to personal responsibility. He can’t make people turn their frustration into the energy needed to demand that their humanity be better respected. He can’t make people love themselves enough to say, “This is unacceptable, it must change.” This is each individual’s job.

Well, if Pratt is not the answer, then who or what is? We have known the answer to this question for years. We continue to ask and rephrase it, filling in the blank space with names like Sojourner, Marcus, Martin and Malcolm, because as long as these names occupy that space, we have an excuse not to write in our own names. The answer is simple; it’s our lack of courage to embrace the answer that has so many of us looking for a daring rescuer.

I am not suggesting that Pratt’s life and example be dismissed. Quite the contrary. It should be welcomed--and more must step up and join him on the front line and imitate his commitment to black empowerment. That means black men committing to loving, monogamous relationships with black women. Black professionals with disposable income believing in the black community enough to support black businesses. Black businesses providing goods and services to keep and enlarge their customer base. The man tired of crime in his neighborhood knocking on his neighbors’ doors to organize a Neighborhood Watch program. Black Christian ministers having lunch with black Muslim ministers. Black parents saying, “No television, no phone, no play until homework is done,” then sitting down to help their kids. Black parents not simply telling their kids what to do but showing them by living lives that are inspiring. Parents becoming their children’s role models. Strong black families linking with strong black families.

Pratt would welcome these types of actions. But the answer for the black community is not another charismatic hero. Rather, it is a community of individuals becoming heroic where they stand.