The most dramatic case in point involves five-term Baltimore congressman Elijah Cummings, a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Cummings is a consistent progressive; he rates a place on the Honor Roll in the CBC Monitor’s twice yearly scorecard. Cummings was counting on getting a seat on either the Ways and Means or Appropriations committees – among the most coveted places to be on Capitol Hill. But despite his seniority, Cummings was shut out of both plumb seats. Instead, a white Maryland lawmaker with much less time in congress got the nod for Ways and Means, and Cummings failed to find a place on the Appropriations Committee, as well.

“Democratic Party leadership is doing everything it can to boost the careers of African Americans who tow to the corporate line.”

It was a huge snub for the top Black politician in a state in which Blacks make up something approaching half of all Democrats. Maryland Blacks were sorely tempted to abandon the party when Democrats failed, for the second time in a row, to run any African Americans for statewide office, this year. Even Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean pointed out that the state party has a diversity problem. By passing over Congressman Cummings, Democratic leadership at the state and national level are proving that they have learned…nothing.

So, which Black Democrats did get those precious seats on the Ways and Means Committee? Those prizes went to Alabama’s Artur Davis, a darling of the corporatist Democratic Leadership Council, and Florida$rsquo;s Kendrick Meek, whom the right wing of the party also favors. Davis rates only a “C” on the CBC Monitor Report Card, Meek, and unimpressive “B”. But they have been put on the fast track, as Black lawmakers who are acceptable to the Democratic powers-that-be in congress. And that is the real story. While African Americans celebrate Black faces in prestigious places, what is actually happening is that compliant Black congresspeople are being groomed by whites to become the future Black leadership. We are not necessarily “moving on up.” Instead, we are being led around by a leash.

For Black Agenda Radio, I’m Glen Ford.