The Egyptian people who are guarding their neighborhoods against rioting looters and arsonists, are being called heroes. When American citizens do the same thing, they are called racist vigilantes. (TheDamienZone, 2011)
I did a little research on this statement and I found a story about a guy named Anthony Imperiale who saved his neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey USA, from rioters and looters in 1967. He was seen as a vigilante by some but beloved by many. http://www3.niu.edu/~td0raf1/labor/Tony%20Imperiale%20stands%20for%20law%20and%20order.htm The article was written 42 years ago, so keep that in mind before you get all up in arms about the race terminolgy.
I use to work for Anthony Imperiale and he was not the racist them make him to be… He was an Army veteran and it was all about respect with him the whole thing was never to disrespect anyone but to push if you get shoved it was never about race. Blacks wanted to kill the whites in the North Ward so he said The Big white hunter will be waiting that’s it… besides who was making the threats about killing white people RACISTS always call others racist when they don’t get their way
Elvis, I read many volumes on this and I agree with everything you’re saying.
I was one of Tony’s boys… and proud of it. We were not racists. Our North Ward First Aid Squad helped all people, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. When people called our HQ because they were being harrassed or threatend, and the police could not be there, one or more of the patrols showed up to “quell” the disturbance, regardless of the color of the perps or victim’s skin. When someone’s house caught on fire, 7th St. showed up with food, clothing, and whatever else was needed… no matter who needed the help.
We were branded racists because we stood up for our people and our community. But why didn’t anyone call the Black Muslim radical LeRoi Jones a racists?
Yes –I know — that’s exactly what I said in the blog — why are you sounding defensive when my blog praised Imperiale?
I’m the Italian cousin of Anthony. I was in Newark to meet him and his family in 1994.
He was a beautiful man. God bless him.
“But why didn’t anyone call the Black Muslim radical LeRoi Jones a racists?” Because he didn’t form a vigilante group that beat the crap out of people first and didn’t bother asking questions later, all in the name of “protecting the neighborhood”
Ted, regarding LeRoi Jones aka Amiri Baraka — I think you really should — at the very least — read his Wikipedia bio.
If your home and family and neighborhood had been under siege, you would have wanted somebody to protect you too. You would not, however, have wanted it to be LeRoi Jones — a man who openly and endlessly endorsed violence against women, whites, homosexuals, and Jews.
He was a bad guy. I’ve already told you everything you’ll ever need to know about him, but you can read on if you like. There’s more bad guy Baraka to come. Hope you’re not gay or white or Jewish — you might not want to read about it.
All of that notwithstanding, Anthony Imperiale was never accused or convicted of beating the crap out of anyone and only threatened violence against those who sought to bring violence to his neighborhood.
Imperiale’s image was tarnished by his entourage. A handful of hooligans attached themselves to Imperiale but there were no substantiated reports of blacks being beaten by North Ward whites. If anything, Imperiale tried to tame the violence by creating a strong defense. By putting a stop to the building of the Kawaida Towers, Imperiale saved the North Ward of Newark from total destruction.
LeRoi Jones, however, was an unapologetic and hateful racist — just read his writings. He thought that the best view of a honkie was through the barrel of a shotgun ( I am paraphrasing).
If you read about Anthony Imperiale ( and it’s hard to find very much in-depth biographical information) you will see that he was not a racist — or at least he was a redeemed racist.
Towards the end of his life he was very contrite about having perhaps subconsciously having racist views, but he was hurt by the fact that he had been viewed as a racist.
LeRoi Jones, on the other hand, hated “whitey” until the day he died. He beat his wife (convicted), openly hated gays and advocated for the use of violence against gay men especially in his poems and essays. He was also a viscous and unrelenting anti-Semite and blamed the attacks of 9-11 on Jewish greed and influence.
Damien, I suggest that you cease in assuming what people need to read. As one who was well acquainted with members of the Baraka family, I do not need you to tell me what the man was like. It is obvious that you are the one who needs to expand your knowledge and your sources, the methods of Imperiale’s goon squad were not only well known but were gleefully repeated by his friends and supporters and fortunately would not be tolerated today. Far from saving the North Ward from total destruction, Imperiale only succeeded in encouraging racial fears and using them to further his political ambitions. Since the whole truth about Imperiale would no doubt offend you, I recommend you start with something fairly palatable and find out what politicians like Tom Kean and Ron Del Mauro or even those law enforcement officers that ran against him for sheriff, had to say about him. It’s not all negative, but the good isn’t the revisionist transformation of a thug into a saint that you’ve apparently followed, and apparently a good starting point for you would be the opinion of Caucasians. Once you’ve done that, read Ron Porambo’s excellent book on Newark during the time in question. When, you’ve finally taken in all that, you’ll be ready for a view of Imperiale from the African American community, a view you’ve no doubt avoided so far in your effort at self censorship
I know everything there is to know, and because I know what I know, I have backed away from hoisting Imperiale to sainthood. I did indeed mention the racist thugs who worked the background of the Imperiale stage. I have, however, no issue for calling out Baraka for what he was — a hateful racist, misogynist, homophobic, anti-Semite. He was an unhappy person — hateful of gays because of his own possible tendencies that festered within his psyche. End of story.
Born and raised on Gar side st between Bloomfield and Park ave knew the whole Imperial family and now at age 65 I can only say Tony was there for ALL his group the North Ward Citizens Committee during the riots protected everyone while Leroi Jones brought in people from Irvington ,East Orange, Orange for get the state officials turned their backs!
I was one of Tommy’s originals and now he saying he was never a reason for the people of the North Morgan city of North I started with the armband club up the ambulance squad with them till the end Tony I name is John Tracy and I am no JCL
I lived in the North Ward and got to know Tony when he was a dialysis patient, and I worked at St Barnabas. He was not a racist but a fair handed man who didn’t take any crap.
I see the same fascists that elected Trump are here lionizing a race hustling mafia thug. Dummies like you will never be nothing more than self deluded drones repeating hate radio spew. Go joint your citizen militias in the Idaho mountains and leave the real world for those of us with the brains to handle it
You are brainwashed — can’t help you == next