Primary Colors

'Primary Colors' by Mumia Abu-Jamal recorded 3-23-12 Primary Colors[col. writ. 3/22/12) '12 Mumia Abu-Jamal Since the infamous Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) case, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the racist principle and illusion of "separate but equal", many states passed laws for "white primaries", where white voters essentially decided which candidates could run for which office, the Black vote--when and where it existed at all--was but a cynical referendum on candidates chosen by others--both usually sworn to uphold rigid white supremacy. In 1946 the Supreme Court's Chapman v. King case abolished the all-white primary (in Georgia) as unconstitutional, thus paving the way for the 1954 Brown v. Board. of Education decision.That was generations ago, and although white primaries are still illegal, the look of today's Republican presidential primaries eerily reflects 'Back to the Future.' For these candidates seem to be racing for yesteryear, the days of "Ozzie & Harriet", "Dobie Gillis"-