Commentary: On Black Leadership, Black Politics, and the U.S. Immigration Debate

Black leadership has failed to grasp what is at stake in the debate and struggle
over anti-immigration legislation. There are social, economic, and moral grounds
calling for Black people to take a stance on the side of immigrant populations.
The responsibility for Black people to be the guiding light for freedom and human
dignity is clearly revealed in the work of DuBois. The Black perspective is unique
for recognizing when people are conceptually placed outside the ‘‘American’’
people. Some Latinos have helped foster confusion by attempting to identify
Latinos as just another ‘‘ethnic’’ group to distinguish them from the Black ‘‘racial
group.’’ Among other shortcomings this conceptualization fails to recognize ‘‘Afro-Latinos.’’ The creation of a service Latino underclass threatens the well-
being of the whole working class and organized labor. As the Latinos expose the hypocrisy of U.S. society, Black people must join them in righteous struggle.
Black people are the most egregious victims of that hypocrisy.