Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Crack - How Not To Let Another Dr. King or Malcolm X Through


It's long been noted that during the era of Iran Contra, the best and brightest were targeted for crack addiction. Recent media cries about how Whitney Houston wasted her life reach a rage in folks who thought they had forgiven and moved on from. Whitney Houston, Richard Pryor and so many others were clearly targeted and drained.

So I asked a question to Dr. Leroy Vaughn, MD, MBA, Historian, Humanitarian, Honorary Nigerian African Chief and author of the dynamic Black history book BLACK PEOPLE AND THEIR PLACE IN WORLD HISTORY.  His response, though rooting, chilled me to the bone.

'I've heard that J. Edgar Hoover did not want another Dr. Martin Luther King or Malcolm X to get through. Given the recent death of Whitney Houston, maybe now we can talk about this taboo topic - what was the impact of Iran Contra crack on the Black American community?'

Dr. Vaughn:  "Iran Contra did not happen until 1986.  They supposedly used money from selling arms to Iran to fund a war in Nicaragua which eventually overthrew the government.

The drugs entered the Black community in the late 1960’s to stop the Civil Rights movement.  First heroin and then other drugs were heavily supplied in the Black community.  Vietnam and the Far East supplied most of the drugs.  Afghan drugs (heroin) are now used in addition to cocaine from South America.

I think it is well documented that the USA controls most of the world’s drugs and supposedly uses the money to fight the war on terror. 

However, the drugs also serve as a giant sedative on the Black and activists communities.”

For more of Dr. Vaughn's powerful historic insight, the kind we can use to NOT repeat the lessons of the past, Los Angeles journalist Brad Pye, Jr. advises:

‘If you really want to know about Black People And Their Place In World History then you should rush out and obtain a copy of Dr. Vaughn’s masterpiece before the sun goes down."