INTERVIEW WITH DARYLE LAMONT JENKINS

Conducted by Doug Laustsen, Ska Is Dead fanzine

The following is an interview conducted via Instant Messenger.

DL: okay, for someone who is not familiar with you or the POP, please explain.

DLJ: Well, I should first start off by saying I am not a member of POP. Peoples Organization for Progress was among the main groups that helped put together the One People’s Rally. I, at the time, was a member of New Jersey Freedom Organization. About me…I am a writer, and sometime television producer that has been airing programs on public access for the past six years, mostly underground music and culture oriented.
DLJ: As a writer I have been known by the op-ed pieces that have appeared in newspapers across the country.

DL: Speaking of One People, what was its original intent and what are its current activities

DLJ: The original intent of the One People’s rally was to have an event that celebrated us as a people. Richard Barrett and his white supremacist Nationalist Movement planned to have on July 4 what he called an “Independence from Affirmative Action Day” parade, which was also billed as an event to honor Ex-State Police Superintendent Carl Williams, who was fired after his remarks that seemed to defend racial profiling.
DLJ: We wanted the One People’s Rally not to counter, but to scuttle his hate parade for something more inclusive. We learned that he did not yet have a permit to do what he wanted to do, so we pushed for one of our on on the same day in the same spot.

DL: Is there any reason for Barrett continued efforts in New Jersey, including his ‘awards ceremony’ that was also a target of One People

DLJ: There has been growing white supremacist activity in New Jersey, bleeding over from what racists like Ryan Wilson and August Kreis had started in Pennsylvania. There are also the racial profiling cases that were garnering national attention. I suppose Barrett, who is from here, figured it was time to come home.
DLJ: He is wrong.

DL: Moving on to national issues, what do you foresee the Bush Administration changing in the next for years concerning the Death Penalty, Abortion, etc.

DLJ: No change. You may have some threats toward late term abortions and Bush did cut federal funding to abortions internationally, but for the most part he is just going to piss us off. He is going to be a weak president, due to the outcome of the election, and that is gong to benefit us.
DLJ: We should not be too optimistic however. He can still turn around and hit us where we did not expect. Look at this Ashcroft fight.

DL: Do you ever wonder what may have happened if Nader did not run. Because, according the numbers, Gore would be President
DL: and Nader did not even get his 5%

DLJ: We would have the same thing that we have now. The Rage Against the Machine video for “Testify” was good in illustrating that. It was a montage of Gore saying one thing, Bush at another time repeating it, and vice versa. Gore supported the death penalty. Gore was a privileged kid, and Gore would not have done anymore than what he did as vice-president, which is nothing.
DLJ: they are both party people, and the parties that they belong to have shown they could care less about us as a people.

DL: I wasn’t exactly intending to talk about this, but what impact do you feel Rage Against the Machine making on today’s popular-teen culture, if any?

DLJ: I don’t believe that they are creating the political impact that say Public Enemy did. I think a lot of people like them for the music, and don’t hear the message. There’s a reason for that. Public Enemy was a lot more confrontational offstage as well as on. When Rage does stoke that political ire, it is when they go on the confrontational level, like with the Mumia Concert or with the show outside the Democratic Convention. They do not do it often, so for the most part the message is lost.
DLJ: I want them to keep doing what they are doing, just more aggressively.

DL: Concerning Anti-racism on the national front, what is it doing correctly right now, and what exactly is it lacking?

DLJ: Correctly… they are more aggressive these days, and they are calling out the people in leadership positions as part of the problem. We have never been able to get a foothold in the issue of police brutality until we started to focus on what kind of message the mayors of towns and the governors of state were sending to bad cops. All of a sudden things changed. The problem people are not so much the open racists; it is the ones who pretend they are not, when they know they are not fooling anyone.
DLJ: What is it lacking…a lot of anti-racists have bogged us down a lot by worrying too much about political theory. I’m not saying it is important, but when you do not actually apply it, what is the point? There are some things that Goldman, Malcolm X, and Lenin have said and written that you can do now without waiting for the “revolution”. Those that are involved in direct action know this and have seen results.

DL: So the people who crack racist jokes with friends are the true enemy of equality, and not the David Dukes in society? And, People are too concerned for the right time to act, and should be living in the moment?

DLJ: Not so much those who merely crack jokes, but folks who are in political positions, for example, who routinely do things that always finds themselves in conflict with people of color, yet find other explanations for their positions other than being racist. There comes a point when you are in conflict just a bit too much and we would be foolish not to be concerned.
DLJ: And yes, people have been too concerned about the right time to act. You make time.
DLJ: And speaking of political theory, I think it is just as important to learn and study what the right has said and written as much as we do those whose political lines we agree with. That means going to some of their events like I do. It means engaging them in debate. Not just to learn how they do things, but to school them as well. A lot of them believe the way they do because someone got to them before we did. Stay vigilant against them, but try to get them to come around.

DL: Do you see a problem in the fact that many groups that all claim to support Anti-Racism differ on many other issues, which causes disunity? Is there ever going to be a unified ‘action’ against racism?

DLJ: We all come from different walks of life, no matter what it is we do. Find where we can unite and work from there. When we cannot, we can either work to hammer out the contentions, or break off on that point and that point only! There are different ways to fight racism, but as long as you are truly fighting it, it’s good.
DLJ: Now if you are being contradictory in how you act, then we have a problem. You cannot fight racism, then turn around and deny someone their rights because of their sexual preference. That needs to be addressed.

DL: In closure, how could someone become active should they feel the necessity to act. I ask this because for some people I personally know, they seem intimidated by the image that left wings get some time, like the negative connotation of Communist in society today. Also, there is no welcome mat or friendly sign-up sheet much of the time
DL: wait, I lied, that’s not the last
question

DLJ: Okay.

DL: Before that, what are your views on Censorship? Specifically, Internet Censorship

DLJ: Censor nothing. Period.
DLJ: Period.

DLJ: For those people that may be concerned, I would tell them to take it slow. You have to decide how you want to commit yourself. There are ways you can be involved by not compromising yourself, if you feel that what you would do. You can support those out in the streets with information or with finances, you can get the word out about certain concerns, write letters to the editor, etc.

DL: okay, are you done with the ‘final question’

DLJ: that is my final answer!

DL: Because, as a follow up: I always thought that the ‘checkbook supporter’ was to be avoided, but you just said the opposite

DLJ: I understand that. It does not look sincere. That and the fact money have corrupted the best of organizations. I would take each situation as they come regarding that, I guess.

DL: okay that’s all, then

DLJ: Alright. I hope I helped.

DL: Thanks for your time, and when I finish putting everything together for this, I’ll send it to you

DLJ: Thanks. ‘Twas a good session. I will see you soon.

DL: You helped a lot. Hopefully, I can get this off its feet and make it something important to someone
DL: bye

DLJ: peace and good luck.