Who is Roy Innis?

Black leader, civil rights activist, Marcus Garvey disciple, unapologetic black conservative, maverick.  Only a few words that could slightly describe who Roy Innis is.  

The purpose of this this blog is to give some insight into who Roy Innis is, and what the organization, CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality became under his leadership since the late 1960's.  For good, bad or in-between, Roy Innis and CORE held fast to the organization becoming one for black empowerment most importantly though self-reliance.  

Controversy has been a long time companion of Innis, but it's a shame that there is more than one generation of young Americans (black and white) who probably only know Innis for two infamous brawls on talk show television.   Roy Innis, his character, his philosophies and contributions to America are much deeper than that and deserve to be noted for fairness and history's sake.  

Innis has been criticised for being a black conservative,  but without the perspective that his position derives from empowering African-Americans through self-reliance, and independence, not dependency or focusing on victimization.  

Those who wish to throw a little mud on him,  eagerly mention his 1971 meetings with Ugandan dictator, Idi Imin, who the Western world had limited knowledge of at the time.  Innis' detractors will conveniently omit during his trips to Africa, Innis also had significant meetings with Kenya's and Tanzania's  first presidents respectively, Jomo Kenyatta Julius Nyerere.  All in the interest of providing job opportunities for skilled African Americans while building up Africa's newly independent nations.  The reader is invited to determine the nefariousness of such a campaign.

Innis was a true follower of Marcus Garvey and arguably made progress that might rivalled his hero.   In the early 1970's some of Black Nationalism's separatist ideologies were not off the table for discussion at the time. 

As the saying goes, "If you are young and not a rebel, you have no heart.  If you are older and still a rebel, you have no head."  

In later years, Innis modified his separatist views considering the progress and the victories of the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's.  However his position on African American self reliance never changed.  Some have been quick to question Innis' embracing of conservative views  as conservatives are stereotypically drawn to be either indifferent or malignant towards African American concerns.  

Innis is a leader who made his decisions through logic and reason, not emotion.  If there is any emotion, it can be considered a tough-love towards black America. Any parent would want their children to be strong and unright on their own.  Not just getting by and always dependent on others.  

The YouTube clip above probably sums up best Roy Innis' modern philosophy today.  

More will be posted.  Please check the Instagram page, Secrets_of_Harlem_CORE for more media.