Unmasking a conspiracy of concerned citizens
by Attica Scott
"There's a rumor being spread about me and my crew.
About something we did or were supposed to do.
You might not have heard it or maybe you have.
But when I first heard it all I did was laugh."
—Whodini, 1984
A rumor has been going around recently that East Tennessee's seedy organized activist syndicate has birthed four new families. The dons (and donnas) of the four families are commonly referred to as Knoxville's Black Mafia.
The "families" are really organizations like the Black Business Contractors Association and individuals like 6th District City Councilman Danny Mayfield. Some people have tried to link this "Mafia" to Knoxville College. As an alumna of Knoxville College who is not a member of this Mafia, I see no reason why this particular institution would even be mentioned in the same sentence.
Rumors of this notorious Black Mafia began surfacing around the time that the Heart of Knoxville was federally designated an Empowerment Zone. Coincidence? I think not. I'd venture to say that these rumors began when some local African Americans had the audacity to speak up about what they'd like to see happen with some of the EZ money. What better way to try to squash these uppity black folks than to attempt to discredit them with ridiculous rumors?
This new Mafia was recently accused of running out of town the former executive director of the Partnership for Neighborhood Improvement. You ask how? By sending a few of its big, black, kente-wearing thugs to PNI board meetings to make the executive director feel threatened. Oh, I didn't mention that the former executive director was a white female who was part of the Good Ol' Girls Network; thus, a certain level of distrust existed between her and the African-American community.
If the truth be told, I'd be intimidated too if some big black men fronted me before a large group of people. Better yet, I'd be embarrassed. At the same time, I'd ask myself if I were contributing to their frustration by talking down to them as if they were ignorant and couldn't comprehend the complexities of the very issues that they were bringing to the table. This Mafia is being led by men and women who long ago rid themselves of the master-slave mentality that continues to plague many of us today. That's what makes it difficult to put these folks in their place.
The "four families" recently convened at a local soul food restaurant over greens, cornbread, and fried chicken to plot their next move—to organize people of color and their white allies for the revolution. What revolution you ask? I don't know; it just sounded good. The real goal of this Mafia is true equality and diversity at every level—economic, political, and social—in our community.
Knoxville's Black Mafia has been compared to the Appalachian Mafia—you know, those Melungeons with attitudes. These folks only want what's best for all of us. They are not advocating violence or civil disobedience. They are advocating unity within the black community because you have to start at home.
I think the best way for these rumors to end is if all African Americans in Knoxville stop speaking up for what they believe in. They need to stop naming racism when they think they see it, because we all know that racism and injustice don't happen here—only in other places. And they need to stop organizing themselves for meaningful change in our community.
Comments? You can reach Attica Scott at [email protected].
March 8, 2001 * Vol. 11, No. 10
© 2001 Metro Pulse
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