Can't ever hurt to listen.
I am of the opinion that white American society has de facto anointed Jackson and Sharpton as spokes-persons for the black community. Americans listen to them and are affected by what they say, like their message or not. Stop reading what they Write, listening to what they preach, stop watching them on TV and ignore them- they will lose their "power" overnight. They would have no "pulpit" and other people from the black community would become its official spokes-people. And, no- the NBP could not possibly be it.
rfenst wrote: