After 148 years, Mississippi has "officially" abolished slavery by ratifying the 13th amendment. We can assume that what took policymakers so long was the historical and present-day desire to make sure white privilege was so ingrained that formal slavery was no longer needed. Mississippi policy makers, the moneyed elite and - at the time - the vast majority of its minority white population were all in agreement on how to proceed on this important task. The historic sequence of outright terror and new systems of servitude launched against the Black population included mass killings, lynchings, rape, sharecropping, prison labor and forced flight that decreased the majority Black population of Mississippi to a minority. This all sufficed to raitfy a political economy of white dominance that was well in place through the 1950 and 60s. Even after the civil rights and black power movements killed off the last of de jure segregation in Mississippi, a new consensual de facto supremacist system still rules. This system is embraced by far too many people in Mississippi's now majority white population and by its policy makers, moneyed white leaders. It is even quietly endorsed by the Magnolia's State new Black elite.

A 1970's news article on Aretha Franklin's heroic gesture to pay bail for then recently arrested Angela Davis has been circulating on face-book. Aretha offered to pay bail stemming from the capture of Angela Davis in New York after a massive FBI woman hunt in 1970. Ms. Davis was charged with murder, kidnapping and conspiracy for allegedly supplying weapons for an attempted courtroom escape led by Jonathan Jackson to free his brother and revolutionary leader George Jackson. Angela Davis already well known for her battles with then California Governor Ronald Reagan over her right to teach in California Universities after being identified as a communist sealed her image as a revolutionary icon in the Black movement. The article has caught the attention of many because of Aretha's striking and unapologetic stance in offering bail towards Mr. Davis release.

Some Thoughts on What Young Black Activists Should Consider In Creating a Successful Black Movement

Occupy Wall Street’s name is so popular now that it has entered pop culture lexicon and can be referred to by one name only as in “Occupy”, like “Prince” or “Drake”. This speaks volumes to its ability to gain attention and now to be scrutinized by corporate media. This moment that “Occupy” is still attempting itself to occupy speaks to a major breakthrough in the public conversation on uneven wealth distribution and the tactics to confront such. Tactical responses have already stretched the boundaries of the original theme, from worker strikes and port shut-downs on the west coast to adopting the “Take Back the Land” strategy of physically preventing foreclosures and evictions in other areas.

As Occupy continues to shape-shift the question for those intimately involved is what next? How do they create structure and leadership, radical strategic goals and public politics that will define them past this initial burst of action? One prudent piece of advice is to watch out for the Democratic Party and their associates bearing gifts. Ultimately, their goal is to reduce the militancy of Occupy and to squeeze out a few votes for moderate politicians. These politicians will mostly pretend at wanting to change the political and economic order but do little once elected to challenge real contradictions of class and race. Any alliance that is not well prepared will end in cooptation. Despite the impressive beginning of the mostly white-led left leaning groupings important decisions lay ahead on how to move forward and movement build.